March 3-7, 2008

[brimike]

And THIS is precisely the problem with everyone (not singling you out, Money... the 'general' everyone) getting on their knees and thanking the soap gods for a writer who worked there before s/he even starts. We've seen time and time again that some people who don't knows soaps at all can be great at one show (Hogan's first year at ATWT) and not so great at others (Hogan at Days), and that established soap writers can live up to their names (Claire Labine at GH) and other times fall flat (Claire Labine at OLTL). Everyone deserves a chance to THRIVE or STUMBLE in their first year, and putting the label on someone that they're going to be the best or the worst before they even start can be really dangerous. Personally, I think RC is strong, and given enough time, will find his footing. But everyone's so quick to say whether someone's an A+++++ or an F------- there's no room for any growth.

[Vee]

Sorry, Money, but I think we've had this discussion before and I'm afraid I continue to fail to see how the lack of airtime for master thespian Tobias Truvillion is a problem.

[JackPeyton]

I. HAVE. NO. WORDS.

and we ALL know thats a first.

[JackPeyton]

two of the best post's ever.

[JackPeyton]

What time is GL on in most places? because here is in the timeslot that pass was in, and i assume when PASS went off the air and they started watching GL.

Besides bill/lizzie has that kinda romance that can draw people oin, IMHO. and coop is hot.

[brimike]

Oh my God. If I had a signature, I would steal that sperm line in a heartbeat.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

BRAVO!

[marceline]

Well just to clarify my own position. I loved Erin Torpey and have absolutely no use for BW but...

I completely agree with you on disliking the constant calls to "bring back so and so." It's one thing to want the return of a recently departed actor. For instance I loved DG's Kevin and RED HOT LOBSTER LOATHE the fact that TIIC are considering bringing on a recast. But all these calls for RH or AE just strikes me as pitiful nostalgia. Like some sad old woman in blue eyeshadow, chain smoking Virginia Slim menthols at your cousin's wedding reception and telling you how hot she used to be as she knocks back G&Ts at the open bar.

I agree that anyone is replaceable but that doesn't mean everyone will watch. Heck all the actors you mentioned are getting plenty of airtime and the show's at the bottom of the ratings regardless. Like you said, you're not watching and obviously you are far from alone in that.

[Money]

That's just the thing... OLTL doesn't have the luxury of time and the show doesn't have the luxury of another year. If the ratings keep tanking it's going to end in cancellation. Even if it doesn't, been there done that. I'm sick and tired of being subjected to numerous HWs and being told "give it time" and they fail yet again. My patience has run out. RC was hailed as the savior even before I even dared to hope he would actually be a modest improvement from Higkley's crapfest. He is the one who's been at the show for eighteen years and he is the one who said he knows the history of the characters and loved the show. He should be held accountable and as a fan I shouldn't have to wait six months to a year to actually enjoy the show if he knows the characters that damn well. To me it's just a bunch of excuses and like I said, I've ran out of patience.

The problem isn't TT and your obsession with Evangeline and TT is annoying when no one mentioned either. The problem is OLTL's window dressing masquerading as diversity. The minority tokenism is insulting and continually having them on prop duty even more so. I don't care if you like the Vegas but I do and they deserve to drive their own storylines for a change instead of having their airtime solely contingent on support of RC's "cores". I would rather they fired Tika Sumpter than continue to use her as a token. If you cannot comprehend why viewers would actually love to see RJ finally be frontburner after all these years then I won't waste my time.

[brimike]

I don't entirely disagree with what you're saying. But I guess I see a soap opera canvas as needing nurturing and careful long-term planning. You're right. That luxury isn't there anymore. But Rome isn't built in a day, and I do feel that if cancellation was not the dark cloud looming over EVERY soap, that a soap needs time to refocus the characters into where they need to be to secure a strong future of a show.

I guess what I'm saying is that I do see what you're saying, but (respectfully) I'm trying not to think of the Big-C, even though that might be COMPLETELY stupid of me.

