Results for the GH Abuse Story Poll!

In last week's poll, we asked who you sympathized with most in GH's Abuse Storyline: Krissy, Ethan, Alexis, Sonny or Viewers. It was pretty much neck and neck between Krissy and Ethan for most of the week, but the winner, by a small margin is... Kristina!

44% of the vote went to Krissy (that's a whopping 24 votes, lol!) while 40% (20 votes) felt more sympathetic towards Ethan. The Viewers got 9% (5 votes) of our readers' sympathy for having to sit through this mess of a story. 2 voters (3%) felt most sorry for Alexis. And while Sonny always comes out a winner on General Hospital, sadly, in our poll he was the Big Loser with just 1 vote.

Most of you know I have mixed feelings about this story. The performances by everyone have been terrific, I like that the story involves so many characters (but where have Nik and Molly been??) , and it's an important topic. But the execution of this story proves to me that Guza should not be allowed anywhere near a "social issue" story.

I'd love to hear what all of you think about this story. Are you loving it? Hating it? Bored by it? Touched? Offended? Do you think this story will help other young women who are/or may become victims of abuse? Do you think it's great soap? Let me know!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
03/29/10 12:46

Kate Bell Joins Neighbours for Guest Role

Current Logie nominee Kate Bell has joined the cast of Neighbours - as a love interest for Ringo (Sam Clark).  This is sure to warm @soapwikijohn's heart, him being her biggest fan after her regrettably short stint on Home and Away as Charlie's (Esther Anderson) lesbian love interest Joey.  No word yet on how long her role will be...

Help Kelly Monaco Return To Dancing With The Stars!

Hey gang!

The woman who just joined twitter Kelly Monaco needs your support to get her back on Dancing with the stars!

So show your support by clicking here and voting for Kelly!

Jessica / Christian HighSchool Recast Rant

Oh my word. As if the Jessica going back to highschool storyline was not horrible enough with the actors currently in the roles, they had to go back and reshoot fake flashbacks for the March 18th episode of One Life To Live.

Are you KIDDING ME? The recast were not needed, if they wanted to show the flashbacks with 'different' actors in the roles why not just use the ORIGINAL footage? Did they not think these fake flashbacks would upset fans? Is that why they paid zero attention in hiring actors to portray these roles?

I just don't know what to say, the acting was just horrible, I am sorry it was, it made Molly Burnett on a bad day look....well I can't say good, but she sure as heck looked better then these people. But I cannot toss the actors under the bus entirely, because even the best actors cannot help the simply dreadful dialog that they were given in the scripts.

So what is up with One Life To Live? Has Re-Ron Campavatti run his course? Is there anything redeemable about this storyline?

Did you like these fake-flashbacks? Do you disagree with me? Or maybe you agree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments bellow.

Want more random thoughts from yours truly? ...Okay how about do you want to follow another person on twitter? Check me out @soapwikijohn

Kelly Monaco Joins Twitter!

General Hospital Sam fans around the world rejoice! Actress Kelly Monaco has finally joined the twitter revolution!

You can follow her @kellymonaco1

Are you guys going to give her a big JaSam welcome?

Oh and you can follow me @soapwikijohn if you want to..I mean you don't have to or anything..*twiddles his thumbs* but you know it would be nice.... *attempts to guilt trip* Oh well Kelly for the win right?

Thanks to @BuzzWorthyRadio for the heads up!

Logies Nominations 2010: The Good, the Bad and the Honorable Mentions

It's time to pay homage to Denial Island's own Melanie*SoapOperaBabble*daisyclover1938's Daytime Emmy Nominations which can be read here. With my (short) coverage and opinions on the 2010 Australian Logie nominations.

A list of all the nominations can be read here.

Here we go!

The Good :

It's about flamin time that actor Ray Meagher gets a nod from the industry that he has been flamin working at for the last flamin twenty some odd years. But is this Ray's year? The veteran Home and Away actor did not have the biggest year storyline wise, unless you are counting the scenes that aired earlier this (2010) year. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens there, but it is about flamin time is all i have to say. Ray is nominated as Most popular personality on Television, and Most Popular Actor.

Next up we have actress Ashleigh Brewer who plays Kate Ramsey on the channel ten soap Neighbours. Ashleigh is up for Best Female Newcomer. She is the only actor from Neighbours to be nominated for an award.

The character of Kate has been a breath fresh air, and has brought about a much needed new vibe to the street.


Next (and last for the good), we have for Most Popular New Male Talent Home and Away stud Luke Mitchell who play's everyone's favorite Romeo.

While I cannot really think of a 'storyline' worthy of a loggie, the actor is brilliant and is good for more then just 'eye candy'. So I am rooting for him to pull it out. But will he be able to?




Next up we have the BAD!


Okay so this category is going to be extremely short, that is because there is only one actress that I really have to rant about, and that is Kate Bell who played Joey Collins for a whole two seconds on Home and Away.

Now the reason I dislike her so much is not necessarily the actresses fault, she was an alright actress, but my problem was that the character of Joey Collins was meant to be a long term character. There was obviously a massive amount of storylines to play out with Joey essentially turning Charlie gay for a quick second, only to leave the bay and never look back.

The executive producers should have locked the actress into a long term contract and let the storyline play out, otherwise it turned into a complete and utter disaster, and I cannot think of any reason to give the award to Kate Bell over Ashleigh Brewer who is nominated in the same category.


Honorable mentions go to -

Home and Away for snagging a nomination in the best drama catagory for the billionth year in a row.

