All My Children
All My Children's EP Ginger Smith On: New Head Writers, Five Year Story Time-Jump & Michael E. Knight!
Courtesy/TOLN
On last night’s broadcast of the TOLN Soaps Live with Michael Fairman, on the Blog Talk Radio network, the executive producer of All My Children, Ginger Smith was the very special guest for a lively chat and interview about all things Pine Valley in front of the camera and behind the scenes including: why the decision was made to fast forward the story five years into the future from the ABC finale of the series, if Michael E. Knight might truly make a return to the series as Tad Martin, and what Ginger could reveal about the new scripts from the new writing regime, and what is to come when AMC return to film brand new episodes next month after their summer hiatus.
Later in the show, Ginger also took calls from fans of the series asking questions ranging from a possible return of Susan Lucci, to if Brooke and Adam will get married now that Dimitri seems to be taking a liking to Brooke, what the plans are for the destructive character of Colby played by Brooke Newton, and much more! Here are a few quotes from Ginger on some major subjects of interest!
GINGER on the decision to time jump the reboot of AMC five years ahead: “I knew in my head, I would definitely time jump that kid because then you would have the opportunity then to progress the young kids. Not that I don’t love young children, but in order to tell contemporary story, which All My Children has always done generationally, I thought if I got them to the teenage years, what I would do then? It was going to be a challenge no matter what, but I knew it would be difficult to do a direct pick-up from the end of the ABC Network final episode of the series. I thought it’s just easier in to do the time jump and it opens it up and gives us an opportunity to tell different stories and go in different direction. However, I was also concerned that for the core audience, we were still knotted to those stories. There is nothing worse than taking a journey and then they cut off the story, and we don’t acknowledge it anymore, and than I feel cheated as a viewer. So it was really important not to exclude anybody, or make them feel cheated, but progress the story and the show forward in a contemporary way.”
GINGER on what fans can expect from the new writing regime and the new episodes that will go into production: “I love the new writing regime, but first a big ‘thank you’ to Marlene McPherson and Elizabeth Snyder for jumping on this train as it was full steam ahead. They jumped off and gave us a great starting point, and now I have Lisa Connor and Chip Hayes who are head writers. What we decided to do when we come back from hiatus is … and we will have a lot of scripts done is … we will be doing a little bit more of a cliffhanger, while keeping the mystery, keeping the humor, and keeping the romance alive, and also giving the audience some surprises with actors and characters that may be returning to the scene! That was really important to us. We have an opportunity with this shooting schedule that we have to bring some actors in and out and, and that will be our intention as we continue our production schedule, and as we start back up in August. By next week, it will start to get crazy as we gear up!”
GINGER on the possibility that Michael E. Knight will return as the beloved Tad Martin to the series anytime soon: “I will say this about Michael Knight. He is one of my truest best friends, and he has been my lifeline, even when I started this job. There would be days I would call him late at night and go, ‘Oh my God!’ I adore him. Sometimes the timing isn’t necessarily right when you start another project … you have a commitment, you have family commitments, job commitments. Am I saying he is coming back? I am saying he knows that the door is always open. You know what? I think there is a good possibility of that, and you know what I say? If we start talking about the character a lot on the screen, that is what the fans have to start paying attention too!”
To listen to the broadcast to hear what Ginger had to say about the above and more, check out the TOLN Soaps Live with Michael Fairman player below! Let us know what you think about Ginger’s comments about upcoming story and the writing change? Do you think it will improve the show? Who do you think Ginger may be bringing back to Pine Valley? Are you hoping that Michael E. Knight will be far behind? Do you think it was a good idea now that you have seen many episodes of the reboot of the series, to time jump the series five years forward? Comments below!
Michael, it was a great interview and Ginger comes across like the right person for the job! She’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable and yet she listens to the fans, probably more than ABC did. I got the impression we’ll see more of Eden Riegel and Alicia Minshew soon, which would thrill me. I also loved what she had to say about Zach and Kendall because there is more story to be told there and anything that’s new and fresh that AMC’s writers can come up with for them is okay with me. It all sounds very promising. Thanks for an informative & fun interview.
Loved it! MEK will be back I truly Believe he will be back! As far as Characters and Actors coming back! Boy that could be quite the list! I hope one of them is Ryan WITHOUT Greenlee, Jackson, Kendall, Krystal…..Great Interview and can’t wait to see what the new writers have in store!!!
Looking forward to what the new writers will bring to the table! It’s exciting and I’m loving the show. I still miss Greenlee, Ryan, Tad and others, but hopefully many of them will come for a visit.
who the hell cares about ginger smith. the show is horrible now. amc has to bring back cameron mathison susan lucci liza and greenlee. if they dont amc will be cancelled again. the new jr sucks. they should recast jr again. amc needs to bring back kendall full time. bring back the characters will love. then i will be watching amc again. if not the show will fail. also michael knight needs to come back. i know he is busy with other projects.
Then you didn’t even bother to listen to the interview, did you? Ginger has been in contact with everyone you mentioned-it’s just that the timing isn’t right right now for various reasons. I’ve said this from the beginning, people need to get ABC’s AMC out of their heads
I totally disagree with you, respectfully, Gino. Kendal (Alicia Minschew) is on another online soap as the star, Erica (Susan Lucci) has 2 TV projects, Ryan Matheson has a million projects. I think JR is fine, the old JR is on another soap. I think we are doing qutie well without the people you mention. I love the new AMC. Would I love to have “Tad” back- more than anything. But he is not willing to come back now. The show is exciting, vibrant, and the writers are respecting the audience. and history. There are a few history gaffs but hopefully those will be cleared up.
lol true Troy, especially like it’s last five years! ugh! Zarf and Erica’s “un-aborted” baby? Sigh.
I, for one, care about Ginger Smith! I think this NEW All My Children (as well as OLTL) is great and doing a wonderful job. And as with any recast – they need time. Instead of complaining, you could be grateful these shows are back AT ALL.
I really hope Kendall is one of the characters that will be back as a regular. I would be happy to have Tad back as well. I like that she said they will be going in fresh new directions and hope that refers to a creative , romantic story for Zach and Kendall. I’m excited about the new writers and hopefully a change of course with some of the storylines–particularly Zach’s .
I agree, Tad should be back on there for sure. And Kendall for good also, need Zach and Kendall in each other’s orbits again!
I really do hope MEK will be back as Tad. Dixie is lost without him. Someone needs to save her from Billy Clyde:) Love the new format and hoping to see Erica and Jackson at least come for a visit .
since Erica (La Lucci) is busy, I wish they’d just bring Jackson back for now. Walt Willey says he has not been asked. What’s up with that? I was not happy to hear that, but maybe they can’t afford more stars right now. They should talk to him, though.
Very disappointed that Canada cannot watch AMC. We got hooked on a few episodes and now nothing. Not fair. Lots of viewers in Canada
From what I understand, both AMC and OLTL are available in Canada on ITunes
The show needs a little work, some might say A LOT of work – the writing is flat, the sets are limited – every scene is either Jane’s Coffee Shop or Chandler Mansion. No park scenes, no lake scenes, no street scenes, just Jane’s Coffee Shop.
So, on a positive upbeat note, I hope the new writing team can add some zest to these rather Zipless scenes – and of course, it would be great if Michael E. Knight could reprise his role as Tad Martin. Susan Lucci as the iconic Erica Kane would be a welcomed addition. I don’t know if it will happen but it would be nice to see these characters return.
I thought is was a great interview. I am hoping that they do bring Alicia back. Would lov
to see her and Thorsten bring their magic back to the show. Would love to see them in
a story line with lots of adventure and romance.
