All My Children Tribute Thread

[AmandainNC28655]

I hope with all the hype CBS is getting with it's new daytime drama that ABC will reconsider jumping on the band wagon and reviving AMC and OLTL or at least shop them to another network or hulu.

[Cheap21]

they arent going to jump on that unless they forsee it being profitable and quite frankly, I dont think The Gates will be

[Liberty City]

I think, at this point, people really need to put the idea of ABC reviving either of them to rest. I don't see it happening. At all.

[AmandainNC28655]

We don't have to put any idea to rest.. Their is always hope.  It's been 25 years and a new soap is coming out.

[Khan]

Frankly, I wouldn't trust anyone with reviving AMC.  The only ones who seemed to get that show - Agnes Nixon, Wisner Washam, Lorraine Broderick, Jorn Winther, Jacqueline Babbin - are either dead or retired.

[DRW50]

There have been multiple revival attempts. That's the main reason some are still talking about the possibility.

I do think a revival would likely be AMC in name only, although there are some unsung writers out there who might do an OK job. IIRC the revival got better in its final months. 

[j swift]

Considering both Lifetime and Kelly Ripa have pitched revivals, I wonder who owns the IP at this point?

We know Agnes Nixon sold it to ABC, we know that the daytime arm of ABC productions has been dissolved.  And Prospect Park is no longer in business.  So, who owns the rights in 2024? 

For example, if I saved my pennies and hired Susan Lucci, could I put on a musical version of AMC in my backyard for New Year's Eve?

BTW, I don't expect that anyone actually knows, I was just wondering

Edited November 14, 2024 by j swift

[DRW50]

I think the rights went back to ABC/Disney, which is why they were able to have Jack appear on GH.

[DRW50]

Going through the worst mistakes by good talent thread, I am reminded of how dark AMC was for much of the mid/late '90s. I sometimes wonder if that is the reason the show lost some of its place in the public consciousness, even if it always maintained a certain cachet compared to many other soaps. Even when Broderick, a better and more balanced writer than McTavish (I am fonder of McTavish's AMC than many but I can't deny how bleak it would become - beyond all the rape and miscarriages/stillbirths, I still have the memory of an episode with a young gay man screaming and sobbing to Julia that he didn't want to die of AIDS), took over, the show could not seem to resist succumbing to darkness much of the time.

AMC had had a certain level of darkness in past years, but much of that came into the gothic tones Agnes Nixon loved. Even when '90s AMC had those tones, all at Wildwind, it was never quite the same, as those extremely difficult scenes of Erica's miscarriage remind me.

I wonder what people would say marks the start of the shift. I would say Kendall's arrival, as in the '80s Erica's plots could often be a balance to some of the grittier material.

Edited November 20, 2024 by DRW50

[Paul Raven]

Bill Bell gets a lot of attention for phasing out the original families on Y&R and changing the focus but Agnes did a similar thing in the late 70's/early 80's with most of the Tylers and Martins being dropped.

 The Soap Report Jon-Michael Reed BUFFALO COURIER-EXPRESS, Sunday, February 8, 1980

Exodus at 'AMC' Touches Off Cast Shake-Up

The casting wheels of change are afoot at all of the ABC soaps. The first soap to be struck by the Russian roulette casting game is "All My Children".Mary Lynn Blanks (Tara) was the first "AMCer to receive her walking papers. For Mary Lynn, it was an especially crushing blow, since she had been led to believe the show was gearing up terrific triangle involving Tara, Chuck and Jim. Add to that her father's holiday advice that ~ she's "wasting her time with acting business," and you can imagine how down in the dumps she is these days. Paul Falzone, who joined "AMC" as Jim Jefferson three months ago, is now hustling to find work elsewhere to support a new addition to his family. Paul's wife is expecting a child in July: Several weeks ago, Paul's agent complained that he wished Paul had more time to be sent out on lucrative commercial auditions. Now, he has the chance.

ALSO SLATED to exit within the next month is Gwyn Gilliss and her "AMC" character of Anne Martin. Gwyn's screen husband, Paul (played by William Mooney) will probably be shipped off with a handful of other actors. It's a sad day, indeed, in seap heaven when such stalwarts as Tara, Anne and Paul, who've been mainstays since "AMC debuted, are relegated to the junk heap. On the other side of the casting coin, Tudi Wiggins joins "AMC" as Sara Kingsley; Brandon'd wife. Erica, who's been sleeping in Brandon's bed, should really love that bit or news,as she had no idea her lover has a Mrs. Add the fact that Wiggins is one of the best "scene-chewers" in the soap business and "AMC" might have at least a temporary remedy for viewers who will bellyache about the dismissal of familiar Pine Valley folks. One guy. who won't be missed, however, is wife beater Kurt Saunders.Judging from fan mail, the actor who played this character was as loathed for his overplaying theatrics as for the character's vile story behavior. We respectfully refrain from mentioning the actor's name. He's probably a niceguy who deserves an acting job else where, like Siberia.

[Jonathan]

Lacey Chabert talks about playing Bianca.

 

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[DRW50]

Thanks.

As we age we lose more memories but it's kind of shocking self-professed soap fan Andy Cohen did not know SMG played Kendall and thought she played Bianca. 

I suppose it was more of a jolt for Y&R fans because Jaime Lyn Bauer was still there. Other than Paul, all the members of the Tyler and Martin families who were written out were not played by anyone viewers cared about.

[Paul Raven]

Yes, I don't think Mary Lynn Blanks or Gwyn Gillis were fan favorites but Agnes also killed off Phil (Nick Benedict) and wrote off Linc (Peter White) and Kelly (Francesca James) who were quite popular I think.

[Jonathan]

Oh, I interpreted it as Andy thinking that Lacey played Kendall. I also think Lacey couldn't recall Bianca's name.

[DRW50]

That does make more sense. 

That's true. I have never been sure how popular the Phil recast was, but I know Linc and Kitty/Kelly had a following. I suppose Agnes felt after all the turmoil there was nowhere left to go, and ageism may have also played a factor. 

I do wish they had tried to keep Linc as a more active part of the canvas, as White had a unique presence I don't think Richard Van Vleet quite had.