As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DeliaIrisFan]

Full disclosure: This was actually around the time when I first watched ATWT on a daily basis (for about a month)…if only out of boredom with the shows that I had been watching. I read the hype in the early online forums about the changes underfoot at ATWT, after hearing how shockingly bad the show - which I had previously thought was an unsinkable institution, based on its longevity and what I saw while flipping channels and in awards show clips - had gotten in the year or so before, and I tuned in.

I remember that year on the Soap Opera Digest Awards - which back then still aired in primetime and were a big to-do - ATWT opted to forego the usual montage of the "highlights" from the prior year that each show typically put together, set to some Celine Dion or boy band hit of the day that completely drowned out any dialogue. Instead, they aired a couple of recent scenes (which had aired since I had started watching) and then cut to a taped speech from Behr herself, addressed to lapsed viewers, basically saying "this show hasn't been itself lately, but, see? We're fixing it." I was impressed by that.

But, yeah, even I only saw Rice-Taylor once or twice and then, when Batten came on, it was a true WTF moment. To be fair, soaps - especially in the past two decades or so - don't really offer the time or direction for even promising actors to play characters with completely different accents, etc. Batten did have her fans on OLTL, which I had not watched when she was on so I can't speak to. I was surprised, though, to read earlier in the thread that this was Behr's doing, personally. Were she and Batten really personal friends? To my knowledge, they'd never worked together previously, so I always assumed MADD made that happen.

Even so, though, soaps with strong long-range stories have withstood ill-advised recasts. I still feel like this misstep was only emblematic of ATWT's larger problems.

[DRW50]

I don't think it was FMB personally, as in, "I want my friend to have a job." Batten's interviews at the time gave the impression (to me - and it's been 20 years and I don't really want to go look through my magazines on that mess if I even have any) that various ABC personnel who had moved over, like MADD, wanted to give her a job, because she wanted a job. And they gave her this job. There was no indication that they had any respect for Connor, or respect for viewers. It was basically giving a friend a job because hey she's that awesome and ATWT fans will be fine with it. That's the impression I got reading the interviews. There was a huge amount of arrogance, from the top down. Going away from MADD, I think FMB must have felt very protected in her many years with ABC because there was a tone-deafness to her that seemed to help lead to the end of her soap influence - that notorious Logan interview in 1999 or 2000 where she all but said the ABC soaps and especially OLTL sucked. 

 

The thing with Susan is she was a good actress. I didn't really know that at the time, as I had only a few memories of her as Luna, but I've watched more over the years, and I think she would have been perfectly fine as a new character, or, hell, even an Angel recast (and I loved Alice Haining's work as Angel so I don't say that lightly). But again it was the arrogance of the casting and the shocking wrongness of her in the role - with writing and direction that almost flaunted this wrongness - that guaranteed she would have no chance, even as other unpopular recasts at this time, like Winsor Harmon on B&B, settled in (admittedly, fans are more likely to forgive a man with killer abs and pecs and a sweet smile than they are a woman).

 

There was absolutely no effort made to disguise the idea that these people were saviors brought in to clean out the dregs. But they weren't. I think MADD must have had memories of Linda Gottlieb's OLTL, where there was a lot of high-handedness in interviews and producing style that was mocked by certain quarters, but which paid off in ratings and quality. But ATWT was not OLTL, FMB (who, IMO, was an uneven producer at AMC) was not Linda Gottlieb, and P&G fans were not ABC fans. 

 

This is what no one at CBS or P&G ever understood for those last 14-15 years, or even further back, if you think that the mass firings of vets in the late '70s and early '80s were attempts to ABC the shows. ATWT, GL and AW were not ABC shows. They never were. They never would be. In many ways, OLTL and ATWT did have some weird kindred spirit for me, but not in the way that meant hiring Luna Moody and putting her in a power suit to dust blinds.

 

[DeliaIrisFan]

I kind of loved when she said that, though...

 

I think FMB, like so many others who came and went from various soaps in that period, had experience that could have benefited these shows, but wasn't empowered to effect lasting change. She had her strengths and weaknesses, like anyone else, but I'd have rather seen her (and her initial writing team's - Stephen Demorest and Addie Walsh were no slouches) actual vision for ATWT have played out for a reasonably measurable period of time than what followed.

[Soapsuds]

She should have stayed with Demorest and Walsh instead of bringing in Broderick.

[DRW50]

I agreed with her, but it was very...upfront to say to the press and public, especially given JFP's prickliness. I wasn't surprised that she rarely seem to have much say afterward. 

