I first started watching soaps as a lonely teenager while I was waiting for my parents to come home from work, circa the late ’60s and early ’70s. Soap characters became my ersatz family. One of the first shows I fell in love with was “Days of Our Lives,” which was written by Bill Bell. (This was before he created “The Young and the Restless.”) … [Read more...]
Days of Our Lives’ Robert Clary and John Aniston: Warmly Remembered
November 26, 2022 by 1 Comment
Days of Our Lives’ Robert Clary and John Aniston: Warmly Remembered By Patrick Erwin, a contributor to this column for many years on As the World Turns and Guiding Light (Patrick says: I’m honored to be a contributor to Marlena’s column once again.) It’s a bittersweet memory for today’s visit. We’re remembering the sad recent passing of … [Read more...]
Days’ Despicable (and Desperate) Storyline Move
October 21, 2022 by 11 Comments
There I was last week, reading Kelly Ripa’s new autobiography, Live Wire, which I plan to review, and a scene aired on Days of Our Lives that truly shocked me. Two women — Allie Horton (played by Lindsay Arnold) and Chanel Dupree (played by Raven Bowens) were having sex with Alex Kiriakis (played by Robert Scott Wilson). A threesome on daytime! … [Read more...]
Sob! The End of Broadcast Network “Days of Our Lives”
August 4, 2022 by 22 Comments
Wednesday night brought the alarming news that NBC is relocating Days of Our Lives from its familiar broadcast berth to the network’s streaming service Peacock on Sept 12. At first, it felt like our beloved Days, a soap mainstay since it premiered in 1965, was being cancelled. Horror of horrors! Well, no such thing, thank heaven. But this … [Read more...]
Marlena Is Back – And Needs A Little Help From Her Friends
September 27, 2015 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Bonjour, mes amis! Je suis retourné! Marlena was ill for a while, but I’m recovering and happy to report for duty. The only problem is, I took a short hiatus from watching soaps during my down time. Now, I’m reemerging with many questions. It’s amazing how much soaps can change in just … [Read more...]
That Was the Week That Was
April 3, 2015 by 2 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I can barely remember a daytime soap week that had as much breaking news as this one. Here’s a peek into Marlena’s reporting notebook: Monday I am stunned that General Hospital (Frank Valentini, executive producer; Ron Carlivati, headwriter) has fired Ian Buchanan (Duke … [Read more...]
Character Actors Add Much Needed Character To Soaps
July 13, 2014 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Soap stories, most of which are about romance and love triangles, do tend to get repetitive. Adding variety and spice to this formula are character roles, which do a lot to make soaps more interesting. These characters often provide comic relief and serve as “talk tos” for the main … [Read more...]
The 2014 Daytime Emmys: A Pleasant Evening Online
June 23, 2014 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman This year’s Daytime Emmys – for the first time, streamed live online but not televised -- they turned out to be relatively painless. Without commercials, the show flowed nicely, and was capably produced. Hostess Kathy Griffin was funny and full of salt and vinegar as always. The … [Read more...]
Daytime Emmy Nominations – Marlena Still Cares
May 3, 2014 by 12 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman The Daytime Emmy nominations for 2014 have been announced. Do you care? After all these years, Marlena still does. So let’s discuss: Best Actor: Aside from Jason Thompson (Patrick, General Hospital) the other four nominees all come from The Young and the Restless: Peter Bergman … [Read more...]
