7 replies to this topic

[Errol]

'All My Children' Left Fighting After 39 Years

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) -- On January 5, 1970, a little town in Pennsylvania rose from beneath Earth's soil and came to be known as Pine Valley. This town has been home to the greatest dame in daytime and the most qualified doctor in his field. Here's a warm welcome to 39 years later for actors Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) and Ray McDonald (Dr. Joe Martin).

[Read More]

---

Discuss article below...

[smadleyb]

wow... 40% paycut... I don't know what to say

I know costs have to come down in line with ratings and revenues but you'd think there'd be some allowances for the hallmark characters and actors who've been with the show from the beginning. Kudos to Lucci though for taking one for the team - lets just hope it pays off in the long run.

[SteveFrame]

In honor of AMC's 30 years, SoapsWEB is doing an AMC Best of the Best. check it out:

http://s15.zetaboard...opic/6600782/1/

Would love to have all of you participate. You can PM your answers to me here at SON too. The results will be posted on SoapsWEB in February.

[David_Vickers]

Nice to see La Lucci, Ray MacDonnell & Michael E. Knight are team players. It's such a shame that DAYS didn't give Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn the chance to take 40% pay cuts at DAYS instead of firing them. Ken Corday needs his butt handed to him wih Hall & Hogestyn being rehired with the money it takes to pay this sorry excuse for a daytime exec.


BTW, It's Ray MacDonnell, NOT Ray McDonald, as Joe Martin. A big slap in the face to a daytime legend imho. Could you please correct his name in the story. Thanks.

[smadleyb]

Nice to see La Lucci, Ray MacDonnell & Michael E. Knight are team players. It's such a shame that DAYS didn't give Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn the chance to take 40% pay cuts at DAYS instead of firing them. Ken Corday needs his butt handed to him wih Hall & Hogestyn being rehired with the money it takes to pay this sorry excuse for a daytime exec.


BTW, It's Ray MacDonnell, NOT Ray McDonald, as Joe Martin. A big slap in the face to a daytime legend imho. Could you please correct his name in the story. Thanks.

I wonder if their salaries were so high that a 40% cut wouldn't do much good or if the network wanted to cut the biggest stars to prove a point and/or put the notion into everyone else's head that there would be no room for negotiation with contracts?

[LoyaltoAMC]

It's difficult to believe Ray MacDonnell's salary was so high. He's been appearing in only a handful of episodes per month for years now, so it's hard to believe that his contract didn't already contain minimal guarantees. P.S., every article I've seen about this misspells his name as "McDonald." Don't these media outlets employ fact checkers?

Edited by LoyaltoAMC, 09 January 2009 - 06:00 PM.

[smadleyb]

It's difficult to believe Ray MacDonnell's salary was so high. He's been appearing in only a handful of episodes per month for years now, so it's hard to believe that his contract didn't already contain minimal guarantees. P.S., every article I've seen about this misspells his name as "McDonald." Don't these media outlets employ fact checkers?

Oh I'm sorry, I meant that with Dee and Drake - maybe their salaries were so high that a 40% cut wouldn't have made a difference in the end and they felt it was better to let them go (or could have been a firm stand on TPTB's part to make this pre-emptive strike at the biggest stars to let the rest of the cast know there will be no negotiating pay cuts).

Don't these media outlets employ fact checkers?

nah, budget cuts cost them those long ago

[Errol]

It's difficult to believe Ray MacDonnell's salary was so high. He's been appearing in only a handful of episodes per month for years now, so it's hard to believe that his contract didn't already contain minimal guarantees. P.S., every article I've seen about this misspells his name as "McDonald." Don't these media outlets employ fact checkers?

You are right. My apologies. I wrote the article way past my bedtime and that mistake missed me. I have since made corrections.