AMC - Friday - September 23, 2011

[Vee]

I just thought that was where things went off the rails for the first time for me. Granted, I was very young and somewhat unused to the rigors of soap storytelling - I'd only really started watching the show with any dedication in 1993 or so - but it seemed innately wrong to me that Dimitri would go off and [!@#$%^&*] Maria. Edmund and Maria had been a stable couple I had just loved, as had Dimitri and Erica, and then they were blown up. And look at the Greys now. Regardless of their RL divorce, it would have cost that show nothing to just write them off happily ever after before things got to that point. And I understood going in that Erica had many men and always would, but it seemed to veer wildly to me. The show was in flux at that time IMO, and then came Ryan, Gillian, Leo, etc. They transitioned a lot of people out. OLTL was a safe harbor for me as a kid by comparison, where Bo and Nora were just cruising at that point and Patrick and Marty were happy, and Viki and Dorian were dating people. Oh, my memory may be conflating years now.

On an unrelated note, I was very pleased to hear MEK say PP made him a very generous long-term offer to continue as Tad, though I understand why he did not want to take it. It's the same thing I've heard about their dealings with OLTL.

[DRW50]

I think the show had a lot of characters who'd been given so many stories and were exhausted, and the show just started coming up with a lot of crazy twists which were mostly centered on plot, not on characterization. I mean imagine if they'd actually gone through with the story about Julia Barr playing Janet. Poor Julia Barr pretty much epitomizes every bizarre or desperate writing team from 1995 on.

I started watching around mid-95 and the show did seem to veer very wildly by early 96 - at the time I blamed Noah/Julia and their nonsense (Taylor the lip-licking loon, Jamaica, et al) but now I realize it wasn't just them.

This led to a loss of identity. I guess one of the reasons I was able to stomach some of 1998, up to about midway, was it still had some nice things which seemed unique to AMC (the stuff like Stuart/Marian, the fake Axel Green, etc.). Then it just went away more and more before it finally seemed to go for good at the start of the last decade.

[Vee]

Yeah, a lot of the crap they gave her in the '90s is why it took me years to like Brooke or take her remotely seriously. Every time something good happened on the show when I was a kid, there would be Brooke in some silly [!@#$%^&*] where they were trying to play her like Scarlett O'Hara, the turd in the punch bowl. I just laughed at her in that thing with Pierce the mountain man. I was mean, what can I say. With the advent of YouTube and some of her last stories/material, I gained a much more profound appreciation of JB and the character. She's just wonderful as Adam's life partner. I loved when she kissed his cheek the other day as he held Stuart.

I liked Robin Mattson as Janet, BTW, but I was never totally able to buy her as reformed or becoming a stable couple with Trevor. I knew what she'd done to Natalie and even Laurel and I just did not buy that he'd marry her. I think if I'd watched a bit more regularly I might have gotten it. I do think what they did with Janet when she came back, killing Trevor, was horrible. Whatever my doubts, the couple did not deserve that.

[reallyhateskateonlost]

I don't think I can't watch it live...I'll play it back later like I always did...Please ABC no interruptions!

[DRW50]

You know if I'd been watching during the first Janet story I would have had more problems than I did. I just loved the Janet/Amanda bond, and Robin's work as Janet, and I went along with Janet/Trevor more because of the short term story since at the time there weren't a lot of other stories I cared about. I think there was a lot of interesting psychological drama in it, which wasn't really tapped, such as why Trevor would do this, and Tim having a longer period of backlash and hatred. But after I saw some of the earlier years I realized why fans weren't happy.

For me Kate is Natalie and Robin is Janet (although Kate's work as Janet has been very inspired). Robin's work in the Laurel murder trial was so good. I wish there had been some way they could have kept Natalie alive and done some thing like they did on AW with Vicky and Marley.

[Ponds]

I'm on the Pacific coast, but I have Eastern channels, so I'll be watching at 10 am PDT.

[Antoyne]

I still have to watch Thursdays episode and I won't get to watch live today but I'm expecting to sob alone.

[Khan]

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[Vee]

I gotta go grab some snacks before the show. Oy.

[Khan]

I'm serious, y'all. You thought losing GUIDING LIGHT hit me hard? This is hitting me like a damn subway train, because I know my childhood is gone.

[OLTL_fan]

Wow that is an amazing collage Cheap!

[alwaysAMC]

I'm so sad that I can't watch live - stupid work!

I can't wait to watch later tonight. Enjoy the live viewing and chatting.

I just can't believe this day is here. A part of my life is ending today, seriously. I know it might seem silly, but after watching daily for 21 years (starting at age 6! and yes, I remember vividly at that age), this is just so sad and surreal.

ALL MY CHILDREN

[Khan]

I can't watch today. I have to be in class. And even if I weren't, I don't think I could take it. I really don't. I don't want these shows to go away forever. AMC and GUIDING LIGHT were all I had worth living for and now...they're gone. I'm not committing suicide, don't worry. But the world suddenly became less wonderful to live in.

[alexisfan07]

alwaysAMC and Khan, your reactions are nothing to worry about. I'm nowhere near a lifetime fan but this is gonna hit me hard within the first ten seconds of the show, I can feel it.

[alexisfan07]

Sniff. So classy. Except for the photo.

http://globalgrind.com/entertainment/denise-vasi-exclusive-interview-all-my-children-ast-day-goodbye-farewell-photos