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

[Chris B]

I think they're getting most things in place and a deal with WGA would cement that for me. The problem is that they shouldn't rush things. I know they want to be in production in February, but they need the BEST writing team in place, not just whoever will sign the soonest to get these shows up and running. They need to slow down a little I think.

[BingCherry]

Exactly. Even if PP does try and rush through, I think there's no way they'll be in production before April.

[Marco Dane]

Ill believe everything when I see production stills and opening credits....

[Steve]

I don't think Agnes would've made such a statement if things weren't progressing further than we know. Isn't she still a member of the WGA? To me, this is the first confirmation that these shows really are coming back soon.

Now, I don't know exactly what PP means by "in production," but I suspect they don't mean actually filming in February, but having the producers, writers, directors, etc starting to work on the shows.

[Chris B]

I have no doubt a lot more progress has been made than we know, but there is no way to have a story bible in place if there isn't an official WGA deal. On Twitter Michele Val Jean was asking if there was any progress on the WGA deal because it's hard to support them without knowing that. I feel the same way as a fan, without a WGA this won't work because they won't have access to good writers. But even now with all the progress they've made in sets, hiring producers, directors, etc. it still takes time to write a story.

Say the deal was closed friday, Prospect Park needs to get a list of writers to submit story bibles, then they have to pick a HW, then they need to assemble a writing team to write the scripts, etc. That takes time if done correctly and since this is a startup, it SHOULD take time. They need to be rebooting these shows with new families along with the existing ones. I'll feel more comfortable knowing they're going for a summer premiere than I would for March-April. I just think that's too soon.

[ellabelle]

Definitely affluent - she was a freaking debutante and Helmut gave her a 2 carat diamond engagement ring when she was only about 21 or so. As for tantrums, yes, she most certainly had them. The actor who originally played Chuck Tyler is quoted in her unauthorized bio as saying that he hung out with them socially, and on one occasion Helmut deliberately kept them out longer than Susan wanted, and when they got back to Susan and Helmut's home, Helmut since the actor in first, and he had to duck to avoid being hit by flying china because Susan was pissed and was in "full on Erica Kane fire-breathing mode." Apparently the actor tried to make a graceful exit while Susan was screaming and throwing dishes at Helmut, and he was lighting up a cigarette and laughing at her tantrum. The actor said that he'd noticed before while dining at their home that they had mismatched china sets, and now he knew why.

The yogurt-throwing incident she wrote about in her book was also apparently toned down by her, as others have reported that it was a much bigger fit done not in an empty control room but in front of a bunch of people, and that she threw yogurt at the director.

[ellabelle]

This would not surprise me. Liza's first engagement was called off by her fiance weeks before the wedding, supposedly when he got cold feet at the thought of spending the rest of his life with someone that high maintenance. She seems happy with her husband though so apparently it all worked out for the best.

[Wizzerkat]

Saw this on SOC:

**MAJOR BREAKING PP NEWS in this week's SOD, dated January 14, 2013** Perhaps the most interesting twist in the winding tale of PP concerns its original intent to deliver the show "with the same quality and in the same format and length." Digest hears that PP has revised its plans for the revamp and that instead of 52 weeks of daily, hour-long dramas, it intends to reincarnate the series telenovela-style, somewhat akin to the "book" format PORT CHARLES featured on ABC. "it will be five or six weeks of ONE LIFE, a complete kind of arc, followed by five or six weeks of ALL MY CHILDREN, and then back to ONE LIFE," explains a source. "It's a completely different ballgame from what they were trying to do before. It's a much more manageable plan, much easier to produce." The same source reports, "The shows would tape in the same studio using the same sets, from what I hear, though I am not completely sure how that would work!" (Talent Manager Michael) Bruno approves of the modifications PP has made. "I think their business plan is very smart. I think the fact that it's a half hour and streamlined is fantastic." ***Shawn's note: IMHO, if this tidbit is accurate, this will be a real streamlined bare bones version of these shows. Since PP plans on doing only 42 weeks of four half hour shows (with a friday recap eppie) and they plan on alternating the shows (not shooting or showing them at the same time), that means we will only get half a year of each show at half the length which means only 25% (or so) of the content we are used to! This would also explain why right now we are hearing about AMC actors being signed and no news re: OLTL actors... Of course, we won't know until PP makes that big "official ouncement." While I would prefer the show back on ABC in full form where they belong, I am cautiously optimistic and hope PP can make a go of it! This is a must buy issue of SOD with quotes from Cady McClain, unnamed AMC actors, Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe, DAYS), anonymous inside sources and Soap Talent Manager Mike Bruno

[John]

Can u please post the quotes here?

[Khan]

Poor, poor Henry Kaplan.

[John]

Soaps Uncensored said there is gonna be 168 original episodes and 42 recap episodes of both AMC & OLTL. Airing them M-TH with the recaps on Fridays for 42 weeks.

The one thing SOD says I could buy is that they share the same studio. However, I bet they will have individual sets. I could see each soap films for a month at a time. They could film two episodes a day. So at the end of their month of taping they have 40 episodes, which gives 10 weeks of on air material. Each soap tapes every other month til all 168 episodes of each soap are produced. Given that the recap shows sound like just reairing scenes from that given week, I dont see that costing much at all

[DRW50]

I always associate Bruno with that Soapnet wanna be soap star show. He creeped me out.

[doolfan]

Something is telling me we won't like these reboots. ABC Please swoop in and take them both back! If this is how they are going to be produced then I hope they don't get there stuff together by February and ABC takes them back and maybe puts them back on as 30 minute serials. Maybe I'm overreacting but this dosen't sound good. Using the same sets?? I have mixed feelings about this.

[FrenchFan]

We can't expect much so let's see what they can offer. I hate telenovelas and the Port Charles arcs were a mess.

[DRW50]

ABC [!@#$%^&*] on them for 10-15 years. I'd rather they stay buried than go back.