All My Black Children

I've been waiting to do this post ALL week! As some of you may already know, Jesse and Angie have returned to Pine Valley! Angie returned Friday, and Jesse literally waltzed onto set today, looking all kinds of lovely and salt & pepper FINE. Time has done Mr. Darnell Williams well. As for Ms. Debbi Morgan, she is as beautiful as ever and her skin is still flawless. These two are a prime example of the black not crackin'! Although they have yet to cross paths, the plot is already thick behind the mysterious illness that has befallen their son Frankie. The last time I saw Frankie on AMC, he was a baby.

While the character of Dr. Angie was transplanted to two other soaps (where apparently Frankie grew older, and an adopted daughter arose for Angie), the fact that the ABC and AMC brass are reviving this, is an amazing testament to one of the greatest on screen love stories EVER. By bringing these two characters together in the eighties, All My Children and its writers, successfully opened up the world of daytime television to an all new demographic and generation. Personally speaking, I could not wait to get home to watch it! This was young love, black love, rebellion, drama, and suspense, all rolled up in one, and the story line never failed to disappoint. Add to that their friendship with Greg and Jenny and the show was really on point.

In hindsight, I wish they never took Jesse and Angie away from us. He was brave and she was ambitious. I don't know too many folks who look to soap operas for role models, but back then, Angie proved that you didn't have to give up your cookies for a man to be with you. She made Jesse wait until they married (eloped), and in my eyes that speaks volumes and is a far cry from the skyrocketed instances of teen aged pregnancy we see today. They also had an AIDS storyline back then involving one of Angie's friends, this was "risque" at the time, but brave and prescient. Unfortunately, we are hard pressed to find such compelling content on our shows these days. Call it ass backward, if you will.

I am excited to see how this story unfolds. How long will it be before they are revealed to one another? Will the son Frankie survive? Will Jesse and Angie reunite? Will there be bitterness and resentment? Where is Angie's daughter? The possibilities of this storyline are enumerable and juicy.

Besides, it's been interesting to see the old players in action. Tad is still "Captain Save a Ho", Adam is still surly and conniving, Opal, as always, is a tawdry busy body. Doc Joe Martin is old, yet gentle and kind and Erica is Erica, 'nuff said. There are obviously some characters that I know nothing about, and every ones kids seem to be grown now, but it shouldn't take long for me to catch on.

I hope you tune in also! We are truly missing a positive view of ourselves on the tube. Don't get me wrong, I live for my CW shows (Girlfriends, The Game, etc.) and I tune in to a few mainstream shows (Boston Legal, Greys Anatomy) because they sprinkle in black characters here and there, but I gave up on the Soaps a long, long time ago. The return of The Hubbard Family is a breath of fresh air and they will be welcomed into my home everyday, Tivo and all. I might even decide to add the show as a regular blog item.......

Hmmmmm, wait and see!

The Maven