News
Power Performance of the Week: OLTL's Melissa Archer & Michael Easton!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Now hold on a minute. Before anyone says One Life to Live’s Bree Williamson (Jessica) and Mark Lawson (Brody) were equally as good and deserved this acknowledgment as much as Melissa Archer and Michael Easton, this was an extremely hard one to choose. But On-Air On-Soaps believes that Williamson and Lawson’s even more powerful moments are coming next week, so stay tuned. So therefore, and in the end, we have decided to give this week’s Power Performance of the Week to Melissa Archer and Michael Easton, who as Natalie and John had the showdown of all couple showdowns, and right before Valentine’s Day, too!
“Heartbreaking” is the word we would use describe the performances of Archer and Easton, as after Natalie and John’s and Brody and Jessica’ s double wedding is busted up, thanks to Vimal and Clint, the couple retreat to air their dirty laundry in a private room in the church. John wants answers, and a trapped Natalie has no where to go with it, but to spill the beans. That indeed, she slept with Brody. With tears streaming down her face, and anguishing that the truth she never wanted her fiancee to hear finally out, McBain, ever the detective, knew that there was more to this story – thanks Marty!
Then, John welling up with tears screams at Natalie,” Say it! Just Say it!” And with that Natalie lets out, “You’re not the father of my baby, Brody is!” It was those next moments of devastation, played to the hilt and with such deep pain and such subtlety, by Michael Easton that made many watching at home grab for their hankies! And as for Archer, the saddest and most riveting moment of her performance came when Natalie realizing her life with John is now torn to pieces, begs him to listen and says, “I love you I wanted to give you this. John, he is your son.” John, whose belief in Natalie is shattered snaps back, “I don’t have a son, Natalie.”
The writing team of OLTL did an admirable job of juxtaposing Natalie and John’s pain and Brody and Jessica’s angst as these two couples lives are completely shattered by betrayal, lies, and DNA tests! Archer was perfection as a woman trying to hold on to her man, even trying to believe that if she continued to tell the lies she had been keeping, perhaps she could be happy and fool everyone! But as we know in soaps, you can’t fool everyone all of the time…most of the time perhaps, until they get a clue, and John did this time!
We can’t wait till Monday when Jessica and Natalie have a showdown, Tess comes out, Brody and Ford to go at it, and to see what will happen to the the friendship bond between John and Brody.
Watch the Power Performance of the Week below!
All My Children
‘All My Children’ Revival Updates: Lifetime EVP Speaks on Why Proposed Movies are Great Fit, Mark Consuelos Wants To ‘Give Back’ to Fans
The All My Children revival via movies at Lifetime is still in the works from former series stars and marrieds, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, through their production company, Milojo.
The co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark were featured this week in a Los Angeles Times article which detailed their efforts to bring some of the citizens of Pine Valley back to your screens.
As previously reported, and reaffirmed by the L.A. Times, the All My Children movies will be set in the present day and focus on what beloved characters such as Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue) are doing now. In addition, Kelly Ripa confirmed that she and Mark Consuelos will also appear on screen briefly most likely appearing in their signature soap roles as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
Photo: ABC
ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIES BRING NOSTALGIA THAT CAN BE MADE TO FEEL NEW AGAIN
Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network said of the All My Children reboot, “Lifetime is always interested in shows that kind of tap into a powerful nostalgia that can be made fresh for today’s audience. There’s a whole generation of women that have missed these stories and these characters.”
As for working with Kelly and Mark on the Lifetime movie versions of the soap, “They’re exactly the kind of partners you want at a brand,” expressed Bryant. “They’re trusted voices because every day they’re talking to their audience, which, a lot of times, is our audience. They bring a real credibility and have an authentic point of view. You meet Kelly and Mark and kind of what you see is what you get, and I think they bring that same authenticity to their development standards.”
Albert Bianchini, executive producer for Milojo, says he knows All My Children is so wildly popular with the fans of daytime. That was punctuated when seeing it in person, and how the energy was off the charts back in January of 2025 when Kelly participated along with Susan Lucci, former head writer, Lorraine Broderick and casting director, Judy Blye Wilson in a conversation with Andy Cohen at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
© Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM Credit: AFF/Alamy Live News
“I’ve never seen a crowd like that in my life. People were lined up around the block, recalled the Bianchini. “Everyone wanted to know, ‘When is (All My Children) coming back? We want more.’ We got to see that in real life and Kelly got to feel it in real life, and it made so much sense. I just know that the minute it gets out in the world, people will want more and more and more. There’s just a love there.”
Kelly Ripa added that they are, “working closely with the estate of Agnes Nixon (the legendary creator of All My Children). She recalled, “She (Agnes) was so far ahead of her time. She covered topics that weren’t being covered. It was extraordinary the audiences that the show drew, and she served them real stories that were affecting Americans across the country but weren’t necessarily being represented anywhere.”
