AJ is OUT at GH!

News hit the internet this week that Sean Kanan is out at GH.  This news was followed by snarky comments and tweets from Ron Carlivati, and even former AJ, Billy Warlock.  Whose side am I on?  Well, everyone's.

Apparently, the decision for AJ to leave was a mutual decision made by Sean and GH producer Frank Valentini. Sean wasn't happy with his storyline, so they decided it was time to write him out.  Shawn told TV guide:

"I was utterly thrilled to be brought back to GH for the 50th anniversary and really enjoyed working with Frank Valentini, but I was not over the moon about the writing. Doing stories about panic attacks and relish was not what I thought I'd signed up for."

His criticism was maybe a little unprofessional...but I can't say I disagree with the guy. When I started watching GH, the Pickle Lila storyline was just starting up and I can easily say it was my least favorite plotline (my favorite being the Vampire storyline--duh!) The panic attacks, which didn't really seem to be a huge focus, were also kind of lame and didn't take his character anywhere. Lately however, we're getting a much more engaging AJ storyline with Connie's shooting and Eva's attempts to murder him.  He was finally becoming more involved and there was no relish anywhere!  But I guess it was too little too late for Kanan, so he's out.  And I understand his position if he wants to go back to B&B, but I also understand Ron Calivarti taking offense at Kanan's statement.

Calivarti took to twitter, expressing:

"His comments are like school in the summertime.  No class."

Also not the most professional response, but I can't disagree here either.  I'd be pretty peeved if someone insulted my writing that publicly.  And as a fan, I gotta say I side more with Ron Calivart since his writing is what's got me glued to the show. So while I agree that Sean's storylines weren't the strongest, I still gotta stand by Ron. Kanan kind of sounds like a diva to me.

Also tweeting in on this news was Billy Warlock, former AJ from 1997-2005, whom I am a fan of due to his work as Frankie Brady on Days.

Here's what Billy had to say:

"I must say if it's true about SK I am truly bummed. Not just for him but for AJ as well. SK was a great AJ! Go B&B."

He then added:

"Believe when I say I'm not lobbying. It's just how I feel. That character has never been given a fair shake."

That's all fine and good, Billy, but there goes your shot at being asked to come in and take over the role any time soon.  I would actually love to see Billy come back as AJ, though I'd really rather him go back to Days. But I'm guessing AJ is going to die from complications relating to his surgery.  Which will of course mean that...we haven't seen the last of AJ Quartermaine.

Days of our Lives Needs an "All-New Days NOW!"

That's a little comic book reference there for you, but I'll try to keep this strictly soaps.

So I haven't been enjoying "Days of our Lives" lately and it really bugs the hell out of me.  I'd really love to march into the production offices, raise some hell, shake things up, and fire some folks.  But unfortunately I'm reduced to bitching about things to the internets.  I try not to be too negative when I post any comments on Hulu because I see a lot of people go on there that are just ridiculous and offensive and that's not cool.  Also, there's enough people out there being negative and I feel like I should try to point out what the show is doing RIGHT or what I've been enjoying in the hope that some exec or writer will read my post and say, "Oh, okay lets do more of this." They can't just keep hearing about what is wrong all the time.  They've got to hear what's working too.

So while I try to stay more positive on the public forums, here on my blog--not so much.  I will never go on about some actor being UGLY because that's just mean.  I get really pissed when these posters go on about how OLD someone looks or makes a mean comment about the damn blue streak in Kate's hair.  Really? Who gives a shit if she has a blue streak.  These are criticisms that are personal and usually mean spirited.  I don't dig that.  So I won't be commenting on physical features in a negative way.  But maybe on wardrobe...

So I basically wanted to go through and do my very own version of "it's a brand new days!" kind of like they did back in 2011.  This would be my 50th Anniversary Revamp of the show if I were in charge.  Get rid of some characters that don't work, and bring in some old ones that have been sorely missed.  There are also certain storylines that I am tired of, even though I still like the characters involved.  But lets start with who gets the axe...

