By Patrick Erwin The other day I got so fed up, I turned off Guiding Light and swore I'd never turn it back on. That might have been an overreaction -- of course I've been watching it so long that I'll inevitably tune in again sometime. But in my up-and-down relationship with GL, it's time to give it some tough love. My old friend has changed … [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...]
Beverlee McKinsey: Singularly Magnificent
May 5, 2008 by 25 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I feel sorry for younger soap fans who never got to see Beverlee McKinsey on soaps prior to her retirement from major roles in daytime in 1992. McKinsey, who died last week in California at 72 of complications from a kidney transplant, was singularly magnificent! When she came to Another World in 1972 as rich, rich Iris … [Read more...]
Daytime Emmy Noms 2008: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same
May 1, 2008 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I first attended and wrote about the Daytime Emmys in 1980 and I should be over them by now. But I continue, year after year, to be exasperated by the fact that two things never change. 1) No matter how many times they have been revised or have been updated over the years, the nomination and award processes are still … [Read more...]
More Emmy Noms 2008: How ‘bout a Little Self-Respect?
April 30, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Basketball may have its March Madness, but the soap world has its own spring madness ritual -- the Daytime Emmy nominations. The discussions about this year's nominations have come fast and furious since they were announced yesterday. Marlena gave her take on the whole process, and I had a few thoughts of my own I thought I'd … [Read more...]
Guiding Light and All Soaps: Don’t Change the Quirky Characters We Love!
April 25, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Being a Guiding Light fan hasn't been an easy road over the last few years. But one consistent bright spot for me has been the mother-daughter duo of Doris and Ashlee Wolfe. Ashlee, in particular, is always a joy to watch. She's a full-figured ball of energy, quirky and often funny, even when she doesn't intend to be. I think my … [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...]
Guiding Light’s New Look: First Impressions
March 10, 2008 by 15 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Three weeks ago, before it even debuted, I recommended giving Guiding Light's new production style a chance. After a week or so of shows, here are some first impressions: THE GOOD: Some of the new sets read very nicely on screen. In particular, the outdoor sets and the larger sets look great. Many of the outdoor scenes do a … [Read more...]
The “New” Guiding Light: Give It a Chance
February 19, 2008 by 15 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Guiding Light has gotten an awful lot of ink lately -- not over storylines or any actor or actress, but because of some substantial changes in the way the show is made and produced. Many mainstream press outlets have reported on these changes -- giving them another opportunity to poke fun at the soap genre -- or try to … [Read more...]
