I know a lot of this is already out there, but since I was mostly posting old articles in the cancelled soaps section I thought I might start posting some stuff on the current soaps here, just under different threads for each soap.

If you're interested in this, let me know, and I'll post more, or someone who has a lot of good stuff can post more.

This is from the July 1976 Afternoon TV Stars. Lorelei Publishing Inc

Edited November 22, 201014 yr by CarlD2

4 minutes ago, Vee said:

I'm not claiming he was a saint or excusing his alleged behavior. I just think he was second to none as Edmund in the '90s, and while I like Drake a lot I can't see him doing it better.

I don't disagree.  I can almost see it with Drake, but not fully.   Listen, in the end it worked out for both of them

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

I just get an overall weird vibe talking about JC after Nancy's tweets.

Nancy?  As in Lee Grahn?

I'm trying to remember what she tweeted about JC, but it's been a few semesters.

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

I don't know if he's as dashing as the late John Callahan though.  He projects a little more high class than Drake IMO. 

1 hour ago, Vee said:

That could've worked, but looking back at that material recently it's hard to argue John Callahan was not born for that part.

The beauty about AMC's writers, though, was how they would tailor or re-tailor a character to fit the actor's personality.

Plus, remember that AMC and DAYS were timeslot competitors for many years.  If DAYS had decided to ditch Drake, who'd built up a following as Roman Brady #2, I think AMC would have at least offered him a spot on their show, if only to lure his fans away from one show and toward the other.  Just as Y&R figured getting Peter Bergman, who'd just been dumped as AMC's Dr. Cliff Warner, to succeed Terry Lester as Jack Abbott would help lure AMC viewers to Y&R.

Edited May 9, 20223 yr by Khan

15 minutes ago, Khan said:

Nancy?  As in Lee Grahn?

I'm trying to remember what she tweeted about JC, but it's been a few semesters.

The beauty about AMC's writers, though, was how they would tailor or re-tailor a character to fit the actor's personality.

Plus, remember that AMC and DAYS were timeslot competitors for many years.  If DAYS had decided to ditch Drake, who'd built up a following as Roman Brady #2, I think AMC would have at least offered him a spot on their show, if only to lure his fans away from one show and toward the other.  Just as Y&R figured getting Peter Bergman, who'd just been dumped as AMC's Dr. Cliff Warner, to succeed Terry Lester as Jack Abbott would help lure AMC viewers to Y&R.

Yes.  Nancy Lee Grahn.  This is her statement.  Right when he passed-(SIC because there are mispellings)

While I worked with John and am sad about his passing, I also mourn the many atmosphere players who confidided in me that he exposed himself to them and when I reported it, NO ONE DID ANYTHING. Some will say now is not a good time. I will argue it’s never a good time.

Oh, yes.  Now I remember.  Unfortunately.

Thanks, @carolineg.

 

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

Oh, yes.  Now I remember.  Unfortunately.

Thanks, @carolineg.

 

Yeah.  It's hella awkward.  Because he passed and has a child it's unfortunate that it is published on the internet without proof. But at the same time I don't doubt it's true..It's just definitely not the appropriate time to bring it up. 

But Drake playing Edmund is really looking solid now lol.. 

4 minutes ago, carolineg said:

But Drake playing Edmund is really looking solid now lol.. 

Don't let JC's alleged bad behavior color your impressions of Edmund, lol.  If you agree with @Vee and others that only JC could have played Edmund - and by the way, I'm not suggesting that they're wrong to believe as they do - then stand firm.

I'm just saying, I think Drake had what it took to be successful on a show like AMC.  If he had played Edmund, it wouldn't have been the same as when JC played him, but it still would've been a successful character nonetheless.  His Edmund would've been just...different.

Edited May 9, 20223 yr by Khan

1 minute ago, Khan said:

Don't let JC's alleged bad behavior color your impressions of Edmund, lol.  If you agree with @Vee and others that only JC could have played Edmund - and by the way, I'm not suggesting that they're wrong to believe as they do - then stand firm.  

I don't feel him as Edmund as he was played by JC.   It doesn't seem like a good fit for me.  BUT if they tailored it to be a little more blue collar and a rough and tumble guy you can have beer with sure.  But that's almost a completely different character.  I don't doubt Drake couldn't have made it work on charisma and chemistry alone, but it's hard to compare with something that's almost incomparable.   I am going to be honest and say I can barely envision Drake doing anything but swoon over Marlena.

And well were are at it "Doc" and "Fancy Face" are the two most obnoxious nicknames of all time!!

6 minutes ago, carolineg said:

BUT if they tailored it to be a little more blue collar and a rough and tumble guy you can have beer with sure.

Well, that's how I would have written Edmund.  After all, he was a journalist, lol.

9 hours ago, Khan said:

Well, that's how I would have written Edmund.  After all, he was a journalist, lol.

Yeah.  I want to stand firm one way or the other but I just can't.   I like the idea, but I am not fully seeing it lol.  I think Drake could have been a star on almost all the soaps, but it's just hard to picture him on them if that makes sense.  Characters would have to be tweaked a lot to fit him in.

