Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 45 Read online

I do know there a few girls there who leading men so I’m hoping they take a chance with me.”

  • Re-inventing the wheel is a phrase that scares most soap fans and critics. In this week’s must-read DIGEST, the magazine speaks exclusively to showrunner Brad Bell about the crossroads the 25-year-old soap is facing, mainly the shocking losses of two of its original stars, Ronn Moss and Susan Flannery. Bell shockingly reveals that when he didn’t hear back from “core four,” which also includes Katherine Kelly Lang and John McCook, he wrote “a neat finale” for the quartet, in case they all walked! And we’ll be seeing that on-screen! “I’m glad I wrote it the way he did,” the Emmy says in hindsight. He also reveals that Brooke will be involved in two storylines — one medical (hello: Dr. Meade!) — when Ridge doesn’t return home after their “unique to daytime and spectacular” wedding. Let’s hope there isn’t a horse involved this time!

  Speaking of Moss, Bell reveals that time off was also a major factor and source of contention between the actor and show. And yes, he still plans on recasting the role should Moss not return. “Successful recasts have happened when it didn’t seem possible,” he points out. Ouch.

  The big question everyone wants answered is: Has Bell contacted Jack Wagner about reprising his popular role? “No,” he answers. But, “I’ve thought about seeing more of Nick and Deacon. I would never rule out returning to the Marones, like Jackie and Owen.”

  Even more interesting is the fact that Bell plans to make the show more like ONE TREE HILL when he suddenly announces he’s planning to reinvent B&B — and daytime! He’ll be using more current music and images to tell much of the story instead “of overdosing on words.” It’s a good thing, too, because the dialogue on B&B these days has been painful — no offense to the great dialogue writers the soap employs.

  DIGEST wisely asks Bill Bell’s rightful heir if he’s overplaying the Hope/Liam/Steffy triangle… for his blunt answer, pick up the best issue DIGEST has printed all year!

  • Forever Young: It looks like Jacob Young is finally getting a front-burner storyline. Thank you, Ronn Moss! Bell tells TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan, "Rick is a young man sick of sitting on the sidelines who will finally come into his own. He'll become a passionate, sexy, driving force of the show, making a strategic play for Caroline [Linsey Godfrey] and going after Ridge's position as head of Forrester Creations. The guy is going to be on fire, very much like Ridge was in his youth." Thank God. Young is one of the finest actors of our generation. It’s about time Bell stop burying the gold he has and invests it.

  • As previously reported, Sean Kanan confirms to SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED that he is indeed returning to B&B but has no details yet — or any idea of the length of his comeback. Welcome back, bud!

  DAYS OF OUR LIVES, NBC/GLOBAL — Passing The Torch!

  • How cool is this? When Jensen Ackles learned Greg Vaughan was cast as nuEric on DAYS, the SUPERNATURAL star called up the handsome actor to wish him well, reports DIGEST. Apparently, the two stars grew up 10 minutes away from each other in Dallas. “The character is near and dear to his heart,” sets up Vaughan. “And he said, ‘Greg, it just give me a little more gratification knowing that somebody I respect in the business is playing the part.” Sweet, huh? The former GH star also reveals he’s working heavily with Ari Zucker — and the show is integrating Eric well into relationships with John, Marlena and Hope.

  Let’s just hope, despite Eric being a priest, Greg undresses a lot. Vaughan debuts Nov. 13, 2087. Ha.

  • One of MODERN FAMILY’s showrunners offered Ann Romney an opportunity to officiate a gay wedding between Cam and Mitchell when the Republican wife mentioned one of her favourite shows is the ABC super hit — once gay marriage becomes legal in California! With that in mind, I think DAYS should ask Missy Reeves to officiate Will and Sonny's wedding as Jen! They could serve Chick-Fil-A sandwiches as the main course.

  • Will Nick be paroled? Of course, sillies. Until then, it’s been a treat seeing Nick’s mom, Jessica, played by original actress Jean Bruce Scott. Nice.

  GENERAL HOSPITAL, CITYTV/ABC — Whiplash Casting Ins and Outs! A Buchanan Joins GH — And He’s Not From ONE LIFE!

