General Hospital's Next Superstar: Lexi Ainsworth as Kristina Davis

WOW. That's the one word I have to say after watching this week's riveting General Hospital. I take that back. WOW is the one word I have to say after watching the riveting Lexi Ainsworth SLAM DUNK a story that could have been extremely stereotypical and trite. In the shocking and uncomfortable climax in the Kristina/Keifer relationship abuse story, we watched the beautiful Ainsworth brutally beaten by Keifer (played with an unnerving accuracy by Christian Alexander) after being manhandled by an angry Ethan (the charming Nathan Parsons). Left barely conscious by her monster of a boyfriend, Ainsworth didn't hold back, allowing the audience - no, forcing the audience - to witness the tragic and heartbreaking aftermath of a beautiful young girl whose innocence was unfairly beaten to the ground. The sobs of pain, sorrow and fear Ainsworth let out went right through me.

The amazing performance continued when Ethan delivered Kristina to the hospital. Reacting like any teenager would, Ainsworth was uninhibited in Kristina's tenuous emotional state as Kristina cried and cried, letting us know that she was in pain and that she was very scared. Completely outshining her older costars (namely the scenery-chewing Maurice Bernard), Ainsworth made sure that the story was about HER pain and anguish, NOT her narcissistic father's. The scenes in which Kristina begged Sonny not to kill Ethan (it was Keifer who hit her, after all) not only rang true but showed us the shameful effect Sonny's lifestyle has had on his children.

This story is one of GH's finest in years. While some have said that the story is too focused on the men and Kristina's lies, I see the story from Kristina's perspective, all thanks to Lexi Ainsworth and her outstanding performances. Not since Becky Herbst's Emmy-winning rape story have I been this invested in a teenager on a soap. Props must also go out to Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) for smacking down on Sonny when he tried to assert his power concerning putting a hit out on Ethan. Her seething "damn you" will not soon be forgotten.

The story is not easy viewing; watching a beautiful young woman being brutalized and tormented at the hands of a sadistic man does not always make for good soap, but in this case, the performances have elevated it to something much more exciting, and much more relevant.

--Lee

The rainbow just hit the fan.

Warning: This blog entry contains major spoilers regarding a major story on One Life to Live. While Dayplayer Dish is not the first to break the story, it is advised you stop reading here if you don't want to be spoiled.

Here's what you do when you don't find the rainbow's end: write off the most groundbreaking and realistically written couple on the show. In what has got to be the most ridiculous and pathetic move made by the executives at ABC Daytime in a good long while, One Life to Live has announced that at the conclusion of the Sierra Rose saga, Oliver Fish and Kyle Lewis will be written off the show.

Devastated? Wait until you hear the reasoning: the ratings were down in November, when Dorian orchestrated a mass gay wedding. Because of the low ratings, Frank Valentini believes that Kyle and Fish never really caught on with the "mainstream audience" and need to be written off.

According to Valentini, "Kish" will get a happy ending as Fish claims Sierra Rose as his own and starts a family with Kyle. Part of me is glad that the show isn't backpedaling and making Rex the true father of the little girl, but this development reminds me of last year's baby switch resolution in which Marcie and Michael left the show after returning baby Hope to Starr and Cole. Marcie, a beautiful but overweight woman, could be considered a "minority" in the world of soaps, and once her story wrapped up she and her husband left town with little fanfare. Now in Ron Carlivati's THIRD baby saga (first with Tommy/Sam, then Chloe/Hope and now Sierra Rose), the minority couple will actually get the baby but also fade in the background so more "important" characters like self-involved Rex and Gigi can once again claim the front burner.

And let's face it - Fish and Kyle were never actually front burner characters. At the height of their story we got maybe three episodes of them a week. Clearly they couldn't have been the ONLY reason the ratings were so low in November. Are we forgetting Mitch Lawrence's umpteenth return? Jared dying a horrible and cruel death? Endless episodes of Nigel and Neville on the phone with one another? Nope, it must have been the offensive and immoral reconciliation of two college lovers who just happened to both be guys.