Jessica Tovey for her portrayal of Belle Jefferies on Home and Away *tear* her cancer storyline was brilliant.

Lastly Esther Anderson for her job as police constable Charlie Buckton, who actually has some good award winning stories to put up.

Home and Away has a total of 11 nominations, but lets be honest here, the prime-time drama Packed To The Rafters is going to beat it in every category LOL.

So who are you rooting for this year?

One Life To Live Brought To You By Turbo Tax?

So while watching Tuesday (March 23rd)'s episode of One Life To Live I could not help but notice the new ad placement for TurboTax. It just seemed to come out of nowhere, and the fact that Natalie was using it just seemed odd.

I think the 'product placement' would have worked much better if say Gigi was the one filling out her taxes, but Natalie? Really?

What did you guys think of this product placement? I guess in this day and age anything to bring in the money helps right?

Is John McBain Growing On Me?

Something must be in my kool-aid this week, because I think I am actually warming up to the character of John McBain (Michael Easton) on ABC's One Life To Live.

I don't exactly know why, but while i was watching this weeks episodes I couldn't deny the fact that John McBain wasn't bothering me, and to tell the truth he hasn't been bothering me for awhile now. I think I am generally enjoying the character, and might actually, possibly, maybe, rooting for the character and Natalie (Melissa Archer)!

I may be crazy, I may be off my rocker, but it's just the way I am feeling. So am I kicked off to a secluded part of Denial Island? Or is anyone with me?

Am I An Ejami Fan Again?

So, in a world where story lines don't exist, is it wrong that I am turning into an Ejami fan all over again?

Okay let's explain a bit of backstory first.

I was the BIGGEST Ejami supporter back in 2006 when the character was first introduced. But from the moment E.J. Wells (James Scott) became Elvis Junior Dimera I have disliked every single moment, especially from the "R" on.

But recently a well known soap blogger made the comparison that "Sami / EJ/ Rafe are the Days Of Our Lives equivalent to Guiding Light's Holly/Roger/ Ed." Since then I have been looking at the couple in a new, pardon the pun, light.

I am now, for whatever reason, able to look past the "R" that has been holding me back, and I now see EJ and his schemes as adorable in comparison to Sami (Alison Sweeney) and her ....well is she done crying yet? Sorry....

Anyways I think this is my coming out as an Ejami supporter, so is anyone with me?

All Soaps, All Week: Wrap Up

Well my week of watching all the soaps is over! I originally wanted to write a Daily Diary of my soap watching, but I had absolutely ZERO time. I'm actually glad I didn't have a chance to write about them in the beginning of the week, because it probably would have been a b*tch fest. Monday and Tuesday were torturous (especially with no fast forwarding!) but something happened mid-week, call it the Soap Version of Stockholm Syndrome but I stopped focusing on the negative and started enjoying what the shows were doing right. Weird.

AMC: I really like the David/Greenlee relationship. It's nice to see him interacting with a woman who isn't a dummy he's manipulating. But I prefer them as friends. They'll ruin it if they make it a real romance. I'm also really liking David & Liza. Jamie Luner is growing on me. Here's the trick: I just pretend she's not Liza. And sorry, I'm soooo over Erica and Jackson (did she really have the nerve to complain that Jackson's daughter Greenlee would always come first for him??), but if it means I get Walt Willey back I can deal with it. Annie continues to crack me up, while Marissa continues to make me cringe. And call me crazy, I think I might actually, kinda, not hate the idea of Ryan and Madison.

ATWT: I've been watching this show pretty irregularly over the last couple of years and I've heard some pretty bad things about it lately (the James/Mick story - WTF??), but I was totally charmed by it this past week. I'm giving it an award for Most Adorable Cast: Van Hansis, Daniel Cosgrove, Terri Colombino, Trent Dawson, Colleen Zenk Pinter...seriously, how cute (not to mention gorgeous) are these people?? Well normally I would hate Holden and Molly together, but since this involves faux-Lily (no offense to the talented Noelle Beck - she just ain't my Lily), I don't mind them. I found the Carly/Jack/Janet/Dusty stuff really amusing. Faith is an annoying brat, but I guess she's supposed to be. The faux-Craig stuff was pretty good. And I really liked that they mentioned Hal (I still miss Ben Hendrickson). While I enjoyed watching the show, I found myself getting sad all over again thinking about its cancellation. A world without these characters just feels so wrong :(

B&B: I'll say one thing for B&B, even if you don't like what's going on, it's short length and breezy tone makes each episode feel 5 minutes long. While I find it ridiculous that women are still fighting over Ridge and Eric, there's a lot I do like about the show. Half the cast is wonderful, the humor always works, it's beautiful to look at and it's almost always entertaining. I like Whip and Taylor, I love Bill (yummy Don Diamont), am so relieved that they finally got a young actor that can act (okay Zach Conroy isn't exactly Laurence Olivier, but he's a thousand times better than the other younger actors on the show) and I'm thrilled that Sarah J Brown has managed to escape GH's clutches. However, I'm not looking forward to a Stephanie/Eric reunion. John McCook and my girl crush Susan Flannery work so well together, but my Stephanie deserves better than to be with that wimpy Walking Hard-On Eric. I wish they would give Stephanie a love story...

DAYS: The show I was dreading the most. I started watching it in the mid-80s and once considered it "my" show, but it's unrecognizable to me now. I always say it's like watching a spin-off... DAYS: TNG. But truth be told, it wasn't awful. There wasn't a whole lot of Melanie, which I was thankful for. Smart Rafe + Badass EJ = Hotness. Justin and Adrienne on my screen again? Awesome! And while I like Bo and Carly, my heart is breaking for Hope (which is good drama). Unfortunately, I could care less about Nicole/Brady/Arianna. I despise Nicole, always have. Arianne Zucker is great, but I think Nicole is a creep and I've always seen her as a b*tchier, drunker, less sympathetic version of Sami. And she's a hypocrite - giving her mom sh*t about marrying an abusive rapist? I guess Nicole forgot that she married Trent, an abusive scumbag that pimped out his own daughter? Or what about her marriages-based-on-money to Lucas and Victor? And I really want all the younger characters to get into a car and drive off a cliff. However, I adore Leann Hunley and think she would be wonderful on Young and the Restless!!

GH: Sweet Jesus I hate Luke Spencer. First he gives some dumbass speech to Ethan about how he could understand it if Ethan did beat up Kristina because of how she acted and because Sam dared to get angry at him for putting his hands on Krissy. He gets all pissy when Ethan asks about Laura's rape. He gets bitchy with Alexis and Sonny because they dared to believe their own daughter and not his son. Then Kristina doesn't want to let him in the house so he's going to push his way in?! Oh and then he tries to threaten Sonny?? What's he gonna do? Rape him? And I love how he's suddenly a tough guy when it comes to Ethan, but where was he when Franco almost killed Lulu? Did he care? Did he use his "connections" to get Franco? I get that Ethan is innocent, but seriously...Luke is a rapist and he needs to quit with the self righteous indignation. The protective father routine is a Joke - isn't it about time for him to desert his family for another 3 months again?

I think the Kristina storyline has a lot going for it. The performances have been amazing and I like that they're at least touching on the cycle of abuse issue. However, the fact that Guza has written an abuse storyline that's caused a backlash against the victim is so disgusting to me. This story isn't an attempt to explore the issue, it's to pimp the men - it's about Sonny and Luke, it's about proving Sonny is a Good Father and it's about finally getting the audience to accept and like Ethan. The abuse story is just an afterthought at this point.

Johnny to Claire: "Why don't you try being married to a misogynistic lecherous pig?" Hmm...I wonder if GH writer Meg Bennett (Mrs. Bob Guza) wrote that line?

Oh and More JaSam Please!!!

OLTL: Pretty disappointing. The Jessica in HS story is so dumb. Also, wasn't she really sweet and nice when she was in HS? So why is she acting like a snarky little witch? Though I have to say that I kind of like Brody wooing Jessica (there needs to be more wooing in daytime!) I'm not into Todd and Kelly at all. And I am soooo over Tweedledee and Tweedledumb (Rex and Gigi). I don't know what to make of this Allison mess. I don't understand why no one is telling the cops! Sierra Rose is kidnapped and Schuyler and Tea don't call the cops. So then she shows up at Roxy's and instead of Roxy signaling Natalie, she does nothing...leading to Roxy being taken hostage. Instead of Natalie signaling John for help, she starts yammering about her feelings for him - giving Allison the opportunity to get away with Sierra Rose, Roxy and then taking Kyle hostage. Does she have to kidnap everyone in town before someone does something? Why are people keeping quiet and just hoping everythng is going to turn out okay?? Oh but I loved the "Morasco Fiasco" wink to the audience, lol.

Y&R: Ashley giving up baby Faith was devastating and Eileen Davidson was amazing! Yeah, the story is ridiculous, but it's about love and loss and the outlandish plot element was just a starting off point, it's not the whole story. I'm not sure how I feel about Adam. I think Michael Muhney is great when he's being devious, but he's not selling me on the more "human" side of Adam and I'm not buying his "love" for Sharon (which I should be.) Though he cracks me up when he's acting like a victim and demanding those that wronged him be brought to justice, lol! So that's Psycho Story #1. Psycho Story #2 is Emily/Patty and I'm liking it. I find Patty really disturbing and I actually care about Emily (believe her Paul!!) Psycho Story #3 is less successful. I could care less about idiot Daisy and Ryder, & I don't care that they've kidnapped Jana (maybe they can claim they have a tumor and that's what's making them commit these crimes - isn't that how Jana got off on her kidnapping and murder charges years ago?) Though the story lead to a brief Paul/Lauren almost hook-up which I LOVED!! I don't know...I think a show should only have one Psycho story going on at one time. Billy/Victoria = Snoreville. Though you would think Amelia Heinle's non-acting would balance out Billy Miller's over-acting, but it doesn't. Tucker and Ashley...hmmm...I could get into that.

Well I've certainly lived up to my SoapOperaBabble name! Sorry for going on like this, lol. I still haven't decided which shows to watch and which to drop. I actually wish I could continue watching all of them!

What do you guys think of the shows? What are you loving and what are you hating?

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Days: Catfight Alert!

How friggin awesome does this promo look for next week's Days of our Lives?!  A little birdy told me that this is the real showdown between Sami (Alison Sweeney) and Nicole (Arianne Zucker) - last time's was just a tastetest due to Arianne Zucker being 8 1/2 months pregnant! I say bring it on!! I love any of Sami's catfights and really, who ever thought Sami and Nicole should be friends? Not in this lifetime!

