AMC ~ The New Jake Martin

Well, it's been almost two months now of Ricky Paull Goldin being on All My Children. How do you all like the new Jake Martin? I love him of course because I was already fan of Goldin's from Guiding Light. I've fallen more in love with him as Jake. He's working very well on AMC.

I have watched AMC for about 12 years, and I watched Goldin on GL during his entire seven-year run. As a fan of both, it's interesting to see the two merge. Ricky on AMC is really something. I saw the previous two Jakes (Michael Lowry and J. Eddie Peck). Lowry was the better out of those two, but both actors didn't bring too much to the role. Jake was always a pretty dull, good-hearted, kinda funny guy. He's always been a supporting character, never a strong role. Now, on GL Ricky was brilliant as Gus. He brought so much to the role that was always his. He made Gus an entertaining, beloved character. There were many episodes and storylines in which he blew me away with his talent. He should have won an Emmy for his time on GL. Having said all that, I knew Goldin would be amazing as Jake. I expected him to bring more spark to the role and be better in that sense than the previous portrayers. I knew he would shine as Jake.

Goldin has an energy about him that is unique and makes Jake an outstanding character. I believe Jake will become a leading character thanks to Goldin. Jake is wonderful to watch, and I can't take my eyes away when he's on screen. Goldin has so much talent, and I believed in him to revitalize Jake. From what I've seen so far he has. Jake is one to pay attention to every time he's on. It's hard to accurately describe just how amazing Jake is. And since Jake has been gone so long, it's easy to accept Goldin right away. I enjoy seeing Jake interacting with all the other characters, and I like how he's slowly being integrated into the show. Viewers never want a new face shoved at them every day. I am eager to know what Jake is hiding. He has a secret pain, and there's a lot of great potential for that. Goldin will be brilliant when Jake finally spills his guts and heart out. And there are plenty of potential stories & pairings for Jake once he's gotten through his pain & grief. Just wait until Beth Ehlers' character shows up, but that discussion is for another entry.

Goldin is a joy to watch on AMC. He has chemistry with a lot of people: romantic chemistry with Rebecca Budig (Greenlee), familial chemistry with Michael E. Knight (brother Tad) and Ray MacDonnell (dad Joe), and friendship chemistry with Aidan Turner (Aiden) and Cornelius Smith Jr (Frankie). He looks good as a doctor wearing the blue scrubs. He's funny at times like he usually was on GL. He clicks with AMC's vibe so well. I can't wait to see what he does next as Jake.

I know Goldin will continue shining on AMC, and maybe he will win an Emmy.


MY CAPTION - Jake: I don't care what you think Adam! I know I look good in these scrubs. The ladies love me!
Mmmhmm...yes, we do!

Supporting Characters

Top 5 Supporting Characters

5. Marian Colby Chandler - AMC - She has turned into a wonderful, adoring character. I know of her days of being a bad mother (by sleeping with her daughter's boyfriend) and a tramp (having numerous affairs). And she changed for Stuart Chandler. She and Stuart's love story was so sweet, and she's now a character we love seeing. But we hardly see her! She'd be a great support to young Colby and even Adam. Krystal perhaps. There are opportunities for her to be on/used. She could also support Tad, thus, the chance to bring up their rich history. Marian is a matriarch-type now and could be queen of the show (second to Erica Kane, of course). She was always a hoot to watch.

4. Bobbie Spencer - GH - I never saw her in her heyday when she still had meaty stories and numerous love affairs. I've seen her in storylines with the previous Jerry Jacks (Julian Stone) and Roy DiLucca, and then...what happened to her? Jackie Zeman is a talented actor, and we hardly see her on screen. Every time Bobbie is on, the scenes are good. She's amazing. I love watching her with Carly, Luke, Sonny, etc. I loved watching her with Laura and Tony. It was sad seeing Bobbie say goodbye to Tony when he was dying. I'd be great to see her more with nephew Lucky, niece Lulu, and her son, Lucas. Bobbie is full of history; more can be done with her instead of just seeing her working at the hospital (although it is refreshing to see her at the hospital since she's the hospital veteran).

