Hurricane Sandy Special Roundup

Even though we’re not a part of their life, we feel like our soap family are part of ours after years of them coming into our homes every day. So we really appreciate it that they take time to reassure us that they are OK when a disaster hits. Some of the soap people who let us know they were OK on Twitter. Most of these tweets were sent October 29, 2012.

Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny Santos) although the tweets seem to have been deleted for some reason. Stewart was RTed as saying “My home has flooded but I am safe. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.”

Denise Pence (Katie Parker, Floyd’s sister and Hillary Bauer’s best friend) tweeted: “NY is a ghost town tonight . . . no power in Ridgefield, CT; none on 35th St in NY where my daughter is; we’re fine – so far.”

Ron Raines (Alan Spaulding #3) tweeted: “For those who are interested. We/my family are safe so far because we are on the Upper West Side. The outer areas of NYC are very vunerable.”

Beth Chamberlain (Beth Raines Spaulding #2) tweeted a series of tweets: “Lowes su**s! took our money 4 generator Thurs then called us, said they didn’t have but had coming in we r on wait list. Now they say F u….Thank God 4 my brother in northern VT. He ran 2 Home Depot, got us a generator & had his son meet us halfway. He is 5 hrs. from us…People in Home Depot in Littleton NH actually looked in the back & found a generator 4 us. Some different than Lowes in Clarkstown…Lost power. I was hoping we would have it longer. Damn.”

Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus Aitoro) sent a series of tweets: “Electric fire in my building. Parking under building completely flooded…I’m out of the building. My neighbors there,(a couple with a baby) are still in the building. They never left. The dad is texting me….They are telling me that the Marina (out our windows) is up to our balonies. I can’t go get them because the tunnels are shut.”

Guiding Light writer Jill Lorie Hurst tweeted: “okay except for the challenge of dog walking!”

Tonja Walker (Marie) tweeted: “Power’s back on!The store was open! Got Milk! We were lucky. But many endured tragedy. A fireman w/children we know was killed by a tree. Pray.”

Michael Park (Jack Snyder on As the World Turns, Dirk on Steamboat) tweeted: “Hey all. The fam is safe and my son is taking me to task in cribbage… We’ve counted our blessings.”

Bobbie Eakes(Macy Alexander Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful) tweeted: “I am safe and sound in Upper West Side of Manhattan although the lights are flickering. Looks so bad elsewhere.”

@itsonlythesoaps who often gives us suggestions for this blog tweeted: “came back online to see what is going on with the storm elsewhere. Still bad here,will check in again when I can.”

Tom Casiello former awesome soap writer and current awesome tweeter (plus he does something with running wrestling LOL) tweeted: “All is good with us! 🙂 ”

‏@SoapOpera451 of the soap blog of the same name tweeted “13 year old’s Go Bag includes pocket copy of Constitution. “We may need it in an anarchist society.” Some people pack guns, my son…”

We Love Soaps presented famous soap Sandys: http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-famous-characters-named.html

Odds and Ends 18

While looking for Guiding Light information, I sometimes find things that I think are of interest relating to other soaps. This collection of Odds and Ends related to various soaps that someone may want to know some time. Look for another odds and ends post soon.

Days of Our Lives will air its 12,000th episode on Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/10/october1.html

Really impressed with this Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing) led Dallas event that supported a youth group, plus got publicity for both the show and the library. Who could resist a bit about someone new “shooting” J.R.?
http://photographyblog.dallasnews.com/2012/10/dallas-star-larry-hagman-lends-support-to-citys-budding-young-photographers.html/

Some scenes for season 2 of Dallas were shot at Highland Park Village in Dallas.
http://www.hpvillage.com/2012/10/tnts-dallas-at-highland-park-village-today

Randolph Mantooth (Johnny Gage in Emergency!, Hal Munson #2 on As the World Turns) is starring in a new play ‘Superior Donuts.’
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/jackson/index.ssf/2012/10/review_superior_donuts_a_celeb.html

A roundup of why soap actors left and returned to their roles appeared in the August 13, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest. It includes Grayson McCouch (Dusty Donovan #2) on As the World Turns and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers of The Young and the Restless).

Ronn Moss sadly just left his iconic role of Ridge Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful after 25 years. Tributes include: a look back at his fashion Sept. 24, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Michael Swain (my beloved Duncan McKendrick of As the World Turns) attended the season 2 wrap part for the web series The Bay. See a photo in the April 10, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, Anita on The Young and the Restless) catches us up on her life since then. Find it in the April 10, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Jeanne Cooper‘s (Kay Chancellor) real life face lift is recapped in the April 10, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest (including her use of physical lifts prior to the surgery, little hooks that literally pulled her face back as part of her makeup). They report the full story is in the August 14, 1984 issue.

Kelly Monaco on Maria says “”Daytime is Generational TV Programming That Needs to Stay Around For a Really Long Time.” I highly agree.
http://daytimeconfidential.zap2it.com/2012/10/08/kelly-monaco-to-marie-daytime-tv-needs-to-say-around

Susan Lucci (Erica Kane on All My Children) was quoted as “I hope the soaps that are still running will thrive. They have millions of loyal viewers.”
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/10/susan-lucci-i-hope-soaps-that-are-still.html

Odds and Ends 17

While looking for Guiding Light information, I sometimes find things that I think are of interest relating to other soaps. This collection of Odds and Ends related to various soaps that someone may want to know some time. Look for another odds and ends post soon.

