AMC: A New Interview

[EricMontreal22]

The Intervention episodes were GREAT even if I'm not too sure about the idea introduced in them that her dad Eric basically pimped her out to Richard (as was just mentioned here), though it made for drama. But yeah the episodes were ghreat, and especially early on in this run, (the first year and a half) McTavish always had these wonderful scenes of payoff--that being one of the top examples. I know that's not necesarily down to the headwriter but her staff as a whole, but scene slike this were way mor eprominent during her era. (I mentioned the early Anna/David scene too, which my mom still mentions as a fave scene of hers). I admit much of the story between the payoff scenes with McTavish was a mess (before the intervention we had Erica as the Showgirl for an obvious example--a storylien I admit woulda at least had camp appeal for me if we had gotten ONE showgirl number) And under B&E, at least most of their era, we NEVER got payoff scenes like that.

Shadows--where's the promo picture? I miss Mark

[R Sinclair]

Not to be a bitch, but please find this interview if it's possible, because for years I've been "hearing" that McTavish got her job back by pitching the idea of the Legacy of Rape to Frons. So it kind of confuses me, the notion of her getting her job back based on an idea another team of head writers came up with. I know it's not strange for succeeding head writers to "inherit" stories previously set in place by other head writers (McTavish inheriting Bianca's anorexia from Broderick, for example), but I just don't get how R&C started the LOR, McTavish is unemployed at home watching it thinking how she should be writing this, and then just so happens to pitch the LOR to Frons and gets her job back?

Like I said, even though I can (and love to) be difficult, I'm not trying to be here. It's just R&C's style didn't seem to be that dark to come up with the Legacy of Rape. And if it was, why would they be replaced before they were able to carry out this story that Frons seemed to like so much, regardless of who it came from? I know I'm confusing things, but that's what happens when I'm, well, confused.

Moving on, since we totally hijacked this thread (I guess the Laurie character hasn't gotten any more exciting to talk about in the five years she's been gone! LMAO!), I, personally, never criticized the rape as being a way to make Bianca asexual (even though I wouldn't disagree with that theory, considering McTavish clearly has issues when it comes to women and sexuality -- she loves writing rapes and slutty women). I just hated the fact that McTavish comes back and the first thing she does is pull out her rape trick. Every time she writes, somebody gets raped. Erica. Gloria. Julia. Kit. Now Bianca. That, to me, colored not only the entire storyline, but her entire writing stint from the very beginning. Pulling out an overused, tired, majorly panned story device five seconds after she got re-hired.

I agree she writes good payoff scenes, for the most part (I think the GBS payoff was average), but it's like the story in between the inception and the payoff is poorly written. It's almost as if it's just a placeholder until it's time for this BIG GIGANTIC PAYOFF!

[EricMontreal22]

McT overuses stories in general--I think rape is a part of that (was there a rape when she wrote OLTL? That's the only other stint I watched but I can't remember). That said you can look at Agnes Nixon--a GREAT writer's-plots on her various shows and you will see rapes, especially early on, nearly every year or other year... It's a soap staple.

I dunno who's right, and interviews, etc, I have no proof--though I think it was clear R&C were leading to a rape (and I believe the story that it was to be Kendall). However as to your comment: "And if it was, why would they be replaced before they were able to carry out this story that Frons seemed to like so much, regardless of who it came from? I know I'm confusing things, but that's what happens when I'm, well, confused."

I think when Frons came to ABCDaytime he looked at the old ratings, when the shows were last huge and he hired back those writers--he got Griffith and Malone back to OLTL pretty soon and rumoru was he talked to Broderick to move to AMC but for some reason (some say cuz of him) she wouldn't--I'm not sure if there's any proof there. Either way while things were being reshuffled it felt to me like Rayfield anyway and maybe R&C were always just meant to be interim writers for him, and since AMC was last a HUGE ratings hit in the first half of the 90s I wouldn't be surprised if he seeked out Mct for the position--anyway.

"I agree she writes good payoff scenes, for the most part (I think the GBS payoff was average), but it's like the story in between the inception and the payoff is poorly written. It's almost as if it's just a placeholder until it's time for this BIG GIGANTIC PAYOFF!

"

What's the GBS story? *blush* Certainly this last stint I'd agree with you, and I tried to say that but wasn't too clear--the inbetween stuff sucks and it's not always worth payoff. My disappointment since she's left (well and much of her last half year anyway when some wondered if she was even there) is that under B&E--with some more recent exceptions--there IS no payoff. it's like they setup an interesting story and then (Richie being one though I guess we're gettign payoff now when no one cares) just forget about it...

