@DRW50 You raise some very good points about Culliton's AMC (I'd add Frankie Stone, although not her murder.) I guess I was thinking of things like Tim's return and mystery and then I don't think he even got an exit as the issues I had with his run.
@bongobong You also raise good points. I am a big FMB defender/fan but there's no question that when she got her way with firing McTavish and brought back Broderick (all good decisions IMHO) that ABC had her in their sights if the ratings didn't go up (and they didn't even if the show creatively improved.) Francesca James was in by Spring 1996 I think--an interesting choice and she talked a good game (her quotes about wanting Pine Valley to be a modern Peyton Place but with more humour, etc, etc) but I'm not sure how much control she ever had as an EP, something that would remain true of AMC's EPs from then on IMHO (obviously especially when Frons took over.) Certainly during the few months when James was EP for McTavish's first return, and the show jumped right away into more DAYS-tinged stories, there was no smooth transition despite James being there and in the notes we have from McTavish to network daytime heads James (and later Burke, who came over from The City,) are not even ever mentioned, a far cry from when McTavish was complaining about working under FMB in her final year the first time around. Just from reading those alone it seems like between 1994 and 1998 there was a big shift with creative decisions needing to be run past the head of daytime (I'm forgetting her name) and not the EP...
And, with more hesitation, I will say I think you have a point with FMB and creative talent, although from when I wrote my MA about the "gay" storyline and talking to the writers, it was VERY important to James Mitchell to have Palmer not be homophobic--like VERY VERY important and I don't think anyone could convince him it might have more impact if it was his character coming around. I do get your point (though I think Opal, who obviously would have had gay friends, etc, revealing that when it really comes to it she is soft-level homophobic, the way she tried to push Kevin into therapy and with Kelsey, etc, was effective and something I've seen myself among women who have had casual friends with gay men all their lives, but when it actually affects someone she sees as family or close, well...)
Thanks for such thoughtful posts from all of you--I love thinking about and discussing this stuff...
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EricMontreal22 ·
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