Days Of Our Lives
On-Air On-Soaps Names The Best and Worst In Soaps 2016!
As 2016 comes to a close, we took a look back with our annual list of the Best and Worst in Soaps!
As it does every year, On-Air On-Soaps take 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 quickly-shot format is always astounding. It is also something to be admired for the sheer volume of material that is churned out in such shorter order. But of course, in addition to naming the best moments and performances of the year, there were several not so stellar moments, characters, storylines, and more that get the dubious honor of some of our “Worst’s”.
So with that said; we give you our Best and Worst in Soaps 2016! As you will read, we tried to dissect the calendar year on your favorite daytime drama through our various categories. While we know many of you have your own picks and choices, and may disagree or agree with our picks, we encourage you to let us know your thoughts as well. And most of all, respect everyone’s opinions, as you wish them to respect yours.
Finally, we want to wish our wonderful community of site visitors and fans, a healthy, prosperous, and exciting New Year! It is all of you with your unbridled passion and devotion to the soap genre itself, that root for the characters and performers you love or love to hate, which make this such a special and unique medium that we share.
So here we go … the Best and Worst in Soaps 2016! And with that… we’re outta here 2016!
BEST SOAP
General Hospital
Courtesy/ABC
In a year that was lackluster on all four daytime dramas, it was ABC’s General Hospital’s last six months of the year that for us were the most watchable of 2016. With its All-Stars given emotional material to shine, and some five-hankie arcs, ala the death of Morgan Corinthos, GH brought the drama, and also had some fun in May with their annual Nurses’ Ball production.
SOAPMAKERS OF THE YEAR
Frank Valentini, Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante – General Hospital
The trio behind GH took our annual top honors for executive producer and head writers by mixing emotional stories, working in beloved veterans, and getting parts of the show on track after a not-so-great 2015. Read the interview with the honorees here.
BEST SOAP PRODUCTION VALUES
The Bold and the Beautiful
Courtesy/CBSDaytime
Class act all the way is how best to describe this formidable CBS Daytime treasure. The attention to detail, those montages, remotes, the set designs, the fashion shows, the music, and even their holiday episodes, once again illustrates that everyone associated from: behind the scenes personnel, to the crew, to the cast, knows how to do things right.
MOST INCONSISTENT SOAP
Days of our Lives
Last year, DAYS tied with B&B for our Best Soap. However, in 2016, DAYS would on one hand have fans on the edge of your seats, and in the next, it would hit the doldrums. Often it was hard to get through an episode, because you wanted to see the “A”, story, but so much filler seemed to be in the way to get back to the most intriguing material and story.
MOST HOPEFUL SOAP FOR 2017
The Young and the Restless
It wasn’t a banner year for the juggernaut that is Y&R as their EP and head writer left the building amidst a Genoa City crying for someone to return it to its glory days. Within the year though, there were some glorious performances delivered by the A-list cast. Enter new head writer Sally Sussman during December’s air shows. Now, the future looks promising for Y&R in 2017.
BEST PRIMETIME SOAP
Empire
Courtesy/FOX
While Empire was losing some of its audience in its third season, it’s hard to beat: the fierce Cookie Lyon, her mentally ill son, Andre, and her singing sensations son, Jamal, who was hooked on painkillers! Dysfunctional family soap at its best!
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Billy Flynn – Days of our Lives
Whether it be “renovating” the DiMera Mansion by having a meltdown upon the news of his beloved Abigail’s “death”, or talking to his “dead” father Stefano DiMera, or being reunited with Abigail now that she revealed herself to be alive, and everything in between, Flynn is the breakout star of the soaps, a bad boy leading man, and a bright future awaits!
BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A STORYLINE
Jason Thompson –Billy’s out-of-body-experience – The Young and the Restless
How would Jason Thompson do taking over the central role of Billy Abbott, after Y&R’s several attempts to replace Billy Miller went awry? The answer came in an acting tour de force in Thompson’s first talking appearance in an episode, when Billy while laying in a coma and has an out-of-body experience, and sees what it would be like if he wasn’t around. It was quite an accomplishment to come in out of the gate, and deliver one of the most memorable performances of the year amongst the fierce Emmy-Award winning cast.
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Laura Wright – General Hospital
Courtesy/CBS
If there was any question that Wright is one of the premiere actresses ever in daytime, one needs to look no further than her body of work throughout 2016. However, the utimate performances came when Carly tried to process the tragedy that took her son Morgan from her life. Scene after scene, episode after episode, no one played grief-stricken mom like Wright. Laura pours 110% into everything she tackles, and it shows, and we, the audience, experienced raw emotion at its finest.
BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A STORYLINE
Kate Mansi – Days of our Lives – Abigail sets fire to Ben
Kate Mansi turned in a tour de force performance as Abigail’s grip on reality is shattered: She ties up Killer Ben, pours lighter fluid over him, makes him bleed and suffer as she exacts revenge for kidnapping her in the first place! But, wait! We learn she hallucinated the entire thing, and has gone crazy. Standing ovation for the powerhouse that is Ms. Mansi!
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STORYLINE BY AN ACTESS
Nancy Lee Grahn – General Hospital – Alexis downward spiral
Courtesy/ABC
Starting from being drugged before taking the witness stand at Julian’s trial, and stammering her way through her testimony, to her dependence on booze, to having her entire world crumble around her, Nancy Lee Grahn has not had this type of material to shine for years, and she is hitting it out of the park throughout this on-screen journey.
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR
Wiliam deVry – General Hospital
Will brought back Julian’s dark side, and we have always said since he played All My Children’s Michael Cambias, no one plays steely, contained, treachery better than deVry. Not to mention juxtaposing this bad boy’s emotional heart. Just look at deVry’s recent scenes at Christmastime with Nancy Lee Grahn, and you can see his undeniable range.
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rena Sofer – The Bold and the Beautiful
Cray-Cray Quinn had a memorable year on B&B! First, she kidnaps Liam and makes him believe she is his wife. Next, she somehow manages to escape being sent to prison for what she did, and then ends up having an affair with Eric Forrester and then marrying him. This girl gets around! But isn’t it delicious fun watching Rena Sofer strut her stuff?
BEST PERFORMANCE IN PRIMETIME SOAP — FEMALE
Taraji P. Henson – Empire
Courtesy/IMDB
As Cookie Lyon, any mother that knows how to clean out plumbing pipes to extract painkillers to give to her son so he can perform on stage, and then after he gets off stage delivers to him a shocking intervention that sends him to rehab, gets our nod. Henson is 100% fearless in this role.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN PRIMETIME SOAP — MALE
Jonathan Jackson –Nashville
Was there anything more heartbreaking than the final moments of the season four Nashville cliffhanger on ABC, when Avery and baby Cadence are waiting to be reunited with Juliette, and learn her flight disappeared? Jackson played that beat, and all other beats of a solo dad, while the woman he loves battles postpartum depression to perfection throughout the season. Oh, and he sang along the way, too!
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SOAP ICON – MALE
Eric Braeden – Y&R and Maurice Benard – GH
It was a banner year for both the current long-running icons of The Young and the Restless, and General Hospital. Both Eric Braeden, and Maurice Benard delivered some of their best performances in 2016 in their entire soap careers. Interestingly enough, both Victor and Sonny lost their sons, Adam and Morgan respectively, and these two stalwarts played it all to the hilt.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SOAP ICON – FEMALE
Courtesy/ABC
Jane Elliot – General Hospital
The queen! How great was it to see Elliot have major story when Tracy suffered seizures, almost died, had a come-to-Jesus moment with Monica, and became extremely fond of Hayden and Finn? Jane Elliot is divine.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A GUEST ARC FEMALE
Ximena Duque – Blanca- Days of our Lives
We love sexy and sassy Ximena Duque, who was quite the scene-stealer during her short time on DAYS. It’s just too bad Blanca’s story wasn’t written as well as it could have been. It is no wonder why Duque is a Telenovela star. She has ‘’star quality’.
BEST PERFORMANCE INA GUEST ARC MALE
Ingo Rademacher – Jasper Jacks- General Hospital.
Beloved Ingo popped back into Port Charles twice in 2016, but it was his last visit comforting Carly, and his concern for his friend Alexis, that showed that if he ever was back on the GH full-time, any leading lady would be lucky to work with this guy.
