July 16, 2008
Greetings, readers! Hope you're getting over this hump day okay! I'll be taking a break from blogging next week as I take a romantic jaunt down the California coast with my "longtime love," as we say in soaps. But before I go, I want to thank those readers who've created such an online buzz about my recent feature Q&A with real-life ONE LIFE TO LIVE BFFs Bree Williamson (Jessica) and BethAnn Bonner (Talia)! For those of you who characterized it as "bizarre," I'd like to state that the point of the Q&A was to put the tape recorder on the table and just let these girls be themselves, which is fun, infectiously silly and unapologetically outgoing. Bonner called me as soon as the feature came out to tell me a friend had just read it out loud to her and she howled. Williamson, who became understandably more press-shy after her much-publicized divorce last year, shook my hand at yesterday's 40th Anniversary luncheon and congratulated me on a job well done. I told her the same thing I told Bonner, "You made it what it is. Funny and adorable." As for readers' questions as to why Williamson's boyfriend wasn't mentioned in the article, let me clarify that an hour and a half lunch had to be condensed to three pages, so the many mentions of her BF Michael didn't make the cut, but if you were a subscriber you'd be privy to our subscribers-only newsletter, which included juicy excerpts from the interview. Hmm ... something to think about, huh?

July 9, 2008
I think both soap fans and journalists would agree that talking to ONE LIFE TO LIVE's John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) and Robert S. Woods (Bo) in one day is a very good day. I interviewed them yesterday for an upcoming news story on the time-travel storyline that'll be a major summer story arc, and it's always fun to talk to these guys because they have great "asides." Woods laughed about pyrotechnics debacles and Lavoisier's reluctance to wear a wet suit during taping of the cold, rainy scenes that propel Bo and Rex into the past. Every time we seemed to be getting back to the actual story, there would be some kind of amusing interruption. The housekeeper's friend buzzed over the intercom to announce that she was there for a coffee break, his son, Tanner, asked a question and Woods joked, "Don't you see what I'm holding in my hand here?", and then his cell phone rang, playing "Honky Tonk Woman" to herald wife Loyita's call. "Says a lot about me, I guess," he laughed about his choice of ring tone. Meanwhile, Lavoisier called on his lunch break during a 16-hour day and was clearly hungry, because he carried on about the food provided by craft services while on their location shoot, "They had these great Hebrew National hot dogs at 4 a.m.!". Before hanging up, he then told me, "Remember ... when you're laying your head on the pillow at 11 p.m. tonight, I'll still be here." Despite the long days, it sounds like both actors are having a blast with the story. It certainly sounds like one for the history books!

July 2, 2008
The other day I received an e-mail from a reader who was quite upset with the results of a recent Digest snap poll that appeared in the 7/1/08 issue. The question was: Who is the right guy for GH's Maxie? And the results were as follows: Dr. Matt Hunter (50%), Spinelli (45%) and Johnny (5%). Ironically, this person admitted to voting more than once for Spinelli and then complained that the voting system is clearly skewed because there's no way Spinelli could be outvoted. Huh? Anyway, isn't it possible that an overwhelming number of DAYS fans voted for a "Shelle" reunion in the form of former DAYS cutie Jason Cook (ex-Shawn) reuniting on-screen with onetime leading lady Kirsten Storms (ex-Belle; Maxie)? I am not privy to the intricacies of Snap Poll tabulating, but I'd like to note that 45% ain't bad, SpinMax fans. Look at poor Johnny with his 5%! He's got his hands full with Lulu, anyway. I personally love the potential of SpinMax, but I'm also up for a little Maxie/Spinelli/Matt triangle if GH is going that route. Aren't you? Please don't let this latest "controversy" dissuade you from voting in our snap polls! (But maybe keep the votes to one per person if you really want to talk accuracy.)

June 25, 2008
I've said it before and I'll say it again — wouldn't Blair and John make a smokin' couple on ONE LIFE TO LIVE? Watching yesterday's scenes between them at La Boulaie, when John came by to discuss the teens (and was more up on the gossip than she was!), reminded me what a nice friendship they have developed. John isn't the type to go around opening up to anyone, but he seems to really connect with and trust Blair. Now that Blair's been served with divorce papers from Todd, she could use a little TLC and it's been awhile since John got any, so these two need to hook up pronto. Imagine the sparks when John realizes Marty's alive! If the three-way appearance of Kassie DePaiva (Blair), Michael Easton (John) and Susan Haskell (Marty) at the Emmys is any indication, OLTL is on the same page and hopefully cooking up a hot, new triangle.

