The introduction of Wildwind in the early 90s really opened up the canvas in the same way I imagine Cortlandt manor did in the late 70s/early 80s.

 

It's so funny...apparently these big estates existed in Pine Valley but no one ever discussed the Cortlandts or Merricks prior to.

 

I think they--at least Wildwind, were meant to be right outside Pine Valley but umm yeah...  (To be fair didn't they claim WIldwind had been shuttered down and only now Dimitri was returning to it?)

It's funny. I prefer to think of Pine Valley as a cozy village, but it's not out of the blue to imagine a few fine families (like Phoebe's kin, the Englishs) having their summer places there.

I just saw this article today after following him a few days ago on Instagram. It's an op-ed by Bobby Steggert (ex-Sam Grey) on why he's taking a break from acting for the unforeseeable future. And reading his Wiki page (I know!) I didn't realize he came out of the closet publicly. I followed him recently because I just re-watched Sondheim's Birthday Concert (which is finally in my possession for me to watch at my leisure) and remembered at good he was on it. I wanted to add Matt Cavenaugh (ex-Adam Munson, ATWT/ex-Mark Solomon, OLTL) as well for the same reason, but he doesn't seem to have one, unfortunately. 

 

https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40bobbysteggert%2Fan-open-letter-to-the-artist-cbcb6fde016e&e=ATOankNLWHqTaQ30NIW9ff352zyhqBqWEcLfyaO35j-aPjI3N0W1PvvcVG3HOqaelRhFB0f3

Good for him. He was always so cute.

 

Since we've been discussing our early days in Eric's thread, AMC's slew of exotic mansions and estates belonging to royalty and aristocrats in an alleged small town always baffled and annoyed me as a kid, at least at first when I started watching. Later I just went with it - I loved Dimitri and Erica, and Edmund and Maria.

I think it is an Agnes quirk you do just have to go with.

Yeah, it's all her.

45 minutes ago, Bright Eyes said:

I just saw this article today after following him a few days ago on Instagram. It's an op-ed by Bobby Steggert (ex-Sam Grey) on why he's taking a break from acting for the unforeseeable future. And reading his Wiki page (I know!) I didn't realize he came out of the closet publicly. I followed him recently because I just re-watched Sondheim's Birthday Concert (which is finally in my possession for me to watch at my leisure) and remembered at good he was on it. I wanted to add Matt Cavenaugh (ex-Adam Munson, ATWT/ex-Mark Solomon, OLTL) as well for the same reason, but he doesn't seem to have one, unfortunately. 

 

https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40bobbysteggert%2Fan-open-letter-to-the-artist-cbcb6fde016e&e=ATOankNLWHqTaQ30NIW9ff352zyhqBqWEcLfyaO35j-aPjI3N0W1PvvcVG3HOqaelRhFB0f3

Ah that's too bad--I've seen him on stage (in the off-Broadway gay musical Yank!--good show, bad title) and of course being a Sondheim freak I've seen him do a few of his songs in various concerts, and have always been impressed.  He was kinda wasted and dropped on AMC but he was very good there too (one of those young actors I'm always surprised can actually act...) 

Poor Matt as Mark and what Higley did to his character on OLTL...  So much for progressive gay plots!

1 minute ago, Vee said:

Yeah, it's all her.

As a teen I admit I was guilty of giving credit to anything I liked on AMC to Nixon and anything I disliked to interference or other writers...  I'd like to think I know better now and have accepted her faults (or at least less successful story foibles...)

 

Does anyone remember how Brooke was written out of the show initially? Was she written out or did she just stop appearing? I keep running into AMC clips and Brooke/Julia Barr is a much more important character to the show than the last decade would make you think. I so wish they had cast stronger actors to play Laura and Jamie, it could have kept Brooke relevant for longer.

I'm not sure, but I think she just stopped appearing.  I don't recall any big, official farewell scenes.

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by Khan

19 hours ago, Vee said:

Good for him. He was always so cute.

 

Since we've been discussing our early days in Eric's thread, AMC's slew of exotic mansions and estates belonging to royalty and aristocrats in an alleged small town always baffled and annoyed me as a kid, at least at first when I started watching. Later I just went with it - I loved Dimitri and Erica, and Edmund and Maria.

Having gone to graduate school in the town where Agnes lived (Rosemont, PA), it didn't surprise me to see the mansions pop up on AMC. There are many stately mansions in small towns like Rosemont and neighboring Bryn Mawr.

 

It still pisses me off that my alma mater never reached out to Agnes to see if she'd come to campus to give a talk. I had suggested the idea to the director of the creative writing program. They had no idea she lived just miles away and never pursued the opportunity.

30 minutes ago, Darn said:

Does anyone remember how Brooke was written out of the show initially? Was she written out or did she just stop appearing? I keep running into AMC clips and Brooke/Julia Barr is a much more important character to the show than the last decade would make you think. I so wish they had cast stronger actors to play Laura and Jamie, it could have kept Brooke relevant for longer.

She stopped appearing--though I think they did make some acknowledgement of her traveling (maybe visiting Laura in China or wherever...)?  Frons didn't renew her contract but offered her recurring--she (quite rightly) decided without a contract she wouldn't bother and quit.  She was prob my fave female character, so I was really infuriated (I remember--this is embarrassing--having dreams where she would return to the show!) so I was thrilled when she came back for the final months and then the reboot.  And yes she was absolutely one of the key players in the 80s and 90s.

Thanks @Khan and @EricMontreal22. Damn shame, Julia Barr is a treasure and Brooke meant as much to the fabric of AMC as Erica, even moreso to Pine Valley as a whole.

Just now, Darn said:

Thanks @Khan and @EricMontreal22. Damn shame, Julia Barr is a treasure and Brooke meant as much to the fabric of AMC as Erica, even moreso to Pine Valley as a whole.

Yep.  But you know, she was old.  Didn't fit Frons' Sex and the City vibe for AMC I think a number of other vets did go on recurring around then.