Taking Charge of A Soap

[Paul Raven]

So many posters are dissatisfied with their favorite shows.

In light of this,I'd like to see what changes you would put in place if given the chance.

My only proviso-that these are REALISTIC changes that could feasibly take place in the current soap climate and would be applicable to the current hapenings on the show.

Let's see what you would do in your first few months on the job- so you will have to prioritise what can feasibly done in that time frame.

I'm talking story,actors,production values etc.

So many of you have great ideas and I hope you'll share them with the community!!

[DevotedToAMC]

AMC

Kill Ryan with a chainsaw

Ship Del off to a deserted island to be eaten alive by Jaws

Put Opal and Livia back on contract

Bring Brooke back

Jack/Erica

[ZaraB]

OLTL has improved tons, but there are still places where some of the changes either need to be explained or more gradual.

One problem I have is Natalie at BE. There is no other screen presence there at the moment, and the character given the responsibility she has is just plain ridiculous. She needs more established business characters there to attempt to advise her (bringing Kevin back to do it would have only made sense). Asa is gone, Clint seems preoccupied. Yes, the stage is set for a big messup by Natalie, but someone in the family should be trying to prevent it, at least to foreshadow it coming -- she needs more than just the new con man there.

The Buchanan men need at least B-level stories to redevelop them as heroes before they can play the fool romantically. Right now, neither Clint nor Bo look like prizes for Dorian or Lindsay, let alone Viki or Nora.

Now that Todd has his shoulder chip back, time to give him back his brain. Give Starr back an edge and get her away from Cole and with someone Todd has reason to be concerned about.

[aMLCproduction]

Well this will be very easy for me. Great topic Paul BTW.

Y&R, FIRE Kristal and re hire Devetta, Bring Dru back and put her on the writing team, After heather Tom's role on B&B i would bring back to be Victoria.

I would fire nu Colleen, and rehire AL.

I would make all that happen in one months time.

I would snatch up Jack Smith, JS and LML would co hw's with Hanmer, Cwickly, Stanley, LML's husband and yes even her son.I would hope and pray Venus would accept a job on the writing staff but I don't think she's too found of LML and nem'. Any other script writers from Bell 's regime who is available I would get back.

6 weeks into the show, I would update the opening, I would use the sexxy red jazzy version 2 or 3 times then rotate with the an updated 90's version the other days of the week. You know something for everybody.

I like the directors but I would most definitely get rid of P Xavier. All that would happen in the first 6 months.

As far as story, I think everyone knows how I despise Phillis, I will try very hard not to let my personal feelings get n the way, but, uh, she gots to go. Dru vs. Phyllis. I would bring back Daniel. I feel he is needed to interact with his grown son. Hell I'll settle for a reunion for D/P

I would bring hope back and Vic J. I would let Venus personally write that story.

I would try to bring on Nina, and I think is Dina or Dinah or something. I am not good on my Y&R history. I believe the last name is Merigion(sp?), to help flesh out Cane's paternity story.

I would get rid off Jeff.

I don't believe in brining characters back from the dead all like that, esp on Y&R but damn I would want to be there in time from Scott Hamner killing of Ji Min.

I would also like to lure Olivia back with a grown up Nate.

Gloria would pay for his crimes some what and Amber would too.

[NYC123]

AMC:

Bring back David. Also Bring back Anna scince shes not gonna be in Port Charles anytime soon. Bring Brooke back.

Have David/Erica pairing

Get the real Adam back!

Also get Marian, Opal, Livia, Ruth back on contract!

[DaytimeFan]

If I had control of Y&R this is how it would go in the first month:

FIRED:

LYNN MARIE LATHAM

SCOTT HAMNER

JOSH GRIFFITH

JEFF GOTTESFELD & CHERIE BENNETT

LYNSEY DUFOUR

BERNARD LECHOWICK

JIM STANLEY and any other LML writer

KAREN REA

PHIDEAUX XAVIER

EYALL PODELL

ADRIENE FRANTZ

DANIEL GODDARD

TAMSIN Whatever her name is

EMILY O'BRIAN

VINCENT IRIZARRY

TAMMY LAUREN

TED SHACKELFORD

AMELIA HEINLE

KEEP:

Everyone Else (although whoever has messed with the music would get canned too if they didn't fix it, ditto the lighting guys). It should be noted that only ERIC FREIWALD & LINDA SCHREIBER, NATALIE MINARDI SLATER and SANDRA WEINTRAUB survive as writers. Aside from all that everyone else gets to stay.

