AMC/OLTL: HW Rumor

[whyamcwhy]

Thanks for the info Errol. It sounds like the viewers are in a lose-lose situation. We lose if the soaps do well for sweeps because the same writers will be kept and things will continue on the same path. But if they don't do well, then changes will happen but also budget cuts. So that means we will lose many fine actors.

ABC/Frons continue to hurt themselves. Instead of being proactive and making changes months ago, they are going to wait and see. Makes perfect sense to me...

I am not familiar with GH or OLTL, only AMC. So they are willing to keep a writer on the show who is responsible for record low ratings and some of the worst storylines in AMC history?????? BA probably had ideas to correct the show and they didn't like it. I have a horrible feeling that no matter who is writing AMC, the direction will be the same. I think that the AMC I loved really is dead and I don't see it ever going back to where it was.

[Chris B]

The problem with his bible could be that he's a fan. He probably is interested in writing for a more vet heavy, history-respectful show and I can't see ABCD being interested in that. They probably would want him to keep it young. He comes from NYPD Blue, I hardly could see him writing a crappy show.

I must admit, I don't have much faith for the changes either. We might get fooled with a few months of bliss, but i see the same problems coming up. I bet Frons will stay and he'll keep micro-managing his soaps. That is a big killer.

[Cat]

If they just got rid of Maurice Benard, Michael Easton, KDLR, etc., bet that would free up some money for the budgets of all THREE soaps.

[ZaraB]

You may not watch OLTL, but your post rings equally true for it -- it is certainly as agenda driven. Michael Easton's John McBain is forced into almost every single story as soon as it shows promise. Characters are podded to prop the character: the canvas is taking 2 WEEKS to mourn the character, yet ABC has already shown promos revealing the true plot. There are simple math issues with the timeline for the major crime (a twenty six year old son wasn't born 25 years ago) -- and that assumes people care about said crime, killing an offscreen character we've only seen as a ghost (and that ghost has more airtime than many of the cast.).

[cal3]

My issue isn't so much with what the problems are, I think everyone outside of ABCD knows what they are but what effort, if any, to fix them. AMC and OLTL are both in the same place from what I see in the posts here. Stories that offend, destroy history, characters podded and forced. Viewers are rejecting that approach and have been rejecting it for a long time now. If in 6 months ABCD is supposed to be experiencing some kind of revival ala DOOL, then changing the status quo has to happen.

AMC has Bianca back which may have a positive impact. What does OL have? If nuMarty is what they are hanging their hats on I suspect they are in bigger trouble than they ever considered. Reaction to Marty's return isn't overwhelming excitement and the fact that it is a recast is an even bigger lead balloon. If she ends up with either Spencer or John is that going to grab the lapsed or lapsing viewer?

[whyamcwhy]

So is BA out of the running for the HW position with AMC then, Errol???? I can't tell you how depressed I am at the thought of McTavish staying on with AMC. She is the worst thing that has happened to ABC daytime, IMHO. And with her ego, would she even be able to handle a co-headwriter????

I think that I just need to say goodbye to ABC daytime tv. I like Y&R and that will have to be my new favorite show.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Please OLTL fans. I believe Scotty said a few weeks back, that he still watched out of "loyalty", and not enjoyment. I feel the same way. But i completly trust Errol and i do beleive that this is true. Look at DAYS, Do you think they just out of the blue ,said " lets fire Reilly and get sheffer, SOD had the blind items a little before this transpired. It doesnt take a few Days, we have to hold on, out of loyalty, i guess and maybe not so much enjoyment.

[cal3]

Loyalty and habit have gotten me from 2004 to now. They don't get 6 more months of loyalty at this point. They have more than given OLTL loyalists the finger and they've got what they wanted. If they can attract this new audience out there that they covet then great for them and the show. But the ME version of OLTL isn't a show I owe or have any loyalty to nor is it something that offers me any entertainment or enjoyment.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

I understand where all of the fans who no longer want to be loyal are coming from because i feel the same way, But there is one or two things keeping me . One, Higleys contract expires the 16th; I believe. I can hang on until then. Errol has already told us that ABCD is going through a "Reconstruction" of sorts. I have said before without, any tips that Frons knows what he is doing. NO ONE can be that stupid. hes the PRez....It makes him look bad when the shows do bad and no one themselves wants to look bad. Secondly, Trevor st John rocks!!

[cal3]

And what happens on 10/18 when Hackley's contract expires and she's still around? That's my point. An announcement that she's left the building would be a good thing. One that FV is gone with her even better but does anyone think that is going to happen?

