pow•er \ pau(-ə)r \ n. & v. • The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. • A specific capacity, faculty, or aptitude; often used in the plural (powers of persuasion). • Strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted; might (see synonyms at strength). • The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority. • A person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others (the western powers). • The might of a nation, political organization, or similar group. • Forcefulness; effectiveness (a novel of unusual power).

Who controls and influences this disastrous and dying industry? While some may argue “soap power” is an oxymoron, we beg to differ.

In soaps, it’s not the size of your power, but how you use it that matters.

Our criteria? Power sources include, influence, autonomy, buzz, publicity, ratings impact, talent, vision and groundbreaking achievements.

With the industry in flux and bleeding out, and narratives traversing from networks to online faster than anyone imagined, it’s no surprise how different 2010’s list is from last year’s. This September, the soap community will be down to a record-low, anemic six daytime TV serials. Read on to find out who lit up the past year and who suffered a power malfunction.

 

1. ROBERT GUZA, General Hospital head writer
2009 Ranking: —
Why: Guza finally lined up all his ducks in a row with riveting storytelling, a balanced ensemble, luring boldface talents and convincing Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo to return to GH.
Assets: Marcil Giovinazzo. Prestige after James Franco chose his show to rehearse a part resembling The Joker in something called performance art. His writing helped secure GH a whopping 18 Emmy nominations this year.
Liabilities: He’s fooled us before.
Outlook: Bright and promising.
2. VANESSA MARCIL GIOVINAZZO, General Hospital
2009 Ranking: —
Why: Guza’s muse, who is returning in a long-term comeback, may just be daytime’s last hope.
Assets: She significantly raised ratings when she returned in 2003 in her Emmy-winning performance. Is arguably the most popular soap opera superstar. And she’s insanely talented and infinitely beautiful, too! Marcil Giovinazzo will more than likely help secure GH more mainstream press during her one-year contract with the soap. Long sleeves will once again come back in style. ABC is preempting their entire Aug. 10 soap lineup to re-air classic Brenda Barrett episodes before she re-joins GH the next day — an unheard of and unprecedented move, including specials on SOAPnet.
Liabilities: That new last name! Hey, we had to think of something because she’s perfect in every way.
Outlook: You can always bet the house on this former Las Vegas star — even in this economy.
3. TWITTER
2009 Ranking: —
Why: Creating a more interactive soap opera community between stars and fans.
Assets: A one-stop online space where storyline and casting spoilers can be found, minute-by-minute commentary by fans and critics as soaps air live, and direct access to actors and their lives. New promotional and marketing opportunities such as characters tweeting about their fictional lives like real people do. Measures a star’s popularity by the number of followers they have.
Liabilities: Why watch the soaps yourself when you can read what’s happening onscreen in a humorous tone from your computer at work? Is Twitter making the soap opera publicist obsolete by cutting out the middleman? And is that a bad thing? Some actors have already gotten into trouble for leaking too much storyline and casting information from work. Big Brother is watching, indeed.
Outlook: Revolutionary.
4. SONY
2009 Ranking: —
Why: Sony is the king in making daytime’s highest paid stars feel like they are worth nothing and trying to force them out of their iconic roles in this new economic reality of ours.
Assets: Y&R is the top-rated soap in daytime. DAYS has performed higher than expected during the 2009-10 season. They’ve both done very well year-to-date for most of the past year. Trimmed the budgets on DAYS and Y&R in a much more severe, cost-effective manner than ever before without sacrificing writing. Their soap brands perform remarkably well internationally. Sony relented and decided to keep Y&R’s biggest stars Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott after a tense pay cut showdown, thanks to head writer Maria Arena Bell.
Liabilities: DAYS’ recent ratings dip is cause for concern. Will NBC renew DAYS? Received tons of bad press for trying to oust aging superstars Braeden and MTS out of Y&R after they successfully kicked Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn to the curb on DAYS, setting a troubling new precedent for the industry as a whole.
