All My Children
| All My Children | |
|---|---|
| File:AMCOpen5.png | |
| Created by | Agnes Nixon |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 9,834 (as of March 20, 2008)[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Julie Hanan Carruthers |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC, SOAPnet |
| Release | January 5 1970 |
All My Children (AMC) is a popular American soap opera that has been broadcast Monday through Friday on the ABC TV network since January 5 1970. AMC was created by Agnes Nixon. Nixon had created One Life to Live for ABC following her success as head writer for Another World and The Guiding Light. She set the show in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a small fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. Since its inception, the show has featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of the most popular characters in soap opera history.[2][3]
The title of the show refers to the brotherhood of man. Nixon believed that it doesn't matter who one was, what one looked like, or where one was from — for every human being was a child of God. The poem at the start of the All My Children photo album reads:
The Great and the Least,
The Rich and the Poor,
The Weak and the Strong,
In Sickness and in Health,
In Joy and Sorrow,
In Tragedy and Triumph,
You are ALL MY CHILDREN
The poem, which epitomizes the goal of All My Children's storytelling, was penned by Nixon herself.
The show was originally owned by Creative Horizons, Inc., the company created by Agnes Nixon and her husband Bob. The show was sold to ABC in January 1975.[4]
Originally a half-hour in length, the show expanded to an hour in April 1977. Previously, the show had experimented with the hour format for one week starting on July 7 1975, when Ryan's Hope premiered.[5]
From 1970-1990, it was recorded at ABC's now defunct studio TV18 at 101 West 66th St.
Since March 1990, it has been recorded at ABC's television studio TV23 on 320 West 66th Street in New York City.
On July 25 2006, the show began using a post-production process called FilmLook, which gives it a filmed (as opposed to taped) appearance.[citation needed]
At one time, the program was so popular that it was the most widely-recorded television show in the United States, and once had an audience that was estimated to be 30% male. [6] The show ranked #1 in the daytime Nielsen Ratings from 1978-1979. Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, All My Children was the #2 daytime soap opera on the air.
With the death of core cast member Ruth Warrick in January 2005, two original cast members, Lucci and Ray MacDonnell, remain. On March 20, 2008 everyone in all my children died because of a nuclear blast.
History
1970s
In the 1960s Agnes Nixon, then head writer for The Guiding Light, tried to sell a property called All My Children to NBC, then CBS, then NBC again through the auspices of sponsor Procter & Gamble. Despite her success and sponsor support, it was not until the start of 1970 that her brainchild finally aired.
Nixon strived to create a soap that was topical, and could illustrate social issues to the audience. She wanted all this while also injecting regular humor into the script. To keep the action more real, she allowed the audience to locate her fictional "Pine Valley" on a map: situated just outside of Philadelphia, it was a mere hour-long train ride from New York City.
From 1970 and into the 1980s, the show was either written by Nixon herself or by her protégé, Wisner Washam. He was groomed by Nixon to take the reins in the 1980s while she focused on other endeavors, like creating and launching Loving in 1983. Lorraine Broderick and Margaret DePriest also had brief stints as head writers in the 1980s.
The show's first action took place around several families and characters. Phoebe Tyler, who fashioned herself as "Queen of Pine Valley", was the definition of a rich snob. There was also single mother Mona Kane and her prima donna daughter, Erica. Contrasting this was the stable Martin Family, who have long been thought of as the symbolic foundation of All My Children.
If Phoebe was the "Queen of Pine Valley", then Susan Lucci's Erica Kane was definitely the "Princess". Kane's first scene in Pine Valley will live in infamy. She spelled out to her mother everything she was looking for in a husband, establishing her ambition and her knack for rich men. But deep inside, Erica was nursing the scars of her abandonment by her father, successful film director Eric Kane. At the same time, her father's life in Hollywood was the driving force for her longing to leave Pine Valley. Destined to break up the young romance of classmates Tara Martin (Karen Lynn Gorney) and Phil Brent (Richard Hatch), Erica found out that Phil was not Ruth's son, but the son of Ruth's sister Amy (Rosemary Prinz). In a selfish attempt to break up Phil and Tara, she told everyone the truth.
All My Children's first success was its telling of young love. ABC wanted a soap opera that would bring in young viewers, and slowly the program was accomplishing just that.
The show's ratings did not start out strong, however. In its first year on the air, it ranked #17 out of 19 soaps. Despite this, its audience was building with each passing year, which kept both Nixon and ABC happy.
The show was unique for its use of the Vietnam War. Before All My Children debuted no show, let alone daytime soap, had discussed the war in any depth. There was the character of Phoebe, a conservative, and Amy, a free-spirited liberal, both butting heads over the war, with Amy often leading protests around Pine Valley. When the character of Amy left, Ruth took over as the anti-war voice. Her early 1970s protest speech won Mary Fickett the first ever Emmy Award given to a soap performer back in 1972. Later in the show's run, Phoebe became more liberal.
