All My Children
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Charles Pratt, Jr. (pictured) is the new head writer on All My Children. He recently spoke with Soap Opera Digest about the challenges facing himself and the series ahead:

Digest: What attracted you to All My Children?
Pratt: I've always been a Julie Carruthers [executive producer] fan. We've worked together before and I just love her, and I love what she does on the show since she's been here. All the actors are just good actors, whether they've been on the show for years or they're new.

Digest: Let's talk about some of the problem areas on the show, starting with Fusion.
Pratt: I think I looked at Fusion as, not "What do we do with Fusion?" but as an opportunity, as we do with magazine publishing on a show like Ugly Betty. My gosh, a woman-run company, yet all they do is run around and chase after their romantic interests. These are working women; let's put them in the work environment and give them great, funny, romantic stories under that umbrella.

We've got the younger working women, put them up against the spoiled rich girls, Kendall and Greenlee, who are running it and seem to be so distracted by their romantic lives. There's great fun in that and relatability. My feeling is, rather than figure out ways to use it, that can become drudgery. Let's make it exciting! Let's make it a world we want to see. I think all of it's there.

Without it becoming a business story, you make it Greenlee vs. Kendall, rich against poor. I personally was confused with Kendall and Greenlee. When are they friends, when are they not? Best friends have little spats and disagreements, but they also know each other better than anyone in the world. We're going to clarify all of that.

Here's exactly what All My Children fans can expect on their favorite series next week...

• Ryan tells Aidan to leave Annie alone.

• Adam is in serious trouble.

• JR discovers Colby (Brianne Moncrief) drinking.

• Greenlee proposes to Aidan (Aiden Turner, pictured)!

What's in store for All My Children fans next week? Let's take a glance...

• Ryan casts doubts on Annie.

• Krystal confronts Colby (Ambyr Childers, pictured).

• Babe is afraid JR is turning into Adam.

• Annie needs to save herself.

Chuck Pratt — who officially takes over as the head writer of All My Children on August 27 — has an issue with Fusion, the soap's hopelessly dopey cosmetics corporation.

The main problem?

"It took me three weeks to figure out what they actually do at Fusion and that Greenlee [Rebecca Budig] and Kendall [Alicia Minshew] run the place," Pratt told TV Guide.

The solution, according to Pratt, will be to take a cue from Ugly Betty, where he previously served as a consulting producer.

"I'm going to blast into Fusion and make it a real workplace," he said. "We're going to get into the drama of office politics. We'll see what it's like for the poor assistants and underlings when two spoiled rich girls are in charge."

Chuck Pratt will be putting Alicia Minshew to work!

Former Guiding Light co-stars Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers are reunited on All My Children this week.

Here's a promo advertising the reunion

Now that Charles Pratt, Jr. has taken over the writing reins at All My Children, he's got major plans on revitalizing the soap opera.

"It is challenged right now," the scribe told Soap Opera Digest in an exclusive look at what's ahead in Pine Valley.

This is especially good news for Adam and Erica fans, as well as for the men on All My Children; all will go through a change.

"We're gonna get Zach off the couch," teased Pratt, adding that fans can also expect changes for the show's biggest couples: "The bond of marriage will be tested."

Here are a few All My Children spoilers for the coming week. Don't worry, we never give away too much...

• Ryan (Cameron Mathison) leans that Annie is pregnant

• Erica fights back

• JR wants Zach to work with him

• Tad (Michael E. Knight, pictured) catches Krystal in a lie about Adam.

Ready to get political, All My Children fans?

On July 24, Beth Ehlers — formerly of Guiding Light — will join the drama as Taylor McBride. As TV Guide reports, she's an Army lieutenant fresh off a tour in Iraq. Taylor will be teamed once again with Guiding Light partner Ricky Paull Goldin.

ABC hopes to re-create their supercouple magic ... but head writer Charles Pratt, Jr. says not to expect Jake and Taylor to be another Gus and Harley.

"Like many great romances, this one will be born of conflict," Pratt, Jr. said. "Jake and Taylor’s relationship, not unlike our current presidential campaign, is a clash of ideals — the liberal versus the conservative. Taylor represents the modern warrior who is gung-ho military. For her, it's all about her country, her unit, her mission, not about the politics."

Back together: Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers.

Jake, conversely, spent years working in Africa with Doctors Without Borders and has a "completely different take on Iraq and fervently disagrees with what's going on there," Pratt said. Both suffer a degree of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Jake was held captive in Darfur, while Taylor, who is awaiting redeployment, was wounded in Iraq.

"The story is certainly influenced by the success of Army Wives," said the All My Children scribe. "The goal is to present the kind of debate that's going on all over the country in a way that's entertaining and relatable and without taking sides."

With this week in the books, let's peer ahead to the next few episodes on All My Children...

• Ryan's memory comes back, in full.

• Colby and Cassandra open up to Adam.

• Kendall wonders what to do about Greenlee (Rebecca Budig).

• Zach doesn't buy what Annie (Melissa Claire Egan, pictured) is selling.

Beth Ehlers debuts on All My Children as Taylor McBride on Thursday, July 24.

And the actress isn't afraid to tell Guiding Light fans to tune in and see her and co-star Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, All My Children; ex-Gus, Guiding Light).

"I don't want them to stop watching Guiding Light, but I absolutely want them to follow us," said Ehlers. "I'm not even shy about it."

Will you be watching Ehlers on All My Children?