By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman This year’s Daytime Emmys – for the first time, streamed live online but not televised -- they turned out to be relatively painless. Without commercials, the show flowed nicely, and was capably produced. Hostess Kathy Griffin was funny and full of salt and vinegar as always. The … [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...]
General Hospital: This Storyline Should End
September 8, 2013 by 7 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalaqua Hayman When has a storyline go on too long? This is a question normally leftonly to headwriters who must figure out if an audience is still interested in the outcome of a story. Right now on General Hospital, one storyline that has gone on too long is the secret biological parentage of Maxie’s baby … [Read more...]
The Young and the Restless: Time and Patience Needed
June 8, 2013 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I’m on school vacation and have plenty of time on my hands. So I’ve been watching a lot of The Young and the Restless. It’s pretty good soap, if time and patience are your strengths as a soap viewer. Y&R, as is its custom, is much slower than other soaps. A storyline -- take Jack … [Read more...]
Franco: Make or Break for General Hospital?
June 1, 2013 by 25 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman So let’s take a survey. How many Thinking Fans think Roger Howarth’s great charm as an actor can overcome the unbelievable maneuvers that have been made to bring back evil Franco as a viable everyday character? Erasing Franco’s responsibility for the rapes of Sam and Michael has taken … [Read more...]
Jeanne Cooper: An Appreciation
May 12, 2013 by 3 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman This week daytime television lost a great icon and a great lady: Jeanne Cooper, who played Mrs. Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless for more than forty years, passed away on Tuesday at 84. There was no character like Mrs. Chancellor. She was brought on six … [Read more...]
Marlena Refreshed and General Hospital Done Right
July 20, 2012 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Hi, darlings! How do you like the marlenadelacroix.com site’s new look? Marlena needed to be refreshed, so I went in for some work. If Jeanne Cooper can have her face lifted so publicly on screen as Katherine Chancellor so many years ago on The Young and the Restless, and the equally … [Read more...]
The Young and the Restless: When a Good Cliffhanger is Far From Enough
June 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I just finished watching Friday's episode of The Young and the Restless. Paul discovered Ricky holding Eden in his bathroom, his son's bloody knife held firmly to her throat. She had passed out due to hitting her head on the bathtub. When Ricky wouldn't drop the knife, a shocked P.I. … [Read more...]
On the Soap Shrink’s Couch: The Young and the Restless’ Katherine Chancellor, Daytime’s Greatest (Though Most Self-Destructive) Dame
January 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Damon L. Jacobs When you think of The Young and the Restless' Katherine "Kay" Chancellor, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it her fiery take-no-prisoners passion? Is it her unsinkable resilience? Could it be her sharp tongue or trademark short blonde locks? I think we can agree she embraces all of these qualities. But at … [Read more...]
