It troubles me that they're signing actors without any writing team in place. I think they need union writers, but even beyond that, this sequence of events seems backwards, especially in this scaled back version of soaps where fewer characters are going to be featured. I would think the opposite path - locking in writers first, and then letting them have a say in which actors to bring back - would have the potential for stronger storytelling, because the people crafting the plots would feel more strongly about the canvas they're working with.

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?

As for who the writers should be, that's pretty much impossible for me to say. Obviously, Agnes Nixon, who said ten years ago she no longer had the stamina to function as head writer on a longterm basis, is not a viable choice. All of the genre's other best writers are either no longer with us or were driven out of the industry by network interference. The veteran writers who stayed have seemingly sold their souls, and I find it hard to believe their cynicism and desperation can be unlearned. Those few new writers who were allowed to break out of the pack in recent years, no matter how much promise they may have initially shown, I think picked up a style of storytelling, no doubt to adapt to the pressure they were under for gimmicks and shock value, that would ultimately be destructive to a nascent creation like this. However, I disagree that bringing in someone from outside the soap genre would likely be successful.

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)?

Regarding the Linda Gottlieb comparisons, I'm not a fan, but trying to be as objective as possible, weren't her first months at OLTL not so great by nearly all accounts? I didn't watch until years later, but I've read that she initially toyed around with short-arc stories/short-term characters...wasn't her first major story about some random neighbor of Viki's who was a battered woman, and Viki and friends wringing their hands and trying to get her help? Wasn't it about six months before the first big ratings-grabbing/critically acclaimed stunt - Megan's death - and then didn't Malone acknowledge later in interviews that he failed to take Agnes Nixon's advice and plan something to follow that up with that built upon that momentum so viewers would stay tuned in?

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).

My guess is this venture is getting one shot at whatever publicity the resurrection of these shows that have a place in pop culture will bring. They need to hit the ground running, or nobody will care. If the first "arc" ends up being all about Angie stoically holding the hand of some random hospital patient nobody ends up liking, then their best shot at success will have been wasted. In many ways, this format will be new territory for any writer, but I think someone with experience writing for these characters and the daytime audience has a better shot at getting it right, if they're actually talented and not burnt out.

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.

As far as Foz McDermott, I actually don't think this guy compares that disfavorably to Gottlieb based on his resume. In her day, a daytime TV show getting a producer with solid - though by no means stellar - movie credentials was a feather in its cap. But at least on the production side, this venture needs someone who knows new media, and he has varied experiences that suggest that he might. I'm also not put off by his blog posts per se, in fact he comes across to me as a nice and down to earth guy. What does trouble me is that I feel like he should be using social media more effectively to communicate things that might scare off some future employers/clients, so that he can filter for different audiences. For a person heading up something like this, I would think being able to do a better job of influencing what happens when someone Googles you would be a job requirement.

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.

I realize that the folks at PP proved themselves to be !@#$%^&*]-ups last go round, but I don't quite understand the vitriol for a company that at least tried. Do I hate the doctor who tried to save my loved one's life but was unsuccessful or do I sit and stew about a hospital full of doctors who never thought to try?

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.

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by EricMontreal22

I realize that the folks at PP proved themselves to be !@#$%^&*]-ups last go round, but I don't quite understand the vitriol for a company that at least tried.

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.

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by Vee

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.

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

I couldn't help but smirk and smh at the sight of those first few soap-related tweets, fascinated by how I was seeing this man's life change forever before my very eyes.

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.

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

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by Ann_SS

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 )

Edited January 9, 201312 yr by EricMontreal22

Otherwise I get the impression with One Life she did leave it to their own devices, but was eager and willing to help consult if anyone asked (I know for a while--early 90s--she was official consultant for all of ABC Daytime). But she definitely kept much closer to Loving and especially AMC where, from what Hal Corley said, she would go to as many story meetings she could and give her thumbs up or down--though there were chunks like the early 2000s when she was nursing her husband she was less available--and of course she flat out said in the AMC tribut ebook last year that after a few months Pratt barred her completely from story meetings. I get the impression that for much of that time--especially once Frons came in, her opinion meant a lot less and if an exec or HW wanted a story and Nixon said no, they happily would overule her, but it sounds like she always was involved at AMC in some consulting capacity.

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

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.