MovieChat Forums > As the World Turns (1956) Discussion > The Worst Storylines

The Worst Storylines

posted 9 years ago by julierom
20 replies | jump to latest

Clearly just about any storyline that Jean Passanante wrote was the nail in the coffin for the series. Remember "Cleo and her teeth"? "The Ice Storm in September"? "The Summer Stalker"? The pimping of "Reid" down our throats toward the end of the series when most fans wanted Luke and Noah to ride off into the sunset? Even Van Hansis said he was disappointed that he and Noah didn't get the ending that fans wanted.

In the early eighties I couldn't stand the Mr. Big story with Justin Deas as Tom and Margaret Colin as Margo. That was not the ATWT I remember from the 1970s. I hated the Steve/Betsy/Craig triangle in the 80s.

And what that Hog Hogan Sheffer did...turning it into the Carly/Katie show. I didn't mind Katie so much but Carly was an insufferable character whom I long to see killed off. That horrid, ridiculous, plot-driven story about Carly, Emily and Rose/Lily being kidnapped in that health spa??? Ugggh!! The only story Sheffer penned that I liked was the "Rick Decker" story because it brought back Susan and Bob into the limelight.

I'm so glad YOU TUBE has so many episodes from the late 70s and early 80s when ATWT was character driven without flashy stories and characters who we didn't know or could care less about (Janet anyone??)

[–] alanjobe 9 years ago

That horrid, ridiculous, plot-driven story about Carly, Emily and Rose/Lily being kidnapped in that health spa???

That was one of my least favorites too.

I loved head writer Doug Marland but I hated the Carolyn Crawford murder mystery.

But BY FAR my least favorite storyline was Adam Hughes tries to rape Gwen. We saw Adam grow up and loved him. To ruin this great character who had such a rich history just to prop up pathetic Gwen was unforgiveable.

Al - Alicia
An - Andrew
Jo - Joseph
Be - Benjamin

[–] julierom 9 years ago

I didn't mind the Carolyn Crawford murder mystery too much. But another story that I hated was Kim following Nick Andropolous to Greece. THat whole teaming was horrible. That was too much!! Kathryn Hays has stated that was the only time she ever got hate mail.

I was also remembering hating the Connor/Cal/Kasnoff (Mike's brother) triangle. Horrible!! And bringing on Roger Howarth as Paul and changing his character was just crazy as well.

And what you said about the change in Adam. I had already stopped watching by then so I vaguely remember that story, but I do remember thinking "why did they change the character so drastically". That was another one of Jean Passanante's debacles.

I also dreadfully recall "Cleo", Gwen's double. Ugggh!!!

Another bad story was the one about Allison coming back as a porn star???? Can you believe it???? Man, what they did to this wonderful show was abominable!!!

But by far, ignoring Eileen Fulton (Lisa) during the last 10 years of the show was totally unforgivable!!!

[–] alanjobe 9 years ago

But by far, ignoring Eileen Fulton (Lisa) during the last 10 years of the show was totally unforgivable!!!

Agree, but at least we did see her on occasion. Ellen Stewart dropped off the face of the 'world'. She disappeared after a Christmas episode in 1995, made one final appearance at Nancy's 80th birthday party, and was never seen or even spoken about again.

And the worst thing was, she apparently sold her family home to her ex daughter in law Susan, who she never cared for with good reason.

Al - Alicia
An - Andrew
Jo - Joseph
Be - Benjamin

[–] smith325 9 years ago

Almost ALL of the Passanante stuff ranks way above everything else. As a writer, the woman was dreadful.

Worth mentioning:

Cleo and the teeth ---- horrible; was so bad it was almost funny.

I vaguely recall a bad plot involving Margo becoming interested in a very sexist guy ("Doc" might have been his name). That one was terrible as it completely did NOT fit with Margo's personality.

Another lousy one: Paul and the micro chip implanted in his brain.

I'm thinking that Passanante penned all of this crap. Honestly, how does that woman continue to get writing jobs??? She exhibited not one ounce of writing talent in all of the years that she was sawing away at ATWT.

[–] julierom 9 years ago

Oh, so true....she didn't exhibit one bit of writing talent. Remember her introduction of that useless Janet and characters who were given front burner storylines that you didn't care for? She did the same thing on Another World. I heard she's writing for "Young and Restless" now. Since I don't watch soaps anymore, I just wonder how long Y&R will last with this hack as a writer.

