The Nelson Ratings - Nov10/08

SPECIAL SUDS FLASH:
Y&R fires hair model Erin Sanders
Hallelujah! Proving once again The Young and the Restless is the best soap opera on the planet because it actually listens to its fans, TVGuide.ca has learned the soaper has fired Erin Sanders as Eden. “She was given an acting coach, and when that didn’t work, Y&R fired her,” says an insider. Maria Arena Bell be forewarned: I’m so making sweet love to you the next time I see your beautiful face! Y&R confirms Sanders’ last airdate is Nov. 19. The role of Eden Gerick will now be played by Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls). The daytime newcomer debuts Dec. 3.

REMOTE CONTROL: THE SUDS EDITION
Summarizing the good, the bad, and the ugly on the daytime dial
 

<<REWIND: MASTER CLASS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SOAP OPERA
Y&R: Pay attention amateurs — A true master class in acting
Memo to Y&R: Is it too late not to kill off Marge? You see, the best thing that ever happened to Jeanne Cooper was winning the Emmy earlier this summer. La Cooper has never been better in her entire career thanks to this fascinating Marge/Katherine retread. Cooper, who was infamous for breaking moments and at one time used cue cards, has been nothing short of mesmerizing, breathtaking and inspiring in her latest dual role. Cooper simply shines and resonates Marge, the depressed and addicted waitress who sports no makeup, a twang, and a 24/7 buzz/hangover. At times during Cooper’s flawless performance, I thought I was sitting in one of the most majestic Broadway playhouses watching a master-class performance that was long before my time.

Having said that, if I were writing Y&R (scary thought, yes), I would have opted to kill off Katherine instead of Marge. Yes, I’m going to hell for saying so, but think about the storyline and character possibilities. Plus, it’s not my fault: Y&R made me fall in love with Marge. Thanks a lot, Y&R! Now, I want to find out more about this woman who is so down on her luck she’s literally throwing her life away. Why is she so sad? Who is she, really? Where is her family?

Methinks Y&R made a fatal error in killing the waitress so soon after re-introducing her. However, as she’s been doing all summer and fall, Cooper hit it out of the ballpark, heck, town as Marge/Katherine. There was something so magical and unforgettable about Cooper’s tour-de-force performance that I was brought to tears more than once when Marge struggled with her own past, present and future. Marge and Katherine’s friendship was a rare sight to behold and a treasured blessing in today’s topsy-turvy world of soaps. Tragically, after this week’s car accident, Marge wasn’t the only great thing that died in this latest instalment of Genoa City’s sudden-impact series.

So, here’s me shouting a well-deserved and enthusiastic “Brava!” from my front-and-centre seat in the proverbial falling-down majestic theatre known as The Soap Opera.
 
Y&R: Arrest Greg Rikaart — the scene stealer is guilty as charged!
Wowza! It’s no secret that Emmy winner Greg Rikaart has been simmering on the back burner for far too long. In the past few weeks, however, head writers Hoagie Sheffer and Maria Arena Bell have wisely revitalized the adorable cad by inspiringly weaving the rascal  into Katherine’s sweeping umbrella storyline. After Kevin found Katherine’s bag of cahola, on this past Thursday’s episode, Rikaart delivered an impressive acrobatic performance full of nuance, comedy and conflict that should easily net him his fifth straight Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor. Rikaart is one of those dangerous men your mother warned you about: Kevin could kill your BFF and yet, somehow you’d manage to forgive the adorable yet surly anti-hero thanks to those irresistable dimples and puppy-dog eyes. Speaking of dogs, we’ll even forgive Rikaart for confirming he cries over puppies on Animal Planet in a recent Soap Opera Digest feature. See, I told you he’s dangerous.
 
II PAUSE/>> FF: FURTHER PROOF OF THE SOAP APOCALYPSE AND OLTL JUMPING THE SHARK ONCE AGAIN
OLTL: Soap genocide on 66th Street
Have you ever watched a sicker and more twisted episode in all of TV when One Life to Live’s Todd and Marty had sex on Nov. 6’s show? Hell to the no! I’ve already spilled enough ink on my thoughts regarding inarguably the biggest soap opera writing mistake since All My Children unaborted Erica’s baby, so I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Ever since Tarty kissed, I’ve stopped caring about the storyline, the show, and the characters. Other stunned bloggers are currently having a field day over the obscene and insulting decision to have Todd rape Marty a second time.

