August 14-18, 2006

[alwaysAMC]

Ok so AMC's Slap episode on Tuesday (Kendall/Dixie) had a huge audience...and then the next day they lose over half a million viewers? Surely 600,000 people didn't just tune in to see a slap, no matter how awesome it was.

[Angela]

Especially if the 2.3's stick around (2.5 and lower actually), I think it's more a circumstance of what the audience has been given this summer, not just that week reflecting. Cause it wasn't 2.6, 2.6, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 it was 2.6, 2.6, 2.3, 2.3, 2.3 - that says the audience just decided they're not watching this fill-in-the blank anymore or/and that this fill-in-the-blank has gotten even worse for them so buh-bye.

[Pine Charles]

Maybe they did.

I also think, other than the poor writing, the camera work is turning people off. I do like the look of it, but the direction is just awful. Who wants to get seasick while watching a soap opera?

[dragonflies]

I can't stand to watch ATWT as much anymore. I HATE how quickly they seem to be having Dusty move on with Lucy, plus IMO Lucy & Dusty are gagworthy.

Personally I'm glad AMC dropped on Wednesday,Thursday and Friday, I guess no one wanted to see Zach & Dixie and Ryan & Kendall

[Ms. Walsh]

ITA w/ you on that! It's disgusting that they're going along w/ this so soon. I'm surprised that more people don't seem to be as opposed. I thought that I was the only one on the board who was against it. I never liked Dusty w/ Lucy to begin w/, and even though I didn't like him w/ Jen, I still think it's way too soon to move on...even for soap standards.

[SpiritualJunkie]

ATWT hasn't been must-see TV for me in a while..more specifically, in the last few years. I don't care that much for the characters heavily featured, I feel character relationships don't get built up..relationships change too quickly (ie. Katie & Carly becoming best friends), there is too much back and forth crap going on (ie. Paul/Emily), the teens have taken over the show (if you started watching the show as recently as 2000 or 2001...more than half the cast has become unrecognizable), the character development sucks (ie. Maddie goes from perky, happy teen to a teen with a haunted past right in an instant..WTF?), etc. Heck, I don't even know what couples to root for. They brought back Simon to boost up ratings I would guess but then, why don't they put him in more scenes with Katie and slowly a develop a story again with those two? Instead, we get Simon & Carly (who I enjoy but I see it going nowhere) and Matie filler. So at this point, even if there is a last minute Skatie reunion, I wouldn't care because the way this story has been written - well, WHAT STORY??? I don't see it. Don't even get me started on Damien's return...it seems like TPTB only bring people back to butcher them. Geez..what a waste of time and money.

I never gave into the hype that Jean Passanante was all that great. Frankly, her writing is boring and lacks direction.

[DruRocks]

The ramifications from Jenn's death have sucked IMO.

[Ms. Walsh]

It seems like ATWT is the only soap that people don't like to criticize, maybe along w/ Y&R, but I've heard people call it overrated. Everyone criticizes the ABC and NBC soaps, and then B&B and GL get a lot of flack. But you never see posts that say, "ATWT: What's wrong w/ this show?!?", etc. etc. I'm not keen on criticizing the show, but it's not like it's PERFECT. It most-certainly has its flaws, just like all soaps.

Sometimes I love ATWT, and then sometimes I hate the show so much that I refuse to watch it. I've just gone through one of those phases where the past month-and-a-half I've either FFed through the entire show or didn't bother recording it.

I don't like how they're focusing the show on younger characters. It's not just the teens, but also the fact that ALL of the storylines focus on characters in their 20s and 30s. What kind of diversity is that? I'm a teen and I've always enjoyed the older characters on ATWT.

Some characters always get storylines, like Carly, Paul, Lily, Katie, and Dusty. When one storyline ends, another one starts right away. It doesn't make sense, considering that there are a lot of other characters who deserve storylines, but instead are playing supporting roles to these airhogs. But the problem is that these characters always get junky storylines. It's like the writers have to give them s/ls, no matter how awful they are. Carly and Katie particularly haven't had good storylines in years IMO.

It's only been a little over a month, and it's almost like Jen never existed. The week during her death and the three episodes following it were good, but since then it's been crap.

They botched up Damian's return, they're destroying Simon's return by putting him in the middle of two of the most overrated couples IMO, and they're really not doing the history of the show any justice whatsoever. The 50th anniversary stuff was mediocre at best. It could have been a lot better IMO, even though I did enjoy it. Also, if anyone notices, they can't write family s/ls well at all, which are the most important storylines on ATWT IMO. Like, in the slasher s/l, they always show Margo, but they can't bother to include Tom. Or they'll show Kim, but not Bob (and vice-versa). And during Luke's s/l, they'd show Emma all the time in the beginning, and then switched over to Lucinda...when it would have been a million times better to include both grandmothers instead.

[Steve]

I tried to watch ATWT today since I had the day off, but ITA with those who say there are too many new young people. I haven't watched this show regularly in several years and the only people I recognized (from what I saw before I decided to shut off the TV and go online for a while) were Carly & Simon.

I did catch the ending and, again, I didn't know who all these teens were.

[RogerNewcomb]

IMO, ATWT has the best teen cast on soaps and best ATWT has had in 20 years. I'm loving these teens. They can act and the stories are good.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I agree here, but at the root of ATWT is the multi-generational family angle, which we just haven't been getting at all lately.

[alwaysAMC]

I agree - I love how the writers can actually WRITE good stories for their teens too IMO....I think Gwen/Will/Casey/Maddie/Luke are all good - with Jade being a great actress, but completely unlikeable character. I like Kevin too.

[Ms. Walsh]

I agree about this teen cast. They're all really great IMO. In fact, I find their storylines a lot better than the other ones (ie. PEM and Matie/Simon/CarJack crap)

The past teen scenes on ATWT were awful...just awful. I still don't agree w/ the show focusing this much on teens, but since they have been for quite some time now, at least this time they got it right.

[SteveFrame]

I agree that ATWT is not perfect, but it is far better than many of the other soaps out there.

I agree that their teen cast is the most talented on any soap. Because of that I have had no problem with them featuring Will, Casey, Luke, Maddie, Gwen, and Jade this summer. I do not have a problem with teens when the teens are good enough and strong enough to carry the story.

As far as today there being so many teens, it is a special wind up / location shot for the end of the slasher story. Most of the teens on there are extras, and friends of the 6. You want see them much at all after this.

I don't think they do family stories that well anymore. That is one of their faults. But one of my biggest complaints about the show has been addressed big time this year. We used to not see the older vets at all. This week alone we have seen Nancy still being confidante to Katie, Kim in a wonderful scene with Will today, Tom with Casey and Gwen, Lucinda and Emma with Holden and Luke, and I think even Marie Masters was on this week as Susan. I think it is wonderful that even though they do not have big storylines, that we do see them and see them interacting with the cast more.

I agree that Damian and Simon's returns have been a bust. I didn't feel the need to have either of them back anyway, so I am not really disappointed.

I have thoroughly enjoyed how JP has moved some storylines along a little quicker this year too. Oakdale Confidential was quick. The Nick story didn't linger. And several other things have proceeded kind of nicely. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but overall I think ATWT is doing a fairly good job.

Even on the days I tape the show I never find myself ff'ing any of it. There is not one actor or actress on the show that I do not enjoy. It has been a long time since I could say that about any show.

[amazing7]

Yes, I only tuned in for the slap. It was long overdue that Kendall slap that Dixieskank for going after her man. And yes, I did deprogrammed my DVR the rest of the week.