Classic Soaps (I'm Still) Watching Another World

[Sarah Danner]

Denise had to have been expensive, what with her ".........and Denise Alexander as Mary McKinnon" closing credit and all.

Those special billings have always been a turn-off for me. I see those and say "oh: and AS. Don't we think we're special?". As good as he was, Larry Hagman always received his proper alphabetical place in the billing for the opening credits of the original version of Dallas. Always admired him for that.

 

[Daniel Avery]

The AW credits was usually (as far back as I can gather) listed by seniority and I think that has its merits. But there were a few exceptions like Denise Alexander's "final word" credit. They probably offered her the different billing to sweeten the deal to sign her, since she was a really big "get" and I doubt AW could give her a salary equivalent to what a top-rated soap like Y&R or GH could have offered. The billing cost them nothing, really.

At some point Victoria Wyndham and Douglass Watson leap-frogged over Constance Ford in the seniority-based credits even though she had been there longer than both of them. They really were the stars of the show by then, though. CF doesn't strike me as the type to get stuck on such things.

 

[rlr718]

I have actually just started reading the another world today continuation that was written 2009-2014. I’m 2 episodes in. I feel like I’m not imagining the characters as they were entirely. I can picture the sets. Well really the only familiar one is the Cory mansion.
there is a lot of history being dredged up and mentioned it really quite interesting in that aspect. This is the first episode.

Current Episode - Another World Today

The latest episode of the continuation of PGP soap opera Another World.

www.anotherworldtoday.com

 

[Daniel Avery]

there is a lot of history being dredged up and mentioned it really quite interesting in that aspect.

I began reading that site when they started it but gave up after a while because the writer(s) were trying too hard with all the historical references and efforts to tie everyone and everything to past stories. I love reading about the show's past glories as much as the next person (probably more so), but I felt they were relying too much on nostalgia and not trying to take the show's characters into their own futures.

It's a trap a lot of fan-fic writers fall into--trying to impress everyone with their knowledge of history--but the typical result is very restricted and overly-complicated.

 

[unknownexamination]

Hi all, late to the party I guess. I never watched another world in the 90's and 2000's. It was really only Days for a while on NBC and Passions! Other than that I was CBS/ABC.

But soaps arent what they used to be. So I discovered to my delight Edge of Night. And just recently I watched AW from 1980. I am now into 1981 and just wanted to express myself, humour me.

Love love the dialouge especially some of it seemed to be adlibbed especially with the guys - Sandy/ Joey/Leigh.
Ray Liotta was such a brilliant actor from then. Really they really had great actors at that time.
Loved 1980, 1981 is so depressing but i'm holding on. I just can't stand Cecile and Jamie's getting on my nerves. So is Sally Frame.
Rachel is a complicated walking contradiction and though she irritates me, she's written like a real person with flaws. I like that Mac stands up to her.
Rachel and Mitch - such a snooze fest. Their scenes are the same over and over and Mitch post amnesia is so low low energy. I just fast forward.
I have a lot more to say but that's all fo rnow. I'm up to the part where Clarice is getting those prank calls and Jamie breaks up with Cecile.

Oh and Sandy before I go. I just like him. Very likeable, chemistry with everyone and really well acted.. He's a good guy.

Ok im out for now.

 

[Daniel Avery]

One of the main differences one notices when watching hour-long soaps from earlier eras (up until roughly 1995) is the longer scenes. The main reason the producers opted to expand AW to an hour in 1975 was because the head writer wanted longer, more involved scenes between characters. After a failed effort to expand further into 90-minute episodes, they went back to an hour in 1980, which is the approximate era in which you picked things up. The show was in a lull creatively because they had a lot of writer turnover behind the scenes, and soaps on other networks were taking all the oxygen out of the room with the sorts of stories that AW was not known for writing. New characters were brought in and a lot of the older ones were either sidelined or just written out entirely, which had mixed reactions. Though the show settled into a better groove and became better by 1983, it never regained that #1 or #2 rating that it held in the 1970s.

I loved the fiery arguments between Mac and Rachel, especially when the writers came up with a meaningful/logical reason for them to be at odds. You can usually tell when a situation is manufactured just to give the actors a chance to go at it, but so many of their fights were just amazing to watch.....especially as the viewer knew they loved each other immensely and that "fire" only came out because they cared so much for what the other thought. I liked that despite their being the show's "tentpole couple" the show never made them out to be perfect or saintly, and each character was a well-rounded individual rather than them being portrayed as "MacandRachel" who traveled everywhere together and seemed to function as a unit.

