Douglas Marland: May 5, 1935 - March 6, 1993 By Marlena De Lacroix Can it really be 15 years since the light was turned off? Those were the words of my friend, soap historian Leona Barad when I wrote to her telling her we were planning a special week of articles here at marlenadelacroix.com to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Douglas … [Read more...]
All My Children’s Angie and Jesse: Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing!
February 20, 2008 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix All My Children's newly revived characters Angie and Jesse are causing me pain. At the end of every scene they are in, I start to hurt, because I have to watch so many scenes of the rest of the storylines on AMC until I see them in their next scene. These characters (and actors Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams) are so … [Read more...]
Days of Our Lives’ Glorious Sweeps Event
February 18, 2008 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix My readers know what disdain I usually have for stagey sweeps stunts, so imagine my shock at being sucked into the very beginning of last Friday's episode of Days of Our Lives and then spit out an hour later thoroughly entertained ... and even thrilled! The plane carrying various members of the Brady family returning … [Read more...]
A Tribute to General Hospital’s Shell Kepler
February 12, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Nurse Amy Vining was a supporting character on General Hospital, but she was omnipresent throughout the fabled Luke and Laura/Gloria Monty years. After all, she was Laura's sister! As Amy, Shell Kepler, who died last week in Oregon, always had a quick quip or a giggle for anyone who hung around the nurse's station. My … [Read more...]
10 Sweet and Soapy Valentine’s Day Questions
February 10, 2008 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix 1. Is it my imagination or did bravura actress Sarah Brown return to General Hospital (as Claudia Zacchara) with a little something extra under the signature slutty red wrap dress? And isn't fierce mob princess Claudia very similar to Maerose Prizzi (Oscar winner Anjelica Huston) the fierce mob princess who wants to take … [Read more...]
General Hospital: Kids with Guns for Sweeps
February 1, 2008 by 44 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I've never lost sleep over a soap opera before. But when I saw Michael buying a gun on General Hospital, the thought of what most likely will come next so disgusted me I couldn't calm down. Now that Michael -- at approximately age 12 -- is packing heat, either he or his little brother Morgan is going to get shot, or one … [Read more...]
On Soaps, Multiple Suspect Murder Mysteries are So-o-o Done!
January 28, 2008 by 21 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I have grown so tired of the soap opera convention known as the multiple-suspect murder mystery storyline. Of late, they've become meaningless, predictable or, even worse, totally incomprehensible. The multiple-suspect murder plot was only done to perfection on the old full-time soap mystery show Edge of Night. But the … [Read more...]
Marcie Surrenders Her Son on One Life to Live: A Rare Soap Opera Grand Slam
January 20, 2008 by 21 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix While we were all bitching and moaning about Budig, I for one almost missed the soap opera story of the year. This is the denouement of that Marcie-on-the-run story on One Life to Live, in which Marcie had fled Llanview with her "adopted" son (newly handed over by the court to Tommy's biological father, rapist Todd), … [Read more...]
All My Children’s Over-hyped Return of Rebecca Budig
January 13, 2008 by 42 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix A member of our family has been ill, so it's been hard enough to post. And so at the end of tough days, I turn to where I have always turned since I was a teen for a bit of relief, comfort and a sense of belonging: to daytime soaps. Right now -- late Saturday afternoon - what's going on is SoapNet's "Welcome Back … [Read more...]