HIRE:

KAY ALDEN (I'd pay that woman whatever she damn well wants)

TRENT JONES

SALLY SUSSMAN MORINA

KATHRYN FOSTER

JANICE FERRI ESSER

JIM HOUGHTON

JOSHUA S McCAFFREY

TONYA LEE WILLIAM (plus someone who could play a teenage Nate)

ALEX DONNELLY

LAURALEE BELL

HEATHER TOM

Recast of Billy Abbott and Mackenzie Browning

[stenbeck212]

ATWT

I realize that part of why I can still tolerate General Hospital's stories is that the show has maintained its visual appeal.

Oakdale is looking horrendous now because of limited settings.

I'd reduce the WOAK set to maybe just an anchor desk and a couple station identifying signs. That way the Brooklyn studio can be a natural backdrop for the action without having to store a phony looking set. In fact, why can't a room in the building double as Kim's office? Money saved. And if Kim is running the place, Bob, Tom, Margo, Barbara, Paul, Will and Gwen should visit her there regularly. They're her relatives, and it shouldn't just be Luke and Noah's playground.

That street in the middle of nowhere with horrendous lighting where everyone meets has to GO. I'd swap it out to give Lily and Holden a living room. A family as big as theirs shouldn't spend every moment at the farm when they have their own home. Does Emma have a farmhand? There needs to be a recurring day player who reminds us that she's running a business, even if Katheen Widdoes is unavailable. At least somebody walking into her kitchen should have hay all over themselves for a change.

What really bugs me is that people have too much time to run around leading their soapy lives. We need to see people at work. That doesn't mean you can afford to give everyone a set for their workplace, but at least mentioning their work is important. If Barbara is at the Lakeview, she should be looking over new designs on her laptop. Rosanna could chat with business partners at the bar. Oops, Carly can't scheme to get Jack today - she couldn't get time off! I'm glad to see Aaron and Alison work at the low end of the totem pole, but perhaps it's time their families hooked them up with better gigs. Maybe he could be that farmhand, and maybe Alison could work at The Intruder.

As far as writing, I think I've outlined stories I'd like to see ad nauseum. But there are touches I'd add that don't need a storyline to work. Why can't someone mention a phone call from Frannie? An email from Seth? Since Emma is never home, could an absence be explained with a visit to Ellie? I'd like to see Jack use excessive force on a rapist and then realize that he never got over what Julia did to him, only to face police brutality charges. Maybe the rapist would be Cole. What a great way to put Gwen in the middle between her brother and Carly. Maybe Margo could be brought up on charges for turning a blind eye, which would definitely let her family down since only true justice took care of the man who raped her. Drama has to come from family connections. You hurt my sister, I ruin your husband's company, etc. The last time that was done well was when Craig took over Worldwide with a motivation that was true to character.

Do you know what would make my day, if just ONE scene? I think it's safe to assume that Luke and Noah will eventually be together. Hopefully Lily and Holden will be on the same page soon too. I'd love for the Snyders to sneak off to the barn for a quickie and find Luke and Noah getting it on themselves. Better yet, maybe Emma could walk in on them.

To shake things up in the cast, I'd definitely cut Katie, Brad and Paul. Everyone else would have to get reworked stories flowing well until additions are made. As far as the future of the show, Elizabeth Hubbard, Don Hastings, Kathryn Hays and Eileen Fulton are pushing 80. It's time they got the attention younger characters have. Maybe Carolyn Culliton could join the team. An new opening montage without Dolan, Holmes or Zenk Pinter for months on end is completely unacceptable. But I would cut all cast shots and focus on the globe and logo anyway.

[JamesF]

B&B

On the production side I would immediately re-evaluate the way in which the show is shot and find the best possible way to squeeze as much visual quality into 18 minutes a day as possible. This might include arranging several regular locations and adapting the filming schedule similarly to Aussie soaps with a couple of days a week for location shooting and the other three for studio, taping out of sequence. I would also make sure that scripts are full of movement (as LML has tried to do with Y&R). Not three scenes of two people talking to one another for an entire episode. Cast size would ideally be up towards 24 contract players to breathe some life into the show and detach all the incestuous Forrester couplings. I'm all for an integrated cast but the greatest asset of the show is that it has the fashion industry to tie characters together. They don't need to be Forresters. I'd also go to great lengths to determine a definitive timeline to counteract the OTT SORASing and it would create continuity in story/dialogue.

