So yes, the new news is the change in the head writing team of All My Children.  Marlene McPherson and Elizabeth Snyder are no longer going to be with the show.  You can read Agnes Nixon’s announcement here.

I really try not to comment on the choices of the powers that be, but now that we are in such a time of flux and change and co-creation, I think I should because the changes are coming swiftly and (as you know from my previous post) I think it’s rattling.

Some of you may know I wrote a blog for Parade Magazine praising the work of these two writers. I stand by my words.  I think Marlene and Elizabeth and their team did an amazing job.  Writing a soap is one of the most difficult jobs out there, and putting up a show like All My Children (a show with a vast and complex history) is not an easy task.  They did a GREAT job and I think everyone behind the scenes knows that.  It’s a FACT that we wouldn’t have got to this point without them.

However TPTB are really listening to the audience.  The stories are wonderful, there is no criticizing them, but from what I hear out there online, there are a lot of complaints that there isn’t enough story balance between the younger characters and the vets.  It’s not like Marlene and Elizabeth weren’t writing for them, or were not doing a great job, it’s just that writing for the long time characters is easier if you’ve known them for a long time.  Insights that take a lot of time to develop come more quickly if (for example only) you already deeply know “Angie” over a long period of time and what she would or wouldn’t do.  There is just a time and familiarity element at play, and when time is what we are short on, not having that familiarity can become an issue.  That’s where the new head writer’s come in.

I know Lisa Connor has been around All My Children a long, long time.  She has insight into the show both in it’s story and it’s production that very few people have.  She trained with Agnes Nixon and therefore has a deep connection to how Agnes thinks, and her style.  This is something that is essential to the long term success of the series, as Agnes’ vision is what made this show work for so long.

One thing that is also true is that AMC is a character driven, not plot driven show.  It may be one of the only shows that features it’s character’s throughout the years as a defining element.  That’s not to say other shows do not, but with AMC it is definitive.  So part of this writing team change may be because this is one of Lisa’s strongest abilities – to tell story through character.  That’s not to say Marlene and Elizabeth can’t or haven’t done this, it’s to say Lisa has a special insight based on her long experience with the show, and the leaning of her own abilities.

Chip Hayes has been working for AMC for a while, but his writing history also includes the shows Y&R, GH, and Melrose Place during their heydays.  These shows have had a lot of success and if Chip was a part of that then you can bet he knows what he is doing.

Finally, I really trust in the instincts of Ginger Smith, and I hope you will too.  She got AMC up and running in SIX WEEKS, pulling the best of the business together to work their asses off to bring the show back to life.  And she did it.  WE did it.  So I hope you will give her all the support and love she deserves.  Making the big decisions isn’t easy or always fun but her heart is 100% in the right place – on making All My Children the classic show you loved and keeping it up and running for the long term.

So yeah, it’s kind of a whirlwind right now, but welcome to the jungle of television production.  These things have been going on behind the scenes for years, it’s just now we are having to talk about them more because we are in this new medium where every little decision is being put under a microscope!

Again, if I didn’t think that the show was headed in the right direction, with the right people at the helm, I wouldn’t be here going through all of this with you.  But I do.  Agnes and Ginger and Jeff are an amazing team (and Rich!) and they deserve our support and applause for everything they have done and everything they are doing to keep AMC true to it’s core and the best that it can be.

As for me, I am no PR agent or Ambassador.  I just know the show and the people behind the scenes and have been in conversation with all of you online for years, since 2006 when I first wrote my blog for ABC “Confessions of a Mad Soap Star.”  I’ve always liked letting you know that we are real people, just like you, with real families who just so happen to enjoy making fantasy worlds (because for some of us, real life can really suck.)  So I promise to keep blogging more often, so we can keep in touch and talk about whatever is going on with the show and in life.

Conversation is the only thing that matters.  It stops hate.  It stops violence.  It stops hurt.  If it bother’s you, please talk about it and it will at least lead you towards a decision that is right for you.  I hope you stay in conversation with me, or the show, or with the people in your life that matter to you.  Some of us need to talk more than others and that is so okay.  We are in process, working it out.  Trust me, I know.  I have had 16 years PLUS of therapy and I’m still talking about some of the same old crap.  But I haven’t jumped off a bridge, hurt anybody else, or stopped living my life.  And some days, for some of the stuff I deal with, I think that is really saying something.  The sad thing is, shit happens to a LOT of people, so what can we do?  We can stick together.  That’s all we got!

So thanks again for joining me …. in conversation about life, love, and soap operas!

It’s been about a week since I finished the All My Children five week taping session and I have all they symptoms of stress to prove it!  Anxiety, moments of depression, upset stomach, trouble sleeping, the list goes on… But there is a silver lining to every cloud and, as is my tendency, I am here to share it.

First off, AMC is like a family to me and that’s no joke.  I started on the show when I was 19 and spent some of my toughest years (eight years of my mother’s illness and death) with many of the same cast members and production crew that I work with now.  These people have been there for me and I have been there for them.  They came to her memorial service, I went to their wedding.  They talked me through bad breakups, I held their hand through their nervous breakdown.  When I got fired in 2006, I went through a depression that I couldn’t understand.  I still knew all these same people, I just wasn’t working with them anymore.  So why was I so blue?

Then AMC started hiring me back for little bits and pieces.  I was so sure that they would realize that I was the family member that wanted to come home and it was only a matter of time but it didn’t happen. Instead they hired me back as an angel.  I mean, how much more dead can you be on a soap?

Finally, in 2011 they asked me back for a full time contract and well, you know the story.  The soap got cancelled!  It was a crazy ride, but you know what the main theme is in all this, at least for me?

I have never said “no” to All My Children.  I have said, “I need a rest,” but never “No.”

I have never said no because deep down, I love this show, and all the people on it.  It is as deep in my bones as I think it is in many of the fans who have been watching far longer than I have been related to it, which at 25 years is saying something.  For those of you and, as I hope you can now understand, for me, AMC is a part of us.  I know, it’s just a TV show, but it’s also something that got some of us through rough times in life and those relationships are precious, no matter how they come about or how you are related.

So I can understand that when Prospect Park brought the show back after ABC basically ripped the guts out of it, there was a lot of suspicion about whether or not it would still be the show so many of us remembered as “home.”  Lets call this “Attack Phase One.”  During this time fans expressed concern that 1) their favorite characters were missing, 2) they couldn’t figure out where to watch the show, and 3) they didn’t like news it would be more raunchy.

The issue of it being on the Internet was almost an entire phase in itself.  Let’s call this “Attack Phase Two.”  During this time people expressed concern that it 1) couldn’t be found in other countries, especially Canada, 2) wasn’t free (even though it IS on Hulu.com, and 3) they were losing the time based ritual of watching the show at 1PM.

It’s important to note that all of my online discourse was around these issues.  The facts I stated again and again were these:

1) There are 17 core veteran characters back on the show, and the young people who are new are all related.  New generations keep the show and Agnes’ legacy alive, which is how the show will stay on the air for 41 more years!  A GOOD thing!

2) The show is available for FREE on Hulu.com.  There are advertisements, but you can watch it ANYTIME, even at your regular 1PM time if you want, because it is online, not on cable.  If you use Hulu+ you can watch it on a tablet or smart phone for a monthly fee, along with many other TV shows.

3) There would be a new show Monday-Thursday for both AMC and OLTL and the MORE show on Friday.  If you couldn’t watch every day, you could watch 4-8 shows on the weekend.  They made a deal with the cable company FX Canada based on this 5 day a week programming to help the Canadian fans get access to the shows since Hulu wasn’t available to Canadians yet.

Everything seemed to be going along nicely.  In the two weeks that AMC and OLTL aired, we premiered at number ONE on Hulu and stayed in the top FIVE for all series over the three week period.  It was a great moment.  Even though it took everyone a few moments to find the shows and get used to watching them on the internet, once they did they jumped at the chance to watch.  There was only one problem.  Many people were missing shows.  They just didn’t have the TIME to watch every single episode.

This included myself.  How could I?  I was working five days a week and by Saturday was so tired I spent the entire day in bed just emotionally and physically recovering.  Sunday I could watch about two shows, but then I needed to get up and get out into the day, pay my bills, see a friend, watch my clothes … you know … life.  It turns out my viewing patterns were far more the norm for the average AMC viewer. There were simply TOO MANY SHOWS TO WATCH.  I couldn’t even add on OLTL … and I WANTED TO!  I know a lot of people there as well and want to support it as much as possible… I JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE TIME.

Now I understand for some people, too much of a good thing is never enough.  I get it.  But the FACT IS, there are a lot of people who are passionate about the show who STILL were not able to watch ALL the shows, as well as a lot of NEW fans who couldn’t catch up and WANTED TO.

