Likes & Yikes 2012

Here is my version of best and worst for 2012. This is far from a complete list and just how I feel today about daytime soap opera related items. First will be general soap opera thoughts and later I will have two for each of the four soaps still on the air plus One Life to Live, which aired its last show in January 2012.

Trivia Trap: GH versus OLTL

Today on Youtube.com I found an episode in two parts of Trivia Trap from February 14, 1985, with cast members of General Hospital and One Life to Live.

North and South: Book One

Just wanted to do a short summary of North and South: Book One. I have the eight DVD set of the three miniseries which ran in the 80s and 90s. The show is based on John Jakes novels about the US before, during and after the Civil War. The first book takes place before the Civil War and in the early days of the conflict.

Christmas in Soapland 2012

Since there are only four daytime soap operas on the air, I can condense my Christmas in Soapland to one post this year. Here are my quick summaries of what happened to the denizens of Genoa City, Los Angeles, Port Charles and Salem. Due to what happened in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 the episodes were pushed back a day, so most soap towns celebrated Christmas Day on Boxing Day instead.

B&B: How it All Began Disc 2

Here are my thoughts and a summary of the second disc of "The Bold and the Beautiful" set entitled "How it all began." The second disc are  episodes five through eight of the series that aired in March 1987.

Family Feud: Days versus Y&R from 1984

Just found on YouTube.com two episodes of the cast of Days of Our Lives versus the cast of The Young & The Restless on Family Feud. These episodes were made in 1984 for the syndicated version of the program.

GH: Duke is Alive & Faison is in Prison

Duke (Ian Buchanan) and Anna (Finola Hughes) were reunited for real in a clinic in Lucerne, Switzerland on General Hospital. This entry summarizes the latest developments in this story since my post on the subject in mid-November.

Gossip Girl Finale

On Monday, December 17, 2012, The CW aired Gossip Girl's last episode. The show which filmed primarily in New York City, was primarily about a group students at a Constance Billard School and we followed their lives from that school to adulthood from 2007 - 2012. This spoils the end of the series.

GH: Lucy is Back

Today, December 18, 2012, was the first full episode back for the character of Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) on General Hospital.

Prospect Park Again?

Deadline.com posted that the Prospect Park situation with All My Children and One Life to Live may not be dead as we all thought and it may still be online.

New Soap Opera History Site

One of the newest blogs online, is an archive of old Soap Opera Digest sections from the 1970s. Each particular show has its own entry per month.

B&B: The Latest War over Forrester Creations

Thomas Forrester (Adam Gregory) thought he had everything set with his professional life, as he was the acting CEO of his family's company, Forrester Creations. With his grandmother Stephanie's (Susan Flannery) death, he was set to inherit 25% of the company making him the primary shareholder. Unfortunately for him, things don't go that easily in the world of "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Paul Rauch has Died

Yesterday (Monday, December 10, 2012) it came out that Paul Rauch, the former executive producer of many of our daytime soap operas passed away. To read Variety's take on his death, click here.

B&B: The first 25 Episodes

CBS.com posted a press release announcing that they will be streaming the first 25 episodes of "The Bold and the Beautiful" for a limited time. This is due to the program celebrating its 25th anniversary earlier this year.

Y&R: Nikki & Victor's Penthouse Party

In honor of their new home, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor (Eric Braeden) threw a party inviting their family to see their new place. This event went over two episodes, Thursday & Friday December 6 & 7, 2012. As all parties on "The Young and the Restless" things did not go as planned.

Days: Brady & Kristen Had Sex

One of the newest plots on Days of Our Lives, is how Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Kristen (Eileen Davidson) have now begun sleeping together. The relationship is surprising for a lot of reasons, which I'd like to discuss.

GH: The end of Skye's Latest Visit

Monday, December 3, 2012 marked the end of Skye's (Robin Christopher) most recent visit to General Hospital. The character returned to Port Charles to say goodbye to Edward (John Ingle) and now was off on a new adventure

Web Soap: My Story

Today I watched the first two episodes of the web show "My Story", which is a program about a group of soap fans. Below are my thoughts on what I've seen so far.

New ABC Daytime Pilot???

Late on Thursday night, though most of us saw it on Friday, November 30, 2012, The New York Post put an exclusive article up with the headline "ABC developing real-life version of 'General Hospital'"click here to read the news.

B&B: Stephanie's Death

On Monday, November 26, 2012, Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) died on "The Bold and the Beautiful". The scenes of her demise were filmed outside in Big Bear, California.

Thanksgiving in Soapland 2012

This is going to be short this year as some soap operas had no Thanksgiving celebrations. The Bold & The Beautiful and Days of Our Lives ignored the holiday. General Hospital's celebration was sad due to Edward's death and while "The Young & The Restless" didn't forget Thanksgiving it wasn't lighthearted fun.

GH: Quartermania Thanksgiving Marathon

SoapNet had a General Hospital marathon on Thanksgiving night, Thursday November 22, 2012. The episodes which aired were from 1995, 1997, 2001, 2009 and 2011.

Days: 1997 Rerun

On Friday, November 23, 2012, NBC showed a rerun of Days of Our Lives. The episode, which originally aired on June 24, 1997 is airing as NBC's original programming was cancelled. They had planned to air an NHL game, but since they are on strike and locked out there was no game available.

Y&R: Thanksgiving repeat from 2002

This year, on Friday, November 23, 2012 CBS rebroadcast the September 5, 2002 episode of "The Young and the Restless". This episode featured Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor (Eric Braeden) getting married yet again.

B&B: How it All Began Disc 1

Here are my thoughts and a summary of the first disc of "The Bold and the Beautiful" set entitled "How it all began." The first disc is the first four episodes of the series that aired in March 1987.

GH: Maxie Admits Her Feelings

Today on Monday, November 19, 2012, General Hospital's Spinelli (Bradford Anderson) found out that Maxie (Kirsten Storms) wanted him back in her life romantically. What followed was something that was a bit surprising and I wanted to write about it.

Soapclassics stopped production of ATWT & GL DVDs

Last week, soapclassics.com sent an email to regular buyers that their contract with P&G is up and once current stock is gone no more can be bought. I would have written my thoughts about this when I got the message initially, but I feel an entry at that time would have been ill-advised. Anywhere so here goes.

AMC: Susan Lucci on The Colbert Report

This week, "The Colbert Report" had a special guest, All My Children's Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), which was a huge surprise. Here are my thoughts on the appearance.

Days: Will's Story Good and Bad

Will (Chandler Massey) and Sonny (Freddie Smith) made love on Days of Our Lives on November 13 & 14, 2012. This happy event was overshadowed due to something else going on in Salem, Gabi (Camila Banus) fainting and then finding out she is over two months pregnant.

GH: The Cliffhanger Resolved For Now

It is sweeps month, and General Hospital is doing what it can by having some regular cliffhangers. If you haven't watched Monday, November 12, 2012's show please don't read below as it spoils that episode.

Thoughts on "Becoming Bold & Beautiful"

This is my review of "Becoming Bold & Beautiful: 25 Years of Making the World's Most Popular Daytime Soap Opera". The 224 page nonfiction book focuses on the program mainly in pictures of the last few years.

Soap Assignments Blog: July - October Questions

Finally going to be up to date with the soap assignments blog questions. Here are my answers for the questions from July through October 2012.

Days: On the Jeff Probst Show

Today, Monday November 5, 2012, some Days of Our Lives cast members appeared on the Jeff Probst Show. The show's anniversary is later this week (November 8). Here is a quick summary of the program.

AMC: Thoughts on J.R. Martinez's memoir Full of Heart

This weekend I took the opportunity to read "Full of heart: my story of survival, strength, and spirit" by J.R. Martinez with Alexandra Rockey Fleming. This entry is about my thoughts on the memoir.

Y&R: How Abby, Harmony Genevieve & Heather left Town

In the last week and a half, Y&R had four departures as actresses who were taken off contract last aired. This entry summarizes how Abby (Marcy Rylan), Harmony (Debbi Morgan), Genevieve (Genie Francis) and Heather (Jennifer Landon) were all written out of "The Young and the Restless" as each character left Genoa City. This entry mentions over casting spoilers that have yet to happen.

Days: Bo Leaves Town

On Tuesday, October 30, 2012, Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) left town with his mother Caroline (Peggy McKay) as she needs treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Peggy McKay isn't leaving Days of Our Lives, but Peter Reckell has, so this story was his write off from the series.

B&B: Stephanie's Party Invitations

I did a summary of the first two special episodes of "The Bold & The Beautiful" in which Stephanie (Susan Flannery) said goodbye to each of her loved ones inviting them to a party.

Fan Fiction

Derivative fiction more commonly called fan fiction or fanfic is something a good number of fans get involved in as part of their interest. Whether it is a coda to a prime time series episode, an imagined deleted scene that was referenced but never shown, or alternative universe story, all these things take creativity and time to explore.

The Myth of True Fandom

On October 11, former One Life to Live head writer and current top scribe at General Hospital Ron Carlivati wrote some tweets that shocked me. Considering it has been over two weeks and I still want to comment it says something.

Thoughts on "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell" Part 4

Here are my thoughts and summary on the William J. Bell biography, "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell Creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful" by Michael Maloney with Lee Phillip Bell (Bill's widow). This entry will cover chapters fifteen through twenty-one of twenty-one.

Switched at Birth End of Season One

ABCFamily finally aired the season one finale of Switched at Birth on Monday, October 22, 2012. The 30 episode season began in June of 2011, with hiatuses tossed into the mix, and the new season will begin on Monday, January 7, 2013. (Originally season one was to be 32 episodes, but something changed.) Here are my thoughts on the last eight episodes.

Soap Assignments Blog: May and June Questions

Months ago I had started answering the Soap Assignments blog questions and am still catching up on what was asked. These are my responses for May and June's questions.

GH: Jason is "Dead"

On Monday's episode (October 22, 2012) of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) "died". He was in a shootout with Joe Scully (Richard Steinmetz) and Duke or who we assume to be Duke (Ian Buchanan) then shot him. Jason went into the water after falling off the pier.

Soap Assignments Blog Questions: March & April

Months ago I had started answering the Soap Assignments blog questions. I stopped halfway through my entries, so I am starting again. This is for March and April's questions.

B&B: Stephanie's Story

This past week on the Bold and the Beautiful, Stephanie (Susan Flannery) found out her cancer has spread and is fatal. Here are my thoughts on the first episodes regarding this plot. This includes spoiler-like information.

Dallas Casting News

News has been coming out about casting on TNT's Dallas. Considering the program will be airing again on January 28, 2013 information like this will continue leaking out for the weeks to come. Below I discuss all of it.

Days: Nicole's Baby Dies

Nicole (Arianne Zucker) saw her life fall apart during a routine medical check, when she found out her fetus was dead on Days of Our Lives. This late term miscarriage is the fuel for story and below are my thoughts on it so far, spoilers and speculation are included so beware.

ATWT: Lily & Holden Story Disc Two

This is my summary of the second disc in the two disc "The Lily and Holden Story" collection from As the World Turns.

Nashville: Pilot Episode

Tonight the first episode of ABC's Nashville aired. Here are my thoughts on the first program.

GH: Thoughts on the Wedding of Kate & Sonny

Last week on General Hospital, Kate (Kelly Sullivan) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) were to be married. Like their last wedding ceremony this one didn't end with an "I do" as Kate's alter Connie admitted at the altar that she was married to Johnny (Brandon Barash). Here are my thoughts on the wedding and the parties before the "special" day.

Y&R: New Regime Coming Next Week

On October 12, 2012, the first of the new regime episodes of The Young & The Restless will be airing in the US. It feels odd watching the program currently because due to the 10,000 episode many characters are appearing that normally aren't there. Here are my thoughts on recent episodes.

Daytime Stars & Strikes 2011

Last year, I was able to go to Daytime Stars and Strikes. Since the 2012 event is on Sunday, I figured I should do my write up already. I apologize for any and all typos.

Days: How Melanie Left Salem

Last Friday, September 28, 2012, Melanie (Molly Burnett) left Salem to visit her mother Carly (Crystal Chappell) in Europe. This entry summarizes the character's departure.

B&B: Most Shocking Moments DVD Disc 2

This is my summary of the second disc on the set available from amazon.com entitled "The Bold and the Beautiful -- Most Shocking Moments", which has 15 episodes over two discs.

B&B: Katie had her Baby

This week on The Bold & The Beautiful, Katie (Heather Tom) had her baby boy. Unfortunately she went into labor early and nearly died.

Soaps on Jeopardy!

Tonight on the Tuesday, September 25, 2012 episode of Jeopardy! there was a category based on soap opera nicknames/initials. This was quite a shock as it was totally unexpected.

Lighthouses inspired by GL

Below is a picture post with some of my lighthouse Christmas ornaments and a lighthouse poster. Obviously collecting these things was rooted in my Guiding Light interest over the years.

ATWT, GL, AMC: 17, 18, 23

17, 18, 23

OLTL: New Book on the Show

In January 2012, entertainment writer Jeff Giles started a Facebook page on a his new project. To read more about it visit http://oltlbook.com/.

GH: John Ingle Passed Away

Today it came out that John Ingle (Edward) on General Hospital passed away yesterday on Sunday, September 16.

Thoughts on "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell" Part 3

Here are my thoughts and summary on the William J. Bell biography, "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell Creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful" by Michael Maloney with Lee Phillip Bell (Bill's widow). This entry will cover chapters nine through fourteen of twenty-one.

B&B: Goodbye Ridge

Friday, September 14, 2012 marked the last episode that Ronn Moss is portraying the role he created of Ridge Forrester on The Bold & The Beautiful. He was in the part from the first year, and had decided to leave.

Y&R Casting Changes

The casting changes have begun at The Young & The Restless as three actresses have been let go this week. Y&R recently got a new executive producer in Jill Farren Phelps, and with many regime changes some people lose their jobs.

GH: The Biotoxin Story

Today on General Hospital, the citizens of Port Charles were cured of the biotoxin that was put in the water, which made people feverish until they succumbed. Jerry Jax (Sebastian Roche) wanted to make everyone suffer, and with the help of Ewen (Nathin Butler) and Joe (Richard Steinmetz), he was able to make it happen.

Thoughts on "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell" Part 2

Here are my thoughts and summary of the William J. Bell biography, "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell Creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful" by Michael Maloney with Lee Phillip Bell (Bill's widow). This entry will cover chapters four through eight of twenty-one.

GH: Time Slot Switch

In most parts of the US, General Hospital is moving one hour earlier from its long time home on September 9, 2012. GH started airing in the east at 3 PM in 1978, so for 34 years it was at the same time.

GH: Special Jason and Sam Episode

A very special episode of General Hospital featuring Jason and Sam aka Jasam aired on Thursday, September 6, 2012. This is two episodes before the time slot move. Keep reading if you want to know more about it.

ATWT: Lily & Holden Story Disc One

This is my summary of the first disc in the two disc "The Lily and Holden Story" collection from As the World Turns.

Switched at Birth Back on Labor Day

My favorite show on ABCFamily, Switched at Birth is coming back on Monday, September 3, 2012 aka Labor Day. Before the new episode airs at 8 PM ET, they are reshowing older episodes. Before the new episodes air, I wanted to write up my feelings about what aired during its last run in January - March, 2012.

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: All My Afternoons

This entry is about the Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman chapter of All My Afternoons, a 1979 by Annie Gilbert on soap operas.

Y&R: All My Afternoons

This entry is about the Young & the Restless chapter of All My Afternoons a 1979 book by Annie Gilbert on soap operas.

GH: Steve Burton (Jason) Out

On Tuesday, August 28, 2012, an interview with Steve Burton (Jason on General Hospital) was released by TVGuide.com explaining his intentions to leave the program later this year. His last scheduled taping date, which may change is September 25.

GL: Villains and Vixens Disc 4

Here are my thoughts and a summary of the episode on disc three of the soapclassics.com 20 classic episode Guiding Light release. The episodes in this disc are from 1980 - 1998.

GH: The Surprise Return

Late last week, Frank Valentini, General Hospital's executive producer tweeted that a surprise was in store on Monday, August 27, 2012. The surprise lived up to that hype, below is speculation based on spoilers.

The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli Book

This is my short review of the General Hospital book "The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli" as told to Diane Miller by Carolyn Hennesy. The tie-in book came out a few days before the cancellation notices of All My Children and One Life to Live. I had misplaced this book until recently, and only read it this weekend.

TV on DVD: All-Star Family Feud

One of the DVDs in my collection is All-Star Family Feud. This four disc set includes soap opera performers as contestants with Richard Dawson as the host.

ATWT: Carly & Jack DVD Set Disc 2

This is my summary of the second disc of the two disc Carly & Jack Collection from As the World Turns.

GH: Lulu Isn't Pregnant

Last week on General Hospital, Lulu (Julie Marie Berman) took a pregnancy test, which came out positive. She took the test at the urging of her best friend Maxie (Jen Lilley, whose last episodes were during this material.) This post has speculation and spitballing based on spoilers.

Thoughts on Bunheads Summer Season

On Monday night (August 20, 2012), the summer season of ABCFamily's Bunheads was completed. As someone who watched Gilmore Girls, I set out to watch the show due to Amy Sherman-Palladino being the executive producer. While I enjoyed the first ten episodes, there were similarities to her earlier series, Gilmore Girls.

B&B: Susan Flannery News

Yesterday, August 20, 2012, CBS Soaps in Depth announced that Susan Flannery (Stephanie) on the Bold and the Beautiful is leaving the program.

ATWT: Bob and Kim's Wedding DVD Set & a Freebie

On August, 15, 2012, it was announced that soapclassics.com was releasing another As the World Turns set. This one focuses on about Kim (Kathryn Hays) and Bob (Don Hastings) wedding in 1985. The ten episodes in this set are consecutive and begin with Tuesday, April 2nd 1985. The free episode was from Tuesday, April 16, 1985.

Thoughts on The Glee Project Season Two

Tonight August 14, 2012, the winner of the Glee Project season two was announced. The program aired ten episodes in their second season. Below are my thoughts on the show.

B&B: Casting News

Today Entertainment Weekly broke this news, Ronn Moss one of "The Bold & The Beautiful"'s original four core is leaving the program as Ridge. His last tape date is Tuesday, August 14, 2012, with the last episode airing in September.

GH: Gold Medal Moments

For the last two weeks, SoapNet aired Gold Medal Moments, which were General Hospital episodes people on Facebook voted for as the channel didn't have any new Days of Our Lives episodes they could air as it was preempted for the Olympics.

Thoughts on Dallas on TNT Season One

On Wednesday, August 8, 2012, TNT aired the last episode of its first season or in some circles season 15. The show is returning in January. This references the entire season, so if you haven't watched and don't want to know please skip.

Y&R: Ashley's Gone and Two Weddings

Last week a lot happened on The Young and The Restless. Ashley (Eileen Davidson) left town with her sister Traci (Beth Maitland). Also Sharon (Sharon Case) and Victor (Eric Braeden) eloped on the same day that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) got married.

B&B: Most Shocking Moments DVD Disc 1 Part 2

This is my summary of the second four episodes on the set available from amazon.com entitled "The Bold and the Beautiful -- Most Shocking Moments", which has 15 episodes over two disks.

Days of Our Knives on ID

Two press releases on PRNewswire today announce programming on their channel that may appeal to soap viewers past and present. Days of our Knives will be a three-hour block with soap opera actors hosting the show. As part of this they will have a first look at Susan Lucci's new show on September 1 called Deadly Affairs.

B&B: Most Shocking Moments DVD Disc 1 Part 1

This is my summary of the first four episodes on the set available from amazon.com entitled "The Bold and the Beautiful -- Most Shocking Moments", which has 15 episodes over two disks.

B&B: Marcus Texting Causes Catastrophe

On the eve of his wedding to Dayzee (Kristolyn Lloyd), Marcus (Texas Battle) texted her while driving and accidentally hit Anthony (Rodney Saulsberry). This is the current social issue story on "The Bold and The Beautiful".

National Capital Radio & Television Museum

Tonight before NBC aired their tape delayed Olympics coverage, I was reading about museums and found the National Capital Radio & Television Museum located in Bowie, Maryland. This museum, which opened in 1999 focuses on the history and evolution of both radio and television technology.

Y&R: Regime Change

Today (Thursday, July 26, 2012) a press release came out that Maria Arena Bell is out as the executive producer of The Young and the Restless. Jill Farren Phelps is now the executive producer and Josh Griffith was named the head writer.This release came from Sony Pictures Television directly. My thoughts are coming up after this intro.

GH: Todd Proposes to Blair

Last week on General Hospital, Todd Manning (Roger Howarth) proposed to Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva). Typing General Hospital instead of One Life to Live somewhat disturbs me and reminds me how much I miss that show, but I digress.

Days: Last Week Before Olympics Pre-Emption

Due to the Summer Olympics, Days of Our Lives won't be on for two weeks starting after the July 27, 2012 episode. The show is having an event promoted as a "Dayaster", which will be a cliffhanger, spoilers are included below.

GH: Patrick Sees Robin

Under the influence of drugs, Dr. Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson) saw his "deceased" wife Robin (Kim McCullough) on the Haunted Star. Robin is thought to be dead by everyone in Port Charles, but the General Hospital character is alive. That mystery was one that has yet to be solved.

Raising the Ire of Soap Fans

This past month, we've had two instances where people have made comments about soaps or soap fans that have angered various people. I wanted to have my say on both of them.

Y&R: Ricky's Dead and Paul Did It

On The Young & The Restless Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) killed his son Ricky (Peter Porte). Within this entry, I summarize the story and share my thoughts so far on this current plot.

OLTL: 44th Anniversary

Today July 15, 2012 would have been One Life to Live's 44th birthday if the show hadn't aired its last episode on January 13, 2012. Thinking about it, we are only two days off of the program being off the air for six months. My thoughts six months later are as follows.

B&B: Amazon Pre-Order DVD Set

Today it was announced that The Bold & The Beautiful is going to have a DVD for sale at Amazon.com called Most Shocking Moments. There are other B&B sets available, but this is the first set, which can be viewed in the United States without the need for a no region DVD player.

GL: Free 1984 Episode

Soapclassics.com has posted a free streaming episode on July 11, 2012 that will be available for a limited time only on their website. This episode takes place on August 15, 1984. It is Founders' Day in Springfield as it began in 1834. The cast is all decked out in period costumes for the 150th anniversary.

B&B: Liam and Hope's Wedding

On the June 26, 2012 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, Liam (Scott Clifton) and Hope (Kim Matula) finally said "I do" while visiting Puglia, Italy. Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) looked on, while Bill (Don Diamont), Ridge (Ronn Moss) and Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) were part of the ceremony.

Days: The Eileen Davidson News

This week it was finally made official that Eileen Davidson will be back on Days of Our Lives. Her first air date is October 11. The Hollywood Reporter was the publication that broke the news with a quote from Eileen herself, though it had been leaked by insiders much earlier.

Days: Lexie's Death

During the last week of June 2012, everyone came together to mourn Dr. Lexie Carver (Renee Jones). Renee had decided to retire from acting so Lexie died of an illness caused from her time being held hostage in a cave.

