History of As the World Turns (1971–1975)
Template:ATWT history This article is about the history of As the World Turns (ATWT), the second longest-running American television soap opera.
1990 - 1999
The first few years of the decade would continue to generate decent ratings and critical acclaim, but tragedy was on the horizon. Popular actor Michael David Morrison, who played Caleb Snyder, died of a drug overdose in February 1993, surprising fans and coworkers alike. An even more devastating loss occurred when Douglas Marland unexpectedly died of an abdominal aneurysm in spring 1993. He left a plot outline behind, but falling daytime viewership and tighter budgets made Marland's complex, expansive vision of Oakdale's families increasingly impracticable. The new writers, Richard Backus and Juliet Law Packer, who had been part of Marland's team, were forced to wrap up many of his long-term storylines and to reduce the size of the enormous cast that Marland's byzantine brand of storytelling had required. As a result, the program failed to renew many actors' contracts (most notably key actress Lisa Brown, who had played Lily's birth mother Iva Snyder since 1985). Marland's last outline, however, had called for the introduction of a new blue collar family, the Kasnoffs, and As the World Turns did incorporate this idea (though Marland's planned angle of the Kasnoffs having been abused as children was, for the most part, not explored).
In the mid-1990s, the glory days of the Marland years seemed irrevocably lost, as the remaining Snyders were written out (except for the matriarch, Emma, who stayed around as a sounding-board for new ingenue Rosanna's (Yvonne Perry) problems). A weakness at the time was a protracted storyline where Holden (Jon Hensley) suffered brain damage following a severe beating. Marland wrote the story in 1992 and stated Holden would never get his memory back, because he did not have the usual soap opera "amnesia", he had brain damage. However, the "new Holden" was cold and distant, alienating some of his fans. Martha Byrne (who had left the show in 1989) returned in '93 with a new European corporate tycoon on her arm, Damian Grimaldi (Paolo Seganti). Seganti, a former model, started out slow but gained steam as many in the audience preferred him with Lily after years of lost chances with Holden. Hensley left the series in early 1995 and Lily stayed with Damian until his "death" in a plane crash a year later. With the advent of a new production team in 1997, Holden would return (the new team had him hit his head in a bar fight and regain his lost memories; the audience, in spite of their respect for Marland's memory, happily accepted the return of the "real" Holden), but the family never regained the prominence it had during the Marland years, when Emma and her six children (Seth, Iva, Holden, Caleb, Ellie, and Meg) were such an integral part of the fabric of Oakdale. In later years the main Snyder would become Jack Snyder (Michael Park), a family cousin briefly joined in Oakdale his toxic mother Dolores (Valerie Perrine) and brother Brad (played by 3 actors in less than a year before being shipped off in 1999).
The Marland period truly came to an end with the replacement of longtime Executive Producer Laurence Caso (with whom Marland had stated he enjoyed the most successful working relationship of his career) by John Valente in 1995. Valente's first move was to fire nearly a dozen longtime actors, including such favorites as Scott DeFreitas (Andy Dixon) and Patricia Bruder (Ellen Stewart - a 35-year veteran). The program entered a period of decline and creative crisis under Valente and successive writing teams led briefly by veteran soap scribe Richard Culliton in 1995 and then in 1996 by Stephen Black and Henry Stern (who, although legitimate soap writers in their own right, became infamous due to their previous job as head writers of a pornographic soap opera). Early in this period, Culliton did write one of the more popular and acclaimed stories of the post-Marland era, when Lisa took John Dixon to court due to her wrongful belief that her husband (Eduardo Grimaldi) had died under John's care. The battle banded Kim to her ex-husband John and Bob to his ex-wife Lisa, as well as Margo with her father John and Tom with his mother Lisa, with decades of history being utilized to great effect. John lost his medical license for a time and to get revenge, courted Lisa, then, during their engagement party, sent a taped message dumping her, which embarrassed her in front of the entire town. (John and Lisa later reconciled after he rescued her when she was kidnapped by Martin Chedwyn, who forced her to marry him, and held her captive on his yacht as part of a plot to smuggle assets out of Hong Kong before the changeover in government in [[[1997]].)
As the Valente period progressed, however, most of the show was handed over to new characters, including a physical therapist/terrorist and a shrieking supermodel. Of the slew of new characters created in 1996, only one, Kasnoff family friend and neurosurgeon Ben Harris (Peter Parros) had staying power. Veterans were generally ignored, or given bizarre stories about adultery in treehouses or dealings with neo-Nazi gunrunners. By late 1996 industry reports emerged suggesting that the 40-year old soap was operating without any long-term story projections, and media observers were describing this former Emmy-winning crown jewel of daytime drama as not only the worst daytime soap, but arguably the worst program then being produced in all of American television.
