News
B&B Writers: Brad Bell, Patrick Mulcahey & Tracey Ann Kelley Chat On First GLAAD Media Award Nomination!
Courtesy/CBS
The Bold and the Beautiful’s executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, and two members of his writing team, who are part of the LGBT community, Patrick Mulcahey and Tracey Ann Kelly, spoke with On-Air On-Soaps Michael Fairman for an exclusive interview at FrontiersLA.com about their GLAAD Media Award nomination for the writing and the portrayal of the “My Two Moms” storyline, a first for the soap in its 26-year history!
Creating the story of same-sex parents Karen and Dani, played by Joanna Johnson and Crystal Chappell, and their accepting daughter, Caroline played by Linsey Godfrey, and the lack of LGBT representation on network soap operas, are just some of the topics covered in the interview.
B&B will be competing with Days of our Lives in the Outstanding Daily Drama Series category which will be handed out in ceremonies in Los Angeles on April 20th. Here now are some excerpts from the interview with Brad, Patrick, and Tracey, as we take a look at how writers construct an important story of our time and raise awareness for the masses at home.
Courtesy/CBS
Patrick on how the storyline of “My Two Moms” came into being: “This all came from Brad, although we talked about, ‘Is this the time?’ I don’t know about anybody else, but we would bring in gay characters on the soaps in the 80’s and 90’s and they would come in for five days and weep and then someone would love and accept them, and then they would go away forever. I am sick of that, and I never wanted to do that. Brad seemed to never want to do that, either. So the trick was to find the right core family member – so it’s a familial story, yet a social story. I do remember nagging Brad going, ‘Why is Caroline’s name ‘Spencer’? Where is her father? If her mother’s name is ‘Spencer’? Finally Brad said, ‘She’s got two mothers!'”
Brad on if it bothered him that a soap about the fashion industry never had a gay character on the canvas: ” I think it bothered all of us and it bothers me, and it still does. There are certainly, as you point out in fashion, room for more gay characters. It’s something I really look forward to doing, especially with Joanna who is so talented in many ways, but she really has been unavailable to us for much of this story, which at times is frustrating, but she is hard at work producing the new primetime series, The Fosters!”
Courtesy/CBS
Patrick and Tracey if they are frustrated not seeing more gay characters represented on daytime soaps: “I identify with the characters we have on our canvas … with Taylor, Brooke with Eric, for example. To me, it’s about what we say all the time. I honestly believe it, ‘Love is love.’ When we are in the middle of writing people’s relationships and their tangled defenses, fears, and desires to belong, I feel right at home in that milieu. Also, there is an awareness of our audience. The pedigree of soap operas is about heterosexual romance, and that is what the audience sort of clamors for. If we had a different dial of audience, we might choose to show the characters differently, but we have the audience we have. We like to keep them happy, and have fun with them.” TRACEY: “I was personally thrilled to see my life portrayed on the show that I worked for. I was deeply gratified to see my life, and my daughter’s life, portrayed on daytime television.”
Brad’s initial reaction to the writing team receiving their first GLAAD Media Award Nomination: “It was great and so exciting! I was so happy for everyone involved. I am proud of the story. I felt we built the story to Bill Spencer Jr’s (Don Diamont’s) reaction of his sister’s sexuality. We knew that Bill’s father was ignorant and oppressive. So we wondered if Don Diamont’s next generation Bill would feel the same way? As it turns out, he was mature and evolved enough that if you fight nature it’s no good for anyone. It seems with Bill readily accepting his sister, and her relationship with another woman, we were trying to lead by example for any of the viewers who are not on board, and hopefully change their way of thinking by watching Bill and how he dealt with the situation.”
Courtesy/CBS
Patrick on if there might ever be an evolution of a daytime gay soap: “I wonder if there is another evolution to come? Remember back in the days when the interracial romance was taboo? You could have black characters, and you could have white characters, but the audience wasn’t ready for it and all the b**s. I wonder if that is going to happen with gay characters on daytime right now, because they will only be able to interact romantically with each other. Can you imagine three main gay characters on one show on maybe an hour soap? I can’t! So there is going to be this ghetto, until somebody breaks convention and creates the genre of Gay Soap.”
Make sure to read the entire interview and candid conversation at FrontiersLA.com. What do you think about Brad, Patrick, and Tracey’s comments? What are your thoughts on the “My Two Moms” storyline? Do you think there might ever come a time when we see a daytime network television gay soap opera? What do you feel about the representation of the LGBT community in daytime? Weigh-in!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali on a Potential Kai/Trina/Gio/Emma Quadrangle, ‘I Don’t Think That’s Impossible, But That Would Be Messy’
On recent episodes of General Hospital, music executive Simon Craft (Grady Eldridge) has been pushing and demanding that Trina (Tabyana Ali) and Gio (Giovanni Mazza) play up a faux relationship when they are onstage, or in front of the camera, to add to their allure as new recording artists to his label.