[Vee]

If you're not the one that tried to explain to me why Vincent and Layla deserved to be frontburner because they're sooo talented, then I sincerely apologize. I would love to see TDS/RJ frontburner myself, and I simply do not find Tika Sumpter and TT remotely worthy of my attention or interest simply by virtue of the fact that they happen to be African-American (and either boring as hell or completely untalented in the case of Truvillion). I would prefer to say better black characters/actors brought on, as well as see RJ get their airtime x 100.

As for the Vegas, I like their stories now a lot, and I used to like them much more (I loved Antonio in the 90s) but I don't think you can deny that Antonio was widely despised by a great many fans from 2000 until maybe a year ago. I don't think you'll find a huge hue and cry for more frontburner time for the Vegas after that. I like Antonio/Talia a lot, and I like the rapport with the brothers, but after he tanked story after story I think Tonio's airtime is just right. The point to all this is, I think major storyline for Latino and AA characters is an essential component of the show, and there needs to be more of it, but just because Vincent, Layla and Antonio are what we have right now, that doesn't mean they're what we should use. There is almost no interest in Vincent and Layla, and we've already established the problem with Antonio (which I don't think can be disputed after six or seven years of hatred from fans). So why not add better AA/Latino characters, promote RJ as well, and keep Antonio where he is, mid-burner? Do you really think fans have the patience for another frontburner storyline with Antonio Vega? After Tess, the Santis, Java and Keri?

And as for RC, I don't remember him being hailed as a savior by fans until after he got into the job. Most of us expected more of the same old crap and that Asa's funeral would be just a temporary stunt. I think people were quite surprised when there turned out to be a real increase in the show's quality and writing. I know I was. Now not everyone may feel this way, but the fact is that the way I remember it, the praise came after his work started airing. You can't blame every fan's feelings on a couple overzealous soap columnists. And you can't say that just because you didn't enjoy it that nobody else could've.

[brimike]

A thousand times, AMEN. ANd one of the things I will ABSOLUTELY give RC credit for is making Antonio likable again. One of the biggest problems is that KdlR always goes to this place of anger and rage as an actor. And instead of writing AGAINST that, previous regimes wrote FOR it, which just made him insufferable. By infusing him with some humility and a sense of humor, Antonio is slowly but surely becoming a character I can once again get behind.

As for Cristian, my jury is still out on him. He was never as abrasive as Antonio, and getting him AWAY from Natalie was a HUGE step in the right direction. But I'm still not a complete fan, and am hoping for something down the road that will spin his character into something really interesting.

[Toups]

I will always defend the idea of Melaswen. Jim Reilly took a serial killer storyline to a whole new level and then he topped that idea with Melaswen. I just thought that was pure genius and an example of him "banging the drum" very loudly. What I love about Jim is that, even though he is repetitive is some aspects, he does try new things and tries to find new ways to tell a story. I really believe if Jim got his way, the story would've been told properly.

[brimike]

Okay... I can't believe I'm about to say this. ROTFLMAO

I can get behind the CONCEPT of Melaswen. They were able to save money on sets, create a very Twilight Zone atmosphere, and do something never done before on daytime. I'll be honest - I didn't turn on the story and want to beat it down to an inch of its life until the: magnetic floors, weather machine, and subsequent castle story that NEVER should have happened.

If someone pitched me the idea of a town built to look like Salem to terrorize the residents, my interests would be piqued. But the production of it was awful (Thanks, Wyman) and the turn it took once the real Salemites started heading there to the rescue was ABOMINABLE.

So yes, Toups... I HATED Melaswen, but yes Toups... I get why you feel the way you do.

[Khan]

Come on, Chandler. Clowns are love, and you know it!

LMAO. I mean, you're probably just another, rabid "Evangelin-ista"... but damn, that was funny.

(Don't worry, marceline. I wouldn't hold the Evangelove against you. Just ask ZENDALL FAN.)

[Toups]

I hated Melaswen too - the actual story telling that we saw and the conclusion (what you mentioned) was absolutey horrible. But the idea of it was brilliant. I'm pretty sure that Melaswen was part of Jim's "two hour pitch" that he gave Corday. He had at least his whole first year planned out and maybe even more. But once Corday pushed up Jim's timeline, it threw everything that he pitched out the window and once that happened, Jim got fed up and just stopped caring. That's just my theory. I don't have any inside info.