La valle dei pini

... that beginning being 1970. Susan Lucci often said that she was lucky in that she did not have a long slow rise to the top. She started out of college as the star of "All My Children" and was never really toppled from that position. At age 23 she played the high school brat, the kid that liked to take boys away from other girls just to hurt both of them in the end, trying to compensate for a famous movie making father who deserted her and her long suffering mother. When the show ended in 2011, I was somewhat sad, given that the disappearance of most soap operas was due to the arrival of cheaply produced reality shows, not so much a lack of ratings. Why pay Susan Lucci to act like a spoiled brat when people will behave like rutting pigs for free if they feel people are watching them, the network suits figured? However, perhaps in retrospect it was a good time to end the show. Lucci was within months of being eligible for Medicare by that time, and although she was remarkably well preserved, all good things must come to an end.

One of the big changes in soap operas to come around was in the mid 1970s when soaps began to introduce wealthy dynastic families and business power struggles as the center of the story lines versus ordinary people dealing with infidelity, divorce, sex and pregnancy before marriage - things that in general were discussed among the actresses playing housewives at the kitchen table over a cup of coffee. All My Children introduced first the Cortlandts to fill that spot in the late 1970's and then Adam Chandler as a rival businessman to the Cortlandts, with bad blood going back to the West Virginia hills from which both families came and the feud having very personal roots.

Finally there is Phoebe, who was the matriarchal version of Erica, who thought that her blue blood and full bank accounts made her better than anybody else and that she knew best for all concerned, and had no more problem meddling in other people's lives than Erica did. Played by Ruth Warrick, she did a splendid job at the role from the show's inception until then end of her life when her illness made her unable to continue regular appearances.

Several acting careers started here - Sara Michele Gellar, for example, later became the star of the long running TV series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". Several acting careers ended here with good long running parts such as Ruth Warrick as Phoebe Tyler, David Canary as Adam Chandler, and James Mitchell as Palmer Cortlandt.

Here is where I usually say "catch it if you can", but you can't since the only soap opera ever put on DVD was "Dark Shadows", and there isn't even a Soap Net channel anymore because so few soap operas still exist. Look for the remains of this show on youtube. Some enterprising individuals have put some portions even from the early 1970's out on youtube. I don't know what they were using in the early 70s to record. Was there such a thing as a squirrel powered Betamax in 1970?

I am not sure when I started watching AMC...but I believe it was when an aunt came down to spend a summer with me..she watched several...but it is AMC that I recall most. Of course Erica Kane was the star..always..and the other characters were for the most part great to watch as well. Fast forward several years to present day: Erica is still the DIVA she always has been..although I do wish Jack and her would FINALLY have their wedding..it has been too long already. I miss Palmer and Adam..another era has ended there perhaps. I wish Julie Bar would return as Brooke full time too. But..please someone tell me WHY they thought the actress who is playing Annie was right for the part? She is NOT sexy enough to pull of the sceming gold digger in my opinion. Giving JR a rather plain and sweet wife as they did seems too unbelievable too...he is a rich spoiled man...there is no way it would happen. Whenever they change actors always seems to change the dynamics too...especially when we have gotten used to the actor who originated the part. The addition of the guy who is playing Caleb is unnecessary too..he is attracted to Erica..even though they seem to have a love/hate thing going on at the moment...but come on..he is an angry,rude guy...not at all sexy...unless you like this type. Jack is way SEXIER in every way. The new Bianca is going to take a while to get used to as well...the new girl is cute..but doesn't quite fit yet. She is too goody goody...more so than the original was. The bottom line is that I won't stop watching the show..I just wish the writers would try a little harder to make it a "must watch" show.

The earliest ALL MY CHILDREN cross-over began in the early 1970's, with "Dr. Marcus Polk", a therapist who moved between ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN to treat a variety of patients. The character ended up back on ONE LIVE, and was murdered in 1985.

