We Love Soaps Wishes You a Healthy and Happy 2010

We Love Soaps would like to wish you a very happy new year. It's been a great year for us, and we thank you for making it that much better. Our traffic has increased nearly 500% since the end of 2008, we launched the "We Love Soaps Radio" podcast, and our own web series, WE LOVE SOAPS TV. We have been able to interview many of our favorite actors, actresses and writers and there is more to come.

We are looking forward to 2010, and hope that it's peaceful, healthy, and prosperous for you. As always, thanks for reading, listening, watching and participating.

If you're out tonight, be sure to look up at the full moon. It's the first New Year's Eve 'blue moon' in 20 years, and there won't be another on NYE until 2028. This particular 'blue moon' is a rarity in that second full moons within a month only occur every 2 to 2 1/2 years, because of how the lunar cycle differs from a traditional calendar month.

2009 Critics Choices Picks Announced! OLTL wins big!

We Love Soaps recently named our Best of 2009 in several categories. But there were other categories that we revealed in Michael Fairman's round-up of 2009 critics choice. You can check out all the picks at michaelfairmansoaps.com.

And if you haven't voted already, be sure to weigh in on our Best Same Sex Soap of 2009 poll.

Gay Llanview: 1992 vs 2009 Look How Far We've Come

Below is an article written by Connie Passalacqua (now Hayman) in August 1992 about ONE LIFE TO LIVE and the conclusion of their summer storyline focusing on gay teen Billy Douglas and the inclusion of the AIDS Quilt. Reading this article (thanks, Connie) and especially the last quote from Linda Gottlieb (in bold) really drives home the realization of how much progress we have made. Yesterday, ONE LIFE TO LIVE featured a sex scene between Kyle and Fish that was treated with all the same soaptastic trimmings as any heterosexual couple might receive when making love for the first time. Connie wrote to me today: "Look how far we've come from 1992." She is so right.

Strong Dose of Reality for ABC's ONE LIFE TO LIVE
Television: The soap shows eight sections of the Names Project AIDS Quilt to conclude a summer-long plot examining homophobia and a gay teen character.

By Connie Passalacqua
Los Angeles Times
August 28, 1992

NEW YORK — One of TV's daytime soap operas, which daily feature characters having romances amid a backdrop of froth and fantasy, today injects a taste of bitter reality.

Today and Monday, ABC's ONE LIFE TO LIVE (which airs weekdays at 1 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42) rolls out eight sections of the Names Project AIDS Quilt as a conclusion to a summer-long plot examining homophobia and a teen character's public declaration that he is gay. The AIDS quilt has never been displayed before in any kind of commercial or entertainment genre.

"I wanted a highly dramatic end for the homophobia story we've been doing all summer," says ONE LIFE TO LIVE executive producer Linda Gottlieb, who conceived the idea of featuring the quilt. "The quilt is a strong, powerful image. It's visual; it's powerful; it's easily dramatized. It's an abstraction against hatred."

Scott Evans: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part Three

In Part One of my interview with the talented and inspiring Scott Evans, he discussed being outed by his brother Chris Evans in an international magazine, and what's in store for "Kish." In Part Two he shared more about his process portraying Oliver Fish's coming out struggles, as well as coping with new fame in 2009.  In this final part, he shares thoughts about Emmys, Fish's future, and what led him to stop reading internet message boards.

We Love Soaps: Have you considered submitting any of your work for an Emmy nomination next year?
Scott Evans: I don’t know if I’m even eligible because I’m not on contract. 

We Love Soaps: People who have been off contract have won before.  Jordan Clarke won for Best Supporting Actor on GUIDING LIGHT while he was off contract [in 2006].  I’m not the expert on this.
Scott Evans: I’m not the expert either.  But no, I haven’t even thought about it.  I think you can’t really go into something saying, “This episode I’m shooting today is going to be my Emmy episode.”  I never even thought about it because I didn’t think it was possible.  But there were so many people who put out a lot of great work this year so we’ll see. 

Audit Bureau Reveals Decade's Best/Worst Circulations

Dan Capell, the former Newsweek circ director who began his consultancy and Capell's Circulation Reports nearly 30 years ago, uses Audit Bureau of Circulations data each January to determine the year's top circulation performers. In the just-released December 2009 CCR, Dan and son Matt Capell compiled 10 years of ABC data to determine which magazines had the decade's best and worst circulation strategies. Here are a few of the highlights from MinOnline:

Best ABC Audited Magazines:
- Allure. Rate base increased 31% during the decade to a current 1.05 million. Missed rate base with just two issues.
- The Economist: Weekly never missed rate base (510 issues) and delivered 14% bonus circ during the decade.
- Weight Watchers: Delivered 123,000 (17%) in bonus circ over a 1.25 million rate base over the decade.

Worst ABC Audited Magazines:
- Ladies' Home Journal: Rate base decreased 8%, yet there were 54 misses out of 120 releases over the decade.
- Soap Opera Digest: Rate base decreased 55%, yet nearly half the 520 releases missed the guarantee over the decade.
- TV Guide: Rate base decreased by nearly 10 million, yet over 37% of the circa 510 releases missed the guarantee over the decade.

F.A.Q.: The Top 50 Soap Actresses of All Time

In January we will begin our countdown of the Top 50 Soap Actresses of All Time. We have received a number of questions about the list and are answering them here in this F.A.Q.

NEWS: Tuc, Rowell, Fox vs Time Warner, Ripa

Battle lines deepen in Fox, Time Warner Cable feud
What began as an impasse yesterday became a full-fledged war between Time Warner Cable and News Corp.'s Fox, as both sides sought to position the other as responsible for the increasingly likely blackout of the broadcast network at midnight. With just hours remaining before Fox could go dark on Time Warner cable systems, both camps dispensed with the pleasantries that came to define the negotiations of what many see as a precedent-setting retransmission agreement.

A look at the top 10 series of the decade
3. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC). No other series has ever captured the uniqueness of small-town life quite like this, from the political side of a high-school football team to the coming of age of the players who are revered as rock stars.

VIDEO: Victoria Rowell named worst dressed celeb of 2009
THE INSIDER didn't like her Barack Obama dress.

Tuc Watkins will be back on OLTL in January
You can start looking for him in mid-January.

INTERVIEW: AMC's Kelly Ripa (returning as Hayley next week)
"It makes me sick to my stomach. I’m upset for the crew guys whom I love and adore. I’m upset for all the actors in New York who used to get so much work out of AMC. A lot of people got their big starts there. The state of soaps in general makes me sad, so going back to AMC was bittersweet, exciting, nerve-wracking, all of it combined."

HOT STORIES: Malcolm Returns on Y&R

Not being the first actor to play a role doesn't necessarily mean you won't be a huge success (Don Hastings, Erika Slezak, Melody Thomas Scott, Robin Strasser and Martha Byrne instantly come to mind). It's much harder though when the audience has clearly identified with the previous actor in the role that was played for several years. Shemar Moore was Malcolm Winters to a lot of people. This week, Malcolm returned to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS played by Darius McCrary. It was a jarring to say to this. It will take some time to find out if fans will accept him in the role. What do you think so far?

GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Share New Year's Resolutions

Some of the stars from GENERAL HOSPITAL, including Maurice Benard, Drew Garrett, Laura Wright and Bradford Anderson, have revealed their New Year's Resolutions in a new SOAPnet video.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Joanna Johnson (ex-Caroline/Karen, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - 48
Don Diamont (Bill, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; ex-Brad, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; ex-Carlo, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 47
Julian Stone (ex-Jerry, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 47

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 30, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps is currently taking nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards. If you have a show, actor or category you would like to suggest, please send it to editor@welovesoaps.net before January 1, 2010. Nominations will be revealed on January 6.