  • Armageddon has arrived: Yep, Emmy winner Steve Burton has decided to leave the show again as its most popular leading man. Well, next to Scott Reeves (Steven Lars; Steven Lars; Steven Lars!). Gulp.

  While it was rumoured for weeks, Burton finally came clean with TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan to explain the reasons behind his exit.

  He said, “I've been through 21 years of ups and downs with GH — regime changes, cast and crew changes, budget cuts, shakeups of one kind or another, and it's been nothing but a huge positive in my life and for my family. I have no complaints, no negative feelings at all. But it's time to go. I'm going to take some time off and do nothing but relax, just enjoy life a little bit with my wife and kids. I've bought a home in Tennessee, way out in the country outside Nashville. [Laughs] Probably too far out in the country! I've been talking about leaving GH and moving there for the last seven years. The timing was never right and then the economy crashed and I couldn't sell my house in California. I went there many years ago when I did the movie The Last Castle and loved it. Tennessee reminded me of growing up in Ohio. The people are nice, it's family oriented and, now that my kids are 6 and almost 9, I want to get them planted. My contract was coming up at GH so we put the house up for sale again and it went in, like, eight weeks. That opened the door for me to leave GH.

  He continued, “Obviously, they want me to stay and I know the timing's not the best in terms of story, but the timing for me, personally, is perfect. That doesn't mean this is easy. It's so comfortable for me at GH. This show has been my life, my family. I grew up there! I tried to sit down and write a statement to the fans to say how I feel and how much I appreciate them because they have been absolutely amazing and so incredibly loyal. I'm on Twitter a lot and have gotten to know a lot them. I'm going to miss doing the personal appearances and seeing so many of the same people again and again over the years. So I tried to write something and it was really, really tough. I couldn't get through it.”

  Burton’s last tape date is Sept. 25.

  Finally, Burton revealed that he’ll be co-producing and starring a telenovela with Jill Farren Phelps and James Franco. Of course he is.

  So how do you think Jason should be written out? Yes, most want Jason to go to jail for his crimes and/or to protect Sonny, but I would kill the hit man off in a presumed-dead story. After all, if Jesus, er, Jason is in a cell, how would you explain Sam or Liz not visiting him?

  • The hair flinging and yelling continues: One of the best actresses in this business, Florencia Lozano, is returning to the show on Sept. 7! Whoohoo… party at Todd’s house.

  • Recently, DAYTIME CONFIDENTIAL interviewed TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan in a recent must-hear podcast about the sweeping casting changes affecting daytime. The scoopy journalist revealed that GH shot sequences in Long Beach, California for the culmination of Jerry’s disease storyline. He warns the DC hosts that the storyline is “Passion-esque.” Yikes.

  • Also according to DC.COM, “GH wanted to do one of those old-school, Bill Bell paternity sagas, where JaSam wouldn't learn their tyke was alive and living in a cancelled soap town until sometime next year. However, the network wants the reveal to happen ASAP to appease those JaSam lovers!” I’m sure they’re glad they changed their minds considering Burton is leaving.

  • Coming soon to a Port Charles pier near you: a beautiful young medical student by the name of Sabrina. Played by actress Teresa Castillo, Sabrina will make her presence felt at GH. Look for one of her first storylines to involve another doctor there ... Sabrina debuts on September 14th.

  • Why has Finola Hughes been so quiet on Twitter? The Emmy winner tells UNCENSORED that she’s been directing a “cool” teen film titled THE BET.

  What kind of director is she? Does she have a whip nearby?

  “Yes, I
was yelling last night, trying to get some teens to look natural at a keg party,” she laughs. “The Americans were trying to tell me all about a 'keg stand' (whatevs), etc... It worked out alright in the end, but realized I was yelling a bit!”

  Hughes, the best thing on daytime, can yell at me any day, with or without a whip. I’d prefer the whip, though!

  As for Ian Buchanan’s “surprise” GH return, she agrees with me, “Doesn’t he look better than ever?”

  He sure does!

  • Speaking of which, one mobster employee out; one mobster employee back in: This past Monday, Emmy winner Ian Buchanan returned to GH in inarguably his most memorable role yet: Duke Lavery.

