How weird is it, to have two cancelled shows back, after an extended absence? And not just any shows, either, but shows I had followed faithfully for over 30 years? Weird it is, but in some ways, it's like riding a bicycle--sort of.
First of all, the production quality of both All My Children and One Life to Live is very high. There is virtually no difference between the sets, the direction, or the acting from the original shows, with a few minor exceptions. Quibbles, really.
These are quibbles from All My Children:
Quibble #1:
For one thing, it is bothering me that in most of the sets, the exterior doors--doors that supposedly open to the outdoors--open OUT. Everybody knows that doors open IN to a room, especially those that open your home to the outdoors. Why in the world doesn't anybody notice this? Or maybe they have, but they can't afford to re-hang all the doors in all the sets?
This quibble applies to both shows, which means that the same set of construction designers and crews are working on both shows. Surely, someone with enough training to know how to hang a door also knows that they are hanging them wrong. Surely.
Quibble #2:
The sets are very limited in number, and we see the same ones, over and over again. For example: Obviously, after Marissa (on AMC) died in JR's drunken assault (5 years previously), and JR ended up in a coma after David shot him (for killing Marissa), JR and Marissa's son, AJ, moved into Adam's house. This is appropriate, as Adam is his grandfather and lives in a giant mansion, and AJ can be well-cared for by nannies and housemaids. His other grandfather, David Hayward, is unavailable--going to prison and all.
All that is fine, and perfectly reasonable. But where in the world does Miranda live? Doesn't she have her own home, with her mother, Bianca? The only place we ever see her interacting with AJ is in AJ's room. That's OK, and understandable. But Miranda, interacting with her mother, Bianca? In AJ's room at the Chandler mansion? Really?
I'd like to see a set that is Bianca's house. And Miranda's room. With doors that open IN. Is that too much to ask?
Quibble #3:
I understand the need for aging the kids--they needed a new generation of youngsters. But AJ and Miranda, acting like "young lovers"? If Marissa had not died, AJ and Miranda would have been raised in the same house, they would have been raised as pseudo-siblings. Eeeewww.
At least they did actually address this last week, with Bianca reminding Miranda of their closeness, and how it would have been different.
But still . . .
And finally, Quibble #4:
Billy Clyde Tuggle? Really? After all this time, he still can't act. You'd think he would have taken some acting lessons while he was stuck in Soap Opera AfterLife Limbo (nobody every really dies in Soap Opera Land). And this actor looks really, really bad. Bad. Like he's had a really hard, hard life after he lost his soap gig 20 years ago. But here we go again with him. Forced to endure his bad, bad acting in a lame storyline. Some things never change, I guess.
And now, my quibbles about the new One Life to Live:
Quibble #1:
The re-cast of Destiny Evans is extremely upsetting. A girl who was once short and round (not unpleasantly so) is suddenly, now, a foot taller, and somehow lost about 50 pounds after having a child at 18. Plus, this girl cannot act at all. Plus, when little Drew was born (during the final week of the ABC broadcast era), and his father, Matthew, actually delivered him, it was a terrifically emotional moment. Matthew, it was strongly suggested, had a change of heart after delivering his own baby. He tearfully named his child after his deceased half-brother, and seemed to immediately bond with the baby.
Now, he's heartlessly neglectful, and rude to Destiny, making time with some mystery Facebook chicky, and flirting dangerously with Dani. In the meantime, everyone in his family, and even some that aren't family, have embraced his baby with love and unconditional support. Ugh. I'm hating this storyline, already.
And while we're on the subject of Destiny and the baby: She's going to school, raising a child, refusing any help from the Buchanans, and working at night at the Banner. But she has time and energy to go out clubbing with Natalie? And since when is Natalie all chummy with Destiny, who is 10-12 years younger? Really?
Quibble #2:
When did Natalie move back to Llanview with Liam, from London, where she presumably ran away to after receiving the pictures of John kissing Sam in Port Charles (from good old Uncle Todd, always the trader of secrets)? And didn't she and John get married, in the final episode of the ABC broadcast? Why is her babysitter calling her "Mrs. Banks"? And why is she living in some tiny apartment, apparently forced to live on her measly salary as a Forensic Tech in the Llanview PD? Was she disinherited by Viki and Clint, or something?
And I guess Uncle Bo conveniently forgot about her history of tampering with evidence in the past, and hired her anyway?
Quibble #3:
It bugs me that nobody has even mentioned Jessica and her baby, Ryder. Usually, we at least get some word of explanation in casual conversation. But so far, nothing. I miss them, and I want to know where they are and what's happening with them.
For both shows: There are characters I miss. In Pine Valley, Tad and of course Erica. In Llanview, besides Jessica, I also miss Brody, Rex and Gigi, Cristian, even Sean.
It's also a bit weird that we have gone from an hour-long show to less than a half-hour. It also seems to me that if I'm paying for HuluPlus, why do I still have to sit through commercials? And there's no way to fast-forward on Hulu, so I'm stuck watching commercials.
But like I said, these are quibbles, really. Mainly, I'm just really, really happy to have my shows back!
Ah, Soap Opera Land. I have missed you, my friend!
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