Nelson Branco's SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED: Issue 57 Read online

SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED

  Volume 02, Issue 47 (No. 57)

  BY NELSON BRANCO

  Copyright 2012 Nelson Branco

  INSIDE UNCENSORED’S SPECIAL ISSUE — EXCLUSIVE: NEW DETAILS SURROUNDING PROSPECT PARK’S LATEST ATTEMPT TO RESURRECT AMC AND ONE LIFE! LEAKED DOCUMENTS! THE HUNT FOR EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS! LICENSING FEES REVEALED! STUDIO LOCATION EXPOSED! STUDIO SET PLANS IN PROGRESS! LENGTH OF SHOWS, PROGRAMMING INFORMATION! — Jack Wagner Back On GH? — UNCENSORED Quotes Of The Week!

  UNCENSORED MASTHEAD:

  FOUNDER/EDITOR: Nelson Branco

  EDITOR AT LARGE: Denette Wilford

  SUBSCRIPTION DIRECTOR: Karen Anderson

  Follow Soap Opera Uncensored at: @nelliebranco or @SoapUncensored

  UNCENSORED SUBSCRIPTION RATE:

  E-mail [email protected] for information on how to subscribe for $24.99/year or $14.99/six months.

  1-Year Normal Rate: $24.99 (*normally $129.48)

  *Based on $2.49 e-newsstand price

  COMING SOON: VENICE — UNCENSORED

  To pre-order the upcoming book, VENICE: THE SERIES — UNCENSORED, at a special price email: [email protected]. The Sapphic tome, which will be out this fall, chronicles the web soap’s meteoric rise, punctuates and analyzes its relevance in serial storytelling and its groundbreaking achievements in the online and soap opera medium. With every single Crystal Chappell interview I’ve ever conducted in one e-book — and those of her VENICE co-stars/directors — this is one must-buy keepsake in addition to episode synopses and reviews, top ten lists, fearless predictions, translated quotes, humour, and exclusive season four previews. Plus: Tributes to GUIDING LIGHT’s Otalia and new interviews! Order your copy now!

  Say What?

  UNCENSORED QUOTES OF THE WEEK

  “It's hard to believe that a year has passed since ONE LIFE ended. We finished filming the show on November 18th, 2011 and the final airdate was January 13, 2012. I hope that

  you have all been well and are adjusting to the new ABC schedule. Personally, I am very

  grateful that GH is still on the air, our lone remaining representative of what

  was once a great ABC daytime line-up.”

  —Erika Slezak in her must-read newsletter

  Translation: Viki needs to slap Connie in the face!

  “I truly believe that ABC has realized what a terrible mistake they made in canceling both AMC, and ONE LIFE. But unfortunately, it's now too late to go back, although there are rumors that ABC wants the rights to both shows back; in which case they would be free to do whatever they want with the shows.”

  —Slezak continues

  Translation: Viki Lord will continue to live despite those in the soap media who thought ONE LIFE was dead!

  “I thought that when I was no longer working, I would have so much time to be a ‘Lady of Leisure’ — turned out not to be so! I have never been busier with the day-to-day chores that I used to take care of when I wasn't at the studio, and so the time has really flown by. I have not been working this year, but I think I am ready now to tackle something new, so hopefully in 2013, there will be opportunities for me. Obviously, should something come along, I will let you all know.”

  —Slezak

  Translation: I had to learn how to brush my own teeth!

  “These show are never coming back…. ever!”

  —SOAPS IN DEPTH’s Richard Simms a few months ago on his podcast

  Translation: I have no sources!

  Award Show Central

  NAACP IMAGE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED!

  The 44th Annual NAACP Image Awards air Feb. 1 at 8 pm EST on NBC.

  Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

  Aaron D. Spears, B&B

  Erik Valdez, GH

  James Reynolds, DAYS

  Kristoff St. John, Y&R

  Rodney Saulsberry, B&B

  Who Should Win: Reynolds proved why he was anEmmy-nominated actor on GENERATIONS when Abe lost his wife, Lexie on DAYS. He’s one of the most underrated actors in our business. Use him, DAYS. I would love Y&R to hire Reynolds as St. John’s dad on Y&R.

