Inside
this issue:
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Last week I took a look at what, IMHO, is ailing
PC right now, so this week I’d like to put forth my Rx for PC.
Let me begin by saying that I’ve watched the show
since its inception, and there was a point in time when I considered it
the best by far of the 3 shows I follow. There are still a great many things
that I appreciate about it, but I think the time is ripe for some changes
to be made.
To begin with, PC has one of the best casts in
all of daytime. People like Nolan North, Nicholas Pryor, and Pat Crowley
are among the many fine actors, who, thanks at least in part to this new
novella format, are being woefully underused. So, my first solution is
to start integrating the cast more. There are many ways in which this could
be accomplished, and the first and foremost one should be to start emphasizing
the importance of family on this show. This has always been its weakest
point, and the new format has merely served to exacerbate the problem.
Soaps are always strongest when they are family-oriented, and to that end
I would suggest much more interaction between Kevin, Livvie, and Victor,
as well as Mary and her sons. And while we’re at it, I want the familial
relationship between Chris and Jack to be more fully explored, as it’s
been given short shrift so far, as has the fact that Eve has a sister,
for whom she has apparently made a great many sacrifices---what with Eve’s
pregnancy, I would say the timing is just right for her and her sister
to renew their bond. Julie Pinson always shines, no matter who she’s with,
but I especially enjoy seeing her interacting with Karen and Lucy (in both
friendly and less-than-cordial fashions!), and can only imagine how wonderful
she could be in scenes with a family member. These relationships deserve
to be explored at length, not just used for mere window-dressing as they
have been over the last few months. Further to this, instead of bringing
in insipid and cliched outside forces to cause conflict between Ally and
Jamal, why not just let good ol’ Gran do her dirty work, and bring on a
mother or father for Ally? TPTB would get more bang for their buck this
way by only having to hire one actor, rather than a cast of thousands (for
example, biker babe and friends), plus we would get a story that would
be relevant and meaningful.
Next, get with the program and give us a villain!
Every show needs a good one, and this is also one area in which PC has
always been sorely lacking (although good ol’ Rex Stanton came closest
to doing it for me, villain-wise). I really don’t care what they do, but
give us a baddie whose motives are clearly explicable, and one for whom
we can have at least a little bit of sympathy. Rachel was a terrible waste
of a lot of good potential in terms of both character and storyline---if
they were to use her properly, I’d love to see her return. I always had
the distinct impression that she had been abused as a child (primarily
because of her fear of enclosed places---remember the scene in the elevator
with Kevin? That was riveting!), so maybe a storyline involving her and
Kevin in a patient-therapist relationship might work. It seems unlikely
at the moment, but, hey, stranger things have happened! A definite bonus
would be that the awesome chemistry between these two actors could be renewed---
I still recall with great fondness that freaky, kinky, love-hate inspired
kiss they shared; it even caught my Mom’s eye, and she’s not a PC fan,
but with some over-the-top, out-there storytelling like that, I think she
could be converted!
Also, please bring back Matt and Ellen (preferably
the original one)---this pair was so good together, and Matt’s story so
inspiring that I think it’s a real shame that it had to go by the way-side
like it did. Ellen’s departure was shrouded in a mystery (that never has
been resolved, like so many other loose threads that have just been left
dangling) which was connected to Rachel, so perhaps the three of them could
return together. Issue-oriented storytelling is always at a premium on
daytime, therefore I feel that a great deal more could be done with the
characters of Matt and Ellen, and with an honest exploration of their relationship.
Finally, don’t be afraid to take some time, and
don’t spare any details, gory or otherwise. Details are what soaps are
all about, and are part of the beauty of the genre. The fact that soaps
are a format in which stories can go on for years has always been one of
their chief appeals. In the immortal words of one legendary soap creator,
"make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, make ‘em wait." Nighttime television has
seen the intrinsic value of this approach as evidenced by the fact that
so many of its series are now in a continuing type of format. For PC to
suddenly begin to want to have stories with definite beginnings, middles,
and endings is not only counter-productive, but also goes against the very
definition of what a soap opera is --- a continuing story, where actions
have long-lasting ramifications. I do like the idea of a theme (fate,
time in a bottle, etc.), but feel that this could be best served by a less
heavy-handed and obvious approach than has been tried so far.
To end on a positive note, in its April 24th issue,
Soap Opera Weekly has honoured Nolan North in the "Applause, Applause"
section for his recent scenes with Livvie, plus Marlena De Lacroix has
written a very insightful column on PC’s treatment of the honour-killing
issue, commending PC for having the courage to try to make people think.
Although she levels some very trenchant criticisms at the show (some of
which I agree with, some not), she does give credit where it is due. Once
upon a time, she referred to PC as "the little soap opera that could"---the
wonderful thing is, that even though there is definitely room for improvement,
this statement still remains as true as it ever was. In a world of falling
ratings (all across the board), and ever-increasing pressure to be strange
and outrageous in order to grab said ratings, I have faith that if PC can
remain true to its original vision (as outlined in last week’s column),
it can, against all odds, become the little soap opera that did!
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