March 10, 2009
Oh, yes it's Ladies' Night! And the feelin's right. Oh, yes it's Ladies' Night ... in Springfield! I loved the twist that Doris is a lesbian on today's GUIDING LIGHT. But you know what I loved more? Her badass outfit. Doris is gay and suddenly she's got awesome, choppy layers, charcoal-rimmed eyes and a fedora! In the wake of THE L WORD's recent departure, I fully support the "Otalia" storyline. In fact, why shouldn't every show have a few gay characters? Llanview could certainly use some. Perhaps Rachel will return with a ladyfriend. Casting call!

February 4, 2009
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Ms. Rachael Yamagata? This talented singler/songwriter/pianist is the latest in a string of top performers to grace the stage of an OLTL nightspot and I had the pleasure of watching her tape yesterday! She may not be sharing the spotlight with Beyoncé but you're sure to recognize her songs from shows like ONE TREE HILL and THE O.C. and films such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. OLTL magic man Paul S. Glass, who's responsible for luring amazing acts to Llanview, revealed that her performance will accompany a moving montage at the end of the April 2 episode. The song is called "Elephants" and is available on her new CD, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. I could completely see their beautiful yet eerie tune accompanying Blair's latest heartache or Marty's latest meltdown. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be good, given OLTL's knack for creating montages with emotionally appropriate music.

Oh, and I must add an addendum to my review of THE NOTE II: TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE! In the TV movie, Genie Francis's (ex-Laura, GH) character's middle-aged boyfriend gets a job offer with the New York Times. Uh, I'm pretty sure the Times isn't hiring!

February 2, 2009
Sunday morning in Brooklyn went something like this: work out, go to church, visit the bakery, cry with Genie Francis. Yes, I DVR'd Saturday night's Hallmark premiere of THE NOTE II: TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE, the follow-up to the 2007 tearjerker, THE NOTE, also starring Francis. This is seriously the sweetest series. I guess I'm a sucker for those made-for-TV women's dramas, as is my co-worker Elaine Flores, but I love the concept of GH's Laura as a logic-minded, hardworking journalist (she writes a weekly column called "The Heart Healer") who connects with strangers via a note that eventually leads to her own healing. Brilliant! Both movies have touched on life's everyday challenges as well as the biggest ones. For instance, grief is a running theme. It sounds depressing, I know, but the resounding message is there's always a light at the end of the tunnel and it's up to you to get there. I salute Francis on her continuing prime-time success!

January 15, 2009
Some days are crazier than others at the Digest, and yesterday being our weekly closing day, I revisited this blog entry multiple times before finishing it. What were my distractions, you ask? First, a call from the folks at Radio Disney, who are helping to hook us up with some big-name talent for Digest's and Weekly's shared venture, Pixie. Then I chatted with John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex, OLTL) for a news story (BIG stuff is happening in Las Vegas...) and we ended up talking about his well-deserved Daytime Emmy pre-nomination and his love of poker. After I wrote that story up, I got a call from everyone's favorite bodyguard Sean Ringgold (Shaun, OLTL), who plays hip hop icon Suge Knight, in the recent box-office smash Notorious. Honestly, people, I felt lucky to speak with Ringgold because I sense big things on his horizon. Anyway, while speaking to Lavoisier, we brainstormed a bit about what his co-star Robert S. Woods (Bo) should submit for his Emmy reel this year, which suddenly reminded me, I totally had a dream about Woods the night before! Did you ever have a dream that you don't remember until something triggers it later? Well, in this particular dream, it was the actor's birthday, so I made him a birthday card that included press clippings of his career in daytime. For some bizarre reason, on the cover of the card, I pasted myself into a photo with John Loprieno's Cord and scrawled "Happy Birthday Bob" on it, then dropped it off at his dressing room (after calling first to tell him I was doing so!). Well, his birthday isn't until March, and I'll never forget the date because it's the same day my family cat give birth to kittens, but I figured I'd work up a card in advance. Here's a hilarious mockup, courtesy of Digest's artist in residence Mark Tyson. Speaking of birthdays, happy birthday Elaine Flores!

