All My Children AMC: The Prospect Park Era (old production thread)

[EricMontreal22]

Adam came back (for all of a few episodes) a changed man under Brooke and post the Stuart stuff. I hope, and don't think they'll go fully backwards with him.

[Khan]

I don't. I think all that spunk has been used up by too many, repetitive stories where Brooke wound up as the ultimate loser in love. The time has come for her to evolve into a more mature, Ruth-like role, and have her kid, Jamie, be the one caught in a constant romantic merry-go-round.

[EricMontreal22]

Grrr. Then give her a new story--that was the fault of writers and also execs--at least Frons--who apparently told writers not to give her major stories.. She needs at least one juciy one before she starts sitting on her porch making lemonade for anyone who will listen. I also could see Julia Barr wanting out if she is given that kinda role right away.

[Khan]

Opal never should be a tentpole character. Quirky mainstay (preferably running the Glamorama)? Yes. Tentpole character, a la Ruth Martin, or even Phoebe Tyler Wallingford? No.

[Khan]

With Agnes Nixon supposedly in a major consulting role? I don't think so. Hell, even when she wasn't anywhere near the writers' office, AMC's writers seemed happy keeping Adam stuck in 1989. He might have shown some growth at the end, but that was because everyone assumed it was the end. I've a hunch his newfound serenity went the way of all of Victor Newman's vasectomies.

[Vee]

I'm just gonna go make popcorn.

[Khan]

That isn't what I said, nor is that what I've implied. Did you see Ruth Martin all the time baking cookies, pouring lemonade, and generally carrying on like Grandma Kate? You can be the town's moral compass on a soap opera without falling into that sort of trap. (Just ask GUIDING LIGHT's Bert Bauer, for one.) And if Julia Barr has a problem with being a moral compass and mother confessor, then there's the door.

[EricMontreal22]

We are so disagreeing. Myrtle was quirky. THe timehas come to have different types of tentpole characters.

Disagreed--Nixon is good at transitioning characters.

What are yourmemories of Ruth over the past twenty years?

[Khan]

You mean, when she was actually on the show? Working at the hospital, mostly; being stern but fair with her brood over their messy love lives (I especially loved it whenever she and Kelsey butted heads); and best of all, calling Erica on her [!@#$%^&*] regarding her brief tangle with Charlie and telling her to stop going after all the men in her family. And at no time did I see her offer one cookie or glass of lemonade.

[EricMontreal22]

Yawn. And Erica and Charlie were over 20 years ago.

[marceline]

If RM isn't interested in a full schedule (and I don't know if he is or not) Tom would be good "backup" for Joe. He's a good guy salt of the earth type like Joe but not the sanctimonious, hypocritical ass that Tad became. Besides, JR could use an AA sponsor and Tom Cudahy has walked half of PV through the steps. Tom's return would also open the door for Livia provided Tonya Pinkins is...ahem...well.

There wasn't a reason other than the fact that Jesse is Tad's bestie and if you're Team Tad then you have to hate David. I always hated how the Hubbards got dragged into that mess. I just thank the soap gods KWAK isn't around to climb up Angie's colon anymore.

[Vee]

Poor Tonya Pinkins.

I don't see why Jesse wouldn't hate David, realistically. For all the interesting things about David, he has in fact fucked over basically the entire town at one point or another. Jesse is a lawman and is close to all the people David has targeted. But what's interesting to me is the relationship between David and Jesse's wife.

[Khan]

But you need characters like that, Eric. You need 'em, even if all they do is listen to other people's problems over a cup of coffee. Some might think that to be "boring" (which is precisely the excuse TPTB always need to dump 'em) but if you don't have one or two "grown folks" like Dr. Joe and Ruth Martin who can be counted on to remain stable and above the fray, and who can embody the series' basic ethics and speak essentially for the audience, then your show is rudderless, your other characters are rudderless, and you, yourself, are rudderless.

[Khan]

Honestly, I'd put Myrtle in the same category with Opal and OLTL's Wanda Wolek. I love 'em, I want to see them as often as possible, but I don't look to them as embodiments of the shows as a whole. For that, I'd rather go to Viki Buchanan or Joe Martin.

[marceline]

Agreed but I just felt like Jesse wasn't allowed to grow to hate David like everyone else. From the moment he returned, Tad was all "Let me tell you what that bastard did to Dixie and Krystal and Amanda and Dad..." The whole Hayward v. Martin stuff got on my nerves.

I've made no secret of how much I loved the interaction between David/Angie. Those scenes where she was in his office and he talked about his father were some really amazing work on the part of both actors because even though Angie couldn't see David's face and you could tell he was relieved by that so even when his voice was calm, VI did a lot with his face and body to show how Angie was getting to him while Debbi had to show that Angie was picking up on cues she couldn't see. The Angie/David relationship reminded me a little of the one between Maureen Bauer and Roger Thorpe on GL and that was one of my absolute favorite friendships in all of soaps.