Soap Opera Uncensored: ISSUE 8 Read online

For example, 10 actresses from General Hospital can submit themselves for Lead Actress contention. So, goodbye bloc voting! This also means that you could possibly have five GH actresses on the final ballot, too. But hey, if the five best actresses are from GH this past year, that’s fair in my books. The alternative means members being forced to vote for actors due to the show they work on — and not talent.

  • Pre-nominee hopefuls will submit an edited two-minute reel consisting of one scene from one episode reflecting their best work from the calendar year.

  • Judging pre-nominees hopefuls will be conducted online only on a NATAS website over 4 weeks instead of 2. Members of the Academy will choose their top 10 choices from 1 (being the best) to 10 — regardless of what show they are employed on. The catch? The ballot will not include names or pictures of the hopeful candidates. Anonymous live links to their work will only be shown. In other words, voters will have to click on each link to find out who they are voting for — and most importantly, view the candidate’s work. Translation: Blind voting for members’ friends or well-known names is seemingly over.

  • An actor can still submit more than one role in the same category.

  • The top 10 pre-nominees from each category will be announced on March 2, 2012.

  • In the final round of judging, a blue ribbon panel will be chosen to judge each of the final pre-noms, who will submit one full episode from the calendar year on DVD. Next year, NATAS will propose 15 minutes of work from as many episodes as they like and viewed online much like this year’s pre-nomination voting session. Why not this year? The spokesperson elaborated: “We asked AMC, while they were putting together their reels, to give us some sample submissions with scenes from multiple episodes, so that it would lend weight to our argument and be able to let the awards committee view, and see how important it is for an actor to show a broader range of work.  One thing we were told was that pulling from multiple episodes would be asking too much of shows, but AMC proved that wrong by quite easily working with the actors and putting together a couple of sample reels for us, quite quickly since they were about to wrap! We’re working on that change for next year – as you can see!”

  • The biggest win? A guest star category will more than likely be re-introduced in 2013. Over the years, members have suspiciously voted against bringing back the guest star category; but with so many recurring statuses and/or stunt casting enveloping the daytime dial, the Academy is finally reflecting the changing daytime landscape. But again, why not this year? According to NATAS, each show needed more time to create a new system of “guest star billing” in their credits to qualify.

  • Final nominees will be announced on May 4. The ceremony will take place sometime in June. And it looks “good” that they will air on broadcast television, shares the spokesperson. Moreover, he adds that a very cool plan to reinvent the ceremony may be in the works as well. Stay tuned.

  • When Uncensored asked if dramatic web actors could submit themselves in the mainstream categories (Best Actress/Supporting Actor/Directing, etc.) — especially since the number of broadcast soaps have decreased significantly in recent years and the quality of acting online is as top drawer as on the tube — NATAS answered: “That’s a good question! There is nothing in the rules that prevents web actors from entering in the main broadcast categories!”

  Ergo, Crystal Chappell could have legally submitted her work on Venice for Outstanding Lead Actress contention last year! Shut the front door! Hey, soapers: You really need to start reading the fine print like prime-time and film actors do.

  “In our literature, we’re not allowed to discriminate against platforms, [so on paper that would be legal].” After the discussion, NATAS later informed Uncensored that until they sort out this murky issue (after all, the broadcast soaps could revolt and simply refuse to vote for web stars), and barring any objections (at press time, it still needs to be passed by committee, but is expected to), NATAS has created a new category in the interim: Outstanding Performer (Male or Female) in a Special Class Format.

  Next year, the Academy will vote if whether or not web soaps should compete in the mainstream categories. With One Life to Live seemingly headed online, I think it would be wise to open the mainstream categories to this fledgling medium.

  SOAP WHISPERER:

  This week’s hottest blind items

  • Which leading man is scaring the hell out of a co-star with his inappropriate flirtations?

  • Which west-coast photographer is banned from the CBS studios?

  • Which major ex-superstar may be coming back to daytime? Make this work, puh-lease!

  HUMOUR:

  IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS: Frons and Babs reunite!

  After “stepping down,” exiting ABC Daytime TV President Brian Frons calls his former cohort former CBS VP Barbara Bloom to catch up!

  Brian: Hey, you dumb bitch! How are you?

  Babs: Awesome. We did it; we really, really did it, huh?

  Brian: Yep! It was as easy… easy as some of the actresses I hired on GH! Ha… that’s what I said!

  Babs: You so funny, Bri-Bri! Oh, Brian… What do we do now? Now that I’m unemployed… I kinda wish Guiding Fight and As The Earth Turns… wait, what were they called?

  Brian: Fuck if I know, bitch.

  Babs: Well, you know what I’m talking about.

  Brian: No, I kinda never do.

