This is the show's chance to truly rectify what was done to Julia Barr and Brooke by previous regimes. JB had been one of AMC's strongest actors (if not the strongest female) and MVPs for years. It's interesting that she was ultimately paired with Adam, because I think Adam is one of the reasons why Brooke was phased out. Erica and Brooke had a decades' long adversarial relationship like Viki and Dorian, but so did Erica and Adam. Unlike Dorian or Adam, Brooke wasn't set up to be the head of a large family with plenty of supporting player relatives to be balanced out by the leads' (Erica and Viki) broods.

ICAM! I always thought Brooke was just as important to the show as Erica since the two of them were different sides of the same coin, the former young vixen; one who grew up to become a respected member of society who tried to play by the rules and the other who never quite grew up and made her own rules. I hope Brooke plays a strong role in the reboot.

I forgot about Craig--that was when I started watching (wasn't she briefly paired with the handsome but bland Dr ummm... Steve I think?) Was her pairing with Brian (when Brian Greene played him) post or pre Tad's return?

I don't recall Dixie being romantically involved with Dr Steve (who was quite dull), but I do remember him trying to prove that Craig was conning her. As for Brian, Dixie married him right before Tad returned.

I always believed, going back to the L.A. move and Broderick writing them out together, that Brooke was the ideal surrogate for Adam on the canvas. She is his lover, probably his wife again by now, and she is very close to the family. All you'd have to do is have Brooke swan in as his emissary and say "Adam has decreed thus" and everyone would react. There's few other acceptable stand-ins for David Canary. Fortunately it doesn't look like we'll only have to make do with that.

I don't think Dixie has to do much right away other than be there and be the heart of the Martins, with a side of the Cortlandts and of course JR. She is Tad's wife, a beloved member of PV society and the closest thing the new show has to a young Ruth. She can still have her own stories - Cady McClain is too good to waste - but right now I think the best thing to do is establish her role on the canvas as PV earth mother.

Now, what would give me similar props to aim at OLTL is if they brought back Kevin, Joey or, and this is personal, my poor Rachel. Like Brooke, those are characters they don't have to use but definitely could and IMO should.

I agree with everything you said.

I apologize if it's already been mentioned but does anybody have specifics as to why the "timing is really bad" for Michael E. Knight to come back? Is he in poor health?

According to the spoilers/casting notices, it appears that PP wants to focus on building the next generation of Pine Valley. MEK has always been vocal about not enjoying the "Tad the Dad"/ Joe Martin-lite role. Maybe he's waiting for a stronger storyline than just dealing with his stepson's issues and Tad & Dixie Part 208? Or maybe he's working on an indie movie, auditioning, chilling in his backyard (didn't he relocate to CA?) and isn't ready to go back to work just yet? After what he went through with Frons/ABC, I wouldn't blame him if he wants to wait and see if the cameras roll and the checks don't bounce. Not to mention whether the actors, writers and production staff will be respected or treated like cattle. Attitudes change once there's real money on the line.

A lot of damage was done to both the Tad and Dixie characters in the last decade and giving them time apart to regroup might be a good thing.

According to the spoilers/casting notices, it appears that PP wants to focus on building the next generation of Pine Valley. MEK has always been vocal about not enjoying the "Tad the Dad"/ Joe Martin-lite role.

He could have kept his cause if he hadn't spent the last decade looking bloated and unkempt.

Oh...Well it bleeped out.

Think, Rae Cummings.

Think, Rae Cummings.

I didn't want to go there...

No theatre production in LA would last a year

LOL. True. Broadway, it isn't.

I was trying to be generous, LOL.

I've read about a few soap actor's fates since their shows' cancellation and it hasn't been pretty for some. Hopefully there's no depression or anything like that--so when he emerges, it's something good behind it.

Paos Revolution (via Facebook)

New information we wanted to share: Sonia Blangiardo has been named Supervising Producer of All My Children. Her prior experience with AMC, OLTL, and ATWT should serve her well in this new role!

I've seen her credited as director on GH in the past year as well.

I've seen her name around as well. Not sure what if anything there's to be drawn from it.

Happy to hear Sonia Blangiardo is going to be second-in-command at AMC! I would have thought if she was going to be involved in this project at all that she would be at OLTL

I thought she was directing at GH now, although I guess she can still do that during the 5 weeks off.

'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' revivals have a fan in 'The Young and the Restless' Peter Bergman

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/02/all-my-children-and-one-life-to-live-revivals-have-a-fan-in-the-young-and-the-restless-peter-bergman.html

He could have kept his cause if he hadn't spent the last decade looking bloated and unkempt.

Oh bah. It's true he "aged" pretty quickly, but for his age he looks fine. I was kinda depressed when I saw how self deprecating he was about his looks on Oprah.

I think the Tad the Dad thing is something MEK has changed his mind on by now--so I don't think it's as much of an issue...

LOL. True. Broadway, it isn't.

I was trying to be generous, LOL.

I've read about a few soap actor's fates since their shows' cancellation and it hasn't been pretty for some. Hopefully there's no depression or anything like that--so when he emerges, it's something good behind it.

I hope it's no personal or family issue either. The way he phrased his last little interview, it sounded like it wasn't about nopt wanting to do the show as much as he can't right now. Anyway--that's fine, I'm fine with characters coming back over time (I'm one of the people who thinks, for this shorter version, it's fine to sorta cycle some characters in and out, as well).

It's true he did a lot of (mainly off-Broadway) theatre when he was working in New York, so being in a play isn't out of the question, but yeah, like I said

She can still have her own stories - Cady McClain is too good to waste - but right now I think the best thing to do is establish her role on the canvas as PV earth mother.

I remember being so excited about Dixie coming back in 2006: Earth Mother Dixie. The writing for Dixie was so awful and they added 1-2 more deaths and returns from the dead on top. Yuck. I really have no use for Dixie because of it. I think she's been holding Tad back even from the dead along with Frons. He's clicked with quite a few female characters but they always stop it. That said, she's back and the best thing to do is really to put her back in the role they had Bianca in: Earth Mother.

I've seen her credited as director on GH in the past year as well.

She was with All My Children for a decade (intern, producer) before the 2000s hit and then she spread her time between As The World Turns and One Life To Live. She's been directing on GH recently and she is producing a 13-episode online series with Alicia Minshew, Kassie DePaiva, Dina Manzo and Michael Lowry ("Tainted Dreams") - as well as some ATWT actors. I wonder if she'll bring Michael Lowry back to AMC as Jake...

ETA:

Blangiardo gave this quote to Carolyn Hinsey who runs the promotional part of [blangiardo's] website for [blangiardo's] own productions:

“I am so excited to go back to my AMC roots with this talented group of people...Ginger Smith has some big plans, which long-time fans are going to love.”

I dunno if he'd do it, but Michael Park would be a good Jake recast

Park's in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway right now--I think it closes late March, but he's been doing more Broadway work than ever, lately. He could commute of course, but it would make for long days