Monday, November 5, 2012

30 Dynamic Duos of Daytime Soaps: The Complete List


Here is the We Love Soaps 30 Dynamic Duos of Daytime complete list. Click the links to watch videos of the duos. Tell us your favorite Dynamic Duos in the Comments section below:

DUO: Jill Foster & Katherine Chancellor
SHOW: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
RANK: 1
PLAYED BY:
Jill: Brenda Dickson, Bond Gideon, Deborah Adair, Melinda Fee (temp), Jess Walton
Kay: Jeanne Cooper, Gisele MacKenzie (temp), Michael Learned (temp)
YEARS: 1973-present
COMMENT:
"The sexy siren stole the drunk matriarch’s husband, but even years after he died, Katherine and Jill remained the staunchest of daytime rivals. Over the decades though , the two developed subliminal great affection for one another." - Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix)

"Bill Bell's original set up was so incredible that it yielded perhaps the greatest rivalry in television history between Jill and Kay, the 'tramp' and the 'battle-axe' (as they liked to call each other) who were always given a reason to be in conflict. The last ten years of rewritten history has been hard to stomach at times, but Walton and Cooper always made their scenes gold." - Roger Newcomb

"My pick for #1 super couple of all time." - Rob Wargo

DUO: Victoria Lord & Dorian Cramer
SHOW: ONE LIFE TO LIVE
RANK: 2
PLAYED BY:
Viki: Erika Slezak, Christine Jones (temp), Judith Barcroft (temp)
Dorian: Nancy Pinkerton, Dixie Carter (temp), Claire Malis, Robin Strasser, Elaine Princi
YEARS: 1973–1987, 1989–2000, 2003–2011
COMMENT:
"Over several decades, this duo always delivered incredible entertainment value with some absolutely brilliant performances from the actors, especially the team of Slezak and Strasser." - Roger Newcomb

"Picking between Kay/Jill and Viki/Dorian for #1 and #2 was rough. Both of these relationships have been a key part of the DNA of their shows. They’ve both had so many facets, twists and turns and they’re really the gold standards for dynamic duos. I personally love Viki/Dorian just a bit more but for sheer importance and storyline power, I’d pick Kay/Jill as #1." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Cass Winthrop & Felicia Gallant
SHOW: ANOTHER WORLD
RANK: 3
PLAYED BY:
Cass: Stephen Schnetzer
Felicia: Linda Dano
YEARS: 1983-1989
COMMENT:
"Cass and Felicia were lovers before they came to Bay City and picked up their relationship when Felicia arrived. But they quickly became lifelong best friends who shared many fun times, as well as devastating tragedies, over the years." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Brooke English & Erica Kane
SHOW: ALL MY CHILDREN
RANK: 4
PLAYED BY:
Brooke: Julia Barr
Erica: Susan Lucci
YEARS: 1976-2006, 2010, 2011
COMMENT:
"A truly complex relationship between two very different women. These two women couldn’t be more different, and their rivalry was multi-faceted and fascinating." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Stu Bergman & Joanne Gardner
SHOW: SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
RANK: 5
PLAYED BY:
Stu: Larry Haines
Jo: Mary Stuart
YEARS: 1951-1986
COMMENT:
"Jo & Stu are far and away my favorite soap 'buddy' team because they did it FIRST and did it best! From the time Larry Haines joined the cast, approx 6 months into the show's run, the platonic chemistry between Jo and Stu was evident. No matter how busy either character was with their own personal dramas, they could count on the other for a shoulder to cry on...a pot of coffee to pour...or (with Larry's gift of comic timing) a laugh to share." - Nelson Aspen

EDITOR'S NOTE: Read Nelson Aspen's expanded thoughts on Jo & Stu here.