  Babs: You’re so funny, Brian. You do have cuter lesbians.

  Brian: Are you coming out? Oh, wait; oh, well, not anymore! Winning!

  Babs: But what I’m trying to tell you now that we’re unemployed, there are no soaps to watch during our endless days.

  Brian: Oh, fuck! You’re right!

  Babs: [whispers] Let’s fuck.

  Brian: What? I’d rather have sex with Anna Lee.

  Babs: No, you’d bring her back from the dead, rape her, and kill her in a fantastic sweeps story. You’re my hero, Frons. Very romantic.

  Brian: And you’re my douche bag. Mission accomplished, indeed!

  SOAP PORN: Next Week's Soapgasms

  Can’t watch all the soaps this week? No worries — here’s a cheat sheet!

  Top Shows to Watch:

  1. Venice, venicetheseries.com

  2. One Life To Live, ABC

  3. Days of our Lives, NBC

  Top Storylines to Watch:

  1. Fraternity Row Canceled, One Life

  —tie — Love Story Revisited, Venice

  3. Will’s Bitch Rampage, DAYS

  4. Nikki Wed Deacon, Y&R

  5. Susan Banks’ Mystery, DAYS

  Top Actresses to Watch:

  1. Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, Y&R)

  2. Crystal Chappell (Gina, Venice)

  3. Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH)

  —tie—Stacy Haiduk (Emily/Patty, Y&R)

  5. Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS)

  6. Hillary B. Smith (Guya, Venice)

  —tie — Ilene Kristen (Roxy, One Life)

  Top Actors to Watch:

  1. James Scott (EJ, DAYS)

  2. Michael Muhney (Adam, Y&R)

  3. Jerry ver Dorn (Clint, One Life)

  4. Matthew Ashford (Jack, DAYS)

  5. Jordan Clark (The Colonel, Venice)

  Top Young Actors To Watch:

  1. Chandler Massey (Will, DAYS)

  2. Adam Gregory (Thomas, B&B)

  3. Kim Matula (Hope, B&B)

  Top Duos to Watch:

  1. Gina and Ani, Venice

  2. Sami and EJ, DAYS

  3. Victor and Nikki, Y&R

  Top Couples to Fast-Forward Through:

  1. Sonny and Kate, GH

  2. Sofia and Neil, Y&R

  3. Austin and Abby, DAYS

  —tie— James Franco and his ego, GH

  Top Dream Couples:

  1. Carly and Shawn, GH

  2. Will and EJ, DAYS

  3. Sharon and Avery, Y&R

  Top New-ish Duos to Watch:

  1. Thorne
and Taylor, B&B

  2. Jack and Neela, One Life

  3. Thomas and Hope, B&B

  Top Newcomers:

  1. Freddie Smith (Sonny, DAYS)

  2. Sean Blakemore (Shawn, GH)

  3. Neela Patel (Neela, One Life)

  —tie — Andrew Trischitta (Jack, One Life)

  Top Scene Stealers:

  1.Ilene Kristen (Roxy, One Life)

  —tie— Josh Kelly (Cutter, One Life)

  3. Tina Sloan (TK, Venice)

  4. Austin Peck (Rick, One Life)

 

  Top Rivals:

  1. Kate Vs. Madison, DAYS

  2. Jack VS. “Scarface,” One Life

  3. Pam VS. Stephanie, B&B

  Top Equations to Watch:

  1. Gina/Ani/Lara, Venice

  —tie —Daniel/Jen/Jack, DAYS

  2. Victor/Nikki/Deacon, Y&R

  4. EJ/Sami/Rafe, DAYS

  Top Tweeters:

  1. Crystal Chappell: @CrystalChappell

  2. Joshua Morrow: @joshuamorrowYR

  3. George Guzman: @georgeguzman

  Top 3 Soap Magazine Covers (based on art direction):

  1. Soap Opera Digest: Y&R’s Victor and Nikki Have Sex!

  2. ABC Soaps In Depth: GH’s Patrick and Robin

  3. Soap Opera Weekly: DAYS Aftershocks!

  Top 3 Best Reads/Buys at the Newsstand: 

  1. Soap Opera Digest

  2. ABC Soaps In Depth

  3. Soap Opera Weekly

  Top Episodes To Watch:

  1. Wednesday: Venice’s third episode airs. Gina seems obsessed with a new piece of bling. “It’s an Emmy necklace, bitches!”

  2. Wednesday: DAYS’s Jack has a meltdown in front of Marlena. “Don’t worry: Dena Higley isn’t coming back,” comforts Marlena.

  3. Friday: DAYS’s Austin and Carrie make decision about their marriage. “Yep, we need to recast you with Austin Peck,” realizes Carrie.