As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

@Soapsuds, I understand the desire to run a tight ship (time is $ and all that) but that does sound cold that he would just go on and recast what was at the time such a pivotal character involved in a lot of storyline.  And if it's true that Bill Shanks stayed on longer than he wanted to simply so that the nuMargo could bond with Casey, so that when Margo pulled the plug it would still have impact, this seems more inconsiderate to other actors than if Caso would have just accomodated HBS.  

Seems like a penny-wise and pound foolish personnel decision.  Margo could've been written in a way that HBS could've gotten the time off she needed.

 

Over the weekend, I was watching an episode where Margo (played by Dolan) is thinking over Mac's offer for a considerable promotion.  They could've shifted that promotion up to HBS maternity leave and have Margo go for additional enrichment training to take over her new position, the way Tom went to DC for the crime commission.  I wouldn't rehash the storyline that Tom & Margo had with Tom's absence but perhaps Tom reluctantly agrees, not wanting to stand in the way of Margo's career progressing, afraid it will eventually cause a rift.  Maybe Tom and Hal are now left to co-parent Adam and deal with the lingering awkward feelings that comes with that.  Or heck, they could've just found a temporary replacement until HBS returned.

Edited February 15, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[DRW50]

 

One of the big reasons she left was that they changed some of the childcare stuff she'd worked out with the previous producer. She'd nearly left the year before when she was pregnant (she'd even had an exit interview with SOD) and only came back when they agreed to some of what she wanted (as well as her son playing Adam). This led to that odd period where she was in Greece and Tom was quasi-dating Shannon. She'd also been there for about 6 years and wanted something new. 

 

I liked HBS but given that she'd had a foot out the door and they'd already recast Margo (and recast Tom), I can see why they chose to just let her leave if she wished, and recast. I don't think Dolan did any worse in the story than HBS would have.

Edited February 16, 2016 by DRW50

[SoapDope]

Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement reminds me of HBS. I wonder what she would have been like as Margo instead of casting Dolan ? Pat didn't really hit it big till 1991.

 

  

[All My Shadows]

What about the rumor that CZ and HBS feuded because of the shady way CZ and Mark Pinter got together? Not that it's any of my business, but I wonder how reflective CZ was about all of that when the Pinter marriage broke up.

[P.J.]

I was glad HBS left. By the end of her time, Margo was a shrill hypocrite and everyone kissed her ass almost as much as they kissed Lily's. And I think dramatically, Dolan was a step up from HBS. I think HBS would have played both the right-to-die and rape/HIV stories differently, and softened their impact somewhat. At least in the beginning, I believe Scott Holmes' Tom was less of a "whipped" husband with ED, and they "fit" better than Holmes and HBS.

 

I don't know how "reflective" CZ was, but I remember she got testy at some of the talk that was going on on social media.

[DRW50]

I think HBS would have been fine in the right-to-die story, but the rape/HIV story wasn't her type of material at all (she was not at her best at that type of heavy dramatic material on OLTL - she just got shrill). I also thought Ellen and Scott Holmes had more chemistry than he did with HBS. To me it was the writing that destroyed them - once they took away the everyday couple aspect of Tom and Margo in 1995 or 1996 and she just barked and he yelled all the time, they were never any good.

[Paul Raven]

March 21 1968

Ellen tells Judge Lowell that she wishes her mother were married to Dick instead of Michael because she feels that Michael never really loved Claire and never will. Susan wonders whether she and Dan are on the same wavelength in regards to starting a family in the near future. Meanwhile, David gives Michael a vote of confidence for his future with the hospital despite the personal damage the trial and Dan's testimony did to him. Claire is disturbed over something and decides to sooth herself with a few drinks. When Michael returns home, he is shocked to realize that Claire is drunk -- and she proceeds to explain why this is so. Following her explanation about the real father of Lisa's baby, Claire throws Michael out of the house and says she never wants to see him again. After Michael leaves, Bob pays a visit to the house and finds Claire passed out on the couch and in need of medical attention. 

 

I never knew there was any relationship between Claire Cassen and Dick Martin.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Paul Raven

[SoapDope]

Thanks for the synopsis. I read  Marie Masters started playing Susan in September 1968, so who was in the role at this point ? I would love to see footage of Michael Shea and his relationship with Lisa. John Dixon worked under Michael and I guess trained him well in being dastardly.

[P.J.]

Yeah, in part, I don't think the writers knew what to do with them. But I also think TIIC realized Holmes' limitations, and wrote more for Dolan. '95 starts the focus more on Margo, starting with the PTSD and leading into the Alec Wallace/Eddie Silva and the non-reaction of Adam to his bio-dad Hal. Why TIIC didn't just break them up and move them on to other people, I don't know.

[SoapDope]

Here is a recent pic of Peter Galman who played Tom 1969-1973.

Edited February 17, 2016 by SoapDope

[SoapDope]

I saw that Peter has a youtube page and someone asked about ATWT footage and he says he doesn't have any and that if any exists CBS and Proctor & Gamble has it.

 

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Edited February 17, 2016 by SoapDope

[All My Shadows]

I JUST watched that reel yesterday in hopes that the thumbnail might be from ATWT!

[SoapDope]

Galmans reply to the ATWT question was " There are no clips on this reel from ATWT. Most of the shows were "live" back then and there was a much more cumbersome process to the recordings. There may be some archived at CBS or Proctor & Gamble, which owned the show and others. Retrieving them will take time and quite a bit of digging."

 

He must be trying to get some footage for his personal collection. I hope he has better luck than most have had. P&G destroyed tons of footage and what little that is left is in private collections or archived with UCLA who has done nothing with it and will not allow access.

Edited February 17, 2016 by SoapDope

[kylefish76]

Thats right he was on OLTL in 1998. Loved that story.

[DRW50]

Daytime TV Stars January 1976

 

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