Days Of Our Lives
EXCLUSIVE: Melissa Archer DAYS Exit Interview: How She Was Told She Was Let-Go, Serena's Story With Elephant Statues, Blood Diamonds, Eric, and Xander!
Photo Credit: Simon Gluckman
Back in April of this year soap fans learned that Melissa Archer had been pink-slipped by Days of our Lives. The actress, who shot to daytime drama fame playing the role of the feisty Natalie Buchanan on One Life to Live, came to the NBC series to play Serena Mason, a former flame of Eric Brady’s (Greg Vaughan). Serena had a back-story with the former priest while both characters were living and working in Africa.
Archer, who made her DAYS debut in early December of 2014, will exit the Salem canvas in the coming weeks, and since DAYS shoots six months ahead of their airdates, Melissa completed her time with the series back in early spring of this year. But now for the first time, Melissa breaks her silence in this exclusive interview with On-Air On-Soaps to address: how she was let-go, what went down behind the scenes on her last day, if she was a casualty of a renewed focus for the series 50th anniversary push, and the writing regime change at the top, her DAYS experience with her co-stars, and the ups and downs of being a working actor in Hollywood, and in particular, in the world of soaps.
As for Serena’s storyline – there was definitely an “elephant in the room”, literally! Archer’s main story surrounded trying to get her hands on an elephant statue that carried within it blood diamonds. Viewers then learned her connection to Paul Telfer’s Xander, and that this once seeming viable love interest for Eric was actually not on the up and up. After all of Serena’s secrets finally came to light, she was hell-bent on making sure Eric did not end up with the love of his life, Nicole (Arianne Zucker)! And this week on DAYS, she tried to decimate the duo by going to Nicole’s fiancé, Dr. Daniel Jonas (Shawn Christian), to tell him that the two had sex! However, her plan went sort of south, when she saw Daniel’s reaction to the news.
So, now what’s a girl to do now? In this candid chat, Melissa previews: the final leg of her DAYS storyline, addresses her mighty fan base who have stuck with her through thick and thin, takes a look back at Serena’s Salem relationships, and even weighs-in if she would jump at the chance to work again with exiting General Hospital, and former One Life to Live co-star, Michael Easton (Silas GH & John OLTL). Here’s what Melissa shared.
Nobody who is a fan of your work wants to see, or hear that you were let-go from a show. So, how did you find out that you were leaving Days of our Lives? How did it all go down, and who had the responsibility of informing you of this decision?
Courtesy/DAYS
MELISSA: I found out after work one day. They called me up to the offices, and our producer Albert Alaar told me the show would be moving in a different direction, and that I would be done in four weeks. He was very pleasant the way he related this to me, and to be “fired” was actually a pleasant experience. It didn’t feel like a “firing”, it felt more like a lay-off with the way the storyline was going, and that there were a lot of changes happening behind the scenes. In the end, we were complimentary towards each other. I had so much fun working on the show, and Albert was saying how much they enjoyed me and my work. This wasn’t obviously anything about me, it’s just business. I have been around long enough to know how it works. (Laughs)
You had been on OLTL as Natalie for many years, and I am sure it was not easy to hear that you were being given the pink slip at DAYS. However, you seemed to come out of this feeling OK about the whole experience.
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: I was OK. I think it’s one of those things, and I say this, and I hope I am right about this. I like to see the whole picture in things, and it’s not about me. Granted; wouldn’t it be great if we could all go out and get an acting job that lasts for a million years? Sure, it would be great, but that’s not the business I work in. I was very fortunate to work on One Life to Live for ten years. That doesn’t happen with every acting gig. A lot of what we do is job-to-job-to-job, and if you take it to heart, and take it personally, I feel you are setting yourself up for a lot of pain in this business A lot of what we do is job-to-job-to-job, and if you take it to heart, and take it personally, I feel you are setting yourself up for a lot of pain in this business. It’s just the way it works. and you have to go in knowing that. The best advice I was given when I started on OLTL was from Mark Derwin (Ex-Ben). Mark told me never look at your time on the show any longer than your contract cycle. Back then I was 21, and I thought that seems very sad – you get your first contract and it seems like you’re going to be on a show forever – but he was right. It happens a lot in our business, and in order for the show to stay on they have to change story, they have to do things, and take stories a certain way, and if something makes the whole picture better then they are going to do it. That is what they should do, because we are an ensemble. I had such an amazing time on DAYS. Everyone was truly incredible, including the powers-that-be. I could not have been happier, and felt more at home. I enjoyed it. I felt it was mutual, and so that was good, too.
In the video interview we did together when you first came on to DAYS, you revealed you did not know much of what the plans were for the character of Serena, and what the initial intent of your storyline would be.
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: I did not know when I first started. I did not know where the story was going until the elephant stuff, and we had been talking about it on-air for quite a bit. So, I went to Lisa de Cazotte, who was the producer at the time, and said, (laughs) “Can you tell me a little bit about the elephant and what is going on?” And she told me that it was about blood diamonds.
Did you suspect that inside the elephant statue were hidden blood diamonds? What did you think was going on? (Laughs)
MELISSA: The only reason I suspected it was what could be small enough to fit in the elephant statue, and because of the Africa link in the storyline. Then, I found out where I was headed with that, which was an interesting thing. The most difficult part of playing Serena was finding the moments of truth, and what she actually felt about Eric (Greg Vaughan) vs. her agenda. Was her agenda for her own selfishness, or was she afraid? Perhaps, it was a little bit of both? I don’t really know other than the choices I make. As the actress you kind of read along and go, “Oh, O.K. Maybe that’s not where it’s going,” but I tried to make her feelings for Eric sincere. Sadly, Serena’s agenda, like any of us when we have something else in mind, hurt the ones we love the most.
Fans were thinking, with the announcement of you coming to DAYS that you were actually going to be a real viable love interest for Eric. Is that what you were thinking you were going to be?
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: Yes, I did. But it was fun to have this other agenda, and have these other things going on. It’s always fun to play a bit of a devious character. I wanted to balance her, and I did not want her to be an evil character. I just wanted her to be true to whatever she was, and in the moment her selfishness, or fear, and or both, were outweighing the good at times. I think her decisions and choices were questionable.
People were clearly not digging this elephant statue story. Did you get the sense that viewers, and the fans were not into this story?
MELISSA: Yes! A couple of times on Twitter someone tagged me on something, and then I knew. I am not going to lie, I was not surprised. When you have a character that comes into a main family and is about to hurt that main family member, or that well-loved character, the fans are going to be protective, as well they should be. That is part of storytelling. There are characters that come in for a storyline purpose and fulfill that.
Do you think there has been a change from the DAYS fans perspective on the character of Serena, where they have come around to liking her a bit more? If so, what do you think was the turning point?
Photo Credit: NBC
MELISSA: I do think so, and pretty much it happened after the story came out and all the characters knew what Serena was up to, and then the story started moving. She didn’t have to hide who she was anymore because the truth was out. Serena was no longer playing this game where she had to pretend, and for the most part at that point, being herself. I think ‘herself’ is a lot more interesting to play, then when she is trying to hide. There were so many months of her hiding, and so many months of things that none of the other characters were seeing. It was obvious what she was doing, to some extent, since the beginning, I could see why it became frustrating at some point to the viewers. The reality is, as in life, people just want to know the truth. So now that the characters know, and she is getting heat from them, I think the audience then sees some of her vulnerable side. I think you can see some of her tough side, too. As an actress there are more things to play with, and it’s more interesting, because she is not hiding behind a facade anymore. I have just noticed more people commenting that they have started to like the character.
Playing a villain on a soap opera is always a challenge for an actor, so they aren’t just playing it one note, or as a stereotypical “moustache” twirling baddie. What do you think is the key to playing a bad, or misunderstood girl successfully?
MELISSA: You have to make them human, and every ‘villain’, unless they are a psychopath has a level of humanity in them. Sometimes, it’s just that deep down the character is a scared little child inside, and the only way they can cope is being the big bad bully. There are so many aspects as to why a person does it. It is similar to One Life to Live’s Natalie. She used to do a lot of dumb things, but when she did them, she was very passionate about it. It didn’t make it right. It just made it about what she was comfortable with doing in a situation, because of what she felt, especially when she was younger. And that goes for Serena. She is older and wise, and slightly more mature, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have that deep-seeded need for love. Those decisions that she makes could all be very selfish, but that is not because she is a bad person.
Did you enjoy working with Paul Telfer (Xander)?
Photo Credit: IMDB
MELISSA: Oh, my God! I love him! I think he is amazing. I love his accent, and he is gorgeous! With Arianne Zucker (Nicole), I felt like she and I had made good frenemies! We had so much fun, and she was a great scene partner. We would have great banter all the way to the end! I think the whole Xander coming in and doing what he was doing with Nicole, was also a nice little fun thing for everyone to get all worked up about! (Laughs)
What do you think about where Serena’s relationship with Xander (Paul Telfer) ended up?
MELISSA: I would have loved to have seen more dealings between the two of them because I actually think they had a really interesting chemistry, and a love/hate relationship. As much as she feared him, there was something very enigmatic about him, and it was hard not to be attracted to the danger a little bit, which is what originally attracted her to Xander. I just feel if Serena didn’t have a soft spot somewhere for him she would have stabbed him! She would have done what she dreamt about doing. I also thought if the story had not ended, I would have loved to have seen a Bonnie and Clyde type relationship develop between them – if Serena got angry enough and decided to go back to the dark side and stayed there. I thought that could have been really fun. There were a lot of ideas I had, until I found out it wasn’t happening. (Laughs)
What happened when the cast, and in particular your on-screen partner Greg Vaughan found out you were done at DAYS?
