The show sucks!  My lack of Rants is an indication that I just don’t know what to say anymore.  So let me break down some of the nonsense.

JR, who is CURRENTLY having chemo, wants to have a child with Marissa.  This is ridiculous and dangerous all at the same time.  When JR was told about his cancer he would have also been told about his treatment and the option to freeze his sperm in case he would ever want to have a child in the future. Okay the show tackled the subject that the chemo could possibly leave JR sterile but what they didn’t tackle is the fact that a child conceived while one of the parents is undergoing chemotherapy is not a great idea.  It would leave that child open to all kinds of deformities and medical issues for the rest of its life, if it even lived long enough to have a life.  So if JR knew this ahead of time he should have shared that info with his wife.  Oh and what kind of DOLT is Marissa that she only sees JR’s want of legacy if he should die and not the reality that if JR died she would be raising this child alone and that all the money in the world doesn’t matter if that child suffers every day because it’s parents were to complete morons!

Aidan went from Awesome Dude to WTF in an evolution just short of stupid.  Aidan was at his best when paired with Greenlee and they broke them up to pair Ryan and Greenlee again in the most contrived and ridiculous story.  Then he saved Annie and fell into like with her and they were cute but that went to hell in a hand basket when he went all Jekyll and Hide and went from like to hate in a New York Minute.  Now he’s all googly for Kendall again for a reason only Chuck Pratt can understand.  And we all know that since Aiden Turner isn’t making the trek west that they will probably kill off Aidan Devane.  Almost since his appearance t in 2002 the writers were at a loss as to what to do with Aidan after he broke up Ryan and Kendall so Cam Matthison could leave the show.  Aiden Turner quickly became a fan favorite so they put him with Maria/Maureen, Kendall, Mia, Greenlee, Annie and I’m sure I’m forgetting some in between.  They just didn’t know what to do with him but they couldn’t let him go because the fans (yep that’s me too) wouldn’t have stood for it.

But now that TPTB could care less about the fans it’s a free for all.  When the show moves to California, regardless what TPTB say, the entire dynamic will be completely changed forever.  No more Martin’s.  No more Dr. Joe, Aidan, Taylor and Zendall.  The show I GREATLY fear will become “All My Rylee” and this will in essence kill the show that has been on TV for almost 40 years.  The characters will be unrecognizable and not unlike when Loving became the City the fan base will hemorrhage even further and we will be left with nothing that could be identified as All My Children.

Perhaps I’m too much doom and gloom but having watched and been obsessed with soaps for the last 44 years I’ve seen it before and it’s not pretty.  Even SoapNet a network that used to be devoted to Soaps isn’t about Soaps that much anymore.  There was that dream when I first heard about that new network devoted to Soaps that we would get to see old shows like Edge of Night or Ryan’s Hope and that dream died in 2004 when things at the network started to change.  I get that is business but it still makes me sad.

I’ve been watching old shows of AMC from its grandest times (SoapNet used to rerun older shows from the 80’s and 90’s during such specials as “Tad the Cad” and “I Love Lucci” or even “Chasin’ Jason/GH”).  It fills the hole that Chuck Pratt’s lack of talent made in me.  I didn’t think it was possible for a writer to do more damage to the show than Megan McTavish but Chuck makes Megan look like friggin’ Harper Lee!

So where does this leave me these days…well all I can say is THANK GOD FOR ONE LIFE TO LIVE!!! This show is the bomb!  It’s amazingly written and the characters will all be the same afterAMC makes the move to California because OLTL is staying in NYC!

So if you are like me and still want to watch soaps hook on to ONE LIFE TO LIVE because it’s got the history and the families, the romance, social storylines, romance (involving all the generations not just the kiddies) and intriguing plots and oh…romance

Here Endth My Rant!

Let’s take a look at the canvas of AMC right now and see which storyline doesn’t belong on this soap.  Liza fights to keep baby Stuart when his birth mother wants him back.  JR is fighting cancer with Marissa’s help while keeping his family at bay for fear of losing custody of his son.  Zach, Ryan, Kendall, Scott and Erica are driving Annie Crazy, tormenting her at every gate and have resorted to kidnapping and torture to “break” her to free the oh so innocent Kendall.  David forcing Amanda to choose between her son and her husband and then tries to manipulate her through Trevor to create the family he’s always wanted.  Krystal tries to form a relationship with the daughter she gave a way and the husband she threw away.

Yeah I’d go with the Kidnap/Torture storyline!  I do not like this disturbing storyline.  This is not entertainment.  The whole story has been dragging on 2007.  They took Annie who was a decent character (Melissa Egan is a tremendous actress) and turned her into a crazy person who killed her brother.  Someone has been mentally torturing this poor bird for a very long time.  What doesn’t work for me is it’s the same story played on a loop.  If it wasn’t Ryan (Remember his memory loss, his new found love for anyone who wasn’t Annie), Richie, Kendall, Zach, The Crazy Doctor (Richie’s ex-lover), Ryan again, Kendall again…now Zach….and Aidan who went from being her savior to her punisher in a matter of seconds.  This is all horrible.

This storyline has been stupid since it’s inception.  All of this is to prove Kendall’s innocence.  Well if they hadn’t written her to have insisted that she was guilty in the first place this Kidnap/Torture story line wouldn’t have been written.

What can I say I hate everything about this storyline!!!!  I have a screaming in my head and I don’t like it!  And I know that nothing will make this crap stop for at least 2 weeks because these scenes are in the can and nothing will change that fact.

Here Endth My Rant!

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Thorsten Kaye is leaving AMC because of the “Big Move”.  His wife Susan Haskell plays Marty Saybrooke on OLTL and his life is in NYC.  This is an enormous loss for All My Children.  Beyond the fact that they’ve written crap for him to recite the character of Zach Slater is core to the show and has been for the last 5 years.

Ray McDonald, one of only two remaining original cast members, has chosen to retire and will not be making the move either.  That leaves the history of the show hanging on one person…Ms. Susan Lucci and her character Erica Kane.  For anyone who grew up watching this show this could be the end of what is familiar to us.  It makes me very sad.  No more Martin holidays.  No more Montgomery Thanksgiving fiascoes at the Valley Inn.  Who knows maybe they will actually give Walt Wiley a chance to use his super dooper acting skills after the “Big Move”.  I’m not holding my breath but it would give me a reason to watch.

Rebecca Budig, who resides in CA, will be revisiting her role of Greenlee Smythe after the new year.  One of  my greatest fears is that the show will commit to re-re-re-hashing the Ryan/Greenlee coupling…aka Rylee.  First…YAWN…second do ya’ll think that hack of a head writer, Chuck Pratt could actually write a decent romance for this couple (or any couple)?  Am I supposed to be intrigued by a possible Erica/Ryan/Greenlee triangle?  Yeah it’s not going to happen.   Brian Frons hung the weight of the success of the show around Rebecca’s neck not that long ago with the “The Real Greenlee’s Back” debacle.  Ratings went up a scooch but then went right back down to the same level before her ‘triumphant return’.  She doesn’t have a built in fan base like Eden Riegel.

I’ve almost all but given up on AMC.  Each day I watch I scratch my head and wonder if some stock broker in NY is writing this show because clearly it isn’t someone who actually likes the show or understand the characters or the fan base for that matter.   There is no real commitment from the TPTB that they really want the show to succeed.  When they disrespect us why should we be loyal?  I’m just wondering how they think throwing us all under the bus is good for the franchise?

I have a question for ya’ll.  If after the show moves to CA, if the cast is completely different looking and the stories revolve around a pile of newbies, will you continue to watch?  Let me know your feeling on this because I’m very interested.

So now Aidan has gone so mental he’s kidnapping his former love and mentally torturing her with the loony vigilante group of Kendall and Zach practically cheering him on?  Really I feel for Annie because everyone has driven her over the edge.  It started with Ryan and now this mess.  In a way I feel I’ve been mentally tortured too. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here Endth My Rant!

