Members NYC123 Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 New All My Children Head Writer Wants to Return Soap to Glory Days By Lynda Hirsch Jul 25, 2008 Any word on what "All My Children's" new head writer has in store for the show, Georgia, from Baltimore asks. The answer, When Chuck Pratt Jr. takes over the AMC writing helm on Aug. 27, he is hoping to return the show to its glory days in ratings and story line content. In a recent conversation Pratt, who has held key positions on shows from "Melrose Place" to "Ugly Betty," to "Sunset Beach" and "General Hospital," recalls watching and loving AMC in its prime. New All My Children Head Writer Wants to Return Soap to Glory Days "Agnes Nixon (the show's creator, longtime head writer and moral compass) could weave a story and make a point at the same time. I will not compare myself to her, but I understand the show's basic feels. Agnes has never shied away from important topics. From legalized abortion to taking a stand on the Vietnam War, AMC told both sides of the story, but also had a point of view. Family is very important on this show and it will continue to be." *** Pratt thinks Adam Chandler needs to be totally front and center. When you have a character of his dynamic why not use him all the time, he muses. Fans of "Ugly Betty" will see Fusion turn into a real work place. Pratt wonders how the beauty products company gets anything done. He is right when he says we need to see more of Kendall and Greenlee's work ethic. Presently it seems to be about having fun and using the strip club pole they have in the office. Can you imagine working for this spoiled-from-birth duo? We can and so can Pratt. A day at the office will not be a day at the beach. *** Pratt's first assignment is turning Jake (Ricky Paull Goldin) and Taylor (Beth Ehlers) into the iconic couple the actors were when they played "Guiding Light" super couple Gus and Harley for seven years. Pratt knows a lot about super couples: Can you say "Luke and Laura"? As for which characters will be written out, Pratt is being mum, but does not plan a wholesale slaughter of long loved characters. "'All My Children': The show is about family. The title says it all." http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publi...272621741.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reddi Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Kendall was not spoiled from birth. She was raised in an average American family, not by Erica Kane. Greenlee WAS a "spoiled rich girl" however. I wonder if he'll go back to her family roots (which are vital in understanding the character... and by family I mean Mary and Roger, not "ohgosh lookee my dad is really Jackson and I find out when I'm 25" But work at Fusion sounds good. Adam front and center sounds good. Most of all... FAMILY sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khan Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Thanks, Reddi, lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jonathan Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 I must admit, I'm encouraged by this news. He is respectful of Agnes Nixon and her vision. I just hope he can execute and deliver to the fans what we've been clamoring for: balanced, thought provoking storylines, and of course, the REAL Erica Kane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brimike Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Wow. I've never heard somebody go on for so long without saying absolutely anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dragonflies Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Uh yeah Kendall wasn't spoiled from birth, sounds like Pratt needs to focus a little less on Taylor/Jake and more on researching character histories.......... Other than that it sounds good. Hopefully he isn't lying through his teeth about everything like B&E did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Skin Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Well lets be honest the entire appeal of the character of Kendell has long since gone. Especially the original version of her which was embittered, angered and deeply scared by her birth mother's rejection of her. Kendell always works best when she is on the outs and scrambling for dear life to get in. That's where she is most likeable and when she is most rootable when she is the under dog. Kendell hasn't been the person she was supposed to be since 2003 and the last truely interesting storyline she had was when she was on trial for Micheal Cambius' murder. This current incarnation of her character simply doesn't work simply because Kendell isn't the person she currently is. She isn't worlds best mom, she isn't worlds most perfect wife, she isn't this righteous heroine. She is this deeply flawed swamp girl who constantly screws up and fights like hell for the things she wants and desires and when she loses those things she goes bat $h!+ crazy. The entire allure of Kendell is that she screws up, is human and overall her thirst to be loved unconditionally. When we see her struggle and see her need when she is on the outs of everyone she cares about that's where she shines. She doesn't shine when everyone loves her. She doesn't shine when everything in her life is perfect. She doesn't shine when she has no interesting story and she certaintly doesn't shine when her marriage is perfect. She certaintly doesn't shine with Zach. As to Greenlee her character IS similar to Kendell's. Except for the fact that Greenlee has always had more energy, more scheming and certaintly had more confidence. She was snobby, she was a bitch and most of all she LIKED it that way. She was hard as nails and she held no apologizes for it. She did have a soft side and she was unloved and unwanted by her parents. Her parents used her and didn't care for her on bit and while that hurt her she still felt that she was worth a million bucks and that they would ALL be sorry and she would make them all