Loving/The City Discussion Thread

[NothinButAttitude]

Please register in order to view this content

[Paul Raven]

Chicago Tribume Oct 1 1992

On any given day, viewers of ``Loving,`` which airs weekdays at 11:30 a.m. on ABC-Ch. 7, can rely on the show to provide their daily dose of melodrama. At the same time, ratings watchers can rely on `Loving` to land on the bottom of the Nielsen heap.

Fans don`t care much about ratings; they`re hooked. But in a tight economy, with wanting the most bang for their buck, networks aren`t much swayed by rah-rah types. They want to see the ratings improve.

For that reason,`Loving,' which is owned by ABC, will be undergoing some serious nip-and-tuck surgery. It starts with a neat little crossover story that involves the network`s highly rated`All My Children.``

In the next four weeks there will be two soaps in each one, as several characters will be traversing the fictional towns of ``AMC`s`` Pine Valley and`Loving`s` Corinth. When the dust settles, actor Jean LeClerc, who has played Jeremy Hunter for nine years on ``AMC,`` will be a permanent cast member on`Loving.``

Those responsible for the decision-network execs, ``Loving`` producer Haidee Grainger and`Loving' co-creator/``AMC`` head writer Agnes Nixon-hope to deliver the soap alive and kicking into the `90s. Grainger came on board`Loving`` just three months ago.

`All My Children` is No. 2. I know how strong they are. We felt it a very propitious time to bring some of their characters to our ,

Grainger says. ``It is genuinely our belief that `Loving` is here to stay. It is my task to get it out of 11th place.`

She might be cheered by Bill Bell`s strategy last spring when he introduced the evil Sheila and big numbers to his half-hour`The Bold and the Beautiful`from his top-rated`The Young and The Restless.``

Her task is not easy, says Grainger, a former network executive. Daytime television, like prime-time, has seen a decrease in its audience in the last decade. A ratings point is very significant,` she explains.`We went into 10th place last week. It`s been like a huge battleship in the water that`s very difficult to turn, and that`s what we`re attempting.``

For Nixon, who invented Jeremy-an artist, a cosmopolitan and a ladies man-the challenge is to ensure a smooth segue for the character.

``I know the man, I`m not letting go of him,' she explains.`He has been a great investment both professionally and emotionally for me. We had already done a (short-term) crossover involving Jeremy before with the two shows that worked quite well.

`We have so much story on `Children` that we thought we could spare him.``

In fact, in recent months LeClerc has not had a frontburner storyline; the actor will be highly visible in fictional Corinth.

Nixon, who has launched so many successes in daytime, says `Loving`should have had a better introduction in 1983, when the soap was born.

`Loving` is the best kept secret in daytime,' she says.`ABC made a terrible mistake by not hammocking it between (the already established) `All My Children` and `One Life To Live.` `

Nixon says all her characters share a style, that they are all drawn from the same broad canvas. The crossover, she says will be story-driven and character-driven, not superimposed by the network.

``In my head, (`OLTL`s setting of) Llanview and Pine Valley are adjacent. Corinth is another nearby town. Years ago I used to have crossover stories: people would visit the same psychiatristsfrom the different shows.

`I always see every town as its own little universe but it is also part of the greater world. If you ask `How long does it take to get from Pine Valley to Corinth?` I would say `two acts.` ``

- Meanwhile, here are the specific changes on ``AMC`` and ``Loving``:

Carter, played by John Wesley Shipp (who will be leaving in November), flees to Corinth after wreaking havoc on `AMC`s Trevor (James Kiberd). Trevor will pursue Carter to Corinth.

And thus will Kiberd join the cast of `Loving.` Beginning this week.Loving`s Hannah (played by Rebecca Gayheart) and Dinahlee (Jessica Collins) will be in Pine Valley for two weeks. Dinahlee winds up in Carter`s path. And Jeremy is offered a job at the university in Corinth and decides to accept it, which takes us back to the top of our `Loving` story long enough to add that LeClerc joins the soap Oct. 23.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Paul Raven

[cassadine1991]

That's.so awesome. Too bad there aren't exact airdates of the crossover. I do wonder if it's on YouTube, who else crossed over between AMC and Loving?

[DRW50]

Almost none of Loving is on Youtube.

I'd forgotten Kiberd popped up on Loving. I remember now reading that he had a joke scene with Shana where they both yelled, "I feel sorry for the jerk who's married to you!"

[NothinButAttitude]

Please register in order to view this content

[vote4llama]

 

 

That may be the case, but appears to be less true than it was when you said it.... I cannot wait to watch all of this. From what I've seen, there's a treasure trove of great scenes and storyline!!  I don't want to even give away some of the stuff that's in it.  INTENSE, especially the stuff from the 80s..  I'm gonna post my thoughts later when I watch more

Edited March 1, 2015 by vote4llama

[DRW50]

Thanks. Looking forward to watching that (I hope more Roya shows up...).

[SantabarbaraNBC]

Any Santa Barbara fans here?

We are trying to get the show released on DVD. Please "like" the facebook page and join our campaign.

https://www.facebook...106976976119859

Thanks!

[vote4llama]

The scenes with Alex and Ava stranded are really intense...the clay/ alex storyline has a lot of the 80s abc daytime adventure storyline feel (to my knowledge- i've seen a handful of rauch era oltl and know of gh's success in this area). I don't think these kind of storylines are associated with LOV. The background music is so intense.

I love Ava's jerkface at 25:13

http://youtu.be/B-EgiB13ylM?t=25m13s

[amybrickwallace]

Today I had my first through-the-mail autograph success with a Loving cast member - Susan Keith Kiberd!! She graciously signed the photo I sent and with it a lovely, handwritten note. She was very quick - only took a couple of weeks. I'll send the images to Carl so he can post them here. I've seen more of her work as the first Cecile on AW (thanks to YT) but not much as Shana. One thing is for sure - Mrs. Kiberd is an absolute doll.

[amybrickwallace]

Carl did indeed post my reply from Mrs. Kiberd - but on the AW page (she originated the role of Cecile on that show in 1979). Here it is:

http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/30343-another-world/page-132

[DRW50]

Please register in order to view this content

[safe]

[DRW50]

Leslie Denniston as Gwyn (unfortunately not in English).

Please register in order to view this content

Some Elizabeth Savage and Roya Megnot (temping in her old role as Ava).

[DRW50]

The switch from Lisa to Roya during the temp.

Please register in order to view this content

More Elizabeth Savage.

O'Hara Parker and her wall of hair. Geez that dye job made John Gabriel look awful.