Michael, it took a couple of sittings to get through the interview, but I truly appreciated Ginger’s positive attitude. AMC is in good hands
If I can only have a little part of Kendall, Ryan, Greenlee, Krystal, Jackson, and Tad- I would be in heaven. A little is better than none. What would be ground-breaking good production is if Leo came back for Greenlee. It would be a dream come true of epic proportions! One can only wish!!!
Cecile, not to worry. You have missed absolutely nothing. This show sucks. If you want good writers, get the ones who worked on TV. Altho the convoluted Erica kidnap/stolen identity story, currently on Soapnet, has to be the absolute dumbest story I have seen in my entire life. We are to believe that someone who is not Erica can just step in her shoes and become her. When will the writers give the viewers credit for a modicum of intelligence? Never, I guess. But back to the re-boot, this is absolute torture. Said I wouldn’t watch but caved out of curiosity. Rob has potential, he’s a sexy little guy. And, of course, Vince is always a master at what he does and he’s great to look at. Love Jill, Debi and Darnell. That’s pretty much it. But they are all really wasting their great talent(s) on this piece of crap. Even Thor has been downgraded as an actor. He is embarrassing to watch on this and I adored him on TV. If they don’t do something drastic, like clear out most of the new cast, this is surely doomed. Bring back the triangle, Kendall, Zach and Grif. At least they will spice things up a bit. Get Opal a gal pal (but not Lucci, please). I still stand by what I originally said. This thing is not going to fly. The whole look of the thing is really one big eyesore. So Canada, you are missing nothing.
I hope you have stopped watching.
Jas, AMC is definitely not trash or crap. It has definitely returned as if it never left. Ginger wouldn’t have it any other way and Agnes is behind this all so I find your comment to be way off. The look and feel is still there so I don’t know why anyone would bash this beloved series and the actors. It is plain disrespectful. Ginger knows what she is doing and I think anyone who wants their ABC AMC back needs to really let it go. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but there’s a line that gets crossed anytime one is not happy with what they see. What is more outrageous is that even with how successful the reboot is, there are viewers who are never satisfied and wreak havoc any chance they get. I always say any true fan will support the show and love it unconditionally. Give it a real chance and have respect with commenting if you don’t like what you see. Michael thank you so much for all that you do, the five year gap is genius and I agree AMC is in great hands with Ginger.
I ended up going to bed instead of staying up for the interview. If I had called in, I would’ve asked about the possibility of Ross Chandler returning now that the Cortlandt/Chandler feud has been revived (what is Robert Newman doing these days?). As a viewer of AMC since the summer of 1980, I was quite impressed with Ginger Smith. I’ve been loving the reboot anyway, but hearing how much she loves the show and her favorite story line being Cliff & Nina just made me appreciate her even more!
My response to the highly intelligent Ricky Ortega is: 5 year gap. Let’s see, JR or AJ or whatever his name was was about 7 when the series got cancelled. Let’s see. How about a math lesson. 7 plus 5 equals ??? Genius you say. Well, clearly genius you are not. 7 plus 5 = 12. So AJ is 12. And clearly a brilliant student to already be in high school, huh? I’m being disrespectful? No, I’m just expressing my opinion which, when last I heard, living free in America (barely anymore) I am free to express. I have done so. Don’t need vigilante Ortega on my case for that. Secondly, of course Agnes is on board with this. $$$. Get it. And she’s very, very old. Perhaps not of the soundest mind. Again, $$$. As for ABC AMC, I don’t give a rat’s fanny about the networks. Hardly ever watch anything on them. Just the news to get the weather forecast. But the look and feel of AMC was so wonderful when they were on ABC. This is so unbearable to watch. Watching on the internet sucks – big time. That’s my opinion. I am entitled to it as you are to yours. But may I suggest you invest in some back to school time instead of focusing so heavily on AMC. Sounds like you need some refresher courses and perhaps need to also get a life.
