AMC and OLTL Will Move Online!

[JaneAusten]

I wont say who I think would actually be a good HW with Broderick I would probably get crucified. I think Wendy Riche or even Francesca James as an EP or even Tomlin(although on the fence with him). If they aren't going to get creative and take risks at least bring on EP's who might have some decent creative vision and can keep the HW's under control and not pander to certain Divo/Divas

I thought they did the day Erica was at Kendalls home the kids called her Grandma

[RoseVioletDaisy]

Crap. There goes any chance that the online version will ever be able to recover from Carlivati's reign of destruction. I know alot of people think that RC's writing can cure cancer and reverse global warming but as someone who was an OLTL fan going back to '79, I find his version of this show godawful and utterly unbearable. He's a talentless imitation artist, a glorified fan-fiction writer. He's destroyed virtually every meaningful legacy character except Viki and I resent the hell out of him for making this show so unwatchable that I can even contemplate seeing it's final months on the air and now there's no hope for a revival online either.

I agree. I know that PP is new to this but they need to hire somebody who is experienced in advertising web-based media, not just making it.

I doubt Frons even knows who advertised during that episode or cared. ABC has a division that deals with selling ad time and Frons doesn't run it. Money is money. If PP paid the asked-for ad rate, what's the difference? It's not like the online versions are direct competition for "The Chew". "The Chew" was gonna start airing at 1PM on Monday. NuAMC won't be available for months and when it is, it'll be available 24/7, not just at 1-2 PM.

[JaneAusten]

Didn't someone say some of the affiliates actually did have a little blurb after AMC ended on Friday about tune into AMC online coming soon or something like that? Sure its not the same as a real ad and it was likely more to alleviate calls they figured they would be getting the following Monday, but its better than nothing.

[EricMontreal22]

The reason I do assume RC staying at OLTL (if this is correct) means that LB won't be moving on to OLTL as well (and so I'd assume the original assumption that she'd join AMC would happen), is, I admit all based on other rumours and conjecture, but...

It was rumoured that when Frons first was looking for an AMC HW, he approached LB who wasn't interested (she had her University job, and apparently didn't want to work under someone as interfering as Frons). This was when he hired McTavish after the brief period where he had Rayfield and then Rayfield and Cascio writing AMC (when Frons first came on the scene he, probably with the best intentions, sought out to hire people who were known for their shows--McTavish ended up at AMC, Malone/Griffith at OLTL, with Griffith leaving after not long due to complaints of Frons' interference and Malone not lasting long solo).

There was more gossip that he sought out Broderick again in '97 (when AMC ended up with Brown/Esensten), and she declined. Finally, the gossip was she returned in Jan 2010 as a favour to Agnes and the show to help reshape it after the pratt stuff, but had no interest in working as a permanent HW again (either cuz of her other work, how much work HW was, and working under Frons again). SHe did stay on as an associate writer under S/K, perhaps partly as a favour to the show and Agnes again. (I know S/K's era had a lot of non fans, but I thought overall it was good--its main problem was some periods, particularly this past Feb/March, which were just DULL--but characterization was still much better than it had been, etc, though I have no idea how much pull Broderick had with that). And of course she was finally hired full time--and then two weeks told the show was canceled.

I guess my long winded point is, while Broderick has joined shows in the past as an associate (she also was an associate HW for a while at GL, but again it was under S/K--maybe she's friends with Swajeski, or who knows), I can't imagine her at this point taking on a staff writing job at OLTL, even with no Frons involvement. But who knows. And I do think Agnes Nixon still has some investment in OLTL (I'd love to hear what she thinks of RC, but by all accounts they're friendly, and of course Nixon did her cameo for the 40th Anniversary), so maybe Broderick would be interested in helping OLTL because of that. It just seems weird to me that she would take a staff job at OLTL--unless she's co-HW with RC, I don't think she needs the money and, at least for a time, she didn't seem to have interest in persuing that.

*I'm not sure that makes any sense lol--and it definitely is all conjecture on my part*

[EricMontreal22]

I wonder if Minei Behr has any interest in this? LOL I still can't believe she almost got the head of ABC Daytime job Frons got... Of course she had been at AMC since 1971--and apparently was always interested in using new technology to the genre--and like most of these people is getting up there in age.

