As The World Turns
UPDATE: ATWT's WGA win was for Reid's death & finale episodes!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Many asked over the weekend what episodes did ATWT submit and win for, when we first reported As the World Turns won it’s stunning WGA Award on Saturday night, making it extra special since it is the last time the series will be in the category. Today, On-Air On-Soaps can confirm after speaking with a representative at the Writers Guild of America that in fact, the Daytime Drama nominees have to submit three scripts for judging.
Then, CBS Soaps In Depth today confirmed that ATWT’s submission for their win consisted of two of the scripts focused on Reid’s death and Chris realizing he had the late doctor’s heart, and the third, the finale.
Former ATWT writer David A. Levinson, who accepted the show’s award in Hollywood stated about the finale selection, “It had an ‘Our Town‘ feel to it. We felt that Bob’s retirement was the perfect way to go out. And the soap’s ending was a well-planned and thoughtfully-considered phrase. To have the last words on the show be him saying, ‘Good night’ [was] because [the late] Helen Wagner (Nancy) opened the show with ‘Good morning.'”
Extremely poor judgement by WGA! JP and her team does not deserve any accolade, especially for the horrendous LURE story ending. May be this confirms the extent of homophobia and stupidity existing even among people who are considered to deal with making the right choices and fair judgements.
Thanks so much for the info, Michael. Good to know!
How horrendous that those horrible writers who destroyed the show have been rewarded for that appalling storyline. I watched the show for over forty years and Reid’s death was badly written, pointless and homophobic IMO. The sacrifice of the gay characters in favour of the worthless Chris Hughes proved that the writers had no concept of who the worthwhile and interesting characters were on the show.
The final show was the worst soap finale I’ve ever seen and I’ve probably watched about ten of the soaps’ endings by now.
Ugh. That really depresses me. Writing that sloppy, inconsistent, and offensive should never have been rewarded.
Dear Michael,
Thank you SO much for posting this! You’ve answered a question many of us have been wondering about (even if we were too stunned to email you about it!).
Many people have hypothesized along the way that the ending was plotted to give TPTB a shot at Emmys, and, so it seems at first glance, that they may be right. I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual scripts for these episodes – the “writing” (not the plotting) got more than the usual attention with award submissions in mind.
I think part of the problem with these awards is that inevitably they are taken out of context (I have the same problem with the acting Emmys – how will an actor who is great every day but has no standout episode ever get recognized?). This should not be the daytime drama award for best writing, but rather the “daytime drama award for best writing of a few episodes.”
For anyone parachuting in from outer space to review these episodes knowing only superficial context (Nancy’s history, show ending) then I can see why these episodes would win.
I’ve said before that given the ending (which, obviously, given my screenname, I did not enjoy), I actually adored much of what came out of Luke’s mouth the day of Reid’s death (the script) – I love you and you love me, so many stupid arguments, blaming himself and then correcting himself in Reid’s voice (I actually cheered out loud when he did that!), offering to bring in a specialist like he did for Noah, you’re not going anywhere and neither is your heart. So, on a micro-level, I can objectively see why these episodes would win.
Similarly, we all knew they were going for a poetic, artistic final episode. And so the blatant (and well-publicized) effort to give the finale an “Our Town” feel apparently succeeded. If you watch the episodes without realizing what a major character Luke was, then you probably can’t appreciate the depth of his loss (it would be like..say, Lisa or Emma, not being on the canvas).
Without any knowledge of the show’s history, it’s easy to believe that everyone got their happy ending (the other two submitted episodes notwithstanding) and that the storylines seemingly were (all) neatly wrapped up in pretty bows – i.e., “well planned and thoughtfully considered”.
But short of making the awards judges sit in front of 200 episodes of each show before rendering judgment (a torture I would not wish upon anyone), it seems that the “mis-representative sample” bias will endure.
It just goes to show – you can’t fool all the people all the time, but it’s not so hard to fool some of the people at least some of the time. It’s like why you wear makeup and lose 10 pounds for your high school reunion. A reflection of reality? Not so much.
P.S. Just reread your post. And I see that the phrases “well-planned” and “thoughtfully-considered” came from David Levinson, and not a representative of WGA, and that “thoughtfully-considered” referred specifically to the “final phrase.”
Not to be too cynical, but my response to that is: “DUH!” I started following ATWT again in March after watching off-and-on for 20 to 30-some years. I don’t know when the speculation began, but I have to believe that almost starting from the day the cancellation was announced, fan forums have been dotted with people suggesting “Wouldn’t it be great if Helen Wagner could say the last line – oh, and it should be good night, dear!”