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: They were bummed, especially the ones I worked with all the time, but they are all veterans too, and yes, Greg Vaughan was bummed, but he has been through this himself before.
Was it hard to form that on-screen relationship with Greg Vaughan, when no one had ever previously heard of a relationship that Eric had in Africa with Serena Mason?
MELISSA: No. It was easy to fall right in, and have fun with it and just play.
For a long time on One Life, you and your cast mates felt like you lived under threat of the show being cancelled, which sadly it ultimately did. What was the feeling on set at DAYS while you were there?
MELISSA: I think this is the difference: when you are on a show for a long time like OLTL you are concerned about what is going to happen with it, whereas with DAYS, I didn’t have the length of time there. I wasn’t worried about the future of me, or the show, and I really went to work there to have a fun time. I hadn’t thought about going back to daytime until they called. I went and got to have a good time, and meet new people, and see old friends.
There had been a report posted at Daytime Confidential that their sources revealed that your being let-go was well in the works before new DAYS head writers, Dena Higley and Josh Griffith took over the writing duties at the show. Is that true?
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: I honestly could not tell you. I was not told, until I was told. It could have been in the works, I don’t know. At the end of the day, there were no problems, there was not a beef. If it was Josh and Dena who wanted me gone, I also don’t think it was personal. I did work under Josh and Dena’s writing regimes on One Life to Live at different times during my time there. So if it was their storyline change, or the NBC network that decided it to make the change, I don’t know, and it’s OK. Nobody did it to be mean to Melissa. That’s all that matters to me, and I know that. It sucks, but at the same time, it doesn’t. We all know and see there were certain parts of Serena that weren’t working. It just wasn’t. I don’t think that’s me. DAYS shoots so far ahead they don’t get to see how it’s playing with the audience until it airs, so maybe once they saw the episodes they wanted to make an adjustment, or maybe it’s because the show wanted to bring back a lot of characters from the past, and they had to make room in the cast. There are so many reasons people get let-go. If I was called into an office and told, “Melissa, you have been doing A, B and C and D, and we don’t like it” (and that never happened) then I may be upset. But, I was on the show for a short amount of time, and I had a blast.
So, just how close were Serena and Xander back in Africa?
MELISSA: She did have sex with him back in Africa. Eric was going back to the states to become a priest, and he went off on a job before leaving. Serena and Eric had known Xander for a while, and he was doing some charity work, and they started hanging out. Xander was fun and exciting, and she was having to deal with the love of her life going to marry somebody else – the priesthood! So she decided to have fun, and Xander was fun, and then he started whispering in her ears about blood diamonds, and I don’t think she knew exactly what was going on at first!
Serena was supposed to be a medical journalist after all, correct? So, she was supposedly in Africa doing good things for the world? This was confusing to me. (Laughs)
Photo Credit: Joey Skibel
MELISSA: Yes, but I think again, when you are young and hurt you make dumb decisions. I am not saying, or advocating by any means, that it’s OK to do anything with blood diamonds. Obviously, none of us should think that’s OK. With that being said, the character did what she did. I don’t think she did it to be mean and hurtful, and it wouldn’t affect Eric at all, had the elephant statue not gotten into the equation.
Do you think Serena is really in love with Eric?
MELISSA: I can tell you with 100% certainty that everything Serena felt for Eric is true.
Serena is really pissed off right now, because after bugging the confessional, she has what she thought was a confession on tape that Eric (Greg Vaughan) and Nicole (Arianne Zucker) had sex together … and she wants to keep them apart!
MELISSA: She is hurt and angry, because she thinks Eric and Nicole slept together in that boiler room. And even though Eric had dumped her, it was more finding out that he had feelings for Nicole this entire time, and essentially that is who he really wanted. That probably hurt deeper than just the “sex act” in Serena’s mind. For her, that was just the ‘icing on the cake’ and “See, I knew it!” moment. That is what has been bothering Serena all the time, and that is most probably why she didn’t like Nicole.
What did you think about Eric’s reaction to discovering Serena’s part in the blood diamonds scheme?
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: He was angry, and justifiably so. But what is hard is, from my love of my own character, whether other people feel that way, or not, I felt like Eric didn’t really want to hear her out. Yes, Serena lied, but there was a lot to all of those lies, such as trying to protect Eric. I do not advocate, or agree with her decision. She used someone, and did fall in love with that person, yet continued on that path of not being honest. The reality of it is: if Serena had been honest about the situation several months before, Eric would still not have understood and their relationship would have ended a lot sooner. It was a “catch-22”. It took a lot longer than expected in order to protect him from possibly being murdered. That was her biggest motive, and the money in her bank account didn’t hurt. (Laughs). I have never believed it was as much about the money, as it was about being concerned for his safety, and hers.
This week on DAYS, Serena went to Daniel (Shawn Christian) armed with what she thought was intel that would blow his relationship wide-open with Nicole. But it didn’t go exactly as she has planned. Dr. Daniel’s reaction was quite unexpected!
MELISSA: Yes. Daniel, of course, reacted completely different than the way Serena thought he was going to. He was calm, and he was angry with her for trying to cause more issues. I am sure he was pissed about it, but he chose to take a different way with it, whereas Serena was angry and vengeful. Daniel was forgiving, and about trying to figure this all out.
Courtesy/NBC
Was Serena hoping that by going to Daniel, and exposing Eric and Nicole’s supposed tryst, that Eric would then come back to her?
MELISSA: I don’t know what she was hoping to gain by it, except to tell Daniel that “You just proposed to this woman, and she is in love with another man.” She may also be thinking, “If they want to be together, then they should be together. Let’s get it all out in the open.” There wasn’t a lot of thought on how this is going to affect anyone tomorrow. It was about how is this going to affect me today? It was a selfish move. Serena is seeing red.
So next, Serena decides to leave Salem?
MELISSA: Yes. Daniel tells her to get out of Dodge as it’s best for everybody, and she heard him. She thinks maybe that is the best thing to do, and so she decided first to go to the Brady pub and see Mrs. Brady (Peggy McKay) to tell her goodbye. Serena really likes her a lot. Mrs. Brady was always really nice to her, and probably hates her at the moment. (Laughs) Serena just wants to say goodbye, and to give her a special note to give to Eric. Then something happens to Caroline! She has a health crisis, and Serena is trying to revive her, and calls for help.
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
What was it like working with Peggy McKay?
MELISSA: I loved working with Peggy McKay! She is adorable, and so spunky. I love just running lines with her. She is a good actress, and she is funny!
What did your fans say to you when they heard the news of your departure from DAYS?
MELISSA: That is where it gets difficult. I was not allowed to confirm or deny anything, and then when it was confirmed I wasn’t allowed to talk about it. So unfortunately, I have not been able to make any commentary to the fans. The ones that do know what happened I have sadly not been able to respond back to. I feel bad about that, and that is just part of a business. I just want to let all of them know that their support means the world to me. I love that about them. I am so glad that those that joined me on DAYS came along, and it was a fun ride. I want them not to be mad. And the next place I land … come join me again!
And where would you like to land next … on a primetime TV series?
Courtesy/ABC
MELISSA: Film and primetime television is what I really want to do. I have loved being on daytime television, and who doesn’t want to do it all? I would have loved to have been on Mad Men, but that’s gone. (Laughs) That would have been awesome. Sons of Anarchy I would have loved to be on, but that’s gone, too! (Laughs) I would love to be on Episodes with Matt LeBlanc … Hellooo!
There has been major speculation, and then confirmation from the press, that your former on-screen flame at One Life, Michael Easton, is leaving General Hospital. Would you welcome the opportunity to work with him again on another soap, or project should the opportunity present itself?
MELISSA: Are you kidding? I would LOVE to work with Michael again! He’s a wonderful person, and an extremely talented actor. I’ve had the fortune of working with actors more than once, a few times, so I believe it’s a possibility!
How was your last day on the DAYS set?
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
MELISSA: It was very surreal. I got to do some fun scenes. And on my last day, I met Ken Corday (Executive Producer, DAYS). I had never met him! I went up to him, and he was so sweet and he said something like, “Kind of unfortunate that we are meeting today.” The crew was so fantastic, and they applauded when I finished taping, and it was sweet. I changed and said my last goodbyes to the people in the hallway, and that was it. I think the thing that was very difficult was knowing something for a long time, and not being able to talk about it. My fans know I won’t talk about storyline anyway to them. On One Life, I never talked about story, ever. I don’t want to be the actor who accidentally gave the story away, because what’s the point? You need to go watch!
We often talk in this genre about writers and actors in the soaps, and how they are both so important to bringing the characters to life that fans see every day on their favorite daytime dramas. You have now experienced two different soaps with different writers and how they work with their cast. What can you share?