ALL MY CHILDREN's "Dr. Joe Martin" & GENERAL HOSPITAL's "Dr. Steve Hardy" visited ONE LIFE TO LIVE for a medical consultation with Dr. Jim Craig in 1969.

Attorney "Paul Martin" from ALL MY CHILDREN traveled to ONE LIFE TO LIVE to represent "Victoria Lord" in a murder trial in 1978.

When "Erica Kane" was a model in the 1980's, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's "Delilah Ralston", a designer, visited ALL MY CHILDREN.

In 1986, ALL MY CHILDREN's "Angie Hubbard" & her son "Frankie" moved to Corinth, where the now defunct series LOVING was set. Later ALL MY CHILDREN's "Jeremy Hunter" and wife "Ceara Connor" moved from Pine Valley to Corinth. Many of the characters from both LOVING and ALL MY CHILDREN visited back & forth. Both "Ceara" & "Jeremy" died on LOVING. "Jeremy's" twin brother, "Gilbert", also was on LOVING.

The "Hubbards" moved to LOVING's spin-off, THE CITY, where they met up with ALL MY CHILDREN's "Jesse Hubbard" look-alike, "Jacob Foster Johnson". GENERAL HOSPITAL's "Tracy Quartermaine" also moved to THE CITY at one point, and ALL MY CHILDREN's "Jackson Montgomery" visited his former lover,"Sydney Chase". An adult "Frank Hubbard" returned to ALL MY CHILDREN in 2002 as a doctor.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE's "Dorian Cramer Lord" had a phone call with ALL MY CHILDREN's "Adam Chandler", in 1990.

In 1999, ALL MY CHILDREN's "Skye Chandler" moved to ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and it was revealed that she had been married to "Ben Davidson". She had an affair with "Max Holden". She then moved to GENERAL HOSPITAL, moving in with her supposed biological father, "Dr. Alan Quartermaine". She married "Jax", & has been romantically linked with "Luke Spencer" & had a "very close" relationship with supposed half-brother, "A.J. Quartermaine".

"Skye's" biological mother "Rae Cummings" moved between all three shows as well. "Rae's" biological mother is ALL MY CHILDREN's "Myrtle Fargate". Myrtle also visited ONE LIFE TO LIVE, as well as LOVING, where niece, "Ceara", had moved. "Rae's" biological father was "Marcello Angelini", an acrobat "Myrtle" met during her "carny days". During all her years in Pine Valley, "Skye" never knew that "Myrtle" was her grandmother.

In 1992, "Carter Jones" showed up on ALL MY CHILDREN to terrorize "Natalie Dillon". Sisters "Dinah Lee & Hannah Mayberry" traveled from LOVING to ALL MY CHILDREN as other victims of "Mr. Jones".

ALL MY CHILDREN's "Trevor Dillon" (Jamed Kiberd) visited LOVING and had a scene with real-life wife Susan Keith ("Shana Sloan"). ALL MY Children's "Tad Martin" (Michael E. Knight) visited ONE LIFE TO LIVE and had a scene with real-life wife Catherine Hickland ("Lindsay Rappaport").

In 1999, "Alex Devane" came to ALL MY CHILDREN, revealed to be the twin sister to GENERAL HOSPITAL's presumed dead "Anna Devane". In 2001 "Anna" also arrives. The dual roles continue until "Alex" marries "Dimitri Marick" and moves to Hungary. Flashbacks with "Anna's" husbands "Robert Scorpio" & "Duke Lavery" were seen on ALL MY CHILDREN. It was revealed that "Duke Lavery" was a cousin of the deceased "Gail Lavery Curry", mother of Pine Valley's "Ryan". "Anna" get's a visit from GENERAL HOSPITAL daughter "Robin Scorpio" and brother-in-law, "Max Scorpio". The Devane clan grew to include British nephew "Aidan Devane", the son of the twins' dead sister, Lindsay. Also, half-brother, bi-racial "Gabriel Devane", the son of their father "Thomas" and their childhood nanny "CeeCee". "Anna" married "Dr. David Hayward" and had another daughter, "Leora Devane Hayward", who lived just a short time. "Anna" left ALL MY CHILDREN in 2003 and returned briefly to GENERAL HOSPITAL in 2006. "Robin Scorpio" returned to GENERAL HOSPITAL from Europe in 2005.

