DC #383: ABC Escapism vs. Doom and Gloom

It only takes 3 years to get a law degree if you already have your undergraduate degree which I assume Liza already had as a TV producer. She's been gone long enough to actually have gotten law degree.

I am actually liking John McBain/Michael Easton lately.

As for Stacey, OLTL needs a serious bitch and she fits that role. Instead of sneaking around in the background, she is taking what she wants fullforce. The actress has been given a thankless role, and is doing an excellent job. I wish everyone would give her a chance.

Matthew and Bo/Nora have been incredible. I hope Bo/Nora are finding their way back to each other after all these years. I have been actually crying during some of these scenes between Matthew and his parents this past month. These three actors are incredible. This type of emotional storytelling reminds me of Claire Labine (on GH).

I love the fact that Cole is far from through with drugs. Starr and Cole have grown on me so much this past year. They were my least favorite couple this time last year, they have grown in leeps and bounds. Both actors are on fire.

Spencer Truman? I don't know what is going on but I know I don't like it!!!!!

I cant stand Cole/Starr. i just cant stand druggie Cole. He never learns. Starr should have never had gotten pregnant.

Im sick and tired of them bashing Todd everyday. Let him have his kids for a while. How many cops does it take to arrest Todd for a bogus charge.

And John and Marty are so forced and have no chemistry at all!! I believe John is in love with Todd!

And why recast Liza when Cady Mcclain was ready and willing to come back!

No, RH has/is coming to GL. I just know it..

I am so amazed that you all are still able to find good things about abcd soaps. I am barely hanging on to AMC these days. I keep hearing how good OLTL is, but I stopped watching that one, back when Jessica (Erin Torpey) lost her & Will's baby, but I am so tempted to check back in. And, as far as GH goes, I haven't watched since they broke LIASON up back in Dec. I don't think anything short of their reunion could bring me back to watch that mess. GH is Flatlining before our eyes.

I do have to agree about the doom & gloom aspect of soaps. Times are so hard for so many people right now, that the last thing I want to see are depressing storylines. I can watch the nightly news for that. I want romance, humor, happy/committed couples, & multi-generational families, etc.

If I am not mistaken, back during the 1st Depression, they made those huge, extravagaza movies, like the Ziegfield Follies, etc. People were standing in bread lines, but at least they had an outlet from the horrible times they were in. We need rays of sunshine & some hope right now--not kids being shot, kidnapped, sick or injured. (Not that that doesn't happen in real life, but, geez, you're right, space it out a bit & let us catch our breath.

Good podcast, guys! Enjoyable as always!

I remember the big campaign when marcy walker returned to amc in the mid 90's as liza colby.She was brought in as Tads new boss and ended up sleeping with him,I love Marcy walker followed her work from amc to sb to gl.I love Jamie Luner because i know her work i would'nt have casted her as Liza Colby some roles just our untouchable.I could've seen Jamie as Skye Chandler or even Melanie courtlandt.This show is bringing characthers on left and right how about bringing Laurence Lau and Julia Barr back full time.

"Spencer Truman"?

BOOOO-RIINNNGGG.

Amen Tina!

This whole podcast got me thinking... What if Spencer Truman is Rex's father? Is that what Tina and Regan were talking about? What if Rex is really Hugh, the son Paige gave up for adoption? And what if the original Hugh was not really Paige and Spencer's child? I don't know what I am talking about.

Yeah, guys, AMC is a bust right now and GH is so bad I don't know what to say about it is that it is a joke of a once great soap. OLTL is good, but the Stacy s/l is a bust and I don't think that it is Ron's work, I think that Frons is advising that s/l to pimp Rigi or to pimp his latest CBS's actress to the role without thought or clarity. Frons, butt out of the ideas, it is the producers and writers job, not yours. Your job is to oversee the ABC daytime and budget it, even though you are badly at it. No wonder other actors gone to other network to florish while you squander an opportunity to gain back flushing old viewers back to ABC. He is an idiot and going to make ABC daytime a thing of the past if he is still in charge of aBC soaps.

I would say Ryan is the Sonny Corinthos of Pine Valley, not Zach.

Regardless, it ain't a compliment.

tsk, i thought i was gonna hear more love for DESTINY!

