David Canary

Despite gloom and doom about the state of daytime in almost all of its aspects, fans have been treated to some good soap opera lately. The Young and the Restless is the Must See Soap right now. One Life to Live has regained it's glory and Guiding Light is steadily improving. Some of daytime's best actors are giving some of the performances of their lives. With that in mind, there are three performers new to their respective shows deserving of special mention who I think are doing a bang up job.

JR MARTINEZ (Brot Monroe, All My Children)

Introduced amid a publicity blitz, JR Martinez came aboard AMC with a fascinating, real life backstory: an Iraq War veteran seriously injured and disfigured by explosives, eventually becoming a noted inspirational speaker for and on behalf of veterans coping with their life altering injuries. His addition to AMC's canvas was purposeful and deliberate. The show wanted a real life injured vet to play Brot, former love of newcomer Taylor (Beth Ehlers).

AMC has received much justly deserved praise for casting Martinez, but make no mistake, this was as much a bit of stunt casting as it was groundbreaking decision. Continue Reading...

Adam

David

Jackson

A lack of direction, sinking ratings, storyline monopolization by a few select characters, fan uproar over the undoing of iconic storylines and viewer apathy plague All My Children. As Daytime Confidential's own Regan pointed out on a recent podcast "nothing should scare a show more than viewer indifference." Now Charles Pratt has the thankless job of trying to save a ship with cannonball sized holes in its bow. It isn't going to be the easiest of jobs.

Contract negotiations between ABC and Alicia Minshew haven't gone well. Rumors that Rebecca Budig is taking the out in her contract have picked up steam. Lightening hasn't struck twice between Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers' characters, though separately both characters have potential. The "Fusion Girls" concept, once fresh with possibilities, is worn, tired and a glaring blight on the show, cannibalizing all unfortunate enough to fall in its path. The teen scene is schizophrenic at best. At least a half dozen pointless characters litter the show, while misdirected couplings abound.

So what can a new head writer do to save a sinking ship? Continue Reading...

Okay, let me first say that there is no, I repeat NO concrete talk of the fabulous Kim Zimmer leaving her legendary role as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light, but you'd have to have been living under a rock this week in Soapland not to know that Ms. Kim is a bit, shall we say cross, about the way things are going with her character at GL. So of course, you know me, my mind couldn't help but wonder where else the multiple-Emmy winner might end up should she decide to leave broadcasting's longest-running program.

Kim to Young and the Restless as Dr. Casey Reed

I was chatting with one of Daytime Confidential's faithful visitors in the comments section of the post regarding Zimmer's current state of unhappiness about how great it would be to see Zimmer go head on with Eric Braeden's Victor Newman on Young and the Restless (Feel free to remind me who you are as that post is now enormous and I couldn't sift  through the comments quick enough! LOL). So following in that vein, should Zimmer opt not to re-sign with GL, I propose she join the Bell sudser as a recast of Nikki's doctor sis Casey.

Casey hasn't been seen in Genoa City in years, so there wouldn't  have to be that much of an adjustment as with the usual recast. Wouldn't it be great to see the fiery Zimmer's Casey take Victor to task for his shoddy treatment of her sister and nephew? If there is anyone who can out yell Braeden it's Zimmer. 

It would also be wonderful for Casey to call Nikki's smarmy boy toy David (Vincent Irizarry) on his gambling addiction and clash with her sister over the issue. Then there are all the guys for Zimmer's Casey to mix it up with, including the aforementioned Braeden and Irizarry. Isn't it about time Jack Abbott was with a woman who was more his equal? I adore Sharon Case, but she comes off as arm candy with Peter Bergman's Jack. I'd much rather see her back in a hot triangle with Nick and Phyllis and let Jack play with a big girl like Zimmer! If TPTB don't like Zimmer for the role of Casey, then how about Amber's scheming trailer park Mama Tawny from Bold and the Beautiful fame? I was saving that one for Judi Evans, but what the heck!

