Saturday, May 25, 2019

Y&R Report (May 25, 2019): The Latest on The Young and the Restless


Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet. Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance. 

So fans, what do you think of Mark Grossman, the new Adam Newman?  I haven't warmed up to him so far.  I certainly don't like him as much as Justin Hartley or Michael Muhney.  He reminds me too much of a model turned actor.  Maybe he will grow on me.  He hasn't had the role for very long and Muhney and Hartley are hard acts to follow.

Now that Melissa Claire Egan is returning as Chelsea Lawson, other Y&R characters, especially Adam and Nick, will be affected.  Meanwhile, Adam's return will certainly have an tremendous impact on Chelsea.  She doesn't know he's alive yet, so she will be absolutely shocked to find out that he has survived the explosion.  Remember that Chelsea and Adam are still married.  Although Nick was engaged to Chelsea, she took off before they were able to wed (At least she didn't unknowingly commit bigamy).  Chelsea is the love of Adam's life and he wants to be reunited with her and their son, Connor.  That was one of his three demands, along with $500 million dollars and custody of his other son, Christian.

Victor Newman is Adam's strongest supporter even though Adam has behaved like a prodigal son.  There is a lot more to Adam's agenda.  I am very skeptical of him.  I wonder if he really lost his memory and why he was shot. Someone confessed to the shooting but  Police Chief Paul Williams, who doesn't seem so clueless anymore, doesn't believe the case could be solved so easily. It's all very fishy and Adam is so secretive and unpredictable. What is he hiding?  

It seems that Victor wants Adam  to be his heir at Newman Enterprises, even though Victoria is an experienced businesswoman.  She has been much more loyal and devoted.  She deserves the honour more than her wayward younger brother.  Is there some sexism involved on Victor's part because Adam is male?  I don't blame Princess Victoria for being upset. 

It's spring and love must be in the air.  Our Traci Abbott seems to be the latest recipient of Cupid's arrow.  The object of her affections is Cane Ashby.  She is quite smitten with the debonair Aussie, but he doesn't seem to feel the same about her.  Is Traci a victim of unrequited love and will her heart be broken?  Will Cane eventually fall for her once he gets over Lily?  I appears that he only regards Traci as a friend right, but that could change, especially if Lily continues to reject his attempts at reconciliation.

I enjoyed the scene between Lauren and Traci.  Lauren was perceptive enough to remark that if she didn't know better, she'd think Traci was in love.  Those two have quite a history.  Longtime viewers will remember their younger days when Lauren picked on the overweight Traci and tormented her because she was so insecure.  The two seem to have left that all behind and are friendly with each other now.  Lauren, ever the matchmaker, wants Jack to meet someone, especially after his bad experiences with Phyllis and Kerry.  At the moment, I can't think of anyone in Genoa City for Jack to date.  Lauren tried to set him up with a businesswoman named Claire from Chicago.  However, I expect Lauren's matchmaking to backfire on her.

Dina's condition is worsening.  Her children want to send her to a long-term care facility and Ashley is coming home to help deal with the situation.  Dina overheard the plans and is going to resist, but she will inevitably be sent there, unless something happens before she goes.  It looks like Eileen Davidson make another appearance as Ashley.


VIEWER FORUM

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum" in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name. 

My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca

Regular contributor CC in Etobicoke sent me the following email.

Hello Joanne,

As far as I am concerned, if the actor they chose to play Adam (Mark Grossman) is the best they could do, they should have let Adam stay out in the Universe somewhere.  I can feel the cool breeze whenever he is in a scene, both because he doesn't suit the role and his acting skills are limited.  He is definitely not Justin Hartley.

It looks like the storyline is heading in the direction of Adam developing the same disease as his mother Hope.  In today's episode it appeared he was even practising, or is it something sinister that Dr. Nate and referring to?  We know that Victor is behind everything, so what part is he playing in all of this?  If it is the blindness, rearing its ugly head again, isn't this a resurrection of a previous storyline?

Wow!  We are finally see a more grown up Faith who does not seem to be too impressed with her mother and her same old, same old love life.  Life has not been kind to poor Faith when it comes to shenanigans her parents get up to, especially mother Sharon.

Do you think something is going to develop between Lauren and Jack, or is this a tease to distract the viewers?

Kyle and Lola?  Summer will be messing with that for sure.  Hopefully, it will mean the departure of Lola as both the character and the actress haven't got it.  Of course, one can always hope that whatever Summer does to mess up everyone's life is evil enough for her to have to leave town for a long time.

By the way, did you notice that the actor who played Theo in a few scenes looked eerily like the actor who stalked Abby?  He is not the same actor you featured recently who will be taking on the role in a couple of weeks.


Thanks for writing, CC.  You have given me a lot of food for thought and you have raised some very worthwhile questions.  I am not impressed with the new Adam either.  You are right.  He's not Justin Hartley.  However, we are asking him to fill big shoes.  Justin Hartley was so good, he became a big star on prime time television.  If Mark Grossman were as good as Hartley, he'd be a star on prime time too.  Having said that, I think they could have cast a better actor for the part.  To be fair, though, I will give Grossman some time to grow into the role.  I will be pleasantly surprised if he is able to do so.  Sometimes, I think it would have been better if the writers had not brought Adam back from the dead again.  Maybe he's had enough lives.  The fans have been clamouring for his return, though.  Maybe if Mark Grossman becomes unpopular, he'll be replaced by another actor.

The writers have already played the"blindness card" before with Adam.  I don't see that it serves any purpose to have him become blind again.

Yes, I've also noticed that Faith is really growing up.  I don't blame her for being sick and tired of her parents' shenanigans.  She has become cynical at a very young age.  Although she's had all the material advantages of being a Newman, she's had a terrible family life.  Sharon and Nick have had so many different partners and make-ups and break-ups that poor Faith can't keep track of new boyfriends, girlfriends, stepfathers and stepmothers.  Rey is the latest to enter the revolving door.  Who will be nest?  Will it be Nick again or someone else>?  I hope Faith can rise above her miserable childhood and become a better adult then her parents.

It appears that something is brewing between Jack and Lauren because they have certainly been in a lot of scenes together lately.  Jack decided to have dinner with Lauren, rather than call Claire in Chicago.  That's why it doesn't seem like Lauren's matchmaking is only comic release. She and Michael seem so happy together, but that can change rapidly on a soap.  Whatever happens, Michael and Lauren's relationship will be tested as never before.  According to one online spoiler, circumstances will cause Michael to explore his long-buried dark side again.  That may push Lauren in Jack's direction.

Summer may have let Kyle go, but I think she will continue to do everything in her power to break up his relationship with Lola.  In the end, I doubt that K and L will last.  Kyle will move on and Lola will have a broken heart.  Summer, may become involved with Theo, but that still won't stop Snowflake from interfering with Kyle and Lola.  Unlike you, I don't mind Summer and Lola on the show.  Summer stirs things up.  Lola is not a great actress, but she is a great foil for the Snowflake.

In the last edition of Y&R Report, I featured Tyler Johnson, who was reported to have been cast in the role Theo.  I assume that Tyler will be taking over the role soon.  Maybe there was dissatisfaction with the original Theo.  Thanks for bringing this to my attention, CC.

I received some comments from longtime Y&R viewer Fifi in Collingwood, Ontario.  Fifi remarked that Lola's kiss-filled meetings with Kyle at Society, while she is supposed to be working, would never be tolerated at a real restaurant.  It would be considered unprofessional for a chef to do that while on the job. 


CAST NEWS
Eva LaRue joining cast as Rosales mother



With the departure of Arturo and Mia, it looked like Y&R wouldn't be focusing as much on the Rosales clan.  Now we learn  that All My Children favourite, Eva LaRue is joining the cast of The Young and the Restless as Celeste Rosales, the mother of Rey, Arturo and Lola.  I wonder if they are going to use makeup to age Eva because she appears far too young to be the mother of Rey, Arturo and Lola - especially Rey.  Maybe Celeste was just a teenager when she gave birth to her eldest.  Eva was actually born on December 27, 1966, which make makes her 52 years old.  She sure doesn't look her age.

One thing for sure, Mama Rosales will not be pleased about what's happened to her family. It will be interesting to see how she will react to the breakup of Rey's marriage to Mia.  How will she feel about Arturo and Mia having a baby together, her grandchild?  How will she feel about Rey and Sharon?Will she be happy about Lola and Kyle?

Eva is a native of California.  Her ethnic background is Puerto Rican, French, Dutch and Scottish.  After graduating from high school, she launched a career as a model and eventually worked with Frederick's of Hollywood.  She was a co-host on Candid Camera from 1991 to 1992.  She portrayed Dr. Maria Santos Grey on All My Children from 1993 to 1997 and from 2002 to 2005.  She was part of All My Chilren's supercouple, Edmund and Maria.

Eva is scheduled to make her first Y&R appearance on Wednesday June 26 (CBS) and Tuesday, June 25 (Global TV, Canada).

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL


Mark Grossman

Now that we've watched Mark Grossman in the role of Adam Newman, what do you think of his performance?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.


Are you pleased with Mark Grossman's performance as the new Adam?

Yes, I am satisfied that he is doing a good job in the role.
No, I don't think he suits the part of Adam at all.
I need to see more of him in order to make up my mind.
I don't know.
Other
Please Specify:


That's all for now.  Don't forget that the next edition of Y&R will appear in this space on Saturday, June 8, 2019.  


- Joanne

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Y&R Report:(May 11, 2019): The Latest on the Young and the Restless


Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet. Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance. 

Well, we are in the midst of the May sweeps and there's  plenty of change in Genoa City.  Adam is back and we've caught our first glimpse of Mark Grossman, the actor who has taken over the role.  His return will shake up Genoa City to the core and probably spark a custody battle over Christian, who is Adam's biological son.  Victor, of course, is up to his usual shenanigans as are Summer and Phyllis.  The Rosales family will not play as prominent a role on Y&R as both Arturo and Mia are exiting.  Will they go off into the sunset together with a baby on the way?  Will it be Papa Arturo or Uncle Arturo?

There appears to be an attraction between Abby and Dr. Nate.  I wonder what will come of that.  I've wondered when there would be a love interest for Nate.  I thought he might become interested in Elena, especially since they both have medical backgrounds.  However, he seems to be gravitating in Abby's direction.  I haven't ruled out Elena yet, though.

Sharon is playing with fire by trying to help Adam Newman regain his memory and urging him to return to Genoa City.  It's bound to cause trouble for her and Rey,  Speaking of Adam, how did he suddenly become a poker shark named Spider?  He was never shown an interest gambling before.  You can't become a top-notch poker player over night.  I also don't think Adam's story about waking up on a freight train and panhandling is very plausible.

It seems that Paul Williams is not as clueless anymore.  Ever since Doug Davidson resumed his role on Y&R, the Genoa City Police Chief has seemed much more clever.  He even managed to get Mia to admit that she was the one who attacked Lola.  Rey seems to be the one who's clueless now.  Perhaps he's not very smart or maybe he's just so smitten with Sharon that he can't concentrate.  It could be a little of both.

Phyllis is really a piece of work, isn't she?  She urged Summer, her own daughter, to spy on Jabot for her.  She asked Snowflake to put her job at risk  She was willing to throw Summer under a bus if it would help her establish her new business.  Phyllis is just plain selfish.  She puts herself above all others.

Now that Greg Rikaart is returning to Y&R as Kevin, can Judith Chapma, who plays his mother, Gloria, be far behind?  Judith has left General Hospital, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if she comes back to Y&R.  Gloria's former position as Jack's assistant is open again because Ted has been lured away by Ashley and will be working for her in Paris.  Was the timing of Ted' departure coincidental or did it happen so that there would be an opening for Judith Chapman to return.

I wonder if Tessa Porter's going to go along with Ana's idea to give her a new image.  Can you picture Tessa with a different hair colour and more flamboyant clothes?  I also wonder who is sending threatening messages to her and Mariah.  Mariah wasn't very wise to reply to the threatening text message by suggesting they discuss what's bothering him or her.


CAST NEWS

The return of Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea


It's not in the least surprising that Melissa Claire Egan is returning as Chelsea Lawson.  Regular readers will recall what I wrote in the March 30, 2019 edition of Y&R Report:

"It will be fun to see how Y&R's writers explain how Adam survived being trapped in a cabin that Chloe exploded in flames.  They'll find a way, just as they did with J.T.  However, there are still a lot of loose ends.  What about Chelsea, Adam's wife?  She a fugitive on the run with their child, Connor.  Victor Newman certainly hasn't forgotten about his grandson.  Perhaps Melissa Claire Egan will return as Chelsea."

Entertainment Weekly
(EW) has reported that Melissa will begin taping new episodes this month and will be back on screen in the early summer.

New character on Y&R


Tyler Johnson

Theo Vanderway, played by Tyler Johnson has arrived in Genona City soon  Theo is Kyle Abbott's friend, from his days in New York.  He's social media savvy and will be working with Kyle and Summer on social media matters for Jabot.  That means he is likely to become involved in the lives of Lola and Summer.  Theo has already learned that Kyle and Snowflake are not together.  The Kyle/Summer/Lola love triangle could become a quadrangle.  Summer is very much Phyllis' daughter.  She's very manipulative and headstrong .  She'll use Theo to her own advantage.  Lola's dreaming if she thinks the Snowflake is going to just melt away and leave her alone.  As Victor would say, "It ain't gonna happen!"

Tyler Johnson is known for his TV appearances on 30 Rock, What Goes On and Gossip Girl and his film roles in The Haunting of Sharon Tate and The Matchmaker's Playbook.  He has also modelled for Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie and Fitch.


2019 Daytime Emmys

Not a single actor on Y&R won an Emmy.  Nevertheless, the show won the award for Outstanding Daytime Drama.  I enjoyed Shemar Moore's heartfelt tribute to Kristoff St. John and I was pleased that Shemar was the one to present the Outstanding Daytime Drama trophy.  Since Mal Young was Y&R's head writer until recently, he accepted the award.  The situation was very awkward since Mal was let go (although he claims that he chose to leave).  Kelly Joyner wrote in Soap Dirt that "judging by his speech, the former writer producer took total credit for win."

Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby) was not pleased with his ex-boss taking so much credit.  He was very critical of  Mal's behaviour at the Daytime Emmys. Daniel tweeted the following: "A weak & insecure man will always try & make u believe that a team's victory was because of him . . . but a great & honorable man will never be afraid to acknowledge that he was just another . . if not the smallest cog in the wheel!"  Ouch!"


Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL


Melissa Ordway
Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) has not had much luck in the romance department. That's because she's shown poor judgement and has always picked the wrong men.  Now that Arturo and Abby are done, Abby will eventually need an new man in her life. Maybe she'll get it right this time.  I've considered several possibilities for Abby.  I've even thought about that new character, Theo, getting together with her.  What do you think, fans?  Whom should Abby get involved with?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.



Who would make a good romantic partner for Abby?

Dr. Nate Hastings
Theo Vanderway
Devon Hamilton
Fen Baldwin
Cane Ashby
I don't know.
Other
Please Specify:


Readers, I would appreciate your feedback

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum" in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name. 

My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca


That's all for now.  Please remember that next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, May 25, 2019.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers out there.



- Joanne

Monday, May 6, 2019

Brady Bunch episode sparks vaccine controversy


Who would have thought that  a 1969 episode of The Brady Bunch would be at the centre of a vaccine controversy in 2019?  It's happening, though.  The episode in question is entitled "Is There a Doctor in the House?" (Season 1, Episode 13, Air Date: December 26, 1969).  According to National Public Radio NPR), the anti-vaccine movement has been using the episode as an argument against inoculations.   

In the episode, all six Brady children have the measles at the same time.  While sick, they are shown having a great old time staying home from school and colouring each other's spots, while their parents and housekeeper Alice (Ann B. Davis) wait on them hand and foot.  As the siblings happily play a game of Monopoly, the eldest daughter, Marcia (Maureen McCormick). declares, "If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles."  Almost half a century later, anti-vaxxers have publicized Marcia's image in order to promote their anti-inoculation agenda, much to McCormick's consternation.  She is understandably upset that her Marcia Brady character has become an accidental spokesperson for the ant-vaccine movement.

Maureen is perturbed  that her childhood role is being used to spread false information.  She stated the following to NPR: "I think it's really wrong when people use people's images today to promote whatever they want to promote and the person's image they're promoting they haven't asked or they have no idea where they stand on the issue."  She added, "As a mother, my daughter was vaccinated"  She emphasized the The Brady Bunch depiction of the measles was not an accurate portrayal of what it's really like to suffer from the illness."

Lloyd J. Schwartz, the son of the late Brady Bunch creator Sherwood Schwartz (1916-2011) is also dismayed that his father's show is being used to promote their anti-vaccination cause.  The younger Schwartz said, "Dad would be sorry, because he believed in vaccination, had all his kids vaccinated"

I heartily concur with McCormick and Schwartz. Despite what the anti-vaccine movement wants you to believe, childhood diseases are a big deal.  As a child, I contracted red measles and I can assure you that it was no picnic.  Also, cousin of mine was left with a hearing loss after a childhood bout of the mumps.

This is no trivial matter and should not be taken lightly, given the recent rise in cases of measles.  This disease should be eradicated from the face of the earth.  The fact that the disease has reared its ugly head again is testimony to the damage caused by the anti-vaccine movement.  Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, put it this way: "We're dealing with a disease that should have been taken off the table in the 1960, and now in 2019, when we're planning a mission to Mars, we're dealing with it because we're allowing it to be here"

Hare is some evidence about the increase in measles that should be of grave concern:

* There was a notable rise in the number of measles cases in Europe in 2017.  The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there were 21,315 measles cases across the continent.  Of these cases, 35 of them resulted in death.  According to WHO, the outbreaks were sparked by low rates of vaccination and interference of vaccine supplies to low income and marginalized groups.  WHO also reported a "dramatic rise" in the number of measles cases in Europe in the first half of 2018, with the situation most disturbing in Ukraine.  Between January and June, 2018, according to the United Nations health agency, 41,000 children and adults were infected with the highly contagious disease in Europe.  This is far above the number of total cases reported in any other year during the past decade. There were at least 37 European fatalities during those six months.

* According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control  and Prevention, there have been 704 cases of measles reported in the United States so far this year (as of April 25, 2019), the highest number of yearly outbreaks since 1994 - 25 years ago - and the largest number since measles were considered eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.  More than 500 of those 704 infected had not been vaccinated.  This year, cases have been reported in 22 American states.

Sadly measles outbreaks are on the rise again.  For the anti-vaccine movement to use an almost fifty-year-old episode of a fictional  TV series to advance its cause is absolutely unconscionable.  It is shameful.  By the way, that Brady Bunch episode is so outdated that the two doctors made house calls for the Brady kids.  Their mother, Carol Brady (Florence Henderson), called in a female pediatrician for the girls, while their father, Mike Brady (Robert Reed), summoned a male pediatrician for the boys.  Furthermore, it is extremely unlikely that the Brady kids could have been enjoying themselves when the symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, watery, red eyes and a red rash.


SOURCES

https://www.scarymommy.com/marcia-brady-measles/




IMDb.com, Wikipedia


- Joanne 

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Whatever happened to Sally Struthers of All in the Family?



"If all I had ever done was All in the Family, it would have been enough.  To be part of that series is to be part of television history.  It was the series that meant the growing up of television - and it kept us laughing at the same time."

- Sally Struthers
Quoted in The Virginian-Pilot, March 19, 2009 profile by Mal Vincent


"Cute as a button with a petite, porcelain prettiness and vulnerability that endeared her her to the American public."  That's how Gary Brumburgh describes Sally Struthers in an IMDb biography.  Although Sally has been acting for decades, she will always be best known for her portrayal of  Archie Bunker's little girl, Gloria, on All in the Family.  She played Gloria Bunker Stivic on the groundbreaking sitcom from 1971 until 1979 and won two supporting Emmy Awards for her role.

Sally Anne Struthers was born on July 28, 1947 (some sources say 1948) in Portland, Oregon, USA.  She is the daughter of Margaret Caroline (née Jernes) and Dr. Robert Alden Struthers, a surgeon.  Her maternal grandparents were Norwegian immigrants. When Sally was a about about seven or eight years old, her father left the family.  After his departure, Margaret Struthers became depressed.  Still, she went back to work and raised Sally and her older sister, Sue, as a single mother.

Sally graduated from President Ulysses S. Grant High School (known colloquially as Grant High School), a public high school in Portland's Grant Park neighbourhood.  During her four years there, Sally participated in many activities.  She was a cheerleader and she became involved in Grant's theatre program.

Sally's senior class photo, 1965

After high school, Sally moved to Pasadena, California, where she attended Pasadena Playhouse, a college for the theatre arts. She left Pasadena Playhouse in 1967 and began working on commercial acting roles for several years.

In 1967, Sally began appearing on the popular The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  However, in 1969 CBS abruptly cancelled the Smother Brothers show amid censorship issues.  In 1970, Sally appeared as the only chorus girl on The Tim Conway Comedy Hour.  Although she was let go from Conway's show after just six weeks, All in the Family creator Norman Lear had already noticed her on the Smothers Brothers' program.  TRIVIA NOTE: Rob Reiner, who portrayed Gloria's husband, Mike "Meathead" Stivic, was a member of the The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour's writing staff.

While working on The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, Sally landed a small but meaningful role Betty in Five Easy Pieces, the Oscar-nominated 1970 film which starred Jack Nicholson.  She also played the part of Fran Clinton in another movie classic, 1972's The Getaway, starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw.

Soon after her dismissal from Tim Conway's program, Sally Struthers auditioned for a part on a new sitcom called All in the Family.  She was chosen for the part, despite the fact that petite, blue-eyed, blonde Sally did not really resemble her TV parents, Archie and Edith Bunker (Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton).

With her role on All in the Family, Sally skyrocketed to fame.  It changed the face of American television by tackling issues that hadn't been dealt with before on U.S. sitcoms.  The working-class Bunker family, consisted of the conservative, bigoted Archie, his wife, Edith, and their liberal-minded daughter, Gloria and son, Mike.  The family was continually at odds over social values and politics.  As Sally put it, "They were trying to make the point.  And it was to shine a light on racism and bigotry and shine a light on the fact that someone doesn't necessarily have to be wearing a KKK sheet over their head to be a racist, that we can all hate.  It can be a lovable father or husband type."

Mike and Gloria lived with Archie and Edith because Mike was a college student and the couple needed to save money.  Gloria, who worked in a department store, was a 1970s feminist, although the term "women's lib" was used back then.  The show was phenomenally successful and it won numerous awards.  It made the cover of Time magazine and its cast got to meet then-President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn at the White House

In 1975, Sally Struthers almost walked walked off All in the Family due to a much-publicized contract dispute.  She left the show in 1978 when her contract was up.  Rob Reiner left at the same time.  Their characters were written out when Mike and Gloria moved to California with son Joey because Mike obtained a teaching position there.

Sally returned briefly to appear in an episode entitled "California, Here We Are" (Season 9, Episode 1), Air Date: December 17, 1978), in which Mike and Gloria hide the fact that they have separated when Archie and Edith visit them. 

Below is a 1976 promotional photo of the All in the Family cast.  Standing are Sally Struthers (Gloria), Rob Reiner (Mike), seated are Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker) and Jean Stapleton (Edith Bunker), who is holding child who played the Bunkers' grandson Joey.




From 1982 to 1983, Sally starred in her own TV series on CBS, a short-lived spin-off of All in the Family called Gloria.  She portrayed Gloria Stivic as a single mother raising son Joey, played by Christian Jacobs (husband Mike had left her for one of his students and moved to a commune).  Trying to pick up the pieces of her life, Gloria moves Fox Ridge, New York to be closer to her now-widowed father.  She works as an assistant to two veterinarians, played by Burgess Meredith and Jo De Winter.  Rob Reiner never appeared on the show.

On December 18, 1977, Sally married Dr. William C. Rader (born 1938) in a private ceremony with only close friends, family and relatives in attendance. Bill Rader, a psychiatrist, was very ambitious.  He operated two alcoholic rehabilitation clinic, treated eating disorders, prepared "Medpsych" reports for a local ABC station and published Dr. Rader's No Diet Program for Permanent Weight Loss (1981).  He later founded clinics which administered injections of human stem cells to treat a variety of diseases.  He and Sally had one child together, a daughter named Samantha, born May 18, 1979.  Their marriage ended in divorce in 1983.

Dr. William C. Rader




When Samantha was still a baby, Sally stated, "Before I met Bill, I never wanted a baby.  I was always the first one to say that it wasn't going to make me fulfilled, that I didn't need a carbon copy of myself.  Then you fall in love with someone and you want to be the mother of a child that is part of that man, the result of your loving each other."

Sally and daughter Samantha

From 1986 until 1988, Sally starred as clumsy divorcee Marsha McMurray Shrimpton on the sitcom Nine to Five. which was based on the 1980 film of the same name.  She appeared in a 1989 episode of Charles in Charge and 1990 episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Sister Kate.  From 2000 to 2007, Sally had a recurring role on the highly acclaimed Gilmore Girls.  She portrayed Babette Dell, Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) gossipy neighbour.  From 2003 to 2006, Sally also had a recurring role as Louise Miller on the comedy Still Standing.

In the fall of 2016, Sally Netflix's limited revival of Gilmore Girls, entitled Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.  She reprised her role as Babette Dell in the four-episode mini-series, set a decade after the finale of the original series.

Sally as Babette

END NOTES

* Sally's father, Dr. Robert Struthers, died in a car accident circa 1967.  Her mother, Margaret, passed away in 1996.  Margaret was 79 years old at the time of her death and had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.

* Sally Struthers has been the spokesperson for The Christian Children's Fund (renamed ChildFund), a charity whose donors sponsor needy children in developing countries.  She has visited those countries to film public service announcements.  Sally has also been the spokesperson for International Correspondence Schools in television ads.  Her activism has been parodied and satirized on such TV shows as Grey's Anatomy, South Park and In Living Color.

* Sally was a guest on a 1974 episode of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (Season 4, Episode 19).  The episode aired on February 6, 1974 and also featured the Jackson 5 singing "Dancing Machine" and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

* Sally has done a great deal of voice over work.  She used her distinctive pipes to voice Pebbles Flintstones on the animated Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (CBS, 1971-72).  From 1990 to 1991, she provided the voice of Rebecca Cunningham on the animated adventure series TaleSpin. From 1991 to 1994 voiced Charlene Sinclair on the animated family comedy Dinosaurs.

* Through the years, Sally has appeared in a number of television movies.  Her credits include Hey, I'm Alive (1975), Intimate Strangers (1977), My Husband is Missing (1978) , . . .And Your Name is Jonah (1979), A Gun in the House (1981), A Deadly Silence (1989), In the Best Interest of the Children (1992), Becoming Glen (2002) and What I Did for Love (2006)

* Sally's daughter, Dr. Samantha Rader, is a Los Angeles-based psychologist.  In 2001, Samantha graduated with a degree in Cognitive Science from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.  She then earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University.

Dr. Samantha Rader

* In 2002, Sally played the role of Jennifer Smith on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.

* On September 12, 2012, Sally Struthers was arrested for drunk driving in Ogunquit, Maine, where she was appearing in a production of the musical 9 to 5. Sally, a first time offender, denied driving drunk and seemed ready to fight the charge. In fact, she requested a jury trial and a court date was set for September 23, 2013.  However, she decided to  guilty to the lesser charge of driving to endanger.and Maine prosecutors dropped the DUI charge.  She was ordered to pay fines and fees and had her driver's licence suspended for a month.

* Complaints about the effectiveness of Dr. William Rader's stem cell injections led to the revocation of his medical licence in California.  On November 5, 2014, the Medical Board of California formerly revoked Rader's licence on the basis of "negligence, professional misconduct and false or misleading advertising.

More recent photo of Rader

SOURCES

Grant Magazine, "All in the Acting,"  by Toli Tate, April 24, 2017; Fandango, Sally Struthers biography; Married Wicki, 1.55 m. tall American Actress Sally Struthers Was in a Relationship with William C. Rader; Shared A Daughter, September 17,, 2018; The Virginian-Pilot, "Actress Sally Struthers values 'All in the Family' expeirence," by Mal Vincent, March 19, 2009; USA Today, "Sally Struthers makes DUI plea deal in Maine," by Ann Oldenburg, September 6, 2018;  IMDb; Wikipedia


- Joanne