Writers Who Weren't Given Enough Time

[LoyaltoAMC]

Don't recall what Culliton's exact plans were for Brooke, but he definitely mentioned that as priority. I could swear I remember reading something in the old Daily News Friday soap section around this time how they were casting their net for an actor to play Brooke's old boyfriend Dan Kennicott, and that he was to return to town with some mystery story. I swear I'm not making this up LOL. Brooke was already hot and heavy with the Maria returns story at this time. I remember that changing so abruptly when Frons came aboard. All of a sudden, Brooke and even Edmund became afterthoughts in that whole clusterf***, and it became all about Aidan. Before Frons, I think Brooke was considered a very important part of the canvass, even if she didn't always have front burner story. I recall Jean Dedario Burke saying in the early 2000s, pre-Frons, that the suits at ABC considered AMC's most important characters to be Erica, Brooke, Adam and Tad. God, what could've been had Frons never come to ABC!

[SFK]

Ah, thanks.

Julia Barr is quite possibly the strongest lead actress the show ever had. She, not unlike Robin Strasser, deserved WAY better in her final years as the show's B diva. Something tells me that if Brooke had had more children it may have gone differently.

[DRW50]

I feel like Brooke was hurt more than anything by a lack of a successful long-term relationship. She had Adam, but they never kept Adam with anyone for long. She had so many men, and so many weak stories, in the mid 90's on, and it took a big toll.

[EricMontreal22]

I'm just glad that we got some sort of Brooke closure the last year and a bit--seriously the way she was let go without even an exit (even an exit mention) REALLY upset me to the point I almost stopped watching (which with AMC is saying a lot lol). I'd even have dreams that she returned to the show. I think her firing (apparently they wanted her on recurring and she rightly refused) was all Frons--for good or ill McTavish seemed to hbave interest writing for Brooke even if she didn't handle the character particularly well.

That was definitely shady, especially when you had actors saying how thrilled they were to have her back, and then the cancelation a week or two (it seemed) later.

Was it just rumour, or weren't they considering incorporating Tracy from The City? I definitely would have been more interested.

[SFK]

Oddly, I don't remember there being any mention of Tracy being incorporated into the show in any article I read back then. I'm sure she would have made an appearance at some point, but the focus was on Lois' family. Didn't Ellen Travolta play her mom on GH? I wonder if she would have moved back east to do it. I'm not a big fan of the title "Heart and Soul", which was coincidentally the title of the black soap O.J. Simpson was developing years ago.

[John]

AMC extended Robin Mattson's contract 3 months in 1996 but was planning to have Janet have surgery to look like Brooke & Have Julia Barr play both roles of Brooke & Janet. I remember JB wasnt too jazzed cause she didnt like RM being fired. Fans protested, story got scraped and RM got a new 2 year contract at AMC

[glatwt]

im gonna have to say brodrick at ATWT! yes she was there for a year but, when i heard she went to P&G with a story bible and every single one was refused, i have to say she wasnt given a fair chance!! if MAAD and P&G would have given her more control like they were giving Rauch and B & E at GL, i really think she would have given ATWT a good run for Marlands money IMO!!!!

[hot20]

As soon as I read the heading for the post, I thought of Millee Taggart. What a shame that she wasn't given more time. I didn't like all of her stories but I did think she found Guiding Light's heart which had been lost during most of Megan Mctavish empty writing. Guiding Light was so good during her time with Joan Collins as Alexandra and Tony and Marah invovled in a murder mystery. Classic soap opera during her tenure.

[hot20]

I would have to respectfully disagree with you. While the Richard/Rick story definitely felt like a marriage of the General Hospital B.J. heart transplant and As the World Turn's Margo's mercy killing of Casey, It was one of my most favorite stories in Guiding Light's history and that's coming from someone who had watched the show since the mid-eighties. This story finally gave Reva a great modern story to play. In my opinion, Reva was never given a good story after she returned from the dead. I think mainly because writers didn't know what to write for her. Pamela K. Long created her and she knew what made this character tick. Many writers that came after Long seemed to think Reva needed a big loud story to make her character click when I feel she did her best with stories about the matters of the heart. Nevertheless, to get back on topic, I loved Millee Taggart's work. However, I hated the scene she wrote where Marah stripped to her undies and taunted Tony to rape her but other than that, I think she wrote great traditional soap opera. It was Millee who gave us the great Olivia and Cassie rivalry when they purchased the Beacon, the compelling Olivia, Phillip, and Alan triangle, the Catalina murder mystery, the beginning of Cassie and Danny as a couple (this was later shot down when Weston took over), Reva's stalker (this was ruined once Weston took over), I could go on but I'll stop now. CarlD2 I'm not knocking your opinion, I'm just politely disagreeing.

