Andrea Evans is DEAD TO ME

Oh no! She was a great glamour-bitch back in the day. Guess she only had One Life to Live... Thats terrible. She had a tough time too with that idiot stalker. So many soap stars have died way too young in the last few years. Fuck cancer!

Oh no!

She was a great glamour-bitch back in the day.

by Anonymousreply 1July 10, 2023 8:50 PM

Guess she only had One Life to Live...

by Anonymousreply 2July 10, 2023 8:50 PM

That’s terrible. She had a tough time too with that idiot stalker.

by Anonymousreply 4July 10, 2023 8:51 PM

So many soap stars have died way too young in the last few years. Fuck cancer!

by Anonymousreply 5July 10, 2023 8:55 PM

Damn!

So sorry to hear this. She was a hoot and a half to watch.

by Anonymousreply 7July 10, 2023 9:40 PM

We may hear from her yet....this report says she recently completed her memoir

My One Life to Live Live

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by Anonymousreply 8July 10, 2023 9:48 PM

So sad. She was so young when she started on OLTL.

by Anonymousreply 9July 10, 2023 9:51 PM

One Life To Live was so much fun. I started watching it in my tweens. My favorite character was Wanda. Wanda and Vinnie were the couple I loved the most. She had this great New Yawk accent and a heart of gold. I moved to NY in 1975 and lived on the Upper West Side. My partner and I would see lots of famous people because ABC Studios was on 57th and Broadway. One day we were coming out of Zabar’s and she was right in front of us. My QUEEN! It beat seeing Lauren Bacall schlepping around Zabar’s wearing a polyester pantsuit and a look that said Leave Me The Fuck Alone. But I also loved Tina.

by Anonymousreply 11July 10, 2023 10:05 PM

This hits me where I live. I watched AMC and OLTL as a wee gayling in their mid-late 80’s heyday. Tina was such an unforgettable character. You could tell how much the writers loved Tina. They gave her so many astonishing water cooler moments. Going over Iguazu Falls, passing off Gabrielle’s baby as her own, interrupting Cord and Kate’s wedding, blurting out the wrong name at her wedding to Max… she generated a ton of story and press for the show. She’s widely credited for the show being in the Nielsens Top 3 when Tina ruled. I’m so sad she died… and at 66! So young.

by Anonymousreply 12July 10, 2023 10:14 PM

Wow....This one hurts. That was my soap in the mid to late 80's. I was obsessed. Tina and Gabrielle were EVERYTHING. Andrea, thanks for the memories.

I can hear "Tina's theme" in my head right now.

My grandma and grandpa got me watching , and they loved Tina too.

by Anonymousreply 14July 10, 2023 11:16 PM

I know the actor who played Cord. He was very very close with Andrea, when the stalker thing happened, it was devastating to the cast.

by Anonymousreply 16July 10, 2023 11:30 PM

This is so sad. Andrea brought a spark to One Life To Live when she returned as Tina in 1985. She's the most memorable of all the Tina's; the show was good while she was away, however the other Tina's that were there while she was off canvas were just ok. She reinvigorated the show when she returned. She will truly be missed, may she R.I.P.

by Anonymousreply 18July 10, 2023 11:42 PM

R11 "One Live To Live" ABC Studio 17 (The Armory), 56 West 66th between Central Park West and Columbus.

by Anonymousreply 19July 10, 2023 11:44 PM

R12 ICAM to all of this. Paul Rauch even credited her as a reason for their ratings rising, she was one of his favorites.

by Anonymousreply 20July 10, 2023 11:45 PM

What???

Did her stalker finally get her?

by Anonymousreply 21July 11, 2023 12:26 AM

^

See, told you she was a cunt!

by Anonymousreply 23July 11, 2023 12:43 AM

[quote] Guess she only had One Life to Live...

Touché - DL never disappoints when it matters.

by Anonymousreply 24July 11, 2023 12:53 AM

I'm not familiar with her, despite the same last name.

Must be an older relative, a much older relative, of mine. Maybe a second cousin of my great grandmother.

by Anonymousreply 25July 11, 2023 1:05 AM

Tina tells Viki she’s a Lord, 1985 (poor quality).