June 18, 2008
If this was kindergarten and it was 12:30, it'd be naptime. But instead it's time for YAWN, I mean, YOUNG AND RESTLESS! I know we've said it before but I'm saying it again: Why oh why do TPTB at Y&R think we want to watch a show about business? ONE LIFE TO LIVE, for one, has done a terrific job of showing how the passing of oil tycoon Asa Buchanan affected the family business, which was ultimately taken right out from under the Buchanans by devious Dorian. OLTL told that story in a perfectly soapy way, not wasting any of its allotted 35 or so minutes a day (when you factor in commercials) on in-depth discussions of PRODUCT PACKAGING. It is one thing to tell a dramatic story involving the perils of owning a family business, but Y&R has taken the boring business talk to the Nth degree. Anytime I see Victor and Adam sitting around in that dim office wearing their drab suits, I have to do a little dance in my chair just to get the blood flowing. Here's an example from yesterday's episode:

Adam: "How's it going, Nick?"
Nick: "It's going all right. What's up?"
Adam: "I need a favor."
Nick: "Adam needs a favor. Okay, and what would that be?"
Adam: "Uh, well, um, let's see, how do I put this? I need to pull our Beauty of Nature ad from Restless Style."
Nick: "You have committed to a full year of advertising."
Adam: "I know, but I just need one-month rollover."
Nick: "Why?"
Adam: "We're revamping the entire product line, including a name change."
Nick: "Whose idea was that?"
Adam: "Mine. Although, Victor did sign off on it."
Nick: "Now when you say ‘revamping,' what exactly are you talking about?"
Adam: "Well, um, we're gonna take the whole line 100% organic. Even the packaging is going to be biodegradable. Everything clean, simple."
Nick: "That's actually very interesting."

Um, not really. Let's keep going...

Adam: "Yeah, we'd appreciate it."
Nick: "Yeah, I don't know if I do. How do I know this isn't my old man trying to slice into my ad revenue?"
Adam: "No, no, Victor doesn't know about this."
Nick: "So you made this decision yourself?"
Adam: "I'm in charge of this project."
Nick: "Is that so? What's the new name?"
Adam: "Newman Infinity."
Nick: "Newman Infinity? Newman Infinity? I'll tell you what, why don't we run a countdown ad? You know, we'll get the consumers interested and curious before the revamp hits the marketplace?"
Adam: "Yeah. Interesting idea. That's interesting."

Nope, still not interesting. While I'm all for green packaging and whatnot, I'd still rather watch Gloria's shenanigans with Alistair, Jeffrey and Jill. And don't even get me started on the Jana/Sabrina friendship. Random!

June 11, 2008
Last night I had the pleasure of attending the ONE LIFE TO LIVE 40th Anniversary Tribute at the Paley Center with Digest's Stephanie Sloane and Weekly's Gabby Winkel. To our delight, the event kicked off with a reel of clips old and new, from a 1985 location shoot in Venice to the various musical appearances from over the years (I even caught a glimpse of myself dancing at the Timbaland performance!). There were also some very sweet scenes of Marty and Patrick, the famous scene of Tina going over Iguazu Falls and old Todd (Roger Howarth) stalking Nora at the beach, which got a rousing response form the audience. From Asa and Alex's Egypt-meets-Old West wedding to Britney's bitchy cheerleader song, I was reminded of how truly fun and unique this show is and how lucky I am to be covering it for Digest. Afterwards, there was a panel discussion featuring Agnes Nixon, the show's creator, and Erika Slezak (Viki). Talk about soap opera royalty! Watching the two of them (and others) reminisce about old times was perhaps the highlight of my soap journalism career. Happy (early) Birthday, OLTL!

June 4, 2008
I miss GREY'S ANATOMY, don't you? As annoying as Meredith and Cristina (oh, yeah, AND Izzie) are, I just love me some Patrick Dempsey (Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd). I even went to see Made of Honor, and while most rom-coms make me cringe, Dempsey totally made it rule. As a believer in All Things Derek, I found myself getting really invested in his and Meredith's clinical trial this past season on GREY'S and was fascinated by the various effects a brain tumor can have on a person. Then it got me thinking, perhaps soaps aren't totally off when it comes to blaming so many characters' murderous behavior on a tumor. Or maybe it was totally possible that Y&R's Victor got all soft and dog-loving before his brain surgery. I don't know the first thing about neurosurgery, but I tend to believe what happens on GREY'S more than I do on soaps. Why, I don't know! I've always felt that I have "surgeon's hands," but I was just too lazy to go to medical school and prefer to sit here and revel in the fantasy.

