Guess which storylines are real... and those born from my sick imagination!
ALL MY CHILDREN: Grant Aleksander and Beth Ehlers reunite with RPG!
*Angie and Jesse marry in a romantic and action-packed wedding that will not only appease fans, but also have them on the edge of their seats, thanks to Robert.
*Greg Nelson reunites with his posse and flashbacks ensue.
*Greenlee and Aidan plan their wedding, but when she learns of Kendall’s one-night stand with her fiancé — expect fireworks! However, don’t expect Kendall and Zach to call their divorce lawyers anytime soon.
*Ricky Paull Goldin is reborn as Jake Martin, who is in Africa with a big secret. Look for Tad, Rob, Angie, and Jesse to be involved in this umbrella storyline.
*A love triangle between Samuel, Jack and Erica develops.
* Jacob arrives in town secretly, but is killed by Rob, who mistakes Jacob for Jesse. Cassandra blames Jesse and seeks revenge.
*Annie becomes a bitch, especially after Greenlee and Ryan reignite their feelings.
*Beth Ehlers joins AMC as Hayley Santos, who falls for Jake Martin! Characters begin to call Pine Valley, Springfield when nuHayley returns to town with Grant Aleksander (Alec McIntyre; ex-Phillip, GL) in tow.
2008 Grade So Far: C-
AS THE WORLD TURNS: Ameera preggers with Noah’s bambino?
*Is Holden falling for Carly? How will Jack and Lily deal with their soulmates bonding? Don’t be too surprised if one of these rebound couples get horizontal!
*Craig, who? Paul finds Mike to be his biggest obstacle yet in the pursuit of Meg’s heart. Sofie is drawn into Paul’s web, and a padded cell may not be too far off.
*Ameera and Casey continue to infiltrate Noah and Luke’s romance, but Emily may have other plans for Margo’s son.
*Bonnie will be thrown into the Henry and Vienna mix.
*Parker and Liberty rule Oakdale this summer, driving a bigger wedge between Carjack and Bratie.
*Luke freaks out when Ameera reveals she’s pregnant with Noah’s baby! Matt returns and becomes Oakdale’s latest man-whore.
*Chris walks around town with a mirror, asking, “Who’s the most beautiful of them all?”
2008 Grade So Far: B+
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Beth Logan returns!
*Steffi arrives back in town with a secret, while Phoebe eyes Donna’s bastard son, Marcus.
*Thanks to Pam’s lemon bars, Felicia gains a lot of weight — luckily, no one notices she’s alive. She moves to Genoa City, but no one notices.
*Ridge and Brooke face another major challenge. Zzzz….
*Katie wages a battle to win Nick’s heart from her niece, Bridget. Zzzz…
*Stephanie worries when Katie begins packing some heat.
*Nick beds Brooke’s mother, Beth (played by Heather Locklear).
*Ridge and Bridget die!
*Brooke beds Thomas Forrester to get back at Taylor. Rick comes out of the closet.
*Tiny’s evil twin brother, Bigs, arrives in L.A. to avenge his sibling’s death.
*Brooke scares the Forresters when she cuts her hair, colours it white, and begins adorning oversized, white business suits.
2008 Grade So Far: C
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Lucas is baaack!
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*Is Lucas Kate and Martino’s son?
*Adrienne returns to Salem!
*Nicole and Lucas flirt — which doesn’t make Sami or EJ too happy.
*We learn Brady’s really not in drug rehab, but shacking up with some older woman named Taylor Hayes. Chloe turns to Philip, but the opera singer breaks up with him when she mistakes his fake leg for something else. |
*Daniel’s past comes to light — which prevents him from pursuing a romance with Chelsea. Nick decides he needs to get rid of Dr. McHairy.
*Tony and Anna reunite!
*Abe and Lexie, and Bo and Hope pretend they have a storyline.
*Ava learns she is pregnant with Steve’s baby but is later shot in the head by her father, Martino Corinthos.
*Frustrated with the idiots running around Salem, Robo-John decides a murder spree would be the best solution.
*
OLTL scribe, Ron Carlivati isn’t happy when he learns that head writer Dena Higley penned
Days’ most original story yet: Marlena escapes Salem to London, Ohio where she is hired as a mechanic in an auto shop. Justus Bolding (Sarah,
OLTL) is cast as Marlena’s confidante, Bibi.
2008 Grade So Far: B+
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly and Sonny reunite!
*Jason and Claudia make love and war! Jason-and-Liz fans hunt down Sarah Brown, who must enter a witness protection program in real life.
*Carly reunites with Sonny for Michael’s safety and well-being. Kate is sent packing after her involvement with Ian is revealed.
*Mr. Craig returns so expect to see — shocker— deadly results!
*Livid, Jax seeks revenge on Carly on Sonny by bringing back Brenda, who asks: “when did everyone in Port Chuck become so one-dimensional?”
*Scott mixes in with Tracy and Luke, thanks to the Haunted Star!
*Spinelli tries to seduce Maxie. Good luck with that, oh-so-awkward hero one. When a sexy young doctor arrives in Port Charles (played by Jason Cook), Spinelli figures out his real name is Shawn Brady and he has a wife named Belle, who looks exactly like Maxie.
*Alan reappears to Tracy.
*The rest of the Quartermaines die in a “shocking, sweeps” tsunami. Fortunately, the natural disaster only hit their mansion.
*Sam and Lucky continue their on-and-off-again affair. Look for Liz and Jake to interfere with the romance, much to Jason’s chagrin.
*A nuclear bomb goes off in Port Charles!
*Bob Guza hails this as the most romantic storyline ever told on daytime: Nikolas dumps Nadine when he falls in love with Alan’s spirit. “You’ll weep,” he says.
*GH tells its most important social-issue storyline yet when Claudia enters sex-addiction counseling and swears off red clothing for good!
*Alexis and Diane decide to move in together as “friends with legal benefits.”
2008 Grade So Far: C-
GUIDING LIGHT: Ashlee dumps Coop?
*Depressed over Gus’ death, Harley re-evaluates her relationship with Cyrus demanding they start over. Yes, because we want to re-live that nightmare twice!
*Olivia makes Reva’s life hell once again as she sets her sights on Jeffrey! “It’s Gus’ heart,” she cries, “he wants Jeffrey — don’t blame me!”
*Josh tries to forgive Cassie for cheating on him with Cyrus and we fast-forward through a lot of it.
*Alan convinces Beth he’s a changed man.
*Ashlee tells Coop she isn’t ready to get married because she’s thinner and wants to “whoop it up, ‘yo!”
*Expect a couple of major comebacks!
*Fans sue Procter & Gamble after they develop nausea and headaches due to its shaky camerawork.
*Kim Zimmer (Reva) kidnaps GL honchos, Ellen Wheeler and David Kreizman, and demands Paul Rauch and Pam Long return to the soap in exchange for their release.
*Josh hangs up his collar… realizing that Olivia is really the love of his life.
2008 Grade So Far: Z-
ONE LIFE TO LIVE: Gigi’s big month!
*Rex and Adriana make it to the altar, but Gigi and Brody prevent the nuptials from going off as planned. Gigi is freaked out after Rex “I need a big daddy” Balsom believes David Vickers is his father since they both hate wearing clothes.
*OLTL’s new opening theme debuts and it’s tha shiznit!
*Someone’s father dies!
*Dorian is asked to be Llanview’s gay pride marshal, which pisses off Roxy, who finds her life’s calling when someone mistakes her as drag queen, Miss Conception.
*John learns a new word!
*Starr and Cole deal with a tragedy that makes Todd’s day. Look for Blair and John to join forces to protect the young lovers.
*David Vickers moves back to Llanview permanently after learning he’s the Buchanan heir. Too bad Dorian’s put his inheritance in jeopardy!
*Is Ramsey holding John’s ex, Marty hostage? I personally think that the mystery patient is the dastardly Wanda Wolek. She was always trouble… Look for Karen and Larry Wolek to come to her rescue just in time for OLTL’s 40th anniversary.
*Dorian and David reunite and decide to have an open marriage.
*Todd is jealous when John and Blair develop feelings. “John, didn’t our road trip mean anything,” Todd cries.
*Gigi gets the last laugh when she admits Shane was adopted!
*Cristian and Jessica reconcile. However, when Tina returns to town with Cain Rogan, she sets her sights on her daughter, Sarah’s ex-lover. Cristian and Tina become daytime’s hottest couple.
*See Days' last preview/prediction for one more Llanview-related scoop!
2008 Grade So Far: B-
PASSIONS: Vincent gives birth to a two-headed baby!
*Theresa haunts Gwen but when Little Ethan and Pilar learn the truth her ruse may be exposed!
*Is Pretty the new Beth? Well, duh! Fancy and Luis are in danger, thanks to this psycho!
*Noah and Paloma will suffer at the hands of Tabitha! Thanks, Tabby — we owe you one!
*An unexpected arrival and a murder charge make Julian’s castration feel like a well, castration! Or a day in Springfield!
*Another serial killer lives in Harmony!
Fearless Prediction: I’ll leave it to head writer James E. Reilly — he doesn’t need any help.
2008 Grade So Far: F
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Dru returns!
*Who will walk down the aisle first: Nikki or Victor? And will anyone care?
*Sabrina is really Sheila Carter!
*Victor ignores his past and forms a new family with Sabrina and Adam. Is Adam the real Newman heir (his mother was blind after all)? And what does Skye really want? Victor fumes when he finds Adam, Sabrina and Skye in bed together.
*It’s war between Sharon and Phyllis!
*Victoria worries her family when she starts growing a mustache. Unexpectedly, this turns on JT.
*Lily’s modeling career tragically comes to an end when a light explodes in her face. “My eyes…” she screams!
*Paul and Nikki continue to bond, while David’s gambling problems spiral out of control.
*Jill is the latest obstacle in Jeffrey and Gloria’s romance.
*Drucilla returns and falls in love with Lily’s man, Cane.
*Felicia Forrester moves to Genoa City permanently and has sex with Cane immediately. Felicia calls me right after the romp and tells me all about it.
*Gloria becomes a nun just as her long-lost sister, played by Joan Van Ark, arrives in town.
2008 Grade So Far: B
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.
