SUDSIEST QUOTES FROM THE WEEKEND
“Not every day, but I’m very into it, yeah.”
—Agnes Nixon to Soap Opera Digest when asked if she watches AMC everyday.
Translation: You try watching the soap you created dismantled and destroyed. I tune in only when there is a martini shaker around!
WEEKEND SUDS FLASHES
The end of the Brenda-and-Laura-bots?
• According to the latest Soap Weekly, GH superstars Vanessa Marcil and Genie Francis are reportedly in talks to reprise their iconic roles, Brenda and Laura, respectively, sometime in 2010!
REMOTE CONTROL SPECIAL
Soapgeist lists the New Year resolutions each soap should commit to!
ALL MY CHILDREN
—Remove all evidence of exiting head writer, Chuck Pratt, ala Lynn Marie Latham
—Hire capable head writers
—Bring back Julia Barr full time
—Earn the Agnes Nixon legacy
AS THE WORLD TURNS
—Bring back Martha Byrne as Lily and/or Rose
—Make Marie Wilson the new Annie Praise
—Give Nuke a meaty storyline — with lots of sex scenes.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
—Scale back on the camp involving Jackie and Owen
—Start planting the seeds for a Brooke and Nick reunion
—Bring back Owen’s twin brother, Casper
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
—Save cash by firing Dena Higley as “head writer”
—Bring back Deidre Hall, Martha Madison, and Drake Hogestyn for a short-term story arc
GENERAL HOSPITAL
—Finally secure Genie Francis and Vanessa Marcil’s returns. And make them permanent. Break the bank if you have to ...
—Jonathan Jackson’s Lucky falls off the wagon
—Use Jason Cook or get rid of him
—Re-do/update the opening credits
GOTHAM
—Make the episodes longer
—Give the infectious Anne Sayre a love interest
—Michael Park needs to walk off the set after a manufactured pay-cut scandal to generate headlines (We’re kidding …)
ONE LIFE TO LIVE
—Explore Todd Manning’s childhood, à la Dexter, and his Madonna/Whore complex
—Convince Judith Light to reprise her Emmy-winning role as Karen Wolek
—Promote the show by thinking outside the box
—Crash the taping of The View on a daily basis when One Life moves in to AMC’s studios
—Re-do the opening credits
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
—Reclaim the No. 1 soap spot in critics’ hearts
—Re-do/update the opening credits
—Recast Amelia Heinle ... PLEASE?!?!??!?! We beg you Maria!
SUDS POLL
Which 2010 storyline are you looking most forward to? Click here to vote!
—Katherine’s long-lost “daughter,” Y&R
—Noah restoring his sight, ATWT
—Greenlee’s return, AMC
—Scrubs and Lisa, GH
—Carly and her mystery daughter, DAYS
—Ford’s return, One Life
—Will Gina and Ani reunite?, Venice
—Adam’s comeuppance, Y&R
—Maggie’s new saga, DAYS
—Who raped Sandy?, B&B
TOPS OF THE DECADE
Who were the standouts in Y2K?
Every Monday, Soapgeist will be rolling out the top shows, actors, couples and storylines until ’00 decade is officially over. See if you agree. This week? Biggest news stories from the new millennium. My buddy Michael Fairman of On Air On Soaps is weighing in as well.
Reader’s Choice — Passions/Port Charles cancelled
15. One Life goes live for one 2002 episode
14 Martha Byrne quits/forced out of ATWT
13. James E. Reilly’s death
12. Popular same-sex super couples (AMC’s Lianca, ATWT’s Nuke, GL’s Otalia, and One Life’s Kish) prove daytime is ready for gay romance on soaps
11. DAYS story shocker —Marlena Evans kills off 10 veteran characters during Salem Slayer storyline
10. Bianca and Reese’s big gay wedding, AMC
8. The Nuke kissing ban, ATWT
8. Film star James Franco joins GH
7. The Writers’ strike
6. Higley-Gate, DAYS
5. ABC moves AMC to LA without One Life!
4. Chris Engen quits Y&R and Patricia Mauceri fired from One Life due to their alleged homophobia, Y&R/One Life
3. CBS cancels the oldest shows on daytime, Guiding Light and As The World Turns, all in one year
2. Eric Braeden’s quits after a pay-cut showdown, Y&R
1. Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn fired, DAYS
SAVE ONE LIFE CAMPAIGN
Write ABC — let your voices be heard!