DUO: Victor Newman & Jack Abbott
SHOW: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
RANK: 6
PLAYED BY:
Victor: Eric Braeden
Jack: Terry Lester, Peter Bergman
YEARS: 1980-present
COMMENT:
"What do you call these two? Frenemies? Rivals? Former in-laws? Regardless, Jack and Victor's rivalry has riveted viewers for more than 20 years, and their portrayers' (Braeden and Bergman) ownership of their characters' history is one of the reason why viewers still care!" - Jonathan Reiner

DUO: Stephanie Forrester & Brooke Logan
SHOW: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
RANK: 7
PLAYED BY:
Stephanie: Susan Flannery
Brooke: Katherine Kelly Lang
YEARS: 1987-2012
COMMENT:
"Stephanie and Brooke’s complicated relationship has been front and center on B&B for years. For most of those years, Stephanie has been in open battle with Brooke, though they occasionally call a truce." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Phillip Spaulding & Frederick 'Rick' Bauer
SHOW: GUIDING LIGHT
RANK: 8
PLAYED BY:
Phillip: Jarrod Ross, Grant Aleksander, John Bolger
Rick: Robbie Berridge, Phil MacGregor, Michael O'Leary
YEARS: 1977-1991, 1995-2004, 2009
COMMENT:
"They were Phillip and Freddie before they were Phillip and Rick but their friendship stood to test of time, and many complicated relationships, to form a bond that would last forever." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: John Dixon & Bob Hughes
SHOW: AS THE WORLD TURNS
RANK: 9
PLAYED BY:
John: Larry Bryggman
Bob: Don Hastings
YEARS: 1969-2004, 2010
COMMENT:
"They fought for decades over women, their children and control of Memorial hospital. When Bryggman returned for the final three weeks of ATWT in 2010, he and Hastings picked up the rivalry as if John had never been gone." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Tabitha Lenox & Timmy Lenox
SHOW: PASSIONS
RANK: 10
PLAYED BY:
Tabitha: Juliet Mills
Timmy: Josh Ryan Evans
YEARS: 1999-2002
COMMENT:
"Witches and talking dolls are usually featured in horror movies, but Tabitha and Timmy surprisingly supplied a lot of the heart that PASSIONS had." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Lauren Fenmore & Sheila Carter
SHOW: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS/THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
RANK: 11
PLAYED BY:
Lauren: Tracey E. Bregman
Sheila: Kimberlin Brown, Michelle Stafford
YEARS: 1990-2007 (on both soaps)
COMMENT:
"Definitely a duo and, thanks to Sheila, decidedly dastardly, their rivalry made soap history as it played out on two soaps for twenty years." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Sonny Corinthos & Jason Morgan
SHOW: GENERAL HOSPITAL
RANK: 12
PLAYED BY:
Sonny: Maurice Benard
Jason: Steve Burton
YEARS: 1993-2012
COMMENT:
"One of Daytime's longest running bromances has confounded critics -- but delighted viewers (most of them, anyway...) -- for more than a decade. Seriously, these two dudes always had each other's backs, and their loyalty to each other was one of the only constants on GH during the 2000s." - Jonathan Reiner

