Timmy leaves his Princess.

August 6, 2002 4:41 PM

Timmy leaves his Princess. Josh Ryan Evans, the actor who played Timmy on my favorite soap opera (Passions) died Monday evening from a heart condition.

What's creepy is that the exact same day on the show, his character died.

The producers are editing out anything to do with Timmy, although I really hope that there's a legitimate memorial on the show for the character. He's been the soul of the series, and he simply can't be replaced.

Of course, I expect Tabitha to go full on evil now...
posted by Pinwiz (55 comments total)

I wonder how many people on MetaFilter are going to understand the "Princess" reference. Evans was great on that bizarre soap -- he played an animated doll who came to life and kept getting thrown into clothes dryers, dropped into the surf, mauled by housecats and abused in 100 other ways -- and was pretty good as the young Grinch in the recent Jim Carrey film.

Details are sketchy on his death, but it sounds like he died during some kind of exploratory test to determine the extent of his heart problems. Terrible story.
posted by rcade at 4:49 PM on August 6, 2002

now there's a cultural leap. afternoon soaps and mefi. one would have thunk they were mutually exclusive!
posted by quonsar at 5:00 PM on August 6, 2002

Um...will I be labeled as hard-hearted and cruel for saying that this post is *not* MeFi material? Do I dare to hope that most MeFi'ers are not fans of what has to be the lamest, dorkiest, and most badly-acted soaps ever? (Full disclosure: I watched ten minutes of one episode, shook my head, and turned off the tube.)

Bah. Sorry he's gone, but really, people, Passions? Don't we have fine publications like these for that kind of "news"?
posted by mrmanley at 5:07 PM on August 6, 2002

Must...not...make...dead...midget...joke...
posted by Optamystic at 5:11 PM on August 6, 2002

It is pretty creepy that he died the same day his character died. But then again I like creepy.

Why are they editing him out of future shows? Won't his estate be unable to claim syndication money? Seems kind of jerky.
posted by perplexed at 5:11 PM on August 6, 2002

I guess if we're allowed to memorialize a musician or actor who passes, it's only fair to allow the same treatment for soap actors. But ew, soaps? What quonsar said! Does this mean, as I've sometimes suspected, that many MeFians are unemployed?
posted by Lynsey at 5:13 PM on August 6, 2002

me likes lowbrow.
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:13 PM on August 6, 2002

Didn't know him from Passions, but saw he was on Ally McBeal while I was, um, channel surfing . . .
posted by RunsWithBandageScissors at 5:17 PM on August 6, 2002

There is a certain appeal to soap operas, not to derail this too much. Example: I am gainfully employed, and record Guiding Light every day, watch it on the weekend. I've watched it since 1972 (when I was 12 years old). My mom has watched it since Eisenhower was President. My grandmother listened to it on the radio in the 40's.

So my lowbrow habits span generations. :)

And, they just signed Joan Collins for a six-month run on the show. Hey, some cotton candy for the mind.
posted by ebarker at 5:21 PM on August 6, 2002

Must...not...make...dead...midget...joke...

Where's mathowie when we need him?
posted by eyeballkid at 5:30 PM on August 6, 2002

I'm mildly ashamed that my very first post contains the admission that I've watched All My Children since I was eight. A friend's sister watched it religiously and my mom said I couldn't watch it. Of course, after that I watched it every day. When I'm home sick I still watch it, and on occasion I read the current story online while I have lunch at my desk. Please don't throw rocks at me on my first day here.

A little lowbrow never hurt anyone!
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 5:33 PM on August 6, 2002

You don't have to unemployed and on the couch in the afternoons to enjoy your favorite soap. Thanks to Soapnet, you can watch same day episodes of All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital and Port Charles. Ask you cable system for Soapnet if you don't have it!

For those of you who deign to watch television, the best stuff on in primetime most nights are these shows. You get pretty people, bad lighting, inane dialogue and, if you are not quite up to speed on the action, they take the time to explain it to you many times.

It's summer, you have the choice of this or reality TV...

Oh, too bad about the midget. He was funny on Ally McBeal. I liked when she kept kitting him.

Way to go, Woolcott'sKindredGal!
posted by sciatica at 5:36 PM on August 6, 2002

That should have been, "Ask your cable system".
posted by sciatica at 5:37 PM on August 6, 2002

If his character died on Aug. 5, why is there extra footage of him to edit out of upcoming episodes?
posted by 23skidoo at 5:37 PM on August 6, 2002

Um...will I be labeled as hard-hearted and cruel for saying that this post is *not* MeFi material?