My problem with OLTL is the overhype that it gets, I swear I am watching a different show. All the stories ring so fake to me, Cole and drugs what type of drugs is he taking to act out the way he is, the court scenes were such a joke. What person under 40 even rolls weed in paper anymore and where do they even sell them rolled up already. who would buy them not knowing what was in it. Starr and her whole last year and a half have been a big wtf moment for me, and the fact that she gives no thought to Cole as the father of her child is an insult. John and Blair are the worst couple, not even bootycall worthy just pure pathetic and his fake pimp status is just nasty. Not even getting started on the foolish Stacey and her group. Maybe I am living in a different world because hip and contemporary on OLTL looks played and tired to me. Booking a musical act is not praise worthy its reaching, and gimmicky

Shining moments here and there is what I get from the show.

I completely agree that out of the three "kid" story lines on OLTL that the Matthew one should have been front and center and if given a choice out of the three then that is the one that should have been done, because the character is so core on the show since he is a Buchanan and he has been there since he was young. I also agree about the two much too soon and one depressing storyline after another, however I don't think I can complain too much because OLTL was able to wrap me back into watching it after I had stopped for a good while, and in my opinion it is the only ABC soap that has some potential and something going for it right now, but that's just me. =D

1) Spencer Truman - I hope he is alive, which means Lyndesy is out of jail, and, since Bo/Nora are bonding, can you spell triangle, between Bo/Nora/Lyndsey?
2) Matthew, Cole and Shane - Shane's storyline could have waited several months. I like the fact that Cole is still using drugs. One of my issues with GH's Lucky drug storyline, is that he should have bounced in and out of rehab several times before finally getting clean for the B&W ball, and, then finding out Jake wasn't his and he went back on drugs again. GV played a real good druggie.
3)I like Destiny and that she is Sean's little sister and is being a friend to Matthew.
4)Don't care for Stacy, I would rather keep Talia and let Stacy meet the serial killer. Yes, Frons is pimping Stacy..
5)Nat/Jared should drop the Chlope reveal on Viki and Clint.
6) Viki and Charlie need their own storyline without the kids.
7)Layla and Chris will hook-up and along comes Vangie (just a guess).

Overall, OLTL is the only soap I'm watching, dropped GH because it is a big old mess and Frons refuses to give us Liason.

I am scared for One Life right now, and am not missing it during my detox to be honest. SO I AGREE.

I don't think that they are still heading in the direction of placing Liza with Zach since Rendall isn't working out

Frons has really screwed the pooch by nixing VIKI & CHARLIE's love story...we REALLY NEED their sweet romance to balance out all the pain & illness!!!

Yeah, Charlie and Viki needs a s/l of their own without their kids. But Fronsie is not having it because he hates old people, like he is a spring chicken himself. This show needs a balance between all the pain and suffering and Charlie and Viki provide it. The can be the great old couple of Llanview, if written right. Kay and Murphy on Y&R is on the front burner and fans young and old love this couple because they are real and we need to see Kay be happy for once. She feels like other grandma and not prudish like other elders are and Jeanne Cooper can still act her butt off. Yeah, Frons, you are such a jerk.

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Y'all need to chill on OLtL. With apologies to Roger Ebert, "No good soap is depressing; all bad soaps are depressing." OLtL is good soap right now. AMC and GH are bad soaps.

I'm eating it up right now. I find it incredibly engaging and absorbing. It reminds me of Robert Altman's "Nashville" in how it's really one big story with all these characters that interact in ways large and small, comedic and dramatic.

I trust enough in Ron C. to sit back and enjoy the ride, though "enjoy" ain't really the right word. Like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Platoon" and "Nashville," it ain't all sunshine and happiness, but it's satisfying and well done. Though a happy Vicki and Charlie story would be nice, Frons.

Unlike on many of the other soaps, I think Ron C. and crew has a plan, that these stories are where they ought to be and are heading for some big payoffs in good time. I don't think he's pulling stunts out of his ass or making it up as he goes along.

I'm really hoping that Matthew is OLtL's Maggie Horton. I didn't see it back in the day, but I read that Maggie first came on DoOL in a wheelchair but that she regained use of her legs, revealing it by walking down the aisle to marry Mickey. Would it not be great if Matthew regained use of his legs in time to walk up and get his high school diploma or something like that?

I just don't like where the Natalie and Jared thing is going. I don't want them to be lying secret keepers again. I'm hoping the secret comes out during May sweeps.

I think it would have been better if Natalie had had post traumatic stress disorder after all Tess put her through last year. She would try to hide it from Jared and act all Kool Moe Dee. She could find out the secret of Hope/Chloe all by herself and keep it to herself, terrified that revealing it would bring back Tess. I think that would be better motivation for her to keep the secret and to not do what is right by revealing it.

Keeping the secret would stress her relationship with Jared. Then Jared could cheat on Nat with with Stacy, and Stacy could then be in every storyline on the show!

Actually, sleeping with Stacey might make Jared less boring!