Courtesy/NBC
MELISSA: First, it can vary show-to-show, and writer-to-writer. I feel like in daytime it is a lot less that you will have writers and actors communicating, unless you set up a meeting, and the only reason for that is to discuss specific things. At One Life it was a little different with Ron Carlivati. We had all known him for many, many years before he became head writer. It was so great when he got the position, because it was like our buddy got the job. But mostly, you never see the head writers; you might see the breakdown writers on occasion. Years ago, I heard there were head writers that would come into the make-up room and just observe and listen to the way people spoke so they could write for how they speak. I can see if the writers were so hands-on with the actors they would have actors coming to them going, “Why aren’t you writing for me?” When you have got that large of a cast not everyone can be front and center in storyline, and actors by nature are insecure. In regards to the two daytime dramas I have appeared on DAYS is different from OLTL, and even in their positions and job titles on the show.
In closing, and as one final tease from your time on DAYS — how was the ending of Serena’s story for you, that viewers will ultimately see come to its conclusion in a few weeks?
Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
MELISSA: It was fun to play, that is all I will say – and that could mean a million things! (Laughs)
What do you think about what Melissa had to say about her time and DAYS and how she was axed from the series? Do you feel she was saddled with an impossible storyline to try to make plausible with the elephant statue/blood diamond scheme? Do you like the character of Serena more of late? Would you like to see Melissa appear on another soap, and if so, which one? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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She’s really a class act. Too bad things had to go the way they did and I wish her the best. I know people who know her personally and they say she is a great person.
What is sad is that such a remarkable actress was given a deplorable, and nonsensical role, Anacarrie. We could not expect a good outcome. The same pain is inflicted upon Michelle Stafford, Michael Easton, and Roger Howarth.
As Serena on Days, Melissa could have gone far with her talent. But, TPTB would rather keep Paige and Abby. So sick of that cry baby.
I agree. Honestly, after a month of watching; I began to lose interest; not because of her but because of the story. I liked seeing her in a different role than Natalie, who I loved. She lightens up the screen; hopefully she will find a good platform to showcase her abilities.
CeeCee you are on point! She’s a wonderful actress and her storyline didn’t sit well with me from the beginning. I hope she get’s cast in another Soap or maybe a prime time show, her talent needs to be seen. As for Michelle, Michael and Roger once again you know the truth. I hope the new writers on GH revive the characters Michelle and Roger play to something worth watching.
love Melissa on Days, but wish its was better SL
This woman continues to be so gracious, Days lost a gem. Actually two, her and Paul T were amazing together. So much chemistry between them.
I agree. Both of them had charisma and were NOT fast-forward material like some others (cough, cough Paige and JJ).
It is a shame that they could not keep these two and find a real story for them. With the loss of James Scott (EJ) it was nice to have a handsome man with an accent again.
Why don’t these writers ever know what to do with the talent they have?
Well said!!!
She shouldve been Sarah Horton…in scenes with SR(Maggie) i knew right then and there i was right…she shouldve been Maggies daughter!!! BIG mistake Days!!!
Isn’t that the truth
They could always bring her back as Sarah. After all, Paul Telfer was Damon before being Xander. Wayne Northrop was Roman before being Alex. Josh was Chris Kositchek [sp?] before being Roman.
Thats true…maybe she will be back!!!
Wonderful interview Melissa! You warmed my heart with what you said about Michael Easton. John and Natalie were and are my all time favorites. I would so welcome seeing you two together again. Amazing chemistry. Love you both..
Yeah that was nice; she said that before; around the time the OLTL reboot was launched; she said she’d work with Michael Easton any day of the week. They were very good friends; he said when he first joined GH that they still kept in touch. Not sure if they do now but she and he did have good chemistry.
she is amazing…a real class act. days did her no favors with that story line. it didn’t showcase her talent AT ALL. i agree that she should have been cast as sarah horton. she would have had more interaction with more characters. it would have been nice to see. i have and will watch anything she is in. can’t wait to hear what she is working on next.
From your mouth to the Soapgods ears Melissa. The stories for Melissa and Michael at Days and GH respectively did them no favors. Such a disappointment and underuse of fan favorites. I too hope we get to see Michael and Melissa work together again and witness their amazing chemistry.
I well always think .of her in greem bay shirt
Yes yes and again yes. Loved Melissa saying she would welcome the opportunity to work with Michael Easton again…Hope springs eternal
THEIR CHEMISTRY IS OFF-THE-CHARTS PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!
I completely agree with Jimh. The show missed the boat by not casting her as Sarah Horton. If she had been Sarah, I think they’d definitely keep her around despite the inanity of the elephant/diamond storyline.
I enjoyed Melissa as Serena. When she first started appearing on Days, the story was promising. It went south for me when Serena and Nicole had the cat fight in Victor’s club. Maybe if the writers had done a better job with the story, the audience would have enjoyed the story more and Melissa would not have been let go. I believe the “priority storyline” was the one involving Will and Sonny. It seems that was a major priority with the powers that be at NBC. However, that story did not go over very will with the fans. So it… Read more »
These past few years, DAYS has been much more interested in winning GLAAD awards than in entertaining the audience. You noticed that too, huh?
I believe the powers that be at NBC used Days to move/support its own agenda regarding the LGBT community. I also believe that community appreciated what Days did with the storyline. I believe Days’ approach was “if we are going to do this, let’s do a good job”. That said, I never wanted or was ever in favor of a gay storyline. My feelings about that have never wavered. I was especially disappointed that the character of Will Horton was used because I was vehemently opposed to having a gay character in one of the main families. Unfortunately they hit… Read more »
I like Melissa’s idea about having Serena go all the way to the dark side. The stage has already been set for that by Eric’s rejection of her. So if Days brings Melissa back at a future time, they could do so using her as an alternative villian Eileen Davidson’s Kristen. (I don’t believe Kristen is dead.) It could work out very nicely if they alternate villian stories between Kristen to Serena. Then both actresses would be free to pursue other projects while maintaining a role on Days. That’s what I would do with those two actresses.
I wish Melissa could stay, too. I’m up for anything for Serena, EXCEPT coming between a Supercouple. That never ends well.
ITA, Gmbenet, although if you make even one PEEP against the gay storyline, you get called a homophobe, which is ridiculous, because we don’t object to gay characters on the show. What we object to is the OVERKILL. That gay wedding that took up a whole week .. with no drama, no irony .. the kind of wedding fans have been yearning for .. Sami&EJ fans would have loved one .. Eric&Nicole fans would have loved one .. they’d actually EARNED it after everything they’d been through. Wil & Sonny? Not so much. The agenda has been VERY heavy-handed, no… Read more »
I do object to having gay characters on the show…. I always did and I haven’t changed on it. As for being called a homophobe, “sticks and stones…” I couldn’t care less what they call me.
I too wish DAYS hadn’t made Will gay. Sonny, Paul and Derek, ok, but we’d seen Will with Gaby, he’d always liked girls, and making him turn gay was just out of the blue. If DAYS had any guts, they’d turn Will back. At least make him “bi”. He and Gaby could fall back in love and raise their little girl together. How awesome would that be?
Before Alison Sweeney left I wanted Sami to wake up from a dream and say she had dreamed that Will was gay! Will and Sonny (also straight) could be best friends. Not too late if the writers and producers had the guts to do it!
the problem with gay characters, is that every soap has to turn it into an “afterschool special” to “educate” the audience (brainwash is more like it!) that this is “normal” and if you don’t agree, you’re a bigot. Justin saying “it’s no different than having brown or blue eyes”. GMAB! Victor: “If you think there’s anything wrong with it, then you’re just ignorant.” Or .. maybe you have religious objections .. or you know how nature works .. lol .. also, many fans don’t want to watch the love scenes. I tape the show so I can FF, but some… Read more »
Amen to that!
The character of Serena had great potential; she came onto the show with an edge, an edge that the regime quickly dropped, and I was disappointed. Serena quickly became some kind of camp character you could not root for. Melissa truly got the short-end of the stick, as Serena was miles better in concept than Natalie. I hope she’s able to find footing in primetime.
It is unfortunate Melissa’s character was written the way she was. It did not help endear her to the Days fans. Melissa is a fiery actress and her talents were wasted on the character of Serena. The same thing happened to Michael Easton on GH as Silas. I wish Melissa success in the future but must admit I would welcome her working with Michael again. It could not happen soon enough for this fan.
I say recast them as Billy and Victoria on Y&R. Seeing how Melissa was just an employee of Sony, they are pretty loyal. I am sure she is back to Y&R or DAYS in the future.
One of my all-time favorite soap stars! What a refreshing, mature attitude. DOOL really wasted a gem on this clinker of a story. I will miss her, but I wish Melissa well and will follow her onto her next projects, as always.
Thank you for this very insightful interview.
I think she was stuck in a bad storyline. She seems very gracious and has the right attitude that it had nothing to do with her personally. It’s too bad they couldn’t figure it out. I hope she finds a new gig soon.
The only “white elephant” in the room was Serena herself. Her storyline was a dud from the start.
My thoughts are this: DAYS asked her to join the show, and then failed spectacularly to give her any remotely viable material to work with. Serena’s storlyline consisted of looking for an elephant statue for six months while the audience had no clue why the statue was important. Simultaneously, she’s hurting the most decent guy in Salem and coming between a popular pairing. On top of that, Eric’s history was rewritten. All these strikes right out of the gate and she had the lamest storyline on the show to boot. The only reason I watched it at all is because… Read more »
Sorry sorry to see Serena written out of the show. The character has so much promise. I love the idea of her being Maggie’s daughter. Perfect fit. I think this is a loss for DOOL. That is the problem I find with this show. You begin caring about the character’s and their story and poof… they are gone, leaving the fan’s empty. Melissa is such a powerful actress. There is room for Serena on the canvas. I think this is a mistake. Hopefully Melissa will move to B&B. (Since I don’t watch Y & R).
