"And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering...." (Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451)
Monday, October 31, 2011
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #130-1
“Someone must have put you up to this, Dean. It’s the only explanation. If you’d wanted to sue me you’d have done it immediately after Jenna died.”
“Sorry I’m late to the party, Donna, but some of us actually need a moment to, you know, process things. We’re not as good as you at, whatchamacallit? Compartmentalizing.”
“When you came back to town, then. That was over a year ago, wasn’t it? Why not file your papers then?”
“I was trying to get back in touch with my kid. Hate to break it to you, but you’re not my priority.”
“Was this Felicia’s idea?” No matter how much Dean denied it, Donna knew perfectly well she was on the right track.
“Like Felicia needs your money. Trust me, unless it’s a pound of flesh, she ain’t interested.”
“It’s not about the money, you said it yourself. Carl, then? This sounds very much like Carl, forever using proxies to get his dirty work done.”
“It wasn’t Carl, either.”
“So it was someone!” Donna crowed triumphantly. Dean and the rest of Bay City may think she was an obsolete pariah, but Donna Love still knew how to get things done.
***
Donna suspects ulterior motives behind Dean's out-of-the-blue lawsuit, Carl offers his children an alternative version of his role in Spencer's death, Cass explains his motives to Zeno, Steven resolves to deal with Marley, Allie lobs a blistering accusation at GQ, and it's your chance to vote on Lorna and Jamie's future!
Jamey wrote about what the reunion on the docks meant to him personally and to daytime as a whole (and I think the fact that John and Marlena were brought back prominently as a part of Days of Our Lives recent reboot speaks to how important they are to the canvas, past, present and future).
But, in addition to Jamey's entry, one of my favorite fan memories of that moment is below:
The first thing that came to my mind about Marlena’s return from the dead in 1991 was I remember she wore the same outfit for an extended period of time. Back in the free-spending days of high soap opera budgets, it was unusual for an actress to wear the same clothing day after day. Of course, if the script called for a party or holiday that stretched out over several episodes, everyone would be wearing the same clothes for two or three days. In this instance, the storyline played out over several weeks of real time as Marlena was being held captive on an island somewhere away from Salem and had escaped her captors and then made her way back to the Midwest.The other funny thing I remember about that outfit was that she had to steal it out of someone’s suitcase.(Since she had been kidnapped and kept in a drug-induced coma, her captors had not left clothes scattered around in case she tried to escape.) I thought it was quite fortunate that she managed to steal an outfit that fit her perfectly and looked so good on her!
To read more about Marlena and John, plus the memories of dozens of other actors, writers, producers and professionals, check out the book at: http://tinyurl.com/SoapMomentsEBook
And remember, write a review (good or bad) and post it on Amazon, and I'll reward you with a soapy thank you gift! Details, here!
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #129-2
“We’re moving in with Alice,” Amanda said, seemingly proud of the fact, or at least proud of her ability to upset Rachel with it.
“Alice? Why would you – “
“She’s alone. Kevin and I want to help in any way we can. I’m sure you understand.”
“Understand,” Rachel repeated the word slowly, as if translating it from a foreign language. “You expect me to understand that yet another of my children has decided to turn their back on me in favor of Alice Frame?
“Alice is my family now, and she’s just lost her husband, a man that she truly and deeply loved.”
“Oh, please. They were married for less than a year.”
“Wow!” Amanda blinked at Rachel in disbelief. “That’s… harsh.”
“Alice Frame Harrison is not the first woman in history to lose a husband, and she won’t be the last.”
“Does that preclude you from offering her a bit of compassion? I remember Alice showing a hell of a lot more respect towards you at Dad’s funeral, despite having a perfectly good reason not to.”
“So that makes her a saint in your eyes?” Rachel demanded even as a voice in her head urged her to just walk away. “I am so sick of you and Jamie putting that woman on a pedestal while standing ready to toss my every transgression – real and imaginary – in my face at first opportunity. What did I ever do to either of you to warrant that kind of malicious betrayal?”
“Really, Mom?” The smile on Amanda’s face suggested that perhaps this question of Rachel’s was one Amanda had been egging her mother towards all along. “Are you really asking me that? You want to talk about betrayal? Okay, then, let’s talk about betrayal. Let’s talk about Carl...."
***
Rachel provokes Amanda into a fifteen years in the making explosion, Cass surprises Frankie, Donna draws a line in the sand for Jeanne, Allie defies political correctness, Lila offers Grant a warning while Lorna does the same for Morgan, and Cory comes to Jamie for answers about both his parents.
We chatted about the book, and also about what, in light of my experience with Another World Today, I think All My Children and One Life to Live could do when Prospect Park takes them to the Internet this January 2012:
Got a character you want to keep on the canvas but the actor is leaving? Keep them alive through a personal blog or e-mails sent right to fans that could also tease their return story and allow fans to write back, interact and even become a part of the story.