DUO: Roger Coleridge & Delia Reid Ryan
SHOW: RYAN'S HOPE
RANK: 13
PLAYED BY:
Roger: Ron Hale
Delia: Ilene Kristen, Robyn Millan, Randall Edwards, Robin Mattson
YEARS: 1975-1984, 1986-1989
COMMENT:
"Delia had a love-hate relationship with Roger. They were two flawed human beings who were truly each other's soul mates. Hale and Kristen worked so well together throughout the years that I always hoped they would reunite on GENERAL HOSPITAL where he later played Mike." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Keith Timmons & Gina DeMott
SHOW: SANTA BARBARA
RANK: 14
PLAYED BY:
Keith: Justin Deas, Robin Strand, John Novak
Gina: Robin Mattson
YEARS: 1986-1988, 1990-1991
COMMENT:
"A perfect and hysterical pair of schemers, Keith and Gina eventually fell in love and got married, but a romantic happy ending wasn't meant to be. Timmons and Mattson were a well-matched acting team." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Reva Shayne & Annie Dutton
SHOW: GUIDING LIGHT
RANK: 15
PLAYED BY:
Reva: Kim Zimmer
Annie: Cynthia Watros, Signy Coleman
YEARS: 1995-1999, 2003
COMMENT:
"Reva had a lot of captivating rivalries over the years (including the enigmatic Sonni) but her rivalry with nurse-turned-nutcase Annie kept us glued to our seats, as Annie schemed to keep 'Jarsh' away from Reva." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Katie Peretti & Henry Coleman
SHOW: AS THE WORLD TURNS
RANK: 16
PLAYED BY:
Katie: Terri Conn
Henry: Trent Dawson
YEARS: 1999-2010
COMMENT:
"Yes, they were romantically linked for a time, but they are included on this list because much of their relationship was a platonic bond between two schemers, with Henry playing Addison DeWitt to Katie’s Eve Harrington." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Luke Spencer & Robert Scorpio
SHOW: GENERAL HOSPITAL
RANK: 17
PLAYED BY:
Luke: Anthony Geary
Robert: Tristan Rogers
YEARS: 1980-1984, 2006, 2008, 2012
COMMENT:
"Through high adventure and their respective rocky romances, hero Luke and his spy pal Robert cooperated with and confided closely in one another. Day One was the start of a beautiful friendship." - Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix)

DUO: Marley & Victoria Hudson
SHOW: ANOTHER WORLD
RANK: 18
PLAYED BY:
Marley: Ellen Wheeler, Anne Heche, Jensen Buchanan
Vicky: Ellen Wheeler, Rhonda Lewin, Anne Heche, Jensen Buchanan, Cynthia Watros
YEARS: 1985-1986, 1987-1994, 1997-1999
COMMENT:
"Wheeler and Heche were magic playing the identical twin sisters. Their complicated relationships with Jake McKinnon were fascinating to watch. In her final year as Vicky and Marley, Heche gave one of the best performances in soap history." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Jesse Hubbard & Jenny Gardner
SHOW: ALL MY CHILDREN
RANK: 19
PLAYED BY:
Jesse: Darnell Williiams
Jenny: Kim Delaney
YEARS: 1981-1984, 1994 (as ghosts)
COMMENT:
"The gold standard for platonic male/female friendships on soaps, and a step forward in that race played very little, if any, of a role in their friendship.Their support for each other was heartwarming." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Ruby Wright & Lurlene Harper
SHOW: TEXAS
RANK: 20
PLAYED BY:
Ruby: Dianne Thompson Neil (now Alexandra Neil)
Lurlene: Tina Johnson
YEARS: 1981-1982
COMMENT:
"The friendship of Ruby and Lurlene was one of the best things about TEXAS. They could be sweet and poignant but many times were just hilarious. It's a shame more people didn't get to see it." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Drucilla Winters & Phyllis Summers
SHOW: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
RANK: 21
PLAYED BY:
Dru: Victoria Rowell
Phyllis: Michelle Stafford
YEARS: 1994-2000, 2002-2007
COMMENT:
"Phyllis has gone head to head with Sharon and even with 'The Bug', but the rivalry she had with Drucilla was one where she was evenly matched. It was fascinating to watch them do battle." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Vivian Alamain & Ivan Marais
SHOW: DAYS OF OUR LIVES
RANK: 22
PLAYED BY:
Vivian: Louise Sorel
Ivan: Ivan G’Vera
YEARS: 1992-2000, 2011
COMMENT:
"From switching embryos to climbing the Eiffel Tower, Ivan was always the perfect sidekick for Vivian, and loyal to a fault. What an entertaining pair to watch." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Schuyler Whitney & Gunther Wagner
SHOW: THE EDGE OF NIGHT
RANK: 23
PLAYED BY:
Sky: Larkin Malloy
Gunther: David Froman
YEARS: 1980-1984
COMMENT:
"A sophisticated imposter and his bald, comedic chauffeur conspired to steal a dead man’s fortune, but in so doing stole the audience’s hearts through continuous laugher and real devotion to one another. Elementary, my dear Mr. Wagner." - Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix)

