Fans of Nuke often speculated that either complaints from conservative viewers or pressure from advertisers had been brought to bear on the show and that accounted for the couple’s infrequent appearances. “The vast majority of the feedback we've received about the Luke/Noah storyline has been supportive,” [sr. V.P., Managing Director for TeleVest Daytime Programs Brian T.] Cahill said. As to whether advertisers had balked at the gay storyline, he said only, “That question should be directed to CBS.”

When asked if religious groups had pressured the show over its content as they have frequently done in the past with gay-themed programs such as The Book of Daniel, Cahill said, “I understand why you are asking the questions, but I can assure you that we make decisions on how to tell a story based solely on what we think will be best for the show creatively and our diverse audience.”

Cahill would know, as the executive producer for ATWT reports directly to him and he is regularly involved in all aspects of the show’s production and storylines.

[Michael] Logan said he hasn’t heard anything about corporate pressure being brought to bear on the show, but has heard conservative viewers have complained. “I know they got some hate mail and some right-wingers are upset. ATWT has an older conservative audience, which is odd as these show are all about breaking the Ten Commandments. But they got gripes.”

As already noted, months have gone by with no more kisses between Luke and Noah (not counting a peck on the cheek last week). When it was pointed out that it seemed by not showing any more kisses, the show was treating the characters differently, Cahill said, “As I mentioned, the Luke and Noah story is one that we are all very honored to be able to tell. We are focusing on developing Luke and Noah’s relationship and presenting it in an entertaining and engaging way to our audience.”

One of the moments that most offended fans of Nuke was the Christmas episode, which was ironic because for most of the episode it was quite gay positive with the Snyder family accepting Nuke as a couple and treating them just like any other. Emma, Luke’s grandmother, even made a toast to them at dinner.

But then came what is now being infamously referred to as the "mistletoe moment" when the camera panned away just before Luke and Noah kissed.

When asked about why the camera cut away, Cahill answered, “Since Luke and Noah became an on-screen couple several months ago, we’ve heard from numerous loyal viewers of the show – many of whom support the storyline and some who do not. We continue to tell Luke and Noah’s story in an authentic way that engages our entire audience. The decision to focus on the mistletoe at the end of that scene was an artistic decision.”

“My take on that pan was they chickened out,” Logan said. “It looked like something out of the old Hayes code of the thirties. They didn't go there and they easily could have. If I saw a lot more of that, I'd think they were getting a lot of pressure [not to].”

Full article at http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2008/2/asthew...ersy?page=0%2C0, including spoilers.

Well....there may be a kiss coming up. ATWT recently did a location shoot and I think there may have been one. Don't hold me to it though.

As with all the characters on the show, Luke and Noah are sometimes featured more heavily than other times. For instance, in July, August and September, they were on-air quite a bit. Fans will be seeing more of Luke and Noah in the coming weeks and months, as their story gets more air time.”

Yeah....just checked. Nuke's numbers: 11 appearances was their top number for the year, while the year's most featured character, only dipped under 11 appearances once. I'm hardly their biggest fan, but I don't think it's a coincidence that they've had nothing to do once Maddie left town.

"AS THE WORLD TURNS" EPISODE COUNT: JANUARY - DECEMBER 2007

TOTAL EPISODES JANUARY-DECEMBER 2007: 251

(22/20/20/20/23/21/22/23/18/23/20/19)

1. Michael Park (Jack Snyder) - 176

(17/15/7/11/19/14/17/15/15/16/16/14)

2. Terri Colombino (Katie Peretti) - 153

(12/12/9/12/19/10/16/12/15/15/10/11)

3. Jennifer Landon (Gwen Norbeck Munson) - 140

(13/16/15/13/12/8/12/14/7/10/10/10)

4. Maura West (Carly Tenney) - 135

(12/0/0/0/15/14/17/17/15/17/16/12)

5. Marie Wilson (Meg Snyder Montgomery) - 129

(13/11/12/7/13/15/10/11/6/13/11/7)

6. Jesse Lee Soffer (Will Munson) - 128

(12/16/13/13/11/9/12/10/6/8/8/10)

7. Austin Peck (Brad Snyder) - 121

(5/11/7/12/11/6/10/11/11/13/13/11)

8. Roger Howarth (Paul Ryan) - 116

(11/12/10/7/11/12/3/11/9/14/9/7)

9. Grayson McCouch (Dusty Donovan) - 110

(9/7/11/8/8/11/10/10/8/11/8/9)

10. Martha Byrne (Lily Walsh Snyder) - 105

(9/9/13/6/3/10/11/8/8/10/11/7)

11. Alexandra Chando (Maddie Coleman) - 95

(11/15/15/11/5/6/7/11/8/6/-/-)

12. Mick Hazen (Parker Snyder) - 93

(10/10/6/4/10/12/5/5/6/6/12/7)

13. Scott Bryce (Craig Montgomery) - 92

( / / /4/13/15/10/11/9/12/11/7)

14. Ewa Da Cruz (Vienna Hyatt) - 87

(10/10/9/11/7/1/8/8/7/4/4/8)

14. Jon Hensley (Holden Snyder) - 87

(7/3/7/6/3/8/8/6/10/12/11/6)

14. Marnie Schulenburg (Alison Stewart) - 87

(-/-/3/9/13/12/12/12/7/8/5/6)

17. Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily Stewart) - 84

(15/7/10/9/10/8/7/0/0/3/6/9)

