Sunday, March 28, 2010

Original Bible: AS THE EARTH TURNS, Part 6

Irna Phillips created AS THE WORLD TURNS in 1955 and a pilot was shot in November of that year. AS THE WORLD TURNS debuted on April 2, 1956. In Part 1 of the original story bible for the soap, called AS THE EARTH TURNS at that point, some background details on the concept of the show and the locale were provided. In Part 2, the character of Christopher Hughes was described in detail. In Part 3, we found out more about Chris, his family and career. In Part 4, the original vision for the character of Nancy Hughes was explained. In Part 5, the character description for Edith Hughes, who would be played by Ruth Warrick, was revealed. In Part 6 below, we find out more about the character of Fred (Grandpa) Hughes and his grandson, Bobby Hughes.

FRED HUGHES is from the old school of farmers, when farming wasn't the science it is today. He has a great respect for the schools of agriculture which train young men in the science of farming, a great respect for the strides that have been made as man has learned to get the most out of the earth; but he knows the whims of nature. Science has not been able to overcome the floods, the long droughts, the dust storms, the false springs that bring in their wake the icy fingers of winter and the destruction of crops. Fred Hughes has learned to wait, has learned not to question - he has learned to accept. Thruout his life, with its springtimes and its harvests - harvest of one kind of another - he has retained his sense of humor.

In spite of the fact that the land had not always been kind ot him and his family, he didn't want to leave it after his wife died - or even after Edith left. He refused to let himself be uprooted.

As so often happens, what a man has not found in his sons, he sometimes finds in a grandson.

And so we come to the family of Christopher Hughes.

BOBBY, the youngest, is approaching that in-between age - the threshold of adolescence. Unlike his older brother and sister, he has found complete security in his little world. He feels rather than knows the love of his mother and father. Communication between Bobby and his parents is something that just is. Bobby spends his summer holidays at his grandfather's farm and between these two exists a bond that is warm and wonderful.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The next part will focus on the characters of Penny and Don.

1 comment:

  1. This has been great! Chered my mom up, very well done; as someone said should be made in a book. It's also fun watching the clips on youtube seeing ATWT in it's hey day. Started watching with my mom back in the '80's, ATWT & GL were the most watched soaps from 1059 about 1980 had average of 10 million viewers if you can believe that, that was that was when their was only 3 networks.

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