Y&R Spoiler: Victor and Sharon To Sleep Together!

Oh just shoot me now. It's been confirmed by multiple sources that The Young and The Restless is going to take the pairing of Victor and Sharon to a new level, reuniting the couple and eventually moving them into the bedroom and doing the do.....

Just why? Why does Maria Arena Bell hate me so? What did I do? LML didn't like me much, but I'd take Victoria getting boinked on the head with a cardboard brick over this foolishness any day! Or heck go full on with Victor/Genoveve! I'd take it! Victor and Laura Spencer is less skeevy then this! It's just wrong....

But hey that's just my take, what do you think of this news? Let me know in the comments below.

Notes From The Heart Healer Trailer

   The Hallmark channel has released a new promo for General Hospital/Young and the restless star Genie Francis new "The Note" sequel "Notes From The Heart Healer"

What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited to see the film?

Aaron Lustig Returns To The Young and The Restless

Going back through the Young and the Restless history book headwriter Maria Arena Bell came across the name Tim Reid so of course in typical MAB fashion she just HAD to bring him back! So we now have the news that actor Aaron Lustig will be returning to the soap world (and for the first time on Y&R since 1997) for a short guest stint as the evil Ricky tries to dig up some dirt on Miss Phylis

Are you excited about this news?

Nickelodeon Picks Up New English Telenovela Reach for a Star

Great news soap fans Nickelodeon has picked up a new telenovela "Reach For A Star" to begin airing later this year.

Based off Alcanzar una Estrella a 100 episode Mexican Telenovela, "Reach for a Star" follows a smart, shy and independent high school senior, Loren, who has ambitions of being a songwriter and secretly sends her song lyrics to her celebrity crush, rock superstar Eddie Wild. Loren’s wildest dreams come true when she not only wins a songwriting competition sponsored by Eddie, but strikes up a friendship with her idol. Eddie sees beyond Loren’s potential as a songwriter and gives her a first break as a singer, and when the truth about his less-than-faithful girlfriend Chloe is revealed, Eddie and Loren’s friendship blossoms.

Melanie/SoapOperaBabble's 2012 Soap Predictions!

For more predictions, check out Brooke's Predictions and SoapWikiJohn's Predictions

Okay, I'll just put this out there... My predictions suck. Emmy predictions, Academy Award predictions, TV Show predictions... I suck at all of them. So if I'm predicting it here, chances are it will not happen, lol. So...here we go!

SoapWikiJohn's 2012 Soap Predictions!

G'day everyone and welcome to 2012! Its been a crazy year so far but let's see how well I can predict the future with my second annual soap predictions!

Our Predictions for the 2011 Daytime Emmys!

Well it's that time again! The Daytime Emmys are set to air on June 19th! Check out our predictions, wishes and wtf reactions to the nominees.
(Judging done by Denial Island Academy of Soap Opera Arts and Sciences members: Brooke, SoapWikiJohn and Melanie/SoapOperaBabble)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
ALL MY CHILDREN
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
GENERAL HOSPITAL
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Brooke's comments: Are you kidding? Why is ABC nominated here, if it was outstanding, why is it being cancelled? I only watch B&B out of this list, but I'm picking Y&R.
Melanie's comments: Yeah, AMC stands out like a sore thumb here. I'd be curious to see what they submitted. Maybe scenes involving Palmer's death? If so, I think they've actually got a shot. Otherwise, I'll say B&B because Susan.Flannery.Rocks.
John's comments: General Hospital gets my vote! I agree with Brooke. The only thing outstanding about AMC is how awful it was, but they did hire Lindsay Hartley and gave me a little 'Cake' so I can't say it was all bad.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES WRITING TEAM
AS THE WORLD TURNS
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Brooke's comments: *falls dead* How did Days of Our Lives end up in this category? That has got to be the biggest joke of this year's nominations. Sorry DOOL writers, I know you work hard and I don't disparage that, but seriously? An Emmy? Um. No. I don't care who wins this, as long as it's not DOOL, otherwise I'd demand a recount!
Melanie's comments: My heart says ATWT. I believe they submitted the final episode and boy was that a tear jerker. Could anyone really resist Bob/Don Hasting's "Our Town"-ish narration? And while ATWT's last year on the air was rocky, the home stretch was terrifically written and acted.
John's comments: I like ATWT, I want them to win, but I cannot say they really deserve it because a lot of the show was such a mess. B&B was just dull (even if Brooke slept with her daughter's boyfriend...again) and even though this will make (our) Brooke's head explode I want Days of Our Lives to take it home.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR
CHRISTIAN LEBLANC (MICHAEL, Y&R)
MICHAEL PARK (JACK, ATWT)
MAURICE BENARD (SONNY, GH)
RICKY PAULL GOLDIN (JAKE, AMC)
JAMES SCOTT (EJ, DAYS)

