Newbie Babble: EastEnders, Coronation Street, Neighbours, Hollyoaks & Emmerdale

Hi everyone! This is a bit of a random post. A few weeks ago, with the encouragement of Denial Island residents SoapWikiJohn and Brooke, I started watching UK and Aussie soaps again. I've watched EastEnders on and off for about 2 1/2 years and would occasionally catch Neighbours. I've also seen some Corrie DVDs. But that's it. My reluctance to start up with non-US soaps is that once I get into the shows, my 'supplier' suddenly disappears and I'm left hanging, desperately searching for a new 'supplier' (or should I say, desperately asking SWJ to search for a new 'supplier'). But hey, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. So for the last 2 weeks I've watched the UK shows EastEnders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and the Aussie soap Neighbours.

I've got a theory on what hooks people on a soap. Sure, there's good writing, acting and quality of production but for me it's this: If there's a character I love, a character I hate and a character I have a crush on - I'm hooked! So, here's my love/hate/crush round-up for my 'new' shows (in fave to least fave order):

EastEnders:
Love: the Masoods, Whitney, Ricky, Pat and Dot
Hate: Janine, sometimes Phil
Crush: No One. Every time I get a crush on someone they leave: Jase, Sean, poor sweet Bradley :(
Random Thoughts: Despite not having anyone to drool over, I love EE. While US shows make me cry maybe twice a year, EE has me crying every few episodes. I know people think it's too dark and depressing (they have a point), but what can I say? I don't mind that lol. The Ronnie/Kat/Baby Switch story killed me. And Jack breaking down the other day? *sob*

Neighbours:
Love: Lucas, Paul, Jade (at first, I thought I hated her but...she's so scary when she's pissed and she always seems on the verge of kicking someone's ass. How can I not love her??)
Hate: There's no one I really hate, but Tash and dare I say it...Susan...get on my nerves
Crush: Lucas, Paul
Random Thoughts: I really like this show which is surprising considering how 'family friendly' it is. But with such a tiny cast are there enough women to go around?

Coronation Street:
Love: Carla (I want to be her!), Liz (why did she have to leave??), Becky (why does she have to leave??)
Hate: Frank and Chris (apparently it's ok he beat his wife because he's sorry now?), Tracy (I like the actress, but UGH I just want someone to punch the character in the face.)
Crush: Tommy (Chris Fountain is hot!)
Random Thoughts: I love that Stephanie Cole (Waiting for God) is on the show!

Emmerdale:
Love: Jackson & Hazel
Hate: The Dingles, Kelly (but she's Love to Hate)
Crush: Uhm...Carl maybe?
Random Questions: Why do so many people look like they've just stepped out of a nightclub? Why do Kelly and Nicola want Jimmy? What's with the matching mother/daughter trailer trash look of the Dingle Dopes?

Hollyoaks:
Love: no one yet
Hate: uhm..Warren maybe? Brendan maybe?
Crush: uhm...Warren maybe?
Random Thoughts: I don't mind watching the show but nothing has really pulled me in yet. I'm also having trouble keeping everyone straight, especially the women. I do like the theme and opening credits. And hey, there's an American! I'm also intrigued/frightened by Brendan.

Which UK/Aussie soaps do you watch? Who do you love/hate/have a crush on?
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Oprah Winfrey Says Soaps Are Over in YouTube Message

As most of you know, many soap fans have been asking Oprah to help save All My Children and One Life to Live by possibly moving those shows to her newly created network OWN (humbly titled Oprah Winfrey Network.) In a YouTube video she's just released, not only does Winfrey say No, but she essentially tells fans soap operas are dead calling them "an institution that for all intent and all purpose indicates that that time has come for it to be over."

Watch the full video:

DISLIKE! I find it interesting that Winfrey could have just said she wouldn't be able to help, but she decided instead to tell fans that there was no hope for the soap genre. A little strange, no? I've heard people say that OWN is funded in part by Disney, but I'm not sure of that (if someone has a link to that info, please post it in the comments!) But I do know this - Oprah has had a long and profitable relationship with ABC/Disney - they helped make her rich and famous, so with that in mind, this script - oops, I mean message - isn't such a surprise.

I'm certainly not going to let the Big 0 discourage me. She's not right about everything (remember "Beloved"?) Good luck to her and OWN - I hear they have tons of reality shows - oh boy, just what we need more of! I won't be watching...

What do you guys think? Was Winfrey just telling it like it is? Did she go too far in declaring the genre to be over? Do you think Anne Sweeney or Brian Frons wrote that script for her? (I'm only half-joking on that one)

Keep the Faith Soapies!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Will General Hospital Be Cancelled Too?

Ever since ABC announced they were cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live soap fans have been writing, calling, emailing, tweeting, blogging and facebook-ing in protest. Though it's now a cliche to paraphrase Network's Howard Beale, it's still fitting: soap fans are mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore! The results have been astounding: Hoover is dropping their ads on ABC in protest (will Hershey soon follow?), the mainstream media has taken notice of our little revolution and even ABC has been forced to acknowledge the uproar (in a condescending and patronizing way, of course.) But amidst all the campaigning, many of us have been asking repeatedly, what about the other soaps? And specifically, what about the last ABC soap standing: General Hospital? I think most will agree, it doesn't look good. Many have theorized (and I agree) that the only reason GH hasn't been cancelled yet is because completely changing that 3 hour block would have been too drastic. The compromise was to cancel AMC and OLTL in two stages, with GH to go later.

Word On The Street:
We don't do much spoiling/rumors/gossip here. We've got some great friends in the know, but for the most part we keep things to ourselves (we don't want to get our friends in trouble!) But I will say this, a friend who is usually right on the money has told us: General Hospital: Sept 2012 - possibly earlier. The decision is not final, some of it depends on how well the replacement shows do. But we can expect a decision/announcement early 2012.

I'm not telling you this to discourage you or to offer a 'scoop' or whatever (like I said, that's not our thing here at Denial Island.) I'm saying it because 1. I believe it to be true and 2. Because we should use this information as Motivation. It really is do or die time and as hard as we've fought so far, we need to fight even harder. My friend says to keep going after the sponsors and to target advertisers that run ads "across the Disney spectrum" - she specifically names Novartis as a good target because they advertise on all Disney networks.

Spoiler Diva Ravenbeauty recently wrote in her column:
Disney needs to feel it the most or it means very little. This means addressing Disney's sponsors as well as ABC's. This means focusing a little more on Disney themselves, and their products. We need to contact the heads at Disney, and tell them that we will no longer take our families to Disneyland or Disneyworld, and will not buy their products or services any longer and why (which is our right). We have been doing some very good work here (and have made progress), but we are only giving them flesh wounds when we need to be aiming for the heart. From what I was told, Disney finds this all very amusing, even though ABC does not. If we get to Disney, it will trickle down to ABC with some real force.

