KMan101

Yep. I've always adored Brooke and Erica's relationship and rivalry. It was fun watching them fight over Dimitri for a hot second in 1999. Janet and Erica's strange friendship always amused me, honestly. You could tell Mattson and Lucci enjoyed each other.

Thank god. Chanel is stunning. Why the [!@#$%^&*] is she being wasted on Tripp and Claire. LOL, they really couldn't make St. Lukes look a little more like a church and less like a closet? But at least they tried I suppose. It's so nice to see the Carvers. One of the only good things Ron has done is care about Abe and building up the Carvers.

Even though it's not good buzz surrounding the show, they could get some traction out of it. I do think they may try to salvage it, as they develop something else of course. Who knows? Will be interesting to see where this goes. I think they need to pull the plug but they also need a replacement.

Gladys is fun. I actually want them to do more with her. LOL. She's far more interesting than half the cast. I agree with @FrenchBug82 I've wanted Skye to see Valentin. And boom, right on cue, Nina shows up at Phyllis' and Lenny's bar. So it begins. LOL. Can they not with the "is it true or not" [!@#$%^&*] with Finn/Chase. I like the Cyrus twist but at the same time I hate it. It feels like they're leaving it open to backtrack on it. Brando and Sasha are ok. They're both just unnecessary. I almost like them more than Michael and Willow at this point though. LOL. Not a high bar, mind you. They still feel disposable (Sasha more-so, but you know GH likes to kill young dudes after a few years LOL).

Ah, makes sense now. I'm kinda glad they dropped it, on some level, but on the other hand, Barr deserved the meaty material it could have given her. Maybe it could have given Brooke a new life and not be treated as an extra a few years later ... lol

As someone who is currently binging some classic 80s GH on youtube, 1984 seems like a steep decline from 1980-1983. I about died seeing how blunt they were about Don Stewart leaving. It's spot on. They were clearly on the quest for "hot and young" and I'm assuming they thought they could kill two birds with one stone by snagging Richard Van Vleet as Ed (making Ed more of a mix of Mike and Ed). On the other hand though, wasn't Stewart all pissy about being paired with ladies of his own age instead of younger? But still, I believe they probably pushed him out. Makes me really scratch my head why they dumped Tom O'Rourke as Justin (was it to push "hot new Jim Reardon"?).

It wouldn't surprise me at all if they catered to the male lead and got rid of the "girl who causes trouble". How many times have we heard that? I still fume about Ellen Holly's OLTL dismissal. And even in recent years, I'd argue Sarah Joy Brown received that treatment. All the women Phelps drove off GH ... We have lost so many great actresses for mediocre male co-stars. It's such a good movie and always read closer as accurate than fiction, lol, but it blurred the lines really nicely and made it funny.

LOL if all three of them were pregnant at the same time. I'm tired of baby stories but I'd watch that. I feel like they could kill Abby off in child birth and give the baby to Devon and Mariah to raise together. Boom, done. Ashley gets a grandchild to replace Abby and Mariah and Devon get a Newman/Abbott/Chancellor/etc. spawn to raise. Just a thought. LOL. Everyone wins. I do think Abby is recastable but I almost feel like they've given up. Reminds me a bit of Jennifer on ATWT. Elena isn't pregnant yet? I'm shocked they didn't go there. Guess they decided the bland blonde gets to give birth. Aren't Elena and Nate basically extras at this point? It's ridiculous and insulting. CK would never play that. It's not a bad discussion to have but they never would even though they should. It's sad our first thought is "they never would". When they USED to. And it was often addressed in different ways so they COULD do it. They just don't bother or care. Or are told not to. I was watching some AMC from 1988 and it's really quite brilliant how they tackle HIV/AIDs (and addressed the fear and asked hard questions). You'd never see something like that today.

Ah, thank you! I'm terrible with that stuff LOL.

lol thank you! THIS. However it's so bizarre to hear of a new soap in development. Yes, it's the UK of course, but still. Sigh. How nice.