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
THE CANCELLATION AND STOPS AND STARTS OF ALL MY CHILDREN REBOOTS
All My Children aired on ABC from 1970 to 2011. It got a second chance at life when Prospect Park resurrected the show and brought it to The OnLine Network and Hulu for one season in 2013.
Recently, the series made a return through the estate of Agnes Nixon and is streaming internationally on BEONDTV and through their partnership with PlutoTV Canada with episodes starting in 1995. Fans hope original episodes will some day soon be available in the U.S. as well, but that could prove more difficult since ABC owns the rights to the episodes stateside.
Now 13 years later, while there is no word yet on a definitive production start date to the two movies at Lifetime, all the people involved seemed determined to make it come to life.
So, what do you think of the executive vice-president of Lifetime and LMN being enthusiastic about Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movie revivals? Are you wanting to see this come to fruition? Kelly and Mark seem to have made this a very high priority. Do you hope that by 2027 we might be able to get this to the finish the line and into production? Weigh-in via the comment section.
The legal woes continue for Brenda Dickson, the OG Jill Foster Abbott of The Young and the Restless. As we previously reported, Dickson was arrested for battery assault back on July 8, but by July 9, she was released by the LAPD.
Next, Dickson shared her side of the story back on July 30, and insists this is all a part of an issue with where she resides and the tenants. In an updated item from TMZ on Monday, August 3, it now appears that the man who is accusing Dickson of the assault, claims that Brenda struck his young daughter in the face and is seeking a restraining order against her in the courts.
According to the documents obtained by TMZ, a man named Richard Chamberlin filed for a civil harassment restraining order against the Y&R alum for hitting his daughter, Isabella, in the face and chest. He also claims Dickson bumped Isabella with trash bags, made threats, and verbally harassed her and others during the July 8 incident before her arrest.
Photo: CBS
TENANT SEEKS RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST THE FORMER JILL FOSTER ABBOTT
Chamberlin also noted and claims that Dickson has been stalking and harassing himself and his daughter for the past two months. In his court request, he wants Brenda to stay at least five yards away from him, his daughter, the other renter, and his dog. TMZ also notes Chamberlin does property maintenance and is a renter in the building where Brenda resides.
However, the Los Angeles courts have denied his request for now. They shared that his papers didn’t sufficiently show that Brenda had been violent, threatened violence, or caused substantial emotional distress. There is a hearing scheduled for August 24.
Previously, Brenda took to her Instagram with a video message on the matter and expressed to her fans why she initially did not respond to TMZ’s request for comment, because she knew that Chamberlin was going to take this to the next level. “I knew this was going to happen,” explained Dickson. “I’m still heavily involved in my trial and trying to get my property (this is related to her other ongoing legal issue), and it’s not over with yet. That’s why I haven’t touched base with you. I just wanted to thank you all for helping me and standing behind me (because) I know a lot of you heard this rumor. One of my fans said, ‘Oh, good. I hope you gave him a good ‘Joan Crawford’ slap.’ I’ve never slapped anybody in my life. Love you all and I’ll be back with good news, I’m sure, about my case.”
BRENDA DICKSON WAS ONE OF THE BREAKOUT STARS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF Y&R
Soap fans first came to know Brenda when she made her mark on The Young and the Restless back in 1973 when the show debuted. In story, Jill and Katherine Chancellor (the late Jeanne Cooper) battled for the love of Katherine’s husband, Phillip Chancellor (Donnelly Rhodes) and his death took their long-running feud to new depths that lasted decades.
Dickson’s initial run as Y&R’s Jill lasted until 1980. Later, she returned for another run from 1983-1987. The part was recast with Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and eventually, Jess Walton.
So, do you think the man accusing Brenda of hitting his daughter and claiming the former Jill of Genoa City was stalking him and other tenants for the past few months is embellishing the story? Or is this all some kind of tiff between everyone residing in the building? Let us know your thoughts on the matter via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Emily O’Brien Ties the Knot With Longtime Love Ken Barnett
Congratulations are in order for Days of Our Lives schemer, Emily O’Brien (Gwen Rizchech). The actress said “I do,” over the weekend in a wedding ceremony on Saturday, August 1 at the CaliPaso Winery in Paso Robles, California.
Emily married her longtime boyfriend, Ken Burnett. The couple have been together for 12 years before the big day. Taking to her Instagram with some exquisite photos which includes a look at Emily’s spectacular wedding dress, O’Brien announced the couple’s union.
As it turns out, the dress was worn by Burnett’s grandmother in 1956! Making the whole feel of the nuptials so special. Emily expressed, “I married my best friend this weekend… Ken, this life is more colorful, more adventurous & so much more beautiful with you in it. You make every dream a reality. Wearing your grandmothers heirloom wedding dress from 1956 was just the cherry… Cheers to Pickles & Neens”
Photo: EOBrienIG
DAYS AND Y&R STARS SHARE EXCITEMENT FOR EMILY
The comment thread quickly filled up with congratulations from many of Emily’s present Days of our Lives co-stars and those from her former soap, The Young and the Restless where she played Jana Hawkes.
Tamara Braun (ex-Ava, Days and ex-Sienna, Y&R) shared, “The day was everything you two embody. Absolutely beautiful.” Greg Rikaart, who played Emily’s on-screen husband, Kevin Fisher on Y&R, and is now her bff Leo on DAYS shared, “Spectacular and beautiful. Zero notes. Congrats you two!!”Al Calderon (ex-Javi, DAYS) chimed in with “perfection,” while current DAYS co-star Linsey Godfrey (Sarah) added, “Perfect perfect perfect. Both of you.” Abigail Klein (Stephanie, DAYS) shared, “Storybook!” Y&R’s Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) expressed, “Gorgeous!!!!!”
It was back in March of this year that Barnett made his own tribute to the love of his life via his Instagram with a series of photos of the couple adding, “12 years later and we’re still up to our same shenanigans 😜 joyeux anniversaire, ma chérie.”
Share your congratulations for Emily and Ken via the comment section below, and wish the newlyweds all the best on their union!
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thanks for this its true they are the power performers of the week!!!
I agree, both were spectacular in their scenes, especially Michael.
Melissa Archer and Michael Easton are both such subtle, natural actors. They can show so much emotion, without any dialog. With the dialog in those scenes though, they knocked it out of the park. You knew what was coming and you could feel the pain; but you couldn’t look away. Wonderful scenes and wonderful actors!!
Michael, I’m glad you posted that scene from OLTL. I missed that episode. This really is powerful stuff and Michael and Melissa were outstanding. I really felt for them and their agony. It was very upsettng. Now we have to go all over it again with Jessica and Brody. I hope I have the stomach for it! I say well done to all the actors.
Michael and Melissa were hands down the right choice this week. Thank you for how beautifully written this article is and for posting the perfect video to go with it. 😀
I agree they were the perfect choice, Melissa Archer and Michael Easton bought the house down! I could barely concentrate during other’s scenes because I was so eager to get back to there’s. They were riveting. Nat (MA) had me in tears as she was trying to explain herself, especially that moment when she told John her baby was Brody’s. WOW! It was the broken way in which she said that, that started the flood and John (ME) when he stroked her face and said he had no son? Boy that was heartbreaking. Michael and Melissa did what they do best, engage the audience and draw you into their world and make it seem like you are intruding on something very intimate and real. Both threw down and deserve those Emmy’s after those performances. MA has been killing it for months now and yesterday proved that she definitely should be a front runner. Her and Easton.
You are so right. Michael Easton and Melissa Archer were phenomenal this week. Melissa has been shining in this whole storyline and in my opinion should be the front runner for an emmy nomination this year. It was fantastic to see Michael get his chance to shine. He really let us see all of John’s emotions as his life as he knew it collapsed around it. Thank you for acknowledging these two phenomenal performances.
Incredible performances by both of them. I could feel their pain and was riveted to the TV. This is where their chemistry lies. They are so real together and their connection cannot be denied. ME showed so much depth in his portrayal. I thrilled he was given these moment to shine!
I didn’t know Michael Easton had a performance like that in him. Give the guy the Emmy now.
Thank you for giving these two the power performance for the week. I have never seen those two better than they were on Thursday. Melissa Archer has been shining in this story, and she absolutely broke my heart as she desperately tried to hang onto that lie. She knew when she spoke it out loud that it would be real. Michael Easton floored me. The way he yelled at her to “Say it”, and then his reaction after hearing the words. He was broken and I felt his pain. I agree with the person who said that it felt like we were interrupting a private moment between the two. These two always “bring it” in their scenes but thursday was just phenomenal. You could see the pain and devastation, but you could still see the love. If those two don’t get Emmy’s for these performances then something is seriously wrong!
I have followed this couple since 2004 – and I am in total agreement with you. Although both are good actors, I had never seen this caliber of performance from either one of them. Their true acting ability came shining through with this material. Being a big fan, it hurt me to the core to watch it , but the writers did an excellent job telling this story. SO EMOTIONAL I hope to see these two characters back together soon…maybe May Sweeps?? Thanks for the article!
It was nice to finally see Michael Easton play some emotional stuff instead of the same old, brooding, cliched performance we normally get from him. John McBain was actually interesting to me for once. Out of the four actors in this storyline, Michael’s performance was the only one that resonated with me emotionally. Kudos to Michael Easton.
Easton was great. I guess Archer was too, I hate the way she cries but I guess thats just me. Williamson was sooo good this week and last.
The break-up scenes with the couples were so intense, they were heartbreaking to watch!
I still feel Michael Easton’s best acting was with Renee Elise Goldsberry.
Now that was the real deal. The were so believable.
They made you believe they were a real couple! That why people love John and Evangeline to this day. It’s kinda sad that the only real emotion that gets shown between John and Natalie is when they are yelling or argueing. When John was with Van he didn’t have to do that their relationship felt like a real one.