Jump to content

AMC: MMT has some nerve


Recommended Posts

  • Members

Agreed 100% about her 91-95 stint.

I thougth Agnes wrote Loving for a little over 6 months actually (I was completely off by the 14 months...) I have a LOT of Loving eps from the past 91-95 and used ot have it in my head about who wrote when. Either way Addie Walsh's era was pretty good and kept the "old time 80s AMC feel" Agnes Nixon helped bring back to the show (even with campy elements like Dante and his "kitten" but Agnes Nixon has always liked some camp--ever since the late 70s on AMC anyway).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 112
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Even if we discount the entire year of 2004. Megan was still delivering on occassion very high numbers. During sweeps periods AMC's daily's were usually able to deliver upwards of 2.6. Moreover the lowest we EVER hit was a 2.4 under her tenure. Compare that to the 1.9's and lowers AMC was getting during B&E and they make 2.4's look like a golden standard. The "drastic" fall was probably at worst a 2.4

I think the reason so many people tuned out was because the only thing on AMC to watch was the "Crash" story. Megan as bad as she was atleast was able to string multiple stories at one time. Be it the Satin Slayer, Zoe's Transgender storyline, Babe/JR/Josh triangle, Dixie/Tad, Bianca/Zoey, Zendell, Ryan/Annie, ect. She didn't manage to completely isolate viewers from other characters. Even Joe/Erica/Jack, Krystal's paternity secret were other storylines during her last few months. She atleast was able to give variety as crappy as she was. We didn't get entire episodes of Kendell blubbering around in a hospital or Sabinelee crawling out of a ditch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

No biggie. I've always known I'm in the minority when it comes to MMT's first AMC stint. In fact, when it comes to discussing the golden era of any soap, I'm always in the minority, lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Khan, I echo all your points. Definitely, the only other HW besides Agnes Nixon who understood what All My Children was about was Wisner Washam; it's such a shame he is no longer writing.

I also agree with you about Lorraine Broderick. If someone were to put a gun to my head and make me choose between Broderick and Megan McTavish as HW of AMC, I would absolutely pick Broderick. However, Broderick's reign as HW didn't impress me entirely. The pacing was WAY too slow, and I'm not talking about the type of "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait" slow. It was SLOW SLOW. Her storylines were just ok IMO; they just didn't have the intrigue and magic that Nixon or Washam brought to their stories. I think that Kay Alden, had she been hired, would've written the show similar to the way that Nixon and Washam did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Talk about missed opportunities... :angry:

I find it odd how Irna Phillips mentored Bill Bell and Agnes Nixon and Bell and Nixon in turn mentored Kay Alden and Megan McTavish, respectively. Yet, look how VASTLY different Alden and McTavish's writing styles are. It's like heaven and hell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

When I watch classic AMC eps from the 80s one thing you notice (even more so in the rare 70s eps I've seen like that great Tom and Erica's wedding ep from 78 or 77 up on youtube) is how interconnected EVERYTHING and everyone is. Other characters discuss what's going on with other characters (since after all it's meant to be a small community), people bump into other people, storylines intermingle... McTavish at her best was good at this but not always--still compared to Rayfield's writing, it was striking how much mCT brought this missing element and how quickly back to the show. I actually am in the past month seeing it more with B&E--I can't remember who but I heard some characters discussing a storylien not directly related to them a while back which was nice, having the QUAD all be at Adam's "wedding" for Tad and Krystal was great to mix up the stories even as wrong-headed as it was I kinda liked having (I know I'll regret saying this) Hannah sleeping with Sam cuz it just mixed everyone up in true soap opera classic style (and yes coincidence has always been a soap device). I hope this is kept up (not to mention how fond of Joe B&E seem to be).

EVen having Tad mention Maria was great--if maybe an injoke to fans to aknowledge they knwo that bringing back Maria was badly handled and Angie won't be the same (it was funny cuz a firend of mine thought Angie--the recast Angie had met Maria but I knew she left about a year and a half before)

One thing though--those 80s episodes were FILLED with story. you watch a random ep from the early 80s and every little character has their own story going on--many are just minor stories but...