Brooke's comments: Well as a James Scott fanatic, I want James to win! Alas, DOOL never wins best anything (and often for good reason), so I'm going to say hope for James, but predict Michael Park.
Melanie's comments: James Scott is criminally under appreciated. I'd like to think the Academy can get over their prejudice against DAYS actors. The episode where EJ contemplates suicide was great, James knocked it out of the park. I think RPG submitted comedic stuff so we can cross him off the list. I don't know what CLB submitted, but he shouldn't be in the Lead category anyway. And MP won last year. That leaves James and Maurice. My heart says James, my head says Maurice. The Kristina/Keifer story pissed me off (because it served to pimp the men on the show) but Maurice/Sonny's speech by Kristina's bedside was good stuff.
John's comments: I really want James Scott to pull this one off, he has a lot of good material to pick, but it is all in the reel.

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS
SUSAN FLANNERY (STEPHANIE, B&B)
MICHELLE STAFFORD (PHYLLIS, Y&R)
COLLEEN ZENK (BARBARA, ATWT)
ALICIA MINSHEW (KENDALL, AMC)
DEBBI MORGAN (ANGIE, AMC)
LAURA WRIGHT (CARLY, GH)

Brooke's comments: How is there no DOOL actress in this category? Surely Ali Sweeney or Ari Zucker should be nom'd? Remind me who the pre noms were again, Ali was there, right? Um, apparently this is the first year Laura Wright has been nominated in like 20 years, so she will probably end up winning.
Melanie's comments: Yeah, it's pretty amazing that this is the first nomination Laura's gotten! While I'd love it to be Susan or Colleen, I'm guessing it's going to come down to Laura or Debbi. I'll go with Debbi. She was saddled with the totally stupid Soap Blindness/I'm 55 and Pregnant story - but managed to make us care anyway. She certainly deserves an award for that!
John's comments: Susan Flannery had the major cancer battle storyline this year and while it is true it's Laura's first time, I don't think it's her year.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
JONATHAN JACKSON (LUCKY, GH)
JASON THOMPSON (PATRICK, GH)
BRIAN KERWIN (CHARLIE, OLTL)
DOUG DAVIDSON (PAUL, Y&R)
BILLY MILLER (BILLY, Y&R)

Brooke's comments: Cos he's hawt I'd like to see Jason Thompson win this, but I think Jonathan Jackson probably will.
Melanie's comments: Let's just get this out of the way: Van Hansis (Luke, ATWT) should be on this list, but he didn't submit himself. While Brian Kerwin is a personal favorite of mine, he doesn't have a chance. Doug did some great work in the Patti story, but that won't be enough to win. JJ's scene where Lucky goes off on LikNiz and makes his eyes bleed was a showstopper. But boy, Jason T did some amazing work in 2010 (Patrick confessing to Robin was killer soap). Jonathan Jackson will get it, but Jason Thompson deserves it.
John's comments: Jonathan Jackson all the way! Yes, Jason T had some good scenes, but the heartbreaking 'you slept with my brother' scene was brilliant and it allowed him to go all out emotionally and help fans reconnect with his Lucky after the loss of Greg Vaughan.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MELISSA CLAIRE EGAN (ANNIE, AMC)
JULIE PINSON (JANET, ATWT)
HEATHER TOM (KATIE, B&B)
NANCY LEE GRAHN (ALEXIS, GH)
BREE WILLIAMSON (JESSICA, OLTL)
TRICIA CAST (NINA, Y&R)

Brooke's comments: I'd like to see Bree win this one.
Melanie's comments: WTF is Heather Tom doing on this list? The other nominees are great. I'm going with Nancy Lee Grahn.
John's comments: Heather 'I did nothing' Tom nominated herself? For what exactly??? MCE is my pick. I think they all did good stuff but Annie was amazing and I would like to see her win.

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR
SCOTT CLIFTON (LIAM, B&B)
CHANDLER MASSEY (WILL, DAYS)
CHAD DUELL (MICHAEL, GH)

Brooke's comments: Chad Duell ftw!
Melanie's comments: *Yawn* Chad, I guess...
John's comments: Scott Clifton, only because he might have two soaps voting for him...