LOVE DAYS SO MUCH , I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS SHOW FOR YEARS, BUT I WANT ERIC TO GET WITH NICHOLE NOT SPELLED CORRECT, AND BRADY NOT WITH THAT BITCH THAT HAS THE BABY TO.HE NEED’S SOMEONE SPECIAL IN HIS LIFE, I LOVE DANIAL HE IS SO PRECIOUS,BUT I UNDERSTAND HE IS LEAVING TO,WHY ARE ALL THE HOT GUY’S GOING? LOVE THEM, AND PLEASE DO NOT GET RID OF RAFE PLEASE HE NEED’S TO BE WITH HOPE. LOVE YOU GUY’S SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOOD LUCK TO YOUR SHOW WE ENJOY IT HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, IS THIS… Read more »
What a classy person Melissa is. She was very kind and gracious in this interview and didn’t rip the writing apart like Tony Geary did with his GH departure. No, the situations aren’t the same, and yes, the writing for Tony’s farewell was bad, but so was the story Melissa was given on DAYS. She played it her best, and doesn’t blame the writers for her exit. She will be missed. DAYS made a huge mistake by wasting Melissa Archer on a boring story and a bad character. Had she been cast as Sarah Horton, and given a much more… Read more »
Thats what i said…Sarah Horton…and with her former OLTL star who played Rex joining Days as Philip they couldve been reunited in scenes together!!!
I honestly feel, she should have been brought over to GH…to play NINA CLAY…her and Easton…would have been great!!
I feel the same way! You know they were teasing the audience when Silas was talking about Nina, a feisty redhead, they wanted us to think of Melissa. That would have been so much fun, to see them together in totally different roles.
Yes Melissa would have made Nina interesting and not as over the top as MS. You know she and ME would have had chemistry. Even when they are angry at each other they sizzle.
Yes..It really would have been awesome! I think it would have really been the best…Can you even imagine if she was in the role now…having to be a crazy person…in Love with Franco..Roger Howarth?? LOL…funny stuff!!! Love him…
BUT SHE CAN COME OVER NOW BECAUSE MICHAEL IS BACK ON THERE NOW AS HAMILTON FINN NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF HIS CHARACTER HE BETTER BE A GOOD GUY I AM SURE HE IS I JUST DO NOT LIKE SEEING MICHAEL(HIS CHARACTER THAT IS DOING THOSE RIDICULOUS INJECTIONS & THAT LIZARD JUST PLAIN STUPID! HAVING SAID THAT MELISSA NEEDS TO BE ON GH RIGHT BY HIS SIDE! I LOVE MICHAEL
TO CONTINUE: AND I LOVE MELISSA & I WILL NOT WATCH GH UNTIL SHE COMES ON BOARD AT LEAST HARDLY AT ALL EXCEPT FOR WHEN MICHAEL IS ON BUT EVEN THEN IT IS VERRRRY HARD BECAUSE MELISSA IS NOT THERE, YET? BUT SHE WILL BE VERRRRY SOOOON!
OH boy Kathryn I sure as heck hope so. I miss seeing them both sooo much.
Agree with the posters that said Melissa should have been Sarah Horton. I know she is glad for the opportunity however the role of Serena was destined for failure. Why do that to an actor? As always Melissa is a class act and I wish her success. I like many prior posters would love to see a reunion with Michael Easton. It is long overdue.
Melissa is such a class act. I loved Serena and wish they had developed her character past the Eric drama. She has so much potential. She would have been great with any of the other guys in Salem. I agree with whoever said Days should be embarrassed, any show that doesn’t know how to use Melissa Archer properly has some major problems. Will watch whatever she shows up on next. Hopefully soon.
Love Melissa Archer and Paul Telfer. Will follow them to their next shows.
Thanks for this interview Mr. Fairman. Melissa Archer gave a graceful, level headed and mature point of view about her being let go from Days. I also enjoyed her interview regarding her time on Days and experience. I watch both Days and GH (mostly Days) and wasn’t crazy about the elephant story line. I was like oh no….But I wish her lots of luck and would love to see her paired again with Michael Easton. They were a great pairing on OLTL (IMO) and would love to re-visit that again, to watch and be entertained. Front row seats for me:)… Read more »
Loved Melissa’s interview. She is always very forthcoming with her answers. I too wish both Melissa and Michael loads of success and would love to see them together again MUCH SOONER THAN LATER.
Me three. Damn I would love to see Michael and Melissa paired together again. So wrong what GH did to our OLTL characters. They had more story to come. I would welcome it online or on screen
DO NOT WORRY LIZA WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ONE ON GH OF THEM I KNOW IT, I FEEL IT,!!! AND ALSO I BELIEVE THE LONGER ME IS ON GH & I DON’T KNOW HIS CONTRACT SITUATION THE BETTER CHANCE OF MELISSA COMING ABOARD & FV KNOWS HER SOOOOO WELL & LOVVVES HER SOOOOO MUCH JUST LIK .ME (PETS)!!!! I DO NOT SEE HIM IN ANY LONG-TERM PAIRING WITH ANY ACTRESS CURRENTLY ON GH & I ALSO READ THAT THEY ARE FIXIN’ TO DO SOME MAJOR SPRING CLEANING(TIGHTENING PURSE STRINGS). HALF OF THE ACTRESSES ON GH NEED TO GO WAYYYYY… Read more »
IT US GOING TOO HAPPEN!!!!!!!#
THEY WILL BE ON GH VERRRRY SOOOON!!!!!! COUNT ON IT!
I really hope so. I was also wondering as of rgt now who they would pair him off with and can’t think of any1. That would work out anyway. I read Michael Easton’s interview and yes, I’m sure they’re giving him a great storyline, but u need serious chemistry too. So fingers crossed, somehow it’s w/MA:) Fingers crossed…
It seems like ME and Carly will be paired. Hopefully short term and then please please bring Melissa on board. I hope we get to see Michael and Melissa work their magic again. Love them so.
Very classy, very optimistic, thoughtful person! Is there please a soap or prime time that can take Michael Easton and Melissa? They have such screen chemistry. Or, GH needs a spunky female. How about Melissa as a true love rival with Nina for Francos affection? She needs to come and light up the females in Port Charles.
CLAUDETTE IS COMING SOOOON & SAID SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL RED-HAIRED ACTRESS IT COULD VERRRRY WELL BE MELISSA(ARCHER)! ALSO SAID SOMEONE NAMED MELISSA IS COMING COULD BE THE SAME PERSON ALSO SAID SHE IS FIERY& THAT IS MELISSA! WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE OUT THERE THINK? I REALLLLY HOPE IT IS TRUE!!!
Kathryn, I would LOVE for Melissa to join GH. We have waited over 4 years to see them together. It is time…Honestly don’t know about Claudette.
Serena is a good character and knows about blood diamonds and everything and I do want continue on days and what she will have plans next on days
Days made the right move in firing her. I am sorry she was a horrible actress. Her scenes made me fall a sleep lol. Days need to bring back Anna Dimera, Austin and Carrie.
Sorry it is no longer the 1990’s, the show can only have so many 50+ characters
McCay, not McKay
Melissa Archer continues to be such a class act. I have read other interviews with her OLTL co-stars like Bree that played Jessica and Erika that played Vicki, they both talked about how super sweet Melissa is.
Serena character was a bust from the beginning, she was dealt with a lame story and bad writing from the get go. She could always come back to Days down the road as a new character.
What a great interview. Thank you Michael for posting it.
I love Melissa from her wonderful work on OLTL. She is definitely a classy lady too. I am so sorry her talent was so poorly used by Days.
Thank you Melissa for your excellent work and best of luck in your very bright future.
Melissa is always classy, but Days really messed up big time in both her story and firing her. In the Daniel, Nicole, Eric, and Serena story, she was the only interesting part.
Wonderful actress!
She handled all this so well. She IS a class act. I can’t believe she didn’t meet the Executive Producer until her last day! I hope we see her again soon.
I just wish ABC would bring back OLTL. Don’t they realize how happy that would make so many viewers?
They do indeed realize that. That’s why they are not doing so.
I loved Melissa Archer and Michael Easton, they compliment each other, I hope Young and Restless pick them both up, both are very talented, and I will miss seeing them.
I can’t believe she did not meet the producer until her last day either.! Melissa was wasted on Days and Easton’s character of Silas was not a stand out character like McBain. It is difficult to watch two actors that have done so well together be in roles that do not do them justice. I truly hope we get to see those two work their magic together again.
DAYS has more than one executive producer.
Lovely interview with a warm and gracious young woman. Her role on DOOL was ill defined and almost thankless, but she was always present and committed. Totally professional. I would like to see where she lands in the future. If GH wasn’t so overflowing with characters, I could see her as a recast for Sarah Webber.
