Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 40 Page 4

So this is not promising news considering JFP’s past record. Don’t be surprised if you have seen the last of the Abbotts, for instance. Or see Eric Braeden’s Victor relegated to the back burner.

  As we all know, JFP is not a fan of older characters. I’d bet JFP will make Michael Muhney and Billy Miller the stars of the show now since she loves strong leading men like Maurice Benard and Steve Burton. However, at least Y&R will start winning Emmys again since JFP is the master at bloc voting and producing award-winning reels. Meanwhile, that sound you hear? Me packing my bags to move in with Jess Walton in Oregon!

 

  Next week, UNCENSORED will print the list of actors who are possibly in danger of losing their jobs because a major cast purge is in the works. Stay tuned to UNCENSORED for more on this developing story. The e-zine will be updated accordingly.

 

  FYI: If you’ve bought this issue, you don’t have to buy it again, just simply re-download.

  Cover Story

  THE GRANDE DAME

  Y&R’s longest-running actor Jeanne Cooper doesn’t hold back in her memoir, NOT YOUNG, STILL RESTLESS — and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

  For nearly four decades, Emmy winner Jeanne Cooper’s life has paralleled the tumultuous life of her most famous incarnation, Katherine Chancellor, on daytime TV’s number-one soap opera, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Both Jeanne and Kay underwent a real-life facelift on national TV, battled alcoholism, survived breast cancer and triumphed after divorce.

  Now, Jeanne takes another page out of Katherine’s book by releasing her memoirs, NOT YOUNG, STILL RESTLESS (Harper Collins) just like her glamorous character did a couple of years ago.

  And she has a lot to get off her ample bosom: Long before she stared down the likes of Brenda Dickson and Jess Walton in Genoa City, the Taft, Calif., native shot to fame when she began acting in the 1950s. Cooper made a name for herself in films opposite the boldface likes of Shelley Winters, James Caan, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy and Kirk Douglas; and TV shows like DAVID BOONE, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, PERRY MASON, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and THE UNTOUCHABLES.

  But it was the daytime arena that would ironically give Cooper her most enduring success, artistic expression, and mainstream fame. Not bad for a star who originally laughed at the idea of joining a soap opera when Y&R creator Bill Bell called Cooper to offer her the now iconic Katherine Chancellor.

  Having been nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards, La Cooper took home the 2008 trophy as Outstanding Lead Actress and received a Daytime Emmy Award Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 in one cray-cray fiasco (which she recounts in the tome).

  UNCENSORED spoke with the octogenarian last week for one lively interview — and unbeknownst to me, a full-circle moment which I will share in part two of our interview next week. Until then, enjoy part one of our chat.

  You’re very candid and honest in this memoir.

  I wrote the book to shut everyone up who have been pressuring me to write my memoirs! It’s really true: For the past 20 years, everyone has been asking me to write a book. [Laughs] I didn’t reveal everything but I did lay myself pretty bare. At 83, I could write a library with all the experiences I’ve had but I needed to save some secrets for the sequel! Actually, a lot of people have asked when I’m writing a sequel! But I let people know they were in the book but I was never salacious with details.

  Was writing this book cathartic for you?

  Oh my God, are you kidding me? I nearly had a nervous breakdown! There are some moments you don’t want to relive, so that part was tough. The process brought back a lot of the lousy times in my life, but it also helped me remember all the good times I had.

  There are some shockers: You reveal that you had a secret backstage romance with Beau Kaysar, who plays your on-screen son, Brock, and that you were sexually abused at a young age by a couple of relatives.

  I thought it was necessary to explain certain moments in my life because patterns are set early on for the rest of your life. As for Beau, I asked him for permission and he said, “By all means, do it.” I was honest about our affair but respectful. As for everyone else, I told some people they may be in the book, but others, well, I didn’t tell them because I didn’t have to because it’s my opinion and how I felt about people in my life. I didn’t defame anyone, especially if they have grandchildren living! You don’t want grandchildren or children to know their parent was a certain kind of person at a certain point in their life. I leave baring all and the negative press to STAR.

  Well, had you confessed any more deets, you would have given me a heart attack! What did your son, Corbin Bernsen, think of your literary offering?

  He’s very proud and pleased. The other day he was over and he looked over at the coffee table, and said, “Look, Mother — you’re in a book form now! I’m learning so much about you!’ I said, “When you grew up, it was all about you kids, but now it’s all about me!” [Laughs] Corbin now sees me more as an individual than his kooky mother after this book.