Thoughts on "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell" Part 1

Here are my thoughts and summary on the beginning of the William J. Bell biography, "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell Creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful" by Michael Maloney with Lee Phillip Bell (Bill's widow). This entry will cover the foreword, preface and first three chapters.

GL: 60th Anniversary of TV Premiere

Today June 30, 2012 is the 60th anniversary of Guiding Light's premiere on television in 1952. Unlike most radio shows of that era, that were moved to television, GL's migration was successful and remained on the air for over 50 years.

GH: Two Big News Items

This week two big things happened with General Hospital. GH is officially moving to 2 PM ET and 1 CT and PT starting on September 10, 2012. The other surprising thing was that General Hospital premiered a new opening on Friday, June 29, 2012 usually such changes happen on Mondays, not the last day of the month.

Y&R: Adam Proposed to Chelsea

On Monday's US episode (June 25, 2012) of The Young & The Restless, Adam (Michael Muhney) proposed to Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan). While their relationship developed quickly, I'm glad for it.

Anniversary of Another World's Last Episode

Today is the 13th anniversary of the last episode of Another World (June 24, 1999). I just wanted to post some thoughts I had about the program.

Thoughts on the 2012 Daytime Emmy Show

Last night (Saturday, June 23, 2012), the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys aired on HLN. Here are my thoughts on the broadcast, which started at 8 PM EDT and ended about 10:08 PM EDT. Prior to this, HLN had a Showbiz Tonight Special on Friday night, and a red carpet show immediately before the awards. On Sunday night, they are rebroadcasting, the red carpet show once, and the actual awards twice.

GH: Kate's Memory Has Returned

This week Kate Howard (Kelly Sullivan) realized why she developed the Connie personality. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but this entry has spoilers and speculation.

Days: Bo is going to Go

Late last week, confirmation came that Peter Reckell is leaving the role of Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives. On Monday (June 18, 2012), Peter tweeted about his feelings on his departure from the program. If you don't want to go on twitter, SOD summarized all of them here. Bo will be on air until some time in October based upon how far in advance Days tapes their episodes.

GL: Springfield Through the Years Disc 3

Here are my thoughts and a summary of the episodes on disc three of the soapclassics.com 20 classic episode Guiding Light release. The episodes on the disk range over a more than 20 year period. What I find amusing is how three holidays were represented: Christmas, the 4th of July and Election Day. The other two episodes focused on milestones: the 15,000 episode and the 70th anniversary in January 2007.

Dallas on TNT

This is just a short write up on the new Dallas. I apologize for any errors as this is extremely stream of consciousness.

GH: Matt Murdered Lisa Niles

On Monday, June 11, Dr. Matt Hunter (Jason Cook) said goodbye to Port Charles after pleading guilty to the murder of Lisa Niles (Brianna Brown). For this crime, Matt will spend five years in Pentonville Prison.

Wishing A Soap Dead

This is going to be one of my speechifying posts. I apologize in advance, but I needed to get this out of my system.

GH: The Baby Switch

On General Hospital, Sam (Kelly Monaco) and Tea (Florencia Lozano) had their babies in a storm outside of GH. Unfortunately, only one child survived. Here are my thoughts on the story so far.

Days: Stefano's Been Shot

On the Friday, June 1, 2012 episode of Days of Our Lives, Stefano (Joe Mascolo) was shot. It was a dark and stormy night in Salem and many of its residents were capable of shooting the Phoenix. Here are my thoughts on what we've seen so far, and this does include a bit of speculation based on spoilers.

Does she or doesn't she? Book

The latest book I've read with a soap opera theme is "Does she or doesn't she?" by Alisa Kwitney. This novel came out in 2003 and is written by someone who never worked in soaps. She does credit soap writer Stephanie Braxton, for teaching her about the genre. Below is a summary with spoilers and some thoughts on this book.

ATWT: James Stenbeck Story DVD Set & a Freebie

Today, May 31, 2012 it was announced that soapclassics.com was releasing yet another As the World Turns set. This one focuses on the character of James Stenbeck, played by Anthony Herrera. The ten episodes in this two disc set are from 1980 - 1989. The free episode was from Friday, November 6, 1987. Below is my summary of this episode.

Emmy News: Best Morning Show Award Last of the Night

Today on twitter @HLNTV announced that the Best Morning Show Award on the Daytime Emmys will be given out last. There are two nominees in this category: ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's The Today Show.

GH: Top 20 List in The Washington Times

General Hospital got on "The List: Top 20 TV medical shows" on The Washington Times website. To see who else was listed click here. To see my thoughts on it being part of the list continue reading.

TV on DVD: Knots Landing Season One

For this long Memorial Day weekend, I took the opportunity to view the first season of Knots Landing, which I purchased on DVD earlier this year during the WeLoveSoaps sale. I've watched very few episodes of this series, so I was going in with little or no expectations. What follows is my summary and thoughts about about the Dallas spinoff, which used to air on SoapNet.

Programming Notes

Two major news items came out in the world of soap operas this week. The first was information on the Daytime Emmys being broadcast on television. The other is how on Memorial Day, the only soap airing a new episode is Days of Our Lives.

GL: Free 1996 Episode

In honor of the last two weeks of Guiding Light being available on a two disc set, soapclassics.com has released the November 25, 1996 episode. This particular show is the follow up episode to the fifth episode on disc one of the Bauer Family DVD.

Y&R: Cassie Newman Tribute Episode

On Thursday May 24, 2012 in the US (May 23 in Canada), "The Young and the Restless" aired an anniversary/tribute episode in honor of the death of Cassie Newman (played by Camryn Grimes). The character passed away in 2005 in a car accident. This summary is not 100% in sequence, but is done based upon who shared scenes.

Good Afternoon America

Today (May 21, 2012) the official announcement of Good Afternoon America was made by ABC click here to read the press release. This is the replacement show for "The Revolution", which was cancelled about four months after replacing One Life to Live. Good Afternoon America is a spinoff of Good Morning America and will air in the 2 PM EDT slot for a nine week period over the summer starting on July 9, 2012.

Days: Will Comes Out & Sami Freaks

On Days of Our Lives this week, Will (Chandler Massey) came out to his parents Lucas (Bryan Datillo) and Sami (Alison Sweeney). This was not a happy occasion as Sami was upset that Will didn't tell them sooner.

B&B: The Continuing Saga of Steffy, Liam & Hope

Recently on "The Bold & The Beautiful" Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), Liam (Scott Clifton) and Hope (Kim Matula) have been dealing with Steffy not agreeing to annul her marriage to Liam. They married under false pretenses, but since the feelings weren’t fake, she felt a divorce with a six month waiting period would be appropriate. This action has caused a lot of conflict for these characters.

Soaps & Get Glue

Getglue.com is a social media site, that I've seen more and more soap fans use to show their interests. The site, which was launched in 2009, allows people to "check-in" to their favorite shows.

ATWT: Special Free Mother's Day Episode

Soapclassics.com posted a free episode from March 31, 1986. This episode aired two days before the 30th anniversary episode of As the World Turns. Here is my summary of the episode. The newest release for ATWT by the company is the last two weeks of the program with the extra option of a script reproduction.

Thoughts on Daytime Emmy Nominations 2012

Here are my thoughts on the Daytime Emmy Nominations for 2012. At this point we do not know if and when the awards will air, but they will be given out in LA. Click here for coverage from the NATAS.

Y&R: Sharon and Victor

On "The Young & the Restless" it seems like they are going to go full force with the controversial pairing of Sharon (Sharon Case) and Victor (Eric Braeden). I was thinking about why this bothers me so much and decided to blog about it.

Dead Ex Book

Dead Ex is a novel that takes place in the world of daytime soap operas. The author Harley Jane Kozak is a soap opera alumni turned author. She appeared on Texas, Santa Barbara (as Sister Mary who was famously killed by the letter C check it out on Youtube) and Guiding Light (as Annabelle Simms a few of her episodes are on the GL collection) in the 1980s.

AMC: Susan Lucci on WWHL

Susan Lucci, otherwise known as Erica Kane to All My Children viewers, was on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live, Thursday night May 3, 2012. The other guest was Mark Ruffalo from "The Avengers".

ATWT: Carly & Jack Collection Disc One

This is my summary of the first disc of the two disc Carly & Jack Collection from As the World Turns.

GH: Kate's Emotional Meltdown

On General Hospital, Kate Howard (Kelly Sullivan) has a serious problem: her alter Connie Falconeri. When Connie graduated from high school, she remade herself as Kate, to become a successful fashion editor. Now Kate has to deal with Connie appearing at the most inopportune times and trying to destroy her relationship with Sonny (Maurice Bernard).

Losing SoapNet

Earlier this week, SoapNet stopped broadcasting in my area. For some reason I'm bummed by it and it brought back my feelings about cancellations.

B&B: Caroline

The newest resident of "The Bold & the Beautiful" is Caroline Spencer (Linsey Godfrey). She moved from New York City to Los Angeles to work at Forrester Creations. Caroline is the daughter of Karen Spencer (Joanna Johnson) and the niece of Ridge's (Ronn Moss) deceased wife Caroline. This entry has some spoilers, so if you don’t read them stop here.

GL: Secrets and Scandals Disc 2

In this entry, I am going to write about my thoughts on the second disc of soapclassics.com Guiding Light release.

GH: Sonny's Found Not Guilty

On the Tuesday, April 17, 2012 episode of General Hospital, Sonny (Maurice Bernard) was found not guilty for various charges in the deaths of Cole Thornhart (Van Hughes) and his daughter, three-year-old Hope Manning Thornhart. The trial and jury deliberation lasted less than a week. Many witnesses were called, but none of them held a smoking gun, which led to his conviction.

GL: Bauer Family DVDs and a Freebie Summary

On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, a new eleven episode "Guiding Light" set was released focusing on the Bauer Family. To promote this, soapclassics.com posted an episode that originally aired on October 21, 1988. Here is a summary on the free episode, which will be posted for a limited time.

GL: Great Weddings Disc 1

In this entry, I am going to write about my thoughts on the first disc of soapclassics.com Guiding Light release.

Y&R: Chelsea Gives Birth

On The Young & The Restless Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan best known as All My Children’s Annie) gave birth to her son with Billy (Billy Miller). The pregnancy and birth was fraught with drama, but the baby is here.

The Revolution is Cancelled

Today Deadline.com has a news about what is going on with ABC Daytime. The Revolution, which replaced One Life to Live is ended in July. It will be replaced with an afternoon version of Good Morning America.

Days: And so it Begins

News came out this afternoon, that the firings have begun. TVGuide.com had an interview with Greg Meng, which discussed generalities about the changes, while Soap Opera Digest had specifics of who has been told that they are being written out of Days of Our Lives.

Swingin' in the Rain Book

This is my quick review of Eileen Davidson’s book “Diva Las Vegas”, which was written in 2011. It is her fourth soap opera mystery novel. Ms. Davidson currently plays Ashley Abbott McCall on the Young and the Restless, but she has also appeared as Ashley on The Bold and the Beautiful. She also appeared in roles on the soap operas Days of Our Lives (Kristen, Susan and more), and Santa Barbara (Kelly Capwell). My summary/review does spoil some information, but does not give away the killer.

OLTL: The Final Two Episodes January 12 & 13, 2012

Here is my very belated summary of the last two episodes of One Life to Live. The episodes felt wistful in tone even if the people involved with the show believed it would continue during its final taping days.

Days: Resetting the Reboot

Today Soap Opera Network posted shocking Days of Our Lives news, the headwriting team has been swapped. Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr. (otherwise known as MarDar) are out and Chris Whitesell and Gary Tomlin are back in the driver's seat.

GH: The Paternity of Sam's Fetus

On today's General Hospital, the paternity of Sam McCall Morgan's (Kelly Monaco) is up for grabs again. It was just revealed that Franco (James Franco) is Jason Morgan's (Steve Burton) half-brother.

GL: Thoughts on Phillip Spaulding Collection

Here are my thoughts on the episodes included in "The Phillip Spaulding Collection" from soapclassics.com SoapCentral.com has recaps of the last two episodes. I am linking to their recap page if someone wants more details.

ATWT: Lily & Holden set & a Freebie

On Friday, March 30, 2012, a new ten episode "As the World Turns" set was released focusing on the characters of Lily and Holden (Martha Byrne and Jon Hensley). To promote this, soapclassics.com posted the ATWT, which originally aired on February 13, 1986. Here is a summary on the free episode, which will be posted for a limited time.

Soap Opera Music

I got a request earlier this week after blogging about the B&B anniversary episode about John McCook's (Eric) singing. The actor had a European music release in the 1990s. If anyone is interested in a track listing visit: http://www.discogs.com/John-McCook-Sings-Bold-And-Beautiful-Lovesongs/release/1063687 I had read about this CD in the 90s in a soap publication, but since it was done for Finland, I've never heard it myself. For more little bit more about soap opera music click read more.

B&B: 25th Anniversary

Today, Monday, March 26, 2012, "The Bold & The Beautiful" aired its 25th anniversary episode, (its anniversary is the 23rd) due to a preemption.

GL: Phillip DVD and a Freebie Summary

A new release of Guiding Light DVD set was announced on Friday. The focus is on the character of Phillip Spaulding, and a free episode was posted on soapclassics.com from June 20, 1983. This entry summarizes the new free episode.

Goodbye Soap Opera Weekly

The news came out today that Soap Opera Weekly will stop publishing and its last issue will be dated April 10, 2011. For more information on this news read SON's take.

GH: Robin's Funeral

General Hospital's Robin Scorpio Drake (Kimberly McCullough) died in an explosion in a hospital lab. As everyone believes, she is dead a funeral was held. It lasted three episodes (March 15, 16 & 19, 2012.)

Soap Assignments Blog: Feb 2012 Questions Part 2

Last month, a new blog called "Soap Assignments" was started that asks questions of viewers about soap operas. I decided for fun to answer them on here. There were nine questions in February, so I plan to answer four in this entry finishing out the month.

Soap Assignments Blog: Feb 2012 Questions Part 1

Last month, a new blog called "Soap Assignments" was started that asks questions of viewers about soap operas. I decided for fun to answer them on here. There were nine questions in February, so I plan to answer five in this entry.

GH: Sonny Versus Todd

At the end of the General Hospital episode that aired on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, the One Life to Live characters returned to Llanview. Blair (Kassie DePaiva), Todd (Roger Howarth) Starr (Kristen Alderson), and John McBain (Michael Easton) were going back to Pennsylvania, though obviously if one reads spoilers this doesn't stick. Here are my thoughts on these recent scenes.

Basketball Preemption

CBS is having their annual preemption for NCAA basketball on Thursday, March 14 and Friday, March 15, 2012. The Young & The Restless and The Bold & The Beautiful won't be on for those two days.

ATWT: Carly and Jack DVD set & a freebie

Last week, soapclassics.com announced a new free episode along with a new set of ten episodes featuring As the World Turns' Jack (Michael Park) and Carly (Maura West) known to viewers as Carjack. Here are my thoughts on the free episode from Tuesday, June 29, 1999.

B&B: Eric and Stephanie Remarry

On the Friday, March 9, 2012 episode of “The Bold & The Beautiful”, Eric (John McCook) and Stephanie (Susan Flannery) were remarried by Gladys (guest star comedienne Phyllis Diller).

GH: The OLTL Takeover

The One Life to Live “takeover” of General Hospital has begun. This entry has spoilers, so please don’t continue if you don’t want to read more.

Preemptions Tuesday March 6, 2012

Today CBS preempted The Bold & the Beautiful, while NBC didn’t air Days of Our Lives. So spoilers, which are glossed over in this post for the next issue or two of the soap publications will be wrong.

GH: The New Opening Credits

On March 5, 2012, General Hospital premiered new opening credits, here are my thoughts on them.

Thoughts on the Emmy Pre-nominations 2012

Here are my thoughts on the pre-nominations. The biggest rule change was performers had to submit a two minute clip to be judged on to get past this round, and people would not get an automatic prenom if they were the only person from a particular show in that category.

Streaming ATWT

Over the weekend, news was released that As the World Turns is streaming online legally. All one has to do is sign up with their name and valid email address to watch these free episodes on the web.

GL: Thoughts on the Reva Shayne Collection

Here are my thoughts and a summary on Soapclassics.com release of five episodes focusing on the character of Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer). I’m only writing about the first three episodes of the release. Within my text, there will be links to summaries to the other two episodes for those who did not buy the DVD.

Pinning and Soaps

The latest online tool that I’ve started to do is use pinterest.com. The social networking visual bookmarking site is one of the fastest growing websites online.

Glee: Season Three Through the Winter Finale

Today was the last episode of the first half of Glee for the 2011-2012-television season. The next episode is scheduled for April 10. This entry covers only aired episodes, so if someone hasn’t seen all the episodes stop reading.

Denigrated Genres

This is my take on an article One Life to Live: Denigrated Media Cultures
 by John Vanderhoef. To read the article I am responding to click here. Thanks goes to SON administrator Scotty for sharing this article.

Days: Alice's Secrets

Even though Alice Horton passed away after Frances Reid perished, the character is still part of story on Days of Our Lives. This entry talks about how the latest secret Alice kept and how it is impacting the program.

Y&R: A Tale of Three Weddings

Recently on “The Young & The Restless”, three weddings were held. One has a happy occasion, but the others were a lot more tragic. What follows are summaries of what happened in chronological order.

Soapsuds Book

Finola Hughes (Anna on General Hospital and All My Children though she played Alex for a short time on AMC also), along with Digby Diehl wrote Soapsuds, which was published in 2005. The novel is about the life of a British actress who ends on a California based soap opera Live for Tomorrow. There are spoilers about the novel in this, so don’t read this if you don’t want to know.

GL: Reva Five Episode DVD and a Valentine's Freebie

On Friday, February 10, 2012, Soapclassics.com released a new DVD for sale featuring the character of Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer). They’ve also posted a free episode from February 1984 (episode number 9397) featuring a party at the Lakeland Country Club, which I’ve summarized.

Dark Shadows on DVD

Just wanted to post an entry about Dark Shadows coming to DVD, as somehow I didn't write about that.

B&B: Liam Chooses Hope

On the Bold and the Beautiful, Liam (Scott Clifton) chose to end his marriage with Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) to be with Hope (Kim Matula).

Days: Will Outs Sami

On the Friday, February 3rd, 2012 episode of Days of Our Lives, Will (Chandler Massey) confronted his mother Sami (Alison Sweeney) about her betrayal of her husband Rafe (Galen Gering).

TV on DVD: Wildfire Season One

Wildfire aired on ABC Family for four seasons for a total of 52 episodes. This blog entry is about season one, which I recently purchased and watched on DVD. This is a general overview of the first season, which ended with a cliffhanger.

B&B: Pam's Game Show Love Brings Her Down

On “The Bold and the Beautiful”, Pam (Alley Mills) stole designs due to her losing Stephen. Nick (Jack Wagner) romanced her and she gave them to him to save Jackie M (Lesley Ann Down). Pam’s actions were discovered due to her appearance with Nick on Let’s Make a Deal.

Days: PTSD Episode

On Thursday, January 26, 2012, Days of Our Lives aired a special episode that ended with a dedication to those in the armed services. The focus was about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how it affected members of the military.

OLTL: The First Weeks Without OLTL Sucked

Last week, I got a search result with the following term “the first day without OLTL sucked". So I named this One Life to Live topic in honor of that. Though I am still composing my opus on the last two episodes, I wanted to write a short blurb.

Dirty Soap Dead!

Jenna Gering (aka @jennagering) tweeted today that E! has not picked up a second season of Dirty Soap.

Reach for a Star

Deadline.com has a story about the newest soap, Nickelodeon is going to be airing a new production called Reach for A Star. Click here to read the details.

TV on DVD: Hotel

One of my recent purchases was season one of the television show Hotel that reran SoapNet. It was an Aaron Spelling production that aired in the 1980s for five seasons. During most of its run it came on after Dynasty on ABC.

GL: DVDs are released & a Free Episode

On the occasion of the first (and hopefully not last) set of Guiding Light from www.soapclassics.com an old episode was released from August 26, 1983. Here is a summary and my thoughts on it. I wasn’t watching back in 1983, but I am familiar with just about every actor or character based on what I saw years later whether it was on GL or from watching other soaps on CBS, ABC, or NBC.

GH: TVGuide mention of GH Coming to ABC Prime Time

There was a quick blurb in the print edition of TVGuide, which features the NCIS 200th episode. Click here to read it online.

SOPA

Today there is an on-line strike due to the US House of Representatives and Senate and the SOPA and PIPA bills. If passed into law, these bills would change the web forever.

OLTL: Discussing The View Tribute

While I’ve watched the last two episodes of One Life to Live, I’m not yet ready to write about them. Instead I’ve decided to write about the January 13, 2012 episode of The View that was a tribute to OLTL.

Diva Las Vegas Book

This is my quick review of Eileen Davidson’s book “Diva Las Vegas”, which was written in 2010. It is her third soap opera mystery novel, (one additional book came out in 2011.) Ms. Davidson currently plays Ashley Abbott McCall on the Young and the Restless, but she has also appeared as Ashley on The Bold and the Beautiful. She also appeared in roles on the soap operas Days of Our Lives (Kristen, Susan and more), and Santa Barbara (Kelly Capwell). My summary/review does spoil some information, but does not give away the killer.

OLTL: Thoughts on January 9-11, 2012

This is my summary of the first three days of the final week of One Life to Live. I plan on doing another post on the last two episodes.

Casting Casting Casting

The soap fan world was set ablaze with recent casting decisions for 2012 .

Random Soap News

Just wanted to make an entry about some recent Soap Opera related news.

OLTL: The Prisoners' Escape

The penultimate week of One Life to Live focused on a prison escape. After leaving Statesville due to a temporary blackout they had engineered, the former Llanview residents visited with the objects of their affections or rather their obsessions.

Likes and Yikes 2011

Here is my version of best and worst for 2011. There are some things I've enjoyed this past year, while others had me shaking my head in confusion.

TV on DVD: Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey ran for one season (2002-2003) on the WB (now the CW). The program was based off of some characters from the DC Comics universe. I started watching it because of its time slot years ago, but found it entertaining enough to want to watch it again.

2011 Year in Review

This is my stream of consciousness style review of the six daytime soap operas that aired in 2011. These are short and sweet and under 150 words each.

OLTL: Nine Episodes to Go

There are only nine episodes of One Life to Live left to air. This week we have four shows, and next week there are five. The program is in wrap up phase, but it wasn’t written as an ending exactly. I’m concerned and feeling the end being near. It hit me last week, and the feeling of dread as begun.

New Year's Resolutions for 2012

Here are my 2012 New Year's Resolutions when it comes to this blog, entertainment, and serialized programming in general. Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and safe 2012.

OLTL: SoapNet New Year's Day Marathon Part 1

This weekend SoapNet is airing a 14 hour marathon of One Life to Live episodes. The programs date from 1979-2010. I am going to summarize the episodes in 3 parts. Part one will focus on the three episodes from 1979, 1987 and 1988. Part two will be the episodes from the 1990s. Part three will be episodes that aired after 2000.