18. Trent Dawson (Henry Coleman) - 80

(9/8/9/11/8/2/7/7/8/4/2/5)

19. Van Hansis (Luke Snyder) - 74

(3/5/2/7/4/4/8/11/8/11/7/4)

20. Ellen Dolan (Margo Montgomery Hughes) - 73

(13/12/4/8/7/5/3/2/4/5/4/6)

21. Daniel Manche (J.J. Snyder) - 70

(4/3/1/0/9/11/9/10/6/4/9/4)

22. Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda Walsh) - 59

(4/7/5/6/12/9/3/2/1/3/3/4)

23. Ashley Marie Greiner (Faith Snyder) - 58

(6/9/8/9/3/8/2/1/3/3/3/3)

23. Colleen Zenk Pinter (Barbara Ryan) - 58

(9/2/3/3/2/3/9/5/1/9/7/5)

25. Elena Goode (Jade Taylor) - 55

(5/10/11/13/2/8/6/-/-/-/-/-)

25. Allie Gorenc (Sage Snyder) - 55

(4/0/1/1/9/3/5/4/9/5/10/4)

25. Jake Silbermann (Noah Mayer) - 55

(-/-/-/-/-/9/7/11/8/10/7/4)

32. Zach Roerig (Casey Hughes) - 45

(13/13/10/7/2/-/-/-/-/-/-/-)

33. Justine Cotsonas (Sofie Duran) - 40

(-/-/-/-/-/-/1/10/6/7/6/10)

Edited February 14, 200817 yr by P.J.

Is there an article about the lack of airtime for the vets, too? I'd think they'd have priority.

.......but then again.

I mean.............

Fans have been b!tching for forever about the lack of airtime for veteran actors on ATWT. For a long time, honestly.

Nuke fans complain a few months and everyone's in an uproar?

WTF?!

Edited February 14, 200817 yr by Actor87

We continue to tell Luke and Noah’s story in an authentic way that engages our entire audience. The decision to focus on the mistletoe at the end of that scene was an artistic decision.”

i agree with him. it was obviosuly, to me anyways, anm artistic thing that all soaps liek to try here and there.

Fans have been b!tching for forever about the lack of airtime for veteran actors on ATWT. For a long time, honestly.

Nuke fans complain a few months and everyone's in an uproar?

WTF?!

Nobody's worried about Tom and Margo being denied brief kisses because of their sexuality. That's WTF.

i agree with him. it was obviosuly, to me anyways, anm artistic thing that all soaps liek to try here and there.

The lips probably meet when straight characters are treated to "art" of this nature.

Edited February 14, 200817 yr by stenbeck212

Yes, everyone gets some shots panned away from (even Katie in the midst of her latest stud-pumping). But when there's only one kiss per month, and it's Nuke's smooch that gets panned away from, it starts to smell like backpedaling.

Nobody's worried about Tom and Margo being denied brief kisses because of their sexuality. That's WTF.

The lips probably meet when straight characters are treated to "art" of this nature.

but was it dont with the internt of not showing the kiss? i dont think so.

soap fans like to bitch and bitch and bitch about litle tiny things like this and read wayyy to much into things.

i think we give TPTB wayyy to much credit when none is needed

soap fans like to bitch and bitch and bitch about litle tiny things like this and read wayyy to much into things.

i think we give TPTB wayyy to much credit when none is needed

Fans like me, perhaps? Smooth. TPTB run the show. Who else is supposed to get credit for this, the newbie actors? Everybody can work up suspicion if LML or Guza are involved in a controversy, but somehow the Nuke depiction has many more shades of grey that only Republicans at a global warming conference could see.

Fans like me, perhaps? Smooth. TPTB run the show. Who else is supposed to get credit for this, the newbie actors? Everybody can work up suspicion if LML or Guza are involved in a controversy, but somehow the Nuke depiction has many more shades of grey that only Republicans at a global warming conference could see.

No, i did not mean you. or just you. i do the exact same thing, it was just a simple thought.

and i for one think there is shades of grey to just about everything - even what goes on GH, what ken corday is really responsible for at days, and even nuke.

i understand where nuke fans are coming from. both because i am gay and because i am a huge fan of theres. but this isn't a nuke-fan thing. its an all soap fans thing. i really do think we read much into some thing, just as not enough into others. however, thats what makes soap opera message boards so great.

nuke fans are no diff than any other fan base of an underused and mistreated chars/actors/etc on soaps. however i don't think that every single tiny detail is part of some big gay cover up. i am sure it does play into things, however not everything.

i understand where nuke fans are coming from. both because i am gay and because i am a huge fan of theres. but this isn't a nuke-fan thing. its an all soap fans thing. i really do think we read much into some thing, just as not enough into others.

I don't see any other logical conclusion than a reticence by TPTB, given the history of soaps' gay characters on every network. They're used for sensationalism or critical acclaim at first, and then shoved back into irrelevant eunuch status when the closet door has been opened. The most ridiculous notion in this article is that Nuke won't experience more physical intimacy because that didn't happen for Bianca and Lena on AMC, after all. For 3 decades AMC has short changed this element of same-sex relationships, so obviously ATWT would be wise to go FURTHER than AMC ever did.

When TIIC claim that Nuke are going to be treated like EVERY other couple, they ought to be smart enough to anticipate criticism when they're clearly NOT. Even second tier couples like Henry and V, Casey and Maddie got to KISS.

I read another board that P&G has mandated that no more Nuke kisses.