However, I will applaud Trevor St. John’s (Todd) intuitive, responsible performance during the whole debacle. As Todd, St. John wisely chose to sport his deer-in-the-headlights look in reaction to all that was unfolding around him. He may have just saved his career by doing so! St. John deserves an Emmy nomination for acting out this garbage.

Moreover, I wanted to give props to the writing department. Yes, you read that correctly. Despite its disgusting content, it was OLTL’s best-written episode technically and stylistically — especially when it came to the dialogue (the Viki/Dorian/Jean scenes were top-notch) — of 2008. Ironic, huh?

What was surprising, however, was how depraved the rest of the episode was. If you are what you write, then I’m not sure I want to hang out with OLTL’s head-writing team ever again. The main problem with this eppy — and the show in general — is the fact that OLTL is devoid of any heart, humanity and light. The show is simply soulless.

Here are the Top 10 sickest moments from Nov. 6’s episode — in order:
10. Tess realizing killing Jared and Natalie wouldn’t bring back Nash. Bree Williamson was heartbreaking — finally — as she tried to call Tina to stop the bomb from going off in the secret room. As her water broke and her contractions worsened, she failed to reach Auntie Tina.
9. The PSA — which didn’t air in Canada — following Tarty’s sex scene. For those who missed it, the message went something like this: Do you have amnesia? Were you gang-raped by your new boyfriend 20 years ago? Does he want you to help kidnap his grandchild and keep you away from your own son — the father of said baby? Do you have a sexy, slinky black lingerie set like the one I’m wearing? You should — it can seduce anyone. Is your rapist trying to get you to make a leg necklace with your “permission?” If you or anyone you know has to work for a creepy network and a sick head writer, please turn off the channel.
8. John hanging himself in prison so he could escape.
7. A screaming teenage Starr Manning giving birth, while the nurse and Lee plotted to steal the baby before telling her the child died.
6. Tina, who has given birth in the most surreal situations herself, finally atoned for being a bad mother by delivering Little David Vickers’ puppies with Cain. Calling The National Enquirer: Little David Vickers turned out to be a she, not a he — and preggers! Don’t look at me; I’ve never met the bitch before.
5. When Soaps Up host Amanda Wilson announced news that the Daytime Emmys will probably not be telecast next year, producers used a clip of head writer Ron Carlivati walking up to the Kodak Theatre Stage to accept his Emmy Award for best writing. How far the mighty have fallen…
4. Dorian and Jean having to hit Viki over the head with the fact that Jess is Tess.

3. Viki’s personality, Niki, who was responsible for Jessica being sexually abused, appeared in Tess’ imagination to help her give birth to a dead baby. Can you imagine what happened in reel life? Tess was forced to push out a dead baby by herself, and had to cut the umbilical chord herself? Yikes… there is no way Jess is coming back after this horrific birth. 2. Todd and Marty getting horizontal just before the rapist trimmed his sexy chest! 1. A present-day Susan Haskell adorning the Spring Fling dress in which Todd and company gang-raped her in again, as Todd contemplated having sex with her! Also, those creepy, unnecessary rape flashbacks didn't help my projectile vomiting, OLTL!

Y&R: Continuity police alert!
In Paris, The Young and the Restless’ Sharon informed her ex-husband, Nick, "I've always wanted to come here.” Um, didn’t Sharon and Noah leave for Paris on April 20, 2006 when Phyllis and Nick’s affair was exposed?

SOAP SYLLABUS
DAYS quietly celebrates 43 years on air   
Rumours are swirling that NBC may cancel DAYS sooner rather than later since a renewal notice has yet to be announced. On Nov. 8, DAYS celebrated an important milestone quietly — over four decades onscreen. Click here to witness the highs and lows of life in Salem from daytimeconfidential.com's contributor Aussie Brian, a.k.a. Brian Peel.

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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.