The second season of ANYONE BUT ME debuted on Dec. 15. Episode #2, "Quickly, to the Exits," is now playing on the show's website. ANYONE BUT ME was recently named "Best Lesbian/Bi Web Series" in the AfterEllen Visibility Awards. VENICE was runner up.


GOTHAM will air its fourth episode on Monday, January 4 at 8 p.m. ET. What will happened between Richard and Catherine? Stay tuned. The show is now available on iTunes and several video sharing websites.


VENICE aired a new episode, its third, today. This was the longest one so far, over eight minutes, and focused on Crystal Chappell's Gina's relationships with Owen, Alan and Tracy. Michael Sabatino and Lesli Kay made their VENICE debuts as Alan and Tracy. The show has worked out its technical issues and fans were able to access the episode without any major issues.


BET.com's BUPPIES stars former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS actress Tatyana Ali and former AS THE WORLD TURNS actor Earnest Waddell. The sixth episode, "Fear v. Responsibility," is now playing on the show's website.


The world of KINDRED features three twenty-something African-American women as they navigate family, work and love against the gritty skyline of New York City. The show premiered in November from SistaPAC Productions. Episode #2 is now playing on the show's website.

Eric Sheffer Stevens Joins AS THE WORLD TURNS

Eric Sheffer Stevens has joined the cast of AS THE WORLD TURNS as Dr. Reid Oliver.

Reid will be the doctor who tries to help Noah regain his sight. His first airdate will be on January 19.

Stevens has appeared in the films Greta (with Hillary Duff), Julia & Julia (with Amy Adams) and Multiple Sarcasms (with Timothy Hutton), among others.

He has also guest-starred in several primetime series including INVASION, NUMBERS, and LAW & ORDER.

He previously appeared as dayplayer Gene Pavarro on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

You may have seen him in various theater productions around the country or on one of his many national commercials for companies like Pizza Hut, Dunkin' Donuts and Chase Bank.

NEWS: McCrary, Social Change, USA, Time Warner

VIDEO: Soap Opera for Social Change
There are places in the world where the success of a soap opera is measured not just in TV ratings, but in human lives. This week, NOW travels to Kenya, where ambitious producers and actors hope one such TV show, THE TEAM, can help foster peace amongst the country's 42 official tribes.

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Darius McCrary (Malcolm)
“I’ve always thought it was a great gig. I always wanted to do it. So when my (new) manager approached me and mentioned YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS I thought, ‘Wow. That’s hot.’ I hope that everybody loves me in this role just as much as they loved [Moore], but I hope they love me just a little more.”

HOLLYOAKS star promises "great" NYE scenes
Zoë Lister has promised that the soap will end the year with "great" scenes involving her character Zoe Carpenter. Troubled Zoe will be seen facing a horrifying confrontation with Lydia Hart (Lydia Kelly) on New Year's Eve as her plan to expose the deranged student as a killer spirals out of control.

USA tops 2009 cable ratings
For the period spanning Dec. 29, 2008, through Dec. 27, 2009, USA swept ad-supported cable's three top TV demos, averaging 1.49 million adults 25-54, an increase of 11% versus 2008, while serving up 1.32 million viewers 18-49 (up 5%). The network also held off TBS to take the younger set, drawing 616,000 viewers 18-34.

Time Warner Agrees to Interim Carriage Or Binding Arbitration
The decision is not up to Time Warner, but Chairman Glenn Britt has told Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) that the company is willing to agree to binding arbitration with Fox in their retransmission consent dispute, which Kerry suggested in a letter to both Time Warner and Fox. Britt said Time Warner would "work around the clock" on an agreement with Fox for carriage so that subscribers don't lose access to TV station signals--including big-ticket college bowl games--beginning Jan. 1, when Time Warner's contract to carry Fox stations expires.

THE ARCHERS helps to save village shop
The number of communities clubbing together to save village shops has soared since radio soap opera THE ARCHERS featured attempts by the residents of Ambridge to take over their threatened shop. Inquiries to the Plunkett Foundation, an organization helping local people through the process of setting up and running a community-owned shop, have shot up since the storyline was aired.

GLAAD makes it official at Sundance
While the LGBT media advocacy and anti-defamation organization has held its Queer Lounge for filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival the past six years, it will become an official institute associate for the first time at the 2010 fest.

HOT STORIES: Kyle and Fish's Big Moment

Daytime soaps took another step forward in representing the gay and lesbian community when Kyle and Fish finally had sex. The show presented two couples having sex today - heterosexual Gigi and Schuyler and "Kish" - and it was interesting to see how they both were played similarly. There haven't been that many gay sex scenes in soap history to make much of a comparison but it's been obvious to everyone that same sex couples do not the over the top desk/elevator sex their straight counterparts have regularly.

The Luke and Noah ("Nuke") sex scene in January of this year comes to mind as an obvious comparison of the progress we've made. In that case, the characters were shirtless but were never shown in bed together. Today, we saw Kyle and Fish snuggling in bed in the afterglow. Way to go, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, for taking that next step!

The Rebecca Budig New Year's Interview

Northern Kentucky native Rebecca Budig burst onto the soap scene in 1995 in the role of Michelle Bauer on GUIDING LIGHT. In 1999 she created the role of Greenlee Smythe on ALL MY CHILDREN and has earned two Daytime Emmy nominations while playing the character. Over the years Bugid has hosted WE's FULL FRONTAL FASHION and co-hosted THE VIEW. She's also appeared on a number of television shows such as CSI, HOPE & FAITH and OUT OF PRACTICE.

As 2009 winds down, the actress has returned to ALL MY CHILDREN just in time for the show's 40th Anniversary in January. She spoke with We Love Soaps about her soap return, the current state of daytime, and offered New Year's kissing tips for our readers.

We Love Soaps: Tell me about your return to ALL MY CHILDREN. When it was announced the show was moving to Los Angeles, did you instantly think a return might be possible?
Rebecca Budig: Oh God, no. My first thought was, "Is everybody going? Is the crew going?" It was so crazy I couldn't' believe it. I never thought, "Oh, I can go back." They would have to want me to come back, and you can't just call somebody and say you want a job. But the fact that it is in L.A. and my home is there now definitely is a bonus.

Scott Evans: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part Two

In Part One of our interview with ONE LIFE TO LIVE star Scott Evans, the talented and courageous actor discussed his process of becoming a public figure in 2009, and shared what being a "role model" means to him.  In Part Two below, he discusses having his own mother play his mother ONE LIFE TO LIVE, how he approached the gay-wedding scenes, and his thoughts on Rupert Everett's recent comments about gay actors.

We Love Soaps: One of the things I’ve always loved about soaps is their ability to convey emotional stories and social messages in a way no other art form can.  You’re in people’s living rooms five days a week. 
Scott Evans: That’s just it.  You’re a person [they] see every day.  It’s like a friend, it’s like having someone there.  It’s not someone you watch every week for half an hour, it’s on every day for an hour.  So these people [the OLTL characters] become a part of their lives.  I don’t think I really understood that until this past year. 

We Love Soaps: You said you are from a family that is very respectful and accepting [of your being gay].  Your mother was actually on a few episodes of ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
Scott Evans: Barbara Fish!

SOAPnet Sets Primetime Viewing Records in 2009

SOAPnet is ending the year with some good soap news as the network set new primetime records in 2009. Here's the press release:

SOAPnet (2009)

SOAPnet delivered a record setting year in 2009, generating the Net’s largest Total Viewer (353,000) and Women 18-49 (133,000) audiences of all-time in Prime. Impressively, SOAPnet posted its 8th consecutive year of growth in Prime in Total Viewers.

* Year-to-year, SOAPnet grew by a solid 9% in Total Viewers (353,000 vs. 325,000) and by a substantial 18% in Women 18-49 (133,000 vs. 113,000).