[–] Lokisgodhi 9 years ago

I have to laugh at all the people who hated Carly. Then Julia Larabee and Janet Ciccone came along and they started bitching about them. Suddenly nobody complained about Carly anymore.

[–] Lokisgodhi 9 years ago

Unfortunately you storylines on soaps like that when all three of the shows leading ladies get themselves knocked up concurrently.

It was kind of funny from that perspective.

Producer's notes: see about feasibility of spiking the production facilities water supply with birth control.

alanjobe wrote:

That horrid, ridiculous, plot-driven story about Carly, Emily and Rose/Lily being kidnapped in that health spa???

[–] moviegeek1 9 years ago

I actually enjoyed that short Hogan Sheffer period on the show. Sure, he loved Carly to death, but some of the best Carly/Rosanna moments came from his time there. The show won some of its final awards during his tenure. And didn't he create the Rose character, or was that some other writer? She became so much more popular than Lily, that they had to kill her off.

Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!

[–] kavan30013 9 years ago

Hogan Sheffer's first year on the show ATWT was my favorite show on TV. Not soap favorite show. The storylines were well develop, the characters were fleshed out and there was a mix of drama, comedy, etc. However, after that year when he got total control I don't know what happened but the show fell apart.

[–] lferrigon-1 9 years ago

I did not care for the Kasnof family. Cal was nice to Mike and Mark better than their father was and what does Mark do, he betrays Cal by bedding his wife. And Sarah their sister was a hustler. She had good will from Lucinda because of her relationship with her brothers and she used that to cheat Lucinda out of her property.

I had no sympathy for Cal when Connor betrayed him with Mark after Cal pretty much told Caleb to get over it when his slutty wife Julie ( I agree John Dixon's low opinion of her) cheated on him with his brother.

Never cared for Rosanna. She was a typical spoiled, ungrateful brat whose father should have disowned her and not have her in his will which was dumb. He leaves his fortune and company not to his son Peter who helped him run the company but to his ungrateful snot of a daughter who never showed him any respect.

[–] b73142 9 years ago

I liked Mark & Conner at first, but that's b/c I didn't want Mark with Lily. She got everybody and I was tired of it. Besides I didn't think that the actors had any chemistry, but Mark had it with Conner. Then when it started to sink in I didn't like them together b/c I liked Conner with Cal. I remember being happy when they got together. ATWT was always good with the older/younger relationships. Also like you said, Cal treated Mark like a son and he ended up sleeping with his wife. You just don't do something like that. I always wanted to have Conner come back as saying that Mark cheated on her w/a friend of theirs, so she knew what Cal felt like.

I liked Rosanna especially when Cady McClain played her. When Yvonnne Perry came back the 2nd time and was whining about Mike to Carly, I was like get over him. When CM took over the role, of Rosanna, I wanted her to get back at Carly and I liked Carly, but I felt that she deserved something for what she did to Rosanna. Mike was no prize b/c every time he got into a fight with somebody that he was with, he would either sleep with somebody else the next day or the same night. Who wants somebody that thinks so little of your relationship that he would sleep with somebody else with in hours of you breaking up. When MC took over, I couldn't stand Mike. I'm not sure if it was the character of Mike or his portrayal b/c I don't remember disliking Mike so much when SC played him.

[–] b73142 9 years ago

I actually liked the Carly/Emily/Rose story. I kind of liked the friendship that the 3 of them developed. Didn't they used to call themselves the 3 Musketeers? I liked Katie and I liked Simon, but I didn't like them together. I know that wasn't a popular opinion. I also couldn't stand Katie with Mike. I always wondered if the audience was supposed to like Janet b/c she is a character that I could never like or get into. I liked Julie Pinson on DOOL and PC, but not on ATWT.

[–] SoapWatch 8 years ago

Clearly just about any storyline that Jean Passanante wrote was the nail in the coffin for the series. Remember "Cleo and her teeth"? "The Ice Storm in September"? "The Summer Stalker"? The pimping of "Reid" down our throats toward the end of the series when most fans wanted Luke and Noah to ride off into the sunset? Even Van Hansis said he was disappointed that he and Noah didn't get the ending that fans wanted.

I surely do not want to toot any Jean Passanante horns here but not all of her work was bad.

JP was originally hired for the coming out plot of Luke Snyder (freshly hired Van Hansis). She had penned the coming out plot of Bianca Montgomery on AMC and the producers of ATWT wanted the same plot involving a teen male who fans had seen grow up before their eyes.

