Soap Opera Christmas Round-Up 2011

BEST CHRISTMAS REUNION: John and Marlena on "Days of Our Lives". Rex and Gigi on "One Life to Live" get a good mention as well. Maybe the long absence of J/M from DAYS just makes their reunion a bit more meaningful for me.

BEST SOAP WEDDING: Billy and Victoria on "Young and the Restless". Although the lead-in with the Chloe/Kevin debacle along with the American Idol chick was stupid, that still did not detract from the reunion of one of the best soap couples around right now.

BEST OBLIGATORY "CHRISTMAS CAROL" EPISODE: Yes, the whole annual Y&R It's a Wonderful Life Xmas Carol jazz is getting old...but Melody Thomas rocked it with her episodes.

FUNNIEST CHRISTMAS: "Christmas threw up in our living room!" exclaimed Nick after he saw Pam's handiwork on "The Bold and the Beautiful". Fun watching the Logan girls slaughter that bird...and then Dollar Bill saves the day.

MOST BITTERSWEET CHRISTMAS: What at this point is the last Christmas in Llanview on "One Life to Live". What more needs to be said?

MOST DOWNER CHRISTMAS: Hard to watch Patrick and Robin on "General Hospital" knowing what is in store for the couple. Even the Quartermaines were too dour and not enough funny.

WACKIEST CHRISTMAS: THE HOLI-BAY -- Eight sitcom-style episodes of comic improv with different "Bay" members and Santa Claus. www.thebaytheseries.com

VENICE: No Christmas episode on the beach in Season 3, Episode 5...but a great scene with Peter Reckell and Crystal Chappell as "Gina" comes out to "Richard". www.venicetheseries.com

Soap Opera Round-Up 12/12 to 12/16: Better Late Than...

SOAP OPERA OF THE WEEK: Again, ONE LIFE TO LIVE is so much fun with the "Fraternity Row" storyline. I'm loving their nod to GENERAL HOSPITAL and James Franco...oh, excuse me...SOUTH WEST GENERAL and Franco James. How can you make a timely storyline like this better? Add Tuc Watkins to the mix. Which leads me to...

BEST ACTOR OF THE WEEK: Tuc Watkins (David, ONE LIFE TO LIVE). As the famous quote goes, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard". Every time Tuc is on the show, I know I will be chuckling at some point before the episode is over. That sort of talent should not be overlooked. When OLTL goes, Tuc will be one of the actors I'll miss the most.

BEST ACTRESS OF THE WEEK: Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GENERAL HOSPITAL). Yes, this AIDS storyline is one of the worst soap stories ever...but Kimberly is trying her best to give this plot respect and seriousness, despite the headwriters.

I apologize for not including commentary on every soap this week. Between a broken computer cord and Xmas shopping insanity, the time got away from me. Next time!

Soap Opera Round-up 12/5 to 12/9

BEST SOAP OF THE WEEK: ONE LIFE TO LIVE. The "Fraternity Row" cancellation -- along with Roxy's outrage and determination to save her favorite story -- is a wonderful reflection on what has happened in real life to OLTL. I give props to this soap for not going down without a fight. Having Clint Buchanan practically spout out Oprah Winfrey's YouTube speech about the soaps was brilliant!

BEST ACTOR OF THE WEEK: Chandler Massey (Will, DAYS OF OUR LIVES). Chandler is fi-yah as Will going into meltdown mode. The scene where Will called Sami out on her hypocrisy to Marlena was a showstopper!

BEST ACTRESS OF THE WEEK: Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS). It's not easy to be dead drunk, find out your husband is taking the rap for a murder you committed...and then Deacon Sharpe forces you to marry him. She's had a bad week; and Melody is making up for her lost time on the soap.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Kudos for the Horton family tradition being continued. The whole reboot is a bust if we don't have that, damn it! I'm liking Austin and Abby. Both characters have been too goody goody. Yeah, Austin is older and all that...but the dramatic fallout of Carrie, Sami, Jack and Jennifer resulting from a May/December romance would be incredible. Maybe Abby will wise up that Chad just isn't that into her and will fall even harder for Mr. Pretty Boy Boxer.

BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL - Enough of the Hope/Liam/Steffy fluff. Let's get down to brass tacks with stolen dress designs and a good old-fashioned Jackie M/Stephanie catfight! Now that's soap opera! And I'm loving it. Also loving Pam and Nick...but I feel sorry for Pam...having gone from the real thing with Stephen Logan (Patrick Duffy) to having only hot kisses with Nick Marone (Jack Wagner)...wait, what am I saying?! I'm jealous as hell!

GENERAL HOSPITAL - The soap was mildly improved this week. Good strong drama between Lucky, Liz and Luke. Say that fast three times. Dante and Lulu had a nice angst breakup. Sonny got an idea of what the people back at his old homestead really think about him. But the week fell apart when the focus went back to the WhoCaresWhoDunnit murder mystery of Lisa Niles.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS - Okay, I've had it with the bad singer at Glowworm; and I don't care who she is in real life. This is boring filler storyline! The episode that went backwards in time was...um, different. Half the time, I thought I had accidentally set the DVR wrong.
BITCHIEST SOAP LINE OF THE WEEK - Gloria about Jill when they accidentally meet up at a bar - "Sometimes company is the misery."

ONE LIFE TO LIVE - Loved Fraternity Row. Over Paris, Texas. Blair and Todd = HAWT!!!

THE BAY - http://blip.tv/thebaytheseries/the-bay-chapter-7-part-2-5803376
If THE BAY would ever work out the technology to buy wardrobe through clicking on the episode, I would soooo buy myself Sara Garrett's black and white dress for Xmas! Lianne makes a spectacle of herself. The Mayor seems to be getting senile. Stephen's up to no good!

VENICE - www.venicetheseries.com. Hillary B. Smith and Harrison White steal the show for Episode 2!

Soap Opera Round-up 11/28 to 12/2: The Who Cares Whodunnits

BEST SOAP OF THE WEEK: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
- I wasn't really blown away by any of the soaps all that much this week. But it is interesting to see this eternal Hope/Liam/Steffy triangle veer in another direction. (I swear if I have to hear "To Make You Feel My Love" one more time...!) Now Dollar Bill realizes that maybe he's not quite as over "Lolita" Steffy as he thought he was. Did anyone really think that was completely over? And this gives Heather Tom something to work with. (See BEST ACTRESS.)
- I'm also enjoying Pam's antics with stealing the Forrester designs to get some manly attention from Nick. I'd love for Nick and Pam to actually blossom in a real romance rather than just being comic relief. It could be a touching love story. Yeah, I know. It won't go there.

BEST ACTRESS OF THE WEEK: Heather Tom (Katie, B&B). Heather Tom tore it up this week when Katie found out about Bill's involvement with Liam and Steffy's marriage. When she found out that Steffy was also put on the Board of Directors, it looked like another heart attack would be oncoming.



BEST ACTOR OF THE WEEK: Matthew Ashford (Jack, DAYS). It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a longterm Matt Ashford fan. I hope I am being objective when I say he knocked it out of the park in the scene with Deidre Hall. After so many past storylines of Jack uncharacteristically being a clown and a loser, now with the post-traumatic stress disorder story, he has a serious problem that Matt Ashford can sink his teeth into. Under the best of circumstances, Jack is closed off and does not easily in confide in people. It took him forever to tell Jennifer that he loved her, for example. So when Jack confessed to Marlena about the experience in Afghanistan regarding the torture and murder of his cellmate, Ashford played every level. Emmy worthy stuff...which leads me to...

SCENE OF THE WEEK: Marlena treating Jack for his post-traumatic stress disorder, DAYS. How great was it to see Marlena treating someone with a problem based in reality? For a while, her specialty seemed to be hypnotizing victims of Stefano Dimera with brain chips, multiple personalities, amnesia, et cetera. Both Deidre Hall and Matt Ashford have done their best work since their return in this scene. Now Corday just needs to shell out some money to give Marlena an office to work in again!

GENERAL HOSPITAL - Who Cares Whodunnit, Part 1. Lisa Niles was so much more interesting alive. Other than Robin getting a nice monologue to tell Stone about her feelings regarding that travesty of a storyline, this has been such a crashing bore.
- If this soap is so close to the cancellation block, how come GH always gets to do cool montages when the other soaps generally don't?
- I am starting to understand the whole Shrew-lu reputation that Lulu has. Kudos for Dante telling her to put on her big girl pants. If she doesn't like being with a cop, she should dump him and hang out with Spinelli.
- With the firing of Brian Frons and Jill Farren Phelps all within the same week, the debate about the future of this soap is much more interesting than what is actually happening on the air.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE - Who Cares Whodunnit, Part 2. We all know Todd killed Victor or thinks he killed Victor or whatever. So can we move on from the whole Tomas thing, please? Not too much time left to waste on this soap anymore.
- Nice scene with pregnant Tea and Shaun.
- Wow! Stacy is really Gigi. Who didn't see that one coming?

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS - Who Cares Whodunnit, Part 3. Victor confessing to Diane's murder to cover up for drunk Nikki is another plot twist on a murder that we are all so tired of!
- Debbie Morgan is great as Harmony. Ready for more!
- So how long before Billy rehires Phyllis at Restless Style?
- Patty would have been enough; did Emily have to come back too?

DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Will Quinn be Kate's latest boy toy? I can live with that!
- Madison finally wised up and realized that she has hired a deadbeat (Sami).
- I'm liking Jennifer becoming Abe's hardcore PR spokesperson; if she can't be a reporter, at least this new profession suits her better than her earlier job at the hospital.
- Will's breakdown going into freefall. Great acting by Chander Massey!
- EJ comes onto Nicole with all green lights, gets a flashback about Sami...and the mood is killed. Yeah, Sami will do that to a guy.

PRETTY THE SERIES - Episode 3, Season 3.
- Michael's dirty little secret comes out that he was part of one of those one-hit wonder rock bands.
www.prettytheseries.com

THE BAY - Chapter 7, Part 1.
- Romantic longing between Sara and Lee.
- A great scene with Capt. Sanders and The Mayor (soap opera fan heaven with Charles Shaughnessy and Nicolas Coster!)
- A high Lianne rips off Pete's shirt.
- Crazy Igor is back. Woot!
http://blip.tv/thebaytheseries/the-bay-chapter-7-part-1-5783984

VENICE - Episode 2, Season 3.
- We get to see more of Peter Reckell as "Richard" goes to say Hi to "The Colonel" (Jordan Clarke).
- Excellent performances from Jessica Lecchia, Nadia Bjorlin and Crystal Chappell once Gia found out about Ani's abuse.
www.venicetheseries.com

MOST UNROMANTIC LINE OF THE WEEK: (Christine "Aubrey" Wentworth to Rex, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
I am so sorry, Rex. I did not mean to kiss you. It was just an impulse like Turrets.

BEST VERBAL SMACKDOWN OF THE WEEK: (Dialogue between Todd and John, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
Todd: John, are you suggesting I set my own newspaper on fire?
John: I read it. Did you?



BEST SOAPY LINE OF THE WEEK: (Nikki regarding her alcoholism, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS)
What I said was one day at a time. One hour at a time. And at this hour...I need a drink!

Thanksgiving Soap Opera Round-Up, 11/21 through 11/23

Bitchiest Thanksgiving, BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL:
I don't know who was dreading the Forrester Thanksgving feast more: Steffie, Liam, Hope or me (who would have to endure watching the whole darned thing!) Over all, the bloodshed was kept at a minimum. Sweet innocent Hope had the bitchiest line of the week.
Hope (to Thomas): I would like to rip your sister a new one.
Thomas: Hope, it's Thanksgiving!
Hope: Well, maybe that would be something to be thankful for.

Happiest Thanksgiving, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS:
Delia and Billy are my favorite father/daughter relationship in soaps right now. Billy secretly saving his daughter's life, Delia always asking for her daddy, moustache-twirling Victor Newman melting in sympathy and letting Billy free. Schmaltz...but good schmaltz!
Other great moments of the week:
-- Adam and Patty's cat-and-mouse games. Get two actors like Muhney and Haiduk together...and WATCH OUT!
-- Phyllis and Avery's conversation where we all find out just how messed up Phyllis' childhood really was. Kudos to Michelle Stafford and Jessica Collins.
-- Return of Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott). Something the Y&R fans are grateful for this holiday!

Angstiest Thanksgiving, GENERAL HOSPITAL:
If the Quartermaine Thanksgivings make you flinch, you can be thankful your holidays aren't as bad. If you can totally identify with all of the relative animosity, you can be thankful for the funny zingers of Edward, Tracy and Monica. Tracy tried her best to make the recently victimized Sam uncomfortable. Luke was a no-show. Ultimately, Jason freaked out and knocked over a holiday table. Score!
-- Kristen Storms, please come back!
-- When the Quartermaines are offscreen, Anthony Zacchara and Diane at least make this show watchable.
-- Most of this week was pretty boring!

Tearjerking-est Thanksgiving, ONE LIFE TO LIVE:
On screen, fans were crying at the death of Matthew Buchanan. Off screen, fans are crying because of the failure for Prospect Park to follow through with bringing this soap online. Add to that all of the comments from the signed-up OLTL actors who found out right before Thanksgiving that their future job prospects have fallen through. Who did not tear up at Viki's speech at the Thanksgiving table, now knowing this is the last Llanville Thanksgiving?
-- Good zinger by the mayor: "Nora The DA who couldn't secure a guilty verdict against Osama bin Laden."
-- Blair/Tea: Best Frenemies Forever.

Most Sentimental Thanksgiving, DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Maggie cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner, Jack and Jennifer back in Salem, John once again imprisoned with a tearful Marlena (memories of Aremid, anyone?), Sami self-destructing and taking down her loved ones with her...it's beginning to look a lot like DAYS OF OUR LIVES.
-- I will be thankful if Sami is not knocked up from her recent slam-bam with EJ. Chandler Massey (Will) is showing his acting chops. I even kind of feel sorry for poor Rafe, the schmuck.
-- I don't know whether I like this Jack/Jennifer storyline or hate it. The upside is Matthew Ashford has a strong story to work with regarding the post-traumatic stress disorder. So much emotion when he just says the word "Afganistan" and all the horror that means. That being said, I hate hate hate that Jennifer wants Jack to settle down and teach journalism and be just as boring as she is. Intrepid reporting was what brought this couple together in the first place...and is a major force in what made Jack/Jennifer a supercouple. You don't see Bo and Hope pulling this crap! Watch some J/J YouTube clips, people in charge!

Craziest Thanksgiving, THE HOLIBAY: The Curious Case of the Missing Turkey - THE BAY takes a break from the drama and performs a comedic improv show. Plot line: Sara Garrett (Mary Beth Evans) is missing her turkey. Wackiness, laughs and catfights as a result!
http://blip.tv/thebaytheseries/the-holibay-the-curious-case-of-the-missing-turkey-5762403

Thanksgiving Season Premiere, VENICE:
-- Otalia fans have something to be thankful for with Gina's dream sequence at the beginning.
-- Galen Gering's "Rafe" on DAYS may not be getting any, but his "Owen" seems to be.
-- Thank God I can still get my Hillary B. Smith fix here!
-- Liking what I see with the pairing of Michael Sabatino and Tina Sloane.
http://www.venicetheseries.com/

Dirty Soap -- Review of Season One

DIRTY SOAP has seemed to be a paradox from the word go. While many of us have panned reality television shows, blaming the form for the loss of scripted television series...this is a reality show that has actually brought more attention to daytime actors. The jury's still up in the air, however, when one episode featured Kelly Monaco looking for something to fall back on in the event that GENERAL HOSPITAL is canceled.

