Jill Farren Phelps Interview

[prefab1]

Even that kind of "bombshell revelation" has been overdone in recent years. It won't have a real impact on the audience unless you surround that revelation with interesting characters and strong dialogue writing. If we've got a shock "who's the daddy" reveal, and both candidates are similarly bland hunks who just stepped off the assembly line at the Frank Valentini underwear model factory, no one will care very much. 

 

I think that JFP and a number of other veteran producers have a hard time wrapping their heads around this, because they came up in the business at a time when success was largely measured by sweeps ratings. If you could do three stunts a year and boost ratings in February, May, and November, you were golden. But now that the overall audience for broadcast TV has dwindled, and viewers have thousands more entertainment options, that model is largely obsolete. You need to produce a show that will get viewers tuning in every day, and the best way to do that is to craft characters that we care about and whose motivations we understand. 

[KMan101]

 

I absolutely preferred her as Vanessa on AMC. I hated they turned into some drug lord mess. Lord.

 

McKinsey is hands down Alexandra Spaulding. But I see why Marj was cast. Unfortunately, Marj had a frenetic energy to her and that wasn't Alexandra. When she reigned it in and really delivered, I felt it could have worked. But no one could replace McKinsey, truly.

 

That said, I felt Joan Collins was more fitting than Marj and I have given Marj a lot of slack as Alexandra.

 

Again though, no one could truly replace Beverlee McKinsey. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by KMan101

[Liberty City]

 

With Beverlee McKinsey you had an Alexandra who was boldly in-charge, and who do things with the snap of her fingers.

With Marj Dusay, you had a potential family matriarch who yearned to warmed, and had to work around things. She was a bit more homely than her predecessor.

Joan Collins had a mixture of both, though, she definitely brought more of McKinsey's Alexandra to her work than she did Dusay's.

Admittedly, I am more familiar with Dusay's work, as McKinsey was gone before I even began watching... but, based on clips, I do prefer her approach to the role and the writing of yesteryear more.

Though, in watching episodes from 1997, it does seem like under the work of Paul Rauch, the true definition of Alexandra began to slowly creep back into play.

[Faulkner]

Bev was irreplaceable. You couldn’t just plug in Random Grande Dame (Constance Towers, Barbara Rush, and whoever else was in the running) and not lose something essential. And I say that as someone who wanted Marj to succeed initially (before I realized she was miscast—she was glorious on AMC, though).

[Liberty City]

 

Wait... are you saying Constance Towers was in-the-running for the role?? How did TPTB miss out on casting her...? Oh, the magic we could have potentially had.

[Faulkner]

I know her name was floated. @BetterForgottencould probably confirm.

[Liberty City]

 

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[MichaelGL]

It's funny how for all of Rauch's faults, it was under him that happened, and again in 2002 when he cast JC as Alex. Two brief moments when Alex as a character was being written properly. 

[Liberty City]

 

EXACTLY! I also contribute it to the writing team of Barbara Esenstein & James Harmon Brown, and ultimately the writing team for the 2002 return.

[Mitch]

The writing team that dropped the ball (or someone did...) by not following up and Alex disappeared and Marj had no episodes scheduled so she left to go to AMC. I agree, Alex in the attic with Faux Annie was great..different then how Bev would have played it but the it was Alex..."don't f*ck with me boys," Spaulding.  Alex had so much potential to get involved with Alan/Annie (the Annie/Reva thing burned out with even Watros there) Vicky Spaulding, the whole (though it was dumb) Beth/Matt/Vanessa thing (would Alex back up her old friend and sometime sparring partner Van, would she try to shake some sense into newly Bimbo Beth???) Alex could have used Alan's late mid life crises with Annie to take over...(and yes, I would love Marj to say, as she kicks them out of the mansion"And take that crazy blonde slut with you!")

 

Oh what could have been, but Rauch and E & B seemingly did not know what to do with a strong woman of a certain age.

[Liberty City]

 

Again, I am merely going off of what I've seen from January to April 3 in 1997. That's as much as I've re-watched thus far. No telling what the remainder of the year will bring.

[Mitch]

Ah..I see!Welcome to the land of missed opportunites..(but more REVA)!

[Liberty City]

 

Haha, as someone who loves Reva, I welcome it. I vaguely remember watching Guiding Light during this time. My first real memories are Annie on the stand at the trial, her wedding to Alan and her being "pushed" by Reva, as well as the San Cristobel drama (where Reva was in the cave).

[Mitch]

Yea...I loved her too, but over familiarity breeds contempt here! Oddly I started liking her again in her Peapack days...Zimmer brought the scenery chewing down (most likely as there was no scenery to chew) and I think a more..uh...full figured Reva, tired, a bit crabbier, and sick of the big hair and shoulder pads made sense.

[Liberty City]

 

I vaguely remember those days, but Reva had definitely matured in a way that was nice to see.