BetterForgotten

IMO, it says a lot that Sheila went to MVJ and not Jamey Giddens to help create the network’s first soap opera with a predominantly black cast. I think we’re lucky things worked out this way…

Thank goodness this unnecessary baby is dead.

Whoever is writing this mess has succeeded in making me hate Anna and want to hurl every time she’s on.

Ah, yes, totally forgot MVJ wrote for Debbi on Generations and obviously JHC was the AMC EP when Debbi returned there. I’ve said it before, but Debbi has more than earned the right to be a soap opera matriarch at this stage of her career and this is a good legacy piece as @ReddFoxx said. She could be to this show what Susan Flannery was to B&B when leveraged at her best.

I would be pleasantly surprised if VR ever gets a regular network gig again. It’s been almost 20 years since her Y&R exit and she hasn’t landed a regular network gig since. Obviously, I’d love to her see on a regular basis again, but I don’t think she’s at the top of anyone’s list right now unfortunately. I think Vivica gets a mention because she’s close personal friends with MVJ, and obviously someone like Debbi Morgan and her reputation speaks for itself. Who knows though - they could very well cast a bunch of unknowns in the leading roles. The Soaphub article did say a focus was on local talent based in Atlanta - and ATL isn’t called the “black Hollywood” for nothing.

With Deadpool & Wolverine giving Like A Prayer a bit of a resurgence, I was reminded of the amazing photos the late/great Herb Ritts took for that album. He was Madonna’s best photographer IMO and no one captured her essence better. The True Blue album cover alone is almost the most definitive Madonna picture that ever existed. Anyway, the Like A Prayer album photos are the best of BrunetteDonna. There’s a beautiful earthy quality to them that matches the stark and often brutal honesty of the overall album itself - her best overall album IMO. Some of my favourites and lifted from THIS great blog post.

Some soap opera writer’s assistants spend years in that role, lol, without getting a proper promotion. It seems from that soaphub article that MVJ may have most of her writing team already in place, and a good amount of material already written. The article mentioned another multi-Emmy award winning writer (who we all assume is Patrick Mulcahey) is also on staff. I am assuming the rest of the team may be made up of lesser known/fresh talent. This Skyy person is only getting mentioned because MVJ Tweeted to her.

She’s the writer’s assistant - she’s not actually doing any writing or crafting long term story.

They’ll inevitably be that young vixen/bitch from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make her way into that family.

The whole show is so unwatchable right now that moments like that are like the only thing to pique my interest.

I think it's a totally different set-up from all we've heard - MVJ is the creator and the one calling the shots on who she wants to work with creatively. This isn't Guza or JHC's show (unless some underhanded shenanigans happen). This vision isn't being filtered through their eyes, so I don't think it's fair to knock them or assume they'll bring the same issues to this show. They may, but we'll have to wait and see it play out first.

Then as someone who has "launched shows" you should know you're at your most comfortable working with people you trust vs. "talent" that corporate America forces you to work with. Just because some of these folks tanked at other shows, it doesn't mean they'll wield the same power on this show or see the same results. Are we past the days of waiting for something to air before judging?

The power structure at this show is quite different. MVJ is clearly surrounding herself with close friends/associates she trusts to help execute her vision. That's par the course for any creator. I think we need to watch this show play out before rushing to any rash conclusions or assumptions.

MVJ is crediting herself as the Creator, HW, and EP of the show. Guza will have an EP credit, but I do wonder if MVJ is leveraging him as more of a Co-HW.

Michele Val Jean also hired someone (Skyy Sandifer) who she worked with on Jamey Giddens’s flop Ambitions. Sandifer’s IMDb page

🤣🤣🤣

I wouldn’t believe all the pro-Valentini/Carlivati propaganda Jamie Giddens/Daytime Confidential were dishing out at that time. OLTL was propped for budget management and still got cancelled at the same time as AMC.

I feel like The Gates will have a slightly different production model vs. the other 4 soaps. We’ll have to wait and see, but I feel like they’re trying to do something slightly different, but still relatable to daytime audiences. I also think shooting in Atlanta will naturally give it a different tone.

I wonder what studio they’ll be using in Atlanta, or if it’s Tyler’s. He did say he hoped to use his studio lot for productions from outside his company as well, namely from other black creatives.

So, did something change here or was CBS reading this thread and decided on Atlanta as the production location? 😁

We also don't really know what that last day of taping really means - is is a planned temporary production halt? If so, how many weeks?

A lot of those people are representing separate corporate interests that are investing in the program like P&G, CBS, and the NAACP. Assuming people like Guza and Carruthers were hired by MVJ to help steer the day to day writing and production, which the corporate representatives are not going to be doing. It's not really typical for daytime, but often done in primetime, streaming, and film.