Let's Keep Fighting!
So I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to keep fighting! I will continue to make calls, write letters and emails to the networks, their sponsors and also to soap and mainstream media. If you notice, towards the top of the page on our blog, we've got links for each soap. Click on those links to get their contact info (if you see any incorrect info or have contact info to add, please let us know!) I will also continue to boycott all ABC shows (except for the daytime soaps.)

ABC hurt us by cancelling our shows, so let's hurt them back! Maybe now they'll think twice about messing with soaps and their fans! This may truly be General Hospital's last chance.

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

'Cool Beans' Webshow Preview

It's the week of soap actors publishing new material to YouTube! Kaiya Jones (Sophie Ramsay, Neighbours) tweeted about the preview of her new webshow, Cool Beans and it's looks cute! The full episode will be released to YouTube on May 1 and I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Subscribe to Yellow Taiyer Productions here.

The Miss Funny Girls

Have you watched this yet? Not really sure what to make of it yet, but the girls all look like they're having fun! Welcome to The Miss Funny Girls. I spotted Rachel Melvin (ex-Chelsea, DOOL) and Shayna Rose (ex-Stephanie, DOOL) in this vid, and I read on twitter than Martha Madison (ex-Belle, DOOL) and Lindsay Gareth (and probably a few others) are also part of the group.

I'm intrigued to see what they come up with next.

Follow The Miss Funny Girls on twitter and subscribe to their YouTube page here.

The British Soap Awards 2011

 

The final round of voting is now open for the British Soap Awards 2011. You can vote in the following categories:

• Sexiest Male
• Sexiest Female
• Villain of the Year
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best British soap

Voting is open to viewers outside of the UK (yay!). Just enter a valid email address and you can vote away! So go vote now!

The British Soap Awards will be broadcast in May on ITV1.

Home and Away: Is Nicole Having Second Thoughts?

That's the question being asked during spoiler previews of upcoming Home and Away scenes.  What do you think? Nicole (Tessa James) looks pretty happy in this spoiler pic - will she give the baby to Marilyn (Emily Symons) as planned after all?

Axle Whitehead's New Single: Sister Sunshine

Axle Whitehead (Liam Murphy, Home and Away) has been back in the music studios after a three year break and the first single - Sister Sunshine - from his upcoming album has been released. This vid features an acoustic version of the song; check it out and tell us what you think!

If you love it lots, buy the single now on Aussie iTunes for $1.69.

Memorable Soap Deaths 4: BJ on General Hospital

Hey guys, I'm back with another edition of Memorable Soap Deaths! Is this a little morbid? Sure. But what can I say, I love a good cry and nothing makes me blubber like the death of a beloved character - when it's done right. Normally I pick 3 deaths, but I think I'll change things up a bit and pick 1 for each edition from now on. So...let's get ready to cry!

When It's Done Right: BJ Jones, General Hospital
I thought it was appropriate to feature BJ's death & the BJ/Maxie heart transplant story (from 1994), since Guza desperately tried to copy it for the Jake's death & Jake/Josslyn heart transplant story. While the Jake story is a failure (read my reasons why Here), the BJ story was soap opera at its best. The acting was excellent, the writing was perfect and each beat of the story was played perfectly.

After BJ is in a school bus accident, she's declared brain dead with no chance of recovery. Meanwhile, her cousin Maxie is in need of a heart transplant. BJ's parents, Tony and Bobbie, make the decision to donate BJ's heart to Maxie. This is a very abbreviated version of the story, showing only some of the high points of selected scenes. But we get some fantastic stuff here, including Frisco and Felicia (Maxie's parents) finding out their daughter will live because their niece died. *sniff* *sniff*

Click here for more:
Memorable Soap Deaths 1 - soapwikijohn's picks (EastEnders, Hollyoaks)
Memorable Soap Deaths 2 (Santa Barbara, General Hospital, One Life to Live)
Memorable Soap Deaths 3 (Loving, Young and the Restless, Guiding Light)

So what soap deaths are most memorable for you? Let us know!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Cleo Magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors List 2011

So we talked a little bit about this last year when Home and Away's Luke Mitchell (Romeo) and Axle Whitehead (Liam), and Neighbours' Sam Clark (ex-Ringo) were all nominated for Cleo Magazine's Bachelor of the Year 2010. The nominees for the 2011 competition were announced ages ago - in fact, the winner was announced as I wrote this blog, but here are the Aussie soap actors who were deemed hawt and worthy...

Neighbours

Scott McGregor

Scott McGregor - plays Detective Mark Brennan - joined Neighbours in the last 6 months, his character refused to take part in the nude calendar all the boys were being photographed for to help raise money to fund the rebuild of Lyn's house... to the great shame of all the viewers!!

Scott would have got my vote for the following Q&A:

Q: Your Bachelor campaign slogan?

A: "If I win, I'll do a nudie run down Bourke Street Mall! Promise!"

(for those outside of Australia, Bourke Street Mall is in Melbourne and gets quite busy with shoppers...)


To drool over Scott some more, visit his profile at Cleo magazine.

Dan Ewing

Home and Away

Dan Ewing - plays Heath Braxton - not new to the soap, more of a returning character. This year Dan's storyline (I believe) involves 'The River Boys'.

Dan got points from me for the following Q&A:

Q. You don't understand why women...

A. Who are over 18 are attracted to Justin Bieber. Why?

Dan, I'm your new best friend!

To read more Q&A from Dan, visit his profile at Cleo magazine.

Eamon Sullivan

To see the full shortlist of Cleo's eligible bachelors for 2011, click here.


Postscript: Literally, as I typed this blog, the winner was announced: Aussie swimmer Eamon Sullivan, but second was Home and Away's Dan Ewing! Congrats Dan!

Home and Away Cast Appearance for Good Friday Appeal

It's nearly time for Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Good Friday Appeal and this year cast members from Home and Away will be making an appearance at the hospital for the kiddies.

Luke Mitchell (Romeo), Rebecca Breeds (Ruby), Esther Anderson (Charlie), David Jones-Roberts (Xavier) and Jay Laga'aia (Elijah) will be at RCH in the morning, and then signing autographs at Etihad Stadium (near the Channel 7 studios) from 12.30-2pm.


The Good Friday Appeal is televised from Etihad Stadium and admission is free, so if you're in Melbourne over Easter, wander down to spot your favourite Channel 7 celebrity as well as sports stars - which in Melbourne probably means Aussie Rules Football players!

For more information, visit the Good Friday Appeal website.
Click here to make a donation to the Good Friday Appeal.
Find the Good Friday Appeal on facebook here.

Home and Away #5278: Romeo's Surf School

On tonight's Australian aired episode of Home and Away, Romeo (Luke Mitchell) reveals his plans for the future to Liam (Axle Whitehead). Apparently Romeo has decided to leave school and this is what he plans to do. Above is a screenshot of his advertisement. Well, I think it's a winner!!

I must confess I have no idea why Romeo is leaving school - I'm guessing this is a PSA storyline about why kiddies should stay in school. Regardless, I am months behind in my Home and Away catchup (think July 2010), but while I was removing ads from tonight's epi, this screenshot just caught my attention and I had to share it with y'all!

