EricMontreal22

Yes, I'd kinda given up on looking for more Loving--great to see anything more!

Did Joann Dorian ever play any major stories with Vicki? I know for a while after Gillian left it seemed Vicki was backburnered (though I believe very very early in Erika's run she had the whole gaslighting storyline with Francesca James as Marcie). In the OLTL tribute magazine Erika seems to imply she tried hard to get Larry back for the finale--I wonder if they ever considered it. I guess he was just seen as eventually too much of a nice guy, and was aging, to be leading man, but really they shouldhave worked harder to move him into more a patriarch position then.

The dialogue in hindsight is pretty substandard, especially considering often even at its worst AMC had above average dialogue--but I felt the same way. I liked the change it signalled and by that point really I don't think there was any big loss or disrespect to history by converting Cortland Manor which seemed to be the main upset. To be fair, I believe by the time it was phazed out (and much of the attempt to return Pine Valley to a smaller community with class issues) AN had handed over most of the writing to Jean Passanante who was credited by then. (I still would love to know how AN worked with JP and reacted to some of her stories).

There's some controversy over that--due to them not counting the free download people who pre-ordered the album get. The Uk still has a somewhat healthy CD single market, and I wonder if it was a mistake not to release this physically.

My friend in New York went to see Robin in Love, Loss and What I Wore and met her backstage. She signed his OLTL book (he's gotten every AMC and OLTL soap star he's seen on stage--which has quickly added up--to sign) and apparently talked to him for ten minutes and was thrilled to have (her words) "Such a sweet gay man gush over me". LOL He had nothing but good things to say about her, and said she was by far one of the best women he saw in the play (he's seen it many times--including Kim Zimmer). His friend who went with himn, a theatre snob who looks down on soap ac tors, admitted that she was outstanding.

And I guess Chris H as Chuck lasted less than a year... It's always funny to read the big introductions in the soap press for actors who barely lasted. I found a soap magazine from 2003 that both proclaims the guy who played Carlos (arguably the worst male actor they've ever had--my mother who, for some reason, is kind to a fault when it comes to soap acting actually said "he really is NOT a good actor" about Carlos, which coming from her is pretty major) is set to be the show's center hearthrob, and the high hopes for the America's Sexiest Man winner (who I don't think even got more than one scene--and is kinda scary looking from the photo, complete with two nipple rings which seemed odd for AMC to me--thank you Frons for that innovation, maybe he voted for him).

Except, to me, JER's dark was often more... I dunno, I guess I'm thinking about when Passions became all about rape rape rape and hermaphrodite incest. While McTavish certainly liked rape, for the most part her dark stories seemed to have her at least trying to do something credible and maybe even well meaning (even when it was a complete missfire and in such awful taste like Tad burrying someone alive). Certainly her 90s run was helped by both FMB and Agnes Nixon being more involved. I also think '98-99 she was encouraged to go more out there due to AMC still trying to get their ratings up and being influenced/dominated by DAYS craziness--as was some of Broderick's run. Hence the sudden jump on telephatic tattoos and stuff. And I agree with the last while of her 2003-2007 run, it just got way too bleak (which is why I do believe the rumours of her using her soap bible Purgatory for story). Does anyone know what month they are currently in on SoapNet? Wiki lists McTavish ending Feb 2007--and then says no hHW listed from May to July when B/E came in--so I wonder about March and April. I remember at the time (as I've mentioned) that it was said more and more that McTavish was no longer even writing the stories, and things did seem to fall apart--and not even in her usual OTT fashion, just more like nobody was even there. I agree--I would have been fine with the role being expanded but for such a brief little PSA type thing, it was well done and acted. I wonder if Agnes or someone put pressure on making him gay--of course they may have known they were working on a gay story anyway and it was a warm up, but Agnes Nixon has spoken about the mixed reaction to having Cindy have AIDS. Many complained that it should have been a gay man as that was more common. Her argument--which frankly I think is justified--was she wanted people to know it wasn't just a gay disease which in '87-'88 was still something many honestly didn't know, she also said in that '88 Paley Center video that she was trying to do a gay story but didn't want it to be an AIDS story, something I can respect too (as a teen dealing with my sexuality, I found it a little depressing that it seemed like for a while whenever a gay character would pop up on TV it was for an AIDS story). Pine was great, and who I still think of in the role. I think someone else played him more recently. The 90-91 or so era Nixon wrote seemed to have a few characters they weren't sure about. Right. Tina is one of several AMC characters who would absolutely never cross my mind--and I have to mentally search my brain for a bit. She worked at SOS or something right.

