2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

They probably saw no need once Phil was gone for good, but I do wish they'd brought Rosemary back for an anniversary - the 25th in particular.

If AMC were still around today I would bring back (and likely recast, as I highly doubt Rosemary Prinz is interested) Amy, especially with Lee Meriwether and Ray both in their 90s IIRC. Not unlike bringing Meta Bauer back to GL, she could shore up the elder scene for the future. Her politically-minded character would also be particularly relevant to today's times, and would be a link directly to the very beginning.

27 minutes ago, Vee said:

If AMC were still around today I would bring back (and likely recast, as I highly doubt Rosemary Prinz is interested) Amy, especially with Lee Meriwether and Ray both in their 90s IIRC. Not unlike bringing Meta Bauer back to GL, she could shore up the elder scene for the future. Her politically-minded character would also be particularly relevant to today's times, and would be a link directly to the very beginning.

Ray is gone and Lee has dementia so yes, you're right, I could see Amy as a matriarch for those left behind - a Grandma Kate for today.

28 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Ray is gone and Lee has dementia so yes, you're right, I could see Amy as a matriarch for those left behind - a Grandma Kate for today.

Oof. I had forgotten he was gone, or that she was ill. My mistake.

Amy could have returned when the show went to an hour. Could you see Kathleen Noone as Amy rather than Ellen?

The Tylers were getting a little worn out and Amy returning could have created drama for Phoebe, Linc and Kelly and especially for Phil to adjust to having his mother around. And Amy could have an adopted/foster child to bring in a young character and there could be a whole story of how she came to be with Amy.

9 hours ago, Vee said:

I don't think Prinz was ever looking to stay, was she?

No, she wasn't. Rosemary Prinz didn't want to be locked into another long-term contract after being on ATWT for so many years. She wanted to be free to pursue other acting opportunities. She agreed to the six-month deal with AMC, however, as a favor to Agnes Nixon.

7 hours ago, Khan said:

No, she wasn't. Rosemary Prinz didn't want to be locked into another long-term contract after being on ATWT for so many years. She wanted to be free to pursue other acting opportunities. She agreed to the six-month deal with AMC, however, as a favor to Agnes Nixon.

Same with How To Survive A Marriage. She had a specific contract at $1000 an episode (about $6500 today)and then departed.

1 hour ago, Paul Raven said:

Same with How To Survive A Marriage. She had a specific contract at $1000 an episode (about $6500 today)and then departed.

Yep. I wonder, though, whether she had a similar, short-term arrangement with RYAN'S HOPE, where she played the last Sister Mary Joel.

On 3/10/2026 at 11:13 AM, Khan said:

Aaron Spelling and Garry Marshall had one thing in common (besides making ABC a lot of money in the '70's and '80's): they both believed that television should provide an escape from viewers' everyday lives. People get enough realism from the evening news, they figured. Why not just give them a half-hour or hour to feel good instead? Which is fine, I guess, except that's not exactly a philosophy I've always agreed with. I think escapism has its' place, but I also think - especially these days, when it's so hard to discern real news from NOT real - that it's TV's duty to educate and inform as well.

Agree to disagree.

There needs to be some form of escapism on tv without being preached at.