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS
BRITTANY ALLEN (MARISSA, AMC)
LEXI AINSWORTH (KRISTINA, GH)
EMILY O'BRIEN (JANA, Y&R)

Brooke's comments: Maybe Lexi. What's with only three noms for the younger actor/actress categories this year?
Melanie's comments: Brittany Allen?? Seriously?? Well, at least Molly Burnett isn't one of the nominees. Not sure what Emily submitted. I'll go with Lexi, who gave a great performance in the Kristina/Keifer abuse story.
John's comments: Emily??? Emily thinks she deserves the nod? What for? Making the world hate Jana even more than they already did? Go Lexi!

Well that's our take on the nominations! What about you guys? Who do you think is going to win? Who are you rooting for? Who's missing? Which nominations are undeserved? Let us know!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Billy Warlock Is Now On Twitter!!

WooHoo!! Billy Warlock, one of my all-time favorite actors is now on twitter!!

Follow him at http://twitter.com/BillyWarlock

As most of you know, Billy is a veteran TV actor who has appeared on iconic shows like Happy Days and Baywatch. But we Soapies love him for his memorable roles (and wonderful performances) as nice guy Frankie Brady on Days of Our Lives and the tragic, misunderstood, blacksheep AJ Quartermaine on General Hospital. Billy has also been on Young and the Restless, As the World Turns, and One Life to Live. And yes, I have watched him on all of these shows!

Fun Trivia: Billy and his goddess wife Julie Pinson have both appeared on Days, Y&R and ATWT (and both have "lived" in Port Charles - Billy on GH, Julie on PC), but they only shared scenes together on Days and ATWT. My wish? I would love for them to be reunited on Days. A Frankie/Billie pairing would make me swoon!

You can follow Julie on twitter at http://twitter.com/JuliePinsonCom

And for anyone interested. We Love Soaps recently asked Billy his opinion on the state of daytime soaps. His response was honest, funny and right on target! To watch the interview click here. Wouldn't it be great if We Love Soaps did a long, in depth interview with Billy?! And Julie!

Can you tell I'm a Billy Warlock fangirl??

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Nominations for the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards Announced!

Well the nominations for the Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced. Here's a quick list of the major categories (courtesy of We Love Soaps - for the full list of categories/nominees head over to their site.)

We'll be posting our comments on the nominations soon, but until then, have a look and let us know what you think!

Outstanding Drama Series
ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
ONE LIFE TO LIVE (ABC)
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team
AS THE WORLD TURNS (CBS)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor
Christian LeBlanc, as Michael Baldwin THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
Michael Park, as Jack Snyder AS THE WORLD TURNS (CBS)
Maurice Benard, as Sonny Corinthos GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
Ricky Paull Goldin, as Jake Martin ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
James Scott, as EJ DiMera DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress
Susan Flannery, as Stephanie Forrester THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
Michelle Stafford, as Phyllis Summers THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
Colleen Zenk, as Barbara Ryan As the World Turns" (CBS)
Alicia Minshew, as Kendall Slater ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
Debbi Morgan, as Angie Hubbard ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
Laura Wright, as Carly Corinthos Jacks GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Jonathan Jackson, as Lucky Spencer GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
Jason Thompson, as Patrick Drake GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
Brian Kerwin, as Charlie Banks ONE LIFE TO LIVE (ABC)
Doug Davidson, as Paul Williams THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
Billy Miller, as Billy Abbott THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Melissa Claire Egan, as Annie Chandler ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
Julie Pinson, as Janet Ciconne AS THE WORLD TURNS (CBS)
Heather Tom, as Katie Logan Spencer THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
Nancy Lee Grahn, as Alexis Davis GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
Bree Williamson, as Jessica Brennan ONE LIFE TO LIVE (ABC)
Tricia Cast, as Nina Webster THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

Outstanding Younger Actor
Scott Clifton, as Liam Cooper THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
Chandler Massey, as Will Horton DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
Chad Duell, as Michael Corinthos GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

Outstanding Younger Actress
Brittany Allen, as Marissa Chandler ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC)
Lexi Ainsworth, as Kristina Davis GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
Emily O'Brien, as Jana Hawkes THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

-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.

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

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

TV Icon Genie Francis to Y&R!

Yes it's true folks! Television Icon and Soap Superstar Genie Francis is back on daytime, but not to the show or network that made her a Pop Culture Phenom. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Francis will be joining daytime's #1 soap The Young and the Restless. According to EW, she'll play Cane's mother (guess Cane isn't so dead afterall?) They also report that she'll begin taping "at the end of the month" - I'm assuming they mean April.

While I'm disappointed that Francis won't be coming back to General Hospital anytime soon, I can't say I'm surprised. In her piece for EW, Lynette Rice characterized Francis' move to Y&R as "abandoning" ABC, but I'd argue it's the other way around: ABC seemed to have abondoned Francis long ago. They've made it clear in their passive aggressive way that they had no interest in bringing Francis back in any meaningful, long-term capacity. I bet they're regretting their decision now! Good for Francis for knowing her worth and  giving ABC the finger (figuratively speaking, of course)! Perhaps they'll learn to treat their actresses (especially a Soap Legend) with more respect and consideration.

Pros: Genie is back on the air where she belongs. Y&R has scored big time! Not only are they getting a fantastic actress with a large fanbase, they're also getting mainstream media attention, which doesn't hurt. Genie is being reunited with former costarts Tristian Rogers and Stephen Nichols, which could be a great thing. You just know TPTB at ABC are fuming!

Cons: High expectations usually lead to disappointment. All this talk (already!) about a ratings increase for Y&R because of Genie places unfair burden on the actress and the show. There is such a thing as too much hype (ex: Brenda/GH). Genie has had limited success in other daytime roles (Diana on DAYS, Ceara on AMC). Genie will be yet another new face on Y&R which is already filled with talented actors from other shows, is this too much for loyal Y&R viewers who want to see more of the vets they know and love? Genie is being reunited with former costars Tristan Rogers and Stephen Nichols, which could be a not so great thing (we know how badly 'recapturing' magic can go.)

Good Luck Genie!!! We'll be watching!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

PS: Thanks Jorpa59 for the tip! :) And thanks to all the tweeters that let me know that the news first broke at EW :)

SoapWikiJohn's 2011 Soap Predictions!

Hey everyone,

So with 2011 upon us I thought I would take a moment and make some soap predictions and see how close I actually come to being right as 2011 plays out, so without further delay here are my 2011 soap predictions-

Will A Soap Be Canceled, if so which one?- I think 2011 will be the end for All My Children. Its the bottom of the ratings, the show is over budget, and unless something dramatic happens the quality is not the best, so while it pains me to say it, I think AMC is toast.

Will there be another 'kish-o-trophic' casting shocker in 2011? I think so, I have a feeling that one MAJOR actor will be fired/let go/ not resign in 2011, I am not sure on which soap, but I have a feeling that it will shock the soapworld to its core.

Which Soap will be the 'best' in 2011 -

Oh lord this one is hard, the soaps fluctuate so rapidly that it is really hard to tell which will be the "BEST".

If you are watching U.K. soaps I am going to go out on a limb and say EastEnders will reclaim its thrown with the whole Baby Swap storyline that has just kicked off. While I haven't seen those scenes yet, I just have a feeling that this storyline could be game changing and could help it be the 'BEST'. Coronation Street has issues and I think its to unpredictable to say it will be the best, and Hollyoaks and Doctors while both having a big year, and I will personally be loving them I don't know that they can overtake a baby swap. That leaves Emmerdale. Had Executive Producer Gavin Blyth not died I would have said Emmerdale would easily take best soap, but because of his unfortunate passing I am just going to give it to EastEnders and pray that I am right.

If Australian soaps are your favorite I am going to say Home and Away will reclaim its former glory and beat out Neighbours in quality come 2011. The soap had a lot of problems in 2010, but with a new writer involved I have a feeling that we will get much better storytelling in this coming year.

Now for what you all really care about the U.S. soaps..... This one is really a toss in the bucket. I don't think All My Children or The Bold and the Beautiful will get this title. The ONLY way Days of Our Lives will be the BEST is if Dena Higgly is fired, and I highly doubt that will happen. The Young and the Restless is way to sporadic. So that really just leaves One Life To Live or General Hospital. Between those two I am going to say General Hospital will pull the year off as best show. Now I think they will also be the most talked about and controversial show, but that might be just the thing the soap needs to regain its footing as best soap.

