Classic Y&R Episode Counts: May 1998

[cassadine1991]

What else was dropped in 1996?

They couldn't find anyone else to play Ashley? I can think of a few actresses that would've been great instead of Shari Shattuck

[titan1978]

Was 1996 the year of the infamous Nina, Ryan, Cole and Victoria dinner that we never knew who arranged it?  The mystery woman?

[BetterForgotten]

To be fair, Ashley's character did seem to change a bit with Epperson, but she was able to keep the soul of the character intact. I many ways, I think Epperson made Ashley more of a traditional soap heroine, which Davidson's Ashley is as well, but the character always had more of an "icy princess" vibe to her with Eileen (which I don't think Brenda really had). 

 

I will never wrap my head around Shari's casting, other than Ron Moss probably asking Bell for a favour. 

[kalbir]

 

 

Whom would you have cast as Ashley?

 

What I've always wondered was who else auditioned in 1988 when Brenda Epperson was cast. I felt she was chosen because she had a strong resemblance to Eileen Davidson. Brenda was also quite young at time (23).

 

[BetterForgotten]

I think Eileen's told a story about meeting Brenda (who was an aspiring actress and a waitress or something at a restaurant) and told her that she was going to be vacating the role and offered to help her land an audition for the part (she thought Brenda had a resemblance to her as well).

 

I did hear something about MTS, who is very close friends with Catherine Hickland, trying to get her cast as Ashley when Eileen first left but obviously Brenda ended up being the recast.

 

As for recasting Ashley after Brenda left, it probably would've been best to let the character rest until Eileen or Brenda were able to come back. 

 

 

[DRW50]

 

Yes. 

 

(this was also around the time they retconned sex between Nina and Cole wasn't it? That annoyed me as it seemed to be some attempt to justify Ryan's eternal whorishness) 

 

Grant Cramer returning as a love interest of Ashley's (didn't he have some secret?). 

 

I always wondered if they had more plans for Dina as well.