As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Frank and Maggie were fired almost immediately when Doug Marland took over, and Maggie was pretty much never spoken of again. Neither of them were. It was odd. 

[NothinButAttitude]

How long did they last under Marland? B/c one of his rules was to not get rid of characters on the canvas for at least 6 months. 

[DRW50]

Not even a few months. He wrote them out ASAP.

[NothinButAttitude]

Wow. 

 

I liked Maggie from what little I've seen, and Frank is the least offensive and overbearing Andropolous. He was at least bearable. 

[YRBB]

This is what I think almost every time Steve opens his mouth.

[DRW50]

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[DramatistDreamer]

 

 

Was it possible that the decision had been made prior to his regime and that he was tasked with writing them out?  It's entirely possible that he broke one of his cardinal rules but I also know that sometimes a writer of a continuing series is tasked with wrapping up previous storylines.

Edited September 20, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[DRW50]

Possibly. I don't think he had a personal hate against the actors or anything. But it is odd to me that he rarely or never mentioned Maggie throughout his tenure.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Yeah, especially since the 'Montgomerys' (Lila, Craig and Margo, who'd believed she was a Montgomery into her adulthood) were featured so prominently during most of his regime.  Then again, Cricket was mentioned maybe one or two times, never re-appeared either.

It would've been nice if Maggie, Frank and even Cricket had gotten the Penny and Don treatment, showing up during the odd holiday or special occasion but perhaps Marland didn't see the Montgomery family in the same way he viewed the Hughes family, who were regarded as a tentpole core family.

 

As for Steve, as genius as I think Marland was, for many years he just wasn't very good with ethnic characters. A few years after establishing the Jessica Griffin character, he began to hit some sort of stride but he (and to be fair previous ATWT writing regimes) left quite a few minority/ethnic characters in the show's wake.

[Mitch]

I don't think that Marland ever wrote for Frank or Maggie..I think they left before his tenure, and to be fair, their story was over...(especially with career driven Maggie getting baby fever.) I think Maggie would be a character he would like to write for.

[Scrapple]

I don't really get all the hate for Steve Andropolous. The Steve/Betsy/Craig triangle was what got me hooked on ATWT, and the chemistry was really amazing. Steve and Betsy's wedding was a ratings high-point for ATWT. I don't think the character fit in Marland's more ensemble-styled writing, but he did keep the show afloat for two years prior to DM. And the character certainly deserved a better exit than he got.

[NothinButAttitude]

Speaking for myself and watching old episode, he's a chauvinist pig. His brother was too in scenes with Kim. 

 

The writers just made them too macho to the point it was unlikeable. I've seen scenes with Steve & Nick addressing Kim and Betsy like possessions rather than spouses or equals.

[DeeeDee]

I always thought ATWT missed the boat by not hiring Laura Koffman as Cricket recast.

Edited September 21, 2016 by DeeeDee

[DRW50]

That would have been great, especially around the time her son was on the show.

[Mitch]

Loud, obnoxious, over bearing, preening, annoying,  self righteous, chip on his shoulder...all of those would make up a human with faults if anyone was allowed to call him on it, but everyone acted like he was the hero. Even Kim couldn't give him a buster when he was yelling at her!  Before their was Lily, there was Steve, the biggest Mary Sue of them all!

I do think they should have just killed him off as he was protecting Betsy or Dani.  However, I do love the scene where Jame Stenbeck punches Steve to the ground!