I loved the Adrian/Opal stuff--some of the best material during that hated McTavish run (which in hindsight doesn't seem as bad, I hate to say lol) Did he get an actual exit with Belinda? Terrific episode! This is literally about a month before I started watching--such a great group of characters. Why did they drop CHarlie--he's not brilliant but not terrible and at least looks the part. (I still can't believe how long Lawson lasted in the role). He must have been dropped soon after this as I honestly don't remember him on the show at all--just my friends saying when new Charlie came on how horrified they were with the recast, LOL. Agnes Nixon was official HW at this point, which brings up something. The Nataliein the Well story WAS officially credited to Agnes nixon, though McTavish had apparently become associate HW by then and you can sense herinfluence. It wasn't until May 1992 (which I think was the Who Killed Will climax which I've read was largely Megan's story--and she did copy tons of elements of it for the Who Killed Michael story) that McTavish was official HW. Even as a kidnew to the show I remember being shocked not to see Agnes Nixon, who Iknewabout as I had already read Al lHer Children from the library, no longer listed in the writing credits--though she did still always go up to take the writer Emmyback then and aparenbtly was official listed as Exec HW.

So do I. While in the past decade AMC had some really dire times (as did all soaps), they still seemed to manage SOME sense of warmth and family--granted many times better than others, and I suppose it could be said this started in the 90s. Still I found for the most part McTavish's first run wasn't all that out of character from classic AMC--it had changed like all soaps had by then, but that's one reason I never truly get people who have said AMC more than other soaps lost its identity. At any rate, I know Khan and others feel differently, which is fair (I know KLhan and I disagree on the merits of Gottlieb's OLTL as well)

McTavish';s 1995 run WAS heavy and/or over the top. I think this may have been the real reason ratings were slipping, allowing Behr to fire her. Wasn't there at the time some campaign to feature more AIDSS education sotries or characters on TV? I swear there was something like that... Of course it tied into Julia's genuine scare. They definitely were trying Cecily with Del. It woulda been better than her and Charlie, but like I said I had no love for her (only years later seeing some of her 80s stuff did I get the appeal). Fabiana played Chandler lawyer Barry Shire for YEARS--I think he was replaced for some reason ten or so years back. Ha how long did he last?

They claim in this EW interview about the episode that it was always meant to be Tyler--in this case I believe them http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/16/revenge-engagement-party-episode-burning-questions/

Thanks so much! Not a great review, lol but great to read. I've read many shocked about Matt's sudden leaving, I think it was due to the creative team change. I have a few episodes with him (from Nov 1991 I believe--when Ceara and Jeremy were visiting) one where he does drugs to escape his memories, another in court where on the stand he points out his father as the rapist.

I don't want to turn this into a Gaga vs Madonna debate (both are my girls, though my heart is more with Madonna since I've been collecting all her singles and alb ums from the age of 12 or so--I'm annoyed Give Me All Of Your Luv will be the first time she doesn't have a physical CD single--and I prefer Kylie and Mylene Farmer, not to mentiun Donna Summer, to either anyway) but this article, while it raises good points for *now* conveniently seems to forget some of Madonna's tiresome, pretentious periods of the past. I don't mean her more adult contemporary ballads (I love the Something to Remember collection), but rather when she was her most insistant on playing the guita, and not too well, or other way too serious endeavours.

Actually a ton of 60s pop (girl groups especially and some Motown) was infamously lip synched live.