3. Opal Gardner - AMC - Praise to AMC for finally bringing her back on screen more this past year. Opal is a true joy to watch. She's full of wacky spirits and good humor. She's so entertaining in every scene she has. You never know what crazy outfit she'll wear next or what kooky thing she'll say next. I especially love watching her with Tad and Palmer and when she talks about Jenny, her daughter who died over 20 years ago. I also love that she has psychic abilities (or thinks she does). Her tarot card readings are especially fun to me because I believe those type of things. Opal was always at her funniest with Palmer; they've bickered and fought constantly over the years. Can't wait to see her interaction with the new Peter Cordlandt (her son with Palmer).

2. RJ Gannon - OLTL - I LOVE RJ! I can't remember the last time he had a major story! It's been so long, and it is RARE to see him on screen. RJ was always a very interesting character because he is a baddie with a heart. He's gotten a trouble with the law plenty of times, but he's there for his granddaughter Jamie, niece Rachel, and friends Nora and Lindsay. He also has a unique friendship with Dorian. He had an enjoyable relationship with his brother, Hank - the "good" brother who was once the District Attorney. RJ is also funny at times; he's been very funny with Lindsay and Dorian and also with Bo. RJ was once a character that was blamed for many crimes (much like Todd Manning is), but he wasn't always guilty. RJ could be redeemed forever, but he shouldn't. Bad deeds should always be a part of him. With OLTL being the best soap this year I'm hoping to see more of RJ.

1. Blake Marler - GL - Why is she recurring? There are plenty of potential stories for her! Blake is a hoot to watch; she's the spunkiest character on the show, besides Reva. I just love her, and she's really fun to watch with her friends (Cassie and Harley) during a girl's day-or-night out. She could be the wildest of the bunch, and she is really fun when she's drinking/drunk. Haha! I know she does have a story with Coop and Ashlee right now, but ever since Ross died, she hasn't had a major love story (or any story till now). Blake is a breath of fresh air; sometimes she's very funny. And she does have a rich history. Portrayer Liz Keifer is brilliant. Blake's a joy to me and is so entertaining. Gotta love Blake!

How To Fix General Hospital

General Hospital has been in trouble for a number of years now. The show is too focused on Sonny, Jason, and mob wars. And there is WAY too much violence! How can people enjoy this show when there's enough violence in the news? If we want violence and mobsters, we'll watch Law & Order, The Godfather trilogy, and reruns of The Sopranos. We don't want that on our soap operas, and that is the main problem of GH. But there have been many times that the show had me hooked every day; it has its moments of glory. Right now, however, I'm losing interest in everything, including my favorite character's (Alexis') story. Therefore, I've compiled a list of how to fix GH:

• STOP THE CONSTANT VIOLENCE!

• Stop being centered on mob business!

• Stop having Sonny and Jason be the focus of the show! They DO NOT have to drive the show almost EVERY DAY! They need to have their turns at being backburnered just like everyone else.

• Bring the Quartermaines to the forefront by revealing that Jake is Jason’s son and the Quartermaine heir; also reveal Alan’s real will that Luke & Tracy had altered

• Resurrect Alan and Emily Quartermaine

• Bring back Ned, Lois, Brook Lynn, and Dillon

• Show veterans (Bobbie, Lesley, Mac, Felicia, Edward, etc.) more

• Have the real Jerry Jacks return, revealing that James Craig was an imposter this whole time; put James Craig in jail for this and holding people hostage a year ago

• DO NOT RECAST OR AGE MICHAEL! Just have him be in a coma for a while and then conduct a miracle wake-up.

• Get rid of Claudia, Anthony Zacchara, and Sam

• Put Maxie and Spinelli in a triangle with Jason Cook’s character and ultimately have Maxie choose Spinelli; also during that story, toughen up Spinelli

• Have Johnny be the non-mobster, anti-Zacchara that he wants to be & is on the inside, and have Lulu be even more torn between Logan and Johnny

• Have Max stand up to Sonny, be his own person, and date Diane

• Put Alexis in a triangle with Ned and Lois; also let her be a very powerful & strong DA

• Give Bobbie more to do or her own intriguing story

• Make Spinelli a Quartermaine

• Turn Robin’s pregnancy story into a social issue, educating people on HIV

• Bring back Helena to cause trouble for Nikolas, whose son Helena would want to mold into a true Cassadine prince/heir

• Have a Jax/Carly/Sonny/Kate quadrangle

Picks List

Here's my Emmy list -----

Younger Actor: ATWT's Van Hansis

Younger Actress: ATWT's Jennifer Landon

Supporting Actor: OLTL's Brian Kerwin, but it'd be great to see GL's Daniel Cosgrove or ATWT's Trent Dawson win.