Kim to Bold and the Beautiful as the long lost sister of Sally Spectra

Ever since Darlene Conley passed away, B&B has been lacking in the area of brassy, unforgiving dames who don't have sex to feel good about themselves, but simply have sex to feel good! Zimmer would be perfect as Sally's long lost sister Lola, who blows into town carying  trumped up secret trust documents that give her 20 percent of Spectra Fashions. Imagine the look of horror on Jackie's face when she realizes she has no choice but to go into business with this fire ball who has the fashion sense of a Las Vegas showgirl on speed! Bring back the woefully-underused-at-Days Joe Mascolo as Massimo and you'd have a ready made Baby Boomer triangle that doesn't involve the Logans or the Forresters! 

And what if Lola instantly recognizes Moss from a one night stand she had some 25 years ago? Around that time, Lola's 24-year-old daughter Shannon (ex-Days star Martha Madison) could show up in town catching the eye of Brandon Beemer's (remember this is JUST my Wishful Casting) Thomas Forrester. Is Thomas about to fall for his aunt? Hey this is Bold and the Beautiful! Don't worry, Lola also finds Patrick Duffy's Stephen quite familiar. What can I say? My fantasy characters get around!

Kim to All My Children as Liza Colby

Since Marcy Walker has retired from acting, why not have Zimmer follow all of her exiting Springfielders and rumored-to-be exiting Springfielders over to Pine Valley as Liza Colby? Tbat show already has the ultimate grand dame in Susan Lucci, but I bet there could be room at the table for Zimmer, especially if she is brought on as Adam and Tad's ex-lady love and Colby's mother.

There is so much rich history being explored on AMC right now (allbeit with hit and miss success) with the returns of Liza's enemies Jesse and Angie and the object of her girlhood affections Greg Nelson soon-to-be added to the mix. Zimmer would fit in perfectly. I can totally visualize the scenes where Liza attempts to make ammends to Darnell Wiillams Jesse for her accusations of rape all those years ago. And with their children currently becoming involved on the soap, this storyline has the potential to be soaps at their history-laden best. Not to mention seeing Zimmer in a scene with Adam Canary or Michael E. Knight would likely require a cigarette afterwards and that's if they were just doing comedy!

Kim to One Life to Live as talk show host Veronica London

Okay, you're going "Say who, Say What???" This character, like Lola Spectra above, is from my own imagine, so be kind. A wildly successful talk show host/lifestyle guru named Veronica London pops up in Llanview- think Oprah meets Martha. The glamorous Ms. London takes a keen interest in Marcie McBain. She wants to produce a TV-movie based on Marcie's life-The Killing Club murders, losing Sam to Todd and Blair-she also makes it a point that she can't stand Todd Manning.

What gives? Who is this mystery woman Shaggy? The plot thickens when Marcie's dad comes to town and she tells him all about the wonderful lady who wants to make her a star. When Mr. Walsh sees Veronica it's as if he's seen a ghost, literally.

Once Marcie's out of earshot he asks her a tense, "What the hell are you doing here?"  She replies, "I needed to be with my daughter." Cue the organ music. Veronica London is Marcie's long believed dead mother! It turns out Mama Walsh had these awful itchings and stirrings to run off to Hollywierd and make it as a star. So when she packed up and left her kids on the back of a drifter's motorcycle. Mr. McBain thought it would be easier to tell the kids she'd died than to tell them the truth.,that she had abandonded them.

  Now Ronnie is back and she plans to make ammends to her children if it's the last thing she does. Look out Todd. Oh and did I mention the motorcycle riding drifter she abandoned her kids for was none other than Charlie?

Okay, now I looked on Soap Central AND Wikipedia to find out the real backstory on Marcie's mom and turned up with zilch, so if she died in front of her forgive me and blame the Margaritas! Next time I'll tell you who I think Zimmer should play on Days, GH and As The World Turns. Stay tuned for more Wishful Castings!

With her daughter Colby quickly headed toward a pairing with Frankie Hubbard on All My Children, the son of her teenage rivals Jesse and Angie Hubbard (Darnell Williams and Debbie Morgan) , will Liza Colby Chandler make her way back to Pine Valley? If so will beloved soap legend Marcy Walker reprise the role? 

Walker was unceremoniously bumped from AMC in 2004 despite her character's popularity with leading men David Canary (Adam) and Michael E. Knight (Tad). And although Walker made guest appearances in 2004 and 2005, she later announced she was retiring from acting to go into childrens' ministry. While I definitely respect a person's decision to listen to a Higher Calling, I would pay money to see two wildly talented vets like Marcy Walker and Debbi Morgan square off in a scene!  