Well internationally Kylie's shows have begun to be regarded as up there with Madonna in terms of staging (their last two tours, individually clearly showed Kylie at the top). She's helped by the use of William Baker as her director main designer, and also using choreographers who aren't as commonly used by others. Even though I saw the paired down for the smaller American theatres version of Kylie's last tour, it really was mindblowingly done--and all live--and cost a tiny fraction of what most of these people charge. That's one reason I want Madonna to work with someone else (it's too bad she's estranged from her brother--even though he deserves it--because when he helped design and direct her Blond Ambition and Girlie Show tours they really were groundbreaking and I'd like to see if he could come up with anything new). Jamie King is played out--he peaked with Madonna at Confessions, but now EVERYONE uses him, I actually think he's at his best when he choreographs, but he does so many tours at once now that he hasn't done the majority of Madonna's tour choreography since Drowned World. I do think Britney was smart to use him again for The Circus which was a lot better than some of her recent tours like the thematically muddled Onyx Hotel one (what was with that scary host?!) and I will say that her Femme Fatale tour visually and thematically was really well handled--it was just her extreme lack of enthusiasm, I felt robbed paying so much to see someone who didn't sing (except one song), barely danced full out, and seemed not to want to be there. I mean this is in about the past 13 years and doesn't include all his TV and video work (he used to do many of the best Madonna videos--Human Nature, Don't Tell Me, but lately has been underwhelming with 4 Minutes and Sorry--I am glad that with this new video Madonna seems to realize that videos, thanks to Gaga and crew, are starting to be more important again--for a while she seemed to have given up and she used to do the best ones) Madonna - 2012 Superbowl Halftime Show Cirque Du Soleil - Michael Jackson | Immortal 2011 Rihanna | Loud 2011 Britney Spears | Femme Fatal Tour 2011 Britney Spears | Circus World Tour 2009 Madonna | Sticky And Sweet World Tour 2008 Avril Lavigne | Best Damn Tour World Tour 2008 Celine Dion | Taking Chances World Tour 2008 Spice Girls | Return Of The Spice Girls Tour 2008 Ricky Martin | Black & White Tour 2007 Madonna | Confessions World Tour 2006 Christina Augilera | Back To Basics World Tour 2006 Rain | Rain’s Back World Tour 2006 Mariah Carey | MW VMA Performance 2006 Shakira | MTV VMA Performance 2006 Madonna | Re-Invention Tour 2004 Paulina Rubio | Pau-Latina Tour 2004 Pink | Try This Tour 2004 Christina Aguilera | Stripped Tour 2003 Ricky Martin | The Queen’s Jubilee Madonna | Drowned World Tour 2001 Storm | Mandalay Bay-Las Vegas Madonna | Rock N Roll Circus Promo Tour Ricky Martin | She Bangs 2000 Promo Tour Britney Spears | Oops I Did It Again World Tour Dreams Come True | Winter Wonderland 2000 Tour Ricky Martin | Livin’ La Vida Loca World Tour

Except Kylie who is 100% live now (but spent ages studying voice in the later half of her career cuz the insults got to her personally), this is pretty much true. Especially people who dance (and Kylie dnaces but far less than Madonna/Britney/Janet). I'd say Gaga, love her or hate her, is primarily live too, but does use a combo for some of the more dance heavy tracks. Of course then there are the dance/pop divas going all the way back to Donna Summer,and including Whitney, Mariah, etc who DO sing live--their voice is their appeal--but they just stand perfectly still, maybe shaking back and forth or a few basic steps while others dance around them. You obviously didn't see the concert I saw in Vancouver (Of course this was the infamous one where she left us stranded for ages due to apparently smelling pot smoke, maybe she wasn't on her best ) I mainly agree though sometimes I find the "well they're dancing!" excuse annoying. Look at Broadway--you have people paid next to nothing to be in the chorus of a show like Chicago, 8 times a week, where they are virtually on stage throughout and doing a LOT of dancing while singing. They somehow manage it.

