ABC: ‘All My Children’: Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos Developing Primetime Version

[Vee]

I am not going to trash British soap talent out of turn, either. A lot of the UK soaps' day to day/episodic writers are still incredible and primetime/cable-ready, it's the larger plotting on shows like EastEnders that has gone to the dogs. Even Mal Young may have had a specific skill set in his heyday across the pond years ago but he was ill-equipped for American daytime. Richardson may be quite talented.

As for the 90210 thing, that was clearly a Tori Spelling vanity project which was neither what the network nor the audience was looking for. She had brought back her first meta-reality sitcom people from So NoTorious for it, too. It was a waste of a great opportunity. This is a different beast, and hopefully true to the spirit.

[vetsoapfan]

 

At least Grand Hotel did not butcher the memory of a beloved 40+ year old soap. That's why a butchered version of AMC would  be "worse" and more disappointing to me. I'm keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that the proposed Pine Valley would be a great success. (Ken Corday and Bradley Bell prove conclusively that just having icons' kids on board does not mean much of anything.)

[lucaslesann23]

Both i guess? "it’s a sequel that will include new next generation characters as well as legacy characters." I belive its gonna ffocus on this reporter and the new chsracters, thats probably for the new viewers, but we will still see the legacy ones so thats probably for older viewers 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Dylan

[Vee]

Oprah better make another appearance. AMC is close to her heart.

[DynamiteKiddo]

I want to say so much but we don't have enough, or any really, information yet.  But my gut is telling me it's really unrealistic to have any expectations that this will resemble AMC as we've ever known it.

[Vanguardian]

I just don't think it's going to have much semblance to the original either. The "dark and murderous" history tagline, for me, says it all. Like I said, Pine Valley was not Heaven on Earth, but it wasn't some consistent crime/murder town either. The journalist with an agenda will probably be the one to watch..........and not in a good way.

[lucaslesann23]

I wonder what lures the reporter to Pine Valley, Does a big crime happen? 

[DRW50]

 

It's also about 10-15 years out of date. Audiences have been rejecting sexy-time "edgy" crime soap drama series on the networks for a long time now. That's not in step with what America in general wants to see at this point, when they are struggling to even get through each day. The original concept of AMC might get viewers. This will not.

 

Mark Consuelos is deeply offputting to me and has been for decades, so his name alone being heavily involved in this makes me extremely wary. He is also heavily involved with the truly godawful Riverdale, which, with its obsessive disdain for anyone who isn't a straight white male and callous treatment of race and sexual orientation, is basically everything that killed daytime in the first place. 

 

If Kelly Ripa really loved AMC, then a great way to show it would not be stripmining the name, and Agnes Nixon's memory, for cash. If that is the plan, then I beg them to take AMC OUT of the title, immediately. 

Edited December 18, 2020 by DRW50

[lucaslesann23]

here is what the Head Writer (or whatever his primetime counter part is) Leo Richardson had to say on Instagram about the show

 

"I can’t even begin to say how excited and honored I am to be bringing this iconic property to prime time, alongside Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, @instasuelos @abtvhd @alierivgut Michael Halpern and Bob Nixon. Soaps were my lifeblood growing up. They were the only place I really saw people who felt real and familiar, and who had real and every day struggles. The strong and resilient women I grew up around and recognized... the first time I saw a gay kiss on TV... soaps had it all. Bob Nixon, Agnes Nixon’s son said that he felt like his Mom would be smiling down, knowing her show was in the right hands. I hope she right. Andrew Stearn is a living AMC encyclopedia and then of course we have some it’s most iconic characters producing and who might even make a cameo or two... Expect the unexpected, expect darkness, a wicked wit, fun and a very new take on an old classic... with the ultimate respect for All My Children and the icons in #PineValley..."

[detroitpiston]

If Santos vs Kane is the starting premise they need Wildwind estate to be prominent and to tap into that mid 90s Era history. They definitely can use SMG as a selling point so I hope she ends up  involved and playing Kendall, sorry Minshew fans

 

What I don't want to see is unnecessary character assasination and death. The Melrose Place and 90210 CW reboots are prime examples of how killing off the vets or having them act ridiculously out of character regardless of time gone by turns off the viewers and wrecks the show. Don't do dirty by Erica Kane by having her wrecklessly killing people or playing second fiddle to whoever gets the reporter role.

[Forever8]

Hopefully, the writers and producers of Pine Valley actually watch episodes of the different eras of All My Children. Unlike, what I heard the writers didn't do for the CW's Melrose Place. I hope most of the new characters have ties to the original characters we've watched for 40 + years and not all new to the canvas. I do hope Sarah Michelle Gellar is involved in some capacity too. 

 

I hope the journalist who comes to town turns out to be Samuel Santos Grey. Maybe he became a journalist like his late adoptive father Edmund and decides he wants to be successful in his own right by digging up issues from the town where he came from?!  

 

If this is a continuation/reboot hybrid perhaps The Martins can be involved too since they're founding family of the show. I wouldn't mind a storyline if the show survives for a second season that perhaps we found out The Martins adopted Tad illegally when he was a child.  And in comes Kim Delaney as Opal along with her teenage daughter Jenny who wants a payoff or she'll threaten to expose The Martins for what they did. 

 

So many possibilities and I'm cautiously optimistic of it all. 

[DynamiteKiddo]

If the premise really is the reporter and Kane vs. Santos, I expect to only see Susan, Eva, and Sarah Michelle back with Kelly & Mark as guests.  Maybe Darnell & Debbie, too, because if it's a mystery they'll need a cop and Maria could use a friend at the hospital.  Everyone else I imagine will be new, recast, or quick cameos from the really notable actors/characters.  There will not be much room in this format for too many characters.

 

I didn't see Grand Hotel but from this thread, it sounds like I didn't miss much lol.  It's a shame because the original Spanish version is probably one of my favorite shows.  That was a nighttime (period) soap that worked but that show had a LOT of episodes and they were able to feature a pretty big cast, but it was still very focused in comparison to daytime.  That's one of the problems with transferring one of our beloved daytime dramas to primetime--you don't have the scope available to tackle everything that you can with a 5-days-a-week show.  Past its production values, I've never had anything positive to say about B&B, but that's the only daytime soap I've seen that has the kind relatively focused canvas and message to make a transition like this viable without losing SO much of itself.

 

Still have to wait and see, though.  Regardless of how this turns out, or if it even makes it to air, this is good news, imo--interest in the genre is only positive.

[alwaysAMC]

I AM SO EXCITED!!!  

[Vee]

 

Yep. I remember on 2.0 they said Wildwind was abandoned and Dimitri had little to no contact with Sam and Maddie who were not in town. I imagine the Santos-Grey situation will have changed in the intervening years, assuming this show ever even acknowledges 2.0 existed which I have doubts about. Man, this news is bringing back how much I was amazed and pleased to see Dimitri, Opal, Brooke, etc. in key roles again. I hope we can at least see them in cameos from time to time.

 

It is surreal to find myself fairly certain SMG will be playing Kendall again soon after all these years.

 

 

Exactly. Though I don't necessarily think we'll see Erica leading the show this time.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Vee

[lucaslesann23]

Ik they are probably making this for newer viewet, but will they atleast recap what has happened the last 10 years. Or will that be the big mystery