0I REALLY miss that--the only soap that really seems to be attempting it nowadays is Carlivati on One Life to Live (with mixed results so far IMHO but at least he's trying) The last time I saw it on AMC was in the late 90s when Agnes nixon came back (and brought soon after Jean Passanant's reign of terror--my elast fave AMC HW) We had so much going on suddenly--even small, but character filled minor stories like Marian trying to get to go to that Tea with the Queen thing, cuz she still felt she didn't live up to Stuart's class, behind Stuart's back with Scott, etc--hardly a frontburner plot but it adds to the sense of a real community. I do think Megan TRIED that a bit and for whatever reason was told not to do it--even this last tenure of hers you saw characters coming back (even say Livia) and getting hints of story only to have it disappear an the focus return solely on the A listers as decided by Frons. I HOPE that's going away too--I get some feel it is lessining a bit the past few weeks but...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The difference is, Kay Alden respects the genre, while MMT acts as if she doesn't. Usually, the ones who think they have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, are the ones who come up with the most lame gimmicks.

That's because some writers, like Nixon or Washam, try to flesh out characters, giving them rich outer (and inner) lives, rather than use them merely to prop up their sensationalistic plots.

Of course, you can go too far in that direction; and when you do, you often end up w/ Claire Labine's RYAN'S HOPE at its' most annoying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Oh you're the one who disliked Malone's first era on OLTL aren't you <_<;)

As for Kay Alden I HANDS DOWN wish she woulda been AMC's current writer and expect good things form her. Still I'm not quite as 100% on board as some here. In the awesome All hEr Children book Agnes talks a bit (this is 1976) when her daughter mentions that a storyline on Y&R seems to be stealing an AMC storyline--how Bill Bell was someone she ahs worked closely with and prob the best writer in the bizz (she says--being humble of course ;) ). ANyway she also says that his style and the style of Y&R are *very* different from what she wants for AMC or her strengths--especially the way he handles (or doesn't) humour and going for a more stylized, less 'real" feel. Kay did all her co headwriting and trianing under Bell (she was listed as his co HW on Y&R as far back as the late 70s) and I wonder if she woulda had a hard time adjusting to AMC's style.

That said AMC has lost so much of its style maybe it doesn't matter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

HAHA ok explains a lot ;)

I think part of it for me is that's when I got into soaps--I was 11 in late 91 and got hooked on AMC just as Natalie fell in that well :P then the next year I ws hooked on OLTL too thanks to Ryan phillipe (sigh) and soon after Loving cuz of the Carter Jones/AMC crossover. Loving and AMC were my soaps though more than OLTL but I did really love it during the Malone era. that said even at a yougn age I tried to find out everything I could about the history of the shows (which, pre internet was WAY WAY WAY harder than it is now--I remember foolishly, naively writing to ABC asking if I could buy tapes of the first episodes of the soaps... Daytime to Remember was like Heaven for me though I just started to go online around that time too) So for me that really is my personal Golden Age of Soaps even if I knwo earlier eras were better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Well, Eric, you aren't much younger than I am; and yet, I remember being five or six years old and running home everyday after school to catch up on all the soaps my mother taped at that time.

I know it seems incredible to believe but - hand to God - even at that age, I was completely gaga for Quint & Nola and Tony & Annabelle on GL; and Greg & Jenny and Jesse & Angie on AMC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • How did I never notice how tall Colton was?

      Please register in order to view this content

    • They didn't need to have some slutty gay dude as their representation. Just a 'normal' guy getting involved with another guy or two (or three). Just like the straight characters. Thinking about it, they missed the boat by not having a few other single charcters at the beginning. Maybe Naomi or Ashley could be shown meeting Derek/Jacob and  we could follow their romance. Too many characters were coupled up at the start. As a tattoo hater I was surprised to see Tomas so inked. Don't find it attractive or sexy. I'm surprised an actor would do that as it's definitely a statement and may not be appropriate for some roles. Suppose they can cover if necessary. I didn't buy Kat being all girly and then paying off Darius to get into Eva's room. Way too cliche. She should have just come along when the housekeeping was leaving and breezed in saying it was her room. And her smug looks in the hotel room and 'Now I've got you!!' talks to herself at Orphey Gene's...no.  
    • Omg I was so annoyed. Like girl calm down. Coming on way too strong. Omg I forgot about this

