Miss Universe 2016 is now less than a month away.
Yeah, you read that right, I said Miss Universe 2016, who will likely just be called the 65th Miss Universe.
Like in 2014 when negotiations fell through to hold the pageant in the actual calendar year of the titleholder, 2016's contest ended up continuing to be postponed until the Philippines (home of the reigning Miss Universe) could be secured. So likely, 2017 will end up like 2015 and there will be two Miss Universe pageants within a 12-month period.
Regardless of the calendar year it is being held in, the Miss Universe Pageant always attracts hundreds of millions of viewers, especially in Latin American countries and the Philippines, where titleholders are revered and treated like true royalty.
To that end, the top 15 is usually dominated by Latinas and Miss Philippines. In fact 6 of the last 10 Miss Universe winners have come from Latin America countries and 10 of 20 have hailed from that region. Five of the past six Filipino winners have made the top five. Will they continue to dominate?
Despite IMG acquiring the pageant from Donald Trump last year and supposedly going in a different direction regarding winners (reportedly substance over beauty, if last summer's Miss USA Pageant was any indication), look for the top 15 to still have a Latin flair to it.
And since the pageant is being held in pageant-crazy the Philippines, look for their queen to be a major contender.
I actually like this year's Miss Philippines and would place her in my 15 and possibly top 10, but no further.
As usual, here are my pre-arrival picks for contenders. And my picks usually change once the contestants arrive and actually are seen in candids and participate in the preliminary competitions. But, for now, here are the ladies who I think will be major forces to be reckoned with and likely one of these will be your new Miss Universe.
THE CONTENDERS:
If I had to choose just a few who I feel fairly confident will make it to the 10, both Miss Colombia - my current favorite - and Miss Brazil - a close second - would be at the top of the list.
Both are statuesque and beautiful and have that Miss Universe look to them in head shots. Of course, who knows what IMG and the MUO will tell the judges to look for in a winner, but I think both have that 'IT' factor that makes both of them immediately stand out to me. I'd have them 1-2 heading into arrival day in the Philippines.
The same could be said for Miss Curacao, who I think could be the eventual victor and has been solidly in my top five since her crowning. Coming from a non-pageant nation may actually be a plus for her this year, especially if the new owners want to send a message that all nations have an equal chance of winning the international title.
Many are putting Indonesia and Russia solidly in their five, I have them both in my 15, but not the 10 or five.
Right now, I'd round out my contenders with the Misses Australia and Hungary, both are glamorous, but if you look closely, there's a lot going on in their eyes that make them stand out.
Miss Philippines may make it to the top 5, but if she does, surely there will be cries of pageant politics. Come to think of it, there will probably be those same cries if she doesn't make it, too.
STRONG POSSIBILITIES
Others who I'm giving more than a passing glance to right now are: Barbados, the first delegate they've sent in a decade, and who, in my opinion could take it all; Mexico, Ukraine, Sierra Leone, whose short hair will definitely make her stand out; USA, who has grown on me since winning the national crown and definitely has a story courtesy of her serving in the military; and Ukraine.
They would currently round out my top 10.
The rest of those who I think are solid and certainly could be right up there are Belgium, France, Guatemala, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
PRE-ARRIVAL CANDIDATES WITH STRONG POTENTIAL
That would be 14 and I'm almost certain Philippines will be in there and deservedly so, which would then be 15. For pre-arrival consideration though, I'd also have to consider France, the Netherlands, Italy and Thailand.
And while perennial pageant powerhouse Venezuela doesn't do much for me, I'd be foolish not to put her on this list, as well as the aforementioned Indonesia and Russia.
A few dark horses who have caught my eye and who I will be looking at during prelims are Turkey, Argentina and Iceland, who looks just sort of average in her headshot, but in some candids I've seen appears to have a girl next door image that could possibly fit in perfectly with the revised definition of 'Confidently Beautiful,' the official slogan of MUO.
And, of course, as in any pageant, there are sure to be sleepers and surprises and I'll address them in my blog following the preliminary presentation show next month.
For now, though, I'd be surprised if one of the young women mentioned in my pre-arrival blog isn't crowned the 65th Miss Universe when the pageant is televised on Fox on Sunday, January 29.
For photos of the contestants and more coverage, go to www.MissUniverse.com
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
The Best and Worst Of Soaps In 2016
It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.
Yeah, you read that right.
In a year that was just downright awful for soap opera fans, I can think of more bad than best categories. However, in hope that the genre can pull a 2011, when the remaining soaps rebounded and turned creative once more, I'll try to balance this year-end review with as much good as bad.
BEST COUPLE - Eric and Quinn (The Bold and the Beautiful.) For better or worse, shows just don't do supercouples any more and the majority of couples they do have generally possess no rooting value.
Eric and Quinn are the exception. And, who would have thunk it. The pairing of John McCook and Rena Sofer may not have even sounded that great on paper, but the writers plodded on and the result is pure magic.
Eric softens Quinn and Sofer portrays her with just the right of emotion that you actually root for this coupling. B&B messed up every other coupling on the show this year, but got this one right. Hoping the addition of Katie as a triangle doesn't send Quinn back to craziness, as her character now, for the first time ever, is worth rooting for.
Runner Up: Brady and Theresa (Days of Our Lives.)
Worst Couple - Wow, pick 'em. Any other B&B coupling, which also goes for worst triangles and Hillary and Devon (Young & Restless) - they have a huge fan following, however, I just don't get it. Mishael Morgan has far more chemistry with Kristoff St. John than Bryton.
Sonny and Carly on General Hospital just don't have the necessary chemistry for a super coupling; Laura Wright is far more combustible with Ingo Rademacher and the new Abby on Days (worst recast by far) doesn't have the talent or look to make Abigail & Chad a supercouple once more.
You don't have to have supercouples to make a soap successful, however, you do need to have couples with chemistry and daytime sorely lacks any of them right now.
Most Potential as A Couple - Paul & Sonny (Days of Our Lives.) - This couple has mega potential, however, the show is treading lightly on them thus far. Homophobic execs? Maybe, though probably not, but, still you have to wonder why this coupling isn't advancing as quickly as it should. Maybe because the Will/Sonny following was so popular, the writers are taking their time with 'Paulson,' though that hasn't stopped them from quickly putting Gabi and Chad together only a few months after Abby 'supposedly' died. Double standard for sure.
Best Storyline - Quinn and Eric (The Bold and the Beautiful.) Actually, that's the ONLY story working on this show right now.
Worst Storyline - Again, so many to choose from. Anything not Quinn and Eric on B&B; the return of the supervillains on Days, which did nothing to drive up the ratings, in fact they actually dropped; anything Franco and also the total destruction of Alexis by turning her into an alcoholic on General Hospital; and just the overall tone on Y&R have made this the worst year in soap operas in at least seven years.
Best Actor - Tough call on this one. Not generally a huge Maurice Benard fan, but he has had a banner year in the fall out after Morgan's death on General Hospital and it resulted in the best work of his career.
Runners Up: Justin Hartley (ex-Adam, The Young and the Restless.)
Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days of Our Lives.)
Daniel Cosgrove (Aiden, Days of Our Lives.)
Best Actress - Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, General Hospital.) may very well win the Emmy for Best Actress and it wouldn't be undeserved, but I'm going with Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days of Our Lives) for my top honor.
Closer to 70 than 60 and in a genre obsessed with youth, Rogers started out the year on fire and never let up. The death of Maggie's son set the tone for her year. Later soap staples such as discovering she had a long-lost daughter and becoming paralyzed tormented her character in a way only those awful soap clichés could, but Rogers never uttered a false note and took it all in stride, giving the type of performance that Emmys are made for.
If she enters the upcoming Emmy race, she will likely go Supporting, however, I encourage her to go Lead, as Maggie was a front and center character and the only glue that held the often fragile Days together for most of the year.
Runners Up: Grahn, Laura Wright (Carly, General Hospital.) Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless.)
Other performers who should put themselves in the Emmy race and had standout years : Rena Sofer, John McCook (B&B); Jen Lilley, Judi Evans, Wally Kurth, Melissa Reeves (Days); William DeVry, Jane Elliot (GH) Sharon Case, Melissa Clair Egan, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Eric Braeden, Peter Bergman (Y&R.)
BEST SHOW .....
Honestly, I have to leave this space blank, as none of the four shows currently on the air deserve it.
Days may win an Emmy for their heart transplant story that started off the year or the fallout from Adrienne & Lucas's wedding, but everything in between was God awful. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, as the past month, Days has been more entertaining than it has been in 2-1/2 years. The question is can it continue to be that interesting? If the past is any indicator, than probably not.
Y&R just regained some of the writing staff that helped the show first consistently become #1 in the ratings in 1988. However, one well-written, yet sort of boring first episode from the returning scribes does not a Best Show make.
B&B is simply a continuous retread of stories and couplings and if I had to choose an Emmy reel for them, I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's that bad.
If I had to award a Best Show, which in good conscience I simply cannot, I guess I'd go with GH only because it's been the most consistent of the four soaps. Of course, being consistently boring isn't a good criteria for being a good show.
A show that boasts such talent juggernauts as West, Grahn, Genie Francis, Jane Elliot and Finola Hughes should never be boring. Far too often, though, that's exactly what GH is. Preferring to focus on so many characters who have no ties to the show's core or whose historical ties are simply rewrites of history does not a good show make.
Unfortunately, soaps are a wasteland and basically garbage time in their current state.
I used to look forward to watching my 'shows' daily. Now, more often than not, it's become a chore - and a chore I could easily dispense of.
The genre is that bad and in that much trouble.
Sorry, daytime, you're going to have to do better next year or Y&R - and maybe B&B, which is an international hit - will be the only soaps left on the air.
And if that becomes the case, a best of column would be pretty much pointless, wouldn't it?
Yeah, you read that right.
In a year that was just downright awful for soap opera fans, I can think of more bad than best categories. However, in hope that the genre can pull a 2011, when the remaining soaps rebounded and turned creative once more, I'll try to balance this year-end review with as much good as bad.
BEST COUPLE - Eric and Quinn (The Bold and the Beautiful.) For better or worse, shows just don't do supercouples any more and the majority of couples they do have generally possess no rooting value.
Eric and Quinn are the exception. And, who would have thunk it. The pairing of John McCook and Rena Sofer may not have even sounded that great on paper, but the writers plodded on and the result is pure magic.
Eric softens Quinn and Sofer portrays her with just the right of emotion that you actually root for this coupling. B&B messed up every other coupling on the show this year, but got this one right. Hoping the addition of Katie as a triangle doesn't send Quinn back to craziness, as her character now, for the first time ever, is worth rooting for.
Runner Up: Brady and Theresa (Days of Our Lives.)
Worst Couple - Wow, pick 'em. Any other B&B coupling, which also goes for worst triangles and Hillary and Devon (Young & Restless) - they have a huge fan following, however, I just don't get it. Mishael Morgan has far more chemistry with Kristoff St. John than Bryton.
Sonny and Carly on General Hospital just don't have the necessary chemistry for a super coupling; Laura Wright is far more combustible with Ingo Rademacher and the new Abby on Days (worst recast by far) doesn't have the talent or look to make Abigail & Chad a supercouple once more.
You don't have to have supercouples to make a soap successful, however, you do need to have couples with chemistry and daytime sorely lacks any of them right now.
Most Potential as A Couple - Paul & Sonny (Days of Our Lives.) - This couple has mega potential, however, the show is treading lightly on them thus far. Homophobic execs? Maybe, though probably not, but, still you have to wonder why this coupling isn't advancing as quickly as it should. Maybe because the Will/Sonny following was so popular, the writers are taking their time with 'Paulson,' though that hasn't stopped them from quickly putting Gabi and Chad together only a few months after Abby 'supposedly' died. Double standard for sure.
Best Storyline - Quinn and Eric (The Bold and the Beautiful.) Actually, that's the ONLY story working on this show right now.
Worst Storyline - Again, so many to choose from. Anything not Quinn and Eric on B&B; the return of the supervillains on Days, which did nothing to drive up the ratings, in fact they actually dropped; anything Franco and also the total destruction of Alexis by turning her into an alcoholic on General Hospital; and just the overall tone on Y&R have made this the worst year in soap operas in at least seven years.
Best Actor - Tough call on this one. Not generally a huge Maurice Benard fan, but he has had a banner year in the fall out after Morgan's death on General Hospital and it resulted in the best work of his career.
Runners Up: Justin Hartley (ex-Adam, The Young and the Restless.)
Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days of Our Lives.)
Daniel Cosgrove (Aiden, Days of Our Lives.)
Best Actress - Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, General Hospital.) may very well win the Emmy for Best Actress and it wouldn't be undeserved, but I'm going with Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days of Our Lives) for my top honor.
Closer to 70 than 60 and in a genre obsessed with youth, Rogers started out the year on fire and never let up. The death of Maggie's son set the tone for her year. Later soap staples such as discovering she had a long-lost daughter and becoming paralyzed tormented her character in a way only those awful soap clichés could, but Rogers never uttered a false note and took it all in stride, giving the type of performance that Emmys are made for.
If she enters the upcoming Emmy race, she will likely go Supporting, however, I encourage her to go Lead, as Maggie was a front and center character and the only glue that held the often fragile Days together for most of the year.
Runners Up: Grahn, Laura Wright (Carly, General Hospital.) Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless.)
Other performers who should put themselves in the Emmy race and had standout years : Rena Sofer, John McCook (B&B); Jen Lilley, Judi Evans, Wally Kurth, Melissa Reeves (Days); William DeVry, Jane Elliot (GH) Sharon Case, Melissa Clair Egan, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Eric Braeden, Peter Bergman (Y&R.)
BEST SHOW .....
Honestly, I have to leave this space blank, as none of the four shows currently on the air deserve it.
Days may win an Emmy for their heart transplant story that started off the year or the fallout from Adrienne & Lucas's wedding, but everything in between was God awful. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, as the past month, Days has been more entertaining than it has been in 2-1/2 years. The question is can it continue to be that interesting? If the past is any indicator, than probably not.
Y&R just regained some of the writing staff that helped the show first consistently become #1 in the ratings in 1988. However, one well-written, yet sort of boring first episode from the returning scribes does not a Best Show make.
B&B is simply a continuous retread of stories and couplings and if I had to choose an Emmy reel for them, I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's that bad.
If I had to award a Best Show, which in good conscience I simply cannot, I guess I'd go with GH only because it's been the most consistent of the four soaps. Of course, being consistently boring isn't a good criteria for being a good show.
A show that boasts such talent juggernauts as West, Grahn, Genie Francis, Jane Elliot and Finola Hughes should never be boring. Far too often, though, that's exactly what GH is. Preferring to focus on so many characters who have no ties to the show's core or whose historical ties are simply rewrites of history does not a good show make.
Unfortunately, soaps are a wasteland and basically garbage time in their current state.
I used to look forward to watching my 'shows' daily. Now, more often than not, it's become a chore - and a chore I could easily dispense of.
The genre is that bad and in that much trouble.
Sorry, daytime, you're going to have to do better next year or Y&R - and maybe B&B, which is an international hit - will be the only soaps left on the air.
And if that becomes the case, a best of column would be pretty much pointless, wouldn't it?
Sunday, November 6, 2016
The Ultimate Soap Supercouple List
Supercouple.
It may - or may not - technically be one word.
However, when two soap opera characters come together to create a coupling that neither could have portrayed on their own - or with any other acting partner for that matter - the result is, indeed, super.
The term supercouple took on a definition of its own in the 1980s when General Hospital 's Luke and Laura were all the rage. It gained even bigger prominence in the American vernacular when Days of Our Lives practically owned the rights to the word from 1981 through the early '90s.
But, as you will see, the word isn't exclusive to that decade or to that one show. Even before that, there were supercouples all across the daytime dial.
What follows is my list of the 10 - actually 11 simply because I couldn't narrow it down to just 10 - couples that to this day bring the definition of the word supercouple to life.
This list isn't exclusive or exhaustive. I certainly don't expect every fan to agree with my choices or rankings.
They are just that: my rankings, my choices and my personal preferences, complete with an explanation as to why I chose them and listed them in the order that I chose to.
I'd love to hear yours.
First off are those that I considered, but that didn't quite make the cut.
All My Children - Erica & Jack, Phil & Tara, Greg & Jenny.
Another World - Ryan & Vicky.
As the World Turns - Jeff & Penny, Tom & Margo, Steve & Betsy.
Days of Our Lives - Patch & Kayla, Will & Sonny (the original Will, that is!)
The Doctors - Nick & Althea, Matt & Maggie
Edge of Night - Mike & Nancy
General Hospital - Frisco & Felicia
Guiding Light - Hope & Alan
Love of Life - Bill & Tess
One Life to Live - Viki & Dorian ( not a supercouple in the traditional romantic sense of the word, but, to me a super- coupling, nonetheless.)
Search for Tomorrow - Steve & Liza
The Young and the Restless - Victor & Nikki ( who just missed my cut at #12.)
And, now, without further ado, my top 11 daytime supercouples of all time!
11. Adam and Nicole ( Donald May and Maeve McGuire, The Edge of Night.)
Adam tamed the shrew, turning the haughty Nicole Travis Drake into the leading lady of Edge in the early-to-mid '70s. They would be on my list purely for Adam's rooftop proposal to Nicole after running through the streets of New York City in order to get to her before the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. However, they are on it for so many other reasons, too, not the least of which is the clever banter and instant clicking that occurred from their first meeting to their final scene.
10. Roman and Marlena or John and Marlena (Wayne Northrop, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, Days of Our Lives.) Pick whatever incarnation of the couple or the characters, the simple fact is Deidre had undeniable chemistry with all of her leading men and especially with these two. I prefer the original coupling, and Northrop to Hogestyn, but just as many preferred the latter. Either way you slice it, the couplings were both magical, with the first one bringing Days back to the top 5 in the ratings in the early 80s and the current incarnation keeping viewers enthralled - and Hall and Hogestyn at the top of the fan polls - now in the couple's 30-year-plus mark.
