Another World 50th Anniversary: TV Guide Ads

Over its 35 years on NBC, ANOTHER WORLD was occasionally promoted by the network. Here is a collection of TV Guide print advertisements that appeared during the 1980s and 1990s.

The Passion Never Ends was NBC's tagline for its daytime line-up back in the early 80s. Of the 4 soaps featured in these ads, only one, DAYS OF OUR LIVES is still airing on the network. In fact, DAYS is the last soap standing on the peacock network. AW's heroine Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham) is trapped! She is married to powerful publishing magnate Mac Cory - but pregnant with the child of sexy con-man Mitch Blake (William Gray Espy)!

Apparently things have gone from bad to worse for Rachel as now Mitch has been shot - and she could now be charged with his murder. Spoiler: He didn't die, he just left the show and came back years to be reunited with his teen-age son Matt. Notice Mac Cory's daughter Iris Wheeler (Beverly McKinsey) in the ad for her short-lived spin-off series TEXAS.

Bask in our Afterglow. THE DOCTORS and TEXAS are now gone - replaced by SEARCH FOR TOMORROW (transplanted from CBS) and the early reality show called FANTASY (hosted by the odd trio of Peter Marshall, Leslie Uggams and Glen Scarpelli!). ANOTHER WORLD was deep into the love triangle between Mac Cory's son Sandy (Chris Rich), his wife Blaine Ewing (Laura Malone) and the brilliantly conniving Cecile DePoulignac (Nancy Frangione). It was around this time that Cecile hired Alma Rudder (the chilling Elizabeth Franz), a crazed mountain woman to kidnap and poison Blaine AND to dress up as a giant Raggedy Ann doll and torment poor Blaine. It was pure genius!

Cecile's best friend Donna Love (Anna Stuart) didn't like the fact that her brother Peter (John Hutton) was going to marry the very common Sally Frame (Mary Page Keller), so Donna employed Cecile to break up the romance between them. It worked. :)
Ah, Cecile strikes again! Have I mentioned how she is my all-time favorite AW character? Followed closely by Donna Love. Nancy Frangione and Anna Stuart were incredible whenever they shared screen time. It was always a bitchfest royale!
Here's an odd ad for an Engagement Calendar that also promoted a bizarre storyline involving a killer named "Ross" who did in a bunch of minor characters. Pictured: Donna Love, Catlin Ewing (Thomas Ian Grffith), Kathleen McKinnon (Julie Osburn), Sally Frame, Cecile DePoulignac, Ross (Robert Phalen), Cass Winthrop (Stephen Schnetzer) and Nurse Emily Benson (Alexandra Neil). By the way, I think this was around the time Cecile became the Queen of Tanquir.Sally Frame, who was dumped by Peter Love eventually fell in love with Catlin Ewing. The two became a super-couple and were well on their way to the altar. Unfortunately Catlin's dead wife Brittany Peterson decided to show up. Played by EDGE OF NIGHT's Sharon Gabet - Brittany was left deaf mute after a boating accident. Gabet's performance was amazing.

Catlin was torn between Sally and Brittany. He eventually chose Sally and Brittany ended up with Peter Love! (see above). Unfortunately Peter (now played by Marcus Smythe) evolved into a villain in the tradition of his father Reginald (John Considine) and ended up on the wrong side of Brittany's shotgun.

Fanny Grady aka romance novelist Felicia Gallant (Linda Dano) married Brittany's rescuer Zane Lindquist (Patrick Tovatt) in a lavish ceremony attended by Liberace!
Evil mastermind Carl Hutchins (Charles Keating), ex-husband of Donna Love returned to Bay City to settle and old score with Mac Cory. Along the way he terrorized the hot young lovers Jake McKinnon (Tom Eplin as Kathleen's cousin), Marley Love (Ellen Wheeler as Donna's "sister"), Nancy McGowan (Jane Cameron as Rachel's sister) and Chris Chapin (Don Scardino).

As a result of Carl's machinations, a jar of poisoned dust travelled throughout Bay City killing off some minor characters.

The Sin Stalker came to Bay City and killed off a bunch of beloved minor characters like Maisie the waitress and glamorous architect Quinn Harding (Petronia Paley). Crystal Gayle managed to survive though - and got to perform the new theme song.

