AMC: Greenlee is Returning

[Adam]

This Sabine has quite a long list of primetime credits so hopefully she is a decent actress that can give the complex character of Greenlee Smythe some justice. I still am against this but I will watch it play out as I do with everything related to AMC. Maybe she will shock me and make me accept her as Greenlee. I guess If Lish can make me accept her as Kendall this Sabine can do the same with Greenlee. I am glad word has come out because I was getting sick of hearing about casting calls and nothing happening. In a way a newbie is better than a vet getting the role. The expectations won't be as high.

I am sort of half looking forward to this now.

Thanks for the inside info greg. So probably next week's mags will have the news.

Amanda on Soaps Up (The Canadian soap show that airs at the midbreaks of both AMC and OLTL) reported this also today. She did not say who her source was though.

ETA:

I have seen chemistry between Ryan and Annie since the very beginning. Melissa Claire Egan is wonderful as Annie. I love seeing a realistic portrayal of a devoted mom. You felt for Annie's plight during the whole Emma/Kate fiasco. I wanted Emma to be Kate but at the same time I felt so bad for Annie, thanks in part of Melissa. As other's have said it was too bad Melissa wasn't cast as NuGreenlee. She is a dead ringer for Rebecca.

[amazing7]

SteveFrame,

I am a Zendall fan and I am liking Ryan & Annie too. I don't understand why you would make such a statement that the Zendall fanbase hates them. I have seen on other boards especially the ABC.com board where the Ryan/Kendall and Ryan fans start threads saying how boring Ryan/Annie are. If anything, the Zendall fans want Ryan to move on with Annie from Kendall for good. It's also the terrible writing for Ryan/Annie that makes them sort of boring at times.

They are too sweet and sugary for most and no angst except for Kendall or Ryan to be all up in each others business which this Zendall fan hates. Maybe, if the writers didn't make Annie such an ass kisser where Ryan is concern and give these two some descent writing they could be the hit couple of 2007 that Frons want them to be. Zach/Kendall happened by accident and no one had to tell us to like them through horrible writing or tearing them apart. It was the actors themselves that salvage whatever damage the writers tried to do to them and of course the fans who love them.

I hate reading such awful things like Zendall fanbase hates Dixie/Cady are the reason for her not being on the show and the Zendall fanbase hates Ryan/Annie and they won't take off because of it. This is so untrue, because Zendall fanbase does not have that kind of power to get someone fired, if so then Ryan/Cameron would have been gone a long time ago, because I truly despise the character Ryan and all Lavery worship that comes from the writers and his constant interference in all of Zach/Kendall storylines.

I want Ryan to move on with Annie because it will make the overall show so much better and refreshing if he did. I don't have to constantly listen to the same old storylines repeated over and over and over again, because the writers don't have confidence in the character Ryan or even the actor Cameron that he can carry his own storyline without Kendall or Zach/Kendall, because seeing him repeatedly in Zach/Kendall's storylines when it don't even make sense for him to be in scenes with them or storylines tells me that TPTB and writers dont't have any confidence in the actor's or character's ability to carry his own storyline.

Bottom line is that I really wish that Zendall fanbase wouldn't be called out like this and put the actual blame on TPTB and writers for the toal mess this show is in.

[amazing7]

Greenmean is definitely not needed until at this show can be turned around with good writing and storytelling. For now TPTB should save their money.

[Angela]

You're going into fanbase generalizations strongly there, Steve. I'm not one of those Z/K fans that campaigns or anything or think they make or break the show or that need to see them on-screen 5 days a week (no character should be, 3-4 days a week alternating, and 4-5 stories running at a time is what this show needs, what every saop needs) or that hates any character that doesn't adore Z/K (man, I love Erica something fierce love or hate Z/K or Ryan, lol), but I consider myself a Z/K fan.