Home and Away: Romeo is Juliet

How funny is this?  On Home and Away, Summer Bay High School is putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet.  Budding sweethearts Romeo (Luke Mitchell) and Annie (Charlotte Best) auditioned and won roles - but not the ones you might think!  In a bit of a modern day twist (and taking the piss if you ask me lol), Romeo and Juliet have been reverse cast - Annie's playing Romeo and Romeo's playing Juliet... or maybe not - after seeing what Juliet's costume is (pictured above).  In my opinion, it's just another excuse to perv on the guy... steady on peeps, he might be a schoolboy on the show but the actor is 25, I promise!

WLS Posts ATWT Bible!

Hey All! I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to check out what's been going on at other soap sites lately. Thankfully, fellow Denial Island blogger soapwikijohn told me that the awesome folks over at We Love Soaps have been posting excerpts of the Original Bible for As The World Turns (formerly As The Earth Turns - *big hug* to whoever decided to change the name, lol). Martha Byrne (ex-Lily/ATWT, ex-Andrea/GH, Catherine/Gotham The Series) was gracious enough to hand over this incredible historical document to the WLS guys and they've been posting it in installments. This is a real treat for ATWT fans as well as all Soap Opera Buffs/Geeks.

Here's a link to Part 3 of the installment (from here you can easily access Parts 1 and 2): As The Earth Turns: Part 3

As always, thanks for reading! Hope everyone is doing well!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
03/24/10 - 4:34am

PS. Still doing All Soaps, All Week w/ no fast forwarding or spoilers. I'll try posting about it later today :) And don't forget to vote in our Poll of the Week (over in the top right corner of your screens)!

The Tim Tam Slam on Shortland Street!

Many of you would have heard me tweet about the yummy Aussie biscuits (aka cookie) Tim Tams, and one especially sugarcoma-inducing way of eating it - biting each end off and using it as a straw with a hot drink, aka the Tim Tam Slam.  Now I can show you what it is and how to do it!  I noticed this on an old 2006 episode of New Zealand soap Shortland Street - this scene shows Sarah Potts (Amanda Billing) doing a Tim Tam slam while listening to pal Toni Warner's (Laura Hill) man troubles.  Hmm... do I have any Tim Tams handy....

Home and Away: The Blonde is Back!

Aww, Aussie soap watchers have missed this face - it's Emily Symons, who is reprising her old role as Marilyn Chambers on Home and Away.  Marilyn was last seen in 1999 (apparently she also made an appearance in 2001, but I wasn't watching then), but after seeing her tonight, boy, she's hardly changed!!  Maybe less frizzy hair... lol!  Emily's been in the UK for the past 12 years playing the popular Louise Appleton on Emmerdale, and she was a contestant on the 2007 UK season of Dancing with the Stars (voted off in the semi-final).

Anyway, I say it's good to have Maz back - I wonder if she'll be a love interest for Alf (Ray Meagher)?  I remember when she always used to call him Mr Stewart!  That makes me feel kinda old lol!!

Aussie Soap Stars Make Cleo's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors List

Um... YUM!  Aussie Cleo magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors list has been released and check out who made the shortlist - Home and Away's Luke Mitchell (Romeo Smith, above) and Neighbours' Sam Clark (Ringo Brown, right).  Considering last year's most eligible bachelor winner was Axle Whitehead (Liam Murphy, Home and Away, below), it looks like there are plenty of reasons to check out Aussie soaps!

If you'd like to see who else made the shortlist (Curtis Stone, anyone?), click here to view the profiles and to vote.

All Soaps, All Week – Yes, I’m Crazy

Hi soap peeps! Hope everyone is doing well. Since I’m still trying to decide which soaps I’ll continue to watch and which ones I’m going to drop (see So Many Soaps, So Little Time), I’ve decided to do something a little crazy. This week I’ll attempt to watch all the soaps, all week. This means all US soaps (possibly including Ryan’s Hope on SoapNet). I’d love to include the UK’s EastEnders and the Australian soap Neighbours, but I think that might be pushing it, lol.

I’m going to try not to fast forward (oh boy, that’s going to be really hard) and go completely without spoilers. This also means that my half-assed boycott of One Life to Live is over (for now). I’m hoping to write a Daily Diary with my brief thoughts on each show and general comments about the experience.

So join me this week on Denial Island, where I plan to eat, breathe, and sleep all things soap!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Adrianne Leon Returns To GH As Brook Lynn

General Hospital fans get ready, actress Adrianne Leon is returning to GH as Brook Lynn!

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that the actress will be returning to her in a recurring nature and will begin airing during May Sweeps.

This will be my first time meeting the character of Brook, so does anyone have any great Youtube clips to show me what I am in store for?

Also what do you think of this news? are you happy that Adrianne Leon is returning? Or would you have rathered a recast? Let me know in the comments below.

Emmerdale's "Coming Out" Trailer

Emmerdale fans are in for a treat as Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) is coming out next week on the iTV soap.

Speaking to digital spy the actor said:

"It was two days of me crying! It's really emotional material and I've not had to do anything like this before. It was really intense to film."

He added: "Jane Pearson wrote the episode - it's such a fantastic script and it blew me away. I was in tears just reading it."

Personally I am not a big fan of Emmerdale, but the trailer showed some raw, and true emotion, and makes me actually want to check it out.

So do you watch Emmerdale? If so what do you think of this storyline and the show in general? Should I check it out? Let me know in the comments bellow.

A New Family Coming To Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks fans rejoice, executive producer Paul Marquess has announced that he will be bringing in a new family to the show after having recently cleaned house.

"We're particularly excited about the new family that will join the show in the summer - and guarantee they'll bring glitz, glamour and great stories to the Hollyoaks village!"

