Friday, February 3, 2012

Today in Soap Opera History (February 3)

On this date in...

1950: Charita Bauer assumed the role of Bert Bauer on THE GUIDING LIGHT radio program (Ann Shepard was the original radio Bert). She would continue to play the character as the show premiered on television two years later and until December 1984, just before her death. More on Charita Bauer here.

1967: On ANOTHER WORLD, Lenore (Judith Barcroft) declined to consider it when Helen suggested she and Bill wait until to marry so Bill can get over his butterflies.

1992: On GUIDING LIGHT, Fletcher saved Vanessa before Jack Kiley could rape her.

1992: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Victor reminisced about Nikki, and a tearful Drucilla returns to ask Madame Chauvin for help.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

INTERVIEW: Bryan Dattilo on Chandler Massey, Joe Mascolo, Acting Drunk, the Super Bowl and more

It won't be long now. Bryan Dattilo is returning to the role of Lucas Horton on DAYS OF OUR LIVES in late February, so WE LOVE SOAPS TV spoke with him earlier today to ask about returning to DAYS, seeing Chandler Massey's Will grow up, finding Lucas a new father, acting drunk and more. Plus, we got him to admit to his Super Bowl pick.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: How do you feel to be back at DAYS?
Bryan Dattilo: Daddy's home again! [He laughs.] Daddy's home!    Look out.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Was there a part of you that always thought you might return?
Bryan Dattilo: I actually thought that time was it. I didn't anticipate coming back, or I didn't think it could be possible, but thank God it was, because I thought I was going to have to do construction for the rest of my life. [He laughs.]

Ellen Holly, Part 1: Agnes Nixon & Bringing The Black Audience To ABC

Ellen Holly, daytime's groundbreaking first black leading lady, and Agnes Nixon, perhaps the greatest figure in the history of daytime television, have had a fascinating relationship. WE LOVE SOAPS TV recently spent an afternoon with the legendary Ms. Holly, who played Carla on Nixon's ONE LIFE TO LIVE starting in 1968 and leaving for good in 1985. We asked Ms. Holly to share her story with us.

In the first part of our special Black History Month series focusing on the life and times of Ellen Holly, we take a close look at the early, genial days of Nixon and Holly's occasionally rocky partnership. Join us as Ellen Holly herself takes us back to the late '60s, when cultural revolution, TV innovation, and two brilliant women came together to launch and popularize the one and only ONE LIFE TO LIVE. . .

NEWS ROUNDUP: Kassie DePaiva on GH Move, Nancy Lee Grahn Talks Menopause, New Kevin Bacon Show

Kassie DePaiva on her upcoming GENERAL HOSPITAL appearance
"I’ve been invited to come over and play on the show for a while and then we’ll see what happens. I’m just going to go over there and be the best Blair I can possibly be. I love Laura Wright (Carly, GH), I’ve known her forever, when she was on THE CITY, when she was on the GUIDING LIGHT, so I’ve known her a long, long time and she’s lovely and she tweeted that she was very happy that I was coming over and I said somebody better warn you about high windows.

Nancy Lee Grahn on her GENERAL HOSPITAL menopause plot: Bring it on!

THE JACK DONAGHY FILES: Ryan Adams Sings PASSIONS Theme Song

The crew behind 30 ROCK seem to have caught pigskin fever, because the current installment of their animated web series THE JACK DONAGHY FILES finds Alec Baldwin's penny-pinching NBC head honcho trying to find a new Super Bowl half-time performer after Madonna drops out.

Ryan Adams, Michael McDonald and Donald Glover all try out and give it their best shot, despite some hilarious budget-restrictions.

They can't afford to pay for any songs other than the theme for three (yes, only three) former NBC shows. One of them is the theme from PASSIONS ("Breathe") and Ryan Adams sings it after saying, "I always wanted to play a warlock on that show."

Watch it below:

ARMY WIVES Season 6 Starts March 4, Features Guest Star Susan Lucci

Check out the press release below for the upcoming sixth season of ARMY WIVES featuring guest star Susan Lucci. ARMY WIVES is produced by ABC Studios.

ARMY WIVES, Lifetime’s most successful series in the network’s history, will return for its sixth season with all-new episodes beginning Sunday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following at 10pm ET/PT will be new episodes of COMING HOME, Lifetime’s award-winning docu-series featuring U.S. armed forces service members’ surprise family reunions.

PREVIEW: Ricky Martin On GLEE as "The Spanish Teacher"

GLEE's third season continues on Feb. 7 "The Spanish Teacher" featuring special guest star Ricky Martin.

Will assigns the glee club a Spanish singing assignment, and enlists the help of his musically-inclined night school teacher (Martin). Meanwhile, Rachel spills the beans to Kurt and Mercedes on Finn’s marriage proposal, and Mercedes has love complications of her own.

Check out two previews below.

DOWNTON ABBEY Covers TV Guide: The Year of the Soap Continues

In the first TV Guide cover for any primetime PBS show in over 30 years, DOWNTON ABBEY has landed on the cover of the magazine this week (Feb. 6 issue date).

Dan Stevens (Matthew) and Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) are the cover models and look fabulous!

The second season of DOWNTON is currently running on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on PBS. In the story, World War I has just ended but drama is always just around the corner. If you haven't started watching yet, we highly recommend you give it a try.

RELATED:
- Shirley MacLaine Joining DOWNTON ABBEY For Season 3

Claire Labine To Be Honored, Kate Mulgrew Presenting At 64th WGA Awards

The 64th Writers Guild of America Awards will take place on Sunday, February 19 hosted by Rachel Dratch. The WGA East has also selected daytime TV writer Claire Labine as winner of the Ian McLellan Hunter Award. Judd Apatow will receive the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence.

WGA East president Michael Winship said: "With this year's Sargent and Hunter Awards, we honor one of the most important aspects of membership in the guild: collegiality. Both Judd Apatow and Claire Labine not only have created notable and entertaining bodies of work; they have gone out of their way to encourage and mentor new young writers, offering constant and solid support to those just starting out in the business."

Presenters include Kate Mulgrew, Jonathan Ames, Jon Benjamin, Shari Springer Berman, Jimmy Fallon, Geoffrey Fletcher, Nancy Giles, Steve Kroft, Seth Meyers, Robert Pulcini, James Schamus, Kristen Wiig and Terence Winter.

RELATED:
- NOMINATIONS: 2012 Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards -- ALL MY CHILDREN, GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
- WLS Interview Archive: Claire Labine (7-Part Series)
- WLS Interview Archive: Claire Labine Answered YOUR Questions (6-Part Series)
- 50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #38 Kate Mulgrew