You have to come up with more than TSJ as a reason for me to watch. I've been FF Todd in either form for years.

[GrayG]

Fine but if it means firing high priced actors on OL who are they going to fire ERIKA SLEZAK??? Why should I watch or invest in this show or any of ABC daytime if they were to fire Erika who MADE OLTL. Not some new cop, not some support players who because of their bodies are now front and center with story after story, no, it was VIKI who made OLTL and guess what, ever since Viki has been downgraded the show has fallen apart. ABC can just cancel OL if they continue to not give Viki story not include her in things and if they were to fire ES because of Higley and Frons incompetance. They would keep ME over ES, then screw them if that happens. I will never watch ABC again if that does, same for Lucci, same for Geary and same for Canary. But especially if they dump ES because of their own failures!

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

It doesnt matter to me whether you watch or not. You can do whatever you want. Im just saying, that it seems as though with all the rumors, and Errols knowledge...that changes are in order.....and i would hate for you to stop, and then come running back like many fans often do... PS...I highly doubt that she will still be around. Also for someone who wants her gone....you sure arent being very hopeful, you ar einsisting she will still be around. What are some reasons you think she will be around???

To my knowlegde....Erika wans't fired, and isnt being considered to be fired... Realize that DG is the only actor who was fired... HT decided to leave just like all actors do. These are all Higleys babies that you hate. If she leaves, they probably leave too. Thats why we must hope she leaves. I doubt they would keep ME over ES. Also i think Viki does have a story coming.

[Reddi]

It might be time to write the folks over Frons now, and tell them what Frons has been doing. If there is a high enough volume of letters saying the same thing (character driven storylines, use of vets, less violence and sensationalism, and less Frons influence and less exclusive youth focus) they might get passed on.

Yes, IA. ABCd keeps doing the wrong things repeatedly, and sinking their soaps further. It boggles the mind since it seems they are the ONLY ones who don't know what to do to fix things. With Y and R's ratings so (relatively) high, you think they'd peek over there and take a page from Y and R's book on balanced cast use and character driven story. Add AMC's classic humor (been missing a bit lately) to a Y and R style balance, and AMC ought to do much better.

Problem is... they will keep doing what doesn't work for Sweeps, and then continue to shoot holes in the boat to stop it from sinking (firing vets). Oy.

I will say OLTL is a far better written show than AMC, but it suffers from the emphasis on Youth and the superficiality that the other ABC soaps suffer from... and I don't blame Higley for that. She's doing a great job given her orders from above.

RSinclair said:

LOL! This is one of the best descriptions of AMC's forced pairings and bizarre storylines I've read!

[cal3]

There's no indication that HT was offered a new contract and there is a lot of suggestion from people such as Logan in TV guide that HT was let go. HBS has stated that the contract offer she was given prior to the one year extension was a joke. None of that adds up to efforts to keep the talent. Evidently CH and TDS are also gone even from their recurring status.

Also GreyG has a point who will be fired next to compensate for further budget cuts? They can clear out Vince, Ted, Claudia, Roxie, and Layla but that leaves who? The pets and the expensive actors. It also leaves them in a most pecarious situation because the combination is the older expensive characters and the devisive characters. So which of the expensive contracts will they go after? Nothing on the show seems to have any broad appeal at this point so which fanbase do they next sacrifice?

[Jess]

After Frons and Co. fired Dan G. and Heather Tom, totally ignoring fan requests, then I decided I'll give ABC the same loyalty it gives me.

If they want to cut a big salary cut Michael Easton's. OLTL, as Errol pointed out, is in a terrible cycle and I don't think they can easily get out of that cycle. The cut and put fan favorites on the backburner. They brought in a flood of newbies and re-created the shows around them and ratings dropped. When ratings drop they have to get rid of characters and they dump the fan favorites that they put on the backburner. When they do that they lose more viewers and the ratings drop.

I'm glad ABC is putting the heat on Daytime. They need to do that. However, they can't change Frons' mentality that he knows more than anyone else and that is what he thinks. As far as November, the Jessica and Antonio wedding just turns my stomach. The past two weeks and the tribute to John McBain has been an absolute joke. What were they thinking having Asa returning gesture be a toast to a man he hardly knew?

Then we have this all new focus on Vincent, Layla, and the newbies.

I think any change on the part of Frons has been to pick up the pace on forcing his new chracters and favorites down our throats. I think the deadline he sees is one to get rid of vets and leave ABC no choice but to go his way.

So I don't know. If OLTL stays like it is then I don't want to watch it anyway. The core of this show barely exists.