DEFINITELY SARAH WEBBER!!!!! I HEARD SARAH IS COMING AT SOME POINT ESPECIALLY SINCE(RH)LIZ IS STICKING AROUND(RE-SIGNED), SHE IS GONNA NEED HER SISTER & MA(SARAH)&ME (HAMILTON) THAT WOULD BE SOOOOO FANTASTIC WE ALL WOULD FINALLY HAVE OUR MA&ME RE-UNION!!!!! BUT I WILL TAKE HER ON GH AS ANYONE NEW CHARACTER OR RE-CAST ALONG WITH A GREAT STORY & RE-UNITED WITH MICHAEL AGAIN! IT SEEMS TO ME ALOT OF ACTORS/ACTRESSES ARE FIXING TO EXIT GIVEN HOW GH HAS TO TIGHTEN IT’S PURSE STRINGS THEIR CAST IS WAYYYYY TOO BIG(BLOATED). WITH THAT BEING SAID MA NEEDS TO COME ASAP BECAUSE MICHAEL IS NOT… Read more »
Melissa is a class act. She will have continued success. I hope we get to see her paired with Michael Easton again. Those two were hot onscreen!
Melissa is a class act. Cant wait to see where she goes next.
Nice, long article, but I kept waiting to hear something about Melissa being reunited with Kassie DePaiva. It would’ve also been fun to see their characters interact on Days. I love Kassie as Eve.
Am I the only one who thinks filming 6 months ahead does more harm than good? It seems like they could tweak story lines a lot easier, especially when a story is going in the wrong direction!
I hope Melissa and Michael Easton reunite soon. His talent was also wasted on GH. In a perfect world, that screen would be OLTL.
I agree with you, Bella, about the filming schedule. By the time the show learns that fans aren’t happy with a storyline, 6 months worth of shows are waiting to be shown.
If the show filmed only 3 or 4 weeks out then writers could respond more quickly to fix storyline problems.
Very well said.
I think the storyline Serena Zander & the elephant did go on long and we were not sure of the direction…..however looking back now it stands to reason the SL had to come to an end…….sorry to see both Melissa and Paul leave Days enjoyed their characters, they were an integral part of the show!
The problem is they brought her in as a new love interest for Eric. Eric already has a love interest, Nicole. Being a former priest and as religious as he is, it offended me that he could just drop his great love for Nicole and go to bed with Serena. I was excited when Melissa came on the show, but when I saw what they’d brought her on to do, I tuned out.
I agree with that. Eric and Nicole’s history is pretty set and I always thought they were endgame. When I saw that Serena was going to be pitted between the two, I feard that she would not be well received. Nicole is complicated but adored by her fans. She gets in her own way but to make Serena like the perfect girlfriend…I knew it would be a disaster. I figured that Nicole would do everything to make her look bad and everyone would be mad at Nicole only for her to be proven right later on. Too bad.
Melissa is a class act. I wish her success . I enjoyed her with Michael a Easton. They definitely worked well together. Golden pairing. Would love to see them again on our screens.
Agreed. The Easton and Archer dynamic was great. I would certainly welcome that again. Gorgeous couple!
Golden pairing is correct. It seems to me these actors were given awful storylines and not used to their full potential. It made me sad to witness this. These two are magic. Anybody awake can see this. Hook them up already.
I would like to see her come back and hook up with Eric I think they would be great together after the diamond thing got settled.
Melissa is gracious to the end!. I can’t believe Days chose to fire her and kept Paige. I get that Days needs to make room for Stephen Nichols, Peter Reckell, Thaao Penghlis etc but why did they have to fire Melissa?
I never became attached to the character Serena, but it was because of how the storyline was handled. If I had known right away that blood diamonds were involved then I think I would have been more interested. Also, the show never gave the character a very attractive hairstyle. It was always down and crabby. Her dismissal is part of a larger problem I have with Days. I’ve been a viewer for only 4 years, so the great characters and storylines from the past that are coming back either temporarily or permanently for the 50th mean NOTHING to me. But… Read more »
What a class act. I wish the actress well, she was great. However, Serena was a dud. DOOL made the same mistake with her as it did with Chrishell Stause (ex-Jordan). It assumed that it can just cast a veteran actress from another soap and that the fans will immediately follow and stay for the show, without them developing the character. Firstly, she came on as a friend of Melanie’s, but they didn’t interact nearly enough, so it made no sense. Nor did the elephant storyline make sense, as she isn’t being prosecuted for it and t has nothing to… Read more »
She was wasted in the part. She should have been Sarah Horton or one of Melissa Horton’s kids with that red hair. She would have made a great love interest for Brady. Good actress, wrong role.
Wow what a gracious and professional young woman Melissa Archer is. I liked Serena and Melissa is a gorgeous, fantastic actress but Days wasted her. First mistake pairing her with Eric. They had chemistry but he was too dull. In contrast to Serena and Xander who were explosive and hot. Very sexy pair. They should have dropped that Eric story quickIy and went with Serena and Xander full throttle. l also think Brady would have been a better fit. They sparked in their last few scenes. Days is making a huge mistake getting rid of Melissa Archer and Serena when… Read more »
I am saddened to see Melissa Archer gone from Days . I did not watch it until Kassie DePaiva and then Melissa and Greg Vaughn were on it. They are great actors and I have met and spoke with them at soap opera events..All i can say is that Days made a mistake in letting her go. I wish nothing but the best for Melissa in the future . Good Luck and God Bless.
Melissa Archer is a classy lady given a bad storyline. Michael Easton is a classy man given a bad storyline. Hmmmmm……IT IS DEFINITELY TIME FOR A REUNION…
What a great interview & an all-around class act! Best of luck, Melissa!!
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Michael Fairman TV Names The Best and Worst in Soaps 2021
In a year which saw the continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021, saw your favorite soaps finding ways to work under safety and health protocols to bring you the stories you love the best they could, but it was not fraught with some problems along the way.
Now as the year comes to a close, we take a look back with our annual list of the Best and Worst in Soaps. As it does every year, Michael Fairman TV, takes this opportunity to pay tribute to the tremendous work of the talented men and women in front of the camera and behind the scenes, whose tireless efforts in the grind of producing and acting in this genre’s format is a feat in of itself. In addition to naming the best moments and performances of the year, there were several not-so-stellar moments featuring characters, storylines, and more, that get the dubious honor of some of our “Worsts”.
While we know many of you have your own views, picks, and choices, and while you may disagree or agree with ours, we encourage you to let us know your thoughts as well. Most of all, respect everyone’s opinions, as you wish them to respect yours.
Finally, we want to wish our wonderful community here at Michael Fairman TV and soap fans everywhere, a happy New Year. It is all of you with your passion and devotion to the genre itself, which make this such a unique entertainment medium with an undeniable connection between the viewers, the performers, and the storylines.
So here we go … the Best and Worst in Soaps … and with that… 2021 out!
BEST SOAP
General Hospital
Day to day, week to week, the soap that delivered the most through 2021 was General Hospital. It wasn’t by any means sheer perfection, and had its share of relationship and storyline issues, but whether you loved “Nixon Falls’ or not, or Britt with Jason, or Carly with Jason, Sonny and Nina, or were upset about Franco’s death, or Peter continuing to exist on this earth (more on this later), or loved the introduction of the SORAS’d Spencer Cassadine, the show retooled the Quartermaines, the Cassadines, and all along the way gave emotional payoffs and big cliffhangers.
MOST ENTERTAINING SOAP
Days of our Lives
The last six months of 2021, Days of our Lives seemed to find its groove, balancing the kitsch, with the drama, and it all really got cooking with the Marlena Possession storyline 2.0 harkening back to its brilliance some 27 years later. DAYS was clearly the most entertaining soap with a plethora of wink-winks to the audience, snappy dialog and humor, an excellent use of history, and a cast and a writing team that trusted the material and it paid off.
MOST DISAPPOINTING SOAP
The Young and the Restless
The once mighty Y&R became the hardest show to sit through. The storylines were boring, the pairings often felt like re-treads, the rooting factor was basically non-existent for anyone, and it gets our pick for the Most Disappointing Soap. When you have an A-list cast with some of the finest actors in the genre in one place, and the stories just aren’t there for them, and many scenes feel like they go nowhere, it’s a head-scratcher! The show needs a boost of adrenaline.
Photo: JPI
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem
Truly, the most enjoyable, fun romp of the year in soaps. It had to be a hoot and a half for head writer, Ron Carlivati, and his team to develop this five-episode story about the missing gems from the Alamainian Peacock. There were the inside Lisa Rinna jokes including: integrating the infamous RHOBH ‘drink in face’ fight with Eileen Davidson recreated ‘Beyond Salem’ style, plus Sonny, Will, and Chad in drag, Leo saving the day, Charles Shaughnessy back as twins Drew and Shane, Peter Porte as an uptight spy who turns out to be a VonLeuschner, and it was all so kitschy, in a genius kind of way that it left us wanting more.
Photo: ABC
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Laura Wright – Carly Corinthos – General Hospital
Scene after scene in 2021, Laura Wright did some of the finest work of her daytime career, and that is saying something, because she has already delivered so many memorable performances. But this year, whether it was: a grieving Carly grappling with the loss of her beloved Sonny, stepping up and taking control of the mob, her complicated relationship with Jason, and falling back in love with him, and then the return of a very much alive Sonny and the volatile relationship with her nemesis, Nina Reeves, Laura had the material day after day, and gave us 110% as an actress through it all. Bravo!
