OLTL/Agnes Nixon two New York Times pieces

[EricMontreal22]

Well yes though P&G used to have even more control back then--but they seemed to leave Rauch more or less alone.

[Paul Raven]

I have read that JC denied those stories.I will do some research and see if I can find her statement

[LoyaltoAMC]

What was Lemay's opinion of Agnes? Anyone know? In an interview at welovesoaps.com, he affectionately refers to Agnes as "Aggie" and half-lauds her attempts to dramatize social issues on AMC. I wonder what he thought of her actual writing ability. It seems that he looked down on the genre, so I'm wondering what he felt about her. I know he hated Irna because of her interference and the fact that she only saw characters in terms of black and white, while he preferred to show shades of gray. And from what I've read he wasn't a huge fan of Marland, feeling he was too rigid in his writing. By the way, whom did Lemay take over for at AW? Robert Cenedella? Whoever it was, Lemay wasn't too kind in his critique of AW before he came aboard.

[EricMontreal22]

I think Lemay tended to look down on all writers Yes he was preceeded by Cenedella

[LoyaltoAMC]

As much as I love Agnes, I have to say that Lemay's AW was the most brilliant soap opera I've ever seen. Just very literate and sophisticated without being pretentious IMO. I've seen some stuff on youtube, and it really is amazing stuff, most of it very unsoapy yet compellingly dramatic. And they had the best company of actors to make his great writing come even more alive. I know he was under pressure near the end of his reign to add more soapy, melodramatic elements like murder trials and whodunnits, but most of his stuff was just excellent.

[EricMontreal22]

How many of his episodes are on Youtube? Can you link me to some please? I saw a few on wost and, like you, I think it's brilliant. Agnes Nixon is my sentimental fave but I suspect I would have liked his AW best, as well (and am dieing to see some Lovers and Friends). (That said the two episodes I saw--and wish I could see again surely someone saved them from wost--of Agnes Nixon's AW were likewise very very good)

[LoyaltoAMC]

The only AW episodes from that era on youtube are the one from 1976 where Mac & Iris go to Terese Lamonte's funeral/Pat and John spar over their kids and probably one you've seen with Iris in her blue dressing gown at her penthouse with Brian & Ted Bancroft and Mac, who had just left Rachel. See links below. There were a bunch a while back when WOST was still up that someone had copied to youtube. Really powerful scenes with Liz, Alice, Rachel and Ada. Just brilliant stuff. I think all that stuff is gone from youtube now. Yeah, Agnes is my sentimental fave, the best IMO at creating really good contemporary soap opera with unique characters. Lemay's AW was something totally different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhRFvVTZmq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niHrngvYgAk

[EricMontreal22]

In a way I think Agnes made the *best* soap opera, but her stuff never *transcended* soap opera the way maybe Harding maybe did--if that makes sense.

I had never seen the one with Iris in blue! Will watch it now--I did see the other episode. (I remember a B&W one on wost with someone--was it Alice, playing a record player and being very sad--LOL I don't remember anything else except that I loved it) Would this scene

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from March 1979 be still when he was writing?

[SFK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ5ScTKbXFU

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I love Mac in those scenes arguing with Rachel! "Ohhh-KAY Rachel!... You ain't seen NOTHIN' yet BABY!!"

[LoyaltoAMC]

Yeah, that scene had to have been near the end of his run. Right after John Randolph died trying to save Alice from the burning Matthews home that was set on fire by Olive. Later in order to trap Olive, they used Nurse Eileen Simpson as a decoy. She had blond hair and pretended to be Alice to trap Olive. Olive wound up throwing acid in her face, blinding her. I remember watching this as a kid with my mom who ADORED AW. However, these were tthe melodramatic elements that Lemay slowly began introducing that he had fought so hard against. I know Lemay introduced Eileen right before he left. The succeeding writing team headed by Tom King would expand Eileen's role and bring on her family.

[EricMontreal22]

Schemering said near the end (with the 90 minute burn out, Lovers and Friends, etc etc) Lemay started to slip--with an over reliance on soap clicheshe had once avoided--I think specifically they said endless courtroom scenes.

[SFK]

FRFP/L&F most likely still exist in their entireties... right? With the loss of ATWT, the end of a HUGE part of P&G's history, they really should get their classic soap channel back up and running. I would love to see this show. I look forward to the short-lived soaps like this one, Texas, The City, even Capitol because I know I'll stick with them, following them isn't some daunting task.

[Paul Raven]

Lemay had little to do with L&F after the first few months.Tom King handled all the writing duties.Lemay was too busy trying to salvage AW after the ratings began to dive.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Check out this link. There's so much going on in it. There's a scene btwn Jackie Courtney and George Reinholt that I've never seen before, Jackie (with black hair) and George reunited, and a cute, rare interaction between Robin Strasser and Vicky Wyndham.

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[EricMontreal22]

I know he had nothing to do with FRFP--didn't L&F basically end after a few months anyway?