Nelson Branco's SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED: Issue 59

by Nelson Branco

SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED

  Volume 03, Issue 2 (No. 59)

  BY NELSON BRANCO

  Copyright 2013 Nelson Branco

  INSIDE — EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH 2012’s ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Y&R’S SHARON CASE, BITCHES! THE EMMY WINNER REFLECTS ON A TOPSY-TURVY YEAR THAT INCLUDED A SHICTOR ROMANCE (EWWW!); A TWITTER WAR OF THE WORDS; THE BIRTH OF A NEW SUPER COUPLE (SHADAM); HER BRILLIANT, EMMY-WORTHY CAMPY AND DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE AS SHARON TRIED TO GET HER GROOVE — AND MIND — BACK; AND WHY SHE FELT SHE WAS ABOUT TO BE FIRED! “I WAS SCARED,” SHE ADMITS! PLUS: IS THERE A SHARON CASE AND STEVE BURTON ONSCREEN HOOK-UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE? — Hot Buzz: Is Erin Hershey Joining GH? Plus: Genie Francis, Jon Lindstrom Back! Will Port Chuck Be Invaded By Vampires Again? Also: GH Casting A New Role… But Is It Really A Kristina Recast? You Decide: Casting Breakdown Inside! — EXCLUSIVE: LANE RECASTING NEWS OVER AT Y&R! — Drake Hogestyn Out At DAYS! Plus: DAYS Renewed! — CONFIRMED: STEVE BURTON JOINS Y&R! PLUS: JFP STEALS ONE MORE GH TALENT! — Darnell Williams Back on Y&R! — 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

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  Say What?

  UNCENSORED QUOTES OF THE WEEK

  “That 50th anniversary I think is coming up, right? But I have nothing to say about it. They have called, but there's nothing in ink or anything like that. I know it would be pretty special to work with Kristina, my ex-wife, again so we'll see what happens. I know it's around the corner here and if I go back, it would only be for a very short story arc. But I might do it just to honor that show and what it's meant to my career and the fans and to Kristina's career.

  — Jack Wagner in the HUFFINGTON POST

  Translation: I’m coming back.

  “I think DAYS is going to stick around. I don’t know that I’m at liberty to say that officially yet, but it’s not going anywhere.”

  — NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt expressed confidence that DAYS would remain on the air beyond its current contract cycle, which expires in September at the Television Critics Association

  Translation: We have at least three more reboots in us.

  “It sounds more like the death of Todd and Blair.”

  —A bitter Kassie DePaiva on Twitter in response to an innocent interview GH’s Laura Wright gave SOAP OPERA DIGEST that shipped Carly and Todd as a big pairing for the show per a conversation she had with head writer Ron Carlivati at the show’s Christmas Party

  Translation 1: Blair spent 10 years hooking up with men like Victor Lord, Spencer Truman, John McBain, Cristian Vega, Elijah Clarke and Tomas Delgado... but Roger Howarth can have no action without me! —@SourceRyan

  Translation 2: If I had a contract on GH, I wouldn’t care who Todd slept with! It’s all about the Benjamins!

  Translation 3: I could care less who Trevor St. John slept with.

  Translation 4: I’m the anti-Genie Francis! I want my character paired with a superstar rapist!

  “W.C. Fields had it right when he said don’t work with animals or children.”

  —Patrika Darbo on working opposite the twins playing Parker on DAYS

  Translation: Or against ugly purple backdrops.

  “It’s a very weird thing to win a Humanitarian award. I feel like I should be a 102-year-old nun, but it’s an amazing thing.”

  —Former Y&R hack Maria Arena Bell at the 14th Annual Humanitarian Awards thrown by Women’s Image Network with Eric Braeden and Genie Francis in attendance

  Translation 1: But winning the Emmy for Best Writing was definitely the weirdest thing to happen to me — and the world of soaps.

  Translation 2: Wait; wouldn’t Susan Lucci make an amazing 102-year-old nun on Y&R?

  "I'm thrilled to see #GeneralHospital rocking and rolling in the afternoon."

  —ABC President Paul Lee at TCA

  Translation: The last show that rocked and rolled in the afternoon, ONE LIFE, we cancelled.

