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Scoops on 'World Turns,' 'One Life'
This week, breaking news on ATWT's plans for the Luke and Noah love story, OLTL launches Kristen Alderson's (Starr) teen sex blog, Ricky Paull Goldin on his move to AMC, and more...
By Abby West
ATWT: Kissing Games
After percolating on message boards for weeks, fan discontent over the lack of a kiss between As the World Turns' Luke and Noah during the show's Valentine's Day episode exploded this past week. In addition to mainstream news articles about it, an online petition implored the powers-that-be to treat the gay couple ''in same manner as any other love story involving any other teen characters.'' During the V-Day episode, they were the only couple not to smooch during a kissing montage, and many speculated that not only was the show fearful of moving forward with a gay storyline, but that the introduction of a new female character would mean the couple's imminent breakup.
But fans shouldn't worry, says one show insider. Noah won't be switching teams and becoming romantically involved with the recently-emigrated Iraqi girl, Ameera, anytime soon. He and Luke will remain a united front, though one rumor, involving a deportation-avoiding marriage between Ameera and Noah, actually is true. Their nups are being written as a standard soap opera tactic of constantly-impeded-love, however, and there's no master plan to actually break up Noah and Luke, says the insider. For their part, both the show's home network, CBS, and its producer, Procter & Gamble Productions Inc., have pledged support for the couple's continued storyline and insist there's no censoring going on. ''We've purposely told Luke and Noah's story slowly to bring our viewers along with us and engage them — which we've clearly done,'' says P&G's statement. It continued, ''We make decisions on how to tell our stories based on what we think is best creatively and for our diverse audience.''
And for some, like GLAAD spokesman Damon Romine, the pace of the story doesn't overshadow the magnitude of the relationship being on air. ''The fact that Luke and Noah have shared two kisses is historic,'' said Romine. ''Perhaps some compromises are being made on the intimacy front to allow their story to continue to be told, but let's keep in mind that if P&G or CBS did not want to tell this story, they would very easily have already brought it to an end.''
OLTL: Bringing Up Baby
Much to the consternation of some fans — and her father Todd — One Life to Live's Starr Manning (Kristen Alderson) took a big step and had sex for the first time this week. With a nod to the direction that the 16-year-old's storyline is heading in, ABC is teaming up with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to have Alderson blog about what Starr is going through with this decision and its consequences. Starr has already expressed some regret to her mother, Blair, about the night with her boyfriend Cole, and now the young actress, who's played the character since 1998, expresses her own views. ''I'm Starr's age and I'm definitely not ready,'' Alderson says via a press release. ''Think about sex and decide how important it is to you.... You can always say 'no,' even if you've said 'yes' before — it's your decision.''
The weekly blog (on ABC's OLTL website), which will also feature statistics and facts on teen pregnancy, will launch after the Friday, March 7 show. ABC Daytime previously partnered with the National Campaign in 1998, during One Life to Live's story about 18-year-old Jessica's pregnancy, and again for Lulu's pregnancy on General Hospital in 2006.
On With the Show...
An impressive array of multi-talented soap stars hit the boards on Broadway last Sunday (March 2) and raised $300,000 for the 4th Annual ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. All My Children's Cameron Mathison hosted the evening of singing, dancing, and acting skits from ABC soap stars — and in three instances, from fan winners of online auctions. Among the highlights of the evening were a duet between Kassie DePaiva (One Life to Live) and Bobbie Eakes (All My Children), two numbers from Susan Lucci (AMC), and Walt Willey's guitar-strumming ode to his character's lady-love, Erica.
But the real showstopper (literally) was the performance in which OLTL's David Chisum and Brandon Buddy and AMC's Colin Egglesfield and Sterling Sulieman stripped down to boxers and then (seemingly) flashed the Full Monty just as the theater went dark. A special brava also goes to Sonya Eddy (General Hospital) for putting on such a spirited performance of Hairspray's ''Big, Blonde, and Beautiful'' that no one had a clue her foot was so hurt that offstage she was walking with a crutch. The show must on, right?
Life in the Cast Lane
Elizabeth Rodriguez, (Miami Vice, Third Watch) sister of director Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse, From Dusk Till Dawn), has joined the cast of All My Children. The actress has been contracted for the role of Carmen ''Sugar'' Morales, Erica Kane's new prison buddy. While a questionably-convicted Carmen is lashing out at the judge during her sentencing, she spies Erica in the courtroom. Turns out she's a big fan of the newly imprisoned talk-show host. The two end up on the same transport bus to prison and something happens during that ride that ''will make Erica and Carmen an unlikely duo,'' says one insider.... As the World Turns' two-time Daytime Emmy winner Martha Byrnes (Lily Snyder) is leaving the soap in one week. Her last taping day will be March 14, according to a source close to the actress. A rep for the show declined to comment, but when news of her impending exit broke last Friday, executive producer Christopher Goutman released a statement: ''We made Martha an incredibly generous offer in hopes that she would remain a valuable member of the As The World Turns cast. Unfortunately, Martha has decided to leave, despite our best efforts to keep her.'' The actress is planning a live chat with fans on her website on March 16 at 7 p.m., ''when all your questions will be answered.'' ... No, the mob isn't taking over Llanview, but you will see Tony Soprano's sister when Marcie picks Shane up from school on One Life to Live on March 12. Danielle Di Vecchio (Barbara Giglione on The Sopranos) will play Ann Rider, assistant principal of Llanview Middle School for one episode.... Visual artist/musician Casey Spooner (Fischerspooner) will play himself on The Young and the Restless on March 14 opposite Amelia Heinle (Victoria) and Raya Meddine (Sabrina). Also on Y& R, Bronson Pinchot (yes, Balki from Perfect Strangers) will play a party planner, in charge of arranging the ''Restless Style'' launch party. He appears March 14, 18, 19, 24, and 25.
source- EW.com
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