January 14, 2009
I am mixed with excitement and disappointment as I anticipate Sunday's premiere of the final season of THE L WORD. This Showtime series, now in its sixth season, is about as soapy as it is risqué, and I strongly urge soap fans to check it out if they can. It focuses on a community of fabulously diverse and successful lesbians, all with their own lovable personality quirks and separate challenges. A few seasons ago, they lost one of their best friends to breast cancer and each season has included a powerful tribute to their gal pal while raising awareness about breast cancer diagnosis and research. They've also dealt with fertility issues, menopause, adoption, bisexuality, sexism, depression, drug addiction — all the same stuff you see on daytime — and there's always some delicious backstabbing and cattiness. In addition, these chicks have great hair and the show's wardrobe department pulls the most luxurious designer clothes for some of the more well-to-do L girls. This season kicks off with a murder mystery of a character that was historically maddening, and Lucy Lawless (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA; XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS) joins the cast as a sassy detective investigating the murder. The first episode airs at 9 pm on January 18. And if you don't have Showtime, just check out the DVDs of previous seasons. Season 3 was a full-on tearjerker, but the show went in a more fun and silly direction after that. All are just phenomenal.

January 7, 2009
In the 1/6 issue of Digest, we asked actors what their New Year's resolutions are and what their characters' would be, and while I can think of a few for ONE LIFE TO LIVE's writers (e.g., hold off on any baby switches, custody hearings, kidnappings and paternity disputes for a while), I can't say I've made any resolutions for myself. Something I like to do instead is make a little list I call, "Highlights And Lowlights," so in honor of 2008 reaching its completion, here are a few things I got to experience as a Digest editor. The highlights list could go on, but trust me, those five lowlights were the only lows.

Highlights of Working at Soap Opera Digest in 2008

1. Attending the very last (and my second) Super Soap Weekend in Orlando, FL. What a fantastic opportunity to be a fan and a reporter in one weekend. To see fans shower these stars with love and the stars return it is what being a soap fan is all about.
2. Covering the long-awaited returns of OLTL legends Andrea Evans (ex-Tina) and Susan Haskell (Marty).
3. Attending the Night of a Thousand Gowns Charity Ball and Silent Auction, where celebrity co-chair Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) turned to me and said, "Does it get any better than this?" as a troupe of sparkling drag queens line-danced to ABBA.
4. Celebrating OLTL's 40th Anniversary in various ways, including the studio luncheon where Creator Agnes Nixon was honored and shared her personal scrapbook of the show's first few years on air.
5. All of the feature interviews I got to do this year. Truly, getting to sit down and pick the brain of a daytime actor is the best part of this job. So props to the following people who took the extra time to tell me their stories: Kristen Alderson (Starr), Melissa Archer (Natalie), BethAnn Bonner (Talia), Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio) Kassie DePaiva (Blair), Evans, Farah Fath (Gigi), Hickland, Ilene Kristen (Roxy), John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex), Mark Lawson (Brody), Florencia Lozano (Téa), Hillary B. Smith (Nora), Kevin Spirtas (ex-Jonas), Chris Stack (Michael), Robin Strasser (Dorian), Jerry verDorn (Clint), Tuc Watkins (David), Bree Williamson (Jessica) and those who gave me much more than I needed when asked to do a news story. I promise I'll get to the rest of you this year!

Lowlights of Working at Soap Opera Digest in 2008

1. Having to hear repetitive jingles like "Clipo, Clipo, Clipo!" multiple times a day.
2. That weird hum my cubicle neighbors and I often hear coming from a nearby storage room.
3. The exit of my mentor, co-worker and pal Jennifer Lenhart, who formerly covered ATWT.
4. The death of Nash on OLTL. It still hurts.
5. I really want to say the end of PASSIONS but for the wrong reasons, so I'll just say the economy!