Extra Criticum

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Dead At Last #oltl #abc

April 14th, 2011 will always be Black Thursday for soap fans who turned on their computers to discover that ABC had canceled their favorite shows, ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Despite organized protests and letter-writing campaigns, the network, unfazed, announced their replacement shows and went merrily on about their business.

It seemed as though no one associated with running the entertainment industry was remotely interested in providing this kind of entertainment anymore - even if they had to shoot the genre dead in order for it to die. Despite what felt like network dictated edicts to kill off characters and fill the shows up with actors that couldn't act and guns and violence (whatever happened to "Love in the Afternoon"?), the fans stayed. Mostly. But the numbers did tumble. When you decide to tell the exact opposite story that the fans want, why would you expect them to stay? But then, when you want to kill a show, why would you do what the fans want?

Sitting In Purgatory With Marilyn

Back about 25 years ago when I was just in the throes of coming out, I worked for a few months doing coatcheck at a Minneapolis club called Norma Jean's. It was the kind of bar where straight college kids danced and partied all night and jumped up and down to "Mony Mony" and chanted "get fucked, get laid" in between chorus's. It was good money although the coat check system sucked. We'd take coats in through a half door in the kitchen, tie them to a rope and the person on the other end on the second level would have to haul the rope up and hang the coats up there. Given that people had to go to the bathroom once in awhile, there would be times when one would be getting the coat ticket and then climbing up on a chair through the cut out in the floor, getting the coat and then climbing back down. When you have a coked up patron demanding their coat back, they don't care that the other coatcheck person is taking a whiz.

As Cancellation Nears, ABC Soaps Get Good Again

I am a soap opera fan. Possibly more of an addict if you’d ask others. I can probably tell characters' names and the actors who portrayed 
them from oh, most of the past 40 years on both ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL. I can definitely talk rabidly about what the soaps were like in the 70s, how they were great in the early 80s, how I missed a couple years in the late 80s because I was studying abroad (for AMC fans, these are the Nico and Cecily years – have no knowledge of this entire storyline), how I loved loved them in the 90s (will anything ever equal ONE LIFE TO LIVE under writer Michael Malone and his groundbreaking AIDS Quilt storyline?) and how ABC was clearly trying to kill them starting in about 2003/2004. Oh yes, it’s taken this long to kill them but ABC did it.

Their First Posts

It's interesting to recall where we began, when we first arrived at this site. What obsession started us off as a contributing voice in this online community?

Here, in chronological order, are the first posts of the first eight Extra Criticum authors to join the site. What were they pondering when they first came on board? Enjoy!

 

Whatcha thinkin', Linkin'? v.3

Every once in a blue moon, Andrew and Roland will post a 3 min. informal podcast consisting of random thoughts, questions and debates on issues of both great and not-so-great significance. We hope you enjoy listening from time to time and welcome your comments, suggestions or requests. Here's installment 3:
[TOPICS COVERED: Why is it so hard to find a place to sit, eat, and listen to good live music in NYC?]

Whatcha thinkin', Linkin'? v.2

Every once in a blue moon, Andrew and Roland will post a 3 min. informal podcast consisting of random thoughts, questions and debates on issues of both great and not-so-great significance. We hope you enjoy listening from time to time and welcome your comments, suggestions or requests. Here's installment 2:
[TOPICS COVERED: Do you prefer to eat before, during or after a performance?]

Pulled from the Archives: Yearley, Altenburg, Licata, Garrison & Barnes

Every few weeks or so, the editors at E.C. take a stroll through our archives and pull a group of interesting posts that are loosely related in theme to offer up to our readership for a second read. If you have a favorite post you'd like us to "pull from the archives," just email us and we'll try to locate it for you.

Or, you could also just use the handy Lijit Search box in the right sidebar.

Whatcha thinkin' Linkin'? v.1

Every once in a blue moon, Andrew and Roland will post a 3 min. informal podcast consisting of random thoughts, questions and debates on issues of both great and not-so-great significance. We hope you enjoy listening from time to time and welcome your comments, suggestions or requests. Here goes nothin':
[TOPICS COVERED: Why is drag funny? and Which is more powerful: cylons or the smoke monster?]

"Bring me the head of Levi Johnston!"

TV Week reports today that a Wisconsin (naturally) man got up, fetched his rifle and pumped his television full of bullets after watching Bristol Palin's performance on Dancing with the Stars this past Monday night. He then turned the gun on his wife, driving her from the house and, after she called 911, holding the police at bay for 15 hours.

Perhaps he was spending that time phoning in his vote (my guess: not Palin).

It's only November and Crazy Man in a Small Town Season has only begun. Usually we have to wait for February and cabin fever to set in before this kind of thing happens. It's sort of like Ground Hog Day - you can tell how much longer the crazy will last if they see (and shoot) their shadow.

Who Is Your Linda?

Last night I had the strangest dream.

I dreamt I was speaking at a national writer's conference, talking about how I had written my book, at long last. I spoke to the entire membership from a booth in the middle of the conference and spoke eloquently how much debt I owed to Linda for all her help in mentoring me through the process of self-doubt, indecision and lack of confidence about my material. I remember saying "Had I met Linda when I was in high school, I would have a Pulitzer (Prize) by now." Everyone cheered. It was a good dream. I mean, who doesn't want to have a Pulitzer?

Conan vs. Conan

Tonight, November 8th, is a big red-headed letter date for us pop culturists.

Sure, it's a Two and A Half Men night and it's fun watching Charlie Sheen while wondering he's got a  hooker stashed in his trailer.. 

To Bob With Love

Yesterday the BF and I went to see the documentary WAITING FOR SUPERMAN and, after being reminded just how good my small town education was compared to the dizzying statistics the movie puts forth about just how illiterate the vast majority of up and coming students are, I received a text from my best childhood friend Kristen that our music/drama/band teacher from our days at Mosinee High School had passed away that morning.

Now the man, Bob Hansen, was not a saint. There will be no statue erected in his honor. No marching band. But there should be.

Back to Back to the Future, a Fourth Installment?

It might have been the Benedryl I’m taking (I have a massive poison ivy problem – the weed not the super villain),  but I was watching the tube and caught Entertainment Tonight's segment on the 25th anniversary of the original BACK TO THE FUTURE auction to raise funds for Parkinson's. And yes I was so hoping they were going to hype an announcement of a fourth movie in the franchise (although in retrospect I suppose that news would trump the Courtney Cox/David Arquette split and wouldn't have been on 2/3rds the way into the show).

The new collection includes a neat segment featuring Eric Stolz who was originally cast in the Michael J. Fox role of Marty McFly. BTTF was a pivotal moment in Fox’s career, it’s hard to imagine him not in the role – it’s definitely a very BTTF twist, right?

Rosemary's Baby

The other night Ro and I were in the mood to stay in and watch a flick from our shelf of DVDs and since I'd never seen it, I chose ROSEMARY'S BABY.