BEST WEDDING and MONTAGE
Courtesy/CBS
Robin and Patrick’s Wedding- General Hospital
It aired right after the first of the year – but even though it was a shotgun wedding – and even though it was rushed in order to get Jason Thompson over to Y&R to begin his life in Genoa City – nothing brought out the hankies more than watching Patrick, Robin, Anna, and Emma all together one last time. And then … that Scrubs montage. Hankie-time!
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A YOUNGER ACTOR
Bryan Craig – General Hospital and James Lastovic – Days of our Lives
Bryan Craig’s performance as a bipolar Morgan Corinthos wanting to end his life by jumping off the roof of a hospital, could not have been more riveting, and is one of the must-see moments of the soaps in 2016. It was punch-to-the gut, not to mention his final weeks of scenes that led up to his death as he spiraled out of control thanks to Ava Jerome. On the converse, James Lastovic showed he can play a young man’s growing pains, put in the most horrific of circumstances such as: snuffing out Ava Vitali with a pillow, going on the run, and then getting his girlfriend pregnant, all the while wanting his mother and father to reunite so they can all be a family again. Nicely played. Interesting that both Bryan and James had storylines with women named “Ava”!
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE BY A YOUNGER ACTRESS
Hayley Erin – General Hospital
Courtesy/NBC
At first, it seemed that Kiki would be just be a bore, but now with Erin being given some material to showcase her chops, she has hit some home runs, especially in scenes following the death of Morgan, and her budding romance with Dillon, and that nasty confrontation with Carly.
BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE CHILD PERFORMER
Alyvia Alyn Lind – The Young and the Restless
Is Alyvia really 20-year- old? Her acting chops are well beyond her years! And whether you are one of those that are annoyed by Faith Newman, or love her, Lind certainly has had some airtime to showcase her talents.
CUTEST PERFORMANCES BY CHILD PERFORMERS
Brooklyn Rae Silzer – The Nurses Ball – “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Wally Kurth
Hudson West – The Nurses Ball – ““This Changes Everything” with Roger Howarth
If you didn’t enjoy the cuteness in these performances from Brooklyn and Hudson, you missed out! And, their scene partners Kurth and Howarth were fantastic, too.
BEST NEWCOMER MALE
Anthony Turpel as R. J. Forrester – The Bold and the Beautiful
Courtesy/ABC
When Anthony Turpel came on to the canvas as the SORAS’d son of Brooke and Ridge, the show needed to have a young actor who could hold his own with heavy hitters Thorsten Kaye, and Katherine Kelly Lang. They found him and it worked.
BEST NEWCOMER FEMALE
Marci Miller – Days of our Lives
Taking over the role of Abigail from dynamo Kate Mansi was no easy feat. But Miller has brought her own take to the role, very different than Mansi’s, and is soaring with it, and the fans have been taken with her, too!
BEST RECAST
Jason Thompson as Billy Abbott – The Young and the Restless
Courtesy/ABC
The mighty Thompson taking on the role of Billy Abbott has been a delight to watch. Jason made Billy unapologetic, smart, flawed, sexy, and a guy who lives life on the edge. Y&R is utilizing Thompson to its fullest, and the audience is has bought in.
BEST TEMPORARY RECAST
Nick Stabile as Nikolas Cassasdine – General Hospital
When Tyler Christopher suddenly left GH, the shows creative’s were left having to figure out what to do at the last minute! Enter soap vet Nick Stabile, but what we didn’t know is how good he would be in the role, and that chemistry with Maura West … was off the charts, too!
BEST VILLAIN
George DelHoyo – Orpheus – Days of our Lives
The super-villains taking Salem hostage was one of the more fun stories to watch on DAYS in 2016. Because of it, we got to see one of the classic all-time villains re-emerge in Orpheus, played once again to the hilt by glorious George D.
BEST VILLAINESS
Elizabeth Bogush – The Young and the Restless
Courtesy/NBC
Bogush played creepy Dr. Anderson so well that you were almost afraid to watch what she would do next. Elizabeth played every steely beat of this revenge-filled horrific plot by stealing Sage’s baby, then, handing it over to Sharon and making her believe she was pregnant. She then drives Patty Williams further insane, until she got stabbed in the back and died! All of this because of “Sandy’s” unresolved feelings for good ole’ Nick Newman.
BEST DROP-THE-MIC MOMENT
Genie Francis – Laura rails at Valentin for killing Nikolas – General Hospital
When Laura unleashed her anger and spewed venom and horror at Valentin for murdering her son Nikolas while on Cassadine Island, GH fans collective mouths were agape! Genie Francis delivered the most guttural performance of the year as a grieving mother who lashes out at the man who murdered her son. Francis showed us why she is the icon in just a few sentences of work. Amazing!
BEST GOODBYE
Adam and Victor in the cabin say goodbye to one another for the last time – The Young and the Restless
Two titans at their finest: When Victor decided to help prisoner-on-the-run Adam get away and start a new life, and leave everyone and everything behind, and get rid of the Newman name forever after he caused his son so much pain, it was a pivotal moment between the two characters. But when Eric Braeden welled up with tears, and later as Victor puts his hand on his son’s shoulder and Adam touches it, it was just a major hankie-inducing moment. Kudos to Braeden and Hartley.
MOST TOUCHING USE OF A FLASHBACK
Courtesy/IMDB
Jill recalls her final moments with Katherine – The Young and the Restless
Any time we can see the one and only Jess Walton as Y&R’s Jill is a good day for us. In this small but tender and touching moment, Jill recalls Katherine the last time she saw her at the Chancellor Mansion and thus we all took a moment to recall Jeanne Cooper. Jill has been pissed at Billy for turning Katherine’s house blue, so he finally gets it right with the paint color, “Forget me not, yellow”
BEST EPISODE:
Y&R’s 11,000th episode
Of any episode of 2016, it was the highly-anticipated, and highly promoted Y&R11K that delivered and lived up to the hype. From Chloe’s return with a dart gun to paralyze and finish off Adam once and for all, to the final moments where Adam is blown to smithereens as Nick and Chelsea go back to get him, to Neil seeing his alcoholic dying mother for the first time in years, to Lee Phillp Bell (the co-creator of the series) appearing in the episode and more – it was an emotional, and shocking rollercoaster ride for viewers, and you could not ask for more than that.
BEST STORYLINE:
The Death of Morgan Corinthos – General Hospital
Courtesy/ABC
As we have previously stated, this story had all the hallmarks of great soap storytelling, using a tragic accident that took the life of a core family member to the show, and illustrating the different stages and complexities of how each member deals with grief, anger, sorrow, and more. All of the actors from: Bryan Craig, Laura Wright, Maurice Benard, Chad Duell, Dominic Zamprogna, Lexi Ainsworth gave us moments as the family remembers their son or their brother, and let’s not forget about the incredible work of Maura West, whose selfish act started the ball rolling for Morgan’s eventual demise.
WORST STORYLINE
Paul and the Hospital Serial Killer – General Hospital
Random patients were being killed at “General Hospital”. No one knew who the culprit was. The audience couldn’t get invested because no main character perished, and killing Sabrina didn’t do the trick. In the end, it was revealed that DA Paul Hornsby was the serial killer and he did it all because of his catatonic daughter, Susan. Ill-conceived plot.
MOST CONVOLUTED STORYLINE
John Black is Yo Ling’s son, and a Robicheaux – Days of our Lives
Photo: NBC
What was the point of this story turn for the convoluted history of John Black’s parentage? Enter Maude Robicheaux and Tim (a.k.a. Yo Ling). John is held captive by Yo Ling, who is spouting on about the 38th parallel and is very, very sick with … Topits disease. This was an unsatisfying and unnecessary twist in the long history for soaps version of Jason Bourne.
MOST UNCESSARY STORYLINE
Ciara is raped by Chase – Days of our Lives
Was it really necessary to have Ciara raped by troubled Chase? There was little buildup to this moment, and it was being portrayed by two young actors, who the audience barely had gotten to know, and didn’t really care about in the first place. The shock value of this was a major turn-off to DAYS viewers.
BEST TEARJERKER
The Death of Morgan Corinthos
From Carly finding out her son perished, to Sonny’s admission at the funeral, to Sonny on the bridge with Robin about to end his life, to grieving brothers: Dante and Michael, it all was hankie-inducing! Not to mention Bryan Craig’s performance before his tragedy happens as Morgan is having a horrific manic episode … thanks Ava!