Like most reality shows, I question the "reality" of it. Do you really mean to tell me that Jenna Gering is bothered by Galen's love scenes when he's been in the soap biz for how long now? Jean Paul Lavoisier and Farrah Fath are really going to make a serious life decision like marriage in front of the cameras? Perhaps the most realistic event of the whole season was Kirsten Storms' illness that apparently was so serious that it took her out of the game completely. However, there's no denying that the real life actors are a heck of a lot more interesting than their soap opera role counterparts. I'll take witchy Farah Fath anytime over "Gigi Morasco"; same goes for the eccentric Jean Paul Lavoisier over "Rex".

Definitely fun guilty pleasure TV. Will I be heartbroken if there's not another season? No. Will I watch if there is a Season Two? Definitely.

Highlights of the season: Farah Fath going toe to toe with Kirsten Storms; Nadia Bjorlin's mom setting her daughter up with a date in an effort to break up her relationship with Brandon Beemer

Soap Opera Round-up 11/14 to 11/18

BEST SHOW: DAYS OF OUR LIVES

BEST ACTOR: James Scott (EJ, DAYS)

BEST ACTRESS: Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS)

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that yet another unoriginal "child in peril" storyline is worthy of any awards. We've been through the Sydney/Grace switch/kidnapping, Ciara's kidnapping, Johnny's retinoblastoma and now Johnny's disappearance. However, for some reason, the DAYS acting and the writing kicks into high gear during these stories when they falter at other times. If only as much passion and energy could go on without a kid being tortured!

The reboot (whether a success or a failure, ratings-wise) has really given Alison Sweeney a lot to work with. Now Sami can have her angst against John and Marlena, her rivalry with Carrie and her juggling of Austin, Rafe and EJ all at the same time! We are really seeing this come into play this week with Johnny's disappearance. Alison Sweeney often blows hot and cold with me. If Sami is in good girl/victim mode, I admit I get bored out of my skull. But when Sami goes postal, Ali Sweeney brings it like nobody's business!

And who does Sami go postal with better than EJ (James Scott)? Why can't these two quit each other? Because they are both intense passionate imperfect personalities that are FIRE on screen! Yes, Hogan Sheffer really messed up with the rape back in 2007...and that's always going to be the elephant in the room. But really? Who wants SAFE? Soap opera is not supposed to be safe. It is supposed to be high drama and angst and sex and romance.

BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Interesting storylines threaten to happen...but it keeps going back to the Steffie/Liam/Hope triangle over and over again. I am enjoying the Pam and Nick storyline, even if it is just going to be comic filler. Soap line of the week: (Jackie when she pimps Nick out to Pam to save the company) "Don't be so judgemental. Pam hasn't tried to kill anyone in ages!"

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Am I the only one who can't tell the Kate recast and the Maxie recast apart? Sam always resents when Carly talks to Jason...but it is okay with Spinelli to live with them? Nice to see Monica get some scenes again. Still with GH these days, it seems just like all talk and talk and talk with nothing really happening. Even the Franco rape of Sam was anticlimatic. Nobody can even remember it!

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: I am getting soap opera schizophrenia, watching Ashley/Kristen/Kelly (Eileen Davidson) marry Tucker/Steve/Stefan/Skyler (Stephen Nichols); add to that an interesting exchange between the groom and Genevieve/Diane/Laura (Genie Francis). Whew! Billy and Victoria unite. Tucker/Genevieve -- Stefan/Laura -- Steve/Diane; I give the Neil/Sofia marriage about as long a lifespan as your average Kardashian marriage. Okay, I'll say it. I like Amelia Heinlie as Victoria; and I think she has great chemistry with Billy Miller. Loved seeing them reunite this week. So sue me!

ONE LIFE TO LIVE: I am also sad and depressed about the last OLTL taping of the week...and how the actors have been told to move out of their dressing rooms. That being said, I thought the soap was pretty lackluster. I could care less about John and Natalie, about Brody kidnapping Lian, about Stacy/Gigi Morasco. But it was fun seeing Tonja Walker again.