fans are eating it up. In less than 24 hours, the video was watched 100 K times! Not bad.
In this week’s DIGEST, Jerry ver Dorn reveals that he was set to play Crystal Chappell’s father in THE GROVE (though DIGEST incorrectly printed the show was VENICE; Jordan Clark plays Chappell’s father in that project, FYI) but a recent battery of tests prevented him for filming so Bob Woods took his place. “It would have been a lot of fun,” sighs the Emmy winner.
As for joining GH, ver Dorn suggests that Clint and Viki’s wedding should happen in Port Chuck. “And then do something big with them like kill them or something,” he laughs. “David should probably clock Clint with a shotgun. Then I can really go to heaven!”
Bit your tongue, Jerry! By the way, who else thinks that ver Dorn preferred Clint Buchanan over GL’s Ross Marler? I do, too!
In a few prior issues, DIGEST reported that ver Dorn did meet with Frank Valentini about possibly joining GH so we could see Clint sooner than we think.
In other Chappell news, PRETTY’s showrunner Steve Silverman has announced that Crystal Chappell has been cast as his lead in his new scary project, THE INN. God, Chappell is becoming the hardest working woman in show business!
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, GLOBAL/CBS — Rowell: The New Charlie Sheen!
• In other news, the sky is blue: Victoria Rowell revealed on Twitter she will not be returning in the near future. Here’s what she wrote:
"Sony TV Sr VP STEVE KENT stated Friday that bringing back character DRU WINTERS is NOT the creative direction Young & Restless is going in... Head of Diversity at CBS, Josie Thomas asks if I can find work w/ another Network? CBS helmer, Leslie Moonves does not want me affiliated..."
“Here's the scoop ppl - for years I tackled diversity issues behind the camera re: unfair practices for minority hiring on Young & Restless... Nat'l Urban League Pres. Marc Morial, Bill Bell Jr., Sony VP Steve Kent, and me met on Wall Street in NUL offices 2discuss hiring practices... Young&Restless soap in its history had NEVER hired an African American producer, writer or director, and its audience is over 50%black... I was told Steve Kent was trying to gets off Young & Restless while I was still there. And I knew that without anyone telling me... As a result Bell Dramatic Serial & Sony Pictures TV were forced to hire FIRST black female writer, Susan Dansby, a 4time EMMY winner on Y&R...There is nothing easy about speaking up for change - especially the blackball-bullying but rest assured there is more than CBS & soap opera!... I gave 22 years to CBS on two shows...so, now you know the truth and it doesn't take a Charlie Sheen moment to send a smart girl packing."
This comes as NO surprise to anyone who reads UNCENSORED regularly. I have actively snooped around Sony and CBS to find out if Drucilla could ever return in the form of Victoria Rowell — and the answer was always a definitive, “Never.”
You try threatening to sue a company — and then ask for your old job back. I know blogs which won’t write about a star because the celeb threatened legal action.
Like many of you, I simply don’t understand why she wants to return to a show she holds such a bad opinion of and such a topsy-turvy history with.
Let’s not forget it was Rowell’s decision to quit Y&R — both times she left the series. Rowell is one of the most talented actresses out there; surely, she can land another gig. She’d have been better served if she had invested all that time badmouthing Y&R and bitching about not coming back as Drucilla auditioning!
• Ignacio Serricchio is headed to Y&R as Alex, an undercover cop, reports TV Guide. Look for him to first air in December. I’m not super excited but let’s see. He is a Friend of JFP.
• Maria Arena Bell may be lamenting the loss of her job as the soap’s showrunner and insisting she protected the Bill Bell legacy but all one has to do is read Carolyn Hinsey’s column, It’s Only My Opinion, in this week’s DIGEST to see how much damage she’s done to the show. Hinsey lists the myriad weddings on Y&R from the 2011-12 year: Nikki/Deacon, Nikki/Jack, Victor/Diane, Victor/Sharon (twice), Nick/Phyllis, Jack/Gen (really Patty), Jack/Nikki, Neil/Sofia, Kevin/Angelina, Kevin/Chloe, Gloria/Jeffrey, Adam/Chelsea, Lily/Cane, Billy/Victoria, Tucker/Ashley and now Tucker/Sharon. Whew.
Y&R treats marriage just like Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian did.
