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

[Wizzerkat]

I am not sure this is the right place for this, but ABC and Katie are breaking up:

http://www.deadline.com/2013/11/abc-news-parts-company-with-katie-couric/

Just watch the Facebook people start yelling to just put the soaps back on because it's so easy..

[cassadine1991]

Don't forget Twitter...

[DramatistDreamer]

I read about that yesterday too, I was thinking of posting it here (I'd be equally confused as to where).

There are rumours that she is going to Yahoo! It probably has little or nothing to do with the fate of her syndicated talk show (although I personally wouldn't mind it not returning after the end of the TV season).

Maybe she belongs online where her fans can follow her and the rest of us can avoid the Saccharine One.

[cassadine1991]

Walt Willey

7 minutes ago near Santa Fe, NM.

So many of you have asked me to comment

on the apparent cancellation of "All My

Children" (as far as I know, Prospect Park

has yet to make it official).

First off, let me say that I am, of course,

saddened by its demise. I had a few

conversations with production at AMC about

my joining the online version in October, and

I was looking forward to once again being a

part of this iconic show, joining friends like

Vincent Irizarry and Cady McClain, David

Canary and Julia Barr (and perhaps even my

Susan?), and to help usher AMC into the

future.

You see, I believe in the Internet as a

medium of entertainment. More and more, it

is a fantastic source of original programing,

in which AMC and OLTL would have fit very

nicely indeed. So what happened?

IMO, these were the hurdles that were

stumbled over and contributing factors -again, in my opinion, that led to this sorry

end:

EDUCATION: AMC was very often a

"generational" thing in families. Watching the

shows was "passed down". With AMC's

move to the internet, it now needed to be

"passed up". With the core audience now in

the 35-70 age group, often the knowledge of

"streaming" entertainment needed to be

acquired. There was confusion among

would-be viewers about Hulu vs Hulu Plus

and other issues. Education was needed and

- IMO - was not adequately offered in

advance.

TIMING: And surely there was plenty of time

to do that educating. I remember being in a

hotel room with Darnell, Vincent, Cameron

and Jacob getting ready to do a "Tribute to

Pine Valley" event before Thanksgiving 2011,

when the news arrived via an agent that - for

whatever reasons - initial production was

being postponed. And postponed. It wasn't

until a YEAR AND A HALF LATER that AMC

and OLTL premiered on the Internet. They

missed the "heat" and "buzz" that

surrounded ABC's cancellation of these

shows and Prospect Park's "saving" of them.

That postponement was extremely costly in

terms of promotion and continuity and

audience confidence.

UNION ISSUES/ABC (OLTL) LAWSUIT: I don't

pretend to know all the ins and outs of these

issues, but they were/are clearly an

impediment to continued production. Cutting

output from four to two weekly shows

certainly didn't build the audience's

confidence either.

So now what? Hope - they say - springs

eternal! And so we must continue to hope

that AMC and OLTL return to us in some

form. Perhaps winning the lawsuit will allow

Prospect Park to resume production.

Perhaps some other entity - maybe ABC

themselves - might see the obvious value of

these shows and return them to the

broadcast airwaves. And - clearly - if we are

to see these shows restored to us it will be -undeniably - because of YOU, the steadfast

and stalwart fans and everything you have

done and will - I imagine - continue to do to

bring our beloved shows back!

Anyway, that's how I see it - for what it's

worth. How do YOU see it? Share your

thoughts here!

http://www.waltwilleyworld.com/all_my_children.html

[cassadine1991]

Duplicate

[allmc2008]

I agree with him. Interesting how he was in talks with them even in October. I wonder how he would have fit in though?? I guess the show needed a lawyer.

[Wizzerkat]

Jack is also Bianca and Miranda's uncle and they needed more family..

[alexisfan07]

And remember, they were in constant contact with Susan as well, and I'm sure they would want Erica and Jackson in screen together again if possible.

Nice post, he's a very intelligent man.

[dragonflies]

Debbi Morgan (@debbimorgan): I've decided not 2 have my name submitted 4 emmy consideration this year cuz I just really, really want 2 move on. https://twitter.com/debbimorgan/status/406962621209133056

Debbi Morgan (@debbimorgan): The many months of being told we're on hiatus but wld B coming bck & then snatching the rug from under us & the fans has been very emotional https://twitter.com/debbimorgan/status/406963482123571201

Debbi Morgan (@debbimorgan): So right now the head space I'm in is just completely distancing myself from AMC w/regards of an Emmy consideration. https://twitter.com/debbimorgan/status/406963858633678848

Debbi Morgan (@debbimorgan): However, with the end happening in the way that it did, for right now, I just want to remove any reminders of our untimely end... https://twitter.com/debbimorgan/status/406965871891210240

[Dana]

I can certainly understand where Debbi is coming from. Acting is full of uncertainty, but PP has managed uncertainty in a way all its own.

[cassadine1991]

It's a shame since she had lots of great material this year, but it is her choice

[Wizzerkat]

She seems pretty PO'ed at TIIC about everything. She always at least tried to keep fans in the loop as much as she could. On another note-Darnell is on Twitter now in case some of you don't know.

https://twitter.com/DarnellWill1

[Vee]

I can't blame her for feeling as she does. But it's still a shame - she did wonderful work.

[marceline]

That's a real shame but I understand. She's been front and center in this craziness.

[DRW50]

Given how worthless these awards have been in recent years, she may not have even been nominated, so at least she's taken herself out of all that drama. I'm just sorry this is how the PP experience ended for her and likely other actors. She did wonderful, wonderful work and I hate to think that they tainted it for her.