Now let's all hope that this new family will not eat the show alive like the McQueens did when they came on the show back in 2006.

Are you looking forward to the new family? Are you still watching Hollyoaks? If not why? Let me hear your thoughts in the comment section bellow!

One Life To Axe

Recently the ABC Step-Soap One Life to Live has been letting actors go left and right. From the couple on the road to Supercoupledom Kish (Read the Big Kish-off for more on that story), to the latest news that Florencia Lozano has been let go as well, with more actors to come.

This made me think which One Life cast members would I axe? So in honor of other sites 'Wishful Casting' post, this is my very own "Wishful Axing"

First up we have to get the Veteran Axe out of the way...To long time OLTL viewers I am sorry!

Susan Haskell as Dr. Marty Saybrook. Okay this is nothing against the actress, she has impressed me as being a talented, worthy actress. The problem is that this regime does not know how to write for her, and has nothing for the character to do. So the axe swings on Marty first.

Next up we have Marko played by Jason Tam

Again this is nothing against the actor, I think he can do an okay job when the time comes, but really if Langston wants to drive a Ford, there really is no point to the character of Markko. He doesn't have a foundation, and there is really not that much of a future for the character unless they do something drastic and fast.

Brian Kerwin I am sorry but today is not your lucky day, because you are third, and last on my list to be axed off this sudser.

The character of Charlie Banks had a good run, he was a good character and was cute with the soaps leading lady Erica Slezak. But the time has come to wrap things up, the character's son has already been killed off, his relationship with Viki is on the rocks, and there really isn't much for the character of Charlie left to do. So I propose killing the character off and using his death to cause drama for Viki and Dorian!

Now of course there are other characters that I could axe such as Jon McBain and the entire Evans family, but I think the execs might be taking care of at least one of those suggestions already.

So do you agree with the characters I chose to axe? If not why? Also who would you axe if you were in control of One Life To Live? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments bellow.

Happy 25th Birthday Neighbours!

Today is the 25th Anniversery for the hit Australian soap opera Neighbours!

As seen above, to celebrate the big two-five the soap updated it's opening, and has promised fans an exciting year.

I am a 'newer' viewer to the show (this is my 3rd season) but Neighbours quickly became one of my must see shows, and I am glad to see that the people behind the scenes generally care enough to update the opening regulary vs....well General Hospital.

So do you watch Neighbours? Are you enjoying the 25th year? What do you think they could do to make it better? A live episode ala EastEnders? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Could A Denial Island Bloggers Days Dream Come True?

Could a certain Denial Island Blogger by the name of Melanie*SoapOperaBabble*daisyclover1938 Days Of Our Lives dream of reuniting mother Anna Dimera (Leann Hunley) and daughter (Christie Clark) actually be coming true?

Well only reports have it that Christie is returning to say good-bye to Gran in the coming weeks, so the possibility is there, but will it happen?

Personally I would LOVE to have the big secret (Anna being a part of the Sydney-napping) come out right after Anna and Carrie have a sweet mother daughter scene together! But hey that's just me.

Would you like to see a scene between Carrie and Anna? And even better would you like Carrie to come back full time? Let me know what you think in the comments bellow

Results of the Sydnapping Poll

Surprise, surprise! You all thought the Sydnapping went on for far too long as well, with 78% of the vote!! 5% thought it went on for the perfect amount of time (really?), another 5% thought it could've gone longer (you're just pulling my chain, surely?) and 10% don't care.  By the end of the storyline, I think most of us just didn't care either haha.

This week's poll will be up shortly! Keep an eye out :)

The Big Kish-Off

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re aware of yummy-licious Brett Claywell and Scott Evans (Kyle Lewis and Oliver Fish) being let go from One Life to Live and the outrage it’s provoked from fans. I’ve been hanging back, observing how Kish-gate is unfolding. So far I don’t know what to make of this PR mess: Is this part of a homophobic agenda? Is this a result of the actors behaving unprofessionally? Are focus groups to blame? Are these firings just par for the course, no different than the other recent firings/contract changes at OLTL (Crystal Hunt, Scott Clifton, Daphnee Duplaix, Austin Williams, plus the rumors of more firings to come)? Well…I have no clue. But when has not having a clue stopped me from voicing my opinion, lol?

Clearly OLTL is cleaning house. Whether this bloodbath is due to an ultimatum from TPTB to make some changes or else, or they’re cutting expenses to accommodate big names like Gina Tognoni (Kelly) (and possibly Thorsten??) is unclear. Revamping the show (creatively and/or budget-wise) by getting rid of a sh*tload of characters isn’t surprising. What is surprising is their decision to cut two popular characters, who happen to make up one of the most popular couples currently on the show. Getting new characters to click with viewers and developing a large fan base for a couple is a difficult feat. Kish has captured the hearts of soap fans (gay and hetero) and has garnered the show loads of positive press from the soap and mainstream media. This is the kind of response TPTB kill for, and OLTL is just throwing it away? It’s insane! When a show is consistently last place in the ratings, is it smart to get rid of one of the few things that actually works? Couples that develop a following with the audience are not a dime a dozen. OLTL has hit gold with Kish, so for goodness sakes, keep them!