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by Anonymousreply 27July 11, 2023 2:01 AM

Tina returns from Argentina with Cord’s “baby” to stop Cord and Kate’s wedding, 1987.

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by Anonymousreply 28July 11, 2023 2:04 AM

Tina meets her match with raving lunatic Maria. “i KNEW you weren’t a complete bimbohead!”

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by Anonymousreply 29July 11, 2023 2:05 AM

I always assumed the interrupted wedding by saying the wrong name on Friends was ripped off from OLTL.

by Anonymousreply 30July 11, 2023 2:07 AM

Crazy bitch Ursula Blackwell plants a bomb in Tina and Cord’s wedding cake, 1988.

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by Anonymousreply 31July 11, 2023 2:07 AM

Opal Cortlandt blew up their cake?

by Anonymousreply 32July 11, 2023 2:10 AM

Tina and Dorian with that psycho Mitch Laurence, 1985.

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by Anonymousreply 33July 11, 2023 2:11 AM

Jill Larson played Ursula Blackwell in 1988-89 before joining All My Children to play Opal at the end of 1989.

by Anonymousreply 34July 11, 2023 2:13 AM

I was a teenager when she returned to OLTL in 1985 and just loved her. This hurts. She also played Tawny on Bold Beautiful (Ambers trailer trash mom)....SCENE---Hot Shirtless Oliver meets Tawny. (11:00 mark)....R.I.P

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by Anonymousreply 35July 11, 2023 4:34 AM

I remember when Evans replaced the popular Lilibet Stern on Y&R in the role of "Patty Williams Abbott."

As I recall, the recast had to happen very quickly, because there was no room for any pause in Patty & Jack's story.

Here she is when Patty shoots Jack (Terry Lester).

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by Anonymousreply 36July 11, 2023 4:38 AM

Andrea Evans was a unique actress and talent. Funny, quirky and spontaneous, she improved every show she was on. I enjoyed her as Tina Lord immensely as a young gayling. RIP.

by Anonymousreply 37July 11, 2023 5:19 AM

This is sad! I was in college from, 85-89 (yes, yes, yes I know Im old - shut it!) and my favorite way to escape the stress of the day was to smoke a joint and watch Tina in the student rec room instead of going to class. I LOVED her.

by Anonymousreply 38July 11, 2023 6:30 AM

When Erika Slezak goes I think it's going to break me. I have mentally prepared myself for Robin Strassers passing. She will kick off any day.

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by Anonymousreply 39July 11, 2023 6:49 AM

Thanks for refreshing my memory, r19. It was many moons ago. I was probably thinking of the CBS Broadcasting Center on West 57th. I passed by there on my way to work on 54th for years. Although the ABC building didn’t look anything like it.

by Anonymousreply 40July 11, 2023 7:45 AM

Robin Strasser left in 1987 and if memory serves, she was somewhat disgruntled when she left. I’m sure it was hard to see the show start to revolve around a younger vixen. I also remember at the height of Tina’s popularity, she was chosen to be the cover of the show’s 20th Anniversary on Soap Opera Digest (flanked by all her men). Erika Slezak gave a really snarky comment that Tina was “in no way a replacement for Dorian,” and she proceeded to extoll Dorian’s virtues over Tina’s. I’m sure there was lots of acrimony as Tina really sucked up a lot of oxygen. I will say toward the end of Evans’s tenure, she took a backseat to Gabrielle and the Gordon sisters. She seemed to fade a bit.

by Anonymousreply 41July 11, 2023 12:36 PM

ATTENTION Soap channels on streaming services....DO BETTER.

by Anonymousreply 42July 11, 2023 1:37 PM

R41 Hmmm seems Erika was a little jealous of Andrea Evans garnering so much attention. Ms. Slezak commented on her website btw, for those of you who don't care to look lol here's what she stated:

"I am absolutely shocked and devastated by this news and I send love and deepest sympathies to Steve and Kylie- they were her whole life. Andrea and I worked together for so long- on her first day at work, she was living 1 block away from me and I walked her to work. She was just a child- never been to NYC- so sweet and kind and loving- amazing that she played such a complicated, confused and selfish character so well. When she and Steve got married and then got Kylie, it seemed her life was finally complete. She was so happy. So very very sad."