BEST WRITING
General Hospital
Courtesy/ABC
In a year that was uneven for all four soaps in the scripting department, GH stood out via stories surrounding Morgan Corinthos and his struggle with bipolar disorder, and the tragedies surrounding it.
MOST RIVETING PERFORMANCE BY ON-SCREEN BROTHERS
Justin Hartley and Joshua Morrow (Adam and Nick) – The Young and the Restless
As Adam realizes he is not getting out of the slammer, he tells his half-brother Nick to look after his son Connor, and his wife Chelsea for him, especially if something happens to him. Both Justin Hartley and Joshua Morrow played this beat with the emotional weight between two brothers who never have seen eye-to-eye, but when the chips are down, they bond.
MOST RIVETING PERFORMANCE BY ON-SCREEN SISTERS
Heather Tom and Katherine Kelly Lang (Katie and Brooke) – The Bold and the Beautiful
Katie gave Brooke the royal kiss-off, ala ‘The Godfather’, after she realizes that Brooke and Bill are in love with each other again. It was a bravura performance from Tom and Lang.
MOST PREPOSTEROUS PLOT TWIST
The introduction of the character of Summer – Days of our Lives
Courtesy/NBC
Summer is a vision on a beach that Brady is conjuring post-receiving Daniel’s heart via a transplant. Somehow this leads Brady to a beach in California where he finds “said” woman about to drown herself in the ocean. Heroic Brady saves her. And if that is not bad enough, it turns out that good girl Maggie had sex on the farm where she grew up, and got pregnant and gave her daughter away many, many years ago. In four decades, the character never mentioned it. And you got it! Maggie is Summer’s mom. Enough said.
BIGGEST TREND
Liquored Up Leading Ladies
From GH’s Alexis, to B&B’s Katie, to Y&R’s Nikki, it was a booze fest for the divas of daytime, as these characters couldn’t resist staring at a bottle of vodka, or wine, and guzzling it down.
MOST SHOCKING TWIST
Eric is revealed to be in bed with Quinn – The Bold and the Beautiful
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming! We didn’t. A great shocker in the tradition of B&B: villainess Quinn bedding the patriarch of the Forrester clan. When we first saw it, we thought, “Oh, no. Not an Eric doppelganger.” But we happily found out, this was Eric indeed, and he was having the time of his life with naughty Quinn!
BEST RETURN
Judith Chapman – The Young and the Restless
Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas
Glorious Gloria! That entrance on the Christmas Eve episode of Y&R delighted so many longtime viewers that we are just so thankful to see her. And, Chapman is in top form as ever spewing bards and driving the Fisher/Baldwin boys to drink!
WORST RETURN
Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Joe – General Hospital
What was the point of bringing fan favorite Parise back as Joe Rivera, the twin of hit man Carlos? Guess it was to get Sabrina’s baby off the canvas since Teddy had no ties to Port Charles any more since Sabrina was murdered, and Carlos finally flat lined and was dead … make that really dead this time.
BIGGEST WASTE OF TALENT
Michael E. Knight as Simon Neville, and Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless
Knight as a quirky doc with a romance with Ashley, following the whole Hilary cure, was ushered off the canvas. And with that, fans never got to see Knight shine in the role that was ill conceived. As for Davidson, why can’t someone write a leading storyline for this Daytime Emmy winning star? Dumb-founded.
MOST REVITALIZED CHARACTER:
Eric Forrester – The Bold and the Beautiful
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
When the bombshell aired that none other than Eric Forrester was having an affair with Quinn Fuller, it was jaw dropping. But with that, soap treasure John McCook is back with a front-burner storyline that even included Eric feeling betrayed by his family over their non-acceptance of Quinn, which in turn caused him to have a stroke. So nice to see this beloved veteran and legacy star with a solid story!
MOST OVERUSED CHARACTER:
Deimos Kiriakis – Days of our Lives
While we always love the work of soap vet Vincent Irizarry, since Deimos came on to the canvas, the guy is everywhere, has slept with quite a number of the ladies along the way, and gets so much airtime at the expense of other long-running characters. Not to mention one of the most upsetting plot points of the year: Having Deimos slipping Maggie a drug that caused her to become crippled again! No one wanted to see poor Maggie go through that ordeal again.
CHARACTER WE COULDN’T WAIT TO SEE LEAVE THE CANVAS
Summer – Days of our Lives
See “Most Preposterous plot twist” and you know why we couldn’t wait for the character to leave. No fault of soap vet Marie Wilson (Ex-Summer).
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE BY A CAST
Daniel Dies, and Brady Gets His Heart – Days of our Lives
Courtesy/NBC
DAYS was on fire at the beginning of 2016, when the car crash involving: Brady, Daniel and Jennifer caused such dramatic moments and performances that it was must-watch TV. Standouts included: Suzanne Rogers, Eric Martsolf, Greg Vaughan, and Melissa Reeves, and more.
The Death of Morgan Corinthos – General Hospital
Once again, the members of the Corinthos clan, and the rest of the cast delivered moment after moment in this heavy-dramatic turn that should be remembered come Emmy time.
BEST DECISION
Michael Easton is hired back at General Hospital in new role
Bringing back fan favorite Michael Easton to General Hospital following his unceremoniously being killed-off the year before as not fully-realized character Silas Clay was a clever idea and nice surprise. It also undid some collateral damage to the show. Now back on the canvas as Dr. Hamilton Finn, Easton’s quirky take is fresh to watch.
MOST MISSED
Justin Hartley as Adam Newman – The Young and the Restless
Courtesy/ABC
Justin Hartley left daytime to go star on primetime’s hit series, This Is Us. He is killing it as Kevin Pearson on the dramedy, and he killed at as Adam on Y&R. Bravo!
MOST CONTINUALLY RUINED CHARACTER
Sharon Newman – The Young and the Restless
For the last several years, we have unfortunately had to enter the name Sharon Newman here. The role is brilliantly played by Emmy winner Sharon Case, and how she continually delivers great work out of the storylines she is handed; she deserves another Emmy just for that. But this year, Sharon was saddled with another baby secret, and kept it from her longtime love, Nick Newman. Sadly, didn’t Sharon do that to Nick once before with another one of his children? We are all for portraying someone with bipolar disorder, but can Sharon somehow become a bit of the heroine of old, instead of a town pariah?
BEST COUPLE
Eric and Quinn – The Bold and the Beautiful & Chad and Abby – Days of our Lives
When B&B paired Eric and Quinn we thought it would be a quick manipulation of the head of the Forrester clan, and be one and done. But lo and behold! This couple has legs, and it’s been fun to watch, and completely unexpected. As for DAYS Chad and Abby, for the first half of the year, these two star-crossed lovers were torn apart by Abby’s mental illness, but in the process it gave Billy Flynn and Kate Mansi great material to work with, and showcased how well the two clicked on-screen.
MOST BORING COUPLE
Abby and Stitch – The Young and the Restless
Courtesy/CBS
Thankfully, the writers decided to break these two up! It just didn’t work for us. Putting in Stitch’s troubled young son, Abby’s miscarriage, and mom Ashley lurking around, nothing made us care.
BEST LOVE TRIANGLE
Brooke/Bill/Katie – The Bold and the Beautiful
As much as we all complained a redo was on the way, this love triangle being re-ignited for the time it did, provided series all-stars: Heather Tom and Katherine Kelly Lang material to sink their teeth into. In the end, no one ended up with Bill! Ha!
WORST LOVE TRIANGLE
Shawn/Belle/Phillip – Days of our Lives
The set up of these characters returns were hard to take: Belle was much more hardened and less the good girl, Phillip, who was then played by John-Paul Lavoisier, was not given great story and at times didn’t fit the bill for this role, and Shawn was first played again by original Shawn, Jason Cook, and then his original replacement, Brandon Beemer. The one bright note: we thought Beemer did a good job throughout, and it was nice to see Martha Madison on our screens. A retooling of this trio should be the order of the day since they have so much history with Salem.
MOST TORRID AFFAIR
Billy and Phyllis – The Young and the Restless
Courtesy/CBS
Put Gina Tognoni and Jason Thompson together and what do you have? FIREWORKS! Watching these two actors play the undeniable chemistry between Phyllis and Billy was one of the best executed steamy affairs on daytime TV in quite some time.
