WTF!!!!!

EXCLUSIVE: Here is a great holiday gift for soap fans: I’ve learned that Prospect Park has revived its plan to continue cancelled ABC daytime dramas All My Children and One Life To Live online. I hear the company behind USA hit Royal Pains has inked deals with SAG-AFTRA and DGA for the soaps’ production, eyed to begin in the first quarter of 2013.

http://www.deadline....ine-web-series/

As of now the character is returning during sweeps. There's no indication he's being killed off.

thanks, I thought I heard he wasn't exactly a"nice" guy so it might be hard to stay on the show after that

I see your point, but ABC knew going in that at any time Prospect Park could step back in and ask for their rights back. They knowingly signed those long-term contracts with those two actors (and short-term one with Howarth). [...] I just don't agree with those saying that PP should get over it and let ABC have those three characters. The company stated that they decided to option rights to OLTL because of these characters, so if they don't get to use them...who's to say they'll decide to not bother with OLTL 2.0 (definitely not likely, just saying it aloud).

The unspoken rationale here, from both Daytime Confidential and other people, is that because it's not RC and FV, they shouldn't be allowed to have the characters, that it's somehow "cheating" because they did so much for OLTL on GH to keep it alive and were part of the initial Prospect Park effort. And now all that work is going to waste because someone else has control of the licenses for OLTL and its characters, and they're not in control of it anymore.

Except that's all total bullshit.

I love what RC and FV did for most of OLTL. And I love most of what they've done with GH. And I thought they did a great thing criscrossing so much of OLTL and keeping it vital in people's hearts and minds. And I have very real issues and reservations with Prospect Park's past behavior and judgment.

But the fact is, as you say, FV and RC took this risk. They knew it could come back. They gambled that it wouldn't. They were wrong. And as much as I'd really like them to at least consult on the new show - FV in particular, given that he's a wizard of a producer - OLTL has existed long before them and they do not have a real claim on it anymore. They're contracted to run General Hospital. They took a risk that the license holders would not return, and they were wrong. And now it's time to play ball with them and move on - while hopefully, keeping some access to some of the OLTL crossover characters. Preferably John and Starr. Please just take them off our hands.

If people online stop trying to make this into an 'us vs. them'/'good guys vs. bad guys' clique thing we'd all have a better time of it. We're all supposed to be adults, not high schoolers having a virtual knife fight on twitter. It's embarrasing to look at, some of these people are older than me. I don't know if PP has all their [!@#$%^&*] together or are for real, but I do know that the only right thing to do here is for these two parties to work together. And for people to accept that FV and RC, good as they can be, don't 'own' any of this anymore.

Edited February 2, 201312 yr by Vee

That doesn't jive with their press release, although it is poorly written so I'm probably just confused. They state they're willing to equally share the characters. So PP isn't gonna get access to Alderson, Howarth or Easton but is gonna recats all three characters. They're then going to allow ABC to use the recasted actors to interact with Chad Duell, Laura Wright, and Kelly Monaco respectively WHILE Alderson, Howarth (maybe) and Easton stay at GH as new characters? What a joke! PP loses in every possible way. I don't get why they can't share the actors but as DIFFERENT characters.

No.

Prospect Park is willing to equally share the characters as played by the contracted ABC actors. If ABC/Prospect Park don't reach a deal where that happens, ABC must re-characterize Howarth, Alderson and Easton. The OLTL characters they played will then permanently leave the GH canvas and the town of Port Charles and return to OLTL and the town of Llanview portrayed by new actors in the roles.

Yes, which is exactly the claim PP made for why they licensed the rights to the shows to begin with.

but the actors aren't obligated to do PP, did PP think they would just do PP when they got their crap together after deciding not to do it a year ago and instead of telling the actors themselves they learn about on twitter and that was after they didn't bother to show up to do a cameo on OLTL

No.

Prospect Park is willing to equally share the characters as played by the contracted ABC actors. If ABC/Prospect Park don't reach a deal where that happens, ABC must re-characterize Howarth, Alderson and Easton. The OLTL characters they played will then permanently leave the GH canvas and the town of Port Charles and return to OLTL and the town of Llanview portrayed by new actors in the roles.

Oh ok. So is a lot of it going to come down to what the actors are willing to do? 50/50 on two coasts seems like a lot to ask of any actor. You're basically saying ABC isn't willing to share anyway right? And the actors will be re-characterized? So this is all a moot point.

Edited February 2, 201312 yr by alexisfan07

but the actors aren't obligated to do PP, did PP think they would just do PP when they got their crap together after deciding not to do it a year ago and instead of telling the actors themselves they learn about on twitter and that was after they didn't bother to show up to do a cameo on OLTL

Whether or not the actors (exception being Easton, originally) agreed to join PP is irrelevant. PP owns the rights to the character and could therefore recast those roles at any point in time if they wanted to. The issue is that ABC saw lighting in a bottle and decided to ask PP to use the characters as a loan during the time PP was regrouping itself and planning to return the shows in some form. Unfortunately, it took PP more than a year to do this. Now the fans are pissed and choosing sides.

I see both companies in the wrong, but ABC is, from a business perspective, the party that counted its chickens before it hatched.

It's not unheard of. AMC/OLTL did it during the baby switch storyline, although the bulk of the story was told on AMC despite the OLTL characters crossing over (and vice-versa), the writers kept the story pretty much intact.

That was for one story, so that's not hard to coordinate. PeePee is asking that they share the characters equally, which means every story for both shows would have to be in sync at all times. Impossible, especially when we are dealing with the dummies!

