ALL: Errors, Myths, Omissions & Firsts that weren't

[Contessa Donatella]

I have just watched the recent AMC panel with Andy Cohen & what I saw, on YT, was an hour  long. Does anyone know if that was the time it lasted?

Now to claims made that i wonder if they are true.

1. Lucci said that before Agnes/AMC that 2 things didn't happen on soaps

Humor

Glamour

Lucci said that an early TVG said that the show had 60 million viewers per week.

Lucci said 60% of their audience were men.

The casting director claimed that they did a transgender story way early.

Frsncesca James said the final decision about casting was made by the network

Casting Director Judy said that the decision was made by committee: network, writers, producers.

This is all I made notes of that seemed like they might be in error.

[janea4old]

This is on the official youtube channel of "92Y" (the 92nd Street Y),
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/92nd_Street_Y
where the AMC event happened.  Recorded on January 14, 2025.  Since it's on their channel, it's likely the full session. 
Youtube video length is 52:20

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Edited January 30 by janea4old

[Contessa Donatella]

Thanks! That's it, That's what I just watched.

[Contessa Donatella]

I would doubt this claim. I think both humor & glamour had shown up in shows before AMC.

Both of these numbers look high to me. 

She was talking about the character Jeffrey Carlson played & I don't think it was early. Linda Gray played the first transgender character on ALL THAT GLITTERS 1976 & then THE CITY had Azure C in the 90s.

I'm sure the Casting Director's statement trumps Francesca James's. I can imagine that is actually the way they made their casting decisions but how cumbersome. 

 

[allmc2008]

Donna, please do not do this with my show. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. Do NOT taint it with your insanity.

And you are replying to yourself again! You are like our Janet!!

[DemetriKane]

I believe both Judy and Francesca James are right about the casting. You hear this all the time with films and Primetime shows; an actor would have to audition several times for a role. the director might like you but the studio/TV execs would have to also agree to it!

Edited January 31 by DemetriKane

[Paul Raven]

Love La Lucci  dearly, but I think she was/is in her own Erica bubble and isn't an authoritative source on AMC or soaps in general.

Those random statements above as evidence.

Edited January 31 by Paul Raven

[Contessa Donatella]

Oh, yes, both to loving & enjoying her but not to relying on her for certain information. It was only 2 years ago that she said Agnes wrote Ryan's Hope. And now we have these bits to add.

[Contessa Donatella]

Sure, we know that what you're describing is common practice in casting circles. I totally appreciate & get what Francesca James was adding into the mix. I just found Judy's statement to be more comprehensive & so cover more territory in terms of both casting practices & the frustrations that both she & Francesca were bringing into the light. 

[EricMontreal22]

I understood this as the fact that it IS by committee--they all weigh in--but from what I've read, Francesca is also right in that the *final* decision is the network execs.

As to one of the other comments, at its peak anyway, AMC was known to be one of the soaps (if not THE soap) with the highest percentage of male viewers but there's no way it was 60%.  I think what I've heard was more vague and closer to "a bit over 1/3 of the audience is male."  TVGuide in 1986 DID say it was the most video taped program in the US, though--maybe Susan Lucci could put that bit of info in her wheelhouse to use instead

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I really enjoyed the special--it flew by, but man, oh, man Andy is a terrible host.  Not only with some lame questions, and a habit of not letting people answer (I get it, they had under an hour--I think they should have had 90 mins...) but you could also see him going through his question cards, etc, while they were answering which is something I'd expect an interviewer with his experience to not have to do.

[Contessa Donatella]

Good to know & I'm glad they both spoke up about it. Judy was new to me but I've loved Francesca forever & her anecdote about Agnes calling her & saying the mail had been crazy ever since they killed her off & she was in the process of writing her a twin to bring her back was a huge favorite to me!

Also good to know. I just don't think remembering these kinds of factoids is Lucci's strong suit. She can't go wrong with anecdotes of real people she's been involved with in her reel life & she should really stick to them!!

I loved the special. An hour was way too short. Didn't & don't care for Andy. I'd have reached back & tapped Rosie O'Donnell to host that. I was so glad they released it on YT. A friend was there & had told me they, as usual, banned the audience members from taping it in any way. And, I just really appreciate that they did it!

[Contessa Donatella]

In the face of confusion, distortions of truth & outright lies, I want to make some clarification. This only involves Courtney Sherman Simon, who is not even here to defend herself. She enters into this only because I reached out to her to ask her about her character Kathy on SFT having an abortion. She confirmed that she had. Further, I brought up that only NY state as of 1970 had legal abortion without any residence requirement. She confirmed that Kathy had gone to NY to get her abortion. She offered that unfortunately she did not have anything (on paper or printed like a script or a call sheet, etc.) that would prove a date. There was never any question of remembering a date. No expectation of it. Not a thing at all. And, I never posted about this at some other board. Simply did not happen. 

[EricMontreal22]

Yes, and I felt like Andy was so worried about time that he cut it short--they didn't even go the full hour

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But, I can't complain in the end because we got more than what I'd expect (usually these kinds of fan reunions wouldn't even think to invite people like Francesca James or Lorraine Broderick let alone Judy--speaking of, she said she was casting agent for 22 years, what exactly were her years at the show?)

And you're right about Susan.  I love that she speaks out about the show, that she speaks out about Agnes, and that she does (in a coy way) mention how aware she was about some less than great writing (I remember on the View anniversary special when Broderick was about to come in to replace Pratt and Susan Lucci actually said how they were all aware that they had had bad writing for a while now but that would change...)  But she also is known to stumble on her actual facts (on that same View special I think she said Agnes Nixon created... I don't remember, but some soap she wasn't even involved in.)

I did find it weird that Andy Cohen asked Broderick if they felt competition from the other ABC shows, but not the NON ABC shows which I assume would have been a more direct issue (I mean it was under Broderick that we got the voodoo story and the gossip at the time was it was being pushed to compete with DAYS' increasing craziness.)

[Contessa Donatella]

He really ended it very abruptly!

About two years ago on something she claimed that Agnes wrote Ryan's Hope! Uh, Claire Labine & Paul Avila Mayer would like a word, well, if they hadn't both passed, they would. RIP. 

Made zero sense. 

[Maxim]

God, I love her

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 This is such a relatable moment. Hahhahaha.