  Executive producer Frank Valentini told TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan that,

  "Our audience is very excited about the growing relationship between Luke [Tony Geary] and Anna [Finola Hughes] and their story looks like it has really good legs...so what's the best thing to do? Make a triangle!" We will eventually find out that the Duke Lavery we saw die all those many years ago was an imposter. This is the real Duke."

  In the article, Valentini stated that he and his head writer Ron Carlivati jumped at the chance to hire Buchanan, who was rather abruptly dumped from his current role as scene-chewing scum lord Ian McAllister on DAYS. "Ian is a fantastic actor and when he was suddenly available Ron quickly came up with an idea and — boom! — we ran with it," says Valentini, who tells us it'll be about five weeks before we see Buchanan on screen again.

  While I’m happy Buchanan is back, I hate that GH is using another stereotypical back-from-the-dead retcon when it should be using that device on characters like Alan Quartermaine first.

  And why isn’t Tristan Rogers back yet? It’s doubtful he’ll be back on Y&R given that JFP is now the show’s top chief. Where are all the good guys on this show? Cartini has only added more villains to the canvas — not less, which is no worse than former head writer Bob Guza.

  I’d rather have Buchanan back as a Duke twin, doppelganger or ghost.

  We saw Duke with a new face die in front of us. But, whatevs. And, yes, I did like Greg Beecroft’s version of Duke. Let’s not forget it was Buchanan’s decision to leave GH at the height of his popularity…

  • JaSam fans, rejoice: Next week, on Sept. 6 an entire episode will be dedicated to the popular, polarizing super couple when Jason and Sam find themselves at death’s door. They imagine what life would be like had they not made the choices they did. Sound familiar?

  THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS — Braeden VS. The Bastard!

  • It takes one to know one: In a red-carpet interview with ON AIR, ON SOAPS’s Michael Fairman at Y&R’s 10, 000th anniversary episode at the Paley Centre in L.A., Eric Braeden attacked Sharon Case and myself in a heated interview.

  When asked about the despised Shictor romance, the Emmy winner said,

  “It didn’t work out the way it should’ve work out.  But it’s one of those things. You saw the b**s that went down on Twitter.  It was unforgivable.  Enough said. You don’t do that to fellow colleagues.”

  Case hit back, writing, “I can think of worse things you can do to a colleague.”

  Unfortunately, Michael Fairman misquoted my UNCENSORED report, which stated that Y&R was temporarily writing out Victor for a few weeks during Braeden’s contract negotiations. Instead, Fairman stated I reported that he was leaving the show. Hello: It’s common practice to write out major characters at the beginning of heated contract negotiations, as the show has done with stars like Melody Thomas Scott and Braeden before.

  The Great Victor Newman said, “Some bastard started that rumor.  And that bastard knows who he is.  He has been starting a lot of bad rumors, and he better not show his face here again!”

  Where? The Paley Center?

  If Braden means Television City, where Y&R tapes, I don’t have to worry because from what I hear Victor will not be driving storyline anymore.

  But was I the bastard in question? I can’t know for sure. He could be addressing my sources — not me. But I’m assuming he was targeting the Nellster.

  And, yes, as many noticed, Braeden didn’t answer the question. If Fairman had perhaps shaped the question more directly like: Are you in contract negotiations? He’d probably get a direct answer from the miserable superstar.

  The fact is I stand by my reporting. Yes, I jumped the gun on the news, but my sources maintain my reporting was accurate.

  Sony/CBS asked Maria Arena Bell to write out Victor but she refused, which is one of the many reasons the company didn’t renew her contract.

  He called me a bastard but didn’t call me a liar.

  It’s a badge of honour, really.

  But I can’t take his outburst personally. He’s been on an edge of a meltdown ever since Bell was fired.

  In fact, during a recent contract player meeting with Jill Farren Phelps, Braeden, in the middle of a discussion about the future of the show, jumped up “screaming and yelling and pounding his fists that the future of the show was in jeopardy under this new regime and quickly called an end to the meeting.” After a beat of silence, Jill “resumed the meeting…,” and Eric sat back down. Braden is being emasculated right in front of our eyes. If Maria was in charge of that meeting, she would’ve blown him.

  But at least he confirmed my exclusive report that he was indeed the mastermind behind the despised, contrived Shictor pairing in the interview.

