General Hospital: A Time for Celebration and a Time for Sorrow

General Hospital’s 60th anniversary celebration earlier this month was a fun collage of bits and pieces of history that triggered nice memories from the long tenure of the soap we all love so much. But in the end, the 60-minute romp was a disappointment. Instead of a examining why this iconic soap has endured for so long, the show treated us to … [Read more...]

A Death in the Family

Marlena grew up as a spoiled, and very lonely, child. My parents both worked full-time.  Like many other “latch key kids,” I eased my childhood loneliness by watching daytime soap operas. Soap characters became my childhood “friends”—and my involvement with them led to a 40-year career covering soaps. My loneliness was cured decades later when I … [Read more...]

Looking Back at “Another World”

When I was a lonely teenager, soaps filled my after-school hours with surrogate friends and family.  Another World became my favorite when young vixen Rachel Davis, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, played by a very young and poignant Robin Strasser, seduced chiseled businessman Steve Frame (George Reinholt), breaking up his romance with … [Read more...]

Tom Lisanti’s Amazing New Book on Ryan’s Hope Is a Gift to Soap Fans Everywhere

Tom Lisanti’s many followers know him as Mr. Sixties Cinema, based on his wonderfully collectible series of 10 books on that era’s pop culture. In such richly evocative studies of the period as Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies, Drive-In Dream Girls, and Film Fatales, as well as biographies of Carol Lynley and Pamela Tiffin, he tackles his subjects … [Read more...]

The Soap Opera World Mourns Recent Losses

  Soap Opera Mourns Recent Losses: It has been a heartbreaking time for those of us who love daytime TV.  Five of our beloved actors and three top-rated soap journalists have left us in recent months. We Soap Opera Weekly alumni have lost our beloved managing editor Robert Shorke, 51, and features editor Katie “Caelie” Haines, 54.  … [Read more...]

Melted Ice: The Ice Princess Story Revisited

Marlena delights in introducing a new contributor, Jeffrey S. Pearlstein. Jeff is a veteran soap journalist and long-time colleague of Marlena’s who has written for many soap magazines.  He is an expert in soap history, a wonderful interviewer, and his great passion for soaps shines through in everything he does.  He is also a wonderful … [Read more...]

Is there a market for soap nostalgia?

Marlena proudly presents the work of new contributor Mike Poirier, who knows everything about soaps, particularly the old ones. Here, Mike writes about early soaps, such as Somerset— which Marlena is old enough to remember. He also presents resources on how you can see episodes from some long-gone shows. He has been a valued supporter of Soaps for … [Read more...]

Kin Shriner Written Off General Hospital? What a Mistake!

Who is the funniest, most charming man on daytime television? My choice is Kin Shriner, who has played Scott(y) Baldwin on General Hospital, on and off, for 45 years, and has appeared on plenty of other soaps, too, like GH’s spinoff Port Charles. He’s a beloved veteran star with a huge and richly deserved following. And yet, according to his own … [Read more...]

The Night Susan Lucci Won the Best Actress Emmy on Her 19th Nomination, plus Jacklyn Zeman: In Memorium

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing three of the most beautiful entertainers in the world: Kim Kardashian, Elizabeth Taylor (by phone) and Susan Lucci (Erica Kane, All My Children), the latter many, many times. Who could ever forget May 21, 1999, the night at Madison Square Garden when Susan won the Best Actress Emmy on her 19th nomination?  … [Read more...]

50th Anniversary of the Daytime Emmys — Marlena’s Picks

The first time I went to the Daytime Emmys was in 1981, when I was the editor of Afternoon TV magazine. I had never seen a soap opera star in the flesh. That year Douglas Watson (Mackenzie Corey on Another World) won for Best Actor and Judith Light (Karen Wolek, One Life to Live) won for Best Actress.  Both were brilliant and I was absolutely … [Read more...]