Leaving:

Jordan Ridgeway

Easily my least favorite character right now, and paired with Rafe, it's puke city for me.  Together they are insufferable.  From their contrived common interest in sports--that I don't buy for a second--to their groan inducing banter.  I' m out.  In the history of mis-matched couples with zero chemistry, they're up there at the top.  I long for the days of Brady and Madison!  That's how horrible they are!  And I feel like I'm the only one who thinks this way!  A recent Soap Opera Digest poll showed that the majority of fans voted "YES! They're adorable together!"  I about threw the copy I was reading at the check-out lady when I saw that. My vote had obviously been: "No way!  They're boring."  Since I couldn't vote: "They should die in a fire."

Rafe Hernandez

It's a two for one deal.  But who am I kidding?  Rafe will never leave the show.  He signed his contract in blood for eternity.  That, or he works for peanuts.  I didn't mind Galen Gering as Luis on Passions, but I have never really gotten into him as Rafe.  Every once in a while I'll find him interesting when he pairs with an unlikely chick--like Nicole or Kate.  But now that he's with Jordan...Time to be put out to pasture.

EJ DiMera

I know I'm probably alone in this, but I have to admit I think its time for EJ to go.  That, or he needs to completely move past this Sami relationship.  I've always thought that Lucas was the man for Sami.  They've got a much more interesting dynamic.  EJ and Sami just can't get it right.  Maybe that's the fault of the writers, but I'm so sick and tired of the whole, "someone fucks up, someone lies about fucking up, sami drops a piece of evidence off at Ciara's, someone gets caught, someone swears they'll never tell another lie, someone takes them back, rinse and repeat.  It's getting old.  If they had him truly fall for Abigail, that might save his character, but so far it seems like their affair was just lust.  So it's either stick him with Abigail or just have him never wear a shirt again.  (Fun fact: James Scott is the dreamiest son of a bitch in the world.)

Theresa Donovan

I was excited to have Shane and Kim's daughter come onto the canvas, but I honestly don't want her on it if she's not bringing her parents with her.  (how disappointing was Shane and Kim's big two day return).  The actress who plays Theresa is talented enough, but the character is so awful and unlikable that you can't even root for the bad guy (and I do love to root for the bad guy.  see: Britt Westbourne, Dr. Obrecht, Eva Jerome, any brilliant villain on GH).

Recast:

Will Horton

I'm sorry but I'm not feeling this new Will.  Chandler really made that role his and created an extremely lovable and sympathetic character.  I'm having trouble getting on board with Guy.  And the writers really jumped the gun on their engagement.  Maybe if it had happened before the recast it would be easier to swallow.  But as it is, I needed time to see these two actors experience more together as a couple before taking a big step like getting engaged.  It came too soon when I was still adjusting to Will having a new face so I felt nothing when Sonny proposed.  Or rather I was like, "ALREADY?!"  You just met!

Already Leaving:

Sami Brady

I'm sad to see Sami go, but to be honest she's not as much fun as she used to be when she was more into her schemes and less into her family.  It was great seeing her team up with Kate to try and cover up Nick's "murder," but we don't get that Sami as often as I'd like.

Gabi Hernandez

Gabi never grew on me but I never hated her either. She was just there. There she is. Sleeping with gay dudes.

Returning:
Here's who I'd love to see come back to the show.  There's a lot of em.

Robert Kelker Kelly

As he proved when he came back to GH for the 50th anniversary, Robert Kelker Kelly is still HAWT!  He was the first Bo I ever knew and I would totally be cool with them re-re-casting him in the role again.

Lisa Rinna as Billie

If they bring back Faux Bo, they gotta bring back Lisa as Billie. Her last return was such a disappointment, but I completely blame the writers on that one.

Genie Francis as Diana Colville

They'll never do it, but this would be a dream come true for me.  Diana needs to come back to Salem with a big shock for John.  "I was pregnant when I left town!"  A plot device done do death but I'd buy any reason to see her return, no matter how cliched.  I would love to see Diana's reaction to all the things that have happened with John since she left. She was right there at the start of his identity crisis and never knew him as anyone but Roman.  And for Diana to finally meet the fabled Marlena Evans?  I'd just die of bliss.

Nadia Bjorlin as Chloe Lane

I always loved Chloe, but they need to get her back to who she used to be.  She was once as saintly as Jennifer or Kayla.  Let's see more of the feisty cancer survivor and less of the needy manipulator.  With Chloe, I'd love to see other folks from her generation return as well.  Brandon Beemer as Shawn would make sense since they're together in real life.  Mimi, Rex, and Philip are all great choices.