  “It's fun to be to be part of a company that owns so many strong brands…. and to be able to help build and invigorate some of those brands."

  —Lee continued

  Translation: Except on daytime.

  Editorial Note: I really hope the journalists in attendance at the Television Critics Association presser asked Lee if ABC made a mistake canceling AMC and ONE LIFE last year considering its current daytime line-up resembles a cemetery — with the exception of GH and THE VIEW — and why it gave Prospect Park an extension to reboot the cancelled soaps. Moreover, if the rights revert back to ABC, is the network planning to license the shows to other networks? But, I’m sure, computer will say no, to quote LITTLE BRITAIN.

  Award Show Central

  DGA NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

  There is an “I” in Team: The Directors Guild of America is focusing on individual achievements in daytime serial directing and its respective support crew instead of nominating an entire soap’s directing team. Smart move. The DGA nominated the directing teams of GH, ONE LIFE and DAYS. Below are the noms:

  Albert Alaar – DAYS – Episode #11895  NBC

  Mr. Alarr’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Mike Fiamingo, Joe Lumer, Lugh Powers, Tina Keller Stage Managers: Fran De Simone, Stuart Howard Production Associates: Krista Cremidan, Holly Metts, Sara Peterson, Lucy Yalenian.

  Larry Carpenter – GH – “Bad Water”  ABC

  Mr. Carpenter’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Penny Pengra, Denise Van Cleave Stage Managers: Brendan Higgins, Robert Markham, Craig McManus Production Associates: Christine Cooper, Allison Reames.

  William Ludel -  General Hospital – “Magic Milo”  ABC

  Mr. Ludel’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Penny Pengra, Denise Van Cleave, Christine Magarian-Ucar Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Crystal Craft Production Associates: Christine Cooper, Allison Reames.

  Scott McKinsey – General Hospital – “Shot Through The Heart”  ABC

  Mr. McKinsey’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Penny Pengra, Denise Van Cleave, Christine Magarian-Ucar Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Crystal Craft Production Associates: Christine Cooper, Allison Reames,

  Jill Mitwell – ONE LIFE– “Between Heaven and Hell” ABC

  Ms. Mitwell’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Tracy Casper Lang, Teresa Cicala, Michael Sweeney, Paul S. Glass Stage Managers: Alan Needleman, Keith Greer, Tracy Casper Lang, Leah M. Weber Production Associates: Nathalie Rodriguez, Kevin Brush.

  Who Should Win: DAYS managed the impossible by creating an authentic and intricate looking explosion sequence with myriad of dramatic scenes, beloved characters and special effects before its Olympic hiatus this past summer, which also signaled the end of head writer Marlene McPherson and Darrel Thomas’s work and the return of Gary Tomlin and Chris Whitesell as the show’s top scribes. (Though one can argue it all was the expert editing that made the episode so stellar but let’s give DAYS a win for once…. And, as an aside, I love how DAYS is the only soap that doesn’t name its individual episodes… I guess that costs too much money, too! It should’ve been called “DAYSaster: Yet Another Reboot.”)

  Who Will Win: There’s nothing like an action sequence shot on location so expect the award to be handed to
the best director in the business, Larry Carpenter, for GH’s “Bad Water” episode despite the shoddy story arc and writing. FYI: Carpenter, a past winner, was ONE LIFE’s star director until its cancellation but he was recognized for his new gig at GH.

  Exclusive Bombshell Leak

  CA-CHING WHAT PROSPECT PARK IS EXPECTED TO MAKE ON THE AMC AND ONE LIFE REBOOTES!

  “The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”

  —Lily Tomlin

  During a recent DAYTIME CONFIDENTIAL podcast, Editorial Director Jamey Giddens quoted sources that Prospect Park did not offer the Writers’ Guild of America a fair deal during tense negotiations in its latest attempt to reboot fallen soaps ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE this February on THE ONLINE NETWORK despite working out fair deals with SAG/AFTRA and the DGA.

  Inside sources familiar with all things Prospect Park contacted UNCENSORED to disclose key financial details to illustrate how the upstart studio is spending its