In 1973, Erica Kane made the decision to have an abortion. What made the abortion extra-controversial was Erica's reason for doing it. She wasn't having it done because her health was in jeopardy, but because she didn't want to gain weight and lose her modeling job. The abortion story got much media attention, especially since Roe v. Wade had been decided just a few months before the story began airing. Erica developed a potentially fatal infection after having the abortion, and the switch-boards at ABC lit up with calls from doctors and nurses, offering their medical opinions on how best to treat the character's case. The controversy didn’t hurt ratings, which rose from an 8.2 to a 9.1 Household rating.
Phoebe's husband Charles (Hugh Franklin) had gotten close to Mona Kane (Frances Heflin), Erica's mother and his secretary at the hospital. The two fell in love and Charles divorced Phoebe, even though she tried to blackmail Mona and even faked paralysis. In the end, Phoebe was left a drunken divorcée and Mona became the new Mrs. Tyler. This ordeal started the longtime Phoebe/Mona rivalry.
When Eileen Letchworth, who played Margo Flax Martin, was contemplating a facelift, she talked it over with Agnes Nixon. Not only was Letchwoth going to need time off, she was going to look significantly different when she returned to the show. Nixon approved and worked the facelift into a storyline. Margo wanted to impress the somewhat younger Paul Martin (William Mooney). Margo’s facelift in 1974 was one of the first major storylines on television discussing cosmetic surgery and its psychological effects.
In June 1976, the character of Brooke English showed up on her Aunt Phoebe's doorstep and soon after clashed with Erica over Tom Cudahy and Mark Dalton. Since then, Brooke has feasted on many of Erica's left-over men. Also, in 1976 was the introduction of fan favorite Myrtle Lum Fargate (Eileen Herlie).
By the late 1970s the show had risen to the top of the ratings. One reason for this was the arrival of teenage prostitute Donna Beck. Her relationship with the handsome Dr. Chuck Tyler breathed life into the show and captivated many fans for years to come. Another new addition was the arrival of aristocratic Palmer Cortlandt (aka Peter Cooney) (James Mitchell), his somewhat creepy housekeeper Myra Murdock, and his overprotected daughter Nina (Taylor Miller), who, to Palmer's chagrin, caught the fancy of Dr. Cliff Warner (Peter Bergman). Palmer did everything in his power to break up the couple, included telling Nina she was going blind due to her diabetes. Palmer teamed up with Cliff's past flame, nurse Sybil Thorne (Linda Gibboney), who confronted Cliff about fathering her son. But this was temporary, because Sybil was murdered by Sean Cudahy (Alan Dysert). During the murder trial, Nina was astonished to learn that her mother, Daisy Cortlandt (Gillian Spencer), whom she believed to be dead, was in fact alive and living in Pine Valley as 'Monique Jonville'. To complete everyone's shock, Myra acknowledged that Daisy was her daughter. AMC also found memorable villains in Billy Clyde Tuggle and Ray Gardner.
1980s
The early '80s is considered by many[who?] to have been a golden period for the show. Younger characters, such as Jenny and Greg (Kim Delaney and Laurence Lau), Liza (Marcy Walker), Liza's best friend Amanda Cousins (Amanda Bearse), Jesse and Angie (Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan) and a now-grown-up Tad Martin (Michael E. Knight), who was now legally Ruth and Joe's son, entered the scene and drew large followings.
The storyline involving Liza plotting to win Greg back after he left her for Jenny was a huge fan favorite, as was the Jenny/Greg pairing. The legend of "Tad the Cad" was born when Tad Martin took Liza Colby's virginity, then simultaneously began having sex with her mother, socialite Marian Colby (Jennifer Bassey), who eventually was sent to prison and returned to marry Stuart Chandler (David Canary).
Jenny and Jesse's summer in New York City was so well received that it allowed the program to reach #1 in the ratings for 10 weeks in mid-1982.
On the not-so-younger side, Jenny and Tad's natural mother Opal (Dorothy Lyman) was also added to the canvas, where she opened the Glamorama salon and spa. Opal greatly showcased All My Children’s attempt at humor and satire. Powerful businessman Adam Chandler and his twin brother Stuart arrived in town and became significant characters.
The character of Erica began to take on a larger-than-life role by the 1980s. This was evident with her writing an autobiography, "Raising Kane", and turning it into a motion picture. When her presumed half-sister Silver (Deborah Goodrich) accused her of murdering Kent Bogard (Michael Woods, Lee Goodart), her former lover and boss, she went on the run fleeing to the Hollywood Hills. She did this all while posing as a nun. Many remember her forest encounter with a grizzly bear after she escaped a kidnapping attempt made by Adam. The character would go on to marry over 10 times (with her most recent wedding taking place in June 2005).