[DRW50]

Thanks for responding. I certainly respect your POV and am glad to see another GL fan here, especially one who is so articulate (I can't say that about myself). I think Reva had one or two good stories after her return - I thought the Annie story was solid until they kept it running too long around fall '97 - but I certainly agree that this was an attempt to give her something different, something less OTT.

[hot20]

CarlD2 you are very articulate my friend. How could I forget the Annie Storyline! God I loved, loved, loved Cynthia Watros and I have to pat myself on the back for recognizing her talent from the first episode she appeared in. There was just something special about her. I wholeheartedly agree with you about Guiding Light running this story into the ground. They just couldn't let it go and then when Watros left they made the bad decision to recast her with Signey Coleman. While I think Coleman is a great actress, I didn't like her as Annie. She didn't have that quirkiness that Watros had. You just brought back some fun memories. I loved the trial of Annie Dutton! This storyline was the first story in years to make me race home from work to watch my recorded episodes of Guiding Light. God I miss this show so much!

[DRW50]

Annie was lightning in a bottle. Watros left at the right time, as they'd run out of any ideas for the character. Bringing Annie back so fast was a sign of desperation. I liked Signy Coleman's take on Teri and I wish we'd seen more of that, instead of Annie drugging aftershave.

I did like that they brought her back briefly for the Reva stalker story - it was a nice touch of history, and Coleman did a nice job.

[Mitch]

Floved the Rick/Prince Dick storyline. This point in GL's history was very similar to ATWT's when Marland took over (not comparing Taggert to Marland but..) where the shows transitioned from big over the top fan couple stories (Steve/Betsy/Richard/Cassie) to more of an ensemble show with a strong core family at the center. I loved how she set up Edmund hating the "Bow-ers"(loved how he spit out their name) after Rick got Dickie's heart...loved the return of Alex, who quickly put cartoon Carmen in her place ("And I am Alexandra Spaulding and I couldn't care less!")

I think all of this could have worked and been great if Rauch didnt fight Taggert all the time, and MADD wasnt wedded to her "ABC" vision of the PG soaps, and her own weird late middle aged fantasies of fairytale kingdoms (would say she is a producer of Once Upon a Time but that show has a heart and a brain..) Also, the show had gone over so far to the fan freak side, showcasing Cassie and Richard and Chele and Danny for so long, by the time they broke up both couples many of the old veiwers had fled the show, and didnt come back, while the couple freaks left in droves now their couple was no longer featured. So of course, what does a desperate and unimaginative MADD do, fire Taggert and bring back Brad Cole.

Also totally agree that Reva worked best with family stories and stories of the heart, which is what she was doing here. Dealing with her beloved sister, her husband, her kids (the only time the Marah actress was good was giving Reva [!@#$%^&*]) and her old family friends the Bauers. Zimmer could make big work, (when Reva was grounded in reality) but she much like Deas, was better at the quiet moments. Unfortunately the soap "press," and the fans at that time wanted Reva to chew scenery to "knock it out of the ballpark."

[hot20]

Oh God you are so dead on! I never understood why some fans and the writers felt Reva needed the "Next Big Story"? I loved Reva with her family. I loved her sister scenes with Roxie and later with Cassie. I also loved Reva's scenes with Billy, HB, her children, and her mom and dad. She was great at protecting the ones she loved because she had a big heart. With the right writers, Reva could have become what Maureen had once been for the show, "the heart". Unfortunately, the writers never realized it and she was given one dumb story after the next. As you said, Reva was great at the quiet moments. I will say, I was never a big Reva fan but I did like the character. I loved her sister Roxie the most. Finally, I think Taggart got Reva and if she was truly given the chance, Reva could have been a great character again. I even liked Taggart's stalker storyline because this brought Reva together with her family as they feared for Reva's safety. I also agree with your comparison of Guiding Light to Marland's As the world turns. No. Taggart was no Marland but she wrote stories that were grounded in reality.

[Steve]

Those were the first two names that came to my mind.

I'm glad to see other Danny/Cassie fans on here. I also was excited for Michelle & Bill who grew up as best friends and it seemed natural that they would eventually fall in love.

LMAO at your accurate description of how Ben Reade was ruined after Taggart!

ICAM with all of that.

I always thought Culliton was leading to the reveal that Eric Kane was Leo's father, but it doesn't matter now.

Exactly! Culliton was the last headwriter until Broderick returned who really "got" Nixon's vision of AMC. Frons just tried to turn it into a generic soap opera.

I remember reading that Dan was returning, too. If only Frons had never arrived!!!

ITA with you both.