BREAKING BAD Kicks Off the Beginning of the Epic End

Photo Credit: Ursula Coyote/AMC

Sunday AMC premiered the first episode ("Blood Money") of the second half of the final season of BREAKING BAD. After a year of waiting on a nail-biting cliffhanger, fans were finally able to continue their journey with high school chemistry teacher turned drug lord, Walter White. The premiere was the third episode directed by lead actor Bryan Cranston.

The intense beginning of the end opened in the future sometime around Walter’s 52nd birthday, two years after the Season 5 pilot episode takes place. Walter enters his old home which has been abandoned and covered in graffiti that reads “Heisenberg.” In the back yard, the White’s pool is empty and being used by skateboarders. Walter walks into his former bedroom and retrieves the ricin he hid behind an outlet. He then looks at himself in a broken mirror, realizing how terrible things have gone. Outside, Walter is recognized by a former neighbor. Walter says, “Hello, Carol” and the woman drops her bag of produce in horror.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES: My Thoughts On The Reboot (Guest Editorial)

DAYS OF OUR LIVES: MY THOUGHTS ON THE REBOOT
By Steve Ungrey

It has been almost two months since the much-anticipated reboot of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, otherwise known as Days 2.0, debuted to great fanfare.

Two months later, I’m still trying to make heads or tails of what I think of this new version.

The appointment of head writers Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr. heralded a new era in the direction of DAYS: An era where the writers promised they would listen to the fans, bring back old favorites, and write compelling stories.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same...

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same...
By Nelson Aspen

I work in International TV news. I don't always get to choose the stories I report... I take assignments and pitch others. But over the course of the last two weeks, the dominant coverage has not been the tornadoes in the midwest nor President Obama's declaration about MidEast borders. It hasn't even been Kim Kardashian's engagement! It has been, almost nonstop, the end of Oprah Winfrey's 25 year run on Daytime.

Many don't seem to realize that with OWN, her eponymous network, she's not really saying goodbye at all. In fact, she's increasing her omnipotence from 1 hour in the afternoon to 24 hours a day. Still, we can't help but wax nostalgic because of the very real "end of an era."

In My Own Words

In My Own Words
By Don Lemon

Today I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth. And let me say right up front that I hope many of you will be inspired to do the same thing in your daily lives. Some of the things I’ve chosen to reveal in my book "Transparent" were very difficult to share with even those closest to me.

There was a time when I was terrified of revealing these things to the person I love most in this world - my own mother. But when I finally mustered the courage to tell her that I had been molested as a child and that I was born gay, my life began to change in positive ways that I never imagined possible. Yet I still chose to keep those secrets hidden from the world. I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear. Fear that if some employers, co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day. And sadly, while the mockery and ostracizing are realized by millions of people every day, I truly believe it doesn’t have to happen and that’s why I feel compelled to share what I’ve written in Transparent.

About Fan Fiction and Original Shows

FAN FICTION/ORIGINAL SHOWS
By Steve Ungrey

When I was just about six years old in February 1974, I had my first taste with a soap opera being canceled. That was the month CBS axed the long-running show THE SECRET STORM following a 20-year run.

Over 35 years have passed and you can’t count on two hands how many beloved soaps have bitten the dust. SOMERSET. LOVE OF LIFE. THE DOCTORS. TEXAS. SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. RYAN’S HOPE. SANTA BARBARA. And who can forget the demise of my all-time favorite show, the long-running mystery thriller THE EDGE OF NIGHT?

I have seen far too many shows get canceled over the years. I’ve also seen a rise in popularity of so-called “fan fiction”, where budding or established writers put their own spin on the soap genre. I don't even want to call this fan fiction and deride the genre, because some of this is actually excellent to read.

The Inspiration Behind Japan Calls (And What You Can Do)

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND JAPAN CALLS
By Tanya Meyers and Michelle "Moey" Mariano

After the travesties that hit Japan earlier this month, many were left wondering what they could do. Texting 90999 to the Red Cross was one way, or donating to a separate charity or even flying out to help directly… But for a lot of us, there wasn’ t much money to give, and anything more direct was near impossible, so all there was left to do was brainstorm.

Thus the idea for Japan Calls came about.