So Prospect Park decided to make a change.  Because we are in our infancy as an Internet series, this change was something that was within their power to make.  Although they had set a pattern, it hadn’t been set in stone yet.  So they decided to show both series twice a week, giving us FOUR shows a week (2 AMC, 2 OTLT) for us to watch instead of EIGHT.  It seemed like a really smart move.  Let’s call this “Attack Phase 3.”

Oh yes, this was a fun one.  I have to say my stomach dropped when I heard the news about the programming change.  NOT because I thought it was a bad idea, NOT AT ALL.  Because I knew that the people I LOVED to talk to on the Internet were going to have the same physical reaction I was….

Based on our shared history of our beloved show being sent down the tubes, radical changes mean LOSS.  Loss feels like shit, let’s just cut to the chase.  When someone “pulls the rug out” or does a “bait and switch” you feel a natural, physical, “punch to the gut” kind of feeling.  I KNOW.  I HAD IT TOO.  But it is a reaction based on the PAST, not on the facts of the present.

In my past, I was fired.  Then I was forgotten.  At various times I have been loved and then treated like shit.  I still have a wincing reaction when any news about the show comes out, like someone is about to punch my grandmother.  But that is not happening.  No one is punching Grandma.

The fact is: NOTHING IS WRONG.  Let me say it again.  THE SHOW IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

I have called Ginger Smith and talked to her.  ALL of us actors have.  Jeff K. has written to me, to the press, to many of us and assured us that EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT.  In fact, this change of FOUR shows a week is benefitting the production so much that it is making it possible for them to pay more attention to details that are going to end up in creating better shows.  Better shows mean better story lines, more favorite characters, better budget, better sets, better everything.

IS THIS NOT A GOOD THING?

The one down side I know is that FX Canada couldn’t use the new two show a week programming as it didn’t work for them.  The up side of that down is that both shows are now available on Canadian iTunes, so they are still accessible, just not on cable.  It sucks, but it’s still available, and AVAILABLE is what matters, no?

So if you follow my emotional through line, I think we ALL felt like we were about to be suckered in: that the show begged us to come back, then we did, then they fired us or dumped us or kicked us or took advantage of us in some way BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING.  REALLY.

I spoke to someone at PP who told me she CRIED when she watched last Monday’s show.  That’s how much they are devoted and dedicated and attached to the same show that you, the viewer, are.  Isn’t that lovely to know?

I understand the gut reaction, I really do.  I have had the same kind of “WTF Is going on?” reaction until it was explained to me and it HAD to be explained to me several times until it finally sank in.

BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:  YOU CARE.  I CARE.  PP and AMC and OLTL CARES.  WE ALL CARE and that is a BEAUTIFUL THING.  THE SHOWS are NOT going off the Internet because PP is making changes to KEEP them on in the most productive way possible to YOU the viewer.  Caring means we aren’t dead, and not being dead means we can do something about the things that make us feel good and the things that really matter.

What matters?  LOVE.  Love is what matters most of all.  So let’s love each other through this.  Let’s all try to be a little kinder when changes come our way.  You’re good people.  I am not a terrible asshole (I think, I hope.)  I try my best to keep connected with all of you because I believe in the power of the Internet to connect people in ways that matter, that can make a difference.  I believe that sharing beauty and love through this crazy little machine can make the world a better place.

Listen: if you have called me a liar, an asshole, or told me I’m full of shit…. I FORGIVE YOU.  You were mad.  I get it.  But maybe we can move on from here and not go back to that dark, angry place again.  Wouldn’t that be nice?  Maybe we can all just take a breath and believe in each other, and in what the people who are behind AMC and OLTL are trying to do… bring us beautiful little gems that we can co-create together.

I know you can do it.  I know we can do it.

I’m no guru, I’m just a person, a human being who happens to be an actor on a TV show who loves and believes in people.  Let’s do our best and celebrate how nice it is to be brought together by these crazy little shows.

Thanks for listening…. if I missed a salient point, I apologize.  I need to go outside now.  Hope you have a great day.

xo

Cady

I love this crazy, funny, ridiculous video so much I can’t stop watching it! So happy the fans are laughing and screaming right along with us! It’s a wild ride but one I wouldn’t miss for the world!

I want to talk about the new young people on All My Children, and why I think (and hope) the audience should give them a chance.  I am not known for blowing smoke up anybodies hoo-ha, right? Let’s just start with that as a baseline for this conversation!

