Susan Lucci: 'All My Children' Star Memoir Rips ABC, Brian Frons For Cancellation

After 41 years of playing Erica Kane, Susan Lucci has no problem bringing some harsh words herself.

With ABC having canceled soap opera "All My Children," which she has been on since the show's inception in 1970, Lucci rips the network's daytime chief Brian Frons for both the decisions he made that led to the show's demise and his seeming glee in delivering the news, in a new epilogue to the paperback edition of her memoir, "All My Life."

Her rage is captured in excerpts published by the NY Post on Saturday.

"An iconic show was losing out to greed ... If Brian Frons could show his bosses that he could save the network 40 percent ... he could keep his job even if the rest of us lost ours," she writes, referencing the decision to go with a cheaper show -- food talk show "The Chew -- in the place of the classic soap. "I watched Brian Frons' decisions destroy the production of our show and the lives of people on both sides of the country."

The show, which was canceled by ABC in April and will run its last episode on September 23rd, will move online under new rights owner, Prospect Park. Lucci has been offered her same TV salary to continue on in the online version of the show, but has yet to announce whether she'd take the deal.

For more from Lucci's memoir, click over to the NY Post.

Comments

[samuraifrog37]

02:50 PM on 09/07/2011

For years I've missed Nina Cortland , Cliff, and Opal Gardner...they were great fun. There's a "Glamorama" in Chicago. It was time to R.I.P. Thanks AMC.

[olah]

02:08 PM on 09/07/2011

we'll miss you Erica! definately an era in television history

[Laura CannitoSeeley]

10:12 AM on 09/07/2011

k

[Anne Mccormick]

11:24 PM on 09/06/2011

thank you, Susan, for saying what all of your fans have wanted to say to that man.

[Sheldonrs]

06:17 PM on 09/06/2011

I guess I find it hard to feel bad for her, considering the fact she made millions per year from the show and has been offered the same salary for the on-line version.
I doubt there are many factory workers, etc. who have lost, or will soon lose, THEIR jobs who will get the same offer.

[Anne Mccormick]

11:25 PM on 09/06/2011

how about we cancel all pro baseball and football games?

[against-ignorance]

09:48 AM on 09/07/2011

Nicely done.

[Sheldonrs]

10:49 AM on 09/07/2011

Works for me. :-)

[Skiwee]

04:26 PM on 09/06/2011

Lucci, what, where's your Pucci?

[lexingtonKY]

04:19 PM on 09/06/2011

I guess the idea of the online version of the show is just a joke?

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

01:28 PM on 09/06/2011

All this hatred towards soaps is silly. I'd take OLTL right now over 98% of anything in primetime. These daytime shows are still relevant...well, the good ones are.

[rockysparks]

11:54 AM on 09/06/2011

Lucci should see this as an opportunity to show the world whether she is able to play ANYTHING besides Erica Kane ...

[Sherjay]

11:41 AM on 09/06/2011

I never watched this soap, it didn't catch my interest, but for some reason I always knew who Erica Kane was. She is a legend in the soap world, but all things must pass and now it is the soaps turn.

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

01:24 PM on 09/06/2011

Why? Why is it their time to pass?

[TRICIA529]

10:31 AM on 09/06/2011

1st off Huff post, I want U 2 know U are a banned word on the ABC message boards. Can U imagine a banned word?but yes, words like Huff Post, Boycott, and even Young and The Restless R banned words on ABC's General Hospital message board. every single thing Lucci has said is right on the money.& other stars said similar things but YOUR disrespect was what he was counting on. For all of you calling soap fans fat, lazy, bonbon eating housewives, you did his job for him. answer this question, when ABC was aproached by other networks that wanted to buy AMC & OLTL , they refused! Would only sell to an online venture. They refused because they KNEW a new network would give us what we wanted & they would have to watch their shows succeed. Brian Frons' destruction of the soap genre has been obvious to anyone who loved the genre. Another ?? Oprah's gone, why does ABC need to save 40%, somethings fishy over at ABC. If you think ABC is telling the truth about GH not being cancelled I have 1 more question, Katie gets their time slot plus 20 mill & those two other shows are going where AMC & OLTL were. Where do you think GH is going? One more tidbit. OLTL is blowing GH out of the water in ratings & has added over 1/2 a million viewers from this time last year, but ok GH is staying. I got a

[MrsFreeze]

11:14 AM on 09/06/2011

i agree with much of what you said but i just wanted to correct one thing -- oprah has nothing to do with ABC. she may have been syndicated locally on many ABC affiliates but her show was not an ABC show. but i agree wholeheartedly that soap fans are not fat, lazy housewives. i may be a stay-at-home mom but i am none of those other things. we all have our little indulgences, our guilty pleasures, and AMC is one of mine. i watched it for years and years and then stopped when my kids were in preschool because they would be home at that time of day and i didn't want to watch it with them around. ironically, i allowed myself to get re-hooked on it last year, just months before they announced the cancellation! AARRGH!

[sarac]

12:29 PM on 09/06/2011

Let's try this again...

F&F excellent comment

[JUNIORSBOX]

07:29 AM on 09/06/2011

The majority of the comments here, are suggesting Susan Lucci is ticked off because of her job/income loss. Actually, she was humiliated and embarrassed last winter because of the network. She was on a nation wide book tour, promoting a book about the life of her character. Rumors were going around about the show's cancelation. When she was asked about the rumors, she said that they were not true; because the network had assured her the show was not being dropped. They made a fool of her, left her with egg on her face and she has every reason to feel angry.

[Patty Roldan]

07:07 AM on 09/06/2011

This is a business and the powers that be are looking at the show as such. They could care a less about Susan or any of her castmates losing their jobs. She should be grateful she has been working this long. I am sure she will be alright in the money department.

[jtucci9449]

03:26 PM on 09/06/2011

Are yu kidding me HP?

[renocrapshooter]

02:28 AM on 09/06/2011

Lucci: " ... he could keep his job even if the rest of us lost ours," she writes, referencing the decision to go with a cheaper show -- food talk show "The Chew" . . .

"The Chew?" Is it about Wookies or Wrigleys?

[Margo Arrowsmith]

07:11 AM on 09/06/2011

That really is a stupid name.  Yes, they did it in hopes of luring in fans from the View, but they were stupid enough to have it an hour away from the View.

[GirlInNYC]

01:45 AM on 09/06/2011

I wish I had a high paying, high profile job that lasted most of my life. I'd be grateful.

[Margo Arrowsmith]

06:58 AM on 09/06/2011

While you make a good point, I from hearing her she was talking about all the others also, the other actors and the crews.