I guess I don't agree they need to bring some of the Vets back. I would love to see Brooke, David and Maybe Liza back, but IMO that is only a temporary fix. I also don't agree with backburning the only couple on AMC (Zach and Kendall) that has a fan base and is working. That move isn't wise and most certainly isn't going to help ratings, but hurt them. If you look at the way the ratings have been for the last two years it was the s/l's that were focused on Zach/Kendall that had the highest ratings. The coma Kendall s/l and the Satin Slayer s/l. The Madden s/l ,which imo was the Tad and Dixie s/l, was a bust and caused fans to leave. It sure didn't leave a good taste in anyone's mouth that Tad buried a man and tortured him for weeks. They could very easily make a great story for Tad and Kate and Julia, whom I think would be a great partner for Tad. Without this ghostly intervention. Adam could also be the one who tells Tad, since lately they have been writing Adam horribly. AMC bringing back vets and backburning the only couple that is currently working isn't the answer. The answer is writing good story for the characters they have, that is character based and not plot driven. Get new writers, fire Frons and JHC. Once that happens then maybe a good show will come out. If and when the writers can write a decent story it might warrant the bringing on of Vets. However just bringing back Vets, as bringing back Jesse/Angie had proved, without a good story will do nothing.

The actors and the characters are not the problem. The problem is the writing. They have had numerous storylines that could have been great, but they either went on to long or somehow got offtrack - partly by ignoring histroy. The Satin Slayer and the Crash storylines started out great and I enjoyed them both - but I am a Zach and Kendall fan. I hated that they killed Dixie off just when she was getting back to where she should have been all along - with Tad, JR, and Jamie. I hated that they killed SImone also. Zach and Kendall never, emotionaly, dealt with any of the ramifications of the Satin Slayer story. Crash started out great, but went on way to long, and changed midstream. If they did not want Greenlee to be seen as having kidnapped Spike, why show her telling him he was hers. She only took him back because he would not stop crying. She said to him "you are my baby now". It was not a momentay laps of judgement, she was gone for a while, Kendall made it to the hospital, was examined,had the sonogram, and started the drugs before Greenlee turned the car around. She had to have kept him, with the intention of keeping him, for a few hours. I know spermgate was a different set of writers, but Madden would never have used Ryan's "sample". He was obsessed with Erica, and I cannot believe he would not have taken the chance to create a Kane-Madden child.I would love to see Brook come back - if it were with Julia Bar playing her. I would love to see Adam and Brook again.Until they do something about the writing all the vets in the world will not help.

I couldn't agree with you more. The one couple on AMC that has a strong fan base and the potential to carry a good story, Zach and Kendall, have been hijacked to carry the deadweight of the toxic quartet....Greenlee, Ryan, Annie and Aiden. The return of the REAL Greenlee, was one of the biggest mistakes TPTB could make. Greenlee and Ryan are a waste and can't carry a s/l, so they attached them to Zendall....fatal mistake. Zendall alone brought in high ratings during the Satin Slayer s/l. Zendall front and center proved their worth. Now they have been burdened with the deadweight of worthless boring, single layered characters in this stupid musical couple chairs idiocy that B&E are so infamous for.Bringing back characters without good writing and then not knowing what to do with them is what causes the ratings to plumet. TPTB should be very careful of how they handle Dixie's angelic return. I was never a Dixie fan to begin with, so I do not favor her return on a long term basis.Removing Zach and Kendall from the toxic quartet and giving them their own s/l with good writers is the solution to AMC's ratings problem. Angie and Jessy's return is great, however their present s/l I find lacking in originality and the ability to keep me glued to the screen.Bringing back characters is not a solution, only a temporary bandaid fix. Hiring good creative writers with ideas for original stories and utilizing the present cast at AMC is.

I also don't agree with backburning the only couple on AMC (Zach and Kendall) that has a fan base and is working.>>>Hello? They are not the ONLY couple with a fanbase. The Jerica fans are just as vocal and they are huge. Jesse/Angie have a fanbase which began years ago and now they have new people added. Adam/KWAK have a fanbase and with Dixie's return we have the T/D fans. Please spare us the Zendall is everything stuff because they have been "everything for 2 years now and the show is at it's lowest point ever. Maybe if AMC used other people too and stopped making them the center of the universe, they would have more viewers. I like them but they are on too much and everything revolves around them to a point that I am bored to tears by them. Sorry but that's the way I feel.

