As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[NothinButAttitude]

I remember hearing about her being Mormon too but I didn't care. I just wanted a good quality show. But I do feel like many of her whippings (and Kreizman) were deserved. Neither listened to the fans and they just pounced all over GL's history, which was funny seeing as both of them loved saying that they were long time fans. 

 

I agree that AW was creatively a better show. I do think had the show survived it's cancellation, it would've been a force to be reckoned with. When AW fired on all cylinders, it was untouchable. I think had they had the right team eventually, AW would've been so good. 

[DRW50]

Oh I think they listened to fans in the last year, far more than ATWT did, but then like I said, my GL died a long time ago and the "Ben is a killer because being molested as a child makes you unstable and dangerous" finished it for good. But I certainly can see why years of Tom Pelphrey screaming at people would make it even worse for fans.

[BetterForgotten]

The thing is, AW suffered years of neglect from both NBC and P&G. I just remember Ed Trach, who was the last person that ran the P&G soaps with any sense, always talking about the CBS P&G soaps to the press and never bothered to or barely mentioned AW.  By the time it was canceled, those who were responsible for overseeing it just didn't see it as any sort of priority.

 

AW never got the same attention and acclaim in its last two decades that ATWT received under Marland or what GL received under Long and Curlee and her team. Unlike the other two P&G soaps, its last heyday (at least in the soap press) was too strongly associated as being in the 70's, which I always found a bit unfair. 

 

On the other hand, I do think P&G and CBS tried with both ATWT and GL, they were just never able to get it together, and made all the wrong decisions with who they hired and fired. Truth be told, CBS kept both shows around a lot longer than NBC and ABC would have had they been on those respective networks. 

Edited September 13, 2015 by BetterForgotten

[slick jones]

The thing about AW that would have kept it going were the long time friendships.  The one things soaps now, and even ATWT/GL lost sight of were the intricate relationships. Cass/Felecia, Rachel/Felecia, etc... that show had more "families" built on friendships. Aunt Liz/the Cory family...Just so much history, like the others, but the characters had so much heart.  As The World Turns, which I loved, was a mess for a while toward the end.  Don't hate, but I could not stand any story with Noah.  The only good thing(IMHO) that ever came of the character was the introduction of Reid.  Even the death of Nancy was badly handled. I was glad to see John Dixon at the end...I still scratch my head wondering why John was ever gone..

[BetterForgotten]

What probably did AW in more than anything was the huge spike DAYS received in the mid-90's that had no impact whatsoever on the rest of NBC's daytime lineup. Unlike in the early 80's when GH spiked and it impacted all of their soaps, the same never happened when DAYS was bringing in the ratings in the mid 90's.

 

Also, NBC wanted to cancel AW as far back as 1992/1993 - in fact it was between AW and Santa Barbara and AW got a last minute reprieve if I remember correctly during that time. The demos for AW were always the worst too, I believe they even skewed older than ATWT and GL, both of which had obviously been around longer and CBS was always of course the oldest skewing network. 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2015 by BetterForgotten

[DRW50]

Yes, they nearly ended it in 1992. I think they may have have in 1995 as well. I can't remember. It's a shame, but AW really was incredibly lucky in many ways to last as long as it did with so many things going against it. I just wish things had gone differently, and that the best of the show had not been lost on other soaps (history, friendships, community, wit, complex characters).

[NothinButAttitude]

*sighs* 

 

I miss that sense of friendship and community on soaps. Preferably the P&G shows. I feel like no one has friends on soaps nowadays. They're either acquaintances, casual allies, or just enemies on these shows. There's no depth. No nothing. 

[BetterForgotten]

I have my issues with her writing, but I thought Pam Long would have been a better fit for AW than GL. I didn't understand why P&G brought all those folks from Texas over to GL, and not its actual sister soap (AW). I think Long would have exceled at writing the friendship and community aspect, and AW was not as strongly rooted in generational families as GL and ATWT were, something she struggled with. 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2015 by BetterForgotten

[NothinButAttitude]

But from watching clips under Pam's reign, I never got the sense of friendship with her. I guess b/c I didn't watch consistently. But she never game me that impression. 

[Soapsuds]

I think Carl mentioned how good ATWT was in 91 and 92..here are the ratings in 92…I can see why AW was almost cancelled at that time. I always felt AW was a cheap imitation of ATWT. At the time in 91 and 92…ATWT ranked 3rd as the ABC soaps took a dip in ratings. Lucinda losing her company to Connor is my favorite story featuring Lucinda. Second would have to be Lily's parentage. I also did enjoy the addition of Neal to the canvas as her sister. It is too bad they wrote her off and soon her step brother too played by the wonderful Terry Lester.