Photos: JPI and ABC
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A STORYLINE
Melissa Claire Egan – Chelsea’s Stroke – The Young and the Restless
Cynthia Watros – Nina and Mike in Nixon Falls – General Hospital
Camryn Grimes – Mariah’s kidnapping and aftermath – The Young and the Restless
Lisa LoCicero – Olivia finds out Alexis and Ned had sex – General Hospital
These four actresses along with Laura Wright may just be vying for the Daytime Emmy in 2022 whether it be in Lead or Supporting. Each one of these women delivered complex performances within their storylines … Melissa Claire Egan as stroke victim, Chelsea, who gets her revenge on Adam and Sharon that comes with consequences, Cynthia Watros for her brilliant work opposite Maurice Benard and the Tan-O gang and its aftermath in Port Charles, Camryn Grimes, whose scenes by herself in lock-up (in a storyline we hated), after being kidnapped while pregnant were well-done, and the hurt of longing for the baby she carried months later showed why she remains one of the strongest actresses on daytime, and there was Lisa LoCicero for the heartbreaking moments as Olivia finds out that Ned slept with Alexis and then the volatile showdown between the two women over the tryst. All deserved mentions in our year-end honors.
Photo: ABC
BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A STORYLINE
Kirsten Storms – Maxie frames Peter and reveals she knows of his deception – General Hospital
While in the hospital, Maxie, pretending she lost her baby, in an effort to get Peter to admit to his crimes, was played by pure brilliance by Kirsten Storms. Finally, taking control of the situation, Maxie records Peter’s confession of those he murdered on her phone which she sends to Mac. All along the way telling Peter how disgusted she is by him. Best line though, “I would say you’re as bad as your father, but you’re not. At least, Faison was an evil genius. You’re just some cheap imitation knockoff.” Got that right!
Photo: ABC
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Maurice Benard – Sonny Corinthos – General Hospital
While the “Mike” in ‘Nixon Falls’ story went on too long, it provided Maurice Benard with an opportunity to show another side of a character then mob boss Sonny Corinthos, and pair him with another leading lady, Cynthia Watros, to form a potential new couple. All of this on top of Benard’s scenes with Sonny’s wife, Carly (whose relationship has now hit the skids) provided this three-time Daytime Emmy winner a backdrop to do something different, and prove once again, that he is still the finest actor in the genre.
Photo: ABC
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Patrick Stuart – Valentin Cassadine – General Hospital
Whether it be romancing Anna, (and sharing scenes with the fabulous Finola Hughes,) or trying to take down Peter August, or his machinations with the Quartermaines, or being duped by Brook Lynn, and his devastation over finding out that ‘Bailey’ was not his biological daughter, we always enjoy all things JPS. He delivers episode to episode and continues to make Valentin’s reactions and actions intriguing.
Photo: JPI
BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A STORYLINE
Ted King – Jack admits to Li his secret about Sheila and Finn – The Bold and the Beautiful
It has been great to see Ted King back on daytime. The former GH and OLTL star always delivered in his scenes, and he had his moment to shine in 2021, when Jack admitted to his wife, Li that he lied all of these years about their son, Finn. In actuality, Jack had a fling with the dangerous and psychotic, Sheila Carter and he is Finn’s true biological father. The whole situation was made all the more heartbreaking because Li believed they adopted the little boy, when in truth, Jack covered-up his tryst for decades. King played all the beats in these key scenes. He was understated in his performance, and this went under the soap press radar, but you could see all the pain in Jack’s eyes, thanks to Ted King’s work. Sometimes less is more in front of the camera.
Photo: JPI
BEST PERFORMANCE BY LONG-RUNNING VETERANS
Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes – Doug and Julie Williams – Days of our Lives
Doug as the devil was delicious! Julie standing up to MarDevil was a moment! The Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winners had the opportunity to act in great scenes about faith, strength and love, played to perfection by these two television treasures. Their work provided some of the most memorable moments during Satan’s return to Salem.
Photo: JPI
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kelly Thiebaud – Britt Westbourne – General Hospital
This year, Kelly Thiebaud truly got to show all the facets of Dr. Britt Westbourne. When she was afraid to know and then learned she had the marker for Huntington’s Disease, her struggle with the information and falling for Jason Morgan, then losing him, made this once Port Charles bad girl, someone we truly, truly cared about. In addition, Britt’s scenes of grief with Carly over Jason’s ‘death’ and more, made Kelly’s performances must-see daytime TV.
Courtesy/CBS
BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN ON-SCREEN BREAK-UP
Michelle Stafford – Phyllis Summers – The Young and the Restless
No one can deliver the kind of ‘balls-to-the-wall’ performance that Y&R’s Michelle Stafford can. She did it again, in a series of powerful and heartbreaking scenes, where Phyllis realizes she will always be Nick’s second choice to the Newman family. Combine that with Nick knowing that Phyllis’ feelings for her ex, Jack Abbott are back, it was combustion central for ‘Phick’ and they ended their relationship. Stafford should remember this scene come Emmy submission time!
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
The cast of Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem
I mean, everyone was so much fun to watch! From Eileen Davidson, Rinna, Jackie Cox, Greg Rikaart, Shaughnessy, Zach Tinker, the list goes on, and it truly was the best ensemble performance of the year, and it looked like everyone had a great time being part of the limited series.
BEST FEUD
Nina Reeves and Carly Corinthos – General Hospital
When Carly went at Nina over Nelle’s ‘death’ on a phone call, just as Nina found Sonny alive and well in Nixon Falls, it set up a series of events that had now pitted these two powerhouse women against each other, and the feud is one of the best on daytime due to Cynthia Watros and Laura Wright’s performances.
Photo: JPI
BEST VILLAIN, FEMALE
Deidre Hall – MarDevil – Days of our Lives
When Satan comes to town and inhabits Marlena, the MarDevil comes out to play and terrorized everyone in Salem with delicious venom and we were here for it!
BEST VILLAIN, MALE
Mike Manning – Charlies Dale – Days of our Lives
Mike Manning made Charlie creepy and misunderstood, and someone everyone in town wanted dead, and eventually he met his maker in a solid “Whodunit?”
BEST SCENE-STEALER
Deidre Hall – MarDevil – Days of our Lives
Deidre Hall looked like she was having the time of her life, chewing the scenery as Satan and getting to take a pause from being the moral center of DAYS to be able to do and say things “Doc” would never utter out of her mouth: including calling her own daughter’s Belle and Sami “sluts’’. HA!
Photo: JPI
BEST UNEXPECTED SCENE
Susan and EJ in the hospital – Days of our Lives
After the devil made mince-meat out of Susan Banks, she recovered in the hospital where her son EJ sat by her side. When Susan said she was willing to sacrifice herself to save her son from Satan, it brought with it an unexpected mother/son scene we never saw previously between the grown-up EJ and Susan, and played by two actors who were both successful recasts in their roles. Cheers to Stacy Haiduk and Dan Feuerriegel.
Photo: JPI
BEST COMEBACK
Cameron Mathison back to ABC Daytime
The All My Children fan favorite (Ex-Ryan Lavery), turned host, turned Hallmark and GAC Family star, returned to ABC Daytime decades later where it all started for him, this time as a recast Drew Cain on GH. Now, while his story on General Hospital is just getting started, we think Mathison will fit in nicely with the cast that he has admired so much, and on the show, he has dreamt of appearing on. Welcome home, Cam!
Photo: JPI
WORST EXIT
Linsey Godfrey – Sarah Horton – Days of our Lives
To facilitate Linsey Godfrey’s exit from DAYS, the writers once again fell back into old tricks, or should we say, old prosthetic masks! This time, Kristen pretended to be Sarah to sleep with Rex, and break-up her relationship to Xander, even though Kristen and Sarah are nowhere near the same height. Then, Sarah is put in a steamer trunk and snuck her out of Salem. What???????
WORST EXIT HONORABLE MENTION
Kim Delaney – Jackie Templeton – General Hospital
We love Kim Delaney, and all of a sudden, her heralded return to soaps and GH, came to an abrupt end after the entire “Who is Harrison’s real bio-dad” story and apparently Jackie Templeton left Port Charles. We guess to do some cracker-jack reporting?? Dunno.
Photo: JPI
MOST HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED RETURNS
Kimberlin Brown and Sean Kanan – The Bold and the Beautiful
With two of daytime’s all-time baddies back on the canvas, you would think that B&B would have hit a homerun, but so far, it’s been a wait and see approach, as fans long for the days that Sheila and Deacon perpetrate bad deeds on people for their own gain. However, we may be in luck! Looks like Sheila might be finally digging her psychotic heels into Brooke with the NYE booze switch, while Deacon seduced Brooke. Jury is out! B&B… don’t botch this!
Photo: JPI
WORST RETURN
Sean Carrigan – Stitch – The Young and the Restless
This was so predictable …and so bad. Former fan favorite, Sean Carrigan returns as Stitch and everyone had already figured out, (even before he set foot on the airshows), that he would be the culprit – the person who had kidnapped a pregnant Mariah. Then later, we get his twisted reasoning for holding a preggers woman captive, apparently, because of his love and past with Abby. All of this made no sense for this character.
Photo: JPI
WORST HIT AND RUN
Liam runs over Vinny in Bill’s car – The Bold and the Beautiful
This storyline, which went on for months, had Liam and Bill covering up their tracks after mowing down bad boy Vinny, who just happened to be walking out in the middle of the road at night at the exact time Bill’s car showed up. Trouble is, it turned out to be a suicide storyline? Apparently, Vinny sacrificed himself for his buddy Thomas, so Thomas could get closer to Hope, and that’s after switching paternity results to make it look like Liam was Hayes’ father, not Finn! While we had liked Joe LoCicero as Vinny, this ending was a bad comeuppance, and even though Scott Clifton and Don Diamont acted their hearts out episode after episode, in the end the story came to a screeching halt and thud. Wasn’t there even a PSA for suicide prevention after the reveal???