This crisis led to a major behind-the-scenes housecleaning. Procter & Gamble Productions fired its Executive in Charge of Production, Kenneth Fitts, under whose watch most of the deterioration in quality and ratings had occurred, and replaced him with former ABC Daytime executive Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin (known in the daytime industry as "MADD"). Dwyer-Dobbin appointed a number of former ABC daytime professionals to key positions on As the World Turns -- notably former Ryan's Hope and All My Children Executive Producer Felicia Minei Behr as the new Executive Producer. Shortly after Behr's arrival the show shot up in the ratings, but the momentum was short-lived. One of Behr's first moves was to fire Allyson Rice-Taylor, who had played Connor Walsh since 1991, and replace her with former One Life to Live star Susan Batten. Since Connor was not a major character, Behr was unprepared for the wave of outrage which swept through the audience. Connor had a unique position on the canvas in that she was a strong and intelligent businesswoman who was willing to say things most others would not, such as criticizing designated heroine Lily Walsh. After the recast, Connor suddenly spoke with a Southern accent and ignored her company in lieu of dusting the blinds and playing around with her boyfriend, Mark Kasnoff. Statements by MADD and Behr that Batten got the job because they were friendly with her at ABC did not help matters. Fans began sending canned goods to the ATWT studio, complete with notes which read, "CAN HER" (a direction to "the powers that be" to can, or fire, the new actress). Batten was fired within 6 months and Connor and Mark left town, never to be mentioned again. Never before or since in the show's history have fans been so up in arms over a recast. The move began a long pattern of hiring various high-priced talent from ABC and manipulating the canvas of Oakdale in order to give them a new home.
After a confusing murder mystery involving Lily's latest husband, Diego (whom she believed had killed her last husband, Damian), Beverly Hills, 90210 writer Jessica Klein (who had written for ATWT in the mid 80's) was hired as headwriter. Her second tenure proved to be even shorter than her first, due to anti-climactic storylines like Damian returning long enough to shock Lily with the news that he was going into the ministry! Damian would return again 4 years later, long enough to undo the 1997 storyline which had made him a minister. 1997 also brought the return of James Stenbeck, in spite of Marland's concerted efforts in the late 80's to ensure Stenbeck would never return. Stenbeck arrived around the same time as David Allen, a shady DA who was revealed to be Stenbeck and Lucinda Walsh's long-lost son, then a few months later revealed as only Stenbeck's child in yet another rewrite of a rewrite.
In early 1998 Emmy-winning All My Children writer Lorraine Broderick was brought in to write As the World Turns, returning the program to its traditional character-based storytelling and replacing the shallow and simplistic writing of the mid-1990s with more complex storytelling and (as MADD termed it) "operatic" approach to drama. Unfortunately, although the writing and production values had improved to a moderate degree, the problem of endless focus on new characters continued to irritate fans. Elizabeth Hubbard (longtime fan favorite Lucinda Walsh) left the show due to her anger when her character married archenemy Stenbeck. Many of the episodes were handed to new teen characters such as Eddie and Lucinda's newfound niece Georgia, or SORAS victims Katie Peretti and Chris Hughes. Chris would go on to be recast nearly a half-dozen times in only 5 years, with no real luck. Another storyline revolved around vixen Emily breaking up the longtime staid marriage of Tom and Margo Hughes. Emily convinced Margo was sleeping with hunky teenage ward Eddie and even carrying his baby. When Margo miscarried (the child was Tom's) Emily made Tom think Margo had tried to have an abortion. Tom then had to deal with Emily carrying his child (Daniel) while Margo dated Eddie's long-lost father Alec (Michael Woods), then became a suspect in his murder until his ghost led her to the real killer (Georgia, Eddie's girlfriend; Eddie and Georgia married and left town in late 1999). Margo and Tom had a double wedding with Eddie/Georgia, but had few storylines afterwards.
Popular newcomer Daniel Markel, who played Stenbeck's son David Allen, was fired and then several months later the role was recast (with actor Keith Colouris) via explanation of plastic surgery. David then posed as a psychiatrist and caused one heroine, Julia (Annie Parisse), to become hooked on pills and stole another heroine's baby. Almost every storyline on the show revolved around Colouris' character, and when Colouris was fired, he blamed the fans for his departure. Another sign of the aimless nature of the series was the popular vixen Carly Tenney's (Maura West) attempts to keep the money she inherited from her sister Rosanna (Yvonne Perry) due to an agreement between the two that Carly would be given $1 million if she be married to and have a child by any man other than Mike Kasnoff.) In the space of a year, Carly was married to 3 different men, all while pining away for her true love, Holden's cousin Jack Snyder (Michael Park). The storyline didn't make sense, ignoring the term of the agreement that Carly's marriage had to last a year, and introducing a new term to the agreement, that Carly had to give birth before January 1, 1999. In the end, in fact, later writers revealed that none of Carly's three marriages were valid, since she'd been married the whole time to Winston Lowe, a Crime Lord in Hong King who'd blackmailed her three years ago into a wedding she hadn't thought to be valid at the time!