[AMCHistory]

If July 4th was MMT's first episode, then she came on the show and hit the ground running. July 4th 2003 was when Anna and David had the confrontation in the cabin over Leora when she caught David trying to posion the Martins. It was one of the first appearence by Lee as Ruth since Christmas 2002. All the Martins were hanging around in the park.

That scene in the cabin was written for Emmy consideration. They went almost from commercial to comerical... if anyone can find them on YouTube they are worth posting. Vincent was robbed of a nomination, and really Finola too (to a lesser extent).

MMT impressed me early in her run because she played up on the relationships of the different families. She played up on the old relationships between the characters. Jackson & Erica's Wedding that Wasn't, Bianca's Rape, the Baby Switch, Erica's Intervention... we cannot deny these were some of the most memorable and well written events in Pine Valley History. They caused events whose ramifications we felt for years, and still feel to this day. The Kane family under R&C was so disjointed.... all the families were. We rarely saw the family interactions. When MMT came on and brought JR and Jamie to the forefront, we saw so many Martin and Chandler dinners.

Then something happened in Spring 2005, she began steering away from the family centered drama and focused on her own, new characters. I guess we have to take into consideration she lost a lot of popular actors at one time (Eva, John, Liz, Eden) with really to no fault of her own... but that refocus as you all said on a small group of actors... it took its tole on the show.

[AMCHistory]

For some reason all the things that made MMT great in her first 1.5 years, she threw out the window. She diverted from the families and began casting outsiders, she lost any balance on the show and many veterans were backburned. These were the same veterans (Adam, Tad, Livia, Jackson, David) that she worked to bring back to the forefront.

Lets not sugar coat it, by 2006, she had bombed. But lets not ignore, she saved the show in 2003 from R&C.

R&C, and more Raysfield, destroyed the show. They did everything wrong. As soon as Gordon came on, he let go of some of the characters Culliton had developed and developed his own (Laurie, Joni, Reggie, Carlos, Michael, Henry)... how quickly did these guys come on? How quickly were they given front burner storylines. There was an interview that he gave that explicitly said he was backburning David Canary for no other reason than to focus on newer players and develop them. That single handedly marked the end of any chances for Marcy Walker and Jennifer Bassey (who was dropped to recurring) to have any storyline under his regime.

Was there balance on the screens... we saw a lot of different characters but very few had substantive airtime outside the teens. If a veteran was onscreen it was an window dressing, literally. They would have one line than talk in the background. Brooke, Erica, Liza, Adam, Tad... did they get any substantive airtime or storylines... I don't think so. When I was writing my Quick Guide biographies, 2003 was painfully of balance. Kendall, Aidan, Greenlee, Michael, Maggie... they had their fair share all year but not our vets.

I know I cannot ridicule R&C for botched returns based on MMT's track record at the end of her run (most notably Dixie), but we had a lifer in Eva laRue, and the R&C period just ruined all chances of redeeming that character and took away such a talented actress. Edmund, who from his arrival in the early 90;s, was a frontburning and popular character was slowly unraveled to become a travesty.

[All My Shadows]

I don't know anything about the interview, but I truly think that R&C planted the seeds for LOR and McTash mutated them and made them grow. There was no buildup to Bianca being raped. There was foreshadowing that someone was going to be rape (I believe Kendall was the originally intended victim), but it being Bianca just came out of nowhere. It's a classic sign of a rewrite. The LOR, I think, was intended for Erica/Kendall mostly, but McTash just needed to spread it all over the clan.

Awesome post, AMCHistory!

[R Sinclair]

See, again, this is what I'm saying. I've heard the opposite about Marcy Walker/Liza. I heard Rayfield wanted to get Tad and Liza back together. I remember because I didn't want Tad and Liza back together and that rumor made me vomit just a little bit.

How can R&C be blamed for that when it was Culliton who was responsible for writing Maria's horrendously botched return as Maureen Gorman and wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do with that? That long awaited return was ruined from the get go. The revisionist history on Culliton's part, the uncertainty of whether she was actually Maureen or if she was indeed Maria with amnesia... then she was Maria, and kind of remembered but didn't, but sorta, but not really... Ugh. All that came months before Rayfield.

[R Sinclair]

Oh. The Great Baby Switch.

That whole payoff wasn't as powerful as I wished it would've been. It took place out of Pine Valley, it was rushed because of the whole Babe and Jamie being kidnappers on the run aspect, and Bianca didn't get a chance to hold her baby until two weeks later after having been in a coma. I wanted my payoff for THAT storyline to be in a huge lump sum... not a 20 year annuity.