Edited May 9, 20223 yr by carolineg

I think casting - as @carolineg points out - makes a difference for any role. Would Drake have worked as Edmund Grey? Maybe. He had the charisma and charm. But he may not have been a journalist had Drake played him.

To use an old prime time example, apparently, the character of Sam Malone on Cheers had apparently been envisioned not as an ex-baseball player, but an ex-football player! And one of the actors in contention for the role was real-life former L.A. Rams player turned actor Fred Dryer (who would recur as sportscaster Dave Richards on the show and also got his own big break with Hunter, obviously!) I think I even read that William Devane (ex-Greg Sumner, Knots Landing) had also read for Sam.

However, once Ted Danson got the role, it was changed so that Sam was a former member of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, and the rest is history.

(On a side note, another actress up for Diane Chambers was Julia Duffy. She, of course, landed on Newhart as Stephanie. I think she even appeared in a Cheers episode as a friend of Diane's, but I can't be sure.)

So I think any role can be played by almost any actor if the details are tweaked just so...

58 minutes ago, Wendy said:

I think casting - as @carolineg points out - makes a difference for any role. Would Drake have worked as Edmund Grey? Maybe. He had the charisma and charm. But he may not have been a journalist had Drake played him.

To use an old prime time example, apparently, the character of Sam Malone on Cheers had apparently been envisioned not as an ex-baseball player, but an ex-football player! And one of the actors in contention for the role was real-life former L.A. Rams player turned actor Fred Dryer (who would recur as sportscaster Dave Richards on the show and also got his own big break with Hunter, obviously!) I think I even read that William Devane (ex-Greg Sumner, Knots Landing) had also read for Sam.

However, once Ted Danson got the role, it was changed so that Sam was a former member of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, and the rest is history.

(On a side note, another actress up for Diane Chambers was Julia Duffy. She, of course, landed on Newhart as Stephanie. I think she even appeared in a Cheers episode as a friend of Diane's, but I can't be sure.)

So I think any role can be played by almost any actor if the details are tweaked just so...

Julia Duffy did appear and I think she may have appeared in an episode with Fred Dryer. Maybe not, but I'm pretty sure she did. 

6 hours ago, Wendy said:

I think casting - as @carolineg points out - makes a difference for any role. Would Drake have worked as Edmund Grey? Maybe. He had the charisma and charm. But he may not have been a journalist had Drake played him.

To use an old prime time example, apparently, the character of Sam Malone on Cheers had apparently been envisioned not as an ex-baseball player, but an ex-football player! And one of the actors in contention for the role was real-life former L.A. Rams player turned actor Fred Dryer (who would recur as sportscaster Dave Richards on the show and also got his own big break with Hunter, obviously!) I think I even read that William Devane (ex-Greg Sumner, Knots Landing) had also read for Sam.

However, once Ted Danson got the role, it was changed so that Sam was a former member of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, and the rest is history.

(On a side note, another actress up for Diane Chambers was Julia Duffy. She, of course, landed on Newhart as Stephanie. I think she even appeared in a Cheers episode as a friend of Diane's, but I can't be sure.)

So I think any role can be played by almost any actor if the details are tweaked just so...

You articulated that better than I could.  Do I think Drake could have played Edmund?  Yes, but not the Edmund that JC played.  Drake could definitely fill that role with the same co-stars, but I can't see him as a journalist per se.  The character would just have to be built more around Drake's strengths than JC's.  But I have a hard time imagining him as anything other than John Black/Roman Brady.  

I had the same feeling when about a decade or so ago people were wanting Dee Hall to go to Y&R as Nikki's sister.  I am sure that would have worked, but I have a hard time picturing it.  I am sure MTS and DH would have been best buddies though.🤣

 

  

1 hour ago, victoria foxton said:

 

  

Thank you for bringing this over!  I don't know if I have ever seen it.  The hits will keep coming for Marlena in 1980.  Again, I just don't know what happened to DH's acting.  She really is good here.  

Don always comes off like a dick in this, but JA/Don are so likable as well.   When she lays it out to Maggie like that you kind of agree Marlena/Don should divorce lol.  Also, spoiler alert Doc!, Kellam was not innocently kissing you.  That's not really a thing.

24 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Thank you for bringing this over!  I don't know if I have ever seen it.  The hits will keep coming for Marlena in 1980.  Again, I just don't know what happened to DH's acting.  She really is good here.  

Don always comes off like a dick in this, but JA/Don are so likable as well.   When she lays it out to Maggie like that you kind of agree Marlena/Don should divorce lol.  Also, spoiler alert Doc!, Kellam was not innocently kissing you.  That's not really a thing.

If you want to see more different acting from Deidre Hall, in the Primetime forum, there is a clip I found on YouTube of Dee appearing on the '80s show, Wiseguy. She is lucky enough to be acting opposite the great Tim Curry!

Glenn Frey and Deborah Harry also appear in the episode (and not as themselves!).