The response to the huge outcry about Dan Gauthier really galls me too. Here's an actor who engendered huge support from fans, round the clock, for weeks, including a startling number of encouraging testimonials from a host of actors who frankly can't always afford to stick their necks out like that after the way DG himself was treated when he criticized the writing - and what is ABC's response to this huge effort by the fans? Write him out sooner. Do they think we'll forget him that way?

To me the network has only grown more aggressive and contemptuous to us lately.

Thank you Errol. One final question, will ABC ever focus again on some of the vets for their story? Like Viki on OLTL, Adam on AMC, etc. The vets seem to get no story while the kids get all the focus/airtime, etc. Is ABC going to from now on only be about the Frons faves and the obsession with youth only? Thank you.

Yes, ABC will focus on the vets (as characters, not just based on someones years with the show). Frons will get over his obsession soon enough.

Errol,

IM 41 and I have watched this show since a little girl with my mother. I have been through bad storylines, and never matter because the characters were the characters. First I want to thank you for responding to everyone, because I know your busy. But I am sorry I dont want to wait 6 months. 3 yrs was 3 yrs. And after 33 yrs I am gone. You know what though. No one really cares. They either think they can tell the viewers what the viewer really wants, or train them. Or get rid of them . And it pains me but I gave them until Oct 6, and no more. thanks again .

I understand what you are saying. I said six months as the time ABC wants all their shows fixed by. I can't define the six months for any given show for a variety of reasons. Additionally, I can't say what will happen if six months goes by and things are still bad. Only thing I can say, people will be unhappy, and it won't just be viewers.

Yes, ABC will focus on the vets (as characters, not just based on someones years with the show). Frons will get over his obsession soon enough.

But he's been after them since he started in 2002.

And ABC only got their act together in 2004 when they came out of 4th place.

I'll be frank, they let a lot of fuck up's occur before that time. Once 2005 hit, they started to think and strategise for the future. ABC doesn't have 12 programs in development for Midseason and Summer for nothing. With ABC Primetime #1 in Demos and nearly #1 in Viewers, ABC Daytime is being looked at for a makeover. We may think ABC is stupid, but they really aren't. The thing with Daytime is a change can't occur overnight, as I said. The same thing that happened at CBS with Latham and at NBC with Reilly, is happening at ABC Daytime as a whole.

Thanks Errol. I don't mean to seem to be killing the messanger. I do appreciate the information. I guess for me it's just 6 months too late and maybe 6 months too much to ask. I've been waiting for OLTL to fix itself since Santi and it's only gotten worse. All the things I hate about the show are only becomming more prominent and all that I enjoy is being taken away. I'd love to say I'd give the show 6 more months to see some improvement but they went too far this time. I'm gone with Kevin and Kelly. As to AMC I really only watched it waiting for OL when I was home so I'm lost from them as well.

They seriously need to get in touch with their audience like yesterday and improvements need to be seen. I know I've always been willing to give them a chance when I could see the effort to fix things. I don't see any effort now.

I've stuck with OLTL through thick and thin, but I've had enough lately. It's been a few months off for me.

Ewww.... just got some good/bad news.

November Sweeps is a month to watch at ABC Daytime. Good if they do well (bad for viewers though), but bad for ABC Writers and Actors if they do bad (also bad for viewers).

Either way, ABC Daytime viewers may be royally screwed in the interim.

ABC cut the budgets of their soaps, and if they don't do well in November, they will again and actors will be fired, expensive ones at that. :(

They need to do badly but they will continue to blame the actors. Brilliant.

I don't know if to laugh or to cry. Exactly what does OLTL have set up for Nov to draw in people? JAVA's wedding which centers on a couple that most wanted over 3 years ago. If it doesn't go off it's yet another wedding that didn't happen and that's all OLTL seems to do. If it does yet another couple that doesn't work that we are still stuck with. The reveal that Spencer is a Buchanan which most seem to hate and ME's return.

Shall we start creating the list of who should go first?

They need to do badly but they will continue to blame the actors. Brilliant.

It's not that they'd blame the actors perse, it's that if they don't get the ad rates they want, they have to dump the money makers, especially the ones they don't write for.

