The Suds Report

— Please note that next week’s Suds Report will be pre-empted on Friday for the Daytime Emmy Awards. For Nelson Branco’s annual Emmy coverage, check back here on Monday morning for a special edition of The Suds Report. Also, beginning immediately, weekly features will be posted on Wednesdays. To hold you an extra business day, Suds has been super-sized — with zero calories!

One Life to Live’s tribute/Pre-Emmy party photos shot by STEVEN BERGMAN.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
“I’ll say to our executive producer Frank Valentini: I want to send Viki to Mars, and he’ll say, ‘I’ll call NASA.’ We’re a good team.”
— OLTL’s bespectacled head writer Ron Carlivati at The Paley Center’s 40th anniversary tribute to his critically acclaimed soap opera.

“It’s wherever you think it is, dear.”
— Soap icon Agnes Nixon to a Pennsylvania fan after she asked where Llanview is exactly located.

“Sometimes you need to have sex with a terrorist.”
— Nancy Lee Grahn on Alexis’ romp with Jerry Jacks on GH.

Marsha Tovsky’s 19th annual Pre-Daytime Emmy Party — Dylan Bruce is a Canuck, eh!

Emmy madness officially kicked off during Marsha Tovsky’s annual Pre-Emmy Party held at Nikki Midtown in New York City. Tovsky is the mastermind behind www.soapcelebrations.com, a website specializing in creating one-of-a-kind events featuring your favourite soap stars! Below is my full report from the must-be-seen-at event:

— Seriously though, props are in order for my new BFF because Bruce is a rare breed of actors. Not only is he a soap fan and industry expert, but he also reports he actually watched all the pre-nomination reels. “It wasn’t easy, but I did it,” the 28-year-old Vancouver-born newcomer admitted. He joins an elite group of stars — Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC), Lesli Kay (Felicia, B&B), Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R), and Farah Fath (Gigi, OLTL) — who know the industry they work in. How novel, huh? In story news, Bruce revealed he’s got a big summer storyline, so expect to see a lot more of Chris.

— Van Hansis (Luke, ATWT) isn’t from Canada, but I didn’t hold that against the Emmy nominee. The bespectacled gay icon told me he wasn’t sure he’d be taking home the lovely, yet elusive winged woman back from L.A. next week. “It’s not easy being nominated against Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan, GL),” he sighed, before adding, “because he’s so fantastic.” Joking, I said I had hired a hit man to take care of that problem, so everything on Emmy night should be fine.

Hansis and I averted a fashion malfunction of huge proportion when I realized we had almost both worn the same white blazer to the event. Look for Hansis and his co-star Jake Silbermann (Noah) to present “some category; probably sound and lighting,” on Emmy night. How much you want to bet this super-couple elicits the loudest applause of the night? Also, Hansis predicts Silbermann will net his first Emmy nomination as outstanding younger actor next year. “He’s grown into a fine actor,” boasts Hansis.

— One of daytime’s most underrated younger actresses Kristen Alderson (Starr, OLTL) and I dished about her Emmy omission. “I’m used to it; what can you do,” she said with the wisdom of a veteran. Hey, even Hayden Panettiere (ex-Sarah, OLTL; ex-Lizzie, GL) suffered the same fate.  Later, I congratulated her mother, Kathy for not pulling a Dina Lohan and allowing her daughter to grow up to be a smart, sincere, and healthy teenager.

— After Mr. Kevin Spirtas (Jonas, OLTL; ex-Craig, Days) introduced himself to me while I was chatting with an actor who will be deported back to Canada, I told the talented star that his face is on a dart board in my house. “Why?” he fearfully asked me. “Two words: Andrea Evans [Tina],” I responded. “You’re working with the biggest soap star in my eyes, and I’m terminally jealous.” Speaking of Canada, Spirtas wants to throw it out there that he’d like to take his cabaret act to Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. “I’m from Canada, too,” shouted Bruce. Yeah, that shtick is getting old, Bruce-y.

— Another Emmy snub, Caitlin Van Zandt (Ashlee, GL) was barely recognizable thanks to her massive weight loss due to lap-band surgery. What’s the best part? “The shopping,” she enthused.

— Gorgeous alert: Yaya DaCosta (Cassandra, AMC) and Jon Prescott (Mike, ATWT) are two of the most breathtaking human specimens I’ve ever laid eyes on. And, they can act!

— This just in: Dylan Bruce is still Canadian!

