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Should Soap Operas Have a Docuseries Taking Viewers Behind the Scenes of the Writers’ Room and How Creative Decisions are Made?

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

Many of the often questionable or shocking decisions in storylines that fans witness on their favorite soap operas often leave them ready to sound-off on social media. But what if the world of daytime drama peeled back the curtain just a little, and let you see some of what goes down in the writers’ room; where you follow a particular storyline from how it was developed to how it resolved, or how it was left open-ended for more context?

To be clear: we’re not talking about a storyline currently still playing out, either. We’re talking about a story that wrapped up (for now) and how the creatives; from the executive producers to the writers, crafted the arc and why?

Take for instance the culmination of The Bold and the Beautiful’s Luna Nozawa’s (Lisa Yamada) great escape from prison in a laundry hamper, making it all the way to Will Spencer (Crew Morrow), only to tell him she lost their baby, then only to later be run down by a car (off-screen), to then later, Dylan (Sydney Bullock), the friendly school teacher copping to being the person behind the wheel.

Courtesy/CBS

As comparison, Netflix is set to release its second season of WWE Unreal (premiering Jan 20) which gives audiences a second glimpse at an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at WWE creative, as it pulls back the curtain from what goes down inside the writers’ room, where the team crafts the storylines that take them through to a major premium live event such as SummerSlam, and television programming such as Monday Night Raw.

In it, fans also get a glimpse of how the WWE superstars stage their matches: from their moves, to the camera angles and more to tell their stories in the match and inside the ring; plus scenes featuring their real-life personas. The second season takes place leading up to, and at WWE SummerSlam which was held this past August. So, in WWE UnReal, they are not giving away any results, as the stories and matches have already happened.

During The Bold and the Beautiful’s Lawrence Saint Victor (Carter Walton), recent guest visit to the Michael Fairman Channel’s pro wrestling talk show, “What’s Up? Wrestling,” Saint-Victor, who is not only an actor on the CBS daytime drama, but also a writer on the B&B writing staff and a fan of the WWE, weighed-in on if soaps could be successful in using a similar formula to WWE UnReal to give fans more of an up close and personal look at what goes on behind the scenes.

“With WWE Unreal, it’s a controlled picking and choosing of what fans will see,” explains Lawrence. “But like how WWE UnReal season one showed how John Cena’s heel turn was decided, we got to see the pivot and we got to see them have to make decisions, which happens on our show. It happens on every show, especially shows that don’t have off seasons where you’re constantly twisting and turning the whole time.”

Photo: Netflix

“Sometime inspiration hits, or an actor does something and you go, ‘What was that? Let’s unpack that.’ There’s a multitude of reasons and some above my pay grade of why a decision changes,” shared the actor and writer. “Sometimes it can just be logistical. As writers, we don’t ask why, we just pivot. I think that’s the nature of soap operas. It’s the nature of WWE. You don’t have that ‘We finished season one, now we’re going to go away for five months and write season two.’ No, you’re in it all the time. It’s a fluid situation. So the pivot is just part of the nature of it.”

You can check out Lawrence Saint-Victor’s conversation discussing John Cena’s final match and tap out, soaps and the WWE writers rooms, and much more below.

Now let us know, would you want to see a never-before-seen look into the writers’ room of a soap opera – from taking a storyline from inception to the changes and evolution of it along the way – to its conclusion? If so, would you want to see 5 episodes – one each featuring all the current soaps: Beyond the Gates, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless featured; focusing on one or two major storylines from each soap? Or, would you like to see a series featuring just one? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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If American soaps leaned into a synergy with the WWE, that must be why a crop of them were canceled roughly 15 years ago. Those shows need nuance and sophistication so that they don’t look like an over the top circus, not a batch of heel turns. If the writers can tell us anything, it’s why they reject realism outright, when it can actually provide relatable boundaries in storytelling and encourage more creativity. Immortal super villains lost their appeal long ago.

Amen to everything you said, Soapster, and the only thing I would add is: “Immortal super villains lost their appeal long ago, and so did allegedly lovable mobsters and their codependent enablers.”

It’s been refreshing to see how well Beyond the Gates has been able to stick (mostly) to good old emotionally grounded storytelling so far. I just wonder how long it will be allowed to go on. I plan to enjoy it while I can.

