The Suds Report - August 6/10

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SUDSIEST QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I didn't expect it would be such great fun! On my first day people kept asking, ‘Are you OK? We move fast and do a lot of pages in one day. It's crazy here.’ But I'm having a great time. I spent years working in low-budget horror films. [Laughs] When you've done Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, you can handle anything!”
—GH’s Adrienne Barbeau on becoming a soap actress late in her eclectic career to TV Guide’s Michael Logan
Translation: Though I would draw the line at an Ellen Wheeler production.

“[Marcy Rylan] is fantastic and ballsy. I love to watch her go up against Eric Braeden. Eric Braeden is clearly not quite sure what to do with somebody who has a line for every ad lib he ever gives her.”
—Y&R’s Peter Bergman to Fancast’s Sara A. Bibel on the phenom that is Marcy Rylan
Translation: God bless Marcy Rylan!

All My Children, ABC — The Prodigal Super-Couple Returns! • Zendall fans, rejoice: Alicia Minshew and Thorsten Kaye are back next week. While Kaye is only returning for just over a week, Minshew is expected to stick around long-term. The Daytime Emmy-nominated leading lady has even set up a dwelling in L.A. • In Ewww! Story 411, Scott has sex with Marisa next week.

• In story 411, Emily finds Babs, but is kidnapped by what’s-her-name in the process. Is this storyline really hogging up the front burner during the show’s final days? I love me some Colleen Zenk, but this plot is a bust. 

• Noah decides to leave Oakdale for L.A. in September as Luke supports Reid’s bid for the chief-of-staff position. Will Luke even notice Noah’s leaving before he can stop him?

• This Wednesday, Eric Sheffer Stevens sits down in the Tvguide.ca hot seat to discuss Dr. McSurly, the lack of physical intimacy between LuRe, and waving goodbye to a memorable nine-month stint.

The Bold and The Beautiful, CBS/CTV — Hope Malfunction!
• In story 411, Hope turns to Brooke’s mortal enemy, Stephanie, for support! Also, look for Bill to reach out to Steffy in order for him to secure Donna’s Forrester’s shares. Boy, Bill’s a hunk with a bone … 

Coronation Street, CBC —  Release on the Street?
• American soap stars aren’t the only people looking for extra income! Corrie Street’s Nigel Havers tells The Mirror that he’d consider being a male escort if he worse came to worse. He reveals, "I've had lots of women saying they want me to take them out for dinner and then do, well, I don't know what.”
 
This led him to thinking, "If I had been a male escort I would have made it a very fun and lucrative business. But, I don't know how I would have stopped myself from getting involved with all the different women. I am not good at emotional detachment and it would have all become rather complicated. Actually, thinking about it, when acting gives me up, maybe I should become a male escort — although my wife might have something to say about that!"

Nigel has been happily married to his third wife Georgiana Bronfman since 2007.

Days of our Lives, NBC/Global — Another plot to save DAYS!
• Executive producer Ken Corday addressed DAYS head scratching freefall for three straight weeks (last week, it was daytime’s lowest rated sudser) in this week’s Soap Opera Digest. Corday isn’t losing any sleep just yet.

The producer-turned-author illuminates, “First, viewership traditionally goes down in the summer. Also, we just found out that NBC.com is getting 4.5 million hits a month viewing our show. So, we are the fourth most-viewed show on any network website. It’s good for the network, and it balances out the other end of it. Plus, we knew going into June that we had a lot of preemptions looking at us. We had Wimbledon, we had U.S. Open golf, and when you don’t have the show on for two days or three days, that erodes the audience. Also, all the ratings and demographics are off — as low as they’ve been — throughout all of the lineups. So, how do we fix it?"

Another theory making the rounds explaining DAYS ratings freefall is that fans just weren’t that into Nighttime Hope and/or Otalia fans tuning in to see Crystal Chappell’s kick-ass Olivia were turned off by the increasingly lackluster Carly Manning.

• In story 411, Stephanie learns the truth about Philip and Chloe’s affair, while Rafe discovers the truth about EJ’s baby kidnapping plot, as Sami agrees to marry the tall, dark and sexy DiMera. No, not Stefano, EJ. What will happen? And who will take a sleeping pill? Find out next week on DAYS! 

