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

[CSF]

Yes, I knew I read that! Thanks.

Thanks for confirming!

[Vee]

I think Pratt actually started off with a great hook - the tornado, with Bianca being found as an anonymous body in the rubble leading to the reveal that Zach had supplied her with a daughter and she was marrying the woman of her dreams, ABC fan fave Tamara Braun. I also thought they had a good idea with the lower-level Fusion employees like Amanda rebelling against head honchos Greenlee and Kendall, jockeying for position after doing all the hard work; that seemed like the most realistic Fusion could've ever been. But Pratt is a horrible hack and he blew it all. The Bianca story was really a setup for Zach and Reese, his attempt to bring Sonny and Carly and GH to AMC. His second attempt was Zach and "Liza."

[bellcurve]

It just screams of incompetence and mismanagement. The use of more sets was definitely one of the points brought up when they talked about the L.A. move.

They should have fired Carruthers when they had the chance.

[JaneAusten]

Oh I read about the storage issues and that allegedly they had to rent some facility across town. Now how costly must that be.

The fact the show was close to being cancelled what 2 years ago speaks volumes. Nothing has really changed or improved in the past 2 years, they cut salaries, we know Susan Lucci took a big hit, the numbers stabalized but never really rebounded at all.

I stopped watching AMC for the most part about 5 years ago. I can't tell you that it was one event that caused it. I think I just realized I didn't have the time and didn't really enjoy the show as I used to and didn't recognize it. And I missed most of Zendall who I never could have watched as the centerpieces of this show.

[Adam]

Was it ever really confirmed AMC was almost cancelled 2 years ago? I mean if ABC wanted it gone, it would have been gone IMO.

[leahanna]

so how do they handle the AMC bicoastal actors? Do they fly them out a couple days a month to film all their scenes for the month, pay for plane tickets, hotel rooms? I always wondered how that works

[Gray Bunny]

Sounds like the L.A. move is just a more glamourous version of GL's Peapack.

[CSF]

For their big time stars like Lucci and Canary, I bet ABC is definitely paying every cent it cost to get them onto that set.

[JaneAusten]

Perhaps the words were too harsh but there were rumblings about the show having financial difficulties leading to the huge salary cuts. I suspect this move to LA was probably planned long before anyone heard about it, perhaps around the time or soon after the salary cuts happened. If the move did not go as expected or they are already having budgetary issues, perhaps what they estimated they were going to save with the lowest costs in LA has been offset by relocation or travel costs for much of the staff. I don't really know just some assumptions. Or perhaps the costs are higher than they anticipated who knows.

[JackPeyton]

There are so many more things ABC will do to save AMC, esp over OLTL.

The cast can be cut, almost in half, fairly easy to start.

the show can change its tape sch to far less, like days does.

[Doyen]

Nonsense.  The whole "name recognition" thing is a joke.  No TV show that's been on the air for 30, 40, 50 years is lacking in "name recognition."  At this point, anyone who's heard of any one soap currently on the air has heard of all of them. 

[dragonflies]

I read that AMC had the option of moving to Connecticut I think it was, but opt to go with LA. To think, they could have kept DC if they had.

I agree, the move is nothing but a band-aid. I don't see SL wanting to commute forever, nor VI. With DC leaving, it's going to be a HUGE blow. For some reason they don't want to ask Cady back full-time. JB is temporary.

[EricMontreal22]

Several things. AMC has been more consistantly highly rated then GL which has had massive probs since the early 90s, it has far more name recognition, it's owned by ABC. I think, relatively speaking, it's a fairly different situation.

I dunno, call me a Polyanna but I think AMC is safe for at least a full year--then we can start worrying. I'm nto sure I even buy the original gossip here--K and Swajeski aren't very impressive but they're no less impressive than say hiring Brown and Esensten which was done several years back by frons and crew.

I don't buy either that the show was almost canceled two years back--budget cuts happened everywhere, but agree it shoulda marked the firing of JHC!

And didn't Canary ask to be let go or hint he was going to last year before the move news broke? That was one reason for the Stuart murder to lessen his load?

[CSF]

From what I've been told, DC cannot get out of his contract no sooner than March and there probably won't be any statement until about a week or so before he makes his exit.

[EricMontreal22]

Right which makes me think the fact they knew he wanted out even last year maybe bears some truth