Francesca James' era was a bit of a mixed bag, but I still love that quote she gave when she was EP defining Pine Valley as a new Peyton place, how it was not a big urban center, class was important, etc. From that quote at least, she really *got* it.

[EricMontreal22]

I've liked a lot of RC's stuff, and he benefits from coming on after Higley who I found *unbearable* (slow, offensive, etc)but I definitely see your point, and that fan fic tendency, for whatever reason, seems to be getting worse.

I dunno, Frons seemed to get pretty defensive and petty about why The Chew, etc, was more important and relevent than more soap opera. You're right, he wouldn't have any direct control--and I do think PP should have tried to pull some brief, cheap, ad together, but they have so much on their plate right now and seem fairly disorganized still--I'm not sure they were ready to spend the money.

[TeamEric]

PP was founded by ex-Disney exec. I am sure he knows how to step right over Frons' head. They did already to get this deal done in the first place.

It will be interesting if PP runs ads for OLTL's ending. Because right now I'm getting the feeling PP is a long way from being ready to launch.

[John]

PP was Not Founded by the ex Disney Exec. That Exec Just Joined PP Like a year ago

[Soapsuds]

If I were RC I would have stayed on GH....TV vs online...no contest. I'm curious who else will sign on with OLTL 2.0 online.

[EricMontreal22]

Maybe RC has been fed up working under Frons? (I imagine most creative types would be)? Maybe he thinks OLTL stands at least a bit more of a chance to give him a longer career than GH does?

[JaneAusten]

"media firm called Prospect Park — founded by former Walt Disney Studios president Richard H. Frank and talent management vet Jeff Kwatinetz — has purchased from ABC the rights to both AMC and OLTL, with a plan to continue production on new episodes that would stream online via a Hulu-like service they’ve got baking in the oven."

I don't know about the other players but Richard Frank is from Disney Studios. No clue as to what the reporting hierarchy was when he was there, if he reported to Iger or someone else.

[SFK]

I understand that OLTL has its fans as is, there are days (scenes? ) when I am one of those fans, but for the most part I feel like the show has a good cast and decent storylines but it could REALLY afford to dig deeper. I think it's time for a creative renaissance, time for OLTL to take itself a little more seriously, which it can do without completely losing the tongue-in-cheek. The Gottlieb/Bedsoe-Horgan years had a nice blend of that. Maybe they aren't interested in attracting any new audience, but as is, most folks will take a look at this way-too-Passions-y show and dismiss it as typical soap crap complete with hotdog costume weiner jokes.

I just do not see how maintaining the same creative teams of two cancelled soap operas is a wise decision. Maybe PP has some bigger ideas, some transitions and new blood in the works. But doing what they did on ABC just now on the Internet is a big fat waste of everyone's time and money. But perhaps now we can see what these folks have really got, presumably without the overbearing ABC execs rapping their knuckles every time they try to be creative.

[EricMontreal22]

I definitely agree with OLTL. I enjoy it enough to keep watching, and like parts a lot (though I admit part of me right now is clinging to it partially as it's the only long running soap I've really grown with left), but it seems to be getting more and more camp and "surface", and I think could do with an overhaul into more depth. I think it could do that with RC still on the staff, but I think changes need to be made.

It could be argued that LB didn't have much time at AMC really--she was hired two weeks before cancelation and then had to work fast to lead to a finale--an unenviable task even with Agnes' help, but I definitely think your comment about bringing on the staff of canceled soaps applies to JHC as EP. I'd like to see Broderick remain on the AMC writing staff in some capacity. And of course there is the element that (knock on wood) they will have a lot more freedom.

[Soapsuds]

That's the problem ...no one is willing to do that..even PP. It's the same old hacks writing and EP the shows. Now PP hired Valentini to oversea the shows. I sure would like to be in the soap opera business cause failure = success. You get rewarded for being a failure.

[R Sinclair]

That's in every business world, darling. Not just exclusive to soaps.