OLTL: TV Guide interview with Valentini & Carlivati

[All My Shadows]

But that's bullsh!t because OLTL viewers have already had to sit through days worth of High School Musical and Glee rip-offs. I know, I know, "That was ALL FRONS UP IN DIS!!" but FV shouldn't be saying such contradictory garbage.

My favorite is the one about replacing EP/HWs who aren't doing the job. When the ratings are low and the material sucks, the networks are apprehensive about ousting them because there's a risk of "huge cast changes" and "huge story changes." Isn't that the point, Franklin?

And they kill me when they talk about people who critique the show. Never a mention of actually thinking about what people are saying. God knows they shouldn't take everything every fan says to heart, but it wouldn't hurt them to actually think about it.

[DRW50]

Frank looks rough in that photo.

Yes, we get to see these characters become even more loathsome towards women than they already are. Yay!

I think that the very defensive comments within the show itself, like to people who dared to criticize the ratings killer that is the Danielle retcon, says it all.

[bellcurve]

You really think Carlivati contemplates story impact on that level?

It's either "Whatever Frons wants" or "What's gonna have immediate sweeps impact." That guy doesn't think "longterm" for sh*t.

[SFK]

I think you meant proctologist.

[marceline]

You should be ashamed... LMAO!

[bellcurve]

WIN.

[SFK]

"Valentini: There's nothing wrong with critiquing a show, or saying that a certain storyline didn't work, or to be extremely passionate about not liking something, but to just tear a show down without any knowledge or any understanding of what's really going on is hard to understand. Is it really worth it to say those things? A lot of information is disseminated through rumor and hearsay and it's unfortunate because it affects a lot of people. Actors will come to me having a panic attack because it says on the internet that they're getting fired — and it's not true. It's so upsetting.

Carlivati: There are some things you let roll off your back but other times it is hurtful and frustrating. You want to get on the internet and say, "That's completely not true!" But I don't because I have bigger things to be worrying about [Laughs]...like who is the father of Jessica and Natalie's babies?"

Rumors of firings, take that up with the online soap "press" or the moles within your own operation, it's not the fans that drum up that stuff (well, perhaps the fans that also wear the "reporter" hat). And as far as "(tearing) a show down without any knowledge or any understanding of what's really going on", frankly, what do you expect unless we DO know what's going on? It's not ABC Daytime board meetings that we sit down to watch for an hour a day, it's what you put on the screen. I'm truly sorry if your hands are tied and you are unable to make brilliant ideas a reality, but in the words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work." I do believe that snark and cynicism has swept over our culture and I take issue with that as well, but it runs deeper than the notion that that's just a fun, fashionble way to be. For the online soap community, it comes from genuine disappointment and frustration with shows that aren't living up to their potential. And who sould we see about that?

[juniorz1]

I was speaking more to headwriting in general, as your comment was, than to RC as headwriter. But yeah, I agree with you on him.

I never was a HUGE OLTL fan, but I did enjoy the Malone/Gottlieb era in the 90s very much, until the second half of the much lauded Viki DID story in 96. I remember in one day, her alters successfully (and permanently) broke up all of my fave couples at the time- Cord/Blair, David/Tina, and Joey/Dorian. I turned the set off & didn't look back- til JFP came on. I know die hard OLTL fans hated it, but I LOVED JFP's tenure, especially the Max is Asa's son/brain tumor storyline. It was the last time Renee was truly heavily featured & Patricia Elliot was just magnifique throughout the whole story. I think that was during the time JFP herself was ghost writing the show. I also enjoyed the whole Colin/Lindsey storyline, Jessica's teen pregnancy (by Will), and even liked Grace's death & Kevin's turn to the dark side. I know most die hard OLTL fans hated it & it's an unpopular opinion, but it was the last period that I was truly invested in OLTL.

But now I've gone WAY off-topic LOL.

[EricMontreal22]

"you don't continue to take out money on advertising if you don't think a show is going to be around for awhile"

Ummm, yes you do if you continue to have the show on the air for a little while until you replace it.... Are shows only sure to be canceled when a network starts giving away advertising?

I DO agree that the thing with the P*G soaps was a bit diff because of the fact P&G owned them, though I don't agree that that means other soaps shouldn't worry.

|Carlivati: We certainly want to acknowledge what's going on in other forms of entertainment but at the same time the danger is trying to turn our shows into something they're not, something they shouldn't be. We shouldn't be imitating movies, or other TV shows, or what we see on the internet, because at heart OLTL is a soap opera and that's a form that is unique and special and has its own rules. That's the trick and the balance for us, to keep it soapy — and I don't consider that to be a dirty word. It's what our fans truly do want.

Valentini: Also, we can portray moments you can't do on Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives because we have the luxury of more time and more characters and greater ability to play the nuances.|

I totally agree with this! Yet, out of all the major writer/producer teams on daytime, I woulda been, from the stuff shown on screen, the most shocked to hear this from the current OLTL team...

[marceline]

I know, right? I don't know whether he's that stupid or he just assumes everyone reading this is. I'm still trying to figure out the point of even doing this interview. It's the same thing over and over. Not just from RC but just about any HW and/or EP from ANY of these shows. "The show's not being canceled. We don't pay attention to the ratings or the internet. We do what we want and if the audience doesn't like it they can go [!@#$%^&*] themselves. Here's some utter falsities about how the media business works. Keep watching and we promise you, our loyal suckers fans, more of the same. Now if you'll excuse me I need to meet with my realtor because I'm selling my summer home."

[MontyB]

Snark and cynicism has taken over. Is it is justified? Maybe, maybe not. Some people just have nothing else to do. Just being realistic here. There is nothing anyone not producing a TV or who is not an exec can do except change the channel and move on.

As far as the interview is concerned, take it at face value. Either the show will go on or it won't. It all boils down to no one is forcing anyone to watch. Not being complacent here, just realistic.

[All My Shadows]

I don't think anyone feels that they're being forced to watch. I know I don't because I don't watch. But I do like to put it out there why I don't watch so that when Ronald makes his message board rounds, he can hopefully pick up on a little bit of it. I'd love to be entertained by OLTL again. I'd love that. So I'm gonna, from time to time, talk about what keeps that from happening.

[Sylph]

It's like watching The Asylum Interviews, Vol. 27.

[marceline]

The sad thing is that everytime I see one of these puff pieces with the sycophantic soap press tossing softballs at the old guard, I realize all over again that no one will ever call these people out on the product they put out. No one will ever ask them about the way they write women or how pretending whole previous stories never happened is a middle finger to the audience or the lack of diversity or the ageism or the utter lack of research they do for anything, etc...

The soap press is in bed with them and the rest of the entertainment press doesn't care so it's the equvalent of Christmas dinner in an dysfunctional household where we'll just pretend for another year that we didn't see Uncle Ron pouring whiskey into his coffee this morning or that we don't hear cousin Maria purging in the bathroom while Papa Frons turns up Perry Como's "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

[R Sinclair]

ROTFLMAO! :lol: