Goutman Speaks
On April 10, ATWT Executive Producer Christopher Goutman, who some had erroneously assumed was under a “gag” order regarding certain topics, sat down for a lengthy interview with Digest. While he chose not to reveal the fact that ATWT’s Luke and Noah would be sharing another kiss in as little as a week and a half’s time, he did have this to say about the massive fan campaign in response to the fact that they had not kissed in months. Here’s an excerpt, and look for the full interview soon in Digest.
Digest: Let’s talk about the Luke/Noah kiss campaign. What was your reaction to the fact that the fans did this?
Goutman: I think it’s great. Luke and Noah are terrific. These two actors are fantastic and the response to this story is phenomenal. It’s basically moved into the mainstream consciousness internationally, so for us, it’s been great.
Digest: Why haven’t they kissed?
Goutman: There are so many things that go into telling a story and telling it the right way. What I’m interested in is having a feeling for the constituency and the way to tell the story. We’ve told it very very slowly. I’m sure you know that Lily and Holden didn’t kiss until three years. I really truly believe that everyone will come out thinking this story is really fantastic.
Digest: Yes, but it’s been implied that they’re kissing off-screen. It almost seems like you’re calling attention to the fact that you’re not showing it by having them under the mistletoe leaning towards each other and having the camera pan away.
Goutman: It makes people mad, doesn’t it?
Digest: It really does.
Goutman: Just as long as we don’t make them too mad that they don’t keep tuning in.
Digest: Have you gotten hate mail?
Goutman: No. We’ve gotten a lot of frustration and a lot of very positive things about this couple. They’re two boys. They live in a midwestern town. We’re not in New York City. We’re not in Greenwich Village.
Digest: Well, they were.
Goutman: Yes, in a fantasy.
Digest: All of the other couples in that fantasy kissed, and certainly in a fantasy you would kiss the person you wanted to be with.
Goutman: Yes and no. If you looked at each story in that fantasy, each couple is unique. If you use huge brush strokes against everything, you’re losing the uniqueness of each of our individuals.
Digest: I just have to come out and ask: Have you specifically been asked to have them not kiss?
Goutman: I’ve never been asked for them not to kiss. I’ve been asked to keep in mind all of our constituency, as far as who we serve as an audience. At the end of the day, I think people will be very happy. The story is a continuing story, and as we continue this, the Luke/Noah story will develop in a way that will be incredibly interesting and rewarding.
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