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Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee & Donna Mills Interview – Knots Landing 40th Anniversary

To commemorate the iconic primetime soap, Knots Landing on its 40th anniversary, Michael Fairman sat down with the three leading ladies of the cul-de-sac: Joan Van Ark (Val), Michele Lee (Karen) and Donna Mills (Abby) for this deep-dive interview for the Michael Fairman Channel.

The trio discuss: their camaraderie, watch back key scenes, and deliver backstage insight on working on the CBS series that ran from 1979-1993.

This interview was filmed on location at Donna Mills’ home as the beloved trio shared many tidbits about their former co-stars, and what made the show so special – that still to this day is revered by so many fans who hope another reunion special or mini-series might some day happen.  Check out the full interview below.

Then, let us know what was your favorite part of it via the comment section below and share your favorite moments from Knots Landing!

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Oh ,what a great interview. How I loved that show, and watched the re-runs also years later, enjoying them just as much. I could never pick one SL as they were all great and too many to nail down just one.From watching the show all those years and hearing each woman’s account, I believe each one of them.

Interviews

‘Neighbours’ Stars Lucinda Cowden, Rebekah Elmaloglou and Stefan Dennis Talk What Went Down On ‘Flashback Week’

If you caught this week’s episodes of Neighbours: a New Chapter on Amazon Freevee, you know that the streaming revival of the beloved Australian soap opera went back in time two years; to fill in the blanks of some of the events that happened from when the original Neighbours ended after 37 years.

In all-new story for “Flashback Week”, Melanie (Lucinda Cowden) was revealed to be the victim of a relentless blackmail and extortion attempts from Krista (Majella Davis) and her troublemaking ‘boyfriend, Eden (Costa d’Angelo).  As the story unfolded, its tentacles reached far and wide involving almost the entire cast and those who reside in the fictional town of Erinsborough.

In addition, while Terese is somehow married to Toadie in the reboot of the series, we learn how her marriage to Paul fell apart, especially when Paul covered-up Krista’s death after Melanie pushed her and Krista fell in the pool at Lassiter’s Hotel, which Paul runs.

Courtesy/Neighbours

Speaking with Michael Fairman direct from Melbourne on Wednesday for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel were series stars: Lucinda Cowden, Rebekah Emagloglou and Stefan Dennis. The trio discussed taping the emotional story and scenes, what they hope happens next for their characters, and when they learned the heartbreaking news that Neighbours had been canceled.

Courtesy/Neighbours

However. while the original series came to its heartbreaking conclusion, the streaming revival is delivering compelling drama with a mix of old and new cast members, and this season with special guest star Mischa Barton (ex- The O.C.).

Courtesy/Neighbours

You can check out all-new episodes of Neighbours: A New Chapter on Amazon Freevee Monday through Thursdays in the UK and the U.S. and on Channel 10 in Australia.

Now below, check out our conversation with Lucinda, Rebekah and Stefan. Then let us know what you thought of what befell Melanie, Terese and Paul during ‘Flashback Week’ and what you think of the streaming series reboot via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

(WATCH THE REPLAY) ‘A Tribute to Jackie Zeman’ Featuring General Hospital Co-Stars

Several of the late Jackie Zeman’s (Bobbie Spencer) former General Hospital co-stars gathered together last Thursday night, to honor the beloved actress during a special livestream event on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Joining in remembrance of Zeman, who passed away in May following a short bout with cancer, were several of the loves of Bobbie’s life including: Rick Springfield (ex-Noah), Brad Maule (ex-Tony) and Sam Behrens (ex-Jake).  In addition, Kin Shriner (Scott), Jackie’s longtime GH co-star and dear friend participated, as well as Tamara Braun (ex-Carly, GH, now Ava Days) and Tristan Rogers (Scorpio).

Throughout the hour, love was sent Jackie’s way, not only from the stars, but the fans participating in the live chat.  Each actor recalled their first meeting with Jackie, and in Rick Springfield’s case, how it was Jackie who told then GH-EP Gloria Monty, that he was her pick to play Dr. Noah Drake.

Later, Brad Maule shared heart-tugging moments when working with Jackie and how he was pretty much in awe of her throughout their time together on the soap.  When the talk turned to the iconic B.J. heart transplant storyline, Brad says it’s still difficult for him to watch even to this day, because of how emotional it was.

Tamara Braun, who was the second actress to play Carly, Bobbie’s daughter,  revealed how she tried to, and did find peace in Jackie’s passing, as Kin Shriner gave us the back-story of his over 45-year friendship with Jackie, and Tristan revealed his special connection to her.

