As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Whoa, we'll never see 7 and 8 share for soaps again!  Ryan's Hope and Search for Tomorrow look like standard ratings for today's soaps. Okay, maybe Y&R is now the Santa Barbara of the group.

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Marland did something that I don't think other soap writers could've done successfully- write 2 murder mysteries in the same year! I don't even think Edge of Night would've done that, not from the episodes I was able to see.

 

The Doug Cummings and Tad Channing murder mysteries happened almost one after the other but the pacing was so brilliant that it didn't at all feel like overload. With stories like the Tom, Margo and Barbara story and Lucinda, Lily and Iva, even Craig, Sierra and Tonio with characters like Duncan and Shannon, the low-key relationship with Casey and Lyla developing- there was just so much!  It never felt repetitive.

 

Also Marland was great at embedding these characters so you didn't see a murder mystery until right before it was going to happen. Okay, maybe a little with Doug Cummings but I thought that Tad Channing was more likely to be driven out of town or arrested for committing fraud or extortion- his murder kind of snuck up on me!

 

My only wish with the Channing storyline is that Marland had kept the original actor. I understand that Larry Pine was probably a more experienced actor but the writing had made Channing so venal when Pine took over the role that I couldn't fathom what on earth Iva could've ever have been attracted to!  With the first actor, the writing made Channing seem more slick, prone to try to charm before resorting to aggressive tactics, not to mention the actor was easier on the eyes...so it wasn't that difficult to see why Iva could've fell for him for a short while with Larry Pine's version and the way Channing had morphed into almost pure and total evil, I was like "what was wrong with Iva to have fallen for this guy??!"  I know Iva mentioned  low self esteem but to me, there's no self-esteem that low!

Edited February 24, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

I had forgotten about the Channing murder that also happened in 1986-1987 season. I only remember the 2nd Tad. I don't recall the first. I think there are a few of the first Tad on youtube. I need to look for them. The Channing and Cummings storylines were both very good. After Marland passed in 1993 ATWT felt like Y&R does now.....vets on with no stories going on. The breakdown and script writers that were with Marland at the time had no idea what to do or write. They had his bible for the remaining year and a half but after that the writers were clueless.

[Soapsuds]

Is this Tad Channing #1?  He is kind hot, cute....LOL

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ergz8SL5pXA

I was going to say that they usually recast because they think the original actor can't be evil or nice....but this actor not only looks good but I believe he could pull off being evil. Remember when Marland also recast Linc?

[Soapsuds]

Andrew Potter played Tad Channing #1 and he is featured in that episode

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by Soapsuds

[Soapsuds]

More Potter as Tad Channing...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFSO6XNa1Hg

[DramatistDreamer]

 

I'm not sure why there was a change of actor. I'm curious and want to know what the story was behind the switch. Also, I feel similarly to you that Potter was fine in the role, I thought he worked well with Lisa and Lindsey and he was more subtle and understated in his menacing ways whereas Pine was over the top. This surprises me that Marland changed course with a character that was working out well, for the most part. I have questions (lol).

 

Susan Horgan was pretty good writing for AMC 2.0, I thought. She's probably bitter about the soap experience after the bottom fell out with Prospect Park after appearing to come out of semi-retirement to write AMC for Prospect Park.

It looks as if she was on ATWT's writing staff during this time. I mention her because she still seemed to be sharp while some other established writers tend to get complacent and somewhat lazy with their craft but she seemed to be up to the challenge a few years ago.

 

I'm somewhat hazy on the entire Lafferty family. I only seem to remember one Linc but I somehow remember that they recast his mother.

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Edited February 24, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[Soapsuds]

Susan Horgan was HW before Marland took over and stayed with ATWT as a BW for a bit before she left. I liked her work on ATWT.

 

James Wlcek originated the role and then when Linc became involved with Connor Walsh the role was recast with Lonnie Mccullough. He was later killed by Ned Simon(Debbie Simon daughter played by Sharon Case).

 

Here is second Linc...

 

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Terry Lester on ATWT This was going on at the same time Linc was getting murdered. Talk about a November sweeps by Marland.

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by Soapsuds

[victoria foxton]

I remember the first blonde Linc being a nice guy. In the summer of 1993 the new brunette LInc #2  came back to Oakdale. This new Linc had a personality transplant while away. I wonder if this story was plotted by Doug before he passed away. Or was it written by the new writers. It was all rather meh.

Edited February 24, 2017 by victoria foxton

[Soapsuds]

5 months earlier Marland had another murder mystery with Neal....Terry Lester's character Royce killed her. His own sister. It was a powerful performance by Terry Lester when the truth came out. I don't think youtube has the clip.

 

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It was Marland still writing it. I loved the story because it involved Connor who at that time was very popular with ATWT fans. The ratings for the Linc murder mystery were huge.

 

 

 

I had forgotten that Scott Bryce was on ATWT at the same time as Terry Lester was....golden...

 

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by Soapsuds

[DRW50]

Linc stinks indeed. 

 

The first Tad was a bit bland. They must have wanted to change course and ramp the story up. I wonder if it may have been down to Michael Runyeon giving notice, so they couldn't have a slower build between Tad and Betsy. I think they recast to make him more nefarious, but Larry Pine overdid it. The story was a bit crude and obvious for me in the way a lot of Marland's first few years at ATWT can be (although still pretty good).

[cassadine1991]

You mean OLTL. Susie wrote that with Thom Racina while Marlene McPherson and Betsy Snyder wrote AMC

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Wait, do you mean Frank Runyeon?  You have to be specific because there were a lot of tangled relations behind the scenes of ATWT in the 80s.

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@cassadine1991 OLTL 2.0. Really? Yikes. Okay.

[Soapsuds]

I was like who is Michael Runyeon?....LOL

 

Yes, Susan was HW of OLTL 2.0 and I thought she did a great job!  ATWT should have rehired her when Marland passed in 1993.

[slick jones]

Never liked Lonnie McCullough as Linc, he was like a different character. His mother had also been recast, Carole Demas originated the role, Lee Bryant was next as Hannah Lafferty.

[DRW50]

 

Yes. Sorry. He played a character named Michael on SB.