9. Bob and Kim (Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays, As the World Turns.) No doubt about it, their love stood the test of time. From the characters first glance at one another in 1972 to the series finale in 2010, Kim and Bob were the real deal and the longest-lasting super coupling on the show. That they went through torture - and 13 star-crossed years - to get together and then remained viable through countless writing regimes is testament to their undeniable bond.
8. Bo and Hope (Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso, Days of Our Lives.) Put two young - yet very green - performers together and you could have a recipe for disaster. However, what Days fans got with 'Bope' is a 30-year love affair which grew as strongly as the two actors did in their signature roles. One only needs to watch Bo's death scene from last year to witness how much both grew in their parts, while, keeping intact that much-needed chemistry required for a supercouple.
7. Steve and Alice (George Reinholt and Jacqueline Courtney, Another World.) One of the original supercouples, writer Agnes Nixon created a triangle with Robin Strasser's Rachel that glued viewers to their screen in the late 60s and 70s, and that via very limited YouTube copies of those episodes, still holds up today. Despite the actors reputed reputations within the industry, their coupling was electric and the chemistry remained when Courtney & Reinholt took their talents to One Life to Live, even if the storyline they had their didn't fully utilize their talents or that chemistry.
6. Cruz and Eden ( A Martinez and Marcy Walker, Santa Barbara.) While I admittedly wasn't a Santa Barbara fan, which was too quirky for my tastes back then, but which I can better appreciate now in my more mature age, I was a Cruz and Eden fan. One of my best friends back then watched the show religiously and I would watch with her only when this couple was on. The magic they brought to the screen was evident and I would be remiss not to include them on this list. Both deservedly won Emmys for their roles on SB.
And now, my top five, which I actually had an easier time placing in order when compared to my 11-6 placements.
5. Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis, General Hospital.) I know what you're thinking, how could the most popular soap coupling of All-Time be ranked so low on my list? It's not that the chemistry wasn't there, obviously it was, but as you will see with my top four couples, there were simply others I favored more. Granted, part of this ranking may have to do with Geary's vocal disdain for the coupling in later years. Part of it is definitely the fact that a supercouple is supposed to stand the test of time and Luke and Laura - mainly due to Geary's fault - did not.
4. Doug and Julie (Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes, Days of Our Lives.) From the show - that for better or worse - made the word supercouple a noun, this is the original supercouple of Salem. The real deal. While Doug and Julie went through every trial and tribulation known to man before their characters married in 1976, Bill and Susan were falling in love in real life and recently celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. With a divorce or two in between, Doug & Julie are still married and creating daily magic on Days. Wish more video of their magic early years existed because their story was worthy of all the publicity it received and certainly was deserving of Emmys for both, although neither won the golden statue in a multitude of various nominations.
3. Travis & Liza (Rod Arrants and Sherry Mathis, Search for Tomorrow.) Many may have never even watched this supercouple, but they had me mesmerized in the Summer of '79, when Search came thisclose to knocking out GH for the #1 spot in the ratings. When Sherry's southern charm, beauty and impeccable singing voice and Rod's rugged leading man looks came together, there was little doubt the two were golden. Although the on the run perils various headwriting regimes created for the duo grew tiredsome and were an ends among themselves, the chemistry between the two never grew forced or tenuous. Whatever fool decided to kill off Travis deserves to never write soaps ever again. There's not a lot of this couple on YouTube, but what little there is simply is magic.
2. Mac & Rachel (Douglass Watson and Victoria Wyndham, Another World.) If you were alive in the 1970s, how could you not root for this couple? Mac turned Rachel's life around and provided her with the one thing she had been sorely lacking - a man who really loved her. He was her knight and shining armor and they were the show's signature couple from 1975 until Watson's untimely death in 1989. Yeah, the couple went through the wringer, but you never doubted they would find their way back to one another. And, I contend, they had the best fights in daytime history to boot! Think about the makeup sex that coupling had! Both seasoned performers rank among the best ever to appear on daytime.
And that leaves us with only one couple left....and I've saved the best - and my most detailed accolades - for last.
Here we go...of the hundreds - maybe even thousands of daytime supercouples to grace our screen, here's my choice for the best ever....
1. SKY & RAVEN ( Larkin Malloy and Sharon Gabet , The Edge of Night.) From the soap that was unlike any other comes the supercouple that stands out from the rest. Edge was a mystery soap, rather than a traditional soap, so it's appropriate that my #1 supercouple wasn't of the traditional mode of the others. Except for a plot contrivance made necessary by a plot too lengthy to detail here, the couple weren't really star-crossed lovers. And they didn't look all gaga at one another like many of the other couples on the list and that's because from the start, they were different, from the start they understood each other in a way most couples - even super ones - never did.
And from the start, they were destined only for each other. Unlike other couples on this list, for the majority of their joint time on the show, they were always together. Their coupling was fast and the spark instantaneous in both of its incarnations. (More on what that means, later.)
And while some tried to tear them apart - most notably Alicia Van Dine in the show's last great murder storyline - no one ever stood a chance of breaking the Whitneys apart. That's because the chemistry of Gabet & Malloy was second to none. While other shows could - and have - survived when their couples exited the canvas, Edge would have met an earlier death than it did without Sky and Raven. The bond between them was that great, the chemistry was that electric. When those two were in the room, it was if time stood still and like they were the only two in the scene, even if there were scores of other actors in it.
Even infidelity, a common soap staple, didn't break them up, as Sky only slept with Alicia to keep his beloved Raven out of jail. And in perhaps Malloy's finest moment as Sky, when he broke down on the Whitney stairs and later confessed his deed to Raven , the tears were palpable and free flowing because the bond between the two characters and the marvelous actors who portrayed them was so real - both on and off screen.
Sky and Raven also get this top ranking because they survived in two incarnations, the first being when Malloy portrayed Jefferson Brown pretending to be Sky, and the latter when due to Malloy's arresting characterization of Jeff, he returned to the show as the legitimate Whitney heir. Yeah, long story, I know. It's also a story - and coupling - that holds up brilliantly and stands the test of time via YouTube. By reliving those fine moments between two seasoned performers, their bond is forever saved, and forever etched in my mind. From recently rewatching many of the duo's finest moments, my ultimate selection of the ultimate supercouple was cemented and brilliantly justified.
Prior to Malloy's arrival on Edge, Gabet's Raven was successfully paired and had chemistry with each actor she worked with. She's that good and always delivered that nuanced of a performance. However, once paired with Larkin, those other couplings paled in comparison to what viewers had seen before he was written onto the canvas.
There are only two travesties worth mentioning about this duo, one is that many have never seen the couple in action. Edge was perennially run in early morning slots during its final years, that is if the ABC affiliate aired it at all. That, of course, reduced the number of people who were able to witness their undeniable electricity. The other travesty is that neither won an Emmy for their brilliant work. At least the first error can be corrected now, as the Edge archives of the Sky and Raven years exist on YouTube. I highly recommend you watch them. You won't be disappointed.
It may - or may not - technically be one word.
However, when two soap opera characters come together to create a coupling that neither could have portrayed on their own - or with any other acting partner for that matter - the result is, indeed, super.
The term supercouple took on a definition of its own in the 1980s when General Hospital 's Luke and Laura were all the rage. It gained even bigger prominence in the American vernacular when Days of Our Lives practically owned the rights to the word from 1981 through the early '90s.
But, as you will see, the word isn't exclusive to that decade or to that one show. Even before that, there were supercouples all across the daytime dial.
What follows is my list of the 10 - actually 11 simply because I couldn't narrow it down to just 10 - couples that to this day bring the definition of the word supercouple to life.
This list isn't exclusive or exhaustive. I certainly don't expect every fan to agree with my choices or rankings.
They are just that: my rankings, my choices and my personal preferences, complete with an explanation as to why I chose them and listed them in the order that I chose to.
I'd love to hear yours.
First off are those that I considered, but that didn't quite make the cut.
All My Children - Erica & Jack, Phil & Tara, Greg & Jenny.
Another World - Ryan & Vicky.
As the World Turns - Jeff & Penny, Tom & Margo, Steve & Betsy.
Days of Our Lives - Patch & Kayla, Will & Sonny (the original Will, that is!)
The Doctors - Nick & Althea, Matt & Maggie
Edge of Night - Mike & Nancy
General Hospital - Frisco & Felicia
Guiding Light - Hope & Alan
Love of Life - Bill & Tess
One Life to Live - Viki & Dorian ( not a supercouple in the traditional romantic sense of the word, but, to me a super- coupling, nonetheless.)
Search for Tomorrow - Steve & Liza
The Young and the Restless - Victor & Nikki ( who just missed my cut at #12.)
And, now, without further ado, my top 11 daytime supercouples of all time!
11. Adam and Nicole ( Donald May and Maeve McGuire, The Edge of Night.)
Adam tamed the shrew, turning the haughty Nicole Travis Drake into the leading lady of Edge in the early-to-mid '70s. They would be on my list purely for Adam's rooftop proposal to Nicole after running through the streets of New York City in order to get to her before the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. However, they are on it for so many other reasons, too, not the least of which is the clever banter and instant clicking that occurred from their first meeting to their final scene.
10. Roman and Marlena or John and Marlena (Wayne Northrop, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, Days of Our Lives.) Pick whatever incarnation of the couple or the characters, the simple fact is Deidre had undeniable chemistry with all of her leading men and especially with these two. I prefer the original coupling, and Northrop to Hogestyn, but just as many preferred the latter. Either way you slice it, the couplings were both magical, with the first one bringing Days back to the top 5 in the ratings in the early 80s and the current incarnation keeping viewers enthralled - and Hall and Hogestyn at the top of the fan polls - now in the couple's 30-year-plus mark.
9. Bob and Kim (Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays, As the World Turns.) No doubt about it, their love stood the test of time. From the characters first glance at one another in 1972 to the series finale in 2010, Kim and Bob were the real deal and the longest-lasting super coupling on the show. That they went through torture - and 13 star-crossed years - to get together and then remained viable through countless writing regimes is testament to their undeniable bond.
8. Bo and Hope (Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso, Days of Our Lives.) Put two young - yet very green - performers together and you could have a recipe for disaster. However, what Days fans got with 'Bope' is a 30-year love affair which grew as strongly as the two actors did in their signature roles. One only needs to watch Bo's death scene from last year to witness how much both grew in their parts, while, keeping intact that much-needed chemistry required for a supercouple.
7. Steve and Alice (George Reinholt and Jacqueline Courtney, Another World.) One of the original supercouples, writer Agnes Nixon created a triangle with Robin Strasser's Rachel that glued viewers to their screen in the late 60s and 70s, and that via very limited YouTube copies of those episodes, still holds up today. Despite the actors reputed reputations within the industry, their coupling was electric and the chemistry remained when Courtney & Reinholt took their talents to One Life to Live, even if the storyline they had their didn't fully utilize their talents or that chemistry.
6. Cruz and Eden ( A Martinez and Marcy Walker, Santa Barbara.) While I admittedly wasn't a Santa Barbara fan, which was too quirky for my tastes back then, but which I can better appreciate now in my more mature age, I was a Cruz and Eden fan. One of my best friends back then watched the show religiously and I would watch with her only when this couple was on. The magic they brought to the screen was evident and I would be remiss not to include them on this list. Both deservedly won Emmys for their roles on SB.
And now, my top five, which I actually had an easier time placing in order when compared to my 11-6 placements.
5. Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis, General Hospital.) I know what you're thinking, how could the most popular soap coupling of All-Time be ranked so low on my list? It's not that the chemistry wasn't there, obviously it was, but as you will see with my top four couples, there were simply others I favored more. Granted, part of this ranking may have to do with Geary's vocal disdain for the coupling in later years. Part of it is definitely the fact that a supercouple is supposed to stand the test of time and Luke and Laura - mainly due to Geary's fault - did not.
4. Doug and Julie (Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes, Days of Our Lives.) From the show - that for better or worse - made the word supercouple a noun, this is the original supercouple of Salem. The real deal. While Doug and Julie went through every trial and tribulation known to man before their characters married in 1976, Bill and Susan were falling in love in real life and recently celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. With a divorce or two in between, Doug & Julie are still married and creating daily magic on Days. Wish more video of their magic early years existed because their story was worthy of all the publicity it received and certainly was deserving of Emmys for both, although neither won the golden statue in a multitude of various nominations.
3. Travis & Liza (Rod Arrants and Sherry Mathis, Search for Tomorrow.) Many may have never even watched this supercouple, but they had me mesmerized in the Summer of '79, when Search came thisclose to knocking out GH for the #1 spot in the ratings. When Sherry's southern charm, beauty and impeccable singing voice and Rod's rugged leading man looks came together, there was little doubt the two were golden. Although the on the run perils various headwriting regimes created for the duo grew tiredsome and were an ends among themselves, the chemistry between the two never grew forced or tenuous. Whatever fool decided to kill off Travis deserves to never write soaps ever again. There's not a lot of this couple on YouTube, but what little there is simply is magic.
2. Mac & Rachel (Douglass Watson and Victoria Wyndham, Another World.) If you were alive in the 1970s, how could you not root for this couple? Mac turned Rachel's life around and provided her with the one thing she had been sorely lacking - a man who really loved her. He was her knight and shining armor and they were the show's signature couple from 1975 until Watson's untimely death in 1989. Yeah, the couple went through the wringer, but you never doubted they would find their way back to one another. And, I contend, they had the best fights in daytime history to boot! Think about the makeup sex that coupling had! Both seasoned performers rank among the best ever to appear on daytime.
And that leaves us with only one couple left....and I've saved the best - and my most detailed accolades - for last.
Here we go...of the hundreds - maybe even thousands of daytime supercouples to grace our screen, here's my choice for the best ever....
1. SKY & RAVEN ( Larkin Malloy and Sharon Gabet , The Edge of Night.) From the soap that was unlike any other comes the supercouple that stands out from the rest. Edge was a mystery soap, rather than a traditional soap, so it's appropriate that my #1 supercouple wasn't of the traditional mode of the others. Except for a plot contrivance made necessary by a plot too lengthy to detail here, the couple weren't really star-crossed lovers. And they didn't look all gaga at one another like many of the other couples on the list and that's because from the start, they were different, from the start they understood each other in a way most couples - even super ones - never did.
And from the start, they were destined only for each other. Unlike other couples on this list, for the majority of their joint time on the show, they were always together. Their coupling was fast and the spark instantaneous in both of its incarnations. (More on what that means, later.)
And while some tried to tear them apart - most notably Alicia Van Dine in the show's last great murder storyline - no one ever stood a chance of breaking the Whitneys apart. That's because the chemistry of Gabet & Malloy was second to none. While other shows could - and have - survived when their couples exited the canvas, Edge would have met an earlier death than it did without Sky and Raven. The bond between them was that great, the chemistry was that electric. When those two were in the room, it was if time stood still and like they were the only two in the scene, even if there were scores of other actors in it.
Even infidelity, a common soap staple, didn't break them up, as Sky only slept with Alicia to keep his beloved Raven out of jail. And in perhaps Malloy's finest moment as Sky, when he broke down on the Whitney stairs and later confessed his deed to Raven , the tears were palpable and free flowing because the bond between the two characters and the marvelous actors who portrayed them was so real - both on and off screen.
Sky and Raven also get this top ranking because they survived in two incarnations, the first being when Malloy portrayed Jefferson Brown pretending to be Sky, and the latter when due to Malloy's arresting characterization of Jeff, he returned to the show as the legitimate Whitney heir. Yeah, long story, I know. It's also a story - and coupling - that holds up brilliantly and stands the test of time via YouTube. By reliving those fine moments between two seasoned performers, their bond is forever saved, and forever etched in my mind. From recently rewatching many of the duo's finest moments, my ultimate selection of the ultimate supercouple was cemented and brilliantly justified.
Prior to Malloy's arrival on Edge, Gabet's Raven was successfully paired and had chemistry with each actor she worked with. She's that good and always delivered that nuanced of a performance. However, once paired with Larkin, those other couplings paled in comparison to what viewers had seen before he was written onto the canvas.
There are only two travesties worth mentioning about this duo, one is that many have never seen the couple in action. Edge was perennially run in early morning slots during its final years, that is if the ABC affiliate aired it at all. That, of course, reduced the number of people who were able to witness their undeniable electricity. The other travesty is that neither won an Emmy for their brilliant work. At least the first error can be corrected now, as the Edge archives of the Sky and Raven years exist on YouTube. I highly recommend you watch them. You won't be disappointed.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Campaign 2016 Could Be Poised For A 1980-Type Ending
By Allan Brown
Aside from an occasional like or share on social media, I tend not to write or discuss the Presidential campaign.
For a sports writer, it's well, just not good politics to discuss it.
However, since I had what essentially was a political science minor in college and because the majority of stories I wrote on my first job after graduating from the University of Toledo, were political in nature ( I covered City Hall), I do have some experience in writing about it.
However, this blog is not your typical political column and it certainly should not be taken as an endorsement for any particular Presidential candidate.
Instead, it simply is an observation of some indisputable facts that I've collected since this election has been front and center in the media for the better part of two years now.
You see, while I don't necessarily like to share my political views to the general public, I am fascinated by the science that is politics.
And this particular election is intriguing to me for several reasons.
Not the least of which is because it seems to parallel an election that occurred some 36 years ago.
1980.
It was an entirely different time and a completely different era from what we live in today.
Long before technology provided us with social media or the ability to text our loved ones with the ease of a fingertip, most people got their information either one of two ways.
Either from the news they could turn to on three or four local channels they had on their cumbersome picture tube-made television set or via flipping through the daily newspaper that was tossed outside their door each morning.
Gas prices, albeit considered high at the time, were still way under a dollar and you could buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store for less than two quarters.
