Things to ponder #77

From today's One Life To Live:

"Yes I faltered, so what, I admit it. Despite all the marriages and the deaths and the shattering losses of the man I loved, the child, my beloved mother who left me far too soon. And despite my father who betrayed my trust in the worst way imaginable. Despite all of that, no, because of it, because of everything that I have suffered, I am stronger than you and all of you. I have survived and I will continue to survive and I will walk through hell fire if my children need me. Joey, Natalie, Jessica - I'm coming back I promise you. I will never allow Niki or Jane or any of them to take my place in the world. Yes I share aspects of their characters, but I'm better than you Niki. You're selfish and you're sloppy and you're devious. And I'm better than you with your cool precision and you're relentless logic. I am a whole person and I deserve to be with the people I love. There's no more hiding. There's no time for that now. I have only my one life and I intend to keep living it NOW!"

-Viki-

(talking to 2 of her split personalities in her head)

One Week Later...

Thursday, April 21, 2011 10:50pm

WoW! One week ago today, thousands of lives were forever changed...and one week later, all those thousands of people from all different walks of life got together to form one big group with one big goal in mind...save our family. Catherine Hickland said it best "Soap actors and audiences dance a dance. We laugh together, cry together, survive together and love together. That's what makes a family." So, love us or hate us, knock us down all you want, we won't give up. We are a family and we are in this together...

On Thursday, April 14, 2011, our family was hit. ABC announced the cancellation of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN. Can you imagine a day without Erica Kane or Tad Martin? A week without the Buchanans? Now think about all the jobs that were just lost. Think about everyone working for these two shows...actors, lighting, sound, hair, makeup, wardrobe, etc. Think about all the soap opera magazines...now lost without these two shows. Think about the network dedicated to our soaps. 600+ jobs just taken way in the blink of an eye. In NY alone, hundreds of jobs, gone. Well, I don't know about you, but no one messes with my FAMILY! I didn't even begin to mention that ONE LIFE TO LIVE is the LAST soap opera in NYC. And what message does that send to those of us who are in the performing arts? Soap Operas are another reason NYC is what it is and why actors/dancers/singers migrate to this wonderful city!

My heart sank upon hearing the news. I went home and cried...all alone...feeling so sad and depressed and angry. Does nobody understand that these shows ARE my family? These 3 soap operas got me through everything in life, eating disorders, gymnastics, injuries, depression, wanting to die, dance, moving to NYC and so much more I can't even begin to tell you....through every up and down I have ever had in my life....these shows have been there with me. I learned from them. Laughed with them. Cried. Sighed and learned some more. I got on FaceBook and posted on April 14th that that was the saddest day of my life - black thursday - my life was over. But that's when a miracle happened. That's when thousands of others who felt the exact same way I did, stepped up, reached out and we all joined hands.

ABC thought we'd be angry for a day, get over it, and move on....well, ABC was sorely mistaken. We have come together in a way that I have never seen before. All of us, from all over the country...even some from other countries have stepped up and joined in the crusade to save our soaps. We are writing and calling ABC and Disney, we are contacting the sponsors, boycotting ABC, asking everyone and anyone who can do something, to please help. And it's working...we got HOOVER to join the crusade and become a part of our family. Our boycotting of all ABC shows aside from ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL, brought down ABC's ratings! ABC Monday premiered all new shows in primetime and lost to other stations showing re-runs. There are a lot of us out there. We will not give in until our soaps are safe! Even Nancy Lee Grahn was amazed by the power of soap fans..."If soap fans were on the titanic...it would never have sunk." It's time for ABC to start listening to the viewers...after all, aren't we the paying customers here? Why are we being punished? Just because one person who hates soap operas is in a position of power? Last time I checked, we live in America...don't we have a right to chime in on this decision? It affects my life greatly. Even if you are not a fan of these soaps, I bet you know someone who is.

We all come from different backgrounds, different upbringings, different political views, different religions. But none of that matters M-F at 1pm 2pm and 3pm. For those 3 hours, 5 days a week, all year round, we are one big family. We don't want more reality tv. Who cares. Would you rather see reality tv or 3 hours of talented actors memorizing 50+ pages of dialogue a day and giving a performance that touches people to their core? Talented writers and directors, hair, make up and wardrobe people, all coming together to make these shows what they are. They are so much more than TV shows, they are OUR stories, OUR friends, and most importantly OUR FAMILY.

I'm with Robin Strasser on this one, "It's TOO soon for post-mortem condolences. I could cry, but I'd rather TRY. The good old days are NOW. There's no protection in giving up."

We won't forget and we won't move on. We are not in a race but a marathon. SAVE OUR SOAPS!

Thank you.

Http://www.Catherinehickland.blogspot.com/

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011 NO MORE LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON Well, he did it. It took many long and arduous years but he did it. Last week, all of us who have been touched so monumentally by daytime, either being a disrespected fan, or a disrespected participant, are angry, sad, and in disbelief. To think that we will no longer be able to see characters that we have come to consider our own is a very odd feeling. It feels like a death in the family. It is why soaps have had the following they’ve had for nearly half a century! Your characters in your stories have made you feel the gamut of emotions from A to Z. Every day! Soap actors and audiences dance a dance. We laugh together, cry together, survive together and love together. That’s what makes a family. Whenever I would hear you-know-who make a speech and call us the “ABC family,’ it made my skin literally crawl. You don’t treat your family like they don’t matter. Someone is counting on the fact that today you are all whipped into a frenzy, and that tomorrow and next week you will have forgotten and forgiven. Say it loud. WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE OR FORGET. Now you may be saying, ‘but CAT, you are usually so Zen! “And to that I say, “yes, yes I am, but being Zen does not mean not feeling our feelings. I’m pissed off. Being angry is necessary! Can’t move forward without moving through. Can’t get Zen without acknowledging feelings and disturbances first. People who read my tweets can see that I am really fired up (no pun intended) over this whole thing. Dammmmn right! Do I think this know-nothing owes anyone a job? No I do not. Do I think the man owed people who gave ALL for all of those years a little respect? YES. Yes I do. Am I surprised? Not one bit. After all, I found out I had my last day of work by reading it on a magazine cover that was on the stands the day after I shot my last show, which meant that the magazine people knew for a week before I did! For crying out loud.. man up! Tell people WTF is going on. I loathe cowards. “The ratings kept declining” he will spin. And I say “Yes, well that was the plan, wasn’t it?” Isn’t that what you have been doing with all of your character assassinating and lame story telling? Isn’t that what you’ve been doing micromanaging your producers, writers, and staff to insanity? Business 101 teaches that you hire super competent people and let them do their job. Control freaks find this nearly impossible, which is why they ultimately fail. Its pure arrogance to think that you know what the audience will accept on shows that they knew far, far better than you. They didn’t accept mediocrity, and for that, the viewers were punished? What’s wrong with this picture? Actually, How he stays employed is a mystery… however life is funny, and karma is not just a theory. It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow , but he has some karma coming, that’s for sure. SO many people hurt under his tenure. A lot of destruction for someone unimaginative! As a hypnotist, I am in the business of imagination, so I feel extrememly well qualitfied to make that statement. Plus, my friends who work there have told me that you- know-who often asked his staff to give him their “best 50 ideas” as if it were a challenge. That used to amaze me. Just piss-poor chess playing if you ask me. In my world, YOU come up with the ideas that you intend to take credit for. If someone asked me for my best 50 ideas, unless it was a contest to win something (like credit for my idea) I’d tell them to get their own eff-ing ideas. It was always hilarious listening to you-know-who’s “people” sound like that Twilight Zone episode, “Children of the Corn” where everyone was so afraid to lose their life to a little tyrant that dared people to disagree, so no matter how horrible he behaved, they were running around saying “that’s a real good thing you done. A real good thing!” while being scared to death of the kid. Sometime life imitates art in the saddest ways. From the get go it was very clear to those of us who had been through many regimes that you-know-who did not like soaps. It always felt as if he was in contempt of them. We actors said it all the time, it was very hard to understand. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you love the genre. It’s hard to know what will make something work, and then watch it being absolutely decimated by someone you have not one iota of respect for. Good and important people to the shows were fired, moved to another state, and then salaries were cut. Not necessarily for the best intentions. After all, they had to find those funds to pay big money for the girl of you-know- who’s fantasies De Jour. This in turn created animosity in the casts. It starts at the top, they say. Indeed. Poison trickles down and infects companies like a cancer, damaging morale that is nearly unfixable. In my 27 years of acting, In the five regimes I worked under at that network alone, I have never seen anything like it. In 30 years as an entertainer, I can not recall a more reviled executive. I spent the majority of my career on ABC Daytime, 17 years to be exact, between LOVING, THE CITY and ONE LIFE TO LIVE, I played as many emotions and wonderful roles an actress would want to play. I am not looking to act on soaps again, it is not about that. It is about respecting the hard work all of us did to try and keep these shows alive in spite of a person who clearly had his own agenda. It is for the fans, my friends who I am eternally connected to and grateful for. I have kept my feelings inside for a long, long time and it feels like a million dollars to get them out. Now I get to be Zen Cat again. In closing, I want to say how proud I was to see everyone feeling their feelings on twitter and facebook. I love how social media connects us all and gives a voice to the truth, not the spin. You have a right to be sad and angry. Being disturbed makes us get things done. I can tell you that this network most likely won’t budge on their stance, because that would make the grim reaper wrong and we can’t have that, but you never know what you might accomplish by making noise. You just never know. ABC daytime was once an incredible arm of the company to work for. They can be again, but not like this. I am so proud of your stamina. I am proud to stand with you. In the meantime, I will keep hypnotizing folks, making the world laugh, shoot my pilot, finish my book, and look forward to looking forward. In the immortal words of Robert DeNiro.. It’s just a game, Focker. Love For Sure, Cat

wow!

Gemini Apr 18 2011
When someone is down in the dumps, a well-meaning friend or relative might come along and say "it's always darkest before the dawn." This message is meant to inspire; to create an image of the dawning of new opportunities and possibilities. But what isn't said is that now, at this moment just when it is darkest, it's a cold and lonely place. You may be feeling fearful now, Gemini, or alone, or confused, or any of a myriad of dreary emotions. But one thing is certain, this really is the darkest point before something wonderful happens. Brighten these moments by envisioning the best that is yet to be.

SAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE TODAY!

RAISE YOUR VOICE! SPEAK UP! TAKE ACTION!

SAVE OLTL!

one year ago....

BLACK THURSDAY :*(

LiL Knee and I are very sad today. Saddest day of my life. My ABC soaps are being cancelled. You may laugh at me all you want but OLTL has been a part of my life since I was 4 years old. It has been the one and only thing that has been with me through it all...I am not letting this go without a fight!

Ways you can help:

Call 1-818-460-7477 to let ABC know how you feel about ONE LIFE TO LIVE and All My Children being cancelled. Spread the word and let's fight to keep this era alive! Even if you are not a fan and are a performer or writer, this is your fight too! OLTL x663 / AMC x255

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keeep-One-Life-to-Live/125183234226214

Thursday April 14, 2011

ABC Axes All My Children and One Life to Live

By Michael Ausiello

And then there were four.

ABC is confirming what has been rumored for weeks:All My Children and One Life to Live will end their storied runs in September 2011 and January 2012, respectively.

The twin cancellations will leave just four soaps on the air — Days of Our Lives on NBC, General Hospital on ABC, and The Young & The Restless andThe Bold and the Beautiful on CBS.

AMC and OLTL — which have been around for a combined 83 years — will be replaced by a pair of generic-sounding (and cheaper to produce) talk/lifestyle shows, the food-themed The Chew and the makeover-centric The Revolution.

Contain your excitement.

“While we are excited about our new shows and the shift in our business, I can’t help but recognize how bittersweet the change is,” said ABC Daytime president Brian Frons. “We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days. They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on ‘real life’ takeaways.

“All My Children and One Life to Live are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture’s history,” Frons continued. “Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history.”

Ratings for daytime soaps have been on a steady decline for the past two decades as viewing patterns shifted and audiences migrated to talk shows. In the past 10 years alone, the industry saw the cancellation of As the World Turns, Guiding Light, Port Charles and Passions.

In a statement, suds queen Susan Lucci — who has played the iconic Erica Kane since AMC‘s inception in 1970 — said, “It’s been a fantastic journey. I’ve loved playing Erica and working with [AMC creator] Agnes Nixon and all the incredible people involved with All My Children. I’m looking forward to all kinds of new and exciting opportunities.”