AMC: What would you do to save AMC?

[EricMontreal22]

Where do you live? I always heard that Loving had its best ratings in France and I know TVA (I think) In Canada aired it and then the City some 5 years after they aired in English--I loved to watch them (it helps I speak french).

A LOT of affiliates didn't show City--a lot didn't even show Loving (I actually think more affiliates showed Port Charles than The City which is too bad). Ours did though to be honest I wouldn't have minded it being late night as I don't sleep well and I liek the idea of a soap around midnight (remember when NBC used to air Sunset Beach at 1 or 2 as part of their late late night?) (Also anyone remember Josh Griffith and Michael Malone's planned late nigth soap for FOx, 13 Bourbon Street involving voodoo--michael Logan claimed the pilot was sensational).

ANyway The City like I said got off to a rocky start--havign a huge serial killer so early on mirroring the Loving murders was partiuclarly a mistake. But the last few months were REALLY strong--and in a way that was innovative while remaining true to traditional soaps. I actually hoped that Burke would take some of those innovations with her when she moved as EP from there tro AMC but she did nothing for that show.

So I just think it deserves a lot of credit for tryign a LOT of new things--and somehow largely making them work. I'm not sure how much "story consultation" Agnes Nixon did but her influence was apparant. If it had been given 6 more months I think it honestly coulda been saved.

E

[dragonflies]

LOL Khan, no offense, but your version sounds like something we'd get from McTavish.

[TC]

I live in Montreal. . We've met before on other boards. A few years ago I used to post at WOST (until my whole system crashed) I'm the one who talked about that dive bar (Andrew's?) (was it on Guy st.?) that had the Coronation St. group every Sunday morning, after the omnibus episode.

Yes it was TVA that aired it originally "en français". Later it turned up on the local "ethnic channel" alongside several interesting Spanish and Hungarian language telenovellas.

For me it was the near perfect 90's half hour soap. Much more engaging than the overproduced, overpriced PORT CHARLES.

But I've never seen it in English.

And LOVING was called AIMÉE on TVA.

Again, I don't think I've ever seen it in English.

[EricMontreal22]

HAHA oh right!! I miss Montreal terribly

I agree--and I think a 30 min soap has its place and the City got this perfectly--it was still very emotionally engaging even though it was faster paced than many traditional soaps--it really shoulda been on at 4pm or something--to get a teenaged/student crowd. That's why i think it coulda had a chance if it was an 11:30pm soap with LOTS of advertising but of course that's not to be. It's kinda infuriating when creatively ABC seems to be on course but all the things they have to do t support that creation are nowhere to be found. (I never got into PC in any of its incarnations but I admit that's partly cuz of my biase against LA based soaps and largely cuz I was pissed that City was canceled)

The City was also remarkable in that I think it did a goodjob of interesting both fans of Loving (trust me I didn't want to see Loving dead especially after Agnes Nixon revitalized it in 94) and new fans--if they'd given it a chance. I have the last 2 months on VHS and one3 day soon plan to upload them all day by day to youtube

[ClassicAMCDays]

Ok, I'll try my hand at saving AMC. The canvas, is insanely cluttered with characters IMO whom have little to no significane to the show. I would focus my vision on bringing the show back to the ground-breaking drama that is once was; featuring characters that just about anyone could root for or loathe.

Exiting the show:

Jonthan, Del, Dre, Corrina, Ren, Ava, Annie, Wes, Ryan, Aidan, Babe (to be recast a few years down the road), Greenlee (same as Babe), and Shawn.

Returning to the show:

Brooke English (Julia Barr), Dixie Martin (Cady McClain), David Hayward (Vincent Izzary), Angela Hubbard (Debbi Morgan), Skye Chandler (Robin Christopher), Liza Colby-Chandler (Marcy Walker; I know she's into her ministry work, however, I'd still make her an offer), Danielle Frye (Tanisha Lynn), Reggie Montgomery (Micheal B. Jordan)

Potential recasts:

Babe Carey-Chandler (Lauren Woodland), Greenlee Smythe duPres (Rebecca Budig/Arianne Zuker),

Jake Martin (Dan Gautier), Peter (Petey) Courtland (Scott Clifton; still thinking about this one, lol)

Upgraded to contract status:

Opal Courtland (Jill Larson), Marion Colby-Chandler (Jennifer Bassey), Ruth Martin (Mary Fickett)

Writing Staff Dismissals:

James Harmon Brown, Chip Hayes, Amanda L. Beall, Rebecca Taylor, Marla Kanelos, Courtney Bugler, Addie Walsh, Jeff Beldner, Joanna Cohen (even though I like her dialogue)

New Writing Team is:

Lorraine Broderick and Kay Alden (Headwriters), Hal Corley, Stephen Demorest, Nancy Curlee (Breakdown Writers), Michelle Patrick, Kate Hall, Barbara Esensten, Patrick Mulcahey (Scriptwriters),

Carolyn Culliton/Judy Tate (Script Editor)

I'll do the s/l ideas later...