MOST MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Elizabeth learns about Jason’s ‘death’ off-screen – General Hospital
Liz shares a son with the guy, and Rebecca Herbst does not get any screen-time to show Elizabeth’s reaction to Jason’s supposed death? C’mon now!!
Photo: JPI
BEST RECAST LIMITED SERIES
Zach Tinker – Sonny Kiriakis – Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem and Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas
We were very impressed with Zach Tinker’s version of Sonny Kiriakis; and that right out of the gate he was dealt some very heavy emotional scenes in ‘Beyond Salem’ when Sonny believed Will was cheating on him. Zach replaced longtime fan favorite, Freddie Smith, and a new version of “WilSon” was born.
Photo: JPI
BEST RECAST
Dan Feuerriegel – EJ DiMera – Days of our Lives
Dan has brought his A-game as the recast EJ DiMera; a role that was made so wildly popular when played by James Scott, but Feuerriegel is putting his own spin on the part and making it work.
Photo: JPI
BEST RETURN LIMITED-RUN
Blake Berris – Nick Fallon – DAYS Halloween episode/Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas
Berris is a very fine actor and it was on display twice! First, in DAYS zombie-Halloween episode when the MarDevil awakens evil from their graves! It is then, Nick is back in action terrorizing Gabi, and then in the flip in the Peacock Holiday special, Nick is very much alive, playing the longing suitor for Gabi’s affections, Berris should come back to DAYS as Nick’s twin, Mick! Can we make that happen DAYS writing team?
Photo: JPI
BEST NEW CHARACTER
Paulina Price – (played by Jackée Harry) – Days of our Lives
Writing a role for Jackée, and playing to her strengths; while ramping up the Price family back-story was a triple win for Days.
Courtesy/ABC
BEST NEWCOMER
Nicholas Alexander Chavez – Spencer Cassadine – General Hospital
Fans took notice and instantly fell in love with Nicholas’ work as a SORAS’d Spencer Cassadine. Spencer’s return was one of the best of 2021, which showed the emotional damage done to the young man who has a vengeful streak willing to go up against the likes of his father Nikolas, Ava, and Valentin while pining for Trina, and being shoe-horned into a relationship with evildoer, Esme. Good stuff!
Photo: ABC
BEST TRIBUTE
John Reilly Tribute – General Hospital
When GH was able to get the one and only Sharon Wyatt (Ex-Tiffany Hill) to do a voice-over, and John Reilly’s daughter, Caitlin, acting and central to the story all the while paying homage to the spy stories of the past, it was a solid episode to honor one of the shows most beloved all-time cast members.
BIGGEST WASTE OF AIRTIME
Jesse Gaines – The Young and the Restless
Weeks of being held up in Italy in a room, threatening to expose Ashland’s past, but it was all a set up, and by the end of it, who cared! Anyone?
Photo: JPI
BEST GREAT-TO-SEE-YOU ON DAYTIME AGAIN
Linda Dano – Vivian Alamain – Days of our Lives
Although it was short-lived and Louise Sorel did not return to be part of the plot, we loved seeing Linda Dano back on daytime; even for a short blip, and this time taking on the role of Vivian Alamain. She’s still one of the best of the best.
Courtesy/ABC
CHARACTER WHO DESERVED THE BIGGEST BITCH-SLAP
Peter August – General Hospital
Line -em-up! GH’s Peter August deserved a thousand of these! Where do we start???? Peter August has escaped the once-smartest spies, killed multiple key characters, held some captive, obsessed over Maxie and their baby, and everyone wants him dead-dead. We can’t think of anyone who deserves to be bitched slapped by one person after the other in Port Charles than Peter AKA Henrik!
Photo: JPI
CHARACTER WHO DISHED OUT THE BEST BITCH-SLAPS
Steffy Forrester – The Bold and the Beautiful
Whenever she could, Steffy bitch-slapped Sheila to kingdom come, once the evil one showed up at Steffy’s wedding to Finn and the fallout. We assume, Sheila grabbed an icebag after those bops to the face?
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRIMETIME SOAP MALE
Adam Huber – Liam Ridley – Dynasty
Playing off scenes with his on-screen love interest, Elizabeth Gillies (Fallon) has let Huber show other facets to his character of Liam. Now we enjoy the guy!
Courtesy/CW
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRIMETIME SOAP FEMALE
Elizabeth Gillies – Fallon Carrington – Dynasty
Fallon makes CW’s Dynasty go-round, and whether it be drama, high camp or musical moments, Elizabeth Gillies is the star of the show and can be anywhere else she chooses to go!
Courtesy/CW
BEST PRIMETIME SOAP
Dynasty
Still the ‘soap on steroids’ with all the tropes including: bombshells and double-crossing of a double-crossing, you will need a scorecard each episode to follow along which character does the most despicable thing … but we are here for it!
MOST TORTURED COUPLE
Sonny and Carly – General Hospital
Nothing went right in 2021 for ‘CarSon’. Sonny was presumed dead for a good portion of the year, believing he was a man named ‘Mike” and living a life in Nixon Falls and falling for a deceitful Nina Reeves. Carly stepped up and in for Sonny to protect the Corinthos mob territory by originally having a marriage-arrangement with Jason. However, Carly and Jason found themselves falling for each other again circa the 90’s, and on their wedding night, as they were about to have sex, Sonny shows up alive and well. Now, Sonny has been all confused for his feelings for Nina since regaining his memory, Jason is ‘dead, and the relationship has blown apart and it looks like the end of the line… for now for this storied duo.
Photo: JPI
WORST WEDDING
Kyle and Summer– The Young and the Restless
Not only did the popular duo of ‘Skyle’ exit the canvas, they got married off-camera, so no one saw the long-awaited nuptials … and the two actors, Michael Mealor and Hunter King … left the show after reports of contract negotiations falling through.
PhotoL ABC
BEST COUPLE IN THE MAKING
Sprina – General Hospital
Everyone is loving the on-screen chemistry played by Sydney Mikayla and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Trina and Spencer. Now will they be headed for a romance in 2022?
Photo: ABC
WORST COUPLE AND MOST BORING COUPLE
Michael and Willow – General Hospital
These two are double winners this year! Michael Corinthos and Willow Tait have become so boring that GH is now coming up with ways to instigate trouble between them that it is so apparent to the audience and you can see it coming a mile away. Chad Duell and Katelyn MacMullen are very good actors, they just aren’t an exciting pairing as Michael and Willow. Break them up for good, already!
Photo: JPI
BEST COUPLE
Sami and Lucas – Days of our Lives
Alison Sweeney and Bryan Dattilo have a long and enduring friendship, and an on-screen partnership that just works so well. Many loved seeing ‘Lumi’ reconnect in 2021. Sami, of course, despondent over EJ, sleeps with Lucas and thus starts the story, but it was all done with great flashbacks, comedy and more. What will happen in 2022 when Sami finds out Lucas was the one who kidnapped her? It probably will end any possibility of them ever becoming a bonafide couple, as it looks like EJami is the end game.
Courtesy/ABC
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A STANDALONE EPISODE
Nancy Lee Grahn – Alexis Davis – General Hospital
“I’m Alexis Davis, and I’m a Fighter, and an Idealist, and an Advocate!” True that! In a well-crafted story, Nancy Lee Grahn celebrated her 25th anniversary on GH with a special episode dedicated to Alexis. In a therapy session with Kevin, we come to the crux of the story. Alexis looked over in the corner of the room at a vision of her younger self crying. In that moment, Alexis embraced herself, forgave herself, so she could move on with her life after being guilt-ridden for the death of her mother and the cruelty of her father. Beautiful work from La Grahn!
Courtesy/NBC
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A STANDALONE EPISODE
James Reynolds – Abe Carver – Days of our Lives
James Reynolds might be going for his second Lead Actor Emmy after this performance. In it, and to honor the actor’s 40th anniversary as Abe Carver on DAYS, the show had Abe shot and then flatlining which means … Abe was going to the light. While there, he meets up with his beloved ex-wife Lexie and while the audience is shown flashbacks of their life together, it’s Reynolds acting against an actress (who’s face is unseen, since Renee Jones was unavailable for the episode) that brought all the heart and the drama, which is why we in-turn are invested in the life of Abe Carver. And, don’t we all grab for the hankies when James brings the tears?
Photo: JPI
BEST STORYLINE
The Devil Returns to Salem – Days of our Lives
While for many they found this story ridiculous, we found ourselves wanting to fast-forward through episodes of DAYS just to get to all the moments of Marlena’s possession 2.0 and all that came with it! From the outlandish dialog, the special effects soap-style, how MarDevil served up revenge by morphing into OG Kristen, or taking looney-tunes Jan Spears and morphing her into Belle, plus having a “Rosemary’s Baby” angle to boot with a Cin baby on the way … and more, it was fun to see what happened next. The best twist was letting the audience think that Doug had dementia when he actually had been possessed by the devil which then allowed Satan to take over Marlena. And didn’t we all love the exorcism episode, too? Great use of history, camp, and it allowed for some solid performances from longtime vets that had to be having too much fun playing those scenes.
