As reported today by Soap Opera Digest, Charles Pratt Jr. has been fired as the head writer of ALL MY CHILDREN. This comes at a pivotal moment in the show's history, as they are coming up on their 40th anniversary on the air, and are making a move to Los Angeles from New York, something only THE BRIGHTER DAY has done in the television soap era. It also comes the week after ALL MY CHILDREN delivered the most viewers in seven months (2.75 million for the week of Nov. 9-13). AMC also hit a five month high last week in women 18-49 viewers.Mr. Pratt's tenure at ALL MY CHILDREN has been mired in controversy and public dissatisfaction from fans. Although his initial episodes featuring a tornado ripping through Pine Valley garnered several Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, his subsequent output has appeared plot-focused, sensationalistic, and unbalanced. Reese's sleeping with Zach, Liza's recast, Amanda's baby, Jackson's absence, and Stuart's shooting are just a few of the points of contention that have upset viewers.
At the same time, one could argue Pratt brought a fast-paced immediacy that had been lacking before. He brought imagination and innovation, as evidenced by the aforementioned tornado storyline, the dance marathon, and using Erica Kane to channel Susan Lucci's passion and dedication for helping African children in need.What do you think? Does Pratt's removal bode well for this struggling show, or is this a strike against it?
16 comments:
I don't even watch "All My Children" and I think the firing of Chuck Pratt is a WONDERFUL thing for the show. To me, it shows that Brian Frons believes that Pratt was NOT the best headwriter for the show and that they could find someone better. The only hope AMC fans have is that, if that is truly the case, that Frons seeks out a new headwriter who revitalizes the show and brings it back to its' prior glory. Now if P&G would just do the same at ATWT, life in this soap world might actually be sweet!
I'm torn. I'm excited for a change because the show needed one, but the grass is always greener as they say.
THIS IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO AMC. Now if only they would get Lorriane Broderick back or beg Claire Labine to come back then AMC will be watchable again. I know that everyone at the PVP will be happy campers tonight. Pratt should go where he belong to Melrose Place and take Jamie Lunar with him.
Dan,
Have you been watching ATWT lately? The show did get a new head writer with David Kriezman. ATWT has been great.
FREE AT LAST! Pratthole is a turd of a writer. He brought nothing to the show but death, destruction and ruin. It's been 18 months of character assassination, idiotic non-sensical storylines, total disrespect for the cast and especially the veteran cast not to mention the viewers. He absolutely the worst thing that has ever happened to this show. {ratt had to go if AMC had a prayer of surviving. And a weak AMC drags everything else down. So good riddance Pratt. I don't care where he goes, as long as he stays away from daytime. He just doesn't get it.
Finally some good news for AMC. I hope the new head writer, whoever it is, will take this show back to its former glory.
I'm happy to see him go. As an over 25 year viewer, I must say that the past several months have been torturous. The writing and storylines have been weak and boring. Maybe now I can put down my remote and give the fast forward button a break. Oh and yea, take Ms. Lunar with you...she will NEVER be Liza Colby to me...
I can't believe they finally got rid of that hack! Although I haven't watched the show in a while, here's hoping the bring in someone better, not worse!
Just an FYI, Zach and Reese did not sleep together, although they kissed and had an 'emotional connection.' I'm happy that he is out but unsure what this means. Hopefully they will hire someone more in tune to what AMC has always been about, someone like Claire Labine would be a great fit for this show. I've found the show bewildering in what storylines they've chosen to speed up (Brot and Taylor, JR and Marissa, his cancer storyline) and the incredibly long who shot Stuart storyline, which might have been fascinating, if everyone in town hadn't been after Annie's blood.
First, I think this is a win for the online soap fan community. Podcasts and websites related to soaps have fought hard against Mr. Pratt and this move seems in direct result, due to the fact that ratings have not suffered under his rein.
However, while I am not a Pratt apologist, he didn't recast Colby or Liza. There was a time when producers were also writers and those have been the most creative times at most soaps.
The networks need to find a young Labine, Monty, or Nixon. All woman who could run the ship and write its course.
The show has been seriously lacking heart for a while now. I hope this change means someeone recognizes that and wants to move in a new direction. If ABC hires someone else to write with the same vision as they have now, it won't do much good. As any lifelong soap fan knows, as long as the show is on the air, it can turn around. We've all seen our soaps go way up after being down and I hope the move to LA and the 40th anniversary has inspired AMC to do better.
"However, while I am not a Pratt apologist, he didn't recast Colby or Liza."
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Not to quibble, but Pratt WAS responsible for NuLiza...he and Jamie Lunar worked together on Melrose Place and he was instrumental in getting her hired as Liza.
My wish is that the ABC sits down with Julie Hanan Carruthers and Agnes Nixon to talk about the direction the show should take. This show could only benefit from Agnes' input. I agree with Roger the show is mssing heart. I was hoping that with Myrtle gone that Opal would take over the boarding house and the boutique, and become that sounding board that Myrtle was. This show also needs to figure out what to do with Colby, this is the second recast of this character. Focus on your core characters that audiences love like Tad who has been wasted since Pratt took over. Give Randy and Frankie a story-line that deals with the stresses of having a two career marriage, not some strange murdering pyscho blonde.
i am satisfied with the firing of Charles Pratt who has done nothing to help "AMC". He has further regulated veteran characters to the backburner and has allowed storylines to go off into moronic directions paced only in plot. I am very happy he has been shown to door. i am even more happy that Lorraine Broderick has been hired as his replacement.
But i agree that they need to sit down with Julie Hannan Currethers and find a new direction for the show, one that is rich in history and character development.
I'll second that Pratt's writing it 'turd-y' but the character assassination that's happened on that show has been going on since the Babe/baby switch storyline and has not in my opinion ever recovered. I stopped watching regularly about three years ago but tune in every few months to see if it's improved and it's only gotten worse. This show needs a serious overhaul and restructuring and someone needs to go back to Nixon's original conception and find out what she originally intended - and then go back and view episodes from the show's glory years to see what made AMC a cultural phenomenon. Naturally a show can't stay in 1970 but clearly whatever they're doing now isn't working. Less tornados and more character. Trust me, we'll watch. (I adore you Damon but I saw about ten minutes of that dance marathon 'story' and it was embarrassing to see my favorites reduced to this)
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