  The book starts off with a bang letting the reader know this isn’t your mother’s soap memoir. It makes all the previous soap memoirs out there look like a children’s book, with the possible exception of Kim Zimmer’s.

  I talked about my childhood sexual abuse because I was raised by my parents to tell the adults if someone hurt you. I think a lot of people could learn that lesson today. My parents immediately took care of it. I thought it was necessary to explain what happened. You always have to tell the truth in life so you don’t have to figure out what lie you’ve told! It’s a waste of time!

  What quality do you and Katherine share?

  We’re both survivors. I have a better sense of humour, however!

  Katherine’s married and happily in love. Is there any romance in your life?

  No, not really. There was some love in the afternoon recently, but that’s over now.

  You and Kay still look beautiful. What’s the best beauty secret you’ve learned?

  Life. If you love life and live passionately, you’ll look and feel younger. It’s that simple. Oh, and plastic surgery doesn’t hurt, either!

  Is there anything left on your bucket list?

  Yes! I would love to do Broadway. I started out as a theatre actress but then the Hollywood studio system got a hold of me so my career swerved in a different direction.

  You’re 83 and still working lots on Y&R. Where do you get your energy from?

  From people. I absorb energy from different people. I’m passionate about life and my work. Age has nothing to do with passion. Your actions may slow down, there’s no way two ways about it. The car you bought 40 years ago will never run the same way again but, if maintained properly, it will still drive you where you need to go! That’s why I love Canada so dearly. You guys aren’t as ageist as Americans.

  You’ve always had a special bond with my country.

  My relationship with Canada began when my father married a Canadian lady and, of course, your country has embraced me and Y&R from the beginning. I love visiting Canada because you are kind, decent, and respectful to humans and the earth

  We also have great taste in soap operas! Amber wrote Katherine’s bio a few years back on Y&R. Spill: Which one is juicier?

  Oh God, I think Katherine’s bio is juicier than mine is, for sure. By a landslide.

  Why are soap memoirs so popular? It’s ironic that ever since networks began cancelling soaps, daytime-TV inspired books are popping up everywhere! I’m sure Kate Linder will publish one soon! [Laughs]

  Half these books wouldn’t have been written if the soaps weren’t dying. Probably not even mine. No, I take that back because the memoir covers my non-soap life and my forty years in Hollywood. But three-quarters of the soap books out there wouldn’t have been written if soaps weren’t dying out.

  Do you think Y&R is in trouble of being cancelled?

  No. Y&R is safe for the next couple of
years or three years. After that, we’re at the mercy of the brains in charge, the people who make sure we stay running. We also need the fans to stand up and say, “no more talk or food shows. We want variety in daytime.”

  Also, thanks to [CBS CEO] Les Moonves, we’re still running strong. He has our back. But, yes, the almighty dollar makes survival more challenging. We’re a family to people. Soaps likes ours give viewers an hour rest from their stressful life during the day. Who wants to hear about losing fat or have a bunch of women talk your ear off? It’s true: talk and food shows are too rampant. Even in prime-time TV, [there’s too much genre saturation]: they all have 10 detective shows a piece!

  When Procter & Gamble got out of the soap business to enter other territorial ventures, their decision sent a message to other networks and sponsors. Add in iPods, iPads, and all those electronics, the business world decided focus all their energies and resources in the electronic age. However, there are a group of people — in the millions, I may add — who still watch soaps.

  It’s akin to someone announcing, “Let’s get rid of the Presidency!” People would say, “What are you talking about?” That’s a very large example, of course, but daytime was a leadership in many ways — and it funded prime-time TV for years. We reach more people in one day than a film does in a year. We’re in 73 countries. We’re three years behind in story in some countries, which means we have three more years of sponsorship in the bank.

  I feel like many of the cancelled soaps were needless deaths. Yes, maybe a few of them deserved to be cut.

  [Cough] PASSIONS!

  But to call for all of them to go? No!

  I thought you had more Bill Bell insight into the master storyteller’s psychology and artistic genius than the bio that just came out about him. I guess it was a coincidence that both books came out at the same time, right?

  Yes! Let me tell you that blew me sideways when I found out! I don’t even think Harper Collins knew it, either. Michael [Maloney] had tried to get the book, [THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE OF WILLIAM J. BELL], out there for quite some time. I think the Bells had to take over the handling of it and get a publisher out of Chicago to run it [because no one was biting].