BEST GUEST-STAR GIMMICK
Celebrity Priests – The Bold and the Beautiful
From Wink Martindale, to Perez Hilton, to Chaz Bono, B&B kept enlisting pop culture figures to suddenly pop up as priests, ministers, etc to wed some of their staple couples. Who could be next on the list? Enter in your choice here _________
MOST HEARTBREAKING
The death of daytime icons and performers
2016 will go down as the year so many beloved favorites in the entertainment industry passed away. Daytime mourned the loss of legendary scribes” Agnes Nixon and Claire Labine, and stars such as: Larkin Malloy, Joseph Mascolo, and so many more.
BIGGEST SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM
Donald Trump’s lewd comments when visiting Days of our Lives during a segment for Access Hollywood
Photo: Twitter/RNC
Unfortunately, Arianne Zucker and DAYS were featured in Donald Trump’s “locker room talk” that caused a massive public outcry prior to him becoming president-elect.
Antonio Sabato Jr. and Kimberlin Brown speak at the Republic National Convention
When former soap stars, Sabato Jr., and Brown spoke at the RNC, fans were not holding back their feelings on their decision to speak on behalf of then Republican nominee, Donald Trump.
So, after reviewing our picks, which do you agree with? Which do you disagree with? What are your thoughts on the Best and Worst in Soaps of 2016? Were you happy to see some of your favorites receiving our year-end honors? Share your thoughts in the comment below!
Days Of Our Lives
Mike Manning On His DAYS Departure: “Thank You to NBC, to Everyone Involved, and Most of All to the Fans That Were Along for the Ride With This Crazy Character.”
Now it’s the end of the line for Charlie on Days of our Lives, his portrayer Mike Manning took to his Instagram for some parting words of his time in Salem playing this very bad dude.
As Days fans know, many people wanted Charlie dead, and now he is! Thus begins a good old fashioned soap murder mystery on the long-running NBC soap opera, the question now is, who ultimately did the deed?
Photo: JPI
After getting a copy of the latest Soap Opera Digest on newsstand now, which features, “Who Killed Charlie?” on the cover, Manning shared in a post on Friday: Everybody has a motive to want this guy dead.” 😂 Not exactly how I pictured my first soap magazine cover, but at least we’re having a good time with it. It’s been fun Salem. I’ll love you all forever. ✌🏼💙. Thank you to NBC, to everyone involved, and most of all to the fans that were along for the ride w/ this crazy character. You’re amazing. I’ll always be grateful for you. Excited to share what’s next as soon as I can. Arrivederci. -Charlie/Mike”
So place your bets on who will turn out to be the murderer via the comment section below and let us know what you thoughts on Mike’s run on DAYS!
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Rome Flynn Joins Netflix Series ‘Dear White People’ for its Fourth and Final Season
‘This Is Us’ Star Mandy Moore Welcomes Baby Boy
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Cady McClain Ends Her Great Run as Jennifer; But Not Before A ‘Wink-Wink’ Nudge-Nudge’ to AMC’s Dixie ‘Poison Pancake’ Debacle
Y&R’s Sharon Case, Mark Grossman & Jordi Vilasuso Talk Love and Betrayal in the Rey/Sharon/Adam Triangle
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Did Vinny Switch the Paternity Results of Steffy’s Baby?
Y&R’s Anthony Morina & Josh Griffith Issue Statement on Casting of Sasha Calle as new ‘Supergirl’
‘Pine Valley’s’ Leo Richardson Teases First Episode Script of All My Children Primetime Reboot
Kim Delaney on All My Children Primetime Reboot: “All They Have To Do Is Ask, and I’m There”
GH’s Maurice Benard Will Celebrate His Birthday With Very Special Guests When He Drops ‘Bad Boy Stories’ On March 1st
CW’s ‘Dynasty’ Season Four Premiere Date Announced
TONIGHT: Kim Delaney Stars in Lifetime’s ‘The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice’
WATCH: Jackée Harry Comes to Days of our Lives Promo
WATCH: Cast of Y&R Recite Maya Angelou’s ‘Equality’ in Honor of Black History Month & Women’s History Month
Y&R’s Sharon Case, Mark Grossman & Jordi Vilasuso Talk Love and Betrayal in the Rey/Sharon/Adam Triangle
WATCH: Jackée Harry Comes to Days of our Lives Promo
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Did Vinny Switch the Paternity Results of Steffy’s Baby?
TONIGHT: Kim Delaney Stars in Lifetime’s ‘The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice’
Y&R’s Sasha Calle Cast as DC Universe’s New ‘Supergirl’ In Upcoming Motion Picture, ‘The Flash’
GH’s Maurice Benard Will Celebrate His Birthday With Very Special Guests When He Drops ‘Bad Boy Stories’ On March 1st
TODAY: ‘Edge of Night’s’ Terry Davis, Frances Fisher, and Sharon Gabet in Virtual Chat
Expectant Mom, B&B’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Shares Gender Reveal of Her Baby
Linda Dano Talks Taking On DAYS Vivian, Heartfelt Memories of Another World & Felicia Gallant, One Life to Live, Winning a Daytime Emmy & More
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Days Of Our LivesFebruary 18, 2021DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Cady McClain Ends Her Great Run as Jennifer; But Not Before A ‘Wink-Wink’ Nudge-Nudge’ to AMC’s Dixie ‘Poison Pancake’ Debacle
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InterviewsFebruary 26, 2021Y&R’s Sharon Case, Mark Grossman & Jordi Vilasuso Talk Love and Betrayal in the Rey/Sharon/Adam Triangle
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PreviewsFebruary 21, 2021THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Did Vinny Switch the Paternity Results of Steffy’s Baby?
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NewsFebruary 23, 2021Y&R’s Anthony Morina & Josh Griffith Issue Statement on Casting of Sasha Calle as new ‘Supergirl’
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All My ChildrenFebruary 26, 2021‘Pine Valley’s’ Leo Richardson Teases First Episode Script of All My Children Primetime Reboot
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All My ChildrenFebruary 25, 2021Kim Delaney on All My Children Primetime Reboot: “All They Have To Do Is Ask, and I’m There”
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General HospitalFebruary 18, 2021GH’s Maurice Benard Will Celebrate His Birthday With Very Special Guests When He Drops ‘Bad Boy Stories’ On March 1st
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DynastyFebruary 24, 2021CW’s ‘Dynasty’ Season Four Premiere Date Announced
Good choices, though I would have give Marci Miller best recast!
BEST NEWCOMER FEMALE Marci Miller – Days of our Lives BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A STORYLINE Kate Mansi – Days of our Lives – Abigail sets fire to Ben i’m 10 days behind in eps… and I”M STILL LOVING Marci Miller… oy! it’s flabbergasting and just a royal treat for fans… to lavish so much praise on this newbie… and recast… and most welcome ACTRESS to launch her career… WELCOME to Hollywood.. Ms. Miller… absolute delight. once again… it’s the Chad / Gabs / and ABS SHOW @ DAYS in Salem. these three have megawatt REEL… and… Read more »
If you read the DOOL comment boards, you would see that most people don’t care for Marci Miller. She had a bad start and most of us were really fed up with the so called reunion.
Rafe and hope look good together love them together
Nick Stabile was the best recast.
General Hospital as the best soap? I don’t really watch the other 3 anymore but GH was just as awful as they were. I would have left that category blank. There was no “Best Soap” this year.
It’s sad that the bar has been lowered so dramatically. Because there are only 4 soaps left, we still have to pit them against each other. Since there is no great soap on the air anymore, we have to settle for the sludge at the bottom of the barrel.
The guy is entitled to his opinions.
i agree.. I watch Days and GH.. it is okay not to give any of them the Best Soap. GH was def not deserving of the Best. Good parts of the soap in 2016, but not the best…..
I also disagree with Mr Fairman on a lot of things but he presents his case so well that he’s given me food for thought. Maybe I should rethink the Morgan story? I really did not care for it and it left me dry eyed. and bored as the Sonny and Carly show went on and on like the Duracell Bunny. However, yes, Laura Wright pulled in an amazing performance as did Genie Frances. I also agree with Mr Fairman when he says Jason Thompson was on the top of his game playing Billy starring in his own coma dream.… Read more »
Everyone has different views… he was also Spot-on with a few… Happy New Year Everyone!