Simon knows full well that Gio is dating Emma (Braedyn Bruner), and Trina is with Kai (Jens Austin Astrup). It was apparent from the start, that Kai seemed a bit more comfortable with the “arrangement” understanding this was for business, and not pleasure, while Emma initially didn’t like the idea.
Now with Trina’s stalker story in full gear, and as fans eventually find out who is completely obsessed with the budding young singer, while initially seeming to be Simon that would seem to be too easy of a choice. But is GH toying with the idea that somehow Gio and Trina get stuck in a situation and one thing leads to another and they develop feelings one another, too?
Photo: ABC
SIMON’S MANUEVERS
In addition, after Curtis (Donnell Turner) and Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) beatdown at Pentonville, where everyone is accusing Sonny (Maurice Benard) of ordering the deed, will this find Gio and Trina on the same side, believing it’s Sonny, or will Gio end up sticking by his grandfather when by week’s end he was also questioning if he was telling the truth?
During a new conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel, Tabyana Ali shared her thoughts that if Gio and Trina were pushed closer together, what that would mean for their relationships with Emma and Kai, respectively.
Photo: ABC
MUSICAL CHAIRS?
Pondering the soap staple, Tabyana exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness. Who knows? I mean, quite honestly, I don’t think it’s it’s impossible, but, oh, wow! That would be messy!” Ali added that its something that could be quite intriguing to play. “There’s a part of me that wants it to happen just to see, how does it play out? Right? Then, there’s another part of me that’s like, “You can’t do that to Emma and Kai.” That’s so wrong,” believed Ali.
However, Tabyana did admit a complicated love story wasn’t far from her mind. “Originally, I wanted something like a quadrangle. I really wanted that to happen. And if this is a moment where it could happen, I think that would be fun too.”
When asked to tease what’s coming up for Trina in the next several weeks, she offered up three words. Things for her will “(get) Suspicious, (be ) spontaneous, (and) very dangerous.”
So, do you think the GH writing team is teeing up a situation where Trina and Gio become more than friends and musical artists together? Would you be down for it, or be against it? do you like Emma with Gio and Kai with Trina? Share your thoughts via the comment section, nd in case you missed it, check our chat with Tabyana below.
All My Children
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
On the Friday, October 2 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the morning talk show marked the 56th birthday of Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley Vaughan Santos, All My Children).
During the opening segment, Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo Santos, All My Children) humorously comparing his wife to both Gandhi and Groucho Marx, reflecting on both her comedic ability and peaceful ways.
Later, they went on to discuss the origins of her name and the most popular picks to name babies back in the year she was born, 1970. They were Kimberly, Lisa, and Jennifer for girls and Michael, David, and James for the boys.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Ripa recalled that she learned she was almost named Kim. However, their neighbors at the time had two daughters Kelly and Kim, which is what her parents wanted to call them, but they settled on Kelly and and her younger sister, Linda.
At the conclusion of the episode, Mark rolled out a huge cake for his wife. It was, “Happy birthday from all of us here at Live and at home.” Next, he cut the cake, and Ripa grabbed his face and gave him a “thank you” kiss.
Photo: JPI
KELLY AND MARK TRIED TO KEEP THEIR VEGAS WEDDING ON THE DOWN LOW
All of this brings back memories of how Kelly and Mark’s Las Vegas wedding ceremony went public in 1996 while the two were still on All My Children playing Mateo Santos and Hayley Vaughan. In essence, they were outed by then radio host Wendy Williams! They discussed it on the talk show back in 2024.
In fact, the duo hid their marriage from their All My Children castmates for months, until they found out Williams got wind of the nuptials and spread the intel on the airwaves.
The two recalled their secret wedding on a 2024 episode of Live! “We’d eloped. It’d been a few months at that point. We’d been married for three months, nobody at All My Children knew we were even dating, much less married to each other. We’re brushing our teeth and we’ve got Wendy Williams’ radio show on. We’re listening, and she’s like, ‘I’ve got celebrity dish!”
EYEWITNESS
Next Ripa continued, “The celebrities,’ I guess they had a broad use of the term back then, was the fact that ‘two soap stars from All My Children, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in Las Vegas.’ There was this eyewitness that worked in the Clark County courthouse that said we eloped, and the news broke, and we had to tell everybody we were married.”
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for times in your area.
Share your birthday wishes for Kelly in the comment section, and let us know your thoughts on how Wendy Williams broadcast the news, unbeknownst to the All My Children newlyweds, that they tied the knot in Vegas? Check out Mark and the ‘Live’ studio audience singing ‘happy birthday’ to Kelly in the post below.
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Beyond the Gates
TUNE-IN: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Banneker Homecoming Episodes, EP Sheila Ducksworth Speaks on Impact HBCUs Have in Real Life
As previously reported, kicking off today, is a two-part Beyond the Gates, when The Duprees gather to celebrate Banneker University’s homecoming weekend.
The producers and writers are taking an opportunity to spotlight the rich traditions of the long-held tradition of attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through its fictional university.
The episodes are today on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Friday, October 2 and next week on Monday, October 5, where in true Beyond the Gates fashion, there will be some surprising drama that ensues when someone shows up!
Photo: CBS
BANNEKER REFLECTS THE IMPORTANCE OF HBCUS
Sheila Duckworth, (executive producer, Beyond the Gates) spoke to Soaps.com to give some insight on the decision for the series to illustrate the ties that bind with HBCUs.
“It was important that we have this school as almost a character on our canvas, right from the beginning. Beyond even education, HBCUs have been pivotal when it comes to everything from economic progression and fostering a sense of community to the development of leadership skills,” explained Ducksworth. “From the beginning, we wanted to illustrate that what the Duprees are able to do in the world was a direct reflection of the impact HBCU’s have in real life.”
EVERYTHING HAS ITS PURPOSE
The EP talked about how purposeful the elements that integrate Banneker into the overall story of Beyond the Gates are including: the Dupree family door knocker that is a lion, the mascot for the fictional university, plus, the upcoming fight song that the cast will sing together on the Monday, October 5 episode, and the painting the hangs at Fairmont Crest.
That portrait of Vernon Dupree’s (Clifton Davis) father, George Cheeks Dupree, that hangs prominently at the country club, was named after CBS executive George Cheeks (now Chairman of TV and Media, Paramount), and as Ducksworth says of the legacy of Vernon’s father, “He was the architect of Fairmont Crest.”
So, are you looking forward to these episodes honoring HBCU traditions with the Dupree and the Richardson clans? What surprises do you think might be in store come next week? Let us know via the comment section below.
TUNE-IN: ‘Tracker’ Season 4 Premiere Starring Justin Hartley
‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali on a Potential Kai/Trina/Gio/Emma Quadrangle, ‘I Don’t Think That’s Impossible, But That Would Be Messy’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: After Carter Blurts Out That ‘Implantation and Fertilization’ Has Begun to Daphne; Will Steffy Put the Brakes on His Scheme?
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Honors HBCU Tradition with Banneker University Homecoming Episodes
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‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali on a Potential Kai/Trina/Gio/Emma Quadrangle, ‘I Don’t Think That’s Impossible, But That Would Be Messy’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: After Carter Blurts Out That ‘Implantation and Fertilization’ Has Begun to Daphne; Will Steffy Put the Brakes on His Scheme?
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
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Very good interview.
The storyline on B&B is a complete joke now you see them now you don’t good excuse Brad for the actress Joanna Johnson not being available then don’t start something you can’t finish but typical of B&B. I do not watch Days but I hear from others for B&B to even be in the running against Days is another big joke.
I would feel better about this recognition and cheer loudly if the My Two Moms story was even close to the front burner. Points for trying, Mr. Bell.
There should be some consistency on the show, when it comes to the two moms. I think Brad Bell
had the right idea !
Nominated for what? This storyline quickly was pushed to the backburner. If they are aware that this soap takes place in the fashion world and in LA then maybe they need to add more gay characters. Complete joke to be nominated for a soap that has no gay characters.
It does not appear to be organic whenever hollywood creates majority of its lgbt storylines. It feels like it’s written for publicity and awards from lgbt groups. It would be organic if those lesbian chars from b&b were from the fashion business. But they’re not. Wasn’t joana’s background what made brad bell write the lesbian chars? Doesn’t joana have an adopted African american child and other adopted children who are racial minorities? They really should have cast caroline w/ a racial minority actress if joana’s background was used to create this storyline. But the old caroline was always described as the classy char. At least she was classy for soap standards. There has never been a classy and rich racial minority char on b&b. That’s one of the many aspects of b&b w/c made me quit watching it. There are gay and lesbian chars on gh and amc and b&b and days who are majority white. Yet there is still such a lack of racial minorities who are leading chars. There are no Asian american chars on any of the day soaps! b&b already has lesbian chars and yet there are still no Asian american cast members. Yet the population of l.a. has more Asian americans than African americans according to pew research. Most lgbt storylines from hollywood are very preachy and screaming tolerance for gays. The lgbt storylines from hollywood feel very politicized and forced. There’s a romantic storyline on”carrie diaries” for 2 white gay guys of course. Ratings flop “carrie diaries” showrunner mentioned that she wrote
a romantic storyline between 2 gay guys who are white precisely bec of
issue of same gender marriage. Yet that tv show is set during a period where same gender marriage between 1.7% of american population is not even a political issue. That flop show is set during the 80s! How much more obviously political can hollywood get? Giggles.
I am very happy to see LGBT representation on B&B and I think it is fabulous to see a child that has two moms or two dads and it be a normal situation. I am also glad Bill was accepting of the relationship and did not go ape shit. I would love to see more of Danielle too!