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I thought it got stale before Jocks death lol. His death picked things back up for me.
    • 1976 Pt 5 Tony is summoned to the reading of the will in the Llanfair library,as he’s a principal in the will. He tells Joe there’s not a chance of coming to terms with Dorian, as he is sure she brought about Victor’s death by torturing him emotionally when he was her helpless prisoner after his stroke. Ironically, Chapin hand delivers to Viki a letter her father wrote before his stroke, praising Dorian and asking Viki to befriend and support his widow when he was no longer there. Viki feels a responsibility to her father’s wishes and vows to try with Dorian. Victor’s will leaves the expected amounts to members of his family and staff, with the lion’s share of his stock and property going to Dorian. Victor’s will explains that his son Tony expressed the desire that he not be “bought from the grave,” and, in keeping with his son’s wishes, the only bequest to him is the knowledge of his father’s love and respect. Tony is deeply moved. Dorian’s first attempt to use her new power is the recommendation of Peter as head of the Merideth Lord Wolek hospital wing, claiming that naming Larry would be virtual nepotism. Peter, who has devoted considerable time and effort to helping Jenny get over Tim’s death with gentle, affectionate support, is happy at this suggestion, but Jenny points out Dorian is merely using him to hurt Larry. Viki disregards Dorian’s ingenuous assurances that she’s not trying to wield her new power but is merely putting Peter up for consideration for a future opportunity, if not this one, and tells her she won’t be able to fulfill her father’s desire that they be friends unless Dorian stops interfering. Larry, fully understanding Dorian’s personal motives, warns her he’s going to fight for the appointment no matter what. Realizing that she has made a tactical error, Dorian announces that she won’t even attend the board meeting but will give her proxy to Jim. She admits to Matt McAllister, still her confidant, that this was humiliating, but it was a necessary protective tactic. Dorian manages to win her next round at Joe’s office when, after he praises her decision to yield on appointing Peter, she expresses concern for Viki “at a time like this.” Joe, of course, jumps on her words, and Dorian, pretending great distress at having mentioned something she shouldn’t have, is “forced” to explain that she knew about the congenital heart condition Megan had and that any child of Joe’s is likely to inherit it. She overheard the doctors discussing it at the time of the accident, she continues, and naturally assumed that Joe already knew.  Joe arranges a meeting at home with Viki and asks her how she could live a lie like this; how she could go through their lives as if everything were fine while every moment was a lie. He is further upset when, in trying to explain that it was out of her love for him that she kept the truth from him, she mentions that Jim and Larry also know but Cathy still hasn’t been told. Viki tells Joe that Dorian deliberately told him this way to hurt their marriage, and she is very upset when he starts toward the door, pleading that they have always talked things out in the past. Joe coolly points out that she didn’t do that when she learned about Megan and continues out the door.  A tearful Viki is shaken and when Joe later returns, having spent several hours in a bar drinking only soft drinks,she breaks down, crying that she was convinced he’d left her. Joe assures her they can get through this despite everything, because their relation is based on love and mutual respect. 
    • If you think about it, DALLAS and DYNASTY grew stale right about the same time, even if the ratings were slow to reflect that.  FC and KL, on the other hand, tried to stay fresh, but KL was way more successful at it, I think, than FC.  (That [&#33;@#&#036;%^&amp;*] with The Thirteen does not hold up well, lol).
