Source is Michael Logan at TVGuidemagazine.com

Dancing With the All My Children Stars

by Michael Logan September 01, 2009 01:42 PM EST

All My Children will riff on the classic Jane Fonda film “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” with an epic dance marathon that’ll run a full 10 episodes. The special event (airing September 17-30) involves the entire cast, headlined by former Dancing With the Stars contenders Susan Lucci (Erica) and Cameron Mathison (Ryan). The plot has the citizens of Pine Valley pulling together to help Erica raise money her new pet cause—starving kids in Africa—via a local telethon. The rules: Couples must maintain physical contact at all times and never stop moving. In order to earn a break from the dance floor, a couple has to bring in a big donation from telephone call-ins. Mass exhaustion ensues, but so does the sex and mayhem.

“We’ve got characters making time for a five-minute quickie, there are fights in the ladies room, a little stalking, a possible murder. It’s fun!” says exec producer Julie Hanan Carruthers. Things also get a little goofy. “I promise you a chicken dance with full cast participation,” Carruthers says. “You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Thorsten Kaye [Zach] doing the finger snap.”

The inspiration for the dance-a-thon was strictly practical. Due to budget reasons, Carruthers needed to keep the same sets up on the AMC soundstage for a full two weeks. “That meant coming up with an idea that would keep the entire cast together at one locale—a place they couldn’t leave—yet I really didn’t want another catastrophe like the tornado or an infectious epidemic,” Carruthers says. “We needed something fresh and uplifting yet something full of twists and turns and dramatic storytelling.”

Head writer Chuck Pratt came up with the dance contest, which will take place in the show’s vast Fusion complex—the company’s big loft office will become the dancing area, while the ConFusion bar downstairs will serve as an area for the contestants to grab refreshments or a quick sleep break. The show will also utilize Fusion’s hallways, elevator, stairwells and roof.

Tad (Michael E. Knight) takes on the MC duties—a la Gig Young’s Oscar-winning turn in “They Shoot Horses.” Only Kendall (Alicia Minshew) will miss the event in person but, notes Carruthers, “She’ll be watching it live on television in her secret room with her baby. She’ll get to see Liza [Jamie Luner] dancing with Zach and she’ll be screaming at the TV set!”

“That meant coming up with an idea that would keep the entire cast together at one locale—a place they couldn’t leave—yet I really didn’t want another catastrophe like the tornado or an infectious epidemic,” Carruthers says. “We needed something fresh and uplifting yet something full of twists and turns and dramatic storytelling.”

LOL was that a swipe at Guza?

AMC's budget must be absolutely pitiful. They had to save money by using the same sets for 2 weeks straight? They've been using the same damn set all year: the hospital!

It should be interesting to see some of the actors' faces since this was taped when Frons popped in to drop the LA news.

That sounds like a hot mess with a side of fries.

This sounds ridiculous and kind of fun. I may watch. I hope Frankie and Madison dance.

It's definitely creative, but it just sounds a little...contrived. Scratch that, a lot contrived. They could have easily done a GH style event with every episode being an hour and building towards an event. Not necessarily a big catastrophe or anything, but just something that ISNT a danceathon.

I'm actually thinking this might be good. I"ll be watching

That sounds like a hot mess with a side of fries.

LMAO I love this.

It sounds stupid IMO. I think GH's carnival is going to be a hit and this will just be another lose for Pratt.

It sounds stupid IMO. I think GH's carnival is going to be a hit and this will just be another lose for Pratt.

I kind of doubt they think this is going to be some great success. It's a solution to a problem.

I guess it's kind of unique. But why the Fusion offices? Don't they have a ballroom set somewhere that they could put up for two weeks?

I kind of doubt they think this is going to be some great success. It's a solution to a problem.

At this point they'd be better off going on a "hiatus" for a few months until the details of the move are worked out. Just show "classic" episodes for the next three months.

Oh wow, this isn't a joke.

“We’ve got characters making time for a five-minute quickie, there are fights in the ladies room, a little stalking, a possible murder. It’s fun!” says exec producer Julie Hanan Carruthers. Things also get a little goofy. “I promise you a chicken dance with full cast participation,” Carruthers says. “You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Thorsten Kaye [Zach] doing the finger snap.”

Has Carruthers ever actually SEEN THE MOVIE?

The movie, possibly an exaggeration of real life, or possibly not as bad, I don't know, was not about fun. These people were desperately poor. They danced and danced to make money, they danced until they literally dropped. Some of them died.

I just find this in poor taste. And it says a lot about the mindset at AMC now that stalking and murder = fun.

Sounds like s.hit.

Sounds like they have a real winner here. I might actually enjoy Kendall's screaming.