So JR and Babe fans aren't rating Josh low? But it's deserved there, right? Of course fans of a couple will rate the interloper low and diss on them hardcore. Be it Dixie or Josh or Ryan or Kendall or Zach or David or Liza or Leslie. If I hadn't loved Tad/Dixie so much in the late 80s-90s I would have went them "shot" for Brooke/Adam, Brooke/Edmund, and Brian/Hayley being used as their "little" obstacles and destroyed. Want to go back and blame those zealous T/D fans who wrote in and prevented Tad/Brooke, Brian/Hayley and Adam/Dixie from being successful? I'm sure some people liked them. Took me years to ever find appeal to Liza because of the whole T/D rememberance thing. And Josh and Babe fans aren't rating JR low? I loved Tad and Dixie, but that woman that returned to my screen wasn't Dixie and she was getting in between one of my current favorite couples - if I voted she would have been in the bottom 10 because of those two reasons. If I don't like a character at a moment, I don't like them. I only unconditionally love a few characters at a time. The Dixie that they were delivering in December/January would have been top 10 for me.

There are some Z/K fans that don't care about anything other than Z/K on the show. But that goes for some fans in a lot of fanbases - character, couple fanbase. I'm sure if the show was written well and balanced all those fans would love it and love more characters than just their fave. Hell I think there's a chance I'd like Babe if the show was written better and more balanced, I think there's a chance you'd like most of the characters you list as hating.

Your opinions aren't fact (and yes neither are anybody elses, they are fact for the person to a point but in general we all just have opinions), which I'm sure you know as strongly as you're generalizing - even about fanbases. You might find JR/Babe/Josh interesting, but many don't agree "that the saving grace of that story is that at least it's interesting." You might find Z/K to be the most boring couple ever, but a lot don't (but I'm sure a lot don't like them as well). Congratulations to their fans who wrote in and campaigned for getting a couple the show probably didn't want to do in favor or Ryan/Kendall, Tad/Dixie obstacle, etc... Congrats to any fanbase that is able to stop the show from doing stupid thing, such as firing Cady and Julia (I'm hoping there's some way the show can reverse that). Oh do you want to blame Z/K fans for CM's firing as well? Probably, I'm guessing. Thanks to the writing, most fans didn't like Dixie's return, not just those "mean" Z/K fans. I didn't like Cady pimpin' Z/D because it was making the show worse because I liked Z/K and T/D (my favorite soap couple ever) and I stated that on the boards but not to the actress. I'm sure some stated it to the actress and maybe did it in a jerky way, some not all. Z/K fans then went out of their way to be nice to her after she did that blog after getting probably a lot of mail reaction (if it was more, it's not like Cady not to mention it) to her promoting a D/Z/K triangle. Yeah many still didn't care for Dixie, but it's a free country not to like a character until you think they're written appealing. And it's not Z/K fans fault that as soon as Dixie started being written in character back in the story most fans wanted to see her in that some idiot or idiots decided to fire Cady.

I'm happy about Greenlee's return for the fact that they might stop using Kendall to create conflict in R/A's story - one of the reasons I don't like Ryan. I also don't like Ryan for the general way he's been written since McTavish returned - like his s**t don't smell (their's been some minor improvements). Annie just bores me at the moment, I don't dislike her I just don't care about her because I've not found her interesting or intriguing as of the last few months (liked her considerably during the Emma storyline vs. Terry/Tad/Dixie), maybe nu-Greenlee will light a fire there. I'd like to see them have Ryan in this triangle and it clicking (and no usage of Kendall to prop the story there unless it's Kenlee) - I want Ryan to return to the character he was in 2002 and maybe even root for this triangle (that's coming from somebody who hated R/G - Steve want to make deep generalizations about the R/K fans petty evulness for hating them despite their general unpopularness? it's all a fanbases fault in the end anyways, right?). I actually want Greenlee/Kendall to become friends again, although I doubt it'll have the same vibe without RB. I loved the way the show wrote their two-bitches-in-a-pod friendship pre-Ryan's return - i.e. McTavish's mysoginistic ways. Strong women in friendships running businesses is always better than shrews arguing over unworthy men instead of working.

I'm waiting for SOD to confirm this recast, I read it on Wednesday as well - was waiting for SOD Online to "break it," they didn't so maybe the SOD magazine will break it on Wednesday. RB's Greenlee was often too hard to me, I didn't like the character 50% of the time (I rooted for Laura during the G/L/L triangle, lol) b/c I didn't get her general bitchiness but RB was good at what she did, very good - loved her with Leo (the last 6 months was real good), David and Kendall (even their bad moments were so good cause it was so passionate, lol, court ripping, Thanksgiving) particuarly. I'm interested in seeing what kind of flavor a new actress can bring to the role - in terms of softening it up and in terms of chemistry with Ryan.