ALL MY CHILDREN (M-F, 8:00-9:00 p.m.)

ALL MY CHILDREN delivered its largest annual audience ever on SOAPnet in Total Viewers (462,000) and Women 18-49 (175,000).

* Versus 2008, ALL MY CHILDREN increased by an impressive 24% in Total Viewers (462,000 vs. 374,000) and by a greater 42% in Women 18-49 (175,000 vs. 123,000).

ONE LIFE TO LIVE (M-F, 9:00-10:00 p.m.)

ONE LIFE TO LIVE hit new highs in 2009, generating its largest Total Viewer (441,000) and Women 18-49 (172,000) audiences of all time on SOAPnet.

* Compared to 2008 levels, ONE LIFE TO LIVE garnered huge increases up by 19% in Total Viewers (441,000 vs. 371,000) and by 32% in Women 18-49 (172,000 vs. 130,000).

Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Ratings, 2009: 12/28/08-12/27/09, Most Current: Live + SD blended with Live + 7, when available).

VOTE: Best Same Sex Soap of 2009

Back in August, We Love Soaps ran a poll asking fans which soap had told the best same sex storylines in 2009. At that point in the year, GUIDING LIGHT was the overwhelming winner with 57% of the vote. ONE LIFE TO LIVE finished second with 28%.

Now that the year is ending, it's time to vote again.

Here's a short run down of the year in gay daytime:

ALL MY CHILDREN: Featured the heavily promoted first same sex wedding between Bianca and Reese. It was a beautiful ceremony but marred by Reese's relationship with Zach. The couple finally received a happy ending before leaving town together a few months later.

AS THE WORLD TURNS: Luke and Noah finally had sex in January, Brian came out of the closet and left town, and Zac pretended to be gay to try and steal the Grimaldi fortune. Luke and Noah remained together as a couple throughout most of the year while dealing with a murder story, evil twins, Noah's father and Holden's death. The year ended with Noah blind following an explosion while working on his senior film project.

GUIDING LIGHT: The slow burning developing of the Olivia and Natalia love story lead to a hugely dramatic and emotional week as Natalia rejected Frank on their wedding day. Doris was revealed to be a lesbian and became a friend to Olivia while struggling to keep her sexuality from her daughter. Later, Natalia turned up pregnant by Frank but was determined to win Olivia back. As the show ended in September, Doris had come out to an accepting daughter, Ashlee, and Olivia and Natalia were happy and together, although they didn't get an onscreen kiss (or sex).

ONE LIFE TO LIVE: Kyle and Fish were lovers in college but Officer Fish was deeply in denial in the closet. While Kyle yearned for Fish, Fish began dating Layla. Eventually Kyle met Nick and the two of them started dating much to Fish's chagrin. The show introduced the idea of gay marriage into the election story between Dorian and Viki with Dorian arranging a gay marriage-a-thon, including her own to Amelia, where Fish finally declared his love for Kyle. By the end of the year, "Kish" were together and had made love and were shown in bed together in the afterglow.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Rafe was revealed to be gay and it was treated like no big deal for a change. Feeling the heat as he was about to be busted, supposedly straight Adam began a sexual relationship with Rafe to keep him quiet. Meanwhile, Phillip Chancellor III returned from the dead after 20 years revealing he faked his death because he was gay and couldn't deal with his life. Unfortunately these stories petered out as Rafe disappeared and Phillip III was sent back to Australia (for now).

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

Indie Soap Awards - Nominations January 6

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards sponsored by We Love Soaps will be announced on January 6, 2010. The nominations will be revealed here and at indiesoapawards.com.

Categories will include Best Indie Soap, Best Writing, Best Directing, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Ensemble and many more.

Check out indiesoapawards.com and make sure your favorite is listed under the "Indie Soaps" header. If you would like to submit a suggested category, show or performer, please email editor@welovesoaps.net.

A fan vote and a panel of judges will determine the winners. Winners will be announced February 1.

PROMO: ALL MY CHILDREN's 40th Anniversary

ALL MY CHILDREN will celebrate the show's 40th Anniversary on January 4 and 5.


RELATED:
- The Taylor Miller Interview

ONE LIVE TO LIVE's Mark Lawson on GDLA

ONE LIVE TO LIVE's Mark Lawson (Brody) was a guest on GOOD DAY LA this week. He talked about almost giving up acting and his storyline on the soap.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Cassandra Creech (ex-Denise, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Dana, ANOTHER WORLD)
Troy Kurtis (ex-Nico, GUIDING LIGHT) - 29
Ashley Bashioum (ex-Mackenzie, Y&R) - 26

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 1.08 Scott Evans

On Episode 1.08 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Roger Newcomb and Damon L. Jacobs welcome special guest Scott Evans, who continues to inspire fans as a visible role model and through his portrayal of Oliver Fish on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Our final episode of 2009 also includes a look back at Jacobs and Newcomb's favorite soap events of the year and some not so shining moments - We Love Soaps bloopers!



If you want to watch WE LOVE SOAPS TV on iTunes, you can. The TV show has a different link than our audio podcast. You can find it here.

If you are in the New York City area and would like to be in the audience during a taping of a future episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, email us at audience@welovesoaps.net and we will keep you posted on our upcoming schedule.

Check out these links related to this episode:
- ABC.com: ONE LIFE TO LIVE
- Instinct Magazine

NEWS: Rodriguez, 3D, BANNEN, Remakes

Why Studios Keep Cranking Out TV Remakes, Despite the Flops
The track record does more than suggest not: it screams not. In the history of network television, no remake of a previous hit series has ever become a hit itself on network television.

“The identity of a hit TV series is so intimately tied to the original stars, style and attitude that made it a hit in the first place that any deviation from that creates a real sense of aesthetic dissonance,” said Robert J. Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

Introducing Gabriela Rodriguez (Gabi, DAYS)
Once on set, Gabriela quickly learned how nice and friendly the cast and crew are. "I just feel so at home with everybody," she said. "Everybody was so welcoming when I first got there." But she also learned what a confusing place Studios 2 and 4, where Days shoots, can be. "The first couple of weeks that I was there, Lindsay Hartley helped me a lot," Gabriela told us. "She plays my sister on the show. She was so great to me. She showed me around, told me where everything was. At first, I would always be so lost. I did not know where to go. She was always there for me. 'Gabi, no! Wrong set!' She was great."

THE BANNEN WAY Sneaks Online Early — for Streamys Consideration
For a few months now, plenty of buzz has been circulating about the Crackle-produced THE BANNEN WAY, a gritty noir web series created by Mark Gantt and Jesse Warren that was set to launch on Jan. 6. A representative from Crackle confirmed via email this afternoon that making THE BANNEN WAY eligible for Streamys consideration was a factor in the decision to release the show early.

EASTENDERS scores 10.9 million viewers on Christmas
EASTENDERS was at the top of the Christmas Day ratings battle with 10.9 million viewers tuning in to watch Archie Mitchell be murdered. The audience researchers have also found out that nine out of ten of the most watched shows during the Christmas period were BBC shows.

DirecTV launches new satellite; 3D channel coming?
Pay-TV operator DirecTV proclaimed the launch of its newest satellite, DirecTV 12, to be a success and said it will boost its HD capacity by some 50 percent when it becomes operational in the second quarter of 2010. The launch of the new satellite is also fueling speculation that DirecTV will launch a 3D HD service next year, something 3D insiders have suggested privately for months. The blog HDGuru.com reported yesterday that DirecTV will use DirecTV 12 to start an all-3D HD channel offering an assortment of movies, sports and programs in 3D, and that it will announce the new service at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.

In Memoriam: Those We Lost In 2009

The soap world lost a number of greats both in front of and behind the camera this year. Here is the We Love Soaps tribute to those who passed away in 2009.


