Which Cancelled Soap Opera Should Return to Production?

Anyone who knows me knows that of course my answer is All My Children.  I miss Pine Valley and all the characters in it.  However, I think my answer would have to be ALL cancelled soaps should return to production.  Soap operas are a form of entertainment that steps over the traditional boundaries of entertainment and into the realm of social education.  Soap operas educate viewers on social issues.  So many of us have learned social lessons from our stories that we carry into our real lives.  But, if we cannot have all the cancelled soaps returned to us, I would love to see All My Children again.

Which Soap Character Would You Like to See Return from the Dead?

Josh Duhamel as Leo du Pres

Soap:   All My Children

Character:  Leo du Pres

After All My Children's Leo du Pres (played by Josh Duhamel) went over the waterfall, we waited years for him to show back up on the show somehow.  I always thought he would be resurrected.  Now, it would be wonderful if All My Children were resurrected!

Which Soap Opera Couple Should Have Never Divorced?

Susan Lucci and David Canary as Erica Kane and Adam Chandler

Soap:  All My Children

Couple:  Adam and Erica

There have been many couples that have come together and then later divorced in Soapland.  The couple I felt should never have divorced was All My Children's Adam Chandler and Erica Kane.  They may have both had better mates, like Brooke English and Jackson Montgomery, but when Adam and Erica were together it was constant fireworks as they plotted and schemed and then made up with each other.

Where Is/Was the Best Soap Opera Place to Eat?

Erica Kane and Bianca Montgomery at the Valley Inn

Soap Opera: All My Children

Place to Eat:  Valley Inn

There have been many fine dining establishments in the cities of the soap opera world.  For me, the best was All My Children's Valley Inn.  The Valley Inn was an elegant setting with food that always looked... well... good enough to eat!  It was a great place to bump into the who's who of Pine Valley and the location of many a legendary cat fight.

What Lesson Did A Soap Opera Teach You?

Pine Valley

All My Children taught me the lesson of community.  In this fast-paced, disposable world, we often have no idea who our neighbors are, let alone the head of the local hospital.  But in Pine Valley, albeit a fictional town, as with most other soap locales, there is a sense of community.  When tragedy strikes, as it most certainly will in a soap town, all the inhabitants bond together to get through it.  Holidays are certainly always family events but in Pine Valley they were also community events with everyone coming together in celebration.

Who Is the Best Soap Opera Cook?

Soap Opera:   All My Children

Best Cook:   Kate Martin

For me, Kate Martin was the best cook in soap operas.  She was always baking cookies, cooking dinner, cooking something.  You could almost smell the aromas coming from Kate's kitchen.  The Thanksgiving spread was ala Grandma Kate.  There were scenes in the Martin kitchen.  Do soap operas even show kitchens any more?  If Kate Martin were still around, there would definitely be a kitchen set and it would get a lot of use.

Who Is the Sexiest Soap Opera Actor/Actress?

Thorsten Kaye as Zach Slater

Vincent Irizarry as Dr David Hayward

Susan Lucci as Erica Kane

Roger Howarth as Todd Manning

Sexiest Soap Opera Actors:  Thorsten Kaye, Vincent Irizarry, Susan Lucci, Roger Howarth

I actually could go on and on with this one because almost all the players on daytime soap operas are sexy.  My pick for sexiest goes to several people: Thorsten Kaye AKA Zach Slater on All My Children; Vincent Irizarry AKA Dr David Hayward on All My Children; Susan Lucci AKA Erica Kane on All My Children; and Roger Howarth as Todd Manning on One Life to Live/General Hospital.  I could go on and on - there are just so many hot, sexy actors in soap operas!  These are but a few!

Who Is Your Favorite Soap Opera Family?

Soap Opera:  All My Children

Family:  The Martins

All My Children's Martin family is my favorite soap family.  Kate Martin was the best Grandma, and Joe and Ruth were the perfect family elders.  Tad and Jake were maturing into the next generation of family leaders.  

I loved Martin family gatherings.  They were always so warm and family-feeling, but there was always some kind of craziness going on in the middle of them.

What Is Your Favorite Soap Opera Theme Song

This was actually a question I saw on one of the Facebook walls, so thank you to whoever it was that came up with this question!  For me, there was a version of the All My Children theme song for a while that ended with a ding at the end of the song.  My younger daughter was little at the time and would always "ding" when the song ended.   After they changed the theme, for years, we would all "ding" at the end of the theme song at the beginning of the show.

Another memorable theme song was from Days of Our Lives - Like sands through the hourglass...

What Was the Funniest Soap Opera Moment?

Michael E Knight AKA Tad Martin in the Chicken Suit

Show:  All My Children

Moment:  Tad Proposing in a Chicken Suit


The funniest soap moment for me was All My Children's Tad Martin proposing to Dixie Cooney in the chicken suit!  Although it happened decades ago, I still laugh when I think about it!