For more Home and Away news and goss, visit their website.

OLTL's Catherine Hickland Rips Brian Frons a New One!

Brian Frons should know better than to mess with a Daytime Diva! Catherine Hickland (OLTL, Loving/The City) has been very vocal about the cancellation of OLTL and AMC on twitter, and now she's written a very revealing (and passionate) piece on her blog about it. It's called "No More Love in the Afternoon" and boy has she ripped Brian Frons a new one!

Here's just a little taste of it:

“The ratings kept declining” he will spin. And I say

“Yes, well that was the plan, wasn’t it?” Isn’t that what you have been doing with all of your character assassinating and lame story telling? Isn’t that what you’ve been doing micromanaging your producers, writers, and staff to insanity? Business 101 teaches that you hire super competent people and let them do their job. Control freaks find this nearly impossible, which is why they ultimately fail. Its pure arrogance to think that you know what the audience will accept on shows that they knew far, far better than you. They didn’t accept mediocrity, and for that, the viewers were punished? What’s wrong with this picture?

To be fair, she never mentions Brian Frons by name (why bother?), but it'll be clear to everyone who she's talking about. She also goes on to say, "In 30 years as an entertainer, I can not recall a more reviled executive." Wow.

While her comments about Frons are what are going to make headlines, there's so much more here. She perfectly voices our anger and sorrow over the loss of our shows and her treatment by HIM mirrors the way fans have felt they've been treated all these years. It's clear that Miss Hickland respects the genre, the people that work in the industry and the fans. She loves soap fans and I love her for that. She's talented, intelligent and has a kind and caring heart! My only regret? That this means we're probably not going to see Lindsay returning to One Life To Live before the finale (full disclosure: I'm a huge fan of the Nora vs. Lindsay rivalry - I love them both!)

Here's a link to the blog
Here's a link to Catherine's twitter
To visit Catherine's site, click here

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

My Take on the ABC Soap Fiasco

Wow, who would have thought that we would be 'here' again? It seems like just yesterday we got the news that Guiding Light was going off the air, and Passions before it. We only JUST digested the ending of As the World Turns and yet once again we are here grieving the loss of not one but TWO legendary programs All My Children and One Life to Live.

Now it is important to note that the fight is not yet over, but with that said I am just going to write about my take on this whole situation as it currently stands.

Should the soaps have been canceled?

No one wants to honestly answer this question, we have history with these shows, we love them, and we know that there is every chance that the shows 'could' improve and return to the amazing status of yester-year. But with that said, both shows have been less than perfect as of late, and if we are going to be completely honest All My Children has been dang near unwatchable for a very long time, and if this was ANY type of Primetime show we would be championing the cancellation so we could potentially get new content that we would fall in love with, but because it is daytime, if we 'wish' cancellation upon any of the soaps we are treated as villains, and to an extent rightfully so. But let's look at the situation at All My Children. You have got to look at the entire situation at All My Children. The show was moved across the country, got a new writing regime, and continued to produce lack-luster programming for over a year.

It was really given a fighting chance, but TIIC did not rise to the occasion and save the show, thus it is dead.

Now on the other hand I do give a lot more credit to Frank Valentini / Ron Carlavati then my co-blogger Mel might. Mel completely feels that Ron C was the end of One Life to Live and I guess to an extent she is right. But while One Life to Live has its fair share of issues, it has been consistently the better soap produced here in the U.S.A.

But what is that saying? Soaps here in the states have consistently been slipping in regards to quality. While the rest of the world has adapted and treated viewers with respect, we in the states have been treated like imbeciles with stories of doppelgangers and back from the dead. We shake our head, write angry blog post, but continue to watch because there is no alternative.

If tomorrow I became Head of ABC, I would have looked at the daytime line up, cussed and asked why this horrific programming is on my lineup, and probably proceeded to make drastic changes from the top on down and give the show a year to turn everything around, or else face the axe.

From strictly a 'quality' standpoint I agree with the choice to axe both of these programs.

With that said, I believe that the replacements for these soaps should have been maybe The Chew and two half hour, quality written soaps. Maybe cut One Life to Live to a half hour and give the other half hour to a brand new streamlined soap with one or two Vets as the big draw, but do everything possible to keep the budget low. Home and Away reportedly has a very low budget, and a VERY high return due to international licensing and high cast turn over, so do that for a new soap. Just come up with new ideas and revitalize this genre.

I do think axing two soaps at the same time was dumb, they should have at least taken the CBS model of axing one soap this year, and then another next year, that way the blow is not as harsh.

With that said the decision has been made, and it is time for us as soap fans to mobilize and try to find these shows another home, and more importantly help keep the ones we have on the air.

That does NOT however mean we should simply stop complaining about the quality of these shows and just be thankful that the shows are on the air. I have heard countless times since the ABC announcement that we need to just watch the shows, and that quality writing doesn't save anything, but at the end of the day if a show has quality writing and I am involved in the characters, storylines, and other elements of the show, than I am going to promote it and get more people to watch it, whereas I cannot in good faith tell ANYONE to watch Days of Our Lives, All My Children or any of the other shows on the daytime lineup as they currently stand.

In closing, it is time to end on a downer, because I am hearing, from a very reliable source, that General Hospital is on the block, with a decision being made about it in January. If we want to save that soap we need to start acting now and not wait for the final moments when the axe has already swung.

I am upset and frustrated by this whole situation as well, and I wish I was not here writing this piece, but at the end of the day we are, and while I am upset with the choices that have been made up to this point, I can somehow rationalize the decision to cancel these shows, but I do not in any way agree with their replacements.

What is your take on this fiasco? Am I crazy? Have I lost my mind? Let me know in the comments below or on twitter @Soapwikijohn.

Hoover Pulls Ads from ABC in Support of Soap Opera Fans!

Big Score for Soap Fans!!! After being flooded wth letters and emails from soap fans, Hoover has decided to pull their ads from ABC. Here's what Hoover's VP of Marketing wrote on their facebook page:

To all the loyal ABC soap fans,

I want you to know from me personally that we hear you loud and clear. My wife and mother are both passionate viewers of All My Children and One Life to Live, as are many of my colleagues here at Hoover. We were and are as disappointed with this news as you are.

In fact, we will discontinue our advertising with ABC this Friday, 4/22. We're making every attempt to pull our spots from these programs sooner.

Because we feel that’s not enough, we also want to help get your voice heard with ABC. So, we’ve set up a special email address, SaveTheSoaps@Hoover.com, to help pull together the mass emotional outpouring of support for our beloved ABC soaps and get it to our contacts at ABC. Please, send your emails to us at SaveTheSoaps@Hoover.com, and we’ll get every, single last one of them to ABC.

We’re 150% committed to doing what matters most to you – so if there’s anything else we can do to help or you have any ideas, please email this address, and we will respond to you personally.