Before you totally freak on me, let me tell you that I TOTALLY understand what happened to AMC during the ‘oughts of 2000-2010. The show lost heart (in my opinion) and it’s way.  Franz and company dominated and upended the show during that time, throwing old favorites into the fire and overwhelming the fans with too many new faces.  I can totally get why someone might say, “Oh please, not again!” or “Stop ruining my show!”

Here is why I think, no scratch that, I KNOW that is NOT going to happen.

First off: lets look at the COMPANY of actors on the list.

On the classic side, there are: Julia Barr (Brooke), Jill Larson (Opal), David Canary (Adam), Ray MacDonnell (Joe Martin), Debbie Morgan (Angie), Darnell Williams (Jesse), me (Dixie), Eden Reigal (Bianca), Vincent Irrizary (David), Francesca James (Evelyn), Jordi Vilacuso (Griff), Lindsay Hartley (Cara), and Thorston Kaye (Zack)… that’s THIRTEEN veterans of the show in place from the START, and you can bet there are more to come.

On the newbie side there are: Eric Nelson (AJ, son of JR), Ryan Bittle (JR), Jordan Lane Price (Celia, can’t tell you who she’s related to… YET!), Heather Roop (Jane), Sal Stowers (Cassandra, daughter of Angie and Jesse), Robert Scott Wilson (Pete Cortland, son of Opal and Palmer), and Denyse Tontz (Miranda, daughter of Bianca)… that’s only SEVEN and almost all of them are related to long standing, beloved core characters!

Then lets consider that Agnes Nixon was not allowed to give hardly ANY input when Franzie was running things. He REALLY threw her to the fire!  NOW she is back in FULL FORCE and is totally and completely respected by the new bosses of the show. I have personally heard Jeff Kwatinetz talk about how blown away he is by her and her genius.  Not only that, but Ginger Smith, who was an associate producer under every regime since I started, oh 25 years ago (lets not talk about that number, shall we?) is AT THE HELM.  In all my years, I have never known ANYONE who LOVED and UNDERSTOOD All My Children at it’s CORE like Ginger.  She is the MAIN reason I returned. I love and respect her so much.

Now let me tell you about my experiences with these young people.  I don’t know if you’ve heard me talk about this yet, but you will.  The short version is: when I came to the set the first day, I COULD NOT LEAVE IT.  Even though I wasn’t shooting until the end of the day, I stayed on the set for HOURS.  Guess who sat next to me all that time? Eric Nelsen, who plays “AJ.”

We sat and watched the monitor and I talked to him about the show, it’s history, how to work with cameras, everything that came into my mind on that very special day. He was a total doll, respectful, grateful and attentive. He studied at PCS, aka Professional Children’s School for Actors, and I could tell he is very passionate and committed to his work.  As a child actor myself, we had an instant bond.  Later, I got to watch him do his thing on set. He is totally committed, adorable, and incredibly talented. I can’t speak highly enough of this young man. I totally adore him.

I also got to meet Sal Stowers, “Cassandra,” that day. I had no idea she was the winner of America’s Next Top Model and I am glad I didn’t!  I had no preconceptions when we were introduced. Who I met was a completely respectful and thoughtful young LADY, who was excited to be a part of the show and couldn’t wait to prove herself. I got to hang out with her a little and found her to be totally delightful. She’s funny, kind, sweet, and a vegan! She gave me a little shit about my shearling coat as is an animal activist and I am proud that she did! She was right! I am a bit of a mama bear and told her she needed to be super gentle with herself because this is the hardest job you will ever love. She seemed really grateful for my insights, which I took as a sign of respect. After seeing her work, that respect works both ways, let me tell you!

I also met the adorable Denyse Tontz as “Miranda.”  This little lady is so cute and only SEVENTEEN!  She’s also a singer songwriter, and such a talented, natural actress.  I looked up her VIDEO and it was stuck in my head on a loop.  She’s funny and fun, too!  At the after party on our last night of the two week shoot, she and I danced our BUTTS off with Eric, Sal, Rob, Jordon and the whole production gang. I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her, like everyone else on our show has!