In case you missed it, you can catch the replay below.  Then let us know what you thought of our tribute to Jackie featuring some of her GH co-stars, who showed up to give us some insights on their time working with Jackie, and to be a part of our special remembrance.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives’ Suzanne Rogers Talks 50 Years as Maggie: From Farm Girl, to Becoming a Horton, to Picking Up the Pieces After Victor’s Death

Days of our Lives enduring favorite, Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Simmons Horton Kiriakis), recently chatted on some of the high points and low points throughout her journey, as she looked back on 50 years on the long-running soap opera.

Rogers was interviewed by Michael Fairman on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel during a virtual discussion, which covered a lot of ground including: her debut as a young farm girl who couldn’t walk and on crutches, to becoming a Horton, to more recently, losing her beloved husband, Victor Kiriakis (the late John Aniston), and everything in between.

Suzanne first aired on Days of our Lives back on August 20th, 1973. Throughout her time, she has been “killed-off” the show, only to ultimately return nine months later, after it was revealed her on-screen ‘death’ was part of an overall PR stunt and story arc.

Photo: JPI

Rogers has also had her real-life chronic autoimmune neuromuscular condition, myasthenia gravis, written it to the show, even though she was originally against it.  She has been married on-screen to two of the more complex men in the history of the show, John Clarke (ex-Mickey) and John Aniston (ex-Victor). As well, through the years, Maggie learned that she had more children that she thought! In addition, Maggie is an alcoholic, who has been known to have her battles with the bottle throughout the years.  It was her performance in Maggie’s original bout with alcoholism that won her the very first Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category back in 1979.

Here are just a few of Suzanne’s comments on some key subjects throughout her five decades on DAYS.

Photo: JPI

 

On filming the recently aired scenes, where Maggie learns Victor has perished in a plane crash, and how it brought back emotions of John Aniston’s passing: “It was hard. I think right back to the memorial service (for John Aniston). That was a hard day. All I kept thinking in my mind is he’s not in any pain anymore. I kept saying that. So, I had to play the scenes. It was all surreal. It really was surreal. The fact that he was no longer gonna be there. There’s a tribute to him on the set. I just look at that all the time and I’m right there with him.”

When addressing her fears and concerns about being seen with myasthenia gravis, and being asked to come back to the show: “The producers, Al Rabin and Wes Kenny, said, ‘We would like for you to come back to the show.’ I said, ‘I think you ought to see me first.’ I just didn’t want to shock anybody. We met at Du Pars (coffee shop). It didn’t register on their face that I looked any different, but I did. I really did. They said, ‘We’ll work around you, whatever you need. If you need to come in at noon, that’s fine. We’ll put a sofa in your dressing room so you can lie down.’ (Fast-forward) Then, the audience started seeing me on camera.  The first day I saw myself on camera, I turned off the TV, and I started crying. I thought, ‘Well, I guess God wants to see me, see myself like this. So, I put it back on and I forced myself to watch … and it didn’t look like me, to me. Then the audience, of course, got a hold of it, and they said, ‘What’s the matter with her? Is she drinking? What is wrong?’ So, they figured they had to write it (myasthenia gravis) into the show. I said, “Only if it has a happy ending, because I plan on beating this. That was the criteria that we went with – that they would write it in the show, but they had to have a happy ending.”

Photo: NBC

When recalling being killed-off the show in 2003, after Marlena clubbed Maggie over the head with a whiskey bottle, only for Suzanne to return to the show months later: “I thought I was gone and then to see yourself 10 feet tall. I mean, it was at least 7 feet tall that (movie) screen. It was more than I could handle. I really thought that was the end. I thought, ‘Well, this is a big sendoff.’  Marlena hit her with a bottle and smashed her in. I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness gracious’. It wasn’t a pretty scene.  And no, I didn’t know (I was coming back). I had brought my mother out here, and I had added on to my house, and I thought, ‘I’m going to lose this house.’ It wasn’t a joke, you know?  But then, we were all brought back on April the first. Hello!”

On the audience reaction to Maggie becoming an alcoholic: “Well, I think the first time, I knew the audience right off the bat, hated it. They didn’t like the Maggie character getting soiled in any way. But it led to the Emmy!”

Photo: NBC

On her working relationship with John Clarke (ex-Mickey): “Susan Flannery (ex-Laura) told me the very first day that I was on the show, ‘He’s (John) got to fall in love with you, or he can’t work with you.’ I said, ‘Oh, my.’  So, I remembered that in my mind. So, when we were off-stage, he would say, ‘Let’s go out to dinner.’  I said, ‘no’, because I knew Patty, his wife, and all of his kids. I just don’t mix business with pleasure. You just don’t.  That’s just not a good thing. I thought, ‘Let’s just keep the two separate, and that’s what I tried to do.”‘

Make sure to check out watch our full conversation with Suzanne below.

Now let us know, what has been your favorite storyline of Maggie’s through the years? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Video Du Jour

Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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