Previous Updates - 2006

December 9, 2006

New photos: Afternoon TV (3/74), Afternoon TV (9/75), Afternoon TV (12/76), Afternoon TV (6/77), TV Before Dark (2/77), TV Day Stars (3/74), TV Day Stars (4/77), Soap Opera Serials (11/76), Soap Opera Serials (1/78), TV Week (6/64).
The Freeze Frame Gallery links work again. Sorry about that. Please do let me know of any broken links, misinformation, or even typos.
Forrest Compton (Mike Carr, The Edge Of Night, 1971-1984), played Alfred Cory, Mac's brother, in 1987.
Celia Weston played Clarice on September 17 and 18, 1980.
A special thanks to Mike McGavin for his tireless research work for the AWHP.

November 12, 2006

Previous Role: Taro Meyer (Melissa Needham, 1981-1982) played Carrie, a hostess at The Arena, on August 19 and 25, 1980.
Previous Role: Beth Collins (Marianne Randolph, 1980-1982) played Allison Appleman, Clarice's neighbor, on August 29, 1980.
Pre-fame Appearance: Kristin Davis (Sex and the City) played Page on November 29-30, 1990.
The 1964-1978 DVD is now re-available. And the semi-complete 1986 DVD's, from June to the end of the year, are now available.
New Date: Monday, September 8, 1980: Debut of still-frame end credits.
Kale Browne appeared as a waiter at the Finish Line, and had a few lines, on September 12 and 15, 1980.

September 2, 2006

Dreams do come true. If you haven't heard, AOL has launched a site that features videos of old tv shows, including a section devoted to old P&G soaps. The address is here. Currently, in its beta phase, AW episodes from August 1- 13, 1980 are available for free viewing and download (along with episodes of Texas and Edge of Night). TeleVest plans to release new episodes weekly to AOL, probably under some pay-per-view or advertising sponsorship. I urge everyone to sign up so they know how much we want this material.
I prefer to download episodes, convert the Windows Media files, and burn them to DVD, as then I can have the pleasure of watching them on my TV.
HOW TO DOWNLOAD:
You'll need to be in Internet Explorer to download (it won't download in any other browser). Then you click on the link for each episode that says "High Quality."
Then I believe it'll ask you to download something and install it. Do that.
Then you'll be able to download. When episodes are 100% downloaded, go look for them in My Documents >>My Deliveries>>kdx>>zcs.wm.
You can remove their "hidden" attribute by right-clicking on the file and going to Properties.
With my DVD program, I can't use Windows Media files, so I have to convert them to mpg using a separate program.

July 14, 2006

Finally I've acquired an ftp program to my liking. (I'd been looking for one that was 100% free, and found it with CoffeCup.) So updates will be, er, up to date.
A full-episode DVD mini-series is in the works, thanks to new mid 1980s material uncovered. It will cover June 16, 1986 to December 31, 1986, at least (with some missing episodes between September and October). There will also be a special "1984-1986" DVD with new material, with full episodes from July 19, 1984 to January 31, 1986. One is ready now, and another by next week. Check the DVDs page for the latest list.
PLEASE NOTE: There has been some confusion in this regard, but the videotapes and the DVD's are different entities. There are no DVD versions of videotapes, or vice-versa. So only those collections listed in the "DVD Collection" are DVD's. Everything else is videotape only.
Soapnet AW synopses are now uptodate up to July 31, 1990.
Intro lines: Scott LaSalle (to Nancy McGowan on the beach), "Well, I usually play for a full house, but I'm kind of a new sound around here and don't have an audience yet."

February 19, 2006

New DVDs include new 1986, Other Worlds, and Texas. As always, discs are pro-rated based on vhs material previously purchased.
The Carol Roux interview, about 100 minutes long, is available and included as .mp3 files on the AWHP Deluxe Edition at no extra charge. Be aware that the sound quality is low as it was not done using professional equipment.

January 20, 2006

L. Virginia Browne tells the AWHP:
“L. Virginia Browne was headwriter from 11/80 to 11/82. [With a period where Corrine Jacker filled in as temporary writer during the writer's strike, using Browne's bible] I was replaced by Bob Soderberg in 11/82. Even though I had already left to do Guiding Light with Doug Marland in late 81 or early 82 (can't recall) AW continued to use my story lines & bible and so continued my headwriting credit until 11/82.
"Christopher Schemering wrote a book called the "Soap Opera Encyclopedia" and, in it, he says that I took over Guiding Light and it then went into a "slump." I was pretty darned surprised as, within four months of becoming head writer, I had raised the ratings by two full points and our position from 8th to 3rd. In fact, the folks at P&G filled my office with flowers to congratulate me. Ken Fitts (a P&G exec) said he hoped we'd be working together for years. The VERY NEXT DAY, Allen Potter, the executive producer, announced he was leaving to be replaced by Gail Kobe and she fired me -- the very next day after receiving all those flowers and wishes for years and years of working together. And then they continued to use my bible for 9 more months and kept my name on the credits as headwriter for that long.
"That story, i.e. the flowers and the firing the next day, has become part of soap folklore. I've even had individuals tell it to me but ascribe it to various different writers. I sent Chris a note (along with copies of the network ratings sheets) and he wrote back and apologized, saying he would update and correct the info in his revised edition. Sadly, Chris then suddenly passed away and never did make the revision, so that mis-information stands in what is considered by many to be a very reliable book.
"As for AW, I was supposed to write Texas and was shifted, at the very last minute, to AW, which I had never once seen before being handed the assignment. I spent a week-end in a NYC hotel watching old tapes (those old, huge Beta tapes, I think), boxes of them, to catch up. And, as I posed your question to my former assistant head writer Linda Hamner (with whom I still am friends and still write with from time to time), she reminded me of one story. I guess AW must have gotten a great deal on a crate of baby-crap colored brown mugs. And, as a result, they installed them in EVERY kitchen. Ada had them; so did Mac and Rachel. When Jamie married Cecile, they had them. Even Joey and Sandy had them in their decidedly down-scale apt. You could never do a "cup-to-cup" scene cut (made famous by Gloria Monty of GH) because everyone had the very same cups. Years later I tuned in and there they were, those samed cursed mugs. I swear, they must have bought a thousand.
"I've kept up with some of the folks from AW. Warren Burton (Jason) has carved out a great career doing voices for video games. Richard Bekins (Jamie) is much in demand on Broadway (He was in "Love, Valor, Compassion" the year it won the Tony) and regional theater as well as regular and frequent performances in the "Law and Order" shows. I ran into Chris Rich a few weeks ago at the mall and met his new wife and twin babies, as well as his daughter with Nancy Frangione (the second Cecile). He's doing well on "Reba," as you probably know. James Horan (Denny) lives nearby and produces local theater as well as acts in them. For a bit of trivia, in the film "Gods and Generals," Richard Bekins, James Horan and Warren Burton all had roles.
"And, again, great work on your site. I know the Soap Net cable network is running AW (or will be soon) but decided to start in 1987 which I think is doing the show a great disservice as it will miss all the wonderful shows written by Harding LeMay, whom I believe was the show's best writer ever.
"Take care, Virginia."
Virginia also put me in touch with Richard Bekins, but no stories yet.
I received an email from Tracy Browne (Marianne Randolph 1971).
The interview with Carol Roux was completed late last year. However, the audio quality was not deemed satisfactory. Fortunately, Carol has agreed to do the interview again, with a better attempt made at better sound.
New 1980 DVDs available.
Soapnet synopses now available.