I'm glad I'm not the only one who liked Mary Ellen Stuart as Frannie! She was nice, but also had a backbone and was intelligent for the most part. If she hadn't opted to leave the show right before Marland died, do you think the character of Frannie would have survived well into the 90s?

According to Laurie Caso, Marland intended to bring Frannie back after at least a year had passed. During the remainder of Caso's run, references were made to Frannie and Sabrina. I watched selectively during the Valente and Felicia Minei Behr years, so I am not sure if references to them continued. For 2000s viewers, were Frannie and Sabrina mentioned during the Goutman years, prior to Julianne's Moore's final appearance?

Edited October 23, 201312 yr by saynotoursoap

I think they mentioned Frannie and Sabrina in the last Christmas episode.

I think they were mentioned as running a charity in Montega occasionally, but whether that was something Goutman originated or simply continued, I don't know. Andy was rarely, if ever mentioned, and he was actually on during Goutman's run. I tend to think the actors simply adlibbed things about family when Bob was sick, or some other family emergency was going on.

I liked Teri Vandenbosch's Frannie and found Julianne Moore an adjustment, but I felt she really grew as an actress on ATWT. I will also say this, she is one of the classiest former soaps stars around. She is an Emmy award winner and has been nominated for a handful of Oscars, yet she asked to return to As the World Turns for one last time before it left the air, because she harbored such warm feelings toward it and the audience that made her star. There are damn few performers with this attitude, and some, such as Meg Ryan, would rather pretend the show never existed. I think Julianne is wonderful.

I remember Teri and liked her too. She was playing Frannie when they introduced Marcy (Marisa Tomei). I will give credit to Julianne for not forgetting her soap roots. Meg Ryan is pathetic for dissing the show. I read an interview one time with Michael Park and he said he was doing a stage show and met Meg. He commented he was on ATWT her old stomping grounds. He said she looked like she could run right through him.....LOL

Lindsey Frost reminded me of Lindsay Wagner.

Jesus, some of these sets from the late '70s look like they haven't been renovated since Day 1. It's like Dark Shadows infrastructure and tone - when everything about the "present-day" storylines and vibe seemed off and weird in some way.

I agree. The makeup they were using looked horrible as well. It has an almost reddish purple tint to it. In the 80's it got better with the sets and makeup. I can see why Y&R in the 70's shocked viewers with it lavishly decorated sets, flashy wardrobe and background music. A lot of soaps were still using organ music.

I saw the 1974 episodes of GH and it came across kind of old fashioned and a bit cheesy. Compare it to the 1975 Y&R episode and it's like a whole new soap universe. Now days Y&R is considered the old fashioned soap.

They also could have had Lisa fighting with that daughter of David's other wife...Karen. I wonder if Eileen would have stayed on the show if she'd had something fun to play.

What did you think of Craig back at this time? Most of what I've seen he's mostly blowing up in a neurotic fashion. I think you said you didn't like Cricket or Lyla (not sure what you said about MC's Margo).

I actually think the Dobson's were gearing things up for fun things for her to play, with the intro of Diana McColl, spoiled daughter of Whit. Would have been fun to see Lisa and her go at it and Lisa butting in when Diana was trying to break up Betsy and Steve. I think that the problem was the actor who played Whit, with the dentures and the wig. Wasnt he a friend of the Dobson's? Fulton left too early, for the Dobson's to write a whole family around her was a big thing.

Never liked Craig as a "villain," he was too whiny and not fun..and of course that weird sex thing the D's would always bring up, making him impotent on his wedding night to Betsy, (thus insuring that Steve broke her cherry like that was a big deal) but able to screw around with a waitress on their honeymoon, (I think they even had Craig have a fantasy of her in a german beer wench costume so he could get it up...) weird,weird stuff.

I like MD's Margo, she just came across as too strident sometimes. I can't imagine Marland writing for her and her having scenes talking with "Gram," etc.