Thank you for standing up for what matters to you! We need more of that in this world.

Brian Kirkendall
Vice President of Marketing
Hoover.

Bravo Hoover!!! Since making the announcement Hoover's followers on twitter and facebook have skyrocketed! Please take a few minutes to email them, tweet them and leave a message on facebook thanking them for their support! Unlike ABC, Hoover listens to and appreciates soap fans!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Chelsea Handler Disses OLTL's Robin Strasser II: Robin Strikes Back!

Hey guys! Sorry I'm posting this so late. I wasn't feeling too well this weekend (I blame ABC!)

As most of you know, Chelsea Handler dissed One Life to Live Diva Robin Strasser a couple of weeks ago on her show Chelsea Lately (to watch a clip and read our initial blog on it, click HERE).

After it was announced that ABC was cancelling OLTL and AMC, I called Robin's hotline to listen to her reaction, and Surprise Surprise, towards the end of the call Robin brought up Chelsea! Robin laughed, called Chelsea a b*tch and then joked that she'd gotten more airtime on Chelsea Lately than she had on OLTL that week! Robin obviously has a terrific sense of humor!

There were so many calls to Robin's line that the system crashed! Unfortunately, it looks like the line will be down for a little while. Last I heard, Robin said the tech people were going to try and salvage the message (sorry, can't remember where I read that, otherwise I would link to the article.)

It's hard to believe that Chelsea Handler has her own show, but our beloved Robin (along with so many other talented people) will soon be unemployed. :(

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Jessica Tovey on Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo

Part one of ABC1's mini series Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo aired tonight in Australia, starring Asher Keddie (Nina, Offspring) as Ita Buttrose, Rob Carlton as Kerry Packer, and former Home and Away actress Jessica Tovey (ex-Belle Taylor) as Leslie Carpenter.

Paper Giants is the story of the creation of Australian women's magazine Cleo. ABC Australia website provides the following synopsis:

In 1972, two ambitious, young upstarts, Ita Buttrose and Kerry Packer, created Cleo, a bold and naughty magazine that became one of the most dramatic sensations in Australian publishing history.

Bold and naughty is right! Cleo was the first magazine to feature a naked male centrefold (Australian actor Jack Thompson), which in 1972 was very risque. Even still, the centrefold was not full nudity, with Thompson's hand artistically draped over his body. Regardless, the idea of publishing a nude male centerfold in a women's magazine had the tongues wagging - Cleo was accused of being the female equivalent of porn!  And all because it educated women on birth control, sexual pleasures and featured an almost naked man. The shame!

Paper Giants concludes with part two tonight (Monday) at 8.30pm (AEST) on ABC1.

Are Soap Fans Slowing Down Twitter?

Since the news of One Life To Live and All My Children's cancellation, the social networking site Twitter has at least for this blogger slown down to a screeching halt, is this because the power of the soap fans?

One Life to Live and All My Children AXED

The soap sky has finally fallen down on us, and both programs have officially been axed.

Here is the press release (followed by a statement by me):

ABC EVOLVES THE FACE OF DAYTIME TELEVISION WITH THE LAUNCH OF TWO NEW SHOWS, "THE CHEW" AND "THE REVOLUTION"
Iconic Shows "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" Will Broadcast Their Final Episodes in September 2011 and January 2012, Respectively; Series Will Sunset in a Manner That Honors Viewers and the Shows' Creative Legacies
Guided by extensive research into what today's daytime viewers want and the changing viewing patterns of the audience, ABC is evolving the face of daytime television with the launch of two new shows, "The Chew," which will premiere in September 2011, and "The Revolution" (working title), which will premiere in January 2012. These new shows expand ABC Daytime's focus to include more programming that is informative and authentic and centers on transformation, food and lifestyle -- cornerstones of programming that resonates with daytime viewers as evidenced by the success of "The View."
As food has become the center of everyone's life, "The Chew" will focus on food from EVERY angle -- as a source of joy, health, family ritual, friendship, breaking news, dating, fitness, weight loss, travel adventures and life's moments. Produced by Gordon Elliot, the Emmy Award-winning executive producer of "Paula Deen's Home Cooking" and "Down Home with the Neelys," this new one-hour series combines entertaining takeaway with memorable personalities to create a live show where viewers get the dish on anything and everything related to the world of food and beyond. Whether it's new trends like food trucks and urban gardens or how pesticides in our food may affect our health, we can't stop talking about it. The hosts who will guide the hour include Mario Batali (Restaurateur, Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and author); entertaining expert Clinton Kelly (TLC's "What Not to Wear"); Carla Hall (Bravo's "Top Chef"); Michael Symon (Restaurateur and Food Network's "Iron Chef America"), and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, who simplifies often confusing information about food.
From Executive Producer JD Roth and 3 Ball Productions, producers of "The Biggest Loser," "Masterchef" and ABC's upcoming "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition," comes "The Revolution," a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations. The show is hosted by a team of experts and rotating guest contributors who help viewers transform all areas of their lives, from relationships to family, food, style, home design, finance and more. This dream team, led by fashion expert Tim Gunn, also includes celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and American Idol alum Kimberley Locke. The show features a unique concept: each week one woman's five-month weight loss journey will unfold in just five days, with daily results and a final transformational reveal on Friday. "The Revolution" is a one-stop shop for better living.
"While we are excited about our new shows and the shift in our business, I can't help but recognize how bittersweet the change is," said Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney ABC/Television Group. "We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days. They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on 'real life' takeaways. A perfect example of this is 'The View,' and that factored into our decision. 'The Chew' and 'The Revolution' are in the same vein and will be great additions to the lineup, with 'The View' serving as an ideal foundation from which to launch these programs. They will also provide enormous opportunity for the creation of ancillary businesses and growth."
"General Hospital," the second-most popular show in daytime, is not impacted by this announcement and will remain on the air.
To honor the core, passionate audience and their rich history with our soaps, "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will conclude each series in a manner that respects their legacies and the longstanding hopes of many of their viewers.
"'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture's history," reflected Frons. "Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history."
None of this could have been possible without the extraordinary Agnes Nixon. "More than 40 years ago, Agnes Nixon created both the worlds of 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live,' worlds that the rest of us have been privileged to live in," said Frons. "Her shows led the way forward, breaking a lot of rules along the way to defy expectations about what soaps can do and the issues they can cover.
I am honored to have worked with her."
"All My Children" has revolved around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley, a town which closely resembles the Philadelphia Main Line. "All My Children" took home the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. "All My Children" has received more than 30 Emmy Awards and consistently distinguishes itself in the field of daytime drama. The show has historically been committed to and is often the first to tackle social issues, focusing on such topics as AIDS, abortion, cochlear implants, teenage alcoholism, racial bias, acquaintance rape, spousal abuse, homosexuality, Reyes syndrome, Vietnam MIAs, drug abuse, the risks of motherhood over 40, safe sex, pet therapy and organ donations, among others. The show made television history airing daytime television's first same-sex kiss between two lesbian characters, as well as daytime television's first same sex wedding between two women. It was the first to chronicle the coming-out story of a transgender woman and to cast a real life Iraq War veteran whose story reflected his real life experiences and injuries incurred in combat.
"All My Children" premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. Julie Hanan Carruthers is executive producer.
Also created by Agnes Nixon, Emmy Award-winning "One Live to Live" is set in the fictional town of Llanview, which is modeled on a Philadelphia suburb. "One Life to Live" debuted on The ABC Television Network July 15, 1968 as a half-hour show. Ten years later, it grew to a full hour in 1978.
"One Life to Live" has been lauded for its groundbreaking exploration of social issues, diverse canvas, award-winning performances and innovative storylines. Along with the history-making week of live shows in May 2002, "One Life to Live" is responsible for many "firsts" in Daytime television, including stories of interracial romance, illiteracy, medical misdiagnosis, racial prejudice, gang violence and teen pregnancy. The show received mass critical acclaim for its 1992 homophobia storyline, which captured national headlines when it introduced the character of a gay teen (played by then unknown Ryan Phillippe) and culminated with the emotional display of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. "One Life to Live" was honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with the Outstanding Daytime Drama Award in 1993, and again in 2005 and 2010.
In 2002 the show won its first-ever Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and was nominated again in 2007 and 2008. Created by Agnes Nixon, "One Life to Live" debuted on July 15, 1968 and marked its 10,000th episode on August 17, 2007. Frank Valentini executive-produces.

