Classic SOD Tumblr Goodies

[AArredondo02]

With Pacific Lives about to go into production in 1990, what age-appropriate actor from either daytime or primetime would be right for the new Bill or the new Tommy?

[robbwolff]

 

I understand your point about Conboy, but not Marland. Soul Survivors was for CBS. So why would it be part of a development deal for his time on ABC's Loving? Also, there were later articles in Soap Opera Digest that talked about Soul Survivors and possible casting. I believe that SOD reported Marland wanted Jane Elliot for the cast.

[EricMontreal22]

The concept of Pacific Lives always confuses me...  A 30 minute soap set all around the world?  Wha?  How would that work?  And what's even the point if they're not gonna be filming in Hawaii, Singapore, Australia, etc?

[Franko]

I know, right? Pick one location and stick with it. And yeah, why develop something like this if you can't have the production values to back it up.

[j swift]

Dec 11, 1990 - the day John Gotti was arrested

 

Guess who's back?  Patsy Pease is back.  It seems like an incredibly short maternity leave, hardly warranting all of the prior hoopla .  However, Wally Kurth's departure is totally overshadowed by the news.

 

@Franko Kim Ulrich was a good idea for Sandy on Pacific Lives, but she's already attached to another soap that is never going to be produced.  The Jason Bonderoff article is like a primer for all future head writer interviews, diverse casts, multigenerational stories, urban settings, today's issues, and the drama of real life are all mentioned.  Each writer's idea is followed by a network executive saying that there is no room in the daytime schedule for new soaps.  There's no context given to the reader because some of the soaps mentioned are development deals (Conboy had deals with New World and ABC) and some are just proposals.  Also, given the changes in daytime executives at all of the networks, how many of these deals were done by previous regimes?  NBC's response would seem to suggest that Corday's deal for Pacific Lives was not a priority for the newly promoted head of daytime.  I wonder how many of these ideas got recycled once these headwriters got other gigs in the 90's?  

 

Kelly Ripa is announced at AMC.  Finally, a new hire that I don't have to worry if they spent their money too quickly.

 

Unlike Terrell Anthony who wrote an off-broadway, and dated Cady McClain, only to never be heard from again.  

 

Days gets a Thumbs Up for killing Patch because they had "no choice" given that Stephen Nichols was "never going to return" (except those three times when he returned later).  Also, disproving the notion of psychics, Steve flashed to the future before his death and saw his baby daughter Stephanie at 16, but she wasn't a race car driver sitting on the lap of her Uncle Max so it must have just been a dream.

 

 I warned Edie Lehrman three months ago about speaking against GH to SOD and now she's been fired.

 

Two issues in a row tease the re-cast of Rick Bauer, I wonder how that is going to turn out?  Will SOD admit they were wrong or never mention it again?  Also, they hired Matt Wiess on GL the most coveted role on the Upper West Side, I wonder how that is going to turn out?

 

Finally, my guess for the Late Breaking News blind item casting news from an NYC soap about a 17-year-old southern spitfire and her aging puritanical mom was going to be Dinah (GL), but I am four years too late.   Could it be Parker Posey as Tess Shelby (ATWT)?

[EricMontreal22]

I found the article about primetime shows becoming more serialized and refusing the soap term interesting (especially the little bit with the cast of thirtysomething--I love thirtysomething but talk about being defensive.  I don't even understand Ken Olin's comment, and Patricia Wettig's opinion that soaps have lesser writing and all melodrama is a bit ironic considering the TV movies and series like Alias and Prison Break that she went on to do.)  I did appreciate the different terms though--they seem to think OLTL is more an "arc" show than a soap... hrmm

[Franko]

Ai yi, what a day I had yesterday. Still playing catchup. I was glad to see my prediction came true and Another World* got the primer. I predict the next one will be All My Children (in keeping with the pattern; they're not going to want to do General Hospital just yet).

*P.S. I'm onto you, SOD. Having a prominent photo of Cass and Kathleen and then running a blind item about her return.

 

@EricMontreal22 That article about nighttime shows that won't call themselves soaps stands out even more nearly 30 years later. So many dramas today still fall under that distinction.

[j swift]

I have multiple issues with the primetime story. 

 

First, rhetorically, soaps are defined by more than continuing storylines.  If this were true than comic books and sci-fi stories would also be considered soaps.   Using SOD's definition of endless stories would preclude EON from being considered a soap.

 

Second, contextually, thirtysomething was scheduled on ABC in the former Dynasty timeslot.  Dynasty failed the prior season and a new scheduling exec was put into place at the network.  So, from a marketing perspective, they were never going to call it a soap.

 

Third, who cares?  Are the readers of SOD being dissed because networks didn't use the word soaps in their publicity materials?  There is no argument for why the term matters in 1990 primetime.