What did she possibly do to deserve this?

All My Children alum and Heather Tom-lookalike Carrie Genzel has been cast opposite rapper-turned-reality TV lothario Flava Flav ( of  VH1's sadly popular televised trainwreck Flavor of Love) in a My Network TV sitcom set to premiere this April.

In the sitcom entitled Under One Roof, Flav will play an ex-con who comes to live with his wealthy brother (Kelly Perine) who is in an interracial marriage with a snotty socialite played by Genzel. 

For those of you who may not remember Genzel, she played Skye Chandler during the evil Dr. Jonathan Kinder (Michael Sabatino) storyline which saw Adam (David Canary)'s daughter bond with Erica (Susan Lucci) and Janet Green (Robin Mattson) to bury the wicked doctor alive! Genzel's Skye was also obsessed with Edmund Grey (John Callahan) and therefore despised his then cheating wife Dr. Maria Santos (Eva La Rue).
 
While long term AMC fans never really warmed to Genzel in the role (to them Robin Christopher was and still is the only Skye), as a newee viewer to the show, I enjoyed Genzel's take Skye, especially her friendship with Erica and Janet and her rivalry with Hayley (Kelly Ripa).

I have rooted for Genzel several times when the role of Victoria Newman has come up for grabs over at Y&R. Genzel's name always seems to be mentioned, due to her striking resemblance to Heather Tom and the fact that she isn't a half bad actress, but for some reason, when recasting Victoria, they always go with actresses who look nothing like Tom nor possess her bite or range, no offense to Amelia Henlie.

 Hopefully Genzel's reputation survives being attached to Flav and My Network TV, which has basically been known up until this point for those ridiculous Americanized telenovelas!

Usually, when I sit down to write my blog, I have a hard time figuring out where to begin, and what the tone is going to be. Sure, while I am sitting in front of the boob tube, watching All My Children, the ideas come to me fast and furiously. But sit down with the laptop? And my overly medicated mind draws a complete blank. I am warning you all, due to severe muscle spasms, I am medicated. But, I ask you, is there any other way to watch All My Children without slamming your head into the television?

So, that being said, I will start at the beginning. No, not the historical beginning of All My Children, but the beginning of the show itself. Have you seen the opening lately? Did you notice that on Rebecca Budig’s first day back as Greenlee, Sabine Singh’s character portrayal shot was replaced with hers? It was immediate. So, I put this question out to you - How long are we all supposed to wait before we see the other new or returning characters added to the opening? Where are the opening shots of Debi Morgan or Darnell Williams? Angie and Jesse were far bigger than Greenlee ever was, or will be. So, why weren’t their shots added on Day 1?? If I were those actors, I would be adamant to get the same treatment as Rebecca did. Because to be quite honest here, All My Children will get far more long time viewers back showcasing Angie and Jesse, then parading Greenlee around. Also, are we going to see more of Frankie Hubbard now that his parents are in town? Or will he be faded into the background with the likes of Jonathan or Sean Montgomery? Both of whom have been ousted by the show.

While I think it is great that they are bringing back a popular veteran couple, I do not see success in their return. I can only hope and pray that All My Children can learn from past mistakes, and actually write a decent story for a veteran character. The reason I hold no hope is simple. Look at Adam Chandler, for example. What does he currently have as a storyline? Not much from where I stand. We have a powerful business tycoon, who upon getting his company back, does nothing to stomp on the person who put him in the predicament in the first place. Instead, we have Adam hiding bugs in rings to spy on JR. Please somebody over there at ABC, take Adam Chandler off the sedatives, and unleash his all to well known fury on Pine Valley. It is overdue, and very needed to help pick this soap up.

Another thing I do not understand is why they brought in the character of Samuel Woods as a love interest for Erica? Sorry here folks, but I do not see anyone as an adequate partner for Erica other than Jackson. Why make a big deal about Erica’s 10^th marriage if they were not going to make it last? So, I suppose now they are going to make Erica into a Martha Stewart type, selling off tons of stocks. Is this why her accounts are frozen? Also, WHY are they bringing this character in when there is still a spark between Erica and Jack, and there is so much story there to be told. I am warning you now, if and when they pair up Samuel and Erica, I promise you I am NOT going to have anything nice to say about it. Please feel free to call me on that, should I go back on my promise, which I won’t.

