Characters soaps seriously considered recasting at some point

[Khan]

IA. As good as that story was, however, it also left Ed rudderless, for lack of a better word. For the rest of the time he was there, they struggled to make him still vital to the canvas. (Plus -- and this is just me -- it also felt hollow not to have Mike, himself a widower, there helping Ed through the grieving process.)

[DRW50]

The Bauer family did not feel like much of a family during the time I watched GL. They were more like a part of the community. They had Alan-Michael, who was a rarely seen cousin/nephew, and Blake, who was a daughter to Ed when Jimmy Carter was in office, but that was about it. They did need Mike.

I think there could have been much more drama out of a triangle with Lillian/Ed/Maureen, especially if Maureen broke up with Ed, and Lillian moved into the home. The only long-term relationship Lillian had had was with an abusive man. How would she react to day to day life with a very volatile man with a drinking problem?

[Mitch]

Dolan was stronger and more ballsy, but Parker brought the maternal thing to the show which was needed in a matriach and which was missing since Charita had died. Long tried desperately to make Sarah Shayne into that role but it didnt work.

I too wish they had kept Mo on the show, had her leave Ed and move into the boardinghouse and run that and Company, still being the mother figure. Also, the whole Peter storyline would have been more effective if Bridget left Nadine's stupid ass attic and told Mo the truth and Mo would have adopted the kid, ran the Boardinghouse while Bridge ran Company. Later Ed would reconcile with Mo and then the [!@#$%^&*] hits the fan when Roger finds out Ed is stepdaddy to his grandson. Story could have gone on for years and much better then Van adopting him.

No matter what Mo would have been killed, not because JFP wanted to do a Ed is a widower storyline, but she wanted her buddy Justin Deas on the show, and had to fire a vet to make money for him. The begging of the end as GL became the Justin Deas Whores it Out for an Emmy hour.

Ed was basically a weak character who needed Mo to run the family and keep the "town," together. When they brought him back under Taggert they tried to make him a Judge Lowell type character but it didnt work, PS is a good actor but he is good at playing weaker, complex characters. They should have brought Mike back or a recast Ed at that time. It would have made sense that he was help captive in Africa and became stronger and beat his demons.

Conboy desperately wanted to recast Rick but MADD wouldnt let him. I think that was a dumb move. MOL just was fat, sloppy and played Rick as weak and a clown at that time. They needed an hunkier guy to come in and play Rick to be able to maybe head the family again and make them viable.

They were going to recast Michelle not Reva's kid. The girl who played the diamond theif was going to be her but they got cancelled so they didnt bother.

And I still say that they should have recast Andy Dixon. Never could stand Scott Diferitus (sp?)

[DRW50]

I never knew about Conboy wanting to recast Rick. I think that would have had great potential, but I would have just reduced Rick's role (which ended up happening anyway) and bring in a recast of Johnny, or perhaps a son Bill had with that woman in Alaska. He could blame them for Hillary's death. He could have been working with Susan Piper. That would have been a better use of Carrie Nye, at least.

I really like the idea of Maureen adopting her nephew (shades of Iva on ATWT). This would have been more drama when Hart came back, since Maureen knew what it was like to feel your father had abandoned you.

[Mitch]

Yea, a conflicted Mo fighting Roger and Hart for Peter. And finally a foe that Roger could not totally "go for the throat," of like Ed, Alex and Alan. Interesting, but JFP was more interested in remaking GL into her own whacked out vision.

I never liked Johnny Bauer, but a recast Rick...kind of like that actor who played the dad and the coach on Friday Night Lights would have been good, especially bringing in a bad seed offspring of Rita and Ed to battle it out with his bro. I feel bad cause I always like O'Leary who gave always gave off a kind of "big brother, best friend," to everyone vibe, until around the Taggert time when he just became fat, sloppy and started to give off a creepy drunk at the bar kind of vibe.

[Khan]

As a matter of fact, I think Bill Bauer did have a son by Simone Kincaid -- wasn't his name Paul? -- but I could be mistaken.

[~bl~]

Paul was supposed to be Hillary's half-brother, so Bill wouldn't be his father.