 

I don't know who to ever blame but I can't say her vision of ATWT did much for me, especially pre-Broderick. James gassing Oakdale, Margo having panic attacks, Emily cackling as she rode around with Diego's corpse. I felt embarrassed. 

 

She did get some things right, and it was many hands that broke ATWT and never bothered to fix it, so I am not dumping on her. I just wasn't that impressed. I think she needed strong hands on top, as she'd had at ABC, and there were none to be found.

[slick jones]

I can't believe anyone didn't know who Julie Snyder was. She was all over the canvas and I thought her character was far more entertaining than Lily. Not that I didn't like HR or MB. But Julie marrying Caleb was priceless, and she and Andy's crazy relationship... I don't know, I thought she was a great character, and Susan Marie Snyder embodied that role. Unlike the time she was on SB, where I found her marginal at best.

[P.J.]

I'm torn between admiring the unusual level of honesty, and dismay at how out of touch it feels. She's crowing about a temporary bump from Holden's return like it was Moses parting the Red Sea. I mean, I forget who's writing it at the time, but not to far in the distant future this much praised "revitialization" goes through three sets of writers in less than a year. I honestly don't think I've ever heard an rationalization like she gave for firing ART---well, the pair wasn't working, so instead of ending it, we doubled down. Doubling down with a himbo hair model who'd been on the show probably about two years, and whose popular TV brother on the show is flying the coop.

 

 

I will not even get into the fuckery that is GL at the time. "The Twin Dilemma" set a new low bar in storytelling. Although it did teach me a new word---superfecundation, which is the term for twins having two different fathers.

[DRW50]

The weirdest part was when they decided to try to fix it by having "Connor" cut Mark's hair. I was never that interested in Mark either way, but he actually looked good with longer hair. With short hair (especially such a severe cut) his face looked hard and a bit mean. 

 

The whole thing was like Bizarro-producing, from start to finish.

[Soapsuds]

After Diego's murder the ratings pretty much went down again…I believe these are the ratings during the whole Lily/Diego marriage/murder and Holden returning. This is the highest ratings FMB got during her time on ATWT.

 

Feb 10-14, 1997

 

HH

1. Y&R 7.7/28

2. DAYS 5.7/19

3. B&B 5.4/19

4. ATWT 5.3/19

5. AMC 5.0/17

6. GH 4.8/16

7. GL 4.2/14

8. OLTL 4.1/15

9. AW 3.1/11

10. CITY 2.1/8

11. SUBE 1.8/8

 

[Soapsuds]

 

86 episode…Tom is still trying to get Margo to forgive him for his affair with Barbara….Gawd….Gregg Marx……Jon Hensley also doesn't look too bad ..teehee….

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The wrap up of Diego….and Lily's shrieking….LOL….probably FMB only great awesome week!  This originally aired on Valentine's Day in 97

 

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Soapsuds]

I noticed on the continuation of Diego's murder that Ryder Hughes played by Kerr Smith is featured with Nikki. Did FMB bring in Ryder or was he already there? I can't recall.

[Soapsuds]

Love that Gregg Marx beat Justin Deas former Tom….I never understood why Deas left ATWT to later appear on dreadful SB…..LOL….

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP42-h2sEO0

Edited May 6, 2016 by Soapsuds

[cassadine1991]

Too bad they didn't bring back Ryder and Nikki didn't have a good recast. Still wonder what Kelly Monaco's Nikki would've been like

[DRW50]

Valente brought him in around summer 1996.

[victoria foxton]

1986 HBS and GM were lively and interesting as Tom and Margo. While SH and ED were so stodgy. I loved seeing both Frannie,Marsha  and Kim having flashbacks of Doug. The amazing Elizabeth Hubbard gave a heartbreaking performance  Lisa was dancing with an old queen? oh it's Earl. Under Marland ATWT was so well written and so full of life. 1997 I loved Lucinda and Holden scenes locked in Lucy's wine cellar. One the best things from this era was Lucy and Holden finally burying the hatchet. By this point Lucy's hatred of all things Snyder was stale and played out.  I thought Emily's rape by Diego was overkill. I hated how after Mr. Marland death Emily became so neurotic. I liked Nikki and Ryder but the teens during this era never got great stories. ATWT missed a golden opportunity not bringing back Ryder's bio mom Joyce Lisa's arch nemesis. It's strange how Ryder was still a teen but both Andy and Paul were older.  FMB's run as EP started strong and quickly fizzled out.

Edited May 6, 2016 by victoria foxton