With Helen’s unfortunate passing, the mantle obviously passed to Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays. So to me that final line was no more well-planned and thoughtfully-considered than, say, wearing a raincoat in a raging thunderstorm. Granted, it was sentimentally appreciated, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. But really? How many long-time fans actually DIDN’T anticipate a variation of this as the final line?
As annoyed as I am that they’d win for something as poorly written and disgustingly offensive as Reid’s death, I’m even more flabbergasted by the inclusion of the finale. It was truly one of the worst episodes I’ve ever seen and a horrible way to send out such beloved characters. This is clearly a pity/farewell award than anything based on actual merit. I have no problem with any of the actors getting respect or awards for the number of times they turned the writing into something worth watching, but the majority of the writing team should be ashamed of themselves.
The WGA voters obviously don’t watch the show. They don’t know that the so called family feel of the final episode was only achieved by dragging out people who hadn’t had any screen time for years, or that nothing was done to build up to Reid’s death, so it looked like he died to prop up the vapid relationship of the heterosexual couple. They also didn’t know that Chris and Katie had been slapped together at the last minute, and that their relationship was not developed at all.
It’s sad that Jean Passanante will look at this award, and not the cancellation, as validation that she did good work on ATWT.
It’s sad that Jean Passanante will look at this award, see validation, and ignore or put aside the fans’ outrage. Her interview given here, full of excuses and complete lack of true understanding of what she’d done with the story she told, was appalling. And now I suspect she’ll feel very proud of herself for telling a homophobic gay tragedy story that was senseless, poorly executed, and that I still become angry when I think about nearly six months later. Taking the heart out of a good, unabashedly gay man to give it to straight man, one with a history of being a terrible jerk who sexually harassed women, and violated the trust of family members and friends, so that the straight guy can have a happily straight ever after is so. darn. appalling that it still stuns me. I wonder if I’ll ever get over being offended by it. Putting something out there with that message alone should flush her with shame every time she thinks of it. Let’s not even get into what she did with the character of Luke, leaving the LGBT community with an unhappily ever after vision of the first gay male on daytime. That message is also pretty horrible. Honestly, I can’t even imagine what they were thinking.
Your assessment is dead on. Instead of going for something new and bold and inspiring, she fell back on the old let’s-make-sure-the-pretty-blonde-girl-and-her-boyfriend-get-a-happy-ending storyline.
The tragic gay ending strikes again.
i too am stunned that they won an award for best writing. as lovelure stated they didn’t watch or know the show to award them this for how they ended it. if they did they would of been laughed out of the race with the Chuckles the clown story alone.
The writers never should have won an award for having the gall for letting Reid die and leaving Luke alone to grieve while all the others had their happily ever after.They gave us the LuRe storyline and then destroyed it after we fell in love with these wonderful men and were so happy to see Luke with a man he loved and who loved and appreciated him.I will never forgive them for the horrendus ending.As a long time ATWT viewer I loved Luke and Reid and their story.It was my favorite of all time , but not the tragic ending.No, no, no! And as far as the storyline of Chris getting Reids heart, that made me sick to my stomach.The whole Chris and Katie story had no substance at all.That was no love story whereas Luke and Reid was.These writers started out with some good ideas, but they had no clue how to follow through.If anyone deserves an award it should be Van Hansis for his wonderful acting when Reid died…the writers might have created Luke and Reid but Van and Eric made them real.No other actors could have done it better ,but you writers screwed up and dropped the ball!
I agree that the only person deserving of an award in all of this mess is Van Hansis for his performance of grief. Something I never wanted to be the last visions I had of Luke, but he definitely knocked it out of the park.
Like everyone before me I am stunned they won for these episodes. The Luke and Reid love story was what they should have won for. Not Reid’s death, which was contrived and plot driven. Luke and Reid were sacrificed for Katie and Chris, who barely even had a story. So the writers will now be justified in writing a crappy ending to a wonderful show, and for sacrificing the gay couple for the straight one.
My GF and me are so glad that we have completely stopped watching American Soaps. This award decided by AWG is a thorough mockery of faithful viewership and travisty of justice. I wish we had never started watching ATWT in the January of 2010. We still do not understand the senseless LURE ending. JP and CG may have friends in high places and win all the awards they want. We have only one question for them. How would they feel if the person they loved the most on this earth was squashed by a train and they had to authorize the donation of the organs of their beloved in a situation where vultures were all around them coaxing them vehemently to sign the legal papers. If JP and CG cou
You are so right when you say the LuRe ending was sensless.I will never understand it if i live to be 100.(and I’ll probably still be devastated by the death of Reid and Luke shocked and destroyed)I would have loved to remember this show that I watched for so many years with a smile, but now i can’t and never will.The Luke and Reid story was wonderful, but the writers destroyed what they created.The only award they deserve is one for stupidity And once again I’ll say, Van deserves an award for his acting.He could have been given a script from The Barney Show and he would have made it look good!