Who Is the Craziest Soap Opera Character?

Robin Mattson - Janet from Another Planet

Soap:  All My Children

Character:  Janet Dillon

Janet and Trevor Dillon

Robin Mattson has a talent for playing crazy!!!  As Janet Dillon, or as she is fondly referred to by her fans, Janet from Another Planet, Robin brought crazy to a whole new level.  Throwing her sister Natalie into a well and impersonating her was crazy.  Killing people was crazy!  With all the crazy things she did, killing her husband Trevor (Uncle Pork Chop) and locking him in a freezer was right up there with the craziest!  It was sad that they ended Trevor's story line that way - he was such a fun loving character!

Robin is now able to bring crazy back to our small screens on General Hospital as she revives her role as Heather Webber.  Heather has already been plotting and poisoning away after just being released from a mental institution!  Robin is a delight to watch.  She has perfected and set a new benchmark for crazy!

Where Do/Did You Usually Watch Your Favorite Soap Opera?

Our family would gather in the early evening and watch All My Children in the living room.  It was a time when we could all relax together after our respective days.  We really miss that time we shared in Pine Valley.

Now, I watch General Hospital.  Although I usually watch the DVR recording on the bedroom TV, most often I watch it on an iPad via the ABC Player.

Which Soap Opera Character Would You Change Places With?

Kelly Ripa as Hayley Vaughn Santos

Show:  All My Children

Character:  Hayley Vaughn Santos

I know, if you are going to be an All My Children fan, the most likely candidate for this assignment would be Erica Kane.  However, I chose Hayley Vaughn Santos.  Hayley is one of the very few soap opera characters who got out of Soapland alive and well.  She and her sexy, gorgeous husband Matteo, and their family literally ride off into the sunset to California to live happily ever after.  I just love the fact that Hayley not only survived the soap world in Pine Valley but against all odds wasn't killed, murdered, institutionalized, heartbroken, abandoned, or left in a coma doing it.  I want Hayley's life - happily ever after!

What Is/Was the Craziest Soap Opera Story Line?

Roger Howarth

Trevor St John 

Show: One Life to Live

Story Line:  Two Todd Mannings

I had to pick this as my favorite soap opera story line because it was just so darn incredulous!  It was the craziest thing I had ever seen and as it unfolded I could not figure out how in the heck they could possibly explain away two Todds.  But Ron Carlivati, Head Writer of OLTL, did just that!  He brought the two-Todd story line to a climax with one of the Todds (Trevor St John) actually being Victor Lord, Jr.  Brilliant!

Who Is Your Favorite Female Soap Opera Actress?

Soap Opera:   All My Children

Favorite Actress:   Susan Lucci

There have been so many incredible actresses who have graced the daytime soap opera screen!  But, Susan Lucci is the Ambassador of daytime soap operas.  Her portrayal of All My Children's beloved Erica Kane helped set the benchmark for leading daytime actresses.  For me, Susan Lucci will always be synonymous with daytime soap operas.

What Was Your Reaction To The Apr 14, 2011 Cancellation of AMC and OLTL?

I was stunned, then numb.  Then I was very, very sad, then I got angry.  It has been an emotional roller coaster as the last episodes of each show were filmed and then aired.  A year after the announcement, I am still resolved to see these shows back in production no matter what it takes or how long it takes.  I know I am not alone.

Who/What Have You Named After a Soap Opera Character?

Ruth Warwick as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford

Soap Opera:           All My Children

Character Name:     Phoebe

In the Spring of 1990, we got a black female kitten.  We named her Phoebe after Ruth Warwick's character Phoebe Tyler Wallingford in All My Children.  Phoebe lived a very adventurous life traveling cross-country more than once and being a bi-coastal cat for a while.  Phoebe passed away in 2006 at the ripe old age of sixteen and is still remembered with great affection and love.

Who Did You Watch Grow Up on a Soap Opera?

Soap Opera:  All My Children

Actress:  Susan Lucci

There have been many child actors who have made their way through the virtual towns of the soap opera world and many we have literally watched grow up in front of our eyes.  Susan Lucci began her role as the teenage Erica Kane on All My Children in 1970.  Through the next four-plus decades, we watched Erica grow up, go through every trial and tribulation imaginable, have and have an infamous string of husbands. After over 40 years onscreen, we watched Erica become an exciting mature character who has shown being over 50 can be very exciting, rewarding, and relevant.

What is Your Favorite Soap Opera Town?

Soap Opera:  All My Children

Town:  Pine Valley, PA

My favorite soap opera town is Pine Valley, PA, home to All My Children.  I love Pine Valley because it is homey, elegant, and seedy at the same time, going from Tad Martin's home to the Pine Valley Inn to the Pinecone Motel.  I never realized how much commerce there was in Pine Valley!  There are a list of businesses, restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars, hospitals, and law enforcement groups in the town.  The best feature of Pine Valley though, beyond its residence and stories, is its close proximity to Llanview and Port Charles...

Who Introduced You To Soap Operas?

Soap:  Another World

A girlfriend in high school introduced me to the wonderful world of soap operas with Another World.  I was hooked and watched the show into young adulthood.

Soap: All My Children

My future husband reintroduced me to the world of soap operas.  He was a devout fan of All My Children and Erica Kain along with another male friend.  I began catching the show with them, was hooked, and loved it.  My daughters grew up on All My Children and we all watched faithfully to the very last Disney/ABC episode.

Who is Your Favorite Male Soap Opera Actor?

David Canary as Twins Adam and Stuart Chandler

Show:  All My Children

Actor:  David Canary

My favorite soap opera actor is David Canary as Adam and Stuart Chandler on All My Children.  David brought such a breadth of experience with him when he joined All My Children.  He used that experience to create not one, but two incredible portraits of individuals, the twins, Adam and Stuart.  Every scene he was ever in he leant class, grace, and style to.  Thank you David, for your consistent, absolutely impeccable work!

At What Age Did You Start Watching Soap Operas?

Show: Another World

Age: 14

Victoria Wyndham as Another World's Rachel Cory

There were never soap operas in my house growing up.  They were thought of and referred to as, "sob stories."  At age 14, I met a girl on the school bus, we became friends, and I began spending time at her house after school.  She and her older sister watched Another World when they got in the door from school.  On occasion when their mother was home in the afternoon, she watched too.  That amazed me!  I began watching with them.  Steve and Alice, Rachel and Mac, I was hooked!  It became a regular routine to stop at their house after school before going home so I could catch Another World.

What Is Your Favorite Soap Opera Line of Dialog?

James Kiberd as All My Children's Trevor Dillon

Show:  All My Children

Favorite Line of Dialog:  No Bout Adoubt It!

All My Children's Trevor Dillon (played by James Kiberd) was an easy going, beloved character to many.  He is still to this day, over ten years since appearing on All My Children, affectionately called Uncle Porkchop.  Trevor had a way of playing with words, and one of his recurring sayings was "No bout adoubt it."  To this day, I use that line!

Who Is/Was Your Favorite Soap Couple?

Soap:  One Life To Live

Couple: Cord and Tina

Okay, I am an All My Children fan.  I could have picked a long list of couples who had chemistry on All My Children.  But, the couple that immediately caught my attention and heart was the courtship and relationship between Cord Roberts and Tina Lord on One Life to Live.  They were so different - playful, loose, and exuded a special chemistry between them that made you want more, more more!

What Was Your Favorite Soap Opera Event?

All My Children Crystal Ball Keepsake

Show:  All My Children

Event:  The Crystal Ball

The Crystal Ball was a magical annual event in Pine Valley that always became the canvas for much foolishness and mayhem, something soap fans love!  All of Pine Valley attended the Crystal Ball.  The costumes, gowns and tuxedos, and the actors and actresses in them were always delectable eye candy for viewers.

Actress Jessica Tuck as Megan Performs at the Daisy Awards

Runner up would be the One Life to Live Daisy Awards.  What a glamorous hoot!!!

Who Is Your Favorite Soap Opera Child?

Leven Montgomery Portrayed Autistic Lily Montgomery

Show:  All My Children

Actress:  Leven Rambin

Role: Lily Montgomery Lavery

There have been so MANY fine young actors and actresses who have filled out soap canvases portraying children in our beloved soap towns.

I chose Lily Montgomery Lavery of All My Children played by Leven Rambin as my favorite.  Leven brought a special respect to the role of Lily, the autistic step-daughter of Jackson Montgomery.  Whenever she was onscreen she lit up the scene.  The character of Lily brought to light the challenges that face children suffering from autism as well as the adjustments families must make.  Her character also addressed the social challenges facing someone who has special needs.  Lily made it socially acceptable to be different, to have special needs.  The residents of Pine Valley rallied around her to ensure she was secure and comfortable.  In return they got a beautiful shining citizen who exuded innocence and sweetness while being wise far beyond her years.

What Was the Saddest Soap Opera Story?

Eileen Herlie - Myrtle Fargate

 

Show: All My Children

Story: Death of Myrtle Fargate

There have been many storylines over the years that have been sad beyond words.  Just in All My Children alone there have been so many! There are the breakups and the deaths of characters as art mirrors life.  The passing of Jenny, Mona Kane, Cindy Chandler, Phoebe Tyler, Baby Lenora Hayward, and Palmer Cortland were some of the storylines that pulled viewers' heartstrings out.