I'm not being unrealistic here; I know that middle America is still behind the times when it comes to gay visibility, or any visibility for that matter. But in the past, soaps were used to educate audiences on topics that were otherwise taboo or considered untouchable; let's not forget Carla Gray turning out to be the black Clara, Wanda Wolek leading a second life as a prostitute, Marty overcoming a brutal and cruel gang rape at the hands of three fraternity brothers, or even Reverend Andrew forcing Llanview to face their own homophobia by helping Billy Douglas come out of the closet and bringing the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to town.

With Kyle and Fish off the show, the producers are not only letting two talented young men go (both Brett Claywell and Scott Evans have Emmy pre-nominations) but are taking away a piece of Llanview's colorful and diverse community. Last year, we were introduced to several new minority characters, including the return of Nora Buchanan's biracial daughter Rachel. With recent confirmation of Rachel's exit, along with Kyle and Fish fading into the background, the show is sadly closing off the Llanview community to anyone whose name isn't Buchanan, Lord or Morasco.

What are your thoughts on Kyle and Fish exiting the show? Let us know in the comments section, and please keep it respectful and calm.

Since when do we really only have One Life to Live?

--Lee

If Janet Ciccone were on Twitter!

Poor As the World Turns Janet. What a rough week for her. First, she performed her daily routine of me, me, me, why, why, why, and then, she finds out that she is pregnant. I wonder if Janet were on twitter, what would some of her tweets look like? Now for all you twitter fans out there, you know you must keep all tweets under 140 characters, and you sometimes get creative with a hashtag. So without further adieu, I present Janet Ciccone’s twitter account. (Disclaimer: I’m actually a fan of Julie Pinson/Janet this is just some silly fun!)

Dusty is following me around like a little lost puppy. U would think I would get a kick out of it, since he is talking about my fav subj #ME
6 minutes ago via Uber Twitter

#Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me #Me
5 minutes ago via Uber Twitter

Liberty is sick. Me. Me. Jack. Me. Me. Carly how could you. No. Me. Baby. Liberty is sick. Me. No. Dusty. Liberty is sick. Dusty. Jack #ME
4 minutes ago via Uber Twitter

Jack really needs to make this baby with me. Who cares about Carly and if he is not in love with me. Liberty is sick. #Letsmakeababy
3 minutes ago via Uber Twitter

Liberty is sick. Carly will never win! #IWillNotLose
2 minutes ago via Uber Twitter

I’m Pregnant!!?!?!?!?! Fu…… #Who’sTheDaddy
1 minute ago via Uber Twitter

March Madness on Dayplayer Dish!

What's up, soap fans? We've got some exciting stuff coming up on the podcast! Here's our March schedule:

February 28: General Hospital's Brandon Barash

March 14: Gotham's Lisa Peluso

March 21: General Hospital's Megan Ward

Stay tuned for more excitement as we get into March Madness and beyond!

Five Questions About Steamboat With Michael O'Leary!

After the launch of Steamboat we got in touch with Michael O'Leary to ask him some followup questions. Here are five "important" questions about the breakout web series!

Q: Is Michael and Dirk's friendship based on a real-life friendship or relationship derived from your experiences at GL?

A: Dirk and Michael are based on experiences rather than a specific person. The attitude of Dirk is a mix of several people.

Q: What has the experience been like working on this project with so many of your friends and colleagues?

A: The experience has not been unlike GL! The same fun! But the good news is that people I rarely work with i.e. Kim Zimmer now I do!

Q: If Steamboat was a real soap opera, would it have been created by Douglas Marland, Agnes Nixon, or Irna Phillips?

A: That is a good question. All three had great humor in their writing. I think if they did attempt it they would be successful.

Q: What is Dirk's most famous storyline from Steamboat?

A: Famous? Not sure that has yet to happen. One of the next stories will be a paid appearance at a Foodline grocery store that doesn't go well.

Q: What would Rhonda LIKE to be doing instead of running the sinking ship that seems to be Steamboat?

