Doug Marland's Greatest Work

The Doctors.

and, ultimately, by 'greatest' I mean your favorite -- and why

TIA

ATWT was radiant and memorable.

They got the RADIANT right!

Doug Marland gave the world John Wesley Shipp running around in his Speedo.

I remember that when Elizabeth Hubbard and Larry Larry Bryggman were on the screen, it was like a really good play. They're some of the finest actors around.

Bump

Doug really turned General Hospital around. Wonder what he would have done with the show if he had stayed. His time there was cut short because he quit after Gloria Monty insisted on positioning Luke's rape of Laura as a seduction.

Ditto Guiding Light. He did wonderful things with that show, but I always wonder where he would have taken the show if he had stayed. In that case, he quit in protest of the firing of Jane Elliot as Carrie Todd Marler, just as her split personality storyline was revving up.

In Doug's 1982 Daytime Emmy acceptance speech he thanked Agnes Nixon; likely, he was getting ready to bolt and partner with her on LOVING.

I wish he'd lived and gone to OLTL and especially back to AW. He could have made that show a top 3 show.

The Doug Cummings story featured an Emmy worthy performance by Soap Opera Digest nominee Giulia Pagano as the fabulous Marsha Talbot, my favorite soap villainess of the 1980's next to "Guiding Light's" Susan Piper. I think this was posted on YouTube by Giulia herself....Fantastic actress!

What I loved most about Doug's best work on ATWT was the way he mined the existing history. It started with the Douglas Cummings story, led into the anniversary shows, then the Sabrina story and the return of Susan Stewart, which led to Bob's affair with Susan, and then still later the secret son of Lisa storyline. The stories meant so much more because they were rooted in history we knew and in some cases had seen on screen!

I hadn't watched soap opera prior to 1988, so Oakdale was my only one of his soap towns.

I started that summer with AW (Pete Lemay's new bible). I discovered ATWT one day when I was home, clicking during commercials. There was Barry Kaufman in all his shirtless glory at the OYC. I soon discovered Andy and Paul and Kiddo Kim. I bought a second VCR and watched both for a couple of years, but ultimately, ATWT won. I absolutely loved those gossip-as-recap scenes that started in Act 3 every day, particularly when they took place at the Mona Lisa. I used to wonder how AW would do such scenes at Tops or Ada's cafe.

Talk about someone who died too soon.

R10 They really did their research with Lisa's history. She only came back from "Our Private World" for a brief visit apparently then disappeared, returning according to soap history books as a more glamorous version, giving time for her to have her baby (making the story believable) and regroup before returning for good. Geraldine Fitzgerald originated the role of John Eldredge's mother and when they cast for "As the World Turns", they hired someone (Ann Shropshire) who resembled her. Apparently older actresses like Lois Kibbee, Meg Mundy and the younger Rita Lloyd auditioned for the part. While I would have loved to see Lois Kibbee on another soap, I see by the timeline that she must have been in the early stages of her brain tumor diagnosis at the time and may have wanted the work for insurance. The storyline took place in 1992; Lois passed away in October of 1993. Like Meg Mundy, Ann Shrophsire lived a very long life, 97 when she passed away.

My addition is off today, or maybe I'm going blind. Ann Shropshire was 95. However, in this legacy picture, she really does look a bit like Meg Mundy would later on "All My Children".

I read a story that Doug said he asked Eileen how long it was between Our Private World's finale and her return to ATWT; it was enough time for her to have had a baby.

You didn't have to have seen OPW to appreciate the Scott Eldridge story.

Damn, I miss Doug. He died a week after the 1993 Digest Awards. That was a happy night for him. He won both the Editors' Award, which he'd won in 1986, too, (Genie presented it to him) and the storyline for Margo's HIV rape story.

He called his mother from a pay phone (!) station outside the mens' room. That payphone has long since been removed. I go to the Beverly Hilton for events (rather, I did) and see the space on the wall where that phone used to be.

RIP, Doug.

Bump

Marland repeated his storylines on all the soaps he worked on. He was over rated. He had a couple story tricks but that’s about it. And he made JWS suck his toes. Ewwww.

bumpity

He did great work at GL and ATWT and at GH while he was there.