It started out as a very simple idea, inspired greatly by TwitChange. But many entertainers weren't on Twitter, or were already more accessible than huge names like Eva Longoria and Justin Bieber. So what more could celebrities give that people would be willing to donate toward? What would be a step above a simple text on the screen of an individual’ s computer?

A voice message.

But would any stars actually agree? How could we get their attention while simultaneously proving to be legitimate? It was a long shot, but it was worth making an effort. Armed with a group of highly motivated friends who simply wanted to help in whatever way they could, we began a net wide process of - well, pleading. Logging onto Twitter, Facebook, and any other social networking site that would give us access to entertainers of all kinds, we asked for their help in whatever eye-catching way we could. “ 15 seconds to help Japan” was the simple, but striking, phrase.

The response was outstanding. Celebrity names such as: The Veronicas, Mark Ruffalo, Sia, Jeremy Piven, Jenna Ushkowitz, Eliza Dushku, and Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen agreed enthusiastically on the spot. As the “ voices” grew, so did the crew of people wanting to help. Together with our team of friends, we signed 82 names onto the project in just two weeks.

With great anticipation, we finally opened up the auction for bidding on March 28th. (It will remain open through April 4th ). Donations are not required until after the auction has ended.) This is where you come in. The goal of this project isn’ t to garner fans to get personalized voice recordings from their favorite actor or singer, it's to provide a fun incentive FOR donating to an important cause. We have a list of charitable organizations for bidders to donate to directly. All we ask is to receive a validation of that donation before the entertainer is contacted. This is to ensure that every penny (depending on which charity one chooses) goes to where you intended. While the basic prize is a voice message, some entertainers have vowed to go beyond that. Matt Marshak wants to record an original song while Nia Vardalos promises a phone call! So what are you waiting for?

A great many soap stars have placed their voices up for auction, including: Agim Kaba (ex-Aaron, ATWT), Aiden Turner (ex-Aidan, AMC), Brad Rowe (ex-Murphy, GH), Davida Williams (ex-Jade, ATWT), Jake Silbermann (ATWT), Jennifer Finnigan (ex-Bridget, B& B), Karl Girolamo (ex-Kevin ATWT), Kelli Barrett (ex-Maddie, ATWT), Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina, GH), Marnie Schulenburg (ex-Alison, ATWT), Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, AMC), Scott Clifton (Liam, B& B), Stacy Haiduk (ex-Patty/Emily, Y& R) and Van Hansis (ex-Luke, ATWT).

There are only a few days left… so reach out and help a country who needs us.  And who knows, you could have Winnie Cooper as your personal answering machine.

Go "like" Japan Calls on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @japan_calls.

For information on how to bid (Please read BEFORE Bidding!) click How To Bid and to place your bids click OFFICIAL AUCTION POST: Bid on Your Favorite Entertainers.

Remembering THE YOUNG MARRIEDS, 45 Years Later

REMEMBERING "THE YOUNG MARRIEDS" – 45 YEARS LATER
By Rob Wargo

Forty-five years ago – March 25, 1966, to be exact – ABC aired the 380th and final episode of THE YOUNG MARRIEDS, a companion series of sorts to GENERAL HOSPITAL, launched approximately 18 months prior to TYM’s debut on October 5, 1964. The series was produced in Los Angeles by Selmur Productions, the same in-house production company responsible for producing GENERAL HOSPITAL, and purportedly was set in the same town as GH, although there was no interaction between the characters in the respective series. TYM was created by James Elward and written by him and Frances Rickett. During its 18 months on the air, TYM faced stiff competition from CBS’ THE EDGE OF NIGHT and NBC’s YOU DON'T SAY. Although the show ranked tenth out of seventeen soaps for the 1965-1966 season, ABC still decided to cancel the series. TYM had replaced QUEEN FOR A DAY on the ABC Daytime schedule, and was replaced by the struggling soap THE NURSES in the lineup. THE NURSES would limp along for another year before being canceled, having not improved on TYM’s ratings in the timeslot.

Thom Racina Honors Elizabeth Taylor

We asked We Love Soaps TV friend Thom Racina, and headwriter of GENERAL HOSPITAL from 1981-1983, to share with us his memories and recollections of writing for Elizabeth Taylor's most celebrated scenes as Helena Cassadine.  We thank you Thom for generously taking the time to pay homage to this irreplaceable legend.