One will be betrayed. One will disappear, One will die. Jake and Marley broke up thanks to Marley's twin Victoria; Catlin became a widower when Sally (now played by ALL MY CHILDREN transplant Taylor Miller) was killed by Carl Hutchins; Kathleen disappeared and Cass set to to find her. Carl Hutchins eventually tried to kill her too.

Donna Love (now played by Philece Sampler, who was an amazing Renee DiMera on DAYS) was swept away again by her former stable boy Michael Hudson (Kale Brown)-but an affair with his Viet Nam vet brother John (David Forsyth) put an end to their happiness.

Another serial killer tormented Bay City. I'm not sure if this was Dr. Alan Glaser or Dr. Fax Newman, in fact Dr. Bailey Thompson and Dr. Taylor Benson were also twisted. One raped Sharlene Frame (Anna Holbrook) when she was a child, the other tried to kill her with an exploding boat. Bay City had its share of crazed doctors.

Yay! Cecile's back! The producers would convince Nancy to come back to the show every few years to spice things up- and it always worked. Especially when teamed with Cass Wintrop.

The show celebrated it's 25th Anniversary in style with a week-long reunion party that brought many much-loved characters from the Matthews and Frame family trees. This ad featured hot young super-couple Sam Fowler (Mitch Blake's younger brother, played by Robert Kelker-Kelly) and Amanda Cory (Rachel's daughter, played by Sandra Ferguson).

Two two "hosted" 2 special episodes that examined the changing rules of romance and sex in the 1990s.I'm not sure if this ad in in the right order, but whatever. Here we have Michael Hudson and Donna Love (notice Philece's head on Anna Stuart's body); Lisa Grady (Felicia's neice, played by Joanna Going) and Jamie Frame (Rachel's son, now played by ALL MY CHILDREN vet Larry Lau); and Cheryl McKinnon (Kathleen's baby sister played by Kristen Marie) and my favorite AW hunk ever Scott LaSalle (the son of Reginald Love, played by Hank Cheyne).

The final ad for ANOTHER WORLD - Jake McKinnon is determined to win back Paulina Cory (Mac Cory's daughter, played by the stunning and talented Judi Evans) from Ian Rain (Julian McMahon in his pre-NIP/TUCK days).

CHANGE OF HABIT

Here's a rerun of a post from 2009, celebrating my first viewing of CHANGE OF HABIT!

CHANGE OF HABIT (1969, directed by William Graham) is a movie I've been aware of my entire life, though for some reason I've never seen until now. Me of all people, who loves movies about nuns!

The film starts off promising with a great typeface super-imposed over our three "brides of Christ".
Elvis Presley gets top billing-but he's not the reason I'm watching this.
Yes - the magnificent Mary Tyler Moore, one year before her hit sitcom debuts.
And who else is in this promising little film?
OMG! Barbara McNair - one of my favorite singers of all time!
And introducing future soap diva Jane Elliot! Through the opening title montage (and Elvis song) we see our three sisters transform from wimple-wearing women to stylish young ladies who arrive in some nameless city ghetto and attract much attention from the locals. The men are turned on and the women are jealous.
Meanwhile, Elvis is having a party , surrounded by all sorts of inner-city folk.
But Elvis is not just a handsome singer–he's a doctor at a free clinic!
The free clinic where Sisters Michelle (Mary), Irene (Barbara) and Barbara (Jane) have been assigned to assist Dr. John Carpenter (Elvis) with his busy practice.

