BREAKING NEWS: Prospect Park Names New Head Writers of BOTH ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’

[EricMontreal22]

I cannot speak for the man, but I think it was an issue of how much time he'd have to commit.

[EricMontreal22]

Oh dear, lol. That's pretty much how my friends and I talk when parents aren't around...

[You're Soaking in it]

Uh, YEEAH! But unlike you and I, Eric, Dani is not among a group of other gay men...

(Or is she?? )

[Vee]

I honestly just feel it's something the American daytime audience isn't so used to seeing day in and day out, that kind of casual youthful debauchery and foolishness, and navel-gazing, all of which I think is very realistic - I see it on the UK soaps from time to time, though I haven't much time for them these days, and I think both the new AMC and particularly the new OLTL are striving for more of that feeling of an episodic, semi-contained story every half hour, with vignettes like that for the youngsters and so on. That may have contributed to the new writers at both shows, and a few of the people at OLTL both in the HW slots and the corps have some impressive other credits. But it eventually builds to something bigger, which I think is obviously coming here. I just like the stuff a lot, and I can easily watch them everyday so long as equal time is meted out to other stories and characters I enjoy. But I can see where it's alienating some viewers.

When we get to, say, four days of Cutter and Natalie romping naked around her apartment, then I'll be really happy.

[EricMontreal22]

Ha! Well you know that we usually agree.

I will agree that while I think OLTL as it stands sincew this week is on extremely solid ground, I have wondered where some of the stories were leading--if anywhere--whereas the show did seem stronger out of the gate (than AMC.)

[jfung79]

I agree that the OLTL youth dialogue is quite realistic and doesn't make them one-dimensional or vacuous. However, I have to disagree that only network soap kids are dreaming of settling down and getting married. Five years ago in Texas, I took over an apartment from a 20 or 21-year-old college junior who was moving out to marry his fiance in a few months, who he had gone to high school with, and not because they'd created a baby by "accident" either. They then had a baby a couple years ago.

[You're Soaking in it]

Vee, I didn't know you were straight!

Edit: Ok, my comment is too vague ... What I mean, albeit jokingly, is that surely you must be referring to Natalie only!

I remember being underwhelmed in 2011 by Josh Kelly in his motel boxer-briefs, thinking that there wasn't much going on downstairs whether it was in front or in back, lol....

(Now you've got me talking like Dani & Matt! Thanks for the influence... )

[Vee]

Oh, I'm not, at all, ever; I just like the idea of things being equal-opportunity in other age groups, and Natalie is one of my favorite characters. I also don't mind JK or Cutter at all, he's great.

[Jonathan]

how to use print screen

Not anymore.

[rhinohide]

My kids are that age and although I realize my observations of their behavior come from a different vantage point, I still think OLTL is displaying them at their worst. Selfish, superficial, irresponsible and lacking depth. Matthew shirking fatherhood. Dani apparently having nothing to occupy her other than sexual fantasies and where to find her next high. I could be naive or in denial, but I really hope that's not an accurate representation of my own kids and their contemporaries.

[jfung79]

I think the characters are more complex than you give them credit for. Matthew isn't just shirking fatherhood ... He is conflicted and wants Drew to have a good life but is immature so he doesn't know how to go about it. We've seen him asking after Drew, insisting he can babysit, looking in on Drew through a window, and looking like Clint's lecture got through to him a bit. Dani is also not just occupied with sexual fantasies. We saw her consoling Tea after Victor left, and volunteering to babysit for Destiny. Jeffrey is also far more responsible and clear about his values and his career than either of the other two.

[cassadine1991]

she might be again at Days if Meng and Corday are dumb enough to do that

[rhinohide]

Where do you get that Matthew is conflicted? Other than when Clint is chastising him, I don't see him conflicted or concerned about Drew in the least. Especially when he was blaming Destiny for not terminating the pregnancy when his child was sitting right there. I think you read too much into very minor portions of their story, when most of their screentime is devoted to showing them in fairly shallow pursuits. Destiny and Jeffrey are far more interesting than dani or Matthew to me. because they are shown to have real conflict.

[jfung79]

I think the show has done a lot to show that he cares about Drew and just has no grasp of how to step up and be a father. That's why he was all hypocritical as early as the first episode and hounded Destiny about why she was out at night and who was looking after Drew, her brother? In addition to the babysitting, there is also when he was all "hi ... hi Drew" when Destiny and Jeffrey came to the door and caught him and Destiny on the couch. If he didn't care, he wouldn't bother. Also, I don't think there's anything "minor" about anything shown on a 25-minute soap.

[Khan]

I think it all comes down to "home training," for lack of a better word. All young adults are reckless and self-centered to one degree or another; they can't help BUT be that way as they struggle to find their own path in life. However, if you were raised by strict (but fair) parents who established boundaries from the get, your choices tend to be more grounded. (I'm not saying this is true for EVERY child raised in such an environment, by the way. There ARE exceptions even to this rule.) Ergo, when you remember how Matthew and especially Dani were raised, and all the drama that surrounded their lives and those of their parents, I think it makes sense on one level for them to behave as they do now.