Christopher Goutman: Q&A on Another World

[AntiNWO]

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Did this man kill AW with that horrible Jordan Stark and Lumina [!@#$%^&*] or what!!!!

[jfung79]

The sycophancy on the part of the fans telling him what a great job he was doing is nauseating, LOL.

[brimike]

This interview just makes me sad.

I don't know what happened to Chris Goutman in the last ten years, but it's depressing as hell. Reading this interview, and his last two with SOD, it's like they're two completely different people.

I want this Goutman back. The one we have now is just a frustrated, jaded, bitter, burnt out mess. He really was such a life preserver for daytime back then, with so much hope. They really ground all the joy and passion out of him over the years, haven't they?

[juniorz1]

Chris Goutman really did energize AW and while it wasn't perfect, it was better than it had been in years.

[bellcurve]

IIRC, The Lumina/Jordan Stark story was an NBC mandate.

Goutman gave AW's it's final hours of dignity. I'm with whoever said they want this man back.

[Shakur]

At the time of this interview Goutman was breathing new life back in Another World. He had long-term plans for the show, with a focus on bringing the show back to it's roots. After years of disappointment, he gave fans hope - which was no small feat.

He was passionate about the show and the industry, and he did the best he could to help it survive. He brought this same passion when he switched to ATWT. I always wondered was Goutman and Hogan Scheffer could have done if they were working together on AW, instead of on ATWT.

When Another World was cancelled the show was on the cusp of a new renaissance. He put an end to the Lumina/Jordan Stark story, put more focus onto popular vets (I believe he was also responsible for bringing back Carl Hutchins). Fans had reason to love him.

The past 10 years have really changed him. I too wish that this man from 1999 was still working his magic in 2009.

[jfung79]

Goutman was heralded back then, but I was watching, and I did not feel much improvement. I felt like people were just desperate to praise the show to keep it from being canceled. NBC may have mandated Lumina, but Leah Laiman was the headwriter, there wasn't going to be quality character-driven story anyway.

The show was already more focused on vets before he got there, thanks to Richard Culliton putting the spotlight back on Cass, Felicia, and Donna the previous year before Culliton asked to be demoted (so the rumor was) after Charles Keating was fired by NBC.

Carl was brought back for a few days when the show was canceled. Goutman's more significant return would probably be getting Alice Barrett Mitchell back, but her character Anne was bland, thank you Leah Laiman.

ATWT when Goutman first started also got immediately worse, with the hiring of bland soap hunk Paul Korver as Chris, replacing the talented (but unconventional-looking) Ben Jorgensen, and the beginning of a permanent backburnering for Bob and Kim. This was followed quickly by the firing of the talented and chemistry-laden (but unconventional-looking) Nathaniel Marston and Jaime Nicole Dudney. Oh yes, (unconventional-looking) Scott DeFreitas was also fired around this time.

There is no "Goutman back then" who was great. Goutman is the same as he ever was -- more focused on surface appearances than on real quality.

He didn't cause the death of Another World (that was NBC), and his ATWT is still good despite flaws, but I've never understood the high praise for him.

[brimike]

I see many of your points, but you're also leaving out a LOT, jfung. It was obvious that Goutman was much beloved by most of the cast and crew at ATWT, and the few years where they swept the Emmys, there was a general excitement and energy in every interview read/saw with ATWT cast members about how thrilled they were to be a part of the show. And sure, some of that may have seemed like lip service - but when Maura West, Martha Byrne, Michael Park and the Hensleys are all talking about the positive aspects to Goutman EP'ing, that says a lot. Compare that to the last few years - NOBODY talks about Goutman anymore in the press. In fact, I can't remember the last time an actor said something about him, which is a completely different tune than the ones people were singing in 2000-2004.

Yes, Korver wasn't a find, and losing DeFrietas (and Bryggman) were both dumb moves (as well as back-burning the Hughes family). But I don't see ANYBODY clamoring for the return of Eddie and Georgia these days.

He's not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. But the show looked like a million bucks in Goutman's first few years, and the general vibe you got from most of the cast was that morale was great and he was extremely well-liked. At least back then.

[jfung79]

Good points, brimike.

I still think Gotuman is well-liked ... I don't really get a sense of low morale at the show (but I am not privy to backstage gossip). I also think he is sincere in caring about multigenerational families -- another EP would probably have fired the unused vets by now.

The on-screen results are what I care most about though. To the extent that people were excited about the on-screen results among the cast, I attribute that more to the work of Hogan Sheffer and Carolyn Culliton. I don't remember people gushing about ATWT when Laiman was writing it.

I still think Goutman didn't suddenly lose his touch, he was over-hyped to begin with.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

That's because they weren't, the best thing that ever happened to Goutman's reputation during his first year or so at ATWT was Laiman's firing. The show was in the gutter for a good part of 1999 and 2000, storylines was hallow, characters were dumb as hell, and almost nothing made too much sense.

Laiman doesn't get too much credit for the hack she is. She's right up there with McTavish and Higley, if you ask me.

[brimike]

The only story I really liked from those two years was the All About Eve story at WOAK. I know a lot of people had problems with it, but I really enjoyed it. Oh, and the Parker reveal when CG/LL FIRST started, but you can't really count that since they were wrapping up Broderick's story.

[GregNYC]

Chris Goutman will remain with ATWT until it's cancellation.

[aMLCproduction]

My Beloved AW. CG was doing wonders with the show. It was getting good again. I wish he had more time.