CAST LIST

ABC 8 CBS 6 by Diane Casale  6/16/08
 
    Once again this year I decided to attend the annual softball game for the Tammy Rice Rubin Foundation held in Brooklyn, NY at the field of Mid Wood High School. It's always fun to watch which actors show up and enjoy a day of great softball for a good cause. The one thing about this years game that set it apart from previous years, was the early heat wave of nearly 100 degree temperatures that we were experiencing on June 7th and some of the days before and after that. There were not as many fans this year as other years, and the weather being the primary reason with good cause. It was unbelievably hot and brutal.  The people who were there know just what I am talking about. Of course I was down on the field to cover this for the newsletter, and I ended up staying in the dugout where it was 100 degrees and 150 on the field!!!
 
    The actors that played, have to be commended for coming out on the hottest day of the season thus far.
 
    All four NY Soaps are involved in this every year. Various actors from GL such as Caitlin Van Zandt, and Nicole Forrester came out to lend a hand with actors from ATWT such as Michael Park, Dylan Bruce, and Agim Kaba amongst others and the one sole person that came out in support of AMC was Amanda Baker (Babe), she was a real trooper, what a gamer!!!  OLTL had a great turnout, Brandon Buddy, Sean Riggold, Kevin Spiritas, Farah Fath, Austin Williams, John Paul, Brittney Underwood along with her adorable boyfriend Eddie, Kamar de los Reyes, a great guy that plays every year, Derek, actually he has a name on the show some times and that is Billy when Rodi's is featured on the show, he is the bartender. He has played this game the past few years.
 
    This year Laurie Caccioli hung with me in the dugout instead of being on the field announcing the plays, it was even too hot for her, but once again another trooper like Amanda Baker who decided to take over the festivities and announce the game was none other than Beth Ann Bonner, who did a great job as she was sporting a tank top that said "Boy Beater", well sort of that is, she crossed out "Boy" and put "CBS" in its place and that's what it turned out to be in the long run,  ABC were the CBS BEATERS!!!!  Too funny.
 
    So many highlights took place that afternoon and one of the being the singing of the National Anthem by Kevin Spiritas who also has plenty of singing credits as he does lots of theater, what beautiful voice he had.
The pitchers for the networks were Agim for CBS and Kamar for ABC. They usually are the two that represent the teams each year. One of my biggest highlights was getting to talk to Austin Williams for such a long time, he is a great kid, a super actor, and a hell of a baseball player, really this kid is good. His dad Bob was a delight to talk to and he is so proud of Austin, hope at the fan party I get to meet his mother Dawn.  Austin plays on his own team when he is not acting, and you can tell. While the actors try to take it seriously and play to their potential each year, Austin was really serious about it. By the way he is a Yankee fan, but I'm used to that, right? LETS GO METS!!!! He is so proud to be a part of OL and he really loves his job, and he said he hopes he plays Shane forever!!!   Talked  with JP for a long time. He along with a few other actors after the game was over were going to attend fellow cast mate John Brotherton's wedding (Jared), that was a cool thing, don't ya think???  Sean and Brandon, my Boy Toy and my Body Guard are always so much fun to be around, lots of kisses and hugs from the sweaty smelly crew, but hey I was one of them!!!!    The game pretty much consisted of CBS in the lead the whole game, but in the bottom of the 9th ABC pulled it out, two on, my boys, Brandon & Sean, and two outs, and the score at that point was 6-5 in favor of CBS, that was until Eddie (Brittney's beau) hit an exciting game winning walk off 3 run home run!!!!  How about that? An exciting finish...You can tell it was too hot as these scores are usually blow outs like 20-22!!! They were just playing with a little more caution, and definitely a little more beer!!!
 
    This game was a great fun even in the heat and the actors that gave it their all were so well respected and received  by the fans, and money was raised for a great charity with various auction items as well as studio tours...
 
    At this time I'd like to thank my friends Judy, Amelia and her daughter Lisa for braving the heat as spectators, my friend Jean Suppa, doing all of her wonderful photography down on the field as I was taking my notes and chatting with actors, and to Meredith and Mara who work for the Soap Opera Weekly out there braving the heat, and to their counter part my long time life long friend Bryan Beckley who works for the Soap Opera Digest, all of his loyalty to soaps and hard work finally paid off in giving him a job that he loves! He was running around getting his quotes from the actors. Job well done Bry, and we have had a lot of good times together over the years... 
 