It's not unheard of. AMC/OLTL did it during the baby switch storyline, although the bulk of the story was told on AMC despite the OLTL characters crossing over (and vice-versa), the writers kept the story pretty much intact.

but that wasn't romances and they filmed on the same coast do the actors have to fly back and forth several times a week, why would they want to do that, their whole life will be doing these shoes and flying back and forth

Oh ok. So is a lot of it going to come down to what the actors are willing to do? 50/50 on two coasts seems like a lot to ask of any actor. You're basically saying ABC isn't willing to share anyway right? And the actors will be re-characterized? So this is all a moot point.

It'll come down to what ABC and the actors are willing to do. If the actors decide to stay at GH, which is what ABC is saying is happening, they must be re-characterized. This of course is based on a final decision being announced by ABC/Prospect Park on this matter. Right now, they are in an impasse. The Feb 8th deadline is a storyline dictated date, not a final date. It just means that while ABC/PP continue negotiating, GH can't use the characters because OLTL is currently writing scripts that may/may not include the characters.

That was for one story, so that's not hard to coordinate. PeePee is asking that they share the characters equally, which means every story for both shows would have to be in sync at all times. Impossible, especially when we are dealing with the dummies!

It's not impossible. The writers would just have to be in constant contact. It can be done.

It's not impossible. The writers would just have to be in constant contact. It can be done.

With these dummies? It's absolutely impossible!

It'll come down to what ABC and the actors are willing to do. If the actors decide to stay at GH, which is what ABC is saying is happening, they must be re-characterized. This of course is based on a final decision being announced by ABC/Prospect Park on this matter. Right now, they are in an impasse. The Feb 8th deadline is a storyline dictated date, not a final date. It just means that while ABC/PP continue negotiating, GH can't use the characters because OLTL is currently writing scripts that may/may not include the characters.

Gotcha, thanks for clarifying. How soon would ABC and PP have to reach an agreement and put out a release? Technically ABC didn't issue a press release, right? That was just a source that told you that? So basically, ABC has to decide how they want to proceed with PP's offer of mutual use of the actors and characters?

What do you think Howarth will do? Is he still based on the East Coast?

Edited February 2, 201312 yr by alexisfan07

To me this would be like Dallas 2.0 basically having characters people are familar with then recasting them with people they don't give two craps about. WIthout Bobby, JR, Sue Ellen and others from the original I doubt many people would tune in for the show. Sure the younger characters/actors have their fans, but without the actors in roles people know them and love them in, Dallas 2.0 would be just in name only.

What would Dallas 2.0 be if they had recast JR, Sue Ellen, or Bobby, it would be crap that no one would want to watch

Question. Are you really concerned about the success of OLTL, or just justifying why GH should be permitted to keep OLTL characters? I am sure PP would rather have the original actors in the roles, but if the actors aren't available or are simply unwilling to accept the role on OLTL again, recasting the character is better than not having the character at all. It happens all the time. It happened with Marty Saybrook, and Todd and Cole and Michael McBain and Kelly Cramer and many many other characters on the show. You mentioned that most people weren't satisfied with the BW as Jessica, but I would disagree. And I say that as someone who was never a Jessica fan and really didn't like Bree's style at all. But I think she was a very effective recast for many years. And she took over a role on OLTL that would be like recasting Robin on GH. You can debate how successful those recasts were, but regardless they were FUNCTIONAL. The show didn't come to a screeching halt because a role was recast. I know that you want the stories you've become invested in to be allowed to continue unimpeded. But really, this is more of a mild speed bump IMHO. I don't think your journey is over, and I don't think it's been significantly upended or fractured by these turn of events. I think Cartini have laid out a method to arrive at the destination they always intended anyway. They may just have to take a slight detour.

It's a bad idea! There's no way to coordinate it so that both shows use these characters on an equal basis! Their stories would have to be in total sync at all times, and it affects other characters/stories as well. Bring the characters in on a short term basis and then allow them to go to GH with periodic appearances on OL. Starr can go and stay away permanently!

If the actors don't wish to go, they are going to have to recast anyhow, but isn't the draw for PeePee's audiencce the actors/performers themselves?

To a degree. But I think I explained why the characters are more essential. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by sending John and Todd to Llanview to spit in Natalie and Blair's faces. That's not a story. And if GH viewers logged on to watch them on OLTL to see that -- they'd just tune right back out when they left. They wouldn't be hanging around to see how Blair and Natalie picked themselves up and started over. So what would be the point? OLTL didn't gain anything.

Gotcha, thanks for clarifying. How soon would ABC and PP have to reach an agreement and put out a release? Technically ABC didn't issue a press release, right? That was just a source that told you that? So basically, ABC has to decide how they want to proceed with PP's offer of mutual use of the actors and characters?

What do you think Howarth will do? Is he still based on the East Coast?

re-characterizing is my source, whereas the quotes are directly from a statement given to me from ABC. As of now, the network plans on retaining the actors in their signed contracts. The question is who will they portray? That's the decision being negotiated. We may have to wait weeks to find out the outcome as we'll only find out how soon they must reach an agreement based on how far along scripts are and what characters are indicated on said scripts other than the previously announced 15 characters/actors signed onto OLTL.

With these dummies? It's absolutely impossible!

LOL. Which Dummies? I can't imagine trying to coordinate anything with Ron. Ordering lunch? Anything. JMO.

There is no way they will all be playing new characters on GH.

That is a doomsday scenario and posturing by GH. Not going to happen.