[EricMontreal22]

Oh, I'd say it's even more true now--particularly because it seems like 70% of scripted programming (comedies and dramas) are serialized now, whereas in 1990 it was still something of a new thing.  (Although on the other hand I think it's become a bit less of a stigma to at least claim that a lot of serialized TV tropes come from soap operas).

 

Yeah, that kinda confused me--especially the argument about endless stories (with them claiming OLTL in the Rauch era didn't have these).  I think most soaps have a mix of what they call endless stories and arc stories.  But I guess soap opera is something that everyone has trouble defining, at least I come across diff definitions all the time.  It seems like that attributed saying about pornography--you know it when you see it.  I mean Dark Shadows is a soap--though if you described most of its storylines to someone they would never think it was.  Primetime soaps often IMHO don't truly fit in with how I define daytime soaps, etc, etc.  Victorian sensation serials read exactly like soaps (told in installments, cliffhangers, illegitimacy, doppelgangers, stories built on coincidence, tone switching wildly from melodrama to social comedy, back from the dead stories, etc) but even when adapted into a TV serial they're still never called soaps.

 

 

Yeah, even then they were very keen to market it as a sort of prestige show.

 

 

I think it's just a resentment that they see things soaps always did finally being picked up and used on primetime tv shows without acknowledging that soaps did them first.  I kinda get that.  But ultimately I agree that it doesn't matter.  (It is interesting when I lived in England how there of course shows like Coronation Street and EastEnders are called soaps, but there is far less distinction between them and other primetime serials when you discuss them with the public.

[Franko]

@j swift I finally have time to comment! BTW, I'm loving your juxtaposing the SOD issue with what was going on in the world.

 

Man, dueling cast exoduses. There's Days, where Billy Hufsey's out at the end of the year, with Judi Evans and Wally Kurth departing in early February. Then there's the Michaels, O'Leary of GL and Knight of AMC. Or the Wilsons, Alexandra of AW and Sheree J. of Dallas. Plus Edie Lehmann, out at GH. And Robert Gentry, leaving Generations, while Larkin Malloy throws it out there: Travis needs to be a leading man again. Meanwhile, Gordon Thompson assures us he's happy to take on the role of Mason Capwell.

 

Then there's the new (or returning) folks, like Kathleen and Jenna (AW), Hayley (AMC), Keith (SB) and Matt Weiss (GL). Alas, Hayley was the only one who went the distance. The "no ethnic limitations" blind item makes me wonder if OLTL was already planning for Blair.

 

James Kiberd on a West Coast soap? I'm sure Bill Eckert was always planned with Geary in mind, but now I'm picturing Kiberd's take. Speaking of GH, they are REALLY trying to tease the idea of an Edge and Anna coupling. I swear it's been mentioned once for the last three issues.

 

Oh, hey, the first SOD mention of Soapdish. I'll be curious to see if there'll be a review or commentary when it comes out.

 

Like I said, I was right that an NBC soap got the primer. My predictions for the rest of the series, in this order: AMC, Y&R, SB, GH, B&B, Loving. Also, d'oh to totally confusing Kathleen McKinnon with Frankie Frame.

 

And now, onto that new soaps article. I wish there had been more in terms of character descriptions. It was nice to know that Claire Labine was already working on Heart & Soul (not named in the article) as early as 1990. I wonder if Marland was thinking of Chicago-set Generations as he described The Soul Survivors. After all, it's not reinventing the wheel if the current tire is deflated. As for Pacific Lives ... what, no mention of Mike and little Jeremy relocating, too?

[j swift]

@FrankoI think we are going to get the 1990 year-end issue next which means that we'll get to re-live the drama of Patsy Pease's three-month maternity leave. 

[Franko]

"Hold me David, I'm scared."

[j swift]

BTW speaking of the gender pay gap, Robert Gentry was guaranteed two primetime movies in his contract to join the lowest rated soap on NBC, I don't think either member of the Haus of Evans (Judi & Mary Beth, who brought DAYS ratings up), were offered similar perks when they hopped soaps.

 

Also, in relation to today's news being discussed on other sections of this board, if a fan reporting to have "inside information" suggests that a network executive can tell an independent studio who to hire/fire as a producer then I would advise that they read up on the drama between New World, the Dobsons, and NBC Daytime in 1990.  

[Franko]

This got me to check out Judi's IMDB page. Did you know she played ... of all people ... Patsy Ramsey?!

[j swift]

You buried the lead of Judi's IMDB

Please register in order to view this content

:

 

Trivia (3)

Son, Austin Michael Luciano, born. [May 1996]

In real life is only 7 years older than Brody Hutzler, who plays her son on Days of Our Lives (1965).

During her childhood, Judi performed with her family in the circus