THIS JUST IN —
Mandatory One Life meeting in the works!
According to several on-set sources, a mandatory meeting has been set for all One Life to Live contract players this Thursday, Aug. 26. Hopefully, it's good news.
WEEKEND SUDS FLASHES
Giovinazzo checks in to The Doctors! Paley Center tribute to World Turns unveiled!
• General Hospital’s Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo will be on the Season 3 premiere of The Doctors airing on Sept. 13, 2010. The GH superstar will be a celebrity guest co-host on a mommy-themed panel on the nationally syndicated daytime show.
• Another return from the dead? TVGuide.ca lists the clichés soap operas are infamous for here.
• Want to hear some cool Irna Phillips stories from the World Turns cast? On Air, On Soaps’ Michael Fairman posted the Paley Center’s tribute to the 54-year-old sudser here.
(RE)CASTING COACH
Should Roger Howarth return to One Life? Hell, yes!
In my eyes, Soap Opera Spirit Award winner Trevor St. John will always be the real Todd Manning despite my admiration and respect for Roger Howarth’s Emmy-winning portrayal of daytime TV’s most dysfunctional rapist. Don’t take that statement lightly — it’s almost a Sophie’s Choice dilemma but St. John, in my opinion, is the most talented leading man working on daytime today. With World Turns’s cancellation, many are hoping One Life will rehire their former superstar to help spike ratings. I could never blame One Life for bringing back Howarth. Let’s face it — if GH’s Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo agreed to come back to ABC Daytime, then it’s only a matter of time before Howarth does. But I hope One Life plays this smart.
If I was head-writing the soap, I would bring back Howarth but as a Todd imposter, not the real Lord heir. Fake Todd could be Ross Rayburn with plastic surgery to seek revenge on Todd to regain his daughter’s love and Blair’s heart.
Moreover, I don’t for one Llanview minute believe that Téa is really dead. Hello — obviously there is a reason why Téa is set to die off-screen (though those scenes have yet to air so anything can happen). Head writer Ron Carlivati has gone on the record about his love for this character — and from what I can see he has based his former legal career on Delgado’s legal briefs. So it doesn’t make sense that he would kill Téa off. Which is why everyone is scratching his or her collective heads as to why Téa would die off-screen if he isn’t really killing her off. Why not give Florencia Lozano and Trevor St. John their Emmy reels by having Lozano pull a Jessica Tuck?
But back to my fearless story prediction — have Ross kidnap Téa and reveal that Eli faked her terminal illness records. Because what’s better than one Todd Manning? Two Todd Mannings! Then, you could really pursue a romance with Susan Haskell and Roger Howarth, who infamously despised the fact that his rapist character turned into a romantic lead character. Remember St. John’s Todd recalled Marty’s rape so One Life cannot backtrack with Todd’s DNA. And what could be more fierce than seeing a St. John and Howarth battle onscreen? For my money, it’d be must-see TV, especially if Howarth brings any World Turns viewers to One Life. Of course, there is some cause for worry. Two words — Jean Passanante.
REMOTE CONTROL — The triumphs! The malfunctions! And the crimes against soap humanity!
> PLAY:
All My Children: Cougar with a Z
It’s in fashion to bash Colby and Damon, but I actually like the two star-crossed lovers together. In fact, I think Finn Wittrock is a pretty decent actor and I like his unique look. Yes, he’s no Tom Pelphrey, but who is? AMC would be smart to play on its history by having Liza have a passionate, secret affair with Damon so the show can mine the fact that Tad’s affair with Liza’s mother, Marion, forever shaped Liza’s life. From what I can tell, Wittrock and Jamie Luner do exhibit heat in their scenes together. |
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> PLAY:
As The World Turns: Oakdale Mountain
Eric Sheffer Stevens and Daniel Cosgrove are creating an interesting friendship/rivalry as Reid helps Chris with his mysterious illness. Having a heartbroken Noah witness an intimate moment between the two doctors was a good move — and kind of funny (there was some bending over and a needle involved). It’s too bad World Turns won’t be able to explore this fascinating new relationship between a gay and straight man.