Wow. I’m terribly offended that they would be rewarded for that homophobic, offensive, and wretched ending. It actually enrages me to the extent that I have a hard time expressing it. I’ve been waiting for karma to take these people down a peg for doing this horrible thing to their audience, and instead they get a reward? Ugh.
Don’t worry, Karma will definitely bite CG, JP, TPTB, and whoever scripted the out and out homphobic ending of LURE; where they sacrificed a golden super-gay couple (LURE) to give the pathetic and thoroughly mismatched straight couple (Katie and Chris) a happy ending. The day Karma rages its fury especially on the frighteningly ugly and stupid, JP, that day will be a day of celebration with champagne.
Just goes to show what nonsense these awards are much of the time, when the voters are judging only a few episodes completely out of context. The end of ATWT was offensive and unsatisfying on so many levels. Hell, the last year of the show was! They wasted our time with the unending captivity of Babs and Chuckles, Janet’s mob ex, etc., etc. — and Helen Wagner/Nancy Hughes’s death got ONE episode. Appalling. And don’t get me started on Luke being the only character not to get a happy ending. The staggering homophobia in ending with Reid dead, Luke grieving and Noah bereft and leaving Oakdale just astounds me. The ending of the Luke/Reid love story is one of the most disappointing endings of any TV show I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched a lot. It’s unforgivable. (Which I realize sounds melodramatic and over the top, but that’s how I — and many other fans — feel.)
I have to say that I completely agree. These people make their living by making us feel things that are “melodramatic and over the top”, and therefore, they should very much wish to satisfy us. We’re their bread and butter. And yet they’ve so offended me that if I ever hear the names Lucky Gold, Jean Passanante, or Chris Goutman in association with any media of any type, I absolutely will not trust my “melodramatic and over the top” emotions to them, and I suspect many betrayed fans feel the same way. Sadly, we’re apparently far too much in the minority for it to really matter, but it should.
They really turned me off daytime soaps, and you know what? Soaps need us. Aside from changing lifestyles and a different TV landscape, this is why soaps are dying: unsatisfying storytelling. Supercouples nowdays are toxic messes (Jack and Carly are a prime example). Whatever happened to the old-fashioned romance and adventure I grew up on? Maybe it’s just rose-coloured glasses, and soaps have always had their crazy storylines, but I rooted for the characters. Who was rooting for self-involved jerk Chris Hughes? Gosh, so glad he got his sunset ending. (And of course, in the finale he was busy complaining about the medication he had to take due to his new heart! Selfish, entitled and whiny to the very end.)
Don’t ever be sad of being in the minority. The human spirit is amazing. One person can make a world of a difference. So can the tiniest of minorities. Luke and Reid are proof of that. There were so many characters on ATWT in its 54 year history. Yet, just two characters, Luke and Reid, touched the viewers and fans worldwide as never before seen in soap history. These gay characters transcended all viewers irrespective of sexual orientation. My GF and me are straight, but never has a love story touched us like the way LURE did.
I watched this soap for most of it’s 54 years and I’ve said many times that i had many favorites through the years, but none touched me like the story of Luke and Reid .I really feel betrayed by the writers.They gave us a couple like no other and when we loved them, they desroyed them and the fans.So sad.My heart is still broken and always will be . And the story of Katie and Chris made no sense…that was no love story and yet they got a happily ever after while Luke was devastated once again.but this time he lost the love of his life.And this is what i’ll remember.
The testament of this show’s writing is here… we’re still talking about it so it must have had an impact. That’s what writing — good or bad — is all about.
When As The World Turns writers began congratulating each other Saturday evening via Twitter after winning the best writing award at the Writers Guild of America awards ceremony, I have to admit that I felt waves of both happiness and bitterness. Happy because the writers of my favorite show were recognized for their talent and bitter because such a great show – one that means so much to millions of fans – is no longer on the air.