But, the greatest loss I felt was the passing of Eileen Herlie and the death of her character Myrtle Fargate.  Although Eileen was 90 at the time of her death in 2008, Myrtle had a fire in her right to the end.  For viewers, it was heart-wrenching to see the raw, visible pain fellow characters went through at the news of her passing.  Myrtle was such an integral part of the Pine Valley fabric there was a special tribute held in her honor in which Agnes Nixon made a rare appearance to pay her respects to Myrtle and Eileen.  Myrtle had a twinkle in her eyes and a wonderful approach to life, loving every moment.

WHEN we can once again visit Pine Valley, there will forever be a little empty corner in it that Myrtle should be filling.

Who Had the Best Soap Opera Wedding?

Dimitri and Erica Kane Marick

Soap: All My Children

Wedding: Dimitri and Erica

There have been some monumental weddings over the last five decades in soap operas.  Luke and Laura, Cliff and Nina, Clint and Vicki, Cord and Tina, Bo and Nora, and that is just ABC soaps - the list goes on and on!  Of all of them, I chose the wedding of Erica Kane and Dimitri Marick as my favorite.  The romance and ultimate fairy tale wedding was sophisticated, magical!, and a delight to watch!

What Is/Was Your Favorite Soap and Why?

Soap: All My Children

Why:  Pine Valley.  I LOVE Pine Valley and loved visiting it every week day!  Erica, Adam, Tad, Opal, and all the rest who brought life to Pine Valley will always have a special place in my heart.

Who is Your Favorite Soap Villain?

Soap: All My Children

Villain:  Dr David Hayward

Dr David Hayward (AKA Dr Death) is the quintessential villain with his lies, secrets, and drugs!  David Irizarry plays David Hayward spectacularly and he is the villain you love to hate.  Even though Dr Death was up to no good 95% of the time, David Irizarry played the character so well you always want to see him on screen doing something.

What Soap Opera Headline Would You Like to See?

Agnes Nixon with Her Queen SWAN!

I have just a few I would like to see..

AGNES NIXON GETS RIGHTS TO LEGACIES BACK!

AGNES NIXON NAMED KENNEDY CENTER HONOREE!

SWANS HELP SAVE SHOWS!

ALL MY CHILDREN AND ONE LIFE TO LIVE RETURNING TO THE AIRWAVES!

SOAP OPERAS GET THEIR OWN DEDICATED CHANNEL!

FRATERNITY ROW UNCANCELLED!!!

CANCELLED SOAPS RETURNING TO PRODUCTION!

OLD SOAP OPERAS RETURNING TO NEW SOAP NETWORK!

What Was Your Favorite Soap Opera Costume?

Michael E Knight in His Chicken Suit

Soap:  All My Children

Character:  Tad Martin

Costume:  The Chicken Suit

Tad's chicken suit played such an important part of the storyline at the time.  Tad proposed to Dixie in that chicken suit!  At the time, I thought it was so over-the-top goofy that it was endearing.

My second vote would be Erica's French maid costume, she made it look so easy...

Where Would You Like to See a Currently Shelved Soap Storyline Pick Up If It Returned to Production?

All My Children Cast

Soap:  All My Children

Storyline: JR Shooting through the secret passage

I would like to see JR grabbed from behind as he fires the gun into the Chandler living room from the secret passage.  The person who does it is a blast from Pine Valley's past and what first appears to be this person helping JR, turns out to be something very different and completely unexpected.

Thank you Silas Kain for suggesting this Assignment!  I hope everyone has as much fun with this one as I did!

What Is/Was Your Favorite Soap Set?

Soap: All My Children

Set: The Chandler Mansion

Chandler Mansion Living Room

I have always loved the intrigue of the Chandler mansion.  I loved the grand staircase in the middle of the set for years, with its dual stage left and right paths.  It made everyone who came down it majestic and oozed of over-the-top opulence.

The secret passages were a story in themselves.  I always enjoyed when they used them in storylines, especially when a character did not know about them.  I always thought there could have been more stories about them like they lead to a tunnel that lead to a mysterious ongoing storyline.

The patio off the living room and the Chandler estate grounds were another feature of the estate that I always loved seeing.  The patio was often used as the place to drop bombshells.

The one thing that always perplexed me about the Chandler mansion was how with its state-of-the-art security, anyone could show up there uninvited at anytime.

Introduction

Soap Assignments is a place to pay homage and honor our favorite shows, characters, actors and storylines. Each Soap Assignment challenges me to address different aspects of the soap genre and it is a way for you to share thoughts, perspectives and stories.

Please feel free to participate in the Soap Assignments and post your thoughts, responses, perspectives and stories. 

Thank you for stopping by!!! xoxoxo