by Anonymousreply 43July 11, 2023 1:45 PM

R41 Thanks for the history lesson. Robin was indeed somewhat disgruntled when she left OLTL in '87, although not as disgruntled, when she left AMC after playing Christina Karras-Martin, she mentioned something to the effect of how it was virtually impossible to play a female leading role on AMC with Erica Kane front and center. I never knew of the 20th anniversary cover or Erika's comments lol very bitter, yet her commentary on Andrea was short and sweet.

by Anonymousreply 44July 11, 2023 1:51 PM

*That should read she was more disgruntled when she left OLTL in 1987 than when she left AMC in 1979, for OLTL. Robin was initially offered the role of a recast Cathy Craig on OLTL in 1975, however upon learning that Dorrie Kavanaugh was going to be fired as Cathy to accommodate Robin as her recast, Robin declined, and that's when Agnes Nixon brought her over to AMC as pediatrician Dr. Christina Karras-Martin (she married Jeff Martin, Erica's first husband, father of Erica's "aborted then unaborted son" for any non-AMC watchers 😁)

by Anonymousreply 45July 11, 2023 2:00 PM

I didn't get into OLTL until the final years but right away I thought she was the greatest. I think she came back twice in the last 10 years..

by Anonymousreply 46July 11, 2023 3:49 PM

The later years OLTL writers didn't really get Tina.

Andrea Evans was of course the best Tina but Karen Witter was also a very good Tina. Krista Tesreau.....well, she tried.

by Anonymousreply 47July 11, 2023 3:53 PM

Anyone see Marsha Clark as Tina? He’s liked her on GL, but can’t even imagine her playing Tina.

by Anonymousreply 48July 11, 2023 5:17 PM

I read somewhere that she had a torrid fling with the then-married Smokey Robinson…

by Anonymousreply 49July 11, 2023 6:24 PM

My recall of Andrea is watching her 1st stint as Tina on OLTL as a small child (my mother watched the show) and being fascinated by the layers of sticky, goopy shiny colored lip gloss she used to wear. It looked amazing in her close-ups.

by Anonymousreply 50July 11, 2023 7:45 PM

R47 I've always thought that too, certain writers after her heyday didn't seem to get her, towards Andrea's exit and during Karen and Krista's runs. I agree about Karen, I didn't warm up to her right away, yet she grew to become the second best Tina imo. Krista did try except it didn't really seem like she was ever playing Tina to me, although that could've been due to the writing as well. I remember ppl who saw her as Mindy on GL saying that it seemed like she was still playing Mindy. It was interesting to learn that both Janine Turner and Tonja Walker were up for Tina when Andrea exited in 1990, yet Paul Rauch ultimately gave Karen the role. Cali Timmins from AW almost played Tina somewhere in the 2000's until Frank Valentini nixed it.

by Anonymousreply 51July 11, 2023 9:25 PM

R48 I didn't see her portrayal back then however I saw her briefly as Tina on YouTube, iirc she was portraying her like a business student who seemed more of an innocent country girl, nothing like the scheming diva that Andrea portrayed her as, which also could've been due to the writing. I never saw Kelli Maroney or Nancy Frangione's versions, with Nancy being a temp if I'm not mistaken.

by Anonymousreply 52July 11, 2023 9:32 PM

R51 I agree. By the time Karen took over Alex and Marty became the scheming troublemakers on the show so they had to try that Cain Rogan garbage story with her. Which I hated.

by Anonymousreply 55July 11, 2023 9:39 PM

R55 You're right, Tina was somewhat softened during Karen's stint. They also didn't really write her as being in love with Cord, with the whole who's the daddy story with Johnny Dee Hesser and of course as you mentioned, Cain Rogan. They wrote Tina like she saw Cord as an afterthought for the most part or just the father of her children, waffling between Cain and Cord as if she really was in love with Cain only whole Cord was like an obligation. Even though Tina and Cain were slated to be "the story," they didn't have to diminish her history with Cord in the process, having her seemingly not even affected by him returning from the dead. With Andrea's version, there was always this underlying true love she had for Cord, even when they were with other ppl

by Anonymousreply 57July 11, 2023 9:52 PM

*with Cain, only with Cord like he was an obligation at R57

by Anonymousreply 58July 11, 2023 9:54 PM

R56 You're welcome, hope that helps.