    Great time was had by all, and maybe we all came out of this about 10 lbs lighter!!!!  Now that's a really good thing.  Look forward to next year.
 
    One more thing, I told Derek I'd plug him and tell OLTL to give Billy the Bartender some more screen time, held my end of the bargain!!!  Hope it works. See you all in Brooklyn next year!
 

 

     Hello.  I have watched "AMC" from time to time and enjoyed it but am not really a member of the fan community.  I am, however, working on a project concerned with "Gilligan's Island" and I have seen a segment where Greenlee, I believe, dreams she is Maryann on Gilligan's Island.  What I am interested in is her relationship with each of the characters who play Gilligan and the Professor, respectively, in that segment.  The Gilligan character claims he knows alot about hammocks--which AMC character is that, what is his relation to Greenlee and what is he like, in general.  Same with the "Professor" character.  Can you or another "AMC" fan help me with this info, please?  I'd really appreciate it.  Thank you and continue enjoying "AMC."  littlemonster3141@yahoo.com

My Day in Pine Valley:  by Diane Casale 5/22/08
 
In all of the years that I have been involved in the fan club for All My Children, the one thing I never did was visit the set for an official tour, and on May 8, 2008, I finally had the chance to do that, and Carol Dickson made that possible for me. I took the trip into the city that day and met Carol for a morning of fun. While I have been to the studio of OLTL on numerous occasions over the years, this was my first trip to the set of AMC and what a thrill is was for me at that.
 
First off I would love to thank Diana Gonzalez Jones for her hospitality and for the wonderful invite to the set. Diana is the assistant to producer Julie Carruthers at AMC. She is so good at her job and I was so impressed as she took me through everything. She is so knowledgeable regarding the history of the show and all that is involved in putting it together...  
 
I loved everything I did there for the time I spent. One of the things that's always the best is getting to see some of the sets that we see day after day when watching the show. It always amazes me how large everything looks on TV, and how small the sets really are.
 
I got to see Adam's living room at the Chandler Mansion, the Fusion set, the hospital set, the new set they had put up which was a park, where all the hookers were gonna be hanging out, and the one I loved the most, the beach!!!  A little tiny area of sand and lots of rocks. I loved it, so many actors have had such wonderful love and sex scenes on this set. It was so cool to see it. At the present time as we are watching AMC, the truth finally came out to Greenlee that Kendall and Aiden had sex when Zach and Greenlee were trapped in the bomb shelter and that was what I had the privilege of seeing them rehearse.   
 
I had a warm greeting from the always fun to talk to "Fritzie" the stage manager there, he was so happy to see Carol and I and I loved meeting producer Karen Jones who was working on that particular episode that day. She was so informative about her work and so well versed on the history of the show. Of course one of the people that we talked about specifically was Susan Lucci. We all had a wonderful story to share about  her as we all know this actress is class big time, and the one of the nicest if not the nicest daytime actress you are ever going to meet. Can never have enough good things to say about her.
 
This was a complete tour. I saw everything. The hair and make-up room was a highlight and wardrobe of course, (got to check out Erica's stuff!!!)  that's always the best. In the make-up room we got the chance to see Michael Knight getting himself all spruced for the taping that day, he is so adorable and always quite the gentleman. Chrishell Stause  (Amanda) popped in before she was ready to hit the chair, she is a real sweetie. Of course Alicia Minshew and Rebecca Budig were there, as I had mentioned we were watching the rehearsal on the Fusion set, and this involved these gals of course. Alicia came over after she was done to talk to us a bit, she is always so upbeat and fun to be around.
 
On the hospital set we saw David Canary, Bobbie Eakes, and Jacob Young. I congratulated David on his Emmy nomination once again.   Bumping into Thorsten Kaye at the end of the day was really great. He looked wonderful, and we talked a lot about the fact that his other half Susan Haskell had just returned to work at OLTL as Marty Saybrooke. In fact she had just started the day before.
 
For the few hours I was there I was just thrilled with what I saw and all the wonderful people that were involved. Just walking through the hallways at the studio was exciting in itself as the photos that are displayed throughout were excellent, lots of new ones, but the ones that go back in time just remind you of all the rich history and all that has been put into this gem that Agnes Nixon created for us....
 
