Unpopular opinions: cancelled soaps edition

[Vee]

No, the EPs were all powerless figureheads for Brian Frons after he took over in 2002 across the entire network. That's why Gary Tomlin was fired, among other people at various levels. He micromanaged the shows' storylines and couples directly (besides GH, where Guza was given considerable control while JFP was stripped of most of hers after '01) to the HWs, and he did keep a hand in at GH. Ryan/Greenlee was his mandate, as was the focus on the macho leads across the line. Michael Easton, etc.

EPs under Frons were there to facilitate his vision for these shows. At OLTL and AMC, what little they got away with of their own was in spite of his whims. Rebecca Budig also quit AMC because of the Ryan/Greenlee push which she was disinterested in, and only came back because she was promised she would be paired with Vincent Irizarry (for about five minutes).

Edited December 14, 2021 by Vee

[DemetriKane]

@Vee A lot of what you’re saying is very much true. What I would like to add to this is that “Hanan carruthers” wasn’t completely powerless! He respected her, and allowed her to a have some say/mandates of her own I.e( Bringing on Toasty, and making him be co-lead with Cameron). She was gleefully sitting at the 35th anniversary special announcing a fan favorite death(Edmund). Knowing all along Toasty was his replacement! So in my eyes she’s just at fault for that and many other things! 
 

Pratt came onto the scene trying to shake up the canvas, Brian left him alone in the beginning, but guess who stopped him the “EP”! You can thank him for JR and Annie by the way….

[Vee]

She did all those things at the behest of Brian Frons. The masculine focus on men like Zach was all part of the Frons mandate, who would never have become that prominent or all-consuming without him. Where a HW was simpatico with Frons (as Megan McTavish at times was), that's all that was needed. JHC was a yeswoman. And Pratt, who Frons enthusiastically hired at GH, helped destroy AMC.

Edited December 14, 2021 by Vee

[DemetriKane]

@Vee Some valid points made, I respect your opinion. Sadly I will agree to disagree with you though, I just don’t completely agree with everything! Great discussion…..

[Soaplovers]

One thing the EP of AMC did was invest in nice sets.  Erica's set alone was nicely decorated in a style only Erica could live in.  So while the stories were middling, at least the sets and lighting were decent.

And I think Broderick managed to make the Ryan/Greenlee mandate make sense.  With Gillian and Leo's visits at the end of the show, she showed that both of their loves had departed.  And I could buy that Ryan and Greenlee came together because they both lost their true loves so each knew how the other felt.

And I liked that Broderick sort of redeemed Janet, Annie, and Marian in those final weeks during the Oak Haven story.

[DemetriKane]

This is so true. She did make Ryan and Greenpea work for That storyline. That was a decent year for the show, even after she left I still liked it.  I just love Broderick, she and Wisner got and understood my show.
 

I remember people complaining about the lighting on the show around 2007/8/9ish.

[MichaelGL]

The lighting sucked right up until the move to LA. Suddenly the show's production improved by leaps and bounds. 

[amybrickwallace]

Honestly, who came up with the name Greenlee to begin with?

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[AMCOLTLLover]

I named my daughter Greenlee tbh! No kidding there! That name and her character were special to me. Especially Greenlee and Leo! 

[amybrickwallace]

No offense - really!!

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[DemetriKane]

That confirms to be it wasn’t her that fixed it lol

Bless your heart!

Not sure but I know Agnes came up with the character.

Edited December 16, 2021 by DemetriKane

[Khan]

Agree.  Wisner Washam (and Agnes Nixon) could dream up the more larger-than-life stories, but Lorraine Broderick knew how to ground them with character-driven scenes.

Agnes.  Not sure where she got the name from, but I know she was credited for it.

[amybrickwallace]

Wasn't Greenlee named for her mother's maiden name?

[DemetriKane]

Yes. I believe so. I’m reading on wiki and Rebecca is quoted saying it sounds so debutant dggdgdgdgd

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@Khan don’t you sometimes think about what kinda show Wisner could have written for us in the 90s. 

[Khan]

I don't know whether Wisner Washam could or would have resisted the push toward more gimmicky stories.  After all, this is the same WW who has since self-published a novel about the cloning of Jesus.  But, I do think he, Agnes Nixon and Lorraine Broderick were well on their way to ushering in a new "golden era" for AMC before Megan McTavish's wacky ass took over.