by Anonymousreply 59July 11, 2023 9:55 PM

Did she return to Eterna?

by Anonymousreply 60July 11, 2023 10:53 PM

R53 I read it somewhere…I’m borderline eldergay, so I’m struggling to remember where I read it…

by Anonymousreply 61July 11, 2023 11:01 PM

R61- No joke- I read that in Star Magazine when I was 10 or so. I think it was 1989- Not too long before Andrea left the show-

by Anonymousreply 62July 12, 2023 2:13 AM

It turns out that Bronwen Booth who played Andy on One Life To Live in the early nineties, right around the time that Andrea left, passed away in April.. Also of cancer. I believe that she was 58 or 59.

She (Bronwen) and Fiona Hutchison remained very good friends-

Bronwen's IMDB has not even been updated..

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by Anonymousreply 63July 13, 2023 4:05 AM

video....Andrea Evans first person stalking account.......FYI---48 Hours was actually a really great news magazine when it first came out. Then it became crap like 20/20 rehashing old crime stories.......R63 thank you for posting that. I didn't realize she had passed. I remember her as Andi and it was also around the time Jake came to town.

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by Anonymousreply 64July 13, 2023 4:29 AM

R63 That's terrible, may she R.I.P. Had no idea that she passed either, nor how close she was to Fiona. Did Fiona comment on passing? How close were they?

by Anonymousreply 65July 13, 2023 11:58 PM

*That should say, has Fiona commented on Andrea's passing, R65

by Anonymousreply 66July 13, 2023 11:59 PM

Yes- R65 go to her Instagram. Fiona is very British- she does not sit there and cry or anything she has a farmhouse that she and John V are remodeling.. and she mentions both deaths in her videos in a very matter of fact way,, She and Andrea were great friends when they were on the show.. She mentions it in video from yesterday.. She says that Bronwen was her best friend in the entire world.. They were very close. just some dark days...

Let me try to link her instagram-

Hold on

by Anonymousreply 67July 14, 2023 12:27 AM

R62 I wonder if she was the cause of Claudette and Smokey getting divorced.

by Anonymousreply 69July 14, 2023 12:33 AM

R69 Smokey had had numerous extra-marital affairs, including something longer with Diana Ross. But in an interview with Ebony, he indicated that their divorce had more to do with him having a baby with one of the women, saying he knew that would devastate Claudette. He was right, and that would become "the straw that broke the camel's back." The cocaine addiction didn't help.

by Anonymousreply 70July 14, 2023 2:33 AM

So for how many years was she stalked? Did it ever stop? Did the stalker die?

by Anonymousreply 71July 14, 2023 5:02 AM

I watched mid 1970s on… I had not even OLTL so I started on Ryan’s Hope and finished with the Edge of Night…..

I loved her with Tony Lord… I think the first time I heard Beethovens 7th, second movement on OLTLwhen they first got together…. That scene is still in my head. Great show for yrs

by Anonymousreply 72July 16, 2023 9:57 PM

R30, a well-hated soap columnist noted that FRIENDS characters all had soap names. AW's Rachel; GH's Monica; AMC's Phoebe. AMC's Ross.. AMC's Chandler (surname); maybe AMC's (Dr.) Joe(y)

by Anonymousreply 73July 16, 2023 10:13 PM

Thanks so much R67/R68. IA Fiona has always had a matter-of-fact way of expressing herself; I've always liked her, as Gabrielle and as Jenna on GL. I remember she gave an interview to one of the soap mags awhile ago, and they asked her why were soaps on the decline. She stated that soaps were declining because they didn't modernize themselves and grow with the times, choosing instead to remain stagnant with their same formula that isn't exactly resonating with the modern world.

by Anonymousreply 74July 17, 2023 2:26 PM

Hi R74- Fiona actually has been expressing more about Andrea, posting photos- its really great- Definitely follow her Instagram.

A big part of her Instagram is devoted to her chicken Chickie-Mama- who passed away. Fiona has a video and she is very teary from the spring- Its like watching Gabrielle, but Gabrielle ran off with Father Tony and bought a farm.

She is an asbolutely LOVELY woman. Nothing like I expected- a fucking lovely lady.

by Anonymousreply 75July 17, 2023 3:58 PM

I interviewed her once over the phone. LOVELY.

