As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

That would have been a great idea as it would've given both EH and EF something to play with. Lisa and Lucinda were the Betty Davis & Joan Crawford of daytime drama and ATWT should have carried that dynamic to the very end of the show. The fact that they didn't seems like a waste of interesting show history.

Of course, I would've preferred if ATWT had just left Craig with Sierra in Montega and had him come up for brief storyline arcs (a la Penny or David Stewart in the '80s), to deal with his kids, fuss with Lucinda over the kids and head back to Montega. Hunt Block or Jon Lindstrom would have been better off as Barbara's brother Rick Ryan.

That 90s boxy ill fitting baggy look did Rex Smith no favors. Funny how Courtney wore a similar style of jacket and it looked much better on her but hers was bit more tapered, I guess. The women are in general styled better than the men during this period. At least Holden (Hensley) ditched the mullet.

John and Iva are not working for me. Funny how Kirk and Iva are at the point where they each wanted a family and would've been more compatible but are no longer together. Ellie's desire to not have kids at that time provided an interesting contrast. I guess she was meant to be the prototypical 90s woman, who had more control of her career and wanted to plan the rest of her life accordingly. In previous times, soaps would have made such a character cold & self serving but at least they didn't make Ellie conform to that old stereotype.

Yes, do not get on Kim's bad side (lol). I always loved that about her character, that two seemingly opposed characteristics could exist so logically in the same person. Kathryn Hays was just so underrated!

I'll give Eileen Fulton credit for playing something other than bitchy. The way she played Lisa's scenes with Bob and sometimes Kim were really good, imo. On the one hand, she was loyal to them and knew they were suited to be together but there was usually a hint of carefully concealed wistfulness and regret just under the surface for what might have been with Bob. I remember many scenes in the 80s where this was done particularly well.

Edited January 18, 2015 by DramatistDreamer

[NothinButAttitude]

An Ellie type character would be so refreshing nowadays when female soap characters are practically obsessed with bearing babies. How I'd love for one female to be like "No! I don't want children or children at this moment."

I didn't mind the idea of Craig returning, I just hate that they made him a pariah when Craig was far from that. I could understand him becoming a bit jaded after Bryant's death or being a corporate raider in general, but Craig basically became a terrorist the last 11 years he was on the show. Especially when Hunt Block played him. I would've been happier had they just put Craig with Rosanna and the two raise a child together and deal with business issues and occasional affairs. Not Craig acting like a megalomaniac, who got off at the end of the day. I hate how his relationships with Lucinda, Margo, and so many countless others were ruined.

I also agree that Hunt or Jon should've been Rick instead. He would've done the stuff that Craig did upon his return. Not Craig.

*sighs*

All this speculating makes me miss ATWT nowadays. I would've loved to have seen a newer generation led by Aaron, Adam, Casey, a young Hughes female lead [preferably the daughter of Frannie or Sabrina], Allison, Jade, Dallas, one of the Ward quads, Maddie, Luke, Noah, and M. J.

[DramatistDreamer]

I would've loved to have seen Hope Dixon doing her residency at Oakdale. That would have made more opportunities for her grandfather John Dixon to make appearances and get in everyone's way, especially Chris Hughes.

I just would have loved more of the original and longtime actors make appearances here and there, there were too many unfamiliar faces toward the end and that really helped to sink the show, imo.

For that reason, I didn't mention Craig & Roseanna because I would've preferred Scott and I do not see Scott & Cady together. Roseanna was always wound very tightly and Craig's women were usually rebels of some sort or at least more comfortable in their own skin.

If Jon Lindstrom had played Rick Ryan, I think Rick & Roseanna could've easily wound up together since Roseanna clearly liked tricky men.

But yeah, with Allison Stewart as a nurse, Chris Hughes as chief resident on the track to possibly Chief of Staff, Hope Dixon doing her internship and becoming a resident, Isaac & Bonnie's son doing his residency to become a surgeon like his Uncle Ben. The hospital could've been the nerve center of Oakdale again. A better cast Dani Andropoulous (if Bryant Montgomery was going to fall hopelessly in love with someone and end up doomed to a Greek tragedy, it should have been her) Aaron, the return of the Quads...ATWT could have had a great young adult and late 20s/early 30s set! And just about everyone would have a deeply ingrained history in the show.

Edited January 18, 2015 by DramatistDreamer

[NothinButAttitude]

I actually would've preferred Hope to have ran in the circle with JJ, Parker, Faith, Gabriel, and Liberty. Especially since she and Faith were switched at birth. I would've loved for Faith and Hope to be tied together by their past and be close friends, but rivals in their love lives.

