All My Children Tribute Thread

[ellabelle]

When Julia was raped by Louie Greco and got pregnant as a result and wanted to end the pregnancy, Tom was among the non-violent protestors outside the clinic, waiving a sign.

Oh, and AFAIK, Tom is very much still alive, still married to Livia, and still living somewhere in Pine Valley. He just apparently doesn't socialize with anyone else in town.

Edited October 11, 2012 by ellabelle

[DRW50]

I don't like to think that politics in soap world are anything like ours. I'd like to think they have better people.

[DRW50]

I just read that again and realized how absurd it sounds. If that doesn't tell you how low my faith in politicians has become, nothing will.

Anyway, I think Tom's main priority always would have been the poor and helping suffering people, above politics. I think he and Brooke probably stayed close friends, offcamera. It never made sense to me that they didn't have her say he was helping to run her shelter, even if we didn't see him. Then again I'm not sure how long she even had the shelter.

[ellabelle]

Dude, they had Dorothy Lyman's Opal running for mayor. I'm not sure what that says about soap politicians.

Actually as far as politics and soaps go, I'm always amused that characters will occasionally run for office like it's some minor thing that takes no time from their busy schedule of torrid love affairs and such. Speaking as someone who has worked in politics before, running a campaign for a statewide office is pretty much a full time job and then some. The idea that Travis Montgomery could have run for US Senate in the late 1980s in Pennsylvania with his celebrity pregnant girlfriend and his ex-wife helping out on his campaign - and WIN - is just silly. I somehow doubt that Travis and his knocked up girlfriend- the former model, multiple times divorced, previously stood trial for murdering her lover, etc. Erica would have played well in rural PA.

[DRW50]

Yeah, that's why I realized how stupid it was. I think the last political story they had was Edmund's Senate race, which didn't get into politics. But since AMC always went back to somewhat of a progressive, heart-and-home mixture, I wouldn't want to believe their world would have to make some type of choice like Obama v Romney.

[EnglishTea]

The Brooke Engiish House as it was renamed is still supposed to be up and running.

[EnglishTea]

Edmund's senate race was ludicrous - Maria's absurd past came back to haunt him, and was partly to blame for Edmund losing the race. They also had some blonde chick - don't recall her name - hired by Adam to seduce Edmund, so his candidate Calloway (I believe) would keep the office.

As I always think, it would have made more sense for Maria to have caused a scandal with Edmund and Brooke as husband and wife - it would have also had greater impact because of the history between Adam and Brooke.

[AMCHistory]

Richard was still gorgeous a fit until 1993/94. I think had he hired a trainer, he would have stick around. I think John Callahan (Edmund) started to fill his role as the town good-guy because he retained his handsome looks longer.

I wish Tom continued to make cameos past 2006. He was Erica and Hayley's AA sponsor, Brooke's best friend... also had they actually developed the Jamal character, he should have swung by and saw his parents.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiLkCW_b68o

[KMan101]

Anyone ever read this interview with Richard Shoberg? I find it to be very good. It was from 2009.

http://pinevalleybulletin.com/Features/InterviewShoberg.html

[KMan101]

I definitely think, in a sense, Edmund replaced Tom, but then, LOL, Zach replaced Edmund. At least that's how I see it looking back on it. Tom definitely became much more supporting once Edmund was on and then Zach came on and Edmund was villified and written out.

[DRW50]

I don't think Edmund replaced Tom - they were very different characters, and their stories were usually very different. If there was a time Tom would have been replaced it would have been in the 80s. I think he just fell victim to ageism.

[Khan]

Same. And it's a shame, too. In my mind, I saw Tom Cudahy (and Richard Shoberg) as someone who could have carried the mantle of AMC's tentpole character as others -- Joe, Ruth, Phoebe, Myrtle, etc. -- either passed away or stopped appearing as often.

[DRW50]

Those types of characters became "boring" in the eyes of soap and network people. So someone's idea of tentpole became Tad, who was far too damaged to ever fill that role.

[Khan]

And really, in a perfect soap world, even Tad Martin could have become a tentpole and moral compass for the rest of Pine Valley given enough time and the proper evolution. As you've said, though, Carl, Tad just became too damaged by all the bad story and character choices they made for him.