All My Children Discussion Group -- The problem with this show is the writing--there's no structure

All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: The problem with this show is the writing--there's no structure

Topic Posted by: walter curtin
Date Posted: Tue Nov 3 3:02:53 2009
Additional Comments: They really need to put Erica and Jack back together to make a family with Greensleeves, Kendall, and Binx. With Slater leaving, Ryan can resume activities with K and G. This makes one core family.
Then take Tad and KWAK and make a family with that whole gang including Jake.
Chandlers--JR, Scott, Marissa, Adam of course.
The show is hard to follow because there's no rhyme or reason to it. At least on OLTL you know the teams, so to speak. Buchanans *Clint et al, Lords (Viki), Cramers (Dorian's gang).

Posted by: Rosebud1
Date posted: Wed Nov 4 14:24:38 2009
Message:
ABC/Disney lacks in many areas w/ALL their soaps. They dismiss the audience (the WHOLE audience), history, popular characters/families, a sense of community & diversity--not to mention structure, vision & writing basics. While most soap ownerships are failing in all these areas as well, ABC/Disney should have a higher standard than they obviously do. They have always been about knowing their audience & good storytelling--until a few yrs ago. But then that was also true for the CBS and P&G soaps too.

One of the reasons I fell in love w/soaps when I was around 5 yrs old was because of the multi-generational approach, the good storytelling & continuing aspects of the shows. I always loved emotionally investing in characters & storylines, w/one story leading to another & none of this disjointed, gimmicky, plot driven 'stuff' we've been seeing for far too long. I also loved the repertory approach. It wasn't all about one or two characters, ad nauseum. It was about much more than that!

I also loved seeing stories wrap up, sometimes yrs later! Plots & lives would intertwine in ways they just don't anymore.

Posted by: Jenn
Date posted: Wed Nov 4 9:05:11 2009
Message:
Walter, ITA with you about J/E and family. They were the best part of the new regime and that family could have been interesting for years if they had a writer who cared about what daytime is about and not about baby illness/switches/deaths and pairings that make no sense while throwing in a disaster here and there. I can't bear watching AMC anymore and haven't in months. I check the boards hoping that someone will wake up , fire Pratt, hire back someone like Broderick, Alden, or Culiton, and end this nightmare which seems to be on the road to cancellation.

Posted by: SORAS
Date posted: Tue Nov 3 8:48:44 2009
Message:

This is part of what I talk about in my topic above...that the AGE of AMC is not the problem. I talk about not developing credible storylines (too much stopping and changing directions without rhyme or reason and so they become hard to accept) - and not staying true to the intergrity of character development. If they did THAT..then these characters would have their core family units...because the character would act and react in a way that we can buy into and people don't just toss their families...of whatever type the family may be...so quickly.

While I agree with your premise...I can't STAND the thought of Tad back with KWAK even though they're 72% there. I DETEST KWAK and therefore would rather Tad were with just about anyone else other than KWAK. Their current living situation cannot go on forever. I'd like KWAK to leave PV, frankly...if it takes killing her, so be it! LOL...

When you say "and of course, Adam"...why was I told last week on the board that Adam is going to be gone soon...a quick move to LA for David Canary to work til the end of his contract and then he's gone. Sigh. Makes me very sad.

But good points you've made..I think if they combine your point with my points, maybe they'd get us back to a really excellent AMC! And nobody on the board is charging TPTB for the benefit of our insight and expertise! LOL....!

Posted by: understatement
Date posted: Tue Nov 3 7:01:34 2009
Message:

You're right; the classic soap formula is structured around 3-4 core families. But who's a core family anymore? The Chandlers ought to be, but these days they're all off doing their separate stuff, without much interaction. We almost never see Colby, Stuart's dead, Marian's in the loony bin, and Scott's an off-again on-again character. That leaves only Adam, JR and little A, and Pratt doesn't let the three of them have many scenes together. And Annie? You might add Annie to the mix, assuming that her marriage to Adam ever takes place. But will it? And even if it does, how long do Adam's unions generally last?

When Erica married Jack, the show had a wonderful potential: a huge, blended, extended CORE family. But it didn't stay together. Now Jack's gone, Greenlee's gone, Lily's gone, Reggie's gone, Bianca's gone, Miranda's gone, and Bianca's second child (What's-Her-Name?) is gone. Core family DISSOLVED. Erica's pretty much on her own now, having sex with the father of her daughter's son. Kendall and Zach have their separate storyline with their boys, and we don't see many Erica/Kendall scenes anymore. What a waste!

And the Martins? They used to be a great core family. Even to this day I love the Jake/Tad scenes, but these are all too few and far between. Joe's retiring, Ruth's gone, Jeff's gone. Tara has been gone so long that only the longtime viewers remember her at all. Kelsey's gone...I'd like to see this stupid storyline with David aborted, so that Jake and Amanda and baby Trevor can be together again. I'd like to see Dixie resurrected, so that she and Tad and JR and Kathy and Jenny can become the Next Generation Martins. Hell, I'd like to see Tara return to her home town and her roots someday, but I well know that these pipe dreams ain't gonna come true.

A few years back David had his own core family with Leo, Crazy Vanessa, wife Anna, and cousin Maggie. Maybe some parts of that particular family could be reassembled? Recast Leo with a good, charismatic actor, bring back the wonderful Maj Dusay as Vanessa, and we'd be off to a good start...

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Bad writing all around, i agree!