WORST STORYLINE MOMENT
Paris’ laxatives ruin her romantic evening with Zende – The Bold and the Beautiful
In an effort to thwart her sister’s budding romance with Zende Forrester, Zoe puts laxatives in the smoothie she gave to her sister, Paris, which gave her gas and an upset tummy during her date. Enough said.
Photo: JPI
WORST STORYLINE
Eric’s ED and giving permission for Quinn and Carter to have sex – The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful had the opportunity to truly tell a story about Erectile Dysfunction in older men, but instead made it ridiculous and tried to justify it. While we absolutely love Lawrence Saint-Victor and Rena Sofer as Carter and Quinn, and John McCook as Eric, are we expected to believe that Eric would give permission for his wife to carry on her affair with the stud that is Carter because he can’t please her anymore in the bedroom? But that’s actually nothing compared to the Donna “honey” scene, which got Eric all riled up and fixed his problem, complete with music bed crescendo.
MOST PREPOSTEROUS PLOT TWIST and CHARACTER WHO NEEDS TO GET HIS COMEUPPANCE
Characters sacrificed to keep Peter August’s reign of terror continuing – General Hospital
Franco, Drew, Jason, and more have all at one time or another been killed or supposedly killed due to the machinations of Peter August. Even after setting fire to The Tan-0 in Nixon Falls and jumping off a cliff or something, Peter escapes all the time, every time, every moment of every day. Even the smartest all-time WSB agents including super spy, Anna Devane, can’t stay a step ahead of him. How can one evildoer have so much power? Don’t the good guys get a win, evah? Are we ready for the murder mystery of who permanently snuffed this guy out???
Courtesy/ABC
BEST TEARJERKER
Baby Liam’s Death – General Hospital
It was controversial to have a little baby being taken off life-support over the holidays, but General Hospital went there. Within it, Liam’s parents struggled over what they had to do, and found themselves in inconsolable grief. As young parents and a young couple trying to deal with the cards they were dealt, both Sofia Mattsson (Sasha) and Johnny Wactor (Brando) stepped up to the plate and gave us a 10-hankie moment culminating in a visit from the late Mike Corbin (Max Gail), who takes baby Liam back to heaven with him.
Photos: ABC
BIGGEST HEADLINE
Ingo Rademacher and Steve Burton get fired from GH after not adhering to vaccine mandate
Both actors were willing to lose their jobs over their anti-vaxx stance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Disney/ABC mandates all employees to be vaccinated. While Burton shared one message on his reasons for not following the mandate, Rademacher has taken his stance to the media including to Tucker Carlson, and continued to rev up his social media with his views.
Photo: JPI
SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM
Cassandra James fires back at Ingo Rademacher for transphobic repost on social media
Trans actress, Cassandra James (Terry of General Hospital) took to social media in utter disappointment and disgust at one of her then co-stars, Ingo Rademacher, for a post he shared on his Instagram story from conservative author, Allie Beth Stuckley, which said, “Welcome to ClownTown, where the dude on the left is an empowering woman, and the woman on the right is a white supremacist.” The picture on the left was that of Assistant Secretary of Health, Rachel Levine, a transgender female who was sworn in as a four-star admiral. The picture on the right showed Virginia Lieutenant Governor-Elect Winsome Sears, a black woman, who is seen brandishing a weapon in her hands as part of campaign paraphernalia.
In a tweet on the matter, James shared: “Shame on you. You have some serious unlearning and education to do. I feel deeply disappointed that such a public display of ignorance could come from our ‘GH’ family. Misgendering trans folks is violence and if you come for one of us, you come for all of us. The cis world doesn’t get to decide which of us is valuable. I am so proud of the fans for always holding us to a high standard, for calling out transphobia and violence.” Mainstream media picked-up the story and many of Cassandra’s GH castmates took to Twitter to stand in solidarity with her.
Later, Rademacher took to his Instagram and apologized to James stating that he should have crossed out the word “dude” from the original post. He added, “Cassandra, I apologize to you sincerely. I think you’re an absolute talent and you’re very beautiful as well. I don’t think a transphobic man would say that. I think you’re absolutely gorgeous, I really do.”
Photo: JPI
BIGGEST DOOFUS
Finn – The Bold and the Beautiful
Sooo, a woman claiming to be your mother steps out of the shadows and shows up at your wedding. Without really investigating her claims, you literally bring her to the Forrester mansion front door and introduce her as this ‘amazing thing that just happened’ not knowing that the woman, Sheila Carter, shot your bride’s mother and other people along the way. Finn wins our doofus award for this scene alone!
Photo: JPI
FIZZLE TO SIZZLE
Greg Rikaart – Kevin’s return on Y&R to Leo Stark’s re-emergence on DAYS
On Y&R, Kevin was teaming up with Phyllis again and we thought that would go somewhere, but his returns to Genoa City have been written as lackluster, HOWEVER, Greg Rikaart really got to strut his stuff and have a field day playing Leo Stark on DAYS, Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem and Days of our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas. Leo is the gift we never know we needed and Rikaart plays him to the hilt!
Photo: JPI
MOST DISAPPOINTING CHARACTER
Phillip Kiriakis – Jay Johnson – Days of our Lives
This was one of the most disappointing returns making Phillip a sniveling dishrag dirtbag with no redeeming qualities at all, or did we miss something?
WORST CASE Of SOAP ABUSE
Overuse of special episodes – The Young and the Restless
Call the intervention squad! How many special episodes highlighting individual characters in a crisis of conscious can one soap fan sit-through?
BEST PROP
“Mike’s” Cowboy Hat – General Hospital
Sonny’s Nixon Falls amnesiac character “Mike” and his special buddy … his hat, were shown and mentioned in many a scene for months on end!
So, what did you think of our picks for the Best and Worst in Soaps 2021? Let us know in the comment section below if you agreed, or have you own choices for the categories above.
GH’s Kristina Wagner On Felicia’s Concern Over Maxie’s Emotional State
B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor and Thorsten Kaye to Guest on THE TALK
The Bold and the Beautiful to Dedicate Episode to Betty White On What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless Receive WGA Award Nominations
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
Robert Newman On Joining the Cast of Y&R: “I Feel Pretty Blessed to Have the Opportunity”
Guiding Light Alum Murray Bartlett Scores SAG Award Nomination for His Performance in ‘White Lotus’
Richard Burgi Clarifies Why He’s OUT as Y&R’s Ashland Locke
ABC Entertainment President, Craig Erwich Offers Update on ‘Pine Valley’ and is Open to Additional ‘General Hospital’ Iterations
Guiding Light Favorite Robert Newman is Y&R’s New Ashland Locke
Richard Burgi Clarifies Why He’s OUT as Y&R’s Ashland Locke
Richard Burgi Reveals He’s ‘Moving On’ From The Young and the Restless
ABC Entertainment President, Craig Erwich Offers Update on ‘Pine Valley’ and is Open to Additional ‘General Hospital’ Iterations
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
Guiding Light Favorite Robert Newman is Y&R’s New Ashland Locke
The Bold and the Beautiful to Dedicate Episode to Betty White On What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor and Thorsten Kaye to Guest on THE TALK
Robert Newman On Joining the Cast of Y&R: “I Feel Pretty Blessed to Have the Opportunity”
Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless Receive WGA Award Nominations
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Michael at a Crossroads; What Did You Think of Christian LeBlanc’s 30th Anniversary Episode?
Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Michael at a Crossroads; What Did You Think of Christian LeBlanc’s 30th Anniversary Episode?
‘Soapdish’ Series Adaptation in the Works for Paramount +; Whoopi Goldberg to Reprise Her Role
Y&R’s Christian LeBlanc and Michelle Stafford Talk On Their Enduring Friendship, Sharing Scenes & Preview Special Episode
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: A Shocked Brooke Exclaims: “Oh, My God! I Was Drinking Last Night!”
‘The Bachelor’ Season Premiere: Will Clayton’s Season Be Intriguing or a Dud?
Betty White, Multi-Emmy Winner, Sitcom Star, and B&B Alum, Dies at 99
‘As the World Turns’ Alums Try to Stump Contestants On All-New Episode of ‘Soap Opera Know-It-All’ Game Show
‘This Is Us’ Cast Reflects on the Show as Its Final Season is About to Premiere
Erika Slezak Shares Holiday Letter & Fan Club Milestone Expressing: “I Thank All Of You For Sticking With Me All These Years”
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NewsJanuary 11, 2022Richard Burgi Clarifies Why He’s OUT as Y&R’s Ashland Locke
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NewsJanuary 8, 2022Richard Burgi Reveals He’s ‘Moving On’ From The Young and the Restless
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General HospitalJanuary 11, 2022ABC Entertainment President, Craig Erwich Offers Update on ‘Pine Valley’ and is Open to Additional ‘General Hospital’ Iterations
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NewsJanuary 13, 2022Remembering One Life to Live on the 10th Anniversary of its Final Episode on ABC
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Breaking NewsJanuary 11, 2022Guiding Light Favorite Robert Newman is Y&R’s New Ashland Locke
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Breaking NewsJanuary 13, 2022The Bold and the Beautiful to Dedicate Episode to Betty White On What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
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NewsJanuary 14, 2022B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor and Thorsten Kaye to Guest on THE TALK
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NewsJanuary 12, 2022Robert Newman On Joining the Cast of Y&R: “I Feel Pretty Blessed to Have the Opportunity”