The show made their first attempt at tackling the taboo topic of homosexuality in 1983. Tricia Pursley played the divorced Devon McFadden who believed she was falling in love with her psychiatrist, Lynn Carson (played by Donna Pescow). Lynn admitted to being a lesbian, and Devon admitted her crush. Other soaps and television shows had done stories hinting at bisexuality, but never homosexuality, much less with women.
The show intelligently tackled the issue of drug use when Mark La Mura's character, Mark Dalton, became addicted to cocaine after years of casual use. His half-sister, Erica staged an intervention with his friends to have him confront his problems. They practiced a "tough love" policy that had Mark admit to the addiction. The informative episode showed how to hold an intervention, and the stages to go through for a successful confrontation.
Controversy hit in 1987 with the arrival of Cindy Parker (Ellen Wheeler), who would later fall in love with Stuart Chandler (David Canary). The character was revealed to have AIDS. Through visits by Dr. Angie Hubbard, the show educated the public on how the disease was spread and how to prevent it. Cindy had contracted HIV from her husband, Fred, who contracted it from sharing needles for drug use. Cindy would be attacked by a vigilante hate group led by her niece Skye Chandler. The tragedy of the attack showed the extremes of violence that was occurring everyday to victims of the disease. Cindy married Stuart and he adopted her son Scott. She died early in 1989 in one of the soap's most watched episodes.
By 1989, ABC wanted changes at All My Children. The show was getting about 6.5 million viewers per episode, but many felt that the program had lost its unique sense of humor. Agnes Nixon and Wisner Washam, who had both written the show since the '70s, were faced with a merry-go-round of executive producers, starting in the mid-'80s when producer Jacqueline Babbin left. Jorn Winther was hired to executive produce the show. Efforts were made to bring the show back to the glory days of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This would mean adding a mixture of both social issues and also the intelligent satire that the show had been known for.
Felicia Minei Behr was hired as the new executive producer in early 1989. Having been a producer on Ryan's Hope, Behr was familiar with All My Children, having been an associate producer from 1970 to 1975. Behr welcomed the input of both Nixon and Washam. In the eyes of Agnes Nixon, the show finally had a stable executive producer. Behr worked with Nixon and Washam, crafting a baby storyline involving the characters of Adam, Brooke, Tad, and Dixie between the characters of Tad and Dixie (Cady McClain), with whom Behr saw much chemistry between. By this time, the show also found a hit couple in Cecily and Nico (played by Rosa Nevin and Maurice Benard).
ABC was pleased with Behr; Agnes Nixon was as well, and decided her creation was safe in the hands of the new producer. The program was faced with many actor defections during this time, including longtime favorites such as Peter Bergman, Taylor Miller, and Debbi Morgan, but Behr countered this by bringing back other favorite characters from the past -- Opal (this time played by Jill Larson), Dr. Chuck Tyler, and Billy Clyde Tuggle (the former pimp who first made his big splash in the '70s). Behr also helped craft a story re-exploring Erica's father, Eric Kane. It was revealed he had faked his own death. In a comical twist, Erica found him working as a clown in a traveling circus.
1990s to present
At the time of Behr's hiring in early 1989, the show usually ranked around #4 in the ratings, by 1990, the show had inched up to the #3 spot. ABC chose Megan McTavish, a former actress who had been on the writing team since 1987, to be its new head writer. She was promoted to head writer in 1992, with Nixon serving as Executive Head Writer.
Billy Clyde Tuggle returned to Pine Valley in 1990, after a ten-year absence (in prison). He proceeded to undo the lives of many in Pine Valley. He told his daughter, Emily Ann Sago, that he was her natural father, devastating her with the truth that she was the product of rape. He died tumbling over a bridge (with Tad Martin), ending the reign of one of Pine Valley's most evil and entertaining characters ever.
Stories such as Molly's leukemia, Ceara Connor (Genie Frances') incest, Mona’s lung cancer, and Deconstruction (a story about racism), were all praised in the soap magazines for their social conscience. Other storylines included the 'Who Killed Will?' mystery, Willow Lake Acres (a both humorous and serious tale about the plight of the elderly in a fraudulent nursing home), and a tornado that rocked Pine Valley. Kendall Hart (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who was revealed to be the product of a rape that happened to Erica on her fourteenth birthday, was a major rewrite, but still a popular story in the eyes of many. The Santos, Dillon, Frye, and Keefer families were introduced during this time as well.
Tad and Dixie were now very popular The show had other couples with large followings during this time: Erica and Dimitri (Michael Nader), Trevor (James Kiberd) and Natalie (Kate Collins), and Hayley (Kelly Ripa) and Brian (Gregory Gordon, Matt Borlenghi, Brian L. Greene).
Many fans[who?] consider the early 1990s to have been a second golden period for the show, often comparing it to the late 1970s/early 1980s.
However, by the early-mid-1990s, some of McTavish's storytelling received criticism for being gimmick-driven (i.e. multiple dual roles, bomb plots). Reports soon surfaced that Behr and McTavish were having conflicts about storylines and the direction of AMC. After the O.J. Simpson trial preempted daytime television programs throughout late 1994 and into 1995, many soaps saw their ratings decline, and All My Children was no different. When Megan McTavish was fired from her head writing post in the spring, former associate head writer Lorraine Broderick was tapped by Behr as the new head writer.
Broderick's tenure under Behr was popular among critics and fans for returning AMC to its socially relevant, character-driven roots. Her biggest successes were Erica's drug addiction story (with the character receiving treatment at the Betty Ford Center), and also the story of a homophobia over a gay high school boy and a history teacher. But with the ratings still stagnant, ABC fired longtime executive producer Felicia Minei Behr, and brought in Francesca James (who had previously won an Emmy award acting on the show as twins Kitty and Kelly). The storylines now included a voodoo arc with the popular Noah and Julia (Keith Hamilton Cobb and Sydney Penny), a fantasy story for Myrtle featuring the "real" Santa Claus, and finally a baby kidnapping story involving Erica.
Despite winning three consecutive Daytime Emmys for writing during her tenure on AMC, Broderick was replaced in December 1997 by her predecessor, McTavish. The first major story McTavish tackled was ironically one created by Broderick, Bianca Montgomery's anorexia. The character of Bianca, Erica's young daughter, was checked into a facility to treat the disease. Apart from the anorexia story, McTavish's tales were plot-driven and made severe, implausible alterations to the show's history such as the resurrection of Erica's lifetime-love, Mike Roy (Nicholas Surovy). In 1998 the show, yet again, got a new executive producer, Jean Dadario Burke, taking over from Francesca James. She would become known to many speculating fans as a weak producer with little vision.
Cady McClain, who had left the show as Dixie in 1996, returned to the delight of her fans, but other storylines -- involving ghosts, poison tattoos, Nazi art, and a sperm switch -- were all busts. By the start of 1999, with All My Children being voted as the 'Worst of 1998' by Soap Opera Digest magazine, McTavish was once again fired.
As ratings began to fall in the late 1990s, ABC convinced Agnes Nixon to make a brief return. Many long-running actors, such as Michael Nader, James Kiberd, and Robin Mattson, left their roles. Nixon decided to write a story that would breathe new life into the show and be socially relevant at the same time. This resulted in the revelation that Erica Kane's daughter Bianca was a lesbian. She admitted the truth to her mother in December 2000. Despite the many flaws during this period, the show found success in the pairing of newcomers Leo and Greenlee (Josh Duhamel and Rebecca Budig).
Starting with the July 25 2006 episode, the show's video has been processed to appear as though it was shot on film.
The soap has been strongly criticized for keeping the film look[citation needed].
Soap Central has recently reported that Kate Collins will be returning to the show as Janet on November 21 2007. They have also stated that other fan favorites will be returning to the show in the next few months, but so far there has been no formal announcement as to which characters will appear.[1]
On December 12 2007, news came that Rebecca Budig would be returning as Greenlee Smythe. Seen by many as a desperate attempt by President of ABC Daytime Brian Scott Frons to bring back viewers, enthusiasm for Budig's return was overshadowed with word of how Sabine Singh, the character's recast, was treated in the process of bringing Budig back.[7] While many viewers rejoiced at the news of Budig's return, others had grown to accept and appreciate Singh as Greenlee, and both sides felt the actress was treated badly by ABC.
It was reported in the December 25 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest that fan favorites Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams would return as Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter. Morgan returned on January 18 2008 and Williams on January 25 2008.
All My Children storylines and people
- List of All My Children storylines
- List of All My Children characters
- List of cast members of All My Children
Megan McTavish and her replacements as head writer
After even more staff turnover in recent years, Megan McTavish, who wrote the show for most of the '90s, again returned. Her storylines began airing in July 2003, which included the controversial rape of Bianca.
Gone upon McTavish's latest return was Jean Dadario Burke as executive producer, being replaced with Julie Hanan Carruthers.
Under McTavish, ratings bounced from the middle of the pack and the bottom. McTavish resorted to quick thinking and stunt casting to lure back long-time viewers. Various characters returned to the show after long absences, including Julia Santos (Sydney Penny) and Janet Dillon (Kate Collins, who was originally slated to return for a brief stint and was eventually given a contract. The most notable, however, was the long-kept secret of Cady McClain's return as the iconic Dixie Cooney Martin. The news of her return was spread just two weeks before she appeared on viewers' screens again. In a very unpopular move the writers chose to kill off Dixie only a year after her return
A controversial storyline had Erica's thought-to-be-aborted son come to Pine Valley.
In August 2006, after months of speculation it was confirmed that fan favorite Eden Riegel would be reprising her Emmy winning role of Bianca Montgomery. Since departing the show in February 2005, Eden has returned for three limited guest appearances but this time signed a contract of undetermined length with the show.