    • GH 1976 Pt 8 Heather takes advantage of the situation by asking Jeff to come and look at Tommy. She uses sympathy, compassion, and her own feminine wiles, together with his misery and his pills, to lure him into bed. Later, sober, he apologizes. Learning from Pearson that Monica has seen a divorce lawyer, Jeff confronts her, and she insists it’s a lie. Avoiding his attempts to kiss her, she musses her hair and tears her blouse, then rushes to Rick’s, claiming that she can’t stay with that maniac any longer. They wind up in Rick’s bed, and after making love he confesses he always loved her. Rick replies to her question of whether he wants to marry her by saying he has to talk to Jeff. Monica insists that Jeff not bear any pressure from their problems. As she leaves, Rick gives her a key to his apartment. Jeff, having spent the night drinking, misses his surgical assignment, and Steve, informing him that his personal life can’t interfere with his profession, puts him on suspension. Rick can’t persuade Steve to reverse his decision, but Mark, sensing what’s at the heart of Jeff’s problem, convinces Steve to lift Jeff’s suspension and transfer him to Mark’s service. Rick asks for his key back, telling Monica they can’t do anything as long as she’s under Jeff’s roof. So she has a duplicate made and moves into intern’s quarters, explaining that Jeff’s violence drove her out. She tells Jeff she needs privacy to work things out, and tells Rick Jeff wanted her out. Thinking that this is the preliminary to a divorce, Rick tells her she can come to his place. In New York, Leslie’s abortion is delayed by a mix-up in scheduling, and she calls Terri to commiserate. Rick overhears Terri’s conversation and forces the whole story from her. He flies to New York to stop Leslie, feeling responsible for pointing out how evil Cam was, and arrives to find that she has decided she can’t deny her child the right to live. Monica, meanwhile, expecting that Rick will be home, uses her key to let herself into his apartment and is shocked to find Mark there; knowing that Mark was uncomfortable at the hotel, Rick offered Mark use of the apartment in his absence. Monica is upset to learn that Rick is in New York with Leslie, and Mark doesn’t know why. Mark does advise Monica to play fair with Jeff, but she resents his interference. The next day, while covering for Leslie at the clinic, Monica discovers Leslie’s lab test report and jumps to the conclusion that the baby is Rick’s. When Rick and Leslie return, Monica wastes no time in accusing him. He is dismayed to see that she is still as suspicious and possessive as she was before he went to Africa, and points out that her making a duplicate  key proves she hasn’t changed. Terri encourages Leslie to see Rick in a romantic light and then suggests to Rick that Leslie is interested in him. Rick likes this idea and tells Mark he’s growing ‘unwilling to cope with Monica’s unreasonable demands. But Monica immediately recognizes the threat Leslie represents and decides to attack. She goes to Leslie and tells her flatly that she and Rick are having an affair and he’s her exclusive property. Leslie, who realizes she has been falling in love with Rick, is hurt, and Rick is mystified when he feels Leslie pulling away from him. Monica’s big moment comes when she brings Rick a housewarming gift and seduces him into letting her stay overnight. She is in the bedroom when Leslie stops by to apologize for refusing his dates, and makes a dramatic entrance into the living room draped in Rick’s bathrobe. Leslie turns and runs out. Rick later informs her he’s disappointed in her, because she prejudged Monica and him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt. Heather tries to arrange another tryst with Jeff, but he replies that he still loves his wife. Heather decides there’s only one way to get Jeff to be pregnant with his child. She manages to overhear Monica putting Jeff down by telling him he no longer turns her on and should look for someone he does. Heather goes to Jeff and tells him that she heard Monica and that she is the one he’s looking for. She manages to get him into bed again, and sweetly assures him this is right. She then sets the stage for future meetings. Steve, meanwhile, offers to help Monica and Jeff work out their problems. Jeff is willing, but Monica turns the idea down. Instead, she presses Terri to convince Jeff to end the marriage. Terri now knows that Monica isn’t a good wife for Jeff and promises to try. But Jeff makes it clear to Monica that he still loves her and won’t let her go. She is bitter and upset, as she has already implied to Rick that she will soon be free. Audrey is upset to find that Florence Andrews has been inquiring about Tommy and herself. She goes to Florence’s home and finds she’s away now. Florence has gone down to Mexico to sign a sworn statement that she purchased a false death certificate for Tom, to protect his son after his wrongful conviction. Tom, learning from her that Steve and Audrey are to be married and Steve is planning to adopt Tommy, tells  Florence not to do anything, as there’s still no assurance that he’ll ever get out. But the judge does accept the statement, and, ironically, on the day that Steve  and Audrey are married, Tom is released from prison.
