As soaps grew in universal popularity, so went their budgets. Actors with large, vocal fan bases commanded salaries that no one could have imagined back in the '50s and '60s. Sets grew opulent...costumes rivaled those in prime time...location shoots across the globe became commonplace for a while.At the same time a less flashy area seemingly … [Read more...]
Bravo! “General Hospital” Repeats Tony Geary Tribute
September 6, 2026 by 6 Comments
Marlena says: Soaps are not designed to go into reruns. We viewers are so hungry for good entertainment, we want a new episode every day. However, this Monday, Labor Day, ABC offers a real treat: a repeat of the very fine memorial episode dedicated to Tony Geary (1945-2026), broadcast originally Feb. 21 of this year. Here is my review, published … [Read more...]
“General Hospital”‘s Strange Summer: When Plots and Characters Don’t Make Sense, It’s Not Viable Soap Opera
August 31, 2026 by 12 Comments
We all love “General Hospital.” I watch it every day in real time and I don’t accept phone calls or let anyone bother during that important hour. “GH” is a show that has delivered us wonderful entertainment over the years—for me personally, since Luke and Laura’s glorious and first romantic summers in the early Eighties. That’s why I’m so shocked … [Read more...]
In Memoriam, Lance Jackson: Conservator of Historic Soap Opera Theme Music
August 22, 2026 by 4 Comments
Marlena says: Today I am saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend Lance Jackson. Close friends reported that he died in Atlanta of cancer at 67. I profiled Lance, a church organist and fervent soap fan, last year. Here is a reprint. His husband Richard passed a year ago, also a cancer victim. I was always grateful for Lance's support. … [Read more...]
“Young and Restless”‘ Joshua Morrow: State of the Art Soap Actor
August 18, 2026 by 2 Comments
In 80s and 90s, many debuting soap actors used their roles as steppingstones to primetime and further fame. Good examples include Alec Baldwin (Billy, “The Doctors”), who went on to “Knot’s Landing,” and John Stamos (Blackie, “General Hospital”), who went to “Full House.”At the same time, there was a cadre of talented actors who weren’t … [Read more...]
Comic Relief: How Humorous Characters Enrich Our Soaps
August 11, 2026 by 7 Comments
Attention soap writers! Are you having fun writing your shows these days? Well, it certainly doesn’t feel like it! Where is your collective sense of humor? And, with the recent departure of Spinelli from “General Hospital,” where will our much-needed lighter moments come from? Especially on a show that is so serious all the time?Damian … [Read more...]
How Creator/Headwriter Michele Val Jean Brought Hope Back to Soap Operas with “Beyond the Gates”
August 6, 2026 by 11 Comments
Think of where daytime soaps were in 2023, when “Days of Our Lives” went to Peacock and the only three network soaps left were CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and ABC’s “General Hospital.” No new soap operas had been created since “Passions” in 1999, and ABC had canceled “All My Children” in 2011 and “One … [Read more...]
Stop It! Excessive Spoilers Are Ruining Our Soaps
July 29, 2026 by 10 Comments
Last Friday, I experienced something as a soap viewer that I had not felt in decades: a genuine surprise. No, correct that, a shock. At the close of Friday’s “General Hospital,” Nina (played by the divine Cynthia Watros) shoved her paralyzed and wheel-chair-bound son-in-law, Drew — into the water, where his daughter, Scout, had just demonstrated … [Read more...]
The 2026 Daytime Award Nominations: Surprise! They Are Not Bad at All!
July 19, 2026 by 8 Comments
The Daytime Emmy nominations, which usually usher in a period of bitching and complaining among fans and journalists, were announced this week, and I was shocked. Many of the nominations are quite good.As you know, this is the first year that the relatively new soap “Beyond the Gates” qualified for the Emmys, and it did wonderfully — seven … [Read more...]
Gays of Our Lives
July 12, 2026 by 9 Comments
It's no secret that soap operas have long enjoyed a devoted LGBTQ+ following. Even before gay characters became part of the daytime landscape, many gay viewers were drawn to the genre's emotionally rich storytelling, larger-than-life characters, and delightfully over-the-top drama. What was it about soaps that resonated so deeply with this … [Read more...]