Degrassi, MuchMusic/Teen Nick — Trans-Con!
• Don’t miss Degrassi next week. In story 411, on Aug. 11 and 12 the highly touted transgender teen storyline involving Adam kicks off. And it’s a doozy, report insiders. Also, during the same two shows, look for So You Think You Can Dance Canada’s flamboyant judge Jean Marc Genereux to appear as a ballroom dance teacher, Mr. Menard.

General Hospital, ABC/CTV — Brenda is Back, Bitches! • Two Canucks and a Cougar: Check out Hamilton, Ont., native Dominic Zamprogna co-hosting Michael Fairman’s On Air, On Soaps monthly podcast opposite Carolyn Hennesy. Call-in guests include Sharon Case, Florencia Lozano and Being Erica’s Dillon Casey, who also hails from Ontario.

Marcil, who was on The View yesterday, described being back on GH like “a high school reunion,” and “loves” that she’s adorning Brenda’s skin again.

• SOD.com is reporting that Love Is A Many Splendored Thing alum and primetime TV actress Andrea Marcovicci has been cast in the recurring role of Sophia, who will be involved with the upcoming Sonny and Brenda storyline.

One Life To Live, ABC — Tea of Endearment
• In story 411, look for Dorian and David to kiss, James to ask Langston out on a date, Natalie tells Brody she’s preggers, and One Life continues to destroy yet another one of their best new male characters, Eli. [Insert head scratch here.]

• Here come the brides … Soap Opera Digest is reporting that a double wedding is in the future for Llanview. But it may not go off as planned. My bet? Brody/Nat and Jess & company/Brody.

• Who else fell off their sling when Tea called Trevor St. John’s Todd an imposter pointing to a picture of Roger Howarth’s Todd as proof of his fraud? Yes, her lapse in memory was due to her brain tumor or whatever she’s dying of, but is One Life foreshadowing? It was a smart move since World Turns is about to depart the airwaves in September and any kind of buzz could entice CBS viewers to check out One Life.

Regardless, the always pitch-perfect St. John and the stupendous Florencia Lozano actually made One Life must-see TV this past week as Tea and Todd re-wed while facing the fact that the legal eagle is about to go to hell (she’s a lawyer after all). Not to be outdone, the location shoots were expertly directed and produced. And I loved Tea’s sophisticated wedding dress. Death has never looked so beautiful. Good work, One Life!

The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global — Maura Heads West!
• The worst-kept secret in soaps is finally out! Two-time Emmy winner Maura West has signed with Y&R as nuDiane Jenkins, confirms TV Guide’s Michael Logan. Susan Walters last played the role this past February and Alex Donnelley originated the vampy role. West will begin taping Sept. 1 and debut Oct. 8. She will last air on World Turns on Sept. 17.

Michael Park tells Suds he’s thrilled for his Emmy-winning World Turns co-star. “I think it’s wonderful,” he enthuses. “I hope she picks up where she (left) off entertaining folks with her brilliance. I love that chick!”

Can’t wait to see Michelle Stafford and Maura West battle it out onscreen. And shut every actress out of the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy pre-nom round next year, no doubt.

• Loving Michelle Stafford’s new haircut. Hot stuff. Works with Phyllis’s reinvention. On today’s Y&R episode, a very bitchy and unforgiving Phyllis lets Nick have it like never before. Don’t miss it.

• This past Wednesday, Sharon Case bejewelled TVGuide.ca with secrets of her pumping new accessory line, Pomp. The Emmy-winner also shared her thoughts about Sharon’s new life. Here is the rest of our conversation:

TVG: You got to live out everyone’s dream by recently plugging  Adam! Lucky girl! SC: [Laughs] That was so fun. It’s one of my favourite scenes ever. I had never fired a handgun in real life or as an actress before so it was kind of great. I love that Sharon shot Adam for so many reasons. Even though Sharon wasn’t sure she was shooting at Adam, deep down she did know it could be Adam lurking outside her cottage. When she saw it was Adam, she shot him anyway [laughs]!  I think it was revenge, well, maybe not revenge, but let’s just say they’re definitely even now!