But while things in that now seemingly innocent era seem so different than today, many things remain the same.
Especially if you're looking at presidential politics.
What is happening in this 2016 presidential campaign is actually eerily similar to events and tactics that occurred - or would be used by candidates - in what now seems to be - at least to me - a life time ago.
The unemployment rate was higher in 1980, gas prices and the deficit were lower, for sure.
But still their was an economic unrest that parallels what many still out of work or struggling Americans face today.
The fear for our safety that resulted from the Iranian hostage crisis or the constant threat of war with the Soviet Union is now just a memory, only to be replaced with Isis and rampant attacks on Americans both hear and abroad.
Those parallels aside, it's actually the tone of the 1980 presidential campaign that, from start to finish, has awakened the same basic primal fears in Americans - that the electorate has now, some 36 years later.
Only the names and the events have changed.
But when comparing the two elections, there are far more similarities as opposed to differences.
In watching NBC News' six-hour coverage of Election Night 1980 on YouTube recently, I was startled to realize the similarities far outweighed the differences.
Campaign wise the biggest difference was that - unlike Barack Obama today - the incumbent President, Jimmy Carter, was running for re-election. He was doing so, though, amongst a tide of voter unrest with economic and international issues, much like voters face today.
Like Democratic Presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, Carter faced a primary opponent - Senator Edward Kennedy - who was far more liberal and who appealed to the extreme left core values of the Democratic Party just like Bernie Sanders did in his aborted run for the White House this year.
Kennedy actually kept up his fight for the Democratic nomination longer than Sanders did and took his bid all the way to the party's convention in New York City.
As for the Republicans, a basic outsider, who was both a former movie star and California Governor, Ronald Reagan, became the frontrunner in a crowded primary field, just like reality star and business mogul Donald Trump did this campaign season.
The only major difference was that Reagan did have political experience, having served two terms in Sacramento. Still, though, he was considered an outsider and he had to reach out to an insider, former CIA chief and Congressman George H.W. Bush, to give his candidacy some credence to the party faithful.
And unbelievably to those who know the now-famous Conservative values Reagan based his eventual presidency upon, many within the party didn't feel he was conservative enough at the time to be the GOP standard bearer. Part of that concern likely stemmed from Reagan's Hollywood experience and the moderate stands he had to eventually take to compromise with a much more liberal California State House and Senate that he had to deal with as Governor.
Like Trump, Reagan wasn't a lifelong Republican, either, as he switched his allegiance from the Democratic Party to the GOP in the 1960s.
Also in a parallel to the fear Trump instills in many, Reagan faced an uphill battle convincing the electorate that he wouldn't drop the bomb or start a war at a moment's notice.
Trump is famous for telling it like he sees it, whether his comments are politically correct or not. Reagan had a temper and even sometimes screamed at hecklers at campaign rallies. He also famously told the organizers of a primary debate in New Hampshire who wanted to turn off his microphone that he paid for it, as his campaign actually financed the event.
Trump has the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party to contend with, Reagan had the Moral Majority.
Trump has to deal with a party that doesn't want to include anything in its platform that supports rights for the LGBTQ community, whereas Reagan had to contend with women who were upset that the GOP would not include support for the Equal Rights Amendment in its 1980 endorsements. Both were issues of the day that split the electorate in half.
Both Trump and Clinton have chosen running mates who appeal to different bases of their party, which in and of itself, isn't that much unlike any other candidate who has ever run for the Presidency.
However, that aside, the rest of the similarities between the 1980 and 2016 are almost exclusively unique to the two campaign cycles.
Both Reagan and Carter had higher negative ratings than positive ones, just like Trump and Clinton have today.
With three months to go in the campaign, about 20 percent of the electorate is still supposedly undecided.
I use the word supposedly because as was discussed by Tom Brokaw and David Brinkley in the YouTube video I watched, many voters in 1980 didn't want to readily admit they were voting for a former movie star, who was divorced and whose views were considered by many at the time to be controversial.
It was called the 'Ballot Box Factor' and I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect many voters today are actually voting for Trump but are not willing to admit it to pollsters because he's not the politically correct choice in this current political climate.
What is for certain is that, just like in 1980, the American people are fed up with the same old, same old. Trump's ascent to the top of the Republican Party testifies to that fact.
Whether the end result in November will be the same as in 1980 (Reagan defeated Carter in an Electrical College slaughter and also scored a decisive decision in the popular vote) has yet to be seen.
Let's face it, Reagan could be testy at times, but he possessed the decorum and class that Trump so sorely lacks. But, for Clinton's part, she might face a much more uphill battle than, perhaps, Carter even did, as the many scandals her campaign has had to endure make her likeability and trustworthiness ratings fall far below Carter's. Many considered the 39th President to be inept at his job, but he was liked by most everyone and didn't face any of the negative controversies that Clinton has.
The real determining factor in this election will be the roughly 20 percent of Americans who are undecided. Will they, like in 1980, remain undecided until seven days out from Election Day?
And if they do, will they overwhelmingly go with Trump, the Republican outsider, like they did for Reagan, who, 36 years ago, was also considered a Washington outcast.
Time will tell.
And it will also show whether the many similarities between an election held a generation ago will yield the same result this time around.
Without pledging an allegiance to either candidate, I will say this: Having lived through both eras, the climate and voter dissatisfaction is definitely the same.
And, for that reason alone, I'm not so sure the actual outcome won't be the same, too.
Aside from an occasional like or share on social media, I tend not to write or discuss the Presidential campaign.
For a sports writer, it's well, just not good politics to discuss it.
However, since I had what essentially was a political science minor in college and because the majority of stories I wrote on my first job after graduating from the University of Toledo, were political in nature ( I covered City Hall), I do have some experience in writing about it.
However, this blog is not your typical political column and it certainly should not be taken as an endorsement for any particular Presidential candidate.
Instead, it simply is an observation of some indisputable facts that I've collected since this election has been front and center in the media for the better part of two years now.
You see, while I don't necessarily like to share my political views to the general public, I am fascinated by the science that is politics.
And this particular election is intriguing to me for several reasons.
Not the least of which is because it seems to parallel an election that occurred some 36 years ago.
1980.
It was an entirely different time and a completely different era from what we live in today.
Long before technology provided us with social media or the ability to text our loved ones with the ease of a fingertip, most people got their information either one of two ways.
Either from the news they could turn to on three or four local channels they had on their cumbersome picture tube-made television set or via flipping through the daily newspaper that was tossed outside their door each morning.
Gas prices, albeit considered high at the time, were still way under a dollar and you could buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store for less than two quarters.
But while things in that now seemingly innocent era seem so different than today, many things remain the same.
Especially if you're looking at presidential politics.
What is happening in this 2016 presidential campaign is actually eerily similar to events and tactics that occurred - or would be used by candidates - in what now seems to be - at least to me - a life time ago.
The unemployment rate was higher in 1980, gas prices and the deficit were lower, for sure.
But still their was an economic unrest that parallels what many still out of work or struggling Americans face today.
The fear for our safety that resulted from the Iranian hostage crisis or the constant threat of war with the Soviet Union is now just a memory, only to be replaced with Isis and rampant attacks on Americans both hear and abroad.
Those parallels aside, it's actually the tone of the 1980 presidential campaign that, from start to finish, has awakened the same basic primal fears in Americans - that the electorate has now, some 36 years later.
Only the names and the events have changed.
But when comparing the two elections, there are far more similarities as opposed to differences.
In watching NBC News' six-hour coverage of Election Night 1980 on YouTube recently, I was startled to realize the similarities far outweighed the differences.
Campaign wise the biggest difference was that - unlike Barack Obama today - the incumbent President, Jimmy Carter, was running for re-election. He was doing so, though, amongst a tide of voter unrest with economic and international issues, much like voters face today.
Like Democratic Presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, Carter faced a primary opponent - Senator Edward Kennedy - who was far more liberal and who appealed to the extreme left core values of the Democratic Party just like Bernie Sanders did in his aborted run for the White House this year.
Kennedy actually kept up his fight for the Democratic nomination longer than Sanders did and took his bid all the way to the party's convention in New York City.
As for the Republicans, a basic outsider, who was both a former movie star and California Governor, Ronald Reagan, became the frontrunner in a crowded primary field, just like reality star and business mogul Donald Trump did this campaign season.
The only major difference was that Reagan did have political experience, having served two terms in Sacramento. Still, though, he was considered an outsider and he had to reach out to an insider, former CIA chief and Congressman George H.W. Bush, to give his candidacy some credence to the party faithful.
And unbelievably to those who know the now-famous Conservative values Reagan based his eventual presidency upon, many within the party didn't feel he was conservative enough at the time to be the GOP standard bearer. Part of that concern likely stemmed from Reagan's Hollywood experience and the moderate stands he had to eventually take to compromise with a much more liberal California State House and Senate that he had to deal with as Governor.
Like Trump, Reagan wasn't a lifelong Republican, either, as he switched his allegiance from the Democratic Party to the GOP in the 1960s.
Also in a parallel to the fear Trump instills in many, Reagan faced an uphill battle convincing the electorate that he wouldn't drop the bomb or start a war at a moment's notice.
Trump is famous for telling it like he sees it, whether his comments are politically correct or not. Reagan had a temper and even sometimes screamed at hecklers at campaign rallies. He also famously told the organizers of a primary debate in New Hampshire who wanted to turn off his microphone that he paid for it, as his campaign actually financed the event.
Trump has the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party to contend with, Reagan had the Moral Majority.
Trump has to deal with a party that doesn't want to include anything in its platform that supports rights for the LGBTQ community, whereas Reagan had to contend with women who were upset that the GOP would not include support for the Equal Rights Amendment in its 1980 endorsements. Both were issues of the day that split the electorate in half.
Both Trump and Clinton have chosen running mates who appeal to different bases of their party, which in and of itself, isn't that much unlike any other candidate who has ever run for the Presidency.
However, that aside, the rest of the similarities between the 1980 and 2016 are almost exclusively unique to the two campaign cycles.
Both Reagan and Carter had higher negative ratings than positive ones, just like Trump and Clinton have today.
With three months to go in the campaign, about 20 percent of the electorate is still supposedly undecided.
I use the word supposedly because as was discussed by Tom Brokaw and David Brinkley in the YouTube video I watched, many voters in 1980 didn't want to readily admit they were voting for a former movie star, who was divorced and whose views were considered by many at the time to be controversial.
It was called the 'Ballot Box Factor' and I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect many voters today are actually voting for Trump but are not willing to admit it to pollsters because he's not the politically correct choice in this current political climate.
What is for certain is that, just like in 1980, the American people are fed up with the same old, same old. Trump's ascent to the top of the Republican Party testifies to that fact.
Whether the end result in November will be the same as in 1980 (Reagan defeated Carter in an Electrical College slaughter and also scored a decisive decision in the popular vote) has yet to be seen.
Let's face it, Reagan could be testy at times, but he possessed the decorum and class that Trump so sorely lacks. But, for Clinton's part, she might face a much more uphill battle than, perhaps, Carter even did, as the many scandals her campaign has had to endure make her likeability and trustworthiness ratings fall far below Carter's. Many considered the 39th President to be inept at his job, but he was liked by most everyone and didn't face any of the negative controversies that Clinton has.
The real determining factor in this election will be the roughly 20 percent of Americans who are undecided. Will they, like in 1980, remain undecided until seven days out from Election Day?
And if they do, will they overwhelmingly go with Trump, the Republican outsider, like they did for Reagan, who, 36 years ago, was also considered a Washington outcast.
Time will tell.
And it will also show whether the many similarities between an election held a generation ago will yield the same result this time around.
Without pledging an allegiance to either candidate, I will say this: Having lived through both eras, the climate and voter dissatisfaction is definitely the same.
And, for that reason alone, I'm not so sure the actual outcome won't be the same, too.
Friday, June 3, 2016
In Defense Of Jill Farren Phelps
There's likely no more of a polarizing figure in daytime TV than Jill Farren Phelps.
Just the mention of her name evokes a myriad of emotions from diehard soap opera fans.
And while many of those strong emotions are definitely negative, I think that if you look at her overall body of work, she's not nearly the monster that many soap fans make her out to be.
Right off the top, I'll go with the negative and just get it out of the way.
Her 11-year turn as executive producer of General Hospital was a disaster.
She turned what the fabulous Wendy Riche did in her nine years at GH into a convoluted, mob-laden mess.
She completely - with the help of headwriter Bob Guza - obliterated the show's core family, the Quartermaines, and reduced such fan favorites as Jackie Zeman, Kristina Wagner and John J. York to mere dayplayers - and that's putting it nicely, as years would go by and none of them would even be seen.
Under her watch, we lost Rachel Ames as matriarch Audrey Hardy. While Ames may have wanted to retire, surely JFP could have persuaded her to at least remain on a semi-recurring basis. And while Anna Lee was in declining health and couldn't work much in her final years anyway, her lifelong contract with the show was null and voided under JFP's reign.
To be fair, that could have been a network decision, but it still happened with JFP at the helm, so she has to be assigned some of the blame for it.
She definitely gets the lion's share of the blame for relegating over-40 stars like Nancy Lee Grahn, (to a certain extent) Jane Elliott, Leslie Charleson and Emmy winner Stuart Damon to storyline Siberia. The latter, was actually uselessly killed off during JFP's regime.
To me, GH was unwatachable during her last years, though that's not to say that it's that enjoyable of a show right now, either.
Yes, I agree, JFP decimated GH beyond recognition. And even if she hadn't, her treatment of the true leading lady of the show, Genie Francis, would have been enough for me to tune out. To her credit, she did bring Genie back numerous times (of course they were usually during sweeps periods) and Francis FINALLY won her long overdue Emmy that she was unrightfully denied during her hey day as Laura Spencer.
But as I look at JFP's overall career, I have to be fair and say that while her GH was a nightmare, much of what she did prior to that, if only in my opinion, definitely was not.
Of course, I wholeheartedly concur that everyone has opinions and that soap fans' are certainly a passionate lot. I'm not necessarily writing this blog to change anyone's opinion, but am doing it to just put my thoughts onto the computer screen. In the process, maybe you will change your opinion of the controversial executive producer.
Maybe not.
What I do hope to accomplish is to get fans to at least rethink their opinions of her to the extent that they can be at least a little more balanced.
Anyway, here goes. Here's why I think JFP definitely gets a bad rap when fans discuss executives and their overall contribution to the genre.
If you want to assign blame to JFP for her reign at GH, then you have to definitely give her credit for what she did at Guiding Light - and to lesser extents - Another World and One Life to Live - before coming to GH.
And to be totally honest, an EP - especially in this day and age - is certainly at the mercy of the network and the owners of the shows. That's not to say that JFP shouldn't be assigned blame for her actions at GH, but if I'm going to hold her responsible for mistakes,then I have to give her credit for her triumphs.
And when speaking of triumphs, her four-plus years leading Guiding Light has to be considered her greatest accomplishment.
I know what you're saying. I can hear it right now.
How can the person who admittedly takes the blame for killing off the beloved Maureen Bauer get any credit for her time at GL?
Here's how.
With JFP leading the way, GL was simply a masterpiece.
The storylines were riveting, the production values were sublime and the actors were on point.
In the 70-plus-year history of GL, JFP's reign was likely its shining era.
That she never received an Emmy for GL is a mystery, especially since she perfected the Emmy game once she got to GH.
Maureen's death aside, her GL was the closesst thing to 'Must Watch' Soap that the genre has seen, especially in the 23 years since the character's demise.
And since, in subsequent interviews, the exec has fully taken responsibility and blame for the death of the show's beloved heart and soul, I'm wiling to give her a pass there.
Everyone makes mistakes. She admitted hers and it's time to move on.
Even without Maureen, I would have rather watched 20 years of JFP's GL as compared to most of the last 14 years of the show that were produced without her in charge.
It was that good.
When JFP left GL in 1995, I had high hopes for the floundering Another World.
While many may disagree, JFP did not disappoint.
It's debatable whether Ryan or Frankie's deaths on the show were directly linked to her.
She vehemently denies the latter. And if she so easily takes the blame for Maureen's death on GL why wouldn't she do the same when it comes to Frankie?
My theory on that is that network interference and focus groups had almost everything to do with Frankie's demise. As for Ryan, I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that Paul Michael Valley wanted to leave the show. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
And while Frankie's death was senseless, the after affects mainly played out after JFP left the show, which may - or may not be - a coincidence.
As for Ryan's death storyline, it was brilliantly done and provided a boost in storyline possibilities for the remaining canvas.
Those question marks aside, JFP - whether by network mandate or not - turned AW into a fast-paced ER-type drama, complete with spectacular renovations to the sets and rejuvenated storylines for the veteran AW performers.
The John-Felicia-Sharlene storyline was simply riveting drama and played out fully, whereas the similarly styled Lillian-Ed-Maureen storyline did not on GL.
Lesson learned.
And that storyline in particular raises an interesting counter poiont to the theory that JFP didn't want anyone over 40 to have a lead storyline, as Linda Dano, David Forsyth and Anna Holbrook - dominated the plot for months on end and Holbrook won a deserved Emmy as the wronged Sharlene.
Her brief tenure at OLTL was considered a failure, but even that can be somewhat disputed.
At least in part.
While her controversial split of that show's supercouple, Nora and Bo, was questionable (at least how it was actually plotted), it did provide for great plot twists and allowed - once again - formerly neglected over-40 stars like Bob Woods and Hilary B. Smith a chance to show why they both have Emmys on their mantle. And JFP did bring the divine Mark Derwin to the cast and immediately paired him with Erika Slezak's Viki,. That turned out to be one of the show's best mergers in its 43-year history.
So looking at JFP's track record, it's hard to say that she didn't support more mature performers.
I strongly suspect the GH bloodbath of anyone over 40 came more from Brian Frons, who led ABC's daytime division at the time, as opposed to JFP.