Again thank you to Diana, Karen, and Fritz for making me feel so at home, and to Carol for taking me along to a wonderful place that's been a huge part of my life, Pine Valley..Look forward to many more visits in the future.          
 

Ricky Paull Goldin  by Diane Casale  5/18/08

 
    I would like to welcome Ricky Paull Goldin to our family in Pine Valley as the newly returned Jake Martin.
Ricky is a daytime pro, and when I heard that he was joining AMC I was shocked, but happy. As much as I kept reading that his role as Gus on GL was soon to be coming to an end due to contractual issues and the fact that he was just not happy in the role anymore, I still never believed that it would play out that way,  and I surely would  have never imagined that all of the rumors buzzing around about him joining AMC would ever be a reality, I was wrong on both counts. I know that the viewers of GL were huge Gus and Harley fans, and anytime a favorite couple on a soap is no longer that's not a good thing for the show, we all know that, so with the demise of this super duo, the show I believe is going to be extremely hurt from its repercussions , however GL's loss is our gain...
 
    Ricky is a powerful actor and he is surely going to put a new spin on the part of Jake Martin. He is going to play this part with a different kind of edge for sure, cause that is the way he acts, he's a natural. He will be unlike his predecessors of such actors like Michael Lowry and J. Eddie Peck. They were nice and mellow type Jake's, so I am surely looking forward to this, and the character becoming more complex......
 
    Welcome Ricky. I have met you on countless occasions at multiple network fan events, and also at some of the past GL parties, and now I am proud to say that you are a member of our ABC family...
 
*****I might also like to add that at the time of this writing, I am hearing those rumors flying again that Beth 
      Ehlers now is next to leave GL as Harley, and to be packing her bags and heading to Pine Valley as   
      well to play our new Liza Colby...its out there, so lets see if there is truth to this as well****** 

 

David Canary  -- Diane Casale 5/3/08
 
I would like to extend my congratulations to David Canary for once again earning another daytime Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Adam Chandler, and once in a while Stuart. We have not seen the dual role as much these days, but we have sure seen a lot of mean, loathsome, rotten to the core Adam!!!!!
 
While AMC was not really recognized for some of the wonderful performances they turned out this year, specifically Thorsten Kaye and Michael E. Knight, David is the one lone person from Pine Valley to represent the show.
 
He has been there before, we all know that, and has 5 gold statues to prove it.   This is a power house of and actor, and that's why he is always there year after year, and maybe this year he will finally tie OLTL's Erika Slezak with her 6 statuettes.  Where would AMC and Pine Valley be without this lowdown dirty character? Hope we never have to know the answer to that question
 
He really is the kind of guy that you do love to hate!!!  At least I know I do....All the best of luck to David on 6/20!!!  

 

Rich History -- by Diane Casale 4/24/08
 
    I have been enjoying some of the rich history of AMC in lots of segments and series of flash backs since Debbie Morgan and Darnell Williams have returned to their respective roles of Angie and Jesse Hubbard on the show.
 
    First off all of the flash backs of them when they first met, and than their sweet marriage, and all of the ups and downs that went along with their relationship  have been wonderful scenes to watch.
 
    Old scenes that involve Darnell and Michael Knights are always great to see. The chemistry between the two of them as friends and partners is just as fabulous now as it was all those years ago.
 
    Most recently all of the past scenes they had shown of Jenny and watching the beautiful Kim Delaney just brought back so many wonderful memories. Not that AMC has not been a great show over the years, but back than it was just the best.
 
    We are now awaiting the arrival of Larry Lau to reprise the role of Greg in the near future, and I know already that seeing the old threesome back, Tad, Jesse, and Greg is just gonna be well worth the wait.
 
    When you watch these old scenes, it takes you back in time in your own life, that were happy times for you as well as watching the rich history of a show that was a major part of growing up. I have matured with these characters, and have had many good and bad times throughout the years in my life just as they have in theirs.   
 
    I am loving it, and I am so looking forward to more of the good old days of Pine Valley in the very near present. Many good memories of AMC and my life...    