Ginger has been doing amazing with the handling of All My Children. She’s really holding true to the origins of the show and making it a much more contemporary, but attractive series. Since the relaunch, I have not been able to miss a single beat of the series. The casting has [for the most part] been brilliant. And I hope that when the show returns to production next month we’ll see even more veteran faces and veteran characters. That would be awesome! But I have zero complaints about the series thus far!
As per the new writing regime, Marlene and Elizabeth were stellar as head writers of the series. And I have faith in Lisa and Chip to continue on with the great writers both previous scribes have done.
You don’t have to torture yourself by watching.lol
The new shows are GREAT!!!!
Since soaps always rapidly age kids,it’s suprising that AJ and Miranda aren’t in their mid twenties after the time jump.
The show was pretty aweful on abc the last few years until they were cancelled(then it got much better).
All My Children
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos to Kick Off Season 36 of ‘Live’ with New Show Opening
The new season of morning talk shows begins this week, and one of them, Live with Kelly and Mark, is starting things off with a new show open starring the hosts and married couple, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, formerly of All My Children fame.
Make sure to circle Tuesday September 5th, when Kelly and Mark begin their first official season together as co-hosts of the long-running show now in its 36th season. As many know, Consuelos joined the show back in April of this year, after Ryan Seacrest made the decision to depart the series and move back to Los Angeles full-time, since the talker is shot in New York City.
In the concept of the new opening, the husband and wife duo are seen brushing their teeth in their apartment, then going through a couple of outfit changes/looks, before they settle on what they wearing as they are driven to their New York City studio where ‘Live’ emanates from, and arrive in its corridors.
Photo: Disney/ABC
In addition, this season will have a new trivia game segment called Stump Mark. In it, Mark will try his darnedest to keep the coveted Live mug away from trivia callers trying to stump him with their two statements — one true, one false.
Scheduled guests for the week: Derek Hough, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Etheridge, Josh Gad, Shinedown, Phillip Phillips, Nikki and Brie Bella and more.
Take a look at the opening title sequence for Live with Kelly and Mark below, and then let us know what you thought of it in the comment section, and let us know if you are looking forward to the new season of the talk show.
All My Children
Kelly Ripa Teases New Season of ‘Live’ with Husband Mark Consuelos: “Our Show Is Best When It’s Going Off the Rails”
Since Mark Consuelos joined his real-life wife, Kelly Ripa on the morning talk show Live with Kelly and Mark, the ratings have never been better. In fact, according to the Nielsen ratings, the former All My Children stars came in second behind The View for the 2022-2023 television season in total viewers averaging 2.293 million.
Now with the new season upon us come September, Ripa spoke with the Purist about what fans can expect now that Mark is coming into his own as her co-host.
Kelly shared, “We’re going to provide the same sort of humor and irreverence that people have come to know and love. Mark has taken the trivia game, where Ryan (Seacrest) and I would just give away coffee mugs to the audience, and decided that he’s not going to do that any more. There are no participation trophies in life, he says. If they want to win a mug, they’re going to have to stump me. I don’t really follow the ratings, but from what I’ve been told that since Mark has taken over, people stay with the show all the way through because they want to see whether or not Mark gets stumped.”
Photo: JPI
When asked what favorite segment on Live is her current favorite, Ripa expressed, “I love talking to the trivia callers. Our show is best when it’s going off the rails, when our audience gets to see the slip-ups. It is not this highly polished, Hollywood thing. It is two people meeting, having coffee, having just read the paper. We never cover actual news, we cover absurd news. When you factor in a person calling from their cellphone in the parking lot of a grocery store, what have you, it is rife with the ability to derail very quickly, and I think that’s what I love the best. I also love our viewer feedback at the very end of the show, where we take our viewers.”
So, are you looking forward to more Live with Kelly and Mark? Enjoying the duo on-screen together on the morning talker? What are your favorite staple segments from the show? Comment below.
