Looking at the full picture now I do see why GL's ratings fell. Even as much as I struggled with 1993 and 1994, they were certainly not the worst soap out there, and it actually makes me angry to realize just how much the affiliates killed the show.

And it also puts the recent wave of cancellations in a new perspective. How could supposed industry insiders claim to have been caught off-guard when soaps like OLTL, AMC, and even ATWT went off the air completely, even though they were considered to be within negligible distance, ratings-wise, of the ones that remained? After a show like GL that was consistently ranking within the top 50% of soaps on the air at the time - a time when that meant millions more viewers than any soap has had in years, I might add - was taken off the air in such a major market, nearly twenty years ago. That should have been a wake-up call.

During the blackout, Ed and Lillian just kissed in the car while stuck in the parking garage. They didn't have sex yet, as I think they were intimate at Lillian's place, before she came to move into the Bauer house. the blackout is something that they almost need to show the whole week (and there may be the music issues between Paradise City being on the radio when Bridget started the blackout to U2 playing when Blake and Ross had sex in her bedroom at Hollybend and it ending with Round Midnight.)

You're right...about Ed and Lillian, and the music. I guess that's also why they didn't show the episode in which Maureen actually was pronounced dead - I have a vague recollection of some music montage with a Linda Ronstadt song. The episode of Maureen's (off-screen) funeral was brilliantly written and acted, though (I can't remember if that was also the same episode where Roger and/or Bridget made a secret visit to Maureen's grave after everyone had gone home), and I don't think there were any potential ASCAP music conflicts.

I didn't watch the 1993 episode because I've seen it before; however, I am curious whether they covered up the music in the scene at the Vietnam memorial. I seem to remember Annie Lennox playing in the background.

BTW, the Linda Rodstadt song was Goodbye My Friend and it played throughout that story.

And it was Bridget who went to the cemetary. Roger didn't make it up there for another week or two. (January 25th episode to be precise.)

What kind of accent was JD doing for Buzz in the beginning?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyHIkX2xIGE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp_DqSvX1dg

What in the name of Slavic Brooklynese Christopher Walken hell IS that?

. (I don't know what went wrong in Harley's last years on GL that caused so many people to dislike the character and think less of BE's acting - the last I saw of GL before she left was when she played Irna Phillips in the anniversary fantasy episode, and I thought she was fantastic - but to me, she remains one of the strongest, most natural actresses I've ever seen in this medium.) In short, I for one would be ecstatic to turn on any soap now and see that quality - and variety - of material.

I think there was a backlash against the Gus/Harley relationship that seemed to be eating up huge amounts of airtime, added to the suspicion BE & RPG were involved and decided to jump to AMC together, thus fatally crippling GL. It didn't help that the writing for Harley was atrocious---her final months on GL were spent jumping into the scuzzy Cyrus' bed---who happened to be engaged to her niece Marina.

I think there was a backlash against the Gus/Harley relationship that seemed to be eating up huge amounts of airtime, added to the suspicion BE & RPG were involved and decided to jump to AMC together, thus fatally crippling GL. It didn't help that the writing for Harley was atrocious---her final months on GL were spent jumping into the scuzzy Cyrus' bed---who happened to be engaged to her niece Marina.

I still remember the beyotch smile during the Emmys and the announcement of her and RPG heading to AMC. Payback is a bitch....lol...she was treated like crap on AMC....nice....made my day....lol

I got my tax return today so I just ordered it. CAN'T WAIT!

I was hooked on those ATWT DVDs for days and to be honest, the GL eps look even more intriguing. This coming from someone who's never really watched GL regularly and was a HUGE ATWT fan (well, mainly it's last 10 years anyway- after AW was gone)

The Coopers were the only intact family and Gus and Harley as a couple were their leads, so I think that is part of where the frustration came from as every other group lost family members and they kept growing.

What I want to know is will there be another free episode up on Soapclassics.com? The 1983 episode has been pulled and there is no longer a link to a free streaming episode. Has anyone heard anything?

They pulled the 1983 ep already? Hopefully that means they're putting up a new one, maybe a Valentine's Day themed show or something?

Either way, I'm just glad I got to see it while it was there because it was PHENOM!

One episode I hope they include on a future GL release is Jenna's funeral episode. where Jenna appears to Buzz, Vanessa, Harley, Alexandra, and Holly in separate vignettes. I remember it being well-written, great use of history, and was a great self-contained episode. My VHS copy is worn out and don't recall any significant music montage or anything (though I could be wrong) and the best part was that there was no Reva on it!

It's funny, I liked Jenna when she first arrived, hated her when they centered her around Buzz's universe, and loved her upon her return.

I was really saddened when they killed her off. There really was no reason other than Rauch being spiteful against Fiona Hutchinson.

Placed my order today. Decided on GL first over ATWT