May 28, 2008
Talk about old home week in Llanview! I just got off the phone with Andrea Evans to discuss her upcoming return as OLTL's Tina. And before that, I spoke with Susan Haskell about returning to the role of Marty! Could you imagine? I grew up in awe of those two powerhouses and it is just the strangest thing to hear their voices on the other line. As I spoke with Evans, whose voice was as chipper and fast-paced as ever, it was so hard not to picture the actress whose various hairstyles have been chronicled in this magazine. Who didn't watch OLTL in the '80s and want hair down to their butt like Tina? As for Haskell, her voice was a bit scratchier than I remembered, but I take it being a mom of two and acting on a regular basis for the first time in years has her a little bit exhausted. Plus, I spoke with the voice of all voices John Loprieno (ex-Cord) yesterday for a separate story and he informed me that he'd just received a Distinguished Alumni award from his alma mater, Harper College. "Yes, I'm very distinguished. Can't you tell by my voice?" he joked, going into a slightly deeper register. Without even thinking (I never met or talked with the man before!), I squealed, "I love your voice!" All of a sudden, I reverted to that 13-year-old girl still rooting for Cord and Tina to reunite yet again. Here's hoping the 40th Anniversary in July sees a return from Loprieno, as well, so we can get a shot at seeing the original Tina and Cord duke it out!

May 21, 2008
Did you hear? May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. I didn't know that either until Kassie DePaiva (Blair, OLTL) mentioned that she and hubby James (ex-Max) were embarking on a whirlwind tour of hearing-related events this month, including a photo exhibit last night to benefit the Clarke School-New York. As many fans know, their son, J.Q., has a cochlear implant, so he made the cutest speech about the services the Clarke School has provided him and other hearing-impaired children. The event was well-attended by friends and colleagues of the DePaivas, as well as fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Michael Easton (John), who rarely showcases his photography. I personally enjoyed Easton's piece, Los Angeles 1999, which was for sale in addition to three others. You can view some of his other works at www.michaeleaston.com, and be sure to check in with Kassie's Web site, www.kassiedepaiva.com, to learn more about Kassie's involvement with the Clark School and the League for the Hard of Hearing.

May 14, 2008
I can't express enough how much I love ONE LIFE TO LIVE lately. That's why you'll see a Thumbs Up! and an Editors' Choice on the show in upcoming issues of Digest, although I wasn't the only one in this office who loved last week's eps so much that they tried to make loved ones watch the episodes over the weekend. My attempt went something like this:

Me: "Man, ONE LIFE TO LIVE was sooooo good today. I can't even tell you. I have to show you."
Boyfriend: "That's okay. Let's watch 30 ROCK."
Me: "But Snoop Dogg was on it! And he was amazing. Who doesn't like 'Sensual Seduction'?"
Boyfriend: "True. I might watch it, but JUST the Snoop Dogg part."
(The next day...)
Me: "Okay, so ONE LIFE was really good again today. I even brought home the tape. Now we have to watch it."
Boyfriend: "I'm not watching a soap opera with you. That's your thing."
Me: "But don't you want to know more about what I do? About the show I cover? It's so funny, c'mon you'd love it."
Boyfriend: "Look, I really don't need to get into another show right now. There's too many shows I watch."
Me: "What? Like THE WIRE? THE SOPRANOS? There's just as much violence on GENERAL HOSPITAL, which you would also love, by the way."
Boyfriend: "Mmm... That's okay."

And so it went, throughout the weekend, until Monday night when I simply popped the tape in while he was out of the room doing paperwork on his computer. He returned, sat down and was instantly enthralled. "Who's that?" he asked about Langston, who I explained is not the 16-year-old who's pregnant. "Is that Seaside Heights? We were there last summer!" he cried. "Oh, check it out, that's the Tilt-A-Whirl we went on!" When Snoop Dogg took the stage, he was like, "Do you know that girl? And who's that? And she's marrying the drunk guy?" Then Snoop started chatting with Bo and Talia et al, he was all, "Is Snoop ad-libbing? This is hilarious." Before we knew it, a full episode had passed by, he had ignored his paperwork and I had successfully gotten him hooked (well, maybe not for life, but for one hour). To me, that shows the true power of soaps, and a persuasive woman;)

May 7, 2008
In the wonderful telling of Starr's pregnancy storyline, which is really only just beginning, OLTL has tried to raise awareness about teen pregnancy, prevention and how to get teens and parents talking about sex. From star Kristen Alderson's blog (http://blogs.abc.com/kristen) to her post-show public service announcements, OLTL has shown that it's committed to doing a teen pregnancy story justice and not just sweeping it under the rug with a quick solution. As a result, it's no surprise that The Candie's Foundation is honoring OLTL tonight at its annual Event to Prevent fund-raiser. Even better, yours truly will be there to cover the event (which features live performances by James Taylor and Taylor Swift!) and hobnob with some of my favorite OLTL stars. Sometimes, I can't believe this is my job. In an upcoming Digest feature, look for a candid Q&A with Executive Producer Frank Valentini and Alderson about this groundbreaking story.