    • 1976 Pt 12 Final part Laurie agrees with Stuart that Peggy is rushing into marriage to prove that the rape didn’t ruin her life.  She points out that the only way Peg can be sure is to make love with Jack before the wedding. Stuart admits she’s right but points out that he can’t suggest that to Peggy. As the wedding approaches, Peg seems happy that Jack’s become close to the family. However, her happiness is shattered by a nightmare in which her loving bridegroom turns into a leering Ron Becker, forcing her to cancel the wedding. Jack reassures her he’ll wait as long as it takes, and Chris confides that she and Snapper didn’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night because of her own rape experience, but Peggy tells Chris she might never be ready.  Despite her desire to keep Karen as her own daughter, Chris helps a police artist create a sketch of Nancy so it can be printed in the newspaper as part of a search for her. When the attempt proves fruitless, however, Chris asks Greg to file application for permanent custody of the child. Greg points out that adoption is the only way to prevent Ron from returning and claiming the child, and that it will take quite a while. Meanwhile, a nurse in the psychiatric ward sees a resemblance  between the newspaper drawing and her autistic patient, Mrs. Jackson, but since “Fran” doesn’t respond to the name Nancy and no one else sees the similarity, she fears she’s mistaken. Jill is horrified to overhear Kay, when brihging baby Phillip a Christmas gift, telling the child she remembers the night he was conceived. Kay has to then admit to Jill she saw her with Phillip in the bunkhouse that night. Jill is aghast to realize that Kay new the truth all along and put her through such agony in spite of it, denying her baby his father’s name. Lance tells Laurie they’ll marry on Valentine’s Day. He laughs that it’s corny but agrees, secretly wishing it were sooner, as Vanessa has vowed to prevent it. Indeed, Vanessa makes an unprecedented venture out of the house to visit Brad, telling him to rebuff any advance Leslie might make to him, as she’s reaching out to him only from a sense of duty. But Laurie then makes a concerted effort to reach Vanessa. Without being sure why she’s trying so hard, she tries to assure the woman she’s not losing Lance and she, Laurie, will help her find a plastic surgeon somewhere who can help her. Grudgingly, Vanessa seems to be reconsidering her view of Laurie, and Laurie is delighted when Lance offers her a choice between two diamond necklaces, explaining that her preference will be Vanessa’s Christmas gift. Learning from Les about Brad’s blindness, Stuart tells Brad he could have turned Leslie away only out of great love. Knowing that Les is going to see Brad again, Laurie warns him not to bring the baby into their discussion, as Leslie will come back only she’s convinced he loves her, not for the babies sake. Leslie finds Brad disheveled and sloppy, and proceeds to straighten the apartment, stating that she can't respect him if he lets himself go. Realizing that neither Brad nor Les will make the first move, Laurie hurries things along by refusing to help Brad with his grooming, saying he should ask his wife. Then, having learned  that Brad offered Les the use of their piano, Laurie untunes the Brooks' piano forcing Leslie to accept his offer. By refusing to cater to his  blindness, Les manages to get Brad to stop wallowing in pity, and by the time Leslie’s Christmas braille message of her love and her need for him arrives, they are husband and wife again Lance takes Laurie on a business trip on New Year's Eve, and tells her, on board his plane, she won't be  won't be able to call him “Mr. All Talk and No action” after tonight. When Laurie protests that waited this long and will continue to wait until married, Lance delights her by instructing his pilot to land in Las Vegas, where they are married immediately.
    • Yeah, not sure why Jack and Jen didn’t rush to Marlena - or even Carrie - to offer their condolences. A few flashbacks would've been a nice touch too. Instead, we got a whole episode of them talking about Chad and Abby? Come on. On the bright side, I loved Anna’s scenes with Marlena and Carrie - sweet and heartfelt, felt like a real 80s throwback.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy