The Soapgeist - September 4/10

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TOP STORY — THE END OF THE NON-AFFAIR
Eric Sheffer Stevens speaks out on his heart-wrenching World Turns goodbye!
Choo, choo! “I wish I knew how to quit you.” — This week on World Turns, Luke will have to brace himself for the worst news of his life. Yes, the lovable yet surly Dr. Reid Oliver tragically died, ultimately donating his gay heart to his charming frenemy, the “heartless” Dr. Chris Hughes. This controversial storyline has the Twitterverse buzzing, so TVGuide.ca ran to 2010’s biggest breakout star, Eric Sheffer Stevens, for his thoughts on the end of Dr. Oliver, daytime’s answer to Dr. Gregory House. For more on the future Emmy nominee, click here for our outrageously popular interview with Mr. Sheffer Stevens earlier this month.

TVGuide.ca: You just finished a bike ride before you called me! Hopefully, you didn’t cross a train track! Why are you in California? Auditioning?
Eric Sheffer Stevens: This is where my entire family is from. Just visiting. I’m in northern California right now.

TVG: Oh, wow. I think I knew that when I penned our last interview   but I always think of you as a native New Yorker because of your enduring love for theatre.
ESS: Well, I kind of am. I’ve been in New York since high school.

TVG: In our last interview, you told me you said you were happy with Reid’s exit. Now that we all know he kicks the proverbial bucket, can you expand on your original tease?
ESS: I just liked the way it wrapped up. It was a nice button on the storyline. It was fun doing that. I just liked having come in and doing a nice storyline arc — a beginning, middle and very final end [laughs]! Having some sort of lukewarm or trailing off into the sunset sort of finish [wouldn’t have pleased me] … so this was kind of fantastic.

TVG: [Laughs] Lukewarm! No pun intended! With World Turns going off the air, I kind of don’t mind the show killing you off. I do mind them not giving LuRe a sex scene since their straight characters go at it non-stop, love or no love. Do you think if World Turns didn’t go off the air, they would have killed you off?
ESS: I don’t know. I don’t think so.

TVG: Were you on contract or recurring?
ESS: They weren’t signing contracts after learning they were cancelled. I was on recurring.

TVG: If World Turns wasn’t cancelled, would you have signed a contract?
ESS: I have no idea. I don’t love the idea of being tied down to one thing. I’m not really sure … A contract is pretty long and it would take some pretty serious consideration. [Executive producer] Christopher Goutman took me aside and told me that [Reid would die] because the show was ending, so I don’t think they would’ve killed off Reid if the show was [renewed].

TVG: Your co-star Van Hansis also thought that in a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest and Weekly. But would you have stuck around longer than June?
ESS: Oh, yeah, of course [laughs]! Oh, sure! If that decision hadn’t been made for everybody …

TVG: Master Hansis also said in Weekly that despite his sadness that Reid died, that it was a great acting opportunity for all of you …
ESS: It was more of a challenge for him and Terri Colombino! What they have to do in the last two weeks is pretty heavy. I mean, they really put them through the ringer! I was really, really impressed with both of them. Van and Terri really knocked it out of the park.

TVG : Were you disappointed LuRe didn’t make love? It seems a little mean. Couldn’t they have had sex — even off-screen — before Reid left to retrieve Chris’s heart? Do you feel the viewers were cheated? ESS: I don’t know. Listen, you and I have talked about this before — their love story is not a natural progression. And it’s because it’s a gay storyline. LuRe doesn’t move in a natural way a normal couple would progress. Um, given that, I have nothing more to say about that. It’s not [fair]. TVG: [Joking] Was Noah the conductor?! ESS: [Laughs hysterically] You’ll have to watch and see! That’s pretty hilarious!

TVG: So why does another gay character have to die for a straight character that we hardly care about live? Thoughts?
ESS: But what a good way to go out then. You have a great way to go out and everyone cries over you. That’s all good.

TVG: When Reid dies, did you maintain his infamous sarcastic nature while he was being vulnerable with Luke?
ESS: Yeah, there’s a little hint of that there. But very vulnerable. I think he’s still changing. And this whole thing happened because he was trying to help someone else out. And it all culminates because he does change. I’m not sure if that would have happened a few months ago. A lot has happened in this storyline that has changed Reid. Maybe the moral of this story is don’t change — keep a hard heart, close people out, and leave a secluded life.

TVG: Towards the end, what did you think of Reid and Chris’s friendship?
ESS: [Laughs] I haven’t gotten to see any of it. But it was very fun to act.

TVG: Was Reid attracted to Chris?
ESS: I don’t think so. He connected with Chris as much as he pretended he didn’t like him. I think Reid had a lot of admiration for Chris. Towards the end, they became buddies. They started to interact like friends who pretended to give each other a hard time but really had a fondness for each other. That was fun to have that fleshed out towards the end. A relationship was really growing there. I loved their banter.

TVG: What’s it like working with Daniel Cosgrove?
ESS: He’s so great! He’s a great actor. I loved working with him.

TVG: [Joking] So, do you think Chris will now get excited when he sees Luke?!
ESS: [Laughs] I told Daniel something like that when the story first broke for us. I said, “You’re going to live but now you’re going to be a crappy gay man [laughs]!”

TVG: Please put yourself for Emmy consideration!
ESS: I’ll figure how to do that … but Van really deserves to be nominated. He was really great in these scenes that will air.

TVG: Do you think Reid and Luke would have survived had Reid not died?
ESS: I don’t know. We were at that place in a relationship where you can’t see the relationship going wrong. Yes, you can mentally forecast why they shouldn’t be together, but I think LuRe could work for a long time. They care, love and are attracted to each other.

TVG: Reid is still scared to jump off the cliff … I liked that you kept that character thread there.
ESS: Oh, yeah! That has to be there!

TVG: Do you know how loved you are by the fans?
ESS: I have a little sense of it. I go on a few different websites. In fact, I just did Much Ado About Nothing in Vermont and a bunch of fans came from Europe. It’s very sweet and nice. There’s this Facebook site dedicated to me to raise money for doctors without borders, in honour of me. It’s unbelievable and very moving. Last I heard they had raised $8,000 in less than a week and a half. To channel that energy … Well, it’s very moving.

TVG: They should call their charity Doctors Without Train Tracks!
ESS: [Laughs] Yes!

SUDS FLASHES! Another World turning in Genoa City! Soap Opera Digest is reporting that World Turns alum Paul Leyden has been hired to play the new role of Blake on Y&R. The actor will begin taping on Sept. 7 and will first air on Oct. 6. He joins former Oakdale pal Maura West, who has already been tapped to play Diane. SUDSIEST QUOTE FROM THE WEEKEND “I’m a Quartermaine at heart.” —GH Emmy winner Steve Burton to Fancast’s Sara A Bibel Translation: But my loins belong to Sonny!   THE IDIOT RATINGS : Aug. 23-27 Losers/Winners: All soaps except One Life shed viewers! But AMC and One Life are beat by cancelled World Turns! Source: Soap Opera Network (Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year) Total Viewers 1. Y&R 5,040,000 (-254,000/+78,000) 2. B&B 3,106,000 (-277,000/-121,000) 3. GH 2,516,000 (-107,000/+115,000) 4. DAYS 2,475,000 (-50,000/-286,000) 5. ATWT 2,360,000 (-124,000/-37,000) 6. AMC 2,326,000 (-57,000/+118,000) 7. OLTL 2,264,000 (+48,000/-15,000)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,052,000 (-52,000/+24,000)
2. GH 847,000 (-36,000/+40,000)
3. DAYS 758,000 (+12,000/-119,000)
4. OLTL 641,000 (-25,000/-40,000)
5. AMC 590,000 (-23,000/-18,000)
6. B&B 582,000 (-103,000/-59,000)
7. ATWT 499,000 (-54,000/-24,000)

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.6/11 (-.1/same)
2. GH 1.3/8 (same/+.1)
3. DAYS 1.1/8 (same/-.3)
4. OLTL 1.0/6 (same/same)
5. *B&B 0.9/6 (-.1/-.1)
5. AMC 0.9/6 (same/same)
7. ATWT 0.8/5 (same/same)

* ties low rating (Last time: June 21-25, 2010)

REMOTE CONTROL — The triumphs! The malfunctions! And the crimes against soap humanity!

>> FF: All My Children: How to Kill a Show in Three Months or Less! You can dress up Caleb as much as you want, AMC, but he’s no James Mitchell (though I do kind of like Jill Larson’s chemistry opposite Michael Nouri). And murdering David Hayward? Bad move, show-killers! You know the culprit will turn out to be some lame character. All I can say is thank God for Debbi Morgan, who is the sole reason to tune into this mess of a show. And I’m sorry, Ryan and Madison remind me why I’m gay every time they’re onscreen. Hey, Brian Frons — can’t we pretty please re-hire Lorraine Broderick as your show’s head writer so one of my former fave shows can last more than a couple of years? It’s not too late. Let’s not forget that thanks to co-head writer David Kreizman, the recently axed World Turns beat AMC in the ratings this past week! Do the math. And the irony? Everything this man touches turns to poop.

<< REW: As The World Turns: Good night, my sweets! With two weeks ‘til World Turns stops spinning on its broken axis, it was refreshing to see Oakdale return to its emotional, character-driven roots instead of us all having to be tortured on a daily basis by watching the painful and contrived mobster/clown BS we’ve had to endure this past summer. First, Helen Wagner’s tribute episode was a modest and nostalgic affair as promised. But it was the medical drama umbrella storyline surrounding Chris’s failing heart that pulled at my cynical  heartstrings as Kim, John, Bob and Reid rallied to find a pumping valve for Oakdale's favourite sarcastic son. What really made me connect was when a scared and desperate Kim demanded to know if Katie’s commitment to her son was genuine by asking her if she really had finished mourning Brad. And then unapologetically ordering a distraught Katie to ditch Chris for the ailing doctor’s sake. The consistently enveloping Terri Colombino and Kathryn Hays commanded the episode with a stirring mix of love, loss, fear and anger. These pivotal scenes will only help make Reid’s death this week even sadder to watch. World Turns has an opportunity to pull a GH, à la BJ’s death. Cross your fingers, and hearts. Finally, Hays and Colombino both deserve to be nominated next year as Outstanding Supporting Actress at the 2011 Emmys.

> PLAY: The Bold and the Beautiful: A Thorne in Winsor’s side? Amber’s flirting with Nick? Yikes. Can’t wait to see Brooke witness that madness! Run for cover, Amber … Also, across town, head writer Bradley Bell pulled a fast one on the audience by hinting Thorne was Liam’s father, but wisely, Bill has turned out to be the computer geek’s baby daddy. For me it was obvious for a number of reasons. No. 1, we don’t need another male Forrester running around town, and No. 2, that would mean Winsor Harmon would have a storyline.

<< REW: Days of our Lives: Salem Bitch Trials While Sami and EJ’s interrupted wedding made War and Peace look like a breezy read, James Scott proved once again that he is probably the most talented leading man DAYS has ever hired. Yes, it was obvious DAYS was providing Scott with another week’s worth of Emmy reel material like when EJ learned Nicole lied about their daughter, Grace/Sydney, but stupidly, Scott didn’t submit those scenes! Let’s pray Scott chooses more wisely next year. Plus, how sick and gross was it seeing EJ lying in a pool of his own blood after Sami shot him in the head after he tried to commit suicide? Luckily, Sami didn’t shoot him in his other head. Now that would have been criminal. I guess this is karma for EJ shooting John in the head in 2006. Meanwhile, I love how Stefano has taken Will under his wing. Now that this Nighttime Hope debacle is over, DAYS is back on track. Well, unless of course, head writer Dena Higley watches anymore late-night infomercials. Wait — maybe Higley’s sleeping pill nightmare storyline was autobiographical! Step away from the pills, Dena …

<< REW: General Hospital: Hennesy Town! Other than Lisa’s diabolical and psychotic obsession with Dr. Patrick Drake (seriously, this man must be packing some major heat), the only reason to tune into GH these days is Daytime Emmy-nominated scene-stealer Carolyn Hennesy. As an incredulous Diane Miller attempted to understand the sheer stupidity and lack of impulse control her idiot client Sonny Corinthos exhibits, Hennesy reminded viewers that she is the soap’s best actress. There, I said it. And that’s saying a lot on this show.

