After nearly 42 years of scandalous affairs, decades-long rivalries, fairy tale romances, kidnapped babies, serial killers, resurrected loved ones and the occasional Pennsylvania tornado, All My Children as fans have known it will come to an end on Friday. Two weeks before production wrapped, TVGuide.com spent a few days behind the scenes of Pine Valley as writers, producers and cast performed something of a three-ring circus, rallying to deliver what they hoped would be a satisfying conclusion for their loyal viewers.
During one morning meeting, longtime director Steven Williford planned out the moment in which Angie (Debbi Morgan) would get her sight back, enacting how she would stumble, joyful and teary-eyed, toward Jessie (Darnell Williams). Downstairs on set at the Pine Valley police station, Tad (Michael E. Knight) and Dixie (Cady McClain) -- together, at last — confronted David (Vincent Irizarry) perhaps for the final time, begging to know
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These are bittersweet times for Debbi Morgan. The groundbreaking actress — daytime's first black female superstar — is once again riding high on All My Children in the sudsiest of plots. Her character, Angie Hubbard, stopped taking crucial medication and allowed herself to go blind when she discovered she was pregnant, only to deliver a stillborn baby. Angie has no idea her child died because her hubby, Jesse (Darnell Williams), pulled a switch and gave her an abandoned newborn. Meanwhile, the baby's real mother has been working as a housemaid in Pine Valley. This emotional time bomb has helped make Morgan a front runner in the best actress race for Sunday's Daytime Emmys. Fabulous, right? But then there's that damn cancellation. TV Guide Magazine spoke with the divinely dimpled diva about her shot at a second Emmy, the end of AMC and that report that said she's moving to a Sony soap!
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Jimmy Kimmel, Barbara Walters and Tyra Banks headline a slate of celebs scheduled to present at the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (June 20, 8 pm/ET on ABC).Kimmel will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Regis Philbin, who is marking more than 40 years in television.The schedule of performers also includes numerous soap stars, including All My Children power couple Darnell Williams and Debbie Morgan, Jack Wagner of Bold and the Beautiful, and Anthony Geary of General Hospital.Montel Williams — who is ending his talk show atfer 17 years — is also scheduled to appear. — J.R. WhalenRelated:•Cameron Mathison, Sherri Shepherd to Host Daytime Emmys
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Over the past couple of months, many daytime greats have returned to the suds — some in old roles, some in new ones. So how are these prodigal kids doing? Michael Logan shares his take.Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams (All My Children) It's been worth a gazillion plot contrivances to see Angie back with her "dead" Jesse after 20 long years. Oh, how we've longed for her blazing soul and Earth Mother passion! How much we've missed his sass and cool and cut-to-the-chase honesty! And aren't they still incomprehensibly beautiful together? Watching these legends reunite in that terrific train-station scene made me realize how starved we soap fans are for true, epic love. Clearly, you can go home again.RATING: 5 out of 5 starsTamara Braun (Days of our Lives) She was the best and most electrifying of the four gals who have played Carly on General Hospital — save your irate letters, you can't change my mind! Now she's opened up a big can o' whoop-ass on Salem as Ava, a bodacious b...
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SOAPnet on Friday announced a slate of programming pegged to the three big returns coming up on ABC's All My Children.For starters, AMC: Back in Pine Valley: Greenlee, Angie and Jesse — a half-hour (and colon-heavy) special featuring fresh interviews, classic clips and a behind-the-scenes look at the first days back on set for Rebecca Budig, Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams — debuts Saturday, January 12, at 2 pm/ET. That leads into Why We Love Greenlee!, a petite marathon of three Budig-centric AMC episodes. (Sabine, I am guessing/hoping, will use that opportunity to go catch a movie.)On Sunday the 13th, starting at 2 pm, AMC: Angie & Jesse are Back! offers a trio of classic Hubbard hours, followed by an encore of the Back in Pine Valley special. — Matt Webb Mitovich
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