What Soap Will Be Unwatchable in 2011-

I am going to go out and just say All My Children will be the worst soap of 2011. There really is no foundation for this assumption, only that I don't think it will be able to compete with any of the others. I feel that Days might wise up and fix a few things, but AMC... I just don't feel that they can gain the ground needed to fix things to even compete so that's why it is the most unwatchable in my opinion.

Who will be the most tortured couple of 2011?

Well this one is going to be fun, and get me into a LOT of hot water. I am going to say JaSam will be the most tortured couple of the year. I don't know anything, or have any hard proof, but I just feel that things could go down a bad road and the way that General Hospital has been with its couples I think its about time to cause havoc and wreck the thing that is JaSam all up.

Cutest Couple of 2011?

I am going to say for the US- Kevin and Chloe from The Young and the Restless, and for Australia - Romeo and Ruby from Home and Away.

So those are my predictions for 2011! Do you agree or disagree? What are your predictions? Let me hear them in the comments below!

The Young and The Restless 2011 Promo

CBS Daytime has released a promo for The Young and The Restless in which not a whole lot happens. With that said the one thing I did like however, was that it looks like Chloe and Kevin are going to be paired together? That could be a really cool coupling, though I was kinda thinking Chloe and Daniel would be good, oh well.

What are you guys looking forward to from Y&R in 2011?

Memorable Soap Deaths 3

Hey All! Way back in March, fellow Denial Island resident SoapWikiJohn posted some of his Memorable Soap Deaths. I loved his post, and I followed it with Memorable Soap Deaths 2, where I posted some of my personal favorites.

Well...we're baaaaaaack! Here are some of our readers' picks!

1. Death By Plaster: Jeremy Hunter, Loving (formerly of All My Children)

Erica's Evil Twin cited the death of Jeremy Hunter (Jean LeClerc) as one of the most memorable, and silliest, soap deaths. In 1995, Loving was cancelled (spinned off as the ill-fated The City) and the final storyline featured a serial killer bumping off a good chunk of the cast (geez, I'm thankful the GL and ATWT finales were better than that!) One of the victims was former Pine Valley/AMC resident Jeremy Hunter, suffering a truly weird and surreal death! Campy and Hilarious or Just Plain Stupid? You be the judge!

(skip to 7:32 for Jeremy's death in all its slo-mo glory and make sure to watch until the end so you don't miss his 'body' being discovered!)




2. Too Young To Die: Cassie Newman, The Young and the Restless

Inbal, Imgoodbackup and Pam all cited the 2005 death of Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes) on Y&R as a memorable soap death. I have to agree! Not only was this incredibly sad, but it was shocking! She was a Newman heir (though not biologically), a popular character played by a popular actress who we watched grow up onscreen, and she was soooo young! I still feel that killing her off was a mistake, but the emotional impact of her death is undeniable. I cried hysterically when this first aired, and it still hits me hard when I watch it now! Brilliantly acted, written and edited...get your tissues out:




3. Shot and Dropped From a Cliff, Roger Meets His Maker: Roger Thorpe, Guiding Light

Pam picked Roger's 1980 "death" in Santo Domingo as her most memorable soap death. I never saw it originally, but had a blast watching it on YouTube! Roger is dragging poor Holly through the jungle as Ed and Mike (who??) chase after them. One thing leads to another, and the dastardly Roger finally gets what's coming to him...or so viewers thought. I love the sparks between Maureen Garrett and Michael Zaslow - whether Holly and Roger were hating each other or loving each other - Maureen and Michael were always magic!
(RIP Michael Zaslow - one of the greats, he'll never be forgotten)




Any other Memorable Soap Deaths that broke your heart, shocked you, or just made you giggle? Let us know!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Latest Soap Ratings: Sept 13 - 17, 2010

As the World Turns reaches #4 again! *sniff* *sniff*

Credit Soap Opera Network

September 13 - September 17, 2010
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 5,048,000 (-69,000/+46,000)
2. B&B 3,193,000 (-58,000/-153,000)
3. GH 2,641,000 (-101,000/-61,000)
4. ATWT 2,593,000 (+18,000/+105,000)
5. DAYS 2,510,000 (+16,000/-360,000)
6. AMC 2,387,000 (-81,000/-211,000)
7. OLTL 2,327,000 (-130,000/-236,000)

HH
1. Y&R 3.5/13 (same/-.1)
2. B&B 2.3/8 (same/-.1)
3. GH 2.0/7 (same/same)
4. ATWT 1.9/7 (same/+.1)
5. DAYS 1.8/7 (same/-.3) <- ties low rating (11th straight week)
5. AMC 1.8/6 (-.1/-.1)
5. OLTL 1.8/6 (same/-.2)

For Demographic breakdowns, Day-To-Day and Seasonal numbers, visit Soap Opera Network

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

Latest Soap Ratings: Sept 6 - 10, 2010

Nice to see some weekly gains for all our shows! And I'm thrilled that ATWT hit #4 in Total Viewers!!

