All My Children Tribute Thread

[DemetriKane]

I know you guys have moved past this conversation. But, I must say, I never saw the chemistry between Kate Collins and James Kiberd(Trevor) or Michael Nader(Dimitri). Now, I believe she had some strong chemistry with my husband Robert Gentry(Ross), probably the best at that time on the show, and it just hurt my soul that they threw it all away to redeem her with rape. Just saddens me.

HA!  Good ol Phoebe. I adore that Brooke English page.

[alwaysAMC]

Great memory!  So yes, the Christmas miracle and looking up at the angel, man I was right haha.  I can envision that scene perfectly now that you confirmed it and reminded me of the angel.

We must be near the same age (I'm 41).  My grandma and mother both watched AMC religiously, so I grew up with it at home and just fell in love with it.  Even my dad hate-watched it with us every night with dinner.  He never wanted to admit it, and would always talk about how AMC was on the TV, but then ask 'what happened to this character' - he was invested

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But I think when you start watching soaps as a teenager, you find that you'll always hold that era in high regard.  We're so impressionable at that age and it just really sticks to you as you learn things about life and grow up.

[DRW50]

The year of the soap...

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[EricMontreal22]

Oh dear.  Right in the depths of McTavish's year and a half (or maybe even shorter) second run and her obsession with mysterious blonde women (besides Joy--which was connected if I recall correctly with Hayley's psychic tattoo, we also had Jack's sister Kit.)  Speaking of AMC and the Gothic, she certainly did try to bring that vibe (and ABC seemed to be pushing AMC to do more pseudo supernatural stuff anyway--by all reports from talking to Hal Corley at the end of Broderick's stint the voodoo stuff was largely pitched to appease execs who wanted more of a DAYS vibe.)

You're a bit younger than I am--I just turned 45 last week (siiiigh) But I think you're absolutely right.  I was so invested in AMC (and then to a degree in OLTL--no big surprise, I started paying attention to it when I noticed the Billy Douglas storyline) that I would literally constantly dream about it, when bored at school would wonder what I had to look forward to on today's taped episode--as horrifyingly embarrassing as this sounds, it really felt like this magical alternate reality lol

Interesting that someone mentioned the obvious parallel with the Gloria/Adam/Alec stuff and Lady Chatterly's Lover.  I mentioned how the Carter Jones story went into a Cape Fear riff, the whole Wildwind saga was a mix of Rebecca, Jane Eyre and Lady Audley's Secret (mostly remembered now for it's use of a well...) etc etc.  AMC at this time really did crib from a lot of movies and lit, but I guess Agnes Nixon especially was always somewhat known to do that (Imitation of Life inspiring the OLTL Carla and Sadie story back in 1969) and by no means do I think, at least the times it was well done, was this a bad thing...

[DRW50]

I know in McTavish's book she admitted that story was a mistake, although she blamed the casting in part. I noticed she said nothing about the Kit story, which was to me much worse.

I don't have a hard time believing the voodoo story was forced by the network. The same goes for Janet planning to have Brooke's face.

[alwaysAMC]

Well happy belated birthday!

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Haha I was the same way though, I would get so excited to come home and watch the taped episode from the day.  Or in the summer when I was home alone, I would watch and then pretend I hadn't already watched it when mom came home to watch after work.  It was awful on the days when a storm would roll through and the power goes out, or the tape runs out and you miss the last few minutes... or when you're grounded and you can't watch a few days because your parents were so awful   That happened to me once during the Ted/Tad storyline when they were out in the wilderness and Dixie was caught up in the flowing river and he had to rescue her (or vice versa).  I was SO mad, but I snuck out of my room to at least listen to what was happening while they watched.  Thankfully I never got caught.

[Maxim]

That woman has wit sooo fast... Even Joan was laughing out loud... What a remarkable lady. Sadly... these days we don't have icons like this anymore. 

I think I have just 3-4 months till her first credited episodes come up. If I had the free time, I would binge the show all day long... God! One day... when I retire... I plan to do nothing but that. People dream of beaches and luxury hotels... I dream to be left alone with my soaps and not be bothered by responsibilities. Hearing this was your initiation era of AMC makes me feel like I've not missed everything. Like I have years and seasons to look forward. Sometimes I depress myself by thinking... well I'm watching a show that is in it's 20th season... I missed the best... But we can't think like that. 