Even so, as executive producer, she allowed it to happen, so much of the blame has to fall on her shoulders.
After what can only be described as a reign of terror over at GH, I was extremely nervous about JFP taking over the crown jewel of daytime, The Young and the Restless.
I needn't have been.
Yes, the show is not the Y&R of old, the Y&R I - and many of my soap counterparts grew up with - but let's face it, the genre has changed.
And Y&R is certaainly closer to its original vision than any of the remaining shows still on the air, save Bold and the Beautiful, maybe -tho the latter show simply isn't my cup of tea,
JFP did change some of the fabric of the show, she did, unwisely, change many of the sets, notably the Chancellor mansion and the Newman ranch. I'll give you that.
What she did not do, though, was slaughter the veteran cast.
While you can argue that some of the storylines are trite - even insipid at times - they feature longtime players who fans have invested their time in and their love for.
At any given moment, you can turn on Y&R and still see the same people who helped the show vault to the #1 spot some 28 years ago.
Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden, Doug Davidson, Tracey Bregman, Lauralee Bell, Eileen Davidson (wisely brought back since JFP arrived in 2012) and Peter Bergman are all still there.
And while some aren't fully utilized in plots that showcase their vast - and in often cases Emmy-winning talents - they still remain vital and essential cogs to the overall success of the show.
Oddly enough, the hiring of Chuck Pratt as head writer almost two years ago proved to be JFP's best move.
And, that, in and of itself, is the biggest surprise of all.
Pratt almost single-handedly destroyed All My Children with his sweeps stunts and plot-based storylines, but his Y&R has been surprisingly good.
That's not to say that he hasn't resorted to some over-the-top un-Y&R-like plot turns like Jack's double or the obligatory sweeps disaster, but, overall, his vision has returned the show to something enjoyable and watchable. And while I wouldn't necessarily say he returned the show to its roots, his rejuvenation and concentration of the Newman-Abbott feud - despite some glaring miscues - has gotten the show on the right track. It definitely is the closest thing to honoring creator Bill Bell's vision of what that feud actually was intended to be in the first place.
Maybe that's Sony or CBS' doing, maybe not.
Just saying, if I'm going to assign most - if not all - of the blame to JFP for what happened at GH, then she deserves credit for rejuvenating and raising the ratings at Y&R.
In this era where everyone can instantly post their comments - both negative and positive - on social media, JFP definitely gets attacked almost daily.
It's just the nature of the business and the reality of what the genre has become.
And sure, JFP has made many mistakes in her 30-plus years in the industry, but I think she gets a bad rap.
Maybe part of it is because she's a woman.
While other EP's certainly get their lion's share of criticism, it almost seems like JFP gets an unfair amount of it.
I plead guilty to that myself.
But what actually sparked my desire to write this column was a post on the We Love Soaps website that flashbacked to when JFP was hired four years ago and what her plans were for Y&R.
Whatever you think of her, whatever you think of this current incarnation of Y&R, JFP has certainly not deconstructed the show. She has pretty much honored its history and provided the genre with the best soap opera there is in this current climate where soaps have been reduced to a shell of their former selves.
The throwback interview made me think of JFP's overall contribution to the genre, not just her mistakes - the admitted ones and those she doesn't admit blame for - and made me look at her career in an entirely different light.
While I wouldn't say she is the best executive producer to ever helm a soap, she is by far not the worst one and gets far more criticism than her male counterparts who are currently destroying both GH and Days of Our LIves.
To me, JFP's overall contributions to the genre are not just solid, they're actually rather fairly good. Even her work on Santa Barbara, which I admittedly hardly ever watched, was much better than previous and subsequent regimes produced before the show was cancelled in 1993.
JFP isn't perfect.
But come on, who is?
In the overall scheme of things, she produces a solid product and has often times been in charge of shows that were innovative, exciting, and, often times, brilliant.
I get that she isn't everyone's favorite showrunner, but when reviewing her career, her accomplishments in the industry definitely outweigh her mistakes.
I certainly expect the overall positive tone of this blog to get dissected and attacked on many levels
Abd that's OK. I look forward to hearing what others think of her and this is simply my opinion.
Admittedly, GH wasn't a good fit for her. Y&R, however, has certainly proven - like her stints at GL and AW - that she is a creative individual who can navigate the tricky soap waters to a calmer and better place.
Just the mention of her name evokes a myriad of emotions from diehard soap opera fans.
And while many of those strong emotions are definitely negative, I think that if you look at her overall body of work, she's not nearly the monster that many soap fans make her out to be.
Right off the top, I'll go with the negative and just get it out of the way.
Her 11-year turn as executive producer of General Hospital was a disaster.
She turned what the fabulous Wendy Riche did in her nine years at GH into a convoluted, mob-laden mess.
She completely - with the help of headwriter Bob Guza - obliterated the show's core family, the Quartermaines, and reduced such fan favorites as Jackie Zeman, Kristina Wagner and John J. York to mere dayplayers - and that's putting it nicely, as years would go by and none of them would even be seen.
Under her watch, we lost Rachel Ames as matriarch Audrey Hardy. While Ames may have wanted to retire, surely JFP could have persuaded her to at least remain on a semi-recurring basis. And while Anna Lee was in declining health and couldn't work much in her final years anyway, her lifelong contract with the show was null and voided under JFP's reign.
To be fair, that could have been a network decision, but it still happened with JFP at the helm, so she has to be assigned some of the blame for it.
She definitely gets the lion's share of the blame for relegating over-40 stars like Nancy Lee Grahn, (to a certain extent) Jane Elliott, Leslie Charleson and Emmy winner Stuart Damon to storyline Siberia. The latter, was actually uselessly killed off during JFP's regime.
To me, GH was unwatachable during her last years, though that's not to say that it's that enjoyable of a show right now, either.
Yes, I agree, JFP decimated GH beyond recognition. And even if she hadn't, her treatment of the true leading lady of the show, Genie Francis, would have been enough for me to tune out. To her credit, she did bring Genie back numerous times (of course they were usually during sweeps periods) and Francis FINALLY won her long overdue Emmy that she was unrightfully denied during her hey day as Laura Spencer.
But as I look at JFP's overall career, I have to be fair and say that while her GH was a nightmare, much of what she did prior to that, if only in my opinion, definitely was not.
Of course, I wholeheartedly concur that everyone has opinions and that soap fans' are certainly a passionate lot. I'm not necessarily writing this blog to change anyone's opinion, but am doing it to just put my thoughts onto the computer screen. In the process, maybe you will change your opinion of the controversial executive producer.
Maybe not.
What I do hope to accomplish is to get fans to at least rethink their opinions of her to the extent that they can be at least a little more balanced.
Anyway, here goes. Here's why I think JFP definitely gets a bad rap when fans discuss executives and their overall contribution to the genre.
If you want to assign blame to JFP for her reign at GH, then you have to definitely give her credit for what she did at Guiding Light - and to lesser extents - Another World and One Life to Live - before coming to GH.
And to be totally honest, an EP - especially in this day and age - is certainly at the mercy of the network and the owners of the shows. That's not to say that JFP shouldn't be assigned blame for her actions at GH, but if I'm going to hold her responsible for mistakes,then I have to give her credit for her triumphs.
And when speaking of triumphs, her four-plus years leading Guiding Light has to be considered her greatest accomplishment.
I know what you're saying. I can hear it right now.
How can the person who admittedly takes the blame for killing off the beloved Maureen Bauer get any credit for her time at GL?
Here's how.
With JFP leading the way, GL was simply a masterpiece.
The storylines were riveting, the production values were sublime and the actors were on point.
In the 70-plus-year history of GL, JFP's reign was likely its shining era.
That she never received an Emmy for GL is a mystery, especially since she perfected the Emmy game once she got to GH.
Maureen's death aside, her GL was the closesst thing to 'Must Watch' Soap that the genre has seen, especially in the 23 years since the character's demise.
And since, in subsequent interviews, the exec has fully taken responsibility and blame for the death of the show's beloved heart and soul, I'm wiling to give her a pass there.
Everyone makes mistakes. She admitted hers and it's time to move on.
Even without Maureen, I would have rather watched 20 years of JFP's GL as compared to most of the last 14 years of the show that were produced without her in charge.
It was that good.
When JFP left GL in 1995, I had high hopes for the floundering Another World.
While many may disagree, JFP did not disappoint.
It's debatable whether Ryan or Frankie's deaths on the show were directly linked to her.
She vehemently denies the latter. And if she so easily takes the blame for Maureen's death on GL why wouldn't she do the same when it comes to Frankie?
My theory on that is that network interference and focus groups had almost everything to do with Frankie's demise. As for Ryan, I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that Paul Michael Valley wanted to leave the show. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
And while Frankie's death was senseless, the after affects mainly played out after JFP left the show, which may - or may not be - a coincidence.
As for Ryan's death storyline, it was brilliantly done and provided a boost in storyline possibilities for the remaining canvas.
Those question marks aside, JFP - whether by network mandate or not - turned AW into a fast-paced ER-type drama, complete with spectacular renovations to the sets and rejuvenated storylines for the veteran AW performers.
The John-Felicia-Sharlene storyline was simply riveting drama and played out fully, whereas the similarly styled Lillian-Ed-Maureen storyline did not on GL.
Lesson learned.
And that storyline in particular raises an interesting counter poiont to the theory that JFP didn't want anyone over 40 to have a lead storyline, as Linda Dano, David Forsyth and Anna Holbrook - dominated the plot for months on end and Holbrook won a deserved Emmy as the wronged Sharlene.
Her brief tenure at OLTL was considered a failure, but even that can be somewhat disputed.
At least in part.
While her controversial split of that show's supercouple, Nora and Bo, was questionable (at least how it was actually plotted), it did provide for great plot twists and allowed - once again - formerly neglected over-40 stars like Bob Woods and Hilary B. Smith a chance to show why they both have Emmys on their mantle. And JFP did bring the divine Mark Derwin to the cast and immediately paired him with Erika Slezak's Viki,. That turned out to be one of the show's best mergers in its 43-year history.
So looking at JFP's track record, it's hard to say that she didn't support more mature performers.
I strongly suspect the GH bloodbath of anyone over 40 came more from Brian Frons, who led ABC's daytime division at the time, as opposed to JFP.
Even so, as executive producer, she allowed it to happen, so much of the blame has to fall on her shoulders.
After what can only be described as a reign of terror over at GH, I was extremely nervous about JFP taking over the crown jewel of daytime, The Young and the Restless.
I needn't have been.
Yes, the show is not the Y&R of old, the Y&R I - and many of my soap counterparts grew up with - but let's face it, the genre has changed.
And Y&R is certaainly closer to its original vision than any of the remaining shows still on the air, save Bold and the Beautiful, maybe -tho the latter show simply isn't my cup of tea,
JFP did change some of the fabric of the show, she did, unwisely, change many of the sets, notably the Chancellor mansion and the Newman ranch. I'll give you that.
What she did not do, though, was slaughter the veteran cast.
While you can argue that some of the storylines are trite - even insipid at times - they feature longtime players who fans have invested their time in and their love for.
At any given moment, you can turn on Y&R and still see the same people who helped the show vault to the #1 spot some 28 years ago.
Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden, Doug Davidson, Tracey Bregman, Lauralee Bell, Eileen Davidson (wisely brought back since JFP arrived in 2012) and Peter Bergman are all still there.
And while some aren't fully utilized in plots that showcase their vast - and in often cases Emmy-winning talents - they still remain vital and essential cogs to the overall success of the show.
Oddly enough, the hiring of Chuck Pratt as head writer almost two years ago proved to be JFP's best move.
And, that, in and of itself, is the biggest surprise of all.
Pratt almost single-handedly destroyed All My Children with his sweeps stunts and plot-based storylines, but his Y&R has been surprisingly good.
That's not to say that he hasn't resorted to some over-the-top un-Y&R-like plot turns like Jack's double or the obligatory sweeps disaster, but, overall, his vision has returned the show to something enjoyable and watchable. And while I wouldn't necessarily say he returned the show to its roots, his rejuvenation and concentration of the Newman-Abbott feud - despite some glaring miscues - has gotten the show on the right track. It definitely is the closest thing to honoring creator Bill Bell's vision of what that feud actually was intended to be in the first place.
Maybe that's Sony or CBS' doing, maybe not.
Just saying, if I'm going to assign most - if not all - of the blame to JFP for what happened at GH, then she deserves credit for rejuvenating and raising the ratings at Y&R.
In this era where everyone can instantly post their comments - both negative and positive - on social media, JFP definitely gets attacked almost daily.
It's just the nature of the business and the reality of what the genre has become.
And sure, JFP has made many mistakes in her 30-plus years in the industry, but I think she gets a bad rap.
Maybe part of it is because she's a woman.
While other EP's certainly get their lion's share of criticism, it almost seems like JFP gets an unfair amount of it.
I plead guilty to that myself.
But what actually sparked my desire to write this column was a post on the We Love Soaps website that flashbacked to when JFP was hired four years ago and what her plans were for Y&R.
Whatever you think of her, whatever you think of this current incarnation of Y&R, JFP has certainly not deconstructed the show. She has pretty much honored its history and provided the genre with the best soap opera there is in this current climate where soaps have been reduced to a shell of their former selves.
The throwback interview made me think of JFP's overall contribution to the genre, not just her mistakes - the admitted ones and those she doesn't admit blame for - and made me look at her career in an entirely different light.
While I wouldn't say she is the best executive producer to ever helm a soap, she is by far not the worst one and gets far more criticism than her male counterparts who are currently destroying both GH and Days of Our LIves.
To me, JFP's overall contributions to the genre are not just solid, they're actually rather fairly good. Even her work on Santa Barbara, which I admittedly hardly ever watched, was much better than previous and subsequent regimes produced before the show was cancelled in 1993.
JFP isn't perfect.
But come on, who is?
In the overall scheme of things, she produces a solid product and has often times been in charge of shows that were innovative, exciting, and, often times, brilliant.
I get that she isn't everyone's favorite showrunner, but when reviewing her career, her accomplishments in the industry definitely outweigh her mistakes.
I certainly expect the overall positive tone of this blog to get dissected and attacked on many levels
Abd that's OK. I look forward to hearing what others think of her and this is simply my opinion.
Admittedly, GH wasn't a good fit for her. Y&R, however, has certainly proven - like her stints at GL and AW - that she is a creative individual who can navigate the tricky soap waters to a calmer and better place.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Miss USA 2016 Contenders Emerge After Presentation Show
Going into Wednesday night's Miss USA presentation show, I thought this would be one of the most competitive pageants in history.
Following the parade of states, I was sure of it.
I had no less than 24 states written down as potential winners, on just the basis of facial beauty alone.
However, as the evening progressed, many of those fell to the wayside and several legitimate contenders for the crown emerged.
That's not to say that this year's pageant, which will be televised on Fox from 7-10 Sunday evening, won't still be competitive, as I still have difficulty in choosing an ultimate winner, but let's just say I've definitely narrowed the field down some now.
Some of my early favorites, based solely on headshots and videos up to this point, continue to be strong. Those would include Michigan, Virginia and Hawaii.
Others - such as Texas, Maryland and Georgia - have dropped significantly from where I had placed them in previous power rankings. In fact, a few - including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa - have dropped off my radar entirely. Still, others like Georgia and Utah are now iffy, rather than slam dunks.
Without any further ado, here's my overview of the presentation show categories.
SWIMSUITS -
Since Miss USA is the ultimate beauty pageant, you would expect the swimsuits to be ultra competitive.
The Class of 2016 did not disappoint, as the majority of the contestants looked tremendous. What I particularly liked was the variety of suits the young women had to choose from, which definitely allowed them to accentuate their diverse body types.
My top five in this category - which was by far tougher to narrow down as compared to the evening gown segment - were:
1. MICHIGAN
2. HAWAII
3. WISCONSIN
4. VIRGINIA
5. TENNESSEE
Of note, is that Virginia has a muscular body type, which may not appeal to all judges, but certainly was toned down from when she competed at Miss America three years ago. Personally, I loved her in both national competitions, and I believe she should be rewarded - not penalized - for being so physically fit.
Also, my voting was close and I thought Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Missouri slayed this segment, too.
EVENING GOWN -
My first impression of this category was that less is definitely more when it comes to evening gown. With the exception of Hawaii, whose gown I loved, but could be considered a tad 'too much,' the delegates who went classic and with simple lines impressed me way more than those who, perhaps, thought outside the box, but went way too over the top for a pageant.
Yes, New York, I'm talking to you. But, I really could be talking to about half of the delegates in what I thought, overall, was one of the worst evening gown preliminaries I've seen in ages.
Shoulder pads may be coming back, but they certainly didn't look good on you, Miss Georgia. The half sleeve may be in, but I'm not a fan, and it cost several - including one of my faves, Miss Minnesota, precious points in this competition.
And note to blondes, with a particular shoutout to Miss Mississippi, pink is generally not a good color for you.
Also, whoever thought the simply gorgeous Miss Colorado looked good in the monstrosity she wore ought to be shot. For pageants, again, less is definitely more, which Hawaii aside, is why my top gowns were all classic looking ones.
Miss Hawaii looked Miss Universe ready in her stunning white lace gown, which was a tad over the top, but seemed to fit her personality to a T.
She was one of my faves, again. However, my top gown prize of the night went to Miss South Carolina, who looked ready for the Academy Awards in her classic black gown.
My top five in gown were:
1. South Carolina
2. Virginia
3. Hawaii
4. Tennessee
5. Wisconsin.
I also liked Arkansas, DC, Maine and Oregon in this category, but with a few notable exceptions, namely Oklahoma, Missouri and Nevada, the gowns were abysmal.
A couple of other notes from this competition: I have no words on how to explain Miss Ohio's gown, but to say what animal did they kill and put at the bottom of her gown and what kind of fashion statement were they trying to make?