I love Stephanie Gashett as an actress.  She was fantastic as Tammy Winsolw on Guiding Light.  However, Madison North is so annoying and adds very little to the storyline that when these scenes come up all I hear is Blah, Blah, Blah.

Angie is a friggin’ doctor already and she’s tempted by this socialite crazy person’s scheming?  Come on now.  Her father was a big time criminal…it’s not like Angela hasn’t had a course or two in deception.  Okay this part  has nothing to do with the s/l…but what in the heck is going on with her hair?  Did they get the bonus plan at the wig store?  I miss her dreds…they were hot and sassy.  She’s a beautiful woman and although Halloween is only weeks away the Morticia the Doctor costume is over the top and dreadful.

It’s absolutely ridiculous that Frankie would be all a swoon for the woman who is destroying his family but yet every time they are together his eyes go all googly for her.  Boo-hiss…I’m not sure who’s writing this story for the show but someone should slap them because it’s just so awful that I’m offended.

Only one s/l is cohesive enough to stand on it’s own…Marissa and JR.  It’s sweet and sensitive and with every evil thing JR has done in his past it brings him a sense of humanity.

It’s so frustrating because when I watch there are these glimmers of hope and promise but then the other 94% of the show is just crap.

And then there is that anxiety of what will the show look like after it moves to LA.  Will the writing get any better?  Will my favorite actors make the move to LA?  Which then leaves me with the big question…will I continue to watch if these things don’t materialize?  Soaps are about Comfort.  About recognizing the characters and understanding the storylines.  Right now AMC is lacking in both and I’m not sure what will happen after the move but I think it will be sorely lacking after January.

Oh and I’ve been pondering the 40th Anniversary show.  Since the show is teetering on the abyss this would be the biggest opportunity to give the fans something to hang onto…especially with the move coming shortly there after.  If I was TPTB I would bath the fans in something they will LOVE.

Back in 1992 on OLTL Megan Gordon was dying and for an entire week everyone gathered around her bedside and told her stories of the past.  They played so many clips from the old days that it made me smile, laugh and even cry. They hit on all the old favorites who weren’t on the show anymore or had passed on.  AMC should definitely take this road for their 40th Anniversary.   The fans would LOVE IT!  If the show went this way and marketed it correctly that the fans who have stopped watching might come back.  With the internet it would be easy to get the word out there because some people stopped watching but they still follow it on the net through fan pages and message boards.

Hey I do not write for the show but I’m a fan and like so many fans we are just begging TPTB to give us a reason to watch the show.  Right now there isn’t much incentive.   I watch mostly because of my loyalty to the actors.

So in wrapping up I ask TPTB and the Writers to consider giving the fans a beautiful 40th Anniversary by showing us clips from the past instead of people telling us stories of the old days and that’s it!!!!

Here Endth My Rant!

Everyone knows about the “big” move to LA but the body count is just beginning for the fans.  Out of the line up is Beth Elhers, whom I absolutely adore and who Chuck Pratt in all of his talent-less being couldn’t write for because apparently he can only focus on crappy murder plots and David.  I hope to see Beth again soon on something else because she’s a talented actress.  I’ve seen her in movies and TV and well I wish her Luck!

Next on the chopping block…Aiden Turner…Our beloved bloke from the UK is leaving Pine Valley.  I’m not sure if this is a “I’m not moving to LA” thing or Aiden got the ax.  Frankly, Chuckie in his sucktacularness hasn’t written anything remotely decent for Aidan Devane.  First he is in love with Annie and saves her from the evil Doctor and then like two weeks later he’s calling her bitch and wants to prove she’s faking her mental illness.  Oh and that just leads to a Segway into the sucktacular Adam/Annie/Scott fiasco.

I’m fairly certain I’m not going to fare well during the transition to LA.  I’m not sure I want to watch a show that I don’t recognize most of the faces.  At least when GL transitioned to their new format only the background changed and the Actors/Characters remained the same.

This is one fan who isn’t very happy right now and hasn’t been happy in a long, long time.  Thank goodness I have AMC from years ago to watch because right now I’m more of a glancer than a watcher of the show!