regret dismissing her. She was a fiercely dynamic character and was perhaps one of the strongest female characters on the show very much like Erica, until 2004 where she was decimated for her relationship with Ryan. She hasn't been the character she was supposed to be in a while. Greenlee was a very strong lead character and that needs to return to form. Real Greenlee would NOT be with Aiden. This weak Greenlee needs to go. Fusion could work if all the characters who worked their were interesting and fleshed out. As it works now Amanda and FakeBabe are just glorified extras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoseVioletDaisy Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 As a GL fan, I must protest the mere insinuation that Gus & Harley were anything even remotely close to approaching an iconic couple. They weren't even in the top three of Beth Ehlers' best onscreen pairings. Harley's relationships with Alan-Michael, RealMallet, and even Phillip were better. And I hated Pharley. This Taylor & Jake thing is doomed. RPG & BE seem to think way too much of their "like totally awesome chemistry together" and Pratt, Frons, and ABC have oversold and overhyped them, just like GL and CBS did with GusH. This will do nothing to endear them to AMC fans, most of whom I'm sure would much rather have Cady McClain back as a non-ghost Dixie than a carbon copy of Harley Cooper, a character they know and care nothing about, being shoved front and center in some lame Army Wives ripoff while CMC is apparently first in line to become NuHarley if GL decides to recast rather than kill her off. That BE will be paired with RPG's horrific and totally out-of-character rendition of Jake Martin, who is supposed to be an emotionally wounded and world-weary doctor not a snide self-righteous dork, only makes it worse. Even people who might have been receptive to them have been turned off by the hype, which is all too reminiscent of the Jax-Sam pimping that GH did before Kelly Monaco even showed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Josh Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 AMC, ABC, Pratt, Frons and the EP of AMC are putting to much stock and effort into a Guiding Light couple...apparently someone should tell them that lighting only really happens once and I agree I think Harley had far more better loves than just Gus. I hate, hate, hate that they get a new head writer that comes in and uses a recast character and a new character to base their entire premiere on. AMC has TONS and TONS of established characters who we know and love why not build the stories around them. Besides the fact, did that article allude to the comparison of Gus and Harley to Luke and Laura? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soapsuds Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 I agree RVD and Josh....Gush was just bad. I dont see the appeal. Harley and Mallet were the IT couple for me. I even like Harley with Alan Michael. But I never warmed up to Gush...ewwwwww. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NYC123 Posted July 27, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 When I read this I was kinda happy. He knew what and how Agnes wrote. ITA! ` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members quartermainefan Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 The only thing that would encourage me is if he said Kendell, Greenlee, Ryan and Zach all need to be erased completely. Think The Ten Commandments when Pharoah was saying "let never again will the name 'Moses' be spoken. So let it be written, so let it be done." That's what has to happen to those four. They need to erased and never spoken of again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Skin Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 Sadly I completely agree. All four characters are completely over the hill as far as story goes and I can't imagine any of them being as popular as they once were. There comes a time when a soap character runs their course on a show and that time has since passed for all four characters sadly. Ryan should have never comeback after he left in 02, Greenlee should have left town after Leo died and Kendell should have done the ultimate sacrifice and go to jail for the Micheal Cambius murder to protect Bianca. That in my opinon would have by far preserved the popularity and the likeability of each character which has been completely eroded by the effots of B&E and McTavish. Zach needed to be a short term character designed to cause trouble between Edmund and Maria and that. is. it. He should have never been attached to the Cambius storyline, Kendell, Ryan, Greenlee or Ethan. I would have accepted Ethan being a brother of Micheal or his son or something rather then have Zach thrown into the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jonathan Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 I agree with everything you said. They are all played out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lone Palm Posted July 27, 2008 Members Share Posted July 27, 2008 peaking as a former, 30+ year wathcer of GL. Harley was damned lucky when GL hired RPG to play the role of Gus, and it was BY FAR THE BEST PAIRING BE was ever involved in! I stopped watching the BS that is now know as Guding Light a few months ago and don't miss it one iota! I am thrilled that RPG came to AMC as Jake, and I FLOVE his rendition of the character...which is totally realistic and timely, and IMVHO, he is doing a fabulous job! Personally,my only regret is that Pratt seems hell-bent on pairing him this no so new character idea of Lt. Taylor Thompson right off of the bat...if it is to happen, it should take quite a while, and they should both be paired with other characters first. I personally love Jake with Greenlee, and I could easily see him spending time with Amanda as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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