AMC: DC is really out and AMC next soap to go

[Vee]

But surely you're not suggesting OLTL is safe in that same period.

[CSF]

You know, it's a toss up in my opinion. It's like will ABC cut AMC because they know they ruined it or will they cut OLTL in favor of AMC and try to save their sinking ship. IMO, I think ABC is starting to realize they can't do anything anymore to save AMC.

I was reading in another thread on here yesterday (I think it was in DTS) and it said something about CBS wanted to cancel ATWT in the mid-90s because it was hurting GL as it's lead in even though GL wasn't in great shape to begin with it. It really seems like a parallel with AMC and OLTL here, but at the same time, I think AMC is already suffering a lot more than both OLTL and GH.

[Scotty]

I agree with your first post...in the last few years, AMC has lost a lot of their "legacy" characters through death, retirement, and firings (e.g. Julia Barr)....and I'm not sure if they can fully recover from all that.

[Vee]

I agree with that. Yet I do remember DC claiming that ABC would not wait to see if AMC's numbers improved in LA, they would cut OLTL just to try and get the heat off AMC. I hope you're right, though I am not familiar with your track record, no offense.

[Adam]

At least we've had time to prepare ourselves for an AMC without Adam and without David Canary because rumors of his departure have been swirling around now for over a year. That being said though, it still doesn't take the sting out of it. The character of Adam Chandler is just as integral to the very fabric of this show as is Erica Kane, maybe even more so. I mean without Adam (and now with Palmer gone) there is now patriarch on this show. How does the Chandler family continue? It doesn't. They've tried to pass the torch onto JR and Scott, but IMO Jacob Young hasn't really invested anything in the role of JR for almost 2 years now. Scott IMO hasn't really connected with the audience enough to be a leading man and by no means has been written as such.

I don't doubt AMC is a logistical nightmare, but I do doubt that its on thin ice as we speak. I do believe the move to LA bought the show at least a year, perhaps two. It will be interesting though just to see how these NY based actors stick with this LA thing. Alot of them will be bi-coastal and that will take a toll. It would devestate Susan to leave, but I mean she hesitated to go in the first place. If Susan isn't happy with the direction of her character or the show, she may bolt when her contract is up.

Interesting times ahead for this show both on and off screen. It will be interesting to see how Adam is ushered off. I hope its a death.... make it final.

[SFK]

I think it would take a personal affront from someone up top to make Susan Lucci leave AMC. I'm sure she sees the sunset on the horizon, and at this point she'll just ride it out (not necessarily on the front burner, but she'll continue to be a presence until cancellation).

What is becoming more and more apparent however is that Susan Lucci will soon be the show's senior cast member. Not so sure how she's going to feel about that. Having Walt Wiley around and strengthening her relationship with Opal will at least keep her from looking like the college sophomore acting like HBIC of the sandbox.

I don't want Adam to die. I want him to be off in some exotic locale having fruity tropical drinks like Grant on AW.

[CSF]

And I think that is directly related to why we are hearing no one wanted the job with AMC. Yes, there are a lot of talented writer's who are unemployed and would love to have a chance to headwrite a critically acclaim drama like AMC, but all AMC is anymore is just a shell, IMO. Why would any writer in their right mind want to write for a dead soap when they can just try to sell their own work elsewhere? DK and DS were the last headwriter's for GL and ATWT and they will be the last headwriter's for AMC.

[JaneAusten]

Im wondering. Do you know what happened with Pratt and why he was fired? While I think he's terrible, things did seem to stablize a bit under him. Especially considering they had such difficulty finding a new writing team.

[Adam]

Pratt's first 3-6 months was the most stability AMC had seen in probably over a decade (despite the opinions of some). The handling of Bianca and Reese at the end of it was what caused him to slide.... He deserved to be fired, but I do agree with you, he did seem to stop the bleed of viewers that McT and B&E did before him. He must get a bit of credit for that.

[CSF]

I really wish I knew what happened with Pratt. Unfortunately, I don't have access to that information. One thing that really struck me though in the case with Pratt was AMC not winning the Emmy for best drama series. I really wonder if Frons was banking on him to get them the Emmy due to his tornado storyline and all the action and drama and the family's coming together scenes and when they lost, if some sort of tension started building between him and Frons and it all went downhill and lead to his termination or him quitting or whatever.

Either way regardless of what happened with Pratt, with AMC being so over budget and not doing well in key demos and if they are really having a problem with their advertising which is what I've been told, then that is a serious issue. Show business has always been show business and if the show isn't making the network money, even when they own the show, they will pull it, not matter how long it's been on or how iconic it is. When you can't afford it, it's gone.

And just looking at that, if you start to put the pieces together, the writing is on the wall. Besides, didn't AMC forget to rent a place to store their sets in LA and now they are in the same situation they were before when it came to striking down the sets back in NYC? How are they going to afford that?

[bellcurve]

Wait, are you for real?!

How do you forget to rent a storage facility for the sets you don't use? That's #1 priority! Did they assume there would be a garage or a place to rent that was located at Glassel Park?

That is embarrassing.

For that ALONE, Julie Carruthers should be fired.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

Can they rent a storage facility any time soon, or is it impossible to do it now or something?? I'm not experienced with this stuff, I'm thinking why can't they just get one as quickly as they can??

[CSF]

I swear I read that somewhere and I'm almost certain it was on this board. If someone else can confirm that would be great. But yes, I agree with you completely.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

Jamey Gidden's at Daytime Confidential reported that. I just never got it. I'm pretty sure it's true, Sad.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

That's what Jamey said in the one of the DC podcasts, that they forgot to rent the necessary facilities to house their sets.