Something very special to me about the Nola story, though. Other stories he wrote were amazing, but the Nola story was something special.

I agree, R18

Nola was ...unique.

All of Doug's 'have nots' were; Bobbie, Ava, Meg....but there was something so sad about Nola losing herself in fantasies watching her movies; she moved pawns around like chess pieces; 'Gee, Morgan, those flowers Kelly gave you are wilting...I'll throw them out..."

She got away with so much for so long.

I think it was most special because he took Nola from a deeply hated character to the heroine in like a year's time. A very universal theme, showing that we all have the capacity to be the villain and the hero inside of us.

Lisa Brown was terrible as Nola. She repeated her lines she repeated her lines. Annoyed the shit out of me. She was better as Iva but she still had that acting tick of saying her lines twice.

[quote] And he made JWS suck his toes. Ewwww.

Another sign that you really are either mentally disturbed or have severe developmental disabilities.

You clearly do not understand how a foot fetish works.

Original Meg Snyder was an underappreciated character, though by then he'd played out similar stories elsewhere a few times.

Not a fan.

I’m a fan of the Lily paternity reveal. On paper it is so over the top and melodramatic but it just works for me. You can tell the actors were really into it. It is a soap at its soapiest.

r25, I've always thought Lisa Brown was robbed at the Emmys that year because of how beautifully she underplayed (or, really, played the shock and trauma in a very modern, filmic way), which wasn't OTT, and might not be recognized by other actors not nearly as skilled. IIRC, Soap Opera Digest thought she'd finish last.

I remember Marlena Delacroix talking about ATWT then and how it was almost like a good night at the theater during that era. That whole reveal was part of it.

Jane Elliot always talks about how great the role of Carrie was, but I think I'd have to see more of the story together - the YT clips don't show too much. But I'll take her word for it.

I wish we had known what he had in mind for her at ATWT.

Allen Potter ruled the roost at GL!

dcvrfgbtwrg

Jennifer Ashe was wonderful in that role; before the truth about Iva and Lily came out, Meg had just about had enough of Iva's obsession with the rich princess: "Your world revolves around Lily -- mine doesn't!" Meg snarked at her sister.

I didn't care for the Josh/Meg pairing; better to have Josh die after his beats were played.

bump

I thought Judith Clayton went to one of the stations in Pine Valley!

John W Shipp got his career because of Douggie’s toes.

Ha! Marry me, R33!

Jill told me Doug had seen her in a play and recommended her for Judith Clayton.

She interviewed Barbara Ryan on her blossoming fashion career and then was cut throat covering the Douglas Cummings murder trial.

R35 I accept!

Jill is great. I liked her early performances as Opal, although like Marj Dusay as Alex, I think the writers just went over the top with her as time went on.

Jill is a lesbian. Not that it matters.

What I liked best about Marland was the way he slowly introduced the Snyder clan. First Holden, then Emma, then Seth, then Iva, then Meg....always one at a time. Caleb and Ellie were always talked about , but not shown until much later, so it was like we knew them when they finally appeared. And he did all this while not slighting the veterans, like the Hughes family. He also made the pivotal move of turning Barbara from perennial victim to scheming bitch.

He also got rid of dead wood. He saw that Steve and nuBetsy had zero chemistry and split them up, Poor Frank Runyeon went from being the star of the show to just a cast member, then sent off to a Greek prison. And it must have killed him to be replaced in the hero role by on-screen former villain Craig Montgomery.

R38, I think Seth came after Meg; Meg was SO happy when Seth came home. he toiled at the farm from morning till later afternoon and then worked as a host at Mona Lisa.

On his first night, Lucinda can't help but notice yet another Snyder is in her life. Craig says: He's trying to help keep the farm afloat. Lucinda: "Oh, So, it's a floating farm now..."

I may be in the minority on nuBetsy; she was great. Meg Ryan just seemed to giggle a lot. She was just okay.

I think Runyon wanted off the show; sure, the Dobsons wrote better for him and he went off to play Father Michael on Santa Barbara.