I must also acknowledge that I have launched many tirades in the past about the writing on my beloved show; but I have also often stated time and again that even at its worst, World Turns was better than the others. This is a show that didn’t just focus on the rich and famous, but showcased characters that each one of us could relate to in some way. This is a show that didn’t rely on gimmicks, teen exploitation or the supernatural; instead it focused on family, relationships and everyday people who could have been our best friends or relatives. That’s why World Turns won the best writing award from their peers at the Writers Guild. It is also why this show should not have been canceled.
As a professional writer, I know how tough it is to churn out copy under deadline pressure, but to do it practically 52 weeks a year while fending off criticism from fans, the network, the production company, the producers and the actors is an amazing feat. Fans don’t really understand the pressure these writers are under because all we want, after all, is a good show. That’s what these writers delivered to us most of the time. And that’s why I want to take time to recognize them by name.
Congratulations to: Susan Dansby, Lucky Gold, Janet Iacobuzio, Penelope Koechl, David Kreizman, Leah Laiman, David A. Levinson, Leslie Nipkow, Jean Passanante, Gordon Rayfield, David Smilow; CBS
You do us proud!!
Visit the (unofficial) fansite on facebook: WorldTurnsTv.com
Or on Twitter: WorldTurnsTV
Visit the website: http://www.worldturnstv.com
WorldTurnsTV: Your statement
This is a show that didn’t just focus on the rich and famous, but showcased characters that each one of us could relate to in some way. This is a show that didn’t rely on gimmicks, teen exploitation or the supernatural; instead it focused on family, relationships and everyday people who could have been our best friends or relatives.
Is completely absurd. Thia show is an epitome of out and out discrimation and 100% homophobia. The LURE gay supercouple was destroyed to give the shitty pair of Katie and Chris a haapy ending. Many among the viewers and fans of ATWT identified with Luke and Reid. But the show sold this fan base out. A million times shame on the wrtiters and producers for their homophobia.
It is extremely extremely heartening to know that ATWT is off the air. If ATWT was half as good as what you say it was, it would never have been rejected by the audience and ultimately being cancelled. The rejection of ATWT by viewers worl-wide is testament that it was the worst soap towards the end of its tenue on screen. The testimonies presented here are in support of a few characters (overwhelmingly about Luke and Reid), and definitely no one else associated with the show, especially the writers.
Didn’t rely on gimmicks? Mick Dante. Chuckles. Ghost Brad and Henry. Hmmm.
Yes, writing isn’t it easy. But that’s their job. They chose it.
The people who really deserve the kudos are the actors who somehow made something out of nothing.
Let me get this straight.
You’re sitting here typing ad nauseum about two characters from a show that was cancelled SIX MONTHS ago and you’re saying they, and the show, had no relevance to you or others posting here?
If you ask me, your comment is absurd, not mine.
I am neither gay nor lesbian, but I was able to relate to this couple’s love story in a way I did not relate to others. Their love story transcended homosexuality as well as the typical way gay relationships are shown in the media. We owe that to the writers.
The fact is, the characters of Luke and Reid and much of their dialogue were really, really good. We owe that to the writers. Another fact is these two characters were created by writers… the same people you now castigate while sitting behind a computer keyboard.
I’m not a writer for As The World Turns, but I can appreciate what they do. Is every story line, every piece of dialogue, every plot twist, every story arc a homerun??? No! But I can appreciate what was good about the show, and I am also fair and balanced enough to say what went wrong.
And that’s all I am going to state. Go in peace.
True, the writers gave us the story of Luke and Reid but it wasn’t so much the writing that made us fall in love with them it was the chemistry between Eric and Van, the looks, the smiles , the speaking without words.To kill off half of such a beloved couple and to leave Luke grieving and destroyed is why the writers don’t deserve an award.They made us fall in love with their creation of LuRe(and we did love them and still do) then they destroyed what they created and gave everybody else a happily ever after but Luke and Reid.To me that is not good writing to leave the fans totally destroyed when this show of 54 years was going off forever!!!
If Barbara talking to a clown for three weeks, the uunending nuances of Janet, the constant cheating and break-ups going on among almost every couple, not to mention the embezellings of the likes of Craig is good story telling and plots; then it remains to be seen what mediocre and bad writing is. Just to clarify, my GF and me are straight, but we were mesmerized by the LURE story until the horrible ending. If the writers knew that they had created two characters that enthralled the masses. then it is even more difficult to comprehend why they destroyed their own creation. How could it justified that the love of someone’s life is squashed by a train and the very next instant that individual is literally coaxed by almost everyone in authorizing donation of the beloved’s organs. And, why was every straight couple given a happy ending while the three gay characters relegated to getting killed, left devastated, or sent packing.