Many storylines under the tenure of Broderick revolved around former stripper Denise Maynard (Cassandra Creech.) Although Denise had behaved in a rude manner (such as greeting a mixed-race woman at the door with a sneering, "hi, yellow!", a slur against biracials) and done horrible things such as selling her baby (to David Allen, who then switched it with Lily's baby which he proceded to raise as his own) her praises were sung by almost all of Oakdale. The father of Denise's baby turned out to be Andy Dixon, which at least gave more attention to veteran characters such as Kim and John. After Lily gave Denise the baby (after she'd been raised by Lily and Holden for a year!) she and Andy proceded to marry so the child would not be taken by social services (even more confusing to viewers was that after Denise reclaimed her child, the baby was recast with a darker-skinned infant, leading many to wonder why Lily and Holden never noticed the baby's race). Andy, with help of his ne'er-do-well father John, then faked paralysis in order to make the marriage last. Those who disliked the story cited the huge amount of conveniences and manipulative writing, while those who liked it cited its large emotional ramifications and excellent use of ATWT's veteran actors. Many fans in the predominantly female viewing audience could not forgive Denise for selling her baby, no matter what the circumstances. Denise and Andy were written out in the 2000-2001 season, amid rumors that Scott Defrietas (Andy) would never return to the program because of a CBS daytime executive (Lucy Johnson) who felt he was not "hunky" enough. Johnson left CBS in 2003, but Andy has yet to reemerge.
Another central character in the late 90's was Molly Conlan (Lesli Kay). Molly and Lily met in prison and Lily let her new friend move into her estate, Fairwinds. Molly reacquainted herself with Lily's then-fiancee, Holden, with whom (in another history rewrite) Molly had had a child at age 16. Molly quickly began stalking Holden and became enormously unpopular with the audience, so much so that viewers were baffled when ATWT made her Carly's cousin and pushed her into a romance with David Allen. Many viewers felt the producers were shoving Molly down their throats for no apparent reason. Further romances included Andy Dixon and then another romp with post-plastic surgery David Allen. Her sex scenes with the new David (Keith Colouris) were considered racy by the relatively tame ATWT's standards, with many viewers atwitter over Kay's past in soft-core pornographic films as well as rumors that Colouris and Kay's scenes were so "real" because they had begun a real-life affair in spite of being married to other people (they divorced their respective spouses in 1999, had a child in 2000 and married in 2003). Colouris was fired when new producers arrived, but yet again Molly was spared the axe, this time starting an affair with Andy's half-brother, Chris Hughes.
After NBC cancelled fellow Procter & Gamble Productions soap Another World in 1999, As the World Turns left its Manhattan studios and moved in to AW's former studios in Brooklyn. Another World stars Lisa Peluso (Lila), Stephen Schnetzer (Cass), Jensen Buchanan (Vicky) and Tom Eplin (Jake) guested on the show soon after AW's finale, but only Eplin stayed around (between 1999 and 2004 Ellen Wheeler (Marley), Anna Stuart (Donna), and Kim Rhodes (Cindy) also made guest appearances). Former Another World executive producer Christopher Goutman became ATWT's executive producer at this time and former Another World writer Leah Laiman became As the World Turns' new head writer. Former Another World sets were also incorporated into As the World Turns, as well as characters from Another World. Some longtime ATWT fans were alienated by what seemed to be an effort to make As the World Turns into Another World. Fans were pleased that Liz Hubbard was rehired, but she continued to have no storyline.
A controversial storyline decision occurred in November 1999, when core AW character Vicky Hudson (Jensen Buchanan) was killed in a plane crash. The producers had never intended for Buchanan's character to become a permanent fixture in Oakdale, but the violent nature of her character's death (she was pregnant with twins who were presumed dead along with her) caused many former AW fans who'd followed the character over to tune out. By the end of the year, the only former AW actor left on ATWT was Tom Eplin who was written out of the storyline in 2002. Eplin would later admit that he'd known all along that he wouldn't last on ATWT since the writers failed to integrate his character into the Oakdale landscape.
Under Laiman, plots became increasingly outlandish — a reflection of the increasing desperation throughout daytime as traditional audience numbers continued to evaporate. Laiman's plot-focused, crisis-du-jour storytelling and uneven attempts at broad humor didn't sit well with some As the World Turns viewers.
Among the rare special episodes which occurred in the 90's were the show's 40th anniversary (which featured some vintage clips), a 1997 tribute for Kathryn Hays' 25th year in Oakdale (a comatose Kim was visited by her long-departed sister Jennifer, played by Gillian Spencer), and a 1998 80th birthday celebration for original cast member Helen Wagner (Nancy). Unfortunately, much of the episode focused on new characters who did not even interact with Nancy, leading to a scene where Nancy's daughter Penny (Rosemary Prinz returning for the first time in a decade) exclaimed, "who ARE these people??"