HONORING ELIZABETH TAYLOR
By Thom Racina

It was her giggle I recall most.  Elizabeth Taylor being completely disarming, sounding like a little girl (as she did in so many movies!), pulling the rug out from under you, making you believe she was just as human as you were (as Tony Geary said when he went up on a line, the first time facing her in a scene I wrote, "It's fucking Elizabeth Taylor!"), totally self-effacing, warm and generous, and wickedly funny.  As you can see in the bloopers from GENERAL HOSPITAL, she couldn't say her name.  The part I dreamed up when she (a fan of the Luke & Laura Ice Princess saga) told us she wanted to "come to their wedding," was Helena Cassadine, pronounced Cassa-dine, like in having dinner.  She kept saying Cassa-deen, as in Paula.  It happened again and again, and one time she just broke up in a fit of giggles, turned to me and said, "Can't we just change my goddamned name?"  I said nope, it had been played on the air for a long long time (Luke & Laura had killed her nutty husband, the infamous Mikos with the weather machine, thus saving Port Charles), so Elizabeth had to grin and bear it, but thank God she kept having that problem because it made her more human and the cast completely felt at ease being with this goddess, this legend, this superstar who was, really, just one of them, another actor making her way (for the first time) through the wringer that is daytime television.

For me, the most poignant memory is what she did for my mother, whom I took to a benefit performance of the play "The Little Foxes," which she was doing at the Music Center when she taped her stint on our show.  When she gave me the tickets, I told her I'd bring my mom, Esther, as my date, but that was two weeks before the performance, and it was just in passing.  That night, after my mom was already thrilled that Jack Lemmon was sitting next her and that Lucille Ball caught her charm bracelets in her hair when sneaking in late in the row behind us (that's another story altogether), Elizabeth gave a private party with strolling musicians and lamb chops on silver platters served by guys in bow ties and gloves, pretty classy stuff.  When the legend finally entered, looking like a million bucks, she caught my eye and made her way across the room toward me.  I felt shocked and impressed, but she wasn't walking toward me at all, she went to my mother's arms, and she said, after a long hug, "Esther, you must be so proud of him."  Now that's class.  My mom's favorite movie star telling her that she must be proud of me?  It was the most generous thing anyone has ever done in my professional career.  (And the greatest day of my mom's life!)

We are all shocked by Elizabeth's death, I think, even though she'd been ill all her life, and so much so in recent years, because she lived with ferocity, such passion, such joy.  There's a lesson there for us all.  God Bless You, Mrs. Cassadine--or Mrs. Cassadeen, as you'd say it.  You made this world a better place, not only by entertaining us, but for leading the fight against AIDS at a time when no one (including our president) was willing to even speak that word.  I feel honored to have known you, even for such a short time, and will always be touched by your gentle, inspirational, warm and loving hand.

Gregori J. Martin: Open Letter In Support of ALL MY CHILDREN

LETTER FROM THE CREATOR OF THE BAY THE SERIES IN SUPPORT OF ALL MY CHILDREN

To Whom It May Concern:

Twenty seven years ago was the very first time I ever set eyes on a Daytime Soap, and that Daytime Soap was ABC's ALL MY CHILDREN. I was five years old and my mother would occasionally keep me home from school to watch the town-diva/socialite (and now household name) Erica Kane, the hopeless romances between Jenny and Greg..., Angie and Jesse, Hillary and Tad the Cad -- all doomed from day one, the classic Shakespearian-like story telling and family dynamics of the Cortland's, helmed by the evil-patriarch, Palmer, the polar opposites -- rich and powerful Adam Chandler and his mentally damaged but warm-hearted identical twin Stuart, racy story-lines involving alcoholism, H.I.V. and AIDS, racism and rape! Sex, lies, scandal all taking place in the small fictional suburban town of Pine Valley, set on the outskirts of the great Philadelphia, PA. It's this type of storytelling that captured my interests and inspired me forever. Now, the rumor of it's cancellation has been circulating. What a sad thought this is, and while every day the rumor seems to become one step closer to a reality, I find myself asking, "Is there anything, anything at all I can do to help save ALL MY CHILDREN before we lose another classic daytime soap opera?"

