One word as to why it worked. BRADFORD!

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Definitely agree with Jenna..Bradford...no matter what shit they gave him (and he got some shit) he made it good and entertaining. I also think Spinelli hit a cord with many viewers because he wasn't your typical soap "hunk" , an everyday geeky guy you wanted to root for and fall in love with because he was excessible. He had depth of character even though you didn't know his family background. Characters like Logan or Cooper even Matt didn't give you that reason to to root for them. I've always been a sucker for the underdog so will stand behind that character no matter what they do. That was Spinelli for me and i believe for many other viewers too.

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I think you both are right. He was the core of it. Plus, Spinelli was always able to be flexible in tone.

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Bradford Anderson has chemistry with just about anyone they paired him up with. His ability to make you laugh or cry is HUGE. Spinelli was an underdog, and many can relate to the heartbreak he went through early on with Lulu, etc. Plus, his tie to Jason- truly, BA and SB had GREAT chemistry, helped. Add in the magic of KS/BA and the star-crossed love of Maxie/Spinelli, and presto, you have what you need for true soap magic. It's a miracle that he survived during the era he arrived. Had this all occurred back in the height of soaps -80s- I truly believe he would have several Emmys by now, and Spinelli would be owning PC.

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Bradford is great and he makes Spinelli come to life. For me, though, I believe that there are more people in the world who feel different than there are cool, popular kids. LOL. Spinelli appeals to that innate part of me who never quite fit in, never dated much in high school, etc. I relate and will always cheer for the underdog.

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I think you make a good point, but I would underscore that the fact that he is able to have chemistry with the men on the show too. The fact that he is able to work off of everyone he comes up against, with very few exceptions, makes him flexible.

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I would definitely agree he works well off of most of the Male characters too..His scenes with Milo were hilarious the other day....When he and Jason Cook were trying to save Maxie and working together, that was even good. He works well with most people on the show. Many would have feared that he wouldn't be able to have good storyline once Steve Burton left the show and given the right material he has been able to totally stand on his own with his own story. I never had a doubt that he could and now the current regime seems to have the confidence too. I really dont miss Steve B. and i think the show has been doing better without him, leaving more room for other stories to be told especially Spinelii.The day he and Maxie discussed their feeling for each other when Ellie overheard got over a 3 million rating...I believe that their story was part of it doing so well...

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He has chemistry with everyone, which would be why I could see no family has been needed (though I still want it), Jason & Sam became his family.

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It's funny when you think about it, Spin and Johnny have outlasted so many yet they were the two younger characters who were originally supposed to have been killed off.

I think one thing that aided both characters greatly is that they were not brought on to be a boyfriend. They eventually found pairings but that was not the main purpose of their creation. I think that allowed them to "play the field" as far as their interactions went, especially with Spinelli, they put him in scenes with everyone! He was allowed to build relationships across the show as opposed to being in one bubble and having nowhere to go once that bubble pops.

Why specifically has Spinelli lasted this long? His portrayer. Something about Bradford resonated with people early on. Spinelli is an acquired taste, in less capable hands, he could have been nothing more than a cartoon, a Screech from Saved By the Bell type. But Bradford brought depth to the character, even at times when it seemed as if he was simply not written to have depth. I have seen on numerous occasions people say that even though they don't like Spinelli, Bradford nailed this scene, nailed that scene. Simply put, the guy delivers.

And of course...people like nerds. People like the underdog. There's nothing entertaining about watching the people who are supposed to win continue to win.

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