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[Khan]

No need to apologize!  I'm just glad I didn't dream the whole thing!  (Although, part of me wishes it HAD been just a dream, lol)!

I'm not sure, but I think the "Cape Fear" ripoff homage was before John Wesley Shipp crossed over to LOVING?  And weren't Jeremy and Ceara involved in that crossover as well?  Or was their crossover unrelated?  Honestly, I just remember wishing JWS had signed a long-term contract.  I know he's gained popularity outside of daytime through "The Flash" and "Dawson's Creek," but I don't think he's ever had a role as good as any he's played on the soaps.

 

To me, Kate Collins and Natalie were never better than when she was with Jean LeClerc/Jeremy.

God, how I wish that had been true for me.  Unfortunately, I started watching soaps with my mom when I still was a pre-teen; and by the time I was in my adolescent years, a lot of my favorite soaps - AMC, GL, OLTL, ATWT, DAYS - were on their way down (IMO, anyway).  I never stopped loving "the soaps," but that's pretty much when I started getting more into classic sitcoms like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Bob Newhart Show."  Nick-at-Nite at that time was EL FUEGO, lol.

Pretty much what I said whenever Joy/Camille was on.  Maybe if they had hired Megan Follows instead of Schuyler Grant, lol?

I agree!!  Another shaggy dog of McTavish's that irritated me to no end: the Tad/Ted saga.  Lord, what a confusing mess.  Were they twins or not, Megan?  And if they weren't, then why the hell did they have the same memory of being locked inside a trunk by a man (Ray Gardner?) wearing a gold watch?

[DemetriKane]

@Maxim Do you think Anita(BTG) has what it takes to become this iconic? 

A lot of those stories could have also been pitched to Megan as well though. 

[Franko]

Yes, most of the Cape Fear-inspired aspects, specifically Carter menacing Natalie on the boat, happened on All My Children. After he was presumed dead, JWS crossed over to Loving for a few weeks in an attempt to get revenge on Dinah Lee. Jeremy, who had begun to care for Dinah Lee while she was in Pine Valley, had visions of her in danger. Jeremy and Trevor (separately) arrived in Corinth and rescued Dinah Lee from Carter.

Ceara was in London at the time. I'm not sure when Genie Francis' last episode was, but she never came back to AMC, nor appeared on Loving after the initial crossover. (Ceara, played by a stand-in, was killed off on Loving in December 1992.)

AMEN to that! I adored "Preserving Our Television Heritage"-era Nick at Nite.

[alwaysAMC]

Ohh - what years were you pre-teen and enjoying them... and what years did you consider all those to start their downward descent?  

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 Ceara was killed??  Wow.  I never followed Loving, so had no idea the crossover or history there.  It took me 32 years to learn that Ceara is dead haha.

[EricMontreal22]

Right--was Genie back on GH already? 
Jeremy and Ceara DID have a quick cross over to Loving, I want to say in 1991 a year before the big Carter cross over.  They were going through relationship issues--I forget how they ended up there (one went there for a break I guess?) but I seem to recall Kate locking them in a... garage?  until they'd hash it out. 

[Franko]

Well, sorry for the spoiler, I guess. 

Genie wouldn't return to GH until Oct. 29, 1993. (I'm grateful that ABC didn't call her bluff in 1992 and bring back Laura as a recast.)

They did, yes, from November-December 1991. Jeremy & Ceara then married on AMC on Dec. 31, 1991. @Kane's site has the details.

https://lovingsoapopera.wordpress.com/2021/09/03/character-profile-jeremy-hunter/

[Contessa Donatella]

You know that according to Beverlee McKinsey she & Charita Bauer were on a talk show with her where she monopolized the whole show except for the last 10 minutes when Bev finally got to speak. They thought she was a loon. 

 

[Maxim]

I loved that cute little thing that she did with her tongue while chatting with Joan Rivers. Truly a charm-dynamite of a woman. Even in her 70s she has the energy and sparkle that some 20 year olds lack. And if someone sees this as "loon"... So be it. I adore her.