DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[carolineg]

Based on minimal viewing and mostly reading about the Andersons they seem a bit boring for the glamorous 80's that soaps were moving towards.  The stories sound a bit interesting at times, but I never got the sense there was a stand out character in the family.  Outside from Bob, the show also seemed to struggle to find the right actor for the players in the Anderson family.

Perhaps it was a mistake to kill Mary off since Melissa did have a run at prominence in the late 80's, but never really found her place either.  Idk, I think it was a combo of not finding standout actors, a changing era in soaps, and new, more exciting families (Dimeras,Bradys) being introduced that lead to the Andersons demise.  

[Michael]

Sounds pretty accurate to me. They were a solid B-family who kind of ran their course. In some ways, folding Melissa so fully into the Hortons *was* the way of bringing the Anderson clan forward into the 80s era.

The Brooke/Stephanie character, Bob's other daughter, always reads to me like she could've been the real standout, but they killed her off that second time. And it doesn't sound like she had a ton to do after she came back as "Stephanie" with the new face.

[carolineg]

Yes!  This sounds like the most interesting story to me and seemed ahead of its time.  I have only seen the briefest clips and reading about makes it sound a bit more confusing than it probably actually was.

I would love to hear if anyone on this board has seen it although I am sure if I looked through this thread people probably have.

[Contessa Donatella]

Neither Bob nor Linda was boring, not at all. Bob, an industrialist who owned Anderson Industries, was at one time, with Julie. He was a good man, a self-made man. Doug would've been with Addie then. Linda, in her own way was, well, I don't know any other way to put it, she was wicked. Now, Mary, okay, probably she was boring. So strait-laced, such a damn good girl. Really very pretty but not all that interesting.

[Michael]

Wasn't Phyllis the Anderson wife, at least originally? They had her get with Neil and lose a child with him, I think.

Some of the stuff with Linda/Bob sounds pretty delicious and soapy, at least from my reading. That mid-80s return of Linda as a madame always struck me as insane.

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, you're right. Totally forgot about Phyllis. What a goofy thing to do.

Linda was especially soapy. Do you recall when Mike got it in his head that maybe he couldn't function sexually with a woman? Guess who stepped up to "help him"? Of course, it was Linda. What was that actress's name? Was it Marsha?

[Michael]

I think Margaret Mason was the original Linda. And yes, that Mike event gets a lot of chatter online -- I'd be curious to see how it really played at the time.

Elaine Princi took over as Linda in the 80s, I believe.

[jam6242]

I never really enjoyed the Andersons, Linda excepted (MM only), and she was a force for years before she got involved with Bob, so not sure she even counts.  I remember an interview with Barbara Stanger where she said Mary was insipid, lol.

[JAS0N47]

Nadyne Turney played the original Linda for 2 episodes in July 1970. Margaret Mason took over the role in August 1970.

I remember typing up some of those 1976 synopses from when I did the Deidre Hall 5000th episode tribute, so I have some episode-specific details from those Mike/Linda scenes, although I think I only typed up the Marlena storyline for those episodes.

[Michael]

Thanks for the clarity! Would be so cool if you happened to have any more detail on the Mike/Linda stuff.

[JAS0N47]

Here you go. My last "Days" work of 2024!!  Enjoy!!

2677- Brooke reminds Trish that if she doesn't try to help Mike some other woman will. Linda greets a subdued Mike who tells her he still hasn't found an apartment he can afford. Linda says he can stay at her place another night. Mike admits to Linda that he may have gone by Trish's with the idea of trying to be a man with her. Linda comforts him, telling him he'll find his manhood again when he finds love again. He loves Mickey and she hopes Mike will go visit him with her tomorrow.

 

2678- Trish tells Alice she and Mike have broken up. Alice goes to Brooke and forces her to tell her where Mike is.  Linda and Mike pretend not to see the shock in Alice's eyes as she sees them in their nightclothes. Linda goes in to dress and Mike turns on Alice, angry and defensive, telling her not to start anything. She says she had to find him because Mickey is anxious to see him. Which father, Mike asks bitterly. He goes in to dress when Linda comes out dressed for work. No matter what Alice thinks, Linda begs her not to create a scene. Mike can't handle it. Alice is shocked at the idea of Mike living with Linda until he can get his own apartment. Linda insists there is nothing wrong with this. Mike comes out, and after a few fiery words for both of them, Alice leaves the apartment. Mike apologizes to Linda for Alice's attitude. She tells him not to worry about what anyone thinks of their relationship. Later, Mike wants Trish to tell Brooke to stay out of his life. Brooke goes to Tom's office to tell him and Alice that they shouldn't worry about Mike having an affair with Linda. What they should worry about is that Mike can't perform as a man with a woman. That's why he and Trish broke up.