Here's a run down of those included in the video:
Jerry Birn (Writer - THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - Husband of Patty Weaver
Ernie Bourne (Rob, NEIGHBOURS)
Dorothy Bryce - Wife of the late Ed Bryce, Mother of Scott Bryce
Paul Burke (C.C., SANTA BARBARA; Neal, DYNASTY)
Philip Carey (Asa, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
Dennis Cole (Lance, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; Duke, PARADISE BAY)
Edward "Ward" Costello (Peter, THE SECRET STORM; Martin, GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Farrah Fawcett (Diana, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
Conard Fowkes (Don, AS THE WORLD TURNS; Allen, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW; Paul, THE SECRET STORM; Frank, DARK SHADOWS; Paul, A FLAME IN THE WORLD; Steve, THE EDGE OF NIGHT; Arthur, HIDDEN FACES; LOVE OF LIFE)
Don Galloway (Kip, THE SECRET STORM; Patrick, DALLAS)
Steven Gilborn (Sam, LOVING; Mr. Leland, KNOTS LANDING)
Michael N. Harbour (Alan, DOCTORS; Trevor, CASUALTY)
Maggie Jones (Blanche, CORONATION STREET)
Wik Jongsma (Govert, GOEDE TIJDEN, SLECHTE TIJDEN)
Anna Karen Morrow (Mrs. Chernak, PEYTON PLACE)
Lawrence King (Set Designer - AS THE WORLD TURNS)
Rita Lloyd (Lucille, GUIDING LIGHT; Edwina, AS THE WORLD TURNS; Millicent, LOVING; Gloria, LOVE OF LIFE; Leslie, A FLAME IN THE WIND; Jessica, THE EDGE OF NIGHT)
Anna Manahan (Ursula, FAIR CITY)
Judi Ann Mason (Writer - GENERATIONS; BEVERLY HILLS, 90210; Once led the writers development program at GUIDING LIGHT)
Roya Megnot (Ava, LOVING)
Ricardo Montalban (Zach, THE COLBYS)
Angela Morley (Composer - FALCON CREST; THE COLBYS; DALLAS)
Norman Painting (Phil, THE ARCHERS)
Tom O'Rourke (Justin, GUIDING LIGHT; Stan, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; John, MELROSE PLACE; Jason, SANTA BARBARA)
Lois Raebeck (GUIDING LIGHT; ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
Wendy Richard (Pauline, EASTENDERS)
Sue Rihr (Madeline, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
Clint Ritchie (Clint, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; Bud, DALLAS)
Sara Roache (Jenny, EMMERDALE; Judge Alderman, CORONATION STREET) - Wife of Bill Roache
Ken Roberts (Announcer - LOVE OF LIFE; THE SECRET STORM)
Ron Silver (Larry, SKIN)
Ron Sproat (Writer - DARK SHADOWS; NEVER TOO YOUNG; STRANGE PARADISE; LOVE OF LIFE; THE DOCTORS; WHERE THE HEART IS; FLAME IN THE WIND; CAPITOL)
Mollie Sugden (Nellie, CORONATION STREET)
Wayne Tippit (Jerry, THE SECRET STORM; Palmer, MELROSE PLACE; Hiram, DARK SHADOWS; Ted, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW; temp-Alan, GUIDING LIGHT)
Terri Vandenbosch Hertz (Frannie, AS THE WORLD TURNS; Jennifer, THE CATLINS)
Robert Willey (AS THE WORLD TURNS) - Husband of Helen Wagner
Edward Woodward (Tommy, EASTENDERS)

Scott Evans: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part One

What if YOU woke up one day to find your personal life had been discussed by a relative in a popular international magazine?  Scott Evans found himself in this very position a year ago, and shares with us how this event shaped the monumental year that followed.  Please read on to learn how this inspiring and courageous actor coped with changes in 2009, his commitment to living his life with integrity, and how he really feels about the term "role model."  Plus, what's in store for "Kish" on New Year's Eve? Find out here!

We Love Soaps: I am sitting here today with Scott Evans who plays Oliver Fish on ABC’s ONE LIFE TO LIVE.  We are looking at the picture of the “Suds Stud” on the cover of Instinct Magazine.  Scott, when you see this picture, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Scott Evans: I’m happy with it, I’m happy with how it turned out.  All of my friends who see this say, “You look so serious, you are so brooding.”  It’s very fun. It’s not me, obviously.  There’s a picture inside where I’m making a goofy face. That’s more my style. 

We Love Soaps: You say this isn’t you, do you mean the seriousness?
Scott Evans: It’s very serious.  The whole interview thing, the whole photo shoot thing makes me all uncomfortable.  Whatever the camera guy said to do, I did. 

We Love Soaps: That’s interesting you say it makes you uncomfortable.  Because this past year of 2009 has been quite the year of Scott Evans.  Did you ever imagine last year at this time that so much would happen?
Scott Evans: No. I had no idea.  Especially since this part I play ONE LIFE wasn’t such a main story line. It started off as a very small thing.  Then it grew and grew and grew.  Next thing I knew I was involved with other people. 

We Love Soaps: In more ways than one.  This week on the show there is a pretty huge scene between you and Kyle.  What can you tell me about that?
Scott Evans:  There’s been a lot of drama with the whole Nick storyline - him coming between us, causing a big problem between us.  There’s been a lot leading up to the whole Kyle and Fish story.  New Year’s Eve is a breaking point for us.  We get in a huge huge fight.  But then, the resolution, is fantastic.  I’ll leave it that.

Soap Opera TV Ratings For Dec. 14-20, 2009

Compiled from a list of several sources, here are the Nielsen ratings for the week of December 14-20, 2009 for all the daytime and primetime television soap operas.

THE GOOD WIFE (14.1 million, 9.1/16)
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (4.7 million, 3.5/12) - daytime airing only
GREY'S ANATOMY (4.1 million, 3.0/5) - repeat regular timeslot
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (4 million, 2.8/5) - repeat
GREY'S ANATOMY (3.9 million, 2.9/5) - Thursday 8 p.m. repeat
EASTWICK (3.7 million, 2.4/4)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (3.24 million, 2.3/8)
PRIVATE PRACTICE (3.1 million, 2.3/4) - repeat
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (2.9 million, 2.1/7) - daytime airing only
ALL MY CHILDREN (2.61 million, 2.0/7) - daytime airing only
AS THE WORLD TURNS (2.55 million, 1.8/6)
GENERAL HOSPITAL (2.5 million, 1.9/6) - daytime airing only
ONE LIFE TO LIVE (2.39 million, 1.8/6) - daytime airing only
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.9 million, 1.2/2) - repeat regular timeslot
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.9 million, 1.1/2) - Thursday 9 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.6 million, 1.0/2) - Monday 8 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 1.0/2) - Tuesday 8 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 1.0/2) - Tuesday 9 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 1.0/2) - Friday 8 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 0.9/1) - Monday 9 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 0.8/1) - Wednesday 9 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.4 million, 0.9/2) - Friday 9 p.m. repeat
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (1.3 million 0.9/1) - Wednesday 8 p.m. repeat

EDITOR'S NOTES: VAMPIRE DIARIES aired a 10 episode marathon on The CW for the week.

AS THE WORLD TURNS finished in fifth place in total viewers among daytime soaps ahead of GENERAL HOSPITAL and ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Q&A: MAKE IT OR BREAK IT's Josie Loren

We Love Soaps recently participated in a Question & Answer session with Josie Loren, who plays Kaylie on the teen soap MAKE IT OR BREAK IT. MAKE IT OR BREAK IT returns on January 4 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC Family.

Roger Newcomb (We Love Soaps): How would you describe your acting style? When you’re acting, are you thinking about your own experiences or how does that work for you?

Josie Loren: It’s kind of complicated. I had a really great acting teacher who taught me a lot of different things. It just depends on the scene. Usually if I have a really emotional scene, which Kaylie loves to cry, it just depends. If I can plug into it immediately, just because we have such good writers and they write so well, sometimes it’s just very easy to tap into what they write. But other times it’s not.

I use what my acting teacher calls a 50/50. So I’ll plug in people that I know in my life, people that I love, maybe a family member or a best friend, I’ll plug them into this situation instead of, let’s say, Payson or Lauren. I’ll plug in somebody else to that situation and it makes it a lot easier for me to get emotional about that.

Q&A: SECRET LIFE Star Shailene Woodley

We Love Soaps recently participated in a Question & Answer session with Shailene Woodley, who plays Amy on THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER. SECRET LIFE returns on January 4 on ABC Family.

NEWS: End of Free TV? DePaiva, Chappell, Rosen

Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
The business model is unraveling at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the local stations that carry the networks' programming. Cable TV and the Web have fractured the audience for free TV and siphoned its ad dollars. The recession has squeezed advertising further, forcing broadcasters to accelerate their push for new revenue to pay for programming.

That will play out in living rooms across the country. The changes could mean higher cable or satellite TV bills, as the networks and local stations squeeze more fees from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and DirecTV for the right to show broadcast TV channels in their lineups. The networks might even ditch free broadcast signals in the next few years. Instead, they could operate as cable channels — a move that could spell the end of free TV as Americans have known it since the 1940s.

Colombia's 'worst soap opera' ever returns
PADRES E HIJOS (Fathers and Sons), popularly considered Colombia's worst soap opera ever, will return to television no more than a year after it was taken off the air, entertainment weblog La Fiscalia reported on Monday.

Comedian and actress Andrea Rosen wanted to be a soap star
"I wanted to be a soap star from an early age. I watched GENERAL HOSPITAL all throughout my childhood. Skipped school so I could see Luke rape Laura on the dance floor and then they fell in love with each other. That was a very important episode of GH."

James DePaiva hits Naples to star in TheatreZone's "High Spirits"
TheatreZone's Mark Danni continues his tradition of stunt casting. He's landed Georgia Engel and former ONE LIFE TO LIVE star James DePaiva for the musical "High Spirits" - which opens in January.

INTERVIEW: Crystal Chappell (DAYS, VENICE)
"I experienced a lot of opportunity this past year and I ran with it. I’m still not sure why I’m so blessed, but because of that, I feel a responsibility to everyone to do my best."

We Love Soaps Best of 2009

As promised during last week's special "Best of 2009" episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV featuring Roger Newcomb, Damon L. Jacobs and Soap Opera Weekly news editor Mala Bhattacharjee, here are the picks in the categories that aired along with some additional categories that didn't make the show.

Favorite Individual Episode
Roger Newcomb: Frank and Natalia's wedding on GL (okay, it was a whole week)
Damon L. Jacobs: Gay Weddingathon on OLTL
Mala Bhattacharjee: Ann’s death on B&B

Best Inanimate Object
RN: Y&R's Mr. Kitty
DLJ: Pam's lemon bars on B&B
MB: Y&R’s Mr. Kitty, with an honorable mention for Nash’s corpse on OLTL

RESULTS: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll

Here are the results from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for the week of December 21-25, 2009. AS THE WORLD TURNS stayed on top for the third week in a row in a tightly contested race. Check back on Friday when this week's polling begins.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

David Fumero (Cristian, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 37
Jason-Shane Scott (ex-Will, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ex-Chad, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 33
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick (ex-Will, GUIDING LIGHT) - 11

The Adamo Ruggiero Interview

Adamo Ruggiero is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Marco Del Rossi on the teen soap DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION. He reprised his role in the Degrassi Goes Hollywood movie which aired this summer. He starred in the holiday movie Make the Yuletide Gay, along with veteran soap actor Ian Buchanan, which is now out on DVD. In additional to being a talented actor, Ruggiero is also an out and visible gay man. In this exclusive interview with WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Ruggiero talks about his most famous role to date, being a role model and future plans.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Can you tell me a little about your background? Did you grow up in Toronto?
Adamo Ruggiero: I actually grew up in the first suburb just west of the city called Mississauga. It's a huge massive city and it's part of the greater Toronto area. I grew there essentially my whole life.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Was acting something you always wanted to do?
Adamo Ruggiero: I was also interested in the arts since I was a little kid. I was a really big Disney freak. I spent my whole summers watching Disney movies. I did a lot of school plays, and then I got into community theater. Literally at 13 I got an agent and tried to do it professionally.

ABC: ALL MY CHILDREN 40th Anniversary Press Release

ABC’s Emmy Award winning daytime drama, ALL MY CHILDREN will celebrate its 40th Anniversary on January 5, 2010. In celebration of this milestone, the show will welcome the return of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos in two special episodes airing on MONDAY, JANUARY 4 and TUESDAY, JANUARY 5.

“It is always great to come home,” says Kelly Ripa.

“As soon as a few of its colorful residents invaded my imagination over forty years ago, Pine Valley became my second home and family. A very large and loving family, beginning with the devoted writers and talented actors who bring the characters to life. Then production, from the executive producer and her staff, to studio crews, whose technical skills work the magic of television.

NBC: DAYS OF OUR LIVES #1 IN W18-34

For the week of December 14-18, DAYS OF OUR LIVES (1.4 rating, 9 share among women 18-49, 1.1/7 among women 18-34) tied for #2 among network daytime series in the women 18-49 demographic and ranked #1 outright in the women 18-34 race.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES matched its highest women 18-49 rating, a 1.4, in the past year (since the week of December 8-12, 2008) and matched its highest women 18-34 rating, a 1.1, in 11 months (since January 12-16, 2009).

Season to date, DAYS OF OUR LIVES is tied for #2 in both the women 18-49 race and the women 18-34 category.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES is delivering its biggest audiences at this point in the season in three years in women 18-49, women 25-54 and total viewers.

Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Six

In Parts One and Two of our follow up interview with writer Claire Labine, the Emmy winner answered your questions about her writing career.  In Part Three, she answered your questions specific to RYAN HOPE'S, in Part Four about GENERAL HOSPITAL, and Part Five about ONE LIFE TO LIVE. In this final part, she answers YOUR questions about GUIDING LIGHT and LOVE OF LIFE.

John asks: Were there any other GL characters you wished you could have written for, either who were on the canvas at the time but not utilized very much or who were already gone from the show by then?
Claire Labine: Yes indeed.  I can’t go into it because there isn’t any point.  In the end the network and the production entity called the shots.  That’s the way it is.  You take a deep breath and wish you could have been more eloquent in persuading them this would have been a good thing to do.  If you can’t do it, you can’t do it. 

We Love Soaps: We spoke about the triangle that so many enjoyed of Buzz, Holly, and Billy.  Who could you have seen Holly ending up with.
Claire Labine: I don’t know!  We would have to have played it out.  They were both so viable.  The chemistry with the three of them was gangbusters.  I don’t know who she would have ended up with.  Maybe a third party.