Supporting Actress: ATWT's Kelley Menighan Hensley

Lead Actor: Unsure at this time.

Lead Actress: Unsure at this time.

Drama Series: Definitely One Life To Live!

Directing & Writing: One Life To Live

Emmy Discussion 08

This year the Emmys are in June again (the 20th to be exact). The nominations were announced April 30th on The View (ABC).

Initial reaction: I'm surprised and disappointed by these nominations. The list isn't very exciting this year. Overall, I'm pretty bummed. One Life To Live got only one acting nom. Guiding Light is nominated for Best Show, and I'm wondering, "For what?" It went downhill in 2007. The Young and the Restless got the most noms, too many acting noms. People that should be nominated are not. And I'm just not that impressed with some of these nominated actors for one reason or another. However, I'm very pleased that One Life To Live is nominated for Best Show. I'm happy to see Kelley Menighan Hensley nominated. I'm pleasantly surprised to see Day of Our Lives with four acting noms. How wonderful for DAYS since it's tinkering on cancellation from being the only soap left on NBC.

Now let me dive into each category to discuss the nominations and share my picks. I'll say this first, though: Most categories I don't care too much who wins. I think that says it all.

Younger Actor: Bryton McClure (Devon, Y&R), Tom Pelphrey (Jonathon, GL), Van Hansis (Luke, ATWT), and Jesse Lee Soffer (Will, ATWT) are all nominated again. New to the category is Darin Brooks (Max, DAYS). Same old, same old except for Brooks. I'm not stunned by this category. It's good to see Brooks nominated even though I'm not familiar with his work. I've rooted for Pelphrey in the past, and I loved seeing him win. But he doesn't need to win this year. I'm all for Van Hansis because he's adorable and he's great as Luke, a gay character fans can't help but root for in the game of love. Here's to Hansis!

Younger Actress: Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT) is the only returning nominee. The others...I don't know well enough to judge. There's Rachel Melvin (Chelsea, DAYS), Vail Bloom (Heather, Y&R), Emily O'Brien (Jana, Y&R), and Tammin Sursok (Colleen, Y&R). First, why are the THREE Y&R nominees? That's not fair! And I heard those three should not be nominated because there are better younger actresses that could have been nominated. Kristen Alderson (Starr, OLTL), Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH), and Alexandra Chando (ex-Maddie, ATWT) are a few that are better. So NOT rooting for those Y&R gals! I like that Melvin is nominated, but I'm forced to root for Landon. I know her work and her character. She's a gem.

Supporting Actor: This category had two surprises. Daniel Cosgrove (Bill, GL) and Brian Kerwin (Charlie, OLTL) are newcomers to the Emmys, and I adore both of them. It's great to see them on this list. I didn't recognize Kerwin's name, but once I knew he's the one portraying Charlie, I was excited for him. And he's OLTL's only acting nom, which is a shame. The three other actors have been here before: Trent Dawson (Henry, ATWT), Greg Rikaart (Kevin, Y&R), and Kristoff St. John (Neil, Y&R). Not pleased about the two Y&R guys. Obviously, The Young and the Restless isn't a soap I favor or watch much. Dawson deserves an Emmy; he's being nominated year after year now. Give him an Emmy already! I do like him and Henry, but I have to root for Kerwin. It's incredible that he's nominated because he joined OLTL only a couple of months ago. He's still fairly new, and he's a joy to watch.

Supporting Actress: This category has the biggest disappointment. Where's Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) and Kathy Brier (Marcie, OLTL)?! They had AMAZING work this past year, and they're NOT nominated! GRR! And Gina Tognoni (Dinah, GL) is nominated again! I like her so much, but was her work really better than Hickland's or Brier's? Maybe so, I guess. Anyway...Heather Tom (Katie, B&B) is brilliant because she has now been nominated for all three roles she has played in the soap world. Tracey Bregman (Lauren) is the person from Y&R in this category. Days of Our Lives has a nom here too (which is cool): Judi Evans (Bonnie and Adrienne). The surprise (for me) and the person I'm rooting for is Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily, ATWT). I've been her and Emily's fan for a couple of years now. Gotta go for Hensley!

