As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Though her work on ATWT was not mentioned here, there is more information and some interesting factoids and tidbits (including You Tube links to her music and film work) about the life and work of Novella Nelson in her New York Times obituary. 

 

Novella Nelson, 78, Dies; Brought Authority to Myriad Roles

[DramatistDreamer]

Just posted a clip of Barbara in court in a different thread and came across this in the You Tube sidebar and two things struck me:

1) The way this scene is shot, you don't see soaps do this anymore-- the jury is shot as being more than glorified extras with closeups and panning to individual faces,

 

2) This actor who played Jason Benedict, I could have seen him with Iva more than the actor they ended up using down the road when they threw he and Iva together. So many possibilities that could've been done (including having him enter Iva's life much earlier and even becoming a rival to Kirk) instead of making him some type of consolation prize for Iva in the long run.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[adrnyc]

 

I would've been the same way right now if I hadn't read that Bryce had left the show. Already, I was thinking to myself "Maybe Bryce needed a vacation - he's been gone for a week now." For some reason, I had it in my head that he was on the show until '89. But I know that he's on The Facts of Life in the '88-'89 season so he clearly had to have left ATWT earlier. 

 

I do like how the show keeps characters around for months without the actor present. Steve has been gone for over 6 months now but he's constantly mentioned or Betsy will be speaking to him on the phone, etc. Soaps quit doing this sometime in the mid aughts, I think? It really helps Oakdale feel like a town. A town that I desperately want to live in. 

[victoria foxton]

Two very different era's of ATWT over 10 yrs apart.

Edited September 9, 2017 by victoria foxton

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding that. Does anyone know the dates on those episodes? The uploader has put two episodes likely several months apart as having the same date. 

 

Nice understated performance from Justin Deas, for once. 

 

Ariel's eyes...

 

I think I'd seen the bit before where Margo slaps her.

 

@Mitch didn't you say you were a fan of that Nels character? He's in this one.

 

Oof at poor Elaine Princi and the Come wiz me to the Cazbah accent. Seeing them in Bob's house is strange. I just wish Nancy had been around to react to her. Can you imagine? 

[Limenade]

Interesting, also, to see David and Ellen Stewart discuss their relationship issues as a mature couple.  When Susan and Emily returned to Oakdale during Marland's tenure, David and Ellen did play critical roles as parental figures, but I could recall only a handful of scenes where they had soul-searching discussions about themselves.  (An especially memorable one occurred in the middle of the Tad Channing murder mystery, when they stayed at the cabin while Betsy and Craig went looking for Steve, who skipped town.)  But it really wasn't entirely Marland's fault - I believe Henderson Forsythe was actively seeking acting opportunities in theater, so the show kept saying how David was out doing research on AIDS in Africa.

[DramatistDreamer]

Forsythe was very active in theater. He also did quite a lot of primetime television, in various roles.  When you look at his resume, particularly from the 80s and 90s, it looks quite impressive. They sort of worked out something with Forsythe, even though, unfortnately it meant that viewers rarely got to see David.

 

To be honest, I think down the road in the late 90s, Larry Bryggman would have skirmishes with ATWT over his desire to take on more work outside of ATWT.  I wish that they could've found the right balance, although I know money issues came into his dispute with the show as well but I have read instances of a number of soap stars wanting out because they felt they were putting in too many hours on the show, getting burned out while wanting to do other things. The irony is that some actors were complaining of being overused while some were underutilized

By the way, thanks for posting these videos, especially the 80s episodes. There are actually episodes here that I don't remember seeing and there are episodes on You Tube that I've worn out, LOL.

Edited September 12, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[Paul Raven]

I think Larry's issues would have been more about the changes at the show in that John was no longer being written as a central dynamic character.

 

I'm sure the money was an issue as he would have been commanding quite a hefty salary at one time and as we know ,everyone was being handed less lucrative deals throughout the 90's and beyond.

 

If anything,Larry would have had more time for outside projects in the later years. Did he do much theater at that time?

[Mitch]

 

Was Nels James' lackey, who I swear, was madly in love with him? I wouldnt say I was a FAN..but..he was funny!

 

I would have loved to see Nancy react to Miranda!  "No Nancy I do not know where Zee  BIG SPOON is you speak of..constantly...Merde...why are all ze people's eating at our house all ze time????"

[Jerry675]

ATWT did not need John Dixon after around 1997. the character had run its course. Bryggman should have been put on recurring during that period before Marie Masters.

[Mitch]

 

 

I think John was always needed...but I think that all the vets (and I know this is not popular and I love my vets) should have been supporting at this time...not that they disappear or only come out for weddings, but they have seen it all and done it all, good bad and the middle. They should have been constantly involved in the younger people's lives (i.e Lisa should have always been in Carly's orbit) but they didn't need to be front burner. I think GL's biggest problem was that it would not let Josh and Reva and Alan etc be supporting...they just kept repeating the same boring beats over and over.  I would have loved and I have no idea why they didn't do this, but hook John and Lucinda up again, and they could have been the shady versions of Bob and Kim..cackling at everyone' s mistakes and stupid soap opera decisions.  John and Lisa shared grandkids...why the hell did they ever have not have scenes fighting over their direction,  etc?

 

Though if you watched during the Dobson's time I think we all had enough of John Dixon..until Marland came along and gave the show balance.

[slick jones]

HAPPY 84TH BIRTHDAY TO THE ETERNAL VIXEN, EILEEN FULTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

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[DramatistDreamer]

 

ITA that vets like John Dixon were absolutely needed, to maintain that continuity of history that soap fans have come to expect from their shows.

 

I do agree that it's not the best thing to have vets eating up the show but that wasn't ATWT's problem, ATWT's problem was when they had irrelevant characters like Liberty and Janet eating the show.  From what I've seen, heard and read, most ATWT fans could care less about the Ciccones.

 

For me, personally, I would have liked to see the next generation of Hughes, Dixons (like Andy's daughter Hope), Stewarts, etc. take more of a lead in some of the storyline and incorporate their parents and grandparents (would've loved to see Kim and Bob mix it up with John and Lucinda over Hope Dixon's anxiety breakdowns in terms of her pushing herself too hard to get to medical school and the problems her binge-drinking to cope have caused).

 

The answer wasn't to push the veterans aside but to have had them actively involved in the storylines of the younger generations in Oakdale.

 

 

Oh wow. If only there were some way to send her a virtual Happy Birthday!

Edited September 13, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[All My Shadows]

Much love to Eileen Fulton, and I trust she is doing well! She used to have a regularly updated website with a blog, but that folded not long before ATWT left the air.

[Soaplovers]

 

I agree vets were needed....that wad why it was a surprise Susan lasted so long.  She provided great support for Emily and Allison.  I recall when she found out Emily was a prostitute and Allison did adult films...and she fell off the wagon.  My mom said ' I completely get why that would happen'.  It's a shame that John, Lisa, etc weren't used as well fornthst purpose.