Obscure AMC storylines

[soapfave06]

Did Lisa Wilkinson leave when they had Nancy move to I think it was Chicago? If I remember correctly from the recaps, she was in and out of town like a recurring character and in Chicago she met Carl.

[KMan101]

I wish both had stayed. I've always liked what little I had seen of them. It's too bad they didn't bring back Lisa in 1995 full time after her guest stint. Same for Judith Barcroft as Ann. I wish she had returned. AMC has some of the most unique vets, IMO. And It's really a shame that, aside from Megan McTavish's brief return, no one bothered to really bring anyone back. I'm grateful we got what we did Myrtle (Kelly) and Palmer (Daisy/Nina). I can't remember, was Linc with Kelly for Myrtle's memorial? I know he was back for Phoebe's, of course. I also think they made a mistake dismantling the Tyler family and never really investing in the future for them, IMO. However, I say that but it doesn't mean Peter White or Francesca James or anyone would return at that point.

Anyway ... rambling over. I've always had a special place for AMC. I don't know what it is, but I've always loved it and it's history. I can honestly say I'd buy every DVD released, if there were plans. ABC is stupid not to release anything.

[DRW50]

Kelly returned alone for Myrtle's service.

[saynotoursoap]

The story lasted about six weeks in late 1974/ early 1975. Ann Tyler sponsored a child advocacy group at Pine Valley Hospital dealing with the pressures faced by parents. One day, Ann ran into Stacy Coles in the pediatric unit at PVH. Stacy was an old friend from high school who ran with Ann's crowd. Stacy had brought in her son Jamie who had been injured while playing. Ann noted Jamie's reticence toward Stacy, and he displayed all of the classic signs of being an abused child. Ann reported her suspicions to Joe Martin, but he dismissed them, arguing that because of Ann's activity in the advocacy group, she would now see child abuse in every injured kid. After all, Stacy was from a very well -to-do family, and she and her businessman husband Wyatt had a nice home and a good income.

However, a week or so later, Stacy and Jamie were back at the hospital for another injury. Ann attempted to involve an indignant Stacy in the support group. Meanwhile, Joe ordered X-rays on Jamie and discovered an alarming number of previous breaks and fractures in his bones. He tried to persuade Stacy to let Jamie be hospitalized for further tests, but she vehemently refused. Ann sensed her reaction, and fearing for Jamie's safety, Ann kidnaped him. She took him to Nick's apartment and convinced Nick to hide them after a phone call to Stacy urging therapy was rejected.

Stacy's husband Wyatt, home from one of his many business trips, wanted to phone the police and became suspicious when Stacy begged him not to. They had a terrible argument with Stacy accusing him of being a neglectful husband and leaving her alone the way her father did when she was a girl. It transpired that Stacy's mother had been frustrated and abused her, too. Nick feared Ann would be imprisoned for kidnapping and told Lincoln where they were. He forced Ann to return Jamie. Wyatt did not believe his wife was capable of abuse. He thought she was just lonely, and Jamie was a rambunctious little boy, so Wyatt left on another business trip. While he was gone, Stacy found herself unable to cope again when Jamie got her nerves. She was about to bash him when Kitty arrived with some fashions from The Boutique. Having heard the story from Linc, Kitty realized Jamie was in danger again. She pretended not to notice, and asked Stacy if she would kindly distribute some posters for the child advocacy group to her society friends, who might want to volunteer or sponsor the group. Stacy accepted them. Later, when she flew into a rage and was about to hit Jamie, she saw the poster. Remembering an incident with her own mother, and how she had begged her to stop, Stacy lowered her hand and instead picked up the phone and called for help.

With that, the story was quietly dropped.

[DRW50]

Thanks. It sounds like a short term story. I wish this was available, as Maureen Mooney has a lot of untapped potential in the GL appearances I've seen of her.

I can see why this story got a negative reaction from viewers. I'm not sure if the woman watching at home, dealing with children, would want to watch a story about generations of women abusing their children.

The ending sounds powerful - I thought they would have had the child taken away but I guess they wanted to show the mother realizing her problem on her own.

[DRW50]

Does anyone know what the original plans were for the Lars Bogard story that was so widely derided? The actor quit, Gillian Spencer vetoed some of the story, etc.

[KMan101]

Thanks Carl. I thought so about Kelly returning alone but just wasnt sure.

[DRW50]

I thought it was nice of them to bring back Kelly. You could tell they had done this all quickly (supposedly they weren't going to do anything until Thorsten Kaye asked - not sure how true that is) but bringing her back was vital, even for just a few scenes.

[KMan101]

Did Myrtle die during Pratt's reign (Wasn't her onscreen death Dec 2008? God I'm bad and I watched it. I still remember at Super Soap Weekend in Nov 2008 how Thorsten wore an Eileen Herlie button). If so no surprise Guza didn't want to do anything.

Anyway ... I guess we're getting a tad off-topic LOL.

[DRW50]

Yes.

[danfling]

On Lisa Wilkinson as Nancy:

I don't know if this actress had a contract or not. She and Carl Blair were seen infrequently. Then, after the death of Carl and a time of mourning in which it was said that she was visiting his surviving family (I don't think that these were shown, but Nancy may have been seen making telephone calls from their house.), Nancy returned to Pine Valley and was seen more frequently. She must have gotten a contract (if she had not had one). She roomed with either Donna or Chris, watched as Frank married Caroline, and then regained Frank. She was also used in the storylines as a social worker. Frank's sister came to town (played by Mary Alice), then died, and Frank and Nancy promised to help one of her sons. (The sister may have only had one son with Eugene Hubbard being a half-brother to Jesse).

Frank died, but Nancy lovingly served as Jesse's surrogate parent. Later, Nancy met a newsman who worked at WPVN named Bill Fisher. He was asked to move to a Chicago station, so Nancy married him. She and Carl, Jr. also moved to Chicago.

[KMan101]

I didn't even know Nancy had a son. Shame how some information isn't really out there, or it's just something I've missed. Too bad they never tapped into the potential of resurrecting that family.

[danfling]

Here are three other rather obscure All My Children storylines:

Phoebe was involved with a spiritualist who was bilking her for money. I think that maybe she was trying to communicate with the spirit of Ann.

(Someone above mentioned a return of Ann, but Ann died when Gwen Gilliss played her.)

Also, this storyline may not be so obscure, but one of the character is. When Ray Gardner was first introduced, he had a live-in girlfriend named Bertha. Mary McCarthy played the role. Ray was abusive to Bertha, also. He beat her up really bad, and so Bertha resolved to leave him permantly. She tipped Joe and Ruth about Ray's plans to steal Tad. When Mary McCarthy left All My Children, she was cast on the CBS show Trapper John, M. D., but she only appeared during the first season. She died in between the first and second seasons, and her character was replaced by the character played by Madge Sinclare. Does anyone remember Bertha's last name?

There was a European-American who came to Pine Valley. She and Jesse became good friends. Lisa Howard played her. Does anyone remember the name of this character? This is when Jesse was a police officer, and this girl may have been a fellow officer.

[soapfave06]

Thanks danfling! I remember reading an interview that Lisa Wilkinson did when she was leaving for good in 1984. I can't remember if she quit or was let go, but she said that she asked for more of a storyline and the producers told her that there was only room for one front-burner black storyline and that was Jesse and Angie. Of the few scenes I have seen, Nancy had such a real and relateable relationship with Jesse and Angie, it felt like a family and Lisa played her well.

[danfling]

Nancy had a son, Carl Blair, Jr.

However, he was not the son of Carl Sr. Dr. Frank Grant was the biological father.