I ran into her and her husband at a play years later. LOVELY.

by Anonymousreply 76July 18, 2023 7:53 PM

I got a call about an 'estate' sale some people were having for their friend who'd died of AIDS.

He was a HUGE soap fan. I could tell by the tapes he labeled he was a BIG ABC fan BUT he specifically switched over to GL after Finola joined.

by Anonymousreply 77July 18, 2023 8:02 PM

What I loved about Andrea is how much fun she had playing Rebecca on Passions. She just threw herself into the role and you could tell she enjoyed herself.

by Anonymousreply 79July 18, 2023 8:58 PM

I'm just gutted. When I first began watching it was during the Mitch storyline. Tina and Mitch were everything, lol. Gabriel and Max, and I think this was also when Blair was married to Asa and withheld his heart medication, lolol. I adored Tina and was so disappointed when she left the show. I didn't know she had to leave because of a stalker. How terrifying for her and how sad to have her life and career derailed by a POS like that. RIP, Andrea. You will always be my favorite soap opera diva, Queen.

by Anonymousreply 80July 18, 2023 9:20 PM

OLTL has now been gone over ten years. Each year fewer and fewer of us that will remember. Why did it have to be Tina? Why not Gigi?

by Anonymousreply 81July 19, 2023 4:30 AM

R81 = oh no...I actually HAD forgotten Gigi until you mentioned her. Why John-Paul Lavoisier has never come out is something that never made sense to me. Wasn't he Tuc Watkins "nanny" at one point? oh my.

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by Anonymousreply 82July 19, 2023 4:48 AM

I'm really sorry to hear this. I've wondered about her over the years. She was great on OLTL. She was from my home town, too.

by Anonymousreply 83July 19, 2023 4:53 AM

Fiona was correct. I miss soaps. I wonder whether if they had evolved with the rest of television whether there would still be 10 today representing an art form that began in radio. I can't watch tw minutes of any surviving soap. Hutchison is right. It's the same stupid shit. There's not even the rare social issue story anymore. I saw a piece oh GH while staying at a hotel for work and there was a random revenge porn story but done for the Instagram world rather than for reason an old soap would explore.

by Anonymousreply 84July 19, 2023 5:17 AM

FUN CLIP....Andrea won an award for best guest star.....CLIP 1:25..........I expect to see her playing Tina or Rebecca...NOPE....She was quite good on DeVanity.........."Just because you treated me like a WHORE didn't make me one"......

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by Anonymousreply 85July 19, 2023 5:20 AM

R82 I was infuriated when they brought back Gigi especially when I was so elated when they killed her off. I never thought she was that popular a character. That Karen haircut alone!

by Anonymousreply 86July 19, 2023 11:39 PM

R86 I cheered when she died. She had zero chemistry with John Paul L or anyone else...INTERVIEW....She is even annoying off script...Rex is Gay all day....JPL is headed back to DAYS....Wonder how he has been paying his rent all these years considering he hasn't had any regular gigs?...

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by Anonymousreply 87July 19, 2023 11:58 PM

JPL is the kind of guy -- if I had millions -- I'd take to Hawaii for 6 days and then, after getting exhausted from ALL that energy, I'd say let's go home a day early.

But I'd have fun until then.

by Anonymousreply 89July 20, 2023 1:54 AM

R84 — Is your argument that soaps aren’t successful because they didn’t change with the times or because they did?

by Anonymousreply 90July 20, 2023 3:40 AM

R75 Thanks no wonder you kept saying Father Tony lol I guess I forgot that she's married to Father Tony Vallone actor, John Viscardi. I barely remember his character lol he's very handsome and seems just as nice as her.

What I do remember is James DePaiva being married to a woman I believe named Dreama Marie? Then he cheated on her by having an onset affair with Kassie Wesley, shortly after she started as Blair in 1993. Not too long after his marriage to Dreama Marie was over.

by Anonymousreply 92July 20, 2023 12:02 PM

R82 R86 R87 Since she's married to a multimillionaire poker player, she seems content and not really interested in acting. I know she had a brief stint on DOOL awhile back, however that was because of Ron requesting her to reprise her role.