But the issue here is that they won an award not for the Luke/Reid love story, but for the homophobic tragic death, and that? That was crap. I don’t care how hard writing its, or how they did a great job bringing us this love story; they junked it all in the end in a way that was so offensive that it will forever taint what they brought to us and taint them as writers. So, yeah, they brought us something good, and if they’d given them award for that then I’d understand. But they got an award for what was, in the end, clumsy, awful, terribly executed, and homophobic.
The fact is these writers did not create Reid. David Kreizman did. Then he left, and it appeared that JP and her gang really didn’t know what to do with him and Luke. The writing for everyone was lackluster. Don’t even get me started on the writing for Carly and Jack. I have said it before elsewhere: The only thing that saved the show and kept me watching was its phenomenal cast.
I cannot believe that JP and her minions actually won for that “can you write better than a fifth grader?” tripe. Yes, a fifth grader could write better than that. I’m not saying that writing is easy; I have been a writer and an editor. However, the last couple of months of the show were beyond ridiculous. The Reid/Luke storyline completely morphed into the Katie/Chris zippo-chemistry storyline with Reid and Luke being the props for that slapped together couple. Katie and Chris, if they had to exist at all, should have been props for Reid and Luke.
The stupidity of the ending left me slapping my forehead. Wow. A train runs into a car stalled on the tracks, but the passenger survives. I know I’m supposed to suspend belief when I watch daytime drama, but I will not suspend my intellect. The writing was cliche, laughable and an abomination. Reid being alive after the crash – impossible. Reid’s organs usable? Don’t think so. Internal injuries and all that, but let’s not let logic get in the way of a contrived ending. It would be an understatement to say there were as many holes in Reid’s death as there are in Swiss cheese. And please, no one send me to Oakdale Memorial if I am awake and suffering life-threatening injuries, because all the doctors will do is stand there and watch me die.
The last day also was horrid. Everyone happy but the poor gay boy with his boyfriend dead. Can someone say homophobia? The spinning globe actually was hilarious. I knew that was coming.
The writers achieved a few things: I ended up hating the Hughes family. I ended up loving all the crazy Snyders, just because I hated the Hugheses. I realized that the matriarch of the show, Nancy, was just a blip on the radar, to again prop up the Chris/Katie pairing. And I realized that these writers aren’t good enough to wipe the dog-do off the late Douglas Marland’s shoes.
I don’t know who was smoking what when they gave these writers an award, but they really need an intervention.
I was mad about the ending.
And I didn’t even like LuRe (who. btw. are being called a supercouple a lot here. Um. This is the first soap I’ve watched where a ‘supercouple’ was toted as one and hadn’t even lasted a year. amazing!)
I thought it was insulting. The Nuke vs LuRe battles grew nastier than a custody battle. Nuke fans had relationship history and actual soap conflict on their side whereas LuRe had character interaction and a soapy hate into love relationship. Ultimately, the writers had to make a choice.
And it was clear to us atwt fans that Luke wanted to be with Reid.
So why didn’t they do that? Even as a person who thought LuRe was all talk, no bite, I didn’t get that. I was very confused why they built up Luke and Reid’s chapter in Luke’s story up for nine months, only to kill off a character so brilliantly played by ESS.
But homophobic?
Please.
I remember reading an interview with Van where he almost seemed hurt by those allegations. He knows the people behind the scenes and he mentioned he couldn’t imagine them sitting around and trying to think of the worst possible ending for the gays. I don’t speak for him but you can read it yourselves. These are by the way, the same writers that created three of the least stereo-typical gay men we’ve seen on daytime television. Television period for that matter. They wrote in the first gay male kiss, the first consummation (even if it was offscreen) and when the pretty much wrote Noah off; instead of pushing Luke off the canvas as well, gave him another love interest.
Brad was killed off a mere 10 months before the show was done. They didn’t reunite Lilden. Carjack were angst city until they said “I do.” Hell, Janet and Jack had a pretty devoted fanbase themselves. While the timing is ridiculous, I can’t bring myself to call the show homophobic. There are a LOT of pissed off fans. I think why we see LuRe fans everywhere, dominating this thread and so forth, is not because they were the most popular couple of all time but because the majority of them don’t understand how it works on soaps. Granted that’s not the case with everyone but I’ve seen a surprising trend. Luke and Reid had a good run. They even pushed aside the extremely popular ship Nuke because it was so well received. Their relationships focus on love in Reids last day had more airtime than Nancy.