  Who Will Win: St. John hasn’t taken one of these in a while… and he deserves an award for dealing with one bad story and love interest after another.

  Omitted: If Saulsberry, who was on B&B for two minutes, can be nominated then so should have Darnell Williams as Sarge on Y&R. Say what you what about the ill-conceived character, Williams still remains one of the best actors of our generation. If he read the Yellow Pages, he should be nominated!

  Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

  Angell Conwell, Y&R

  Julia Pace Mitchell, Y&R

  Kristolyn Lloyd, B&B

  Shenell Edmonds, ONE LIFE

  Tatyana Ali, Y&R

  Who Should Win: It’s about time Edmonds was finally recognized for her infectious and brilliant turn as Destiny on ONE LIFE.

  Who Will Win: Conwell will be hard to beat given her mature and sophisticated take on sexy legal eagle Leslie. And the African American community will embrace that kind of portrayal.

  Omitted: Debbi Morgan deserved another shout out even if YoHarmony was one of the worst characters in recent Y&R history.

  Cover Story

  EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE THE PLOT TO BRING BACK AMC AND ONE LIFE!

  “To fashion stories about richly diverse people as their lives intertwined, as they interacted with one another… To explain the hopes and hardships, the goals, fights, and failures that are ultimately shared by all mankind no matter how disparate their lifestyles.”

  —Agnes Nixon on the germination of ONE LIFE in Gary Warner’s ONE LIFE anniversary book, THIRTY YEARS OF MEMORIES

  “[My daughter, Megan [Gordon] actually passed away nearly 20 years ago, but I… I still to this day get stopped on the street by FRATERNITY ROW fans who remember the characters that she played. And some ask how she’s doing or will she ever return, but I must tell you that there are times I get so caught up in the show that I find myself wondering the same thing. The fans are so loyal, so passionate, so invested in their stories. I always ask how they started watching FRATERNITY ROW. Some of them were stay-at-home mothers taking a break before their children came home from school. Others were college students free time between classes. Many of them inherited a love of the show from their parents or their grandparents, who were longtime fans themselves. I remember the first time I tuned in to FRATERNITY ROW. I was hooked instantly. I needed to know what would happen next to these fascinating people.

  Would the hero and the heroine find their way back to true love? Would the villains get their comeuppance? Or would their crimes go unpunished? Would loving families overcome their struggles? Or would their troubles prove too difficult to surmount. Ultimately, that’s what soap opera is about: Families. Close families. Rival families. Even families that are unexpected. Or the ones we chose for ourselves. And when a show is lucky to be on the air as long as FRATERNITY ROW has been on, these families become extensions of our own. The audience might be upset when a favourite actor leaves, but they are always willing to welcome a new one — even when that new cast member is quite different than the one being replaced. After all, this is a place where people come back from the dead, go off to grade school in the morning and come home from high school in the afternoon, because for every new face, every new couple, every new family, there are long familiar faces. Some who have grown right before our eyes — and some we hope to see grow up. We know them so well they become our friends. We yearn for their happiness, especially when it’s hard won. We laugh as they laugh; we cry as they cry; and we can’t imagin
e doing without them. And when things are the worst on the show that seems to be when we enjoy them the most. There’s only one thing we have to do to keep them in our lives. Tune in tomorrow.”

  —ONE LIFE’s Victoria Lord on what soaps mean during the show’s penultimate episode

  There are many questions surrounding Prospect Park’s latest attempt to bring fallen soaps, ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE, to the Internet after ABC canceled the two venerable sudsers in 2011, as previously reported.

  UNCENSORED investigated, and thanks to a combination of inside sources and leaked documents from moles inside Prospect Park, this is what I can tell you:

  1. A source close Jeffrey Kwatinetz, CEO of Prospect Park, confirms the shady company has raised the money to re-launch AMC and ONE LIFE through private placement. In fact, Prospect Park has elicited “more interest than needed,” relays a mole. But what does that mean? Did they close on the transaction? Is the money in the bank free and clear? Are the funds in escrow waiting on closing conditions?