DONT SETTLE FOR THE SLUDGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.. AS YOU SAY……SIMPLE….DONT WATCH!
You don’t watch the other three, huh? Well, I do.
GH was the only show that was halfway decent.
Philly is the best thing happened to the show. Hands down!!
Philly = Flithy.
They were a ratings flop and have been thankfully ditched.
“Philly” was disgusting from the get-go – another terrible hack-job from the stagnant mind of Chuck Pratt, who is LONG GONE!!!
Disagree with every pick.
You can say that again. Nothing on here makes me want to tune in to any of these shows.
Come on…. new Abby D.. is not good???????
Totally agree, she is not Abby noway…….
As a fan of Gh for 43 yrs they have some of the best actors I have seen. Nancy, Maurice, Laura, Jane , Bryan just to name a few were fabulous. As far as Gh on a whole I sadly must disagree. Gh is not what it used to be. Stories are dropped in the middle or dragged out to the point that fans lose interest. There is no continuity in the stores and history is being ignored. Honestly seeing the way they handled the sexual assault this year was quite disappointing. They had a great opportunity to shine a… Read more »
TOTALLY AGREE. LOVE GH, but these writers are RUINNING it
Yes these writers do not seem to know what they are doing. They got rid of the mob but let 4 sexual assault s/l going. We didn’t even get our annual Xmas show. J/S? Who are they? I don’t see them anymore. They have dummied down every women on the show. They need to have a hiring freeze also. We want our vets not all these new pple. “Nelle” is on more than our vets. Way too many vets on recurring or just gone. Shameful what they did to Tyler Christopher. not surprising tho they screwed Steve Burton over too.… Read more »
Agree!!!!
General Hospital has been absolutely horrible. It was overkill depressing and an overkill pity party for Morgan. I had the need to FF through all the doom gloom .. J&S are stale. They are like the green mold on old bread. They are like hearing my grandma read recipes. Y&R’s best move was to fire J&S to save Y&R, very smart of CBS GH’s worst move was to drag J&S in, very stupid of ABC . I am lovin Valentin … If Anna hurts my man she has to be taken-down. One of my 2017 wishes; J&S will disappear from… Read more »
“I am lovin Valentin … If Anna hurts my man she has to be taken-down. ” YES – YES – YES I declare with it’s the goshdarndestthing : likely the first and only time… I do not want Anna in the way of Valentin the magic of Valentin / Nina / Charlotte is just too strong of a pull – lead – and FINE Tune IN… this ready made family is a BLAST 2ndly: I just roared with Nina spirit and fight as she declared war on Lulu… outside of Maxie bridal suite. LOL Lulu went off as expected… saying… Read more »
as I’ve always rocked
GH is suffering the dreadlock of way too much airtime for the Corinthos clan
THE ONLY character that is worth any thing…. and she rocks
Jaklyn Zeman…. as Bobbie Spencer… she never wanes… always REELS
GH has not been the best Soap.. agree with ya!!
Nah, Y&R and DOOL were horrible. So was Bold.
Passanate and Altman made GH watchable/tolerable after your guy Carlivati turned into a cartoon circus act.
all I can say is that you obviously have the feed to offscreen hospital because GH has been horrible all year with the exception of the bipolar storyline which we know Maurice helped with. I don’t know how in gods green earth you can call Frank and his Jellyrolls anything but soap hacks!! GH is by far the most inconsistent soap left on the air. There is no continuity whatsoever!! IF GH was cheese it would have too many holes to pass for swiss!!
THE WRITERS ARE RUINNINGwhat Use to be a Great soap!!! SAD
JFP/Guza are the ones who ruined General Hospital. Nothing ever has been or ever will be as bad as those years. We were on the verge on cancellation cause of that terrible twosome with their obsession with the Sopranos.
Frank, Jean, Shelly are doing a fine job and had a nice year as illustrated in the article.
None of the shows can be deemed “good” but GH was the least sucky in 2016.
They win, even by default.
I can only comment on GH since that’s the only soap I watch (lol). But I don’t think the Morgan’s Death s/l was all that original. Yes the performance were outstanding as was the writing BUT we all knew Sonny would be innocent & all would eventually be forgiven where he was concerned. But speaking of Carly, her rage at Sonny wasn’t believable because though Morgan died, it certainly wasn’t the first time her child has been harmed by Sonny’s decisions. Michael was shot in the head and was comatose for a year. So for me, the storyline fell flat… Read more »
Well said Michelle. I agree.
Yes, I agree too. So sick of Morgan being depicted as a saint, on and off the show. In my book, he was everything Michelle said , plus he was spoiled rotten and enabled by his family and I wouldn’t be too happy with the likes of him hanging out with MY daughter!
Morgan’s death was hands down the best story on daytime last year.
….not to mention manipulative, Michelle…..never liked petulant Morgan. I never saw the ‘why’ of others’s adoration of him. Turned me right off.
Best single performance by an actor mwas Steve Burton’s during the Sully reveal. No one else was close Steve Burton was also best supporting actor for 2016.
Oh, Dan….right on! I was always so critically sarcastic where Dylan was concerned….mea culpa!! But, his pent-up pain was so tangible for me. I thought he was going to explode from the anguish. He was so controlled, but one could read and feel that pain in his eyes; in his every movement and nuance. That was some acting by Burton!……I could feel my heart tightening by an invisible hand….And, Dylan’s last scene with Sharon, simply did-me-in. I cried with such heartfelt emotion….my gosh!!!!…that’s how great Burton was. Lest I forget Sharon Case…..she brought patois to the segment just as much,… Read more »
My iPad has a mind of its own…..The word I typed was ‘pathos’, not patois…LOL….a completely different meaning.
I wanted to add that, I hope and wish that Dylan is recast. I was truly looking forward to Sharon’s and Dylan’s longevity. Sharon deserves a a modicum of happiness. Their live story needs to continue….please, ye gods, bring Dylan back home safely.
I agee with you
I agree with you both Judy and Celia. I too have always taken the character of Dylan for granted. But thse last few weeks I have been feeling his heart break. Remember this is the second time in about 2 years that he has had a baby mishap, witb both babies being sons, not that the sex of the baby makes the pain any different. Couple those instances with the miscarriage he shared with Avery, and this poor guy can’t catch a break. I hope they recast down the road, and they don’t have him die on assignment. To me… Read more »
I could not wait to see your list. This has been an up-and-down year in soaps for me, but it has had some great moments. ‘Days of our Lives” seems to be getting back on track after losing me for most of the year. I think Marci Miller is the best casting “DOOL” has done since hiring Billy Flynn. As much as I loved Kate Mansi, I agree that Marci is giving a new take on the role (and I love it). I agree that Billy Flynn had the best year on soaps, Deimos is overused and involved in too… Read more »
Hey Ray, Since I was never a watcher of DOOL, I can’t give you any feedback on that score. But I totally agree with your B&B comments. I never was a fan of Thorsten Kaye as Ridge either. And I am not feeling the reuniting of Ridge and Brooke either. To me he is way to scruffy to be Ridge. Like I have said numerous times in the past, although Ronn Moss was never an academy award winning actor, I always loved the chemistry he had with Katherine Kelly Lang.To me they wil alwwys be Brook and Ridge. I also… Read more »
I found the praise for General Hospital and their writing team a bit jarring. I could not agree less. YR had a rocky year but their cast turned out incredible performances. The absence of Steve Burton’s heart wrenching performance as Dylan really saddens me. And no love for Gina Tognoni either. Nice to see Jason Thompson and Sharon Case get a bit of acknowledgement,
Nancy and will are the best.
Spot-on! Although I only watch General Hospital… Your pics right and well deserved… The only thing you forgot to add was greatest hope for 2017… That ABC now owns the rights again for all my children and One Life to Live and hopefully something good will come from that… Either bring them back or at least bringing some of the characters back on the canvas of General Hospital. Other than that great job!
i miss super couples…now we get pooper couples-enough said!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!…
If your a watcher of B&B, such as I, couples don’t have a chance to get to know each other before they are thrown into a never ending triangle. They don’t have a chance to turn out a super couple.
