By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Paul Rauch, surely the greatest executive producer in daytime soap history, died today in Manhattan at 79 following an illness. Marlena had the honor of covering and knowing Paul from 1980 onward, during which he was executive producer of Another World, Texas, One Life to Live, … [Read more...]
Wrong is Right
By Marlena De Lacroix I have to say I almost choked when I heard that Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati were re-signed to One Life to Live. Isn't this show dead last in the ratings and going even further south? Aren't they the duo that made Dorian a Valley of the Dolls shrew, had Todd sleep with Marty his prior rape victim, exiled the only gay … [Read more...]
Ask Marlena: Whatever Happened to the Marlena Awards?
By Marlena De Lacroix Hi everyone! I'm ecstatic to be snowed under with the many, many Ask Marlena questions submitted by all of you in the past week. They are all intelligent and thoughtful and I am so flattered to hear from so many Thinking Fans I've gotten to know over the past year. I'm starting with just one great question today, and will … [Read more...]
He’s Back: Paul Rauch for Real!
Thinking Fans Comment Update Sept. 20: Christian in Boston loved Rauch's OLTL except for the lighting (bring sunglasses!) ... James expresses respect ... but Cherry Ames lists Rauch's soap sins, chapter and verse ... and more. See Comments below. ____________________ By Marlena De Lacroix Paul Rauch. That name may send you screaming … [Read more...]
Soap Shrink: Why Can’t Women Be Allowed to Age Naturally on Soaps?
Thinking Fans Comment Update August 5: Ryan offers kudos to the bigger but still sexy Kim ... esther wants to see more age appropriate attire ... Aaron says the issue isn't pounds, it's Reva's "white trash" look ... and more. See Comments below. ________________ By Damon L. Jacobs There has been a lot of discussion on the boards about … [Read more...]
Guiding Light’s New Look: First Impressions
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...]