Honestly, I think JPL never came out because he still wants to have an acting career outside of soaps, so he's trying to avoid being labeled as a "gay actor." The rumors have been around for years, even during his relationship with Farah.

by Anonymousreply 93July 20, 2023 12:08 PM

R84 We probably would've still had 10, even if they weren't all on network tv, if they wouldn't have remained the same, we'd still have them in some format. Proctor & Gamble wanted out of the soap business entirely, however they could've sold their soaps if another company were interested in buying them. There just weren't enough alternatives to network tv around the time CBS cancelled them. ABC was ahead of their time when they sold the rights to their shows to Prospect Park (who was ahead of their time themselves) although it was executed poorly. If they would've kept up with the times, they probably would've made it just a little while longer to transfer to streaming.

by Anonymousreply 94July 20, 2023 12:16 PM

R90 I believe they're saying soaps aren't successful because they didn't change.

by Anonymousreply 95July 20, 2023 12:17 PM

The audience changed and moved away from soaps and the business model could not sustain itself because it got too expensive. The #1 soap has maybe 5 different sets and looks incredibly cheap. Daytime soaps are not coming back. However, I would not be surprised if we didn't see the "Peyton Place" model show up in primetime in the very near future. This is where we have a serialized show that is shown 2 or 3 nights a week.

by Anonymousreply 96July 20, 2023 2:12 PM

R92- James was married to Misty Rowe from Hee Haw. When I was a gayling watching OLTL circa 1987, he brought about my sexual awakening. I was obsessed with Max Holden. Now I look at the mullet and think he looks like such a stunad.

by Anonymousreply 97July 20, 2023 2:33 PM

R97! Stunad is a word I haven’t heard in eons (and never knew how spell), thanks for that!

R75 - Dreama Marie is his daughter with Misty Rowe.

by Anonymousreply 98July 20, 2023 4:49 PM

R93, we're still in a world in which an actor who comes out is referred to as 'out gay actor' or 'out gay actor who plays straight but is gay in real life'

If those guys want to express themselves artistically, they should have no right to a personal life and be activists whether they want to or not.

by Anonymousreply 99July 20, 2023 4:56 PM

I keep hearing that soaps didn't or aren't keeping up with the times. What could they have done or what specifically could they do to keep up with the times?

by Anonymousreply 100July 21, 2023 2:04 AM

soaps stopped doing major social issues and they started playing it safe a long time ago.

they lost most of the big divas -- Slezak, Wyndham, Flannery, Zimmer, Strasser et. al.

They lost having a sense of family.

The pioneers and great writers -- Agnes, Bill, Doug, Pam, Harding -- all died off.

by Anonymousreply 101July 21, 2023 5:04 AM

You're right, R102; I can't believe I didn't check before posting; not that I thought she was dead. I mean I should have checked my writing.

by Anonymousreply 103July 21, 2023 6:45 AM

OLTL GOSSIP/DIRT......Melissa Archer (ex Natalie Buchanan) just talked (a little) about the Brian Frons ABC Disaster...Turns out Natalie was almost killed off. And M.A. had to film her death scene!!...LINK...Daytime Confidential....

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by Anonymousreply 104July 21, 2023 7:54 AM

JPL is actually headed back to DOOL

by Anonymousreply 105July 21, 2023 1:39 PM

R105, it's too bad they couldn't get Jay K Johnson back.

He probably wanted more money as he deserves; he's the definitive Philip.

by Anonymousreply 106July 21, 2023 7:09 PM

Odd clip from the early 80s (the title says it’s from 1982, but Andrea left OLTL in 1981), featuring John Gabriel, Andrea and a little white dog.

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by Anonymousreply 107July 22, 2023 8:09 AM

Andrea was in an episode of Chips with Dominique Dunne in 82 . She played Dominique’s bff

by Anonymousreply 108July 22, 2023 9:59 AM

R97 Thanks, couldn't recall if Dreama Marie was his ex-wife's name or their daughter's. Dreama Marie sort of seems like a country type of name lol is Misty Rowe living a real-life Hee Haw type of life?

by Anonymousreply 109July 23, 2023 11:42 AM

R98 Thanks. Knew it was either his wife or his daughter's name. He had one kid with Kassie, a son?