I watched it in the past and thought the production was great but those triangles like you mentioned was a turn off for me!
i can’t name a best soap because all were subpar. their was a lot of bad this year. Ciara’s rape on Days,the serial killer on GH,and the baby switch on Y&R were the three storylines i hated the most. it seems like every year Sharon is the most ruined character,tired of her being the town punching bag,they practically gave her the same story we just saw 2 years ago
Not trying to be a jerk but I couldn’t disagree more. This past year is the first time since I started watching in 2005 that I have found gh unwatchable. I use to wait for 1:00 to roll around everyday because I couldn’t wait to see gh. But I have become totally uninterested in the slow pace, the treatment of women, the continual attempts to redeem sexual predators, the lack of fallout, missed opportunities and anything and everything to do with Franco. Franco was brought on as evil incarnate and no amount of retcon will reverse my hatred of him.
Agree
i agree GH is unwatchable
Every single year on the internet people say “Worst year ever on GH” but nothing could ever been as bad on 2011 and 2015.
2016 was heaven in Port Charles compared to those hellish years.
Best wishes for a wonderful 2017! Not going to comment on the list I am no expert four soaps versus 17 at one time! Hmmm,
Nice list! Thank you, Michael! I always enjoy your site. Best Wishes for a Happy 2017! Keep ’em coming!
If GH is the best soap, it speaks volumes about how bad 2016 was for soaps. Agree about the worst storyline–Paul and the Hospital serial killer on GH. And kudos to Antonio Sabato Jr for having big balls and speaking at the RNC.
I tape every day now, so I can skip thru most of the BS!!! HORRIBLE writers!!
Speaking of Summer from Days, I hated how the writers made her younger than Daniel. If she was born when Maggie was a teenager that makes Summer older not younger than Daniel. Soap Opera Rapidly Aging Syndrome or Desorasing has gotten out of hand.
True the Summer story was bad
I like that you broke down the performances into single, story line, and overall — wished the Emmy’s would do that—for me this year was one of the worst years for soap viewers. I have on occasion cut back on one soap, but this year, there were days I didn’t watch any of them and I can’t recall a year that every happening. I am the soap viewer who can pretty much stick with a show even through some really horrible story lines, but this year it wasn’t the stories that were that problem, it was the words coming out… Read more »
I disagree that DOOL is the worst soap. It has it’s up down but I think it’s a great show .I watch everyday. Also Vincent has done a great job ….. Remember it’s all about the writing. Boy I could give them some ideas.
Also, loved him on Santa Barbara, Guiding Light and All My Children. Anyone remember something else he was on?
I also watch everday it still good it has good thing and not so good thing I have watch for over 5o year it like a old friend
Best Soap–I only watch GH, however, I was much more excited during the first half of 2016 than the second half. I actually thought the soap was going to head in a better direction at the time with Julian paying for his crimes, a possible Duke return, the Tracy emergency hospital storyline, Griffin seemingly added as a new moral perspective to the show whilst the writers shifted both Sonny and Jason to a more palatable morality. We actually thought the Cassadine will story would lead somewhere great although it hasn’t yet. The focus was shifted back to the hospital with… Read more »
Great post. Co-sign, if I may. I don’t think the “Soapmaker of the Year” title should go to an Executive Producer who failed to reach a contract with the Emmy winning Leading Actor, Tyler Christopher, in the legacy role of Nik Cassadine, while having plenty of money to hire new-to-GH actors in newbie roles that most GH fans don’t want to see, such as Valentin, Claudette, Finn, “Oscar Jessup/Olivia Jerome,” etc. I actually like James Patrick Stuart, and might be able to like Valentin, if only he weren’t the low budget Nik replacement. Biggest waste of talent: not reaching a… Read more »
Trudy : “thank you” for bringing to attention…. Tyler Christopher Nicholas Cassadine is old history… his carrying the torch … and snuffed out so disrespectfully… leaves a glaring glitch … Frank / Jean / Shelley THOUGHT they could override what an error so much bad judgment is going on Nicholas is not mob… he’s not a bad guy… he’s a sold fixture… an actor who resonated on so many levels fans got I’m befuddled at how much the recast press got… ’nuff said. just WOW on whatever the f is going on in the mindset of Frank / Jean /… Read more »
JMER- A great post! You’ve hit every point spot on! Trudy- I really enjoyed the point you made, I haven’t read anything to do with this…Calling out the Executive Producer by title and not by name was perfect! They need to woo back Tyler Christopher & pay him what he’s worth, then get read of the newbies that aren’t worth a damn, but keep the few that are… They need to take the vets off recurring status and put them on contract…Monica, Tracy, Olivia (and bring Ned back more often than every 6 months), Scotty, Bobbie, Lucy, Mac, Felecia (sp)… Read more »
I agree that the Paul Hornsby story might be one of the worst soap mysteries of all time. Absolutely horrible storyline with no real purpose other than to jettison 2 good actors off the canvas. I think the current writers on GH might be the worst in the show’s history. I’m on the verge of tuning out as I did with Days earlier this year shortly after they started the Summer storyline which was another disaster. Which is a shame cuz I’ve watched at least 1 soap every day since the early 80s.
You remind me that the only thing on GH I liked in 2016 was the return on Monica Quartermaine with some frequency. Also, how much I miss Tyler Christopher (and his same old tight grey pants and burgundy shirt that he wore over and over again). Also, was great seeing Britt again on the Thanksgiving rerun episode from 2014.
I think one of the worst storylines was the Doctor Anderson versus Nick Newman that morphed into the baby kidnapping by an unscrupulous nurse and evil Doctor and the now never ending Sharon Character Assassination story… I detested the Billy/Phyllis affair it was so unrealistic and would have only worked if it was a dream sequence… I would agree that JT is an excellent replacement for the character of Billy Abbott BUT I still love Billy Miller in the role… The character of Dylan can not be gone soon enough for me…useless and boring from the get go IMO! I… Read more »
The Dr. Anderson story was an epic fail in large part due to the fact the character was ret-conned as part of Nick’s past. Writers never seem to learn that most viewers have been around a lot longer than they have and we call shenanigans when they try to ret-con a show’s history to fit their plots.
the Dr. Anderson story was pretty bad. all it did was more Sharon ruination
You totally snubbed Tristan Rogers in that recap of Robin & Patrick’s wedding. Robert was very much present & active in that wedding. Remember, there never would have been a Robin or Anna if Robert hadn’t existed. Something to ponder….
I couldn’t agree more..It totally annoyed me how Robert Scorpio get ignored because if not for him existing? We wouldn’t have had Anna or a Robin for her to have a wedding. They existed because of him.
Michael, though I wholeheartedly agree with your “best drop-the-mike moment”–go Genie Francis!–I must disagree with you on “best overall performance by a supporting actor”–William deFry: he is WAY too buttoned up and “tight” as an actor.
And, though I think Billy Flynn was good, I found Mansi GREAT. Billy can work and polish his art a bit–and he will, I’m sure.
And I found James Read’s performance most riveting and menacing–wish they had brought him on GH in ANY role; he’s the real deal.
Great idea about James Read coming to GH! I could see him playing a love interesting for either Tracy, Laura, and or Monica. I think Monica and Tracy should be in a love triangle with somebody new to the show. Maybe James Reid should come on to the show as a new doctor, Dr. Tanner Addison (I just totally made this character name up lol), but that’s not his real name. He has a dark past, that he shares with Anna, and Tanner can somehow be connected to the Anna Devane and Valentin Cassadine story twist that is going on… Read more »
All such good ideas! GH is missing a great chance at a great actor!
Ooooh, I just thought of another one that James Read might have some pretty good chemistry with. Bobbie Spencer (Jacklyn Zeman). Maybe even Ava Jerome (Maura West), too! 🙂 Oh, the endless possibilities…
Yes!
I only watch GH since the other two ABC soaps went off the air. I am so disappointed in GH. So many missed opportunities in their storylines. In fact what storylines . All they did was plot points. The situation with Jason/Sam/Liz and Jake being the Center of attention got on my nerves. For the longest u did not see Jason’s other child.I believe the fans had a lot to do with bringing TK on for family scenes. I have watched this soap since it’s debut. It is not the soap,that I know it can be. Show more core characters,… Read more »
I thought Michael’s picks were very fair and he did a good job spreading out awards among the four soaps. But as usual, you can’t please everyone. People will still find things to complain about. I only watch GH, so I can’t comment on the other shows. I personally enjoyed GH as a whole this year. I get that some stories and characters don’t work, and I certainly have my share that I don’t like, believe me. But I just fail to see the show as the disaster that so many people on here make it out to be. We… Read more »
Very well said Dan and I agree with you….Happy New Year to you too and all the others.