[TC]

I agree that high schoolers and middle schoolers especially would have like The City. At that age, I wanted to identify with people who were a few years older than I was.

To me, Loving was more of a traditional soap and as such, suffered for being only 30 mins in a world of 60 minute blockbuster shows. It had wonderful moments though. One of the best was when the James Kiberd character visited the Vietnam Veteran memorial in Washington DC. I saw it in French, dubbed as usual, but for the scenes at the memorial they used subtitles. Fantastic, emotional scenes.

Later runs of "LOVING" or "AIMÉE" as it was called didn't show it again. In fact that whole earlier part of the show went missing during later runs in "en français".

Just curious, why did you leave Montréal? We love it here, BF and I. We live near the LOYOLA campus of Concordia.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

What really led to the virtual shut-out of Loving/The City from the mainstream soap press and The Emmy's?

Surely, it couldn't have been it's 30 mins format. Ryan's Hope thrived being a 30 mins soap and was an Emmy darling. A lot of blame seems placed on Loving for killing RH, with that now infamous time-slot switch. Also, not to sound rude, RH is obviously considered the higher quality soap. However, why exactly did ABC sacrifice RH in order to "save" Loving? It was very unusual even back in those days to switch an established soap with a new soap time-slot-wise.

[Vee]

Eric, you know I love you, but when are we going to stop apologizing for these hacks because of The City? They've done so much dung since then.

I don't really watch this show now and I barely recognize it but one thing I wouldn't do is dump the new Greenlee. I know, I know, horrible storyline, character ruined, but IMHO that actress is one of the best recasts I've seen in a long time. It should not have been possible to recast Greenlee.

[Khan]

>> ALL the Chandlers gone?

Yup. I'd phase out Palmer Cortlandt, too, if I thought I could get away with it.

>> Marian gone?

One of AMC's biggest problems has always been never knowing when this-or-that character has stayed too long at the old fair.

Yes, I know Adam and Stuart are stalwarts. I also know, though, that if I have to sit through Adam ruining yet one more marriage of his to the woman who was supposed to be the love of his life, I'll scream. The man, along w/ most of his family, has been on repeat for too long. It's time to phase 'em out.

>> I dunno if you got rid of all thos echaracter sover 2 years it might work--any shorter span of time and I think we'd have another Valentine's Day Massacre on our hands

Well, it's not like I'd send a flood or earthquake to Pine Valley, followed by a serial killer.

>> LOL Khan, no offense, but your version sounds like something we'd get from McTavish.

I dunno, AMC Zendall Fan, you might have a point. (ATWT and GL are more my speed.) OTOH, would you be saying this if I had left Zendall alone (and happy)?

[TC]

I'm not so sure it was unusual, just maybe the last time it was done. When soaps went to 60 mins a lot of juggling happened. At the time this merely seemed like the last of it. And by then, Ryan's Hope was already far from its premise. RH was a once great soap but many felt it had run its course by then. It was always somewhat restricted,or constricted, in its scope.

So along comes THE GODDESS of ABC soaps, Agnes Nixon, with an idea for a new 30 min soap produced in NYC, and she has her male counterpart, SOAP GOD, Douglas Marland as a collaborator, and they want to write and produce a new soap. Who would turn them down?

[dragonflies]

No Khan, I'm saying that cause your version is pretty hacky. Again no offense.

Sorry Vee, can't agree, Sabine is one of the worst recasts ever IMO. LOL it wasn't possible to recast Greenlee cause they didn't. This character running around with the same name is NOT Greenlee.

[Khan]

None taken, AMC Zendall Fan.

[Faulkner]

I've never been a big Chandler fan either in my AMC watching days - although I did have a soft spot for Hayley - but that whole family needs a serious re-think. They have gotten far too set-in-their-ways and predictable over the years. To shake things up, I wouldn't mind seeing Stuart laid to rest and having Adam truly deal with losing, in a way, the better part of himself. A true redemption story for Adam. Stuart discovers he's developed a terminal cancer, and have the entire Chandler family rally around him. Have Adam truly make amends with Stuart by being taking care of him, with Marian at his side also a caretaker. Throughout Stuart's illness, Adam and Marian butt heads over Stuart's care, but come to understand one another. When Stuart dies, Adam is at his bedside, giving David Canary his umpteenth Emmy. Adam and Marian commiserate in their grief. Perhaps this sets up a Adam/Marian pairing, bringing back some of Jennifer Bassey's great fire. And perhaps Skye Chandler returns to help her surrogate father pick up the pieces (would love to see Christopher and Bassey go at it).

[NYC123]

I am just disapointed in AMC. B&E are falling already. Thed had a first good 2 weeks but after WHAT ELSE!

[EricMontreal22]

Yah I've only managed to see a few of those early famous episodes

Ah had to return to Victoria for some family things. I plan on moving back soon Had a few classes up at Loyola