In 2006, the show began a storyline about a transgender character that involves Bianca and the rock musician Freddie 'Zarf/Zoe' Luper.
In December 2006, AMC introduced a storyline where the women of Fusion Cosmetics began being killed by a serial killer. Simone and Erin were the first two victims of the serial killer, with Danielle Frye being the third. When the "Satin Slayer" attacked Danielle, she saw him/her before collapsing. Josh Madden and Babe get to Danielle before she died, and got her to the hospital, but she was unable to identify her attacker. Her father had her moved to Hawaii for her recovery, and to get her away from the killer. Dixie Cooney Martin was the fourth victim of the "Satin Slayer". Although Babe Chandler was the intended victim, Dixie accidentally ate the poisoned food, and succumbed to the drug. Dixie's spirit visited Jamie and J.R. as well as Tad, and she realized that Kathy was her Kate, before moving on to the afterlife. Weeks later Babe was to fall victim to the Satin Slayer. Her bodyguard had been killed behind her car and as she went to check on him, the Satin Slayer got hold of her and plunged a syringe into her neck causing her to suffer the same fate as her co-workers and mother-in-law, or so it seemed. It was later revealed that Babe was indeed alive and in hiding. It was revealed in February 2007 that Alexander Cambias Sr. was The Satin Slayer.
It was officially announced February 2007 that Megan McTavish has been fired due to viewer criticism about her storylines and playing favorites with certain characters. On May 21 2007, James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten were announced as the new head writers of All My Children. The duo have written for Days of our Lives, One Life to Live, Dynasty and Port Charles, and were the creators and writers of The City.
Title sequences
All title sequences use a book of the show's title.
Ever since the debut in 1970, AMC's opener has included a photo album/scrapbook in some kind of form.
| File:AMCOpen1.jpg January 5 1970 - December 29 1989 |
With the premiere, the opening was simple: a camera slowly zooms in on a leather-bound photo album as a female hand (said to be either that of Agnes Nixon, Kay Campbell, or Ruth Warrick) enters the shot to open the album. On the first page of the album, the title is shown in calligraphic type. Until at least June 1970, the hand turned to a second page, crediting Rosemary Prinz as a "Special Guest Star". Prinz, at the time, was the cast member with the most soap opera experience, and crediting her in the sequence was used a way to coax her fans to tune in. She left after six months on the show, and the second page was eliminated from the sequence.
Starting in June 1970, the opening then became a re-shot sequence featuring the same hand-turning the book format, only now based on a larger table/credenza, and the book was also more centered. The title appeared in the same calligraphic font, but the inside title page now had the text repositioned so a painted sprig of flowers could accompany it (which were not in evidence in the first version). After the display of the title page, the hand would begin to turn to the next page just as the sequence faded out, to give the effect of someone displaying a full family photo album. However, additional pages would never be seen again during the run of this opening. This set ran until January 1990, making it one of the longest-running packages in soap history. The theme music used with this version was written by Dina Dore and her daughter Carlina Paul. It went through two principal arrangements; in the beginning it was a soft lullaby-type tune. Retained from the January 1970 sequence, it ran through 1975. From 1975 through January 1990, it was more sweeping and cheery. |
| File:AMCOpen1990.png January 1 1990 - December 30 1994 |
The show's next sequence debuted during the week of the 20th anniversary in January 1990. The new opening kept the photo album theme, of course, but expanded on it. It began with the camera panning across a desk featuring framed pictures of longtime cast members (specifically, Joe and Ruth Martin, Adam and Stuart Chandler, Brooke English, and Phoebe and Langley Wallingford).