I feel like both Arianne Zucker and Linsey Godfrey have come alive playing Kristen in a mask as their character. At least the Nicole one was better. Not a high bar, mind you. The DiMera set looks like the Kiriakis set just flipped. I thought it would be different but it's not bad. At least it's updated. A tad generic but it works. It's better than the closet they were using. I appreciate any effort to update the sets. It's just kinda "flip this, reuse that" ... I kinda miss real true set design. But then I remind myself of the no budget and I'll take it.

I do think characters need to be rested. I also think many of the older vets by the 90s were run through the gamut, so I get it. But you transition them to supporting. Unfortunately, budgets, and so many other things, dictate what goes on. I do think AMC tried it's best to hold onto many of them. And as much I detest her, Megan did bring back Tom, Mark, Benny, Livia, Mimi, Barbara, Janet (at least it was nice seeing Kate Collins have fun collecting a check), etc. (the writing was awful but still) and proved almost instantly how easy it was to re-insert them (even if some of them were visits). By that point, certain characters would be a little harder but still doable if the actors were available (and likely some weren't even if they were interested). I also wonder if they were ever blocked from using someone on a more regular basis. Probably. I always low-key hated Skye was on GH for so long when I felt she should have been on AMC. Even if I liked her chemistry with a lot of the GH cast. In the 90s you had SUCH a diverse and great slate of characters (men, women, of color, sexuality, even if they were just talk-tos). It hurts to see the show by 98. God bless them for trying to recapture it in 99/00, but then it went to hell again in 01. Julie seemed like a big missed opportunity later on. Also agreed most of them all aged very nicely. Mark LaMura looked FINE in 2005. Kathleen Noone looked AMAZING in that Hallmark Home & Family reunion thing years ago (2010? 2011?). There has to be something about living in the north LOL. Almost all of the vets from say ATWT aged like fine wine too. It bothers me so many great actors aren't on my screen everyday. I really missed Donna and Ellen in the later years. Sigh. I agree that focus groups aren't the worst idea, if, like you said, were filled with fans and media. But I guess that's what social media does now. Yikes. LOL. EDIT: I also think Washam made an excellent point in that interview that it was different in which they were a group, TOGETHER, at the studio, writing and collaborating. And it shows on-screen. Nowadays, writers aren't even together. And it shows on-screen. Zoom sessions aren't the same.

Being too skittish to tackle these topics IS (another aspect) what has helped kill these shows. You can tackle "hot topics" in ways that aren't even noticeable to the casual eye. It's just about making the effort. When they try it's shot down. CBS and NBC seem to have ... diversity problems. Which, considering the toxic environments we've heard about there, this is really no surprise. I still think a certain man at Sony isn't called out enough ... interesting how he's over both Y&R and Days. Just saying. Although Days, SADLY, does better, so ... CBS? I'm also tired of them catering to a very very small section of the audience who just happens to be loud on Facebook. I was thrilled Paulina called out the lack of the diversity in Salem. SHE'S RIGHT. I knew a certain section of the so called audience would flip out and right on cue ... they also showed themselves when Deidre poosted a photo of herself with Jackee, which was likely deliberate so they'd show their asses and was likely in support of her. And may I remind everyone, Leo on DAYS played by Rikaart, was "too gay" for executives. I'm just saying. There's a big problem in daytime. They have no idea what they want to be and they're too afraid to be anything but what they think "we" want. They have no clue. There's also another section of the audience of all the soaps that seem unwilling or unable to call out bad crap that these shows shove out to us. It's that they're afraid to be critical because that somehow means they'll cancel the show (or they just don't care). Oh, and of course there's the even smaller section that only watches for a couple or a character and flips out when they aren't the focus, taking it out on everyone else who dares get airtime or comes back to the show (Franco stans are showing their asses on social media). And finally, there's the other group that seems to want a Hallmark movie and they don't seem to have any idea how a soap opera works. They just want couples holding hands. And then when you call them out for it, they get defensive and totally move the goalpost. They're trying to cater to all of these and failing. If they even try at all. It's time to just ... write. Frankly, with such mismanagement, it's actually amazing we even have four soaps left.