So where do we go now? I really wish I had the answer. I don't think NBC or CBS will pick up either program, so if I was going to truly try and talk someone into picking up these shows I would look at the cable networks such as Lifetime and OWN and really hope we can persuade them.

It is a really sad day for soap fans...

Neighbours #6139: Toadie Shows His Vulnerable Side

Who can resist a crying man? Not me! Tonight on Neighbours we got our real first glimpse at just how upset Toadie (Ryan Moloney) is over Sonya's (Eve Morey) revealed secret. So far we've seen anger and betrayal, but not so much hurt and vulnerability. Well, in the above pictured scene with Lucas (Scott Major), it was there in spades! Kudos to Ryan.

I've had much more sympathy for Sonya this week, but only because the writing has been to that persuasion. However, seeing Toadie produce the tears tonight has helped sway me back in his direction. In fact, I'm totally believing the acting by all those involved - Callum (Morgan Baker) looks suitably torn and lost at the same time, Toadie is all shades of angry and scared, and Sonya is remorseful and regretful. I just love it when Neighbours gets it right, and so far they've got this story right.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

Cornelia Frances OUT Again at Home and Away

It's official, Cornelia Frances, has once again wrapped up her filming stint at the Australian soap Home and Away. The actress has expressed a desire to stay, and I really don't understand why the writers and producers don't keep her. She is an Australian soap vet (having served on Home and Away, Sons and Daughters, and others) and yet she is treated as a yo-yo constantly coming and going, when there is so much story to tell with the character of Morag.

Are you sad to see her go? Or do you think Morag's place has come and gone? Let me know in the comments below.

SoapWikiJohn Reporting For SoapyDuty!

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to take a quick moment to apologize to everyone for being absent these past few months. Things here, much like the soap world, have been hectic, but I have been keeping up with the news and everything that has gone on and I am back and better than ever!

I would like to thank Mel/Daisy/Nicki/Vicki/Slicksherhairup after taking sleeping pills and proceeds to rant and rave about the craziness of the soap operas babbling person, for holding down the fort! You have done a phenomenal job and I have truly enjoyed reading all of your columns as I am sure our readers have as well!

So what does my 'return' actually entail? Well I can tell you this much, I AM NOT going to be doing anything crazy like our Mel and trying to watch 11 (YES She watched ELEVEN soaps yesterday) soaps and then try and write about them. I love you guys but wow...its just emotionally draining lol.

My main thing for my return is going to be to have fun with the blog, as always. What does that mean exactly? Well we will just have to wait and see won't we? Anyways once again thank you all for coming to this site and reading and commenting on our work! Alright, ready? Set? Let's get started shall we?

Are Twitter and Facebook Replacing Traditional Soap Website Campaigns?

We at Denial Island Blog are curious. Where are the big online Save our Soap campaigns?

With all the rumours flying around about the potential cancellation of either One Life to Live or All My Children (or both), it's interesting that even though many bemoan the fate of soaps, not many in the soap media website world seem to be doing anything aggressively proactive about it. Who's marshaling the troops? Soap fans are the most passionate and supportive people out there!

After much research, we're left scratching our heads. Are none of our favourite soap media websites, who only exist because soaps do, taking up the challenge to the soap PTB with a Save Our Soaps campaign? They're encouraging fans to write in, but why haven't they been the ones organizing a structured, balls to the walls offensive? They have a huge number of soap fan readers/listeners that they can mobilize, and the contacts/sources to design really effective operations. They should be Campaign Central, spearheading the fight!

Instead, it appears the mantle is being taken up by more entrepreneurial soap fans, who set up numerous twitter and facebook accounts everyday in order to tap into and garner support for their fave soap, fired actor or most hated head writer. On that note, here are a few of our faves:

Twitter:
@BringBackCane - a twitter account set up when the US soap Young & the Restless favorite Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby, Y&R) was rumored fired in January 2011. Outcome? SUCCESSFUL

@FireFrons - pretty self explanatory, but for our non-US soapers, Brian Frons is the President of ABC Daytime and is notorious for meddling in the ABC soaps and not in a good way. Outcome? IN PROGRESS

@Shit_Ken_C_Says - Days of our Lives Executive Producer Ken Corday routinely gives interviews about DOOL spoilers (usually around sweeps time) seemingly without giving any thought to what he's saying and who it might offend; which it usually does. Outcome? JUST PLAIN FUNNY

@Save_ATWT - created in response to the now cancelled US soap As The World Turns. Outcome? :(

@FireDenaHigley - after killing two soaps to the point of difficult (yet not impossible) return, and now on her third, this twitter account about the current Head Writer of DOOL speaks for itself. Outcome? IN PROGRESS (but looking bleak)

@savejackandjenn - created to bring actor Matthew Ashford (ex-Jack, DOOL) back to DOOL after Melissa Reeves (Jennifer, DOOL) signed to return mid-2010. Outcome? IN PROGRESS

Facebook: click the links to learn more about each group.

• Save ABC's Soaps
• Soap Savers Inc
• Save One Life to Live and All My Children 
• Save One Life to Live from being cancelled

From what we’ve heard, fans’ efforts have been working! They’ve overwhelmed ABC with support for their shows with emails, phone calls and letters! Could you imagine what would have happened if the soap media organizations had not only encouraged fans to mobilize, but actually designed campaigns themselves?