• Sources tell UNCENSORED that Christian Le Blanc is getting a story of his own opposite on-screen son, Fen. In this week’s SOAPS IN DEPTH, Tracey Bregman enthuses over the good news. “When Fen was born, Lauren had the panic attacks and the post-stress disorder,” she reminds. “Now that Fen is older, things are going to happen… everything that Lauren has gone through since Fen’s birth and even prior to Scotty I think is going to come out in a way that the audience potentially might not expect. It’s a twist. All the dots are going to be connected.”
As for Y&R’s new regime change, Bregman is super excited. The Emmy winner says, “ I couldn’t be happier.” She reveals that executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and head writer Josh Griffith have sat down the actors to discuss their strategy and long-term storyline. “I’m kind of loving that process. This is a very new way for us to work. I come from the Bill Bell era where you didn’t know anything. So it’s been very cool to sit with Josh and Jill and listen to possible storyline and be able to talk about it.”
As for the soap’s future, Bregman promises, “Jill and Josh are doing everything in their power to do what is best for our show, to tell emotional, strong stories that I really believe the audience will love.”
• Hypocritical times on the Y&R set: According to sources, the same actors who sucked up “mercilessly” to Maria Arena Bell are now “rimming the collective a-holes” of Phelps and Griffith. “It’s kind of disgusting to watch,” says one mole.
• My sexy Jess Walton is back, bitches! The Emmy winner posted this message to fans on her Facebook page: “Hi everybody! Well, I have taped about 8 episodes on the show that will start airing around the beginning of November! It is so good to be working with my dear friends again and hopefully we will be doing this back and forth thing commuting from Oregon for quite awhile to come.”
Long live, La Walton!
Uncensored Series
TOP TEN WAYS TO REBOOT… DAYS
If DAYS really wants to be renewed, this is what they need to do, STAT!
Salem is in desperate need of a ‘hip’ replacement. Without its sizzling pairing of EJ and Will, the show is lacking the adventurous cool element it was famous for for so many years.
10. Change their production schedule so episodes air three weeks from taping.
9. Re-pair EJ and Will, STAT!
8. Convince Sony to bring back Stephen Nichols. With Peter Reckell gone, DAYS needs a traditional anti-hero on its canvas.
7. EJ and Sami need an epic reunion and love story.
6. Pair Hope and Rafe together. But throw in Patch and Kayla as romantic spoilers.
5. Make Lorraine Broderick the show’s head writer. Gary Tomlin can clean toilets.
4. Kristen DiMera needs to be reinvented for these modern times.
3. Convince Susan Flannery to reprise the role of Laura Horton.
2. Eliminate all the purple on the show.
1. Ken Corday steps down for the sake of the show.
Shhh!
SOAP OPERA MYSTERY HOUR
This week’s hottest blind item!
• Which Emmy-winning leading lady is peeved about her lack of airtime and has already confronted her bosses about it?
New And Improved!
SOAP PORN: Next Week's Soapgasms
Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!
TOPS OF THE TOP:
Top Soap: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Top Soap Actor: Michael Muhney, Y&R
Top Soap Actress: Susan Flannery, B&B
Top Soap Couple: Kristen and John, DAYS
Top Tweeter: Nancy Lee Grahn
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Top Actor: Winsor Harmon
/> Top Actress: Susan Flannery
Top Storyline: Goodbye Stephers!
Worst Storyline: Ridge’s Disappearance
Best Couple: Bill and Katie
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Top Actor: James Scott
Top Actress: Eileen Davidson
Top Storyline: Caroline’s Alzheimer’s
Worst Dressed: Kristen DiMera
Biggest Hack: Gary Tomlin
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Top Actor: Bradford Anderson
Top Actress: Leslie Charleson
Top Storyline: AJ’s Return!
Worst Storylines: Anything With Steven Larzzzz
Most Offensive Character: Connie/Kate
Best Couple: Jason and A Body Of Water
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Top Actor: Michael Muhney
Top Actress: Marcy Rylan
Top Storyline: Victor’s Retirement
Most Contrived Story: Nick’s 30-something children!
Wow! What A Difference A New Writer Makes: Nick and Avery
Best Couple: Abby and Carmine
Dream Recasting: Kassie DePaiva as nuAshley
The Idiot Ratings
NIELSEN MILK: Oct. 8-12/12
Winners: Y&R, B&B Bounce Back!
Loser: Is DAYS Headed Towards Cancellation?
Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,649,000 (+231,000/+440,000)
2. B&B 3,400,000 (+211,000/+536,000)
3. GH 2,671,000 (-43,000/+422,000)
4. DAYS 2,366,000