Lead Actor: We've got old pros in this category and someone new. Thaao Penghlis (Tony, DAYS) is that someone. I'm tempted to root for him because I know he is good and he's from DAYS, the show that hasn't had Emmy nominations since I-don't-know-when. He's the new pro I suppose. And the others: David Canary (Adam & Stuart, AMC), Anthony Geary (Luke, GH), Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R), and Christian Le Blanc (Michael, Y&R). All four of those actors are pretty great. I've seen Geary and Le Blanc win in recent years. I can't recall if Bergman has ever won, so I wouldn't mind if he received the Emmy. Canary has won many times, and I feel the urge to root for him because I know his work very well. AMC is a soap I've been watching for over ten years, so I know how talented he is. I love watching him as Adam & Stuart. Hurray for Canary! However, I was hoping that Ricky Paull Goldin (ex-Gus, GL) would be nominated because I LOVE him. Alas, that did not happen, and I'm a little unsure of who to root for.

Lead Actress: I'm so disappointed it's not even funny at all. Four actresses were nominated just last year; the fifth is totally new and terrible. Maura West (Carly, ATWT), Chrystal Chappell (Olivia, GL), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R), and Jeanne Cooper (Katherine, Y&R) are all wonderfully talented actresses. They portray beloved characters. I'm glad that West won last year. I just can't believe that they're all back on the list this year. Wow! The fifth actress replaces Kim Zimmer (Reva, GL), and that is Nicole Forester (Cassie, GL) Say what?! Her character is beloved, but Forester...not so much. Personally, I don't care for her at all and have never liked her as Cassie. So, I don't like that she's nominated. I'm stunned that she is. I hope she doesn't win. I'm sure she'd be better in another role on another soap. That's just how I feel. Having said that, I don't know who to root for. Maybe West should win again or Cooper should FINALLY win.

Drama Series: General Hospital, Guiding Light, One Life To Live, and The Young and the Restless. I'm stunned by this category too. Of course Y&R is nominated. Yikes! General Hospital is usually nominated even though it's full of violence and mob stuff. There must have been something good from last year. At first, I hated that GL is on this list because 2007 was their downfall. 2007 was a BAD year, but not all of it... I had forgotten about Tammy's death and the special 70th anniversary episode. I hope that stuff was submitted. I have mixed feelings about One Life To Live because 2007 was an improvement year. Some of it was really bad, and then it became wonderful. So, I don't know what episodes will be submitted, but I am definitely rooting for it. I am loving OLTL SO MUCH!

I'll just list nominations for these two other categories...

Directing:
All My Children
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
One Life To Live

Writing:
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
Guiding Light
One Life To Live
The Young and the Restless

How To Fix Guiding Light

Many fans are not pleased with Guiding Light or its new look. The new production model is a major evolutionary change, and the other soaps may follow suit someday. It was a bold move by GL, and it has been nice to see how the new sets look and the bright outdoor scenes. However, the storylines have not changed much. They're hardly entertainment. This show is almost 100% in the pits right now; it was better a year ago (only slightly I think). Thus, I've compiled this list of ways to fix GL:

• Make it more exciting and interesting! It’s dull every day, and that’s probably because of the new production model. If you keep the model, improve lighting; sound; and camera shots/angles. It's also because of the writing. Write better storylines and better dialogue!

• Get rid of Ava, Jeffrey, Cassie, Natalia, Rafe, Dylan, and Remy

• Break up Cassie and Josh

• Break up Jeffrey and Reva

• Reunite Josh and Reva

• Reunite Mallet and Dinah

• Beef up Coop & Ashlee’s story

• Have Doris return to the DA position

• Bring Mel to the forefront and have her be everyone’s attorney instead of Jeffrey

• Bill & Lizzie need a romantic star-crossed love story in which they gradually fall in love

• Have Natalia leave town with Rafe because there’s nothing left for them in Springfield

• Have Alex, Rick, and Blake mix things up more either in their own stories or other characters’ stories

• Have Alan not be so obsessed with Spaulding children/heirs and let him regain power & respect

• Break up Beth and Rick, and let her be a strong heroine again

• Frank needs the love of a good woman

• Have Cyrus & Marina’s relationship get back to how it was before Harley messed them up

• Perhaps create a Dinah/Mallet/Marina/Cyrus quadrangle

• If Beth Ehlers leaves GL, either have Harley leave town with her boys or have her die and meet Gus in heaven

• If Harley stays around: put her back on the police force, fight loads of crime, and have her be a tough, independent woman/mother for a while

• Bring back Sam permanently and put him with Daisy

• Have Olivia live life to the fullest with Gus’s heart