Twenty seven years ago, I was just a fan of AMC. Today, I'm the creator of a new indie soap THE BAY and AMC is the work place of many of my very close friends and associates. For those who are not aware, THE BAY, starring a slew of daytime veterans from all of your favorite daytime shows, is a new and highly popular web series, generating a lot of buzz. As mentioned in TV Guide a month ago, we recently signed a deal with Associate Television International in hopes that by this time next year, THE BAY will have a television home. Our fan base is ever growing and the reviews have been nothing but positive. I'm extremely grateful for the attention our show has been receiving, and now the question is 'What can I do to help bring some of that synergy over to the very first soap to inspire me?' Producing a show with high production value, low costs, and mimicking the style and classic storytelling that made daytime so hot in the 80s -- along with hiring a cast of highly popular daytime soap veterans, has recently garnered me the title by daytime soap fans as "a new savior of soaps." I humbly appreciate the title, but how can I accept it without at least making some sort of an effort to help "save" one of the few remaining inspirations and my mother soap ALL MY CHILDREN?

I must admit, I have not watched a daytime soap in quite some time, though taking on this exciting venture with THE BAY, it is very clear to me by the reaction of our fans that the need for dramatic storytelling in the daytime format is still in heavy demand! I hope the powers that be do not overlook this and I ask all of my supporters and "The Bay Watchers" as we like to call them, to please show your support of ALL MY CHILDREN.

My dear friend Jill Larson (Opal, AMC) shared this link with me and so I now share this link with all of you…
thepinevalleyexposer.com/2011/03/dont-wait-help-save-amc-now.html

Please take a few moments to write something in support of ALL MY CHILDREN with hopes to keep the show on the air.

If it's any consolation at all, and in the rare case that any of the PTB may be reading this, I humbly offer any assistance I could "possibly" be in an additional effort to help bring the show under budget and on schedule with high production values.

Respectfully yours,
Gregori J. Martin
(Creator of THE BAY)
thebaytheseries.com
"LANYfilms"

Mixing Comedy & Soap: A History of the Serialized Situation Comedy

Mixing Comedy & Soap: A History of the Serialized Situation Comedy
By Doug Prinzivalli

As one of the producers of the hit web series PRETTY - a parody hybrid of reality TV and soaps - I thought it would be a fun idea to take a brief look at the long history of the serialized situation comedy. The idea of mixing comedy with soap elements is not a new one - in fact it started over 60 years ago.

THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS (CBS 1950-52) was a mildly humorous daily soap about newlyweds who are gifted with a bat-infested Victorian mansion. Sounds pretty wacky to me. After less than two years, it was replaced by something called THE GUIDING LIGHT.


THE EGG & I (CBS 1951-52) Based on a book by Betty MacDonald and the 1947 film (starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) that followed, this show followed the misadventures of city folk who move to the country to run a chicken farm. The popular characters of Ma & Pa Kettle originated here. This 15-minute daily failed to catch on, but undoubtably later inspired the successful 1960s CBS sitcom GREEN ACRES.

For Michael Swan Audition Turns Into 'Old Home Week'

For Michael Swan Audition Turns Into 'Old Home Week'
By Tracie Powell and Angela Toszegi

What do Michael Swan, Robert Newman, Randolph Mantooth, and Mark Pinter all have in common besides the obvious? They all showed up for the same job interview last week. 

“Just came back from the ‘old home week’ audition of all time. All guys I've worked with over the years going back to prime time in the seventies,” said Michael Swan, who portrayed Duncan McKechnie on AS THE WORLD TURNS in the 1980s. 

Swan said he was at the audition with Newman (who portrayed the well-loved ‘Josh Lewis’ on GUIDING LIGHT) and they were talking about the ill-fated ‘Brad Green’ on GL and how Mark Pinter took over the part. “His name had no sooner left my lips then (Pinter) walked in the room,” Swan continued. “So great to see him; what a classy and great looking guy. I see Mantooth all the time at auditions, and we always tell each other, ‘if I don't get it, I hope you do!’ 

In praise of "Morning Glory"

In praise of "Morning Glory"
By Nelson Aspen
Guest Editorial

I saw an advanced screening of Morning Glory last night and thoroughly enjoyed myself. After working the better part of my life in daytime television (first soaps, then morning news), I've been waiting for a film to come along that accurately portrays the fun and frustrations of producing that much content daily. (Soapdish was a lonnng time ago, folks! Things have certainly changed.) Many of the same concerns over cost and content exist in all forms of daytime television entertainment and, in the name of comedy, Morning Glory got it almost all right on. Except for one line in which the heroine, Rachel McAdams--producer of a low rated breakfast news program, proclaims that their show's existence is threatened with being replaced "by soap operas and game shows." Obviously the filmmakers are unaware of the precarious nature of TV soaps. When was the last time ANY show was replaced by a soap opera!?