Steve, sorry for being snarky in general, you know I love you, but fanbase generalizations are not so kosher to me. I've done it a few times (Deidre Hall fans, Thorsten Kaye fans, James Scott fans), I'm not going to be a hypocrite, but for the most part I've been trying to stay away from it because really doing that is as "mean" as anything fanbases do and/or say, IMO.

[Skin]

I'll have to disagree Ryan.

I don't agree that Ryan Lavery is trying to have Annie and Kendell. Do I think Ryan loves Kendell of course. But I think to say Kendell has no interest at all in Ryan just isn't true. They are both sending signals to one another and I don't believe that Kendell or Ryan will ever be "over" one another.

I do agree that Kendell = NuErica and Babe = NuDixie atleast that's what Megan tried to create. Along with Jaime = NuTad, JR= NuAdam, Krystal= NuOpal, Josh=NuDavid and Bianca=NuMona and Amanda = NuBrooke

[dragonflies]

Please don't generalize, not all Zendall fans hate Ryan and Annie, I actually loved them till Annie turned into Stepford Annie, as all women in Ryan's orbit eventually do. Most Zendall fans liked them in the beginning, but it's not our fault that they're so boring together, Annie has more chemistry with Jonathan than she does Ryan.

Greenlee will be back to bust up the Ryannie wedding, I have no doubt about that.

I'd love EHP on AMC, but she's said she doesn't want to move to the East Coast, maybe she's changed her mind

[SteveFrame]

Rugrat, I should have said in my original comment that the "DIEHARD" Zendall fans hate them and that is not a generalization. In my second post I did say "many Zendell fans" and not all.

I was basing my comments on my experiences from this board and other boards. When you read comments like (and it is posted on this board) where the characters in the Zendell group are the best and the rest of the characters are the bottom of the barrel - that is what you can base it on.

Not all couple or actor fanbases are bad - they all serve a purpose and there are many fair people in them.

In the last time I did the Rate The Character Game one ballot which had 37 characters on it was rated like this: 1) Kendall, 1) Zach, 2) Myrtle and had everyone else on the show ranked #36 except for Dixie & Ryan who were ranked #37. You will notice I changed the rules to not allow that this time.

As to the comment about the Babe/JR fans yes I have seen them rank Josh low, but this time around they are all 3 getting ranked low alot. But I have even found some who put all 3 in the top 10. It is a mixed bag. And there are a few Annie fans who put her high but not Ryan etc.

And as to making generalizations as a Moderator - I am not a moderator anymore.

I am glad that there are some Zendell fans out there who are fair but there are many who are not. But as I have tried to say all along it is not just the Zendell fans but other "DIEHARD" Fan Base fans too.

And also I did say my hatred for Zendell was just my opinion. I realize there are some that do like them, but they are not for me. Most of AMC couples right now are not for me.

[dragonflies]

IMO I've seen more hate for Ryannie come from Rendall fans than Zendall fans, but what does it matter where it comes from?

This couple is the next Ryan and Greenlee, they're contrived and oh I think they'll make it cause Fronsie has a hard on for them

[Angela]

Last Wednesday's episode, that's where R/K's relationship has belonged for the longest time and should be, might have been the most real and nice scenes they've had in years b/c it fit. I don't know how McTavish let those scenes get through her "plot-driven" writing filter. Good friends, because they once very deeply cared about each other, that don't treat each other worse than s**t (Ryan 2004-2005) or try to minipulate the other for whatever reason because it's been DEAD (in terms of "in love") for a long while.

Not a good tactic. I often feel where she goes wrong with much of the new generation is in not getting that they're not their parents (the older generation), they're their own characters who are fundamentally different b/c of different circumstances that a lot of us fans experienced with them in the past 10-15 years. If they're going to act like a parent or "older" generation character it should happen naturally not be contrived into existance. JR's Adamness, and Jamie's Tadness of 2004 was contrived bulls**t. JR was this brilliant mix of Dixie and Adam that should have been such an incredibly textured character (the years of his parents f'in up and the custody battles), not a cartoon character to do the cartoon version of Tad/Dixie/Adam. Etc...