I'd prefer Lulu to be blonde but I guess Linsey can always dye her hair again. I could see her as Lulu or Serena. Didn't mean to quote myself but I wanted to add I'd probably keep Serena away from town. Scott's kids all die. LOL. It's so not funny but it's true. All three of his retcon kids were killed off. Serena needs to be untouchable. Though she does need to be in town, especially now. Scott has lost Karen, Logan, Lee, Gail and the retcon freak.

I could really use a break from Snarly.

I agree with you on seeing how she was on-screen. Others on social media noticed it too. As someone who has struggled, I really wish her the best. I still was a bit surprised to hear she exited but I probably shouldn't have been. And even looking at the canvas, Sarah's options were very limited. Brad's probably already had his people call her people. LOL. She'll be dead again in a year, you know it. LOL. I wouldn't mind though if she's well enough and wants to go back. Makes me think back and wish Bobbie Eakes came back as someone named Stacy. LOL. But that ship long sailed.

Exactly, all of those women should have been staples until the end. I adored all of the vast array of different women on AMC. I was so fascinated by all of them. And the men. Agnes made you care even if you didn't want to. I agree on Erica. I think they were sort of going there when AMC ended and Jack walked out on her. Erica could have been living in Hollywood for the last 10 years ... You read my mind on Tara and Jack. Tara could have easily filled the Natalie/Laurel role. I agree you'd of had to kill off Cliff (I still like the idea of him being Jeff Martin instead). It frees Nina and then you can recast Cliff in the future. I thought of that when they brought John James on as Jeff and how it annoyed me Cliff wasn't Jeff and Nina wasn't back. LOL. AMC was butchered by focus groups and network interference. Megan's trash writing, lazy executives/writers didn't help either (I also think Brian Frons has some bizarre hatred for older women and soaps). Reading Washam's interview again reminded me of why I detest McTavish and helps me pinpoint the falling off point that started around 1987-1989 (with Jackie Smith heading things at ABC Daytime I believe), though I'd argue it wasn't as noticeable if you were watching everyday. It's easier to see binging. I do think shifts were needed but by the time Francesca James became EP I think she just said to hell with being harassed about Q ratings and dumped expensive vets and those with low ratings (Washam pointed out Tom Cudahy and you can see the decline from 95-97 before they gave up on him). That whole Q system and the focus group nonsense irritates the hell out of me. Washam was right that characters can't *always* be heavy in story. It had to be so annoying to be told to drop popular characters because they dropped in their 'rating' or twelve women said they didn't like them. Ridiculous.

So true. It was like guilty pleasure must see daytime tv. LOL. You had such variety. God I was ridiculously hooked on Ricki Lake and Sally and early Jerry. Anywho ... lol

Ah, makes sense. I should have looked him up LOL.

lol I'm dead

Man, this just writes itself. Siiiigh. SO many missed opportunites for Nina. But then, sadly, Brooke was aged out so who knows how well Nina would have fared. AMC had so many leading ladies. It was a shame we lost them (Natalie, Donna, Ellen to name a few) and some of them could have been brought back later along with others (Hillary, Dottie, Cecily - though McTavish wasted her) Early early Janet did feel different and more like a 'real' character. She definitely became a caricature instead and that's probably why the wheels fell off. I can even see Nixon all for the idea, personally, on some level. It's not the worst. But somewhere along the way it became a parody. I will say I was always mixed on Robin Mattson's Janet. I liked it on some level (I always kind thought McTavish was punishing Trevor by having him stay with Janet LOL and then I felt she punished Edmund; was it for the actors off-screen behaviors?) but I always missed having Natalie. I don't know, I felt it would have been nice to have them both but I'm assuming Kate Collins wouldn't have been interested with Kiberd there (I'd have kept Collins over Kiberd but that's just me and I think she chose to leave right?). No offense to Melody Anderson but they made a poor choice having her play dress up as Natalie. She wasn't the worst recast we've ever had though. AMC always works best when steeped in realism. Yes you can do wacky [!@#$%^&*] but when they did, it was always steeped in some realism. It was believable on some level and they also made sure to do a good job explaining everyone's motivations. Even if you hated the character you could understand them. I just adore how greats like Agnes and Bill and even Irna set up their soaps. They had a formula, it worked. They knew characters needed friends, family, careers ... when you lost a character, you replaced them while also developing new successors to characters. It's a shame those that get it and were the successors are now content doing breakdowns or retired. "Supporting" characters became too easy of a mark for shows that needed to trim budgets. I'd argue sets and supporting characters matter just as much as the writing. It all adds up to a believable and interesting show.

