The Soapgeist - Sept. 28/09

SPECIAL NEWS EDITION — WEEKEND SUDS FLASHES
Is Eric Braeden the Man Who Won’t Come Back?
Stop the presses! Emmy winner Eric Braeden has been written out as the iconic Victor Newman on Y&R. The actor has already taped his last scenes. Reportedly, Victor and Nikki go on vacation.

For the past few weeks, Braeden has been involved in intense negotiations. While his contract is up at the end of 2010, Y&R has been asking actors to take pay cuts when their 13-week cycles expire.

Actors like Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), who this past summer was written out after she balked over the same issue, are furious; not over the fact that they are being asked to take pay cuts but that they are being expected to re-negotiate their contracts during their 13-week cycles. It is important to note that they are willing to take pay cuts but at the end of their contracts.

“Everyone knows they have to take a slash in pay,” says an insider. “That isn’t the issue — the issue is that their current contract isn’t being respected. Once you open up a contract during a cycle, the original contract is null and void and you must start over from scratch. Eric thinks he should be paid his current salary until next year. The same thing happened to MTS. Her contract wasn’t up this summer — her cycle was.”

As previously reported, Y&R is currently transitioning Adam Newman to inherit his father’s complex history. Additionally, the sudser has announced it’s casting a new millionaire bad guy named Tucker with a big name to cover their bases. “The casting call is not a scare tactic,” says an executive. “Tucker is a real role.”

During Braeden’s last tape date, the actor gave a speech to the cast saying he may not come back and thanked the cast and crew for decades of memories. “He said he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be back, and thanked everyone for their hard work,” says one co-star. “He got emotional towards the end. After his speech, there was dead silence. We were all stunned,” says another witness.

If you’re a fan of The Mustache, Soapgeist suggests you start writing into CBS, Sony, and Y&R like yesterday.

GL to return to the screen?
The body is not even cold yet, but ATI’s James Romanovich is proving why TV Guide Canada chose the producer and soap fan as one of the most powerful men working in TV today.

Romanovich tells Soapgeist that he has pitched a new version of Guiding Light to TeleNext. Although talks are in its gestation stages, Romanovich says, “Don’t get excited yet, because this is a long shot but I have been communicating with P&G and TeleNext about the possibility of a new Guiding Light. New ideas. New format. New cast. Think 13 hours syndication. I’m not sure if P&G will want to work under our financial model. But we have a plan to keep the light burning, although it won’t be a revival of the old show. It’ll be more of a 2.0 version. We wouldn’t shoot it in the U.S. although the setting and the families will remain the same.  Some liberties would have to be made just as we did when we produced The Ponderosa (prequel to Bonanza) eight years ago for PAX.”

Hey, as long as Ellen Wheeler isn’t involved, I’ll watch it.

AMC Diary — Beth Ehlers out? Beth Ann Bonner in? Will anyone even recognize AMC when it moves to L.A.? Daytimeconfidential is reporting that Beth Ehlers has been fired and that the show is courting Beth Ann Bonner in a recurring role, which could lead to a contract role. Here’s an idea — why not fire the head writer who is systematically destroying this show instead and hire someone who can at least write a greeting card?

Speaking of La Chappell, the gay icon tweeted recently that GL did indeed tape a kiss between Olivia and Natalia for the finale but it was cut. Chappell-erella wrote, “Nat and O send Rafe off to Army. I kissed her cheek, [but] the scene never made the show.”

Of course it didn’t.

Insider — “One Life will be cancelled next year!”
They’re calling it Brian’s Choice! A network insider confirms what daytimeconfidential.com has been reporting for the last few months. One Life To Live was thisclose to being cancelled. Thankfully, The Aisha Tyler Show tested poorly with focus groups, which bought One Life another year. The ABC Daytime President had to make a “Sophie’s Choice,” and he chose to save All My Children by moving it to L.A. “One Life will be cancelled next year barring a ratings miracle. Frons will most likely move Trevor St. John, Kassie DePaiva, Michael Easton, the Kish boys, and maybe Brandon Buddy and Kristen Alderson to become a part of AMC. He will not merge both shows into two half-hour soaps.” Enjoy One Life while you can, people! With World Turns facing cancellation rumours as well, we may be down to five soaps this time next year.

B&B’s psycho surrogate to begin work Tuesday
The role of a psycho surrogate mother who becomes obsessed with Nick Marone was originally offered to Emmy winner Gina Tognoni, who at the last minute decided to sign with One Life. Brad Bell has been auditioning Martha Madison, Alicia Leigh Willis, and Amanda Baker, but B&B is still looking. Don’t be too surprised if Rebecca Budig or perhaps even Sarah Brown land the part. The role is a three-year contract role, but many doubt the villainess will last more than six months unless the actress makes the part a breakout sensation.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK — Pinocchio Story Thanks to daytimeconfidential.com for alerting us to Dan Pearce’s hilarious handy work.

SOAP OPERA MYSTERY HOUR — This weekend’s hottest blind items
—Which former west-coast couple, who are currently paired on-screen, can’t stand the sight of each other? Seems the actor’s alcoholism and homosexuality isn’t being kept under wraps anymore!

—Which west-coast plastic surgery addict is furious over one of Suds Report’s blind items and demanded that the show stop dealing with TV Guide Canada? Maybe she would be better served taking an acting class. Hey, it’s the cast that comes to me with this dirt, baby, so you should be mad at your co-workers because they think you’re a whack job! I like crazy bitches.

—Which executive producer has fallen off the coke wagon again?

—Which west-coast actor has never answered his fan mail — and then he wonders why he doesn’t have a storyline or why fans hate him these days?

