It hurts me to no end how Hogan Sheffer and his minions destroyed Barbara Ryan.

It hurts me to no end that Sheffer's era is considered some kind of renaissance period by many (particularly in the soap press).

While the first year of so of his run might have had a "fun quality," it was simply NOT ATWT, and the show just moved further and further away from what made it unique during that period, and I don't think it ever recovered.

The soap press often gets it wrong.

I'm just happy Barbara was basically Barbara again (well to me anyway) at the end.

Soap Fan Cruises is having an ATWT event in late January - early February. http://www.soapfancruises.com/

I'm just happy Barbara was basically Barbara again (well to me anyway) at the end.

I would agree, Carl. I'm not sure whether I liked or even understood Barbara's relationship with Henry. To me, it might have made more sense to have her hook up with Casey. (I know it would have been an excellent way to continue the Barbara/Margo feud, lol.) All things considered, though, I felt as if ATWT's writers had acknowledged toward the end how far they had gone with "Mad Babs," and thus were taking steps toward rectifying that situation without dismissing that period as the result of a brain tumor or (ahem) microchip.

Yea, I never saw KA-RAZY Babs but at the end she seemed back to her morally ambivalant non-crazy part of the Hughes family but a pain in the ass just the same, Barbara. (There was a sweet moment during Nancy's memorial where Lisa is hiding out at Fashions and Barbara is on the phone with her trying to get her to come with her to Bob and Kim's and before she hangs up she says, "I love you," have no idea if it was the writers or if it Zenk but it was hearfelt and a nice thing about Babs and Lisa's long time friendship, sometimes getting on each other's nerves, relationship.)

New Van Hansis interview:

http://www.thebacklot.com/van-hansis-on-eastsiders-as-the-world-turns-and-relishing-a-long-relationship/05/2013/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb-iMfXbNzU&list=UUVlg3OKsxdKKq5f4rmw6Gvw&index=10

May 1969 Afternoon TV

A color photo of the b/w days of 1961.

I think frumpy Lisa is pregnant at this time

Cast photo 63 / 64?

Edited May 19, 201312 yr by Paul Raven

That's quite a find. I guess they didn't dress or style for color (some shows did even though they were B&W), if Lisa's skirt is any indication.

Helen Wagner looks so different here.

This must have been when Lisa was still teaching the children of Walnut Grove in that one-room school house.

Paul Roberts replaced the Dobsons as headwriter in May 81. According to their Santa Barbara interview their 3 year contract with P&G was up and they chose not to renew.

I wonder how Roberts landed that job.He had been a consultant for ABC and NBC daytime and worked at Universal.You world think that P&G would be trying to find a top notch writer to restore ATWT to its former glory.

Maybe Roberts presented a great story outline but considering what went to air,I doubt it.Wasn't there a strike that summer? How long did Roberts actually work on the show?

Details of that period are scant.

I wish footage would surface of when Kim arrives and meets Bob from around 1972. When they would show flashbacks, they would only air their early 80's reconnection. I always remember that scene where Kim tells Bob she has always loved him and never stopped.