New technology makes getting input from the fans easier and quicker than ever. Another World Todayended every episode with a poll so that fans could actually drive story the way they wanted. Well, majority rules... Some science fiction shows have set up fan chats that appear on the screen right as the show is going on. You could even have characters interacting with the posters as the action is happening!
It wouldn't be a matter of changing the shows, which, as I pointed out in Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments, have a great deal of things going for them still, but a matter of expanding how the stories we've loved for 70 years are presented and distributed, and thus how they're received and embraced by the next generation.
“So you knew this was going on, too?” Lorna’s focus was now fully back on her mother.
“Fanny put the pieces together mostly after the fact, same as you," Lucas defended.
“Your father and I agreed this wasn’t a matter to burden you with after everything you’d been through already.”
“You mean like when I kept the truth about Lucas being alive from you because you were still so upset about Jenna and Lori Ann? You called it a betrayal, then.”
“I was wrong, darling. I understand now.”
“Is that supposed to convince me to just overlook that you kept Jamie and I in the dark about our whole family’s lives being in danger?”
Lucas shook his head. “Sweetheart, even if you and Jamie had known everything, there still would have been nothing you two could have done to stop these bastards from taking what they wanted. They got past Spencer’s trained security guards. You – “
“That’s not the point. The point is: I thought we were done with secrets. None of us appreciates being kept in the dark about things that directly affect us. No matter what the good intentions. It just ultimately leads to more drama and more hurt feelings that push us farther apart precisely at a time when we should be pulling together.”
***
Felicia and Lucas make Lorna a promise they know they won't be able to keep, Cory pushes his parents into a shocking decision, Alice wonders what she did wrong, Amanda defends her marriage to a skeptical Morgan, Allie refuses unsolicited help, Kevin is stunned to get to the bottom of Jen's motives, and Kirkland turns his anger on Grant.
This was such a fabulous read! I urge all soap fans to buy this loving and state of the art tribute, to our beloved soaps. Alina is a true fan, of this genre and it shows! Concise, well written, for fans and by fans input, innovative and truly enjoyable to read.
***
Thanks, Gina!
I just dropped my first set of thank you gifts in the mail this week. If you would like to win a free copy of Oakdale Confidential, The Man From Oakdale or Jonathan's Story, post a review of Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments on Amazon, e-mail me the link at AlinaAdams@gmail.com and tell me which book you want (while supplies last)!
To shop for Kindle books at Amazon.com on your Windows personal computer and read books on your computer, you need to download and install a FREE program.
Follow the on-screen installation instructions after download completes.
When your installation is complete, simply double-click the Kindle for PC icon to launch the program, register it to your Amazon.com account and start accessing or building your Kindle books library.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #128-2
“As long as you’re with Carl, I can’t have you around my kids,” Jamie enunciated each syllable with great care, looking Rachel in the eye, making sure there would be no mistaking his meaning – or his resolve.
“What about Lucas?’ Rachel shot back the first rejoinder that came to mind, the better to hold back the stabbing pain Jamie’s ultimatum caused. “He was just as deeply involved in Spencer’s death as Carl. Are you and Lorna planning on cutting Lucas and Felicia out of your lives as well?”
“Lucas didn’t set up a man to die while Felicia supported him every step of the way.”
“No, he only framed you for a murder that nearly left you spending the rest of your life behind bars! Felicia only backed up another man’s claim to your unborn baby so that she could have her aborted! You act like none of that ever happened, yet you’re punishing me for standing by Carl!”
“I’m not,” Jamie said quietly, any emotion that Rachel might have provoked as a result of her outburst carefully concealed beneath a stony mask. “I am protecting my children. Same as you just claimed to be protecting yours.”
“How dare you?” Rachel exploded, the guilt and penitence she’d arrived with turning on a dime to transform into equally guilt-fueled, resentful, defensive rage. “How dare you sit in judgment over me? I am your mother. I have always, always put you first. And the one time I don’t – “
“This isn’t about that.”
***
Rachel and Jamie finally lay their cards on the table regarding Carl, Frankie and Cass attempt to explain Zeno to Charlie, Grant presses Sarah to see the big picture, Jeanne stuns Dean, Lila and Doug confront Chase, and Kevin reevaluates his relationship with Amanda.
Anyone whose been following Another World Today since it premiered in May of 2009, has to know by now that I'm a big believer in interactive storytelling. Every episode of AWT ends with a poll, the results of which guide the story as I write it.
I am such a fan of collaborative fiction that I am currently in the process of developing my own romantic family saga book series, Counterpoint, that will be written in conjunction with reader input, just like AWT.
Chainbooks is a site dedicated to bringing authors of all skill levels and experience together within a social network with the goal of writing short books...one chapter at a time. The concept of chainbooks is simply to finish what was started before you. Create an account, log in and select your favorite genre, your writing level, and where in the book you would like to work. There are virtually hundreds of books that contain a first chapter written by one of our approved authors in which you may work. For each book we will have an overall plot and a list of main and sub characters to help you... If you are an artist, you may read the chapters to submit a piece of art for every chapter or even the front or back cover. When the book reaches a certain number of chapters, it is completed. Finally, everyone is notified and all contributors can order a quality paperback copy personally, or for friends and family.