GH is the only soap I watch so I really can’t comment on the others. There were some terrible moments on GH this past year; notably the hospital killer storyline. The worst ever, in my opinion. I am not a fan of the character Julian Jerome and disagree with William DeVry as best supporting actor. There were better choices; I believe Roger Howarth as Franco had more depth in his performance as a supporting actor. General hospital has always been my favorite soap and Maurice Bernard is by far my favorite actor on the show. When he leaves, so will… Read more »
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SOAP ICON – MALE
Eric Braeden – Y&R and Maurice Benard – GH
this is a joke right…. ?
finding a category to fit in what needs to be pressed, for their longevity ?
these two guys have been further reduced… for their best counterparts… in their own family.
no more Adam
no more Morgan
means dull.
what are these two old stalwarts going to be
not much… so much in overdrive that they have lessened the value of this genre
The actor who plays Valentin is an amazingly brilliant talent. He’s so good that I don’t fast forward through the incredibly cringe worthy Need-ya (Nina).
He is so good that if they ever did a movie based on Vladimir Putin’s life, he could play the starring role. Love how he speaks French so beautifully to his daughter Charlotte.
Valentin is at his best when in scenes with Anna because Finola Hughes has the acting prowess to be able to go toe to toe with this amazing actor.
I agree totally withAddison re: Valentin, Anna and Nina . I think Anna and Valentin have more chemestry than Valentin and clingy Nina who wants little Charlotte so bad, she will even get married to get her. What Lulu is doing to get that child is disgusting. He is her “papa” and they obviously adore each other. To try and wrench her out of his arms is certainly not going to win points from Charlotte. Being her mother, I understand her wanting her, but she has to think of the childs needs and wants too.
I don’t watch the other 3 soaps but I do watch gh and agree with your choices. I know a lot of gh fans have opinions that vary across the board and with most I agree but lately to me at least gh has been getting good, I love what the character of Valentin has brought to the show and how characters like Anna is interacting with Laura . Love new characters like griffin, valentin and Nell. I’m optimistic bout gh in the coming year especially since there’s this new villain lurking in the shadows.
Agree. GH is getting good.
I agree, Aria. Valentin is a great new villain especially when interacting with Anna. This gives me hope.
Stopped reading your picks,when you picked GH as best soap. Are you kidding me? Characters bad. No stories to care about. Not GH since 1994. All separate scenes. No flow. One chocolate mess. Can’t take opinions serious now
SOAPMAKERS OF THE YEAR
Frank Valentini, Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante – General Hospital
there is so much BS in this
ABC / Disney / GH
this dullard trio inked new deals to continue their ??? uninteresting collaboration well in to November 2017… LOL
to do what ?
oy! fan posts have said it all
Frank Valentini is done
this genre has fallen so much if subpar material is all they can come up with
Frank saved GH from the brink of death. He should be the soapmaker of the year, every year. GH wouldn’t have survived another year under JFP.
Happy new year, Mike. Well done on this year’s choices. I agree with you about GH. GH was a better soap, with more raw drama, unpredictable twists, good new romances, intriguing new characters, fresh storytelling, and the superior acting over Y&R and B&B in 2016. I liked more than I disliked and felt more worked than didn’t work as a whole on GH this year. I haven’t felt that way about the show since 2012, but as a whole 2016 was my favorite year of GH in four years. Thank you for putting out the pros, and not just the… Read more »
“… James Patrick Stuart is outstanding and intoxicating as Valentin, which was another home run in the new character department, probably the most must see character on any soap ”
JPS; OWNS GH
simple as that
he resonates with every fiber in his being… WITH Michelle Stafford and Scarlett Fernandez.
LOL
OK
i’m on rinse repeat and recyle… this is superlative stuff to enhance layer and keep the Cassadine mystique… JUST MISS Tyler Christopher.
otherwise… this is a whole new show.. in a league of their own. BIG
excellent read… especially, about the younger actress’ that being… Kiki, Kristina, Nelle, Molly god… the subpar arena… we dwell in by choice this genre , decades plus this outlet is by choice I can’t hammer any more than whats the next post god tho… I blame Frank Valentini … and his choice to hire Jean and Shelley. frustration… I miss Kristina and Parker… what a big arena this coulda woulda shoulda why did they blow this because it’s out of their comfort level… still? to test the waters ? a reach so far would have been ; implosion of mindscape… Read more »
given that a choice had to be made i will agree with gh being best soap , it’s not the best but the best available one out of the 4 on the air . however to have failed to see the brilliance of the michael and sabrina love story and destroying the couple by killing sabrina off and getting rid of the actress was unforgivable . as for the most hopeful soap for 2017 my vote goes to days of our lives , not young and restless . i think viewers will be disappointed with
sally sussman .
I already am disappointed in Sally after a month. Her writing style has a very slow boring pace to it and the episodes have been lacking any action or drama. I also didn’t care for that interview saying the show doesn’t need Adam.
Yankee Fan, did you watch the Y&R repeat of the Nikki and Victor wedding? Bill Bell did pace his shows very slowly and had the courage to utilize patience. When Nikki and Victor dance their first dance at the reception they stare into each other’s eyes without speaking during the entire song lasting over 3 minutes. And were we viewers bored? No, we were riveted and drawn into their romance and we becaame believers. Sally Sussman is no Bill Bell but she’s the closest thing we’ve seen of him in a long time. I think soaps like GH and Y&R… Read more »
PS, Sally did not say Y&R did not need Adam. She said she just didn’t see him coming back right away.
I do think if he does come back they are going to keep it under wraps. The head writer is not going to spill the beans as to whether Adam is coming back or not.
I do believe Adam will be back but I do not know who will play him.
Happy new year, Mike. Well done on this year’s choices. I agree with you about GH. GH was a better soap, with more raw drama, unpredictable twists, good new romances, intriguing new characters, fresh storytelling, and the superior acting over Y&R and B&B in 2016. I liked more than I disliked and felt more worked than didn’t work as a whole on GH this year. I haven’t felt that way about the show since 2012, but as a whole 2016 was my favorite year of GH in four years. Thank you for putting out the pros, and not just the… Read more »
OMG ; people of the 4 serial… there has to be other women… who resonate Laura Wright’ Carly ? she’s a powerhouse ? she mows every one down… its her way or the highway what’s fun about that… ? as I’ve posted before.. she told Nelle… had it not been for her marriage to Sonny and her ownership of Metro court… no one would give a shit period. Sarah Brown and Tamara Braun… had all the stunned reactions and writing.. and FUN of being Carly…. Laura Wright is the married MOTHER… who bull dozes any one who disses her offspring…… Read more »
Laura Wright is a great actress and kicked butt last year.
Patrick, you make some excellent points.
Kate mansi Billy Flynn Jenn lilly arianna Zucker Eric martsolf Kristen Alfonso Lauren cosslow !!!! Are all good give them Emmy
I agree
No STACY HAIDUK mention?! For SHAME! She had better walk away this year with the Emmy for her reprisal of ‘Patty’! She was absolutely riveting to watch and made ‘must see TV’ for me and so many other fans!
OMG, how was Stacy forgotten? Some of her scenes outshown everyone that was in a scene with her. She is totally wasted in her role on Y&R when she could be doing so much more!
Couldn’t agree more about the most torrid affair: Billy & Phyllis. I loved every bit of it. They have the best chemistry on Y&R, & GT/JT are the most talented actors on the show. They are my favorite couple on daytime soaps. Every single scene they share is gold. They’re pure fire together & are smoking hot. I was glued to Y&R just because of them. We should’ve gotten to see them finally together after the reveal of the affair, but unfortunately, that’s not what happened. I still can’t believe Y&R ended them, I stopped watching the show when they… Read more »
I haven’t watched enough of any other soap, except gh, to know if these are accurate. but, i have a feeling i disagree. i have watched enough of days to know that there are so many talented younger actors on there. kiki is probably the worst. just bc they gave her actual material, does not mean her acting has improved. i would pick camila baunus over her. my secret wish is for actors like camila baunus, diego, and vincent izzary to go to gh. it would be dream if that happened. but they are so good on days. also, although… Read more »
Thank you, Michael for the best, most reliable, thoughtful coverage and love for the soap genre.
