Showing posts with label First Impressions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Impressions. Show all posts

Saturday, August 1, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Lynn Herring


In this week's "First Impressions" column, We Love Soaps editor Roger Newcomb gives his first impressions of new AS THE WORLD TURNS actress Vanessa Ray and her character, Teri Ciccone.

AS THE WORLD TURNS' Lynn Herring (Audrey Coleman)
NEWCOMB: Lynn Herring's Audrey, Henry's mother, showed up at Henry's door at the Lakeview at the end of Monday's episode. He was not happy to see her and spent most of Tuesday trying to get rid of her. Henry took her to Brad and Katie's for dinner and Audrey quickly won them over, much to Henry's chagrin. Audrey seemed like Iris Dumbrowski 2.0 at first, not quite as trashy but a bit quirky, but by the end of Tuesday, when Audrey and Henry talked about watching TV in bed together when he was a kid, Herring made me feel something for the character. By Friday's episode though, the small sign of heart was gone and it was all about Audrey's manipulations, whatever they may be. She somehow arranged for Vienna to return, and swiped some hair from Henry's hairbrush for a mysterious DNA test. The show obviously has a plan for the character, but I'm hoping they do run with it too fast. As a longtime Lynn Herring fan I had mixed emotions about her joining AS THE WORLD TURNS. The show is telling most stories at a breakneck pace and missing all the beats that Herring could play so well. But it is fabulous to have her on television again. So far I have to give this one mixed reviews. The moments of goodness have been mostly Herring overcoming the writing to shine instead of the writing making me intrigued about the character.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Vanessa Ray


In this week's "First Impressions" column, We Love Soaps editor Roger Newcomb gives his first impressions of new AS THE WORLD TURNS actress Vanessa Ray and her character, Teri Ciccone.

AS THE WORLD TURNS' Vanessa Ray (Teri Ciccone)
NEWCOMB: Vanessa Ray debuted on Thursday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS as Teri, a waitress in a restaurant in Chicago that Craig and Rosanna brought the kids to for a business meeting. Rosanna asked Teri to keep an eye on the kids while she and Craig took care of business in a different part of the restaurant. Teri happily obliged, almost too happily, and when the kids didn't understand the menu, she made them her own special dish. Now what waitress has the time to go into the kitchen to whip up their own entrée? And what restaurant would allow it? Despite the implausibility of the situation and the forced nature of the set up, Vanessa Ray sparkled on camera. Her Teri displayed heart, warmth and kindness with the children. And when Teri was fired from her job for emailing with Sage, Ray's reaction made you feel for the character. Next week Teri's sisterly connection wtih Janet will be revealed and it should be interesting to see the dynamic between Ray and Julie Pinson. With so many soap characters debuting with "dark" sides in recent years, Vanessa Ray's Teri brought a brightness to AS THE WORLD TURNS that was a breath of fresh air. Might a romance with Hunter or Adam be on the horizon?

Sunday, July 19, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: March, Driscoll & Hearst


Three familiar actors returned to soaps this week. Forbes March debuted as Professor Jarvis on AS THE WORLD TURNS, John Driscoll took over the role of an aged Chance on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and Rick Hearst returned to THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL as Whip after a seven year absence and long run on GENERAL HOSPITAL. We Love Soaps editor Roger Newcomb gives his first impressions below.

AS THE WORLD TURNS' Forbes March (Professor Mason Jarvis)
NEWCOMB: Forbes March debuted as Professor Mason Jarvis on Wednesday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS. Mason is Noah's advisor on his senior project, which originally was supposed to be the film he was making about his father (which he burned). Without a project, Luke offered Noah a script he had written last year, and Noah later presented it to Mason for review. Mason's feedback on Luke's script mirrored some of the thoughts fans have had on the ATWT scripts in recent months: "It's way too complex for a short. There's no clear arc for your protagonist. The transitions are all muddy." The script for this episode was written by Cheryl L. Davis. Did she have ATWT in mind when writing this dialogue? March was believeable as a college professor and actually had honest and constructive advice for Noah. The audience didn't find out much about Mason's personality on his first day but March's trademark charm was there in spades leaving me intrigued about where this character may go in the future.



THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS's John Driscoll (Phillip 'Chance' Chancellor IV)
NEWCOMB: John Driscoll debuted at the end of Thursday's episode of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS as Phillip Chancellor IV. By the time his first full show on Friday was over, the audience had learned he now goes by the name Chance, which he got while on a tour of duty in Iraq. Driscoll did as good a job as possible of portraying Chance's reaction to seeing his returned from the dead father, Phillip III. It was one of those completely unrealistic scenarios that most of us would never be in so it could have been written several different ways and one would have been just as believeable as the next. Since this column is about first impressions, I do have to say that I thought Chance was a bit too stiff. Driscoll has said in interviews that the show passed on him after his first audition but he changed it up the second time around and won the part. He came across for me as an actor who was trying too hard to play the tough Army guy. The audience should never see an actor acting and it felt a bit fake to me. Chance has obviously faced a lot of hardship in Iraq and seen his friends die, and his return home, even without his father being there, would be tough. I'm a big fan of Driscoll and he looked fabulous in his Army fatigues, but upon first viewing, I wasn't completely buying him in the role.



THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Rick Hearst (Whip Jones)
NEWCOMB: Stephanie found a picture of Whip at the end of Thursday's THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, and by Friday he was interviewing with Stephanie, Nick and Jackie. Rick Hearst is one of the best actors on daytime so it's nice to see him move to a show who plans on using him more (at least for now). Whip's return was all about humor. The writers went out of their way to create one funny circumstance after another for Whip including having the door slammed in his face by Nick multiple times and interacting with Pam and Clarke as he enjoyed one of Pam's lemon bars. I enjoy B&B the most when the show combines campy humor with their trademark drama and Whip's return was very funny. Hearst is a fine dramatic actor, but also excels as broad comedy and his reactions were dead on. By the end of the episode Stephanie had piqued Whip's interest in his ex-wife Brooke and it will be interesting to see what happens when they two of them see each other.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Sean Kanan


It was a slow week for debuts on the soaps, but Haley Alexis Pullos did debut as Molly on GENERAL HOSPITAL on Thursday.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS's Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe)
NEWCOMB: Sean Kanan debuted as Deacon on Friday's episode of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Kanan has played the role before but only on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. I liked the way the show had Amber explain who he was to Jana and used a flashback of Deacon on B&B before showing the character at lunch with Victoria. Deacon had bought the Koons and was trying to sell it to Victoria. He told her he had other business to take care of while he was in town. Do people really just pass through Genoa City, Wisconsin with multiple business projects to address? Apprently so. Kanan did an excellent job of portraying layers of Deacon and leaving the audience guessing what he was really up to and what he may have in store for Amber. By the end of the show, Deacon had met Daniel who then "introduced" him to Amber. Amber told Jana she never wanted Daniel to know about her past with Deacon. I actually like the dynamic between the characters themselves and think Kanan will fit in well. My biggest issue with the art storyline is my mind starts to wander every time they start going on and on about Terroni and Koons or Sabrina and the art gallery.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Haley Alexis Pullos


It was a slow week for debuts on the soaps, but Haley Alexis Pullos did debut as Molly on GENERAL HOSPITAL on Thursday.

GENERAL HOSPITAL's Haley Alexis Pullos (Molly Lansing)
NEWCOMB: Haley Alexis Pullos debuted on Thursday's as a SORASed Molly on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Molly was born in November 2005 so she is growing up fast, as is Alexis's other daughter, Kristina. After one episode, it's not clear what Molly will do other than be a plot point in the relationship between Kristina and Alexis but it is an interesting family dynamic that is being built. On Thursday's show, Molly was looking at some links on the web sent her by school friends about Alexis and the Mayor. Kristina ended up being blamed for showing Molly the websites and she didn't reveal the truth to Alexis that it wasn't her fault. Alexis sat Molly down to try and explain her indiscretion with the Mayor. Pullos was very expressive and did a good job of reacting to the awkward Alexis as she struggled to find the right words to explain. There wasn't much to it, but a solid first outing for the young actress.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Byrne & Hapka


We Love Soaps is introducing a new weekly column, "First Impressions," where we will take a look at the significant new characters that debuted during the week and share our thoughts. It will be interesting to see over time if the first impressions were on the money or way off base. Please let us know if you agree or disagree.

For the inaugural "First Impressions" column, Michael Goldberg and I take a look at Martha Byrne's new role as Andrea Floyd on GENERAL HOSPITAL and Mark Hapka's debut as Nathan Horton on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