Frankly the Kish-Off just confirms what I’ve felt for a long time: TPTB at ABC are simply not interested in making a long-term commitment to gay and lesbian characters. They’ll introduce these characters/stories, gladly receive accolades from the press and fans, pat themselves on the back, and before we know it the characters are out the door. It seems the gay renaissance of soaps (Otalia, Nuke, Kish, Rianca-or whatever they called that hot mess over at AMC) was just a “fad” or an experiment (for a terrific round-up analysis of gay stories on soaps, I recommend We Love Soaps' article Gays in Daytime.) As far as I can see, soaps have always been, and will continue to be, dominated by white, thin, heterosexual characters. Apparently TPTB seem to think this is playing it safe, but I think it’s insulting, boring and a sign of how behind the times and out of touch with the audience they really are.

As for OLTL…Full disclosure: I stopped watching it on a regular basis last year and it had nothing to do with Kish. While Ron Carlivati is a talented writer, I found the show uneven at best. At worst, it was a campy mess, misogynistic and more gross than entertaining. My friends and I have joked that the show should be renamed One Life to Rape. Welcome to Rapeview: a town populated by rapists/psychos and their victims. Gee, who wouldn’t want to watch that? One positive thing that’s come from Kish-gate has been people’s willingness to call OLTL out on their offensive stories and point out that that might in fact be the reason for their pathetic ratings. (The great Marlena De Lacroix wrote a terrific piece recently called Sadism for Thrills, where she critiqued OLTL and GH’s treatment of female characters.)

Look, I’m just a soap fan, but my own humble opinion is that maybe TPTB should get rid of what doesn’t work, instead of what does. How about giving us characters that we’ll love and root for, instead of making a violent pig your romantic lead (*cough* Todd *cough*)? And what about telling stories that will entertain and move us, instead of ones that trigger our gag reflex (*cough* Mitch *cough*)? But what do I know?

**EDIT: if you're interested in joining the various Save Kish campaigns, I suggest doing a #Kish search on twitter. Tons of stuff will come up :)

******************************
As always, thanks so much for reading. I'd love to hear what you think of Kish-gate!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Memorable Soap Deaths Part 2

A couple of days ago my fellow Denial Islander SoapWikiJohn posted clips of Memorable Soap Deaths from EastEnders and Hollyoaks. I loved the clips so much I thought I’d post some more classic soap deaths, this time giving some love to US soaps.

Here are three soap deaths that I’ll never forget: The first ranks as one of the most notorious soaps deaths of all time, the second was recommend by a reader (imgoodbackup) and rips my heart out every time I watch it, and the third harkens back to old-school Hollywood romance-tragedies. Get your tissues out (at least for the last two, lol)!


1. Mary is Crushed by a “C”, Santa Barbara

Some loved it, others hated it. I watched this when it originally aired in 1986 and my 12 year old mind didn’t know what to make of it. The climax to this very dramatic story was absurd, shocking and well…darkly humorous. But that was Santa Barbara! Love it or hate it, people still talk about this death 24 years later.

In this clip, ex-nun Mary (Harley Jane Kozak) confronts her husband/rapist Mark (Jon Lindstrom) on a rooftop as Julia (Nancy Lee Grahn) attempts to play referee. Meanwhile a Giant “C” looms menacingly in the background. Also featured in the clip: Mason (Lane Davies) and CC (Jed Allan)





2. Sam’s Baby Dies, General Hospital
In the first Memorable Soap Deaths blog, reader imgoodbackup posted a comment noting deaths that affected her. She mentioned the death of Sam’s baby, Lila, on General Hospital, writing, “I don't recall other soaps that have let a mother carry a baby first of all actually almost a real 9 months let alone then kill that baby off? The audience grew to love and hope for Sam's baby girl and when she died the impact was devastating.” I couldn’t agree more. I remember crying hysterically when I watched this (at the time, I didn’t read spoilers and had stopped reading soap mags, so I had no idea it was coming!) It was like a knife in my heart. Here’s the clip, featuring wonderful performances from Kelly Monaco (Sam), Steve Burton (Jason), Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), from 2004:





3. Megan Dies in Jake’s Arms, One Life to Live
This is an unusual pick for me, since I didn’t see it when it aired in 1992. I watched the clip years later and was blown away. It was so touching, so beautifully written and just so tragic! I remember talking about this scene with my friend Danielle and recalling how much it reminded me of classic romantic tragedies like Wuthering Heights and Camille: Lovely, fragile woman dying in the arms of the man who loves her *sniff* In Two Parts, here are Jessica Tuck (Megan) and Joe Lando (Jake):

Part 1:


Part 2:



***********************As always, thanks for reading (and watching). Tell me some of your favorite and/or most memorable soap deaths (there are so many!)

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Most Memorable Soap Death

One topic keeps creeping its way onto message boards and blogs around the soapnation. That topic is Soap Deaths.

Now obviously deaths happen all the time on our favorite suders, but what makes a soap death that you will always remember?

Two of the biggest soap deaths that I will always remember come from UK soaps.

First we have Danielle Mitchell on the BBC1 soap EastEnders.

After months of story building we found out that Danielle was actually Ronnie's long lost, and believed to be dead, daughter. But when Danielle finally told Ronnie the truth her mother didn't believe the news and sent her away. Thankfully Ronnie found out the truth, so she ran after Danielle and well you can see how it ended in the clip bellow.



*Tear*

The next death came from Hollyoaks.

Max Cunningham had been an essential part to Hollyoaks for most of the shows run, but when the actor decided to venture out they decided to send Max off in style.

On his wedding day Max is leaves the reception with his little brother Tom and best friend O.B. to get a present for his new wife. But while trying to move it his brother is playing in the street. So Max does what any big brother would do and...well lets just let the clip talk for it self.




So those are some of my favorite and most memorable deaths, what are yours?