by Anonymousreply 110July 23, 2023 11:45 AM

R99 I'm a little confused by your second paragraph lol are you saying they shouldn't hide in the closet for the sake of their careers?

by Anonymousreply 111July 23, 2023 11:47 AM

R100 They keep retelling the same stories that were big in the 70s, 80s, 90s when the world was different, like they're stuck in a time warp. Coming back from the dead, evil long lost twins, triangles, trying to take over the world, countless kidnappings, larger than life super villains who outsmart everyone, etc. There was a time when you could get away with all that stuff, however the audiences are more sophisticated now, and alot aren't willing to suspend disbelief anymore, so they've stopped tuning in. They tell social stories here and there, however they seem to be very few and far between. Their job is to entertain, of course, however they could also be a source of enlightenment when they wanted to.

It's like they just watered everything down, even dumbed down to a certain extent. Even when they have cell phones on soaps they look very cheap, like they're behind in technology. I know they're working on a shorter budget, however it shouldn't have to seem so obvious onscreen. It's like they're going backwards, for in their heyday, the sets, wardrobes, acting, writing were, for the most part, extraordinary. Now it's like they don't even care.

by Anonymousreply 112July 23, 2023 11:58 AM

Although to their credit, Prospect Park did try to modernize OLTL, along with AMC. They still relied on old soaps tropes here and there, however they were somewhat more realistic than the network soaps back then. Being online gave them certain creative licenses that weren't afforded to the network soaps, so they had that going for them as well. Unfortunately, they were ahead of their time and they just couldn't keep up financially to maintain that model.

by Anonymousreply 113July 23, 2023 12:06 PM

Curiously, DAYS has not taken advantage of its online creative license at all, instead doubling down on "coming back from the dead, evil long lost twins, triangles, trying to take over the world, countless kidnappings, larger than life super villains who outsmart everyone, etc."

by Anonymousreply 114July 23, 2023 1:10 PM

R111, I was tryiing to be funny; Home Simperson said something along those lines -- if performers want to express themselves creatively then they should have not right to a private life.

which, of course, is ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 115July 23, 2023 5:36 PM

Ok we know what the soaps shouldn't be doing. What things SHOULD they be doing to keep up with the times? I don't think there is anything they could do.

by Anonymousreply 116July 23, 2023 5:39 PM

R113, that's true.

But I don't think any TV or streaming shows can survive. Nothing's making enough money and there are too many options.

I got rid of my cable box and got Hulu Live. I kept Amazon and dropped ALL the other paid streaming services. I have TUBI. That gives me plenty to watch; there are only so many hours in a day.

by Anonymousreply 117July 23, 2023 5:41 PM

R116, I think the perfect example is the buchanan sons on one life to live. Both were too boring to stay on the show much so the fire families waned and shows lose focus.

If Kevin Buchanans storyline had been that of Todd manning and if Joey buchanan had been swapped with Billy Douglas, there would have been more story potential.

Shows have been too afraid to take chances with core characters for too long which leads to repetitive boredom.

by Anonymousreply 118July 24, 2023 1:26 AM

R118. You might be right. The problem with the Joeys were the recasts were gay guys. The only person he had chemistry with was Kelly and even then he came off as the gay bestie. How many gay Joeys were we expected to sit thru..?

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by Anonymousreply 119July 24, 2023 1:38 AM

Another Gay Joey...Tognoni outshined all of them...

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by Anonymousreply 120July 24, 2023 1:42 AM

R118 those storylines were clearly meant to be written with Kevin and Joey in mind but ABC axed it.

by Anonymousreply 121July 24, 2023 1:43 AM

R110, R98 here. I think he and Kassie have a son — James Jr or JQ, if I remember correctly. I believe he had/has some hearing loss or something like that.

by Anonymousreply 123July 24, 2023 1:46 AM

Gay Priest Joey (17 min mark)....Seriously. It got ridiculous.....

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by Anonymousreply 124July 24, 2023 1:50 AM

R121 that’s what I said. Network chickened out of those choices and most choices that would be edgy.

by Anonymousreply 125July 24, 2023 1:58 AM

Harding Lemay wrote in his memoir [italic] Eight Years in Another World [/italic] that he was all set to have Michael Randolph came out as gay and P&G axed it at the last minute after the actor had been cast and relocated.