I look forward to reviewing your site always and am grateful for the time, effort and love you put into your interviews and articles. You really are the BEST!
God bless and keep you.
MY SENTMENTS EXACTLY. The other comment boards pale in comparison to your site. Would like to see daily coverage though.
Most shocking twist would be Days of our Lives actually shooting on location, ON A BEACH!
Oh for crying out loud – so you basically made up these 1,873 “categories” (“cutest performance by a child under 4 feet tall on a Tuesday”) so that you could basically give all your friends an award. The people you name are soap actors at best, nothing that we haven’t seen since the 70s.
May I just say how much I love these categories! So much better than one award for generic headings. Agree with a surprising number of the choices, and am especially happy for the mentions of Elizabeth Bogus (still waters really DO run deep), Anthony Turpel (a future heartthrob if there ever was one), and Genie Francis’ explosive work this year. Don’t agree about Jason Thompson (to me it’s Billy Miller or don’t bother) and REALLY don’t agree about Billy Flynn, but I know he has many supporters. And I would have liked a nod to Maura West for her breakdown… Read more »
Thompson is a miscast and is not Billy. Feels like a new character in town and someone stole the youngest Abbott’s identity. Hartley looked acted and felt like Adam. Can’t say the same for Thompson.
Surprise! I just love Jason as Billy Abbott, they are giving him so much more to do than on GH as Patrick Drake.
I don’t agree–Thompson is doing an excellent job and making Billy Abbott his own.
GH as best soap? Ridiculous! Absolutely not true.
Did you watch the other three? They were much worse.
GH deserves a grade of a “C” so they have to be the pick.
I think Y&R was much more watchable than GH. I really cannot watch the Mourning Morgan show starring Sonny and Carly 24/7 anymore so I fast forward through those scenes. Seeing that Sonny and Carly hog the air time almost on a daily basis I fast forward through most of GH. I never even liked that whiney, self-entitled little brat Morgan anyway. He did not personify bipolar disorder realistically at all. Meanwhile, Laura is only allowed a few sniffles over the death of Nikolas, a legacy character who is not only missed, but who is needed by viewers. I mean,… Read more »
I know I’m way out numbered but Marci Miller is just awful! I want Chad with Gabi since this recast just isn;t working for me.
Shari, if you read the DOOL boards you will be surprised that you are not the only one who is not liking or accepting Marci Miller. The writers really screwed up with the way she was introduced to Salem. We waited so long for something to happen that we kind of turned towards Gabi instead.
BEST SOAP: None. Every one of the four remaining shows was a hot mess. BEST PRIMETIME SOAP(S): How To Get Away With Murder (the “Who’s Under The Sheet?” mystery made for must see tv and the reveal promises to affect the show for the rest of its run) and Younger (daytime should take a page from this show’s soapy goodness as Liza’s web of lies grew and she was forced closer to making a choice between Josh and Charles). MOST OVERUSED CHARACTER: Sonny Corinthos. Sonny has dominated this show since Jean and Shelly took over in the fall of 2015… Read more »
“…BEST STORYLINE(S): While there were individual performances that stood out over the course of the year there wasn’t a single storyline this year that caught my attention, including the overwrought death of Morgan on GH. ” as I’ve always said… when the story is just not their… I continue to fall back on the incredible force of actors who work in this genre if all that comes up … is Morgans storyline…. AND all that is celebrated is Sonny and Carly LOL give me a break Jesus I miss Morgan and Ava… more than I will ever not stop pressing… Read more »
I think the worst most boring and senseless SL on GH has got to be Nathan and Maxi. He may be good looking, but it stops there! No chemestry between them. The scenes between them are more stupid then sexy. Poor girl is so thin and washed out looking, its a wonder he can find her in bed and her ditzy, kooki, .behavior/personality is less than cute and simply annoying.
Best comment? Alan’s! You rocked it with your opinion and of course I agree with your every word.
Violent Femme, I agree–Maxie and Nathan always seem to be posing for a Calvin Klein underwear advertisement.
Regarding prime time: I’d have to give How To Get Away With Murder as THE best prime time soap and Viola Davis as leading actress. She is beyond compare…
@Alan…I LOVE “Younger!” One of my favorite shows. Only complaint: the episodes and number of said episodes are too short! .I have no idea who I’d choose. Josh is irresistible from smile to smirk; Charles so debonair to disarming. Both…if I may be so eloquent…HOT!
🙂
WORST RETURN Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Joe – General Hospital GH quashed a great actor … squandered a great opportunity to bring GH , some splash, some color… some tantalize with this HOT Puerto rican. who’s eyes danced… his machismo decorated this stale dim show. He was playing trigger from the get go. women and men , I know, found him intriguing sexy and danced I no longer, get or care ;for the collaboration of the dullest trio.. Frank Jean and Shelley they fired quashed with complete disregard for what works. Nicholas / Paul / Dr. Joe / Sabrina /… Read more »
James Lastovic, bless his heart, has been god awful for the entire run. Only in the last few December episodes did he seem like he’s beginning to get the hang of acting. Of course, the m material has improved but he was too green and they lost a great opportunity to have a powerhouse young actor come in (like Brian Craig) and play Patch and Kayla’s kid. You were easy on Days in 2016. It was the absolute worst show from mid-March until November when Abby returned. Griffith ruined every character new and old that he touched with his horrible… Read more »
Could not agree more
While I tend to agree with you, Michael, I just cannot agree with General Hospital being the best soap. That, to me, belongs to The Young and the Restless because it was never safe, and to me, the latter has been playing it quite safe for the past few months.
Not in 2016.
GH over Y&R, by a lot.
Nope. I cannot agree.
“Y & R” sucked chunks in 2016 – what show were YOU watching???
Thank the soap gods that Phelps & Pratt and their tainted, dark version of Genoa City have left the building!!
Neither Pratt or Phelps were the issue; it was their mindset. I enjoyed their regime(s) at the soap.
First, I am thrilled that Y&R is morphing back to its traditional look and feel. If you have a short attention span or if you do not appreciate intelligently written character driven drama punctuated by shocking or tragic events now and then, this original Y&R style will not be for you. Times have changed, but the story of us has not changed. Millennials: get used to it; you’re not so special that you know more than those who came before you. Not everything needs to be written to satisfy your demands. Go to your safe places if this bothers you.… Read more »
God bless your soul! You get it and Kudos to you we will trust me have a wonderful year and it will be for all of us not California and New York that is exactly why we have the electoral college so we have a say the people have spoken it is not normal to not want to work I spent all day today in my yard raking leaves cleaning off patio can’t wait to go back to work accomplish something!!!
Funny you should mention short attention spans, Jared, as our president elect has the attention span of a gnat, and he can not read a book or a briefing to save his life. The man does not read….anything. Simple fact–Donald Trump is a scary, racist, misogynistic, uneducated bully who has no impulse control and who is bed buddies with Vladimir Putin. He Tweets the most alarming, ignorant tripe and it is hard to fathom that this man will be our president. As the editor from Vanity Fair says, “He is a short fingered Vulgarian.” This is not about political parties… Read more »
K/Kay…Hoped I had nothing more to say about how I saw this last election and the results. Let’s just say you and several other MF commenters saw/see the future quite differently. But I can help but say the Electoral College was a political deal made to get the Constitution signed. LIke what some see as gun laws, the a Electoral College and as out of date as women not voting. And not fair. It’s like giving an edge to smaller market sports teams on the final outcome when they play teams from larger media markets from California and New York.… Read more »
LOL! What a bunch of crock! FIrst…no intelligent being votes one way because a celebrity does. Most democrats and/or liberals are highly educated, cultured people. I’m not going to list all the psychological, intellectual traits but suffice to say while it’s nice to “commiserate” and celebrate with musicians/actors/directors/writers etc one admires…they’re not the deciding factor that turns a vote. I won’t get sucked into a political debate here (again) but Sabato particularly needs to leave his religious beliefs for his church. The election was not for pope, minister, rabbi. As for not breaking with the “Hollywood” mode…that’s an old cry.… Read more »