As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

They also were the first to pair Tom & Margo romantically. 

They created James Stenbeck.

Dusty Donovan & Margo Hughes

They created Craig, Lyla, Steve Andropolous, and Cricket on ATWT

 

[MarlandFan]

At the time, I totally bought Iva's "sacrifice" for Craig.  Pre-therapy, Iva definitely had low self-esteem + she felt enormous guilt for the destruction that Tad had caused her family and friends.  She REALLY loved Craig and knew that the only reason Craig was in prison accused of a murder he did not commit was because Tad had followed her to Oakdale to begin with.  I agree: a longer Iva/Craig/Sierra story would have been interesting. (I, for one, never understood the Craig/Sierra appeal.)  RIP Lisa Brown.

[Contessa Donatella]

When she died, I was so distressed. That was when soaps being "hard hit" began for me, Personally I mean. And, it's just kept going & going some more. And, now we hear that Justin Deas has stage 4 lung cancer.

[Liberty City]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this rare find.

[DRW50]

Back when I started ATWT around 1989 or so, I loved Shannon, but while Margaret Reed is a very charismatic and talented woman (as shown by her steady primetime work, she's also a survivor in a tough industry), I don't think most of Shannon's material has aged well - lots of "comedy" and iffy pairings (aside from Duncan) and then a lot of misery. I never see Marland as a comedic writer and the attempts with Shannon often feel like they got dumped from AMC (not that he was especially fond of Agnes Nixon by that point). I wonder what she might have been if the glimpses we saw of her early on (much more of a scheming mystery woman, albeit with a heart) had stayed.

I don't think I ever saw any voodoo or shrunken heads in what's been available on Youtube and I don't remember reading about it in any synopses, but others have paid much closer attention to the synopses than I have. 

I don't have any investment in Craig and Iva because to me it's entirely pitched as "poor Iva," and he was always just in love with Sierra, but they may have taken more time if Scott Bryce hadn't been leaving. The one time they seem to write Craig as genuinely torn between two women is Ellie and Sierra. 

I have a lot of respect for Larry Pine, but he was badly miscast as Tad Channing #2 and it hangs over the whole story.

Thomas was Beatrice's dead fiancé. When Beatrice was mentally ill, Brian had to pose as him. I think maybe just Duncan and his servants knew the truth at this time, but I can't remember. 

Mark Pinter said quite a few years ago that soon after Marland arrived at ATWT, he told Pinter that he was writing Brian out, and had the story in place, but it would take a while. 

Edited just now by DRW50