 

[unknownexamination]

I guess I'll have to solider on until I get to 1983.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Oh, it's much too gradual to identify when things start to gel. And there are always good things going on. You just have to kind of weed through the slow parts! Which is good when you're watching recordings as opposed to watching it "live".

 

[jillybean78]

Previously in Another World...

Sharlene Frame developed a split personality, named Sharly. Sharly hated Sharlene's husband, Doctor John, and was desperate to get away so that she could live an exciting life somewhere else.

Enter Senator Dack Rambo.

They began an affair and were planning to run away together until they were rumbled by Doctor John.

​

John managed to get Sharlene into hospital, and with the help of the brilliant and kind-hearted Doctor Shoulderpads (aka Doctor Taylor Benson) managed to merge Sharlene's personalities to create Super Sharlene. They soon learnt that Sharlene was pregnant, who wasn't sure if John or the Senator was the father. Eventually, Senator Rambo admitted that no penetration had taken place between him and Sharly.

John and Sharlene thought that their lives could now get back to normal. They were wrong. It turned out that Doctor Shoulderpads was a complete psycho, who was now obsessed with Doctor John and determined to split his marriage up.

She lured a heavily pregnant Sharlene to an old warehouse and locked up her. This being a soap, Sharlene picked that very moment to go into labour. Thankfully she was found in time, and baby Gregory arrived safely. But Shoulderpads wasn't finished with her yet, she managed to kidnap Sharlene at gunpoint and brought her to an abandoned fairground, where she planned to dispose of Sharlene once and for all. John found them and chased Shoulderpads out on to a pier, they struggled with the gun, it went off...

Doctor Shoulderpads body was not found. Weeks go by, Sharlene receives a mysterious phone call, she tells John she's just popping out to get some ricotta cheese. She kisses him as she leaves.

John - "What was that for?"

Sharlene - "Because I love you so much."

Sharlene doesn't return home. Eventually John, with the help of Frankie, trace Sharlene to the Windswept yacht owned by a Doctor Taylor Benson. At the harbour, John, Michael, Ryan and Frankie watch in horror as the yacht explodes in front of them.

John refusing to believe that Sharlene could be dead, finds Taylor in a mental institution. Taylor has lost her mind, but she manages to tell a story of how she blew up Windswept while Sharlene was aboard. John erupts and tries to strangle Taylor.

Update: I'm now at February 1992, a grieving John has become confused about his feelings for his niece-in-law Frankie Frame, much to the horror of Frankie's estranged husband, the celebrated private detective Cass A. Nova (wait, what?).​

Not about Sharly or Sharlene, but I loved Dack Rambo and hate we lost him how and when we did! AW4eva!

 

[jillybean78]

Oh, it's much too gradual to identify when things start to gel. And there are always good things going on. You just have to kind of weed through the slow parts! Which is good when you're watching recordings as opposed to watching it "live".

I just finished AW. It was my favorite soap of all time. I'm now on Guiding Light. I will always miss ALL the soaps! I couldn't ever get onboard with Ryan's Hope and I was named after Jillian!

 

[jillybean78]

Hi all, late to the party I guess. I never watched another world in the 90's and 2000's. It was really only Days for a while on NBC and Passions! Other than that I was CBS/ABC.

But soaps arent what they used to be. So I discovered to my delight Edge of Night. And just recently I watched AW from 1980. I am now into 1981 and just wanted to express myself, humour me.

Love love the dialouge especially some of it seemed to be adlibbed especially with the guys - Sandy/ Joey/Leigh.
Ray Liotta was such a brilliant actor from then. Really they really had great actors at that time.
Loved 1980, 1981 is so depressing but i'm holding on. I just can't stand Cecile and Jamie's getting on my nerves. So is Sally Frame.
Rachel is a complicated walking contradiction and though she irritates me, she's written like a real person with flaws. I like that Mac stands up to her.
Rachel and Mitch - such a snooze fest. Their scenes are the same over and over and Mitch post amnesia is so low low energy. I just fast forward.
I have a lot more to say but that's all fo rnow. I'm up to the part where Clarice is getting those prank calls and Jamie breaks up with Cecile.

Oh and Sandy before I go. I just like him. Very likeable, chemistry with everyone and really well acted.. He's a good guy.

Ok im out for now.

I had trouble with Mitch all around! Jamie was off and on with me. Cecile should have stayed on.

 

[jillybean78]

I have actually just started reading the another world today continuation that was written 2009-2014. I’m 2 episodes in. I feel like I’m not imagining the characters as they were entirely. I can picture the sets. Well really the only familiar one is the Cory mansion.
there is a lot of history being dredged up and mentioned it really quite interesting in that aspect. This is the first episode.

