February 22, 1999
Non-Spoiler Articles

(Return to the Soap Mag Connection Main Page)

Soap Opera Digest

COMINGS and GOINGS - DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Bill Cross (Pilot): The pilot takes the Bradys and Hortons to Paris to search for Hope (Kristian Alfonso).

Soap Opera Digest

PERFORMER OF THE WEEK - Peter Reckell (Bo, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)

For a while now, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Bo has been more action hero than dramatic lead. But the character's stirring reaction to "Hope's" death proved that Peter Reckell's still got the stuff to make even the most emotional scenes ring true.

When Bo got the news of "Hope's" demise (it was really Gina), he kept up a brave front in front of the family, grabbing his father and son simultaneously, but not breaking down. Alone with "Hope's" body, however, Bo collapsed in a torrent of tears. "I don't understand it," he wept while holding her face close to his and running his fingers through her hair. "I don't know why God took you from us. I thought you were supposed to make it through this… I still feel you inside me… in my heart… I probably always will."

Reckell portrayed Bo's naked anguish with purity and intensity. But he was equally effective in scenes in which a choked-up Bo lashed out at Marlena for contributing to "Hope's" death. Reckell's tone was harsh, even cruel, but he used the scenes to emphasize Bo's pain; we could see that grief was driving Bo's fury. Then Reckell shifted gears as Bo spoke softly with his son, Shawn, reminding him of the woman they both loved. Though Bo's vacant eyes betrayed how lost Bo felt, he summoned all his strength to assure Shawn that everything would be all right.

Reckell can escape from a burning warehouse, thrust himself in the middle of a gun battle and climb a moving helicopter ladder with the best of them, but when the derring-do is over, he can play a hero of a very different sort, too.

Soap Opera Digest

MEMORABLY MESSY BREAKUPS

Carrie And Austin, Days Of Our Lives

Realizing that he still loved Carrie, Austin tracked down his estranged wife in Las Vegas in 1999, only to find her in bed with Mike. Austin slugged Mike and stormed off. Carrie followed her spouse into the hall, where Austin derisively noted that Carrie had worn her wedding ring while cheating on him. Austin walked out of her life and into her sister, Sami's. Carrie and Mike got engaged and were last seen exiting Salem on a white horse.

Soap Opera Digest

IT'S ONLY MY OPINION By Carolyn Hinsey

My friend, Kate, watches DAYS OF OUR LIVES religiously. She wonders why, despite Gina's sudden and extensive plastic surgery, no one noticed that her internal organs were about 60 years old during her autopsy. Anyone?

Soap Opera Digest

It's Only Your Opinion

I hated teen storylines when I was a teen and I tune them out more now. B&B's Kimberly drives me nuts (Miss Priss after a married man), and ditto DAYS' squeaky Belle (get the kid some voice training before I lose my sanity). The only sick, saving grace is that soaps have bumped off so many babies that the next generation is nonexistent. I do like the teens on Y&R, though. They are believable, and none of the veterans lost their jobs because of them.  M.E., via Internet

Soap Opera Digest

THUMBS DOWN!

DAYS OF OUR LIVES Pregnant Pause

"Who's The Daddy?" storylines are a soap staple as popular as spouses coming back from the dead. But DAYS OF OUR LIVES is pushing the credibility envelope with Hope's pregnancy.

Let's review: Hope slept with John and Stefano aboard the submarine last JULY during John and Marlena's honeymoon. We know it was July because John gave his bride-to-be a gold locket engraved with their wedding date. Even though time moves more slowly in Salem (and France, apparently), the passing months were marked by seasonal clothing changes.

Still, DAYS might have been able to convince us that not TOO much time had gone by if they'd avoided holidays. Halloween and Thanksgiving passed unremarked, but Christmas was celebrated, and Bo and "Hope" wed on New Year's Eve. That means Hope should have been SIX MONTHS PREGNANT when she and her startlingly flat stomach started getting morning sickness in the castle turret. There are women out there who gain very little weight during their pregnancies, but it's hard to believe an expectant woman could fit into a pair of skin-tight pre-pregnancy jeans in her third trimester. And while Hope was obviously distracted by her kidnapping ordeal, it seems unlikely that someone who's already carried a baby could have taken so long to recognize the telltale signs.