Outlook: Disturbing.
5. MARIA ARENA BELL, Y&R chief
2009 Ranking: 2
Why: Control’s daytime’s No. 1 soap opera.
Assets: Has impressive pull with Sony during heated contract stalemates involving her most popular leading actors. Finally nominated for an Outstanding Writing Emmy this year. Her family's company, Bell Dramatic Serial, owns part of the show. Like GH, Y&R is attracting more and more boldface names like Eric Roberts and Sean Young, albeit in short-term roles or cameos. Her show is daytime’s most publicized soap in the press. Y&R is so successful in Canada that recent ratings reflect that one out of 30 Canadians watch the soap. Boasts a cast of largely compromised of Emmy winners and award-worthy thespians. Absorbing talented ex-P&G and AMC actors in major roles tied to its history, à la Marcy Rylan, Eden Riegel and Jeff Branson. Making Amelia Heinle more likable thanks to the infectious, surprising Billy/Victoria love story. Throwing a glam post-Emmy party helped reassure the business that Y&R is still financially solvent.
Liabilities: Her inability to solve the Victoria Rowell situation looks more and more bleak. Lack of front-burner material for her diverse cast. Hiring VH1 stars in cameo roles isn’t bringing in numbers or eliciting positive fan reaction. When World Turns signs off the air this September, can CBS daytime survive with just a one-and-a-half-hour soap block? Or will CBS’s The View clone, which is replacing World Turns, help reinvigorate the day part? Too many characters on this one-hour show costs valuable vets screen time. Letting the phenomenal Stacy Haiduk go still has everyone scratching his or her heads.
Outlook: Consistent and hopeful but there's a lot of work left to do.
6. Brian Frons, ABC Daytime President
2009 Ranking: 6
Why: Because The Wizard of Oz runs The View, AMC, One Life and GH.
Assets: Marcil Giovinazzo and Guza are making GH the soap to watch in 2010. Preempting ABC’s soap lineup on Aug. 10 to re-air classic Brenda Barrett episodes to promote Marcil Giovinazzo’s return the next day, along with devoting SOAPnet airtime to teasing the comeback. Moving AMC to L.A. proved wise. Susan Lucci decided to stay on AMC despite a pay cut and the L.A. transition. Bragging rights over James Franco’s GH stint. Continues to promote its soaps on The View. Not cancelling One Life yet. Twenty less original scripts a year may make ABC Daytime a more financially and creatively sound machine despite the cost to writers and actors. His “What If” web series is hilariously entertaining and moving ABC promotion into the future.
Liabilities: Rumours that One Life will be cancelled sooner rather than later. Allowing Frank Valentini to fire One Life’s biggest promotional draw, Kish, and other diverse cast members. Hiring P&G soap-killing duo David Kreizman and Donna Swajeski to helm AMC. The View clone CBS is preparing to replace World Turns this fall will compete against One Life. Sinking SOAPnet in favour of a youth-based Disney channel despite claims the cable network was beyond successful. Losing AMC’s most popular leading man, Thorsten Kaye, in favour of its L.A. move. Not moving One Life out west to save costs worries many. Not promoting One Life as much as ABC does with AMC and GH. Reportedly asking the WGA for waivers to produce 20 less original scripts a year or it will fire scribes. Will pre-empting One Life and AMC on Aug. 10 for a Brendathon help or hurt their ratings?
Outlook: Shady.
7. BRADLEY BELL, B&B chief
2009 Ranking: 4
Why: Complete autonomy and ownership of the world's most watched daily soap. Assets: Finally winning the coveted Best Writing Emmy, proving he wasn’t just born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He also won back-to-back Best Drama Series Emmys increasing his former award-less career to a total of four Emmy wins! Absorbing the talented and popular stars ABC fires (Sarah Brown, Scott Clifton, and Rick Hearst). International hit series bragging rights. B&B remains the most watched daily show in the world — even the Guinness Book of World Records says so. Hiring real musical talent like Daddy Yankee to perform on his soap. An inspired return to the Friday cliffhanger. Bringing back Katherine Kelly Lang to the front burner — where she belongs. Employs daytime TV's most talented writer, Mr. Patrick Mulcahey.
Liabilities: Ratings are sinking despite a creative resurgence. Campy, recycled storylines. Wasting three-time Emmy winner Sarah Brown’s talent with a lukewarm plotline. Too many cast members for a half-hour show. Lack of diversity on-screen.