I agree here. Confessions was exactly what she should have been doing I think--modern but slightly retro dance/pop. That's my main problem with Hard Candy (plus she usually works with producers who are up and comers--to jump on the Timbaland bandwagon after EVERYONE even Ashlee Simpson had worked with him and his sound was played out was embarassing as a fan), but you're right. Even though she might stand more of a chance with US radio now that thanks to Gaga and others dance music is FINALLY played on US radio (for a long time that stuff would only play in the UK and a bit in Canada), she's reached the period in her career of being an album artist. (As in the UK my fave Kylie seems to have just become, etc). Meaning the lead single usually does well--and she does seem to want to guarantee US play with hiring rent a rappers. But the followup singles make absolutely NO impact, though the album itself sells well. It's partly her fanbase being older, also enough people are fans that they pick up the album instead of downloading singles, etc. That was again what horrified me about Hard Candy (also it seemed ironic that just as the US was moving more into dance/pop Madonna was channeling a year or two before doing a more urban sound--again behind the curve for once). I think it would be silly to complain that Madonna was still doing pop/dance based music--that's her thing, and comments on age appropriateness seem silly to me--but sometimes I worry about things that come off a bit desperate. I know Kylie, who's exactly ten years Madonna's junior is starting to get debates about it too--but as a fan I liek that she sticks to what she does best--but it's in details like Madonna collaborating with young stars (I also find it funny that for her last tour she cut the dancers age in the auditions at 25--I don't expect her to hire dancers her age, but umm maybe 30 or something would make it a bit less like grandma dancing with her grandkids ). Yes although her tours have ALWAYS Been largely live, and since Drowned World have been almost completely live (obviously sometimes she has backing vocals pre recorded, etc). She works hard to do this--her live vocals aren't great (though they've improved), but I appreciate the effort--as I mentioned when these concerts are released to DVD she always sweetens and corrects the vocals, but that's fairly common on DVDs even by people who CAN sing. But yes a majority of her other performances are synched--sometimes this isn't her fault (for elaborate performances on tv, the kind she does, many shows ASK that you lip synch--the Superbowl included), but she's had some pretty dismal live performances on TV (I think one was Power of Goodbye at some awards show, it's hideous).

I do think the rent-a-rapper thing is tired (i was hoping she had given that up with Hard Candy). I dunno, I think this time the video is actually poking fun at how people say she's age inappropriate--maybe I'm being unfair. It's a cute song, love the 60s surf guitar, though I expected more from her working with French DJ Martin S (who did Hello with Dragonette which is everywhere now). As a lead single it's disappointing, as an album track it would be fine. Still, not to pick on you alphan, but this is not remotely "techno" it's probably one of her least techno singles since the mid 90s--maybe you meant something else?

I agree--the Confessions tour was really note perfect--it had the kinda stuff that clip shows, but the final act which was a huge disco mix of a number of her hits, was also a lot of fun. For Sticky and Sweet (granted I didn't like the album it supported as much) the costumes and "sets" seemed kinda cheap and tacky for Madonna and it just was a let down for me--obviously her shows are always great to see, even if it's disappointing, but I felt let down (I still bought the DVD though so I guess as much as I complain I'm too much of a fan). I have a good feeling this tour will be spectacular, she seems more into it again. Funny that first video is kinda the equivalent seat I had for Confessions in San Jose-- I can't remember how much the tickets were--they were pricey but they seem to have gone up with each tour. We were on the floor for Sticky and Sweet which was a fun experience, but maybe I'm just getting old, I'm glad for this tour I'm back more around where I was for Confessions. Where would you be seeing her (sorry if you already mentioned)? One thing is I'm glad she's back in Vancouver doing an arena this time--last time she played a Stadium and most of my friends were ridiculously far away, and paid way too much for that--stadiums are simply too big for the style of theatrical concert Madonna does. Angela -- that's BS about not getting to choose your seats for VIP. I guess I couldn't either--I don't know as it was all a surprise from my BF. One alternative which is actually how we got good tickets for Confessions (we missed the on sale day so got tickets a few months after they went on sale as we weren't sure if we could pay for the trip to California just to see her, but back then she seemed to completely avoid the Vancouver/Seattle era, something she's thankfully changed) is to buy them through ebay or other ticket brocker type sites. Often I wouldn't recommend that as I find it kinda unethical (although some people genuinely do buy their tickets and then sell them because they can't make it), but I know for Confessions we got ideal seats and, perhaps we just lucked out, only really ended up paying $40 dollars more , which for us was worth it. WIth your height I definitely would warn about being anywhere on the floor unless you're guaranteed very close to the catwalk and circle thing she has, or the stage. Sightlines on the ground otherwise tend to be crap with everyone standing, and no rake, though most arenas have a very decent rake angle for any seats not on the ground, so sightlines aren't usually a problem. Oh and stay away from those weird seats she always sells that are kinda in behind the stage--I guess it's obvious but it's really not a good angle to see the show.