[All My Shadows]

Oh, Rayfield most definitely wanted Tad and Liz back together. He had them going on dates together, like how they once went to the movies together and ended up spying on JR and Laurie, who happened to be seeing the same movie. I also remember how Tad set Liza up with a "surprise" date that ended up being Alfred Vanderpool and then Liza set Tad up on a "surprise" date with Marian. I think the Tad and Liza-ness was dropped in favor of Tad and Simone, though I think we got the all-too-brief Tad and Strata in between.

[LeClerc]

It definitely seemed like Rayfield (and/or Frons) wanted to go with Tad/Liza. However by the end of their tenure they Rayfield & Cascio were actually starting to set up Mia & Tad. Anyone remember that? McTavish came back and started doing Tad/Liza again, although I find it hard to believe she (as a diehard Tad and Dixie fan) had any real interest in that pairing.

[EricMontreal22]

I saved it on video, it blew me away so much--that's the scene I was trying to explain above. It was just a stunning display of acting and story that somehow made the kinda mess with Leonora dieing story, and the Anna David relationship, what was keepign them together, why it had to end, etc, all make sense.

The July 4th episode WAS the first one that Megan got full credit for (onscreen). And all your reasons are exactly why it was such a fbreath of fresh air--I remember even those on here who HATED McT and were so unhappy to have her back, conceded it was a great first ep back.

ANCHistory I agree with so much of your post--although Liza and Adam did get a minor storylien with their counsellign with Lysistrata.

"Oh, Rayfield most definitely wanted Tad and Liz back together. He had them going on dates together, like how they once went to the movies together and ended up spying on JR and Laurie, who happened to be seeing the same movie. "

I'm 100% that was Adam and Liza wasn't it?? It was one of the things Lysist told them to do to try to save their marriage? I also remember her throwing water at Adam as part of the therapy, etc. Youa re right that they were heading into a Liza/Tad redux though--but ti was always very much a C storyline

Edmund started on his SUPER nasty under R&C (it was they, I believe, who had him trying to drug Maria in case it would bring back her memory, locking her up, etc--there wasn't much of a place to come back to for that character after that). So yeah that Maureen mess started with Culliton, but. While McT was a bit of a mess with her Las Vegas storyline (I still say I wanted a big production number with Erica) to say the least I liked how she tied Zach into both the Cambias and into Maria/Maureen's story even if the followthrough for that was a disaster.

(Like I said most of McT's early decisions seemed to be to try to save some of the R/C mess--giving Carlos a brother--although he was only slightly better than carlos was an attempt to salvage that...)

Since we're discussing disastrous regimes--what's the view on here of Culliton? Given his track record--both as an AMC writer for years and on other shows I have to wonder if he deserved more time. The Proteus story (which still makes no sense to me) was a mess, and he was infamous for dropped characters (Timmy Dillon's return along with Arlene's, etc) and back then we didn't have Frons to blame... He still gave us some killer moments and some great returns (Kendall) which is more than Passanante did... And I'd still be more keen to have him ont he team than Pratt who worries me so much...

[EricMontreal22]

R, I do agree with you about the GBSwitch payoff

[All My Shadows]

Yeah, now that I think about it, it was Adam and Liza spying on JR and Laurie. I don't remember Strata working with Adam and Liza, though (I'm not saying she didn't...I just don't remember it, and I've already proven that my memory when it comes to AMC in early 2003 kinda sucks lol). The water thing, I know for a fact, was with Greenlee though. That episode aired the day after the first Fan February episode because I have the FF on tape and in the previews, Strata tosses the water on her and asks her "What words would describe what you're feeling now?"

[EricMontreal22]

SHe definetly started off as Liza and Adam's counsellor and then started interacting with Tad--i think they met at a party at Stuart's gallery and she flirted mercillessly (and hilariously). I'm nearly 900% certain of this as they were some of the few scenes I adored lol Her therapy for Adam and Liza was unorthodox to say the least

Youa re dead on though that Greenlee was the water thing--i remember that (that Fan February episode was hilarious too--way better than the Gh and OLTL ones...)--it was still about Leo's death I think? She also made her stand on a window ledge and "jump" or something

Actually I never get why all soaps don't have an *entertaining* psychiatrist character. It seems such an easy way to facilitate story and Rayfield did have a good idea with this--to use her to talk to the various characters.

[LeClerc]

She had Greenlee stand on the window ledge outside her apartment and was encouraging her to jump as part of some unorthodox therapy technique. I remember alot of people were really angry with those scenes and hated Lysistrata afterwards.

There was also some weird eye movement technique she used on Greenlee to help her deal with her anger towards Vanessa lol.

I loved Lysistrata and think she and Tad could have been a goldmine for AMC. And I think we also found out that Lysistrata and Joe had been friends for years, Tad was shocked! I thought that was very clever of R&C because Joe and Lys could not be more opposite.