The August 20, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest reminds us that the rights to All My Children and One Life to Live, which were held by Prospect Park for a year, even though they didn’t actually produce any episodes, will soon expire and revert back to ABC.

Jennifer Landon (Gwen Munson on As the World Turns) is interviewed about coming to The Young and the Restless as Heather Stevens in the July 9, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Randolph Mantooth (Johnny Gage on Emergency!, Hal Munson #2 on As the World Turns, and other soap operas) who I adore, was asked about his soap work on the latest We Love Soaps roundup.
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/09/12sep12.html

An oral history of the Ewing family through actual dialogue on Dallas:
http://ultimatedallas.com/oralhistory

Show business legend Phyllis Diller‘s final appearance before her death was in her recurring role of Gladys on The Bold and the Beautiful. She last appeared on the show in March 2012 and passed away in August 2012 at age 95. Diller was also a fan of the show, improving a line about the Forrester housekeeper during her first appearance.

The Young and the Restless celebrated its 10,000th episode September 28, 2012.

Ronn Moss is leaving his role of Ridge Forrester (at least for now) on The Bold and the Beautiful after 25 years. Find a retrospective of Moss’ time as Ridge with both photos and memories in the October 8, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

The June 11, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest featured an interview with BB and YR co-creator Lee Phillip Bell about her new book about her husband William J. Bell.

Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti on The Young and the Restless) points out dropped storylines he’d like to finish including paying back the huge amount of money that Kay loaned Danny to make his first music video, which as far as he knows he never paid back, in the June 11, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

An interesting Q and A appeared in the June 11, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest about the classic soap Edge of Night.
Question: I remember that Edge of Night used to air live on CBS but switched to tape when it went over to ABC. How was this accomplished with no break between the final live CBS broadcast and the first ABC taped show? Were cast members working at both studios for a while? Thank you. – Jim, Delaware
Answer: Shortly before the switch from CBS to ABC, Edge of Night transitioned to tape in preparation for the move. So the reports that Edge‘s final CBS telecast was live were erroneous. The cast and crew worked weekends and shot six episodes a week to create a stockpile of episodes for the move to ABC. Complicating matters, Edge launched on ABC with a special 90-minute telecast that included location shots.

Guiding Light Cast Round Up 50

This is the fifyth in an irregular feature where we will report updates on what cast members of Guiding Light are doing now. I’m playing catch up on some soap magazine news. So as a reminder you can buy back issues:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/faq-back-issues

Jordi Vilasuso (Tony Santos #1) was featured in a Where Are They Now? in the June 4, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Tina Sloan (Lillian Raines) was recently interviewed on Blog Talk Radio. Guiding Light writer Jill Lorie Hurst also chimes in.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chitchatchickslive/2012/08/28/chit-chat-chicks–tina-sloan-

Grant Aleksander (Phillip Spaulding #2, the one there the longest) is quoted in a historic quote from 8/30/1994 in the August 20, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest. “Most people generally dislike when they first meet me because I have a cool and aloof demeanor. But it’s a facade. I think I just do that because I don’t want people to know what a sucker I really am.”

Michael Zaslow (Roger Thorpe) was interviewed in 1971 and just reprinted on We Love Soaps.
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2010/05/flashback-michael-zaslow-1971.html

Marcy Rylan (Lizzie Spaulding Lewis #6, part of the wonderful Bizzie pairing) recently tweeted a photo of one of her redecorated rooms.
https://twitter.com/EmmeRylan/status/242409988037939200/photo/1

Hayden Panettiere (Lizzie Spaulding #2, the little girl who returned from Arizona, killed Carl Stevens, and fought cancer) is interviewed about her role on the new show Nashville in the Oct. 8, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Peter Simon (Ed Bauer #4 – Simon played Ed from the early 1980s through most of the rest of the run of the show) and his wife Courtney have a daughter named Kate Hall. Hall is currently a writer on General Hospital and recently share this photo of her parents:
https://twitter.com/Katehallds/status/246792796168679425/photo/1
Thanks to @itsonlythesoaps who gave me the heads up about it.

Amelia Marshall (Gilly Grant, David’s sister the ambitious reporter) is featured in a Nike ad about a teenager who almost smiles.

Marshall Hilliard (Hart Jessup #4) has just gotten a new role on General Hospital.
http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-gets-new-police-officer

Scott Bailey (Sandy Foster, the fake Jonathan Randall) and his new bride Adrienne Frantz (Amber Moore on The Bold and the Beautiful) shared photos of their Hawaiian honeymoon in the July 3o, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Ron Raines (Alan Spaulding #3) sent in a hand written note wishing CBS Soaps in Depth a Happy 15th Anniversary in their July 30, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth. Raines also tweeted about his daughter Charlotte Raines “Charlotte will be doing a production of Rocky Horror…. with The Theater Company at Morton Center in New Jersey. She’s doing Magenta.”

Victoria Platt (Vicky Spaulding) appeared on the September 17, 2012 episode of Switched at Birth.

