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

[John]

I think Beth Chamberlin or Kim Johnston Urlich would be a great Liza Colby

[JackPeyton]

Jamie Lunar only please! LOVE her as Liza.

[John]

Alison Goodman ‏@allisgoodie

Can't wait 2 c what Dorian has in store for us! “@thesoapcentral:@robinstrasser "proud" to be returning to #OLTL http://ow.ly/gSWbm ”

[Steve]

+1

[marceline]

It always strikes me as tacky the way people ask if these actors have been contacted. Tacky and tone-deaf.

[DRW50]

I believe Agnes Nixon said that first triangle was supposed to be the new Liza/Greg/Jenny. I might be wrong though.

[Errol]

Soap Opera Network ‏@SoapOperaNetwrk

COMING SOON: Interview w/@ChristinaBLind: "I believe I can say that I have not been contacted yet," re: @prospectpk #AMC reboot.

[Khan]

Here, PP had a golden opportunity not just to revive these shows but to spin them into new directions as well. I'm not talking about wholesale slaughters of AMC and OLTL's respective casts, but working with HW's and EP's in studying them as they were at the end, deciding who was essential in going forward, who wasn't, and then coming up with a plan that included a mix of returning characters, much-loved characters from years past, and exciting new characters that might keep the show going as time goes on.

Instead, what do we get? David Vickers. JR Chandler. Matthew Buchanan. Zach Slater. Destiny Evans. Cutter Wentworth. Griffin and Cara Castillo. Then, perhaps, if deals fall into place, Ryan Lavery and Kendall Hart (b/c you know they're coming -- Toto Greenlee, too! -- who are we kidding), with Todd and Starr Manning and John McBain, of course, bringing up the rear. By no means is this a complete list; in fact, aside from four people (Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser for OLTL; Darnell and Debbi for AMC), I'm not all that thrilled about the ones who've signed on thus far. But it feels as if these "new" versions are being weighed down by the same, damn albatrosses that strangled the life out of these shows in the first place. I mean, my God, it's been how long since they last were on-air? They're on a completely different platform; and yet, I still feel Brian Frons' effing influence over everything!

At first, I wasn't sure these shows would get off the ground again. Now, I kind of wish they wouldn't.

[alexisfan07]

JR says tell my father something at the end of the conversation so I'm hoping not

What in the !@#$%^&*]

[John]

Maybe they woukd rather have Eden Reigel

[Khan]

Oh, God. Just...oh, God.

[alexisfan07]

Bren on Frankie/Randi/Natalia/Brot

"If they come on board, it'll likely be later, but a lot is up in the air right now."

[Vee]

I'd rather have Eden Riegel.

We can say what we want, and I grew tired of her comings and goings, but she is the most popular and most identified in the role. And the audience loved her. Lind was fine, but she didn't compare in terms of audience eyeballs. That's a fact, it's inescapable. Having both her and a Kendall is also one of the only and best shots at mounting this show without Susan Lucci.

And Khan, I love you but saying you want to build the shows from the ground up and then decrying every hire of anyone under 50 is kind of counterproductive. I love the vets, but if these shows are going to build a new canvas, then yes, you are going to need young people, and the obvious characters to turn to are many of the ones being rehired or recast. Particularly people like the Castillos, particularly Cara and Lindsay Hartley, or Matthew Buchanan, or JR. You could not have filled the shows with Viki, Dorian, Angie and Jesse and then a slew of randos. It doesn't work like that. There has to be a mix.

[Cheap21]

CBL >>>>>> Riegel. I really hope they arent holding out for ER when they had a worthy recast and one whom I preferred

[marceline]

Yeah, I kind of feel the same way but IMO this is the inherent tension with these projects. Are these going to be a reboot or a resurrection? Are they going to try to evolve these shows? Because if we're honest, there are plenty of people who really don't want that. They want to see exactly the same shows that went off the air. Same characters, same stories, same everything. Others say they want something different but even I have to admit that I'm happy to see my Hubbards again. How much can things change before these aren't the same shows anymore? And if they aren't the same shows is that necessarily a bad thing?

I'm trying not to get too worked up. I'm not freaking out over casting or going over these audition sides with a magnifying glass. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to what's on the screen.