AMC: Do you think the new head writers will turn AMC around?

[Adam]

Yep. People are blaming them for canceling Port Charles. It was the network that drove those super natural arcs. And besides, P.C's ratings were in the toilet (as they always were) the minute B&E got there.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^We already know Frons will dictate his vision to them and they'll have to follow anyway. Network interference will never stop. Writers might be able to fight for a certain storyline under Frons, but you better believe that storyline will be filtered through the lens of Frons. Not only that, B&E are EXTREMELY plot-driven in their storylines, even on GL when CBS wasn't interfering much in their first year. That's a stark contrast from when they were breakdown writers for Nancy Curlee, Stephen Demorest, and Lorraine Broderick on the earlier GL writing team, which was heavily character-driven.

[MichaelGL]

Let's hope we don't see Opal or Erica stalk a guy, and then keep him him prisoner while he temporarily has amnesia...poor Lisa Brown.

[Adam]

Lets hope not but need not worry, Opal hasn't had a storyline in years and since she was put in recurring status a year ago, she probably never will again

[NYC123]

I really do hope the new writers bring back Opal and give her a major storyline!

[R Sinclair]

Not gonna happen if Carruthers/Frons don't place Jill Larson back on contract.

[TC]

Apparently, in her latest hotline message, Robin Strasser confirmed Brian Frons has final storyline approval at OLTL. I'm sure it's the same at AMC & GH.

... not that we didn't already know this, but at least they're not pretending otherwise anymore.

[NYC123]

Well, Brian Frons is an Ass. He really only cares about General Hospital. He also re-hired McTavish! I hate him! really Brian Frons is like crap. He is not a good head of daytime! He sucks ass!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

No, I think we'll find out that Mrytle is a child prostitution pimp that is using The Boarding House as a front.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Erika Slezak said that Frons doesnt care what the HW's write, as long as ratings are good. I think B&E will be able to write what they want.

[TC]

For how long?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^I think Slezak meant that in terms of quality, because of course Frons and all the network execs have to approve of certain subject matters.

Claire Labine speaks of storyline approval a lot, especially by ABC.

[TC]

QUALITY is a subjective term. A value judgment of what is good and what is not. Brian's vision.

Brian Frons will not, in any sense, let B&E's AMC pass by his desk without looking at it but as Jay suggests, I believe he will allow them a certain amount of time on their own to bring up ratings. If they don't, they are his puppets.

And ratings are not necessarily a reflection of overall "quality" even in a broad sense. Frons wants ratings/demos. He would, in fact he has, rejected what traditional soap viewers would call "quality" soap in favour of cheap quick thrills for sweeps.

[Adam]

Well this is apparently why Kay Alden did not get the job. She apparently submitted a bible and Frons wanted to do some edits to add some plot driven gimmicks and stunts for as you say sweeps but Kay being the fine writer she is with integrity said no way. I think B&E will have a certain amount of time... as I truly believe McTavish did because July 2003-December 2004 was a great period for this show (while some will disagree) it was after the GBS was finished that things started to really get mucked up and we got the summer of Rylee. I have no doubt Frons was instrumental in that because he pushed so damn hard for them in the first place. Sure McT still wrote that crap, but Frons was pushing it like no tomorrow I am sure.

[TC]

I agree. As it was with Higley at OLTL up until her controversial but ratings-grabber Daniel Coulson story, McT had her grace period and B&E will have theirs too, until Brian starts adding his own special seasoning to the recipe.

The thing is, earlier I said it was stagnant ratings that prompted his intervention but I'm not so sure of that. He's the type of manager who'd see AMC rise to #3 and then believe his increased supervision would bring it to #1.