Here Endth My Rant!

AMC has some good points.  Mostly just the caliber of their actors but at least it’s one positive aspect of the show.  I’m just so disheartened about the future of the show. The ratings for the show are at an all time low and they are dragging OLTL along with them to the basement.

TPTB always make the same mistakes.  First let me say that I understand budgets and money comes first with the shows but they have found ways to tackle those issues.  Although I have no idea why they shun product endorsements in the actual show as an everyday occurrence.  So what can they do to help the viewers relax and come back to watching the show?  Well lets first stop with crappy gimmicks that don’t work.  But the worst offense is less than par writing.

Soaps appeal to their viewers because it brings them comfort.  Knowing that Tad is a hero, that David is a bad guy with a cloudy soul and that Jesse is the man who came from nothing but because he loved his family found a way to make his life work.  We know Erica picks cat fights and Jackson is really the true love of her life.  We know that Krystal doesn’t mean to be bad but she’d do anything for Babe (or her children).  We know that Zach is damn sexy and that his life and his heart belong to Kendall.  And most of all we know that when a character stops being the character we know and understand we don’t like it!

Case in point.  When Ryan left town he was a man of hope and lost love (first Gillian and then Kendall).  When Ryan returned to Pine Valley in 2003 he was arrogant and obnoxious.   The ended up completely revising Ryan’s life.  Today Ryan doesn’t even come close to his former self.  Instead he’s a man who pledged his love to his wife and child and then abandoned them when Greenlee smiled at him.  And mired in this muck was a gunshot wound to the head, his memory of only loving Kendall and then Greenlee and now Erica.  All the while mostly abandoning his daughter Emma (she should call Corina Mommy) and breaking his ex-wife until all that’s left is a homicidal maniac.  Now he’s being forceably paired with Erica.  He I loved the Erica/Charlie storyline.  It two was a “cougar” storyline but it worked.  I’m not embracing Erica and Ryan.

How about Erica…back in 2006 she stopped being Erica Kane and became  someone else.  In essence, Erica left Jackson because Jeff smiled at her.  Don’t get me started on the unaborted fetus crap.

We have all just suffered through the “Dance Marathon” from hell.  Glitzy gimmick story lines can never stand up to the hard core, gut wrenching story lines of old.  Brooke’s stalker, Laura being saved by the man who killed Brooke’s other daughter Laura in a drunk driving case, David and Anna’s baby Leora and her short life and sad death, Mona’s breast cancer s/l.  The moment that Janet realized she murdered Trevor.  The moment when Bianca was told Miranda was dead.  Even stories like Ted Orsini and Cecily’s pageant storyline were clever and interesting.

I remember watching the show when the hospital room set was a small area with one IV and a bed with no headboard and one chair for the “loved one” to sit vigil.  It was the acting and the writing that drove the shows then.  Now it’s glitz and glam no matter how awful the writing is.  No Thanks!

So TPTB save yourselves and us,  get decent writers on AMC…PLEASE!

Here Endth My Rant!

So it’s been confirmed by many different sources on the net that AMC is moving it’s studios to Los Angeles.  I’ve got my own theories for the move but I’ll start my Rant with something else and make my way back there.

Okay so in these difficult financial times I totally understand why AMC would want to cut costs.  I also understand that if they had the additional space they show wouldn’t have to break down the sets everyday for different sets thus saving UNION carpenters fees.  Any way…it’s about money.  Also if they can some how dump Susan Lucci they could hire really cheap crappy “talent” for what they pay her.  You know, in essence, drop her like they did Julia Barr.  They could lose other long timers like David Canary (Adam) who may or may not want to relocate to LA or even want to red-eye it.  This also would save a lot of benjamins because David is also a highly paid actor on the show.

Anyway one looks at it the face of All My Children will be completely different come January 2010.  My concern for the almost 40 year old soap is that by changing  it so drastically it won’t actually be for the better. I have concerns.

Maybe I’m just feeling it more and more now because my beloved Guiding Light is no more.  I love soaps and they are becoming less and less a presence on TV.  They are being replaced by shows I would never waste my time on.