  In fact, I thought, “How sweet that is that my dear friend, Bill, and I have books out at the same time?” I had no idea the Bill book intended to come out until now but I knew Michael had been trying for years to get the book out there so it’s a happy coincidence.

  It’s serendipitous. What do you think Bill Bell would think of Y&R today?

  [Laughs hilariously]

  [Laughs] Be honest!

  [Laughs] Let’s just put it this way, he’s the one changing the climate of the world right now with all these tornadoes and storms! Yes, Bill Bell has contacted us through the weather recently!

  [Laughs] That’s funny!

  That’s how powerful Bill was when he was here, and that’s how powerful he is wherever he is now! [Laughs] He’s pissing all over New York these days [which has been suffering harsh weather conditions recently]! He’s probably like, “What show am I watching?!”

  Canada has been one of our most faithful watchers, so when you guys become confused and frustrated over the creative state of the show, then I know we have a problem! I think everyone in Canada is confused about Y&R these days. Because Canadians are so honest, a vast majority of loyal viewers write in and they don’t hold back. Canadians will write, “What the hell are you doing?!” [Laughs] See, Bill Bell paid attention to the viewers.

  I know! Maria Arena Bell attests otherwise.

  It didn’t necessarily change his mind but it may have changed the way he presented the story he wanted to tell, you see? In the meantime, he was always aware of the audience.

  Do you think your book, along with the Bill Bell bio, will inspire the current showrunner to return to traditional tenants of storytelling with a modern twist? Or are we all fucked? Sometimes I wonder, “Did Maria even read the Bill Bell book?” I mean, it’s all there for you to study! Stop worrying about MOCA and do the job you’re paid to do. She should actually quit her day job!”

  For Cooper’s response, tune in next week for more of our entertaining and candid interview.

  NET INSIDER

  FORMER ABC HEAD MOVES TO NBC/UNIVERSAL

  Brian Frons probably thinks he’ll follow this career trajectory; not! Despite the radical physical makeover she’s endured over the years (!), former ABC Daytime President Pat Fili-Krushel has been appointed to the position of Chairman of NBC/Universal News Group. Fili-Krushnel ran the division from 1993-98, overseeing the development of THE VIEW and PORT CHARLES. Five years later, she was promoted to President of ABC Television, a position she held until 2000. During that time, SOAPnet was born. Too bad she didn’t stick around, huh?

  I remember “Fili,” as we used to call her in the business, fondly from my time as Senior News Editor at SOAP OPERA UPDATE and I was lucky to interview her several times. She was extremely well-liked and a champion of the soap world. Ah, those were the days. Congrats.

  SOAPILEAKS:

  This Week’s Hottest News, Gossip, and Reviews!

  THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS/CTV — It’s Raining Soap Babies!

  • Soap men are very fertile… on and off camera: Joining Y&R’s bromantic Michael Muhney and Joshua Morrow (who are both expecting their latest bambinos on the same day) in the stork department is Adam Gregory, who is going to be a first-time dad. . "I don't know if you all heard the good news or not," Gregory tweeted, linking to a video of their ultrasound posted on his wife's blog, www.blueeyedfinch.com. "@imsheridanicole and I are gonna be parents!! I'm gonna be a daddy!!" GH’s Dominic Zamprogna also announced he’s expecting his second child.

  • Missing Brandon Beemer? Of course, you are! Well, Beemer tells UNCENSORED he wrapped a role as a metrosexual cop in a new short film starring Marilyn Manson titled WRONG COPS. “It’s funny,” Beemer tells UNCENSORED. “And working with Marilyn was quite the experience.” I bet!

  • Since all of Heather Tom’s siblings toil in front of the camera it’d make sense that her unborn baby takes a turn in the spotlight, too. According to DIGEST, Tom is trying to convince showrunner Brad Bell to let her son play Katie’s offspring.

  • Just what is Marcus hiding? After tying the knot to Dayzee, Marcus confesses to his new wife everything. “It’s a bombshell,” stresses Texas Battle to DIGEST. Like he has a crush on Thomas? I’m sure it has something to do with Amber because the magazine hints that Marcus makes sure someone is absent from the ceremony to prevent the truth from coming out. 

  DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC/GLOBAL — DAYSaster: Salem Goes Boom! Will & Sonny!