 

Bomb Shelters Plus Waiting Tables Equals  A NEW CAREER!!!  -- By Diane Casale  3/20/08
 
Only in soaps can life sometimes be perfect, am I correct?
Lets see, all of you out there who know me pretty well know that I have nearly 30 years of administrative experience in the work world. I worked 24 years for the same company in advertising, and they went bankrupt. I than worked for a Lightening company for 2 years that was sold to a China Operation. When I tried to find a new job under my "administrative" title, I am finding out now that most big companies want college degrees. I do not have one, worked since I got out of high school and I am self taught. I do have a part time administrative job at the moment, but I want full time...benefits and all the perks that come with it... Since watching OLTL over the past few weeks, something dawned on me. Working for BE would be a great gig wouldn't it? It also dawned on me that I would not even have to have a college degree, all I would have  to do is work as a waitress in a diner like Gigi Morasco did!!! A Paris Texas hash slinger turned executive secretary, for BE none the less!!!  Hell I could have done that.....
 
If that whole story thing wasn't enough to drive me nuts, the ultimate is on AMC, and all it took for Kendall Hart Slater to get a book published was to keep a journal while hubby Zach was trapped in a bomb shelter for weeks...who knew? Maybe I should lock Vinnie up some where for a month and some one will give this struggling writer who has written her fingers to the bone for the past 15 years to entertain the fans and actors alike of our respective shows a JOB and BIG BUCKS....the Kudos and accolades have been wonderful over the years,  but I want the cash and the notoriety that comes along with it!!!  
 
No disrespect to the writers of OL or AMC, or to Farah Fath or Alicia Minshew for that matter. They have to make the story interesting and the girls have to do what is written for them. But here I am in my own reality, and Gigi has what I want in the work world, and Kendall has my ultimate dream, to write....get my drift?
 
I am going to end here cause its time for me to apply at my town diner to get my administrative job, and going to get Vin to see where I can lock him up for a while....I sure have my work cut out for me...I'll let you know if my luck turns around...I want what Gigi's got, but Kendall's? Now that is really my dream....
 
The moral of this story is.....Bon jour  and Bombs....are the keys to my success!!!!! 

 

MY DAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT -- By AnneMarie Donelin

Lights, C-a-m-e-r-o-n, Action

I was informed auditions were to take place to win a walk-on role on All My Children and that Cameron Mathison would be hosting the event.  As February 12, 2008 was a holiday, and I was off from work (thank you Mr. Lincoln), my mom and I decided to go to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum where the event was being held.  Appearing on All My Children has always been a dream of mine, and thinking this was an event for Fan February, I knew this was going to be my year to win.  After all, I have been watching All My Children since its inception and am the show's biggest fan--why shouldn't I win?  Who knew what the day actually had in store for me.

     We arrived at Madame Tussaud's and the audition line was short--maybe a dozen people.  "This is great," I thought, "hardly anyone is here--I’ll have a greater chance to win."  I was given release forms to fill out, a script (yikes!), and asked to have a seat.  As my mom and I were talking, a woman seated next to me asked us to 'keep it down' as she was 'memorizing her lines.'  I realized then that the others waiting to audition were actual actors trying to land a role on All My Children.  I decided I wasn't going to let that intimidate me.  After all, I have been watching All My Children since its inception and am the show's biggest fan--why shouldn't I win?  There were three people behind me and they were fans as well, which I was relieved to hear.  I read the script, which described my character having a conversation with Erica Kane.  The others and I wondered with whom we'd be auditioning.

      After awhile, we were taken upstairs to a room, where cameras and the press awaited, alongside a curtained-off area--and of course a collection of famous faces in the form of wax figures for moral support.  At this point I was getting nervous and looked to John Travolta for some guidance--would his gorgeous smile calm me down?  Finally, the auditions were about to begin and Cameron appears, followed by ... Susan Lucci.  What a big surprise that was!  Turns out that Susan Lucci's wax figure was being unveiled that day.

 I Love Lucci  

  As the curtain opened to reveal Susan's wax figure, I could feel the excitement in the air.  How lucky were Mom and I to be part of this special moment?  And how fabulous was Susan's double?  The artist really did a spectacular job.  After the press completed their interviews with Susan and Cameron, it was time for the auditions.  And guess who we were auditioning with?  None other than Susan Lucci--in her waxed state.