Brian Scott Frons, Daytime President
Anne Sweeney, ABC President
President, Daytime Disney-ABC Television Group, ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521-4551
Phone numbers: (818) 560-1000 or (212) 456-7777
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
2. One Life To Live, ABC
3. The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global
Top 3 Storylines to Watch:
1. Billy’s It’s A Wonderful Life, Y&R
2. New Hope for Justin?, DAYS
3. Family Matters in Genoa City — Malcom’s back, Y&R
Top 5 Actresses to Watch:
1. Crystal Chappell (Carly, DAYS/Gina, Venice)
2. Louise Sorel (Vivian, DAYS)
3. Robin Strasser (Dorian, One Life)
4. Sarah Brown (Agnes/Sandy, B&B)
5. Stacy Haiduk (Emily/Patty, Y&R)
Top 5 Actors to Watch:
1. Billy Miller (Billy, Y&R)
2. Darius McCrary (Malcolm, Y&R)
3. Brian Kerwin (Charlie, One Life)
4. Tom Pelphrey (Mick, ATWT)
5. David A. Gregory (Ford, One Life)
Top 3 Most Entertaining Performers:
1. Marie Wilson (Nut Meg, ATWT)
2. Louise Sorel (Vivian, DAYS)
3. Amanda Setton (Kim, One Life)
Top 3 Duos to Watch:
1. Fish and Kyle, One Life
2. Bo and Carly, DAYS
3. Robin and Patrick, GH
Top 3 Rivals:
1. Mitch VS. Dorian, One Life
2. Eric VS. Bill, B&B
3. Clint and Bo, One Life
Top 3 Triangles to Watch:
1. Carly/Bo/Hope, DAYS
2. Meg/Lily/Damian, ATWT
3. Patty/Jack/Emily, Y&R
Top 3 Guilty Pleasures:
1. “Nut Meg” Snyder, ATWT
2. The Cat Walk, B&B
3. Greenlee’s coma, AMC
Top 3 Families To Watch:
1. The Kiriakises, DAYS
2. The Winters, Y&R
3. The Abbotts, Y&R
Top 3 New Duos To Watch:
1. Justin and Hope, DAYS
2. Lulu and Dante, GH
3. Clint and Kim, One Life
Top 3 Duos To Avoid Like the Plague:
1. Adam and Sharon, Y&R
2. Stephanie and anyone, B&B
3. JR and Marissa, AMC
Top 3 Young Actors:
1. Drew Garrett (Michael, GH)
2. Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina, GH)
3. Eddie Alderson (Matt, One Life)
Top 3 Biggest Wastes of Talent:
1. Jason Cook (Matt, GH)
2. Rick Hearst (Whip, B&B)
3. Winsor Harmon (Thorne, B&B)
Top 3 Hair Models:
1. Denise Vasi (Randi, AMC)
—tie — Jackie MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
3. Texas Battle (Marcus, B&B)
Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):
1. Soap Opera Weekly— Stephen Nichols, Y&R
2. Soap Opera Digest — 2010 Preview!
3. ABC Soaps In Depth — James Franco and Steve Burton, GH
Top 3 Best Reads/Buys at the Newsstand:
1. Soap Opera Weekly
2. Soap Opera Digest
3. ABC Soaps In Depth
Top 3 Soap Moments To Watch:
1. Wednesday: Kish usher in 2010 together as a couple. “Please don’t cancel One Life next year,” prays Kyle. “I’d settle for a contract,” grimaces Oliver.
2. Tuesday: Darius McCrary makes his controversial debut as nuMalcom. “Malcom, you look younger — and darker,” winks Lily. “There’s no way I could be your daughter — hurray!”
3. Monday: AMC’s Greenlee wakes up from her coma! “Where are those damn lesbians?” she asks.
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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.
