Over the years writers, producers, actors have mentioned various plots, storylines, couplings etc that never made it to air.

Let's start a list and discuss.

The most obvious that comes to mind for me is Another World and Harding Lemay's idea to make Mike Randolph gay. The role was cast and story approved but at the last minute the story was canned.

And in 2017 on Y&R, Sally Sussman wanted to write a story where Devon was pulled over by the police because he was driving a fancy sports car and racially profiled, but it was rejected.

Would this include stories which were initially started but then stopped without any explanation or just stories that never made it to air even in short buildup?

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Would this include stories which were initially started but then stopped without any explanation or just stories that never made it to air even in short buildup?

Both. It's just as interesting to see something that got the greenlight but then was aborted on air.

B&B:

Deke, a gay fashion designer with a great love story.

3 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Both. It's just as interesting to see something that got the greenlight but then was aborted on air.

Thanks.

I'd add the vampire story for Diego on AW. I think AWHP mentioned that Ben McKinnon and Thomasina Todd kissed but that was quickly dropped. (was it Ben?)

Y&R - bringing back the actor who played Lauren's stalker Shawn as a love interest for Ashley in 1996

B&B - wasn't there some story that went nowhere with Russell Todd as a neighbor and stalker of Taylor?

@DRW50 Are you talking about the character that was named after writer Jerry Birn? That was an incredibly odd story.

B&B would be the king of dropped plots over the years—Pierce and his creepy assistant Bailey, Amber’s twin, and half of what Thudley spoiled/proposed like from 2003-06 never came to fruition (ie Eric having a Lolita story, Forrester’s being written out in favor of Sydney Penny’s character family, Thomas gf going psycho etc)

Same with Days…

A few other examples outside of B&B and Days from other shows spring to mind:

ATWT-Nikki Munson returns in 2004 and is just dropped as quickly. The actress really should have been a Molly recast. Also a “Julia” returned but turned out to be a completely different crazy Julia I wonder what happened there.

GL-During the clone story the guy Sean from the island came to Springfield and was supposedly to have a major backstory in Springfield, but then was quickly dropped and never mentioned again.

Y&R-Another show with a number of examples particularly during the Latham and Pratt eras, but one late Bell era story that didn’t really develop to me what the Geri Paulsen story. The show couldn’t decide what to do with the non-story. First it was just Victoria being paranoid and jealous, then it was hinted Geri might be OBSESSED with Cole, to finally Geri admitting she was smitten with Cole and then was completely dropped without mention again.

1 minute ago, soapfan770 said:

@DRW50 Are you talking about the character that was named after writer Jerry Birn? That was an incredibly odd story.

B&B would be the king of dropped plots over the years—Pierce and his creepy assistant Bailey, Amber’s twin, and half of what Thudley spoiled/proposed like from 2003-06 never came to fruition (ie Eric having a Lolita story, Forrester’s being written out in favor of Sydney Penny’s character family, Thomas gf going psycho etc)

Same with Days…

A few other examples outside of B&B and Days from other shows spring to mind:

ATWT-Nikki Munson returns in 2004 and is just dropped as quickly. The actress really should have been a Molly recast. Also a “Julia” returned but turned out to be a completely different crazy Julia I wonder what happened there.

GL-During the clone story the guy Sean from the island came to Springfield and was supposedly to have a major backstory in Springfield, but then was quickly dropped and never mentioned again.

Y&R-Another show with a number of examples particularly during the Latham and Pratt eras, but one late Bell era story that didn’t really develop to me what the Geri Paulsen story. The show couldn’t decide what to do with the non-story. First it was just Victoria being paranoid and jealous, then it was hinted Geri might be OBSESSED with Cole, to finally Geri admitting she was smitten with Cole and then was completely dropped without mention again.

I am, yes.

I was trying to remember if that Eric/Caitlin (?) story was real.

The whole Geri story was endless and confusing. I felt like we heard about her every time we saw Victoria and Cole for years on end. Then because they dropped the story, they suddenly claimed that he'd slept with Nina offcamera, months earlier.

I still don't understand what bringing Sarah Brown onto ATWT as another Julia was about. That had to be some other shoe to drop that they just nixed instead.

Did the Eric/Caitlin thing actually air? I remember hearing about that. Not since Ridge and Bridget...

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Vee

An early one from Y&R was when they toyed with the idea of Katherine Chancellor being in love with her companion Joanna, I think her name was?

They backtracked on that REALLY fast. I remember Joanna roasting Katherine's son Brock for DARING to imply there was anything like that going on between them. It was really funny.

Also from Y&R, decades later, they brought in Kevin's abusive father Tom played by Roscoe Born. They really played up a pairing between him and Ashley--they even did spreads in the soap magazines featuring them. The audience reaction was negative, so they dropped it.

Another pairing that got dropped fast was when GH brought in Demi Moore to be Luke's new love interest right after Genie Francis left the first time. They also did a big push in the mags for that one. The audience was rabidly against it. Her character did not last long.

I wonder whatever happened to her? 😂

Just now, DeeVee said:

I wonder whatever happened to her? 😂

We all of course know what became of Demi, but they did try to put her character (Jackie Templeton) with Scorpio after Luke for awhile. Then came Emma Samms and Holly.

They dusted off the Jackie character a few years ago for Kim Delaney in a pointless story with Michael Easton as her stepson, but it went nowhere worthwhile and I believe Delaney relapsed into her alcohol issues as well.

Miranda as a lost-lost Cassadine on GH comes to mind. Or was it V?

Just now, Vee said:

We all of course know what became of Demi, but they did try to put her character (Jackie Templeton) with Scorpio after Luke for awhile. Then came Emma Samms and Holly.

Yeah, people just wanted her GONE.I think Gloria Monty was mad at Francis for leaving and wanted to get Tony in another pairing quickly as a kind of f@ck you to Francis. It backfired.

The fact that people accepted Luke with Holly shows that it could be done, you just couldn't force it. (Though most liked her better with Scorpio).

I had no idea they brought Jackie back. WHY? Why bring back a massively unpopular character? That is WILD.

nm

Edited 56 minutes ago56 min by DRW50

17 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Miranda as a lost-lost Cassadine on GH comes to mind. Or was it V?

It was Miranda, as intended by Guza. I think she was meant to be Alexis' daughter. But AFAIK he had no hand in the casting process or development of the onscreen story execution, he was gone by then heading up the early months of Sunset Beach due to a contractual obligation. He couldn't return to GH until the end of '97.

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

It was Miranda, as intended by Guza. I think she was meant to be Alexis' daughter. But AFAIK he had no hand in the casting process or development of the onscreen story execution, he was gone by then heading up the early months of Sunset Beach due to a contractual obligation. He couldn't return to GH until the end of '97.

Good. I was worried I was wrong there for a minute.