  I like Braeden a lot and wish him the best. I harbour no hard feelings towards him. We usually interview a couple of times during the year, usually at his request, but I’m going to report what my sources tell me whether it upsets him or not.

  If I was reporting “bad rumours,” how did I know exactly when Victor and Sharon would wed, that she would burn the pre-nup, and that he would go missing?

  Anyway— don’t worry, I have a lot of unprinted dirt on the star, which I will happily print if he continues his baseless attacks.

  • Fans of Peter Porte may be happy to learn that, according to new head writer Josh Griffith in DIGEST’s Fall Preview issue, Ricky will be haunting Paul from the grave! Does that mean Porte is back? Stay tuned.

  I have to mention how surreal — and amusing — it is to see Griffith give storyline preview written by Maria Arena Bell to the magazines. Griffith trying to defend these characters and stories is quite the feat — but he does it well. Poor guy.

  As for the entire fall season (I.e. material which will air when he takes over), Griffith promises, “It’s going to be an explosion of romance and intrigue. You’re going to be hooked.”

  I already am.

  • In story 411, Ronan, in order to protect Phyllis, lies that he has been having an affair with her. When Phyllis “confesses” to Nick about sleeping with Ronan again, Nick refuses to believe her. She happily comes clean but now Nick is involved in the lie. But a benefit of this plot twist is that Nick gets to punch Ronan in the face!

  • Jill Farren Phelps has finally given her first major interview since becoming Y&R’s new executive producer. In an informative and highly entertaining interview with TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan, the “soap killer” addresses her controversial producing career. She also confirms most if not all my Y&R reporting since Sony/CBS threw out Maria Arena Bell on her privileged, untalented ass, including UNCENSORED’s previously reported first airdate of Josh Griffith’s work on Oct. 12, Sony’s desire to make Y&R more like DALLAS, a huge cast bloodbath may be on the horizon, CBS’s faith in the show, and that JFP is more humbled now after leaving GH and helming HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS. Here are the highlights:

  Her mandate: The mandate is to make Y&R financially feasible so it can continue on. And also to bring the show into 2012. We will give it a more contemporary feel, shake up the way it looks and sounds just a bit, though nothing that will have the audience feeling uncomfortable. It would be so wrong to try to pace it and structure it and stylize it like GH. We just want Y&R to be more alluring and compelling as we move into
the future.

  Cast Cuts: I'm not going to say there won't be one, but that doesn't mean there will be. I will only say right now that there will indeed be changes. We have a cast of really wonderful actors but, at the end of the day, we need to look at the entire canvas and decide who is catching fire with the audience. And where can we create fire where there isn't any? 

  Victoria Rowell: I only know it's a hot-button issue but I don't know the full history. I'm not going to make any comment.

  Christel Khalil: The male role we are casting is definitely a new character but, yes, the female role is a recast for Christel's role. However, since we sent out that casting breakdown, negotiations with Christel have resumed. I don't yet know how that's going to work out.

  Killing Off Maureen Bauer on GL: Look, I'm sorry I killed Maureen Bauer on GL all those years ago, but I am not responsible for the death of Frankie Frame on ANOTHER WORLD! That was not my doing and I am tired of taking the heat for having killed a character when I didn't! [Laughs] The other day we were in a network meeting talking about one of the Y&R actors who wanted out temporarily to go do something and I said, "Let her go do it!" And the network executive looked at me and said, "You're not nearly the monster I've been hearing about!" 

  Should Vets Be Worried/Jess Walton Comeback: I have already talked with Jess Walton [Jill, who chose to leave the show last spring]. She has agreed to come back, though not on a full-time basis. She says she'll return if the right story is there, and we want to make that happen. Audiences want quality drama. They are too smart to be fooled by really young pretty people they don't care about. Even teenagers are going, "Why am I supposed to care about this?" So it is simply not true that I don't like people over 40.  Hey, I'm over 40. My friends are over 40. I really appreciative the talent of those at Y&R who are in that age group. 

  James Franco: I'll never say never on that one. Here's the thing about James. If I were to ask him to do Y&R he would probably do it but right now I really have many more important things to take care of. [Laughs] Now, if he calls me and says, "I really have a hankering to do Y&R," I would try to find a way to make it happen. He is absolutely welcome.

  Being Humbled: The rap I get for