In Part One of this collection of Marlena’s “back in the day” soap press memories, I revisit some of the very wonderful experiences I had as a young soap journalist. It’s a job I still have 40 years later, and I still take a lot of pride in my work. I spent most of my early years in the soap press writing for just about every soap … [Read more...]
Marlena’s Soap Opera Press Memories, Part One
October 13, 2025 by 12 Comments
I started watching soap operas in 1967 when I was 13. Both my parents worked—I was a latch-key kid who had our Queens, N.Y., apartment all to herself when she came home from school. I was frequently lonely, since I was an only child, but soaps kept me company back then—and as I grew up, they also gave me my profession. Since 1979, I have been an … [Read more...]
Alina Adams’ New Book “Super Soap Scenes” is a Treat for Soap Fans
October 1, 2025 by 9 Comments
If you are an ardent soap person like me, you probably own many books on soaps. I’ve been very lucky over the years to have contributed to some and am pleased to have made the acquaintance of many of the authors. I use these books often as references when I write this column. Alina Adams’ new book “Super Soap Scenes: A Time Capsule of Daytime’s … [Read more...]
“General Hospital” Stages a Remarkable Funeral for Monica Quartermaine
September 29, 2025 by 4 Comments
Every once in a while, a daytime soap stages an event or storyline so memorable it moves its fans to tears. “General Hospital” accomplished this welcome feat with recent gripping episodes portraying the funeral of a much beloved long-term character, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, played by Leslie Charleson who passed away earlier this year at 79. These … [Read more...]
Meeting the Stars of “Twin Peaks”
September 16, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Marlena says: There’s an unabashed fan of something lurking in all of us. Soap fans understand this very well. So today we salute the joys of fandom by sharing this report of a fan event as related by our colleague Mike Poirier. The object of his abiding admiration is the iconic series “Twin Peaks,” a spooky horror mystery devised by the late David … [Read more...]
“Beyond the Gates”: Time for Reappraisal
September 7, 2025 by 16 Comments
I’ve purposely put off a review of “Beyond the Gates” until the show’s six-month mark. Why? So many viewers really like this show, but I have some serious reservations about it. Before I get to them, I’d like to recognize that“The Gates,” which premiered in February, has changed and probably saved a medium we all said was dying. It has attracted … [Read more...]
Time Passes within the Blink of an Eye
September 3, 2025 by 2 Comments
As a long-time soap fan/observer/journalist, I feel as if the entire daytime landscape has changed within the blink of an eye. It’s so different from what it was in the early eighties when I first peeked in, and yet there is still something eerily familiar. We once tuned in breathlessly every day to find out what would happen next. These days, … [Read more...]
Bitch-Slap, Catfight, Oh No!
August 22, 2025 by 6 Comments
I was watching “Beyond the Gates” yesterday and I am horrified by what I saw. Sparkplug Leslie Thomas (Tricia Mann-Grant) came to visit the otherwise elegant Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) and the two got into a bitch-slap fight. Oh no! Bitch-slap fights, and the catfights they frequently degenerate into, have long been a feature of daytime soaps. … [Read more...]
“GH” Casting Director Mark Teschner: He Never Misses!
August 19, 2025 by 2 Comments
“General Hospital” is having its best summer in years. Sonny Corinthos has a clever and tireless enemy in Sidwell. Super stressed Willow, who left Drew standing at the altar, is having a nervous breakdown because her ex-husband Michael won’t let her see their kids. The action at the Metro Court pool is refreshingly seasonal and entertaining. On … [Read more...]
Tristan Rogers, 1946 – 2025
August 18, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Tristan Rogers, a star of “General Hospital” for 45 years, passed away Aug. 15 at 79. A spokesman said he suffered from lung cancer. What a loss. He was so beloved in our soap world. Rogers, who was from Australia, played charming and jovial superspy Robert Scorpio, the best friend of Anthony Geary’s Luke. According to what is now soap opera … [Read more...]