Why does that guy want projections in 3D? I don't want to have to wear 3D glasses at a live event. On the other hand I'd love if the BluRay DVD release of it later is in 3D--Kylie's made brilliant immersive use of the format.

To be fair, the Superbowl is often lip synched--Madonna sings basically live at her tours (sometimes I wish she wouldn't) although she does re-record her vocals ioften for the DVD releases of the concerts. I dunno, normally I agree with you--but when I did see Britney (who I am not a huge fan of) last time because a friend was so into her, the lip synching really made the whole show so lifeless--but it's partly because Britney no longer gives her all to the dancing, she just sleepwalks around. I've also seen Janet Jackson who sings only the ballads live, but she did give a good performance. On the other hand when I saw Kylie last year--who has worked hard to sing live 100%, her vocals were awesome and it didn't sacrifice from the movement (though she's not as much a dancer as Madonna is). While I'm excited to go to my fourth Madonna tour--I admit I wish she'd work with someone beside Jamie King for her concert, he's kinda tired now as her last tour and his work with Britney (and the dozens of other tours he does a year) proves--just like his Superbowl routine for her seemed to be inspired by Kylie's Gladiator themed tour he and Madonna saw three times. And I admit I do think she overchanrges--her tours are amazing but she complains about how the front rows are always filled with bored middle aged fans who don't know her new material, as well as corporate tickets and not fans. If she charged a bit less, that could change. Her tours are expensive to sage but not nearly for what they charge--Kylie's last tour reportedly cost nearly twice as much as Sticky and Sweet (largely due to the fountain and waterworks) but tickets cost a third. But I guess if people are willing to pay, Madonna doesn't have to change that.

Honestly I speak from experience VIP tickets are NOT worth it. I was given them to her last tour (which was probably her worst--I expect a lot more this time) from the guy I was datring, but besides getting decent seats (and I got better seats this time anyway for Vancouver). I suppose the really expensive ones where you go backstage would be fun, but not worth the cost IMHO. The other ones basically give you decent seats and sawg like the program you can buy anyway.

I'm still willing to see the explanation. I'm not sure I believe Daniel was meant to originally die--wouldn't that have given away a big plot element early on? Doesn't ti make more sense that they'd want us to think that and then sweitch it? I agree about the Japanese guy though--but was that actually the box? Shouldn't Amanda have checked?

"Though QV hadn't corrected him, there's a significant difference between the assumption of rape and someone flat-out saying that they were raped. " Was the line many of us objected to. In this case there really is not a *significant* difference whatsoever. Anyway--great episode, I should have seen the twist coming but didn't. Totally lost on the "mysterious oriental's" role in this episode though--did he shoot Tyler?

I'm sorry about your surgery. Do you think they hold up well because soaps were better even ten years back, or due to quality, or a combination of the two? When I watch the late 90s ABC soaps, for example (well at least AMC and The City--I had stopped following GH by then and OLTL was a mess at that era) I always kinda wonder which it is. As bitter as I was about The City being canceled just as it found its feet, I did watch the first few months of PC and enjoyed it more than I expected--but then with a major move I only really kept track of AMC and OLTL to a lesser extent and didn't delve back in (briefly) until the story arcs started.