     I was second to last to audition and, as it turned out, the only non-actor to do so (the three other fans had chickened-out).  But not me.  I had come here to audition and I was going to audition--despite the fact I cannot act.  After all, I have been watching All My Children since its inception and am the show's biggest fan--why shouldn't I win?  Maybe the judges would show some compassion.  I went on stage, nervous, shaking, and was introduced to Cameron, who recognized me from three days ago when he appeared at The Brokerage, and Susan, who shook my hand and said "nice to meet you."  I made it known to Susan, Cameron and the media, that I was not an actress, but a HUGE FAN (which, of course, would be apparent once I started my audition).  Susan told me, "that's ok, just have fun with it."  Yes, I was very nervous, but overall I think I did a good job.  I actually became so caught up in the audition, that at the end of the script I added a line of my own which sounded like something Erica Kane would say.  This did not go unnoticed as Susan laughed (she knew what I meant).  Everyone clapped and I hurried off, still shaking.  Not surprisingly, I did not win--but the audition was an amazing and fun opportunity.  I was able to take a lot of photos, thrilled to see Susan and extremely happy to finally be able to get a photo with Cameron and me doing the 'Dancing With the Stars pose.'  Thanks to Cameron and thanks to Susan for a fabulous day!

     While I won't be quitting my day job any time soon, on the way home I told my mom, "I'm not worried--after seeing my tape, maybe ABC will call me with another opportunity."

      After all, I have been watching All My Children since its inception and am the show's biggest fan--why shouldn't I win?

VALLEY VIEW -- Carol Dickson 3/17/08

 ***How can Kendall get herself into so much trouble by keeping so many things from Zach? They are in love and a couple, right?!

***Richie is unredeemable as far as I can see. I hope that Babe finally sees him for what he is.

***If JR was a bone marrow donor shouldn’t someone in the hospital have seen any marks, etc.? I am not familiar with this procedure but with him holding his back you would think someone would have said…..let me take a look.

***I wish that Josh gets a storyline soon. He is a great actor and not bad to look at too J

***It is just wonderful when a couple who were such a strong part of the history of the show comes back. The flashbacks bring back so many memories for all of us.

***Samuel is certainly an interesting character. I hope he stays around for some interesting storylines.

***How wonderful to see Erica Kane front and center. She certainly lights up the screen.

***I can’t wait to see Erica and Sugar in their jail cell. This should be a riot.

***Rob is certainly a sinister person. He looks so guilty and evil but no one sees that yet.

 

Great Day at ABC -- by Diane Casale 2/22/08
 
    I spend a lot of time in New York City as you all know, however some days are just the type of days that are standouts in your mind because of the company you are with on that particular day and of course,  the places you have been.
 
    On Thursday February 7, I had a fabulous time with my dear friend Jeanne Cerrone. Lots of you guys know her from our soap gatherings, but also with me, you know she is my partner in worshiping our beloved NY Mets first and foremost!! 
 
    I was invited by Jeanne to attend the Regis and Kelly show, and of course I graciously accepted as I had never been there before and always wanted to go. It was worth the effort to get up even earlier than I would for work to be on a 6 AM bus to Manhattan!!!
 
    The show is "Live" which we all know, and I found it so fascinating how they do what they do every day, and have it come off so perfect. We had gotten there early so needless to say we sat in the first row and appeared on camera a few times. The guests that were on that day were Brooke Shields, Vince Vaughn, and singer Lenny Kravitz. I just found it amazing that they can do all of that in one hour, and their interviews are always extensive which you know from watching the show, nothing is ever rushed. The show goes on effortlessly, just  a cool  experience, and lots of thanks for that go to good ole GELMAN!!!! 
 
    During the commercial breaks, Regis and Kelly come out into the audience and talked with the fans, signed autographs, and posed for pictures. Kelly is a real sweetie. All the notoriety she has gotten since her days as Hayley Vaughn on All My Children has not gone to her head in the least.  She was just so nice and down to earth, and Regis with all of the health issues he has had over the recent past,  looked just super and handsome. He is so funny. He makes me laugh so hard every time I watch him.  I did have my picture taken with them both, and Regis pulled a Regis move and blocked Kelly's face right when Jeanne snapped, so it is me with the two of them of sorts...just so funny, and this was the best show I had ever been to. Like  I said before how amazed I was at the execution of the way this hour was put together., and we were out of there promptly at 10 AM, exactly one hour, again amazing!!!
 