Does this sound like something you might like to try? It's a chance to be published without needing to write an entire book on your own! It's creative, and social, and absolutely free.
I am one of chainbooks.com original starter chapter writers. If you would like to collaborate and "finish what I've started," the following are Alina Adams titles for your consideration:
Contemporary Romance: NiceGuys.com Heart of the Matter Messiah Calico Tin Man
Historical Romance: Forbidden Fruit
Mystery: Iced
Fantasy: Stalin’s Other Pact A Great Miracle Happened Here
If you do decide to go ahead and write a chapter, please let me know, I would love to read it, and find out about the overall process. Can't wait to hear from you!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
GOOD-BYE ALL MY CHILDREN: MY ALL TIME FAVORITE AMC ACTOR AND CHARACTER(S), DAVID CANARY AS ADAM AND STUART CHANDLER By Nicole Walker
There aren’t enough words to do David Canary’s tenure on All My Children as the charismatic, arrogant, ruthless, yet rootable anti-hero Adam Chandler and his simple minded sweet, open-hearted, brother, Stuart, who was, is, and always will be the heart of the Chandler family, and truly Adam’s heart, as well, justice. I mean, not only did the man believably amaze you by playing two completely different characters, but he consistently played Adam and Stuart with 1000% conviction, 1000% focus, and1000% energy never, ever phoning in a performance for either character and just leaving you staring in awe at how he could play against himself without missing a beat, without ever faltered and- AND- creating one of the most sublime, heartfelt, achingly real and beautiful sibling relationships that you will ever find in daytime or primetime television.
Sniffly Chandler brother scene after the jump...
I mean…DAMN. I had been watching All My Children for a good number of years before I realized (to my mother’s amusement) that Adam and Stuart were played by the same actor. Even after I knew and I’d watch a scene between the two, I was still just baffled at just how good the interplay was, how natural, how DC was able to distinguish not only between Stuart and Adam, but Stuart imitating Adam and Adam imitation Stuart OR the few times DC had to pull off Stuart playing Adam imitating Stuart and vice versa.
David Canary had his craft down to a science but it never felt stale. A scene between these two disparate brothers was always a joy to behold; not just because of the craft but also because of the heart and emotion at play between them. Adam was Stuart’s first, last, and always protector. Sure, Adam would use his brother for a game or two and enlist him in his scams, but let anyone else come after his sweet, innocent brother and there would be hell to pay.
Stuart was Adam’s conscience and heart. He was the only one- the ONLY one- that could make Adam think twice about the dastardly action he was about to take, the only one that could make Adam come clean and admit to the guilt and remorse he would bury, the only one who could set Adam back on the right course, and the only one who could give his brother forgiveness and understanding when everyone else had abandoned him (many times justifiably) and Adam believe that he deserved it so that he could accept it in order to move on. Stuart was the peacemaker and uniter of his family, often instrumental in reconciling Adam with his many fed up children- and a few wives- because Adam’s happiness was all Stuart wanted for his brother and he knew what would ultimately make Adam happy more often than Adam did. Not power and money (although Adam looooove those a lot) but love and family won by Adam’s deeply buried and protected soft side, not his overbearing flaws.
But David Canary’s awesomeness wasn’t just with himself as a screen partner. He shined with a number of up to the task actors to create riveting magic on screen the most enthralling (although DC could make reading the phone book can’t miss television) Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane (the best playful, infuriated, unwillfully smitten, begrudgingly respectful exes you could ever hope to watch), James Mitchell’s Palmer Cortlandt (the best, most hateful, begrudgingly respectful, old school rivalry you could ever enjoy on AMC), and last but certainly not least with Julia Barr’s Brooke English, the best of Adam’s wives, his equal and soul mate.
It was with his pairing with Brooke that I became truly enraptured with Adam Chandler. The man worked his butt off to charm and win her over, Brooke hesitant to pick up yet another of Erica’s sloppy seconds and also a bit put off by Adam’s more ruthless tendencies (even if a part of was attracted just a smidge to his relentless bad boy ways) but the two did marry and were happy for a time until it was revealed Brooke couldn’t hope to have more children which was a blow to Adam who dreamed of having an heir with his beloved wife.
But Adam, never being one for taking no for an answer and having a nigh obsessive tendency to see things through to the end in his vision, began contemplating how he could have his cake and eat it too; an heir of his blood to raise with Brooke.
And into his life waltzed the very compliant Dixie Cooney, onetime nanny to Brooke’s late daughter Laura, future answer to Adam’s prayers.
For you see, Dixie Cooney was quite smitten with the handsome, powerful Adam Chandler which he realized he could use to his advantage. In Dixie Adam saw the woman who could give him his heir- and then easily dump (with a healthy payment for her time and sacrifice) once he had the child in hand.
