Alina Adams’ New Book “Super Soap Scenes” is a Treat for Soap Fans

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 Greatest Moments,” published by BearManor Media, is a welcome addition to my soap library. Adams, who writes for the online magazine Soap Hub and produces its podcast, possesses in-depth knowledge of all things soap opera. Her book will be especially useful, and more: it’s also a most enjoyable read that evokes some of the greatest scenes and storylines in soap history. She’s recorded the eyewitness memories of actors, writers, soap journalists, and most smartly of all, long time soap fans like us. She’s picked exactly the right storylines and the people to recall them.

Case in point #1

Here’s an example: the ultimate soap opera storyline event, the two episodes in which Luke and Laura got married on “General Hospital” in November 1981. Ah, those were the days! The audience was thirty million strong! Thom Racina, who was one of writers, recalls that the producers would have put off the wedding for six months if Elizabeth Taylor, a huge Luke and Laura fan, hadn’t called to say she wanted to be on the show. So Racina and Leah Laiman wrote Ms. Taylor in as Helena Cassidine, the widow of Mikkos, whose death Luke caused. “I put my curse on you, Luke and Laura,” Helena famously declared during the ceremony. Racina invented the penultimate moment in the wedding: when Scotty, Laura’s ex-husband, played by Kin Shriner, caught the bridal bouquet.

Case in point #2

Back in the day, I always thought of Peter Bergman as a vanilla actor, especially when he was on “All My Children” playing Cliff Warner, the bridegroom of Nina Cortlandt, played by Taylor Miller. But when Bergman took over the role of snappy Jack Abbott on “The Young and the Restless,” originally played Terry Lester, I began to admire him more. Jack’s rivalry with Victor Newman, played by Eric Braeden, dominates “Y&R.” With obvious relish, Bergman describes to Adams the happily remembered scene in which Jack threw Victor’s office chair out the window at the peak of an argument. Adams helpfully provides the details of Bergman’s theater background. I never realized what a versatile actor Bergman was until I read this interview. And oh yes, Bergman has won six Daytime Emmys. Reading his modest recollections of his soap career, I think I love him.

Case in point #3

On “One Life to Live,” Todd (Roger Howarth), Zack, and Powell gang raped Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell). Brilliantly written by Michael Malone and produced by Linda Gottlieb, this is perhaps the creepiest, most daring storyline ever on soaps. Hillary B. Smith, who played Nora Hanen Buchanan, won a Daytime Emmy as Marty’s lawyer and Howarth (soon to debut on “Y&R”) became a soap superstar. Riveting, raw and truthful, the story really got through to the female audience, the traditional aim of daytime soaps.

And these are but three of Adam’s “Soap Scenes” picks. There are many more. If you live for soaps as Marlena does, you will love this book.