There are so many veteran actors on this show, and no matter the writing team they have over there writing, nobody seems to do them justice. Gone are the catfights, jabs and one-liners of Erica & Brooke. The witty reparte of Palmer and Adam. Tad and anyone, for that matter. I did see some of the old chemistry sparks between Tad and Jesse, and alas that gave me hope. Hope that maybe for once the idiots at ABC are listening to us the viewers and maybe are bringing us back to family-centric stories.

While that sounds like a great idea, I somehow doubt this will ever come to fruition. Why should it? They have a bad habit over at All My Children of showcasing stories they THINK we want to see. Here are a few examples -

THEY THINK: we want to see Kendall’s infidelity over and over.

WE WANT: to see Kendall and Zach with their children as a family unit. Happy. Draw your stories from that.

THEY THINK: We want to see Ryan and his bulging eyes every day on our screen, being the saviour of women and all in Pine Valley.

WE WANT: To see Ryan bedstruck with a blinding debilitating disease, with his eyes bandaged. Unable to save anyone, except us the viewers from having to look at him EVERY DAY.

THEY THINK: we want new characters brought in, and shoved in our faces.

WE WANT: Old favorites brought back, and actually written for in entertaining and challenging, and keeping us on the edge of our seats.

THEY THINK: we want to see the Kendall and Greenlee Show

WE WANT: to actually see other characters on the show too.

And lastly, before I re-medicate so I can sit through yet another disappointing hour of All My Children -

THEY THINK: We are loyal to watching.

I’M THINKING - Is there anything good on another channel?

So smarten up AMC Executives, remotes are very easy to use these days, and does not take any effort to change the channel. I wonder what is on NBC at 1 pm eastern time???

Before I Leave you this week, I would like to ask each and every one of you to please support Campbell’s Go Red for Women’s Heart Health Campaign.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women, but it's also largely preventable. Campbell, a proud supporter of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, is committed to empowering women with knowledge and tools so they can take positive action to reduce their risks and protect their health.

Please visit http://www.goredwithcampbells.com/ for more information, and be sure to click on this years winning red dress, for which Campbell’s will donate $1 for each click.

It takes a moment of your time, but can give back a lifetime of moments for every woman they help. Thank You.

~AMC Girl-A heart disease survivor.

  

In an episode of Daytime Confidential to air this week Foxy, Jay and I were discussing General Hospital in comparison to All My Children and One Life to Live when it comes to using their veterans. The discussion got me to thinking.

General Hospital is, without question, the #1 ABC soap in terms of ratings. It has the nicest sets. It has the biggest sweeps stunts in daytime. It seems to be nominated for Emmys more than the One Life to Live or All My Children. However, even with this going for it, proportionately speaking it has the fewest veteran actors in front burner storylines. Why is this and does this seem odd to anyone else?

Take for example All My Children and One Life to Live.

All My Children's ratings have been in the toilet by comparison. Fans are crucifying it because the writing has been horrible and many of the characters are being written out of character. But even with all this going against it, it has brought back the veteran/heritage characters portrayed by Debbie Morgan (Angie) and Darnell Williams (Jesse) and still features Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), David Canary (Adam Chandler), Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin), and Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery) prominently in its storylines.

Over on One Life to Live, which is by far the best written soap in daytime but whose ratings have yet to reflect its quality, it is jammed packed with veteran/heritage actors/characters. Erika Slezak (Victoria), Robin Strausser (Dorian), Robert S. Woods (Bo), Hillary B. Smith (Nora), Patricia Mauceri (Carlotta), Catherine Hickland (Lindsey), Kassie DePaiva (Blair), Patricia Elliot (Renee), Trevor St. John (Todd), and Timothy Stickney (RG).

General Hospital on the other hand.

Unlike All My Children or One Life to Live, General Hospital suffers from a bad case of anti veteran actor/heritage characteritis. Sure it has John Ingle (Edward), Leslie Charleson (Monica) Jane Elliot (Tracey), Anthony Geary (Luke), Jackie Zeman (Bobbie), John J. York (Mac), Kin Shriner (Scotty) and now Kristina Wagner (Felicia) but does General Hospital use them? Let's take a look.