I would be reluctant to fire anyone though if I did I would probably err towards Jack Wagner and maybe even Lesley Anne Down. The Marones have never fit into the show in a logical way and that's reflected by the convoluted business angle which I would also slimline. It's completely illogical that an ex-sailor would be running a fashion house so that aspect would be out the door and the Forresters would win back their original company (though with as many Logan shaped complications as I could muster to create an interesting business angle). The multiple fashion houses named Forrester is unrealistic and confusing for casual viewers.

The Forresters would thus remain front and centre but I'd look to the fashion industry as a whole to populate the rest of the canvas and give some genuine glamour and authenticity -- look at Ugly Betty for example as a different perspective of the fashion industry based on media. There are a wealth of related industries. I'd bring back Eye on Fashion with a ruthless editor who has a beef with the Forresters, perhaps Shane McGrath's natural mother who gave him up for adoption (I'd also try to go for a name -- Donna Mills maybe). I would most likely make Eric's never seen brother John publisher and a sexy, enigmatic villain. The kind of character Massimo should have been. Designers and models would also be prominent again. It would also open the door for Jessica to return, possibly as a model.

Story wise I've not given any thought to but off the top of my head Brooke and Ridge would be over and done with permanently and I would continue the Thorne/Logan sisters arc. I'd give Brooke a gay designer friend -- she needs a sounding board that isn't family and unfortunately viewers would cry foul if she had a hint of a platonic friendship with a straight guy. If there was a logical way to sidestep the Phyllis issue and bring Sheila back as a semi-redeemed player in the fashion industry I'd go for it. Maybe have her writing a slanted book about her time in the Forrester family, bankrolled by John Forrester. I'd be tempted to go for a Taylor/Storm/Felicia triangle. Mark McClain would make a return to give Clarke some family. That's just a few rough ideas.

[R Sinclair]

Being an AMC FAN FIRST:

Firings:

James Harmon Brown & Barbara Esensten (head writers)

Amanda L. Beall (associate hack head writer/shit script writer)

Addie Walsh (associate head writer)

Chip Hayes (associate head writer)

Courtney Bugler (hack script writer)

Rebecca Taylor (script writer)

Jeff Beldner (story editor)

Casey Childs (schizophrenic, seizure inducing director)

Sabine Singh

Aiden Turner

Jeff Branson

Brent Weber

Jacob Young

Cameron Mathison

Bobbie Eakes

Charles Parnell

Alec Musser

*Alexa Havins

*Justin Bruening

*Already left, praise the soap gods!

Promotions:

Michelle Patrick (to co-head writer)

Barbara M. Simmons (to resident director)

Jill Larson (back to contract)

Tonya Pinkins (back to contract)

Re-hirings:

Lorraine Broderick (co-head writer)

Juliet Law Packer (associate head writer)

John PiRoman (script writer)

Julia Barr

William Christian

Vincent Irizarry

Marj Dusay

Brian Gaskill

Recasts:

Reggie Montgomery

Danielle Frye

*Scott Chandler

Greenlee Smythe

*Anita Santos

*Laura Kirk

*Kelsey Jefferson

*Kevin Sheffield

(Sorry, but I have to have the teens that graduated high school in 1997 along with me back on my show as adults)

New Hires:

Michele Val Jean (completing the HW team trifecta)

Judy Tate (associate head writer/script writer)

Mary Sue Price (script writer)

Scott McKinsey (director)

Leslie Nipkow (story editor/script writer)

[Faulkner]

Take out Julie Hanan Carruthers for Felicia Minei Behr and trade out the Gaskill return for an Adrian Sword recast, and I'm on board completely.

[R Sinclair]

OMG! Adrian Sword...:wub: definitely!

If I bring back Adrian Sword, then I have to bring back Belinda Keefer. Those two never had a fair shot before AMC randomly fired Amelia Marshall.

[Pine Charles]

Adrian was Opal’s illegitimate black son, right?

I’d also bring back Arlene. I know Hayley is gone, but Arlene is in my top 5 favorite characters of all-time. I wonder what would happen if Arlene showed up at The Comeback and KWAK tried to cut her booze off?

[tanyia2]

Guiding Light:

I would fire Ellen Wheeler and David Kreizman first and foremost. I would replace them with someone who actually loves the show and cares about the history of GL.

