AMC: Julie Hanan Carruthers Interview on Dixie's Death

[Darcy]

From SOD/SPW On-Line:

http://soapoperadigest.com/features/amc/in...anancarruthers/

IMO, this woman is so beyond clueless, it's scary that she is responsible for the production of AMC. What the hell is she talking about? Tentacles? Environment? The audience is going to be reborn with this story? (I'm about ready to be re-born into being an ex-viewer.) I find it twisted that she believes that the senseless murders of women in the prime of their life should lead to hope and life for their loved ones. Tad and JR aren't going to mourn so much because they've done it before were in a "good place" with Dixie? Uh, she was MURDERED just as she was reconciling with them and before she found her daughter, which has been her story the past five years. Tad and JR may get over it but I never will. The saddest (and most pathetic) thing to me is that she believes this is AMC at it's classic best.

Exit Strategy

Many AMC fans are still reeling from the news that the show chose not to renew actress Cady McClain's (Dixie) contract, opting instead to kill off her character as part of the ongoing Satin Slayer serial-killer storyline. Executive Producer Julie Hanan Carruthers spoke to Digest about AMC's decision.

"When Megan [McTavish, head writer] came up with this whole concept,” says Carruthers of the Satin Slayer tale, "it was about, 'How do we emotionally impact [upon] all the people we care about?' And obviously high stakes, and life-or-death stakes, really raise the bar of emotion. When you can tap into the personal relationships and the love and the caring and also the hopes and fears of all these people we've invested so much time and support in, you have compelling storytelling.”

But why was Dixie designated to sacrifice her life to the storyline? "It's unexpected,” notes the exec. "Obviously, the fallout now becomes universal. It's not just the women at Fusion and the people who are connected to them; it universally encompasses every member of the canvas when you start looking at all the different tentacles coming in.

"In order for a story like this to have real impact, it's not just about the reaction of our environment to the people who are lost,” she continues. "You have to understand that it can affect anybody, you know? It's not just the girls in Fusion who you only see once a week. It's people who are pivotal to the environment, as well. I'm trying to say this in a way that doesn't undercut what the Fusion girls have meant to the canvas, particularly those three characters who've been attacked [simone, Erin and Danielle], but a character with as much history as Dixie.... It shows that nothing is sacred and nothing is safe. By jumping off that diving board, not knowing what's at the bottom of the pool, you've now taken the story to a whole new level.” It is, ironically, how safe most fans assumed McClain's status to be that contributed to Dixie's vulnerability. "In order to keep the audience, who is as savvy as they are —— which we love, by the way — on the edge of their seat, they have to be able not to anticipate what the outcome is going to be. And to me, part of what we do is the element of surprise. Surprise that's validated by the play-out of the story, obviously; it's not just surprise for surprise's sake.”

And even though Dixie has "died” in the past, Carruthers is of the opinion that the story her demise will generate this time around justifies the tough decision. "The great news for us is, all those people who are left behind are forefront on our canvas and amazing performers and the stories are endless. What's not going to happen is a rehash,” she assures. "Obviously, Tad and JR have been through mourning. This is a little bit different because she didn't run away and is in a very good place with everyone.

"What is happening on ALL MY CHILDREN right now,” she concludes, "is a regrounding of our environment and our history. The serial-killer story is not so much a serial-killer story [as it is] about reestablishing the connections between the people we love, whether the connections are fiery or warm and touching and loving. When people are hit in the core with loss, somehow there is a layer of emotional junk that is cut away and you get to the core of who the characters are and what this environment is. It allows everyone here to sort of have a rebirth and for the audience to be reborn with them. I think everything we're doing in this direction, whether it's the transgender story, which is a huge social issue, or it's a story of grief and losing the people you love that ultimately leads to hope and life and people reaching out to each other, I think it's classic ALL MY CHILDREN at its best.”

[Cat]

Well, she would say that, wouldn't she?

LMAO at all that "tapping into emotion" psychobabble.

[LookingGlass]

Oh well now it all makes sense. She did for the "environment"

You know, I have a PhD and I can't make heads nor tails out of this. All I know is that Julie loves the word environment all of a sudden!

"Nothing is sacred". That's really all she needed to say, and no Carruthers, that's not a good thing. Some things should be sacred. Jean Dadario Burke, Francesca James, Felicia Behr, Angela Shapiro, Pat Fili-Krushel, they all realized that.

[Cat]

"When people are hit in the core with loss, somehow there is a layer of emotional junk that is cut away and you get to the core of who the characters are and what this environment is."

"It allows everyone here to sort of have a rebirth and for the audience to be reborn with them."

Psychobabble. She is just making this stuff up as she goes along.

[R Sinclair]

Mooo.

[Cola]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[DruRocks]

quack.

[whyamcwhy]

What a load of garbage. It sounds like politician speak to me, a whole bunch of big words that make absolutely no sense. I wonder if they are surprised by the negative reaction Cady's firing has had. Not that it matters anyway. The evil three of Frons, Carruthers, and McTavish must go.

[KMan101]

Unbelievable. She is a clueless CLUELESS woman.

[ChrisL]

After reading Carruthers' comments, I'm more convinced than ever that this HAS to be a fake-out! If NOT? I just don't even know what to say if I'm incorrect.

Check out Marlena DeLacroix's latest column where she and I dish the dirt on Dixie's "death." Is it all a ruse? We still think so!

http://blogs.mediavillage.com/savoring_soaps/

ChrisL

[MarlandRulez]

oh go and suck Brian's dick some more Julie. Stupid [!@#$%^&*].

[LookingGlass]

Unfortunately it is what it is, no tricks

She's as dead they come in soaps, because they had Ghost Dixie scenes where nobody was imagining her or seeing her. I don't think even Mike Roy was that dead.

[ChrisL]

I hear you, LookingGlass. "Ghost Dixie" most certainly challenges my determined belief that this is all a hoax. Perhaps it was Dixie's 'imagination' and not really a ghost? Then again, how would she know about Kate if it were Dixie's imagination? I know, it appears that my goose is cooked. But I hope not.

ChrisL

[Tishy]

Whatever

[Canfan]

Really? Because this storyline is boring me senseless probably because it makes no sense. I have no idea why the killer is doing this, there is no real sense of danger being build up, and their is no emotional impact because that would involve writing some actual depth to the characters.

As for loving how savvy the audience is allow me to LMAO. The write to us like we are five years old who need to be told how to think and feel about a character. Everytime I read an interview I feel like a character out of Orwell's 1984 being taught their 'real history' via stupid plotlines similar to how the Ministry of Truth set things up. If they had any respect for their audience they would write stories we want to see not stories they want to see.

I don't think I have been so digusted by a show since Sonny had AJ put up on a meathook and was supposed to be seen as the good guy.