Maybe what it really is, is websites are being usurped - it takes seconds to write a tweet or update a facebook status or start a facebook page to rally troops. Heck, it was probably faster to write this blog post (and that's taken 3 days). Maybe the soap sites think someone else will do it? Or maybe, soap websites just can't be bothered? Or maybe they don't think the status of soaps situation is serious enough to warrant such a big campaign? Denial Island Bloggers don't believe that for a second - anyone who takes any interest in the soapworld knows that the future of daytime soaps is not looking rosy.

So we want to know: do you guys think soap media sites/pods should be doing more to spearhead the Save Our Soaps campaigns? Or do you think keeping us up-to-date on the gossip and encouraging us to mobilize is more than enough?

NB: To the soap websites, we're not trying to have a go at you, honest. Ok, maybe just a little bit :P but really, it's just to spur you into action!

P.S. If anyone wants to let us know about or advertise any Soap Saving campaigns, please leave the info in the comment box!

Tom Casiello Leaving Young and the Restless!

Emmy winning writer Tom Casiello has announced he's leaving The Young and the Restless. After a long and successful career in soaps, he's decided to move on. Read his touching good-bye message here.

Casiello has been with Y&R since 2009 and held writing positions at ATWT, OLTL, and Days, as well as interning at Another World. He was also a contributor to Sam Ford's "The Survival of Soap Opera" (review coming soon!). During the 2008 writers strike, Casiello became a fan favorite in the soap community after starting a blog discussing soaps and his experiences as a writer and a fan.

That's when I discovered Casiello - his blog and subsequent interviews on various podcasts allowed fans to get a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes at their favorite shows. No juicy gossip or snarky b*tching, just an explanation of things from the perspective of a soap industry insider. He humanized TPTB (shaming me into not calling them "TIIC" anymore), making it clear that everyone wants what's best for our shows. During one interview, Casiello explained a story decision that was made for Days' Hope (I've forgotten the exact story/plot), and while I still didn't like it, I finally understand why it was done and that TPTB weren't "dumb" for doing it but in fact had a good reason for going in that direction. While the details of that interview are vague, one thing has stayed with me - that I should try to see things from TPTB's perspective instead of demonizing them.

Through his blog posts, interviews, tweets and facebook comments Casiello has proven himself to be not only a talented writer, but a thoughtful, kind and fair minded human being. Casiello has a love of the genre and a genuine affection and respect for the fans, and that was appreciated by all of us. While I'll be sad to see him leave the daytime soap world, I wish him much success in his future endeavors!

**Btw, one particularly awesome blog post of Casiello's was Soap-Opera Writing 101. If you want to write for soaps or are just curious about the process, I highly recommend you check this out. It's a step by step example of how it's done (using an aired Sami/EJ scene as a guide). Read it here.

Update: Since this was posted, it has been announced that Tom Casiello has been hired as part of the WWE writing team. Good Luck Tom!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Random Thoughts 4/11: Days of Our Lives

Some guy with an accent: "The DiMeras have a jail cell in their basement"
Vivian: "Well who doesn't?!"
Gold.

I have to say that Galen Gering is Rockin' It as Bad Rafe! Creepy, yet Hot! I don't like the story, but Galen has been unfailingly entertaining!

Ari did a great job reacting to Fay's death. I can't stand Nicole, but Ari is a terrific (and underrated) actress. But is it wrong that I giggled when Nicole and Taylor first found out Fay died? Arianne just kind of threw herself into Natalia. She almost knocked her down, lol! Fay's death was pretty amusing all around actually. I thought Taylor calling Brandon was a nice touch.

I have a strange fascination with Natalia Livingston as Taylor and the EJaylor stuff - it's the whole train wreck thing I guess. Anti-Chemistry 101. 

But I have to ask: What's up with Taylor's self-righteous attitude towards the DiMeras and Kiriakis'? As if the Walkers are any better? A psychotic rapist father, a money grubbing, child kidnapping, ex-porn star sister, and a brother that wasn't exactly Mr. Clean. Where does she get off passing judgment on anyone else's family??

*sigh* Just when I'm starting to like Philip (hot new haircut, sweetness towards Chloe) he's gonna leave :(

I've barely been watching DAYS over the last couple of years. I've watched the show since I was a kid, but in the last several years it's turned into a show I don't recognize. But I'm trying to hang in there! Got a lot of catching up to do, so forgive me if I'm hazy on characters and stories!

So, what did you guys think of the show? Love It? Hate It?

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Random Thoughts 04/11: General Hospital, All My Children, One Life to Live

GENERAL HOSPITAL
Lucky (inexplicably baring his soul to Jason):
"I can't escape the irony that Jake was conceived because of my addiction and he died because of my father's."
-Also Ironic: Elizabeth and Jason were drunk when Jake was conceived!
-Irony thy name is Jake: Jake was named after a bar!

Today Nik dumped the hottest chick in town so that he can have more time to brood over the misery that is his family's life. I have to say that I am really sad to see Brook Lynn (the talented and lovely Adrianne Leon) leave. I think she was a great addition to the cast and she was a good contrast to Maxie and Lulu. Plus, I would have loved a Brook Lynn/Matt hook up!

While I love it when Sam and Carly get along, the conversation between them today creeped me out. I get that Carly thinks a JaSam baby will heal Jason's wounds, but offering to carry the baby for Sam?? And did you see the little twinkle in Carly's eyes when she made that suggestion? I'm tired of Carly's obsession with Jason! Carly clearly wants to give Jason a child and all I have to say is: Back off B*tch - he's Sam's!!!

ALL MY CHILDREN
I have to admit, I thought this was pretty cute:
"We're just friends. We're friends...sometimes" - Colby explaining her relationship with Asher

Was it me, or did Jesse look like he had a massive headache when everyone was yammering away at the police station? I know the feeling.

I want a Ham-Off between Darnell Williams, Lindsay Hartley and Michael E. Knight! Whoever can chew the most scenery in an hour wins!

What's with Erica acting all coy and not wanting to jinx the wedding?? Honey, you are gorgeous, but you are also 65 years old and have been married 500 times. Cut the cutesy crap.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE
Natalie to John: "Our baby! Your son! Our baby! Your son!"
Me to Natalie: "Shut up"

Uhm...lots of square jawed guys fighting each other over that skank Tessica. Am I the only one that doesn't find Tess's antics funny or amusing? It's all rather pathetic and sleazy now. I honestly thought for a second she was gonna bang both those shirtless guys in the steam room.

Cuteness: Dorian/David (Chelsea Handler be damned!), Langston/Markko, Rama.

Here's the thing guys, I'm not a huge fan of Carlivati's OLTL. I think he's a talented writer, but I find the show uneven and difficult to watch at times. However, since Roger Howarth is coming back I've decided to start watching OLTL regularly again.

Did you guys like what you saw today? What did you love, what did you hate?

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Results of the Real Todd Manning Poll!

When we asked "Who do you want to be the Real Todd Manning on OLTL?" a whopping 60 people told us what they thought! Roger wins this round with 32 votes!  Trevor got a respectable 21 votes. 6 people said that it doesn't matter who the Real Todd is, all they want is a good story. And 1 person voted for "Who cares? Todd sucks no matter who is playing him." I thought for sure that one would get a couple more votes, lol.