What followed was the most amazing, juicy, twisty and turny story of a man torn between his love for a woman and his primal (selfish) need for a child; a story that had Adam doing the most unbelievable things (bedding Dixie despite his love and devotion to Brooke; lying to Brooke left and right; coercing Dixie to give him and Brooke his son; telling Dixie every sweet nothing to keep her in line; plotting to steal his son from Dixie when she began to have second thoughts to the point of wanting to commit her to a mental institution). Adams crimes went on and on and on with David Canary walking the thinnest of tightropes while plate spinning to somehow, somehow keep Adam sympathetic enough that when his house of lies finally came crashing down on him in dramatic fashion (Dixie won full custody of their son, Palmer mounted a silent, complete takeover of Adam’s company, Chandler Enterprises, to leave Adam penniless, AND Adam suffered a debilitating stroke) you felt for him. You ached for him. Even though part of you was satisfied with him finally getting his comeuppance and hitting rock bottom, another part of you had hoped he was going to get away with it, hoped that he’d somehow squeak out the win and have both Brooke and his son and live happily ever after. Alas, it was not meant to be and Adam had to start over again, without Brooke at his side, slowly, but surely rising from the ashes to take on Dixie and Palmer once again, to make new enemies, to have new loves and fleeting moments of happiness before they slipped through his tightly held fingers, and to be his own worst enemy too many times to count before finally, finally he found his peace and happiness in the arms of the woman who had loved him the longest and the best, his always and forever loved Brooke.
It was a gift to have David Canary return for AMC’s final week to give proper closure to Adam and Stuart. You were able to grin like an idiot in awe at Canary holding his own against himself as he brought both Adam and Stuart to life once again and cheer and weep for the reunion between two brothers, one lost, the other believed to have been lost, a broken heart’s two halves witnessed to be gloriously made whole and happy through Canary’s performances. You were able to nod your head in satisfaction that Adam got the ending you wanted and deserved; together again with his brother, Stuart, with Brooke by his side, and Winifred the ever loyal Chandler maid happily banging around the Chandler mansion.
As sad as I am at the thought of not seeing the next chapter in Adam and Stuart’s lives, I am happy to have seen their journey thus far and to leave them in such a happy place to face the future. Thank you All My Children for introducing me to Adam and Stuart Chandler and thank you David Canary for your exemplary, irresistible performances that endeared me to the Chandler boys and want to see their journey through to the end.
I heard from Otalia fans and JaSam fans, from viewers of our youngest soap, B&B, and from viewers still mourning the cancellations of Search for Tomorrow, Texas, Ryan's Hope and Santa Barbara. I heard from Lane Davies acolytes living as far away as Russia, and got a suggested scene from The Doctors from someone who, it turned out, lives practically next door to me.
But, no one was more supportive than ATWT's CarJack lovers.
I asked for reasons why the on-again/off-again Snyders deserved to be included in a book about Soap Operas Greatest Moments and boy, did they deliver.
As a result, I was particularly nervous regarding what they'd think of the completed work.
Well, I just received my first CarJack review on Amazon, and I couldn't be more thrilled!
I've been enjoying the walk down memory lane. I bought the Kindle version and just finished reliving some times with Jack and Carly. Looking forward to the rest of the memories. Thanks, Alina.
And thank YOU for posting!
Remember, I am thanking everyone who posts a review on Amazon or on their own website, blog, message board, etc... with a free copy of either Oakdale Confidential, The Man From Oakdale, or Jonathan's Story. All you have to do is e-mail me at AlinaAdams@gmail.com with a link to your review and which book you'd like me to send you (while supplies last)!
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #128-1
“I used to never know what to say when someone died either," Amanda confessed. "My dad, my Grandma, Ryan, Vicky, Jake, Jenna… I was completely tongue-tied. Even last year, with Gregory. I used to think that in order to comfort someone, you had to distract them. You know, like when a baby is crying and you wave a shiny object in front of their face?”
Alice smiled faintly at that.
“Turns out I was wrong. Allie taught me that. After Gregory died, all she wanted to do was talk about him. I kept trying to redirect her, figuring why let her wallow in sadness? It couldn’t be good for her. But she wasn’t wallowing. Talking about Gregory made her happy. I don’t know why I never realized that before. When you love someone, you want to tell other people about how wonderful they were so that those other people might see them through your eyes. That doesn’t change just because they’re dead. If anything, it makes you want to talk about them more, to bring them back to life, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
“Nothing will bring Spencer back,” Alice shook her head.
“No. But, I’ll tell you the truth, Alice: I am so jealous of what the two of you had. He adored you. And not just in a passing infatuation sort of way. Spencer looked at you like you were everything he’d ever dreamed of. No, like you were more than he’d ever dared dream of. You told me once how you hated being put on a pedestal. How Spencer was the first man who didn’t. Well, it’s obvious why. He didn’t need to. A pedestal doesn’t do anything but insert distance between people. And Spencer wanted you with him every moment. The real you, not some ideal he’d created in his head, but the woman he fell in love with. You two had the kind of relationship most people never get. You saw each other for who you were, and you accepted each other, no lies, no illusions, no excuses. I want to know how you did that. I’d give anything to follow in your footsteps.”
***
Donna fills Matt in on their next step while Jeanne receives an out of the blue offer, Kevin sees a new side to Amanda, Charlie wants an answer from Kirkland, GQ pushes Allie too far, Rachel attempts to make things right with Jamie, and Frankie finally comes face to face with Zeno.
Seth MacFarlane's animated sitcom, Family Guy, was canceled in 2002, only to return to the air in 2005 after DVD sales of the series went through the roof.
The same thing happened to Futurama; canceled in 2003 and revived (on a different network) in 2008, due to strong DVD sales.
In other words, no matter how many passionate, articulate letters fans write in support of their favorite shows, the only thing that matters to TPTB is money. Are people willing to spend money on our product? If they are, let's give them more. If they aren't...
Unfortunately, there are no DVDs of canceled soaps available with which to make this same point...
But, wait now there are!!!!! SoapClassics.com announced the release of a 20 episode As The World Turns DVD set, to be followed by a 20 episode Guiding Light set and then possibly even streaming episodes of both shows on-line! If there is enough interest in those two titles, they are looking at releasing DVDs and streaming reruns of Another World, Edge of Night, and Search For Tomorrow, as well!
This is phenomenal news for fans of P&G Classic Soaps, but it will only happen if, like I said above, the first ATWT DVD set makes money. The future of those shows is, as always, in your hands! Let's show the world what we can do!
In related news, I'm not sure if there is a connection or if it was just a weird coincidence, but, thanks to the passion and purchasing power of soap fans, yesterday my book, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments had it's best day yet, landing as the #1 Best-Seller on Amazon in the category of Television Guides and was #65 overall of ALL Television Books (print AND digital) sold.
I can't thank you all enough, and I've got gifts to prove it! (Click here for details!)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
GREAT SCOTT!
Kathryn Leigh Scott, best known for her roles as Maggie and Josette on Dark Shadows, drops us a note to say:
I AM SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOAP OPERA 451. THE BOOK IS A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT THAT CELEBRATES THE WORLD OF SOAP OPERA.
In Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments, Ms. Scott talks about how she came to play the role of dead Josette (for no pay!) in addition to that of Maggie, discusses Dark Shadows' very limited special effects budget and the famous on-air bloopers that resulted, and connects the classic 1970s soap with today's vampire mania!
It could be said that Jonathan Frid is the granddaddy of all modern vampires with his creation of Barnabas Collins, the “reluctant vampire” on Dark Shadows. He certainly saved our fledgling series from early cancellation! We were such an anomaly in daytime television, a Gothic romance tale set in a remote seaside village in Maine that became a paranormal, time-traveling anthology series.I was the first actor to play a scene with Jonathan and introduce his character to the new storyline. Maggie Evans, the role of the Collinsport waitress that I played in the early days of the show, was at work in the diner when she first encountered Barnabas, complete with cape, wolf-head cane and knuckle-duster-sized ring. Jonathan Frid was delightful. He was soft-spoken, almost courtly in manner. Our characters met as two outsiders and formed such an instant bond that the story of Barnabas and Maggie became the central romance of Dark Shadows.
For more from Kathryn, as well as Eileen Davidson, Hillary B. Smith, Victoria Rowell, Lane Davies, Jon Lindstrom and many, many other soap opera icons, check out Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments by clicking on the cover image to your right!
In addition to being an actress, Kathryn Leigh Scott is also a writer. A listing of all her books on Amazon is available, here.
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #127-2
“Kudos, my dear,” Carl rolled over in bed to give his wife one last kiss good-night before they both turned in. “I daresay, you have become quite the expert at tossing together last minute weddings for your children.”
“I long ago came to the realization that my children will never do anything in the conventional way, so I might as well go with the flow and make the best of it.”
“I am sure they would say the same thing about you,” Carl noted.
“True,” Rachel conceded. “There was a time when if anyone had suggested the possibility of you and I being together, Jamie, Amanda, and Matt would have laughed it off as utterly impossible.”
“Thank goodness for the unpredictability of existence. How tedious it would be if we stayed the same eternally, never exploring heretofore unconsidered options or opening ourselves up to fresh, dynamic possibilities. Stagnation is absolutely the antithesis of an abundantly lived life.”
“Anyone who knew me before Mac would have said I was acting utterly out of character by falling in love with him, truly in love with him, and not just with his money or what he could do for me. Anyone who knew me before you…”
***
Rachel confesses her reason behind Matt and Jeanne's rushed wedding, while Matt schools his new wife in how things are going to be from now on. Amanda blames GQ for Allie's harassment, Frankie pushes Cass to accept his connection to Zeno, Donna receives a shock from Bridget and Michele, Grant uses Lila against Chase, and Jamie struggles to make a decision regarding his mother.
GOOD-BYE ALL MY CHILDREN: MY FIRST AMC ‘O…M…G!’ MOMENT: DIMITRI AND MARIA MAKE LOVE! By Nicole Walker
I should have seen it coming. My years of soap opera watching had educated me to recognize the signs of two people falling into an affair or committing the classic ‘I didn’t mean to sleep with him/her it just happened!’ oopsie one night stand. (Which really? How can disrobing yourself and another person to interlock your genitalia just happen?)
But I completely took Maria Santos Grey and Dimitri Marick’s very supportive sister/brother-in-law relationship as platonic. Yes, they seemed to have become fast friends going above and beyond the call of duty for each other, giving a shoulder to cry on, supportive of each other to the point that they’d often plead each other’s cases to their spouses which, sure, one could think there was something suspect to that deep kind of devotion but what one (I especially) just assigned to both Dimitri and Maria sincerely taking each other as family to heart due to their mutual great love and respect for Edmund. And for the most part it was that innocent...until it wasn't.
Both Maria and Dimitri had tough roads to hoe in regards to Edmund; Dimitri and Edmund had considered each other mortal enemies until it was revealed that Edmund was Dimitri’s brother and the rightful heir to the Marick legacy. Years of animosity had to be chipped away before the two men finally embraced each other to become friends-family. And boy had it not been easy.
The men in more supportive, brotherly days…
Maria initially had to contend with Brooke English as a rival for Edmund’s heart, always giving off the sense that she was the back-up girl since Edmund couldn’t be with the one he wanted (Brooke had chosen to marry Tad over staying with Edmund) and was always running to Brooke’s aid whenever she hit a bump in the road. When it was revealed that Tad was having an affair with Dixie and wanted to divorce Brooke, everyone, including Maria, believed that Edmund was not going to be able to stay away from Brooke and break their engagement. Surprisingly, Edmund chose to stay with Maria, not out of obligation, but because he had truly grown to love her and had truly moved on from Brooke. A hotly contested decision by some Brooke/Edmund fans but one can’t deny that Edmund and Maria had some great chemistry (it couldn’t have hurt that their portrayers were dating in real life)
Edmund and Maria went on to have the full on super couple wedding with beautiful dresses, exterior location shots, and in a big fancy church that cemented their true beginning as one of All My Children’s most popular super couples.
But happy couples aren’t happy for long. Edmund and Maria wanted children, but Maria was revealed as being unable to conceive. They decided to adopt only for the birth mother to want to take back her child. Maria was desperate to keep her son, Sam, and prepared to go on the run with him but Edmund did the unthinkable-instead of supporting his wife, he betrayed her by taking Sam from her and returning him to his biological mother. After that, as far as Maria was concerned, her marriage to Edmund was over.
Meanwhile, Dimitri was suffering his own heartache having caught his on-again/off-again wife, Erica, in bed with Jonathan Kinder (it was a set-up by Kinder; nothing happened as Dimitri- to his relief and guilt- later learned). Maria, lost and desolate, went to her friend for a shoulder to cry on, and both, at emotional low points and with tears streaming down their cheeks reached out to each other, held each other, pulled each other close and kissed.
O….M…G!
They freakin’ kissed! Not once, not twice, but repeatedly! Again and again! In that desperate- frantic- there’s-only-one-way-this-can-end kind of groping that had me gawking at the screen as one part of my brain was in shock while the other was screaming ‘No, no, no! What are you doing! Think of Edmund! Think of your brother, Dimitri! You worked so hard to be friends with him and you’re throwing it all awaaaaaaay!’
I was still shaking my head later that day, later that weekend, and still on Monday morning when while listening to the radio a local DJ himself commented on the mind-boggling Dimitri and Maria clench, totally unabashed, totally a fan, totally in disbelief of what had happened and discussing it with his female co-host. I mean when even a male DJ for a hard rock radio station is willing to go on air to talk about how crazy and game changing the Dimitri and Maria one night stand was, you KNOW it was a big deal.
I mean, yeah, it’s classic soap for a brother to betray his sibling by sleeping with their wife and it’s classic for two people in a vulnerable moment to make a whopper of a mistake which you know will end up with the once considered barren woman to get pregnant with her miracle child, which Maria did-after having a reconciliation bonk with Edmund and thus setting up a ‘Who’s the daddy’ issue for Maria on top of the affair, but damn it, did it have to come at the expense of one of the best, hard won brother relationships AMC ever had? Once the unthinkable affair happened, my soap education kicked back in and I could read the writing on the wall; that Edmund and Dimitri would be blown up for years, that Erica and Dimitri’s relationship probably wouldn’t weather this nail in their coffin, and that Dimitri would go through years of being the bad guy in this story before finally (hopefully as there’s no guarantee) being redeemed. All good soap, no lie, but also so darned frustrating. I mean WHY did this have to happen?! Why couldn’t Dimitri and Edmund stay happy bros?
But that’s the nature of soaps. No one can stay happy for long. People make mistakes which sets things off kilter which keeps me, you, the audience watching. We want to see our fav characters redeem themselves and make things right again.
Until the next time the writers blow their world apart to simultaneously make me hate them and admire them and sit on the edge of my seat to see what happens next.
Coming up next (and last) one more amazing AMC moment (or rather actor) that I want to pay homage to before all is said and done…
Alina Adams has done it again! The New York Times best-selling author of AS THE WORLD TURNS and GUIDING LIGHT tie-ins Oakdale Confidential, The Man From Oakdale, and Guiding Light: Jonathan's Story, has just released her latest soap opera-themed tome, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule Of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments. The enhanced E-book -- which can be obtained by downloading the free Kindle app from amazon.com to any Internet-enabled device -- will allow readers to have a truly interactive experience as they read about 45 of daytime drama's greatest moments as voted on by industry insiders and fans alike.
"People sent me by E-mail, Facebook, and Twitter their memories of the scenes that meant so much to them. Then I went to the actors, writers, and producers who had been part of those scenes to ask them how they came together," Adams explains of how the compilation came together.
“Your bride-to-be is certainly hot,” Dean offered, distinctively getting the sense that Matt wasn’t in quite the right frame of mind for the upcoming proceedings, and focusing on the one positive thing Dean felt he could say about Jeanne. “Your mom seems to like her. That’s a plus. Felicia and Lucas… I wasn’t exactly their favorite person, remember? Not like you, golden boy.”
“They came around. They realized you and Jenna belonged together till the end.”
“Yeah, well…”
“Aw, hell,” Matt snapped out of his own reverie to recall that there were other people in the world, ones who also had problems, and some a good bit worse than his, too. “I’m sorry, that was a – damn it, Dean, I wasn’t thinking.”
“That’s alright. You didn’t do anything to us, to me. Your ex-wife, on the other hand…” Dean trailed off. “I think now’s a pretty good time for me to tell you how happy I am you got that poisonous bitch out of your life once and for all. Got to level with you, man, if you’d decided to stick by Donna after what she did to Jenna and Lori Ann, I don’t know if I’d have been able to handle it. No, scratch that, I know I wouldn’t have. There’s forgiveness, there’s walking a mile in someone else’s pointy pumps, there’s trying to see everyone's point of view, blah, blah, blah… and there’s letting your own kid, and almost your grandkid, too, die just to cover your ass.”
***
Matt approaches the point of no return with Jeanne as Donna stakes her claim and Rachel does her best to undermine it, Spencer's death leaves a legal quandary for Alice, Grant and Jamie, Frankie tries to make Cass understand their true connection to Zeno, Lila smells something fishy, and Dean receives a surprising offer from an even more surprising source.
I believe the medium is the message—or, at least, it should be. I am turning my skating murder mysteries into enhanced e-books because skating is something you need to see, not just read words about. It's the same with soaps' greatest moments. It's wonderful to read about what went on behind the scenes from the actors, writers and producers' perspectives. But, a picture truly is worth a thousand words and I wanted to make it possible for people to actually watch the scenes under discussion. Not to mention, since soaps are a daily event, any book about them is obsolete the moment it hits the shelves (virtual or otherwise). By linking to websites and messages boards, I created the opportunity for the book to evolve as people read it. They can comment on the selections, discuss them among themselves and suggest even more memorable moments. In this way, Soap Opera 451 is a truly interactive multimedia experience in that it is constantly evolving thanks to its readers.
However, you do NOT need a Kindle to read Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments. All you need is anything with an Internet connection (i.e. whatever you are using to read this post), and the FREE Kindle app from Amazon. Just download the app, and then you can read the book on your desktop, your laptop, even your phone!
And remember, writing an Amazon review gets you a FREE soapy thank you gift! Click here for details.
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #126-2
“Welcome home,” Frankie threw herself into Cass’ arms the minute he walked through the door, kissing him as she professed, “I was starting to get worried. You weren’t answering your phone, and Felicia wasn’t answering her phone. I got jealous, thinking you two went off on a wacky caper without me. A few more minutes and I’d have pulled out one of my trusty disguises and gone out after you.”
Cass smiled weakly. “You know I’ll always come back to you.”
“I know,” she grinned in the face of his mysterious hesitation. “But, who says I’m on-board for missing all the fun?”
“I wasn’t… We weren’t… Not exactly fun.”
“Okay. I’m listening.” She matched his expression to her own. “You know the drill: Whither thou goest, I goest with you, buster. Where have you been? What did you find?”
“I’ve been,” Cass began. “I’ve been to Oakdale.”
“It’s a hell of a town.”
“And what I found was… your son.”
***
Frankie shocks Cass with the truth about Zeno, Spencer attempts to make last-minute amends with Alice, Chase confesses his motives to Lila, Lorna offers Steven a surprising solution, and Matt finds himself ganged up on and cornered. What should he do now? You decide!
I love musical theater so much, that my 4 and 8 year old now know what a stripper is (thank you, Gypsy), can count up to 76 Trombones, (The Music Man), have a fairly good grasp of a Dickens novel (Oliver), understand why there used to be British people living in India (The Secret Garden), and have asked what the word lasciviously means, thanks to reading a book of fairy tales inspired by Into The Woods. (Did you think I was kidding about how much I love musical theater?)
