Wow, what a kick in the gut upon getting the news about the cancellation of ATWT. I am still having a hard time trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Oakdale will be no more - going away like so many other soap towns: Bay City, Monticello, Springfield, Rosehill, Henderson, Woodbridge, Harmony, and Somerset. Why did this happen? Was it the diminishing viewership that did it, or the backstage shenanigans that took too long to start to fix?

I thought there was still time to fix the show and CBS would see that the show was getting better. Viewership takes time to come back, and the word was getting out that things in Oakdale were changing for the positive finally. How many times have I written column after column berating the storytelling or lack thereof? I wanted them to get another reprieve - it didn't happen, and I know I have to live with the decision. However, it hurts when people in this town have been there for me to help me escape from my own life challenges.

So What Happened Here?
For a while now, this show has been on a constant decline, and everyone was talking about it. TPTB knew it and never made any changes to try to rectify the problems until Guiding Light was off the air. So I have to wonder -- was this a sabotage effort to get this show canceled? If a ship is sinking, why wait until it is submerged in the water before trying to rescue it.

As I watched the show this week, all I could think was that it will be going away in September, and how much I hated the thought of it. I also hated when I read what Les Moonves said, "AS THE WORLD TURNS will leave this year... And they're day is over." I don't believe that is true. It could have had many more days if anyone wanted to put as much energy into the saving the show as they put into trying to find a way to cancel it. If the show was as good then as it is now, I am sure the decision might have been different.

Meg and Damian
The world is getting more chaotic for Meg Snyder as she continues to spin out of control. Her entanglement with Damian Grimaldi has not been good for her. I have to say again that the character of Meg has never been more interesting than she is now -- no longer the wallflower. She is giving Damian hell for trying to use her and keep his secret. I know it would not have been as interesting if she had called his bluff and told the truth sooner. Now no one believes her.

Damian is such a liar; he has not really changed much -- he is still the schemer who gets what he wants. He has really set her up well. He should know that Meg is not going to be silenced by having her arrested or committed for her misdeeds. However, her credibility is being questioned by her closest champions, like Holden and Emma. She is a bit off her rocker, and her desperation for this man is driving her crazy.

I have to commend Marie Wilson, as she has never been better than she is right now as Meg. There was a time when she was fast forward material and now when she is on -- she is so unpredictable in her performances that I love to see what she will do next.

Brad and Henry
This ghost story gets wackier each day. Tossing Simon in the mix is adding a much more convoluted dimension to a story that seemed like it was going to be laughable. Well, it is laughable, and in a good way -- all the actors involved have made this death of Brad story work.

When Brad took over Henry's body, Trent Dawson was magnificent as he was Henry trying to be Brad and Henry fighting to get Brad out of his body. Then Henry went to see Katie and it was hilarious as he tried to pretend he was Henry, though it was Brad calling the shots. I actually have been laughing out loud quite a few times when watching this story.

It has been great to have Simon back; he and Katie still have a connection. I am sad that Brad is gone, though if she has to end up with someone, then it should be Simon.

Who is Mick?
What is causing these nosebleeds? What's with the ring with the initials -- JS? His temper and his knowledge of events that he should not know make you wonder. Could he be a younger version of James Stenbeck, or someone that James has working for him?

If anyone can uncover the truth, then it will surely be Barbara. If there is a connection to James Stenbeck, James will definitely reveal himself to Barbara at some point.

Let's see what some readers have to say:

Linda said," I love Tom Pelphrey and to throw my 2 cents in; I would love to see him with Katie. I think that could be some good drama."

Lisa said, "I don't want Carly and Jack to reunite but watching them together is always good."

Mary said, "I always like seeing Nancy and Katie. I'd love to see more of Nancy even if she's just making coffee."

Judy said, "I so love the Jack and Carly slowly finding their way back to each other storyline. But I have two problems with this. The first is I just hope it doesn't take too long for the writers to do this or the fans that have finally tuned back in might just give up on them again and move on. The second problem that I have is I'm afraid the same writers will incorporate a pregnancy storyline for Janet. This will surely drive away some longtime fans of Jack and Carly. Jack has enough kids he doesn't need any more. Knowing Janet though if she does end up pregnant she'll use that information for all it's worth and throw it in Carly's face every chance that she gets. So I hope the writers now that they finally have things going in the right direction don't screw things up and take steps backwards."

Finally, starting in 2010 as we start towards the end of Oakdale, I am going to add a section in each column to talk about some of the most memorable stories and characters from the years I have spent watching ATWT. If any of you wants to share your stories about what first got you interested in Oakdale, please share those stories with me. It would certainly be wonderful if a new home is found for ATWT - I am hoping for the best!

That's all I have for now.
Reggie Jackson