GENERAL HOSPITAL's Andrea Floyd (Martha Byrne)
GOLDBERG: Emmy winner Martha Byrne is loved for her long term run as Lily Snyder on AS THE WORLD TURNS. Her departure upset many and we all wondered what it would mean for ATWT and where Byrne would end up next. Fans of Byrne want what is best for her. Selfishly though, we want her on our television screens. This week on GENERAL HOSPITAL, she debuted as Andrea Floyd, the mayor's wife. When you cast an actress with the chops of Byrne, you expect to see her succeed immediately. I wasn't worried how well Byrne would do in the role, but was more worried about much I would miss her as Lily. I needen't have worried. While Lily was passionate, souful, and many times weepy, Andrea Floyd is the complete opposite. This is a lady who is in control and carefully considers every word that comes out of her mouth. When Patrick Drake asked if Andrea was family of the dead woman, Brianna Hughes (her husband's mistress who was found murdered) Byrnes' line delivery was perfect. Icy and full of venom, Andrea responded, "Hardly, but my husband might give you a different answer. That woman, that VIPER, she is going to ruin my life beyond the grave and I have to stop her." She wrung up a sufficient amount of pathos while still remaining cold and calulating while talking about how Briana's death has affected her. "You must know what people say about women like me. the frigid wife who couldn't satisfy her man, who got what she deserved. I didn't do anything but support my husband's career. Why should should I be punished!" Finally, her scenes with John Bolger's Mayor Garrett Floyd were completely on point. Andrea showed who wears the pants in the family. She told Garrett, "If you would like to remain in office, I think you should shut up and let me do the talking." This is definitely not Lily Snyder and Byrne is playing her new role to perfection. One wonders if Andrea has a genuine bone in her body, and yet somehow you feel sorry for the woman who is trapped in this political nightmare. Byrne can play it all and I look forward to seeing her shine on GENERAL HOSPITAL.

NEWCOMB: I loved Martha Byrne's debut on GENERAL HOSPITAL as Andrea. "I'm surprised you don't recognize me," a surprised Andrea said to Patrick. Byrne's signature role, Lily Walsh Snyder on AS THE WORLD, was a very rich but very down to earth woman who let her many passions cloud her judgment which lead her into all kinds of troubling situations. Later she played Lily's over-the-top twin sister, Rose, from Jersey. Seeing her as an uptight, never-let-her-feelings-show, maybe even snooty Mayor's wife was a little jarring at first, but Byrne owned it. Andrea told Patrick she wasn't made of stone, and she did reveal a tiny bit of vulnerability, but Andrea seems like a woman who knows what she wants and takes whatever actions are necessary to make it happen. Andrea is very aware of the the Port Charles resident's perceptions of her, and doesn't necessarily like them, but enjoys her prominent position in the publicy eye enough to deal. I loved it when Andrea told her husband to shut up and let her doing the talking. Soaps needs more strong women and Andrea Floyd is a welcome addition.



DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Nathan Horton (Mark Hapka)
GOLDBERG: For better or for worse, DAYS OF OUR LIVES has a reputation for casting young actors whose pecs are their biggest asset. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice set of pecs and wouldn't turn them away! But when the casting call came out for a younger leading man to play opposite Molly Burnett's Melanie, many were concerned. Would we have another Austin Peck on our hands? No offense to Peck, who certainly improved over the years on DAYS and has found success on AS THE WORLD TURNS as Brad, but to say he was a little rusty his first couple of months on DAYS would be kind. Thankfully, with Mark Hapka in the role of Nathan, it looks like we may have lucked out. As a long time fan of DAYS and the first family of Salem, the Hortons, I was happy to learn that Hapka had been cast as Nathan Horton, Maggie's grandson. In his first three episodes, Hapka has come across really well. His Nathan so far is confident, funny, and flirtatious. He is playing the scenes as written, but one gets the sense he may be bringing his own personality into the role, always a good thing as the writers figure out where they want the character to go. When Nathan told Melanie, "You know, you're pretty, but you're a real idiot," he said it with a sly grin and a voice that oozed charisma. He is bringing palpable heat and charm to a role that could easily be very one note. To be fair, he was right about Melanie! Also, there isn't any denying that Hapka is easy on the eyes, and at the end of his first episode, we did indeed see his pecs. I can report they were a sight to behold. Would DAYS hire anyone and not exploit their assets? It will be interesting to learn about Nathan's back story in the months to come. Is he Pete and Melissa's son? With DAYS focusing more on family, what will Nathan's relationship with Grandma Maggie be like? And will Nathan and Melanie create some heat this summer? Hapka seems up to the challenge and I will be watching to see how he develops in the role and how many days this summer he ends up shirtless. Let the drinking games begin!

NEWCOMB: Melanie took an instant liking to Nathan when she bumped into him (literally) at the University Hospital. Mark Hapka's first day at Nathan didn't reveal too much of the character's personality, but by the end of that episode and half the next, a lot more was revealed - like much of Hapka's body. Melanie returned to Maggie's and found a shirtless Nathan there. I'll look past the fact that the end of Wednesday's show was repeated on Thursday but had different dialogue. Melanie had no idea Nathan was Maggie's grandson, and the two of them shared a classic soap super couple combative exchange. No new ground was broken there, but Hapka displayed a lot of charisma on camera and the two actors worked well together. It was a bit odd they talked for so long before his identity was revealed but I can overlook that. Nathan is obviously attractive, and knows it. Hapka gives his med student character the right amount of cockiness without going too far, making him likeable so far. This was a promising debut.



Check back next weekend when we share our thoughts on Casey Diedrick 's first full week as Chad on DAYS OF OUR LIVES and the debut of Michael Muhney as Adam on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.