Luke himself, a gay character, had a large focus on him the last days. He was surrounded by friends and family and the devastation of losing an almost lover was portrayed as heart breaking (as it was). The fact that he was grieving over his MALE partner wasn’t portrayed as wrong.
To me, this really seems like LuRe fans wanting to validate that their heartbreak over their couple not working out was more wrong than other devoted fans of the show (and I’m not talking only Nuke). When I first heard about it, the thought drifted through my mind. But as a lifelong gay supporter, it would feel wrong for me to focus on ATWT as homophobic when it’s the real homophobes that we should be preaching to. They brought us Luke and Noah and yes, REID. The last scenes we got from Luke was even though he was heart broken, he was STRONG. He would survive. Maybe or maybe not have a future with Noah but he would make it. Because even though he’s gay, he could love. And be loved back. Gay and all. The show never said love between two men was wrong. It did say though, that it could be as strong as any other straight couple you see walking down the street. That’s not homophobic to me.
Some good points, but overall, I disagree with your assessment, especially Luke being surrounded by family and friends in the last days. On the the very last day, the only person that showed him any consideration was his little sister, Natalie. Lily and Holden weren’t there (and we did get the hint that they would likely reunite, so that’s another point in which I disagree with you). Reid and Luke weren’t the main reason that Nancy’s death was overshadowed – it was Chris and Katie. Even on the day of the memorial, Chris’s and Katie’s rushed relationship was pimped. Chris and Katie basically took over the show until the end.
To say that Lure fans think they were the best couple of all time is ridiculous. That may be true for some of the viewers that came to ATWT in the last year or so, but I have watched the show for years, and I can name numerous couples that were popular or so-called supercouples: Nancy and Chris, Betsy and Steve, Barbara and Gunnar, the early days of Margo and Tom, the early days of Lily and Holden and so on. I personally loved Simon and Katie, and I did love Reid and Luke. However, the greateast supercouple in my estimation in soaps wasn’t even on ATWT. It was Luke and Laura on GH. Practically everyone was glued to the TV on the day they got married. Even if you didn’t watch GH, you knew who Luke and Laura were.
I have to say that to suggest that homophobia didn’t play a part in what happened to the three gay characters is naive. The last day of the show we had scenes of all these happy little couples and then cut to the gay LEGACY character and he is staring at a photo of the man he loved with only his little sister to comfort him. Reid is dead, in the most cliche and ridiculous way, and Noah is alone, but he did get a tiny bit of happiness because he was going to get to live his dream of becoming a producer.
I don’t remember Van expressing being upset about accusations of homophobia, and I read many things about Van. Maybe I missed that one, but I do remember Van, Terri and Colleen saying they were shocked (Colleen tweeted about it) about killing off Reid, especially by train. (The only thing missing from that was a damsel in distress tied to the tracks and an evil man in a top hat with a handlebar mustache grinning like a madman.)
Yes, Nuke had history, but there were a lot of gimmicky storylines involving them – the Z twins and Ameera, for instance. SLs are supposed to be character-driven (that was why the show was so successful under Marland’s direction – it was character-driven) and soapy as you mentioned Reid’s and Luke’s was.
If you don’t buy homophobia, then at the very least, I would think you could buy the fact that these writers had no clue how to write gay characters, without gimmicks (like the Z twins with Nuke or a cliche train crash with Lure).
My GF and me are straight. But, to us the ATWT ending appeared 100% homopphobic. Every straight couple (including cheaters, liars, porn stars, criminals, swindlers, money embezzlers, clowns, clown talkers, cougars, multiple partner swappers) were given a happy ending including the worst ever pair in soap history (Katie and Chris). And! the three gay characters were ruthlessly destroyed (one literally murdered, the most lovable character on the show left to a life of perpetual pain, suffering, and misery; and the third one who was almost reduced to non-existent on the show sent packaging). The message that ATWT sent in the end was out and out homophobic. If an individual is straight, everything under the sun is forgiven, no how badly a life is lived. But, if you are gay, you are doomed forever, no matter how qualified, and good way of life you lead. A million times shame for such out and out discrimination, even if it is pure fiction.
The entire last 9 months of ATWT was a mess. A total mess. Instead of refocusing the show, we got newbies. NuLiberty, NuFaith, Reid, Tom Pelphry. Who chewed up airtime.
The Reke, that’s Luke and Noah’s Dr. Storyline was a massive fail. Why? Because they didn’t do anything. Reid stared, Luke followed him around. Boring mess. Reid was manipulative and condescending, and in the end…a rebound.