  • Day-less DAYS Ahead: As usual, SOAP OPERA DIGEST is your destination for all your DAYS news. In this week’s issue, DAYS graces the cover of the best magazine on the market. The journal previews what to expect in Salem before the series takes a two-week hiatus for the Summer Olympics.

  An explosion rocks Salem at the end of this week and, according to the mag, “there are people who do not survive.” Hmmm… will that include Melanie? Portrayer Molly Burnett is leaving the show, but would DAYS kill off one of its most popular and Emmy-nominated heroines? I doubt it. Or maybe they’ll utilize this opportunity to help write out Peter Reckell when he vacates his role as Bo Brady? FYI: Yesterday was Reckell’s last day of shooting so the timing doesn’t add up. But considering DAYS’s wonky production time schedule, who knows?

  There are several big events occurring this week that all intersect when a bomb goes “clunk, boom!” Madison disappears on the night of her wedding to Brady at the DiMera mansion; Will unknowingly lures Roman and the police to a warehouse where EJ is hiding to say goodbye to his kids before he skips town to avoid jail; Roman points a gun at EJ but Sami steps in front of him just as the explosion rocks Salem, which hits both locations including the underground tunnels, the location where the younger Salem set are battling it out thanks to Gabi’s machinations. Whew. G
ot all that?

  I have to say, from what I’ve watched, read and heard, I think this could be a big hit. Clearly, showrunner Gary Tomlin is letting us know what he really thought of DAYS’s reboot last year by blowing everything sky high (except for the Horton Square). It’s a clever way to keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the show returns two weeks later.

  DIGEST also confirms the returns of Eileen Davidson (beginning Oct. 11), Blake Berris (Aug. 27) and Joe Mascolo — shocker; not! — but no airdate for the latter is given, which is wise since I hear Stefano’s return-from-the-dead will tie in to Davidson’s comeback. Moreover, DIGEST confirmed that Greg Vaughn is indeed joining the show as Eric Brady this fall.

  • End of Gay Days? In the same issue, head writer Gary Tomlin assures DIGEST that DAYS is not dropping Will’s gay storyline. In UNCENSORED’s Emmy news issue, sources warned me that DAYS intended to backburner Will (not the gay aspect of the story, just the character). Let’s hope Tomlin is telling the truth because my source is as good as it gets. Regardless, Tomlin hints that now that Will has come out as a friend of Dorothy’s, don’t be surprised if there is a romance in the works. To prove it, DIGEST reports Wally Kurth and Judi Evans have been taping more than usual which would lend credence to this about-face, but who knows, this is DAYS after all.

  But Chandler Massey gave Michael Fairman a post-Emmy interview in the gay pages of FRONTIER and seems to echo what Tomlin is saying for the most part. So will Sonny and Will hook up in a carnal way down there?

  “It looks that way,” he answers. “I think it’s going to be something that hopefully the viewers have wanted to see. If I could give them that, that would be great. I am outspoken about how much I like the platonic friendship of Will and Sonny because I thought it was fresh. Regardless of how I feel about that, I am still going to play that to the best of my ability.”

  Massey confirms my reporting that it doesn’t look like the popular, explosive master-slave pairing between EJ and Will may come to a conclusion. Yep, once again daytime destroys any hope of it surviving. Talk about a DAYSaster!

  The Emmy winner sighs, “All good things have to come to an end. I can’t help but hold back a smile, and sometimes I don’t when I work with James [Scott]. I think it’s hands-down my favorite relationship that Will has. When James is in a scene, his focus is on you. That is how people are in real life; they want to get something from you. How many people aren’t afraid to do whatever it takes to do what they want? That is what makes EJ so attractive to Will. I also like Will edgier, too. It is more fun to play.”

  • Meanwhile, industry insiders and pundits are growing more and more concerned about DAYS’s future, especially when you look at the show’s depressing, dismal ratings of late. DAYS current contract with NBC will take the series, which recently won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Writing, through September 2013 with an option for one more year if it remained popular. Unfortunately, the ratings for the soap are not encouraging. It really is do-or-die time for the lone NBC sudser. So if you’re a Nielsen home — watch!

  Finally, this may prove to be good news: While I’ve been hearing this for years, DIGEST is reporting that DAYS may be leaving its Burbank studios to film in AMC’s old Glendale studios, which also houses HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS.

  • She’s mean, mean, mean! Nah, Eileen Davidson is one of the nicest women in the business. TVLINE recently interviewed La Davidson about her big, fat DAYS comeback where the star revealed that Kristen has “been in Europe and getting a lot of intensive therapy! And there’s some business to take care of in town.”