Today's Soap Star Birthdays

Terri Garber (ex-Iris, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Allison, TEXAS; ex-Victoria, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Suzanne, SANTA BARBARA; ex- Leslie, DYNASTY) - 49
Bree Williamson (Jessica, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 28

NOTE: Bree Williamson recently gave WLS an indepth interview about her career and political activism.  Please check out the feature by pressing here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three

IMDB Starmeter

According to the Internet Movie Data Base, "STARmeter rankings provide a snapshot of who's popular based on the searches of millions of IMDb users. These rankings also graph the popularity of people over time and determine which events affect public awareness."  Here at We Love Soaps, we wondered how current soap stars, soap alumni, as well as some other public figures, fit into the ranking.  As of today, here are the results:

1.  Zoe Saldana (in the film Avatar)                                           
12. Brad Pitt (ex-ANOTHER WORLD)
13. Sigourney Weaver (ex-SOMERSET)
45. James Franco (GENERAL HOSPITAL)
93. Jude Law (never on AS THE WORLD TURNS)
114. Morgan Freeman (ex-ANOTHER WORLD)
140. Tim Burton (Director of the upcoming film DARK SHADOWS)
175. Hayden Panettiere (ex-GUIDING LIGHT)
179. Alec Baldwin (ex-THE DOCTORS)
194. Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-ALL MY CHILDREN)
207. Julianne Moore (ex-AS THE WORLD TURNS)
252. Lindsay Lohan (ex-ANOTHER WORLD)
300. Jensen Ackles (ex-DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
328. Marisa Tomei (ex-AS THE WORLD TURNS)
378. Jessalyn Gilsig (IMAGINARY BITCHES, GLEE)
383. Susan Sarandon (ex-A WORLD APART)
389. Meg Ryan (ex-AS THE WORLD TURNS)
390. Tara Reid (ex-DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
419. Nathan Fillion (ex-ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
442. Paul Walker (ex-YOUNG & THE RESTLESS)
447. Robin Wright Penn (ex-SANTA BARBARA)
449. Demi Moore (ex-GENERAL HOSPITAL)
459. Ray Liotta (ex-ANOTHER WORLD)
482. Josh Duhamel (ex-ALL MY CHILDREN)
492. Jesse McCartney (ex-ALL MY CHILDREN)
505. Lady Gaga

WLS Interview Archive: Susan Flannery

The talented and generous Emmy winning actress recently gave an interview to We Love Soaps, in which she discussed insights into her career on television, films, as well as her participation in helping other actors get the benefits and residuals they deserve.  In case you missed it, please enjoy this inspiring interview with a true daytime legend.

In Part One - The talented actress reflects on her early acting career, and her role as Laura Horton on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

In Part Two - Ms. Flannery shares how she got the time off from her soap role to do The Towering Inferno, and how the sixty minute format changed DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

In Part Three - The Emmy winner shares her decision to join THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, as well as her off-screen activism.

In Part Four - Ms. Flannery reflects more on her proactive role in advocating for actors' rights, and shares thoughts about Stephanie Forrester's psychological problems.

VIDEO
We Love Soaps talks with Ms. Flannery at the 2009 Creative Emmys 

Daytime Actresses Recognized For Their Impact in 2009

Tommy Garrett, of Southern California's The Canyon News, pays respect today to Hollywood actresses who made a significant impact in 2009.  This news item includes Lauralee Bell, Susan Lucci, Susan Flannery and Eileen Fulton as this past year's movers and shakers. 

Click here to read the complete article. 

It's a nice change of pace to see these hardworking talents receive the accolades that they deserve.  In line with this sentiment, don't miss the We Love Soaps Top 50 Daytime Actresses list coming in January!

The Week in Review: Most Popular Posts

In case you missed them, here are the 15 most popular topics over the past week at We Love Soaps:

1.   Producer Robert Calhoun dies at 77
2.   Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Four
3.   Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Three
4.   Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part One
5.   Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Two
6.   In Memoriam: Those We Lost In 2009
7.   CLASSIC CLIP: AS THE WORLD TURNS 1983
8.   WLS Interview Archive: The Cast of VENICE
9.   Brittany Murphy Has Passed Away
10. Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Five
11. Crystal Chappell On The Success of VENICE
12. INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 23, 2009
13. PREVIEW: Monday's DAYS OF OUR LIVES
14. CLASSIC CLIP: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
15. The Bree Williamson WLS Interview, Part Two

If you missed this week's episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, you can watch it below. Soap Opera Weekly news editor Mala Bhattacharjee co-hosted this "Best of 2009" special. You can also watch on iTunes.

Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Five

In Parts One and Two of our follow up interview with writer Claire Labine, the Emmy winner answered your questions about her writing career.  In Part Three, she answered your questions specific to RYAN HOPE'S, then in Part Four about GENERAL HOSPITAL.  Now in Part Five, she answers your questions about ONE LIFE TO LIVE.  Please read on to learn how she helped Ron Carlivati, her fascination with Todd and Tea, plus her secret about Wendi Mercury.

John asks: Do you see yourself as having been a mentor to Ron Carlivati?
Claire Labine: What happened was, somebody I knew suggested he call me.  And this very personable person called me up, explained he had been a lawyer, and what he really really really wanted to do was to be a writer on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.   He knew he couldn’t start as a writer, but he would do anything, and did I have any suggestions?  I said, “My first suggestion is that I put down the phone and call Jean Passanante because I happen to know they are looking for a writer’s assistant.”  So I called Jean.  She said, “We haven’t hired anybody and we’re desperate.”  I said, “I have a lively candidate for you.”  She said, “Send him over.”

So off he went, and they hired him in about two minutes.  He’s very smart, he’s very personable, and he’s obviously very dedicated to the show.  Then after we arrived, there he was, he was our writer’s assistant.  He began writing spec scenes (scenes from the current outlines), and handing them to me and saying, “If you have a chance, tell me what you think of it.”  Several scenes into this I thought, “Holy moly, we can get another writer’s assistant, why not see what he can do as a dialogue writer?”

Y&R New Year's Eve Promo

Nelson Aspen On The End of SEARCH FOR TOMORROW

Nelson Aspen is one of Entertainment's most charming on-air personalities in TV, radio, print and on-line. For three seasons, he was the Hollywood Producer/Reporter for TV Guide Television and frequent guest star on everything from celebrity news and talk shows to sitcoms and travel programs. He's contributed to a vast array of outlets, from news magazines EXTRA, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD and INSIDE EDITION to his own how-to series "NEW with NELSON!" Currently, he's juggling regular correspondent duties for the #1 morning shows of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as a fifth consecutive season on Ireland's AFTERNOON SHOW...bringing the latest in entertainment and pop culture to millions of viewers around the world, every morning!

The End of SEARCH FOR TOMORROW - Dec 26, 1986
By Nelson Aspen
Guest Editorial

Hollywood insider Nelson Aspen has shared his thoughts and recollections with We Love Soaps on the end of SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, which aired its last episode the day after Christmas in 1986.

Twenty three years ago on this date, when I was just 23 years old myself, the TV show that shaped my life (as a viewer and as a young adult working in television) broadcast its final episode. SEARCH FOR TOMORROW wrapped up its 35 year run, a record at the time that was unprecedented. Original cast member Mary Stuart, as Jo, played a final scene with her longtime costar Larry Haines, as Stu, beneath a Christmas tree. "What is it you're searching for?" he asked. "Tomorrow," she replied with a sad smile. "And I can't wait!" The camera moved away and so did the viewers...a few to its replacement, CAPITOL, but most gave up the genre altogether. Every time a soap "dies," fans wander farther and farther away from the medium.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Colleen Dion (ex-Felicia, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; ex-Leslie, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Brett, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Ramona, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Evie, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW; ex-Cecilia, LOVING; ex-Dahlia, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 45

VOTE: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll

Which daytime soap was your favorite this week? Vote in the weekly We Love Soaps poll and check back on Monday morning for the results.

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

CLASSIC CLIP: DAYS OF OUR LIVES 1966

Here's a classic episode of DAYS OF OUR LIVES from 1966 with Tom and Alice Horton front and center along with Maree Cheatham as their daughter, Marie.