It was her decision to throw Luke's cousin Jade in the mix which to me was one JP's best additions to the show ... but only when played by Elena Goode

Jade falling for Gwen's boy friend Will was classic soap and I do believe fans loved the triangle JP developed with them.

Paul Ryan (Roger Howarth) befriending Carly's son Parker Munson in secret was one of my favorites of JP's because it showed the warm caring side of Paul that most of us knew from his younger years. JP is currently doing a similar plot on GH with Roger Howarth as Franco befriending Jake Webber.

As for Reid, producer Chris Goutman was in a difficult position. The character Reid had unexpectedly taken off by storm with fans immediately shipping Luke and Reid together mainly due to how great the actor was. While some of us wanted Luke continuing with Noah, many were in an uproar very vocal with wanting Luke and Reid to hook up. I think Goutman realized he had no choice but to kill Reid off at the end in order for Luke and Noah to have the ending the couple deserved ... even though they didn't exactly end up together.

None of that was the fault of JP though at all. Chris Goutman came up with all of that. JP just wrote the plot was all.

I think the bottom line for JP is this: she should stick to writing human emotional plots and stay away from plot driven ones such as psychos, etc.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BrockLong 8 years ago

I think the bottom line for JP is this: she should stick to writing human emotional plots and stay away from plot driven ones such as psychos, etc.

I strongly disagree with your opinion of Passanante. Her work on ATWT was HORRIFIC. To put it kindly, I think her plots butchered this show. Sure, Chris Goutman likely has some dirt on his hands but Passanante deserves a huge helping of the blame being passed around.

I think the bottom line for JP is this: she should stick to writing customer lunch orders at Denny's and stay away from writing for a television show, daytime or night

[–] phoebe723 8 years ago

This is a great thread. I agree with most all of you! I could not stand Mike and Rosanna in the mid 90's! I also liked Melanie Smith's Emily but couldn't stand Kelly Menigan Hensley's version of her.

And while I like Roger Howarth, he was NOT ever Paul to me. Towards the end, the things that bothered me most were firing Scott Bryce as Craig and replacing him with Jon Lindstom. Then not at least getting Martha Byrne to come back for the finale. And finally, where was Emma?! That wasn't right. Oh and yes, couldn't stand Janet and Liberty!!

I loved the show best when the Snyders were introduced. Douglas Marland was a great writer. In fact, I loved the show Mid 80's until around 1993 and then I kinda stopped watching. I picked it back up in 2003 and stayed with it until the end, but sure wasn't the same show.

At least they brought John Dixon back! That was one of the best parts of the finale for sure.

[–] b73142 8 years ago

I am with you about the 3rd Emily. The on!y time that I liked her was when she went up against Sarah Kasnoff. I didn't like that character. I got used to RH playing Paul and thought he did good until close to the end. He didn't seem like he was into the role.

[–] Lokisgodhi 8 years ago

Speaking of Kelly Menigan Hensley's Emily Stewart.

One of the story lines that really annoyed me was Margo Hughes almost pathological harassment of Emily during the last five years of the show. What pissed me off was that SHE had done pretty much the same things she was always after Emily for back it the early '80s. Sure Emily did a bunch of stupid stuff. Margo had done essentially the same things. How about some empathy?

I really disliked the hypocrisy.

[–] alanjobe 8 years ago

Margo always knew how to kiss up to all the right people. She cheated on Tom numerous times and even had another man's child. But she always came out smelling like a rose.

Emily just pissed people off and didn't care about how the upper crust Oakdale society thought of her.

I actually loved it when Tom had the affair with Emily. Daniel was the first child that was both a Hughes and a Lowell, so that made it even more special. I hated that Tom ended up going back to Margo in the end.

[–] dllmb 8 years ago

I hated that Katie didn't end up with Simon at the end and the way they tried to explain it was bad.

The show was already ending and the actor playing Simon came back. It was perfect way to wrap it up but nooooooo.

Lucinda and James being in love.

Billy and Jennifer affair that lead to death of the much more entertaining Bryant.

Having every girlfriend cheat on Ben. That got played out.

Even though the actress did a great job when they turned Julia crazy just so they could justify Carly and Jack.

I miss this show. So much greatness.

I loved the Steve/Craig/Betsy. I started watching because of that storyline.