  The Daytime Emmy Award-nominated vet tells Meg Masters that her favourite DAYS characters were “Susan and Sister Mary because I was raised Catholic.” Would Davidson like to revisit all those characters? “It would be interesting to do again. Maybe two… but not all five. I think one of them is dead anyway.” She hints playing “Susan is a definite possibility.” Translation: Um, count on it.

  “I’d like to see Susan return and see how she evolved. Who knows? Maybe she got a major makeover or something,” says the coy actress. Believe it or not, Davidson shares that she still has Susan’s buck teeth in her possession! “I keep them in my bathroom,” she says. “And I put them on on occasion to freak my husband out! If you bring back Susan, you have to bring back the teeth.”

  Regardless, it looks like Davidson’s highly anticipated comeback will have teeth because it sounds like DAYS will do right and resurrect the insanely popular and lucrative Marlena-John-Kristen triangle. “I’m working with [Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn]. Obviously they’re terrified,” she laughs. “[Jarlena] haven’t forgiven her yet even though she says she’s changed.”

  Davidson goes on to rave about Will’s gay storyline. “It makes me so happy to see two young men kissing,” she applauds. “It’s such a current storyline.”

  • In story 411, Jack and Jennifer determine they like Cameron. Glad someone does! The parents are just happy because he’s a good guy. Too bad he’s boring. Next!

  GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC/CITY — Which Ex-Star Wants His Job Back?

  • The worst kept secret in daytime was finally confirmed at the GH Fan Club Weekend by one of the most beloved recasts in recent memory herself, Jen Lilly.

  "They've been so gracious," Lilley says of her loyal fans, who are trying to get #WeLoveJenLilly trending. "I just can't thank them enough. I hope that they'll follow me and my career, and keep tweeting with me. Just, thank you. That's all I can say."

  Storms, who had to leave GH last fall for medical reasons, is reportedly due back on set on Monday, August 20, and her castmates are thrilled to have their friend back. "I'm so excited that she's coming back," says Kelly Monaco. "Jen Lilley did an amazing job. It was a very tough role to step into and a crowd to win over. I think she did both wonderfully."

  Lilley's final episode is scheduled for Friday, August 10.

  What’s next for the sassy starlet? In an interview with SoapTownUSA.COM, this Lilley says she’s not gilded yet by a long shot. “I’m working on a children’s story,” she shares. “I’m writing it. It’s in illustration phase. My little sister is illustrating it. She’s an amazing artist. We’re hoping to get it out before the end of the year.”

  Assuming Maxie doesn’t have a twin, would Lilley ever consider soap? “Absolutely!” she asserts. “Who doesn’t want to work? Soaps are fun, and soap fans are really fun. I hope everyone knows that sentiment is genuine. They’re so loyal. They’re just the best, and that’s what helped me get though this transition. There’s a joke in my family that Lilleys always laugh stress away. My mom said when she was having all four of us — I have four sisters — and she laughed the whole time she was giving birth. We just laugh [laughs].”

  • Aaron Refvem, who played Morgan Corinthos, took to Twitter to ask for his old job back. He wrote executive producer Frank Valentini: “Hey Frank, hope all is well. Hoping there is a chance of me back at GH!!! I know the fans would love it!!!”

  • As mentioned in the B&B section, soap hunks are pretty fertile these days. Joining CBS hunks Michael Muhney, Joshua Morrow and Adam Gregory is Dominic Zamprogna, who announced he and wife Linda Leslie are expecting their second child!

  "She's due on December 27," the Canadian actor states. Zamprogna's daughter, Anbilliene, will turn two when the new bundle of joy makes her debut.

  • Is DANCING WITH THE STARS champ Kelly Monaco joining the all-star version? She’s not saying! "I'm not confirming or denying," she teases to SOAPS IN DEPTH, "but if I happen to do it, and I happened to have Derek [Hough as a dance partner], that would be amazing. It would be a lot of work, I have to tell you."

  She continues, "If I were to do it, I'd talk to my executive producer and ask them not to have me talk so much. I don't mind showing up, but having to memorize everything at night is the problem. If they just had me shut up for a little bit, it would be okay!"

  That sound you hear? Liason fans rejoicing!

  ABC is s
et to announce the final cast July 27, so stay tuned!