    So being that it was so early we decided to go down to The View to see if we were able to get any tickets on standby as The View tapes two shows on Thursday, so we picked up our standby slips, and had time to kill, so we strolled up to the OLTL studio. Something of course I do often, but Jeanne never really does it with me. She loves the show, but just never really went to hang with me in Llanview. Now she saw just in a short amount of time how many actors you can see. We were there for a total of maybe 25 minutes, and we saw 5 actors...She was pleasantly surprised!!!  We saw John Paul, Forbes March, David and Melissa Fumero, and Catherine Hickland. I had the chance to spend a few minutes with my Cat, and for me that's always a pleasure. Jeanne was impressed. I think she is going to be coming with me now for sure in the future.
Not a bad way to kill half an hour now was it?
 
    Next was back to The View in which our standbys got us in, to find out that the guest was Brothers and Sisters star Rob Lowe. Boy were we excited about that. He is adorable...Almost as adorable as Vince Vaughn, so I was in my glory seeing these two men that I am a huge fan of on the same day, along with a few of my OLTL hunks... 
 
    Now remember that The View shares the same building where All My Children tapes as well, so as we were standing in the lobby of 320 West 66th Street waiting to get up to our seats at the show, we had the chance to catch a glimpse of Debbie Morgan who is back on AMC currently recreating the role of Angela Hubbard, and the fans just went crazy when they saw her. That was a nice little extra added bonus...I wish I had a camera ready to snap her, but it happened so fast and unexpectedly that I was not prepared.
 
    Jeanne and I met so many wonderful new people that day, but the most favorite of all was a lovely woman named Clair from Connecticut that we met at The View and being that she was alone, she sat with Jeanne and I. Love meeting new people and Clair was no exception, needless to say that we will be staying in touch.
 
    So Regis and Kelly, a few OLTL actors at the studio, The View, and even an AMC star all in one day. Not to hard to take, right?  Better than being at work!!!  A new friend in Clair, and a long time friend with Jeanne, what more could I ask for?
 
    Really my thanks all go to Jeanne. We had one of the best days ever (next to our winning games at Shea of course and this year we are very confident that we will see a lot of that going on this season), she is great company always, and spending it with her just put the cap on a perfect day.


 

PAGING DR. JOE -- By Diane Casale 2/5/08

     With all of the years of viewing All My Children, I came to the conclusion over the past few weeks with about 75% of each episode taking place in Pine Valley Hospital, that my favorite doctor Joe Martin is such a wonderful character to watch. I have always loved Joe, and his portrayer Ray MacDonnell and so many times the veteran actors and actress get pushed into the background for the constant wave of younger actors which we all know happens too frequently. When I watch him I just get flashbacks of the early years of AMC and the great storylines that there were and it took me back to a great point in soap opera life.

     With the return of Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams, it just firms up for me all of the rich history and great memories from the past in Pine Valley. The good old days with Joe and Ruth were some of the best ever.

     Now with all of the tragedy going on and illness on the show, you see Ray every day and the scenes with Debbi, Michael Knight and especially the moments that include Susan Lucci are just bringing back the core of what AMC is all about. Joe, Tad, Angie, Erica, what more can you ask for?

     I have met Ray in the past on a couple of occasions and he is such a sweet dear man in reality just like Joe is on-screen. Joe is the kind of man you want as your Dad, Granddad and most importantly your Doctor! Kind and gentle men both Joe and Ray are.

     Watching him all these weeks too something else dawned on me. He can still practice medicine and handle a crisis better then anyone. Just think, in a short amount of time he has been trying to save a dying Frankie Hubbard and Greenlee Smyth from some undisclosed illness, but to make matters worse, now he has to deal with another friend, Ryan Lavery. After giving him a clean bill of health following a recent gunshot wound to the head, he finds out that Ryan has lost four years of his life!!! Damn he is so clam, cool and collected. Just think could you handle all of that with people that are all close to you? I can’t handle simple things in day-to-day life without getting stressed out!

     Ray, I love you and I am so glad that AMC has written a storyline that puts you at the front and center, and it just gives me a great feeling and fills me with so many heartwarming memories from years past.  

 

Valley View -- By Carol Dickson 2/3/08

     What a creative production Friday’s show was! The direction and production staff came up with a great use of an out of body experience with Greenlee. I love when our show comes up with something different and unusual to keep our interest going strong. Great job!

     Have you noticed the new hospital rooms and hallways? Now it looks like a hospital.

     Poor Ryan and poor Annie, they can’t get a break. When will they find happiness?

     When Adam burned that paper about Kate’s adoption I was yelling at the screen. Adam has no heart and he has become a monster.