The one good thing was setting Luke and his FIRST CHOICE Noah, back on the road towards each other.
Nuke wins.
As The World Turns
ATWT Alum Martha Byrne Pays Tribute to Eileen Fulton: “The Original Soap Star Who Paved the Way for the Likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans”
Tributes and remembrances are pouring in for the the late Eileen Fulton, who passed away on July 14th at the age of 91. Fulton broke the soap opera mold back in the early 60’s when she was cast to play Lisa Miller on As the World Turns, who would turn out to be the first villiainess, vixen, and homewrecker of daytime television.
Fans of the soap loved to love to hate her for how she destroyed many lives in her quests to nab a husband; especially one she had set her sights set on. In fact, Lisa was married 8 times during the history of the show. Fulton was with ATWT on and off until the final year of the show in 2010.
Martha Byrne, who has been Fulton’s castmate for a time (Bryne played Lily Snyder from 1985 to 1989 and then again from 1993-2008 where she also played Rose D’Angelo), took to her account on x to share her thoughts on what Eileen meant to the genre, and also spoke on how Fulton handled not being as front and center on the soap operas as the years went by.
Photo: JPI
“What can I say about Eileen Fulton. The original soap star who paved the road for the likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans,” began Bryne. “Since Eileen started on ATWT when the show was live, there aren’t enough pieces of history for us to truly grasp the enormity of her stardom and presence in the entertainment business. I remember being so impressed that she was a writer. The best part was she would use real stories from behind the scenes and change the names. Maybe that was her way of giving the audience a wink to include them even more.”
Photo: CBS
Bryne went to share, “She (Eileen) loved her fans and she had many. I went to her one woman shows and the place was always packed. As the years went on and her role wasn’t as prominent as it had been she took it with class. I never heard her complain as many did who were frustrated they didn’t have a storyline. She was always a class act and a true pro who knew a storyline or another opportunity was only around the corner. She knew her value and was secure in herself. A national treasure who shaped the entire industry. Thank you Eileen. I’m sure there was a pink feather boa waiting for you just inside the pearly gates.”
So, what did you think about the sentiments shared by Martha on the legendary Eileen Fulton? Would you agree, as we have previously noted, that Lisa as played by Eileen, was really the prototype for all soap opera “bad girls” to follow? Did you appreciate the fact that while having a more diminished role over the last few decades of ATWT, Eileen took it in stride? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
What can I say about Eileen Fulton. The original soap star who paved the road for the likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans. Since Eileen started on ATWT when the show was live there aren’t enough pieces of history for us to truly grasp the enormity of her stardom and presence… pic.twitter.com/bN3skb2Rws
— Martha Byrne (@MarthaByrne10) July 20, 2025
The iconic Eileen Fulton, who was daytime’s first bad girl as Lisa Miller on As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. According to the obituary on her passing, Fulton died earlier this week on July 14th in Asheville, North Carolina, after a period of declining health.
Fulton was born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville on September 13, 1933. After studying acting in New York City, she changed her name to Eileen Fulton, when in 1960 she was cast in the film, Girl of the Night, co-starring with Anne Francis.
Eileen would change the face of daytime drama when in 1960 she was cast as the disruptor to the family dynamic, Lisa Miller, on the CBS soap opera. Throughout her ATWT run, the character of Lisa would eventually be married eight times to: Bob Hughes (1960–1964), John Eldridge (1965–1967), Michael Shea (1969–1970), Grant Coleman (1975–1979) ,Whit McColl (1982–1984), Earl Mitchell (1986–1987), Eduardo Grimaldi (1994–1995), and Martin Chedwyn (1996).
Photo: CBS
ATWT historians know that Lisa’s full name by the time the series went off the air in 2010 was: Lisa Miller Hughes Eldridge Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi Chedwyn. Fulton played the role with only brief interruptions until the show was cancelled that year making her one of the longest-running tenured soap opera actors in US history. Other performers who took on the role of Lisa in Fulton’s absence included: Jane Powell, Maeve McGuire, Pamela King, Betsy Von Furstenberg, Lynn Rogers and Carmen Duncan.
Throughout her time on ATWT, it was Fulton’s eagerness to play Lisa as a villainess that contributed to the character’s popularity and therefore its longevity. She was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In addition, in 1988, Fulton received her first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.
The legendary star was also infamous for the grandmother clause she inserted into her contract that guaranteed she would never have to play a grandmother on the soap. In an interview with the LA Times in 2000 she shared, “At that time, grandmothers had no romance at all – and I wasn’t about to let that happen to me.” At some point, this all changed and she became OK with the idea of grandmother-hood. At one point, ATWT fans were so angry at the manipulative villainess played by Fulton that she had to employ a bodyguard to protect her.