Stephen Nichols as Steve Johnson

PATCH!  One of the greatest male soap characters of all time.  He needs to come back and rebuild his relationship with Kayla.  All while getting involved in some mad-capped adventure.

Billy Warlock as Frankie Brady

With Jack gone, the only other guy out there for Jenn is Frankie!  I'm pretty tired of Jenn and Daniel.  I like both actors but their romance has never been the strongest.  But then whose has???

Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady

I do love Josh Taylor, but he's never been "ROMAN."  Wayne Northrop is Roman.  I'd love to see Josh step back from the canvas for a second, have them bring back Wayne as Roman, and then re-introduce Josh back to the canvas reprising the role of Chris Kositchek.  In 2005, they brought Wayne back as new character Alex North...but I don't know what the hell they were thinking with that one.

Jason Brooks as Peter Blake

While I doubt they'll ever invite Peter back (due to his alleged real-life affair with Jennifer), giving Jenn an old nemesis is exactly what she needs to spice up her life.  If not Peter, then maybe Colin Murphy or Lawrence Alamain.

Michael T Weiss as Mike Horton

The Best and greatest Mike Horton.  I would love to see him come back and resume his duties at the hospital.  He had a great chemistry with sister Jennifer, and if they could dust off the contact information on the chick who played Robin Jacobs, I'd welcome her back with him.

Kelly Sullivan as ANYONE

I was really hoping they would cast Kelly as Eve because I absolutely loved Kelly as Connie on GH.  A true talent, Days seriously needs to nab her up for a role.

Special 50th Anniversary Guests:

Eugene and Calliope

While I wouldn't necessarily need them back full time, it would be a great thrill to see these old faces come back to the show for a guest spot.  Eugene had such a special friendship with Marlena.  It would be a treat to see them on screen rekindling that old relationship.

Liz Chandler

Who better to come back and sing their hit "Friends and Lovers" for Shane and Kim? Maybe she could bring real-life son Robin Thicke with her. That'd boost ratings. Throw in some gigantic stuffed animals and a twerking Miley Cyrus and we've got a show that'll knock the Nurse's Ball on its ass.

Staying:
Hope Williams, Jennifer Horton, Abigail Deveraux, Sonny Kiriakis, Nick Fallon, Marlena Evans, Maggie Horton, Victor Kiriakis, John Black, Kate Roberts, Sami Brady, Stefano DiMera, Caroline Brady, JJ Deveraux, Abe Carver, Eric Brady, Nicole Walker, Kristen DiMera
Even given shitty storylines, these are all characters I love to see on screen no matter what.  They've either been on the show for forever, have amazing talent, or they're fun to see without their shirt on (or any combination of the three).  But for the love of god, some of these characters are trapped in some wretchedly awful storylines.  Get them new ones!


Retire These Storylines:

Father Eric
Love Eric...hate the priest aspect.  Unless some bitches plan on getting possessed by Satan, there is no need to make Eric a priest.  That was the most boring storyline they've ever given Nicole and now unfortunately its reverted to the old "Nicole lied to hold on to a man--how long till she gets caught!" schtick.  Maybe Ciara will find photographs of Nicole shredding the evidence that would have proven Eric's innocence.

Drug Addict Brady
I get that it's a serious problem.  But it's been done a million times.  I can deal w/ the occasional drug relapse that might result in a wild plot twist (murder/rape/showing some skin/getting a little homo).  And maybe the Brady situation will build up to something that epic...but they're taking way too long getting there.  It's gross enough he's making out with his cousin.  (I don't buy the convenient, "Turns out we're not Brady's after all!" revelation.  John lived as freaking Roman.  It's still weird.)

Any Pregnancy
Unless they can put a new spin on it other than "Who's the Daddy?" or "My One Night Mistake" no one needs to get pregnant on Days ever again.