All My Children
Pamela Blair, ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘Loving’ and Daytime Emmy Nominee, Dead at 73
The Broadway community is mourning the passing of one of their most beloved members, who also appeared on several daytime soap operas throughout her career. Pamela Blair, the original Val in A Chorus Line, died at her home in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday following a lengthy illness. Blair was 73-years-old.
Throughout her career, the singer/dancer/actress continued to showcase her exceptional talents in shows such as: Promises, Promises, Wild and Wonderful, Sugar and Seesaw. She also gained major kudos from the musical theatre community for her portrayal of Amber in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Pamela also had notable roles on soap operas taped in New York City. First, Blair played Elizabeth Shank Ryan on Ryan’s Hope in 1980. She followed that with her most-known daytime role as Loving’s Rita Mae Bristow, a part she played from 1983-1985.
Photo: ABC
Later in 1985, 1986 and in 1992, Blair made brief appearances in two roles on All My Children, Maida Andrews and Mrs. Goodman. It was the role of Maida Andrews that landed Blair a Daytime Emmy nomination in the newly named Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series back in 1987, only losing that year to John Wesley Shipp for his role of Martin Ellis on Santa Barbara. Blair’s last soap role was in 1994 as Another World’s Bonnie Broderick.
Throughout her enduring career, she appeared in numerous television and motion pictures including: Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Law & Order and the motion pictures version of Annie.
Let us know if you ever had the opportunity to see Blair as Val in ‘A Chorus Line’, or if you remember her daytime roles on Ryan’s Hope, Loving, All My Children or Another World via the comment section.
The Young and the Restless Pays Tribute to Billy Miller at Conclusion of Episode
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Might Delay Its Premiere, ‘Veep’ Star Matt Walsh to ‘Pause’ His Involvement as Celebrity Contestant Due to Strikes
Michael Corbett Returns to The Bold and the Beautiful
WWE ‘SmackDown’ Heading From Fox to USA Network As Part of New Rights Deal with NBCUniversal
General Hospital’s John J. York On His Health Battle & Living Life While Waiting for Bone Marrow Transplant: “Let’s Just Go One Day At a Time”
Billy Miller, Three-time Daytime Emmy Winner, and GH, Y&R and AMC Alum, Dead at 43
Billy Miller Remembered by His GH and Y&R Co-Stars As They Share Grief on His Passing
Billy Miller’s Mother Issues Statement On His Passing
Charles Shaughnessy Makes a Return to Days of our Lives
Y&R’s Jason Thompson Pays Tribute to Billy Miller: “For as Long as the Opportunity is Mine, I Will Forever Dedicate Myself to the History You Built for Billy Abbott”
The Young and the Restless Pays Tribute to Billy Miller at Conclusion of Episode
Charles Shaughnessy Makes a Return to Days of our Lives
Billy Miller Remembered by His GH and Y&R Co-Stars As They Share Grief on His Passing
Drew Barrymore’s Apology Video Backfires as Hollywood Voices Displeasure on Her Decision to Restart Production of Talk Show During Strikes
Adam Huss Wraps Latest Run as General Hospital’s Nikolas Cassadine
-
Breaking NewsSeptember 16, 2023Billy Miller, Three-time Daytime Emmy Winner, and GH, Y&R and AMC Alum, Dead at 43
-
General HospitalSeptember 15, 2023Adam Huss Wraps Latest Run as General Hospital’s Nikolas Cassadine
-
Breaking NewsSeptember 17, 2023Billy Miller Remembered by His GH and Y&R Co-Stars As They Share Grief on His Passing
-
Breaking NewsSeptember 18, 2023Billy Miller’s Mother Issues Statement On His Passing
-
Days Of Our LivesSeptember 18, 2023Charles Shaughnessy Makes a Return to Days of our Lives
-
General HospitalSeptember 14, 2023Rena Sofer Returning to General Hospital as Lois Cerullo