I used to think that it was only a small portion of homophobes who were secretly gay and that was their big issue. But now, I think it's most.

Even in today's world. Guys are still afraid of what people will think, rejection from family. Elizabeth Smart's dad came out in his mid 60s and the only reason we know about it was because his daughter had once been kidnapped and it was all over the news.

by Anonymousreply 126July 24, 2023 2:12 AM

All~ I highly suggest watching this tribute to Andrea- It is quite moving and heartwarming.

And there is some real insights there. Fiona Hutchison is a gem of a human being.

However- Miss Sleeztack....

Holy shit. She has a very odd facial tick now which makes me sad. She had some lovely things to say about Andrea... But at the 30 minute mark on the dot, she says she needs to leave.... In the context of the memorial, it was REALLY weird and really cold.... She clearly offered 30 minutes of her time and that was all we were getting. Robert S Woods, Fiona, and John Loprieno were all absolutely lovely and stayed for 90 minutes and clearly enjoyed talking about this time of their lives. RSW looks good for an old man and wasn't really good talking about emotions, but he came across as very warm. And a certain fanboy and former headwriter showed up- I thought he seemed genuinely enthusiastic- but much more a fan than a writer. It was interesting.

Eterna was brought up, Argentina, Faux Bo, Gabrielle denouncing god, Paul Rauch--- and Fiona shares some really cool insights into her friendship with Andrea- it wasn't all roses- and she has a lovely story near the end about Andrea's funeral and what she learned..

A really, really nice tribute - one of the best that I have seen.

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by Anonymousreply 128August 10, 2023 4:56 AM

She is survived by her lack of talent, cheap wigs, and raging case of anal herpes.

by Anonymousreply 129August 10, 2023 7:11 AM

R128 Thank you so much for that post. I actually didn't think Erika S leaving was rude or abrasive and it felt like everyone else was sort of "in" on the exit beforehand.. The twitching indicates a medical issue. Maybe 30 minutes was a personal limitation for her? I love Erika Slezak (and Andrea E.). There were rumors years ago (unconfirmed) that BB was pursuing her for a short run as Bill Spencers (never seen) villainous mother. That would have been amazing.

by Anonymousreply 130August 10, 2023 10:49 AM

Oh shit! Check out RSW's comment about Andrea dating "someone" after he returned and they all went to a concert because of it.

SMOKEY ROBINSON- Not a doubt in my mind. So this was 88-89, which is exactly when I remember reading a tabloid about it

Sorry I forget where in the tribute it was...

by Anonymousreply 131August 10, 2023 7:47 PM

I might be misreading but no one thinks Tom Degnan (ex-Joey) is gay do they? Dude is married and seems pretty straight to me.

by Anonymousreply 132August 10, 2023 9:51 PM

I especially loved how honest Fiona was about her friendship with Andrea- You can tell that Andrea was far more larger than life and a 'star" in her younger years whereas Fiona was more down to earth. It was lovely hearing such honesty..

I loved Barbara Luna's letter, James DPV's letter, and that beautiful letter from the journalist.

And then Andrea's daughter's eulogy being discussed, and Fiona choking up.

I hope everyone watches this-

by Anonymousreply 133August 10, 2023 11:29 PM

That tribute was beyond lovely. Everyone exuded warmth and love for each other, and Andrea sounds like a remarkable woman. I loved every minute of it. Michael Fairman did a great job.

by Anonymousreply 134August 11, 2023 1:46 AM

R134- SO glad you watched it and felt it too.

by Anonymousreply 135August 11, 2023 1:48 AM

The soap press is often mocked for a variety of reasons but let's face EW or TVG weren't going to do a round table tribute to Evans like Fairman did.

by Anonymousreply 136August 11, 2023 5:06 PM

I stand by that it was weird that Erika left 30 minutes on the dot.

I simply will not abide by that- no- not attall.

by Anonymousreply 137August 11, 2023 5:08 PM

Thank you, R136! Now, please buy my music!

by Anonymousreply 138August 26, 2023 7:32 PM

A bit late to comment but R130 I think you're on to something - clearly Erika (aka Viki Sleestak to many of us DL'ers) was having some kind of neurological twitching issue.

by Anonymousreply 139August 28, 2023 10:20 PM

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