CLASSIC CLIP: LOVING 1987

Here's a classic episode of LOVING from 1987 that features, among others, the late Roya Megnot (Ava), who died earlier this year.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Gary Sandy (ex-Hank, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Randy, SOMERSET; ex-Michael, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Stace, THE SECRET STORM; ex-Terrence, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 64

CLASSIC CLIP: GENERAL HOSPITAL 1986

Celebrate Christmas in Port Charles with this classic clip of GENERAL HOSPITAL from 1986.

WLS Interview Archive: Suzanne Rogers

We Love Soaps is taking some time this Christmas to pay homage to the wonderfully talented and generous Suzanne Rogers.  The gorgeous and inspiring Emmy winning actress took time to talk with us on several occasions this past year, and we continue to be grateful for her candid and frank discussions related to Maggie Horton's evolution on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, as well as Suzanne's triumph over her own inner battles.  In case you missed it, here is a recap of the best of We Love Suzanne:

Interview:
Part One -  Suzanne shares aspects of her early professional life in New York, how failing a Y&R audition led to success on DAYS, and memories of her first story as Maggie.
Part Two  - She shares her highlights of Maggie’s story lines, her Emmy win, and the devastating illness that led to her leaving the show. 
Part Three -  Suzanne shares how emotional factors contributed her to her physical debilitation, and how she came fighting back. 
Part Four - Suzanne discusses the impact of Maggie's "death" on her own wellness 
Part Five - The Emmy winning actress discusses the sudden popularity of her character after 36 years on the show, hopes for Maggie's future, and hard lessons learned.  

Video:
We Love Soaps talks with Suzanne at the 36th Annual Emmy Awards
We Love Soaps talks with Suzanne at Day of DAYS event (with Molly Burnett)

NEWS: Morrison, 21st Century TV, AMC, Hayes

INTERVIEW: GLEE's Matthew Morrison (Will)
Morrison had this to say to Elle, "I grew up singing and dancing, so people have been calling me gay since fifth grade. I've heard everything you could possibly hear about it. But I do love gay people, so I'm not going to act like I was insulted or angry about it."

For better and worse, TV got complicated in time for the 21st century
TV’s second golden age began at the beginning of this century when, again, advancing technology made the old rulebooks irrelevant. This past decade has seen the rise of cable series, TV-on-DVD, PVRs, on-demand, time shifting, online streaming, bittorrent, video iPods and high definition.

SUDS REPORT: Chappell, Branson, Bierdz & more
Headlines include: breast reduction!” Jeff Branson re-joins VENICE! Is Guya Hillary B. Smith’s bestest role yet? DAYS's star fired! GH's Nancy Lee Grahn VS. James Franco! Y&R star is officially a Mommie Dearest! Y&R star returning? “It’s news to me,” he says!

DAYS star Bill Hayes on soap's changing landscape
"It's part of the changing times," he said. "People have jobs to go to and they have hundreds of other channels to go to. That audience has nearly vanished and the shows that are still on may be in their last moments."

Y&R's Schmidt in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Schmidt (Noah) plays one of the "big men on campus" in the movie.

ALL MY CHILDREN's Top 40 Moments & Top 40 Couples
From ABC.com, the top 40 moments and couples.

Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins split after 23 years
Susan Sarandon (A WORLD APART, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW) and Tim Robbins, the Hollywood duo often cited as proof that happy monogamy doesn't require wedding vows, are a couple no more. Sarandon's publicist said the unmarried actors separated over the summer after 23 years together. She did not elaborate.

EDITOR'S NOTE: From our own Hollywood Insider, Nelson Aspen, "While the split after more than two decades comes as a surprise in itself, it's not a shocker to those who have witnessed some of his off-screen attention to younger members of the fairer sex."

Soap Opera Christmas Schedule

All three ABC soaps are airing encore episodes on Christmas Eve. AMC features Erica and Krystal in Africa, OLTL relives the dramatic rescue of Starr and Hope from drug dealers, and GH will bring back Maxie and Spinelli's joyous non-wedding reception. All My Children will also air an encore episode on Christmas Day (Friday) while OLTL and GH will be pre-empted.

On CBS, all shows will air new episodes on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, AS THE WORLD TURNS airs a new episode, while THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS airs an encore episode from Christmas Past, as does THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES will air all new episodes.

CLASSIC CLIP: THE DOCTORS 1978

Here's another classic soap clip, this time a full episode of THE DOCTORS from July 1978. According to SFM, airing THE DOCTORS on Hallmark is not dead but plans obviously have changed since the change in control at the network earlier this year.

CLASSIC CLIP: ANOTHER WORLD 1976

Here's a rare full episode of ANOTHER WORLD from Harding Lemay's tenure with the show. This one aired in November 1976.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Sharon Farrell (ex-Flo, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; ex-Cherry, RITUALS) - 69
Eva Tamargo (Pilar, PASSIONS) - 49

CLASSIC CLIP: AS THE WORLD TURNS 1983

For your enjoyment, here is a classic episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS that aired 26 years ago today.

Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Four

In Parts One and Two, Claire Labine answered your questions about her career as a writer and insights into the daytime genre.  In Part Three, she answered your questions specifically pertaining to RYAN'S HOPE.  In Part Four, the Divine Ms. Labine answers your questions about GENERAL HOSPITAL.  Enjoy!
  
GGmaire asks: With Jonathan Jackson's recent return to GENERAL HOSPITAL as Lucky, I was just wondering how you envisioned Lucky's character originally. What role did you think he would play in Luke and Laura's life? Did you envision them being good parents?
Claire Labine: I didn’t know that he was back! I think that kid was really smart, and I think both of his parents really loved him.  So he was not going to get into too much terrible trouble in my book.  I think he would push the edge of the envelope.  I giggled over the concept of Luke handling Lucky as an adolescent.  Because what can the kid pull that Luke doesn’t know?  How can he expect to get away with anything with Luke as his daddy? He’s not going to! I think it was the fun of that, the fun of him pushing the envelope, and then in his 20’s settled in.  I can see him as a second almost Luke.  Not the wild and desperate Luke that Tony [Geary] loved to be, and which he deplored my not writing.  He felt I didn’t understand him, but I really did.  I knew what [he wanted] but he played that a lot and we wanted to see Luke in another light.  Then as it worked out, he and Sonny’s partnership was good fun, at least in the beginning.  I don’t know what’s going on now.  So don’t tell me what Lucky is now, I don’t want to know.

NEWS: AFTRA, Sweeney, Hunt, Soap Opera Sociology

AFTRA Members Making Opportunities in Changing Media
"With the recent cancellations of AS THE WORLD TURNS and GUIDING LIGHT, there are few soap operas left to employ AFTRA members," says union President Roberta Reardon. The audience for soap operas is decreasing as more women join the workforce and are not at home during the day, she says.

The cancellations also affect the union, Reardon adds: "Daytime television is really an engine for us. It employs significant numbers of performers from background all the way up to the stars, and that’s hard to replace."

INTERVIEW: DAYS star Alison Sweeney (Sami)
"Mostly our traditions are centered around family at the holidays. Dave and I are so excited to be introducing our children to the thrill of the holiday traditions we each grew up with. I'll never forget the look on Ben's face last Christmas when he saw that Santa had finished off the glass of milk and eaten the cookie he'd carefully left. It was so sweet."

TV Guide Canada: The Worthy and the Worthless
TV Guide Canada names the best and worst soaps of 2009 along with over 170 additional categories (that must be a record). WeLoveSoaps.net was named "Most Improved Website".

OLTL's Crystal Hunt on THE DOCTORS today
The topic is: "The health, maintenance and well-being of the breast." This is a repeat of an earlier episode.

Soap Opera Sociology
Should there be a greater push for education themes to be written into the plots of American soap operas? Should Kathleen Sebelius get on this? Do enough Americans watch soap operas for it to be effective? What if there were a government sponsored soap opera?