  • Are the majority of GH fans hating the influx of ONE LIFE characters? Well, not the viewers who attended the GH fan club events this past weekend! The longest line belonged to Michael Easton himself! He also received the loudest applause, report my moles.

  • As Carolyn Hinsey tweeted a couple of days ago, “It’s a soap opera miracle!” Yep, that was a GH promo you saw that aired during THE VIEW. Is this an encouraging sign? GH is also getting the TCA treatment this week with its own panel and presser. The guests? Tony Geary, Jane Elliot, Maurice Benard, Nancy Lee Grahn, Laura Wright, Kelly Monaco, Steven Burton, Jason Thompson, Michael Easton, and Frank Valentini.

  • There’s a fascinating editorial by Jason Cook in this week’s SOAP OPERA DIGEST that you should all check out. While it’s nothing new if you’re a student of this industry, Cook offers his perspective about the state of daytime television in an intelligent manner. One of his main arguments is that soaps shouldn’t look they did 50 years ago given today’s digital age, tapeless workflows. He blames fear for the dissipating soap world. He writes, “Fear paralyzes the ability to acknowledge things that might help, or can work… like maybe looking for a new ship to take everyone to dry land.” Executives argue, “soaps need to look like soaps.” He calls this sentiment “fallacious.” Which I agree. I knew the industry was in trouble when NBC killed SUNSET BEACH’s video-to-film transfer back in the late 90s.

  Moreover, Cook argues that since nighttime is “quick to brand their content as ‘soap,’” yet “do not produce them to look like daytime, the genre is still alive and well. In fact, it’s prospering not dying. He adds that if P&G could have shot film and make the soaps look great in the 50, they would have.” Excellent points. Especially when he stresses that new cameras cost less than wardrobe budgets these days.

  Check out the enveloping four-page editorial out on stands now! Who knew Cook was so smart?

  THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS — Braeden Hits The T-Dot!

  • Raise your hand if you’ve had enough with corporate musical chairs on Y&R? The companies in Genoa City have exchanged hands so many times that I’ve lost count who owns what; who works for whom. Most importantly, I don’t give a shit because, next week, everything will change. The corporate storylines on this show mirror its horrible, contrived, plot-driven criminal tales, which just means the writing team of Y&R have no clue what they’re doing. Nor do they care about what they give us in exchange for an hour of their precious time while they make millions of dollars phoning it in from the Riviera.

  This week, Jack goes to war with Ashley after he proposes a merger between Beauty Of Nature and Jabot despite the fact that he once refused to have both cosmetic companies as one entity. Of course, Jack asks Victoria to work for him since she made BON a success. Yep, this is the millionth time Jack has asked Victoria to work for him this past year. This chick needs a new career.

  I’d hate to work in the Human Resource Centre at Jabot, Newman, and RESTLESS STYLE.

  Speaking of that rag, yep, Billy fired Phyllis… again!

  The only turnover that should be happening is behind the scenes at Y&R starting with Maria Arena Bell and her hack writers.

  As I tweeted recently on Twitter, I know three people who won’t win Y&R’s Super Fan Contest: its showrunners!

  • In a DIGEST poll, 83 per cent of readers say they HATE Shictor. What they said. Now we need a poll to determine how bad Tucker and Gen are.

  • The Perils of Paul: When asked by Michael Fairman if he thinks he’s finally become one of the medium’s great actors (after being a sex object for years), Doug Davidson’s says, “My technique is so refined; it is not something I think about. When you look at a concert violinist or a pianist, they are not thinking where their fingers go. Acting is one of the things that I know how to do. I think it is part of my personality. So when I look back, there are so many forces involved. I just don’t have that ego.  I do remember when Y&R went to number one. I had the number-one TVQ rating and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT came out to my house! To take credit for it is not really fair. That is why when people win awards for their work; there are these long lists of people to thank. That’s because you really don’t do it on your own, unless you are an author of a book. I do give credit to all the people in my past from Brett Hadley and Carolyn Conwell, who played my on-screen parents, and the things I learned a long the way. I hope I do the same thing for young people in this business, and let them know they are not doing this alone. I am sure not.”

  Translation: Davidson’s submitting himself in the Lead Actor category next year for Emmy Award competition despite the fact that he’s been supporting thus far this year.

  • Why was Eric Braeden dining in Toronto this past weekend? The Emmy winner was making an appearance at a casino outside of the T-dot, says his spokesperson.

