OK. Today is a shallow Fred day and entry.I love daytime dramas. Of course started with grandma watching her shows on ABC, plus Guiding Light, but then switched over to being a CBS fan. Mostly Young and The Restless and Bold and the Beautiful.
I glance at the soap mags while waiting in line at the grocery. When I was a kid I created my own daytime drama scripts... ask my friend Dr. Daryl about "Billionaires." lol. Crazy scripts. Crazy Novak, Callison, and Rockwell families
But I'm just a minute and a half late on this new podcast that I just discovered. Daytime Confidential. They're also on MySpace. I've downloaded most of the shows on my iPod and now the show is my new gym buddy. Totally makes the stairmaster go by fast.
But a couple of little gossipy tidbits I've picked up from listening. Well, if you watch ANY daytime shows, you know many have lost their grand tradition of long-term stories that focus on core families and relationships. Now, it's mostly about stunts and weather catastrophes. Not what got you hooked with your grandma.
Apparently, a couple of major actors are speaking out. One in particular, One Life To Live's Erika Slezak, who gives very upfront opinions about the state of writers on her show in her March 2007 newsletter. If you don't know Erica Slezak's Viki, she IS the show. Very interesting.
Then, if you watch Young and Restless, you know this is Victoria Rowell's last week playing Drucilla Winters on the show. We LOVE Dru, even with the material she's been given lately. And she deserved a daytime Emmy nomination, because her character drove many stories last year and this one too.
There is a very interesting interview in the latest Soap Opera Digest where she gives homage to the Bell family, the original head writers who brought her on the show, and she talks about how the Bell's eye for details, concern for long-term story, and being true to Y&R's African American audience and characters are traits in the Bell family she will be grateful for. Says nothing about the new folks writing the show. If you watch, you know the show hasn't been the same for about a year or so.
Still... I love Daytime Confidential podcast. And I still love my daytime dramas... and hope to get that call to write for one someday!
fs
3 comments:
i must admit i started watching Y&R with my grandmother years and years ago and have been a faithful viewer since... thanks to the wonders of DVR.
And the show hasn't been the same since the new writing team came on board. I was quite sad to read in the checkout line at Kroger that Drew was being "killed" off the show, even if the writers have ruining her character.
the only soap opera i got into was All My Children but i havent got into it since -- i still like that camp factor!
"Billionaires" was a truly amazing script ... If it had ever been allowed to come to life on camera or on stage, I'm sure it would have been a tour-de-force. Alas, the world will never know what it missed...
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