As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

[SoapDope]

I just saw Susan Marie Snyder (ex Julie) on a rerun of Press Your Luck today. She said she was a stand up comic in her intro. A lot of before they were stars appeared on that show and Match Game. Scott Reeves was on not long ago. He used his actual first name of Greg at the time and said he was a secretary. He had a large gap in his teeth.

Edited August 3, 2015 by SoapDope

[danfling]

I have learned that actress/attorney Deborah Solomon (Amanda Holmes) passed away almost four years ago.   Here is her New York Times obituary:

DEBORAH SOLOMON REID

 

Obituary

Guest Book

 

The Guest Book is expired.

Restore the Guest Book

 

SOLOMON REID--Deborah (Steinberg). Died December 2, 2011 in Hanover, NH. BA Wellesley (1962), JD Boston University (1974). Stage/Television actress, lawyer, Television reporter/producer for PBS, Dartmouth science writer. Daughter of the late Dr. Martin & Cecily Steinberg. Survived by husband Gavin Reid, daughter Veena, brother Howard Steinberg, many nieces, cousins. Condolences to Gavin Reid, 6 Read Rd., Hanover, NH 03755. Contributions to ALS Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr, Lebanon, NH 03756

Published in The New York Times on Dec. 14, 2011

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=deborah-solomon-reid&pid=155033301#sthash.kwe1h6TN.dpuf

[DRW50]

March 1992 episode.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xpc25_as-the-world-turns-march-6-1992-wlyh-tv-15_tv

[DRW50]

The uploader was nice enough to let me put it on Youtube. I tried to mostly edit the commercials out. It's a dense episode in what was probably ATWT's densest year, but the Lucinda scenes are fun as always. I hope Mitch still posts here, as I'd enjoy his thoughts...

 

[NothinButAttitude]

Thanks, Carl! 

 

I actually enjoyed this episode. Lucinda dangling the truth about Aaron over Iva, Julie, and Andy's head. The bond between Julie/Lisa and Julie/Andy. Frannie considering adopting Daryl's daughter. Jessica and Duncan and Lisa's prejudice and genuinely wanting to get over it. Oakdale just feeling like a real generational community. *sighs*

 

I just wish that I knew what all was going on with Walsh Enterprises and Dewitt. Even though people speak badly about the Carolyn Crawford murder mystery, (dare I say it) I want to see it in it's entirety. Can't be any worse than what the remaining four are showing. 

Edited September 13, 2015 by Nothin'ButAttitude

[DRW50]

 It's not a bad story (although I haven't seen all of it either) but it's very repetitive and full of some dry characters. I think they miscast Gavin (twice) and he should have been a more interesting foil than he turned out to be. It's all watchable enough - 1991 and 1992 were for the most part strong years for ATWT - but it's a bit of a chore to get through for me. 

 

The little moments, like Julie and Lisa, or Andy trying to joke a bit in the scenes with Julie and Lisa, or Jessica saying spring is on the way, or Tom talking about how the baby lies remind him of Adam - that's the ATWT I miss most of all.

[NothinButAttitude]

Gavin was supposed to be Darryl's foil, correct? Because I've seen him in clips clashing with Duncan too. And whatever happened to Gavin? Was he one of many casualties in the Crawford murder mystery? 

 

I actually like the character of Darryl from what I've seen of him. I hate how once that story was wrapped up that it seems the show ditched both him and Frannie. I think both characters still had much story left in them. 

 

I wish that the takeover story with Connor and Lucinda was online. I'd actually like to see it and the events leading up to it. I just remember from my time watching ATWT Connor slowly becoming a drip that was tied to the loser Kasnoff family. But unlike Roseanna and Carly, she just couldn't shake them loose. 

 

And seeing Evan on the episode you post just reminds me how pissed I was when "Jean the Great" (as a certain person thinks of her) brought back Evan's son in that stupid story that killed off Dusty. I feel like Ryan Serhant was so wasted in that role. No wonder why he gave up acting for real estate. 

[DRW50]

Gavin was sent to prison for his various crimes. He mostly hung around by this point as a reason for Barbara to panic because she had lied that he was Jennifer's father and she was sure he would tell Daryl and Frannie the truth. 

 

(Colleen Zenk disliked the Gavin/Barbara pairing and felt that Barbara was written as an idiot throughout)

 

The show likely would have wanted to keep Daryl (they changed him from being the killer for that reason), but Rex Smith wanted to leave, as did Mary Ellen Stuart. Supposedly they would have recast Frannie if Marland hadn't died. 