Thanks to everyone who voted! I can't wait to see what story they write for Roger's return! Watching Roger and Trevor go head to head is going to be Awesome!! And having Two Todds in town will surely make John McBain's (Michael Easton) head explode!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Neighbours: Sonya's Secret is Out!

What a great week for Neighbours - totally my *must watch* soap of the week! Sonya's (Eve Morey) secret about being Callum's (Morgan Baker) long lost mother who abandoned him as a small child was finally revealed.

For months the audience has been watching Sonya Mitchell grapple with the knowledge that Callum Jones wants to find his mother so he can tell her how much he hates her for what she did to him as a child. Wracked with guilt, Sonya has thwarted just about every attempt Callum has made to find her, from encouraging him not to attend his great grandmother's funeral (where members of her family would attend) to not posting the letter to his Auntie Robyn (Sonya's other sister) asking for his mother's name.

On this week's shows (episodes 6131-6135) Callum persists with jogging his memory over a recurring dream he's having where his mother takes a toy off him. Something is blocking him from seeing her face in the dream, and he learns from Dr Karl (Alan Fletcher) that going to the place where the memory took place may help identifying the mystery face. Not wanting foster dad Toadie (Ryan Moloney) to stop him, Callum enlists best friend Sophie (Kaiya Jones) to secretly accompany him to help him in his quest. Alas, the trip doesn't go to plan and Callum ends up in a major accident.

At the hospital, Callum's life hangs in the balance and Sonya is beside herself. It's all her fault that Callum is in this mess, why didn't she just come clean about being his mother in the first place? Noone truly understands Sonya's angst except sister Jade (Gemma Pranita), who warns her to calm down or risk the secret to come out. But it doesn't matter - when Callum wakes up, he's in the middle of the persistent dream but this time the face is revealed to him in the waking image of an upset Sonya by his bed - he calls her Mum and bam! The truth is out!

Of course then we saw the brilliant aftermath of Toadie and his poor self esteem taking a battering - did Sonya ever love him, or was it all just a ruse to get close to Callum? Long time Neighbours viewers will know that Toadie's never had much luck in love, and suffered from poor self-esteem his entire life. Can he ever believe that Sonya's affection for him is real? And in doing so, forgive her?

I can't wait to find out! Props Neighbours, it was the most interesting storyline of the week of all the soaps I tuned in for (which this week included the Australian aired episodes of US soap Bold and the Beautiful, and UK soaps Coronation Street and Hollyoaks).

Chelsea Handler Disses OLTL's Robin Strasser!

Apparently Chelsea Handler isn't a big fan of the Dorian & David romance on One Life to Live. On the April 7th episode of her show Chelsea Lately, she played a clip of Dorian and David getting intimate and made several jokes about the story - mostly targeting Robin Strasser as being too old for the story (though she never mentions Strasser's name.)

Here's a preview:
"While I applaud the show for keeping that woman gainfully employed year, after year, after year, after year maybe it's time to switch up her storylines, okay...instead of torturing that f*cking guy!"

Here's the clip in full:

Some Soapies are mad as hell about this. What do you guys think? Is this Chelsea just doing her usual shtick or do you think she crossed the line?

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Roger Howarth Returns to One Life to Live!

Roger vs. Trevor - Bring It!

Hey guys! As everyone in the Soap World knows, Roger Howarth is returning to One Life to Live!! This is arguably one of the most anticipated returns in OLTL history and I for one am excited (worried, but excited). Soap Opera Network is reporting that Roger starts taping in May (Read their piece here.) Btw, Kudos to Soap Opera Network for being the first to tell soap fans that Roger would be coming back (in August). They took a lot of heat for it but they didn't back down and it turned out they were right. Good for them!

This news lead to about a million questions: Will Roger be coming back as the Real Todd Manning? If so, who is Trevor St. John's Todd? Does this mean TSJ is out? Does this mean OLTL isn't being cancelled after all? Or is this a sign that OLTL is ending? Will there be casting cuts to afford Roger's salary?  TPTB are keeping their lips sealed and don't expect that to change. In fact, I'm guessing that they're going to be leaking a lot of fake spoilers out there to throw people off. I've been critical of Ron Carlivati over the years. I find him to be a talented but uneven writer and his OLTL has been a struggle for me to watch. That said, Roger's return is Must See TV for me, and I'll be tuning in!

Pros: Roger is a talented and popular actor, possibly returning to his signature, Emmy winning role - the Buzz is Huge! No matter how they write it, his return is going to stir sh*t up and everyone wants to know what's going to happen. Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemistry - Roger has it with everyone. Roger vs. Trevor - Bring It!

Cons: TSJ fans are pissed. Roger's return almost definitely means other actors are going to be let go ($$$). A big return does not necessarily equal big ratings (see GH: Vanessa Marcil/Brenda, Jonathan Jackson/Lucky). Letting Susan Haskell (Marty) go before Roger's return? Big Mistake. If TPTB are just thinking about the short-term shock value of the story, instead of the long-term implications, this could be disastrous. Carlivati wrote Tina's Return (poor Andrea Evans!) It may be too late for OLTL :(

Expect a Roger vs. Trevor poll soon!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Still No Answers About All My Children & One Life To Live Cancellation Rumors

Hey guys, just a quick note. While ABC confirmed that Lorraine Broderick has been hired as AMC's new headwriter, they're not confirming or denying anything else. Some of us felt this move was a good sign for AMC, but TV Guide's Michael Logan pointed out that the current headwriters Dave Kreizman and Donna Swajeski are at the end of their contracts anyway and it's possible Broderick has simply been hired to wrap up the show. (Read Logan's latest here.)

Soaps In Depth ABC posted hopeful tweets over the weekend, assuring fans AMC was not going to be cancelled and that a press release would come out today. (Read my summary of their tweets here.) Unfortunately, they seem to be backtracking a bit today.  Here are their most tweets:

• Yes, I'm aware of every rumor floating around out there. No, I don't know which ones are true & which aren't. The MINUTE I know, you will.
• Don't expect that this is necessarily a situation we'll have full answers to today, tomorrow or next week. I suspect it'll unfold slowly
• While Lorraine Broderick is new headwriter of #AMC, there's much speculation that she'll be writing the end of the show. Rumors galore.
• Folks, absolutely NOBODY (except folks in charge) KNOW what's going on. We're all hearing LOTS of rumors, many of which conflict.
• The general concensus: It ain't good. But when I know anything — KNOW, not hear rumors — I'll pass it along, promise.

Seems they're not so sure anymore about All My Children not being cancelled. There's even less information out there about One Life to Live. I think at this point everyone is on the same page. It's do or die and this is the time for fans to write and call ABC and let them know you want your soaps to stay on the air.  I haven't seen this anywhere, this is just my own thought, but I'm wondering if an increase in online views (of AMC and OLTL episodes) at ABC's official site might help too??