As far as I’m concerned the greatest challenge with AMC right now is not just costs it is the atrocious writing.  I could put out better scripts while taking a bathroom break.  There is nothing engaging on the show right now.  Mismatched couples, not 1 but 2 murders pending and ridiculous storylines where Kendall isn’t even missed in prison.  You know the daughter of the uber famous Erica Kane not to mention a woman who’s been arrested a lot.  Kendall’s been in the news for her comas, her famous Cosmetics company Fusion…her bar ConFusion and oh yeah…she’s a famous novelist.  So of course no one notices that it’s not the real Mrs. Slater in prison. PLEASSSSSEEEE…I don’t think so Chuck.

Oh and lest we forget that Poor Opal has had another vision of blood.  I guess someone else is going to die or get shot or something as stupid!

Now I will reveal why I think AMC is really moving to LA.  First, the toxic avenger himself, Charles Pratt, Jr. I believe lives in LA thus making easier for him to destroy the show from a closer proximity.  Secondly, I believe Mr. Frons resides in LA and thus it would put Cameron Mathison in close proximity for him to lust after.  Also, they could like hang out and paint each others toenails on a Friday night.  It’ll be just totally awesome…two sweethearts being able to share their mutual admiration and love for each other.  I’m not judging…but the love is pretty much one sided. Cam’s a sweetheart and I feel bad for him with having Fronsie is a weird dude.

So to wrap, the move might be a good thing and only time will tell.

Here Endth My Rant!

Wow is all I’ve got for AMC this week.   My God Chuck what where you thinking with the “Dance Marathon”?  Is this supposed to be some sort of lead in on Daytime for “Dancing with the Stars”?  If so you SUCK!

Sometimes my coworkers will join me in watching AMC and even they thought it was pathetic and embarrassing watching the cast do the Chicken Dance.  Sure they called it something else…turkey something or other but it’s the Chicken Dance.  It was a complete waste of resources even putting that tripe to tape.  I’d love to be on one of those Focus Group panels watching that show!  It was almost degrading and I still feel all weird about it all these days later.

Why hasn’t one of the Hubbard’s just shot Madison in self defense and put that poor forsaken storyline out of our and it’s own misery!!!!????

OH and Erica and Ryan ganging up on the supposedly crazy Annie.  Erica this woman stabbed you “Because” and you are taunting her like one of the Mean Girls.  So Erica’s the new geriatric LiLo?  I get that Erica/Susan doesn’t want to be reminded of her age (60-something) but I would rather her act her age and have this young hot buns lover than Erica acting like she’s 25 and everyone including me laugh at it.  Erica, girlfriend, you ain’t no Buffy the Vampire Slayer…give it up.

Hey don’t  get me wrong…IRL I know lots of hot chicks over the age of 50 but you know what makes them hot is they own it and instead of acting like they are 25…they’ve got the grace and poise that only time brings and they look hotter than they did when they were 30!

About 10 seconds after they started filming this insipid Dance Marathon someone should stopped David and Amanda from dancing.  They looked like they were bobbing in the ocean instead of dancing.  BOING “>BOING BOING BOING! Here’s an idea….have David sing an Aria…Vincent is a dynamite singer!!!

Hey look the “Harbinger of Death” has had another vision.  My bet…everyone ignores Opal

Kendall’s supposed to be in prison and yet no one finds it strange that she can call anytime she feels like it.  Oh and my cell phone has caller ID…just saying is all

Liza…you are way to hot to be mired in a Zach/Kendall portal of hell.

OMG the only thing I’ve liked this week is Marissa and JR…Did I just use Marissa and like in the same sentence…things must be worst than I thought on AMC.

Okay my head hurts a lot right now.  I’m going to go watch Guiding Light…you know go depress myself some more

Here Endth My Rant!