B&B missed a perfect opportunity to extend the Luna story even with her demise. Writers sent everyone looking for her in the dark in a wooded field. Think of the drama and mystery if Luna(tic) had been found dead from blunt force trauma..? A great whodunit with a cast of suspects. In the end, Remy did it from the twisted notion of helping Electra hoping for her forgiveness, in turn, garnering a second chance with Deke. Traumatizing the teacher again was anticlimactic for such an intriguing character as Luna

I would probably watch it but I seriously doubt it would tell anything close to the truth about how the shows make creative and writing decisions. The network suits would never agree to show how they micromanage and kill most creativity.

You’d also need to have some truth-tellers to interview, but people like Harding Lemay and Bridget Dobson, who knew how the soaps used to be put together before all the interference started and would have the balls to talk about it, are long gone.

This would be more interesting than watching a bunch of the real housewives constantly kvetching.

General Hospital

‘Knots Landing’ Favorite Donna Mills Joins ‘OnlyFans’

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Donna Mills, who at 85-years-old is still turning heads, booking film and TV roles and co-hosting the We’re Knot Done Yet podcast with her Knots Landing pals, Michele Lee (ex-Karen) and Joan Van Ark (ex-Valene), is now joining the world of Only Fans.

The news came Mills herself in a statement, where she shared to Variety, “I’ve always appreciated the incredible support and encouragement I’ve received from my fans over the years. Social media has been a wonderful way to stay connected, but I’m excited to join OnlyFans because it offers the opportunity for a more personal and direct connection.”

While OnlyFans is primarily known for its steamy content, Mills is taking a different approach, explaining that she will be “sharing moments from my daily life, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engaging with fans in a more meaningful way. It’s simply another platform to spend quality time with the people who’ve supported me throughout my career while staying true to who I am.”

Photo: JPI

WHY DID DONNA MILLS JOIN OTHER CELEBRITIES ON ONLYFANS?

Andy Bachman, CEO Creators INC who presides over OnlyFans also shared in a statement, “This is not about changing who she is. It is about giving her longtime fans more access to the personality, style and behind-the-scenes moments they already love. Donna has always been fearless and ahead of her time. She told me, ‘YOLO — let’s do it,’ and that perfectly captures her attitude. She is approaching OnlyFans on her own terms and creating a space that feels authentic, personal and completely true to her.”

Mill’s move to OnlyFans comes on the heels of others in Hollywood who are pivoting to the platform not only for its revenur, but to control their own narrative of what they want put out into the world about themselves. One example is Shannon Elizabeth of American Pie and Scary Movie fame, who told Variety that since April she has earned more than $1.2 million in seven days via her OnlyFans account.

Photo: JPI

FROM THE CUL DE SAC AT SEAVIEW CIRCLE TO PORT CHARLES

While Donna Mills is best- known for her role as Abby Cunningham Ewing on Knots Landing from 1980-1989, 1993, she also won a Daytime Emmy for her role of Madeline Reeves on General Hospital. Mills played the evil mother to Nina Reeves (then Michelle Stafford) and sister to Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) from 2014-2015 and again in 2018.

The veteran actress also had a leading role in the soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, where she and GH’s late, great sister, Leslie Charleson (ex-Monica Quartermaine, GH) played sisters Laura and Iris Donnelly from 1967-1970. Mills began her soap career on The Secret Storm back in 1966.

So, what do you think of Donna Mills joining OnlyFans? Do you think the once exclusive provocative content platform, which is going more Hollywood, will ultimately be where big named celebrity post their own content? Share your thoughts via the comment section below, and in case you missed it, you can check out the Michael Fairman Channel’s most recent chat with Donna Mills from earlier this year and our livestream with Donna, Michele and Joan from 2025 below.

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Y&R Alum Brenda Dickson Breaks Silence On Her Arrest, ‘Everyone in the LAPD Knows Who Jill Abbott Is’

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brenda dickson

Following the report from TMZ that ‘Young and the Restless’ alum Brenda Dickson (ex-Jill Foster Abbott) was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery on a person back on July 9, but later released on the same day on her own recognizance, comes word from Dickson herself.

Brenda broke her silence when she took to Instagram on Thursday, July 30 about the incident in which on the night of July 8, LAPD officers responded to a call in Hollywood were the former soap siren allegedly struck someone.

