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BREAKING NEWS: Y&R bombshell — Michael Muhney out?
This just in — Sources inform The Suds Report that one of soaps’ most popular stars and best recasts ever, Soap Opera Spirit nominee Michael Muhney, may be leaving The Young and the Restless after his one-year contract expires soon! The former Veronica Mars star recently auditioned for Hawaii 5-0’s reboot, amongst other high-profile projects. That sound you hear? Y&R fans putting pen to paper.

SUDSIEST QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“You’ve got to say Brenda. And then you’ve got to say Carly because she’s the mother of his children and then Brenda because that was his first real big love. The thing about Sonny is when he loves, he loves. He loved Emily. He loved Kate. I think those are the only other two. He doesn’t just say, “I love you.” He means it when he says it.”
—Emmy winner Maurice Benard answers who he thinks the love of Sonny’s life is in an interview with Fancast.com's Sara Bibel
Translation: It’s Jason Morgan, stupid!

SO LONG SPRINGFIELD
New events announced
Where’s Ellen Wheeler? Liz Keifer, Bradley Cole, Justin Deas, Grant Aleksander, Beth Chamberlin, Kim Zimmer, Marcy Rylan, Daniel Cosgrove, Robert Newman, Jerry ver Dorn, Jessica Leccia and Michael O’Leary will be appearing on March 7 at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. For tickets and more information surf over to www.celebrityeventsgroup.com or call 1-866-364-0330 to purchase tickets securely.

And if you still haven’t gotten your GL fix, Mike Gold announced that he’s also organized a cruise, So Long Springfield at Sea (sadly, there’s no stopover in San Cristobel). Fans will cruise aboard the Carnival Glory, departing July 31, 2010 through Aug. 4, 2010 from New York. With stops in St. John’s and Halifax, this is a fantastic end-of-summer treat. Mohegan Sun will be giving away one cabin for two to one lucky fan.

LIFE AFTER SOAPS
Former GL hair model lands on Broadway
• Just like we stated in last Wednesday’s Suds Bubble feature, it’s always the least successful soap actors who tend to land high-profile gigs after they leave the sudsy world. The latest? Guiding Light’s Bonnie Dennison, who recently booked a guest stint on the recently cancelled Ugly Betty, is serving as Scarlett Johannson’s understudy in Broadway's A View From The Bridge. With Dennison’s show-killing track record, let’s hope A View isn’t cancelled as well! In related news, Caitlin Van Zandt has landed a gig as Meryl Streep’s stunt double in a new project.
 
On the flip side, Emmy winner Cynthia Watros just landed the part of Wilson’s first ex-wife on House. Watros is also reappearing on Lost during its final season. Congrats!

• SoapCentral.com’s contributing writer Lynette Rice printed a must-read interview with AMC alum Rosemary Prinz on its website. The former World Turns superstar discussed her topsy-turvy relationship with the mother of all soaps, Irna Phillips, saying, “I would constantly have to tell Irna that I was Rosemary, not Penny. Penny was a character. I would [threaten] her [that] I was going to get pregnant!” As soap fans know, Penny was barren. Now that’s one fertile catfight I’d kill to have witnessed!

All My Children, ABC, A — Return to glory?
• There is a goddess, and her name is Lorraine Broderick! The interim writer — before show-killer David Kreizman (currently destroying soon-to-be-defunct World Turns), along with Donna Swajeski — assumes head-scribe duties from exiting hack Chuck Pratt for the next few months. The soap’s top plot next week? Revenge-seeking Greenlee reveals herself to Ryan in the most shocking way possible — at her wedding to David! AMC executive producer, Barbara Bloom, er, Julie Hanan Carruthers enthuses to Soap Opera Weekly, “We’re back! It’s a rebirth, if you will. Not to get overly dramatic, but there’s an energy within the cast, and you certainly see it as they play their characters. People watch these shows to see relationships and to see people experience life. [We’re] going back to the core of that, the honesty of that and the humour and the real-life experiences.” Um, it took you over seven decades to realize that, ABC? Bygones. Look for Walt Willey to return during the suspenseful nuptials — and a good old-fashioned “slugfest” between David and Ryan.