I think that SB's Craig would've been good opposite CM's Rosanna. Especially CM's early version of Rosanna, the more spunky version. I hate how they declawed her towards the end of CM's original run. Yes, I am glad that they made her and Carly close, but Rosanna could've still been a hellcat. At least towards other denizens of Oakdale like Meg, Emily, Barbara, and Paul.

Damn ATWT had so much life left along with GL.

[TimWil]

I'm a big fan of Hubbard's but, frankly, her ad-libs and "improvements" really didn't work well out of context. In the years that I served on the Best Actress panel on the Daytime Emmy Awards I would go in wanting to vote her first but couldn't. Compared to Erika Slezak, whose tape included immaculately clean work, Hubbard's performances

always came off as fussy and ill-prepared. I suspect that's a big reason why she probably ended up being placed no higher than third on most ballots.

Edited January 18, 2015 by TimWil

[DramatistDreamer]

I forgot about the age issue with Hope. She would be in that group with Faith but all those kids needed re-writing and character adjustments.

I would have set Liberty free somewhere else, the character was a waste of time for me and I didn't enjoy her, not one bit. Gabriel could only stay if he turned out to actually be Tonio Reyes' son and perhaps Craig, knowing that it was impossible for Gabriel to be his son, was actually secretly protecting him, he and Sierra having promised Gabriel's mother (who knows that Tonio is alive and living as a fugitive from justice in the jungles of Montega) to protect Gabriel.

CM's Roseanna was always uptight and high strung to me. IMO, the only time she wasn't was when Marland made her into a sort of Lily 2.0 with Yvonne Perry in the role. Then the character wasn't fully formed. CM's Roseanna was very interesting in her controlling way but given the kinds of women Craig was attracted to (Betsey, Sierra, Iva, MS' Emily, Ellie, Sam--damn, that's a lotta women!), Roseanna seems like a departure for me. JMO. If it was Craig's pre-Sierra days when he was all about the money and influence, I'd say Roseanna would be a good match but if I were writing this character based on the character with SB in the role the way he, not the other Craigs, played the role, I wouldn't put Roseanna and Craig together.

As much as I love EH and enjoyed Lucinda, as a writer, I would only allow ad libs sparingly under the right circumstances so I would have probably had the director rein her in at times. I can also see why constant ad-libs would turn off the Emmy voters, writers and directors, in particular. I'd think professionals in the field would much rather see how an actor can shape what is actually there written on the page and make it sing, rather than make up other stuff as they go along.

Edited January 18, 2015 by DramatistDreamer

[DRW50]

Liz Hubbard ad at around 15 minutes.The other woman also looks familiar to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADhKWBZwt0I

[TimWil]

Wow, thanks for posting that, Carl! The other lady looks vaguely familiar but that's it.

Gee, that Post Raisin Bran Betty is one bossy beeyotch!

Speaking of commercials I just saw Judith McConnell in one for Walgreens during Celebrity Apprentice. She's got short white hair now and looks terrific.

Edited January 20, 2015 by TimWil

[KMan101]

Julianne Moore won the SAG last night and she gave a shout out to ATWT. I'm glad she owns once being on a soap opera and isn't ashamed of it.

http://youtu.be/e9RtAY4YccE

Edited January 26, 2015 by KMan101

[dragonflies]

She is such a class act.

Weren't Frannie and Sabrina twin cousins?

[NothinButAttitude]

And sisters. Bob is both of their dad so that makes them sisters too.

[dragonflies]

I thought so lol

[DramatistDreamer]

I grew up with JM's Frannie. Frannie was/is the reason why I don't accept the notion that a 'good character' can't be interesting. To me, Frannie was both good and interesting.

She made such an impact on me as a ATWT viewer, that it's hard for me to believe that she was only on the show for 3 years.

And was so nice to discover that the actress is so genuine and classy in real life.

I just love Ms. Moore and I'm rooting for her that Oscar this year!

Edited January 26, 2015 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

I was lucky to to see 3 of the Frannies…JM was the best as Frannie but I also loved MES work especially with Rex Smith…those remotes were fantastic!!

[Paul Raven]

March 25 1958

Jeff Baker is on trial for the murder of Al James. In the courtroom, the prosecutor questions Penny Hughes and gets her to admit that she and Jeff had been secretly married but then had the marriage annulled. When the prosecutor upsets Penny, Jeff stands up and yells at him to stop. The prosecutor succeeds in twisting Penny's testimony so that it damages Jeff's case. In private, the prosecutor wonders if Jeff will testify in his own defense and worries that the jury will sympathize with Jeff. Jeff talks privately with his attorneys, Chris Hughes and his assistant, Tom, who convince Jeff that he should take the stand in his own defense.

Tom Pope was in love with Penny, He was engaged to her, but when he heard Jeff Baker declare his love for her he released her from the engagement and later left town.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Paul Raven