I hate to say it, but while ABC is looking to fix things...their low ratings may not help them fix it the way they would have hoped.

And I got more bad news, ABC didn't necessarily like Armus' bible...hence the confusion surrounding AMC. As it stands, ABC may actually bring on a Co-HW for Megan McTavish, which is why she's still active.

That's pretty much why I have no hope that ABCD will ever crawl out of the mess they are now in. The low add rates are a symptom of what doesn't work. So they cut what they have back burnered which in many cases is what has kept a lot of us watching while they continue an even greater focus on the very things that create the low ratings in the first place. Maybe they ought to get rid of ME and use that money for the greater good.

The amount of cash and time expenditure used to save Michael Easton and rewrite John McBain back in while treating his funeral with the solemnity of Princess Diana is just one huge symptom of what is so wrong with OLTL and ABCD. They have let so many precious heads roll to keep him. It's only going to get worse.

I'm staying with AMC only until David leaves, then I'm hoping to settle in with Vincent for the long haul over at the nursing home network! ABCD is a complete joke, totally tasteless and classless, and I never want to be associated with it again!

I might acutally tune in for David's last day, despite the fetus. Which should tell Fronsie something. I haven't watched this drivel, baring one day I cheated and taped one day for T&D and another for D&E. But other then that, I haven't watched a full day of AMC in almost 10 months. But for David, I just might grin and bare the little [!@#$%^&*]. Put that up your demos, Frons.

Actually, most of the stuff you blame Alden for, were Bill Bell's last works. Alden assumed the headwriting positon in the midst of Y&R's silver jubilee (1998 rocked, so did 1999 and most of 2000, IMO) when Bell slowly retreated.

And I have to admit I was wrong. The more I've read other posters comments about Alden I agree that she is basically just a somewhat more classy version of Megan McTavish. I had forgotten the horrible stories she wrote at Y&R.

A few examples (correct me if this was someone else):

-Chet & Ramona

-Some horrible mess surrounding paitings

-Veronica Landers, Josh's presumed dead wife, poses as Nikki's unattractive maid. This was a classic McTavish tale. While it got rid of the dull character of Josh, the story was more dull than he was

-Tricia and Meg and their coma-inducing father who dated Jill.

-Grace

-Saint Christine

-The rotating african american female newbies

among others.

When I think of Kay Alden's run at Y&R I tend to think of the Sharon/Cassie story which was quite well crafted, however the bad probably more than outweighed the good.

As a matter of fact Alden ended the tales of Saint Christine and Dennison boredom. She did sth. very important no current soap writer seems able to do: balance out a show and actively using more than 30 contract members. Hell, she even added Mary Williams, Miguel, Esther, Lynne etc. among others to her core line-up. So many people interacting, so many storylines rotating is unthinkable these days.

She send Jerry Douglas packing, same happened with Lauralee Bell and Sabryn Genet but not for some lame-ass excuse ("canvas too full", "belt-tightening" - WTF!?) but they returned some months later and got huge storylines. You could trust her that litterally ANY character would get sth. to do in the end.

And what I myself called her weaknesses is nothing unfamiliar to Y&R. Diane and Nikki both had always gone after Victor and men in general without any self-esteem. It's how triangles work - one party always reaches lows in the process. Ashley and "genetic material" was everything but my favorite storyline but it was attempt of rejuvenating the old traingle formula. She also created the modern Michael Baldwin and Phyllis... As for the teen overload, it wasn't one per se - those teens interacted not just with the adult cast but with Jabot. I could have done without them but since DAYS and GH among others was realllllly teen-heavy these days and fared not too bad rating-wise I guess Alden was also forced to incorpate the new generation heavily.

I repeat that Alden wrote heavily for the veterans: Jill, Kay, Victor, Jack, Paul (Nikki also got her backbone back by becoming a business woman - it was Alden who created this modern Nikki!) - all rarely had dull moments because they got lots of airtime and meaty storylines. IMO, those are the people most essential since they've been a part of Genoa City nearly since the beginning. I'd take Alden back any time and think she could do very well for any show with strong family ties and veterans.