Photo: CBS
When Futon stepped away from the show, at one point, she left to star in ATWT”s 1965 spinoff Our Private World, which aired Wednesday and Friday nights on CBS. In the story, Lisa had fled Oakdale after dumping Bob to move to Chicago, where she wed the wealthy John Eldridge (Nicolas Coster, who later would play Eduardo Grimaldi). Our Private World was canceled after four months on the air, and Fulton went back to As the World Turns in 1966.
When Eileen received her Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, she was part of a group of actors who also received the honor that year including: her ATWT co-stars, Don Hastings and Helen Wagner, plus Ruth Warrick, Frances Reid, John Clarke, Ray MacDonnell, Don Hastings, Jeanne Cooper, and Rachel Ames.
Photo: JPI
For a time early in her career, Fulton not only was appearing in As The World Turns, which at that time was broadcast live, she was simultaneously appearing on Broadway in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and off-Broadway in the long-running musical The Fantasticks.
Fulton performed her cabaret act for many years in venues around New York and Los Angeles. In 1970, she co-authored her first autobiography, How My World Turns. In 1995 she co-authored a second autobiography, As My World Still Turns, to celebrate her 35th anniversary on As the World Turns. She also authored a series of mystery novels. In 2019, Eileen retired from show business and moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Photo: JPI
She is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty (Karen) of Black Mountain; niece Katherine Morris (David) and their children, Everly Ann Morris and Easton Lane Morris of Fort Mill, S.C.; and sister-in-law Chris Page McLarty of Camden, Maine. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, James Fulton McLarty.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Eileen Fulton via the comment section below, but first check out this classic early scene from ATWT featuring Fulton as Lisa, and the 2004 Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award presentation.
As The World Turns
ATWT Alum Tala Ashe Scores Tony Award Nomination; OLTL Alum Jonathan Groff and ‘Glee’ Favorite Darren Criss Also Receive Nods
Nominations for the 78th annual Tony Awards were announced Thursday morning honoring the best in the recent Broadway season.
The awards will be presented on June 8th live from Radio City Music Hall live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner for The Color Purple, hosting the show.
While musicals Buena Vista Social Club, Maybe Happy Ending and Death Becomes Her topped the nominations with 10 each, the list of Hollywood names and former soap opera alums who will be part of Broadway’s bigges makes it interesting drama for Broadway’s biggest nights.
Photo: JPI
In addition, there were big time snubs including: Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal and Kieran Culkin, who failed to make the nominations list, while other big names including: George Clooney are in the running.
Soap fans should take note that Tala Ashe (ex-Ameera Ali-Aziz, As the World Turns – 2007) scored her first-ever Tony nomination in the Best Featured Actress in a play category for her performance in English. The play takes place in an Iranian classroom where four adult students and their teacher leapfrog through a linguistic playground, this is a funny, stunning triumph about the universal foibles of language and miscommunication.
Photo: JPI
On As the World Turns, Ashe’s Ameera became involved with Luke and Noah, after she fled Iraq when her mother died, after her protector, Noah’s father, the Colonel, was reassigned and imprisoned. Once in Oakdale, when he heard her sad story, Noah (Jake Silbermann) agreed to a marriage of convenience, upsetting then boyfriend Luke Snyder (Van Hansis).
Once again, Tony Award winner, Jonathan Groff (ex-Henry Mackler, One Life to Live -2007) had scored another nomination. This year for his star turn as Bobby Darin in the new musical, Just in Time. Groff is competing in the category alongside former Glee star, Darren Criss, who is nominated for his work as a retired robot in Maybe Happy Ending.
Photo: JPI
Interestingly enough, Jeb Brown who is nominated in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Dead Outlaw, was formerly the bandmate of Beyond the Gates and General Hospital star, Jon Lindstrom.
Audra McDonald made Tony history scoring her record-setting 11th overall nomination, this year for her starring role in the musical revival of Gypsy. However, she will face-off with former Pussycat Dolls singer, Nicole Scherzinger, who plays Norma Desmond in the latest adaption of Sunset Boulevard, where she is getting all the raves this Broadway season.
Photo: JPI
You can check out the full 78th annual Tony Award nominations here.
So, remember Tala from ATWT as Ameera? Jonathan from OLTL as Henry? Who do you think should take home a Tony Award next month in the Big Apple? Comment below.
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