News & Gossip from the mid-1980s per The Soaps of Yesterday

[Mitch]

I LOVE the look on Goldberg's face through that whole scene!!! Unfortunately this was closer to the reality of soaps then a parody sometimes.

[BoldRestless]

 

Yes! How many of them start out with "settle a bet for me..."

 

These 80s ones are MUCH snarkier than the Soap Opera Digest ones I'm used to. I don't have it handy, but there was one where the question is whether Nola's daughter was mute in real life, and how does the child actress manage not to talk when the writer's own daughter babbles at that age. And the answer ripped her apart! Definitely comes off as someone creating a strawman of "ignorant 50s housewife" and then having fun beating up on it. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by BoldRestless

[j swift]

Lynda Hirsch did not suffer fools gladly (she just published their letters and publicly mocked them).

 

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[Efulton]

Rumour has it that he negotiated a year extension and part of the deal was that the producers fire Laura Malone (Blaine).  Not sure how true it was but Laura was very vocal about how she felt Chris and Nancy turned on her for no reason.

[DRW50]

 

A really stupid decision, if so. Laura Malone was very special and she could have been a compelling presence on the show for a number of years to come.

[Efulton]

I agree completely!!  She should have been there until the end.

[John]

Judy Dewey had filled in during Laura Malone's Pregnancy right. Ive seen vids and Dewey was all wrong as Blaine

[Chris 2]

LOL - I hope he broke up with her for suggesting that ridiculous name. Reminds me of when Cliff on Cheers made up a fake girlfriend named “Tanya Cocoabutter”.

 

Little Eric Farlow on Dallas was cute, btw.

[j swift]

I still don't get why Steve Fletcher would trust someone who changed their last name, but held onto the name Nana.  Sorry in advance to any Nana's in the crowd.

[j swift]

In today's news from yesterday:

 

Soap fans are full of questions about new guy on Capitol

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but this fan gets straight to the point

 

JMR has the full story on Laura Malone and her "feud" with Chris Rich.  As reported above, Chris and Nancy were "cold" to Laura upon her return from maternity leave, and Chris referred to her replacement as a breath of fresh air.  Both deny actively seeking her replacement, but apparently Laura was interviewed on TV after she was let go and expressed her troubles about the backstage life at AW.  @will81's scan is too unclear to repost here

 

Speaking of backstage intrigue regarding co-stars, we get this new bit of info regarding the casting of Kimberly Brady

 

Much like PC from Red Bank, NJ, I hope things work out for Meg Ryan

 

But I'm no so sure about Rick Porter's prospects (What are novelty cosmetics?)

 

 

And I think we all share CC's concern about AW's Sally's insta-kid, but Lynda thinks that rating justify the retcon. 

 

Finally, much like the Queen herself, Lynda has begun to refer to herself using the royal "we"

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by j swift

[Franko]

Is there some sort of rule that states soap columnists must never like a new show from the get-go? I was amused by Jon-Michael Reed's review of early SANTA BARBARA, which took a while to deal with the show itself. Instead, we had a column and a half of reminiscing about early AMC and Y&R. Anyway, as you can guess, J-MR didn't care for most of SB's young cast.

[Franko]

Also of note:

-- Kim Delaney-Flohe's on her way out at AMC and the press is promoting her goodbye. Sorry, not sorry -- I just about fell over when I learned Jenny's jet ski death was the work of a "special effects wizard." It looked so cheap!

-- How 'bout Thaao implying Philece was a hot mess? "(Leann's) a total pro, and knows enough to keep her personal life separate from the work we do at the studio."

-- K.K. from Louisiana, asking for a recap of DAYS since 1980, comes off a bit like those YouTube commenters (and occasionally SON posters) seeking any and all episodes of a show.

-- What Could Have Been: Suzanne Rogers in the (ill-fated) movie adaptation of A CHORUS LINE. I guess the only roles that she'd maybe be believable as are Sheila or Cassie.

-- Lots of folks heading out the door: Suzanne, Wayne Northrup, Robert Newman, Don Stewart ... oh well, we've got Brad Lockerman, Julie Osburn and Gloria DeHaven.

-- Coming Soon: The great RH/LOVING timeslot switch. SEARCH now has until early 1985 to get its act together. On the horizon: EDGE coming to an end.

-- All this, and Nancy Addison Altman in need of the Ghostbusters.

[j swift]

Poor Kim Delaney got caught in the Stephan Ferris (Ferrara)/Steve Blizzard (Fletcher)/Nana Visitor (Tucker)/Charles Flohe (Grant) name change pandemic of 1984

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by j swift

[will81]

@j swift Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what happened there, but I have broken up the long column into parts and it is clear now. Same with the Days in New Orleans column

[j swift]

Filed under "soaps had money to burn" file:

 

Perhaps to mark the celebration of the premiere of Santa Barbara ( and their expensive sets) and the fact that ABC soaps were on an abbreviated Olympics schedule

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DAYS went on remote to New Orleans

 

Whereas AW's remote was in rainy Rye, New York

 

All of which is especially odd when you consider that AW spent the time and money for a remote just when Nancy Fragionne left due to a "snag" in her contract negotiations

 

 

Also, one hopes that the reporting on Cusi Cram, Beth Maitland, and Laura Malone's weight would not be published in 2021

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by j swift