Also, Miss Illinois had a stunning gown and great swimsuit, but her inability to walk in either competition will make her a clapper on Sunday night.
And two other notes here: an extremely poor choice in gown selection by Miss Maryland could keep her out of the running altogether. As for another one of my pre-pageant faves, Miss Michigan, you were fierce in swimsuit, but a lackluster gown choice may cost you the crown.
Though in retrospect, I did think the reigning Miss USA, Olivia Jordan, had lost her shot at the title last year in that pink, bubblegum "Gone With the Wind" gown she wore and it didn't hurt her any, so maybe Miss Michigan will be fine, as her gown wasn't bad, it simply wasn't what I would put one of the favorites for the crown in. In a sea of over-the-top gowns, it was simply a little too underwhelming.
Which, again in retrospect, may end up being a good thing.
In trying to come up with a top 15, interviews must be taken into consideration and we don't get to see that round of the preliminary competition. Still, I feel I've watched enough of the videos the organization has put up on its website in the past few weeks to give me at least a fighting chance in selecting an elite group of semi-finalists.
So here goes:
15. Texas - She's Miss Texas, need I say more than that.
14. Oregon - My surprise sleeper of the pageant, think she could surprise even more so and possibly advance to the 10.
13. Massachusetts - Wasn't overly impressed with her gown, but she did enough in both categories to make the first cut.
12. Maryland - A great swimsuit, pageant resume and video may rank her higher than this, but her awful gown choice could actually put her lower.
11. Maine - Another dark horse, there was something about her that I liked and stood out to me, a certain freshness in both categories that could stand her in good stead with the judges.
Also, the gimmick that was Miss 52 comes into play here. Chosen by the organization and a separate panel of judges to compete following a fan vote last month, Alex actually did enough, I think, to get into the 15 and surely the powers that be will slide her through at least the first round, which would negate one of my above selections.
Also, if any of these overall choices falter in interview, look for Idaho, Oklahoma or South Carolina to pick up the slack.
10. Missouri - Extremely consistent in both categories Wednesday and has TV broadcasting experience that should help her in interview.
9. District of Columbia - Gorgeous gown and a great story and military background should help her.
8. Colorado - Save not having the pageant resume, the same things apply to this beauty that I just wrote about Maryland. Has the USA look, though.
7. Minnesota - Despite the gown choice, think that she, too, will advance.
6. Nevada - Loved the gown, the face and the confidence.
MY TOP 5 -
You could really pick any at this point so am just going to list them alphabetically.
HAWAII - Rocking body, great gown, facially not as strong, but not lacking in that department, either.
MICHIGAN - Putting her up here despite my reservations on the gown. Best swimsuit, tall and confident. Leaning toward her, tho only ever so slightly over Wisconsin, as my winner. And that could easily change.
TENNESSEE - Overlooked by many, she is regal and classy and had a fun video. Being 19 might hurt her, tho. Think she's been underestimated.
VIRGINIA - Smart, fit and fashion savvy, she has never left my top five.
WISCONSIN - Would have preferred she wore her hair entirely down for at least a portion of the evening, but that shouldn't stop her from being Michigan and Virginia 's strongest obstacle to winning the crown. And in her defense, she had a ponytail in swimsuit and really had to wear her hair up for evening gown. Either winner or first runner-up.
Following the parade of states, I was sure of it.
I had no less than 24 states written down as potential winners, on just the basis of facial beauty alone.
However, as the evening progressed, many of those fell to the wayside and several legitimate contenders for the crown emerged.
That's not to say that this year's pageant, which will be televised on Fox from 7-10 Sunday evening, won't still be competitive, as I still have difficulty in choosing an ultimate winner, but let's just say I've definitely narrowed the field down some now.
Some of my early favorites, based solely on headshots and videos up to this point, continue to be strong. Those would include Michigan, Virginia and Hawaii.
Others - such as Texas, Maryland and Georgia - have dropped significantly from where I had placed them in previous power rankings. In fact, a few - including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa - have dropped off my radar entirely. Still, others like Georgia and Utah are now iffy, rather than slam dunks.
Without any further ado, here's my overview of the presentation show categories.
SWIMSUITS -
Since Miss USA is the ultimate beauty pageant, you would expect the swimsuits to be ultra competitive.
The Class of 2016 did not disappoint, as the majority of the contestants looked tremendous. What I particularly liked was the variety of suits the young women had to choose from, which definitely allowed them to accentuate their diverse body types.
My top five in this category - which was by far tougher to narrow down as compared to the evening gown segment - were:
1. MICHIGAN
2. HAWAII
3. WISCONSIN
4. VIRGINIA
5. TENNESSEE
Of note, is that Virginia has a muscular body type, which may not appeal to all judges, but certainly was toned down from when she competed at Miss America three years ago. Personally, I loved her in both national competitions, and I believe she should be rewarded - not penalized - for being so physically fit.
Also, my voting was close and I thought Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Missouri slayed this segment, too.
EVENING GOWN -
My first impression of this category was that less is definitely more when it comes to evening gown. With the exception of Hawaii, whose gown I loved, but could be considered a tad 'too much,' the delegates who went classic and with simple lines impressed me way more than those who, perhaps, thought outside the box, but went way too over the top for a pageant.
Yes, New York, I'm talking to you. But, I really could be talking to about half of the delegates in what I thought, overall, was one of the worst evening gown preliminaries I've seen in ages.
Shoulder pads may be coming back, but they certainly didn't look good on you, Miss Georgia. The half sleeve may be in, but I'm not a fan, and it cost several - including one of my faves, Miss Minnesota, precious points in this competition.
And note to blondes, with a particular shoutout to Miss Mississippi, pink is generally not a good color for you.
Also, whoever thought the simply gorgeous Miss Colorado looked good in the monstrosity she wore ought to be shot. For pageants, again, less is definitely more, which Hawaii aside, is why my top gowns were all classic looking ones.
Miss Hawaii looked Miss Universe ready in her stunning white lace gown, which was a tad over the top, but seemed to fit her personality to a T.
She was one of my faves, again. However, my top gown prize of the night went to Miss South Carolina, who looked ready for the Academy Awards in her classic black gown.
My top five in gown were:
1. South Carolina
2. Virginia
3. Hawaii
4. Tennessee
5. Wisconsin.
I also liked Arkansas, DC, Maine and Oregon in this category, but with a few notable exceptions, namely Oklahoma, Missouri and Nevada, the gowns were abysmal.
A couple of other notes from this competition: I have no words on how to explain Miss Ohio's gown, but to say what animal did they kill and put at the bottom of her gown and what kind of fashion statement were they trying to make?
Also, Miss Illinois had a stunning gown and great swimsuit, but her inability to walk in either competition will make her a clapper on Sunday night.
And two other notes here: an extremely poor choice in gown selection by Miss Maryland could keep her out of the running altogether. As for another one of my pre-pageant faves, Miss Michigan, you were fierce in swimsuit, but a lackluster gown choice may cost you the crown.
Though in retrospect, I did think the reigning Miss USA, Olivia Jordan, had lost her shot at the title last year in that pink, bubblegum "Gone With the Wind" gown she wore and it didn't hurt her any, so maybe Miss Michigan will be fine, as her gown wasn't bad, it simply wasn't what I would put one of the favorites for the crown in. In a sea of over-the-top gowns, it was simply a little too underwhelming.
Which, again in retrospect, may end up being a good thing.
In trying to come up with a top 15, interviews must be taken into consideration and we don't get to see that round of the preliminary competition. Still, I feel I've watched enough of the videos the organization has put up on its website in the past few weeks to give me at least a fighting chance in selecting an elite group of semi-finalists.
So here goes:
15. Texas - She's Miss Texas, need I say more than that.
14. Oregon - My surprise sleeper of the pageant, think she could surprise even more so and possibly advance to the 10.
13. Massachusetts - Wasn't overly impressed with her gown, but she did enough in both categories to make the first cut.
12. Maryland - A great swimsuit, pageant resume and video may rank her higher than this, but her awful gown choice could actually put her lower.
11. Maine - Another dark horse, there was something about her that I liked and stood out to me, a certain freshness in both categories that could stand her in good stead with the judges.
Also, the gimmick that was Miss 52 comes into play here. Chosen by the organization and a separate panel of judges to compete following a fan vote last month, Alex actually did enough, I think, to get into the 15 and surely the powers that be will slide her through at least the first round, which would negate one of my above selections.
Also, if any of these overall choices falter in interview, look for Idaho, Oklahoma or South Carolina to pick up the slack.
10. Missouri - Extremely consistent in both categories Wednesday and has TV broadcasting experience that should help her in interview.
9. District of Columbia - Gorgeous gown and a great story and military background should help her.
8. Colorado - Save not having the pageant resume, the same things apply to this beauty that I just wrote about Maryland. Has the USA look, though.
7. Minnesota - Despite the gown choice, think that she, too, will advance.
6. Nevada - Loved the gown, the face and the confidence.
MY TOP 5 -
You could really pick any at this point so am just going to list them alphabetically.
HAWAII - Rocking body, great gown, facially not as strong, but not lacking in that department, either.
MICHIGAN - Putting her up here despite my reservations on the gown. Best swimsuit, tall and confident. Leaning toward her, tho only ever so slightly over Wisconsin, as my winner. And that could easily change.
TENNESSEE - Overlooked by many, she is regal and classy and had a fun video. Being 19 might hurt her, tho. Think she's been underestimated.
VIRGINIA - Smart, fit and fashion savvy, she has never left my top five.
WISCONSIN - Would have preferred she wore her hair entirely down for at least a portion of the evening, but that shouldn't stop her from being Michigan and Virginia 's strongest obstacle to winning the crown. And in her defense, she had a ponytail in swimsuit and really had to wear her hair up for evening gown. Either winner or first runner-up.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
My Pre-arrival Picks for Miss USA 2016
So many choices, but only one crown.
With less than a month to go before Miss USA 2016 is crowned, this is a good time to sit back and speculate on who might be wearing the rhinestone-studded crown when the winner is chosen in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 5.
With so many photos and videos already on the internet, it's easier than ever to narrow it down somewhat even before the preliminary panel of judges select 15 or 16 semifinalists to compete on the live Fox telecast of the Pageant.
Keeping in mind that the Pageant has come up with a gimmicky twist this year (Umm. I'll save my opinion on that one for my post-pageant review.) and is allowing a 52nd contestant to compete via an online contest that recently concluded, this list is in no way gospel. Rather, it's simply my compilation of the state delegates who I think have the best chance at becoming the 65th Miss USA. I tried to keep it to 20, but went with 22 cuz the field is so strong this year, reminiscent to me of only four other years in my memory, 2011, 1995, 1980 and the strongest year ever, I think, which would be 1978.
The Absolute Contenders -
These are the ones, pre-arrival, who I think have the strongest shot at the crown. All of my lists are in alphabetical order.
DC - Not only is she gorgeous, but she's in the military to boot and since the Pageant is putting a lot of emphasis on videos and stories since moving to Fox, I think she's a strong possibility.
HAWAII - Every year I choose someone as soon as they win their title as having the look and Hawaii is it for me this year. Killer body and even though she's now put blonde streaks in that black hair, it hasn't swayed my opinion of her in the least.
NEW JERSEY - A blonde bombshell with possibly the best body of all heading into Vegas.
OHIO - A stunning redhead among a sea of blondes and brunettes, she will definitely stand out. Plus, I love her perseverance she displayed as it took her nine years to win her state crown.
PENNSYLVANIA - See Hawaii and DC for comments that put her on my contention list. Loved her from the start and has a definite story since she is hearing impaired. Also, just being gorgeous doesn't hurt.
TEXAS - Didn't put her up there because of the sash, tho being from the state that has produced the most Miss USA winners doesn't necessarily hurt, either.
UTAH - Love her first name - Teale - but beyond that she's beautiful and at 26 very mature, which should help her with the final question.
VIRGINIA - Another one of my absolute faves with a toned body to die for, this firmer Miss America contestant has really glammed it up since her MAO days and may be the best speaker of them all.
STRONG POSSIBILITIES -
The following could definiteky take the title, IMHO.
ALABAMA - It's hard to leave out a state that's placed consecutively the past six years and she is one of the most improved since winning her state title.
GEORGIA - Another state with a great track record, although they've never won the crown. Wholesome and down to earth and liked her personality in her video.
IDAHO - Definitely not from a pageant state, but like her look a lot, nonetheless.
MICHIGAN - Very strong possibility, so much so I seriously considered putting her in my contender tier.
MISSOURI - Another great speaker who always looks confident and poised on stage.
NEVADA - Another state with a good recent track record - and a former Miss USA - as its director, this year's titleholder should be just as strong as recent winners from the Silver State.
THOSE WITH A DEFINITE SHOT -
The last list are those who I've gone back and forth on in the past few months, but who's stock I think is definitely on the rise heading into Vegas. While they may not have always been consistent in photos, interviews and such since their state crownings, they have definitely impressed me enough to at least give them a solid chance at the 16 and even a possibility of winning the crown.
CONNECTICUT
IOWA
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
SOUTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE (My photogenic winner for sure, but once I hear her speak, I immediately drop her lower on my list. But since this is unequivocally a beauty pageant, that may not matter.)
WEST VIRGINIA (Another strong Photogenic possibility.)
WISCONSIN (My sleeper pick, just something I really like about her.)
Of course, this list could - and probably will - change once the preliminary presentation show is held June 1 and they all compete in swimsuit and evening gown, but for now I feel this is a pretty comprehensive prediction of those I expect to see in the semi-finals come June 5.
With less than a month to go before Miss USA 2016 is crowned, this is a good time to sit back and speculate on who might be wearing the rhinestone-studded crown when the winner is chosen in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 5.
With so many photos and videos already on the internet, it's easier than ever to narrow it down somewhat even before the preliminary panel of judges select 15 or 16 semifinalists to compete on the live Fox telecast of the Pageant.
Keeping in mind that the Pageant has come up with a gimmicky twist this year (Umm. I'll save my opinion on that one for my post-pageant review.) and is allowing a 52nd contestant to compete via an online contest that recently concluded, this list is in no way gospel. Rather, it's simply my compilation of the state delegates who I think have the best chance at becoming the 65th Miss USA. I tried to keep it to 20, but went with 22 cuz the field is so strong this year, reminiscent to me of only four other years in my memory, 2011, 1995, 1980 and the strongest year ever, I think, which would be 1978.
The Absolute Contenders -
These are the ones, pre-arrival, who I think have the strongest shot at the crown. All of my lists are in alphabetical order.
DC - Not only is she gorgeous, but she's in the military to boot and since the Pageant is putting a lot of emphasis on videos and stories since moving to Fox, I think she's a strong possibility.
HAWAII - Every year I choose someone as soon as they win their title as having the look and Hawaii is it for me this year. Killer body and even though she's now put blonde streaks in that black hair, it hasn't swayed my opinion of her in the least.
NEW JERSEY - A blonde bombshell with possibly the best body of all heading into Vegas.
OHIO - A stunning redhead among a sea of blondes and brunettes, she will definitely stand out. Plus, I love her perseverance she displayed as it took her nine years to win her state crown.
PENNSYLVANIA - See Hawaii and DC for comments that put her on my contention list. Loved her from the start and has a definite story since she is hearing impaired. Also, just being gorgeous doesn't hurt.
TEXAS - Didn't put her up there because of the sash, tho being from the state that has produced the most Miss USA winners doesn't necessarily hurt, either.
UTAH - Love her first name - Teale - but beyond that she's beautiful and at 26 very mature, which should help her with the final question.
VIRGINIA - Another one of my absolute faves with a toned body to die for, this firmer Miss America contestant has really glammed it up since her MAO days and may be the best speaker of them all.
STRONG POSSIBILITIES -
The following could definiteky take the title, IMHO.
ALABAMA - It's hard to leave out a state that's placed consecutively the past six years and she is one of the most improved since winning her state title.
GEORGIA - Another state with a great track record, although they've never won the crown. Wholesome and down to earth and liked her personality in her video.
IDAHO - Definitely not from a pageant state, but like her look a lot, nonetheless.
MICHIGAN - Very strong possibility, so much so I seriously considered putting her in my contender tier.
MISSOURI - Another great speaker who always looks confident and poised on stage.
NEVADA - Another state with a good recent track record - and a former Miss USA - as its director, this year's titleholder should be just as strong as recent winners from the Silver State.
THOSE WITH A DEFINITE SHOT -
The last list are those who I've gone back and forth on in the past few months, but who's stock I think is definitely on the rise heading into Vegas. While they may not have always been consistent in photos, interviews and such since their state crownings, they have definitely impressed me enough to at least give them a solid chance at the 16 and even a possibility of winning the crown.
CONNECTICUT
IOWA
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
SOUTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE (My photogenic winner for sure, but once I hear her speak, I immediately drop her lower on my list. But since this is unequivocally a beauty pageant, that may not matter.)
WEST VIRGINIA (Another strong Photogenic possibility.)
WISCONSIN (My sleeper pick, just something I really like about her.)
Of course, this list could - and probably will - change once the preliminary presentation show is held June 1 and they all compete in swimsuit and evening gown, but for now I feel this is a pretty comprehensive prediction of those I expect to see in the semi-finals come June 5.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Why Soaps Are DOA and Beyond Resuscitation
People want to blame the real-life soap opera that was the O.J. Simpson trial for the demise of the real soap opera.
That's just too easy.
That's just a cop out.
In reality, the genre that once had as many soaps as 19 on the airwaves is now down to four.
And that number might be two - maybe even three - too many.
As a lifelong soap fan, who has defended the genre to anyone who would listen, I'm ready to surrender.
And I'm ready to place the blame squarely where it belongs.
Sure, the O.J. trial, which pre-empted soaps for months in 1995, didn't help the genre.
Certainly, the onslaught of cable channels that continue to hit the airwaves hasn't benefitted soaps.
