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...]
The Young and the Restless: Still the One
January 5, 2014 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman For the last month or so, The Young and the Restless has been carrying promotional spots celebrating the soap’s 25th anniversary as number one in the ratings. It is quite an achievement. How did Y&R do it? By being consistently different from other soaps, particularly in its very … [Read more...]
Isn’t Downton Abbey Just Like Daytime Soaps? Consider the Similarities …
January 12, 2013 by 5 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Name me a daytime soap fan who doesn’t watch and probably love Downton Abbey. Even though a lot happened this busy soap week (Genie’s coming back, Prospect Park made a deal with the Writers Guild) what everyone’s talking about is the megahit Masterpiece Theater miniseries. Downton’s third … [Read more...]
A “Bah Humbug” Christmas … Plus, The Borg is Back!
December 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Oh how I miss soap Christmases the way they used to be. Today, all soaps have been scrubbed of religion. This year only two of the four soaps -- Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful -- continued with at least some of the traditions that made the holiday a really special time to … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 13: General Hospital and Young and the Restless — When Entertainment Value and Hot Sex, Respectively, Defy Logic
October 6, 2012 by 8 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a Connie Passalacqua Hayman General Hospital: Confluence, according to the dictionary, means when three things meet at a certain point (rivers, for example). And that’s exactly what happened on General Hospital early this week – confluence in Tuesday and Wednesday’s episodes when three great storylines in which one … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 7: Central Actors’ Leave-takings on Days of Our Lives, Bold & Beautiful and General Hospital; Headlocks and Diction on B&B and GH; One Strange Interview from B&B
August 25, 2012 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital: When I used to work on newspapers it was journalistic thinking that a list of three of anything -- three sightings of groovy over-the-knee boots on the subway, three Hollywood divorces, three murders in a Queens … [Read more...]
Guiding Light’s Last Fade-out: Only Love Can Save the Soap World
September 21, 2009 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I thought Kim Zimmer looked absolutely gorgeous in her last scene on Guiding Light set a year after the action, when Reva and Josh pledged their love "always." Clad in a emerald gown, the top of her blond hair nicely swept back, she looked truly amazing. A goddess, indeed. Surprised I wrote this? Well, I m going to … [Read more...]
