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...]
Heavenly November Sweeps Performances on The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital
November 8, 2014 by 2 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman It’s been quite an eventful November sweeps so far. Stories built over the course of a year or more usually reach their apexes if not their conclusions over sweeps months (February, May, November) and writers plot their most dramatic action to stretch over these months. This November’s … [Read more...]
General Hospital: When the Veterans Come Marching Home
February 16, 2013 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman The late Jim Reilly used to say that writing a soap was like baking a cake. You mix in various ingredients, maybe a little bit more or less of some, bake it, and then, voila, there’s the show, rich and delicious. The main ingredient mixed into GH this past year has been veterans. With the … [Read more...]
Marlena’s Best of the Best, 2012
December 15, 2012 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix, a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman It’s the end of 2012, time for best and worst lists. Because soaps are in such danger and I’ve already recorded most of the worsts in the weekly column I’m choosing only to do the bests here. And Marlena being Marlena sometimes I have multiple choices in each category. Best Actress: … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 19: General Hospital’s Faison and the Tale of the Two Dukes — Preposterous, but a Real Soaps Sweeps Thrill Ride
November 17, 2012 by 10 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Wasn't this week’s General Hospital just awesome November sweeps entertainment? I mean, it wasn’t Doug Marland-esque deep meaningful soap opera but it still was drama that was super exciting, full of shock, suspense and surprise, arising deep out of the soap’s history. With the return of … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 16: Divine and Not So Divine Moments from The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives
October 27, 2012 by 5 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman For Marlena, this week wasn’t about the shows or the storylines. It was about individual moments, some divine, some not so... Divine: Nikki and Victor’s long embrace, promising each other to rebuild among the ruins of the Newman ranch, all set to The Young and Restless theme (Nadia’s … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 14: General Hospital’s Non-Stop Storyline Excitement … Bold and Beautiful — Sobbing for the Forthcoming Death of Stephanie
October 13, 2012 by 8 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman General Hospital: “No one ever dies in this town,” exclaimed Luke and Tracy together as they talked about the wounded and missing Joe Scully Jr. on Friday’s episode. Don’t you just adore when soaps make fun of themselves? Because back from the dead has certainly been endemic lately on GH. … [Read more...]
General Hospital: No Spoiler … What a Great Surprise!
August 27, 2012 by 5 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman When I think about Old Man Soap Opera, I think of someone teetering on a cane off to the inevitable. So who thought today he’d pull one of his oldest tricks out of his pocket: the element of surprise! Did you see today’s General Hospital? We all knew (from a cliffhanger on Friday’s … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 6: Cheese-tastic Days of Our Lives; Great Production on General Hospital; Marlena Recommends
August 18, 2012 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a Connie Passalacqua Hayman Days of Our Lives: “What’s that you’re watching, Marlena? That old movie Earthquake (1974)?” My husband Moose was looking at the TV screen where battered and bloodied people were climbing out of the wreckage of a ballroom that had experienced a terrific explosion. “No, it’s not quite … [Read more...]
