Sharon Gabet (Edge of Night, Another World, OLTL) interview questions?

[Brandon's Buzz]

Hey guys: Just wanted to throw this up for discussion if you don't mind and would like to participate. My name is Brandon and I host an online radio show/podcast called "Brandon's Buzz." (Past episodes --- nearly 100 of them --- can be found in the iTunes store as free downloads.)

I have recently tracked down the wonderful Sharon Gabet and she has agreed to appear as a guest on Brandon's Buzz to promote her forthcoming second book and to discuss her incredible career in soaps. I was mainly an NBC kid growing up before detouring over to OLTL and GL in the late-'80s, so "The Edge of Night" was a bit before my time and out of my orbit, but clearly the show still has a lot of fans populating this message board, and I'd love to know what you guys would like to know about and/or hear about from Sharon with regard to her run on EON (or on any of the other soaps, for that matter). Are there any particular storylines, characters, actors, or behind-the-scenes tidbits that you'd like to hear Sharon go more in-depth about in a conversation?

Please feel free to email me ([email protected]) or post any questions you may have here. Thanks so much for your help!

[DRW50]

Unfortunately a lot of the EON fans once here aren't around as much now, but:

- Is there an acting role in daytime, or outside of daytime, that you feel got away from you?

- What was it like being a soap actor during the early 80s? Do you think there were too many pressures put on Edge of Night to try to change?

- Is there one story in your daytime career you wish you could do over?

- During the period of time in 1979-1980 that Raven left Monticello (leaving Jamie behind with April and Draper), had you left the show? Or was this just for story purposes?

- Did you model any of your work as Raven on Juanin Clay, or did you go with your own interpretation?

- Did you prefer Raven as vixen or heroine?

- What were the differences in playing Raven pre-Sky and with Sky?

- Raven is one of the most unique characters in television history. What do you think made her so unique?

- Why did OLTL completely fail to write for you?

- If you could bring Raven back to a soap today, would you?

- Some fans feel that P&G stopped caring about their soaps. When you worked on P&G soaps, did you get that sense?

[Melroser]

I know that this isn't EON related....but if i remember correctly on AW when "Brittany" exited the show on trial for shooting Peter, didn't the show bring in "real people jurors" that were outsiders and non-viewers to actually decide the case. I thought the show had an exit planned for "Brittany" either way the verdict came down but if this is true I'd be curious what she thought of this kind of stunt and if she agreed with or was disappointed with the results.

LOVED AW while growing up and I thought Sharon was great on the show although the writing for her wasn't the best.

[Vee]

That's pretty cool if they actually did it.

[Melroser]

I was just looking up the trial for Brittany and I was a little mistaken. This article says that the jury members were selected out of fans of the show.

http://articles.philly.com/1986-12-11/entertainment/26069478_1_murder-trial-jury-soap-feature-fans

[Khan]

I don't have any questions, per se, but I'd love to hear any stories she might have about EDGE's longtime EP, Erwin "Nick" Nicholson. I'd also like to know whether she keeps in touch with Larkin Malloy and whether she'd ever consider returning to "the profession" even if it means in a decidedly non-Raven-ish role (given her spiritual and religious convictions).

[quartermainefan]

I would ask her if she personally knew Henry Slesar and what thoughts she had of him. Also, how did she feel about EON getting away from murder into the more 80s crazy type of stories.

NYC of the 70s/80s, what did she like about that and how does she feel about NY today.

There was a scene on EON where her husband (I believe it was Logan) comes close to slapping her and says she wants him to hit her, she wants to be punished for not being a good mother. Any thoughts on how writing has changed.

Lois Kibbee and thoughts about her

OLTL and the differences between the two cast's camaraderie or lack thereof and which she enjoyed more

[robbwolff]

Erwin Nicholson lived in the town where I grew up -- East Brunswick, NJ. He would often donate scripts and memorabilia for school auctions. The neighborhood where he lived included a Wellington Road. I always assumed that's how Edge came up with the name for Jody's school Wellington College.

Edge filmed on location in East Brunswick around 1978. April Cavanaugh's car accident was taped there. As an Edge fan, it was pretty exciting to learn the show had taped there.

[edgeofnik]

THIS: "During the period of time in 1979-1980 that Raven left Monticello (leaving Jamie behind with April and Draper), had you left the show? Or was this just for story purposes?"

I always suspected that SG left to try her hand at prime time. When she returned, even though she was clearly the centerpiece of the show, when the new titles came out (disco EON theme/pictures of actors), she was clearly left out. Was her return only temporary or up in the air? Or was she being "punished" for leaving?

I'd love to know her favorite storyline or scene. What did she think about the complex/convoluted Jefferson Brown storyline?

[sungrey]

What was it like switching from Henry Slesar to Lee Sheldon as a writer? I knew Sharon wasn't crazy about Lee, especially after Henry did the show for so many years. The viewers noticed the difference too.

Any thoughts on working with actors who eventually went on to prime time roles, like Frances Fisher and Lori Loughlin?

Her thoughts on the show's cancellation? (She was on maternity leave when the cancellation came down... Sharon still hadn't lost some of her baby weight when she returned, because it was clear she wasn't supposed to be back yet.)

Looking forward to this, Brandon!!

[teplin]

I'd really like to ask about the rumors that she refused to do any kissing scenes with Dennis Parker when HIV/AIDS became an issue. But she may take that as more accusatory than I mean it. Instead, I'd like to know what were the differences in the backstage environments between EON, OLTL and AW. Was one set friendlier, more supportive, less stressful, more fun?

[safe]

Any anecdotes about her Cornell days with fellow Cornellians Jordan Clarke (Guiding Light) and Catherine Hicks (Ryan's Hope).

[LoyaltoAMC]

I'd ask her what it was like to work with the divine Miss Lois Kibbee. Re Edge getting away from murder mysteries and going cray cray, I recall an interview with her at the time in which she commented that she hated Lee Sheldon's (Slesar's replacement) writing. I'd love to hear her go more in depth on that. I was a teen at the time, and I don't recall that drastic a change in the writing, though the one change that did jump out at me was that the show began following the trend of other soaps to become more super-couple oriented, probably in a last-ditch attempt to save the show. The ads at the time began pimping their couples (Sky/Raven, Jody/Preacher) rather than the stories.

[robbwolff]

I don't think Edge got away from doing murder mysteries. There were lots of murders during the Sheldon days. And there was a drastic change in writing. It was evident from day 1 of Sheldon's stint. Scenes were much quicker under Sheldon. Back then, we weren't aware that Slesar was being replaced. I remember watching Sheldon's first episode and being shocked at how different the show was . Very fast paced. And I got my explanation when the credits rolled: Slesar was gone and Sheldon was in charge.

[danfling]

I agree with Robbwolf about the writing.

I heard Sharon Gabot in a television interview when the USA Network was just beginning to air The Edge of Night. In it, she recalled that Dennis Parker was having these coughing spells in which he could not stop talking. She, being expectant with her first child, was fearful that his illness could be transmitted to the health of her fetus.

She was a nurse, so it is not unexpected that she would question this.