How about "elitist asshole"? If you didn't like it then flip right past. Really, this kind of snobbery has no place here. Lots of people are closet soap opera fans. Yes it's stupidly entertaining, but that doesn't mean it can't be posted on MeFi. And for all you know, this very well could have started a subthread on dwarfism and the correlation to the heart problem.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 5:43 PM on August 6, 2002

Considering Passions, it's pretty likely that the plan was for Timmy to die on Monday and start recovering from his condition on Tuesday. It's that kind of show.

I've been a soap geek since childhood, to the eternal shame of my friends. I keep ABC soaps on during the day while I'm working (home office), and I can sometimes hear my brain cells popping like Rice Krispies in milk. They've all run out of money since the year-long O.J. trial coverage pre-empted soaps and let a bunch of viewers go cold turkey and cure their soap addiction, so they're now a bunch of people crammed into three or four tiny sets making dramatic revalations to each other and exchanging lingering expressions of shock or delight. I don't understand how people can avoid watching them.
posted by rcade at 5:45 PM on August 6, 2002

23 skidoo,

First, he has to appear to other characters as a ghost, then there are the flashbacks and, finally, when his twin comes to town.
posted by sciatica at 5:45 PM on August 6, 2002

I saw him at E3 in Los Angeles, miffed that one of the workers asked him "and how old are you...?" in that talk-down voice, to which he deadpanned "I'm 18"...

I used to be addicted to One Life To Live and All My Children. Dmitiri Merrick rules! </shame>
posted by owillis at 5:52 PM on August 6, 2002

If his character died on Aug. 5, why is there extra footage of him to edit out of upcoming episodes?

Because "dead' characters in soaps often return in later stories. The decision to remove any flashback or previously shot tape is respectful.

I'm not a soap fan. Soaps are a minor part of the story.
posted by effer27 at 5:53 PM on August 6, 2002

Ummm, isn't a little otherworldly how this 20-year-old man had the look of a perfectly normal 8-year-old boy?
posted by baltimore at 5:53 PM on August 6, 2002

*not* MeFi material?

Yeah.. I guess the post should have included a crappy Flash movie to keep you happy.
posted by HTuttle at 6:15 PM on August 6, 2002

Thanks Pinwiz,
I always wondered what was going on when surfing past that soap. That strange intense "kid", the literally unbelievable acting, the cheesy captain video grade special effect, and always the swelling music with the wailing, whining, screeching or pleading for unobtainable forgiveness. I've been grabbed for many a half minute fugue there, paralyzed with only a twitching thumb to save me. Now I can give a name to that experience, Passions.

I'm new to MeFi, and hoping not to gaff on the sacred front page of this most civilized board, when allowed my first post.

So the reaction to this link has me intrigued, I'll be sure watch any pop-culture musings I might otherwise want to blurt out.
posted by gametone at 6:18 PM on August 6, 2002

I do not understand why anyone would watch just trash when earlier in the day they could watch Jerry Springer.
posted by Postroad at 6:21 PM on August 6, 2002

that's so sad, he was so young... he was a good character actor and a very interesting person. from what i've read of him in the past he lived life to the fullest and, dare i say it, with a lot of passion ;-) i wish i'd watched that show more regularly now, he and tabitha were a total scream.
posted by t r a c y at 6:26 PM on August 6, 2002

PWA_BadBoy:

"Elitist asshole?" If being elitist means not liking the pre-processed drool that drones out of the soaps, then elitist I will be.

Do we really want MeFi to be discussion board for People Magazine? If so, let me off now.

Oh, and piss off.
posted by mrmanley at 6:30 PM on August 6, 2002

He died on the same day that Marilyn Monroe died, August 5th.

Does this mean Elton John's got some new songwriting material?

"Goodbye Tiny Tim,
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While acting like a doll...."

(apologies to all)

Its sad. I saw him speak a few times on tv, and he seemed like a really bright and composed guy.

In other news, August 5th was my birthday. So its Marilyn and Josh on one end of the cosmic spectrum, Loni and Me on the other. Freaky.
posted by tittergrrl at 6:38 PM on August 6, 2002

mrmanley,

This was posted by you a while back, Something about cartoons.