Anthony Geary of course gets pretty much as much airtime as he wants but unfortunately for us there seems to be a direct correlation between when Anthony Geary goes on vacation and when Jane Elliot's screen time evaporates.

Then we have John Ingle and Leslie Charleson who have been relegated to deaths, funerals, and hostage situations. Sure we've been told for years that Leslie will get a major storyline and it appears that the drinking storyline may be the storyline we've been promised but will TPTB go through with it and not drop it? Only time will tell.

Over at the Scorpio household John J. York must be getting dust bunnies in his ears as little he is used. How is it that with all the crime in Port Charles that the Chief of Police is rarely seen? I'll tell you. It's more glamorous to have dark and brooding "heroes" take care of the bad, bad, bad men of Port Charles than to actually have an effective police force. Now we have Kristina Wagner back as Felicia to investigate Georgie's death but will we actually get a good investigation or will we just see her once or twice a week and then she'll disappear faster than Helena in the Wyndamere tunnels?

Talk about potential. Kin Shriner returns to the role of the ever-popular Scotty and wham bam bang he has a son he never knew of. Should be a good right? Apparently, wrong. Instead of building up the Luke vs. Scotty rivalry over their children, Shriner has languished in the land of back burner actors while his character's son has gone from being the man of choice for Lulu to the underdog in a romantic triangle.

Lastly we have Jackie Zeman. Poor Jackie Zeman. The actual General Hospital, you know the one that the show is named after, is finally getting almost equal airtime as the mob related storylines and Bobbie is no where to be found. We had a glimmer of hope after Zeman was dropped to recurring and a week later Luke was in the hospital and we saw Bobbie more in two weeks than we had the entire previous year. I don't know about the rest of you but I had hoped that Zeman would have been lucky enough to be one of those recurring actresses who the moment they were dropped to recurring we saw them almost every day. No such luck.

Adding insult to injury, one can count on two hands the number of times Bobbie has had scenes with her daughter Carly (and "star" of the show) since Laura Wright has taken over the role. We won't mention the fact that we have yet to have a scene between Bobbie and Sebastian Roche's Jerry. So what that he held her daughter hostage. So what that he was once a man that Lucas looked up to. So what that Jerry and Bobbie were once engaged. Seriously, shouldn't we have had some sort of face off between these two over everything that has happened since Jerry's return almost a year ago? One would think so. Or at least I do.

Which leads me to my biggest problem.

How is it that all All My Children and One Life to Live can have so many veteran actors/heritage characters front and center when apparently General Hospital, with all it has going for it, can't "afford" to throw its veteran actors/heritage characters a bone in the form of meaty storylines? How is it that Genie Francis can't get a contract that would bring her back to the show and the fans that adore her?

Could it be the fact that General Hospital (the show) seems to be spending a fortune on a long line of characters that we as fans have no connection to a core or heritage family?

Why do we keep getting new doctors and nurses (no offense to the actors) up the whazoo when Monica isn't fighting for chief of staff or Bobbie isn't giving Epiphany a run for her money as head nurse?

Why is John J. York's Mac Scorpio portrayed as a bumbling idiot with little airtime when his police force either A) rarely works as in the case of Lucky and the now departed Coop or B) a long line of basically nameless detectives who we either don't care about or are used instead of Mac? On top of all this doesn't it seem a bit odd that Spinelli does more investigating than the cops? Mac would get more airtime if he quite the force and started a detective agency with Spinelli than he's getting now.

I don't want anyone to interpret my thoughts as bashing the talented and not so talented (depending on how the various fan bases view them) actors and actresses who were lucky enough to land a contract and get airtime. That isn't what this is about.

What this is about.

What this is about is that in a time when both All My Children and One Life to Live are using there veterans in larger numbers. We now have, at minimum, nineteen characters on contract with General Hospital that arrived within the last three years that are not connected to a core or heritage family. Of those nineteen characters at least ten of them (possibly more) appeared on our screens this past Friday.

With such a large number of new characters circulating on a show on a daily basis, is it to much to ask that say three or four of these ten (or more) characters don't appear on any given day in order to give a veteran or two an opportunity to have some screen time and an actual storyline? There has to be a way to balance all the new character while also featuring veteran actors/heritage characters isn't there?

I certainly hope so.