Wednesday, July 18, 2012

50 Greatest Soap Couples: #33 John & Lucinda From AS THE WORLD TURNS

COUPLE: John Dixon & Lucinda Walsh
SHOW: AS THE WORLD TURNS
RANK: 33
PLAYED BY:
John: Larry Bryggman
Lucinda: Elizabeth Hubbard
YEARS: 1984-2010 (Bryggman was off the show from 2004-2010)

STORY:
Cranky doctor John and eccentric businesswoman Lucinda began as rivals for a seat on the hospital board.  Over the next three years they would passionately find reasons to disagree on a number of subjects including "bad influence" Dusty dating Lucinda's daughter, Lily.  In March 1987, the passion moved to the next level in a now famous hot tub scene where John falls in then pulls Lucinda in with him.  The shocking revelation of their marriage stunned poor Emma Snyder as well as the audience.  In the final weeks of AS THE WORLD TURNS, John returned and reunited with Lucinda.

IMPACT:
Bryggman and Hubbard were electric together.  Playing two smart and savvy characters, the actors kept each other on their toes and elevated any scenes they were in.  Knowing it needed a big cliffhanger in 1987 when the show changed time slots (so THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's debut could follow THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS), AS THE WORLD TURNS used John and Lucinda's marriage shocker to try to keep fans tuned in.  And it worked.

This is one of a handful of couples in the countdown matching thespians from our 50 Greatest Actors and Actresses lists.   Bryggman and Hubbard were nominated a combined 17 times for a Daytime Emmy Award for their roles as John and Lucinda, respectively.

Elizabeth Hubbard appears twice in our countdown with a previous appearance for her pairing as THE DOCTORS' Althea with Nick.

From Patrick Erwin (A THOUSAND OTHER WORLDS): A great grown-up romance between two seriously damaged, flawed people with big hearts and even bigger egos! When their paths initially crossed it was genius (as scripted by the late great Douglas Marland) and their reunion was one of the best things at ATWT's end.

CLASSIC CLIPS:
John and Lucinda find Dusty (1984)
John supports Lucinda when Lily's birth mother is revealed (1987)
John figures out Lucinda's secret (1999)
John and Lucinda happily ever after (2010)

Note: You can watch a preview and buy the hot tub episode from 1987 at SoapClassics.com

Share your thoughts on John and Lucinda in our Comments section below or on our message board.

RELATED:
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actors: The Complete List
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actresses: The Complete List
- THE COMPLETE LIST: 25 Biggest Blunders In Daytime Soap Opera History

6 comments:

  1. How wonderful to see John and Lucinda on the list! Elizabeth Hubbard and Larry Bryggman are amazing. It's just a shame that at the end of the show Mr. Bryggman did not have more of a storyline with Elizabeth Hubbard and other actors, instead of basically being a supporting player in the storyline of Goutman's obsession (the doctor character).

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  2. Well deserved! My all-time favourite daytime couple.

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  3. Yeah! Another one of my all time faves! I love finding them on a random Youtube clips.

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  4. I loved those two neither fighting in devious ways...as only John & Lucinda could always trying to "up" one on the other or in passionate embrace. They always shined together on screen. KUDOS!

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  5. What a great acting team Larry Bryggman & Elizabeth Hubbard make--Yay!

    Brian :-)

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  6. I LOVED John and Lucinda...they were such entertainment!

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