I never liked the

I actually think the Dobson's were gearing things up for fun things for her to play, with the intro of Diana McColl, spoiled daughter of Whit. Would have been fun to see Lisa and her go at it and Lisa butting in when Diana was trying to break up Betsy and Steve. I think that the problem was the actor who played Whit, with the dentures and the wig. Wasnt he a friend of the Dobson's? Fulton left too early, for the Dobson's to write a whole family around her was a big thing.

Never liked Craig as a "villain," he was too whiny and not fun..and of course that weird sex thing the D's would always bring up, making him impotent on his wedding night to Betsy, (thus insuring that Steve broke her cherry like that was a big deal) but able to screw around with a waitress on their honeymoon, (I think they even had Craig have a fantasy of her in a german beer wench costume so he could get it up...) weird,weird stuff.

I like MD's Margo, she just came across as too strident sometimes. I can't imagine Marland writing for her and her having scenes talking with "Gram," etc.

I never liked the

Whit was played by Robert Horton who was a popular TV star in the 50's/60's western series Wagon Train. I have seen reruns of the show. Women back then considered him hot stuff.

Yeah, that stuff with Craig was weird and over the top. I was just a kid back then and it drove me up the wall.

Here is a pic of a young Robert Horton aka Whit McColl

Edited October 23, 201312 yr by SoapDope

Wow, he did look hot back then, but as Whit, not so much! Plus he and Fulton had no chemistry..she always looked grossed out by kissing him! I can't think of anyone that age who would have been a good match for her...I do think the guy who played Nick and she had chemsitry..too bad they didn't bring him in as a Whit McColl type and I think he played "bad," better then good.

Wow, he did look hot back then, but as Whit, not so much! Plus he and Fulton had no chemistry..she always looked grossed out by kissing him! I can't think of anyone that age who would have been a good match for her...I do think the guy who played Nick and she had chemsitry..too bad they didn't bring him in as a Whit McColl type and I think he played "bad," better then good.

LOL at being grossed out. Yes, she and Nick would of been good. I never understood why the show didn't just put Bob & Kim together after Dan's death instead of putting her with Nick and him with Miranda.

I never understood why the show didn't just put Bob & Kim together after Dan's death instead of putting her with Nick and him with Miranda.

I never understood why either. When Bob and Kim DID reunite, in '85, viewers weren't exactly unhappy about it.

I guess either P&G was wary, or the Dobsons wanted to use these characters to try to make their new creations popular.

I guess either P&G was wary, or the Dobsons wanted to use these characters to try to make their new creations popular.

I'm voting for choice #2.

I do think Lisa/Nick would have been a better choice instead of Lisa w/Whit McCall and Nick w/Kim.

Didn't someone previously mention that Bob and Kim were reunited by SBH on a whim?

I was surprised at how many stories/characters were started under SBH that Marland carried on (i.e Sierra being Lucinda's daughter, Sierra/Craig, Shannon, plus bringing back Nancy/Chris... and starting Frannie with Steven Weber's character plus his shifty ex girlfriend Marie). While a part of me wonders what SBH would have done with these stories, I think Marland carried on quite well with these initial stories and added some great touches like Douglas Cummings, Duncan, etc. Though I think making Lily adopted by Iva was kind of unneeded even though there were some great scenes with the pitchfork.

I guess it helped that most of those were solid stories and decisions. I think a lot of writers would have dumped Shannon, but she was very much in Marland's wheelhouse (I don't think she was ever on the backburner in her first stint).

I guess the main difference in tone is that he clearly was not a fan of the Andropolous family, or Maggie, and for some reason he seemed to feel he needed to deemphasize the Kim/Betsy relationship.

Well, I do think part of the reason was Bob and Kim were tentpole characters in completely separate stories. Kim and Dan were very popular...it's the old axiom---you never want to be the rebound girl/guy, 'cause they never last. And I don't think Nick even lasted two years, did he? I don't know if he was meant to be a short term character, but it sure seems like it.

And new HW always want to bring their own characters in. It really is a credit to Marland that he sought to understand what the fans of the show already liked, and worked with a lot of cast that was already here.

I have a feeling Nick was supposed to be long-term but the character wasn't popular. Kathryn Hays said she got a lot of hate mail during that storyline.