The show needs better balance and character driven stories ..stories that make sense. That is all AMC needs. Just my opinion!

I don't agree backburning Zendall they are the most popular character individually and as a couple in the show. What the writers should do give them a good and mature story instead of mixing them with the juvenile, immature characters like Ryan Greenlee, Aiden and Annie. These characters are pulling down ZEN with them and this couple deserves better than this Sextet of Sucks story line.

ITA, Pia we need balance. However, I don't think the current regime is capable. Bringing back Vets won't solve anything, IMO. We need better writers, plain and simple.

And just for the record: I would have given up this crap fest a long time ago if it weren't for Zen. So for this viewer, Zen is everything.

Happy Easter All!

Quote: I also don't agree with backburning the only couple on AMC (Zach and Kendall) that has a fan base and is working.>>>Hello? They are not the ONLY couple with a fanbase. The Jerica fans are just as vocal and they are huge. Jesse/Angie have a fanbase which began years ago and now they have new people added. Adam/KWAK have a fanbase and with Dixie's return we have the T/D fans. Please spare us the Zendall is everything stuff because they have been "everything for 2 years now and the show is at it's lowest point ever. Maybe if AMC used other people too and stopped making them the center of the universe, they would have more viewers. I like them but they are on too much and everything revolves around them to a point that I am bored to tears by them. Sorry but that's the way I feel. Ok let me rephrase that only couple currently on canvas "together" with a large fanbase. I have no doubt the others do, but the original poster talked only about eliminating Zach and Kendall from Canvas not the others you mentioned. Time will tell IMO about Jessie/Angie. At the time they were together yes they had a fan base. Given the ratings not improving for them and IMO the poor writing for them and all the other characters, it appears they have not returned.Now IMO Zach and Kendall have not had a decent s/l since the beginning of Crash and before Satin Slayer. Yes they have been on a lot, but currently and since B&E they are on propping duty. Their characters have been regressed to the point that I as a fan hardly recognize them and neither do the actors. They had grown and become a great soapcouple. The iic IMO totally destroyed all the headway that they made as characters, in order to prop the sorry butts of Aiden, Greenlee and Ryan. I agree I would love to see them less in this stuff and work more with what they do well at and that is carrying a s/l. I as a fan of AMC miss the s/l's about family and am sick to death with all the angst and killing, that I am constantly seeing. AMC has missed the boat on the possibility of great s/l for all characters. IMO there was a great s/l potential for Zach and Adam with the corporate takeover of Chandler...No we get no payoff with that. This amnesia s/l could be good if we see Ryan work with Annie to find the answers, no it's him stalking Kendall. The whole thing boils down to my original post the writing is what is at fault and bringing on more Vets to an already crowded canvas, isn't going to do anything if the writing of the current cast isn't working.

Quote:Loving the Angie and Jesse s/l but it is not enough.UNLESS>>>>>>>>PLEASE backburn Zendall, Graiden and Rylee as I am sure the great actors that play them need some long deserved time off. Honestly, I don't think the show can take the loss of Zen for long. They're the only thing many people watch.Quote:Bring back David, Brooke and even Liza as Krystal is definitely no replacement for Dixie, Brooke and Liza.Would be my dream for them to show up and put her in her place. MW has found the Lord and not working in TV anymore-maybe a recast? VI may be available soon-that would be great. JB was treated so shabbily she wouldn't return to tie up loose strings when asked. There will be no Brooke, I'm afraid.

Zach and Kendall are not the problem. If you look at the when the ratings slide began to occur, sometime around April/May of 2007, it was AFTER the last major Zach and Kendall storyline. The Crash/Kendall's Babies story line I wouldn't classify as a Zendall storyline as it involved Ryan and Greenlee probably even more than Zach. Then after that, Zach and Kendall were separated by separate plotting against Greenlee, then the Hole of Greenlee Redemption and even now in this sixtet, we only get an occaissional Zach and Kendall scene.Will Zach and Kendall alone save the show? No. But Jessie and Angie won't either as shown by the current ratings. Rebecca Budig's Greenlee return didn't help either.The problem is not with the actors or even a specific pairing. The problem is the writing. Cady McClain's return will NOT save this show if the writing is a mess. Look at her last return. Instead of giving what the audience wanted and expected, Tad and Dixie and Dixie reconnecting with JR, they tried to force Dixie and Zach. Didn't work.Backburning Zach and Kendall? They've already done that. The characters are still on our screens, but individually and the story has not been about them. It's been about everyone and everything else. And look what they have to show for it. A 2.0 rating that is flirting with a 1.9.