But the main reason that the once burgeoning American soap opera has all but become extinct is more complicated.
Actually, maybe it's not complicated at all.
The advent of focus groups, many of which consisted of people who never even watched a show, more rapidly contributed to the demise of the genre than O.J did.
The interference of network and studio executives who told TPTB what to do was destructive to the genre.
And the hiring and then continued shuffling of the same writers and producers who never were good to begin with put the final nail in the genre's coffin.
Ratings for the remaining four soaps - save The Young and the Restless - are horrendous.
And for good reason.
The remaining three soaps are disasters.
And, I think at least two of them are way beyond saving.
A closer look at those three shows will tell you why the industry is DOA and beyond resuscitation.
Let's look at General Hospital first.
Once the crown jewel of the entire industry, the show is a parody of its former self.
No matter who produces or writes the show reverts it back to the Mob.
It's a story about a Hospital, not a mafia show.
Maybe former Executive Producer Gloria Monty, she of the creator of Luke and Laura fame, she who saved the show from certain cancellation and rejuvenated the genre some 38 years ago, is really to blame.
Monty immediately quickened GH's pace, took the show out of the hospital and onto location and gave us iconic characters. Ratings soared and other shows followed suit.
Now, almost four decades later, the same ingredients Monty used to save GH may have contributed to its untimely demise.
Expanding soaps to a hour in 1975 also may have hurt the industry, but the main cause of GH's problems and with the genre in general is that the networks - desperate to boost ratings and revenue - have interfered to the point of no return.
GH - with its uneven pacing and emphasis on numerable actors who were hits on other shows - is now maybe the most unwatchable of the four remaining soaps.
Getting rid of talents like Emmy winners Michelle Stafford and Roger Howarth - as well as eliminating those with no talent at all, Hayley Erin (Kiki) comes to mind - would certainly improve the show, but wouldn't cure it's ultimate ailment.
While, I love Stafford and Howarth as performers, I could care less about their characters.
And that is the underlying problem at GH.
There are way too many characters who no one cares about on the show.
Bringing back Michael Easton for the umpteenth time in his umpteenth character isn't doing anything to help the show.
The return of the legendary Genie Francis as Laura could have helped the show, but, to date, TPTB have given her nothing interesting to do.
By that, I mean romance.
Soaps used to be about romance, romance and family.
GH was a hit not because of its outlandish plots, but because of its romantic couplings and the families of Port Charles.
Now, the Webbers are all but gone, the Quartermaines barely exist and the show is a disjointed mess. I never can get through an entire hour without either changing the channel or falling asleep.
Sometimes both.
As bad as GH is, Days of Our Lives may be even worse.
I say that because at least GH honored its history during its 50th anniversary three years ago.
Days, instead, totally slapped its fans in the face with their 50th anniversary celebration late last year.
Sure, they brought back a few fan favorites like Peter Reckell (Bo) and Stephen Nichols (Patch) and gave the latter and his splendid on-screen partner Mary Beth Evans ( Kayla) their first real story in years.
Unfortunately, that was amid a bloodbath of serial killings, rapes, other convoluted murders and deaths and drug addiction
The temporary ratings spike Days received during its 50th anniversary month has now evaporated.
And that's because the show is so damn dark, so ridiculously paced and plotted and overall simply umbearable to watch that I can only hope NBC puts it out of its misery when its recently signed extension contract expires a year from September.
Hiring novice actors to play legacy characters who were aged overnight didn't help the show.
Putting them front and center only showed how glaringly bad the writing and the acting is from the newcomers.
Rehiring writers who have never achieved ratings success on other shows - countered by network interference - have ultimately been the real reasons that both GH and Days are horrendous.
Maybe a Hogan Sheffer or Lorraine Broderick or Pamela Long or Claire Labine could save these shows. But even that is questionable, as the networks and sponsors won't let capable writers do what at least these four Emmy winning writers have proven they can do, which is write.
Maybe that's the real reason the networks recycle the mediocre writers because they can more easily influence them.
In fact, I'm sure that's the reason they keep the same old, same old.
Of course, there are still writers who can write, such as The Bold and the Beautiful's Brad Bell.
Unfortunately, of late, he just hasn't been doing that.
To be fair, B&B was coming off a terrific season where Bell was brilliant and no one can expect any writer to maintain excellence 100 percent of the time.
But still, the show that gave us the tremendous Maya transgender storyline last year has now turned into a muddling, recycled storyline mess in the past eight months.
Time will tell whether B&B can rebound, but right now, the show is a shell of its former self.
And that's not a good thing even for a show that is widely popular worldwide and can probably survive longer than the others for that reason alone.
That brings us to the only show that I think should survive, The Young and the Restless.
Not that Y&R is perfect or that it's anywhere near what it was in its heyday, but it is certainly in much better shape than any other soap currently on the air.
And who would have guessed that a Chuck Pratt incarnation of Y&R would be the best the genre has to offer?
When Pratt was hired to scribe Y&R some 18 months ago, I was terrified.
Pratt was the same guy who turned All My Children into a complete mess and helped seal its cancellation. So, I didn't hold out much hope for a then-floundering Y&R.
Despite a few clunkers like the Jack/Marco dual role and Neil kidnaps Hilary storylines and a myriad of sweeps disaster stunts, Pratt has proven golden at Y&R.
He is actually the first head writer since the legendary Bill Bell who really understands the Jack/Victor history and writes to it, giving the masterful Eric Braeden his best material in years.
And the continued coupling of the best supercouple to come along in years, the Adam/Chelsea pairing, has helped make his other glaring blunders at least bearable.
I would still like to see a more balanced Y&R, I would still like to see the show keep its next generation of legacy characters like Kyle and Noah on the canvas, but Y&R is at least entertaining, at least watchable and definitely showing potential to survive in an era where I feel the other shows just can't - or won't survive.
Overall, the soap landscape is in critical condition. I don't see that changing.
And that's because the same focus groups, the same network executives and the same people who helped contribute to its demise continue to dominate and continue to destroy the genre.
For a soap fan who grew up watching the genre in its golden days and who wayched the splendid Another World, The Edge of Night or the Days and Y&R of the 70s, that's sad.
I remember the brilliant story telling, the tremendous couplings and the overall excellence the genre once provided its fans.
What's even sadder than the genre reaching the point of no return is that I can no longer defend it and would rather see it disappear completely rather than continue in its current form.
That's just too easy.
That's just a cop out.
In reality, the genre that once had as many soaps as 19 on the airwaves is now down to four.
And that number might be two - maybe even three - too many.
As a lifelong soap fan, who has defended the genre to anyone who would listen, I'm ready to surrender.
And I'm ready to place the blame squarely where it belongs.
Sure, the O.J. trial, which pre-empted soaps for months in 1995, didn't help the genre.
Certainly, the onslaught of cable channels that continue to hit the airwaves hasn't benefitted soaps.
But the main reason that the once burgeoning American soap opera has all but become extinct is more complicated.
Actually, maybe it's not complicated at all.
The advent of focus groups, many of which consisted of people who never even watched a show, more rapidly contributed to the demise of the genre than O.J did.
The interference of network and studio executives who told TPTB what to do was destructive to the genre.
And the hiring and then continued shuffling of the same writers and producers who never were good to begin with put the final nail in the genre's coffin.
Ratings for the remaining four soaps - save The Young and the Restless - are horrendous.
And for good reason.
The remaining three soaps are disasters.
And, I think at least two of them are way beyond saving.
A closer look at those three shows will tell you why the industry is DOA and beyond resuscitation.
Let's look at General Hospital first.
Once the crown jewel of the entire industry, the show is a parody of its former self.
No matter who produces or writes the show reverts it back to the Mob.
It's a story about a Hospital, not a mafia show.
Maybe former Executive Producer Gloria Monty, she of the creator of Luke and Laura fame, she who saved the show from certain cancellation and rejuvenated the genre some 38 years ago, is really to blame.
Monty immediately quickened GH's pace, took the show out of the hospital and onto location and gave us iconic characters. Ratings soared and other shows followed suit.
Now, almost four decades later, the same ingredients Monty used to save GH may have contributed to its untimely demise.
Expanding soaps to a hour in 1975 also may have hurt the industry, but the main cause of GH's problems and with the genre in general is that the networks - desperate to boost ratings and revenue - have interfered to the point of no return.
GH - with its uneven pacing and emphasis on numerable actors who were hits on other shows - is now maybe the most unwatchable of the four remaining soaps.
Getting rid of talents like Emmy winners Michelle Stafford and Roger Howarth - as well as eliminating those with no talent at all, Hayley Erin (Kiki) comes to mind - would certainly improve the show, but wouldn't cure it's ultimate ailment.
While, I love Stafford and Howarth as performers, I could care less about their characters.
And that is the underlying problem at GH.
There are way too many characters who no one cares about on the show.
Bringing back Michael Easton for the umpteenth time in his umpteenth character isn't doing anything to help the show.
The return of the legendary Genie Francis as Laura could have helped the show, but, to date, TPTB have given her nothing interesting to do.
By that, I mean romance.
Soaps used to be about romance, romance and family.
GH was a hit not because of its outlandish plots, but because of its romantic couplings and the families of Port Charles.
Now, the Webbers are all but gone, the Quartermaines barely exist and the show is a disjointed mess. I never can get through an entire hour without either changing the channel or falling asleep.
Sometimes both.
As bad as GH is, Days of Our Lives may be even worse.
I say that because at least GH honored its history during its 50th anniversary three years ago.
Days, instead, totally slapped its fans in the face with their 50th anniversary celebration late last year.
Sure, they brought back a few fan favorites like Peter Reckell (Bo) and Stephen Nichols (Patch) and gave the latter and his splendid on-screen partner Mary Beth Evans ( Kayla) their first real story in years.
Unfortunately, that was amid a bloodbath of serial killings, rapes, other convoluted murders and deaths and drug addiction
The temporary ratings spike Days received during its 50th anniversary month has now evaporated.
And that's because the show is so damn dark, so ridiculously paced and plotted and overall simply umbearable to watch that I can only hope NBC puts it out of its misery when its recently signed extension contract expires a year from September.
Hiring novice actors to play legacy characters who were aged overnight didn't help the show.
Putting them front and center only showed how glaringly bad the writing and the acting is from the newcomers.
Rehiring writers who have never achieved ratings success on other shows - countered by network interference - have ultimately been the real reasons that both GH and Days are horrendous.
Maybe a Hogan Sheffer or Lorraine Broderick or Pamela Long or Claire Labine could save these shows. But even that is questionable, as the networks and sponsors won't let capable writers do what at least these four Emmy winning writers have proven they can do, which is write.
Maybe that's the real reason the networks recycle the mediocre writers because they can more easily influence them.
In fact, I'm sure that's the reason they keep the same old, same old.
Of course, there are still writers who can write, such as The Bold and the Beautiful's Brad Bell.
Unfortunately, of late, he just hasn't been doing that.
To be fair, B&B was coming off a terrific season where Bell was brilliant and no one can expect any writer to maintain excellence 100 percent of the time.
But still, the show that gave us the tremendous Maya transgender storyline last year has now turned into a muddling, recycled storyline mess in the past eight months.
Time will tell whether B&B can rebound, but right now, the show is a shell of its former self.
And that's not a good thing even for a show that is widely popular worldwide and can probably survive longer than the others for that reason alone.
That brings us to the only show that I think should survive, The Young and the Restless.
Not that Y&R is perfect or that it's anywhere near what it was in its heyday, but it is certainly in much better shape than any other soap currently on the air.
And who would have guessed that a Chuck Pratt incarnation of Y&R would be the best the genre has to offer?
When Pratt was hired to scribe Y&R some 18 months ago, I was terrified.
Pratt was the same guy who turned All My Children into a complete mess and helped seal its cancellation. So, I didn't hold out much hope for a then-floundering Y&R.
Despite a few clunkers like the Jack/Marco dual role and Neil kidnaps Hilary storylines and a myriad of sweeps disaster stunts, Pratt has proven golden at Y&R.
He is actually the first head writer since the legendary Bill Bell who really understands the Jack/Victor history and writes to it, giving the masterful Eric Braeden his best material in years.
And the continued coupling of the best supercouple to come along in years, the Adam/Chelsea pairing, has helped make his other glaring blunders at least bearable.
I would still like to see a more balanced Y&R, I would still like to see the show keep its next generation of legacy characters like Kyle and Noah on the canvas, but Y&R is at least entertaining, at least watchable and definitely showing potential to survive in an era where I feel the other shows just can't - or won't survive.
Overall, the soap landscape is in critical condition. I don't see that changing.
And that's because the same focus groups, the same network executives and the same people who helped contribute to its demise continue to dominate and continue to destroy the genre.
For a soap fan who grew up watching the genre in its golden days and who wayched the splendid Another World, The Edge of Night or the Days and Y&R of the 70s, that's sad.
I remember the brilliant story telling, the tremendous couplings and the overall excellence the genre once provided its fans.
What's even sadder than the genre reaching the point of no return is that I can no longer defend it and would rather see it disappear completely rather than continue in its current form.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
WHICH LEAD PERFORMERS WILL HOIST THIS YEAR'S DAYTIME EMMY?
The biggest Daytime Emmy categories of the evening are always the lead ones.
In the past such daytime icons as Erika Slezak, Anthony Geary, and yes, Susan Lucci, have hoisted that golden trophy.
Who will join these legends as Emmy winners?
The categories are tough and filled with previous winners such as Geary, Finola Hughes, Maura West and Kristoff St. John, who could become the first actor to win an Emmy in all three acting categories.
Here are the nominees, what they submitted and who I would vote for and not necessarily who I think might win.
Outstanding Lead Actor -
In the past such daytime icons as Erika Slezak, Anthony Geary, and yes, Susan Lucci, have hoisted that golden trophy.
Who will join these legends as Emmy winners?
The categories are tough and filled with previous winners such as Geary, Finola Hughes, Maura West and Kristoff St. John, who could become the first actor to win an Emmy in all three acting categories.
Here are the nominees, what they submitted and who I would vote for and not necessarily who I think might win.
Outstanding Lead Actor -
TYLER CHRISTOPHER (Nikolas, General Hospital.) Hugely powerful reel dealing with the aftermath of Spencer's accident. Wish, though, Christopher had submitted an additional reel to show his range, as Nikolas went from the sympathetic character we see in this reel to a cold, conniving evildoer as the year progressed.
ANTHONY GEARY (Luke, General Hospital.) Submitted the 52nd anniversary episode where he played his father as well as Luke. As Luke is dealing with finally remembering how his mother was killed - Luke did it - Geary was spectacular, in both roles. Will Geary's exit comments as he left his legendary role in the summer affect voters? He basically lambasted the genre and his iconic co-star Genie Francis (Laura) in the process and it didn't sit well with me or many in the industry. Politics aside, will that cost him his ninth Emmy? And should it? That said, this reel was brilliant.
JUSTIN HARTLEY (Adam, The Young and the Restless.) Between he and Eric Braeden (Victor), Hartley's TV father, who was not nominated and should have been, they gave the overall performances of the year. However, the Emmys are given out on the basis of one - or two - reels, so this is what Hartley has to contend with. The big reveal that Adam wasn't dead was one of the pivotal moments of Y&R last year and Hartley is subdued, but yet terrifically nuanced with the reveal. And Melissa Clair Egan is equally sublime as Chelsea and should have received her own Emmy nomination. She was the perfect counterpart to Hartley in this reel. The chemistry the two possess only enhances this reel. Another brilliant submission choice.
CHRISTIAN LeBLANC (Michael, The Young and the Restless.) Two reels, the first of which Michael finally deals with having cancer and the second where he hires a prostitute to have sex and ends up telling her why he wants to divorce his wife. Second reel is especially poignant and much stronger than the first.
KRISTOFF ST. JOHN (Neil, The Young and the Restless.) Clocking in at just over five minutes, the shortest of all the reels. The amount of time, though, doesn't diminish the impact of St. John's performance as he confronts his son and wife over their affair. Both episodes deal with the betrayal and maybe he should have submitted a different second reel to show his range.
While I personally am over Geary and his antics, there is no question that he is perfection in his reel and he will probably win, but I'm disgusted with how he treated the show and co-star that made him a star, so in a column where I don't predict the winner, but would say, instead, who I would vote for, here goes:
1. Justin Hartley
2. Anthony Geary
3. Tyler Christopher
4. Christian LeBlanc
5. Kristoff St. John
Am wondering if Emmy voters will vote the same way for the same reasons? We will find out on May 1.
While I personally am over Geary and his antics, there is no question that he is perfection in his reel and he will probably win, but I'm disgusted with how he treated the show and co-star that made him a star, so in a column where I don't predict the winner, but would say, instead, who I would vote for, here goes:
1. Justin Hartley
2. Anthony Geary
3. Tyler Christopher
4. Christian LeBlanc
5. Kristoff St. John
Am wondering if Emmy voters will vote the same way for the same reasons? We will find out on May 1.
Outstanding Lead Actress -
TRACEY BREGMAN (Lauren, The Young and the Restless.) One brief, under five minute reel, that packs a powerful punch as Lauren confronts her husband with her own feelings about his cancer.
KASSIE DePAIVA (Eve, Days of Our Lives.) Two episodes dealing with the death of her daughter, Paige where DePaiva is brilliant at showing Eve's grief and despair. Originally, I thought she should have submitted one reel dealing with the death and the other that was the climax of the Eve/Paige/JJ storyline, but after watching those episodes in Missy Reeves' supporting submission and True O'Brien's younger actress reel, I think Kassie made the right choice, as she owned these two submitted episodes, whereas she was more supporting - yet still outstanding - in their reels.
MARY BETH EVANS (Kayla, Days of Our Lives.) Surprise nominee, only because she was more of a supporting actress for the past year. She was particularly strong in her first reel, but really supporting as she helped Bo deal with his brain tumor. Her second reel was when she and Patch were locked in the closet at the hospital and almost seemed out of place because of the strength of the first reel.
