SCOTT HAMNER AND HOGAN SHEFFER, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Where do I begin? Living it once was bad enough, so let’s move on… Let’s just say, I went about four months without ever tuning into Y&R once. Enough said!
7. GENIE FRANCIS, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
The Emmy winner took scene chewing (and lip biting) to new lows when she raped the hell out of Cane’s crazy Mama, Gen-something. While Francis as mercifully toned it down as of late, she really should give her Emmy Award back for her selfish and egotistical hijacking of a character that showed a lot of promise. This, my friends, is what happens when you’ve been abused at the hands of ABC Daytime: you continue the cycle of abuse and the victim becomes the abuser.
8. THE DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS
Let’s not and say we did, OK? Hopefully, with the nomination and voting revamp, the Daytime Emmy Awards will be watchable next year and not be an annoying infomercial for Las Vegas. Let’s move the ceremony to the web, so we can have some fun — and honour the best in daytime with no offensive time restrictions. We’re not curing cancer here, folks!
9. JAMES FRANCO, GENERAL HOSPITAL
What was worse? Defending show-killing executive producer Jill Farren Phelps when ABC finally canned the soapy mess or terrorizing us with his over-the-top, masturbatory soap experiment for the umpteenth time by hijacking the show with his latest “art installation?” It’s a tie.
10. OPRAH WINFREY
Earlier this summer, after being asked to bring AMC and One Life over to her fledgling network, the queen of daytime sternly told fans rather rudely in a direct video message that the day of the soap opera was over and serials were just too expensive to produce anymore. Incidentally, her eponymous network, OWN, is struggling with a few hundred thousand viewers — and that’s on a good day. Wanna re-think that, O?
PODCAST OF THE YEAR:
Raven “Raspy” Beauty and Flo DiBona’s Christmas/Birthday Spectacular!
Last night, the podcast to end all podcasts celebrated the birthday of CNN iReport’s Flo Di Bona and the spirit of spoiler queen, Raven/Raspy Beauty, who is valiantly battling cancer. The guest list? Hosted by my hubby Silas Kain, a-list soapers like Catherine Hickland, Michael E. Knight (in a rare podcast appearance), Hillary B. Smith, Andrea Evans, and soap heroine, Ilene Kristen entertained and enlightened for a record-breaking three hours! The best part? All of them, uncharacteristically dished about Brian Frons, ABC/Disney and Prospect Park. See, it’s not so bad being off contract with ABC! Yep, you won’t hear anything like it anywhere else. In one of her best and most revealing interviews yet, Kristen, who is killing it on One Life as her character, Roxy, ended up stealing the entire show. If you’re watching, you know Roxy is passionately trying to save soap-within-a-soap, Fraternity Row, from cancellation like the rest of us, soap coupons and all. Among the highlights:
• Smith told Prospect Park to walk way from the soaps. She felt Disney/PP deal was "dismissive" from start.
• Michael E. Knight told Flo he loves her CNN iReports!
• Knight says he gets a "vicarious thrill" watching soap fans "baste" The Chew!
• Knight believes there's still huge demand for soaps as a genre.
• Knight continued to say a cable channel may be looking at AMC and One Life right now
• Whoo Hoo! Smith letting Frons, et. al have it about the way they handled soaps. Says they didn't understand soaps at all!
• Smith reveals when she fought to stop ABC from opening contracts mid-deal, the show threw her into a nine-month coma.
• Kristen said if Roxy can save Fraternity Row, why can't Ilene save One Life?
• Kristen says PP did NOT buy the sets!
• Kristen plans on submitting the Norma Rae scene in which Roxy pleads with Clint to save Frat Row.
• Kristen reveals Law & Order requested her for a small role in an upcoming episode. She’ll play a high-strung, ex-beauty queen and shoots in January. Of course, she is!
• Kristen said she thought making Echo Rex's mother was kind of like throwing Roxy under the bus. She also wanted Roxy to play more story with Roxy’s real son, Schuyler.
• Kristen hilariously shared with fans what she hopes happens to Frons!
What are you waiting for? Listen for yourself here: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/silas-kain/2011/12/16/the-ravenbeauty-holiday-extravaganza
CASTING COUCH:
Chappell on GH?
If Cartini is smart — and let’s face it, we all know they are — they can create immediate buzz by bringing in soap and gay icon, Crystal Chappell as Maurice Benard’s new love interest on the embattled, hair-model heavy GH. Thoughts?
SOAPILEAKS: News! Gossip! Buzz!
