As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

 

The episodes that I saw, Justin seemed as though he was elsewhere in mind and spirit. In retrospect, it seemed like he had one foot out the door and HBS didn't have much latitude to build chemistry. 

Their scenes looked pretty flat to me but I'm only going by what I see of them on You Tube, which is not a whole lot.

Others might have memories from back when it actually happened in '84.

[DRW50]

 

I've only ever seen two episodes with them - a few short scenes in a Christmas 1983 episode and then the 1984 episode that is Deas' last. They seem OK, although it's obviously not the same as he was with Colin. HBS said in an interview a few years back that it was difficult for her because he was in love with Colin and going through some issues having to work without her. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

 

That sounds about exactly what I saw on the screen in the scenes that I saw.

[DRW50]

At the end of this you can hear a bit of the Hughes going to the hospital as Jennifer is in labor with Frannie.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[DRW50]

I was watching some 1988 episodes, mostly looking at the closing credits to see when I could guess that the strike material began. The few episodes before this have no credits so this is either the first or close, as far as I can tell.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

 

Not much of interest going on, although I love the bitchery surrounding Lucinda and Barbara. I love when she mocks Barbara hanging onto Dusty. Meg is so irritating here - I didn't realize she was still written as this childish for this long. She really did change in her last months. I wonder if it was the strike or a natural progression.

 

Sometimes I forget how much I loathed Holden in these years. Just constantly nasty and entitled.  

 

I wish they hadn't gotten rid of the study at the Snyder farm. It's so much more natural for them to have scenes in there instead of constant kitchen hovering. 

 

This was still when Laura was supposed to be into Tom. She was off the show about a month later so that must shift soon.

 

The Duncan and Shannon stuff is so isolated...

[DramatistDreamer]

In the comments section on You Tube, someone brought that wacky jewelry commercial to my attention, what fun!

Please register in order to view this content

 As a kid, I remember that song by Janet Jackson and Herb Alpert and thought it was a clever use of the song in a commercial, lol.

 

They also taked about the semi-incestuous scene between Billy/Beau and Laura. I think we've discussed some similar storylines (Iva and "cousin" Josh/Angel Laing and father Henry Laing) that Marland has done over the years.  Seems like there was a progression from pseduo to a real incest story on ATWT. I'm not sure why Marland was fascinated with writing one but maybe it was due to the taboo nature of the topic.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[DRW50]

 

I think part of it was the taboo/sensational nature and the other part was because it's a real issue rarely tackled, and one that provides a lot of drama as well as insight. He'd been trying to do the story over and over - I think the Lily story on Loving was the first - but something always seemed to get in the way. It seemed like the Angel story was the one where he got to do the full plot. 

[DRW50]

Short report about Michael David Morrison's death near the end. 

 

Even now it's still so saddening. In most ways I think 1993 was the year ATWT truly left us. 

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Weird how right after that sad report about Michael David Morrison's death there is a snippet of a commercial with Sloane Shelton (Harriet Corbman) who passed away earlier this year. 

[DRW50]

 

I didn't know that. Sad. I always thought she was a good actress, although a lot of her ATWT material was irritating. I haven't seen much of her AW bits but I know she was well-liked on there. 

[DRW50]

Richard Burgi around the time he was on ATWT.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[DramatistDreamer]

It's amazing the number of P&G connected soap actors who had commercials on CBS, often aired during ATWT, either before, after and in some cases, during their time on ATWT.

 

It always gives me a chuckle to see Gregg Marx's Secret deodorant commercial aired repeatedly during 1987's ATWT episodes after he'd already left the show. Ellen Dolan had a laundry or dish detergent commercial that aired during ATWT shortly before she began the role of Margo Hughes. Just a few months ago, while on You Tube, I noticed Ming-Na Wen doing slightly cringe-worthy commercials for some prepared food company called Suzi Wan. Those are in addition to the commercials done by Larry Bryggman, Colleen Zenk and others, most of which aired during P&G soaps.

 

Very interesting. I tend to think there was a spirit of reciprocity between P&G's divisions where actors could be fed into their soaps fresh from advertising their products and vice versa.

 

Did any other network have such a reciprocal feeder system in regards to daytime?

[DRW50]

I think with some other soaps it could be a headache - like Grape Nuts ads with Gil Rogers as a kindly grandpa airing at the same time he was a rapist and attempted murderer on AMC. 

[adrnyc]

I have a question.  Thanks to the user AsTheWorldStillTurns, I have been watching ATWT again. I originally watched 2000-2010 so I've seen nothing before that.  I have the 40th anniversary book so I started watching what exists on YouTube as far back as 1979 and reading the story in the book to fill in the gaps. I'm in February 1986 now where there is a fair amount of the series that's consecutive and am loving it.  My question is:  What happened to Maggie?  The book doesn't say anything about her leaving but it's clear that she is off the series at this point.  Am just curious to know the resolution (if there was one) for the character.

[DRW50]

 

Maggie left town in summer or early fall 1985, with Frank and the baby she'd adopted. It still makes no sense to me how she was never mentioned again.