35 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Re James Karen. I think I read that he came across as too old. He was about 9 years younger than his onscreen mother (Ruth Warrick) and wasn't convincing as her son.

That would make sense.

#AllMyChildren writer Lorraine Broderick revealed an 'inside glimpse' into the soap's final chapter and the different ending it could have had https://t.co/uOOqELpUrF

— TV Insider (@TVInsider) January 14, 2025

James Karen went from AMC into The Best of Everything so either it was a contract thing where they had to pay him so put him in the new show or felt bad about dropping him from AMC and gave him a new gig.

He had been recurring on ATWT for five years previously as Susan Stewart's dad.

2 hours ago, Vee said:

I will say this: Original(?) Linc, James Karen, is one of the greatest movie character actors of all time. Even if you don't know his name you've seen him in something (Poltergeist, Wall Street, The China Syndrome, Return of the Living Dead, you name it).

He also played the guy who tried to set up a new chapter of the KKK in the Jeffersons' apartment building, and whom George performed CPR on when he almost died of a heart attack.  ("You should've let me die.")

I agree that James Karen probably came across as too old to be Ruth Warrick's on-screen son.  (Joanna Miles, too, comes across in that episode as being too old to be her daughter.  Or, was she Phoebe's step-daughter?  I've never been clear about how the Tylers were related to each other on the show).  Heck, Karen could've played Ted Brent, lol!

So did Diana DeVegh even air as Anne? Or is she the one who, like the alleged original Viki at OLTL who I can't remember the name of, where they removed them even before taping? I think that happened with Viki anyway; I believe there was a name attached in very early press materials. I hope I'm not imagining this or conflating it with DeVegh.

Edited January 14Jan 14 by Vee

17 minutes ago, Khan said:

He also played the guy who tried to set up a new chapter of the KKK in the Jeffersons' apartment building, and whom George performed CPR on when he almost died of a heart attack.  ("You should've let me die.")

I agree that James Karen probably came across as too old to be Ruth Warrick's on-screen son.  (Joanna Miles, too, comes across in that episode as being too old to be her daughter.  Or, was she Phoebe's step-daughter?  I've never been clear about how the Tylers were related to each other on the show).  Heck, Karen could've played Ted Brent, lol!

Anne and Linc were Phoebe’s kids. Chuck’s late father (Charles Jr.) was her stepson.

35 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

It would be lovely to get a fuller recap of the event. I hope one surfaces.

13 minutes ago, Vee said:

Or is she the one who, like the alleged original Viki at OLTL who I can't remember the name of, where they removed them even before taping? I think that happened with Viki anyway; I believe there was a name attached in very early press materials.

I've heard that, too, and I think it was Trish Van Devere (whom OLTL canned before the first episode), but I wouldn't quote me on that, lol.

4 minutes ago, All My Shadows said:

Anne and Linc were Phoebe’s kids. Chuck’s late father (Charles Jr.) was her stepson.

Ah!  I thought that was how it might've been set up.  I know I read somewhere that Agnes Nixon altered some family connections, either because Ruth Warrick didn't look old enough to be so-and-so's mother or grandmother, or Warrick herself had reservations.  Thanks, @All My Shadows!

The thing is, Joanna Miles might have favored Warrick in terms of looks, but she looks to be more like one of her contemporaries, rather than her offspring.  Plus - and maybe this is just me - but she reminded me of Joan Bennett an awful lot; and considering that DARK SHADOWS was still on the network at that time, that might've been ABC's concern as well, lol.

Edited January 14Jan 14 by Khan

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

I've heard that, too, and I think it was Trish Van Devere (whom OLTL canned before the first episode), but I wouldn't quote me on that, lol.

I actually believe Trish Van Devere was Meredith for the first six months or so. I think she claimed she did it to fund her downtown avant-garde theater work. I'm not sure if I am conflating both of them with Viki though lol. I don't think so.

7 minutes ago, Vee said:

I actually believe Trish Van Devere was Meredith for the first six months or so. I think she claimed she did it to fund her downtown avant-garde theater work. I'm not sure if I am conflating both of them with Viki though lol. I don't think so.

No, you've probably got it right, I'm the one who's getting it all mixed up (and this is so OT, I'm literally dying of laughter, lol).

16 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Ann twice before they settled on Judith Barcroft. Judith was popular on AW. Did Agnes lure her over. Or had Judith left AW and was then approached by Agnes, who had created her character on AW?

I looked at Judith's WLS interview and she just said she didn't have to audition to play Ann. 

She also says that she and George Reinholt rewrote a lot of dialogue because the writers were so burnt out from doing Somerset. I wonder if she did leave AW for that reason.

4 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

She also says that she and George Reinholt rewrote a lot of dialogue because the writers were so burnt out from doing Somerset. I wonder if she did leave AW for that reason.

If that's why she left AW, then I don't blame her!  Everything I've read about the Lenore/Walter/Wayne story sounds stupid beyond belief.

8 minutes ago, Khan said:

If that's why she left AW, then I don't blame her!  Everything I've read about the Lenore/Walter/Wayne story sounds stupid beyond belief.

It's hard not to just associate it with Lemay's image of Walter crying into the scarf. I guess I should listen to the audios again.

Ann seems like a much richer part. I just wish much more of Judith's AMC run was available. She's such a fascinating actress. We do have her RH run, but I did not care for that storyline.

Re: James Karen. He was only 7 years younger than both Ruth Warrick and Hugh Franklin, so he was absolutely way too old for the part of Linc. If he had played Susan’s dad on ATWT, that’s even worse.

Joanna Miles’s Anne always comes off as too “other worldly” to me. I know she’s fresh from NYC, but she just seems too upper class, even for the Tylers.

 

I watched 5 episodes from January 1988 and I'm in love. This is my first taste of the show... I still don't know anything about anyone and slowly learning - a process I love to go through, it's like studying for an exam. I have all the next seasons available and if this continues being soooo good and so fun... I plan to make it my night time show. Erica Kane makes me laugh with every sentence that comes out of her mouth.  

The most recent episode I watched is when Erica had a meltdown during the live on tv interview Travis was giving.