A: Rhonda likes to travel. She loves Italy and like's the best Hotels.{Hassler in Rome} So she has to keep that budget down! It is amazing how much money you safe with a few less bagel's for the crew.

Thanks to Michael for the great answers!

Now THAT'S how you do a web soap: Michael O'Leary's Steamboat

In a surprising move, Michael O'Leary's new web series, Steamboat, was released on YouTube this morning. I wish there had been more fanfare surrounding the debut, but I have a feeling this show is going to succeed on word-of-mouth buzz alone. Steamboat is the latest in a string of web series created by soap vets, and its debut episode was easily the most solid first episode a web soap has seen since Karen Harris' Life in General (which unfortunately never saw a second episode). With hilarious writing, great acting and solid directing, Steamboat has made an excellent first impression that has left me excited for the second episode!

Following "Most Loved Soap, Steamboat," a desperate, last-place soap in a documentary (or is it mockumentary?) format, the first episode of Steamboat brilliantly lampooned product placement, line memorization and backstage cynicism, introduced a great cast, and ended with an excellent punch-line that neither actor involved will soon live down - nor will they want to!

Congratulations to Michael O'Leary and his cast and crew on a triumphant first episode. We can't wait to see what's in store for Episode 2!

Steamboat Episode 1 on Youtube

Dayplayer Dish's Michael O'Leary Interview

Love Makes the World Go 'Round - Gotham: The Series Review

If you listen to our weekly podcast, you know that Lauren and I can't get enough of the web soap craze currently going on. I have wanted to formally review one, but hesitated because these small nuggets of soap are really works-in-progress and often leave a lot to be desired... at first. Now that Gotham: The Series just released their 7th episode, I think it's fair to review the show and see what works and what doesn't.

Gotham: The Series was created by Martha Byrne, known for her role as Lily Snyder on As the World Turns. Byrne, who left the role of Lily in a cloud of controversy, writes and stars in the series, which focuses on the burgeoning rekindled romance of Catherine Prescott (Byrne) and Richard Manning, played by As the World Turns' Michael Park (Jack). Catherine, recently divorced from husband Jon (General Hospital's Kin Shriner), runs into high school sweetheart Richard at a party at her friend Tina's (Anne Sayre) mansion. Richard, in the midst of a divorce with Veronica (soap vet Lisa Peluso), is happy to see Catherine, which is in contrast to the rest of his life; his daughter has a drug problem (Carolyn Byrne), his mother is overbearing (Anna Stuart), he's having an affair with his slutty secretary (Brianne Moncrief), and he's gotten in over his head with shady Domninic (Paolo Seganti).

What Works

Familiar Faces: One thing Gotham has going for it is the cascade of familiar soap faces that appear in each episode. Actors from a range of soaps appear, and each is playing a role that sets them apart from their characters on their network soap. With proven, professional actors playing these roles, the show already has a leg up on its more amateur competition.

Great Backstory: Byrne clearly created a universe of characters and stories when developing Gotham: The Series and it shows. From the slowly unfolding story of Catherine and Richard's high school romance to Richard's shady business dealings, there is a gold mine of story opportunty here.

Great Music: It took a few episodes, but Martha Byrne's "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" has been solidified as the show's theme song and each episode opens with someone new singing it. It sets a very classy, New York tone to the series, which is fitting given its Manhattan setting.

What Needs Work

Questionable Casting: Gotham, like several other web series (and TV series, for that matter), employs the use of a sassy gay black man to give commentary to the goings-on of the show. Also questionable is the casting of Brianne Moncrief as Samantha. Moncrief didn't give the most striking impression as Colby on all My Children and her southern accent on Gotham should have been excised. I think there's potential there, so here's hoping Ms. Moncrief grows in the role.

Shaky Beginnings: The first four episodes of Gotham were rocky. The theme song wasn't employed, nor was the show's stylish logo. But the show has rectified these two issues and I commend Ms. Byrne on that.

The Verdict

When all is said and done, Gotham is a fun, frothy soap worthy of your ten minutes a week. I recommend it highly and hope the show gets the sponsors and publicity it needs to succeed.

Two thumbs up!