Now, Dickson shared her side of the story. “There’s a rumor going around that I slapped someone,” began Brenda. “TMZ emailed me the other day. Basically, I’m not going to say everything, but maybe you can read between the lines. Somebody wanted to get me out of where I’m living and they made a false claim that I slapped someone. Then, they reported it to the police and they’re connected to someone else. I won’t say who. So,  basically they arrested me.”

Photo: CBS

LAPD RECOGNIZING BRENDA DICKSON FROM THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

The actress claimed the police station was very familiar with the antics of her Genoa City alter-ego! “They take me down to the LAPD. Well, everyone in the LAPD knows knows who Jill Abbott is. They knew who I was, and they were telling me, ‘you know, go to the DA’s office,’ because one of the policemen had a gold watch and that was a little suspicious. So, I just went downtown and my case was rejected by the judge. So it’s over. I have no fingerprints. I have no record.”

Dickson continued, “That’s why I didn’t respond to TMZ, or anyone until this happened, because I knew this was going to happen. I’m still heavily involved in my trial and trying to get my property, 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’S DUST-UPS WITH THE LAW

This is not the first time Dickson has had a dust up with the law. In 2007, Brenda spent several months in jail in Hawaii from a civil contempt order involving the divorce from her second husband, Jan Weinberg. She maintained she did not get a fair trial. Then, in 2009, she won her appeal and it vacated the judgment against her.

Soap fans first came to know Brenda when she was one of the breakout stars of the early years of The Young and the Restless back in 1973. 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.

Check out Brenda’s video below where she recounts what happened to her at the LAPD after she was arrested for “slapping” someone.

So, what do you think abut Brenda’s side of the story? Was someone setting her up? Did the LAPD know Jill Foster Abbott? Share your thoughts as it appears all is OK for Dickson as of now.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Troy Lennon Appel Makes His Debut as ‘Hudson’: Is He a New Love Interest for Josslyn? Baby Phoebe’s Bio-Dad?

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TROY LENNON APPEL

Towards the conclusion of the Thursday, July 30 episode of General Hospital, Troy Lennon Appel made his debut asa “mysterious and shady businessman” going by the name of “Hudson.”

The person who first saw Hudson was none other than Ethan Lovett, who is now played by another soap newcomer Christian Howard, who replaced the exited Nathan Dean in the role.

From the looks of things, Ethan was not at all happy to see Hudson at the Metro Court Pool. It looks as though Ethan doesn’t even want Hudson to know he is in the same town. So, how do these two know each other? Is Hudson the father of baby Phoebe? Is Hudson possibly a Quartermaine? Like Dillon Quartermaine … or someone else from the Q clan? Stay tuned.

Kelly Kruger, Lynn Herring

Photo: ABC

TROY LENNON APPEL JOINS KELLY KRUGER AS THE LATEST ARRIVALS ON-SCREEN TO GH

Meanwhile, for his premiere airdate, which also marked the first on-screen episode of Kelly Kruger as Serena Baldwin, Troy spoke to TV Insider and shared a bit about the character he’s playing and more.

Appel expressed, “Hudson is a shady businessman, and you’re not clear as to his motives, He goes one way, but then leans the other, and so he kind of keeps you on your toes. So far, what I’ve played, this guy is way cooler than I am, so it’s been so cool to play him. But he’s just been a force to be reckoned with so far, and I’m not even entirely sure as to all of his intentions in Port Charles. I’m excited to see where his journey goes, because I’m very lucky to be playing this character.”

As GH casting lore goes, Troy actually read for the role of Joe Fitzpatrick that went to Jonathan Bennett, but the producers were impressed by him that they created the role of Hudson with Appel specifically in mind. And stand by … according to Appel, he screen-tested with Daytime Emmy-winner, Eden McCoy (Josslyn).

So, is Hudson the new man for Josslyn?  All Appel would say was, “I did a chemistry read with Eden much later when I kind of cemented that I was going to be playing another character, and it all just happened and I’m insanely grateful that it did.”

With Troy Lennon Appel, Kelly Kruger, Christian Howard, and Dean Geyer (whose character of Tristan was revealed to have ties with the WSB) all appearing on the latest episode of General Hospital, was it jarring for you, or are you excited for what’s to come? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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