April 30, 2008
I've just returned from the 35th Annual Emmy Award nominations announced live at THE VIEW! Press was herded to a lounge area (where we had a Whoopi Goldberg sighting!) to watch the noms on TVs. I must admit, as annoyed as I was that I had to watch Tyra Banks blabber her way through an interview with Whoopi, Joy, Sherri and Elisabeth (no Barbara today, sadly) when there was not a single soap-star interview, it was hilarious how Banks managed to dominate the interview. As Joy said during earlier bickering, "There has to be a period on the sentence before someone else starts talking." LOL. As for the noms themselves, boy were there a few, er, surprises. While I totes agree with OLTL, GH and Y&R's nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, I was dismayed by the small number of ABC actor nods and the overwhelming actor nominations for CBS folks. And where, oh, where were ATWT's Martha Byrne (ex-Lily), B&B's Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B), Erika Slezak (Viki, OLTL) and Laura Wright (Carly, GH) in the Outstanding Lead Actress category? Also, I must give a shout-out to Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH), who IMO, should have taken home the Emmy right then and there. I hope this doesn't deter Storms from attending the ceremony, because I'd like to shake that young lady's hand. All that said, kudos to ALL the nominees and I look forward to the 2008 Daytime Emmys! Don't forget to visit our Forums page and share your opinions on the noms.

April 23, 2008
I could not be more excited about the OLTL feature in the 4/29 issue of Digest, which is on stands now. Imagine getting two daytime powerhouses, Hillary B. Smith (Nora) and Jerry verDorn (Clint), to sit down to lunch with you and compare their years of experience. Upon first arriving, both were giddy as they realized the other had come in to Manhattan from the suburbs on their day off to do the interview. "Aw, just for me?" Smith cooed. After that, there wasn't much question-asking necessary; I just let the tape roll as they laughed about bad hairstyles of the past, Clint and Nora's nonexistent sex life and what it's like to be on the back burner (or "the freezer" as Smith calls it). I hope readers enjoy this interview as much as I did, and give "Clora" a chance!

April 2, 2008
Isn't it funny how GH's Maxie gave this whole speech today about how she loves the excitement and pace of her new job, yet all she's done so far is hang out in Kate's living room taking notes while Kate trades barbs with Claudia? Spinelli tried to get the Fashionista in Training out a jam and was so flustered when she gave him a thank-you kiss that I half expected drool to come out of his mouth. I think Bradford Anderson is so entertaining as Spinelli but I'd really like to see him play the character just a little less gawky and nervous sometimes. As quirky rocker chick Anna once advised a lovelorn Seth on THE O.C., "Confidence, Cohen!" Speaking of rocker babes, is it me or with that wild mane could Lulu play a young Stevie Nicks in a biopic? Ooh, baby ooh, I said ooh!

March 26, 2008
Last night I had the pleasure of attending Kristen Alderson's party celebrating her 10 years of playing OLTL's Starr. Most of the younger set was in attendance, as well as on-screen parents Kassie DePaiva (Blair) and Trevor St. John (Todd). I also ran into Head Writer Ron Carlivati, who hinted that May sweeps is going to rock our worlds. Stay tuned for more on that, and be sure to pick up the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, which includes a special look at Alderson and her 10 years on the show!

March 18, 2008
Oh, GH's Lulu, when I asked you to spend less time lamenting your romantic conundrums to people with bigger problems, I didn't mean, "Go talk to your boyfriend about the guy you slept with while he was comatose!" Sigh. After burdening Nikolas and whoever else would listen about her Johnny vs. Logan dilemma, she resorted to bedside chats with the Comatose One, who wouldn't be able to get a word in even if he didn't have that breathing tube in his mouth. Poor guy. I'm not sure whether Logan actually awoke from his coma today or just fluttered his eyes, but I hope he sets her straight once he is conscious.

March 13, 2008
Yesterday I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I had the pleasure of interviewing John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex, OLTL) and John Brotherton (Jared, OLTL) in one day. Lavoisier is always good for a laugh, a behind-the-scenes anecdote and even a juicy spoiler, but soap newcomer Brotherton is doing a darn good job of keeping up. He's always happy to discuss whatever topic I bring up, whether it’s his engagement to fiancée Alison Raimondi (who's a delight herself), the latest anti-Jared mail from the "Jolie" fans or his crazy awesome fashion sense. Be sure to check out an upcoming issue of Digest featuring a style profile on Brotherton. Meanwhile, Lavoisier was game enough to answer the same set of questions for himself and Rex, and when he called to do the interview, said, "Hey, John-Paul here. And I have Rex here, too. Hold on, I'll get him." Always good sports, those two. Oh, and a Happy Belated Birthday to J-P!