The Rich and the Poor,
The Weak and the Strong,
In Sickness and in Health,
In Joy and Sorrow,
In Tragedy and Triumph,
You are All My Children.
Known as the “Queen of Modern Daytime Drama,” Agnes Nixon is responsible for shaping serialized storytelling for television. Nixon began her career working for the original “Queen of Soaps,” Irna Phillips who transitioned daytime drama from radio to television and pioneered new methods of storytelling. Nixon worked with Phillips on several Procter and Gamble soap operas in the capacity of writer and head writer. These include: As the World Turns, Search for Tomorrow, and Guiding Light. By the 1960’s Nixon dreamed of creating her own programs which would be able to not only entertain their audience, but enlighten them by exploring social issues and the real-life events that were shaping society.
2011 will be remembered by soap fans as the year that ABC (particularly Daytime President, Brian Frons) killed All My Children and One Life to Live in favor of cheaper, less-complicated talk shows. But, that doesn’t mean that Miss Nixon’s work will be forgotten. Through her decades of exceptional work, Agnes Nixon has impacted the world in a way few writers have an opportunity to do.
Last week, Miss Nixon said of the cancellations of her legendary programs:
“ABC’s decision to cancel All My Children and One Life to Live saddens me greatly. I treasure the decades that the worlds of Pine Valley and Llanview were brought to life by our talented casts and crews. I appreciate that the network allowed our teams to break new dramatic ground and always supported our commitment to the honest portrayal of social issues. We hope we have entertained our viewers and perhaps even educated them along the way. My deep gratitude goes to all the talented people who have contributed to All My Children and One Life To Live over these many years; we were always family, made up of writers, producers, directors, actors, crews. Equally important in that family are our loyal fans who shared this journey with us. Although ABC has concluded there is no longer a place for our shows on their network, I will do everything possible to keep them alive. God bless you all.”
5 comments:
Miss Nixon is a class act. AMC and OLTL will be missed. It's the end of an era. As along time fan of All My Children I admire her for all she brought to day time tv.
I agree, Darcy. I'm a longtime fine of AMC, too, and I love Miss Nixon. I'm so upset about how this cancellation has come about and the way that it's been handled. It's like losing a member of the family. This is a nice tribute.
It is a sin they cancelled these shows. Nice article about a very wonderful woman.
Yes, she's a very talented woman who has made a huge difference in the world with her skills as a writer and as a person.
I sitll can't comprehend that ABC has cancelled these two soaps. It is the end of an era. I grew up watching these shows and they were a bond I shared with my mother and grandmother. I can't think about what I will do after they are gone. It is so sad that this was done to make room for stupid shows that no one wants to see. TPTB at ABC aren't taking the many people who tape the shows and watch them later in mind. The audience is bigger than they think. I hope we can do something about this but I think its took late which is so very sad. Thank you for writing this nice story about Agnes Nixon. She made all of us feel happy and connected and safe for all these years.
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