Archives for September 2022

An Eyewitness History of the Soap Press

When people meet me for the first time, they invariably ask me two questions: 1) You have an unusual last name. How do you pronounce it?  (I say, “Pass-a-lac-qua. Yes, it’s Italian, and it means “over the water.”) 2) You do WHAT for a living??? Yes, I am proud I have been a soap opera journalist for … oh my, 40 years now. Like many of my … [Read more...]

Soaps Need Comic Relief Now More Than Ever

As I write this, I am feeling very gloomy. NBC’s Days of Our Lives — a soap I have watched since I was a teenager — has left network television and moved to Peacock, a streaming service. Of course, I and, I trust, all the show’s fans will follow it. And I’m hoping that Days will be just as engaging, maybe even more so, than it was at its old … [Read more...]

Soap Opera Legend #1: Genie Francis

Many years ago, Blackgama, an association of mink ranchers, started a print advertising campaign that became a cultural touchstone: “What becomes a legend most?” The answer: featuring a star like Lauren Bacall or Barbra Streisand modeling one of its coats. In our daytime soap world, there are numerous legendary performers — both alive and dead. I … [Read more...]