Speaking of dancing, Robert Scott Wilson aka “Pete Cortland” is a dancing machine! We had so much fun that night. I’m going to share with you one thing that happened because I think you will appreciate it. I think it says a lot about his character. After the full funky freakout on the dance floor I pulled him aside and said, “Hey I might have to leave soon, could you do me a favor and look out for the girls?” The club was picking up and the clientele was looking a little too, shall we say, ready for good times. He leaned over and said, “Don’t worry, I think of these girls like they were my sisters. I am totally on it.” I LOVE THAT! He is also a charming actor, and is really going to make a few ladies fall in love with him. He can’t help it, he’s just that kind of guy!

Newcomer Jordan Lane Price, “Celia,” and I got to hang out a bit as well. I met her the day of the big photo shoot at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. She was looking so beautiful in her blue dress, and I told her so. She made a little fun of herself, telling me, “I am totally pulled in by a corset! I believe in normal bodies. I hope they like me!” I assured her she looked amazing and asked her how she felt about the work she had to do the upcoming week.  She confided she was a bit overwhelmed. This is her first job and she was being asked to do a lot of pages, a couple days in a row, which is a LOT for a newbie to handle. So I told her how to do it – how to do what we call “breaking down a script.”  She was genuinely grateful and from what I heard she did an amazing job. I find her incredibly touching. I may have to adopt her.

Then there is Heather Roop as “Jane.” Heather is HILARIOUS and so much fun! She is a southern gal who really knows how to lay it on the line and I LOVE THAT as you probably can guess. We had drinks one night with Lindsay and Sal and DAMN if us girls didn’t know how to get right down to it! We all promised each other we would have each other’s back.  WOMEN GOT TO STICK TOGETHER, right? If WE don’t tell each other how it is, WHO WILL?  Damn, that was a fun evening.

Last, but certainly not least, there is Ryan Bittle as my son “JR.”  How do I put this? Uh… DREAMBOAT?  I got a good looking son, people. WOW.  And he’s really a man’s man. Strong, but with this beautiful secret vulnerability.  Since CBS couldn’t release Jacob Young to do the part of JR, I think we got really lucky with Ryan. He is devoted to understanding the character and giving the audience a great new look at him.  I think you will be as riveted by his work as I clearly am.

One other point, and I made this on my FB page but it bears repeating: All My Children is a show about generations of families. I started as a teenager, as did Julia Barr and Susan Lucci! Even Michael Knight played a teen story with “Tad and Jenny and Angie and Jesse,” remember? Teen love stories are a long standing part of the tradition of soaps. I also want to assure you that because AGNES is back, there is a great balance between the young people and the vets. It all WORKS because it is all woven together in a modern, but CLASSIC way.  Trust me, if I thought it was crap I would NOT be taking time on my DAY OFF to write this blog, or tweeting or FB-ing or all the other stuff I’m up to. I am doing it because I BELIEVE in what is being created. After two shows and 25 damn years in daytime, (cough, gack, did I just say that?) I KNOW what it feels like when a show is in the “sweet spot” and I am telling you, this production is HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK!

Let’s not turn the soaps into a nostalgia trip. Lord knows, I can’t live up to the past. I can only move forward and try to create something new and authentic for you. Thank god for YouTube, there are hundreds of videos up there with the great shows we once did, so they can keep on giving joy! Maybe one day someone will get smart and put it all on DVD’s for people to own in a higher quality. I sure love seeing them, and I do look back from time to time to ponder my youth and sigh with what we were all able to create as an ensemble… but NOW I am SO EXCITED about the future… it’s simply BLOWING MY MIND.

Okay, really for real, the last thing: I could write a whole ‘nother blog on this point, but let’s just touch on AGISM, shall we? When I was young, I was told I better make it while I was young because there would be nothing for me over 40. Now, thanks to the hard work of a LOT of FABULOUS women, that has totally changed and THANK GOD. But is it me, or does it seem like we are all looking at the kids and giving them a really hard time? The Millennials in particular. Maybe they remind us we ain’t getting any younger, but personally I find them an awesome generation. That’s why I write for policymic.com! I think this generation has so much to share and teach us. I love their VOICE, their liberation, their street savvy, their art.  I say BRING IT!

So hang in there and thanks for listening to all my blah blah!  All My Children will be up on HULU for FREE April 29th at NOON and, please, remember: give the kids a chance!  You might just fall in love with soaps all over again…

Oh and PS: OF COURSE you are allowed your opinion! Free speech, baby! Rock it! Agree, disagree, SAY YOUR PEACE!  I love ya no matter WHAT. Guess I’m just stoopid that way.

Hugs,

Cady