Greg Vaughan Out Screen Testing!

Former General Hospital and 90210 star Greg Vaughan has gone out screen testing for a new show!

The actor tweeted :
"Headed into a screen-test for new show! Bring on all those prayer request! power in numbers!!;)"

Anyone want to take a guess if this is a new pilot or an established show? And if its established what show do you think it is?

This Week On Home & Away (5026-5030)

Good morning mates! It's time to discuss whats happening this week in Summer Bay as we look at Home and Away episodes 5026-5030.

First (not seen in the promo) - Marilyn Fisher ( Emily Symons) Makes her return to the bay! After nearly 10 years she is coming back and stirring up drama, but she's not the only one returning!

My girl (....did I JUST SAY THAT?) Annie (Charlotte Best) is also returning from her exit off to Japan. But where is Jai? You will have to tune in to find that out. Also does this mean Romeo can actually live up to his namesake now? I SURE HOPE SO!

Lovers Paradise seems to have hit a bump for Tony (Jon Sivewright) and Rachel (Amy Mathews), but will the two make it back together when Tony asks his sister for a job?

Speaking of love, good ol Miles (Josh Quong Tart) spills the beans to Elijah (Jay Laga'aia) about how Leah (Ada Nicodemou) feels, dose Elijah feel the same way?

And lastly home girl Martha (Jodi Gordon)is having a bit of a spat with her,as the ABC Family hit series Greek put it, fun-buddy Liam (Axel Whitehead). Will the to reconcile or is it time for Martha to keep her pants on for a little bit?

Tell me what your looking forward to most, as well as what you are hating in the comments below.

DOOL Sneak Peek: EJ's Observation

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! Could it be? Is my EJami starting to have scenes reminiscent of 2006-2007??? SQUEEEEEEEE! Me likey! The fact that the last 30 seconds of the Days of Our Lives Sneak Peek shows the Rafestar getting closer to figuring out EJ was behind the Sydnapping didn't even register with me. We all know EJ will be found out, hello, it's the nature of soaps!?  I don't care! Give me EJami scenes with flirting and I'm a happy Ejammer.  The fact that Sydney was there too means awww... I (almost) have my perfect EJamily... just add Johnny! *runs back to watch Monday's epi*

Farah Fath Angered At Online Fans

The Internet has been a buzzing all day with debate over recent comments made by former Days of our lives, and current One Life To Live star Farah Fath on her official Myspace page.

The actress recently posted the following as her status message:

"has her middle finger up to the posters on TWOP & SON most everyday. i give it my all in every show. please stop talking sh*t about me for one g*ddamn minute."

Since then the actress has been getting increased criticism stating that she needs to "man up" and take what is said online with a grain of salt.

So Farah has responded to these people with a recent status change to the following:

"Farah Fath understands she's in the field of scrutiny. But doesn't understand how she can be scrutinized for standing up for herself. so sue me.."

I personally am on Farah's side, I believe she has a right to just get fed up with the crap every now and again. At the same time this is the internet which is full of jerks, so if you can't stand the heat get out of the message boards I guess.

But that's enough about how I feel, what are your thoughts on Farah-gate? Are you Team-Farah or Team-GET OFF MY SCREEN! ? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

What Makes A Good Promo?

Hey Gang! The name's John and I am the resident soap-wiki and newest blogger for Denial Island! YAY! So let's kick things off with a bang shall we?

For my first post I thought what better subject to take on then what makes a good soap promo?

#1. A good story:

Not even the best promo in the world can salvage a horrible story! It's just not doable.

#2. Good ACTING!

#1 and #2 go hand and hand together don't you think?

And finally #3. GOOD MUSIC

The best promo's (in my opinion) are those that have THE BEST music. I don't mean the simplistic kind that you kinda rock out to every now and again, but the kind that makes you rush out to iTunes to buy the single! Those songs are what make or break a good promo.

So that's enough yapping, let's look at some examples shall we?

First up we have the UK promo for Home and Away.




As you can see the promo shows all three of the qualities i discussed above. From the 'killer' story with Belle's (Jessica Tovey) cancer, to the hit song "Untouched" by The Veronica's this promo had it all.

Another amazing example given by Home and Away aired during the early part of 2009.



Again we have an amazing song performed by the shows (then) newest star Axel Whitehead, and amazing storyline's and performances promoted.

But then again not all promo's need amazing "vocal" music, a bit of light background noise can completely set the tone as shown in Neighbours 2010 promo




So what do you think makes a good promo? And what are some of your favorite soap promos? Post the links and I may make a post just highlighting some of your favorites!

So Many Soaps, So Little Time

Okay, I have a major dilemma soap peeps! While I would love to watch all the soaps every day (even the crappy ones), having a FT job and going to school makes it impossible. I have to decide which soaps I’m going to watch and which ones I’ll be dropping for now. This is so hard because I have a long & tortured history with each show. I know I’m going to keep watching EastEnders on YouTube, but other than that, I’m not sure. I’d love to hear your comments on the shows – what you like, what you hate. Here’s a list of shows w/ Pros and Cons. Help me decide, lol!


Pros: Pratt is GONE. David is one of my favorite villains. A mostly great cast.

Cons: Too many actors who still haven’t learned to act. Yet another Colby recast that isn’t working. Jesse and Angie are the only couple I’m invested in. The memory of Ryrica is burned into my brain forever.


Pros: Great cast. The show is ending soon – okay, that’s not a “Pro” but it’s a good reason to watch.