This dissolved into a series of animations in which still pictures of each cast member hovered into piles on the desk. It ended with a portrait of lead actress Susan Lucci slowly sliding onto a page in the photo album, as it closed to reveal the title in an Old English type on the cover. Occasionally, the title would disappear from the cover and a sponsor's logo would be in its place, with the announcer doing an ad for the sponsor. Felicia Minei Behr (who was All My Children’s executive producer from 1989-1996) was responsible for this opening, and thought a change was desperately needed to bring the show into the '90s. As popular as the opening was (it proved to be an innovative idea in that the set-up allowed everyone from contract cast members to recurring cast members to be included), the theme music was even more popular. Written by legendary television composer Billy Barber, it began with a perky melody. A slightly remixed version of this theme debuted in 1992 with a quieter, slower arrangement at the beginning and tuned to a much newer pop theme, that lasted until 1995. The theme song was identified with the show's years of the early '90s. |
| File:AMCOpen3.jpg January 2 1995 - October 4 2002 |
On January 3, 1995, for the 25th anniversary week, a new opening made its debut. It featured stills (later live action video in July 1996(Locket), (Pearls) 1997) of each cast member fading in and out of a white background while various images, including galloping horses, house exteriors, pearl necklaces, and pink roses, crossfaded throughout the headshots. Susan Lucci was again given a nod as her picture was always first and was the only one in the sequence to be framed (with a silver picture frame). At the end, Agnes Nixon's hand-written epigram for the show crossfaded in the background just as the photo album did. In Spring 1995 a new theme debuted to replace the January 1995 themes, that a began with a series drums and a piano playing, leading into a saxophone, piano, and strings leading the theme. In August 1997, a quiet piano arrangement debuted that lasted to the summer of 1998 when a new upbeat version that included the ending version would debut. In 2000 it was modified music with a series of a few more instruments included in the opening and used Digital Surround Sound. All the music that accompanied these openings were composed by David Benoit. |
| File:AMCOpen4.pngOctober 7 2002 - May 28 2004 | On October 7, 2002, after seven and a half years of the "white opening", a new opening made its debut. Of course, it featured the photo album, but unlike the other openings, the photo album was constantly seen throughout. It began with a closeup of the album (with the title on the cover) as it opened. The Agnes Nixon epigram is seen on the front page, but the screen fades into the montage of cast member headshots, all done in live action. The photos were already on their pages in the album and as each face was shown, the name of the character was scrawled on their page in the book, similar to what many people do with their own family scrapbooks. Yet again, Susan Lucci is paid homage by being at the end of both versions of this opening. This time, however, she shared that honor with David Canary, as he was in both openings as well, as Adam Chandler in one and Stuart in the other. The music for this opening was a much-loved update of the 1990-1995 theme originally composed by Billy Barber, this time with contributions by Robert Israel. There were two music versions of this opening. The first version was a quiet, fast tempo that lasted for two weeks when replaced by a more dramatic theme that lasted until May 2004.
The opening went un-updated from December 2002 to June 2003. The show reportedly had difficulty when attempting to update this opening; for the first six months it was in use there were no updates despite many cast changes. Several cast members left the show and remained in the opening for months. When the opening finally was updated in June 2003 to feature new stars such as William Devry and Marc Menard, their images were blurry and of very poor quality. Also many shots had become brighter and were zoomed in, and the pages had a much lighter hue. |
| File:AMCOpen5.png May 31, 2004–present |
After barely a year and a half of the previous opening, the show debuted another on May 31 2004. This opening was styled after the commercial break bumpers that were present on all of ABC's serials at the time. One Life to Live and General Hospital's openings were done in similar ways to the All My Children opening.
The new opening generated mixed opinions from fans. The pros of it were that many pictures from the show's past, including montages of classic Susan Lucci and Ruth Warrick headshots and a wedding portrait from Edmund and Maria's 1994 wedding, was seen at the beginning. Also in favor was the updated version of the classic early '90s theme song. Cons were Ryan's shot was after Erica Kane, which many felt that place belonged to Alicia Minshew's Kendall Hart. The All My Children book letter font was in Monotype Corsiva rather than the traditional Old English Text and the book was in a different red hue. This was also the first time that the show's name was written on a single line, as opposed to the usual three lines. On December 13 2006, a slightly modified version of the theme debuted and is still in use. |