TVG: It’s Sharon’s turn to fall in love with a villain and redeem him.
SC: Adam’s perfect to change the story around. For years, Sharon had to deal with seeing Nick fall in love with another woman and create a new family with Phyllis. It’s time for Sharon to move on, too. Not that she didn’t do that with Jack, but she was with Jack for other reasons. He was more like a companion, security blanket and a daddy figure. Having said that, Nick will always be one of the loves of Sharon’s life. Adam is the other love of Sharon’s life. And I hope that doesn’t change for Nick and Phyllis as well.

TVG: Sharon and Nick are co-dependent. It’s almost toxic.
SC: You’re absolutely right. Their relationship is unhealthy. Hopefully, it won’t be that way forever. It’s interesting how Y&R is addressing that right now. They’re still on a journey.

TVG: I think Nick and Sharon are still suffering from the guilt they share over Cassie’s death. They need individual therapy.
SC: Even if Cassie was still alive I doubt Sharon and Nick would still be together. But Cassie will always tie Nick and Sharon together.

TVG: Are you proud that Phyllis stood up for herself and broke up with Nick?
SC: Yes. It was time for their relationship to shift. Characters need to change. A break may be healthy for them.

TVG: We always kid that Sharon’s the slut of Genoa City. Was that hard to deal with?
SC: I never felt that way about Sharon. It was somewhat disappointing that some fans felt that way. I thought Sharon was acting out realistically and appropriately. I thought it was good storytelling when you factor in what she’s lost in her life. I’ve never seen Sharon as a weak character. No matter what life has thrown her, Sharon’s always survived. She’s not sitting around at home doing drugs and wallowing in her sorrows, she’s out there doing something with her life. Even if she’s doing the wrong thing, she’s still trying to do better. She’s a survivor, not a weak loser. As for being with all these men, who doesn’t want to look for a partner in their life? We’re not all striving to end up alone. It’s a healthy and natural instinct to share your life with someone you love. It’s unhealthy to strive to be alone.

TVG: Do you miss working with Billy Miller? Are there any more beats to play out concerning Billy and Sharon?
SC: I loved working with Billy, but I thought the story went as far as could or as far as it needed to go.

TVG: The great byproduct of the Phyllis/Nick/Sharon triangle is the fantastic rivalry between Sharon and Phyllis. For me, it’s one of my favorite relationships on the show. Especially when Sharon and Phyllis team up to solve a mystery. Deep down, do Sharon and Phyllis like each other?
SC: I don’t know. I guess I should know the answer, but my instinct is to say no. I will say it’s nice when Phyllis and Sharon can put their differences aside to join forces to help a family member in trouble. Phyllis and Sharon may not care about each other, but they do share the same desire for peace. Women in general share a sisterhood just because they are women.

TVG: Do you miss working with Melody Thomas Scott?
SC: Yes, I do! I love working with Melody. Actually, we have a scene coming up soon. Two of my favorite relationships are on the show are between Nikki and Victor.

TVG: Do you believe Adam really loves Sharon?
SC: Oh, yes. Sharon is the first and the main love of his life.

TVG: Can Sharon ultimately forgive Adam for stealing her baby?
SC: We’ll see … I don’t know. I’ve seen the mothers of drunk driving victims forgive the drunk driver on The Oprah Winfrey Show so that kind of forgiveness is possible. People are capable of anything.

TVG: What did you submit for your Emmy pre-nom reel?
SC: It was the show where Sharon had drank all night with Billy. The next morning, she had to see Nick and Jack. It was a rollercoaster ride for Sharon because she went through the [gamut] of emotions.

 TVG: You’re single again. Has it been fun reinventing yourself this past year?
SC: Yes — it’s been fun redefining everything. I started a lot of new projects, the jewelry line being one of them. Also, my new storyline with Michael Muhney has been a creative highlight and challenging because we’re both working hard and investing in the Adam and Sharon relationship. I’ve been busy living life doing different things … life is good.

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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.