As The World Turns, Global/CBS — Who Wants to Be A Mick-inaire?
• This sucks. I was digging the fact that Mick was really a younger James Stenbeck thanks to a fountain of youth serum (someone alert Hunter Tylo, STAT). This week, before her wedding to Casey, Mick stuns Alison by explaining that James implanted a Stenbeck personality chip in his brain when he was a child. Or something lame like that. Ugh. Two steps forward, a lifetime backwards. And Kreizman nabbed a head-writing gig on a competing network after killing not one, but two soaps?!

• Film/TV star and ex-soaper Amanda Seyfried told Backstage.com that she was fired as Lucy Montgomery (she later played AMC’s Joni as well) because, “I was pretty bad starting out. When I was 15, I was so bad they had to ship my character off. It was absolutely, without a doubt, because I was that bad. I was so uncomfortable. I had it in me, but if you aren't comfortable, you can’t access your skill.” Clearly, World Turns’s casting department is a lot pickier than the directors over at DAYS, Y&R, and AMC.

• The end of an era … As of now, sources report that the last tape date of the oldest show on TV, World Turns, is June 30.

• According to Soaps In Depth, Emmy winner Lesli Kay will air until the finale.

• Has Janet been “carjacked?” Nah! Julie Pinson isn’t too upset  over the fact that Carly and Jack are inching quickly towards a reconciliation. “I love working with Grayson McCouch,” the Emmy-nominated actress tells Suds. “Every time I get a little sad about Janet and Jack’s [romantic woes], all I have to do is look at Grayson’s face! He’s dreamy. Luckily, I get to still work with my boy, Michael Park, so I get the best of both worlds.” When Suds mentioned to Pinson that she looks like a younger Suzanne Rogers, her former Emmy-winning DAYS co-star, a big smile appeared on her face. “Suzanne’s very talented,” she said. “I’ll take that.”

The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS/CTV — Whipping the rapist!
• That was fast! Promising B&B newcomer Justin Baldoni has left Television City. His rapist character, Graham, last aired on Feb. 3 after he was arrested for raping Sandy. Too bad, I liked Baldoni, but at least head writer Brad Bell didn’t make Sandy’s cousin, Whip, the rapist as many had feared.

• In story 411, Bridget learns of Nick and Sandy’s betrayal. Expect a couple of shocking twists very soon in this hit-and-miss storyline!

• Chief of camp, Brad Bell, is angling to win another Emmy Award in 2011! The writer/producer teases to Soap Opera Digest that fans can expect to see Beth grapple with her increasingly debilitating Alzheimer’s Disease in the very near future. Hopefully, a funeral is in the works. Or a recast.

Days of our Lives, NBC/Global —  Which Evans is back on DAYS? Reid dead at 95!
• One more fearless prediction has come to fruition. Well, this wasn’t so fearless, but still … Soap Opera Digest announced that Emmy winner Judi Evans is returning to Salem and will once again work with Wally Kurth for the first time since 1991 as Adrienne. Is Evans’s other DAYS role, Bonnie, far behind? Last year, Evans guest-starred on World Turns.

• Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award winner, noted feminist, and acting legend Frances Reid sadly passed away on Feb. 3 at the age of 95 in her Beverly Hills assisted home facility. For more details on her sad passing, click here for a tribute written by TVGuide.ca’s Denette Wilford.
At press time, there was no word on whether or not DAYS, which recently killed off Reid’s on-screen son, Mickey, will write in Reid’s real-life death into the story. As iconic “Grams,” Alice Horton, Reid had not been seen on-screen for some time, but has been referenced on occasion — most recently during Mickey’s funeral. Regardless, there isn’t any doubt devoted DAYS fans will be able to pass a box of doughnuts in the coming weeks without thinking of the beloved star.

A heartbroken Deidre Hall shares her thoughts on Reid’s sad passing exclusively with TVGuide.ca: “Frances, although the consummate actor’s actor, was far from the doughnut-baking, apron-clad wife of Tom Horton that most of America knew and loved. She was a saucy, wildly outspoken and politically incorrect woman. Frances was never shy about speaking her mind openly and passionately — even as we counted down to tape. She called it like she saw it, whether she was taking on the [actor’s] union, or critiquing your hairstyle. Mincing her words was never an option [or her style].”

Hall continues, “She earned the respect and admiration of her friends and peers with her candid approach to life, work, and philosophy. Whether you loved or feared her, you always respected her courage. Frances was a magnificent teacher, mentor, and friend. I feel a strong sense of personal loss as Frances makes her way to heaven, and know that we shall not look upon the likes of her again.”

Check out more on Hall’s — and Drake Hogestyn’s — recollections of working with such an acting legend.

A memorial ceremony is tentatively scheduled sometime in April. In lieu of flowers, Reid’s family is asking anyone who cares to send donations to the actress’s favourite charities, Habitat for Humanity and Save The Children.

• Lady Peggy McCay isn’t resting on the scraps DAYS feeds her! The soap vet will be appearing on an upcoming Cold Case episode.

• Why wasn’t James Scott baring his chest on the third annual Soap Cruise? According to Mike God, the sexy and talented Englishman couldn’t make the boat because Alison Sweeney’s Biggest Loser schedule interfered with his DAYS taping.

• Who else is salivating over Leann Hunley’s triumphant DAYS comeback? I could watch her read Chuck Pratt scripts all day — that’s how fierce this Emmy winner is. Swoon. When Hunley returned to the show last time, in 2007, Hunley told me why she was a no-show at the Daytime Emmy Awards when she won best supporting actress here.

• Everyone and their adoptive mother is guessing that Daniel is probably Melanie’s father, but I’d prefer to suspend my disbelief by having Bo be Carly’s baby daddy. Yes, I know Philip is Bo’s brother, but if I was head-writing the show I would have never paired Melanie and Philip romantically. Philip belongs with either Stephanie or Chloe. Regardless, not only would this paternity shocker lend more weight to the Carly/Bo/Hope triangle, but it’d also tie Melanie to a core family. Also, that would explain why Lawrence would keep Carly from her intellectually challenged daughter because of how much he hated Brady Sr. Finally, this plot twist would be a nice ironic touch considering Mel’s brother, Max, is an adopted Brady! It’s relativity on all fronts!

• Don’t miss a single minute of DAYS’s heart-pounding countdown to Melanie and Philip’s big fat deadly wedding! As Vivian inches closer to killing Carly’s daughter, Melanie, moments leading up to her nuptials with Philip, Carly guesses her rival’s plot only to be halted when the princess slips on a patch of ice causing short-term memory loss. Luckily, Hope figures out Viv-star’s plot. When all is said and done? Stephanie interjects Nathan’s love letter to Melanie, Hope is knocked out after arresting Vivian, Carly strangles Vivian, Philips marries someone, Melanie passes out, and Victor saves the day! Whew. Methinks James E. Reilly would be proud, non?

Speaking of Melanie, this past week, I have finally unconditionally fallen in love with Molly Burnett. Crystal Chappell and Louise Sorel have brought out the best in the criminally perky star. Most importantly, I buy that Melanie is Carly’s daughter thanks to Burnett and Chappell’s authentic and entertaining chemistry.

General Hospital, CTV/A — Watch your back, Jonathan Jackson — Dominic Zamprogna is coming after you!
• Will Laura Wright finally earn a lead actress Emmy Award nomination this year? Wright is the only Carly not to receive recognition for being one of the best recasts in daytime history (Jennifer “Zzzz ...” Bransford doesn’t count).

The former GL star informs Suds she will more than likely submit her name for consideration this year — especially since Nancy Lee Grahn is taking herself of out the running. Wright and I hung out on Mike Gold’s third annual Soap Cruise — and I have to say I’ve never seen her this happy before. Her joy for life was positively infectious.

“Life is good,” she says. “Our show is kicking major [butt] artistically. Which is nice because I signed a four-year contract recently [laughs].”

It was cool to see Wright, Robert Newman and Kim Zimmer hang out as well. Just be forewarned — don’t play blackjack with Wright because she’ll kick your butt without breaking a sweat. Hey, after living with and loving mobsters, and working on P&G, a poker face comes in handy.

• Ouch! As previously reported, Bradford Anderson ruptured his Achilles Tendon, but that didn’t stop the Emmy-nominated actor from getting on the dance floor (thanks to a wheelchair and crutches), sunning on a beach, and meeting fans one-on-one at the third annual Soap Cruise. Brad-erella updated his fans the other day on Twitter, writing, “It’s fully ruptured. Not partially. Surgery. Boy oh boy.” Helena Cassadine must have put a curse on the male actors on the cruise. Along with Bradford, both Daniel Goddard and Don Diamont suffered minor mishaps (read Y&R’s section for more on the Aussie).

• Gaining momentum is the rumour that ABC is seriously considering switching GH and The View’s timeslots when The Oprah Winfrey Show leaves the daytime airwaves next year. The source? The Los Angeles Times! Two words: Jay Leno.

• Suicide alert? In story 411, Lucky finds Liz’s lifeless body after the maligned heroine spies Jason and Sam kissing, and is ostrasized by Port Chuck because of her affair with Dikolas. So what happened? Feeling guilty about her latest slutty adventures, Liz heads to the church where she and Lucky exchanged vows on Valentine’s Day, and after experiencing strange hallucinations, Liz passes out! But clearly she’s preggers.

Speaking of Liz, SoapZone.com fan SoapFan4Now created this hilarious Liz avatar (in the moving version, the Pez, er, baby dispenser pops out one child after another). Thanks to Becky Herbst’s real-life pregnancy, if Liz does learn she’s carrying another bastard child, this will be the dysfunctional character’s fifth pregnancy! Forget about super-sperm — 2011 is all about the super-uterus!

I think it’d be wise of GH to move Lucky into Maxie and Spinelli’s hemisphere. For starters, they’re all the same height! And Maxie and Lucky do share sexual history. And that’d mean Anderson would have a front-burner storyline. Just sayin’ …

• Bang! Bang! Bang! For the past three weeks, GH has been on fire, so be careful not to get too close to your TV screen or you’ll get burned! First, Jonathan Jackson delivered a master-class, tour-de-force performance when Liz learned about his fiancée’s affair with his brother, and this past week, it was newcomer Dominic Zamprogna’s turn to burn down Port Chuck as Sonny shot Dante! These days, GH means business, so if you have stopped watching, you’d be wise to tune in again. Classic GH is back! As an aside, I love it when the ABC announcer pronounces Zamprogna’s name during those spoiler-heavy promos.

• Will hell finally freeze over? Rumours surrounding Vanessa Marcil’s impending return are getting louder and louder. “Sonny needs a love interest bad,” one actor tells Suds. “It’ll happen sooner rather than later, I think.” Just in case, I’m running out and buying a new pair of ice skates —and sleeves!

One Life To Live, ABC — Got Woods? Yep, for four years!
• Emmy winner Robert S. Woods has inked a new, four-year deal, according to Soap Opera Digest.

• Yesterday was the last day One Life taped in their studio, and on Feb. 16, the Llanview crew will begin filming at AMC’s former stomping grounds.

• Gina Tognoni makes her triumphant return as Kelly on Feb 12! Hurray! Welcome back to the big leagues, Gina.

• Looks like Bree Williamson may consider submitting herself in the lead actress race if that’s what the show wants. She tells Suds, “But I think Frank Valentini will place me in supporting, because I wasn’t that front burner in 2009.”

• Did I miss a press release or something? When did One Life turn into DAYS (the bad version) again? While still the best soap on air, One Life has been a tad hard to watch lately. Stick to the basics, Ron.
The Young and the Restless, CBS/Global —Stafford to play Sheila? Rowell Toronto update! Goddard rushed to the ER!
• Aussie punk-ass Daniel Goddard was rushed to the ER when he departed the third annual Soap Cruise. “I spent the night in emergency. Had to have my stomach cat-scanned,” Goddard told Suds. Later, Goddard learned it wasn’t food poisoning but an intestine infection.

• Is Michelle Stafford slated to be playing Sheila Carter again? A casting notice raised some already arched eyebrows earlier this week. It reads — “A female body double, late-20s to mid-40s, 5’4”, dress size 0-2, long red hair, and in great physical shape. Role also requires strong acting and memorization ... multiple episodes at principal scale. This will not preclude actresses from doing future roles on the show. Starts approximately 2/16/10.”

Meanwhile, rumours are swirling that Susan Walters is about to reprise her role as Diane Jenkins. Real or rumours? Stay tuned …

• Add Fancast.com blogger, and former Y&R Emmy-winning writer, Sara Bibel to the Mother Tucker fan club! Read her thoughts on Stephen Nichols here.

• Toronto fans will have to wait a few more months to see one of soap opera’s greatest divas, NAACP winning and Emmy-nominated superstar, Victoria Rowell. Her appearance was originally scheduled for a Casey House fundraiser, but Rowell will now be arriving sometime at the end of May to coincide with her Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva book release.

 

 

 

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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.