—Which west-coast actress had to file a complaint against her co-star when he flipped out and almost assaulted her during a scene when she touched his precious cellphone?

THE IDIOT RATINGS
Winner — GL places at No. 5 for its finale week!
Loser — World Turns is soap opera’s biggest loser!
*Courtesy of Soap Opera Network

Total Viewers (versus last week/last year)
1. Y&R 5,002,000 (+4,000/+239,000)
2. B&B 3,346,000 (+116,000/-152,000)
3. DAYS 2,870,000 (+150,000/+547,000)
4. GH 2,702,000 (-85,000/-230,000)
5. GL 2,602,000 (+512,000/+572,000)
6. AMC 2,598,000 (+137,000/+68,000)
7. OLTL 2,562,000 (+83,000/+2,000)
8. ATWT 2,488,000 (+140,000/-149,000)

Household Rating (versus last week/last year)
1. Y&R 3.6/13 (same/+.1)
2. B&B 2.4/8 (same/-.2)
3. DAYS 2.1/7 (+.1/+.3)
4. OLTL 2.0/7 (+.1/same)
4. GH 2.0/6 (-.1/-.2)
6. AMC 1.9/7 (same/same)
6. GL 1.9/6 (+.4/+.4)
8. ATWT 1.8/6 (same/-.2)

*TVGuide.ca values viewers of all shapes, colours, sexualities, and ages, which is why we print the total viewing audience tallies. Screw you, Madison Avenue! We’re not buying your bull anymore. And memo to soaps: perhaps you should start selling ad space that cater to older, gay, and black audiences. You know, the people who actually watch this garbage! These are desperate times — you can’t afford to turn away any revenue streams available.

THE NELSON RATINGS
Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!
 
Top 3 Soaps to Watch:
1. Days of our Lives, NBC/Global
—tie — One Life To Live, ABC
3. The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global
 
Top 3 Storylines to Watch:
1. The Baby Switch Diaries, DAYS
2. The Baby Switch Diaries 2, Y&R
3. Olivia, er, Carly’s Return, DAYS
 
Top 5 Actresses to Watch:
1. Crystal Chappell (Carly, DAYS)
2. Arianne Zucker (Nicole, DAYS)
3. Sharon Case (Sharon, Y&R)
4. Florencia Lozano (Téa, One Life)
5. Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R)
 
Top 5 Actors to Watch:
1. Michael Muhney (Adam, Y&R)
2. James Scott (EJ, DAYS)
3. Trevor St. John (Todd, One Life)
4. Billy Miller (Billy, Y&R)
5. Jacob Young (JR, AMC)

Top 3 Comic Geniuses to Watch:
1. Tuc Watkins (David, One Life)
2. Robin Strasser (Dorian, One Life)
3. Lynn Herring (Audrey, World Turns)
 
Top 3 Duos to Watch:
1. Todd and Téa, One Life
2. Maxie and Spinelli, GH
3. EJ and Nicole, DAYS

Top 3 Triangles to Watch:
1. Téa /Todd/Blair, One Life
2. Nikki/Victor/Ashley, Y&R
3. Sonny/Olivia/Johnny, GH

Top 3 Guilty Pleasures:
1. Hunter Tylo’s face, B&B
2. Fast-forwarding through all of AMC
3. Barbara Bloom’s attempts at being a CBS VP 

Top 3 Rivals To Watch:
1. Téa and Blair, One Life
2. Victor and Stefano, DAYS
3. Dorian and Viki, One Life

Top 3 Families To Watch:
1. The Newmans, Y&R
2. The Cramers, One Life
3. The Chancellors, Y&R

Top 3 New Duos To Watch:
1. Fish and Kyle, One Life
2. Layla and Cristian, One Life
3. Bill and Katie, B&B

Top 3 Recasts To Watch:
1. Lindsay Hartley (Ari, DAYS)
2. Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS)
3. Michael Lowry (Ross, One Life)

Top 3 Young Actors:
1. Eddie Alderson (Matthew, One Life)
2. Shenell Edmonds (Destiny, One Life)
3. Drew Garrett (Michael, GH)

Top 3 Biggest Wastes of Talent:
1. Carolyn Hennesy (Diane, GH)
2. Eileen Fulton (Lisa, World Turns)
3. Van Hansis (Luke, World Turns)

Top 3 Most Improved Actors:
1. David Fumero (Cristian, One Life)
2. Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R)
3. Lauren Koslow (Kate, DAYS)

Top 3 Hair Models: The B&B Edition — No one does bad acting better!
1. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy)
2. Texas Battle (Marcus)
3. Hunter Tylo (Taylor)

Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):
1. Soap Opera Weekly — EJ Learns the Truth on DAYS! Plus: The Vampire Diaries
2. Soaps In Depth — Y&R’s Victor’s Gonna Die!
3. Soap Opera Digest — Y&R’s Baby Switch!

Top 3 Best Reads at the Newsstand:
1. Soap Opera Digest
2. Soap Opera Weekly
3. CBS Soaps In Depth

Top 3 Soap Moments To Watch:
1. Wednesday: GH’s Helena and Luke return to Port Chuck. “Did you hear GL was cancelled?” asks Helena. “Yes, I did. I fathered the show, didn’t you know?” proclaims Luke.
2. Tuesday: One Life welcomes Lionel Ritchie on the Ultra Violet stage. “Let’s go … and hunt down Brian Frons for even thinking of cancelling this brilliant show,” he sings to Llanview. Later, Ritchie asks, “Is this a gay bar?”
2. Thursday: World Turns’s Henry and Barbara rub off on each other — literally. “Is that an inheritance in your pocket — or are you just on the front burner now?” asks a horny Babs.

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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.