Ryan & Vicky on AW. They managed to survive the loss of the fabulous Anne Heche, and brought on the Vicky I watched, Jensen Buchanan. They still has the magic and fanbase from the original version.

Ugh, I hated, hated, Jensen Buchanan as Vicky. Whoever came after Anne Heche would have a long way to go, but she was horrible and worse she got way too much airtime. She and Ryan fell flat with her fake cheeriness as Vicky. I always blamed her blandness and lack of talent for JFP firing Paul Michael Valley (Ryan), but it was JFP after all, so I acknowledge that this was unfair on my part.

Edited March 11, 201312 yr by Ann_SS

Jensen ruined those characters for me, well, if I was being totally unbiased, maybe she was passable and OK as Marley (a character she hated playing), but I think she totally ruined Vicky and was all wrong for that role.

Edited March 11, 201312 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I do think Jensen had some decent chemistry with PMV (although I loved Anne Heche with him - they were just incredible together). I don't think she quite got all the aspects of Vicky, especially the edge, but I put some blame on the writing and the wardrobe people for not realizing how different she was from Anne Heche. Still, I can't see anyone as Vicky but Anne, deep down.

PMV was so hot and had so much charisma. I loved me some Ryan.

Ugh, I hated, hated, Jensen Buchanan as Vicky. Whoever came after Anne Heche would have a long way to go, but she was horrible and worse she got way too much airtime. She and Ryan fell flat with her fake cheeriness as Vicky. I always blamed her blandness and lack of talent for JFP firing Paul Michael Valley (Ryan), but it was JFP after all, so I acknowledge that this was unfair on my part.

Oh I so disagree. When I started watching JB was in the role and I absolutely loved them together. Favorite AW couple and they had ton of chemistry

Tanked

Days - Funnily KA and RKK had no chemistry and I was hoping Bo and Billie would stay together because LR and RKK had a ton of chemistry. When PR returned it was all over for LR, he had zero chem with her and I wanted Bo and Hope together.

Lisa Rinna was already on her way out the door, so the return of PR was perfect timing.

I thought Austin Peck & Christie Clarke had great chemistry as Austin & Carrie.

I actually liked Mark Valley and Melissa Reeves as Jack & Jenn even though they never reconciled while those 2 were playing the roles, so that might've changed things.

I thought Martha Madison was pretty bland and asexual, but she made a decent recast. But had she been the original adult version of Belle, I don't think Shawn/Belle would've been a hit.

Did anyone mention Another World's Gary & Josie once Timothy Gibbs and Josie Watts left?

Edited March 13, 201312 yr by Gray Bunny

Did anyone mention Another World's Gary & Josie once Timothy Gibbs and Josie Watts left?

Yes, I mentioned that I thought Tim Gibbs and Amy Carlson had spitfire but that John Littlefield and his future wife Nadine S. were bland.

A soap couple often tanks when one half is recast. Which couples do you think were tanked by recasts and which ones survived?

My selections:

Y&R

Tanked:

Cole and Ashley

Ok Cole & Ashley NEVER worked. Shari Shittuck had chemistry with nobody.

Ugh. Adrianne and Thad didn't work at all. She was much more suited to Eyal Podell. Even Tammin had more chemistry with Thad.

But of course JT/Colleen was best with Lyndsy Fonseca in the role.

Adrienne and Thad were HOT! That anger sex scene was SMOKIN! I liked the progression from the teenage love he shared with Lyndsy Fonseca's Colleen to the more adult relationship he had with Adrianne.

The less said about Eyal Podell and Tammin Sursok, the better.

Tim Gibbs was actually good in a role?

I think Timothy Gibbs is a gifted, sometimes dark, almost haunting actor. I LOVED his work as Dash Nichols on SB, Gary Sinclair on AW, and especially Kevin Buchanan on OLTL. Yes, he was a different kind of Kevin but his performances were undeniably brilliant, given the material.

Ooh, yes, also Jake and Vicky were first established in the 80s with Ellen Wheeler, then with Jensen Buchanan in the 90s. I think Vicky is one of the best recast characters in daytime. They succeeded every time.

Ok, Eplin had chemistry with Wheeler's MARLEY, not so much Vicky. It was Anne Heche that he sizzled with as Vicky. And while I never liked Buchanan's Vicky, I did warm up to her in the end because I 'd her with Jake.