<< REW:
The Bold and the Beautiful: Clifton Notes
One Life’s loss was B&B’s gain when Bradley Bell hired four-time Emmy nominated actor Scott Clifton to play the mysterious Liam. His recent scenes opposite Susan Flannery prove that Clifton is the best younger actor B&B has ever hired. Clifton matched Flannery’s unrivalled acting prowess nuance by nuance. After viewing the showdown, I ended up cheering for Clifton’s natural acting skills. But let’s hope he doesn’t win that coveted Emmy Award because B&B actors who’ve taken home the gold always seem to leave very soon after.
II PAUSE:
Days of our Lives: Will I Am
Alison Sweeney’s new onscreen son, Chandler Massey, is doing a respectable job as nuWill Horton. Behind the scenes, everyone is buzzing over Massey’s sexual chemistry opposite Casey Deidrick’s Chad. Will DAYS go there? We doubt it, but on this show, any kind of subtext is greatly welcomed. It would be cool to see how Sami and Lucas would deal with having a gay son.
II PAUSE:
General Hospital: Brenda’s ears are burning
You know a character is headed back to town when everyone starts mentioning him or her again. GH has hardly mentioned Brenda onscreen in Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo’s seven-year absence. It’d be more organic if Sonny were having dreams of Brenda all throughout her Port Chuck hiatus not just because she’s returning home soon.
>> FF:
One Life to Live: The Book of Eli
Spencer who? Matt Walton is a refreshing leading man but One Life has made a 180-degree turn when it came to this former noble lawyer. Now he’s Bennett something and responsible for everything wrong in Llanview, including having us endure the atrociously bad acting by these newbies he’s helped bring to town. Let’s hope his last crime was tampering with Téa’s medical records. What a waste.
<< REW:
The Young and the Restless: Must-see daytime TV!
How hilarious — and gross — was it when Nick and Christine made out last week? I loved it because it recalled Phyllis and Cricket’s legendary feud. The best part? Phyllis thought she was seeing Nick kiss Sharon, not Christine. It provided Y&R with one of those rare watercooler moments daytime desperately needs more of. It’s been fun seeing the ageless Lauralee Bell back on Y&R and living it up in Genoa City. Apparently Bell is sticking around long term, which should infuse the DOA Paul and Nina romance with some much-needed conflict and energy. Across the alley, Deacon and Phyllis are a huge hit in my eyes. Sean Kanan’s Deacon Sharpe is just the medicine Phyllis needs to heal her broken heart and ego. And while this Jill/Lauren feud feels uber-contrived to me, Susan Seaforth Hayes’s Joanna prevented me from using my FF button this past week. |
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And how cool was it when Adam stunned everyone by suing all of his enemies and family for kidnapping him months ago after reminiscing about his mother, Hope? It’s a shame that Y&R suffered a creative breakdown earlier this spring with that infamous doppelganger mess because had they jumped from Adam’s cabin kidnapping/kangaroo court, to his attempted-murder mystery (Adam should have been shot and thrown in a coma while Genoa City figured out who tried to kill Adam before learning it was either Sharon or Patty without that Hightower mess added in), and then immediately spring into Adam’s revenge on his family. Instead, that big pocket of time without Adam Newman and his entire storyline really delayed the show’s growth and story direction. However, last week, Y&R really returned to form with its legendary character-driven storylines which finally resonated within the entire canvas. Let’s hope they keep it up for another week.
SUDS POLL
For the future sake of soaps, who should be fired next? Click here to vote.
—Dena Higley, DAYS
—Brian Frons, ABC
—Barbara Bloom, CBS
—Robert Guza, GH
—Maria Arena Bell, Y&R
—Julie Hanan Carruthers, AMC
—David Kreizman, AMC
—Jean Passanante, One Life
—Ken Corday, DAYS
—Jill Farren Phelps, GH
Editor’s Note — Some readers are having trouble accessing our polls on Firefox, so use Safari instead
THE IDIOT RATINGS — August 9-13/10
Loser/Winner: ABC helps CBS gain viewers due to its Brendathon!
Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Source: Soap Opera Network
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 5,035,000 (+167,000/+151,000)
2. B&B 3,304,000 (+130,000/-140,000)
3. GH 2,548,000 (-13,000/+24,000)
4. DAYS 2,494,000 (+85,000/-75,000)
5. AMC 2,458,000 (+81,000/+139,000)
6. ATWT 2,452,000 (+148,000/+153,000)
7. OLTL 2,247,000 (-118,000/-132,000)
Households
1. Y&R 3.5/11 (same/same)
2. B&B 2.3/7 (+.1/-.2)
3. DAYS 1.8/6 (same/-.1)
3. AMC 1.8/6 (same/same)
3. GH 1.8/5 (-.1/-.1)
6. OLTL 1.7/5 (same/-.1)
6. ATWT 1.7/5 (+.1/same)
Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,134,000 (+21,000/+80,000)
2. GH 777,000 (-33,000/+1,000)
3. B&B 752,000 (+60,000/-15,000)
4. DAYS 731,000 (+58,000/-9,000)
5. OLTL 635,000 (-53,000/-50,000)
6. AMC 593,000 (-22,000/-63,000)
7. ATWT 564,000 (+29,000/+4,000)
THE NELSON RATINGS
Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!
Top 3 Soaps to Watch:
1. General Hospital, ABC/A
2. The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global
3. Days of our Lives, NBC/Global
Top 3 Storylines to Watch:
1. Téa of Endearment, One Life
2. The Eternal Runaway Bride, DAYS
3. Fatal Obsession, GH
Top 5 Actresses to Watch:
1. Debbi Morgan (Angie, AMC)
2. Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS)
3. Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH)
4. Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH)
5. Colleen Zenk (Babs, World Turns)
Top 7 Actors to Watch:
1. Billy Miller (Billy, Y&R)
—tie— Larry Bryggmann (John, World Turns)
3. Trevor St. John (Todd, One Life)
—tie— Tuc Watkins (David, One Life)
5. James Scott (EJ, DAYS)
6. Jason Thompson (Patrick, GH)
7. Scott Clifton (Liam, B&B)
Top 3 Duos to Watch:
1. David and Dorian, One Life
2. Sami and EJ, DAYS
3. Angie and Jesse, AMC
Top 3 Couples to Fast-Forward Through:
1. Greenlee and David, AMC
2. Chance and Heather, Y&R
3. Eli and Blair, One Life
Top 3 New Duos to Watch:
1. Phyllis and Deacon, Y&R
2. Tucker and Ash, Y&R
3. Blackie and Janet, World Turns
Top 3 Rivals:
1. EJ vs. Rafe, DAYS
2. Adam vs. The World, Y&R
3. Robin vs. Lisa, GH
Top 3 Douches:
1. Eli Clarke, One Life
2. Nick Newman, Y&R
3. Dena Higley, DAYS head writer
Top 3 News Stories:
1. Kim Zimmer returns to One Life
2. Ed Scott joins B&B
3. B&B recasts Drew Tyler Bell
Top 4 Errors in Judgment:
1. Firing Florencia Lozano on One Life
2. Screwing up Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo’s return, GH
3. Leaking World Turns finale spoilers
4. Nighttime Hope, DAYS
Top 2 Best Moves:
1. B&B hiring Scott Clifton
2. Bringing back Larry Bryggmann, World Turns
Top 3 Love Triangles to Watch:
1. EJ/Sami/Rafe, DAYS
2. Reid/Luke/Noah, World Turns
3. Patrick/Lisa/Robin, GH
Top Musical Suggestion:
1. Robin Thicke and Gloria Loring perform together on One Life
Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):
1. ABC Soaps In Depth: GH Preview
2. Soap Opera Digest: DAYS’s Alison Sweeney
3. Soap Opera Weekly: Fall Preview
Top 3 Best Reads/Buys at the Newsstand:
1. Soap Opera Digest
2. Soap Opera Weekly
3. ABC Soaps In Depth
Top 3 Soap Moments To Watch:
1. Monday’s U.S. episode: Y&R’s Victor and Jack join forces to bring down Adam Newman. Good luck with that, guys!
2. Tuesday: B&B’s Nick and Brooke reflect upon their marriage. “Remember that one time in band camp when your current hubby raped you? Good times. How’s that working out for you?” Nick asks Brooke.
3. Friday: One Life’s Todd and Dani learn that Téa died. “Maybe she’s really alive and living with Roger Howarth,” postulates Dani.
Want to dish the soaps with Nelson Branco? Join The Suds Report discussion group today on Facebook.
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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. |