Robert Newman (Josh Lewis) was interviewed about what he’s doing now (mostly Broadway) in the June 11, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
Earlier this year, Newman  was in an off-Broadway production of She’s of a Certain Age with Rosemary Prinz (Penny Hughes, Bob’s sister, Ellen Stewart’s best friend on As the World Turns). See a photo in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

ABC’s 666 Park Avenue will feature Springfielders in back to back episodes. Aubrey Dollar (Marina Cooper #4- whose spirited portrayal made her Marina realistically one of Michelle Bauer Santos two best female friends along with Marah Lewis) will appear as Annie in the Sunday, October 14, 2012 episode. Wendy Moniz (Dinah Marler #3, the one paired with Hart) will air appear in the following episode  Sunday, October 21, 2012.

Ian Ziering (Cameron, one of the original Dinah, Alan-Michael, and Harley quad) and Paul Wasilewski (Max Nickerson #2, Daisy’s first serious boyfriend) were both featured in the where are they now type round up of teen idols in the July 30, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Judi Evans (Beth Raines Spaulding #1) is returning to Days of Our Lives in her character as Adrienne in time to learn her brother Jack is dead.

Ellen Dolan (Maureen Reardon Bauer #1) and Eileen Fulton (Lisa Miller Hughes – should have stopped right there- on As the World Turns) are starring in a movie filming in Iowa.
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/small-town-actors-meet-big-time-hollywood-stars/article_89d07c3e-ef27-11e1-aaf2-001a4bcf887a.html

Beth Chamberlain (Beth Raines Spaulding #2) has launched a campaign for a new women’s fitness project.
http://www.indiegogo.com/WomensEmpowermentProject

Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus Aitoro) tweeted a photo from his HGTV Home Improvement Flash Mobs in the NE area.
https://twitter.com/stephaycock/status/240644535984738304/photo/1

Kim Zimmer (Reva Shayne Lewis) joined the touring company of Wicked as Madame Morrible.
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Patti-Murin-Kim-Zimmer-and-Cliffton-Hall-Join-WICKED-Tour-in-August-20120726

Bonnie Dennison (Daisy Susan LeMay Cooper #3) sang “Only the Good Die Young” with a fan at a charity karaoke night, part of Mingle For a Cause. See a photo in the October 8, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth. Learn more about the event and charity:
http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/mingle-cause-karaoke-event

The June 4, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest included a round up of on set romances that broke up, including:

• Beth Ehlers (Harley Davidson Cooper) and Mark Derwin (A. C. Mallet #1). They got together in 1992 and broke up in 1994.
• Vincent Irizarry (Lujack, Nick McHenry) and Kristi Ferrell (Roxie Shayne). They got together in 1984 and broke up in 1985 or 1986.
• Irizzary also paired with Signy Coleman (Annie Dutton #2/Terri DeMarco). They got together in 1988, married July 23, 1989, and divorced in 1992.
• Irizarry also paired with Kimberly Simms (Mindy Lewis #2). The couple got together in 1991, broke up for awhile, reunited, were engaged in 1994 and then ultimately broke it off.
• Irizzary also paired with Barbara Crampton (Mindy Lewis #3, the one that was way too old). They dated in between stints with Simms.
• I’m starting to think Irizzary has a problem.
• Gina Tognoni (Dinah Marler #4) and her OLTL costar Don Jeffcoat. They were together in 1999 and 2000 before splitting.
• ‘Tognoni also paired with Mark Derwin (A.C. Mallet #1). They were together in 2004 and didn’t share with the press.
• Tognoni also paired with Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan Randall #2). They dated in 2005 and split in 2006.

Click on the Posted in “GL Cast Update” category below for more posts about keeping up with the Springfielders.

My Grandmother Passed Away

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 my grandmother passed away. When I say my family watched Guiding Light for 70 years, a lot of that time was my great-grandmother and my grandmother. My grandmother started listening to soaps when they were still on the radio. The family wasn’t among the first to get television (my grandparents got their first TV set when my mother won a cereal slogan contest as a preteen), but as soon as they got it an ironclad rule was established that the TV would be turned on all day and from first thing in the morning until after the evening news tuned to CBS. Even when Search for Tomorrow was cancelled on CBS, but continued on NBC. The rule held until Guiding Light was cancelled in 2009.

In the meantime she introduced many young people to the world of soaps. She started with my mom and went from their through all her cousins and finally my brother and me. My cousin Jewelsam was watching As the World Turns with her when Walter Cronkite’s Kennedy assassination broke in. Some of my first memories are when my grandmother was taking care of me and she put my crib in the middle of the living room so I could see into the kitchen where she often was, out the picture window, or to the TV where the soaps were on all day. By then she had a TV or a TV Radio in every room so no matter where her chores took her she could follow along with the stories and pop in to the living room with the best TV when something important happened.

The last few years she had slowed down a lot. Now she could sit and watch her soaps without feeling guilty. On her bad days she began to have trouble keep track of the stories, especially those on The Young and the Restless. She for some reason began to confuse Lauren, Phyllis, and Sharon. But it was strange even when she seemed the most confused, she always knew instantly when it was the real character and when it was the doppelganger. She also developed an uncanny ability to predict plots. When she said something was going to happen, no matter how crazy it sounded that was exactly what would happen next in Genoa City. When I became an online fan and discovered Twitter I would sometimes share her comments on Twitter and I hope my followers have enjoyed them as much I did.

I don’t know know what my schedule will be like in the next few days. Real life must take precedence over reel life, but I may need to find some comfort in Springfield. I hope I will be able to someday pass on a love of soaps to as many people as she did.

We Love Soaps Greatest As The World Turns Couples

I’ve already posted the Greatest couples as chosen by We Love Soaps for Guiding Light, now I’ll post those from As the World Turns. Unbelievably ATWT didn’t even crack the top ten, starting with an admittedly wonderful couple, one of my personal favorites at number 12. ATWT does have more couples overall than Guiding Light.

We Love Soaps rubric for judging:
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/50-greatest-soap-couples-let-countdown.html

12. Tom and Margo – ToMargo
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/08/tom-margo-from-as-world-turns.html

16. Carly and Jack – CarJack
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/08/jack-carly-from-as-world-turns.html

22. Lily and Holden – Linden
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/holden-lily-from-as-world-turns.html

27. Steve and Betsy – Steve and Betsy (I’ve never heard of a couple code for them, have you?)
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/steve-betsy-from-as-world-turns.html

31. Bob and Kim – Bob and Kim (no couple code here either)
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/bob-kim-from-as-world-turns.html

33. John and Lucinda – John and Lucinda (would think there would be one for them)
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/john-lucinda-from-as-world-turns.html

42. Jeff and Penny – the genre’s first supercouple, they stand alone
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/jeff-penny-from-as-world-turns.html

49. Luke and Noah – Nuke
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/luke-noah-from-as-world-turns.html

Robansuefarm is the handle of one of Manny and Guiding Light‘s biggest fans following in her family’s footsteps of Guiding Light fandom since 1939. This blog is an effort to make it easy to find Guiding Light and especially Manny online. Check back here for her blog, find fanfic previews and fake WSPR newscasts on her YouTube, find podcasts that look back to old shows and audios of her fanfics on Blog Talk Radio, and finally follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Odds and Ends 16

While looking for Guiding Light information, I sometimes find things that I think are of interest relating to other soaps. This collection of Odds and Ends related to various soaps that someone may want to know some time. Look for another odds and ends post soon.

When my schedule opened up to watch Days of Our Lives, I watched to see what the fuss was about. Honestly there was only one couple that truly caught my attention, Lumi. There is a catch you up of the male half of Lumi, Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton) in the April 16, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest. Also catch some roundup questions of his in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Dallas License Plates

Dallas Reunion

Ewing 1 – Jock – big white car with the horns, after his death Miss Ellie took it over and drove a small car

Ewing 2 – Sue Ellen – Station Wagon

Ewing 3 – JR – Dark Blue Lincoln

Ewing 4 – Bobby – Red Convertible

Ewing 5 – Lucy

Ewing 6 – Pam – Sports Car

Cliff B – Cliff Barnes

Charlene Tilton is interviewed for her role as Lucy Ewing in the new Dallas reboot in the August 13, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth. Linda Gray was similarly interviewed about renewing her take on Sue Ellen Ewing in the June 18, 2012 issue. Patrick Duffy got the treatment about Bobby Ewing in the July 30, 2012 issue.

I didn’t particularly like Kimberly on The Bold and the Beautiful, but she does stick with you. I always wondered what she’s being doing. She’s been releasing CDs. You can find more information on Ashley Tesoro who played her http://www.ashleytesoro.tv

Bobbie Eakes still a favorite from when she was Macy on The Bold and the Beautiful. She was interviewed in the April 23, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Grayson McCouch (Dusty Donovan #2) has sunk all his soap money into a farm in upstate New York and is selling the produce he calls them Grayson’ Organics. Read all about it in the April 23, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees appeared on As the World Turns in 2002. He had appeared on Peyton Place in 1965 and General Hospital also in 2002. Read all about it in the April 23, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest. Fellow Monkee the late Davy Jones‘ first acting job was a small role on the British soap opera Coronation Street in 1961. The character returned in 1972 played by a different actor according to the April 3, 2012 issue of the same magazine.

Billy Miller (Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless) was interviewed with lots of photos in the August 13, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Romeny’s Vice-Presidential choice has just inspired a great article documenting the actors playing Paul Stenbeck Ryan.
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/08/paul-ryan-vp-pick-and-son-of-james.html

I’ve always wondered what happened to Lily’s biological grandfather Cal Strickland on As the World Turns and the actor who played him, Patrick Tovatt. He’s moved to Oregon following his ex-wife and son. He’s mostly retired from acting, but is working on being a good father (his son just turned 18) and he’s working on his music. http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PatrickTovatt Read about it in the “Where Are They Now?” in the Feb. 21, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Kevin Schmidt (the current Noah Newman on The Young and the Restless) also played the chubby kid in the modern Cheaper By the Dozen films (2003 and 2005). Afterwards he decided to seriously fight to lose weight which he did before landing YR in 2008. Read more about it in the Feb. 21, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Soap Central talked about the Bill Bell biography.
http://soapcentral.com/radio/news/2012/120608-freeman_maloney.php

The Bold and the Beautiful is getting ready to release some classic episodes in a streaming format. More formats are expected to be released. I’ve always held that digital was the smartest format to start with. Glad they are starting to try to fill the obvious demand for legal copies of BB episodes.
http://daytimeconfidential.zap2it.com/2012/08/17/new-tv-app-lets-fans-watch-classic-bold-and-beautiful-eppys

Amber Frantz says that the late Darlene Conley, used to have an answering machine message “You have reached SALLY SPECTRA!” in the June 18, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Hillary B. Smith (Margo Hughes #2) my second favorite Margo on As the World Turns is interviewed in the June 4, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Dominc Zamprogna (Dante on General Hospital) had a role as a Rollerblade hockey player on one of my syndicated favorites, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.

Bonnie Franklin, most famous for her starring role on One Day at Time, is guest starring on The Young and the Restless as a nun.

Jeanne Cooper was interviewed about her autobiography Not Young, Still Restless in the Aug. 27, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Kate Linder (Esther Valentine) was interviewed for being on The Young and the Restless for 30 years in the April 16, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

A round up of former Teen Idols today included Brian Bloom (Dusty Donovan #1) – still owner of the most gorgeous blue eyes on the planet – in the July 30, 2012 issue of CBS Soaps in Depth.

Cassie Newman (played by Camryn Grimes) of The Young and the Restless died on May 24, 2005, and while she has returned as a ghost, she’s stayed dead.

Kristina Wagner (Felicia on General Hospital) reports about Gloria Monty: “It appeared that she liked it when her actors would hook up. When she cast people together, she wanted them to really important to her for her couples to really be couples. She liked it when she heard a romance for real.” Look for it in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren Fenmore on The Young and the Restless) reports in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest:
“Definitely when Lauren was buried alive in a coffin [in 1986]. I am terrified of confined spaces and the only way I could get into that coffin was Steven Ford [Andy Richards, also President  Gerald Ford‘s real life son] putting his feet through an opening so I could feel him there.”

Martha Byrne [Lily Walsh #2] was interviewed in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Star actress Michele Lee (Karen on Knots Landing) is interviewed in the May 28, 2012 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Sometimes the Past Isn’t Past At All Chapter 5 by Dreamer of Soaps

Another chapter from this special As the World Turns fanfic from one of my favorite people off Twitter, Dreamer of Soaps, offers up Chapter 5. Catch up here:

https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/sometimes-the-past-isnt-the-past-at-all (Chapter 1)

https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/sometimes-the-past-chapter-2 (Chapter 2)

https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/sometimes-the-past-isnt-the-past-at-all-chapter-3 (Chapter 3)

https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/sometimes-the-past-isnt-ch4 (Chapter 4)

Sometimes the past isn’t the past at all Chapter 5

Note: The idea came to me. But the characters don’t belong to me.

Also this takes place November 2010

Lily was so worried when she heard of her mother’s disappearance.  When she heard from Carly… Lily went speeding over to see her. Carly listened to Lily and almost didn’t believe what Lily was asking her.  “Carly would you please do something and convince Jack to search for my mother. I haven’t seen her in days. Nobody knows where she is and the police say it’s too soon to do anything.” Carly was unsure of this as her and Lucinda had had their moments in the past. But she continued to listen to Lily and knew she had to talk to Jack. “Alright I will talk to Jack and see what I can do.” Carly being Carly though knew she had to talk Jack into letting her go. She knew that probably wouldn’t be easy but she wouldn’t give up.

James Stenbeck had tasked one of his helpers to gain Sam and Kirk’s confidence. It was time to put that man in action. He convinced them he was willing to help them get word of their captivity and Lucinda’s back to Oakdale.  So Samantha started to write a letter giving all the details. This information specifically was to go straight to Jack Snyder and no one else but would that happen?  Then a noise came from outside cell and he took the letter before Sam could write anything else including her name.  Following James’s orders the man went to the station and looked around and saw Jack wasn’t there. James didn’t realize that his man had a warrant out in Illinois. He didn’t want to be at the police station and soon as he saw Jack wasn’t there, he dropped the letter on Jack’s desk. He left there in a hurry!

Carly shows up looking for Jack, but she is told he isn’t there. She goes to sit at his desk and waits. She looks down and starts to tidy his desk. She sees sealed envelope with no markings, no address, and none of the office codes she used to use when she worked in the department. She gets curious. Looking around she sees that no one is watching she picks up the letter opens it and reads it.  Her eyes get really big she reads

Jack,

I know it’s been years, but it took us this long to find a way to get the word out. Now James has taken Lucinda. She’s trapped here too, in a different building. There is a map

               and information is on the back of the letter. Don’t delay, if you do it will be too

She read the letter and noticed that the letter broke off and wasn’t signed which made her wonder.  Then Carly looked at the map and looked at the information she goes to make a copy to leave for Jack. After her talk with Lily she knew she had to help Lucinda and family. Lily meant a lot to Carly after all they were more than family, they were good friends.  But, there was more much more; little did anyone know this is exactly what James wanted he had a plan for them all.

Carly was on the right track to find Lucinda and James. But this search had to be done very cleverly. Reason being James Stenbeck was always making sure he would win. Carly got the information and went on her way only after she wrote a note to Jack and gave it to someone at the station. She told him it was a romantic surprise and got him to agree that would deliver that note to Jack in 12 hours time. She knew that if he knew that she was going to this secret island he would stop her, and she owed it to her friendship with Lily to try to save her mother. Carly gets on a plane headed for the islands. She is on the plane for 5 hours with no problems at all. When she gets to an island she hires a boat to take her to this island that was suppose to be secret… but one little clue made it not so secret after all. Hours later she was there and by that time Jack had gotten the note. He wasn’t happy to say least he went and found John and they were on there way.

John: “Are you sure about this?”

Jack: “Yes, we need to get there before James discovers Carly there.”

John: “Is Carly really so reckless as to take on James all by herself?”

Jack shot John a raised eyebrow.

John: “I guess you’re right. That’s the thing about ex-wives you forget how crazy they are. But I think James has forgotten some things too. When we fought, I always won in the end. I will this time too. We will make it to Lucinda in time…we just have to.”

They are on there way on the plane. Back on the island Carly sneaks past the guards and looks into the window. She sees Lucinda and James having dinner. Lucinda looks like she is not happy at all. Lucinda drinks her wine and slams the glass against the table.

James: “Now… now you can be kinder then that I know you can.” He grinned then gives her a look of not being happy. Lucinda looks at him and grins ever so slightly.

Lucinda: “You know the more you push me, the more I become angry, darling.” She said it fast and in her way. She turns and looks out the window and sees Carly standing there. She is now sure she will be saved, but at the same time this really puts Carly in a bad place.

Lucinda: “James, um…. do you want to go into the living room.”

James: “Yes, I would.” He smiled. Lucinda gave Carly a signal letting her know that she knew that she was there. She then smiled back at James and they went into the living room. “What now?” Lucinda closed her eyes then turns and looks at him. Next thing you know the guards bring Carly into the room kicking and screaming. “Carly…. so nice to see you.” He grinned and looked at Lucinda. “So you thought you were saved is that it

Lucinda? So sorry to disappoint, but that’s NOT going to happen.”

Lucinda stood there looked at James then looked at Carly what she was going to do now…..

John and Jack got to the island hours later. They found the mansion and looked around. They were fortunate enough to find someone that they could pay off. This person told them a whole lot of information then he went away. They found a secret door and found Kirk and Samantha and told them where to go. They went on their way to the boat. John and Jack were in the house looked around they could almost feel like something strange was going on. Jack searched the whole mansion to find that James, Lucinda, the guard, and Carly were missing.

In a place that had no lighting and that was dark yet to be revealed was where James, Lucinda, the guard, Carly and a Judge were then revealed to be in a room not all that far away from the mansion yet at the same time not that easy to find.

James: “Lucinda… darling will you marry me?” James grinned. At that moment Lucinda’s jaw dropped and she looked at James like are you kidding me. She then looked at Carly who pretty much was like no, no, no.

Lucinda: “Why should I marry you?” Lucinda stood there not really believing this was happening.

James: “Because I said so and what I say goes!”

To be continued….

ATWT DVD Directory Update 2

Updating the directory since the new release, here is a directory of the episodes offered on the Soap Classics As the World Turns DVD sets (the more we buy, the more they offer), I’ve constructed a chart of the episodes available for purchase so far in date order. I’ve also added the day of the week the episode originally aired to help set it up better.

• Set 1 is the original sampler set.
• Set 2 is Christmas in Oakdale.
• Set 3 is the CarJack Collection.
• Set 4 is Linden Collection.
• Set 5 is Farewell to Oakdale (last 10 episodes), available with copy of shooting script.
• Set 6 is The James Stenbeck Story.
• Set 7 is The Wedding of Bob and Kim.

The  number I’m giving to help you on the chart is to find each episode is by set, by disc number within set, and episode on disc, plus the name of the disc it appears on to make them easier to find. For example, the episode “Something About Carly” is 1.2.3 which is set 1, disc 2, and the third episode on the disc. The final column has an X if there are back to back episodes available on any of the DVD sets.

Last Updated August 17, 2012

Name of Episode	Name of Disc Set	Number of Set. Number of Disc. Number of Episode	Date Originally Aired in United States	Day of the Week	B2B
Bob and Dana Face the Music (Everyone at the ballet, director collapses)	Secrets & Scandals	1.2.1	Sept. 29, 1979	Sat.
Last Bus to Nowhere (James Stenbeck tracks down Barbara Ryan in Oakdale)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.1.1	Feb. 28, 1980	Thurs.
The Bride Decides (Barbara Ryan Chooses James Stenbeck Over Tom Hughes)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.1.2	May 2, 1980	Fri.
John Dixon Takes a Fall	Villains & Vixens	1.4.3	May 14, 1981	Thurs.
Best of Enemies (James Stenbeck begins his blood feud with John Dixon)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.1.3	July 15, 1981	Wed.
Another Time, Another Life (A Stenbeck Fantasy)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.1.4	March 10, 1982	Wed.
The Man of Her Dreams (James risks losing his wife and his fortune)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.1.5	Oct. 15, 1982	Fri.
Into the Ring (James sets a trap for Barbara)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.2.1	March 22, 1983	Tues.
Tom Hughes Marries Margo Montgomery	Great Weddings	1.1.1	June 1, 1983	Wed.
Come Fly With Me (Stenbeck plans a deadly plane flight)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.2.2	Oct. 28, 1983	Fri.
Steve Andropoulos Marries Betsy Stewart	Great Weddings	1.1.2	May 31, 1984	Thurs.
Frannie  Comes Home (Julianne Moore’s first day)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.1.1	April 2, 1985	Tues.	X
Runaway Bridesmaid (Frannie misses fitting)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.1.2	April 3, 1985	Wed.	X
The Wedding Planner (Lisa takes over wedding)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.1.3	April 4, 1985	Thurs.	X
Dueling Lectures (Frannie and Bob lecture each other)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.1.4	April 5, 1985	Fri.	X
An Unusual Plan (ToMargo plan bachelor party)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.1.5	April 8, 1985	Mon.	X
The Bachelor Party (Bob when he married Kim)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.2.1	April 9, 1985	Tues.	X
Special Gifts (Bob and Kim exchange wedding gifts)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.2.2	April 10, 1985	Wed.	X
Unexpected Guests (Bob’s siblings arrive for wedding)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.2.3	April 11, 1985	Thurs.	X
Bob Hughes Marries Kim Andropoulos	Great Weddings	1.1.3	April 12, 1985	Fri.	X
The Ceremony (Bob and Kim original)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.2.4	April 12, 1985	Fri.	X
The Reception (Bob and Kim original)	Bob and Kim’s Wedding	7.2.5	April 15, 1985	Mon.	X
A Rocky Start (Lily and Holden meet for the first time)	Linden	4.1.1	Oct. 16, 1985	Wed.
Christmas Eve, and a Birthday	Christmas In Oakdale	2.1.1	Dec. 24, 1985	Tues.
Cry of the Wind (Holden and Lily develop feelings for each other)	Linden	4.1.2	Jan. 10, 1986	Fri.
The 30th Anniversary Show (Chris and Nancy celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary)	Oakdale Through The Years	1.3.1	April 2, 1986	Wed.
The Return of James Stenbeck (Hello, Barbara)	Villains & Vixens	1.4.1	Nov. 7, 1986	Fri.
The Comeback (After a long absence, Stenbeck returns to Oakdale)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.2.3	Nov. 11, 1986	Tues.
When Villain Meets Vixen (John and Lucinda in the tub)	Villains & Vixens	1.4.2	March 20, 1987	Fri.
Lily’s World Crumbles (Lily learns she’s adopted & who her biological parents are)	Secrets & Scandals	1.2.2	June 24, 1987	Wed.
A Lie for Lily (Lily must live with a shocking secret)	Linden	4.1.3	Aug. 25, 1987	Tues.
After Midnight (Stenbeck gets a late night visit from some murderous neighbors)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.2.4	Nov. 9, 1987	Mon.
Holden Blows It (Holden becomes engaged to another woman)	Linden	4.1.4	Dec. 16, 1987	Wed.
Last Chopper Out (Stenbeck makes an emergency exit from Oakdale)	The James Stenbeck Story	6.2.5	March 20, 1989	Mon.
Margo’s Memorable Christmas	Christmas In Oakdale	2.1.2	Dec. 24, 1992	Thurs.
The Bell Tower (Lily makes a fateful decision)	Linden	4.1.5	Feb. 1, 1994	Tues.
Meet Luciano Grimaldi(Lily gives birth to her first child)	Linden	4.2.1	May 16, 1995	Tues.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree	Christmas In Oakdale	2.1.3	Dec. 25, 1995	Mon.
Humiliation (John humiliates Lisa at their engagement party to pay her back for charging him with malpractice)	Villains & Vixens	1.4.4	March 15, 1996	Fri.
The 40th Anniversary Show	Oakdale Through The Years	1.3.2	April 2, 1996	Tues.
First Kiss (CarJack in Montana)	CarJack	3.1.1	Sept. 19, 1997	Fri.
Lily Walsh Marries Holden Snyder (2nd wedding 1 w/ Martha Byrnes)	Great Weddings	1.1.4	Jan. 12, 1998	Mon.
At Teague’s Cabin (Carly & Jack held hostage in basement)	CarJack	3.1.2	Jan. 29, 1998	Thurs.
A Very Happy New Year (Carly gives birth to Parker)	CarJack	3.1.3	Dec. 31, 1998	Thurs.
The Compass (Jack gives Carly the True North Compass)	CarJack	3.1.4	July 13, 1999	Tues.
Something About Carly (Brad reveals Parker is really Hal’s son & Carly lied about it to get Parker’s trust fund)	Secrets & Scandals	1.2.3	Aug. 2, 1999	Mon.
Switched at Birth (Lily and Holden’s baby is not who she seems)	Linden	4.2.2	Aug. 16, 1999	Mon.
The Impostor (Rose poses as Lily)	Linden	4.2.3	Sept. 6, 2000	Wed.
The Lie (Carly confronts Jack about Julia)	CarJack	3.1.5	Dec. 12, 2000	Tues.
Family Reunions (Penny and Lyla return)	Christmas In Oakdale	2.1.4	Dec. 26, 2000	Tues.
The Explosive Truth (the boathouse blows up with Barbara inside, driving her into a long trip in crazytown)	Secrets & Scandals	1.2.4	June 18, 2001	Mon.
The Funhouse (James Stenbeck Strikes Again)	CarJack	3.2.1	April 23, 2002	Tues.
The Trials of Barbara Ryan (Barbara on trial for kidnapping Carly, Rose & Emily to aging spa)	Villains & Vixens	1.4.5	July 22, 2002	Mon.
Worth it All (Jack and Carly Share a Romantic Getaway)	CarJack	3.2.2	June 9, 2003	Mon.
Carly Tenney Marries Jack Snyder	Great Weddings	1.1.5	July 3, 2003	Thurs.
Bringing Back Jack(Carly Must Cure Jack’s Amnesia)	CarJack	3.2.3	Nov. 24, 2004	Wed.
Another Twist in the Road (Lily and Holden go their separate ways)	Linden	4.2.4	Dec. 5, 2005	Mon.
Ever After (Lily and Holden begin anew)	Linden	4.2.5	Jan. 13, 2006	Fri.
The 50th Anniversary Show (“Seven Divas on a Bus” show, honoring Helen Wagner)	Oakdale Through The Years	1.3.3	April 3, 2006	Mon.
Luke Comes Out	Secrets & Scandals	1.2.5	May 9, 2006	Tues.
Till Death Us Do Almost Part (Carly is Dying)	CarJack	3.2.4	Sept. 25, 2007	Tues.
The Dollhouse (Stand alone episode – characters Victorian versions of themselves)	Christmas In Oakdale	2.1.5	Dec. 21, 2007	Fri.
Christmas at the Snyder Farm (The Snyders reminisce about the past and look to the future)	Oakdale Through The Years	1.3.4	Dec. 25, 2009	Fri.
Bob and Kim Hughes’ 25th Anniversary (Julianne Moore special guest as Frannie Hughes)	Oakdale Through The Years	1.3.5	April 5, 2010	Mon.
Final 10 – 1	Farewell to Oakdale	5.1.1	Sept. 2, 2010	Thurs.	X
Final 10 – 2	Farewell to Oakdale	5.1.2	Sept. 3, 2010	Fri.	X
Final 10 – 3	Farewell to Oakdale	5.1.3	Sept. 7, 2010	Tues.	X
Final 10 – 4	Farewell to Oakdale	5.1.4	Sept. 8, 2010	Wed.	X
Final 10 – 5	Farewell to Oakdale	5.1.5	Sept. 9, 2010	Thurs.	X
Final 10 – 6	Farewell to Oakdale	5.2.1	Sept. 13, 2010	Mon.	X
Final 10 – 7	Farewell to Oakdale	5.2.2	Sept. 14, 2010	Tues.	X
I Really, Really, Do (final CarJack wedding)	CarJack	3.2.5	Sept. 15, 2010	Wed.	X
Final 10 – 8	Farewell to Oakdale	5.2.3	Sept. 15, 2010	Wed.	X
Final 10 – 9	Farewell to Oakdale	5.2.4	Sept. 16, 2010	Thurs.	X
Final 10 – 10	Farewell to Oakdale	5.2.5	Sept. 17, 2010	Fri.	X

Soap Dead

Every Friday night, I try to post another term of Soap Opera Jargon. Find previous entries on the Soap Opera Jargon page on this site.
Soap Dead – Miraculous returns from the dead have been a part of soap operas almost from the beginning, whether it was a carefully laid plot or a “guess who didn’t make it in Hollywood and came crawling back.” However, it didn’t used to be as common as it is today. (See Sudden Doppleganger) Now returning from the dead is so common that people have developed a term, “soap dead” to describe a situation where viewers assume no character is really dead and the actor or at least the character will be back.

There have been a lot of memorable returns over the years. One of the MOST memorable was on As the World Turns when the monk who had been sinisterly lurking around town for weeks pushed back his cowl and said “Hello, Barbara” revealing ubervillian  James Stenbeck in his first of many returns from the dead. This scene made such an impact that if you say “Hello, Barbara” to almost any soap fan and they will know exactly what you mean. ATWT also had one of the best written returns. When Shannon O’Hara McKendrick returned to town it had already been announced by the soap magazines, but it still managed to shock us by setting up a situation where Duncan’s current wife Jessica was assumed to be the source of the phone call that urged Duncan to come because they had his wife in custody, he opened the door and it was Shannon instead. (Sadly they hadn’t planned what should happen nearly as well after week 1 and ultimately Shannon and Duncan were shipped out of town again, ignoring tons of story possibilities.) Once in awhile we can still be surprised. On The Young and the Restless Phillip Chancellor II came back from the dead after being peacefully in his grave for 16 years, when the other end of Cane’s phone calls was revealed at the end of an episode. (I yelled “WHAT!” outloud.) However, it’s such a common occurrence now that they don’t even always bother to come up with a story that makes sense to explain the return like the wax doll replacement that was used for The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Taylor Hayes Forrester or the twin who showed up to take a bullet for Cane/Ethan/Whatever they’re calling him this week on The Young and the Restless. Days of Our Lives has made in an unusually campy joke with pretty much everyone in town back from the dead a couple of times and Tony Demeria is not dead because it was his cousin Andre who was killed, but wait Andre is a live too and Tony was really being held on an island the whole time so both Tony and Andre were the same person, but now Tony is supposedly really dead….I give up.

On Guiding Light, the most memorable come back was Roger Thorpe who came back after a decade (even though his portrayer Michael Zaslow said he held really, really still a long time to assure they couldn’t).  He’d been shot and fell over a cliff, but was found living as a CIA agent on a tropical island. However, Phillip Spaulding, Alan Spaulding, Beth Raines Spaulding, and Reva Shayne Lewis probably get the Phoenix crowns for coming back from the dead, or at least the assumed dead, multiple times.  A fair sprinkling of other people around town, including Danny Santos, came back from the dead at least once.

At this point returns from the dead are so common than many fans and critics worry about what the concept of “Soap Dead” is doing to the genre. If almost everyone comes back from the dead eventually, how upset can you get when they die? How can you get emotionally invested with the fallout when you’re sure the death isn’t permanent and they will be back among the living? Is “Soap Dead” a flexible answer to casting challenges that help chase ratings or part of the reason not as many people feel the emotional connection to soaps they once did? Stay tuned.