  THE NATIONAL POST’s Shinan Govani had the scoop in his popular SCENE column:

  Just as awesomely cutthroat? That’d be Eric Braeden who, yes, has played the Ayn Rand-like industrialist Victor Newman on Y&R for more than three decades, and who was eye-spied at the nutso-busy Gusto 101 on Portland. Although on the daytime drama he’s in the doldrums a bit since learning the Juliet of his life, Nikki, is marrying his arch-arch-nemesis Jack Abbott (again!) and, in the process, caught some flak for hooking up with his former daughter-in-law, the actor looked content and fiddle-fit. Not every 71-year-old, after all, can get away with a fitted, muscle-bearing black tee, but this one — a life-long boxer — most certainly did.

  By most accounts, Braeden made some women weak — including one who informed me that she was so happy for having decided to skip her country stead this weekend.

  • Victoria Rowell, who? In a recent SMASHING PUMPKINS interview, Jeanne Cooper revealed she and Melody Thomas Scott were estranged for years after her co-star ignored her on set. “You think it’s strange,” she laughs. “You should have been me! I mean, here is someone who is like a daughter to me. I really was very protective of her. She’s a very talented lady, but very, very sensitive. But I wasn’t the only one. She did that to other people, and nobody knows why.”

  Today, they’ve reunited. Have they ever discussed their beef?

  “Never,” she responds. “After all of it, she waves her hand and says, ‘Oh, mom.’ It Was just some silly thing, I guess. I’m wondering if she remembers!”

  SOAP OPERA MYSTERY HOUR

  This week’s hottest blind items!

  • Which younger leading man loves to party all weekend and shows up to work majorly wrecked?

  • Which soap diva may be back on pills which is giving her co-workers concern again?

  • Which Y&R vet is known for being one of daytime’s most hung stars?

  REMOTE CONTROL

  PLAY: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

  Y&R is slowly improving; knock on wood. Love that the show has thrown the talented Michael Muhney into a new universe: the kooky world of the Baldwin-Fishers. Muhney simply sings in his new romantic pairing opposite Melissa Claire Egan’s Chelsea. It’s nice to finally see Adam happy and healthy and prospering. Add in a scheming Jeffrey, Gloria and even Anita, and you’ve got a highly new entertaining mix of players on the show. I have never once fast-forwarded any scene starring the ah-mazing artistic acrobatics of Judith Chapman or Ted Shackelford. I could watch them all hour long, actually. Moreover, it’s pretty safe to say that Emmy winner Jennifer Landon is a hit as nuHeather and that Carmine and Abby may just be the best thing on Y&R these days. Marco Dapper, mark my words, is the show’s new Shemar Moore. Sign this boy to a contract, STAT!

 

  CASTING COACH

  THE BELLE OF THE BALL: JEN LILLEY

  No one can discount Jen Lilley’s profound effect on GH when she substituted for Kirsten Storms as Maxie for the past eleven months. It’s a shame Lilley wasn’t given a chance to fully blossom in daytime. But, as Lilley as stated, she’d do soaps again because her ex
perience was relatively a positive one. And a soap would be wise to absorb Lilley, especially DAYS since the ABC soap stole Kirsten Storms and Jason Cook. As much as I love Martha Madison, I think Lilley could make a formidable Belle Black Brady, too. What do you guys think? Or, considering the grating Kim Matula is as annoying as can be on B&B, Lilley could put a whole new spin on the destroyed Hope character.

  THE IDIOT RATINGS: July 9-13

  Winner: GH continues to increase!

  Loser: Y&R, DAYS in serious trouble!

  NOTE: Please do not copy and paste the entire ratings.  Thank you.

  Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings

  (Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

  Total Viewers

  1. Y&R 4,402,000 (-103,000/-212,000)

  2. B&B 3,065,000 (-50,000/+121,000)

  3. GH 2,318,000 (+76,000/-124,000)

  4. DAYS 2.230,000 (-179,000/-201,000)

  Households

  1. Y&R 3.2/10 (same/-.1)

  2. B&B 2.3/7 (same/+.2)

  3. DAYS 1.7/5 (same/same)

  3. GH 1.7/5 (same/-.1)

  Women 18-49 Viewers

  1. Y&R 847,000 (+31,000/-27,000)

  2. B&B 626,000 (-2,000/+61,000)

  3. GH 557,000 (+18,000/-112,000)

  4. DAYS 423,000 (-28,000/-259,000)