The Nelson Ratings -- September 8, 2008

[EricMontreal22]

Not quite--Nelson praised Ron C to the high hevanes--not just for replacing Dena--he really thought ht ewas THE best and never shut up about how brilliant he is. I find his complete HATRED for the show and his work now kinda amusing--though there's no doubt he's fallen in quality (a lot) it's also pretty typical of Nelson's "turn on the head ofa dime" opinions. So discussions about ROn C's lack of quality notwithstanding it's more Nelson's reaction that amuses me here.

Love him listing Kathy from AMC as ne of the best actresses

[EricMontreal22]

To be fair I think in the current ABC climate he doesn't have complete say on the writing staff--does he? Sylph I didn't knwo you watched the Nixon soaps

[EricMontreal22]

What did Labine say? I thought she was the one who hried him.

"A few months ago, Nelson was ready to drink Ron's bath water and now he's doing enough trash talk to put Sarah Palin to shame.

That's is my problem with Nelson he so full of hyperbole and extremes it leaves him with no credibility. Goodness knows I have no good feelings towards RC but Nelson sounds less like a journalist and more like a jilted (wannabe) lover."

Yeah this is what bugs me so much about it too--I don't even mind him being sometimes catty, and saying "what he thinks"--not censoring himself--it is refreshing, or was. But now it's hard to buy when his opinions don't even hold much weight to himself--it's very fangirl one minute "OMG he's dreamy and the best" then one thing he disagrees with and "dpon't watch as he drives my soap into the ground"

Well yeah btu she was a good 3-4 years older right? (I thought she was). For her age, Alexa gives the show more than I expect with most actors that age on soaps.

[JackPeyton]

I would say a lot of that praise, or at least the praise going from this is good to RC IS GOD!, comes from the fact that he replaced DH. Much like B&E were praises just because they replaced Megan. Just like whoever takes over at GH will be rpaised at first just because its not Guza.

[EricMontreal22]

Perhaps from people in general I'd agree but not from Nelson. His praise was always going on about what agreat guy Ron was how much Ron loved soap operas, Ron this, Ron that, he talked to Ron after his Emmy win and Ron was so great and pblablabla

[daysfan]

Honestly I don't think Ron is a total hack or anything, in fact I loved him for a good long while, and I for one wasn't praising him just because he wasn't Higley. In fact, it took me awhile to even start watching OLTL again after Dena was fired because I didn't believe all the praise the man was getting. But, I thought October/November-Feburary was fantastic beyond words, not say William J. Bell or Douglas Marland material, but still.

And yes I will admit I REALLY enjoyed some of his May Sweeps and June stuff, and the return of Andrea Evans was pleasing and again I don't consider him a total hack, but...it felt like he really declined in his writing skills after the strike. I can understand he probably didn't like how Gary Tomlin completely screwed over his stories and had to come up with a quick way to continue/end them, but still. It felt like nothing was connecting like it used to be, and while of course I enjoyed some of 1968 and Mendorra it only got worse from there. Now the Tess story has been actually good in my eyes, the others were somewhat a flop. I liked the ending of 1968 to some extent, it was nice to have Shane's paternity at long last revealed but again everything didn't connect like I expected it to. IMO I loved the fact that Mendorra was ending, but the actual ending felt dissappointing.

I am hoping things get better as Fall progresses because for some reason OLTL always gets into a slump in the Summer and I don't know why, but we'll see.

[miajere]

I remember the days when he was sitting second chair to DH, and the show was very watchable....DH was obsessed with Todd Manning, and once she was fired that character started going downhill for me...

I think RC's talent comes from making the show look and rotate like vintage OLTL, but he doesn't have a clue on how to translate the show into modern day without making it campy, screwing up continuity, or focusing in on the teens. It's like he started listening to the show and remembering all the good times he had watching it, quite like the many that praised him. I don't think he sees anything wrong with his stories/characters- I don't think he sees how ordinary they are for OLTL, how shallow his interpretations seem to be for the audience- Tess, Jared, Gigi, mendorra, 1968...

[Vee]

Dena destroyed Todd. Even the demented Todd in the storyline today is closer to Todd than what she did.

I have had no problem with RC's executions or payoffs for storylines. From the Viki in Paris story to Marcie on the run to Adriana and Rex's wedding to BE, I thought they all worked very well. It's only in the last few months that he's stumbled. Compare that to years of hacks and I'll give him a chance to recover. Even now, I find at least one storyline or some piece of writing I enjoy everyday, often a lot more than one thing, which is more than I can say for the last regime.

[miajere]

She evolved that character from being the smirk and smile bad guy with a knack for romance...I'm sorry, but when has the character ever been the same since Roger Howarth left? I really don't think characters like this should have to be stuck in a twisted mole to be in character. I didn't like watching him cry every week, but Todd the a-hole portrayed by TSJ ain't the same either.

I don't think RC is the worst guy to grace the soap world- every writer has had their bad story line, but there's a reason why he tests well with 12-17 girls.

[oltl1]

People relax. Every writer has a slump. No one is perfect. Up until the middle of July the show was better than great. Yes since then the show has lost some steam but it's only been a month and a half over the summer. Not to mention that the show has still managed to entertain us in that time. One Life has been alot worst nor is it as bad as some other shows right now. Give the show and RC a break.

[marceline]

Ron reminds me of those people who were victimized and ignored all through high school and make big plans to get even with everybody. "I'll show them! I'll prove them all wrong one day." They plot and plan and scheme and dream until the reunion comes around. Finally they show up looking good and "successful" only to discover nobody remembers them.

It's like he sat in the shadows all this time thinking about how he would do things if he were HW: how he would've written the rape, how he would've done the heaven story, the secret room, etc... and now that he's HW he's redone all those stories but he has no real vision for the show as it stands today. And yes one of the best things Ron had working in his favor was the fact he came after Higley.

[Vee]

There's a big difference between evolution and making him someone totally unrecognizable. She was so into her idea of Todd as maudlin, romantic lead that she kept pushing dialogue into Todd and Marty's mouths about how the rape was "just something we did in college as drunk stupid kids."

[Toups]

But you still have to step up. Just because you follow a bad HW doesn't guarantee anything. Look at Hogan Sheffer following Reilly or B&E following McTavish.

IMO, Ron did step up for 7 months aftger Higley and then 2 months after Tomlin.

[sungrey]

Precisely. I think Carlivati is one hell of a writer, but more importantly he's a member of the next generation of writers. New blood, for cripes' sake! Someone work with him there! Help him with his weaknesses and show off his strengths! If you don't, then the next writer will likely be... oh, James Reilly... Megan McTavish... Lorraine Broderick... you get it, the same old same old.

[MichaelGL]

I agree, I don't think the show all that bad anyway.