Thinking Fans Holy @#%! Update Aug. 14: Melanie picks Wayne Northrup's return as Roman on Days ... B3 loved Gwyneth as the killer on Loving ... Carl recalls five faves from Santa Barbara ... and more. See Comments below. ________________ By Patrick Erwin Soap plots have many twists and turns in them, but we rarely get to see a complete … [Read more...]
Point-Counterpoint: The Infuriating Holden/Carly Romance on As the World Turns
July 10, 2008 by 18 Comments
What is daytime's most unpopular romance? Judging from fan complaints, I'd say it's Holden and Carly on As the World Turns. Here are two characters -- wed not to each other -- who are or were partners in two separate long-running supercouples. Well, so what? Since partner switch -- and adultery -- are staples of soaps, I can't quite understand … [Read more...]
Marlena’s Emmy Picks in 2008’s Humpty Dumpty Soap World
June 18, 2008 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I'm not overly excited about this week's Daytime Emmys. I could be fluffy and say it's because they moved the ceremony to L.A. several years ago and I don't get to go and to buy a dress, and to me (I attended here in New York 23 years in a row) the Daytime Emmys was always about The Dress. But the truth is, daytime drama, … [Read more...]
Losing “The Natural” — An Appreciation of Beth Ehlers, Guiding Light’s Irreplaceable Harley
May 29, 2008 by 13 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Beth Ehlers is on her way to ABC and All My Children's Pine Valley, and they're all damn lucky to have her. But for the second time in just a few months, P&G and CBS have made the boneheaded move of allowing someone who was woven deeply into the tapestry of a show to walk away. P&G clearly hasn't learned from the loss … [Read more...]
10 Merry Mid-Month of May Questions
May 14, 2008 by 13 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix and Patrick Erwin 1. When you saw John-Paul Lavoisier as Rex in his recent pre-wedding scenes on One Life to Live, wandering around a bar drunk, shirtless, and disheveled with a wild head of hair, didn't he remind you just a little of Bamm-Bamm from The Flintstones? 2. Have you been lost in the maze of brunettes on As … [Read more...]
Patrick’s Postcards from Oakdale, Salem and Springfield
April 10, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been around as much lately. I've been dealing with the plot twists and turns of my own storyline, including a move to another city -- not just any city, but the Windy City of Chicago. Chicago is, of course, the cradle of soaps, where Irna Phillips started it all and where Bill Bell began. … [Read more...]
As the World Turns: Good-bye to Martha Byrne, The Real Thing
March 17, 2008 by 12 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix It's hard to watch daytime soaps chip away piece by piece, and of course no one actor is daytime TV. But watching Martha Byrne leave As the World Turns (because of a contract disagreement with P&G) is really painful. If ATWT can be looked at as a truly American, heartland soap (as do my friend Sam Ford and his … [Read more...]
As the World Turns’ Men in Love: The Controversy Rages!
February 25, 2008 by 9 Comments
By Patrick Erwin A few months ago, I shared with our "Thinking Soap Fans" my thoughts on the Luke and Noah story on As the World Turns, and what it meant to me. In the last few weeks, buzz about the story has erupted into controversy, as many fans are up in arms about the show's reluctance to show the couple kissing or expressing affection. … [Read more...]