— OLTL’s Beth Ann Bonner (Talia) tells me she’s thrilled that head writer Ron Carlivati is back at the helm and has restored integrity back to Talia and Antonio’s bromance.

— ATWT’s criminally charming and energetic Billy “Blue Eyes” Magnussen (Casey) is exactly what you’d expect… and more! The sensational newcomer also proved white men… can’t dance. Of course, I’m joking! Well, sort of. He and Toronto native Wilson cut the rug, John Travolta-style. We later riffed on the various double entendres surrounding his last name, and that’s all I’m saying. Magnussen later informed me he was looking forward to visiting his family in Georgia this weekend. He said, “Can you believe I haven’t seen them in months? It’s way too long not to be with your family.” Awww…

— AMC’s Billy Miller (Richie) isn’t taking his firing personally because, “the writing was on the wall for a while,” he lamented. The Texan is open to booking another soap gig, but reports that he’s staying a little longer on AMC to help the soap finally destroy his ill-conceived character.

— ATWT’s Trent Dawson (Henry) was sincerely touched when I informed him his Emmy reel for outstanding supporting actor was one of the best I’ve ever seen. In the same breath, I also relayed that that and a buck fifty will get you on the subway. Or whatever it costs these days….

— Dawson’s gorgeous ATWT co-star Ewa de Cruz (Vienna) and I bonded over her soap work, the Emmys, and how it’s possible such a stunningly beautiful goddess like herself is a brilliant comedian à la Lucille Ball. “I would never have been cast in a comedic part if it wasn’t for ATWT,” she said gratefully. Look for the “fab four,” Katie/Brad/Henry/Vienna, to play heavy in upcoming months, she informed me.

2008 Live From The Daytime Emmys, SOAPnet (June 20, 6-8 p.m.) — Pre-Emmy show hosts announced
— And they are: Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, AMC), Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, AMC), Finola Hughes (Anna, GH) and Lawrence Zarian (TV Guide Channel) have been named correspondents for SOAPnet’s spectacular pre-show. Budig and Goldin will juggle red carpet arrival interviews, while Hughes and Zarian keep the focus on fashion. Who knew Hughes had time to moonlight given her “big summer storyline” on GH?

All My Children, A/ABC — Tylo to AMC: I want in!
— Canadian newsstand alert: Pick up next week’s Hello! Canada for my exclusive at-home feature with Emmy host, Cameron Mathison (Ryan). The busiest man in show business also talked to me for this Wednesday’s soap feature on TVGuide.ca about his Emmy-hosting gig, his heavy reality TV workload, the romantic surprise he has planned for his wife, Vanessa, and whether or not he plans on leaving the soap.

— Beginning July 10, actor/director/producer/writer Melvin Van Peebles merges reel and real life when he debuts as Melvin Woods, the father of his son, Mario’s (Samuel) character.

— In his first interview since the death of his son, Mickey, Michael Tylo (ex-Matt) told AMC’s history project website that he relied on his former Pine Valley castmates during his grief. "I heard from a lot of them when Mickey passed away: Jean LeClerc (Jeremy), Kate Collins (Natalie/Janet)," Tylo shared, before adding, "I think about him everyday. It's tough." Tylo also revealed he’s engaged to Rachelle Reichert and wouldn’t say no to a soap comeback. “I do want to go down to All My Children and see how it is working,” he offered. “I am teaching a Daytime Drama class next semester. I want to see if I can get on set and observe. I always believe that what I have to give the students has to be fresh, and things have changed on the soap set. If they wanted me back on a soap in New York, this would be a great way to tell people I am still here." For more on the informative interview visit here.

— Does this mean screen time for Jill Larson and James Mitchell? Daniel Kennedy has been recast in the recurring role of Opal and Palmer’s son, Petey Cortlandt on July 11. 

As The World Turns, Global/CBS — Jesse Lee Soffer back already?
— Emmy nominee Jesse Lee Soffer (ex-Will) may be making an Oakdale comeback, according to Soap Opera Weekly. The soap insider tells its readers that Will is expected back to help comfort his dying mother, Barbara. Is Colleen Zenk Pinter (Babs) still on the show? At press time, ATWT had no comment.

 — That ‘70s Show star, Debra Jo Rupp will appear in Oakdale on June 12 as a camp counselor at the camp Holden and Carly's kids attend. Times must be tough for Debra, huh?

— Maybe Reg Addington (returning guest star Mark Sullivan) will finally make a man out of Luke — now that Noah and Luke are no longer a platonic super-couple (this, in a genre where most 16-year-olds are pregnant)! Seriously, when a gay man finally comes out of the closet there is only one thing on his mind, and that’s love… and sex, especially when he’s starved himself from any intimacy thanks to society’s homophobia.