 

Connor was sunk by idiotic decisions from MADD and Felicia Minei Behr (who wanted to hire a friend from ABC daytime and chose Connor as they likely assumed the character had no vocal fans - oops) more than by the Kasnoffs, as much as I disliked that family.

 

I wish more of the takeover was around too - it riveted me at the time. I still remember the scenes of a defeated Lucinda the next day, her only real comfort being at the stables with her horse.

[NothinButAttitude]

This is why I love picking your brain on stuff. I would love to see Lucinda at her lowest knowing that she'd eventually rise from the ashes once again like a phoenix. That's what I wish they'd start doing with Victor more on Y&R but that's another story.

 

I remember hearing about MADD wanting Shawn Batten bad and it backfiring. But MADD made so many stupid decisions during that whole time on all three P&G soaps. I swear she was paid to purposely dismantle those shows. Especially Another World. 

 

Sucks that Rex and Mary Ellen didn't wanna stay any longer. I still feel that they should've tried to bring both characters back in later years. Especially during the Hogan/Jean years when Jennifer heavily drove story. It would've been nice to see Darryl and Hal exchange casual shots and feud over Jennifer as her fathers. 

 

I'm sure that Colleen was probably thrilled once Ben Hendrickson reprised the role of Hal and saved her from that pairing. But it always amused me how Barbara conceived Jennifer the same way Margo did Adam. So weird but funny. But again, it just pisses me off too how under Hogan, Adam would appear to be younger than Jennifer when he was actually older than her. 

[DRW50]

Loathe Hogan as I do, I should point out Goutman made that choice a year or so before Hogan arrived. 

 

I agree with you about Daryl and Frannie. 

 

I don't think they hired MADD to destroy the soaps - I think they genuinely thought the soaps needed her touch because she'd done well at ABC. But ABC is not P&G, and they never understood this. 

 

GL was already rotgut by the time of her arrival - it's her comment about Zaslow that I can never forgive. And AW was already on the way out. But ATWT - that show was driven even further into the ground by MADD and FMB.

Edited September 13, 2015 by DRW50

[NothinButAttitude]

I think that is what hurt soaps in the 90s forward. Everyone seemed to forget soap brands. Certain soaps, preferably the ABC soaps and DAYS, could tell over the top stories. It was in their wheel house. I feel like P&G hurt itself by trying to do the same. P&G soaps were always the most grounded soaps and focused more on real issues. 

 

While Another World was on it's way down, I still feel that she could've turned the show around. Another World just needed a few tweaks and it would've been fine and could've lasted a lot longer than it did. 

 

Plus, I blame her for putting Goutman and Wheeler in EP positions, which would cause detriment to ATWT & GL.

[DRW50]

GL was pretty much dead already when Wheeler took over, IMO, thanks to Conboy's budget-busting and general poor decisions. I think Goutman was a wise choice for ATWT early on, as he had worked OK at AW - the problem was they kept him around too long, mostly because they no longer cared about the shows.

 

I think AW could have survived, should have survived, was a very unique show that holds up well today, but it was a miracle it lasted as long as it did (it was nearly canceled several times in the '90s), and the highest-rated period of its last years was one I cannot and will not watch (JFP's run), so it's hard for me to say.

[NothinButAttitude]

Yeah but even under Wheeler, she could've turned the show around. She didn't. Instead, she spent her reign hiring irrelevant newbies that she'd force feed to the audience and tossing all of the show's history to the wayside to pimp the Cooper clan and Gus. She didn't start catching the hint till it was too late. They were filming scenes in bushes by then. 

 

I agree about Goutman that he stayed one too many years. IMO, he should've left with Hogan. I'm still pissed that he felt that the show didn't need to bring back many of it's beloved characters during the final weeks of the show. 

 

But do you think had AW been given a reprieve that it would've actually been the last soap standing? That DAYS would've been the soap that got the boot in 07? 

[DRW50]

DAYS was higher-rated than AW for decades so I think that would have continued. Creatively I think AW likely would have been a better show, but it was in a big hole, made worse by P&G not giving a damn.

 

As for GL - to me the show really failed in 1993 and the next 16 years, minus some strong moments here and there, were more of the same, so it's hard for me to have the perspective many do. I think Wheeler made mistakes, but I also think she was a convenient whipping girl to many. I still remember certain soap columnists making snide digs about her being LDS. It was very personal to them, not about the quality of the show.