Ed. Note: Will return next week! All you need to know this week is that like Uncensored told you two months ago, Y&R’s Jeff Branson is out; Shawn Christian is temporarily leaving DAYS due to a personal issue but he’ll be in a few weeks; Barbara Rhodes haunts Llanview again on Dec. 23 as Irene Manning, while Lea DeLaria helps Rex and Gigi learn the truth next week on One Life; and this week’s most exciting casting development: GH’s Finola Hughes is returning in her signature role as Robin’s mother. Hopefully, Hughes will not be adorning any black clothing during her latest visit. Oh, and yes, it’s true: Y&R’s Victor marries Sharon! More next week. Kill. Us. Now.
SOAP WHISPERER:
This week’s hottest blind items
• Which soap star is obsessed with increasing her Twitter followers — and is pissed her “less popular and talented” co-stars boast more?
• Which two co-stars are feuding again — despite their love for each other in the press?
• Which superstar had to be rushed out of her dressing room by her husband thanks to an overdose of some sort a while back?
SOAP PORN: Next Week's Soapgasms
Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!
Top Shows to Watch:
1. One Life To Live, ABC
2. Venice, venicetheseries.com
3. Days of our Lives, NBC
—tie— Pretty: The Series, prettytheseries.com
Top Storylines to Watch:
1. Save Frat Row, One Life
2. Love Story Revisited, Venice
3. Gays of our Lives, DAYS
Top Actresses to Watch:
1. Ilene Kristen (Roxy, One Life)
2. Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, Y&R)
3. Crystal Chappell (Gina, Venice)
4. Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH)
5. Hillary B. Smith (Guya, Venice)
6. Erika Slezak (Viki, One Life)
—tie— Amanda Setton (Kim, One Life)
Top Actors to Watch:
1. Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GH)
2. Michael Muhney (Adam, Y&R)
3. Jerry ver Dorn (Clint, One Life)
4. James Scott (EJ, DAYS)
5. Jordan Clark (The Colonel, Venice)
Top Young Actors To Watch:
1. Chandler Massey (Will, DAYS)
2. Patrick Gibbons Jr. (Sam, One Life)
3. Eddie Alderson (Matthew, One Life)
—tie— Shenell Edmonds (Destiny, One Life)
Top Duos to Watch:
1. Gina and Ani, Venice
2. Viki and Clint, One Life
3. Chloe and Kevin, Y&R
Top Couples to Fast-Forward Through:
1. Sonny and Kate, GH
—tie— Lulu and Dante, GH
3. Sofia and Neil, Y&R
Top Dream Couples:
1. Carly and Shawn, GH
2. Will and Chad, DAYS
3. Sharon and Avery, Y&R
Top New-ish Duos to Watch:
1. Chad and Melanie, DAYS
2. Jack and Neela, One Life
3. Thomas and Hope, B&B
Top Newcomers:
1. Freddie Smith (Sonny, DAYS)
2. Sean Blakemore (Shawn, GH)
3. Neela Patel (Neela, One Life)
; —tie— Andrew Trischitta (Jack, One Life)
Top Scene Stealers:
1.Ilene Kristen (Roxy, One Life)
—tie— Josh Kelly (Cutter, One Life)
3. Tina Sloan (Katherine, Venice)
4. Tuc Watkins (David, One Life)
—tie— Austin Peck (Rick, One Life)
Top Rivals:
1. Stephanie vs. Jackie, B&B
2. Lara vs. Gina, Venice
3. Jack vs. Daniel, DAYS
Top Equations to Watch:
1. Gina/Ani/Lara, Venice
—tie— Daniel/Jen/Jack, DAYS
2. Victor/Nikki/Deacon, Y&R
4. Viki/Clint/Kim, One Life
Top Tweeters:
1. Crystal Chappell: @CrystalChappell
2. Joshua Morrow: @joshuamorrowYR
3. Adam Newman: @adamnewmanYR
Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):
1. Soaps In Depth: Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott
2. Soap Opera Digest: GH/DAYS Christmas Weddings!
3. Soap Opera Weekly: DAYS’ John and Marlena
Top 3 Best Reads/Buys at the Newsstand:
1. Soap Opera Digest
2. Soap Opera Weekly
3. CBS Soaps In Depth
Top Episodes To Watch:
1. Wednesday: DAYS’s Doug plays Santa. “Wanna sit on my lap, Will?” he asks after reading a story to the sick kids at the hospital.
2. Thursday: GH’s Carly arrives to find a Christmas surprise from Shawn. “That is never going to fit inside of me,” says Carly.
3. Thursday: Y&R’s Chloe and Kevin’s wedding begins. But Daniel interrupts the nuptials and professes his love to his best friend.