Plots Guide for As the World Turns: 1970-1980
Formatting for daytime serials changed during the 1970′s as the former 1/2 hour slot expanded to 1 full hour. More people than ever were turning into see the exploits of vixen’s Lisa Miller and Barbara Ryan, the villainous and devious theatrics of James Stenbeck and the playboy antics of John Dixon and Craig Montgomery. Through out the years several movie stars have come from the story lines of As the World Turns, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ms. Marisa Tome, and Ms. Julianne Moore to name a few.
For fans there is no other delightful story line than to have the evil rantings of James Stenbeck cause trouble for wife (and several times former-wive) Barbara Ryan and son Paul. During his various absences, Craig Montgomery and Lucinda Walsh have tried on their evil hats, but no one can match the twisted complex plans of Stenbeck. Creating depth of character and a sympathetic sinister bad guy is a soap opera staple. Not always easy to do with dedicated audiences. They want consistency and surprises, the character of James Stenbeck has managed to provide such a loyalty. Just when its truly believable that love has changed him, James strikes in humorous and clever ways.