Suspending disbelief for possession and evil twin storylines is one thing. Pregnancy's quite another - there are just too many real-life experts in the audience!

Soap Opera Digest

NBC GOSSIP - DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Bidder Sweet Memories: "Going to auctions is my passion," enthuses Lauren Koslow (Kate). 'It's so bad! It would be better if I went with something specific in mind [to buy], but I am always on the lookout for a little something... or a BIG something. Actually, Ali [Sweeney, Sami] and I went to one together, and it was funny to see people who recognized us. We were sitting there, gabbing back and forth, debating on what we should bid on. It kind of threw people."

Soap Opera Digest

TEEN SPIRIT

If soap youths seem out of control - take heart. The adults who preceded them had the same kind of tumultuous teen experiences, and look at the respectable citizens they grew to be….

DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Julie Olson Williams

Fresh Beginnings: As the first-born grandchild of the Horton clan, Julie Olson was a spoiled-rotten, rebellious 16-year-old when the show debuted in 1965. In DAYS first episode, Julie tried to impress her girlfriends by shoplifting from a Salem department store, but was caught and arrested - and her record indicated this wasn't the first time she was questioned about having sticky fingers. Julie's parents eventually moved to Europe and she was raised by her grandparents.

The Kid Is Alright: Julie graduated from stealing merchandise to stealing husbands. In 1967, she became secretly engaged to the much-older David Martin, then came to her senses and backed out. David jumped into the arms of Julie's pal, Susan, who got pregnant. David and Susan wed, but the union was loveless and Julie and David continued their affair. This time JULIE got knocked up. One day, while David was in the park with his son, Dickie, the boy was accidentally killed. When David told Susan, she freaked out and shot him dead. A devastated Julie gave up her son for adoption, then tried to get him back when the adoptive father, Scott, fell for Susan. Instead of going through a custody battle, Julie married Scott, which broke Susan's heart.

Oh, Grow Up! In 1970, a vengeful Susan hired Doug Williams to seduce Julie. It worked, but Julie stayed with Scott. While Julie was trying to extricate herself from her marriage, her mother, Addie, fell for Julie's long-time lover, Doug. On the rebound after a fight with Julie, Doug accepted Addie's marriage proposal. A schemer who'd grown used to getting her own way, Julie was forced to face rejection for the first time. She remained married to Scott until he died in 1973.

The Woman She Is Today: Julie finally did nab Doug, but they didn't marry until 1976 - and the road was rocky. They divorced twice, then reconciled and today are stronger than ever.

Soap Opera Digest

ASK US

Q Can I please get a copy of the poem read at Jack and Jennifer's wedding on DAYS OF OUR LIVES? Thanks. G.S., Downers Grove, IL

A Here is the poem that was recited at Jack and Jennifer's 1991 nuptials:

Now we will feel no rain
For each of us will be shelter to each other.
And now we will feel no cold
For each of us will be warmth to each other.
Now there is no loneliness
We are two bodies, but there is one life before us and one home.
When evening falls, I'll look to you and there you'll be.
And I'll take your hand and you'll take mine
And we'll turn together and we'll look to the road we traveled to reach this - the hour of our happiness.
It stretched far behind us, and our future lies ahead -
A long and winding road where every turning means discovery
All the hopes, new laughter, shared tears,
The adventure has just begun.

Soap Opera Digest

CREDIT REPORT

Though Often Overlooked, Opening Sequences Say A Lot About The Shows They Introduce

Typically, they take up just 30 seconds of screen time, sandwiched between the introductory scenes and the first commercial break of a show. They are the opening credits, and in the most literal terms, they are shown to notify viewers of the name of the show that is beginning. Most people pay little attention to the credits, yet their details are indelibly etched in our minds. The mere mention of "sands through the hourglass," the sight of a photo album opening or the first few notes of "Bless The Beasts And The Children" (also known as "Nadia's Theme") triggers immediate recognition for fans of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, ALL MY CHILDREN or YOUNG AND RESTLESS. So what, beyond the obvious, is the significance of the show's opening credits?

"In the body of the show day-to-day, they mean nothing," asserts DAYS Executive Producer Ken Corday. "I mean, NBC would love to shorten our credits, and they've actually done it without permission a few times. But it's like changing your signature. [The opening is] not necessarily part of the story, it's part of the show. It's the frame."

Most openings revolve (often literally) around the traditional symbol of the show, like DAYS' hourglass, taken from the last couplet of the 23rd Psalm, which, as the inspiration for the show's title, is still included in the opening credits. AS THE WORLD TURNS' spinning globe and GUIDING LIGHTS' lighthouse reflect the short, summary poems Creator Irna Phillips wrote to explain their titles. GH's intro includes, well, a hospital.

Whatever method they choose, designating an opening sequence that successfully conveys the motif of the show is surprisingly difficult - and doubly so for shows hoping to create a more contemporary look. Often, the old titles are so familiar that an audience feels proprietary toward them. In that case, attempts at updating the music or tweaking the visuals are met with passionate protests.

While some soaps have been successful in changing with the times, others have gone too far. "I hate to bring up shows that are gone, but ANOTHER WORLD decided to redo the music and have a popular song, 'You take me away to another world,' " remembers Corday. "And it was nice to hear it four or five times, but after 260 episodes a year, if you ever heard that song again, it was like the theme to Titanic: 'That's enough!' "

Though Julie Poll [author of the ATWT, GL and ANOTHER WORLD scrapbooks] thinks the AW song eventually became the show's trademark, their last opening, a jaunty, part black-and-white montage "was to make it look more modern. But it wasn't something you could really grab on to, like [ATWT's] world or [GL's] light." Especially since the show included group shots of actors and when one left, the entire shot had to be removed. "Casts are always so liquid," points out [historian Gary] Warner [who authored the AMC, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL scrapbooks]. "And over the years, some shows have kept actors in the opening credits long after they are gone from the show, because it's so expensive to get them redone."

Despite the inconvenience, seven soaps show actors in their opening credits. "I'm not overly worried about that," says [ATWT Producer Vivian] Gundaker. "[The ATWT opening] can always be updated and changed." Meanwhile Y&R went one step further by actually incorporating the actors' images AND names in the opening. "The lead actors are as good as any other show, day or night," praises [Y&R Executive Producer Edward] Scott. "And I think these people have been anonymous long enough. They should get billing."

But Corday strongly believes in maintaining the integrity of DAYS' original opening, without incorporating the actors "That's not a put-down of the cast, but the thing that propels this business is the stories," says the exec, who has resisted making any drastic changes in the opening. In fact, it's only been updated once, because the previous version was literally worn out. "I'm not saying that in the next two to five years we may not redo the visuals, but it would still be an hourglass, still be the same concept, music, and Macdonald Carey's [ex-Tom] voice. Even though he's gone to heaven, we asked his family to continue to use his voice because it is part of the fabric of that opening." Warner thinks DAYS' opening is fine just the way it is. "It's brilliant: 'Like sands through the hourglass so are the DAYS OF OUR LIVES.' It gives you a sense of a tradition. And that's what these shows are about."

It Rings Like A Bell….

If you find yourself inexplicably drawn to the TV every day when DAYS OF OUR LIVES comes on, it could be your subconscious trying to tell you something. "People don't know this, but basically they hear eight bells going off in the opening of the show," explains DAYS Executive Producer Ken Corday. "Eight bells [traditionally signals] breakfast, not lunch, but people hear those bells and I think they equate it with, 'Oh, it's lunch time' as much as, 'Oh, it's DAYS time.' It's kind of a Pavlov's dog reaction to hearing the theme song. After 34 years, it's sound memory. So we will never change the theme song of the show."

Soap Opera Weekly

STOP THE PRESSES - Louise Sorel Joining PC

Louise Sorel is relocating to Port Charles. Sorel, who just finished an eight-year run as the sometimes devious, sometimes wacky Vivian Alamain on Days of Our Lives, will play the short-term role of Donatella Stewart, beginning March 13. PC describes the character as "a lifestyle maven." Sorel tells SOAP OPERA WEEKLY that the character is "just impossible. It's one of those characters who's just a pain in the ass, which, of course, is so difficult for me to play." Sorel is scheduled to appear for "about 10 episodes." -Mimi Torchin

Soap Opera Weekly

REVOLVING DOOR

Days of Our Lives' Austin Peck (Austin) has inked a deal to remain in Salem.

Soap Opera Weekly

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION - THE DAYTIME EMMYS

Last week it was men, this week ladies take center stage. Daytime Emmy ballots are due back by Feb. 25, and since actors are the only Academy members who can vote for actors - yet rarely get the opportunity to actually watch other soaps - we have compiled a list of Emmy-worthy performers who might get lost in the crowd. No one can accuse us of being unqualified to spot talented actors - after all, we watch the soaps for a living!

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patrika Darbo - Nancy, Days

Darbo has three things in her favor for becoming Days' first supporting actress nominee in more than a decade. No. 1: She can do it all - high drama, comedy, playful sexiness, etc. - masterfully. No. 2: She has a name known throughout the industry, which may inspire votes from other shows' casts. No 3: Her 1999 body of work was awesome. From her slapstick antics with Craig and Ali to the highly intense drama of finding a lump in her breast and reconnecting with the daughter she gave up at birth, Darbo was and is amazing.

Lisa Linde - Ali, Days

When mild-mannered nurse Ali was transformed into a vengeful woman scorned, Linde pulled out all the stops in her "hell hath no fury" number. Whether depicting Ali's initial devastation at being dumped by Mike or her fast, furious deterioration into delirium, Linde never missed a beat. Her character's suicide attempt was riveting, as were the months following, as Ali grew more and more mad and the gifted Linde picked up momentum. Heck, she even made scenes opposite a Barbie/Carrie doll work. If they ever make a sequel to Fatal Attraction, sign her up for the Glenn Close role. She was that good.

YOUNGER ACTRESS

Alison Sweeney - Sami, Days

With Sami's execution storyline, Sweeney was finally handed an acting challenge she could sink her teeth into. And she delivered big time, proving her ability. In the process, the one-note, bitchy Sami became a three-dimensional, living, breathing woman. Sweeney ran with the opportunity to portray Sami's vulnerable side, making viewers feel her character's devastation and hopelessness as she bid adieu to her family and friends, preparing to meet her maker. Sami fought back tears and quivered with fear and - for the first time ever - actually had viewers rooting for her to win.

Soap Opera Weekly

GOLDEN MOMENTS FOR JANUARY

DAYS' Kevin Spirtas and Kristian Alfonso: You Gotta Have 'Friends'

A pair of Salemites - Days of Our Lives Kevin Spirtas and Kristian Alfonso (Craig and Hope) - turn up in a Friends fantasy with Matt LeBlanc Feb. 17. It is the first of a two-part episode in which Joey and his pals ponder the different turns their lives could have taken.

"Each friend asks, 'What if I had done this? What if I had done that?' " Spirtas says. "And Joey, who used to play Dr Drake Remoray on Days, goes, 'What if I had never been fired from Days?' "

That sets the stage for Spirtas' and Alfonso's introduction in a hospital scene, opposite LeBlanc, in which they both play their Days characters. 'I'm about to pull Kristian off life-support, when Matt comes in and stops it," Spirtas says. "He accuses me of not being a real doctor, and has the police come to take me away.

"Kristian has two words - 'Drake… Drake,' " Spirtas says. "She's just lying there. She's really the pay-off button of the scene. Drake falls in love with her and kisses her and they all live happily ever after."

Although Spirtas and Alfonso are acting as Craig and Hope, respectively, he notes that their portrayals are very different from what Days viewers are used to. "We were directed to take the scene more [in the direction of a] parody. It's a little campier. There is a lot of raising of eyebrows. During rehearsal, Matt and I really had some fun going all the way with the heightened dramatic takes and over-gestured turns of the head," Spirtas adds. "We cracked a few times. We were laughing."

As were the live audience, producers and crew. "But we were actually supposed to be shooting a real soap, so [the director] requested that everybody not laugh," Spirtas says. "I think that was the more challenging part."

A real-life Friends fan - "I took pictures on the set," he admits - Spirtas was "excited and honored that the cards fell into place, and I was one of the people chosen to do the show.

"Matt was really accommodating, very welcoming," Spirtas adds. "And [director] Michael Lembeck is a friend of a friend. I've been a fan of his and have known his work for so long. He kept adding ideas. I cherish having worked with him. It was a lot of fun."

Friends airs on NBC; check local listings.  - Janet Di Lauro

Soap Opera Weekly

THE GOSSIP

Valentines Past…

Hearts - zillions of them strewn everywhere - is what Days of Our Lives' Victor Webster (Nicholas) recalls about his most memorable Feb 14. The spectacular display was a gift from the girl he was dating during his senior year of high school.

"I was at work and my mom let her into the house to set the whole thing up," Victor recounts. "I came home, walked into my room, and it was amazing. There were tiny hearts hanging from the ceiling and all over the floor. It looked like this huge heart factory. There were poems, chocolates and flowers everywhere."

Victor's mom informed him of the hours his girlfriend had taken creating the setting. "It was pretty gratifying to know she had spent so much time and effort on me," Victor says. "It wasn't about money. It was all from the heart, and that's what Valentine's Day is all about. It was by far the most romantic and kindest thing anyone's ever done for me. Needless to say, I rewarded her. I took her to a nice dinner and then showed her how much I loved her."

Soap Opera Weekly

PUBLIC OPINION

Psyched About Salem Again

I was a DAYS OF OUR LIVES fan for 10 years before I left in the early '90s. The show lost me after some big blunders I just couldn't live with (firing Matthew Ashford and recasting Jack!). Well, I'm back again and wanted to share a few thoughts.

1. Days has the hottest hunk it has ever had in the form of Victor Webster. Wow! Nicholas can carry on the tradition of dashing-but-tormented leading men. That, of course, will take the right leading lade, and Kate just doesn't fit the bill.

2. Eric and Greta will need a lot more than Nicole to turn them into a supercouple. If the writers work their magic here, I see great potential. I'm already finding Eric and Greta a little boring; speed it up!

3. Kirsten Storms' and especially Jason Cook's (Belle and Shawn) work has been very impressive. Cook's scenes with Peter Reckell (Bo) are sometimes the highlight of the day. As long as the teen stories don't dominate the show, I'm happy with this next generation in Salem.

4. Speaking of dominating stories, I'll withhold my judgment on the Hope/Princess Gina story because I haven't followed it from the start. What I have seen so far has been dramatic, and involved unbelievable acting by everyone involved. (The future holds an Emmy for Kristian Alfonso). Yes, it's hard to follow and has gone on for far too long, but now that it's winding down, look at all the future storylines it will bring.

I couldn't have picked a better time to return. Hats off to the cast and crew who brought this old fan back home!

Christina Llata, Long Beach, Calif.

Soap Opera Weekly

VIEWERS VOICE

Days of Our Lives: Should Bo blame Marlena for what happened to "Hope"?

"No," said most readers. "Bo needs to act like a man and take responsibility for his own actions" Marlena "did everything but spell out that Hope was Gina. If Bo couldn't clue in after sleeping with his 'soul mate,' then it's his own darn fault." However, "Marlena has been acting like an insecure teen afraid of losing her boyfriend instead of being a true friend."