>> FF: One Life to Live: One Mess To Watch! On the heels of the amazing Robin Strasser’s Dorian realizing that David duped, er, dumped her at the altar again (he didn’t, he was kidnapped by Clint and Marc Cherry), One Life managed to become FF-TV again. Heck, World Turns was more must-see this past week. My biggest quibble? Will ABC publish Cliff Notes explaining one of the worst and most contrived storylines surrounding the man formerly known as the presumed-dead Elijah Clark? This is so Dena Higley … And while this Jessica/Natalie double pregnancy mess may have sounded good on paper, it’s simply a disaster in the making. As ATI’s James Romanovich recently tweeted, why are the women on this show all acting like intellectually challenged donkeys? Yes, we mean you, Blair. Thank God for Destiny, is all I’m saying. Can we spin her off onto her own online soap? The Adventures of Destiny, perhaps?

<< REW: The Young and the Restless: The Bitches! The best part of the all-estrogen special episode was when Melody Thomas Scott and Eileen Davidson were clad in towels relaxing in the steam room. Finally, Ashley and Nikki got to settle some old scores by apologizing to each other for their past social indiscretions against each other. Also, I loved how the increasingly strong and smart Ashley informed her messed-up daughter, Abby, that she has finally found a man she doesn’t lose herself in — or take a second seat to — thanks to her cathartic relationship with Tucker. However, I’m not buying the utter judgmental and heartless re-imagining of Phyllis Newman. While The Real Homewreckers of Genoa City blog is a witty story idea, I would have preferred if the writer had remained a mystery. Michelle Stafford — and Phyllis — deserve better.

Editor’s Note — Some readers are having trouble accessing our polls on Firefox, so use Safari instead

THE NELSON RATINGS
Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!

Top 3 Soaps to Watch:
1. As The World Turns, CBS/Global
2. The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global
3. Days of our Lives, NBC/Global

Top 3 Storylines to Watch:
1. Brokeback Oakdale, World Turns
2. Bride and Groom Know Best, Y&R
3. Toys R Us Sues Lisa, GH

Top 5 Actresses to Watch:
1. Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH)
2. Debbi Morgan (Angie, AMC)
3. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, DAYS)
4. Stacy Haiduk (Jane, DAYS)
5. Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda, World Turns)

Top 6 Actors to Watch:
1. Eric Sheffer Stevens (Reid, World Turns)
—tie— Van Hansis (Luke, World Turns)
3. Billy Miller (Billy, Y&R)
4. Jason Thompson (Patrick, GH)
5. Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GH)
6. Larry Brygmann (John, World Turns)

Top 5 Duos to Watch:
1. Luke and Reid, World Turns
—tie— Billy and Victoria, Y&R
3. Robin and Patrick, GH
4. John and Lucinda, World Turns
5. Maggie and Victor, DAYS

Top 3 Couples to Fast-Forward Through:
1. Bridget and Owen, B&B
2. Chance and Heather, Y&R
3. Ryan and Madison, AMC

Top 3 New Duos to Watch:
1. Phyllis and Deacon, Y&R
2. Tucker and Ash, Y&R
3. Chris and Katie, World Turns

Top 3 Rivals:
1. Lisa vs. Robin, GH
2. Meggie vs. Nikki, Y&R
3. Victor vs. Billy, Y&R
 
Top 3 Love Triangles to Watch:
1. Reid/Luke/Noah, World Turns
2. Patrick/Lisa/Robin, GH
3. Maggie/Victor/Vivian, DAYS

Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):
1. ABC Soaps In Depth: GH’s Brenda and Sonny Reunite, Seriously This Time!
—tie— Soap Opera Digest: Billy and Victor wed on Y&R!
3. Soap Opera Weekly: As The World Turns Finale

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. Friday: GH’s Sonny turns himself in! “Carter’s dead dead, right?” asks the worried mobster. “Because I want Jason to be my first!”
2. Wednesday: Todd turns to Marty for help on One Life. “Hey, if you can’t ask your rape victim for help — who can you ask?” shrugs Todd-eroni.
3. Thursday: AMC’s Angie learns she’s legally blind. “And so are our head writers,” snarks Debbi Morgan.

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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.