 

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP -- By Diane Casale 1/30/08

     As a devout fan of AMC I must say that I always stick with my shows through the good times and the not-so-good times, and I have remained faithful on a daily basis over the past year or so as usual. However, it seems that ever since the story ended with Zoe, AMC really hit a major bump in the road, changing things at the writing helm for starters and then sending the show into a little bit of a confusion to the point of which they seemed clueless as to the direction that they were heading in. I knew eventually things would have to change and take a turn for the better. Each week when I would open my Soap Opera Weekly and look at the ratings I was very afraid for AMC. This is a show that for the most part was always in the top five, and remember the days of it being 2 or 3? It really wasn’t all that long ago. When you see a show that was always rated that high for the most part, and now tied for last place with GL or Passions that is really hitting rock bottom. Now they have no where to go but up.

     The biggest problem I did have with the show during this time of turmoil is the dragging out of storylines and some of them just seemed to be going in circles, as if the writers had not a clue how to finalize certain plotlines and just kept them going on and on and on. Of course, the writers’ strike has not helped with this matter at all none the less.

     I am feeling more confident in the way they are heading presently. Having Rebecca back is a plus and the return of Angie and Jesse will be enough to raise the rating. Mario Van Peebles is a super actor and I am looking forward to his role of Samuel Woods to shake things up in Pine Valley as he is an attorney running for the Senate and that’s a good thing. That is a great direction for the show to go in as political storylines are always interesting and AMC has not really ever done much on that road before.

     I just wish also that they would put an end for better or for worse the Annie/Richie storyline. It seems we don’t know if the writers want him to be good or bad. I just hope they settle it one way or another. Also maybe the fact that Kendall is going to be a well-known author for having her book “Charm” published will be a blessing as it will give her something else to do other than just get hysterical over every little thing that happens.

     The one thing I wish for the most is for Jackson and Erica to figure it out as well. All that keeps happening with them is on and off and one and off and on and off. PLEASE. Usually when soap couples split and they reunite, it takes a while for them to get back to that point but with Jackson and Erica it seems like all they do is get married and divorced and married again every other day, quicker then the blink of an eye. It seems as if they have nothing else better to do with this super couple, and if they can’t think of anything else then once again they should just end it once and for all and get on with it. As I said these are minor things that can be rectified that I am complaining about and I am starting to see some gradual changes for the better.

     It still is a priority for me to watch it as I have my whole life and with the right moves they are going to get back on track and rise to the occasion. It is slowly staring to get there and I will be there every day to watch its progress and see it develop back to the edgy riveting show it has always been. I have every confidence that it will happen.

  

MAJOR SHAKEUPS--By Diane Casale 2/1/08

     In a recent post that you will read on this website I wrote about the upswing of the direction in which AMC is going since the return of some of our old time favorites. While I am glad to have them back I must say on the other hand that I am disappointed in some of the cast members who are being let go and some whose contracts are in question and not sure of the fate of their jobs in the near future.

     It seems that Brent Weber as Sean really never got the chance to take off and was never given a decent storyline. He, as we know, is already gone off the show and is in LA where I wish him the best of luck. Actors like Alec Musser and Jeff Branson are two others that are rumored to be on their way out. I enjoyed Alec as Del but Jeff Branson? I can not comprehend why they may let him go. Jeff is such a powerful actor and he has played the role of Jonathan to the hilt. He has a huge fan base and you remember the first time they wrote him out the fans raised hell to get him back and they did. Now I am hearing rumors about Melissa Claire Egan and Amanda Baker and their time on the show may be in question.

     Besides the way I feel about Jeff, what about the other biggest shock of a rumored actor that may be let go? I am speaking of Leven Rambin. This wonderful actress has brought so much to AMC over the years. Lily alone is an important character. However when she took on the role of Ava that just solidified the fact that she is a tremendous actress. Are the writers trying to strip Jackson of his whole family so the only kin he has left is Greenlee? No Sean and no Lily?? I am going to hope that somehow TPTB at AMC can come to some kind of a solution as to avoid a bloodbath and mass exodus of some of our long time faves in Pine Valley.

     To those who are gone and to those who are in question, I want to wish them all the luck and success in the world.