Jamie. Jamie should have been this kid who carried the weight of being second best. Junior was sort of T/D's love-child even though he wasn't their child and a lot of the attention would go there... Jamie happened, was loved, but wasn't ever "special." Jamie wasn't Dixie's Tad...suddenly (what they tried to sell us in 2004).

Babe is more Erica than Dixie, the show just doesn't embrace it and we have to be told over and over again per episode that Babe is right, the light, the etc... Not totally Erica at all, but more like Erica than Dixie/Bianca. Wants what she wants or else. "Brilliantly" minipulative. It would be better if the show didn't take an old mold and put a character in and just let it be what it is, not what the writer wants it to be (despite the fact that it isn't naturally that).

[Skin]

I actually do see the Babe/Dixie connection. IMO Babe was more a appetizer of old characters when she first came on. I saw hints of everything from Opal to Dixie to Liza to Brooke to Pheobe. It was great. She was like a rainbow of all the characters and it worked until little by little they started taking those color's away and started making her a victim and started turning her into more or less a watered down version of Dixie hand in hand with Dixie's old storylines McTavish hack version 2.0

I do see it. The country girl from the wrong tracks who schemed to get what she wanted and then was taken advantage of by the coperate tycoon and was mainpulated and gaslighted, ect. The easily victimized ingenue who had the worst luck. I saw it the only big difference is that Dixie had a moral compass where Babe doesn't have one and thinks lying for the right reason is doing the "right thing". I see the heart, the self-righteousness, indignation of both characters and I do see the parellels David/Dixie/Tad = Josh/Babe/JR, Adam/Dixie/Tad= JR/Babe/Jaime, Babe's heart problems= Dixie's heart problems, Janet kidnapping Babe/Billy Clyde kidnapping Babe, ect. They're are tons of likenesses and I do see it.

IMO Greenlee and Gillian were more Erica then anyone on the cavanas now, but I do see Kendell/Erica in the same light. They both do the same things for the same reasons and Kendell has almost caught up with all of Erica's men at this point. lol.

[Adam]

Oh I think it was Megan's intent to make Babe an echo of Dixie. It just did not fly because Babe made all the wrong choices for the wrong reasons and as you said Skin, has no moral compass which is why the Babe is Love mantra is so hard to swallow.

Greenlee was basically a younger Erica when she was introduced onto the show. Agnes Nixon was writing at that time and its clear she was going for a Tara/Phil/Erica thing with Becca/Scott/Greenlee. That was the first major storyline and Greenlee was the manipulator and conniving vixen, and Becca was the sweet country girl who had a moral compass.

God I loved mean Greenlee I know alot of people hated her but I loved her every minute!

[Skin]

I actually think Megan didn't start to make Babe into a Dixie like character until later on. I very much think that Babe was supposed to be a Opal/Liza like character when she first came on. It wasn't until later that she added the Dixie into Babe IMO. Their were colors and hints of Dixie there but not alot IMO. She was very much a Liza/Opal redo IMO.

I actually do see the Dixie/Babe likeness in characters. I very much see the heart of her character. The kindness, compassion, affinity and I do see her as a people person and I do see her at times as the doe eyed ingenue and the niave country backwater girl who is constantly victimized that she is supposed to be. It's just that Babe lacks any and all moral direction. Perhaps if Babe was raised by someone else other then Krystal she would be different but she isn't. So she is the way she is. IMO she is still a good character. I still like her and find her rootworthy and understandable and I do think she is interesting character study but that is the one thing that seperates Babe and Dixie from being completely alike.

Dixie always had strong rooted values and knew what she did was wrong and why thus she was able to learn and grow. Babe IMO doesn't have that. She has no moral code she has an inkling of what is right but she feels that if you do the wrong things for the right reasons that is the same as doing the right thing. I do believe that she doesn't want to hurt people but she doesn't connect the dots and doesn't see what she did as wrong because she still believes that doing the right thing for the wrong reason is right.

That makes both of the characters that much more interesting IMO. Better and worse.

I really do think that if they let Gillian live she would have been a very Erica like character. It's a shame they killed her off.