 1992

 

HH

1. Y&R 8.6/30 

2. AMC 6.9/22 

3. ATWT 6.2/22 

4. B&B 6.0/20 

5. GH 5.7/19 

6. GL 5.6/18 

7. OLTL 5.2/18 

8. DAYS 4.9/16 

9. AW 3.4/12 

10. LOV 2.7/10

11. SB 2.6/8

 

Edited September 15, 2015 by Soapsuds

[NothinButAttitude]

Such a wonderful episode of ATWT. I really enjoyed it. 

 

Does anyone know why everyone was trying to keep Lily and Holden apart around this time? And who is this Spence character? What's the backstory with him?

 

It is good to see Snyder farm in motion. Besides Walsh Enterprises and Oakdale Memorial, it seemed like the most busiest place. And thanks to this episode, I realized why Lily hung around the farm so much. With Spence, Holden, and Caleb lingering about, I would've too. That fantasy that Caleb had of him and Lily was HOT! Caleb is freaking HOT! So macho and arrogant--but a man's man. You can tell he knew his way around a bedroom. I hope Lily had the good sense to at least take Caleb for a test drive once ... or twice! 

 

Iva's scene with her father was so good. Just straight to the point. No obstacles. No nothing. I'm hoping the following episode is posted so I can see Iva and Jared talk. 

 

Emily was so much more complex in this episode than what she became in later years of the show. While she was known to be the vixen, she still had morals to her. I loved seeing her come to Meg's aid and threaten to tell Tonio that she was his mistress. It's refreshing to see a woman stand up to Tonio and not have an ounce of fear. 

 

Did Nella have any major stories during her time on ATWT? I do have to commend Marland for at least trying to diversify his canvas and thread them into the community of Oakdale. I haven't seen a clip under Marland's reign where the AA character was isolated from the rest. Roy, Heather, and Jessica were well loved in Oakdale. Practically extensions of beloved characters on the show. 

 

Duncan's story is so campy but good campy. Is this the ex-wife that supposedly shrunk Shannon's head or something like that? I wanna see the climax of this. 

 

From reading the history of the show, I could see how AW was a cheap imitation early on as the Matthews were somewhat a carbon copy of the Hughes clan, but I don't see how it was in the 70s and onwards. AW seemed to cut out it's own niche by then, which was by creating hybrid families through friendship.

[DRW50]

I'm not sure how much you want to know in spoiler terms, but Spence has a very troubled past. The main reason everyone is trying to keep Lily and Holden apart is because Jon Hensley was about to leave the show. Some of this was also tying up a strike storyline - the strike material had Kirk doing some very aggressive scheming, and I could swear I got hints that he might have tried something with Lily. Either way, Marland toned it down. 

 

Nella's only "big" stories, if you can call them big, were a teenage romance and pregnancy with a gang member in 1986 - she confided this in her brother Roy's fiance Heather (Tonya Pinkins). The guy ended up getting arrested, Nella lost her baby, and the relationship between Heather and Roy was destroyed (mainly because the producer abruptly fired Pinkins). She also had a bit of a romance in 1989 with Beau, ex-boyfriend of fellow nursing student Pam. Nella was suspended from the nursing program for lack of attendance and other things, and the woman in charge basically told her she didn't really think Nella cared about being a nurse anyway. Nella and Beau moved to LA, although I think more as friends than lovers. Marland seemed to be tying up a lot of loose ends as he wrote out that entire teen group. It's too bad. 

 

Here's the next episode.

 

[NothinButAttitude]

Thanks, Carl!

 

Lilith is a psycho bitch! Are those Shannon's clothes that she's wearing? But I do understand her sexual urges for Duncan. He is irresistible. 

 

I am really enjoying the scenes with Jared and Iva. I was cracking up at her sister, Liz, stewing in the background over Jared and Iva bonding. I'm wondering is it because she feels her position is threatened about her position or because she feels Iva might be left something hefty. 

 

I see what you are saying about Marland when it came to Lily/Kirk. Glad he nixed it. Lily had enough men vying for her attention at that time. She doesn't need one more. 

 

I just love Lien. Anyone can understand her frustration over a new baby coming into the photo; she finally had her daddy all to herself and now she had to share him. I'm interested to see how far Marland took this story too. Lien had so much potential. I hate that she was never brought back in some capacity in the show's final years. Seeing as she had a tryst with Ben at one point, it would've been interesting to see a Ben/Jessica/Lien triangle and how it'd affect Margo and Tom seeing as Lien is their daughter and Jessica is Margo's best friend. 

 

Barbara looked like she wanted to die when Hal told Paul to tell Margo he loved her. 

[DRW50]

Did you see Lilith's debut scenes at the fashion show?

 

This is when they were not sure where to take Lily - I think early in 1989 they have that weird scar story with her.

[NothinButAttitude]

No. I didn't see Lilith's debut scenes. Was she crazier than what she is currently displaying now?