Ech, it really sucks to be doing the death watch countdown for a second year in a row.
But I can’t make this fact any prettier than it is, so here we are: In approximately 60 days, the final episode of As The World Turns will air.
Over these next two months, I’ll be talking primarily about ATWT as we say goodbye.
Here’s a few quick ATWT-related thoughts:
IT’S ABOUT TIME: Hats off to Time magazine for their profile on the last days of ATWT. They kept the whole aren’t-soaps-filled-with-adultery-and-evil-twins snarkery to a minimum, and actually noted the important things. Like: This is the end of an era (at least, the P&G soap era). There were some bittersweet comments from Kathryn Hays (Kim). All in all, a fitting tribute…..
WTF: ……much more so than the 54 seconds ATWT got at the Daytime Emmys for its 54 years.
MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA: There could be a book written about the questionable story and casting decisions made at ATWT over the last decade or so. But a recent Soap Opera Digest revealed a truly stupendous fact: Martha Byrne (Lily) asked to return to the show – even if only as Rose – and they said no.
Readers, there are no words in the English language that can express the mixture of shock, rage and WTF-ery that knowing that brings out in me! Clearly, someone is holding a grudge. (Wonder who?)
The doctor is in!
THE DOCTOR IS IN: The Reid Oliver storyline is both the best story I’ve seen on ATWT in a while….and also a clear example of what was out of whack in Oakdale.
Reid is such a well-drawn character from day one, and Eric Sheffer Stevens has played the hell out of him (and should be recognized with an Emmy nomination). Reid was a gust of fresh air in the stale, incestuous cesspool that is Oakdale.
I’ve loved the Reid/Luke coupling (sorry, Nukies – no offense) and have really liked the scenes between Stevens and Van Hansis.
Um…when they’re on. Because it seems like at least for a long time, they were on perhaps once a week. Or once every other week.
I’ve had to catch up with their romance on YouTube, because it seemed like every time I watched ATWT, it was Carly, Jack and Janet. I love all three of those characters and actors (yay to Maura West, Michael Park and Julie Pinson for their Emmys) but holy cow, were they overexposed this spring.
But Reid is keeping me tuned in as things wind down. His Gregory House-style awkwardness is endearing, and the fatherly interest Bob Hughes is showing in him is the sort of emotionally real, wonderful moment that I used to love about ATWT (and could count on in the Marland era).
A | THOUSAND | OTHER | WORLDS 
sad, isn’t it? 2 years, 2 soaps to say good-bye to!! i have a bad feeling our days of soap operas are severely limited….
As always, enjoy your posts about ATWT. Have to say, it is hard for me to get into the Reid and Luke story because my mother is a retired nurse executive and hospital administrator, and my brother is on the board of a hospital foundation. The hospital business part of the story is sooooo unrealistic, that I just find myself rolling my eyes and skipping over a lot of the Luke/Reid stuff. From what I have seen, they are a more interesting pairing than Noah and Luke.
What I don’t understand is how Martha Byrne could be told, “You’re not welcome” and Meg is sent away to a mental hospital, while Gabriel, Liberty, Janet (nothing against Julie Pinson, but her character is way too new to be driving story until the end of the show) are still taking up time and space that could be used for veteran actors and characters. Why are new actors being hired? I fear that we’re going to see a very rushed, poorly executed ending.