Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 13 by Nelson Branco
SOAP OPERA: UNCENSORED
Volume 02, Issue 02
BY NELSON BRANCO
Copyright 2012 Nelson Branco
INSIDE - Love, Loss, and Llanview! Trevor St. John Headed to GH? Source: Hillary B. Smith B&B-Bound! ONE LIFE/GH GOSSIP: Is Roger Howarth's and Kassie DePaiva's Port Charles Visit a Short-Term Stint? Find Out Who's Next? Prospect Park Eyeing GH and ONE LIFE? Is Agnes Nixon Close to Securing The Rights to AMC? Casting Notice: Is DAYS recasting Celeste? Exclusive Interview With Soap Hero Catherine Hickland on Brian Frons's Tyranny ("He Was Silently Abusive"); Why Frons Wanted To Fire Michael E. Knight; Her Beef With Ron Carlivati; Finding Peace With Her ONE LIFE Firing; And Why She's Offering Her New Production Facility to ONE LIFE/AMC/GH Reboots! Daytime Emmy Award Dream Ballot: Who Deserves a Nod? Plus: Will The Emmy Ceremony Air? Did You Know Brian Frons's Contract Expires At The End Of This Month! Former ONE LIFE Scribe Josh Griffith Speaks: Why ONE LIFE Is So Special, and Old SANTA BARBARA Memories Relived! Also: Will He Return to Y&R? GH's Sonny shot! Was Jeff Branson Fired or Did He Quit? Is Nadia Bjorlin back on DAYS? Murder Mystery Headed to Salem? GH's Carly and Johnny Make Out! Faux Shocker: Y&R's Nikki Killed Diane! Plus: Last Week's Reviews, Unbelievable Blind Items, and Next Week's Cheat Sheet!
UNCENSORED MASTHEAD:
FOUNDER/EDITOR: Nelson Branco
EDITOR AT LARGE: Denette Wilford
Follow Soap Opera Uncensored at: @nelliebranco or @SoapUncensored
NOTE FROM EDITOR/FOUNDER:
You asked - and it's happening. For more information on subscribing to daytime's first weekly e-zine Soap Opera Uncensored, email [email protected]
6 months: $14.99 (normally $51.74)
1 Year: $29.99 (normally $103.48)
UNCENSORED QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
"Maybe it's the sad state of the soap world, but it's in and out like a day player who has no history. Just odd and not very gratifying aside from the great actors/friends on the show - Doug, Sean, Eileen and others who I get to catch up with."
-Y&R's Corbin Bernsen on his Facebook page regarding his comeback
Translation: Maria Arena Bell fired my fluffer! I was on L.A. LAW, damn it!
"[Maurice Benard] and I have agreed to share a dressing room to make room for the delicious cast increase of oldies..."
-GH's Nancy Lee Grahn on Facebook
Translation: The glory days are over.
"Y&R is really gunning for those disenfranchised AMC viewers."
-A show source on the latest AMC hire, Darnell Williams
Translation: Now if we only cared about our disenfranchised Y&R viewers!
"The snake was a total diva."
-B&B producer Rhonda Friedman on working with animals on set
Translation: But we finally tamed Brandon Beemer's anaconda.
"We have a very exciting story planned for the citizens of Port Charles, with Sonny Corinthos at the centre of it! I am confident viewers and fans alike will be excited for the arrival of John (Michael Easton), Starr (Kristen Alderson), Blair (Kassie DePaiva) and Todd (Roger Howarth). Incorporating characters from ONE LIFE TO LIVE continue the legacy of the show as we weave them into GENERAL HOSPITAL."
-GH executive producer Frank Valentini on Port Charles's new additions
Translation: Run for your lives, Jason and Sonny! And get out your dancing shoes! It's Llanview's time to shine on the big stage!
"Would the hero and the heroine find their way back to true love? Would the villains get their comeuppance? Or would their crimes go unpunished? Would loving families overcome their struggles? Or would their troubles prove too difficult to surmount. Ultimately, that's what soap opera is about: Families. Close families. Rival families. Even families that are unexpected. Or the ones we chose for ourselves. And when a show is lucky to be on the air as long as FRATERNITY ROW has been on, these families become extensions of our own. The audience might be upset when a favourite actor leaves, but they are always willing to welcome a new one - even when that new cast member is quite different than the one being replaced. After all, this is a place where people come back from the dead, go off to grade school in the morning and come home from high school in the afternoon, because for every new face, every new couple, every new family, there are long familiar faces. Some who have grown right before our eyes - and some we hope to see grow up. We know them so well they become our friends. We yearn for their happiness, especially when it's hard won. We laugh as they laugh; we cry as they cry; and we can't imagine doing without them. And when things are the worst on the show that seems to be when we enjoy them the most. There's only one thing we have to do to keep them in our life: tune in tomorrow."
-Viki Buchanan on FRATERNITY ROW on ONE LIFE
Translation: Brian Frons never got the memo.
"ONE LIFE is airing its final show today. It's a sad day indeed. I want to bid a very fond and heartfelt farewell to all my friends at ONE LIFE. I know I join your millions of fans in missing you on screen already and for myself personally, I am so very sorry to see yet one more very important part of the daytime community cease production. It's impossible to imagine a daytime lineup without the presence of the miraculous Agnes Nixon. I also want to congratulate this remarkable cast on all your accomplishments. You have entertained the audience so well for so long and I hope at this sad time that you all take a moment to rejoice in that. On a personal note, I do hope our paths cross again real soon.
With much love and admiration, Susan..."
- Susan Lucci on her blog www.susanlucci.com. The Emmy winner is hosting DEADLY AFFAIRS, a doc on real-life soap soon on Investigation Discovery Channel.
Translation: Fuck you, ABC!
COVER STORY:
LIFE, LOSS AND LLANVIEW
Catherine Hickland gives her most revealing interview yet on her beef with Ron Carlivati, the lack of talent in Brian Frons' body, and her offer to help resurrect AMC and ONE LIFE!
There's really no one like the beautiful and talented sun-kissed soap veteran.
Which is why UNCENSORED named Catherine The Great Hickland one of our Entertainers of the Year in 2011.
Last year, the real-life soap fan and hero proved how unconditional her love for the genre, the fans and her friends/peers when ABC murdered AMC and ONE LIFE in cold blood on April 14.
But she wasn't going to let the Mouse House get away with it.
If Lindsay had to go to jail for doing the world a favour by murdering Spencer Truman in order to save Blair Manning, Hickland was going to seek her own kind of soap justice. And she was taking no prisoners.
Having starred on classic soaps TEXAS, CAPITAL, LOVING, THE CITY, Hickland is no stranger to cancellations, but ABC/Disney's decision to cancel two of its highest rated soap operas hit her hard.
Not one to rest on her laurels, La Hickland took a huge risk - especially in a business that infamously blacklists actors who speak out - and hit back accordingly.
Lindsay Rappaport would be proud.
In an industry that scares actors from speaking the truth, Hickland immediately spoke out on social media and in the press on what she really thought of Brian Frons, ABC's hack Daytime President, and how toxic AMC and ONE LIFE's work environment was because of the egomaniac.
And it's not like the 55-year-old superstar hypnotist had anything to lose.
Having been unfairly terminated in 2007 (Hickland learned of her axing on a SOAP OPERA WEEKLY cover), the blonde goddess reinvented herself: She published a book, The 30 DAY HEARTBREAK CURE - A GUIDE TO GETTING OVER HIM AND BACK OUT THERE ONE MONTH FROM TODAY, became a successfully hypnotist performing in sold-out shows all over America, and is creating her own production company with her famous beau and Hollywood royalty, Mr. To
For La Hickland, life is good? but it would've been much better, she attests, with ONE LIFE and AMC in it.
In honour of ONE LIFE's final episode today, UNCENSORED tracked down Hickland in Las Vegas and caught up on all things sudsy and scandalous!
Hello, like before! Wow - you looked ah-mazing during your ONE LIFE comeback!
Awww. Thank you. I'll tell you what: I didn't drink, drug up or have kids in my life - and that makes a huge difference! I've always lived a pretty clean life. That all helped in the aging process. Everyone else I know is pretty much a party animal and they have kids, which kicks the shit out of you. Even if I have a glass of wine or two, I'll have the worst hangover the next day! That's what kind of lightweight I am.
Well, not in the talent department. OK: How shocked were you to get an invitation to return for ONE LIFE's final shows after speaking out against the Mouse House?
I was really shocked! And I didn't want to do it, because I had a lot of unresolved issues, which I didn't realize I had until the call came in to the studio. Also, I was really tired after doing 58 straight shows in my summer tour. Once I put a spotlight on the real issue, everything came into perspective for me. When your emotions are whipped up in a frenzy, you're not thinking carefully. Todd said, "You have nothing to lose by doing this. There is no downside. I know you have the flu, but I think you'll regret not doing this down the road." I agreed? and I flew straight from Phoenix into New York City - but fought it all the way until I walked into the new studio. And let me tell you, that was an odd experience, because I had done LOVING/THE CITY there, and Michael [E. Knight] had done AMC there, so there were lots of memories there. But once I saw the crew, all those feelings went away? along with all those unresolved issues. But to answer your question, yes, I was completely shocked! I still can't imagine how it all happened!
Who asked you back?
Frank.
It was so nice to see Lindsay back. Even if she had already redeemed herself in my eyes by murdering that psychopath Spencer Truman years ago. Ron redeemed her again? or did he? That's the beauty of Lindsay: you never know for sure. She is one helluva an actress, just like her portrayer.
I didn't know what they were writing for me. It was really a leap of faith on that front and on my part. In fact, I really thought I was going to face the guillotine. I really felt ONE LIFE was bringing me back to punish me or something! I couldn't imagine with Brian Frons still over there; well, I think Frons has not been at ABC for a long time even though his contract expires at the end of January. I doubt there'd be a snowball's chance in hell I'd be back if Frons was still sitting in his office!
When you spoke out after AMC and ONE LIFE were cancelled, was it a reactive response? Or a more calculated effort to expose ABC's treachery after all these years?
No, I was simply just furious! I have one of the longest fuses in the world, but I had endured a lot of disrespect while I worked at ABC. The way Frons treated us actors? especially the way he treated Michael, and Michael is the most wonderful, special and kind person, he would never hurt anyone? And