The Bold and the Beautiful, CTV/CBS — B&B star debuts on SOAPnet’s MVP June 20
— Jacqueline Wood (Steffi) isn’t a newcomer to the soap world. Wood was already a big star in her homeland of Canada (does she know Dylan Bruce?) She tells Sara A. Bibel, “I play Ava, the bitchy hockey bunny.” According to the former Y&R writer, Wood is enjoying her transition to daytime, and likes working with fellow soap newbie, Texas Battle (Marcus). Says Woods of her on-screen love interest, “We’re on the same page. The chemistry is awesome with us.” For more on Bibel’s scroll-ilicious blog click here.

— Time to give Soap Opera Digest’s photo editor Judith Laguerre a raise for picking the best picture in a feature ever! A campy photo of Katherine Kelly Lang’s Brooke experiencing one of her many meltdowns accompanies a story titled, “Emmys: What’s Wrong With Them Now?” Too funny; check it out because it’s a good story penned by Elaine G. Flores.
 
Days of Our Lives, Global/NBC — Days drops in ratings!
— NBC may not be too happy with its head writer, Dena Higley these days: The soap opera has plummeted down to a 1.8 rating (one day it hit a record-low 1.4!). Don’t these depressing numbers just make you want to start reading?

— Higley is bringing the social issue to Salem, which is surreal to say the least. Abe and Lexie learn that their child, Theo is autistic. Hey, if it means more airtime for James Reynolds (Abe) and Renee Jones (Lexie), I’m all for it! I just hope Days doesn’t backtrack down the road when Stefano shows up with a cure. Higley’s real-life son is also autistic so it looks like the sudser is committed.

General Hospital, CTV/ABC — Cook is simmering before his big debut
— That cutie-patootie Jason Cook began taping as Dr. Matt Hunter on June 9. I’ll get the scoop from Kirsten Storms when I help style her Emmy outfit with jewels, thanks to my good pal, Barclay Jewelry designer and co-owner, Lucy Kilislian, who is also adorning Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) and Farah Fath (Gigi, OLTL). Oh, and some guy named Dylan Bruce (Chris, ATWT) and possibly Daniel Goddard (Cane, Y&R). They’re in good hands — Lucy has styled Vivica A. Fox, Hillary Clinton, Star Jones, and Jessica Simpson. Oh, and most important, I’ll be adorning diamonds, too… so there!

General Hosptial: Night Shift, SOAPnet — Antonio Sabato Jr. reprises Jagger
— As previously reported, Antonio Sabato Jr. will reprise his role as Jagger Cates on GH’s nighttime cable spin-off. Hey, ABC/Disney: since Canada gave you MVP, how about you ask one of our networks to air Night Shift, too, damn it?

Guiding Light, Global/CBS — How many head writers does it take to write a crappy show?
— Just when you thought executive producer Ellen Wheeler couldn’t sink any lower… now comes word that Christopher Dunn, Lloyd "Lucky" Gold and Jill Lorie Hurst are joining current head writer David Kreizman as part of two new writing teams. Dunn joined GL in 1999 and was co-head writer from 2001– 2002. He has also written for GH, Sunset Beach and Jamey Giddens’ fave soap, Santa Barbara. Gold, who joined GL in 2001, has written for One Life to Live and Canada’s widely popular defunct soap, Another World. Hurst joined GL in 1994. Couldn’t they have just fired Kreizman and hired Tom Casiello?

— P&G publicists actually commented on a casting rumour! Well, wonders never cease! They tell Soap Opera Weekly that Cady McClain is indeed on the short list to replace Beth Ehlers as Harley. Ehlers, for those of you who have been in a coma for the past few months, is headed to Pine Valley in a yet-to-be-announced role. Soap Opera Weekly’s editor Carolyn Hinsey-Valentini made me laugh out loud when she suggested Martha Byrne (ex-Lily, ATWT) should be recast as Harley. Why do I have a feeling that the daytime canvas will be littered with network casualties of the CBS/ABC casting war?

MVP: The Secrets Wives of Hockey Wives, SOAPnet — Mark your calendars!
— June 20 is the big day… MVP premieres on American airwaves, right after some little award show (The Tonys?). Don’t miss this soap because you’ll regret it. The hockey drama is good honest campy fun done right. Who knew Canucks were so much fun. Oh, right — Dylan Bruce!