I have also explained that I lack even the semblance of a suggestion of musical ability.
But, really, why should that stop me from dreaming of making it big on Broadway one day?
Julia Barr (Brooke; AMC) on Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments: FINALLY GOT A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOK. VERY INTERESTING. NICE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST! PLEASE LET ALINA KNOW I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE BOOK AND HONORED TO BE A PART OF IT.
Thank you to Julia!!! She gave us a wonderful interview on what went on behind the scenes during the storyline of Laura's death by a hit and run driver (the one that won Julia her first Emmy)!
Write your own review on Amazon and get a free soap book as a thank you gift! Details, here.
Monday, October 03, 2011
AGE-LESS
I've already admitted that I prefer writing for older characters. They're just so much more interesting, having actually experienced real life and real suffering, and thus honestly earning their angst, rather than merely thinking that they had (I was 15 going on 16 in 1985 when The Breakfast Club came out and sat through that entire movie thinking: What is their problem?).
I prefer older people in real life, too. My first crush, as the age of 13, was Falcon Crest's David Selby who, according to IMDB, would have been in his mid-forties at the time.
My father once joked, "I'm afraid I'll have a son-in-law my own age."
"I just hope he isn't my age," my grandfather chimed in.
(For those curious, my husband is only two years older than I am but, like me, he is one of those disturbingly old souls. We got engaged basically three months after we started dating. Someone asked, "How long have you two known each other?" "Oh, about three or four... lifetimes," was Scott's smart-assed answer. We are both old soul smart-asses.)
I am guessing that it was either the old soul (or the smart-ass) in me that decided in 1998, when I was 28 years old, that I was qualified to write my second contemporary romance novel, "When a Man Loves a Woman," featuring a pair of 40-something protagonists.
The book was published by DELL in 2000 and got some pretty nice reviews, too.
A few months ago, I got the rights to it back and decided to release it as an enhanced e-book. Which meant reading through it again for the first time in over ten years to make sure the technical transfer had gone well.
I read it again and I must say... What the hell was I thinking?
My characters may have been in their forties on paper, but in their behavior, not to mention their pithy quips and, most importantly, their energy levels they were... oh, I'd say around twenty-eight or so.
When I mentioned to my husband that these people were not tired enough to be 40, he asked me, "Do they have kids?"
"Well... no."
"There you go."
(Like I said... smart-asses.)
I still happen to think "When A Man Loves a Woman" (or WAMLAW as it was referred to in some reviews) is a pretty good book. It asks the age old question: Can men and women really be just friends? What about when one of them is married? What about when one of them suddenly isn't anymore?
But, I do wonder about the age thing. Books, film, and television are full of criticisms of authors writing outside their gender, their race, their religion, their ethnicity (not that it stops writers from doing it... or the critics from piling on them). But, should age be included in that group?
Obviously authors are capable of writing "down" - they've all been the age they invoke and the practice produced classics like "Catcher In The Rye" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" (not to mention "Harry Potter" or The "Babysitter's Club"). But can you write "up?"
Margaret Mitchell may have never been in the Civil War (and I can only assume Stephenie Meyer is not now and has never been a vampire, though, who knows?), but is advanced age another one of those conceits that can be assumed, or is it something you actually have to live through to get down accurately?
Let me know your thoughts, below, and click on the link to WAMLAW here, to check out my own attempt to write "up."
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #126-1
“Oh, do grow up, Marley,” Donna snapped, the pent up frustration which had begun with Steven’s insulting accusation and proved only partially assuaged by the stand-off at Rachel and Carl’s flaring up again with a vengeance. “I do wish you all would stop defaulting into attacking me in these pathetic bids to make yourselves feel better.”
“Exactly how many people do you currently see here?” Marley wondered, not bothering to wait for a reply before correcting, “If it weren’t for you – “
“You and the rest of Bay City would be happier, healthier, saner, with luxurious hair, a harem of men under your thumbs and a gaggle of perfectly-behaved moppets at your feet? I don’t think so. I have made my share of mistakes with you, Marley. I’ve made my share of mistakes with all of my children. But there comes a time when you stop blaming others and admit to your own failings, then move on.”
“Now who’s attacking someone else to make themselves feel better?” Marley smirked.
“At least I’m willing to take the licks and the hits, instead of hiding in here!”
“You hid in here as long as it suited you.”
“And then I left this place and I faced Felicia and Dean, Lucas and you, and everyone for the things I did. It’s time you do too. Your family needs you, Marley. Your girls need you.”
***
Donna tires of coddling Marley and hits her with some harsh truths, Cass and Felicia get the last piece of the Frankie puzzle from Zeno, Amanda confronts Allie regarding her latest lies, Grant attempts to provoke Jamie, and Rachel stuns both Matt and Jeanne with a pair of surprise guests.
ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #130-1