I would also get rid of the useless characters(remy,Ava,Marina,Cassie,Jeffrey,Daisy, and Leah) while rebuilding the Bauers and restoring the Spauldings to the corporate sharks that they are. Lizzie would get her baby back while Jonathan is on the run from the law. The Coopers would be backburned for a long time.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

All My Children

Writer Firings

Barbara Esensten & James Harmon Brown (head writers)

Courtney Bugler (script)

Rebecca Taylor (script)

Marla Kanelos (script)

Actor Firings

Colin Egglesfield

Sabine Singh

Aiden Turner

Jeff Branson

Brent Weber

Charles Parnell

Alec Musser

Ambyr Childers

Leven Rambin

Writer Promotions

Karen Lewis (head writer)

Actor Promotions

Jill Larson

Jennifer Bassey

Writer Demotions

Amanda L. Beall (script)

Jeff Beldner (script)

Michelle Patrick (script)

Addie Walsh (script)

Chip Hayes (script)

Writer Re-hirings

Anna Cascio (breakdown)

Gordon Rayfield (breadown)

Susan-Sojourna Collier (breakdown)

Lorraine Broderick (head writer)

N. Gail Lawrence (story editor)

Christina Covino (script editor)

Frederick Johnson (breakdown)

Louise Shaffer (script)

Neal Bell (script)

John PiRoman (breakdown)

Susan Kirshenbaum (breakdown)

Actor Re-hirings

Richard Shoberg

Kelli Giddish

Julia Barr

William Christian

Rebecca Budig

Gillian Spencer

Ben Jorgensen

Anna Stuart

Lauren E Roman

Taylor Miller

T.C. Warner

Character Returns/Recasts

Tom Cudahy

Di Henry

Nina Cortlandt Warner

Daisy Cortlandt

Mary Smythe

Brooke English

Reggie Montgomery

Scott Chandler

Greenlee Smythe

Rosa Santos

Laura Kirk English

Kelsey Jefferson

Kevin Sheffield

New/Returning Hires

Felicia Minei Behr (executive producer)

Francesca James (creative consultant)

Agnes Nixon (story consultant)

Kay Alden (head writer)

AMC

Written by

Karen Lewis

Lorraine Broderick

Kay Alden

N. Gail Lawrence

Christina Covino

Agnes Nixon

Francesca James

Anna Cascio

Gordon Rayfield

Stephen Demorest

John PiRoman

Frederick Johnson

Susan-Sojourna Collier

Susan Kirshenbaum

Amanda L. Beall

Jeff Beldner

Michelle Patrick

Addie Walsh

Chip Hayes

Louise Shaffer

Joanna Cohen

Neal Bell

Kate Hall

[MichaelGL]

Guiding Light

Fire

David Kreizman

Donna Swajeski

Christopher Dunn

Lucky Gold

Rebecca Hanover

David Rupel

Royal Miller

Kimberly Hamilton

Jill Lorie Hurst

Matt Lagle

Adam Reist

Tracey Bryggman

Joe Cotugno

Bradley Cole

Nicole Forester

Michelle Ray Smith

Caitlin Van Zandt

Orlagh Cassidy

Lawrence St. Victor

Arielle Renwart

Kurt McKinney

Jessica Leccia

Brian Gaskill

Ron Raines

Bonnie Dennison

E.J. Bonilla

Rob Bogue

Hire/Re-hire

Wisner Washam (Head Writer)

Lorraine Broderick (Head Writer)

Trent Jones (Associate Head Writer)

Richard J. Allen (Breakdown)

Hal Corley (Breakdown)

Gillian Spencer (Breakdown)

Sofia Landon Geier (Script)

Roger Newman (Script)

Melissa Salmons (Script)

Francesca James (Director)

Mary Madeiras (Director)

Grant Aleksander (Occasional Director)

Peter Simon

Maureen Garrett

Jerry ver Dorn

Billy Warlock (as Alan-Michael Spaulding)

Demoted

Ellen Wheeler (to simply Director)

Production wise, I'd personally tear down that Main Street and Beacon hotel sets down. I would give charcaters their homes back; Reva's old house, the Bauers, complete Gus and Harley's home, redo Company, construct a Cedars that has walls, bring back Hollybend, and more sets for the Spaulding mansion. I'd give anything to learn the ropes from Ed Scott and fix the lighting with the show. Change the opening back to the previous one, end the ITL episodes, and focus the celebration of GL's 70th Anniversary back on the show and it's history.