I'm still looking for good AMC/OLTL campaigns to direct you to. There are tons of sites/blogs giving us info on who to contact, but I'm hoping to find a central campaign that's really organized.  Until then, I suggest going to Pine Valley Exposer or SoapOperaNetwork.

Also, if anyone is interested, Soaps In Depth ABC and Soap Central's Dan Kroll are doing a podcast "analyzing the AMC/OLTL situation." More info here.

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Are All My Children and One Life to Live Being Cancelled or Not??

I don't know about you guys, but my head is spinning. Rumors of All My Children's cancellation have been picking up steam for weeks and recently, much to the surprise of many fans, One Life to Live was thrown into the mix. Was it possible that two ABC soaps were on the chopping blog? Many in the soap and mainstream media seemed to think so. Even Agnes Nixon's son-in-law, David Hiltbrand, wrote a piece for philly.com that read like a Farewell Letter to AMC (read about it here). Not a good sign.

But maybe there's hope after all? Lorraine Broderick has just been hired as new headwriter at AMC (read SOD/SOW's announcement here). And check out these Soaps In Depth ABC's tweets:

• Great news kids: #AMC is NOT being canceled. Even better news: Lorraine Broderick is bring named headwriter. It's official.
• No word on #OLTL. But hey, one miracle a day. Lol
• Folks, when something's a rumor, I say so. Same when it's fact. #AMC being safe and Broderick being named headwriter? FACT.
• it's from an ABC spokesperson. Press release will go out Monday.

While this sounds good, I'm still hearing that AMC and OLTL are in serious danger and that breaks my soap lovin' heart.  One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't campaign to save Guiding Light or As the World Turns. For too long I was in complete denial about the possibility of their cancellation, and then it was too late. I'm hoping AMC and OLTL fans realize that they have to be proactive. Even if their shows are saved at the last minute, it will be a temporary reprieve.

In the next week or so I'm going to try and post info on Save AMC/OLTL campaigns and suggestions on what fans can do to save their shows.  For now, I recommend checking out The Pine Valley Exposer's "Help Save AMC Now" post - it's got all the info you need to get started.

We need to let TPTB know we love our soaps and want to keep them on the air! If we don't fight for our shows, no one else will!

Let me know what you think!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

5 Problems with the Jake Dies & Joss Lives Story on General Hospital

Jake, we hardly knew ye...

Well I just got done watching a week's worth of General Hospital episodes. My head hurts, my eyes are burning and I suddenly have the urge to get as plastered as Luke was when he 'allegedly' ran over Jake Webber/Spencer. I was struggling with whether or not I should write anything about the Jake/Joss story. There's already so much negativity surrounding this story, do I really want to kick a dog when it's down? The answer is, Yes...Yes, I do.

I should warn you guys: I'm not going to argue that they shouldn't have killed him. The truth is that if the story had been done well, I could accept it. I know all the arguments against Jake being the one who died, and while I understand them, I don't necessarily agree with them. I might address that at a later date, but for now, here are 5 Reasons why this story isn't working for me.

1. Lightening Speed Storytelling: In the blink of an eye: Joss got sick, Jake got hit by a car & was pronounced brain dead, Carly begged for Jake's organs, the transplant procedure was done, the Who Done It began and was "solved," Joss recovered & everyone in town confronted Luke. That's 6 months of storytelling told in a few weeks. I know Guza wants to make this Must See TV. Telling the story so quickly means fans will have to tune in every day, otherwise they might miss something important. I get it, but it sucks. One reason we love soaps is that they, unlike any other type of TV shows, can take their time with a story. They can play every beat of every story and almost tell it in real time. Emotionally, it's unsatisfying when everything is rushed. And let's face it, the faster stories like these are told, the sloppier the storytelling tends to be.

2. MIA Characters & Conversations: A big problem with Lightening Speed Storytelling is that we're not getting the characters & conversations that we should be getting. I'm echoing thousands of GH fans when I ask "Where the H*LL is Bobbie Spencer?" She's Joss's grandmother, Luke's sister, and Lucky's aunt (not to mention BJ's mom) - she should be All Over this story. Where are the Qs, Laura, Audrey? Oh and where is Jax?? You know, Joss's father. Why has Ingo Rademacher been relegated to making cameo appearances in a story that's about his daughter?? There are plenty of conversations I would have loved to have seen: between Jason/Monica, Jax/Elizabeth (remember: she miscarried his child years ago - and now she's responsible for giving him back Josslyn), Lucky/Sam, Bobbie & Everyone, etc...

3. We Weren't That Invested In Jake & As It Turns Out, Most of the Characters Weren't Either: Okay, Liason fans were invested in him, but it occurred to me that unless he was in a story where he was in danger, we really didn't see him very much. It's weird to hear characters talk about Jake: Lucky: "Remember that time when Jake did this...and did that?"  Well no, actually I don't. Lucky: "Jake was so adventurous, he was Fearless!" He was? Really? Nice to know.  Lulu: "He was So Special!" Wait...did Lulu know Jake? Did Luke know Jake? Maxie: "I remember seeing him at Emma's party. He was amazing!" Huh?? It's like suddenly all these people just loved him so much, yet over the years I don't think we actually saw them with Jake. And then there was the memorial service that many of the characters couldn't be bothered to attend. In all honestly, were you all that invested in Jake? What do you think of the pic I used for this blog? Be honest, you thought it was Jake right? HA! It's actually Justin Henry (of Kramer vs. Kramer fame)! You didn't notice right? See...that's how much you weren't invested in Jake! Okay, I'm kidding. I'm sure you all knew it wasn't Jake, but I think you get what I mean. We hardly knew him and neither did most of the characters.

4. Weirdness: There are some things that are just plain weird. Like Lucky saying he always imagined Jake becoming Captain of a Spaceship (wha?) Or how about when Lucky and Luke were screaming at each other, their heads about to explode, Luke wails in agony, cut to commercial break, and when we come back they're suddenly completely calm (wtf??) And again, there's the Phantom Memorial Service that half the town didn't go to. Jason, Luke, Brenda and Sonny didn't even want to go. Shoot, Brenda seemed to think it was funny that they weren't going (seriously, was it me or did Brenda and Sonny seem incredibly callous about the whole thing?) Were the Qs even invited?? I get that Guza wants to save $$ and time (there's that Lightening Speed Storytelling again) but not showing the service and especially not having so many people in town attend it was just plain weird - and it took me completely out of the story.

5. Unfortunate Comparisons: This might be the worst thing of all - I just can't help comparing this story to other stories: GH's BJ/Maxie, DAYS' Zack's Death (Bo and Hope's little boy, hit by a car driven by his half-sister), Y&R's Cassie's Death, ATWT's Reid/Chris, RH's Baby Edmund's Death. While those stories had their flaws, they were all told better than this story, imo.

So far, I'm giving the Jake/Joss story a C. Terrific performances. Sloppy Storytelling.

What do you guys think??
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover