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Face Off and Ex-Passions, McKenzie Westmore speaks out on the decline of daytime soaps!

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Photo Credit: Getty Images

One of On-Air On-Soaps favorite people in the business, McKenzie Westmore, chatted with Zap2it.com about the success of the Syfy channel’s Wednesday night special-effects-makeup competition Face Off.  The series hosted by Westmore has just been renewed for another season!  During her interview, the most emotionally charged moments occurred when Westmore discussed the decline of the daytime soap genre, since her time at Passions as the lead of the show, Sheridan Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald, and how heartbreaking it is for the fans to see the downfall of the once almighty form of afternoon entertainment.

McKenzie stated on the downward spiral of the soap world: “We started to see the decline, even on Passions, as budgets started to get cut and things dissipated. It started toward the end of when we were going off the air, and to see it as it continued was heartbreaking to me.  I even bounced over to All My Children for a little bit, when it was still based in New York. I went over and did about six months there, and it was so sad to me to see them just go down in flames. I started on a soap opera at 20 years old with a three-year contract, then over the course of time, it became nine years total. It was a blessing for me.”

Westmore added, “There are so many fans who love the genre, and they’re not getting the payoff they deserve. I wish there was a way to revive some of these shows, though I know the Internet isn’t the way. Passions was ahead of its time in some ways. There are times when I watch True Blood and it’s Passions, but with the cable backing so they can go a little farther.”

What do you think about McKenzie’s comments about fans not getting the payoff they deserve? Do you think Passions in some ways was ahead of its time? Post your thoughts!

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Mackenzie has hit the nail on the head. The fans are not getting what they want. Great interview Michael!

She is so correct.

didnt watch passions ,but I agree with everything she said ,and dont understand the reason the networks think the soaps are dead,in the daytime ,but they will thrive in prime time ,I dont watch that many shows in the evening,right now I have 3 that I watch,will watch american horror story in the fall and yes I will watch dallas this summer,I am looking forward to see jr ,bobby, sue ellen ,why abc canceled all my children and one life to live is a mystery to me and I know there are alot of different reasons behind there decision which in the long run will hurt abc ,abc use to be a class network and now with all there reality, talk and food shows. I want to get away from all of that not watch a few idiots tell me how to live my life ,and these idiots that are hosting the chew and the revolution cant and wont replace the cast of one life to live and all my children .

I loved Passions. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that storylines were often unresolved. I also think at the end of its run the storylines were sometimes just too icky for my taste. But it was a really fun show most of its run. It was so fun I read a really good book based on a “prequal” story of the main characters and enjoyed that very much too.

Mackenzie and the rest of the cast rocked. We also enjoy Face-Off, especially my 11-year-old son. Good thing SyFy isn’t owned by ABC/D 🙂

I agree Passions was ahead of its time and the same could be said for “Port Charles.” Personally, I’m not interested in vampires and all that, but a lot of people are.

Glad that “Face Off” has been renewed for a second season. Started watching it this season and I really enjoy it. Mckenzie does a great job as host.

So agree.The audience is there for television.CBS is having success with Y&R and abc was with there soaps to but chose to pissed off fans and dump them.Now aBC is ina ratings trouble.Faithful fans keep a network going.When you turn your back on them you loose millions.

Passions was ahead of its time. It’s the only soap to do a gay storyline about “down low” men and actually show very racy sex scenes that even shocked me! Passions is definitely missed!

All My Children

Carol Burnett Talks About Being a Superfan of ‘All My Children’ on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’

In a heartfelt reunion, of sorts, the one and only Carol Burnett appeared on Monday March 25th episode of Live with Kelly and Mark.

Burnett had first met Kelly Ripa (Hayley) and Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo) back when they all appeared on All My Children together. Carol played Verla Grubbs first in 1983 and then again in the 90’s.

Host Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC) noted to Burnett that “we go back a long time”. She also described Burnett’s character of Verla Grubbs, “extraordinary in every way.”

Carol’s love for All My Children is well-documented, hence legendary soap creator, Agnes Nixon, created the role of Verla for Burnett.

Photo: ABC

Speaking on how her passion for All My Children began, Carol told Kelly and Mark, “It started with my kids. They would watch at noon. I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ I sat down and I started to watch and I got hooked!”

When Carol’s family decided to travel through Europe during one summer, the comedic legend recalled thinking, “How am I going to last if I don’t know what’s going on in Pine Valley?” She revealed she had a friend, “who sent me a telegram to the (different hotels) on Fridays to bring me up to date.”

Photo: ABC

In a hilarious moment from the segment, Carol recalled receiving a late night telegram while in Lake Cuomo when there was a knock at her hotel room door from the hotel manager who was shaking.

Carol related what it said, “Erica is still in a coma. Mark slipped again and ran away from rehab.” As Kelly and Mark broke into laughter, Burnett continued, “Chuck has learned that Donna is carrying his baby, who was once a hooker.”

Check out Carol explaining how she became an AMC Superfan below.

Now, let us know, did you enjoy Carol as Verla Grubbs? What show do you consider yourself a Superfan of? Tell us in the comment section.

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All My Children

Malachy McCourt, ‘Ryan’s Hope’ and ‘All My Children’ Actor, Dead at 92

If you watched Ryan’s Hope through its 14-year-run, you know that Kevin the bartender became a beloved “member’ of the Ryan clan on the defunct ABC daytime drama series. The character of Kevin MacGuiness became so loved by the fans because of the actor who portrayed him, Malachy McCourt.

Sadly, according to his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times, Malachy passed away on Monday from a heart condition and battling cancer. The actor was 92-years-old.

Playing Kevin on Ryan’s Hope was not much of a stretch for McCourt, because in his lifetime, he was the owner of 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan. Known as one of the city’s great story-tellers, patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris would stop in and talk all things Irish with . On Ryan’s Hope, Kevin was best friends to “Ryan’s Bar” owner, Johnny Ryan (Bernie Barrow) and he tried to keep Delia (Ilene Kristen) on the straight and narrow.

Photo: ABC

In his soap opera career, McCourt also was widely-known for his role of Father Clarence McCourt on All My Children especially come Christmastime. Was Clarence, actually St. Nick? That was always the proverbial question. McCourt also appeared on the New York soaps: One Life To Live, Search For Tomorrow and Another World. Other roles included: Devil’s Own, Brewster’s Millions, The Molly Maguires, and Starman, to name 

Later in 2006, Malachy ran for governor of the state of New York as a Green Party candidate. He tackled social issues of the time including being an advocate for gay and lesbian groups to march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Photo: ABC

McCourt’s childhood was recounted within his brother Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, which detailed their mother’s attempt to raise the four of their surviving seven children in poverty in Limerick, Ireland. Later, Malachy wrote his own memoirs: 1998’s Monk Swimming, and 2000’s Singing My Him Song.

Malachy is survived by his aforementioned wife, Diana, daughter Siobhan McCourt; sons Malachy Jr., Conor and Cormac; stepdaughter Nina Galin; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Share you remembrances and condolences for Malachy McCourt via the comment section, but first check out this scene from a 1983 episode of “Ryan’s Hope” featuring the late actor with Ilene Kristen.

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All My Children

‘Live with Kelly and Mark’s’ Annual ‘After the Oscars’ Show Brings Backstage Interviews, Fashion Review and Red Carpet Arrivals from Movie’s Biggest Night

Monday morning, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the talk show’s annual Oscar post show.

However, this time it would be Consuelos’ first time as the co-host of ‘Live’ for an Oscars episode. Mark took over the gig from Ryan Seacrest to team with his wife back in April of 2023 and since then the show has seen a ratings spike hitting several all-time highs.

The After the Oscars show opened with a tribute to the movies were the former All My Children stars took on iconic roles from: Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct to Barbie and Ken in Barbie, to the Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller role’s in the romantic comedy Something About Mary and more.

Courtesy/DisneyABC

During After the Oscars, Kelly and Mark were shown in clips backstage as the first stop for the newly-anointed Academy Award winners including: Finneas and Billie Eilish and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The Bachelor host, Jesse Palmer was the talk show’s guest correspondent who spoke to the nominees, and celebrities as they were entering the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.

Singer Andy Grammar took to the stage and performed on Live’s  After the Oscars show as well, and Project Runaway’s Elaine Welteroth shared her thoughts on the night’s Oscar fashion.

You can watch the full ‘Live with Kelly and Mark After the Oscars’ show below, plus the full movie parody below that. Now let us know, what do you think of Kelly and Mark’s first post-Oscar show together on ‘Live’? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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