At first he thinks all three are there for abortions! He asks them, "All three of you? Just out of curiosity, was it the same guy?"
You see, Dr. Elvis and the local Amy Winehouse lookalikes must not know that they are nuns. These penguins are on an undercover mission!!!
Their new neighbors include two spinsters who are convinced the trio are hookers. They even point out that one is "black as the ace of spades"! Sister Michelle comments that the ladies may be Catholic, but they are not "Christian". Amen, sister.
The trio try to make the most of things while they wait for their furniture to arrive.
The next day, Sister Michelle helps Dr. Elvis with a patient who stutters. Julio also has a fondness for shiny, sharp objects like scissors. Michelle promises to give him extra attention.
Meanwhile at the apartment, Sister Barbara uses her feminine wiles to get some local men to help her carry the furniture into the apartment.
Back at the clinic, Sister Michelle diagnoses a "deaf" girl as autistic, pissing off Dr. Elvis.
The furniture movers get "touchy" with Sister Barbara, but she is saved from a possible gang rape by a mysterious fat white guy named "The Banker".
Returning to the clinic, Dr. Elvis examines a 17-year old Desiree, who complains of a pain in her "left chest".
After work, Dr. Elvis pays the gals a visit and tries to examine Sister Michelle's left chest while she strums his guitar.
He then corners her in the kitchen and is puzzled by her lack of attraction towards him.
The next day, Amanda the autistic girl is back and Dr. Elvis decides it time to cure her. By holding her and telling her that he loves her while Sister Michelle holds her feet.
This scene goes on for about five, long, painful minutes until the girl is screaming and finally "cured". Who knew?
After the miracle cure, Dr. Elvis tries to cure Sister Michelle of her virginity, but she's not having it. Apparently in real life Mary Tyler Moore also turned down Elvis' advances as well.
Meanwhile, Sister Irene has a confrontation with some other African American characters and she tells them "I musta said a million ‘Hail Marys’ to get out of a neighborhood just like this" and then she uses "the N word"!
The next day, Elvis takes Michelle and Autistic Amanda to the park where he spontaneously performs a tune on the Merry-Go-Round. Oh-this is a musical too? Cool.
Then Elvis plays football with Sister Barbara. Must be nice to have a day off! No autism to cure today?
Aren't they the cutest couple?
Back in the ghetto, Sister Irene witnesses a brutal beating. It is revealed that "The Banker" is the crime boss behind it all!!!
The next day, the trio is called into the parish priest's office and they are read the proverbial riot act for living too much like "normal" people. They now must wear their habits in public. Everyone now shows them honor and respect, even the neighborhood sluts.
Sister Barbara uses her new popularity to start a picket of a local grocer who is over-charging customers.
Sister Michelle at last reveals to Dr. Elvis why she is giving him blue balls.
This is a scene that isn't in the film, but is a great publicity shot.
At the food market, Ed Asner shows up. He's not looking for Mary, he's there to eat a banana and hang out with Dr. Elvis.
The next day, the nuns host a carnival in honor of a Puerto Rican saint. Autistic Amanda makes her puppet say "the N word" to visiting Mother Joseph.
Then, Sister Irene incites a riot–exposing "The Banker" as the cause of all the problems the locals are having!
After Officer Ed Asner breaks up the riot, trampy Desiree thanks Sister Michelle for the dress she gave her, even though she altered the hemline a bit.
Then Sister Barbara tells Sister Michelle that she's leaving the nunhood because she could do so much more to fight social injustice as a regular person.
After they hug goodbye, Sister Michelle undresses for bed in front of an open window, as Julio the stuttering scissor collector watches her. OMG-a stalker plotline!!!
Then Julio manages to get into the apartment and attacks Sister Michelle, beginning to undress her and forces himself onto her!!!
Luckily Dr. Elvis is within earshot and he rescues her...and knocks Julio flat on his crazy raping, stuttering ass. Sister Michelle is traumatized.
Time passes and Dr. Elvis goes to visit Sr. Michelle at the convent where he proposes to her.
She turns him down (just like Mary) and basically tells him, she's already married to Christ. Later at church, Elvis performs a rockin' "Let Us Pray" as Desiree debuts her new, conservative look.
Sister Michelle sits in her pew and ponders. Who will it be...Elvis or Jesus? Elvis or Jesus? Elvis or Jesus?
SPOILER: The movie ends without us knowing what her final decision is. I wonder if they shot multiple endings?
I am so glad I finally saw this ridiculous, cheesy but ultimately great film. First of all, it was RATED G and had two attempted rape scenes, "the N word," the words "faggots" and "bitch" plus all that sexual heat between Elvis and Mary. I wonder what the MPAA was really watching that day? Secondly, it's interesting to see "liberated" nuns battling sexism, racism, poverty, intolerance and fighting for social justice. It was certainly a product of its time, but ahead of its time in many ways. I give it a big holy 10 outta 10 because any movie where Elvis assumes nuns want abortions, cures autism, plays football and breaks out into song is totally awesome in my book. It was worth the wait.