As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Dax7000]

I have only watched OLTL, Y&R, ATWT, GH and AMC, but all those shows definitely added "super mogul" type characters at the end of the 70's/start of the 80's. Y&R , AMC and OLTL had wealthy characters, but I think Dynasty and Dallas, as said above, really influenced the writing. OLTL's Buchanans were fairly blatant Dallas rip-offs. 

 

I really did like that ATWT was the only one, from what I know, to add a female super mogul character. Y&R added Victor, AMC added Palmer and especially Adam, OLTL added the Buchanan family.

[adrnyc]

 

I think you may be right. One of my best friends, who is obsessed with Emmerdale, (we're both American) texted me this once: "It's so refreshing to see the UK soaps be about real people. None of these crazy rich types globe-trotting." And I replied to him: "I was just thinking today while watching Another World: I'm so glad they made Felicia a rich romance novelist. How else would she always be wearing such fabulous hats, scarves and gloves?!"  

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[DRW50]

 

GL added Alex (although we rarely saw her in business stories), and AW to a lesser degree Felicia, but yes - Lucinda was the main female character who was shown so heavily in both worlds and in a masculine role. 

[Mitch]

Lisa actually got a lot of money from her marriage to John Eldridge..Fulton would talk about how dowdy she looked during her first run...(people had to wear their own clothes) but with tips from the Penny actress she learned how to dress and act more glam. So when she came back to ATWT after that prime time show she looked totally different (that was the blonde Lisa we know) and they explained it was due to her marriage and divorce from a rich lawyer. Tom said during the start of the Scott storyline that Lisa's marriage to Eldridge was the start of her wealth.

 

 

[j swift]

That is some fun soapy writing to have Rick come back for the Franny/Sabrina tale.  I appreciate when long lost kids have some story that makes sense rather than just showing up and expecting an instant relationship with relatives that they've met in their 30's (e.g. Lisa and Scott).

[Dax7000]

Thank you! I think there's some Youtube episodes surrounding that story, so I will have fun watching them. 

[Soaplovers]

I actually liked the wealthier slant most of the soaps took in the 80s, even on ATWT... it was nice to have Lucinda vs Lisa that developed in the later part of the 80s.  I guess Marland felt a farm family had to be introduced hence why the show got stuck with the insufferable Snyder clan.

[DRW50]

 

I think given the scant audience left for US soaps, a lot of those who are left are there to the end (or until they die), so this is the best time to try something different. 

[Dax7000]

I wish they had really pursued Lisa vs Lucinda far more. It ended up mostly being Lucinda doing things, Lisa making snide comments, then nothing. But it had a lot of potential, especially in the early days. 

[Khan]

 

Agree.  There are four -- count 'em, four -- U.S. soaps left; and by my estimation, none of 'em are what I would call "healthy."  Ergo, what do TPTB have to lose by "trying something different"?  If bold experimentation, or simply getting back to basics, fails, then nothing really changes since, as I've said before, the remaining soaps are on the proverbial last legs anyway.  But, on the slim chance that efforts to draw viewers back in actually succeeds, then maybe they've staved off the death of the genre.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Khan

[NothinButAttitude]

 

 

 

Agree. Now is the time to do something different. It just bothers me how This Is Us and Grey's Anatomy are prospering off a model that daytime soaps built; however, these shows are floundering like fish out of water. 

 

But sadly, I do think that the UK soaps are starting to pick up our bad habits, which won't work out well for them either. 

 

When it comes to change, I've long said the remaining 4 need to be trimmed down to 3 days a week. The five day model isn't working anymore. 

 

 

ATWT was stupid to not have these 2 at odds the last 20 something years of the show. I always felt Lily could've been a vessel for the 2 being at odds seeing as she was Lucy's daughter and Lisa partner for the Lakeview. 

 

John should've once again been wedged between the 2 again, or Scott should've been brought back as he did have a fling with Lucinda. 

[Mitch]

That would have been a great storyline and Fulton would have loved it as she wanted to bring back the nastier side of Lisa.  The start of Marland had Lisa and Craig investigating Lucinda to find out the secret she had and why she went after Whit...but then when she found out in involved LILY, they dropped it of course and Lisa was reduced to insults that Lucinda shrugged off.   Fulton always said she would want to be bitchy and Marland would say, "Oh, that's not OUR Lisa!" God he could be so bland sometimes.

 

I thought it would be great if Lisa blackmailed Lucinda with the Lily thing (having no intention of going through with it...) of giving back everything she stole from Whit...and then when everyone finds out that Lisa knew all along and used it for her own good...well, you know Scott Holmes Tom would get that dour ass face on and everyone else would be SHOCKED that she used LILY as a pawn.

[DramatistDreamer]

It may not always have been great storyline (I agree that ATWT could have and should have kept Lisa and Lucinda clashing) but Lisa had storyline until the mid 90s.

The last several years of the show's existance the Lisa character was totally marginalized and then shut out.  Eileen Fulton was the most upset about this.

[Soaplovers]

She was marginalized because she had the guts to speak out about the horrible writing.  While I think Lisa wad past having front burning stories all the time...she had so many ties that being strong support would have been enough.

 

At the same time, she at least didn't sing katie's praises all the time like poor Nancy did.

[j swift]

I have a hazy memory of the episode surrounding Lily's 18th birthday.  I was never a ATWT fan but I kept up by reading the magazines at the time.  I was amused that the episode had Lily visiting Craig, John and Iva, all of whom remembered that it was her birthday and, had a gift.  Lily, much like Y&R's Cricket, was such a popular teen that even the adults in town knew her business.

 

Speaking of wealth in the 80's, it created odd details like that every man (no matter what age or job) had a tuxedo for every wedding, a costume for every masquerade ball and, a different suit for each day when they were wrongfully accused of murder.

Edited March 24, 2018 by j swift