Current Episode - Another World Today

The latest episode of the continuation of PGP soap opera Another World.

www.anotherworldtoday.com

I read it, kind of iffy at first, but then at the end I wanted more.

 

[jillybean78]

Yay! I liked her too!

She was the longest running Vicky. I did hate it when they toned her down in the later years. Vicky was always different with her appearance and I loved it.

 

[jillybean78]

The Olivia situation mirrors Rachel's situation with.....Olivia's father, Russ. She wanted more than anything to be the wife of respected Dr. Russ, part of the respected Matthews family. Well, at least until she met wealthy, sexy Steve Frame. After seducing Steve during a break-up with his true-love Alice, Rachel thought her pregnancy would make Steve dump Alice and marry her. It didn't quite work out that way! Even if Olivia was being totally up front with everyone regarding her bun in the oven (hint hint), Sam Fowler is NO Steve Frame (at least this iteration of him). Busybody Aunt Liz is right on this one...ditch that loser and find yourself a better man!



She's been front burner on a soap since the mid-1960s, so yeah...pretty much everything. Off the top of my head:

abandoned by her father at a young age
multiple marriages (including three weddings with the same man!)
widowed
amnesia
blindness
multiple kidnappings
arrested/tried for murder
miscarriage
stalked by killer(s)
"who's the daddy" situation
held hostage by evil double
murdered someone in self-defense
"very" late-in-life pregnancy
...and one plot development in the very final months of the series that I can't even bring myself to mention, since it was so ridiculous.

100% on the final months!!! They didn't even try at that point!

 

[unknownexamination]

I am watching 1981 still and wow so interesting on who Mr. Black turns out to be. It will be interesting to see when he finally reveals himself. Also I am sorrry but this nuAlice is so so boring.

 

[Daniel Avery]

While it is pretty much agreed that all the replacement Alices were mere shadows of the original, I confess that I never really liked Jackie Courtney in the part, either. Her 1960s/early 1970s portrayal was fine for that time period, but when they recast the part it felt like they just shoved a random actress on the stage wearing a "Hi, I'm Alice" name tag and expected viewers to warm to her as they had the original actress.

It's also an unfortunate decision by the writers to attempt to recapture the magic of the original Steve/Alice/Rachel triangle when none of the original portrayers were still there to play the parts!

 

[unknownexamination]

I have seen only a few snippets of the original alice on youtube. Are you referring to Robin Strasser in the role of Rachel? I haven't gotten to see those. I started watching AW on youtube from the 1980 episodes.

But this Alice is just too nauseating she sounds like she is doing an ad for Massengil or Depends.

Also, I am beginning to really dislike Blaine as everywhere Rick is, she pops up. And even though I didn't think Marianne deserved him in the first place, I wish she would just butt out of their marriage. Don't spoil it for me I am on episode 23 of 31!

Another thing, I really love Clarice and Larry's relationship, very organic relatable and down to earth. A good blue-collar couple. Every girl should have a guy like Larry. And while Clarice's voice was so different to me when i first started to watch it, its' grown on me. Am I correct that Gail was 43 and Rick Porter 25 at this time? Crazy I never would have been able to tell.
Lastly, I really love Mac and the way the actor portrayed him, sometimes you need a good guy on the show. So sweet and loving.

And finally, I have NO sympathy for Jason Dunlap. I think he should have been tried for Tracey's death.

Ok I'm out.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Clarice and Larry were a nice, comfortable couple that seemed too "real" to be on a soap! Their problems were (mostly) very average, relatable conflicts that did not veer into melodrama. I won't spoil any plot points, but I will mention one gossipy bit of trivia: Gail Brown and Rick Porter famously did NOT get along, but they managed to keep their feelings out of their performances.

 

[unknownexamination]

Ok chase's 1981 videos are over i feel at a loss i am jonesing looking for more december vids. Found like 2 so far. Met Diana and see a pairing with Pete looming (no spoilers please). Man, can someone point me to more videos??
I think 1981 was a good year for AW. Don't know why ppl weren't watching. And I really enjoyed David Canary as Steve Frame so far, very debonair and self assured.
Alice continues to annoy me but i like her hair a little bit better now. Sally is such a little social climber. I do like the Matthews family and the Matthews women. And I like the character development that was invested in back in the day. That's me for now.

 

[unknownexamination]

I don't get it between chase's tapes that end in 19 Nov 1981 fast forward to 2 dec videos and then to January, it seems like a lifetime has happened. I see people I don't even know. Did Alice dump Mac already by January?