Cady McClain Releases ‘Here Comes Love’

Tracie Powell is a freelance writer and law student. She’s also the co-founder of Bring Back Our Soaps (BBOS), a grassroots effort to prevent further destruction of the soap opera genre. She has reported for both People and Newsweek magazines. Most recently she was a web editor for a national trade publication and was a political columnist for Congressional Quarterly (CQ) in Washington.

Cady McClain Releases 'Here Comes Love'
By Tracie Powell
Guest Editorial

McClain showed off her beautiful voice in 2006 with the release of "Blue Glitter Fish," an album that can best be described as semi-equal parts country, folk, blues, jazz and pop. With this month's release of her newest single, "Here Comes Love," she proves yet again the versatility of her musical styling.

Why I Won’t Watch THE TALK

Tracie Powell is a freelance writer and law student. She’s also the co-founder of Bring Back Our Soaps (BBOS), a grassroots effort to prevent further destruction of the soap opera genre. She has reported for both People and Newsweek magazines. Most recently she was a web editor for a national trade publication and was a political columnist for Congressional Quarterly (CQ) in Washington.

Why I Won’t Watch THE TALK
By Tracie Powell
Guest Editorial

Networks claim that they are interested in family viewing. How can that be true when they are slowly destroying a much beloved genre - the soap opera? These shows have been passed down in families from one generation to the next for half a century, and are now being replaced with reality TV and talk shows.

I will not watch THE TALK, which premieres this month on CBS. And it’s not just because I am still bitter that the network’s CEO, Les Moonves, decided to make room for it by canceling a show I have watched and loved since before I could spell television.

How The Soap Bubble Burst

Robert Smith is the Director of News and Promotion at Gulf-California Broadcast Company in Palm Springs, California. He’s also worked at television stations in Florida, Iowa and Arizona. Robert grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and watched soap operas from the 1960’s until AS THE WORLD TURNS was canceled in September 2010. He was looking forward to spending his retirement watching the soaps. But, that may not happen now.

How The Soap Bubble Burst
by Robert Smith
Guest Editorial

I grew up watching the soaps. My mother got me hooked on LOVE OF LIFE
and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW when I was a little boy. By the time I was a teenager, I was
glued to the tube watching all the CBS soaps. During the commercials, I switched over to watch the NBC soaps. I wasn’t just a soap fan, I was a soap fanatic. The Sterlings, the Bauers and the Ameses were more like family to me than my own family.

Nelson Aspen: A Day Off with the Soaps

Nelson Aspen is one of Entertainment's most charming on-air personalities in TV, radio, print and on-line. For three seasons, he was the Hollywood Producer/Reporter for TV Guide Television and frequent guest star on everything from celebrity news and talk shows to sitcoms and travel programs. He's contributed to a vast array of outlets, from news magazines EXTRA, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD and INSIDE EDITION to his own how-to series "NEW with NELSON!" Currently, he's juggling regular correspondent duties for the #1 morning shows of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as a fifth consecutive season on Ireland's AFTERNOON SHOW...bringing the latest in entertainment and pop culture to millions of viewers around the world, every morning!

A Day Off with the Soaps
By Nelson Aspen
Guest Editorial

I'm proud to say that after a quarter-century of working in and around Daytime Television, I keep a pretty up-to-date account of the goings on with all the shows. Unfortunately, as they dwindle in number, that gets easier and easier. With SoapNet and YouTube, as well as sites like this one, I can keep abreast of comings and goings, what's hot and what's not, etc. But if you're old enough to remember life before the internet or even VCRs, the only way a person could keep up on everything was to have the occasional sick day and channel surf with a remote control in hand and a stack of thick, glossy Daytime magazines beside you.

Today (Friday, April 30), I had a day like that. Only I wasn't sick, I just happened to have off from work and got sucked in to one show after the other. I must say, I was encouraged! Lately I haven't held out much hope for the state of daytime television, creatively or commercially. Maybe it's only because of Sweeps, but I was thoroughly compelled by wayyy more than I expected. I was so pleasantly surprised I wanted to jot down some thoughts in case the savvy readers of welovesoaps would like to weigh in, since I acknowledge that I am comparatively a casual observer.