Bingo! This. I think you and I have always had the same idea regarding Josh. He SCREAMED "Mark's Son". But noooooo ... McTrash wanted another Kendall and wanted the shock factor of undoing the abortion. All it did was undo her out of a job. Agreed. During the quarantine last spring, I binged a ton of AMC and once I hit the Natalie in the well ... I could see McTavish all over it. I know she gets a lot of credit for 92-95 AMC and I will definitely give her some but the tone changes. It does become a bit of a parody at times. I feel like writers like Megan and, say, Ron Carlivati 'get' soaps but then write them as a parody. Or mean-spirited and ridiculously convoluted. Natalie and Dimitri on paper seemed like a good idea but yeah it was hardly interesting. Shame. Meanwhile, I can't get over thinking about Nina and Adam being paired together. Sigh. I feel like Nina could have really had a place in the 90s and 00s apart from guest spots. It was kinda crazy you introduce her adopted son but then don't use her. Same thing for Tara. Like ... the show is clearly struggling from 92-97 BTS And having seem some of the Damon Lazarre / Goldie Kane stuff ... yes it's a bit yikes and seems a tad contrived to have Travis play hero for Erica (who does a good job on her own) but overall it works because of the actors (Charles Keating can sell anything and I'd argue Shaffer is underrated as the "gone/aging starlet" Goldie). It's easy to make fun of but you know what, I'll be damned if it doesn't work because I understand everyone's motivations and no one seemed made to be stupid for it to work (though I haven't seen all of the story of course). The idea of Silver is good but they kept killing them off ... lol I'd argue Barbara probably filled that "sister I hate" role and I'd argue Susan Pratt's best role is Barbara Montgomery. I love me some Babs.

THIS. All of this. It's time to move on from The Talk. I assume they clung to it because they didn't have to bother finding a replacement. Well, it's time. Let's see ... The Talk imploded ... The Chew imploded .... Hey, ABC/CBS, how those soaps lookin'? (At least ABC has something solid in GMA3 but that doesn't seem long-term to me despite them treating it as such). And to be fair, ABC could "easily" put AMC/OLTL back on the air tomorrow while ATWT and GL are being kept locked away by evil P&G LOL. I know fans are like "gimme back ATWT" but yeah that's not likely.

Very true. It was really .... WHAAAT? lol. Very contrived. But I'm good with Adam now. I wonder why they never brought Danny back? He has a whole history with Leanne (who was actually fun when she was introduced way back when).

Was JUST going to say this. Now everyone is acting shocked and sad? LOL. I think that's probably the case. I mean, look how many times other actors have come and gone. I think she was a bit miscast as Sarah. I would have made her Stephanie Johnson instead. I've always liked her as an actress and yeah even though she was in a popular pairing with Xander and kinda dominated from her start, she wasn't always written great. I think Linsey infused some of herself into the role because there wasn't much there TBH. I'm meh/indifferent Sarah's exiting (I wish Linsey all the best and hope she comes back however) which tells me that the character deserved better. Maybe Chanel will get her airtime? LOL Soaps these days also try waaaay too hard with new (yeah Sarah wasn't new but she was a blank slate) characters. You can't insert them everywhere and use them constantly for two to three years and TELL US to care. I miss when soaps SHOWED us. I digress .... I mean, look how ridiculously they are going over Ben and Ciara's "connection" when other couples they never have to beat us over the head with it. Anywho ...