Cast
Current cast members
Recurring cast members
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Bassey | Marian Colby Chandler |
| Jenna DiMartini | Corinna Gonzales |
| Alexander Eckstein Benjamin Eckstein Caleb Eckstein |
Spike Lavery |
| Adriana Fernicola Scott Peck |
Ian Slater |
| Alexa Gerasimovich | Kathy Mershon |
| Chris Henry | Ren Reynolds |
| Cheryl Hulteen | Winifred |
| Jill Larson | Opal |
| Jacqueline & Rebecca Levine | Jenny Colby Martin |
| Michael Malone | Val |
| Lee Meriwether | Ruth Martin |
| Lucy Merriam | Emma McDermott |
| Patina Renea Miller | Pam Henderson |
| Jack Mungovan | Lt. Perry |
| Alec Musser | Del Henry |
| Jillian O'Neill | Chandler Maid |
| Charles Parnell | Derek Frye |
| Tonya Pinkins | Livia Frye Cudahy |
| David Rasche | Robert Gardner |
| Charles Stransky | Dr. Delano |
| Jarred Sturman | Adam Chandler III |
| Mark Tallman | Kyle |
| Jessalyn Wanlim | Rachael |
Comings and goings
| Actor | Character | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ricky Paull Goldin | Jake Martin | Debuts April |
| Jeff Branson | Jonathan Lavery | Exits March |
Deceased cast members
| Actor | Character | Year of Death |
|---|---|---|
| Philip Amelio | Scott Chandler #1 | 2005 |
| Kay Campbell | Katherine "Kate" Martin #3 | 1985 |
| Raúl Dávila | Hector Santos | 2006 |
| Louis Edmonds | Langley Wallingford | 2001 |
| Hugh Franklin | Dr. Charles Tyler | 1986 |
| Kate Harrington | Katherine "Kate" Martin #1 | 1978 |
| Frances Heflin | Mona Kane Tyler | 1994 |
| Paul Gleason | Dr. David Thornton | 2006 |
| Dack Rambo | Steve Jacobi | 1994 |
| Lynne Thigpen | Grace Keefer | 2003 |
| Ruth Warrick | Phoebe Tyler Wallingford | 2005 |
Notable alumni
Many well-known film and television actors and celebrities appeared on the serial before their big break, including:
| Actor | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mischa Barton | Lily Montgomery | December 1995 |
| Jonathan Bennett | J.R. Chandler | 2001-2002 |
| Lacey Chabert | Bianca Montgomery | 1992-1993 |
| Kim Delaney | Jenny Gardner | 1981-1984 |
| Josh Duhamel | Leo du Pres | 1999-2002 |
| Jesse McCartney | J.R. Chandler | 1998-2001 |
| Sarah Michelle Gellar | Kendall Hart | 1993-1995 |
| Lauren Holly | Julie Chandler | 1986-1989 |
| Michelle Trachtenberg | Lily Montgomery | 1993-1996 |
| Kelly Ripa | Hayley Vaughan | 1990-2002 |
| Mark Consuelos | Mateo Santos | 1995-2002 |
| Eva LaRue | Maria Santos | 1993-1997, 2002-2005 |
Ratings
For historical ratings information, see List of US daytime soap opera ratings
1970s ratings
|
1969-1970 Season (HH Ratings) (Nielsen)
1970-1971 Season
1971-1972 Season
1972-1973 Season
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1973-1974 Season
1974-1975 Season (HH Ratings)
1975-1976 Season
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1976-1977 Season
1977-1978 Season
1978-1979 Season (HH Ratings)
|
1980s ratings
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1979-1980 Season (HH Ratings) (Nielsen)
1981-1982 Season (HH Ratings)
Highest rated week in daytime history
|
1982-1983 Season
1983-1984 Season
1984-1985 Season
1985-1986 Season (HH Ratings)
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1986-1987 Season
1987-1988 Season
1988-1989 Season (HH Ratings)
|
1990s ratings
|
1989-1990 Season (HH Ratings) (1 = 921,000 Homes)
1990-1991 Season (HH Ratings)
1991-1992 Season (HH Ratings)
1992-1993 Season (HH Ratings)
1993-1994 Season (HH Ratings) (1 = 942,000 Homes)
|
1994-1995 Season (HH Ratings)
1995 Ratings (Millions of Viewers)
1995-1996 Season (HH Ratings)
1996-1997 Season
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1997-1998 Season
1998-1999 Season (HH Ratings)
|
2000s ratings
Scheduling history
Except for a period between July 7 1975 and December 31 1976, when AMC ran at 12:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30 a.m. Central time in order to make way for the new Ryan's Hope, the show has aired since its inception at 1 p.m./12 Noon. It replaced the original version of the game show Dream House, which had been plagued by several prize-related scandals.
The timeslot caused some ratings (and thus audience development) problems in the show's early years, as it faced local newscasts or tape-delayed games or soaps on NBC and CBS affiliates, but AMC persevered despite the handicap and fought very strongly against NBC's Days of Our Lives from 1979 onward.
Unless one counts The Today Show, AMC has stayed in its timeslot longer than any other daytime program running on network television, having reached a total of 30 consecutive years of broadcasting daily at 1 p.m./Noon on January 3 2007.
Awards and nominations
Here is the list of the winners at the Daytime Emmy Awards, it has been nominated in excess of 250 times.