FINOLA HUGHES (Anna, General Hospital.) Like DePaiva and West, Hughes had a wealth of episodes to choose from. Her first reel was the day Duke died, powerful in itself, though I would have gone with the following day's episode, which was meatier and had a superb scene with Obrecht. The second reel was simply Hughes going to town at her psychiatrist's office and perfectly recaps the Duke/Anna love story and Anna's murder of Carlos. All three left the door slightly ajar for the others to win, but, still, this was Hughes at her best.
MAURA WEST (Ava, General Hospital.) The defending champ in this category and, in my opinion, the finest actress currently still in the industry, West could have clinched another win just by submitting her scenes interrogating Sonny in the courtroom during the custody battle. I thought it was odd that she didn't submit that to complement her hugely powerful first reel where she learned she was dying and begged Silas to kill her. Instead, she submitted the episode where it was revealed how Ava survived, rather than died, and West played Denise in the reel, too. In the end, it was a good second reel, as it completely held my attention and told a complete story arc in 17 minutes. West is absolutely sublime.
Had the above-mentioned Egan and Karla Mosely (Maya, The Bold and the Beautiful) been in this race, the outcome might be entirely different, but, that said, here is my final vote.
This race could go one of three ways and I'd be happy with anyone winning the Emmy.
1. Finola Hughes
2. Kassie DePaiva
3. Maura West
4. Mary Beth Evans
5. Tracey Bregman
Pick 'em. 1-2-or-3, they're all that good!
Had the above-mentioned Egan and Karla Mosely (Maya, The Bold and the Beautiful) been in this race, the outcome might be entirely different, but, that said, here is my final vote.
This race could go one of three ways and I'd be happy with anyone winning the Emmy.
1. Finola Hughes
2. Kassie DePaiva
3. Maura West
4. Mary Beth Evans
5. Tracey Bregman
Pick 'em. 1-2-or-3, they're all that good!
Friday, April 8, 2016
Supporting Performers Submit Strongly
Often the supporting performer Emmy nominees really are lead stars who are afraid to place themselves up against the heavy hitters of daytime.
Not this year.
The nominees in the Daytime Supporting categories this year are appropriately placed and extremely competitive.
Outstanding Supporting Actor -
SEAN BLAKEMORE (Shawn, General Hospital.) Wisely submitted his final scenes as the character where Sean plead guilty and is sent of to prison. The only problem is this is Tequan Richmond's reel and why he didn't submit it in his Younger Actor race is puzzling.
STEVE BURTON (Dylan, The Young and the Restless.) Submitted his breakup with Avery. Too bad Jessica Collins totally dominates his reel, she was brilliant. Burton, not so much.
BRYTON JAMES (Devon, The Young and the Restless.) Strong reel where Neil confesses his part in Hilary's disappearance and James goes ballistic.
JACOB YOUNG (Rick, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Contrasting
reels between Rick shooting at Ridge abd Caroline and discovering Maya is transgender. For voters, though, Young's range displayed may take second fiddle to the two reels that seem out of context when viewed side by side. Second reel would have been enough and is far superior to the first. And by submitting the first, he may have hurt his chances of winning, even though the second reel is sublime.
DOMINIC ZAPROGNA (Dante, General Hospital.) Two extremely powerful episodes, one where he accused Lulu of cheating on him, the other where she finds out he actually cheated on her. My bigger question after watching his reel was how on earth was Emme Ryan (Lulu) not even pre-nominated?
Torn between two hugely strong reels from Dominic and one magnificent reel of Young. Is his misstep in submitting the first reel going to deny him the Emmy that the second one alone would have clinched for him.
As in my younger performer blog, I'm not predicting the winner, just saying who I'd vote for.
1. Jacob Young
2. Dominic Zaprogna
3. Bryton
4. Sean Blakemore
5. Steve Burton
Outstanding Supporting Actress -
LAURALEE BELL (Christine, The Young and the Restless.) Finally nominated after 33 years on Y&R, Bell's reel consisted of Chris learning she lost her baby and then breaking down about it later while with Paul. Solid, but beatable.
JESSICA COLLINS (Avery, The Young and the Restless.) Confronting Joe about their relationship followed by the episode after she was raped. Definitely a strong performance, but the two reels put together could be a little confusing for voters who don't know the whole history of the characters. Think her breakup with Dylan would have been a better first reel, as she dominated Burton's reel.
LINSEY GODFREY (Caroline, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Strong reel where Caroline tells Ridge she slept with his son and is pregnant from the one night. Thorsten Kaye surprisingly sort of dominates this, though, Godfrey is definitely up to his challenge and is a contender.
PEGGY McCAY (Caroline, Days of our Lives.) Taken out of context, her first reel might seem to be a possible winner, her second seemed laughable, tho. And since Days' writers totally dropped the Alzheimer's story and made it a being drugged story, instead, the whole reel is questionable. Though, voters probably don't know that and think Caroline was suffering from Alzheimer's abd that may work in her favor. Not my favorite. submission.
MELISSA REEVES (Jennifer, Days of our Lives.) Hugely powerful episode where Jennifer confronts Eve and JJ after finding her son in bed with her archenemy. Perhaps, the finest episode of Reeves 30-year run on Days. Not the strongest of the five actresses in totality, you wouldn't know it from this reel, though. Explosive and she rose to the occasion.
Definitely a difficult choice between Collins and Reeves, but based on performance and fluidity of the reel - and the fact that this category - in particular - often produces an upset, here's how I'd vote.
1. Melissa Reeves
2. Jessica Collins
3. Linsey Godfrey
4. Lauralee Bell
5. Peggy McCay
My next blog will look at the lead categories.
Not this year.
The nominees in the Daytime Supporting categories this year are appropriately placed and extremely competitive.
Outstanding Supporting Actor -
SEAN BLAKEMORE (Shawn, General Hospital.) Wisely submitted his final scenes as the character where Sean plead guilty and is sent of to prison. The only problem is this is Tequan Richmond's reel and why he didn't submit it in his Younger Actor race is puzzling.
STEVE BURTON (Dylan, The Young and the Restless.) Submitted his breakup with Avery. Too bad Jessica Collins totally dominates his reel, she was brilliant. Burton, not so much.
BRYTON JAMES (Devon, The Young and the Restless.) Strong reel where Neil confesses his part in Hilary's disappearance and James goes ballistic.
JACOB YOUNG (Rick, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Contrasting
reels between Rick shooting at Ridge abd Caroline and discovering Maya is transgender. For voters, though, Young's range displayed may take second fiddle to the two reels that seem out of context when viewed side by side. Second reel would have been enough and is far superior to the first. And by submitting the first, he may have hurt his chances of winning, even though the second reel is sublime.
DOMINIC ZAPROGNA (Dante, General Hospital.) Two extremely powerful episodes, one where he accused Lulu of cheating on him, the other where she finds out he actually cheated on her. My bigger question after watching his reel was how on earth was Emme Ryan (Lulu) not even pre-nominated?
Torn between two hugely strong reels from Dominic and one magnificent reel of Young. Is his misstep in submitting the first reel going to deny him the Emmy that the second one alone would have clinched for him.
As in my younger performer blog, I'm not predicting the winner, just saying who I'd vote for.
1. Jacob Young
2. Dominic Zaprogna
3. Bryton
4. Sean Blakemore
5. Steve Burton
Outstanding Supporting Actress -
LAURALEE BELL (Christine, The Young and the Restless.) Finally nominated after 33 years on Y&R, Bell's reel consisted of Chris learning she lost her baby and then breaking down about it later while with Paul. Solid, but beatable.
JESSICA COLLINS (Avery, The Young and the Restless.) Confronting Joe about their relationship followed by the episode after she was raped. Definitely a strong performance, but the two reels put together could be a little confusing for voters who don't know the whole history of the characters. Think her breakup with Dylan would have been a better first reel, as she dominated Burton's reel.
LINSEY GODFREY (Caroline, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Strong reel where Caroline tells Ridge she slept with his son and is pregnant from the one night. Thorsten Kaye surprisingly sort of dominates this, though, Godfrey is definitely up to his challenge and is a contender.
PEGGY McCAY (Caroline, Days of our Lives.) Taken out of context, her first reel might seem to be a possible winner, her second seemed laughable, tho. And since Days' writers totally dropped the Alzheimer's story and made it a being drugged story, instead, the whole reel is questionable. Though, voters probably don't know that and think Caroline was suffering from Alzheimer's abd that may work in her favor. Not my favorite. submission.
MELISSA REEVES (Jennifer, Days of our Lives.) Hugely powerful episode where Jennifer confronts Eve and JJ after finding her son in bed with her archenemy. Perhaps, the finest episode of Reeves 30-year run on Days. Not the strongest of the five actresses in totality, you wouldn't know it from this reel, though. Explosive and she rose to the occasion.
Definitely a difficult choice between Collins and Reeves, but based on performance and fluidity of the reel - and the fact that this category - in particular - often produces an upset, here's how I'd vote.
1. Melissa Reeves
2. Jessica Collins
3. Linsey Godfrey
4. Lauralee Bell
5. Peggy McCay
My next blog will look at the lead categories.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Younger Actors Take Center Stage In Emmy Race - Recapping Outstanding Younger Actor and Actress
Deciding who wins a Daytime Emmy is a crap shoot each year.
Voting is supposed to be done based on the one or two reels each nominee submits for consideration. However, based on previous winners, it's difficult to believe that is actually always the case.
And while this year's Daytime Emmys will not be televised, it hasn't stopped the TV Academy from posting the reels this year's nominees have submitted.
So, since history has proven that predicting winners is an exercise in futility, rather than predict who will win in each category when the Emmys are awarded on May 1, I'm going to this year just tell you who I would vote for based on the reels each nominee chose.
This blog will be devoted to the Younger Actor and Actress categories.
Outstanding Younger Actor -
NICHOLAS BECHTEL - (Spencer, General Hospital.) Cute little guy, but this was an Emmy reel? He submitted scenes leading up to his birthday party and then a conversation with his father about honesty. The second reel was better, but still not Emmy worthy.
BRYAN CRAIG (Morgan, General Hospital.) Two powerful episodes. The first dealing with whether he might be bipolar and the second clearly showing that he is. The first reel was particularly impressive because of Maurice Benard's powerful supporting performance.
PIERSON FODE ( Thomas, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Strong reel confronting his father about his neglect of him as a child and how it has influenced his decisions today.
MAX EHRICH (Fenmore, The Young and the Restless.) Clocking in at like 6 minutes, there's no meat to this reel, tho Freddie Smith won in this category with even less last year. Dealing with the aftermath of the murders at the cabin and then confronting his father about leaving Lauren, he was solid, but not Emmy worthy.
TEQUAN RICHMOND (T.J., General Hospital.) A strong actor who, unfortunately, doesn't get much material. Solid scenes with Shawn and his mother, but not sure they are enough to nab the Emmy.
My vote -
1. Bryan Craig
2. Pierson Fode
3. Tequan Richmond
4. Max Ehrich
5. Nicholas Bechtel
Seriously, only my top two submitted anything Emmy worthy, so can't see any of the others having any chance at winning.
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS -
REIGN EDWARDS (Nicole, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Could have been the frontrunner had she submitted stronger episodes that she definitely had during the year. Still, her confrontation scenes with her parents over Maya's sex change were powerful.
HUNTER KING (Summer, The Young and the Restless.) The defending two-time champ in this category, she submitted EXACTLY as she should have. The funeral scenes where she confronted Abby for sleeping with her now-deceased husband were Emmy made and she did not disappoint.
TRUE O'BRIEN (Paige , Days of Our Lives.) Again, perfect submission, as she confronts her mother and boyfriend for having slept together. Typical, sudsy plot, but O'Brien rose to the occasion.
ASHLYN PIERCE (Ivy, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Intense scenes where her psychotic character tries to kill Steffy and ends up as the dead character. May be too confusing for voters taken out of context, but brilliant acting.
BROOKLYN RAE SILZER (Emma, General Hospital.) Bechtel, take note, this is what an Emmy reel consists of. Emma is almost kidnapped in one episode and than skillfully deals with Patrick and Sam's breakup in the next. Huge talent for such a young child.
Hugely difficult vote - could see this going four different ways. After much deliberation, here's my vote.
1. Hunter King
2. Brooklyn Rae Silzer
3. True O'Brien
4. Ashlyn Pierce
5. Reign Edwards
Tho I could have easily voted any of my top three as my number one choice.
After watching many of the reels - particularly in the actor category, I question if the pool of talent was just weak this year or that no one knows what an Emmy reel actually is. The ladies did a much better job of submitting. My next blog will recap the Supporting nominees.
Voting is supposed to be done based on the one or two reels each nominee submits for consideration. However, based on previous winners, it's difficult to believe that is actually always the case.
And while this year's Daytime Emmys will not be televised, it hasn't stopped the TV Academy from posting the reels this year's nominees have submitted.
So, since history has proven that predicting winners is an exercise in futility, rather than predict who will win in each category when the Emmys are awarded on May 1, I'm going to this year just tell you who I would vote for based on the reels each nominee chose.
This blog will be devoted to the Younger Actor and Actress categories.
Outstanding Younger Actor -
NICHOLAS BECHTEL - (Spencer, General Hospital.) Cute little guy, but this was an Emmy reel? He submitted scenes leading up to his birthday party and then a conversation with his father about honesty. The second reel was better, but still not Emmy worthy.
BRYAN CRAIG (Morgan, General Hospital.) Two powerful episodes. The first dealing with whether he might be bipolar and the second clearly showing that he is. The first reel was particularly impressive because of Maurice Benard's powerful supporting performance.
PIERSON FODE ( Thomas, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Strong reel confronting his father about his neglect of him as a child and how it has influenced his decisions today.
MAX EHRICH (Fenmore, The Young and the Restless.) Clocking in at like 6 minutes, there's no meat to this reel, tho Freddie Smith won in this category with even less last year. Dealing with the aftermath of the murders at the cabin and then confronting his father about leaving Lauren, he was solid, but not Emmy worthy.
TEQUAN RICHMOND (T.J., General Hospital.) A strong actor who, unfortunately, doesn't get much material. Solid scenes with Shawn and his mother, but not sure they are enough to nab the Emmy.
My vote -
1. Bryan Craig
2. Pierson Fode
3. Tequan Richmond
4. Max Ehrich
5. Nicholas Bechtel
Seriously, only my top two submitted anything Emmy worthy, so can't see any of the others having any chance at winning.
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS -
REIGN EDWARDS (Nicole, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Could have been the frontrunner had she submitted stronger episodes that she definitely had during the year. Still, her confrontation scenes with her parents over Maya's sex change were powerful.
HUNTER KING (Summer, The Young and the Restless.) The defending two-time champ in this category, she submitted EXACTLY as she should have. The funeral scenes where she confronted Abby for sleeping with her now-deceased husband were Emmy made and she did not disappoint.
TRUE O'BRIEN (Paige , Days of Our Lives.) Again, perfect submission, as she confronts her mother and boyfriend for having slept together. Typical, sudsy plot, but O'Brien rose to the occasion.
ASHLYN PIERCE (Ivy, The Bold and the Beautiful.) Intense scenes where her psychotic character tries to kill Steffy and ends up as the dead character. May be too confusing for voters taken out of context, but brilliant acting.
BROOKLYN RAE SILZER (Emma, General Hospital.) Bechtel, take note, this is what an Emmy reel consists of. Emma is almost kidnapped in one episode and than skillfully deals with Patrick and Sam's breakup in the next. Huge talent for such a young child.
Hugely difficult vote - could see this going four different ways. After much deliberation, here's my vote.
1. Hunter King
2. Brooklyn Rae Silzer
3. True O'Brien
4. Ashlyn Pierce
5. Reign Edwards
Tho I could have easily voted any of my top three as my number one choice.
After watching many of the reels - particularly in the actor category, I question if the pool of talent was just weak this year or that no one knows what an Emmy reel actually is. The ladies did a much better job of submitting. My next blog will recap the Supporting nominees.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
For Your Consideration: Stars Who Deserve Daytime Emmy Nominations
Choosing Daytime Emmy nominees is certainly not a science.
The rules instituted by the Academy of Arts and Sciences change as often as most of us change our clothes.
This year, the drama series performer pre-nominees were voted on by all members of the Academy based on one, four-minute reel. Once the pre-nominations were announced each performer submits a reel consisting of their beat work from any two episodes from Jan. 1-Dec. 31 of last year. One other stipulation is the reel cannot exceed 20 minutes.
Smart idea, as in the past some excellent reels were likely ignored as they went in excess of 35 and 40 minutes.
In this day and age of channel surfing and short attention spans, 20 minutes may be too much, 40 minutes is out of the question.
While I could write an entirely separate column on the many insane rules the Daytime Emmys possess, I'll spare you and for now just make my predictions of the five performers in each category who I think are deserving of a nomination. Keep in mind, this is not a prediction of who Academy members may actually nominate when the nominations are announced on March 24, but, simply, my own handicap of wbo deserves to be included in the elite five.
Also, keep in mind that once the final nominations are announced, we will be privilege to what the nominees actually submitted for final judging. This list is just based on who - among the pre-nominees - should get the nod.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES -
ERIC BRAEDEN - (Victor, The Young and the Restless.) Braeden had his best year in recent memory as the character once again became a force to be reckoned with. Although politics have often kept him off this list, he scored a well-deserved prenom and has the material to make it through the final round - if he submits wisely.
JUSTIN HARTLEY (Adam, The Young and the Restless.) The best recast in daytime history. Enough said.
MAURICE BENARD (Sonny, General Hospital.) Although, he's not one of my personal favorites, Benard had a Emmy-caliber year, especially if he chooses reels that include Emmy winners Laura Wright and Maura West.
