HOLIDAY MIRACLE: Prospect Park Back On Track To Revive AMC and OLTL

[EricMontreal22]

We don't really know about writers--they could have been approached and due to issues (like the WGA stuff) have been told to keep quiet. The last go around, a team was assembled for AMC and told not to announced anything (and maybe writers--Carliati aside--just aren't as twitter happy as actors).

Also, at this point, while your point is wise, I think it's equally wise to try to see who from the old cast you CAN get back and then build from there. Otherwise, why reboot?

Would some of these writers who were turned off by all the network demands be willing to try again at a venue where they'd probably get less interference (and less money)?

Largely yes. But even Gottlieb (who clearly has an ego) has said she was learning and made mistakes. To be fair the death of Megan did directly lead into their first major story (where many think they first came around even if it did involve an outside character)--the inolvement of Andrew, Marty who had Lupus like Megan led directly into Marty's jealousy of Andrew and saying he molested Billy which led to Billy's coming out and the whole AIDS story and to Vicki and Sloan, etc.

And Megan's death was about four months into Malone's run--not that it makes a big diff. He was hired in Aug 91, his material began airing in Sep, and she died in Jan...

Malone and Giottlieb were learning. When Griffith who had soap structuring instincts joined Malone pretty soon after things really did gel--Gottlieb decided to hire him for that reason. I think that was a smart decision, and one you'd rarely see nowadays. They also hired Bedsow Horgan because of her huge history being on writing and production teams for PNG soaps to be on the writer's side for the same reason. To me that's actually quite a quick turnaround towards success for what was an extremely troubled soap, by a very novice soap team and hardly something to discredit them (while it does prove not everything Gottlieb did was great of course). While not as stylish, i think the show stayed strong, with the DID story, etc, under Bedsow Horgan as EP (Gottlieb appointed her as her successor), but when Josh Griffith left by his own choosing less than a year later, Horgan says she basically replaced him as co-headwriter while being EP and admits in the interview that it was a huge conflict of interest and the show quickly suffered (think Malone's never ending Italian mob thing, etc).

I agree. They need something to really pop in the first arcs for each show. Maybe if Agnes is involved enough she's helping do the initial setups.

Agreed on all accounts. He seems to know new media, which is why I assume he was chosen. But yeah, his name is now out there, he should be careful with what first comes out when you google.

[EricMontreal22]

That;'s a good point. Before PP had this wacky idea--NOBODY was interested. Andy Cohen and Oprah said they were sad to see them go, but clearly didn't have any interest in having them on their networks. Nobody else really thought there was even a possibility to make an online version work. The idea simply wasn't out there (yes fans had suggested it--a little bit--with P&G soaps, but nobody seemed to consider it seriously). Yes PP screwed it up, and frankly treated people badly, although it seems more out of naivity--they thought they could take on more than they could--than malice. But to have the thought process of "thanks PP! These are gonna flop and if it hadn't been for you we'd have these great Summer soaps on ABC Family" is ludicrous.

[Vee]

The vitriol comes from what we learned after the fact last time. The fact that they had virtually no regular PR team and instead played shiesty L.A. games in the industry trades to try and put pressure on the WGA and Susan Lucci to buckle without any real negotiation. They made one offer, walked away without discussion and leaked to the press that the other parties were all too "difficult." It was a hustle and a shakedown and it was shitty behavior, and it appears to be continuing now. It's all surface and a big gloss job followed by attempts at intimidation and gossip-mongering towards people and programs who deserve better. They were unserious people who clearly thought the little old soaps required a minimum of unserious effort and a lot of bullshit and brass. Let's not forget that in the end they apparently didn't make their payments and did not have the money they claimed to, either.

If I thought they truly were making a good faith effort this time to rectify their prior errors and weren't just in this to leech more money from the rights, I'd be more optimistic. I tried that last time and got burned. These people scream hustlers to me now and too little seems to have changed. I really hope they prove me wrong.

[Chris B]

They needed a PR team then and they need that now. Even once these shows are in production, they need to build relationships so fans and people in the position to promote their shows will care to do so. Even their weak statement a couple days ago could've been much better. They need someone regularly on Twitter for one. They don't understand how successful a grassroots campaign is for entertainment in the age of social media.

[KMan101]

I totally agree that they really need a PR/social media team. Badly.

[marceline]

LOL! I know right? I saw one tweet where he said that he thought soap fans and comic/sci-fi fans had a lot in common. He's about to see just how much.

[Ann_SS]

Cameron is getting work. Production has just started on a Thanksgiving movie that he is starring in with Jennie Garth. Good for him. He might not be a talented actor, but he hustles for all sorts of work.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/08/production-to-start-on-abc-family-movie-home-again-starring-jennie-garth-and-cameron-mathison/164616/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Tvbythenumbers+%28TVbytheNumbers%29

[KMan101]

He is a good, nice guy, and he definitely hustles. Not the greatest actor though lol and Ryan was always terribly written, IMHO.

[marceline]

Whatever one thinks about his acting, Mathison works hard and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously plus he's really good to soap fans.

[ChitHappens]

Lord knows I'm not a CM fan, not by any stretch, but at least he appreciated Daytime and didn't blatantly treat it like something beneath him until something better came along.

[Soaplovers]

While I'm not a fan of CM, I do think the only positive of him joining on this would be the massive PR. The one talent he had was the ability to do PR... he and Susan Lucci were basically the PR for All My Children in it's last years.

[Khan]

I agree that CM seems like an all-around good guy you can't help but like. I just don't want him or Ryan Lavery back on ALL MY CHILDREN.

[EricMontreal22]

Well at least he understands that much--some cliche sci fi fanboys probably wouldn't realize it! LOL (It's actually pretty much true--unfortunately )

[Jonathan]

I think it's rather odd that Pratt barred Agnes Nixon from story meetings, but yet both Pratt and Agnes's names were on the Emmy ballot for Outstanding Writing.

http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/daytime_36th_nominations.html

[soapfave06]

If I remember correctly, he even said he met with Agnes before he launched his stories. I think he mentioned the Brot story and Bianca's return in that same interview. Of course, that was before he tanked the show.