No amount of returning veterans is going to save this show as long as it is written by the current regime. The stories currently are juvenile and boring and the worst thing AMC could do would be to backburner it's most popular couple, Zach and Kendall. Quite frankly the opposite is necessary to save this show. It can be easily proven that ratings during any sweeps period has been higher when Zach and Kendall are featured in a storyline where they are working together.Ratings started to dip and then nosedive after a certain "real" return and I honestly don't think the another Dixie return is going to help either. How many "returns" does that character need before she's out of there for good? You need only to look at the numbers to know that AMC does not do returns well. Just look at the last time Dixie came back to Pine Valley. Now that really went over well, didn't it? Jesse and Angie may work in the longer run but even they have not generated any real interest.

I agree we definitely need better writers.
Maybe not backburning fully but frontburner a week or 2 . I know AM was being worked every weekday of one month and that can be a moodkiller.
I was an extra on Days once and I saw the cast have to report as early as 5 am and stay until 8pm some days,
a 60 hour work week at least.
Poor TK probably hasn't had too much time with that young one of his.Love his wife SH, she was great as Marty.
AMC used to do frontburner s/l s for 2 weeks then move another s/l front and center.
That is why SL was able to do movies as everyone needs time off. I guess I just felt bad for the actors never getting time off. That's why everyone could not stomach Babe as she was ALWAYS on screen.
Interesting, I didn't know MW quit soaps. Good for her if she is at peace with her life.
I agree, JB was treated badly. I was hoping one day when a new TPTB were in charge she would do some more scenes.
Even being a T and D fan, I always liked Brooke, she had class.

IMO they don't need to bring back any more vets, they need to bring in new writers. Actually they need to start at the top, get rid of Frons and all his mindless followers. They also need to weed out a lot more of the deadwood on the canvas, starting with Aidan, followed closely by Ryan and Greenlee. Greenlee's return was a complete flop and they should just cut their losses and get rid of her. Ryan is nothing more than a joke. When they decided to reinvent him, they ruined him permanently. He might have remained watchable as the rather charming conman, but he just doesn't cut it as a leading man/hero. Again, it's time to cut their losses and send him out of town. Aidan was a rather nice piece of eye candy and that's where they should have left him. They have completely taken him out of his element in trying to make him a leading man. They need to admit they were wrong and cut him loose as well.I was a huge Jesse/Angie fan back in the day, but they are not holding my interest this time. If they get decent writers for them, then I am sure that I would love them again. Until that happens, I just can't bring myself to care.I love Adam Chandler, and I can even tolerate him with Krystal. In fact I can tolerate Krystal anyway when she is away from her "Babydoll". Babe is another character that, IMO sucks the life out of the show. Babe and JR have been having the exact same conversation, over and over since Babe came to town. I'm sorry, but I just don't care.There are times that I love Tad and most of the time I like him. (Burying a man allive was not one of the times, but I digress.) For the most part, the only times that I absolutely canNOT stand Tad is when Dixie is around. Every time Dixie comes back, Tad turns into an insufferable [censored], and I have to FF him.The bottom line for me though, is Zach and Kendall. They are the only reason I have continued to watch the mess that this once great show has become. For me it is simple, without Zendall I have no interest in watching this show, and I won't. Keep them together but let them branch out into other storylines. Give us the Zach/Adam corporate battles that would showcase these two powerful actors playing off each other. Let Samuel go after Zach the way he went after Erica and watch the fireworks when they square off. Get Kendall out of Fusion altogether. Let Kendall start another company and just bury Fusion. She could take Amanda with her. Maybe she could lure Di back from NY to help her out. But stop the juvenile s/l's for the mature loving couple that the Slater's are.

I'd rather be watching Erica, Jack, Tad, Adam, Opal, Myrtle,. Palmer, and Joe Martin, more than Zendall, Ryan, or any of the younger people. They need to focus on the people we really care about and give Zendall/Ryan, etc a chance at the BB for a few weeks. They are making me hate all of them with the crappy stories they are writing and having them shoved in my face each and every day, 5 days a week. I NEED A BREAK PLEASE

As a long time viewer I think we need new writers and more vets returning. A mixture of both would be good as the current regime is not getting my interest.

Bring back the vets, but before they do that improve the writing! The terrible writing is what is tanking this show, and I wouldn't want any of the great vets to return for more aweful writing.

The show needs to honestly re-evaluate what has been going on in the past two years or so. It isn't just the writing. People blamed McTavich but she left and the ratings have gotten worse! IMO They lost a lot of viewers by concentrating on just a small core group. Kendall and Zach were on nearly every day last year and for the most part it was a year that I skipped.AMC backburnered and fired far too many vets in the past two years. It's going to take a long time before they can win back the viewers that left when so many favorite characters were cut. Bringing back Jesse and Angie and refocusing the show allowing for more interaction between Jack and Erica, Tad and Adam helps but some of us want more. Maybe Agnes Nixon could convince Vincent Irizary to come back.

Unfortunatly the returns of the vets has been terribly written - Maria, Julia, Dixie and Angie and Jessie's story is full of holes. I think Angie and Jessie are great together, I hope their story gets better. Hearing Jessie talk about the 20 years is getting as old as Julia talking about her 9 years in withness protection. I hope Dixie's next return is better than her last. As much as I like Zack and Kendall, I agree that they are on way to much. I hope the show becomes more balanced. I would think Alicia would lean toward staying if she had some time off and did not work everyday.

Jesse and Angie's story line has holes? LOL I don't even care because I'm just so happy that they are back on screen! Even my BF started watching again!

Quote:The show needs to honestly re-evaluate what has been going on in the past two years or so. It isn't just the writing. People blamed McTavich but she left and the ratings have gotten worse! IMO that's because the writing has, lord help us all, gotten WORSE since McTavish's heyday. McTavish couldn't end a story. She could set one up and execute the beats in it relatively well, but the payoff suffered.(Babyswitch comes to mind, as does the Satin Slayer story.) B&E can't tell OR pace ANY beats of a story, and they not only don't provide payoff, they start their next story before even finishing the first one. And they rewrite their own plot points within days of executing them.Crash was abysmal. Six characters on every day, to the exclusion of everyone else. Misery, more misery, and more misery. MONTHS of Oh!NO!SPIKEISDEAF!!! while NOTHING else was happening. They showed Zach and Kendall and Ryan and Annie and Greenlee EVERY DAY while NOTHING happened. It was awful. And then - after six MONTHS of this hell - they rewrote it at the drop of a pen. OMG!SpikewasALREADYDeaf!!! (which.. HUH?) and then, on top of that, after weeks of Zach AND Kendall both saying they wanted Greenlee out of their lives because she wouldn't leave them alone, they had both characters say it was just because Spike was deaf. Which again, HUH? That was a DIRECT contradiction of weeks of what they'd shown.Then, when we're finally getting the payoff of Ian coming home from four months in the hospital, they throw Zach down a hole with Greenlee, and THEN, they threw grief!sex on top of that, followed immediately by Ryan's amnesia and Kendall's book. It's just awful pacing, and mindnumbingly stupid. I would bet that everyone was ready for a break from the misery around all these characters and the focus to switch to something else. And instead... we get MORE misery and mindnumbing stupidity. It's the writing, all right. Even Jesse and Angie's story is really badly paced and makes no sense - we're just not sick of the sight of them yet, so we're being more forgiving than we are of hte stupidity around the other six characters.

I am all for seeing the vets get more attention. I still feel a bit better over the unceremonious exit they gave to Brooke.

I miss Brooke too. It was rather rude and inconsiderate the way the got rid of her considering what an important character she once was.

The characters I miss the most define for me when I believe AMC "jumped the shark".

Edmund
Maria
Opal (yeah, I know, but she's just barely there)
Palmer
Brooke
David
Dixie
The Frye's

I'm sure there are others but now I'm just too sad to go on.