Cons: The Mick/James story – WTF?? Martha needs to come back as Lily…seriously. One weird trauma after another for Luke and Noah. I haven’t watched in a loooong time, and I haven’t really missed it.


Pros: The always fabulous Susan Flannery! Half the cast is great. Usually very entertaining. Only a half hour long.

Cons: I don’t care what they tell me, Ridge is not desirable and women would never fight over him…ever. The Logan women. Pretty kids that can’t act. Being constantly reminded of the dangers of plastic surgery (Hunter – WHY???)


Pros: Nostalgia – Of the shows still on the air, this is the one I’ve been watching the longest. Victor’s zingers. Hope/Bo/Carly triangle. Drool-worthy men. The possibility they’ll someday bring back my beloved Billy Warlock (Frankie).

Cons: Melanie Layton makes me want to stuff my ears with cotton and stick a hot poker in my eye. Bye-Bye Vets. Younger actors that can’t act. Dialogue that's painful to listen to. Did I mention Melanie Layton?


Pros: JaSam! Sam! Kelly Monaco! Terrific cast, a show with the fewest “weak” links in terms of actors. Younger actors that can actually act. The possibility they’ll someday bring back my beloved Billy Warlock (AJ). When GH is good, it’s really good.
(*note: for JaSam fans out there, I recommend JaSam Radio on BlogTalk Radio. You can listen live and participate in the chat room or listen to the shows later. It’s a lot of fun :) Their twitter is @JaSamRadio1 )

Cons: When GH is bad, it’s really bad. The blatant disrespect TPTB have for women: female characters, actresses and viewers. Plot holes you can drive a truck through. Missed opportunities and constantly wasting wonderful actors. I'm so tired of Sonny's Magic P*nis and Super Sperm. Elizabeth Webber probably won’t be killed off anytime soon.


Pros: FAB cast of veterans that are actually used. My massive crush on Brian Kerwin. Ripple-effect storytelling. It’s usually last in the ratings – not a “Pro” but I feel like I should support it.

Cons: Too many violent creeps/rapists running around town in the past few years. Todd, the degenerate pig, is their “romantic lead” and I’m supposed to believe women would fight over him?? Ron Campivati’s writing just goes too far for me sometimes. I haven’t watched in awhile and I only miss it a little.

Pros: They use vets! Doug Davidson is Killing It! No matter what, there are usually two stories that have me riveted (right now it’s Patty/Emily and Adam vs. Everyone). The possibility they’ll someday bring back my beloved Billy Warlock (Ben) – yeah okay, that one’s a stretch, lol.

Cons: A few younger actors that can’t act (though they seem to be fixing that). Some of the couples and characters are Snoreville!

*************************

Tough decision. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the shows!!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938 (and various other aliases)

So, Do You Like Melanie?

The results from last week's poll is in - and now we know if you like Melanie (Molly Burnett) from Days of Our Lives or not... and with 58% of the vote, the Yes's win! 34% said No, and 6% said they Didn't Care.  I'll work hard on finding a character you do care about haha.

What about the Debate results?  Well, I'm still trawling through the chat transcript and I've managed to get it down to 10 pages (seriously, these people know how to chat), so when I've cut a bit more, I'll post it here.

Days: Sydney's Homecoming

The wait is finally over!  EJ's brought Sydney home to Sami on Days of our Lives.  This vid is a sneak peek at Monday's episode (March 8) and it warms my Ejamily heart awwww!  Now I'm not up to watching these episode's yet, still making my way through February in order to be ready for the Great Melanie Debate this weekend, but I can say this: NOT BEFORE TIME!  My gosh, could the writers have dragged out the Sydnapping ANY longer??  Well of course they could have (lol), but this was still waaaay too long.  I think it's way too long and I'm only up to watching the February 10 episode (at time of posting this blog).

By the way, a little heads up about next week's poll - Did the Sydnapping go on for too long?  I'll be posting it on Monday, along with the results of this week's poll about whether you like Melanie or not (go vote now if you haven't already!)

The Great Melanie Debate

This weekend something unique is happening.   SoapOperaBabble (Melanie S) and I do not see eye-to-eye about the character of Melanie Layton (portrayed by Molly Burnett) on Days of our Lives.

When Melanie L first came onto our screens in 2008, neither Melanie S nor myself were fans.  In fact, we wished Melanie L had been killed instead of her "then" father Trent Robbins (Roscoe Born).  Slowly over time (and I, unlike Melanie S, watch DOOL regularly), I have come to appreciate Melanie L's wit and charm; putting simply, I like her more and don't grit my teeth when she's onscreen.  Melanie S on the other hand, quite simply, can't stand her.  Needless to say, we have quite interesting (read: hilarious) discussions about her when we skype chat/IM/email.

Now that we have the blog, we've decided to have a debate about Melanie L and then post (some) it on here. Only now a few of our Twitter friends are planning to join us.  On the pro-Melanie L side is myself (Denial Island), 411 on Soaps' Peter and Soap Opera Source's William; joining Melanie S on the anti- side is 411 on Soaps' Gigi (Gigi4462).  On the fence is our good friend over at One View on Llanview who also watches DOOL, Nicole (Disneysoapfan).

Stay tuned for the debate - you wont have to wait long, last I heard we were holding it this coming weekend (March 6-7)!  So until then, please post any comments or YouTube clips you think may help either argument, and lookout for some pre-debate tweets by searching #GreatMelanieDebate on Twitter!

PS. Isn't it annoying when the soap characters you *hate* share the same name as you? :P Mel!!