How is your adoration of the pre-processed drool that drones out of the Saturday Morning cartoons of old any different from this topic?
posted by sciatica at 6:44 PM on August 6, 2002

Would soaps really be considered pop culture? Not here on MeFi...
posted by Hall at 6:47 PM on August 6, 2002

oh tittergrrl, what have you done?
i'm going to have to listen to something wretched to get that out of my head...
posted by dolface at 7:05 PM on August 6, 2002

If MeFi can handle FPP's about Saturday morning cartoons, British food and Britney frigging Spears flipping off some Mexicans, then it can handle an FPP about an award-winning actor who overcame significant physical adversity to live his dreams who has died -- even if that actor appeared on a :gasp horror shock: soap opera. RIP, Josh. 20 is far too young.

That said, I'm not at all convinced that Passions is a soap opera. I think it may be a covert comedy experiment. There is no way that those outlandish stories are presented without someone's tongue in cheek. A dead woman sitting up in her coffin to damn her tormentors to hell? Oh yeah, that's for real!
posted by Dreama at 7:08 PM on August 6, 2002

re: the charge of elitism.
posted by poseur at 7:22 PM on August 6, 2002

I saw the show a few times. "Timmy" was the best thing about it.
posted by ColdChef at 7:24 PM on August 6, 2002

One day I caught a few minutes of what I guess was Passions. It had Timmy and some witch in the woods. I couldn't figure out what hell was going on. The scene creeped me out for the remainder of the day (and maybe part of the night as well).
posted by gluechunk at 7:36 PM on August 6, 2002

re: the charge of elitism.
I proudly note the fact that more than one of those anti-elitism comments are mine. Viva la Mass Culture! Viva La Shlock! Jerry Springer, WWF, PBS, Opera, and NPR for all!
posted by owillis at 8:05 PM on August 6, 2002

What exactly qualifies to be "mefi material"?
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 8:14 PM on August 6, 2002

In general I dislike soaps but I loved Passions from the first time I saw it, and it won't be the same with Timmy gone from it. I'm not ashamed to admit I'll miss him.

Passions isn't typical soap fare. It has a zombie, a 300-year-old witch, a house that sunk into the fiery depths of hell, a very over the top star crossed romance, and until recently the doll-turned-boy, Timmy. It's all done very subversively and is hard to stop watching once you get the joke, because each plot twist is more ludicrous than the one before it. Pure comedy gold.
posted by contessa at 8:21 PM on August 6, 2002

Geez. MeFi is becoming such a girlzone.
posted by kindall at 8:23 PM on August 6, 2002

I'm not at all convinced that Passions is a soap opera. I think it may be a covert comedy experiment. There is no way that those outlandish stories are presented without someone's tongue in cheek

no way is it meant to be serious the way days of our lives or the young and the restless (gag, and double gag. both of which former roomates were addicted to. living with them was sheer torture. they kept scrapbooks and attended soap convention things) are. the writers are clearly scripting comedy and camp and the actors are allowed to run wild with it. i'm guessing at the outset they realized they'd fail up against established daytime programming and looked for a way to get noticed.

i always took it more in the vain of "dark shadows"... a show that's not categorically a soap, really off-beat with supernatural storylines, yet slotted in the daytime.

the best thing about soaps is they keep a lot of theatre actor's bills paid. if you bother to do any research on any soap you'll find quite a few broadway/theatre performers, some of whom are even tony winners etc. even passions has it's share, including juliet mills who plays tabitha.
posted by t r a c y at 8:30 PM on August 6, 2002

If you believe most soap fans don't see the camp in what they're watching, you also think wrestling fans still think wrestling is real.
posted by owillis at 8:41 PM on August 6, 2002

Geez. MeFi is becoming such a girlzone

so it's preferable for it to be a boyzone...? was it ever solely a boyzone and if so what were the acceptable parameters for conversation... monster truck rallies and boobies...? 8-)

my soap addicted former roommates were all male btw.
posted by t r a c y at 8:50 PM on August 6, 2002

That's too bad, he seemed like a nice person and it would have been interesting to see what else he did in his career. It seems like little people are getting more options in the entertainment industry and he might have made some cool inroads.

Geez. MeFi is becoming such a girlzone

Sorry doooood, but Jimmy Kimmel died in that death match between him and The Bride With White Hair earlier this week :D
posted by zarah at 9:04 PM on August 6, 2002

tittergrrl--

That's interesting. I was born on August 16, the same day as Madonna, the same day the Ramones played their first gig, the day Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best as the Beatles' drummer, and the day Elvis Presley and Robert Johnson died.

Lots of musical history there. Weird how that works out sometimes.
posted by nath at 9:18 PM on August 6, 2002

Geez. MeFi is becoming such a girlzone

so it's preferable for it to be a boyzone...?

