I wonder if it has to do with some of them hiring creative talent who don't know enough about the culture or the country. Or trying to imitate or be what they're not, like faded glories of American primetime soaps.

I think it's the latter. Because they often hire domestic talent.

They just keep trying to create another Dynasty. And it misfires every single time.

Janet was in prison for a while between actresses, remember (and we had new, and awfully bland, Natalie--Melody Anderson or whoever) so it wasn't a quick transition--wasn't Robin's first ep the Twilight Zone hommage plastic surgery episode (Chris Goutman directed it like his fave ep of Twlight)? I don't remember Janet really talking to the mirror before RM played her--I guess maybe she did (I can remember a hand mirror when she was in hospital with Amanda during the Will storyline) but itwasn't as played up, anyway.

Are you talking about Janet's dream? If you are, that was actually an homage to This is Your Life.

Janet talked to the mirror before RM. I have an episode saved from either September or October 1991 -- and KC's Janet (whilst impersonating Nat) talks to Mirror Janet.

In fact, that's how the viewers found out who killed Will. Janet was in her hospital room and she says something like, "I wonder if they'll ever catch who did it?".... the camera then pans over to Mirror Janet wearing a trenchcoat and cackling like a witch. teehee!

Edited March 2, 201015 yr by Pine Charles

No, you're not. Given that some other episodes from around this time had various male characters trying for some pseudo-striptease Mr. Pine Valley job I wonder what was going on in PV at this time. Probably something that does not speak its name.

LOL. Listen at how he says, "She hurrrts." Good God of Zion.

I really liked what I've seen of Cliff and Angie. I'm sorry that there was backlash against them.

And I'm sorry TPTB caved into it, instead of playing the story out and proving the naysayers wrong.

I miss those types of [comic] characters, they were a good balance to the more earnest leading PV figures.

Agreed. The comic characters were what separated AMC from the rest of the pack, IMO.

Agreed. The comic characters were what separated AMC from the rest of the pack, IMO.

That's why AMC was always my favorite.

I loved Ethel, too -- the lady who worked at the Glamorama.

Fantastic interview! I'm so glad we finally got to "hear" WW speak. Next to Douglas Marland and Patrick Mulcahey, he has to be one of my all-time favorite writers in this business.

The scenes after Trevor and Jeremy's altercation really leave me wanting to see more of the Angie/Cliff pairing. I wonder who's idea it was to pair them up? Was Washam writing at AMC around this time?

Margaret DePriest was head writer; Washam wasn't there. (The credits for this episode appear in a related clip.)

It is a screenplay he mentions called The Cloning about cloning Jesus. Who knows, it really might be interested, even though it really screams laughingstock type of screenplay/film. I'd be really interested to read it.

I agree with you that is was very nice to read about those European soap operas he was hired to do. It is such a shame none of it really materialised. I often wondered how come so many European soaps, sans UK, suck so badly. I can't find a proper explanation, but it's really puzzling why they spend so much money on terrible concepts, awful writers, hideous scripts (dialogue and all) and bad actors.

Don't many European soaps try to follow the telenovela formula more (though I know many are open ended--I'm just guessing as the only ones I've seen are bits of that German one with the gay storyline ).

He said he was making a Fox soap that someone else was working on at the same time--this has nothing to do with 13 Bourbon St does it? And then he mentioned one being picked up briefly--any idea what this is?

Are you talking about Janet's dream? If you are, that was actually an homage to This is Your Life.

Janet talked to the mirror before RM. I have an episode saved from either September or October 1991 -- and KC's Janet (whilst impersonating Nat) talks to Mirror Janet.

In fact, that's how the viewers found out who killed Will. Janet was in her hospital room and she says something like, "I wonder if they'll ever catch who did it?".... the camera then pans over to Mirror Janet wearing a trenchcoat and cackling like a witch. teehee!

I'd forgotten about that--but now can even see it in my head.

I get that it was This is Yoru Life, but the AMC trivia book quotes Goutman saying the way it was filmed--with her bandages done a certain way, the blackness, etc, was a hommage to a Twilight Zone ep... (visually)

Margaret DePriest was head writer; Washam wasn't there. (The credits for this episode appear in a related clip.)

They were actually toying with a Cliff/Cecily relationship for a bit. She became his assistant of something at the hospital and she started developing feelings for him. I remember Phoebe putting an end to this. Does anyone else remember this, or am I dreaming it? It didn't last very long and they then used Cindy's death to draw Angie and Cliff closer. FMB and DePriest began growing the relationship, but viewer response was overwhelmingly negative. FMB then fired Bergman and then an angry Debbi quit a couple of months later.

I do wonder if they'd been more patient if viewers would have come around. Were ratings falling or something?

I know people also hated "Shayla" on DAYS a few years later but from the little I've seen of them that relationship didn't have a lot of chemistry.

FMB and DePriest began growing the relationship, but viewer response was overwhelmingly negative.

Here's my question: was it negative, b/c Cliff was white and Angie wasn't? Or, was it negative, b/c (in viewers' minds) Cliff "belonged" with Nina; and Angie, Jesse?

I do wonder if they'd been more patient if viewers would have come around.

Of course, it's hard to say, but I think the longer they had run with it, the more viewers would've come around. Seeing those clips again reminded me how easily Peter Bergman and Debbi Morgan worked together. "Clangie" might not have been as magical as "Jangie" or even "Niff," but what was?

I know people also hated "Shayla" on DAYS a few years later but from the little I've seen of them that relationship didn't have a lot of chemistry.

"Shayla" (aka Shane & Kayla) didn't work, b/c it was too soon after Patch's death, and no way would Shane have hooked up w/ Kayla, or Kayla w/ Shane. That was like when Josh and Cassie hooked up on GUIDING LIGHT!

Here's my question: was it negative, b/c Cliff was white and Angie wasn't? Or, was it negative, b/c (in viewers' minds) Cliff "belonged" with Nina; and Angie, Jesse?

I think it had to do with the latter. Back in the day, those were two SUPERCOUPLES. Taking one half of one couple and another half of another couple didn't sit well with a lot of viewers, like my grandmother. It was just hard to accept.

But, if Darnell Williams ever decided to leave, and if Peter Bergman came back, I bet fans would be more accepting of a Cliff & Angie romance. I was watching their scenes on youtube and they definitely had chemistry.

But, if Darnell Williams ever decided to leave, and if Peter Bergman came back, I bet fans would be more accepting of a Cliff & Angie romance. I was watching their scenes on youtube and they definitely had chemistry.

I'd love to have PB return just to see how a Angie/Jesse/Cliff triangle might play out. (Yes, I'm cruel enough to threaten Jesse and Angie's romance. It's called "drama," y'all!) Hell, I predict PB's Y&R character, Jack Abbott, will be gone a year from now, so it's not like the scenario isn't possible.

Re Cliff/Angie;AMC did a few couples like that where long running characters hooked up-Benny/Donna,Tad/Brooke.It was kinda like they looked at the cast and threw together whoever was still around.Sometimes it worked and sometimes...