 

2680- (Typed up in Marlena's 5000th tribute. See that. Marlena with Mike/Mickey/Linda)

 

2683- Maggie tells Mike he should get out of Linda's apartment because Linda is using him to wreck her and Mickey's marriage. Mike is upset at the suggestion. Mike goes home to Linda and apologizes for walking out on her and Mickey. Linda says Mike and Mickey have to stop hurting each other. He cross-examines her about her feelings for Mickey. How does she plan to figure in his life? Linda and Mike can't sleep in the storm. She comes out of the bedroom and is talking to him about Maggie's fears when the doorbell rings. Mike escapes to the bathroom and Linda lets Tom in. She apologizes for the sheer negligee she is wearing and goes to change. Mike comes out dressed, accuses his grandfather of spying on him and slams out of the apartment. Linda comes out and has a confrontation with Tom. They talk about Mike's sexual problem and Tom asks if she intends to play the older woman who makes a man out of a boy. Linda warns Tom that he should be careful- if she has the name she might as well play the game. Later, Mike returns, she takes him in his arms, holds him like a mother, tells him not to let the ugliness in people's minds destroy what is lovely and beautiful between them: their friendship.

 

2685- Julie is surprised to find out from Linda that Mike is living with her, but says it nice she's doing that. Linda says she's the only one of the Horton clan who feels that way. Later, Mike comes to the office to have lunch with Linda, and is taken aback when Julie says Linda is out on a date- with a man (actually Johnny Collins to discuss his will).

 

2688- Mike goes to Doug's Place and tells Trish he now has his own pad. They have a miserable, awkward conversation and when he sees Brooke enter, he leaves abruptly. Mike stops by the office and tells Linda he found out she was on a date with another man. Realizing he's jealous, Linda tells him she went to meet Johnny Collins to discuss his will. Mike says he found his own pad but wants to continue seeing Linda. She assures him he will. But right now he should try to be with David, help him cool off so he won't make trouble for Julie and Don. Mike and David go to Doug's Place and start drinking.

 

2689- Doug phones Linda of the emergency situation: he can't get Mike and David to go home. Linda tells Don and Julie about Mike and David. Mike and David talk openly about his split with Trish, sending her crying to the powder room. As Mike and David drunkenly compare notes on mothers and lovers, Don, Julie and Linda arrive. Linda stations herself at the bar to trap Mike and successfully talks him into leaving. Linda is trying to beef Mike up with coffee and send him home to his new bachelor pad. In Linda's apartment, Mike falls asleep on the couch. Linda tries to get him ready for bed and Mike becomes amorous, which Linda handles tactfully and with some amusement.

 

2690- The scene continues with Mike and Linda, Mike not drunk now but still a bit fuzzy. He falls off the sofa. Linda goes to warm up some coffee for him. Bill goes to Linda's to check on Mike, and is a bit shaken up when Linda says she put him in her bed. Mike was falling off the couch, she tells Bill, but Bill is more interested in what Mike's relationship with Linda will do in terms of Laura. Linda hates Laura's guts and won't help the situation. Mike comes out of the bedroom and he and Bill have a heated confrontation. Mike says he tried to make a pass at Linda when he was still a little tight, but she's been a real friend when she could have easily tossed him out. Trish arrives, and after Bill leaves, it is rather pathetic as Trish and Mike want to reach out to each other again and don't quite know how to go about it. They are left feeling hopelessly drawn apart.

 

[Michael]

Thank you, @JAS0N47! This is awesome. Appreciate all your hard work and responsiveness.

[Contessa Donatella]

Thanks for the additional information.

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I can't tell you how fabulous this is! Again, you have saved the day - or should that be DAYS!

[Paul Raven]

I think the Andersons had run their course by the 80's. They were a secondary family and sometimes characters have to be dropped to allow for new blood.

Bringing back Linda in the 80's when Melissa was a new young lead was a smart move on paper- using history, providing parental complications esp with Linda being a 'darker' character.

But the execution was horrible. recasting OK I get it, but Elaine Princi's Linda, (MadameX) apart from having no physical similarities was written as a completely different character.

It really pointed out the differences (and not in a good way) b/w 70's and 80's Days.

Linda was now just a cardboard villian.

[DRW50]

Rather than trying over and over with some characters who just feel lifeless to me (like Belle and Shawn), I would say bring back Nathan (and he could easily be recast), with appearances from Melissa, but I suppose they aren't tied enough to anyone on the canvas now.

@JAS0N47 Thank you for those story details. Another reminder of how different '70s DAYS was to '80s - it's so hard to imagine Mike berating his grandparents, let alone the image of them intruding on him as he and Linda are half-dressed. And the image of Brooke telling Alice and Tom all about their grandson not being able to perform is eye-popping.