Despite all that stunt casting the show had, the budget, Patrick Mulcahey scripts, the show could never really make a dent in the ratings.

RIP poor Michael David Morrison, but Caleb was supposed to be written as some super stud who intimidated Holden.

I remember MDM's Caleb struttin' around trying to act all macho his first few days.

The writers must have seen the shows and went...oh. no. We gotta change this.

The Snyders were just a low rent version of the Frames. Not nearly as nuanced and complex.

R21 Thank you. I was a big fan of the Reardons on GL and I couldn't stand Nola. And I hated the fantasy sequences even more. I liked Tony and Mo and Jim but Nola was annoying. But Lisa Brown as Iva was sublime. Her work on ATWT was incredible.

I would say his best (or most influential work) was the Laura/Scotty/Bobbie and Lesley/David Hamilton/Laura storylines on GH. Those two stories revolutionized how teenaged characters were written, creating a template that’s still being used.

I think in terms of character creation, the Dobsons are unmatched , however-they created the following iconic characters:

-Lesley Webber and Laura Webber, GH

-Alan Spaulding, Amanda Spaulding, Justin Marler, Jackie Marler, Phillip Spaulding, Ross Marler; GL

-James Steinbeck, Dusty Donovan and Margo Hughes, ATWT

The fact that the stories that the Dobsons created in the 70s/early 80s were still impacting these shows 20-30 years later is a testament to their success.

I LOVED his toes.

Marland's Carrie story was the story that hooked me into soaps for the first time. My mother had watched ATWT and GL and I saw an episode here and there before, but the Carrie story was fascinating and Jane Eliot was marvelous. My sister kept saying how she couldn't believe someone so evil on GH could be so good on GL...and then Carrie's alters emerged.

R43 They are all solid characters.

But I also wonder if a lot of that was the fact that the late 70s/early 80s was the peak for soaps.

Because almost every show still has a solid chunk of the characters created at that time driving story.

Pat Falken Smith created the DiMeras AND the Cassadines.

And Kelly's Diner.

She created the Brady fish market which became the Brady Pub.

Stop it! I am just imaging JWS sucking Doug’s toes........

His GL tenure was his golden period.

His ATWT run had way too much "young love," as La Hubbard elegantly said recently.

La Hubbard is a senile old cow now a days. She was, is and will always be a CUNT! 🤭

R49, J'adore La Liz, but I was stunned at her remark -- though actors are never happy.

Lucinda got to roll around in the hay with Craig, the hot tub with John, whom she married; she wore a negligee in a Fashions changing room and made out with JameszStenbeck.

After she and John split, she had a fling with a rugged pilot.

That's hardly nothing.

We saw 30something and older love stories for Tom/Margo, Bob/Kim...Hal/Barbara.

Hell, even Nancy landed herself another husband (Mac) after Chris died. There was plenty of love for the 'older' set.

I am torn on what I thought his best run was; the truth is I loved parts of all of them.

Doug told the mom takes the wrap for a murder to protect her daughter three times.

Lesley lied about killing David Hamilton to save Laura.

Jennifer Richards lied about killing Lucille Wexler to keep Amanda from finding out she was her daughter.

Kim Hughes lied that she'd killed Douglas Cummings to protect Frannie.

Storywise, ATWT was the best; it was the best plotted and paced.

But all three were great.

You can watch his stuff on The Doctors on Roku.

La Hubbard preferred Millie Taggert and Tom King.

That is the thing about the best headwriters. They have three or four go to stories and they just retell them over and over.

Indeed, R55

The Forresters and Logans on BB were very comparable to the Brooks and Fosters on YR.

Personally, I saw similarities between William Grey Espy and Ronn Moss.

Both soaps did date rape trials or acquaintance rape trials, breast cancer.

The 'trick' is to do them well.

which Bill and Doug both did so brilliantly.

I'd rather have outer layers of my skin peeled off than watch B&B. It's just so terrible.

Bill Bell's influence on either show is long gone, sadly.

Bill Bell is long gone. He harassed Miss Brendad Ickson.

R57, BB's had incredible moments; take this one for example; great Patrick Mulcahey dialogue