Credit Soap Opera Network

September 6 - September 10, 2010
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 5,117,000 (+144,000/+119,000)
2. B&B 3,251,000 (+107,000/+21,000)
3. GH 2,742,000 (+82,000/-45,000)
4. ATWT 2,575,000 (+207,000/+227,000)
5. DAYS 2,494,000 (+51,000/-226,000)
6. AMC 2,468,000 (+48,000/+7,000)
7. OLTL 2,457,000 (+82,000/-22,000)

HH
1. Y&R 3.5/12 (same/-.1)
2. B&B 2.3/8 (+.1/-.1)
3. GH 2.0/6 (+.1/-.1)
4. AMC 1.9/7 (+.1/same)
4. ATWT 1.9/6 (+.2/+.1)
6. OLTL 1.8/6 (+.1/-.1)
6. DAYS 1.8/6 (same/-.2) <- ties low rating (10th straight week)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,108,000 (+96,000/-15,000)
2. GH 966,000 (+85,000/+35,000)
3. OLTL 714,000 (+57,000/-34,000)
4. B&B 711,000 (+74,000/+12,000)
5. DAYS 706,000 (+28,000/-63,000)
6. ATWT 620,000 (+84,000/+64,000)
7. AMC 599,000 (+6,000/-58,000)

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.7/11 (+.2/same)
2. GH 1.5/9 (+.2/+.1)
3. DAYS 1.1/7 (+.1/-.1)
3. OLTL 1.1/7 (+.1/same)
3. B&B 1.1/7 (+.1/same)
6. ATWT 0.9/6 (+.1/+.1)
6. AMC 0.9/6 (same/-.1)

Girls 12-17 Viewers
1. GH 50,000 (+8,000/-2,000)
2. Y&R 48,000 (-1,000/+35,000)
3. OLTL 46,000 (+20,000/+14,000)
4. ATWT 36,000 (-1,000/+31,000)
5. AMC 27,000 (+13,000/+16,000)
6. B&B 24,000 (-9,000/+7,000)
7. DAYS 17,000 (+8,000/-2,000)

Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 1.0/7 (+.1/-.2)
1. GH 1.0/6 (+.1/same)
3. DAYS 0.8/5 (same/-.1)
4. OLTL 0.7/5 (+.1/-.2)
4. B&B 0.7/4 (+.1/-.1)
6. ATWT 0.6/4 (+.1/same)
7. AMC 0.5/4 (same/-.3) <- ties low rating (3rd straight week)

Men 18+ Viewers
1. Y&R 1,185,000 (+62,000/-13,000)
2. B&B 719,000 (+46,000/+65,000)
3. DAYS 549,000 (-4,000/-10,000)
4. ATWT 522,000 (+62,000/+106,000)
5. AMC 499,000 (+28,000/+21,000)
6. GH 495,000 (-8,000/-7,000)
7. OLTL 444,000 (-4,000/+22,000)

For Day-To-Day and Seasonal numbers, go to Soap Opera Network

- Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

(ATWT finale starts in a half an hour - *sniff* *sniff*)

Stacy Haiduk's Contract Has NOT been RENEWED!

Oh my word, news has come out that the Young and the Restless star Stacy Haiduk's contract has NOT been renewed! Fans are once again in an outrage and trying to come up with some crazy scheme to get The Powers That Be to extend her contract.

I think Stacy is an amazing actress, and she is one of the few that are actually capable of making insane storylines actually seem realistic, so her loss to this show will be felt. With that said if any of the other soaps executives are awake and watching she won't be without a job for long.

So here is my question for you, what is your take on this news, and IF Stacy has to leave Y&R where do you think she will show up on next?

My bet, B&B, why? Because its just like Bill to pick up after Y&R's leftovers, and then precede to put them on the backburner.... ugh.

Cricket Is Coming Home!

You hear that Young and the Restless fans? Cricket, played by the lovely and talented Lauralee Bell, is set to return home!

I have never seen Cricket on my screen, so this is sure to be a treat!

Thanks to the 411onsoaps for the tip!