My (Inadvertent) GUIDING LIGHT Tribute

Nelson Aspen is one of Entertainment's most charming on-air personalities in TV, radio, print and on-line. For three seasons, he was the Hollywood Producer/Reporter for TV Guide Television and frequent guest star on everything from celebrity news and talk shows to sitcoms and travel programs. He's contributed to a vast array of outlets, from news magazines EXTRA, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD and INSIDE EDITION to his own how-to series "NEW with NELSON!" Currently, he's juggling regular correspondent duties for the #1 morning shows of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as a fifth consecutive season on Ireland's AFTERNOON SHOW...bringing the latest in entertainment and pop culture to millions of viewers around the world, every morning!

My (Inadvertent) GUIDING LIGHT Tribute
By Nelson Aspen
Guest Editorial

Like most diehard GL fans, I was dismayed by the degeneration of the show in recent years...but stuck with it out of sentimental obligation. Almost like the way you force yourself to call/write/visit an Auntie who's not the same lady you remember from growing up. Of course, since April's cancellation notice, I tuned in more often than usual and tried to acquaint myself with the new, largely untalented/uninteresting cast of characters and take some comfort from the aging stalwarts. With a firm Sept 18 end date on the calendar, I wanted to grab as many GL moments as I could...hoping in vain that P&G wouldn't be as heartless with the funeral as they were with the euthanasia.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Burning the Purple Heart

A We Love Soaps reader, William Joseph Reynolds, has written in to share his feelings about Noah burning his father's purple heart on today's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS.

I sincerely hope that I was not the only viewer to be thoroughly disgusted, and sickened to my stomach, when I saw Noah burning his father's military memorabilia, including the most revered symbol of our country -- The Purple Heart.

That scene should never have been written, it never should have approved by the network censors and producer, and certainly never should have been filmed. If I had been Jake Silbermann, I would have submitted my instant resignation. Please know, I am not from a 'Blue State,' and, for the most part, do not consider to be a Conservative. I am an American, and I am highly insulted and hurt that a show that I have, literally, grown up with, and have loved wih all my heart, would do such a thing.

The show desecrated the Purple Heart and descrated the memory of those men and women who, deservedly, earned this award. I am sure that the late Santos Ortega (Grandpa Hughes) and Don MacLaughlin (Chris Hughes) are turning in their graves at the sight of the scene. I grew up watching Grandpa Hughes fly our flag on the Hughes' flag pole, and I think each and every viewer deserves a profound apology.

Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

GUEST COLUMN: On Otalia

Destini at the Otalia website, Big Purple Dreams, has written an excellent piece about GUIDING LIGHT's Olivia and Natalia. As a new feature to the site, I will be adding guest columns from fans, actors, behind the scenes folks and others in the coming months to bring new perspectives on the soap stories we love. I can't think of a better column to start with than this.


On Otalia
By Destini

I must make a confession. I am a soap opera junkie and a fandom pusher. There, I’ve said it and it feels good. CBS soaps are the ones I grew up with, sitting with my mother and grandmother in grand soap opera tradition. ABC soaps became an addiction later, when working as a bartender gave me my days free to watch mindless television. At various times in my life I’ve watched and been a fan of ATWT, AMC, OLTL, GH and GUIDING LIGHT.

I’ve shipped them all from Nuke (Noah and Luke on ATWT) to Kenlee (Kendall and Greenlle on AMC), but especially Bianca, of AMC the only out lesbian main character on daytime TV, and daughter of the infamous Erica Kane. I loved Bianca and Maggie, learned to like Bianca and Lena and looked forward to Bianca and Reese with no small amount of trepidation. Each time I came away from the experience more jaded than before, wondering if any soap would ever get it right.

So imagine my surprise (as Holly Near would say), while watching my favorite daytime character Olivia Spencer on GL. As she navigated her way through receiving the transplanted heart of the married man she’d pined for I was struck mute by the intensity of the scenes she shared with the man’s widow, Jessica Leccia’s Natalia.

Now I’m always up for a good soapy catfight but this was different. Just like Scooby-doo my ears pricked up. I blew the feeling off but kept watching, their emotional connection drawing me in hook, line and sinker. This was good stuff. Classic soap stuff.