Nip/Tuck, Citytv/FX — Carlson’s Hello! Canada fashion shoot
— In next week’s Hello! Canada, Nip/Tuck’s Kelly Carlson (Kimber) adorns the season’s hottest fashions in a stunning fashion portfolio written by moi. Carlson is living part time in Toronto, and we’ve become BFFs thanks to our mutual obsession with some one-hit wonder named Madonna. As for what we can expect from Kimber next season, Carlson tells me, “Kimber’s main focus is trying to be a good mother. Seriously. Good luck with that!” Also, expect Christian Troy to face his most shocking challenge yet (Penal dysfunction? Celibacy? Crack addiction?). “You’re not getting any intel out of me,” the goddess teases.

One Life to Live, A/ABC — Rex is a Buchanan… well, sort of! Torpey returns!
— Click here to read TV Guide columnist Michael Logan’s exclusive OLTL 40th anniversary preview interview with head writer Ron C. It’s a doozy, folks. With all these superstar returns and various homages to OLTL’s greatest moments, I have a feeling Mr. C will be giving me a heart attack in July. Rejoice, people! Also, memo to OLTL: you’re giving far too much storyline preview away. Repeat after me: set-up, tease and leave something to the imagination. Also, I hope Carlivati and Valentini aren’t shooting themselves in the foot by bringing back every single former superstar in Llanview history! Save something for next year, people!

— This just in: Erin Torpey (the real Jessica) will replace Jessica Tuck as Viki’s heaven tour guide during the soap’s 40th anniversary tribute in July. Sadly, one of my favourite all-time soap actresses, Tuck (who was robbed of a Daytime Emmy for her death scenes as Megan Gordon Harrison) had to bail out due to her High School Musical 3 filming schedule. Torpey will play her former character’s daughter, Megan.

— Did you read the part where Logan reveals Sarah Roberts takes an Iguazu Falls-sized tumble, just like her mom, Tina? Hmmm… is that why the latest buzz suggests Justis Bolding may be screaming, “injustice, y’all!”

— Just what we need, yet another reason to clone head scribe Ron Carlivati: when asked at OLTL’s 40th anniversary tribute whether Bo and Nora would ever reunite, he retorted: “I never say never to anything, but perhaps Bob Woods and Hilary B. Smith should answer that one.” Burn. Later, when Erika Slezak complained about never being paired with Woods (he was originally cast as her love interest, but after Slezak's pregnancy, the proposed love story was dropped), you could see the wheels turning in Mr. C’s head. While we're strolling down memory lane, does anyone remember Clint’s brief flirtation with Carlotta? I’d love to see a redux of that pairing.

— Melissa Fumero has changed her mind and has signed a new long-term contract (which is irreversible) as the best younger vixen on soaps, Bitchy Bangs Balsom! In my dreams, suckers…!

— Is Frank Valentini the sweetest and most genuine exec producer in the biz? Yes! No secret here, because his cast always rave about their boss to me — off the record, too, so it’s sincere. However, witnessing him firsthand with his cast is a sight to behold. Valentini genuinely loves all his players (well, except for J-P Lavoisier — no one likes that diva — teehee….), especially the younger cast! Most impressively, during the Paley Center tribute, Valentini-Hinsey beautifully articulated a unique reverence for this genre, proudly boasting great admiration for Carlivati’s talents (“he’s the best head writer I’ve ever worked with”), and respect for the fans (“we try to balance what the fans and actors want, what we want, and of course, we also have to take into consideration the industry and network demands. It’s not easy…”). Wowza… this man will be running ABC one day.

Passions, SuperChannel/DirecTV — Huber on OLTL?
— Andrea Evans (Rebecca) tells Soap Opera Weekly that along with “loving that Nellie Branco to death” her on-screen daughter, Liza Huber (Gwen) has moved to N.Y. and visited her on the set of OLTL. Hmmm.. wouldn’t it be hilarious if Huber were recast as Sarah Roberts?

The Young and the Restless, Global/CBS — Top soap steals from OLTL!
— Didn’t we see this on OLTL? Bo and Nora’s favourite singer ever, Little Richard will visit Genoa City when the rock ‘n’ roll legend performs at an upcoming wedding. Guess which couple?

— Another America’s Next Top Model winner soap sighting: Eva Marcille has been cast as Devon’s aunt, Tyra Hamilton. Marcille was Season 3’s winner. Her on-screen daughter, Ana wil be played by August Rush’s Jamia Simone Nash. They both première on June 25.

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.