CHRISTIAN LeBLANC (Michael, The Young and the Restless.) Although his cancer story was abruptly ended, he has the necessary reels that could win him a fourth Emmy.
ANTHONY GEARY (ex-Luke, General Hospital.) The ALL-TIME leader in Emmy wins, Geary has to be the odds-on favorite to nab a ninth Trophy with his split personality storyline. Unless, of course, voters were turned off by the negative comments he made against the genre when he retired from the industry last summer, that is.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS -
KASSIE DePAIVA (ex-Eve, Days of Our Lives.) Daytime vet DePAIVA has only received one prior nomination in her daytime career that spans some 30 years. She is a slam dunk, for me, to score her second nod as the grieving mother who slept with her daughter's boyfriend. Soap cliche? Definitely, but DePaiva was mesmerizing.
MAURA WEST (Ava, General Hospital.) The defending champ in this category, West could be poised for a repeat ,especially if she submitted her courtroom scenes with Maurice Benard.
FINOLA HUGHES (Anna, General Hospital.) Hughes often doesn't submit wisely, which makes her an iffy choice on my list, but if she submits anything surrounding Duke's death, she should be in the running.
MELISSA CLAIR EGAN (Chelsea, The Young and the Restless.) Egan probably had the best, most consistent, overall year of all daytime actresses, but that doesn't always translate into a nomination. It's all about the reel.
For my final spot, "the all-about the reel' comment really comes into play, making it a tie for me between LAURA WRIGHT (Carly, General Hospital.) & GINA TOGNONI (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless.) Both know how to choose reels and one of them - or both - could usurp either Egan or Hughes on the list.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS ( in order of my preference based on their year and what they 'may have' submitted.)
LAURALEE BELL (Christine, The Young and the Restless.)
LINSEY GODFREY (Caroline, The Bold and the Beautiful.)
KELLY SULLIVAN (Sage, The Young and the Restless.)
PEGGY McCAY (Caroline, Days of Our Lives.)
JESSICA COLLINS (ex-Avery, The Young and the Restless.)
I should note the latter two deserve a nomination just for turning some awful storylines into semi-watchable gold.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR -
JACOB YOUNG (Rick, The Bold and the Beautiful.)
DOMINIC ZAPROGNA (Dante, General Hospital.)
SEAN BLAKEMORE ( Shawn, General Hospital.)
BRYTON JAMES ( Devon, The Young and the Restless.)
WALLY KURTH (Justin, Days of Our Lives.)
It should be noted that conspicuously absent in any of the actress categories is Karla Mosely, who if nodded for her tremendous performance as the transgendered Maya on 'B&B' would easily be my favorite. That she was not even pre-nommed was a snub of Beverlee McKinsey proportions. And if you don't know who Bev is, then why are you even reading this column, anyway!
Also, the younger categories are such jokes that I'll save my comments and votes until the final noms come out. I will say that if Camryn Grimes (Y&R) GH's Tequan Richmond and Bryan Craig and DAYS' Camilla Banas, Tru O'Brien and Casey Moss don't make the final cut, then the categories are not just a joke anymore, they are totally absurd.
Check back next month when I cast my votes for the actual finalists and see how well I did with my nominations votes.
The rules instituted by the Academy of Arts and Sciences change as often as most of us change our clothes.
This year, the drama series performer pre-nominees were voted on by all members of the Academy based on one, four-minute reel. Once the pre-nominations were announced each performer submits a reel consisting of their beat work from any two episodes from Jan. 1-Dec. 31 of last year. One other stipulation is the reel cannot exceed 20 minutes.
Smart idea, as in the past some excellent reels were likely ignored as they went in excess of 35 and 40 minutes.
In this day and age of channel surfing and short attention spans, 20 minutes may be too much, 40 minutes is out of the question.
While I could write an entirely separate column on the many insane rules the Daytime Emmys possess, I'll spare you and for now just make my predictions of the five performers in each category who I think are deserving of a nomination. Keep in mind, this is not a prediction of who Academy members may actually nominate when the nominations are announced on March 24, but, simply, my own handicap of wbo deserves to be included in the elite five.
Also, keep in mind that once the final nominations are announced, we will be privilege to what the nominees actually submitted for final judging. This list is just based on who - among the pre-nominees - should get the nod.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES -
ERIC BRAEDEN - (Victor, The Young and the Restless.) Braeden had his best year in recent memory as the character once again became a force to be reckoned with. Although politics have often kept him off this list, he scored a well-deserved prenom and has the material to make it through the final round - if he submits wisely.
JUSTIN HARTLEY (Adam, The Young and the Restless.) The best recast in daytime history. Enough said.
MAURICE BENARD (Sonny, General Hospital.) Although, he's not one of my personal favorites, Benard had a Emmy-caliber year, especially if he chooses reels that include Emmy winners Laura Wright and Maura West.
CHRISTIAN LeBLANC (Michael, The Young and the Restless.) Although his cancer story was abruptly ended, he has the necessary reels that could win him a fourth Emmy.
ANTHONY GEARY (ex-Luke, General Hospital.) The ALL-TIME leader in Emmy wins, Geary has to be the odds-on favorite to nab a ninth Trophy with his split personality storyline. Unless, of course, voters were turned off by the negative comments he made against the genre when he retired from the industry last summer, that is.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS -
KASSIE DePAIVA (ex-Eve, Days of Our Lives.) Daytime vet DePAIVA has only received one prior nomination in her daytime career that spans some 30 years. She is a slam dunk, for me, to score her second nod as the grieving mother who slept with her daughter's boyfriend. Soap cliche? Definitely, but DePaiva was mesmerizing.
MAURA WEST (Ava, General Hospital.) The defending champ in this category, West could be poised for a repeat ,especially if she submitted her courtroom scenes with Maurice Benard.
FINOLA HUGHES (Anna, General Hospital.) Hughes often doesn't submit wisely, which makes her an iffy choice on my list, but if she submits anything surrounding Duke's death, she should be in the running.
MELISSA CLAIR EGAN (Chelsea, The Young and the Restless.) Egan probably had the best, most consistent, overall year of all daytime actresses, but that doesn't always translate into a nomination. It's all about the reel.
For my final spot, "the all-about the reel' comment really comes into play, making it a tie for me between LAURA WRIGHT (Carly, General Hospital.) & GINA TOGNONI (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless.) Both know how to choose reels and one of them - or both - could usurp either Egan or Hughes on the list.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS ( in order of my preference based on their year and what they 'may have' submitted.)
LAURALEE BELL (Christine, The Young and the Restless.)
LINSEY GODFREY (Caroline, The Bold and the Beautiful.)
KELLY SULLIVAN (Sage, The Young and the Restless.)
PEGGY McCAY (Caroline, Days of Our Lives.)
JESSICA COLLINS (ex-Avery, The Young and the Restless.)
I should note the latter two deserve a nomination just for turning some awful storylines into semi-watchable gold.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR -
JACOB YOUNG (Rick, The Bold and the Beautiful.)
DOMINIC ZAPROGNA (Dante, General Hospital.)
SEAN BLAKEMORE ( Shawn, General Hospital.)
BRYTON JAMES ( Devon, The Young and the Restless.)
WALLY KURTH (Justin, Days of Our Lives.)
It should be noted that conspicuously absent in any of the actress categories is Karla Mosely, who if nodded for her tremendous performance as the transgendered Maya on 'B&B' would easily be my favorite. That she was not even pre-nommed was a snub of Beverlee McKinsey proportions. And if you don't know who Bev is, then why are you even reading this column, anyway!
Also, the younger categories are such jokes that I'll save my comments and votes until the final noms come out. I will say that if Camryn Grimes (Y&R) GH's Tequan Richmond and Bryan Craig and DAYS' Camilla Banas, Tru O'Brien and Casey Moss don't make the final cut, then the categories are not just a joke anymore, they are totally absurd.
Check back next month when I cast my votes for the actual finalists and see how well I did with my nominations votes.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Saturday, January 2, 2016
BLACK MONDAY WILL TAKE MANY NFL COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT ENTIRELY OFF THE STOVE
By Allan Brown
Who Will Survive Monday's Likely Coaching Bloodbath?
Shoppers have their Black Friday and NFL fans have their own special day, better known as Black Monday.
While the two days couldn't be any more different in theory, they do both share a few similarities.
Black Friday is the day shoppers wait for all year long even if it means staying up all night and becoming stressed as they wait in those endless lines at the mall.
There's stress and endless waiting on Black Monday, too. Many fans - myself included, I actually always take that day off from my 9 to 5 job - wait impatiently as they are glued to their favorite sports channel awaiting not the best deal, but, rather, the news they may either be happy to hear or dread to receive.
You see it just depends on if the person is a fan of a particular head coach, who's job is on the line with his NFL team, or they, instead, can't stand their leader and hope his days with the squad are over.
That stress is only intensified for the handful of coaches who await to hear their ultimate fate.
And there's a big pay day involved in both dates. Merchants make huge amounts of money on Black Friday and coaches, especially those with long-term contracts, get their own pay out on Black Monday when their teams are required to honor the original terms of the contract they made with said coach just to get him out the door.
Heck, at one point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were paying money to three coaches and other teams have faced similar situations when a coach who was signed with so much fan fare fails to deliver on his pledge to take his team to the NFL promised land.
The similarities end there.
While Black Friday is the beginning, the start of a holiday season where businesses see a good 50 percent of their profits come in a five-week span, Black Monday signifies an ending, rather than a beginning.
It's the end of the road for each coach whose job status is decided on that first day after the end of the NFL's regular season.
Once the final regular season game is played in Green Bay tomorrow night comes the dark and then the hardest part of the process arrives.
It's decision time.
As the dark turns into dawn, Black Monday finally arrives.
The wait, the anticipation and the stress that both fans and coaches alike feel as they anxiously, maybe even nervously, await for Black Monday to commence can't actually be described, but is certainly palpable for all involved.
For the Eagles Chip Kelly, Black Monday came a week early as he was fired from Philadelphia last week after most pre-season prognosticators believed his team would be in contention for a Super Bowl ring, rather than an early draft pick.
The Miami Dolphins gave Joe Philbin the heave ho early on after his team, which had all the makings defensively of a contender, flat lined and was even more deflated than the New England Patriots playoff footballs. His interim successor, Dan Campbell, showed promise in his initial outings at the helm, but in the end wasn't any better than his successor.
The Titans Mike Mularkey, who replaced Ken Whisenhunt, mid-season, isn't likely to remain in Nashville, either, as his 2-6 record as interim coach probably isn't enough to keep him there when he has the talents of a future superstar quarterback, Marcus Mariota, waiting to properly be groomed to greatness.
So who will join Kelly and the other two already fired and temporarily replaced coaches? Who will no longer be with their team by the end of Black Monday?
There are some coaches who are so firmly on the hot seat that they must be on fire. Then there are others who may be on the back burner but are certainly in danger of losing their job. And there are still some others who maybe should be gone, but will likely remain with their team once the dust settles Monday evening.
The four coaches who are almost certainly gone by daybreak Tuesday morning are Chuck Pagano, Tom Coughlin, Mike Pettine and Mike McCoy.
It was only last season that Pagano lead his Colts to the AFC title game - you remember the now infamous Deflategate game - but his luck - not to mention his star quarterback Andrew Luck, who has been sidelined with injuries for a good part of the season - seems to have run out.
Not helping matters is that Pagano turned down a contract extension earlier in the year and his working relationship with Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson is rumored to have reached the breaking point.
Even if the Colts miraculously get a playoff berth Sunday, Pagano is still likely to eventually be gone, as a failed defense - in addition to the problems at quarterback - resulted in the worst season in Indy in four years.
Coughlin is also on the hot seat. That's nothing new for the Giants head coach who has been on this list more times than the Yankees have won World Championship rings, but this time it appears he's out in New York. The big question with Coughlin is will the front office fire him or let the 69-year-old coach, who won two Super Bowls in his tenure in East Rutherford, retire with the grace and dignity that his overall coaching record deserves?
Either way, he's probably gone.
So is Pettine, who has only had two years with the Cleveland Browns and who many think should be given a second chance.
He won't get one, because that's just how the Browns front office rolls.
And the recently dumped Kelly has to be considered to be a leading candidate for the Cleveland job. That actually might be a good fit for the team's always under fire sophomore quarterback, Johnny Manziel, who, himself, could be out of the Dawg Pound after another season filled with more soap operaish plot twists off the field instead of triumphs on it.
Still, I contend a Kelly/Manziel partnership might just be what the always-struggling Browns need to ignite their winning ways of the 80s once more. When Kelly was head coach at the University of Oregon, he heavily recruited the future Heisman Trophy winner and the head coach certainly knows something about tutoring strong QBs and developing an explosive offense. Of course you wouldn't necessarily know that by watching him in the City of Brotherly Love this season.
What the Browns really need is a complete overhaul in the front office and former quarterback Bernie Kosar, in my opinion, is just who the team should tap to lead that charge. Beloved in Cleveland and definitely a leader who could bring a certain amount of respectability and publicity to the team just from his hiring, he would be the perfect administrative signal caller for the squad. Kosar definitely knows football, has business and sports ownership experience, is outspoken and wouldn't be afraid to make the changes needed to make the squad relevant in the AFC North and beyond.
As for McCoy, a possible move to Los Angeles by the Chargers decreases his chances of him retaining his position. Plus, a coach who only wins four games with such talent as rookie Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead and future Hall of Famer Phillip Rivers probably needs to get his walking papers.
If the Rams move to LA, too, that might actually save Jeff Fisher's job, as he is a native Los Angelan and keeping him at the helm might be a good marketing tool even his record in St. Louis has been overwhelmingly mediocre, at best. His status, isn't hot, but is certainly questionable as the regular season ends.
Other coaches who could get that dreaded call to the GM's office Monday are Detroit's Jim Caldwell and the Atlanta Falcons Dan Quinn. Both certainly aren't guaranteed another year in their respective cities, though it would seem Caldwell might be given another year for rebounding the Lions to a 6-9 current record after a horrendous 1-7 start.
As for Quinn, he is likely safe, too, as he has posted an 8-7 record in his first season as head coach, but that mark is certainly a tad deceiving as the team was the Lions in reverse. After getting off to a 5-0 start, they have won only three games in the waning weeks of the season and signal caller Matt Ryan's output has been disappointing, to say the least, leading some to speculate that, perhaps, Quinn isn't the best fit for the Falcons.
Probably not safe, though, is the 49ers Jim Tomsula, who inherited a declining San Francisco team and turned it into a mess. Although, not entirely his fault, as the squad lost some key cogs like Frank Gore, Chris Culliver, Michael Crabtree, Patrick Willis and Anthony Davis, Tomsula had some mighty big shoes to fill when he replaced Jim Harbaugh. He has failed miserably. The dismal play of the once promising Colin Kaepernick at quarterback hasn't helped matters, either. Few teams are in such desperate need of a reboot as the team on the City by the Bay.
Probably not safe, though, is the 49ers Jim Tomsula, who inherited a declining San Francisco team and turned it into a mess. Although, not entirely his fault, as the squad lost some key cogs like Frank Gore, Chris Culliver, Michael Crabtree, Patrick Willis and Anthony Davis, Tomsula had some mighty big shoes to fill when he replaced Jim Harbaugh. He has failed miserably. The dismal play of the once promising Colin Kaepernick at quarterback hasn't helped matters, either. Few teams are in such desperate need of a reboot as the team on the City by the Bay.
New Orleans Sean Payton could be gone, as it's been a long year for the Saints coach and a long time - seven years - since the team won its only Super Bowl under his guidance. With one year remaining on his contract, it's likely he stays, though, Payton, himself, may go to upper management and asked to be released. His status is definitely one to watch on Monday or shortly thereafter.
Two other coaches are apparently safe, but aren't without their detractors. Dallas' Jason Garrett appears to keep his job only because he is owner Jerry Jones' golden boy, or even yes man. He continues to remain as coach of America's Team for some reason - and it's certainly not because of his overall mediocre 41-31 record since being hired in 2010.
While Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis has helped resurrect division championships and playoff appearances for the Bengals, he certainly isn't the coach I would want to lead my team in the post season. If the squad loses in the first round of the playoffs for the seventh time since he came on board in 2003, I'd say - and many desperate-for-a-Lombardi Trophy Cincy fan might agree - that he should be gone. That's extremely unlikely to happen, though - the firing, that is, not the probable first-round playoff loss.
To round out the list of potential coaching changes, it would be remiss of me not to include Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay.
Although the cries of the Buccaneer faithful to oust Lovie after only two seasons in Tampa hasn't reached anywhere near the level of the hysteria - complete with signs in the stadium and overhead airplane banners - to fire former Head Coach Greg Schiano, the sentiment, among many, is still there.
Posting a disappointing 8-22 record after two seasons, Smith could logically be replaced with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who would be a better fit for a team lead by the promising rookie quarterback Jameis Winston.
That change, however, may have to wait at least one more season, though.
And who knows keeping Lovie, a defensive-minded coach who I would have never hired in the first place, could end up reaping dividends for the Bucs in the near future. I'm skeptical of that, but with Winston's leadership off the field, as well as his better-than-anticipated play on it, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
Always of the mindset that the Bucs should have hired an offensive genius as head coach, instead of an only slightly better-than-average Smith, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and reward him with at least one more season.
After all, the Buccaneers don't want to go down that road of paying more than one head coach another time.
And Smith - with the help of Koetter and Winston - could prove the naysayers wrong.
He could end up being another Ron Rivera.
You know him.
He's the Carolina Panthers Head Coach who just a year or two ago was on the hot seat himself and now is the leading candidate to be named Head Coach of the Year.
Stranger things have happened.
One thing's for sure, though.
Monday promises to be 'Must See TV' of the sports channel variety for those of us who take Black Monday as seriously as the avid shoppers take Black Friday.
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