DUO: Barnabas Collins & Julia Hoffman
SHOW: DARK SHADOWS
RANK: 24
PLAYED BY:
Barnabas: Jonathan Frid
Julia: Grayson Hall
YEARS: 1967-1971
COMMENT:
"Barnabas was aware of Julia's romantic attraction to him. His own complex feelings for her would evolve over time, as he went from suspicious to having a strong loyalty and respect for her. Had the show continued, it was rumored Barnabas might have finally returned her feelings." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Erica Kane & Opal Cortlandt
SHOW: ALL MY CHILDREN
RANK: 25
PLAYED BY:
Erica: Susan Lucci
Opal: Jill Larson (the role had previously been played by Dorothy Lyman)
YEARS: 1989-2011
COMMENT:
"When Erica’s mother Mona died, daytime’s number one minx needed a talk to to help unravel all her romantic adventures. Underneath Opal’s daffiness lay a huge giving heart and great wiseness, with which she supported Erica through her endless love affairs and problems." - Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix)

DUO: Vanessa (Van) & Margaret (Meg) Dale
SHOW: LOVE OF LIFE
RANK: 26
PLAYED BY:
Van: Peggy McCay, Bonnie Bartlett, Audrey Peters
Meg: Jean McBride, Tudi Wiggins
YEARS: 1951-1958, 1974-1980
COMMENT:
"[Meg] was made out to be a terrible lover, and person. And being perfect, as [Van] was, I forgave her and got on with it, no matter what. Actually as actors, I liked her (Jean McBride) and she liked me." - Peggy McCay (LOVE OF LIFE's original Van) in our recent interview.

DUO: Stephanie Forrester & Sally Spectra
SHOW: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
RANK: 27
PLAYED BY:
Stephanie: Susan Flannery
Sally: Darlene Conley
YEARS: 1989-2006
COMMENT:
"Stephanie battled with Sally, but unlike her angry battles with Brooke, the Sally/Stephanie fights were a battle of wits and of cleverness, and both always relished the experience. Sally cutting Stephanie’s hair - drunkenly - was a classic moment." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Kendall Hart & Greenlee Smythe
SHOW: ALL MY CHILDREN
RANK: 28
PLAYED BY:
Kendall: Alicia Minshew
Greenlee: Rebecca Budig
YEARS: 2002-2011
COMMENT:
"Their friendship took a few serious hits, but these two always came back around to each other. Both characters were cautious around other women, but saw a kindred spirit - and a shared wardrobe - in the other." - Patrick Erwin

DUO: Scotty Baldwin & Heather Webber
SHOW: GENERAL HOSPITAL
RANK: 29
PLAYED BY:
Scott: Kin Shriner
Heather: Robin Mattson
YEARS: 1980-1983
COMMENT:
"Partners in crimes whose chemistry and real-life friendship translated to pure gold on screen. It would be great to see a reunion on the GH of today." - Roger Newcomb

DUO: Iris Wheeler & Vivien Gorrow
SHOW: ANOTHER WORLD/TEXAS
RANK: 30
PLAYED BY:
Iris: Beverlee, McKinsey, Carmen Duncan
Vivien: Gretchen Oehler
YEARS: 1978-1981, 1988-1990
COMMENT:
"Drawing room humor came to Bay City in a big way, thanks to the famously well-written scenes featuring Iris and her maid. They weren't exactly Thelma & Louise, but they did bring a unique dynamic to AW, and helped the viewer better understand -- and identify with -- Iris's internal struggle." - Jonathan Reiner

The Dynamic Duos list was compiled with input from the We Love Soaps staff as well as some friends in the industry--Patrick Erwin, Jonathan Reiner and Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix).

2 comments:

  1. Thanks For This Fun List, Guys! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daisy and Ashlee,GL.
    Olivia and Sam Spencer,GL. Their banter was great.

    ReplyDelete