Was I the only one who wanted Madison to bash Frankie in the head?  Probably.  Any who, Chuck has drown the Hubbard family in this absolutely crappy s/l!  All while turning the entire family into criminals.  Randi assaulted the DA (and thought she killed him) and kidnapped a child – okay she found the baby but she and Franklin decided to keep the baby for themselves instead of telling the police or as I like to call them Frankie’s sister and father.  Jesse covered up the “murder”, Natalia covered up the “kidnapping” and Angie was made an accessory to the facts when she learned about everyone’s involvement and did nothing about it.  I have nothing to say but WTF!

I still can’t believe no one has noticed the woman in prison isn’t Kendall or better yet Erica hasn’t been to Statesville to see her nutcase daughter.  Nope she and Ryan are planning a Dance Marathon for the children of Africa.  Poor Erica…Ryan’s crappy parenting skills are rubbing off on you.  RUN…RUN as fast as you can!!!!

Gosh I love Emma…she’s got more brains than both of her parents combined and she’s only 7 or 8.  She knows what she wants and she tries to make it happen.  That and she’s spent so much time with Rachel before Corina came into the picture she knew exactly which bus stop was Zach’s house.

Tad and Taylor as a couple.  Really it seems like Chuck has no idea what to do with Taylor so instead Tad’s not sure what he wants and whines about his women troubles.  If there was a crappy Frankie/Randi murder storyline it would have been better if it was Taylor and Frankie keeping the secrets.  Band of Brothers and all.  But no we go Jesse Chief-of-Police and pending prison inmate.

Oh magical Chuck how do you plan to get the Hubbard’s out of this quagmire?  Maybe a “Bobby comes out of the shower scene”?

Here Endth My Rant!

For years I’ve hated JR.  That’s how good an actor Jacob Young is and now I like JR.  There are a few points I actually like about AMC right now.  Shocking I know but there it is I like something, lol.

JR’s cancer storyline is sweet and poignant.  He’s always has had a difficult relationship with Adam but with the cancer storyline he goes back to the sweet but misunderstood JR when Jonathan Bennett played the character.  JR was totally screwed up then but there was a vulnerability to him, especially after Dixie left town in 2002.  JR’s having cancer gives him that same vulnerability and makes him much more likable.

Okay so you know how I have a hate-on for Marissa well it’s on hold right now because I think that Chuck actually knows what the heck he’s going to do with the character.  By having only a handful of characters knowing about JR’s cancer it gives Marissa a place and possibly a romance with JR.  All signs point to this.  They make a sweet couple and yet they are facing a battle together.  I’m holding total judgment on the overall storyline for now.  I’m going to enjoy what I’m seeing since I like it.

The Jake/Amanda/David storyline has it’s moments, but really who doesn’t want “Dave” to get his come up-pence already.  Again, not the greatest triangle but it’s not unwatchable.

What I can’t stand is that the  “Stuart’s Murder Mystery” hasn’t wrapped yet.  Everyone involved in this stupid and insipid storyline is drowning.  Why can’t Chuck see this is just crap?!?  Sometimes they just need to wrap up and not drag out something that sucks.  At this point in the storyline the murderer could only be one of three people.  Annie, who is to obvious to be the murderer.  Emma who comes from a long line of murderers and is often neglected by her father.  But at least she has her 1/2 brother with her so they can be neglected by their father together.  I’d like to hear one of Ryan’s kids refer to Corina as Mama, lol.  The last suspect in this crappy storyline would be Adam who was drugged out of his mind at the time.  So after I yawn a little I still could care less who killed Stuart.  It’s rather a shame because Stuart was a soulful character and yet this dragged out storyline brings no sympathy from me.

I still love Liza.  Ms. Jamie Luner has just smoothly moved into the role and I love that.  She’s hot and sexy and brings her own spin on Ms. Liza Colby.  I know there are the Marcy Walker lovers and I loved her too.  I might feel differently if Marcy had wanted the roll but since she didn’t I can embrace Jamie as Liza with no problem.

Just one little peeve I’ve got then I’m off.  With everything that Amanda knows about David why in the world would she accept any drink or food from the man who has drugged pretty much everyone?  I’m just saying that in the last couple of months he’s drugged KWAK and gotten her hooked and drugged Adam.

Here Endth My Rant!