CBS vs ABC Daytime

[RomeAt50]

I actually don't mind the film look of AMC that much anymore. At first it was awful but once they made changes it really improved. The current sets could use some improvement but except for Confusion, there not that bad.

[DeeeDee]

GH struggles with anything beyond The Corinthos family.

Y&R's cast issues only really began with Jack Smith & worsened with LML.

[RomeAt50]

I don't think AMC has a bad cast and aside from a couple of the younger characters they have been making better casting decisions more recently. Though I think they showcase weaker actors like Cameron Mathison and Aidan Turner far too much and have let many promising actors go in the last 5 years.

[bandbfan]

Nobody has said anything good about B&B when they did the honey and snake things. I don't know where you've been reading.

[AMCHistory]

I think B&B is just consistent and complacent. They arguably have some of the most talented actors in daytime, but they are hardly utilized. I don't think that will ever change because of the limitations of a 1/2 hour show. If Susan Flannery does finally retire, it may cause the mix-up the show needs to be rejuvenated.

[DaytimeFan]

It was good campy and unfortunately I think when Darlene Conley died she took the camp with her...Lesley Anne Down could have somewhat filled this void, she isn't Darlene Conley and Jackie Marone isn't Sally Spectra, but she's SOMETHING and something is better than nothing. Really, if Brad Bell had it together, he would have reached into his pockets and paid Lauren Koslow whatever she wanted to join the cast with an ironclad contract, she can fill the campy role that is so desperately needed.

Brad is absolutely still writing the show. He is the idea man, Kay has yet to be listed above Michael Minnis so I have to wonder if her promotion to Co-HW has actually ever happened. He wrote the show during the strike, Kay took the Fi-Core tag, she took one for the team. Again, I have no problem with the fact that they wrote the show during the strike that did daytime no favours. The fact is that he is still HW and he also has input at Y&R, again, no issue. The fact is that Kay Alden is not the HW of the show and she never will be.

I'll tell you how Patrick Mulcahey can work this show: money and stability. If Brad Bell likes someone, they get to stay employed for a long long time. The B&B workload is also a lot lighter than the workload at ABC.

To me, there are three players in the ABC/CBS war: ABC, the Bells and P&G and money and how talent is treated is the biggest issue.

[P.J.]

The ABC/CBS war must have started before Howarth. Wasn't there a big brouhaha over Jensen Buchanan starting a new role on ABC as she was finishing up her ATWT stint? I could even go further back, to when ABC one-upped CBS, and hired Michael Zaslow after GL canned him.

[AMCHistory]

Well ABC was in the right when it came to Zas... as hard as it was to watch David Renaldi degenerate onscreen. GL made a bad situation worse by recasting Roger instead of giving Zas a proper goodbye.

Wasn't Jensen sued by CBS/PGP for her defection to GH. I think she was barred from working until the situation could be worked out. I don't think they were particularly poaching Jensen though. She did not come into a high profile story. She wasn't really a big airtime hoarder either.

Oh Roger Howarth, I think that era of ATWT was definitely the beginnings of the ABC/CBS war, particularly with CBS on the offensive end of the attack. Howarth, Cady McClain, Real Andrews all joined in a short window of time. It definitely appeared like poaching. But Howarth was a great writer then, and I would not wrong anyone for jumping ship.

[P.J.]

ICAM. I just think at the time, CBS/PGP/GL took a lot of bad press over it, and ABC loved twisting the knife, which lead to upping the ante by CBS. If I'm not mistaken, Howarth didn't defect until the summer of '03. ATWT actually talked McClain into playing Rosanna in the spring of '02.

[quartermainefan]

I can't speak about B&B but the DOOL cast seems just as good as any other soap cast. Lets face it, no one on soaps is going to be the next Brando or Olivier, and the DOOL cast get the job done just like all the other shows. Is Thaao a weak actor? I can't find much fault with Kristian Alfonso and most of the other centrat actors on the show. Allison Sweeney is not my favorite actress, but I think she is competent as Sami.

People always knock NBC soaps for bad acting, and yet it is the NBC soaps that produce so many of the actors who go on to primetime careers. (Justin Hartley, Jensen Ackles, whathisname who was on Desperate Housewives, Eric Winter, the original Ethan from Passions)

Not a single one of the above guys anyone would have called a good actor, but it can't be just looks because there a million good looking guys in LA.

[mrsbell]

I agree w/you, i have no idea why the animosity! I'm going on a cruise very soon w/over 16 stars from 8 differents soaps, different networks, doesn't matter to me! I'm just a fan!! If you want check it out: www.soapcruise.com (you can watch the video from last year)