Show
- 1988 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1992 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1994 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1995 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 1995 "Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control"
- 1995 "Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects"
- 1996 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1997 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1998 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1998 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1998 "Outstanding Makeup"
- 1998 "Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing"
- 1998 "Outstanding Live and Direct To Tape Sound Mixing"
- 1999 "Outstanding Music Direction And Composition"
- 2001 "Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing"
- 2001 "Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling"
- 2002 "Outstanding Achievement in Casting"
- 2002 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design"
- 2002 "Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control"
- 2002 "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition"
- 2003 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 2005 "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series" (tied with One Life to Live)
- 2007 "Outstanding Achievement In Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control"
Individuals
- 1980 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Warren Burton
- 1980 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Francesca James
- 1982 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Dorothy Lyman
- 1983 "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" Dorothy Lyman
- 1983 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Darnell Williams
- 1985 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Darnell Williams
- 1986 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" David Canary
- 1986 "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Michael E. Knight
- 1987 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Kathleen Noone
- 1987 "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Michael E. Knight
- 1988 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" David Canary
- 1988 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Ellen Wheeler
- 1989 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" David Canary
- 1989 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Debbi Morgan
- 1990 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Julia Barr
- 1990 "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" Cady McClain
- 1993 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" David Canary
- 1995 "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" Sarah Michelle Gellar
- 1998 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Julia Barr
- 1999 "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" Susan Lucci
- 2001 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" David Canary
- 2001 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Michael E. Knight
- 2002 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Josh Duhamel
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" Ray MacDonnell
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" Ruth Warrick
- 2005 "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" Eden Riegel
Executive producing and head writing team
- 1970 - 1978: Agnes Nixon and Bud Kloss
- 1978 - 1982: Agnes Nixon and Jorn Winther
- 1982 - January 1986: Jacqueline Babbin
- January 1986 - March 1986: Jorn Winther
- March 1986 - January 1989: Stephen Schenkel
- January 1989 - April 1996: Felicia Minei Behr
- April 1996 - April 1998: Francesca James
- April 1998 - September 2003: Jean Dadario Burke
- October 2003 - present : Julie Hanan Carruthers
- January 2008: Julie Hanan Carruthers and Brian Frons (during strike)
- July 26 2007 - present: James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten
- May 2007- July 25 2007: Temporarily written by other writers (none credited)
- July 2003- May 2007: Megan McTavish
- March 2003 - July 2003: Gordon Rayfield and Anna Cascio
- December 2002 - March 2003: Gordon Rayfield
- September 2001 - December 2002: Richard Culliton
- 1999 - September 2001: Jean Passanante, Elizabeth Page and Agnes Nixon
- 1997 - 1999: Megan McTavish
- 1995 - 1997: Lorraine Broderick
- 1992 - 1995: Megan McTavish; Lorraine Broderick, and Agnes Nixon (co-HWs)
- 1983 - 1992: Wisner Washam
- 1970 - 1983: Agnes Nixon
Current ALL MY CHILDREN Main Crew
| Head Writers | Associate/Script/Breakdown | Producers | Directors | Possible Additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Harmon Brown, Barbara Esensten | Chip Hayes, Stephen Demorest, Marla Kanelos, Kate Hall, Ron Renauld [2], Hope Harmel Smith, Joanna Cohen, Rebecca Taylor, Michelle Patrick, Amanda L. Beall, Jeff Beldner, Karen Lewis, Addie Walsh, Courtney Bugler, Tara Walsh | Julie Hanan Carruthers (EP), Ginger Smith, Karen Johnson, Nadine Aronson, Barry Gingold, Joann Busiglio, Enza Dolce | Casey Childs, Joe Cotugno, Steven Williford ([3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]), Conal O'Brien, Angela Tessinari, Barbara M. Simmons [12], Jill Ackles, Michael V. Pomarico, Francesca James, Shelley Curtis, Anthony Pascarelli, Judy Blye Wilson, Robert Lambert | Heidi Adam, Richard Polonetsky [13], Paul D'Andrea [14], Daniel Fenton, Robert Fulghum, Susan Sojourna Collier, Susan Kirshenbaum [15], Hal Corley [16], Louise Shaffer, Quinn Eli [17] |
Popular culture
- AMC was the favorite TV show of author P. G. Wodehouse, who otherwise loathed television.
- On the Nickelodeon show, The Fairly OddParents, an episode was made where a character watched a show called All My Parents' Offspring, as well as All My Biceps.
- A parody version of All My Children exists within the universe of Futurama, entitled All My Circuits as well as Gaia Online, entitled All My Gaians.
- A parody entitled All My Siblings appears in Pinky and the Brain episode The Family That Poits Together, Narfs Together
- On an episode of Friends, the character Gunther claims to have played Bryce on All My Children.
- In Italy, under the title La valle dei pini, the show started to air in 1985 on Canale 5. In 1987 it was moved to another channel, Rete 4. In 1992 it was cancelled, due to low ratings . At that time, episodes were three years behind the U.S.
DVD
A DVD was released on January 24 2004 titled, Daytime's Greatest Weddings which contained All My Children and other daytime soaps' weddings.[8]
References
- ^ "All My Children". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ H.W. Wilson Company (1986). Current Biography. H.W. Wilson Company. pp. 128 (specific page).
{{cite book}}: External link in|title= - ^ HARRISON, NANCY (1991-06-23). "Susan Lucci, 11 Times a Nominee, 8 Times a Bride, Up for Emmy Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Wakefield, D: "All Her Children", page 115. Doubleday & Company, 1976
- ^ Waggett, GJ: "The Official All My Children Trivia Book", page 5. ABC Daytime Press, 1998
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913850-5,00.html
- ^ "Real" Greenlee returns
- ^ "Daytime's Greatest Weddings". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
External links
- Official Website
- Pine Valley Podcast
- Pictures from all of the current ABC Daytime soap operas
- The All My Children History Project The most comprehensive All My Children website online including pictoral family trees, opening sequence history, behind the stage history and biographies of more than 200 of Pine Valley's residents of past and present.
- All My Children videos such as promos and podcasts