As for Vicky being one of the best recast characters again in daytime, yeah, no. The ONLY Vickys were Wheeler and especially Heche. Hell, Rhonda Lewin and even Cynthia Watros got Vicky far better than Jensen Buchanan ever did. Buchanan played her as a spoiled brat for the most part, which Vicky never was. She was a tough chick from the streets, a white Drucilla Barber if you will.

With Buchanan, you couldn't distinguish Vicky from Marley most of the time. Hell, if you see her pictured (in captions with Russell Todd), you can't even tell whether she was playing Vicky or Marley. Absolutely dreadful. Vicky was always supposed to be the anti-heroine, the Carly Tenney type. Buchanan played her like Yvonne Perry's Rosanna (in Perry's first run anyway).

Ugh, I hated, hated, Jensen Buchanan as Vicky. Whoever came after Anne Heche would have a long way to go, but she was horrible and worse she got way too much airtime. She and Ryan fell flat with her fake cheeriness as Vicky. I always blamed her blandness and lack of talent for JFP firing Paul Michael Valley (Ryan), but it was JFP after all, so I acknowledge that this was unfair on my part.

AMEN

Jensen ruined those characters for me, well, if I was being totally unbiased, maybe she was passable and OK as Marley (a character she hated playing), but I think she totally ruined Vicky and was all wrong for that role.

She was perfect for Marley because Marley is a milquetoast, much like Buchanan. She has the spunk of a worm.

I do think Jensen had some decent chemistry with PMV (although I loved Anne Heche with him - they were just incredible together). I don't think she quite got all the aspects of Vicky, especially the edge, but I put some blame on the writing and the wardrobe people for not realizing how different she was from Anne Heche. Still, I can't see anyone as Vicky but Anne, deep down.

The chemistry she had with PMV was the problem. That wasn't the relationship Ryan & Vicky ever had. Heche's Vicky was a thorn in his side and he got a kick out of making her mad. I loved it. With Buchanan, it was far too lovey dovey. I (and I bet PMV) was actually thankful when Ryan died.

Oh I so disagree. When I started watching JB was in the role and I absolutely loved them together. Favorite AW couple and they had ton of chemistry

And there's why you enjoyed it. Had you been a prior viewer, I'm sure you'd have felt differently. JB's Vicky & Ryan shared a COMPLETELY different relationship than that of Heche & PMV.

Sorry, but it drives me nuts that people even see Buchanan as a decent recast. She's the second worst recast in the history of soaps IMO, second only to Eileen Davidson's dreadful Kelly Capwell.

And that includes Charity Rahmer. At least Rahmer gave us a few laughs along the way!

"Spunk of a worm!" LOL! Wow, I think that I have finally encountered someone who disliked Jensen Buchanan's portrayal Vicky as much as I did, She was just so painful to watch after Anne Heche. Ugh. No turmoil or pain that was integral part of Vicky's personality.

The final angry sex scene between J.T. and ALColleen was pretty hot. Of course, it happened at the end of their relationship. It was too bad that AL got fired and LML did not do a "who the daddy" story with J.T., Colleen, and Adrian because that would have kept me watching.

Edited March 18, 201312 yr by Ann_SS

@ the lack of love for AL's Colleen....

@ the lack of love for AL's Colleen....

She was probably the best casting of the character looks/family resemblance wise but that was the ONLY edge she had over the other Colleens.

She was probably the best casting of the character looks/family resemblance wise but that was the ONLY edge she had over the other Colleens.

I thought that she was a great continuation of the character that LF made popular. Not only was this AL's best role, but hers was a grownup version of Brad and Traci's daughter that I could see myself rooting for for years to come.

I think that AL had her share of fans as Colleen. She was popular enough on the soap boards. Her Colleen worked with J.T., but the writing was dire, absolutely dire. She almost a completely different character when LML brought her back onto the canvas and that reliquary story was the worse. It took away from rebuilding her relationship with J.T. properly . Also, there was no reason that she and J.T. should not have survived that affair and gotten back together. Ultimately, most of the mess that followed LF's departure could have been avoided if Jack Smith had just accommodated her and re-signed her to play Colleen.

I think that AL had her share of fans as Colleen. She was popular enough on the soap boards.

She was popular because of her pairing with Eyal Podell.

*gasps* Y'all gone quit going in on my Jensen Buchanan. I agree that she wasn't as great at playing Vicky & Marley (especially Marley) than Ellen Wheeler and the fabulous Anne Heche, BUT she was d*mn good! Y'all better leave my Jensen alone!

Edited March 23, 201312 yr by Nothin'ButAttitude