Outlook: Bold, especially if CBS increases the series to one hour.
8. GARY TOMLIN, DAYS co-executive producer
2009 Ranking: 8
Why: For bringing integrity back to DAYS. While DAYS was more of a produced show under Ed Scott’s reign, Tomlin’s unmatched experience in production and writing have propelled DAYS to become one of daytime’s best soaps.
Assets: Managed to find a way to bring back a slew of old favourites for Alice Horton’s funeral earlier this summer. Better casting choices, like absorbing the likes of Jessica Tuck and Stacy Haiduk thanks to the show’s fierce casting director, Marnie Saitta. Creating a buzz-worthy vet triangle involving Maggie-Victor-Vivian. Recasting Bill Horton with sexy fox John Martin. A relatively refreshing balance between young and old characters. For the second year in a row, DAYS secured multiple Emmy nominations for its actors and crew. Currently airing one of the hottest and most polarizing love triangles in its history, EJ/Sami/Rafe. Tomlin’s love, understanding and respect for daytime provides DAYS with a more hands-on approach than in year’s past. Thanks to Chappell, half of the DAYS cast stars on the popular web series, Venice, creating additional promotional benefits for Salem’s brightest. Stronger, wittier dialogue has invaded the show thanks to Richard Culliton. Proving a one soap lineup can be successful.
Liabilities: Tomlin needs to perform emergency surgery on Carly Manning’s character because even the biggest Crystal Chappell fans are turned off. The NBC sets are fading fast; he should resurrect the outdoor sets at Burbank — stat! — so DAYS can compete with their rivals’ on-location shooting. Head writer Dena Higley watching too many late-night infomercials as inspiration for her story bible is concerning. Will have to face the always-unpredictable NBC when DAYS comes up for renewal again. A lack of rehearsal time often impedes the inexperienced young actors.
Outlook: On cruise control, but hard-to-navigate detours could be ahead.
9. JAMES ROMANOVICH, ATI President
2009 Ranking: 18
Why: For getting the Daytime Emmy Awards aired on a national network, CBS, this year. Producing one of the best kudo-fests in forever. Earning promising, decent ratings topping the past two seasons!
Assets: Tying in soap stars with charity organization Daytime Gives Back. Finding a financially solvent way to air the Emmys without sacrificing the quality of the production (thank you Las Vegas Tourism and the Las Vegas Hilton). Airing brief yet satisfying World Turns and AMC tributes, which led to Agnes Nixon being honoured with an emotional and nostalgic Lifetime Achievement Award segment. Harkened the Daytime Emmy sets, graphics, and production back to its Radio City Music Hall roots. Frequently blogs about his love for the soap genre and is a regularly featured expert on several podcasts and websites. Tried to get P&G to sell him the rights for a GL reboot. About to release the upcoming documentary, On the Edge, featuring Tony Geary, Susan Lucci and Kelly Monaco's trip to Africa.
Liabilities: Will the Emmys air next year with only six soaps on air? That’s the million-dollar question. Pressure to make the Emmys less about soaps and more about talk and game shows. Sketchy daytime presenter lineup.
Outlook: The price of Emmy gold just went up!
General Hospital, ABC 10. MAURICE BENARD, STEVE BURTON and TONY GEARY, GH's leading men
2009 Ranking: Geary, 14
Why: As a trifecta, Geary, Benard and Burton run the roost, claim several backstage insiders. What they say, goes. If they don’t like you, watch out.
Assets: Unrivaled popularity, award-winning acting chops, and smart business savvy makes Geary, Benard and Burton daytime’s most powerful actors. Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo’s return should boost their airtime and secure their importance even further. In Burton’s case, the actor is proving to be quite the entrepreneur as he moonlights with several business ventures that target his soap audience.
Liabilities: Thanks to new economic realities, Eric Braeden’s contract showdown with Sony, Susan Lucci’s AMC pay cut, soaps are becoming less and less star-driven.
Outlook: As a team, this unbeatable trifecta may find themselves as the last men standing.
11. PAUL RAUCH, Y&R co-executive producer
2009 Ranking: 5
Why: Co-executive-producing daytime’s No. 1 soap.
Assets: Making Y&R a more efficient production machine without sacrificing the look of the show. Increased location shoots that are expertly directed. Giving notes to actors who need them. His infamous hands-on approach during taping. His unrivaled experience in the genre he helped shape since the 1960s under Irna Phillips’ leadership. Was nominated for his efforts for a 2010 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award. Y&R received 16 Emmy nods in total.
Liabilities: Managing an increasingly shrinking budget Sony is intent on slashing which almost cost him several of his biggest superstars. Dealing with all the egos on set isn’t as easy as it looks, especially on this show. When World Turns is cancelled in September, Rauch will have to deal with the reality of a two-soap lineup.
Outlook: Pass the cigar!
12. JAMES FRANCO
2009 Ranking: —
Why: For making soaps cool again and permanently eliminating the soap stigma with his two headline-grabbing GH stints.
Assets: Secured GH mainstream headlines and attention from print, Saturday Night Live to major entertainment news shows. Inspired many other boldface names to seek employment on soaps.
Liabilities: His self-serving, nonsensical “performance art” obsession turned off several viewers and critics. Fans still don’t understand Franco’s experiment or his artistic intent in joining a soap. Proved not to be the ratings draw as expected; in fact, ratings decreased during his first stint. Failed to translate as a good actor in this medium as he does in film, primetime and theatre. His character’s sexual attraction to Jason Morgan worried some gay activists.
Outlook: Groundbreaking.
13. JILL FARREN PHELPS, GH executive producer
2009 Ranking: 10
Why: Continues to consistently helm daytime’s best and arguably most popular soap opera.
Assets: Over the past year, Phelps has cemented GH as daytime’s best produced soap with new, refurbished sets, its HD format, a refreshing new show opening, impressive guest-star stunt casting, James Franco bragging rights, and unheard of marketing support from ABC.
Liabilities: As the odds-on favourite to win this year’s Best Drama Series, Phelps failed to take home gold proving that daytime may be sick of GH’s bells-and-whistles production stunts.
Outlook: Phelps is only as good as her head writer, so as long as Guza is firing on all cylinders, GH won’t need emergency surgery.
14. KEN CORDAY, DAYS executive producer
2009 Ranking: —
Why: For managing to keep his comeback soap on the air despite several cancellation threats from NBC.
Assets: Keeping Gary Tomlin as the soap’s best show runner in decades. Publishing a well-written, touching and insightful memoir, The Days of Our Lives, and signing a deal with SourceBooks for more additional Salem-related projects. A seemingly renewed interest in his show’s future.
Liabilities: Will NBC renew its only soap? Are fans buying Corday’s mea culpa/it’s-not-all-my-fault PR tour?
Outlook: It’s another cliffhanger!
15. CRYSTAL CHAPPELL, Days of our Lives/Venice
2009 Ranking: 1
Why: For helping DAYS increase its ratings during her sensational Salem comeback. As Venice’s creator/producer/star, Chappell is becoming one of the founding mothers of the web soap genre and proving online narratives can be successful.
Assets: Casting several DAYS stars on her hit web soap, Venice, helped promote the NBC sudser in a new refreshing way. Introducing her loyal, cult-like GL/Venice audience to DAYS. Nominated for a 2010 Outstanding Lead Actress for her groundbreaking Sapphic role as Olivia on GL. Chappell proved naysayers wrong by actually making money off of Venice’s first season by charging a $9.99 subscription fee. Highly anticipated Season 2 premieres this fall in a more soap-friendly format. Leading the web soap charge. Considered an unflappable gay rights icon. Successfully marketing Venice merchandise to help finance her web series. Her unrivaled love and respect for the soap genre makes Chappell one of daytime’s most loyal allies/cheerleaders. The majority of DAYS fans actually want Bo with Carly — not Hope! Scandalous!
Liabilities: Bad writing has made Carly fast-forward material, which should be considered a crime. She shockingly lost the Best Actress Emmy this past June. DAYS would be smart to make Carly bisexual to appease all the Venice fans watching and generate more mainstream buzz, à la GL’s Otalia.
Outlook: Les-bionic!
16. WEB SOAP CREATORS
2009 Ranking: Byrne, 24
Why: Following in Chappell and Andrew Miller’s (Imaginary Bitches) trailblazing footsteps, several new producers and writers are saturating the online market with riveting new web soaps. The most promising? The soapilicious Steamboat from Michael O’Leary, Martha Byrne's Gotham and The Bay via Gregori J Martin.
Assets: More diverse casts. Realistic storytelling in a friendly, entertaining soapy format. Oodles of humour and graphic sexuality. Edgy dialogue. Employs ex-soap stars who have been booted off their shows for political/financial reasons — you know, everything the daily soap is afraid to do.
Liabilities: Other than La Chappell, has anyone figured out how to make money off of online soaps yet? That’s the only problem so far.
Outlook: Log on tomorrow!
17. ERIC BRAEDEN
2009 Ranking: 9
Why: For standing up to the big, mean corporate machine, Sony, when asked to take a pay cut or get lost. And for managing to keep his job as daytime’s TV most popular male superstar.
Assets: An unmatched international male and female audience who are obsessed with all things Victor Newman — and Eric Braeden. When Braeden briefly quit, decreased ratings clearly reflected The Moustache’s power. Eliciting mainstream coverage and concern during his Sony contract dispute. Won’t be censored in his refreshingly frank interviews. At 69, Braeden still manages to grace the cover of and sell every soap magazine despite this youth-obsessed industry. Helped broker Sean Young’s Y&R appointment as Meggie.
Liabilities: A suspicious increasing lack of screen time. Braeden did have to relent and agree to a hefty pay cut in order to keep his day job. Since his return, Victor has been acting more like MacGruber than the business tycoon we all know and love.
Outlook: I’m here to stay; got that?
18. BARBARA BLOOM, CBS Vice-President of Daytime
2009 Ranking: 16
Why: We’re still not sure.
Assets: Making ABC look soap-phobic by agreeing to air the Daytime Emmy Awards, a relative ratings hit, when it was Brian Frons’s turn to do so. Encouraging Y&R to absorb as many ex-GL stars as possible, and B&B to steal fired ABC soapers. Brokering the Y&R appointment of the insanely popular Eden Riegel despite her highly publicized friendship with AMC chief, Julie Hanan Carruthers. Replacing World Turns with a View-inspired talk show instead of another lame, cliché game show.
Liabilities: Cancelling World Turns so soon after killing GL. A two-soap lineup in September may jeopardize Y&R’s and B&B’s hold as daytime’s top two rated shows. Or not. Since Sony and the Bells have creative control of their sudsers and P&G soaps have been successfully murdered, will Bloom’s influence, utility and relevance finally wane? Not footing the bill for World Turns and GL stars to attend the Emmys for one last hurrah. Needs to start investing in more modern, outside-the-box promotional strategies.
Outlook: She’s going to wash all that soap out of her hair!
19. LINDA SCHUYLER, Degrassi co-creator
2009 Ranking: —
Why: For getting into the endangered daily soap opera game by successfully graduating her critically acclaimed teen sudser from a weekly nighttime show to a telenovela this summer.
Assets: Hiring a realistically diverse cast of characters (including adding a transgender character to the show this season), edgy storylines, promising daily ratings since the show’s premiere on TeenNick and MuchMusic, and for investing in the daily soap format with gusto and pride. The former eighth grade teacher has kept the Degrassi franchise fresh and relevant for more than three decades and was awarded the prestigious Order Of Canada for doing so.
Liabilities: Adjusting to a hefty new daily pace — despite her creating Riverdale, a daily Canadian soap that ran from 1997-2000 — and managing the Herculean task of balancing more characters and stories may prove challenging.
Outlook: School is definitely in session. Recess will have to wait.
20. MARK TESCHNER, GH casting director
2009 Ranking: 17
Why: Consistently casting the most talented actors in the business for daytime’s best and most coveted soap.
Assets: This past year, Teschner secured major boldface talent including the likes of Michael Learned, Adrienne Barbeau, Brad Rowe and James Franco. He also hired brilliant character actors in short-term story arcs like Josh Wingate as the creepy Carter. Teschner will soon also have GH’s secret weapon, Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo, gracing his Emmy reel next year. Most impressively, Teschner discovered future superstars Dominic Zamprogna, Lexi Ainsworth, Drew Garrett, Chad Duell, Aaron Refvem, and Hayley Pullos. Teschner also brought former soap hunks like Scott Reeves and Bradley Cole back to daytime.
Liabilities: Industry backlash and jealousy over his James Franco get may have cost him this year’s Casting Emmy Award. Brianna Brown isn’t clicking with audience as psycho Lisa.
Outlook: Unstoppable.

 

 

 

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Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America.