February 1, 1999
Non-Spoiler Articles
February 1, 1999
Non-Spoiler Articles
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Soap Opera Digest
DAYS’ ERIC QUITS. IS AUSTIN NEXT?
Jensen Ackles (Eric) will leave DAYS OF OUR LIVES when his contract expires in July, but the show would not confirm his exit at press time. “We don’t comment on contract status,” demurs a DAYS spokesperson.
The writing has been on the wall for Ackles’ departure since he had to pass on roles in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed and DAWSON’S CREEK because they conflicted with his DAYS schedule. The buzz is that another network is interested in signing Ackles to a primetime development deal, but the actor prefers not to comment. He told Digest in July, “If I didn’t stay and I didn’t have anything lined up, it would be like rolling the dice. Do I want to take that kind of chance? I think I’m young enough where I could, and my age range is in demand right now.”
As for Austin Peck (Austin), his negotiations were right down to the wire at press time, but a source close to the actor said it was “likely” that Peck would stay. Rumor has it the soap was auditioning other young hunks to replace him just in case. Peck has made it clear from the start that he isn’t looking to leave. “I want to stay with the show,” he revealed to Digest in October.
Soap Opera Digest
LATE BREAKING NEWS
Look for DAYS OF OUR LIVES stars Kristian Alfonso (Hope) and Kevin Spirtas (Craig) to turn up on FRIENDS during February sweeps…
Soap Opera Digest
COMINGS and GOINGS
Who’s coming – Dierk Torsek (DNA expert): The DNA expert is called in to ensure that it was Gina (Kristian Alfonso) who died, not Hope. He airs on January 26 and 28.
Who’s going – Jensen Ackles (Eric Brady): The actor will leave when his contract expires this summer.
Soap Opera Digest
CLICK! SPIN THE WHEEL!
Soap Week on WHEEL OF FORTUNE saw the daytime stars pose with the show’s hosts: Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS OF OUR LIVES), WHEEL’s Vanna White, Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL), Tava Smiley (Chloe, GENERAL HOSPITAL), host Pat Sajak and Kevin Spirtas (Craig, DAYS). Also posing with White were Jason Cook (Shawn, DAYS), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH), and Heather Tom (Victoria, Y&R). “It was a great day,” said Cook. “I enjoyed meeting actors from other shows. What made it the most special is that we played for charity. Overall, it was ‘wheel’ nice.”
Soap Opera Digest
IT’S ONLY MY OPINION – By Carolyn Hinsey
While I’m not sorry to see the “Gray-Hired-Gina-Had-Surgery-And-Is-Really-Hope-With-An-Accent” story go, I have to congratulate DAYS OF OUR LIVES for weaving Shawn and Belle into that confusing scene on the roof. NOW, I care about them. The kids held their own with a lot of heavy-weights in those scenes.
Soap Opera Digest
ROUND UP
Q What song are you embarrassed to admit you love?
A Matt Cedeno (Brandon, DAYS) – “ ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreet Boys. I’ll turn that up in the car and sing along. When you get caught doing it at a red light, though, you realize what you’re singing.”
Soap Opera Digest
THUMBS UP! DAYS OF OUR LIVES – Victor Victorious
On DAYS OF OUR LIVES, seeing the seemingly indestructible Victor left mute and paralyzed after a stroke in 1997 didn’t seem right. After all, this was a man who used to be THE force to be reckoned with in Salem. Then he went off to recover and – NADA. But Big Vic has made a comeback in a major way.
When Victor encouraged Kate to frame Sami for Franco’s murder in order to spare Lucas almost a year ago, we saw a glimmer of the old mastermind. And now that he’s out of the nursing home and in residence at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor is once again a key player.
First, he put sassy Sami in her place by announcing she wasn’t welcome anywhere near him (she DID inadvertently cause his second stroke), and warned that if she didn’t behave, she’d be evicted from the guest house. Nicole was issued similar notice: Any funny business and SHE’D be out. (Nicole refers to him as “the Emperor.”)
Victor is also using a firm hand in raising Philip: He’s trying to teach Philip the value of earning a buck, but also hired thugs to beat up the loan shark who harmed his son. Victor is just the kind of character DAYS needs: He isn’t the larger-than-life Stefano, but he can pull strings, shake up the status quo and operate on the shady side of the law.
All of which might come in handy when Victor learns that Kate is playing footsy with Nicholas….
Soap Opera Digest
STYLE WISE With B. Smith
DAYS’ Mike (Roark Critchlow) and Carrie (Christie Clark) knew how to make an exit.
Q DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Mike and Carrie rode off into the sunset on a white horse. What are some other ways to travel in style?
A Well, there’s the hot air balloon. Depending on what part of the country you’re in, a snowmobile can be a lot of fun. Of course, there’s always a carriage ride. And when all else fails, a bicycle for two.
Soap Opera Digest
YOU HEARD IT HERE
“I’m one of the Three Stooges. When I’m cast as [a] really intelligent woman, it’s a stretch.” -- Marie-Alise Recasner (ex-Ellen, PC: ex-Lynn, DAYS), 12/23/97
“When you’re young and [fans] scream, ‘Take your shirt off!’ you go, ‘Okay.’ Then someone yells, ‘I want to put on strawberry jam!’ Well, it’s fine when you’re 19 and you’re a soap hunk. But when you’re 40 and a father of two, it just isn’t what you want to get into.” -- Charles Shaughnessy (ex-Shane, DAYS), 9/26/95
“I said, ‘Oh, wait a minute. I was Hope as Gina during that whole series of shows.’ [Executive Producer/Head Writer Tom Langan] said, ‘No, Kristian, you should have been Gina. You know what? You have lost it. You have really lost it.’ “ -- Kristian Alfonso(Hope/Gina, DAYS), on trying to keep her alter egos straight, 11/23/99
Soap Opera Digest
NBC GOSSIP – DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Daddy Dearest: How has life changed for Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas) since the birth of son Gabriel Bryan, who was born December 16? "The whole house is upside-down,” Dattilo laughs. “Laundry is constantly going, dishes are being washed, we have bottles to wash and diapers to change, and every three hours, he’s eating.” Which shift has Dattilo taken? “Usually I stay up because I like to watch late-night TV,” he says. “I’ll turn on [THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY] LENO or [the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID] LETTERMAN or a movie, which takes me to 1 or 2, so I can do the 2 o’clock feeding. [My wife,] Jessica, does the 5 o’clock.” When Dattilo isn’t feeding his son, he’s taking videos of him. “My dad got me a video camera,” he explains, “so I’m Mr. Filmmaker. The baby’s first day at home, the baby’s first bath, the baby’s first meal…. The baby’s first everything is on tape, with me narrating.” How has life changed with a newborn in the house? “I thought it would be like having a new car, and I am emotionally attached to my cars,” he laughs. “But this is so much different, so much more joyous in ways I never expected. It’s a trip.”
Soap Opera Digest
CHEMICAL REACTIONS - Soap Actors Who Fuse With Everyone
Welcome to Soap Chemistry 101. Today, we will be examining the science of soaps and how certain actors have the right “elements” to set off a chain reaction in every scene. Talent is part of it, good looks help, but there’s a mystery substance certain actors have that enables them to meld on a molecular level with their fellow performers, turning a hot scene up to the boiling point in no time.
Days Of Our Lives
Reactive Agent: Drake Hogestyn (John)
Sparks Fly! As Salem’s emerging patriarch, two-time Digest Award-winner Hogestyn’s John Black interacts with just about everyone. He’s as comfortable playing the romantic hero as he is doling out advice with a knowing grin to the lovelorn. Hogestyn’s scenes with Deidre Hall (Marlena) sparkle so much that DAYS risked a fan uprising when they kept John and Marlena apart for six years. Nevertheless, just hours after pledging his troth to his doc, John hooked up with Gina and Hogestyn proved that he could crackle with Kristian Alfonso (Gina/Hope), an actress he’s only shared buddy scenes with before.
pH Factor
Kristian Alfonso (Hope/Gina): “Drake is one of the kindest actors I’ve ever worked with, and that really comes across on-screen. I’ve enjoyed working closely with him over this last year. He is such an incredible family man and men like that are hard to find. When we did the love scene [on the submarine], it was so awkward, but Drake was such a gentleman about it that it made it better.”
Deidre Hall (Marlena): “I love and respect him personally and professionally. He makes my job easier than it has any right to be. His choices and values are exquisite. Both John and Drake are my heroes.”
Executive Producer Ken Corday: “He’s magical. He gets to work with some pretty amazing people [like] Deidre, Kristian and Kirsten [Storms, Belle] and he does great things with them. Drake is a very easy person to be around and be with, so I think that kind of lends itself to his work.”
Soap Opera Digest
THESE SUITS WERE MADE FOR WALKING
What Goes Around Comes Around In Daytime’s Revolving Door (An Excerpt…)
Theresa fretted when she got canned from one job after the next on PASSIONS. And ALL MY CHILDREN’s Tad went off the deep end when he lost his talk show gig. But clearly these aren’t cases of art imitating life in the soap industry, where fired head writers and executive producers know that there’s always another gig waiting. Why is it that unlike most other fields, a pink slip is no cause for a case of the blues?
While an axed nurse or accountant can be easily replaced, the daytime industry doesn’t have as many competitors vying for behind-the-scenes jobs. “It is a very specialized and relatively small talent pool,” point out Senior Vice President of Programming at ABC Daytime Dona Cooper. “When I [worked in] prime-time, I had a list of approximately 500 one-hour drama writers of different levels. When I came here [to daytime], it was probably 150 at the maximum for all 11 shows. There’s definitely an ongoing challenge to either find the right person in the existing talent pool or bring someone in from another discipline that you think can add to the overall team and learn fast enough.”
TV Guide’s soap critic, Michael Logan, agrees that soap operas are fishing in a small pond – and sees that as a flaw in the business. “The daytime drama industry has made no effort to shore itself up with writer development programs; as a result, the talent pool is extremely small,” he says. “And in this era of excessive panic and budget-cutting and all of the other concerns that are facing the soap industry, people don’t want to take a chance. People would much rather ‘play it safe’ than let in somebody new. You don’t see that in the movie world. No other part of the entertainment world that I can think of works this way, in which the old guard hangs on desperately and does not leave the door ajar, much less open and welcoming to the new kids getting off the bus.”
While those fresh, young faces may be brimming with enthusiasm and innovative ideas, the one thing they don't have is the all-important track record. And in daytime, a spotty history is better than none at all. “What keeps people hiring them is that they once did something brilliantly right and the ratings shot up,” explains Logan. “And so the people who do the hiring hope that lightning is going to strike again. They choose to ignore the umpteen times lightning did not strike.”
Getting one’s walking papers simply doesn’t carry a stigma in the soap world. “It’s not a good parallel to talk about the average corporate world where it’s simply either you’re competent at your job or not,” muses Cooper.
Logan concedes that sometimes an ouster isn’t the fault of the person dismissed. Take the case of Lorraine Broderick, who was canned as ATWT’s head writer in June, replaced Sally Sussman-Morina at DAYS OF OUR LIVES in August and dismissed in September. “From the moment we heard that Lorraine Broderick, who is known for far more realistic writing, was hired for DAYS, you knew that that just didn’t make any sense. This is not the woman’s strength writing Gothic, wild stories…. Sometimes the deck is stacked against somebody doing the job, no matter how good they might be.”
Soap Opera Weekly
STOP THE PRESSES – Ackles Leaving Days
Jensen Ackles plans to leave the role of Days of Our Lives’ Eric when his contract expires in July, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY has learned.
According to a source, the show will not recast the role, and has decided to wait to see if Ackles will return after pursing other projects.
The source adds that that’s not likely: Ackles has signed a lucrative development deal with ABC, and if that does not work out, he can get a deal with the WB. Ackles joined Days in July 1997.
THE BUZZZZ - End of Peck’s Days?
Austin Peck (Austin) may be leaving Days of Our Lives, insiders say, when his contract is up in March.
“Austin is in negotiations,” says a spokesperson for the actor. “He enjoys working on Days, and he is leaving everything in God’s hands.”
Soap Opera Weekly
WINNERS & LOSERS
Winner – Days’ Victor. It was thrilling watching Victor handle Philip and Philip’s bookies in true Kiriakis fashion.
Soap Opera Weekly
REVOLVING DOOR
Returning – Valerie Wildman is back as Days’ Mrs. Fay Walker, Brandon and Nicole’s mother, Jan. 24.
Soap Opera Weekly
COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY
Freaks And Geeks – Philip and Mimi – part of Salem High’s “in” crowd on Days – rang in the millennium at Salem’s new cyber café, where they played solitaire and harassed Chloe. And they think Chloe is lame and weird?
Soap Opera Weekly
INDUSTRY INSIDER - 52nd Writers Guild Nominations Announced
All My Children, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless were nominated for Writers Guild Awards for Outstanding Daytime Serial. The nominated scripts were originally broadcast between Sept. 1, 1998 and Aug. 31, 1999. The winners will be announced March 5 in ceremonies on both coasts.
Soap Opera Weekly
GOLDEN MOMENTS FOR DECEMBER – Honorable Mention To…
DAYS: Patrika Darbo rode an emotional roller coaster as Nancy joyfully met her teen-age daughter, Chloe, then dealt with the horrible guilt of abandoning her years ago. Nancy cried more this month than in her entire time in Salem thus far! Darbo conveyed all of Nancy’s conflicting emotions with ease and proved there is much more to Nancy than just her deviousness. This new dimension of Nancy – motherhood – is a breath of fresh air and is filled with unlimited story potential for the terrific Darbo.
Soap Opera Weekly
VIEWERS’ VOICE
Question - Days of Our Lives: Can Craig and Nancy’s marriage be saved?
Days viewers who have been playing armchair therapist agree: It isn’t Chloe who’s interfering with Craig and Nancy’s marriage – it’s Nancy! “Only if Nancy stops lying can their marriage survive. If she’s honest, she’ll see that Craig adores Nancy, and that, in time, he will come to adore her daughter, too,” promises one viewer.
This week’s QUESTIONS – In General
1. Which character do you feel the guiltiest for loving?
2. Who was your favorite performer the week of Jan. 17?
3. Which new couple (in the past six months) are you rooting for?
4. Who is your local cable provider, and does it carry SoapNet?
Send your answers by Feb. 1 to
Voice 5, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY
261 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
They’ll publish your responses in Vol. 11 Issue 10. You can also respond by e-mail to SPWvoice@primediamags.com
Soap Opera Weekly
THE GOSSIP – Dauntless Diner
When it comes to food, Days of Our Lives’ Matt Cedeno (Brandon) is a bona fide daredevil: The guy will taste just about anything. “My dad hunted a lot when I was a kid, so I’ve had pheasant, deer, duck,” Matt says, noting that “it never hurts to try [things].”
However, even Matt has his limits. In fact, he admits he might never have eaten as much of one delicacy if he’d have known what it was beforehand. “I went on a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, and a group of us went out to dinner,” Matt recounts. “We had this great appetizer. I thought it was delicious. Everyone did. Afterward, [the waiter] came up to us and said, ‘Did you enjoy that?’ I was like, ‘Yeah. It was really good.’ “
That’s when the waiter delivered the blow: Matt and his party had just devoured a plateful of ants’ eggs. “They were pretty small and tasted a lot like lentils. They had these little shells that you broke down then ate the insides,” Matt explains, admitting that if he had known the contents of those “shells” he still would have proceeded, albeit with caution. “I still would have tried a little bit. But I wouldn’t have downed the whole thing. Everybody at our table did.”
Matt and his friends “kind of laughed off” the unique dining experience. “I did learn a lesson,” Matt says – namely, to ask questions before ingesting next time.
Soap Opera Weekly
PUBLIC OPINION – Why Watch… NBC
OK, so we witnessed two soaps canceled within seven months, but NBC is still the place to be for daytime, and here’s why:
10. Days of Our Lives’ Alison Sweeney is superb in every scene. Wonder what Sami will do now that she has Austin all to herself.
9. Days’ Julianne Morris (Greta). Damn, she’s beautiful.
8. With NBC going chopping crazy, watch their soaps before the network decides to schop another one off the air.
7. Passions’ newcomer Donn Swaby (Chad) is filled with energy. I can bet you he will win an Emmy in the near future.
6. Nancy’s new storyline with daughter Chloe on Days – how touching.
5. Passions’ catchy theme song.
4. Passions’ Galen Gering and McKenzie Westmore (Luis and Sheridan). The electricity between these two actors is shocking.
3. How Stefano DiMera can be anyone’s father on Days.
2. Days’ new teens. Unlike the other NBC soap, Days’ teens are realistic, especially Jason Cook (Shawn). This guy can act.
1. Passions’ Tabitha and Timmy – the new cosmic duo of daytime. How can you resist these two? -- Peter Chan, Brooklyn, N.Y.