The latest, and most elaborate, cross-over was the year long "baby switch" story (2002-03), when ALL MY CHILDREN's "J.R. & Babe Chandler's" son was kidnapped by "Babe's" 1st husband, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's "Paul Cramer". The baby was then adopted by "Paul's" half-sister "Kelly Buchanan". "Little Adam" was then called "Little Ace". This story tied together all the major families from both shows, set in towns about 50 miles apart in Pennsylvania--the Martins, Chandlers, Kanes of Pine Valley and the Buchanans, Lords, Cramers of Llandview. Many characters traveled back & forth, including "Dorian Cramer Lord" again. The cross-over concluded in a week-long custody trial. Major players from both shows were seen in the courtroom on both programs.

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All My Children is the first soap opera that I watched so I will always have a soft spot for it in my heart. That is why it pains me to see what the show has now become. In the past, we had character driven storylines and where villains paid for what they did. Now we have plot-driven storylines leaving viewers wondering what happened to their favorite characters and characters that deserve to be punished for their misdeeds are still roaming around town acting self-righteous. And I cannot get over how Tad and Dixie fans have been screwed over and over again because after 13 years, they still do not have a child. They are the only supercouple in daytime that I can think of that does not have a child together. How incredibly unfair is that David and Anna (a couple that has been together for barely a year) get to have a child while Tad and Dixie have been trying forever yet prove unsuccessful. When talking about AMC, I guess the name that will be most associated with it is Susan Lucci. She is an original cast member and have been in front burner storylines. Anyone who is an AMC watcher knows Erica's long line of men whom she has married and/or dated. I will always prefer Erica with Jackson, who I think is the love of her life. It's funny that a lot of fans think that Erica and Jack have been married. They haven't. They've been engaged though. So everytime the powers that be throw a new love interest into Erica's storyline, they are ignoring what could be a great storyline for Erica and Jack. I still have hopes that they will rekindle their love though! The Martins have been a prominent family of Pine Valley since the show started so it's sad that they are barely on now. Ruth and Joe only come out during the holidays. Tad has been acting like a moron ever since Dixie died. Why he defends Liza for every misdeed she does yet criticize Adam for everything he does I never know. That just really irks me. The way Tad was acting all self-rigteous towards Brooke for sleeping with Adam. Hey Tad you shouldn't be the one talking; you slept with Liza remember? And why everyone in the town blames Adam for every single thing is just plain wrong. Liza is the one who embezzled money from Chandler Enterprises yet it's Adam's fault? I don't understand the logic. I think I should just stop ranting about what has become of AMC and reminsence about the good times. The first storyline that Tad and Dixie had together will always be my favorite storyline. The way that Tad Martin, formerly known as Tad the cad, helped Dixie when she was being manipulated by Adam. Their courtship was so sweet. Michael E. Knight and Cady McClain have one of the most natural and electrifying chemistry in daytime. They play off each other well and their scenes can be humorous or a total tear-jerker. Who was not laughing their butt off at the Tad love test yet who was able to have a dry eye after watching the scene where Dixie is being hauled off to the looney bin? They also had good friends, Nico and Cecily, to help them with their wacky adventures. *sigh* The good old days.

I have watched All My Children since the fall of 94 and I must say it is a great show. With characters like Haley Tad Janet Trevor Edmund and of course Erica Kane. Best actress in her field. Though it is not as good as it was when I started watching it it is still a good show. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would ever watch it. I grew up with it I was born in 1973 and my mom had watched it since the beginning. It is a great show. My favourite storyline was when Janet had a bomb at Trevor's wedding to Laurel and then she disappeared and struck by lightning then found the cabin then got kiddnapped by Kinder oh that storyline went on for ever.