All My Children prime time version in the works

[tommie]

‘All My Children’ Eyes ABC Return With Primetime Sequel ‘Pine Valley’ In the Works From Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos

An iconic daytime drama is getting a primetime makeover. ABC is in early development on Pine Valley, a primetime version of the network’s beloved daytime drama All My Children, with popular alums Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos executive producing alongside Andrew Stearn and filmmaker Robert...

deadline.com

An iconic daytime drama is getting a primetime makeover. ABC is in early development on Pine Valley, a primetime version of the network’s beloved daytime drama All My Children, with popular alums Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos executive producing alongside Andrew Stearn and filmmaker Robert Nixon, son of the late AMC creator Agnes Nixon.

In the All My Children followup, written/executive produced by Leo Richardson (Katy Keene, Star), a young journalist with a secret agenda comes to expose the dark and murderous history of a town named Pine Valley only to become entangled in a feud between the Kane and Santos families. The seres explores all the secrets that come with the Kane and Santos family names.

Pine Valley will feature a new generation of characters and some old favorites. There are currently no deals in place with original cast members but the plan is to invite a number of them to make an appearance, with Ripa and Consuelos also possible making a cameo.

 

[Alexis]

That sounds really interesting. I hope ABC do it properly and don't go down the dramady route like Desperate Housewives ended up, or worse over the top camp like Ugly Betty. I hope it's a proper soap and they bring some of the Daytime cast back. La Lucci in prime time. It feels right.

 

[Daniel Avery]

It sounds like a very interesting project. I like the idea of the Consueloses involved, since they've always spoken so admiringly of their AMC days. You have to have someone at the top who genuinely loves soaps and the soap format for a show to have a chance...otherwise they take too many liberties and the show becomes a mess (see the online versions of AMC and OLTL). I assume this will be a weekly series, so it can't be exactly like a daytime soap, but having built-in name and character recognition will certainly help.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

This sounds like it could be amazing. I never watched AMC (I don't think it ever aired here) but was aware of it because of the profile of Susan Lucci and then subsequently saw clips online. I might be getting ahead of myself here but Pine Valley is already giving me Peyton Place small town scandal vibes. If it makes it to air, I'll definitely be watching. I'm aware of writer Leo Richardson, mainly because he was a good looking gay writer on EastEnders and I read an interview with him somewhere and from a great pilot he did called Stanley Park. I haven't seen his US shows but from what I gather, Star was a primetime soap of sorts, so he has that experience mixed with EastEnders, which would be more in line with a daytime soap in terms storylining over multiple episodes per week.

That sounds really interesting. I hope ABC do it properly and don't go down the dramady route like Desperate Housewives ended up, or worse over the top camp like Ugly Betty. I hope it's a proper soap and they bring some of the Daytime cast back. La Lucci in prime time. It feels right.

The article says"As it will be in primetime, Pine Valley will have a heightened tone and will wink to the daytime soap genre similar to how the CW’s Jane the Virgin paid homage to telenovelas." I've never seen Jane the Virgin, so I don't know what the tone of that show is/was but recognising it's daytime origins sounds is the right way to go.

 

[Alexis]

The article says"As it will be in primetime, Pine Valley will have a heightened tone and will wink to the daytime soap genre similar to how the CW’s Jane the Virgin paid homage to telenovelas." I've never seen Jane the Virgin, so I don't know what the tone of that show is/was but recognising it's daytime origins sounds is the right way to go.

I haven't watched Jane the Virgin either but I think I have read that it was sort of in a Telenovela style, or nod to that? I think it went down well? Though when the network says stuff like a "a wink to the daytime soap genre" that makes me nervous. Then it's always some executive or writers idea of what a daytime soap is. So lots of evil twin tomfoolery, returns from the dead and all the cliches you can think of. There's the worry it would be over the top kooky campy and silly without any real depth. I guess we will see.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

I haven't watched Jane the Virgin either but I think I have read that it was sort of in a Telenovela style, or nod to that? I think it went down well? Though when the network says stuff like a "a wink to the daytime soap genre" that makes me nervous. Then it's always some executive or writers idea of what a daytime soap is. So lots of evil twin tomfoolery, returns from the dead and all the cliches you can think of. There's the worry it would be over the top kooky campy and silly without any real depth. I guess we will see.

One plus is that producer Andrew Stearn seems to have been a big fan of All My Children and has a solid C.V including The West Wing and Shameless, so he'll hopefully steer the show right.

 

[Monzo]

ABC axed Thirtysomething reboot because it was too white for today, so AMC needs Debbi Morgan back and Erica's lesbian daughter for diversity. I think Susan Lucci would return, but there's a problem: You can't play with Erica's love life anymore. If an actor got a certain age you don't show romance / love scenes anymore, just remember JR in new Dallas and look at Victor Newman on Y&R right now.

If they only shoot a 6 or 8 episode season AMC could get renewed because of good premiere ratings, but I don't see the reboot survive a full 22 episode season, because daytime ratings for final years were too bad, especially demos. Who of 18 - 49 year olds would watch a reboot of a soap her / his grandmother used to watch?

 

[Alexis]

I think you'd be surprised who would watch. A lot of people miss these kind of shows. A lot of kids watched along when their mothers or grandmothers watched that's how most of us got into soaps. There is affection there for it, and there would be a bit of nostalgia there too. I could see Lucci as Erica Kane the scheming matriarch now, not necessarily the lead of the show, and certainly not a romantic lead, but with a special billing in the credits.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Every new prime time soap is very welcome.

Though when the network says stuff like a "a wink to the daytime soap genre" that makes me nervous.

Maybe this is great for all those soap fans who don't have the stomach for the original daytime soaps, a super-condensed version that highlights the greatest hits of daytime.

So lots of evil twin tomfoolery, returns from the dead and all the cliches you can think of.

Oh, bring it on!

 

[Alexis]

Every new prime time soap is very welcome.

Maybe this is great for all those soap fans who don't have the stomach for the original daytime soaps, a super-condensed version that highlights the greatest hits of daytime.

Oh, bring it on!

I just think that sometimes when shows leap to the ridiculous too soon that it often doesn't end well. Hopefully the season, if it gets that far, lays it all out nicely before they bring in evil twins and returns from the dead. Like I love that stuff too obviously, but it has to be somewhat unexpected and there has to be a bit of more straight drama at the core first.

 

[Rove]

straight drama at the core first.

That's the essence for any series to be successful. If the producers/writers have no idea of their target audience then what hope do we have. I don't mind a series evolving over time but from the outset I need to understand what it is exactly I'm watching.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I just think that sometimes when shows leap to the ridiculous too soon that it often doesn't end well

If one prime time season of NuAMC represents 500 years of daytime AMC then I would expect to see some watercooler moments.

But what is ridiculous?
Dallas started with the impossible marriage, Falcon Crest had the cover-up of someone's death, a homicide in Sons & Daughters resulted in an almost incestuous relationship, Peyton Place also had secrets, lies and adultery and a fake daddy on the wall.
And it was all straight soap.

 

[Richard Channing]

Every new prime time soap is very welcome.

Absolutely. I'd love a new modern prime time soap to sink my teeth into. If only someone could get the formula right. I've never seen AMC but I'd certainly watch as this seems like it could have potential.

 

[Willie Oleson]

If only someone could get the formula right

It would help if they would stop cancelling the new prime time soaps.
Sometimes a soap needs to discover its own formula.

 

[Alexis]

But what is ridiculous?

NuDynasty.

 

[Willie Oleson]

NuDynasty.

Thinking of season 1, there wasn't anything in the plot development itself that I found too ridiculous to watch.
They portray their soap in a ridiculous way, but that's a different issue altogether.

 

[Alexis]

Thinking of season 1, there wasn't anything in the plot development itself that I found too ridiculous to watch.
They portray their soap in a ridiculous way, but that's a different issue altogether.

I can't remember much of it to be honest. I don't think season 1 was it's worst season to be fair. What I mean is I hope the show has a good solid foundation from which it can spring outlandish plots as it goes on.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

I'm eager to see how this develops. I had thought this series was truly dead after the 2013 Prospect Park version failed. I hope a few familiar faces turn up. Many great AMC memories.

I can always hope for a Liz Sloan cameo.

 

[Alexis]

Dallas started with the impossible marriage, Falcon Crest had the cover-up of someone's death, a homicide in Sons & Daughters resulted in an almost incestuous relationship, Peyton Place also had secrets, lies and adultery and a fake daddy on the wall.

It's about tone though isn't it. They were all played straight. There was no wink to the daytime genre there? There is no evil twin, or return from the dead, not the stereotypical daytime plots, those came later. Not to begin with. I don't even know what the new AMC will be like I guess we shall wait and see.

 

[Willie Oleson]

There is no evil twin, or return from the dead, not the stereotypical daytime plots, those came later

Surely the daytime soaps had something more to offer than that?

Maybe it's more about the scenes and overacted dialogue.