Ten More Marlena Summer Questions

Thinking Fans' summer thoughts on this, that and the other: Esther is happy Holly is making an appearance on Guiding Light, and wishes Monti Sharp would come back, too ... Steve finds, "The acting from the new younger set on General Hospital is good, but I'm horrified by the misogyny and thug worship in their stories" ... while Roger Newcomb is … [Read more...]

Depressions and Soaps Don’t Mix

Thinking Fans Comment Update: renee argues, "Soaps have tackled so many great social issues and done them well, but those in charge of soaps today are suspect and will not handle the topic (of  joblessness) with respect" ... DSO816 hopefully suggests, "I believe the dramas currently on air can craft timely stories of some characters' layoffs, but … [Read more...]

Marlena’s “Only the Bests” List 2008

Thinking Fans' picks and pans for 2008: Cherry Ames pans Todd/Marty as "the foulest story ever" ... DSO816 picks the Angie/Jesse reunion ... while Marlene agrees GHNS2 set the bar higher for all soaps ... and more. See Comments below.  ________________________  By Marlena De Lacroix Last year I decided I will no longer do "Best" and … [Read more...]

A Soap Shrink Special: The Valuable Lesson You Can Learn From The Bold and the Beautiful’s Stephanie Forrester

Thinking Fans Comment Update Sept. 30:  Matthew Cormier wonders why Stephanie is so jealous of Brooke ... jefhamlin says it all started with Beth Logan ... and Cherry Ames says the marvelous Susan Flannery almost makes her want to watch B&B, but not quite. See Comments below.  __________________________  By Damon L. Jacobs Soap operas … [Read more...]

Soap Surprises: Five Holy @#%! Moments

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...]

Do You Love or Hate it When Soaps Repeat Their Histories?

Thinking Fans Comment Update July 31:  How to repeat soap histories? Melanie counts the ways ... James cheers the Reva/Josh movie wedding ... while esther is generally unimpressed by retreads ... and more. See Comments below.   ____________ By Patrick Erwin   Each of the eight daytime soaps on American network TV these days has a … [Read more...]

The Bold and the Beautiful: Sadism in the Afternoon

Thinking Fans Comment Update July 19: Purple Haze questions Bridget's sanity ... Levi says the whole story is unrealistic ... renee has a new definition of B&B ... and more.  See Comments below. ____________ By Marlena De Lacroix In college or on DVD,  did you seen the cult movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)?  There's a … [Read more...]

Marlena’s Emmy Picks in 2008’s Humpty Dumpty Soap World

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...]

10 Merry Mid-Month of May Questions

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...]

Happy New Year! Thinking Soap Fans Pick B&W of 2007

Happy New Year, mes chers! Marlena toasts you with a glass of champagne, wishing only soaps that are good this year.  Speaking of, so many of my Thinking Fans sent in their own Best and Worst picks for 2007, there's barely room to post them all!  I love the intelligence of them and appreciate how discerning all of you are when writing about a … [Read more...]