 

SHAME ON YOU SOAP NET-- By AnneMarie Donelin

    I watch All My Children on Soap Net and was appalled by the recent hype regarding Rebecca Budig's return, not because of Rebecca personally--I love her, think she is a wonderful actress and a very sweet person--but because of Soap Net's blithe disregard for Sabine Singh by constantly airing commercials announcing that "The Real Greenlee is Back." 

     How insensitive was Soap Net when they started showing these commercials in anticipation of Rebecca Budig's return to All My Children as Greenlee?  I would cringe every time I watched them, knowing that Sabine Singh had been let go from her role as Greenlee and hoping that she was not seeing these commercials.  Although it is sometimes difficult for a new actor to replace an actor who is a fan favorite, and whose character is an integral part of the show, I think Sabine did a great job as Greenlee.  At first I couldn't get used to someone else playing this character, but I came to admire Sabine and her portrayal of Greenlee.  For awhile Sabine was "the real Greenlee" and she had terrific chemistry with all the other actors with whom she worked.  I know daytime television can be a rough business for many actors and the future uncertain, but this situation should have been handled in a tasteful manner.

     Maybe the execs over at All My Children should take a lesson from General Hospital, who brought back Sarah Joy Brown as another character, instead of the character of Carly she originated.  Do the same with Sabine--I'm sure a new character can be created--after all this is the soap world and anything is possible.

 

The Return Of Three Favorites -- By Carol Dickson 1/30/08

With the return of Greenlee, Angie and Jesse the show certainly received some spark with these three favorites returning. I like that they are now showing us more diversified scenes with each show. The more storylines going on the better.

The hospital certainly has taken on a new look too. It looks more like the hospitals I have seen. It especially is nice not to see every patient that comes in go to the one room across from the nurses station too :)

 

Ryan, What Happened? -- By Carol Dickson 1/30/08

 Poor Ryan….can’t the man have at least one month where he is happy, I mean really happy. What can his strange behavior mean? A brain tumor, the shot changed his personality, he is taking on other identities? I guess we will just have to see where this leads.

Tad’s Daughter -- By Carol Dickson 1/30/08

Please, please, please let Tad find his daughter soon. Adam proves with each disgraceful plan that he has become unredeemable. How can Krystal still have feelings for him?

 

ROUGH & TOUGH -- By Diane Casale 1/16/08

     While today is the day that Rebecca Budig has returned to AMC and most fans are happy with this I just want to say that I wish Sabine Singh nothing but the best. Sometimes soap fans can be very harsh when a new actor takes over a part that has been so well received by the public, and no matter what this actress/actor does and for however long they do it, they are never accepted the way they should be. At times, it really works out with an actor’s replacement and fans click on all levels with them. For instance, the biggest recast ever on ABC daytime in my opinion is that of Trevor St. John, and his role as Todd Manning on OLTL. While people thought that Emmy Winner Roger Howarth could never be replaced, they were really wrong, and believe me, I surely thought that as well and Trevor was accepted right away and certainly once again by me. Let’s face it Todd Manning is one of the most complicated characters to portray in daytime. You would think the fans would have been really critical of him and it never happened. In fact I can’t even imagine or remember the way it was with Roger. Trevor is Todd and he was well received no doubt easy. It was never a problem in his case and he pulled it off without a hitch.

     Where I am going with this and don’t get me wrong I am a huge Rebecca fan however the character to me of Greenlee is not that complex certainly not to the degree of Todd and so with that being said I think Sabine did an excellent job and I really feel bad for her losing her role to the character’s originator. I have read countless interviews with her over the past months and I think she as an actress knew all along that she was filling some pretty tough shoes where AMC fans were concerned and I know in the back of her mind she figures she probably never got in the groove totally with the Pine Valley fans. I am here to say that was not true with me. I thought she did an excellent job and handled the part just like the part of Greenlee should have been played. Her chemistry with Aiden Turner was really great, so natural, not to mention she worked well with all of her costars I thought. She never seemed uncomfortable in the part at all. So I guess I am split on this topic. Of course Rebecca is a welcome-back for me but I am sad to see Sabine’s run on AMC come to an end, especially in the abrupt manner that it did. I wish her well and above all else, I feel she got a tough break and in reality that is the world of daytime….no job is safe. The bottom line here is the fans really do make a big difference in what they want and they surely wanted Rebecca back that’s for sure. I am glad I got to meet Sabine at the Fan Club Party last year. She was a real sweetheart!

 

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