EASTENDERS Muslim wedding preview
The eagerly awaited New Year's Day episode of EASTENDERS will focus on the planned wedding of Amira and Syed - but will Syed's affair with Christian put a spanner in the works? The ongoing storyline around Muslim character Syed Masood and openly gay Christian Clarke reaches its climax later this month.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 23, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps is currently taking nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards. If you have a show, actor or category you would like to suggest, please send it to editor@welovesoaps.net before January 1, 2010.


The second season of ANYONE BUT ME debuted on Dec. 15. If you haven't watched the show yet, it follows an ethnically diverse cast as they explore for their own identity and search for acceptance. You can watch the first episode of the new season here. Look for a few We Love Soaps interviews with cast and crew coming soon.


The third episode of GOTHAM aired on Monday night and we finally got to see a real conversation between Martha Byrne's Catherine and Michael Park's Richard. The two had fantastic chemistry together. The show shot a new batch of episodes over the weekend in Brooklyn which included new cast members Kin Shriner, Melanie Smith, Anna Stuart, Brianne Moncrief and Lisa Peluso. You can check out photos here and here.


Episode 9 of DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM, the second season opener, is now online. Christmas looms and Ocean prays for a miracle as she involves her husband - and father of her children - more in all of their lives. Lupe‘s medical issues require attention and Mike is there to provide support; however, he still insists Sophie is better off with him. Peggy is showing the strain from looking for a job and dealing with the mounting bills.


VENICE aired it's second episode on Friday night and veteran daytime soap stars Tina Sloan and Hillary B. Smith made their indie soap debuts. Unfortunately there were issues with the actual delivery of the episode. The VENICE website was down much of Friday including at 11 p.m. ET when the episode was set to air for subscribers. Some fans vented their frustrations on Twitter and Facebook while others preached patience. Creator and star Crystal Chappell sent an email to subscribers describing a "security breach" that caused the issue, and promised the show is moving to a "more robust server system and technological platform" as soon as possible. Chappell added: "I'm committed to giving you, the fans, what you want to see and what you have generously paid for."

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Susan Lucci (Erica, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 63
John Callahan (Dr. Baker/ex-Artie, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Edmund, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Craig, SANTA BARBARA; ex-Leo, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 56
Martha Byrne (Catherine, GOTHAM; ex-Lily/Rose, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 40
Robert Benvenisti (ex-Kevin, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 36

Claire Labine Answers YOUR Questions, Part Three

In Parts One and Two of the We Love Soaps follow up interview with Claire Labine, the Emmy winning writer answered our reader's questions and comments about her illustrious career, her reflections on the state of daytime, and her non-developed projects.  In Part Three, she answers your questions specifically about RYAN'S HOPE.  Enjoy!

James asks: Of the several times that you left RYAN'S HOPE, which writer do you think did the best job of following in your footsteps and remaining true to your vision of the show? Why?
Claire Labine: Mary Ryan Munisteri. 

Gwynnega asks:  I was curious about what your original story plans had been following the death of Frank early in RYAN'S HOPE--for example, Delia's path would have been?
Claire Labine: We would have focused immediately on Pat.  There was a story with Faith and Pat and Delia, and Roger interfering in that.  Mary and Jack were much more intense.  Jack was convinced that Frank was being paid off by someone and he was determined to find out about it.  So the initial conflict between Mary and Jack was even more fierce.  There was broken hearted Jill and Seneca, but she couldn’t commit to him because she was still in love with poor dead Frank.  We brought someone in for her but I can’t remember who it was.  It was more out of the Ryans and into the Coleridges.  It had the two sisters [Jill and Faith], with one involved with a Ryan, and the other having been involved with a Ryan.  That was roughly the structure. 

NEWS: Bryan Dattilo, Mark Hapka, Apple, China Censors

INTERVIEW: Fired DAYS star Bryan Dattilo (Lucas)
“I really enjoyed my years on DATS and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to travel the world and meet so many great fans in person," Dattilo tells Star. “For the past couple years I’ve had to turn down jobs that would move me to prime-time because I was under contract to DAYS. But now that I am not tied to the show, I can explore some new and exciting opportunities.”

VIDEO INTERVIEW: DAYS star Mark Hapka (Nathan)
Hapka appeared on WSYR's BRIDGE STREET as a "local soap star home for the holidays."

Y&R's Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) is a mom
Following a three-year quest to start a family, Michelle Stafford's biggest wish has finally come true. THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star welcomed daughter Natalia Scout Lee Stafford on Monday at 11:23 p.m., her rep confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE.

The baby – born via surrogate – weighed 8 lbs., 3 oz. and measured 19 inches in length. "She is healthy, gorgeous, and amazing – Michelle is out of her mind happy," the rep says in a statement.

Report: Apple prepping TV subscription service
Apple is looking at disrupting the cable TV industry much the way it did the music industry. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is in talks with big TV networks like ABC and CBS to create paid subscription services that package broadcast and cable shows on an either a la carte basis or smaller bundles than are available now on cable.

Subscribers could pay a monthly fee through iTunes and get a more targeted group of networks that they want. One proposal would have subscribers paying $2 to $4 a month for each broadcast network and $1 to $2 per cable network. An earlier initiative involved a $30 bundle for a "best of TV" bundle that would not be accompanied by ads.

Censors in China ban soap opera that was too much like reality TV
The latest runaway success on Chinese television has had to pay the ultimate price, however, for depicting the grubby reality too closely. SNAIL HOUSE, a show featuring shady communist officials, their mistresses and dodgy financial dealings, has fallen foul of the censors.

After the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) issued a notice to all media banning further broadcasts of the series, it promptly disappeared from China’s hundreds of local channels. Sarft objected to the “erroneous guidance” contained in the show.

Five Keys to Branded-Entertainment Success
With the digital revolution -- where every celebrity, publisher, agency or client can produce content relatively quickly -- the competition to play in this space is heating up. However, just because everyone's now in the game, it doesn't mean they are all doing it well.

Almost $490 Million Unused from DTV Coupon Funding
NTIA source says agency returned $241.6 million to Treasury, which Congress has reallocated for appropriations, jobs bills.

TV show pilots getting tested online
"Web video has the potential to do for television what the independent film festivals did for the feature business," Fox Television Studios VP of programming Gabriel Marano recently told Wired.com in an e-mail interview. "It makes the connection between content creators, viewers and distributors much more immediate."

WE LOVE SOAPS TV Special: Best of 2009

On a special episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Roger Newcomb and Damon L. Jacobs are joined by Soap Opera Weekly news editor Mala Bhattacharjee for a Best of 2009 special episode. Categories range from serious to fun and include Favorite Male and Female Character, Best Show, Best Recast, Best Comedic Performance and Best Inanimate Object.



The "bests" mentioned on this episode, along with a few additional categories, will be published before the end of the year.

If you want to watch WE LOVE SOAPS TV on iTunes, you can. The TV show has a different link than our audio podcast. You can find it here.

If you are in the New York City area and would like to be in the audience during a taping of a future episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, email us at audience@welovesoaps.net and we will keep you posted on our upcoming schedule.

Check out these links related to this episode:
- Mala's Masala
- Bad Necklace: Not Quite Pearls of Wisdom

We Love Soaps Fantasy Football League Playoffs

We're down to the Championship Round of the We Love Soaps Fantasy Football League. Over the next two weeks, my New York Parrots will face off with the Real Man of Genius for the title. In the consolation bracket, the Charlotte Twaddlini will play the Georgia Opus. It's been a fun season. Thanks to everyone who participated.

RESULTS: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll

Here are the results from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for the week of December 14-18, 2009. AS THE WORLD TURNS stayed on top for the second week in a row. Check back on Friday when this week's polling begins.