See now, General Hospital has been really successful at using a lot of contrived and cliched soap devices, but they're at least putting a fun spin on them and really using them to shake things up.  The whole Maxie pregnancy storyline that then led into Britt's pregnancy storyline has provided so many great twists and turns that I'm able to get past the "who's the Daddy" aspect because that's only a part of it.  The writers are taking their time revealing bits and pieces to the puzzle, with each reveal changing the playing field somehow.  First it was Maxie miscarrying the surrogate baby and keeping it a secret.  But then she got pregnant with Spinelli's baby!  Then she decided to try to pass the baby off as Dante and Lulu's!  But then everyone found out!  Oh but it doesn't end there!  Looks like the baby Britt impregnated herself with was Lulu and Dante's all along!  But Lulu and Dante don't know it!  And blah blah blah, I won't recap the whole convoluted plot. Point is, I'm absolutely hooked on the story and care about what's happening to all of the characters involved in it.  The stakes are high and when Britt is exposed, she is going to have to give up Ben and that is going to break my cold jaded heart.  I will be crying without a doubt.  It kind of reminds me of the John/Hope/Lexie baby switch storyline that Days did back in 2002.  There were a lot of layers to that situation that made it a fun ride.  And when Hope gave up JT?  One of the saddest episodes ever.  I miss those Days.  And that's why I'm loving GH so much.  It reminds me of the old "Days."

It's About Time I Started Blogging...about Soaps.

As a long-time soap opera watcher and a dude with lots and lots of opinions about my stories, I've been thinking about starting a soap blog for some time.  And there's no time like the present to get that blog rolling, so here goes...

I've been watching soaps for years, though I admittedly don't watch them all.  To me, that would be impossible.  Even if I didn't have a full time job, there's no way I could commit to even the four soaps that are currently airing on US television.  Because once I commit, I COMMIT.  I've been watching Days of our Lives since the 90s and almost never miss an episode, not matter how bad it gets.  Not only do I keep up with the current episodes, I also go onto youtube and go back to watch old episodes that I missed from the 80s!  (Check out spiesoftheheart's channels and bradyclanfan if you ever want to relive some 80s greatness.)  It wasn't until recently that I finally branched out and decided to give a second soap a chance--that soap being General Hospital.  The reason I chose General Hospital?  Two words--Diana Colville (better known as Genie Francis aka Laura Spencer).  I'd absolutely fallen in love with Diana when I went back and watched her storyline.  So when I'd read that Genie was going to be coming back to GH for its 50th anniversary, I said--okay this is it--I'll take my Diana however I can get her and if that means trying a new soap, so be it.

When I decided to give General Hospital a shot, I figured I'd just watch the Laura scenes, and skip everything else.  There's no way I could catch up with all the other storylines.  But man was I surprised at just how quickly I got sucked in.  As a disgruntled Days fan who hasn't truly enjoyed the show for at least the past ten years, I figured all soaps had succumbed to the same budget cuts that seemed to limit the show's story telling abilities.  The sets got shittier, the cast shrank or became recurring, and because of these limitations, the writing in turn suffered as well.  So when I started watching GH, I was shocked to discover that a soap could still be written in a way that kept me coming back day after day, every episode ending in a cliffhanger, keeping me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next.  General Hospital seemed like it actually had a BUDGET!  The sets were great, using various locations with spectacular lighting.  They actually had A PIER.  I can't remember the last time Days used the pier and the last time it actually felt like a pier and not a cheap soap set.  There's no more fog, there's no more light reflecting off the water, and the lighting washes everything out, creating zero depth.  It's glaringly noticable.  But I digress...  What I'm getting at is that I was blown away by the quality of General Hospital.  The writing was superb and the actors were phenomenal and EVERY STORYLINE had me engaged.  I couldn't possibly stick to just watching Laura's scenes.  In fact, her scenes became the most boring!  Aside from Stavros' return (love me some Faux Bo), they did absolutely nothing with her storyline, which is disappointing because I do still love Diana.

So here I am, over a year after I'd started watching General Hospital, and I can't believe that it has already surpassed Days as my favorite soap.  I wouldn't say its become my ALL TIME favorite soap, but right now GH is blowing Days out of the water.  And while I love that I've found another soap that I can really get into, I'm super pissed that Days can't be this good!  They just can't get it together no matter how many writing shake-ups they have!  What's up with that!?  Is it really the budget that's the problem?  Is it the cast I'm not crazy about?  The writing?  Or a combination of all of the above.  There's definitely a reason it's the lowest rated soap right now, even though its ratings are higher than they've been in years...somehow.

So I plan to be posting as often as I can to get my thoughts out on both Days of our Lives and General Hospital.  And I hope that someone out there might find my rantings and musings interesting and could maybe chime in once in a while with their own opinions.  I've certainly got a specific vision of what I think my soaps should be.  And that's what they are--MY SOAPS!  Don't nobody forget it!