I think (hope?) kindall was kidding, t r a c y, and making a (very) dry reference to MeFi's rep in some (many?) circles as a boyzone, as well as the (rather hilarious) over-reaction of some folks to the appearance of a (gasp) soap opera thread on the front page. That's how I (prefer to) read it, anyway. (Oh, and paragraph breaks are almost always unnecessary in front-page posts.)
posted by mediareport at 9:26 PM on August 6, 2002

For those that want to toast the fine actor's passing, one could always brew up a Martimmy...
posted by contessa at 10:29 PM on August 6, 2002

[off topic] tittergrrrl & nath--my b-day is August 1, the same as MTV, Jerry Garcia, and the first official diagnosis of the HIV virus. It's pry just the month or August what makes it so musical.[/off topic]
posted by macadamiaranch at 4:42 AM on August 7, 2002

It has a zombie, a 300-year-old witch, a house that sunk into the fiery depths of hell, a very over the top star crossed romance, and until recently the doll-turned-boy, Timmy.

I am so gonna start watching this show!
posted by Cyrano at 6:22 AM on August 7, 2002

Note to self: cancel planned "In Search Of: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin" post
posted by britain at 6:37 AM on August 7, 2002

I used to be a huuuuuuge "Days of our Lives" fan. From age 12 through 14, I'd tape the show every day and watch it after school. I used to draw up family trees and everything. (I also had no social life during those years.)

I watched the first week of "Passions" three years ago. During that week there was a character who apparently had been a friend of Princess Diana and nearly died in a car accident in the very same tunnel in which Diana had died. That was just too much for me. They also ended one episode with the Sarah McLachlan song "I Will Remember You," which seemed like such a cliche and an attempt by NBC to pander to the WB kids. This was especially offensive because NBC had kicked "Another World" off the air for this schlock. I hated "Passions."

But I hear it's become quite the campy and original show, so obvious it's found its identity.
posted by Tin Man at 6:42 AM on August 7, 2002

may metafilter become a girlzone as soon as possible!!
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:57 AM on August 7, 2002

My favorite part about Timmy was that he always spoke in third person. Anyone else find that strange? (wait nevermind, we are talking about a show where a girl was trapped in hell and hell was in the closet!) Nevermind.

and a girl thread isn't gonna hurt any of us, geez.... :o)
posted by bmxGirl at 8:06 AM on August 7, 2002

(Quietly deletes prospective FPP on drug-soaked debut of Anna Nicole Smith's "reality" show.)

Yeah, you guys, this is Mefi. Is that new web page thingy wack or all that?
posted by sacre_bleu at 12:07 PM on August 7, 2002

(Quietly deletes prospective FPP on drug-soaked debut of Anna Nicole Smith's "reality" show.)

Aw, don't do that. Just make sure the link(s) you post tell why it's an interesting story; the NBC obit Pinwiz posted gave almost no info for non-fans of the show to chew on. Until I got to baltimore's link, I didn't have a clue how unique "Timmy" was. But this thread's still a hoot; I had no idea that daytime soaps had gotten so bizarre.
posted by mediareport at 1:20 PM on August 7, 2002

Was this "Passions" sort of a contemporary "Dark Shadows"?
posted by tomworking at 6:26 PM on August 7, 2002

Note to self: Don't post till you've read all the previous posted comments.
posted by tomworking at 6:27 PM on August 7, 2002

Don't care for soaps, never have, but this actor seemed pretty cool. I caught him on the Ally episodes, and he was quite good. And re: "proper" MeFi FPP -- why the hell not? I'd certainly say that soap operas STEREOTYPES qualify as "pop culture," if not the actual soaps themselves. The whole disease-of-the-week, coma-inducing accidents, bed-swapping, etc, is referenced, ridiculed, and mocked often enough to qualify as "pop."

And, FWIW, my father, who is a retired Air Force colonel, physician, and businessman, has been watching - faithfully - "All My Children" since 1971...it's probably his one true TV passion. If I had a nickel for every time he asked me to hook up his VCR, or check to see if he did it correctly...well, I'd have a few bucks anyway. The VCR is used exclusively to record AMC; he's even managed to get several of his five wives (only one currently, don't worry) hooked on the show. So, while I don't quite understand the appeal of soaps, I'll testify to their power to attract people of all stripes, regardless of whether they are "lowbrow" or not.
posted by davidmsc at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2002