August 25, 2008
Soaps are understandably protective of their storylines — with ratings down, they want to preserve the element of surprise. But I'd argue that when a story point is strong enough, letting the audience know what's coming will entice them to tune in. There have been some wonderful plot twists lately, and advance notice just made me more eager to watch it all unfold on TV. On today's GH, the moment Laura emerged from her catatonic state to comfort Lulu was at once eerie and heartwarming, and not at all spoiled by the fact that I'd read about what would happen. I'm glad I knew not to miss it. And in an entirely different vein, I'll be tuned in to the moment Y&R's housemaid Esther gets a big surprise next week. "I had no idea about this reveal," Kate Linder told Digest. Thanks to previews I do know about the reveal, but it only makes me more eager to see it play out. That's not to say there's no place for surprises on daytime, but alerting fans that something special's coming up doesn't disappoint if they story lives up to the hype.

August 5, 2008
I just started reading Eileen Davidson's book (it's an advance proof, I'll let you know when it's for sale) and soap fans will love it. That's partly because it's a murder mystery that moves quickly and is funny, but also because it's set in the world of soaps. Early in the book, the main character, Alexis, a forty-something actress on THE YEARNING TIDE, complains about a rumor that went around years ago that she was really a man. Of course, Y&R fans know that same ridiculous rumor circulated about Davidson way back when. There's also an affair with a co-star, a vindictive head writer and a hair and makeup department that knows everything first. "The way drunks confide in their bartenders?" writes Davidson. "Multiply that by ten for actresses and their hairdressers." Fabulous!

July 30, 2008
The GL bandwagon might be carrying a lighter load these days, but count me as a passenger again. Josh and Cassie's breakup was poignant and tender and beautifully written and acted. In place of anger and recrimination was (mostly) tenderness and regret; resentment was tempered by respect. If Cassie and Josh had handled their marriage as well as they handled their breakup, they'd still be together. And I love that while Josh made a beeline for Reva to try to win her back, she remains firm in her resolve to stay off the dizzying Reva-and-Josh merry-go-round and marry Jeffrey. I love GL's signature supercouple as much as the next fan, but it's not time for a happy ending yet. If this is a sign of things to come, I'm staying onboard.

July 23, 2008
I just got back from vacation and haven't caught up with my soap viewing, but I'm catching up with what's happening backstage with my trusty Digest. I'm thrilled Genie Francis is returning to GH — we've heard whispers it was happening for a while and though I wish it was for a longer time, I'll take what I can get. I wasn't a GH fan in the Luke-and-Laura-on-the-run, Ice Princess heyday (I grew up on GL), but they got me hooked when Francis and Tony Geary returned to the show in 1993, with Lucky. Her story with Lulu should be dynamite! I'm also looking forward to Lily letting Holden have it on ATWT for having sex with Carly at their kids' camp. I just got back from visiting my daughter at her camp in Maine, and the idea of parents having a quickie in one of the cabins is creepy! Also creepy, but in a good way, is DAYS's Stefano. We're working on a story about his latest rise from the dead (okay, coma) and it's a doozy. Stay tuned for more on that!

July 2, 2008
As a magazine editor, it's a little surreal to watch the inner workings of a magazine portrayed on a soap. I am enjoying Y&R's story about Restless Style, which was recently launched by Jack, Sharon, Nick and Phyllis, but there are wild inaccuracies: the timing of the magazine's production, how soon sales figures come in, who actually publishes and edits an issue. I understand it's all in the name of entertainment — trust me, working for a real magazine is fun, but it's hardly the stuff soap storylines are made of. Without dramatic license we'd see Sharon fretting over misplaced metaphors or Phyllis arguing with FedEx. And, as I say to the people here when they complain that their jobs are a far cry from what's shown on soaps, think how soap fans who are real-life doctors, nurses and lawyers have felt all these years!

June 26, 2008
One of the knocks against soaps is that kids are largely forgotten when they're not serving storylines about paternity disputes or custody battles. But Y&R does a better job than most soaps of acknowledging that parents don't just forget about their children when they're not in the line of vision. On today's show, Nick, Phyllis, Sharon and Jack were arguing over whether Amber should serve as Restless Style's online rep, when Nick tried to diffuse the tension by asking if anyone had anything to add to Noah's camp care package. Now maybe it's because I just dropped my daughter off at camp yesterday, but I appreciated the mention. Jack retrieved extra batteries he'd picked up for his stepson (for flashlights and water fans if you're wondering), and the small moment made it clear that Noah may be gone for the summer, but he's not forgotten.

June 24, 2008
I have never been much of a cook, and to be honest, I used to skim over the cooking features we did with actors. It was like reading the review of a book on, say, accounting. I'd never read the book, so why bother with the review? (No offense to accountants out there — if you make your career as the editor of a soap opera magazine you don't have to be a whiz at math.) But over the past year I have tried to improve my cooking skills. It started with learning how to turn on the grill and progressed to the point where, while I wouldn't actually buy a cooking magazine, when friends give them to me I actually look through them and try some of the recipes. So when Winsor Harmon gave us a recipe for green bean casserole, I read it not just with an eye for misplaced commas. Winsor had to be coaxed into sharing his grandmother's recipe, and it has a secret ingredient I wouldn't have predicted. I don't want to spoil the surprise, so check the July 8 issue of Digest, with Stefano on the cover, for the details.

June 16, 2008
June is a very busy month for me — school ends with a flurry of performances, conferences and activities for school. My daughter's fourth grade class tapes a "Good Day Colonial America" feature which I'll see on Monday and should be a lot of fun, though I'll have to miss our weekly news meeting (Stephanie will have things well under control I'm sure). At the same time I'm getting the kids packed for sleepaway camp, which they are eagerly anticipating (would they be so happy if they had to iron on all those name tags?). It's the first time I won't have a child around for the summer and I have to say I'm very anxious; at least I'll have Soapnet to keep me occupied....All of which is a long-winded lead-in to the point of this entry, which is to applaud DAYS for its upcoming storyline about Abe and Lexie's little boy being diagnosed with autism. For the soap fans among us whose lives are child-centric, it's gratifying to see a storyline that deals with a family situation like this. And DAYS's head writer, Dena Higley, will undoubtedly use her experience as the mother of an autistic child to ensure the story is told with honesty and compassion. Stay tuned for this one!

June 6, 2008
I couldn't believe when Y&R's Jack, feeling sorry for downtrodden Gloria, invited her to live in his pool house. They had battled viciously for months over the Abbott mansion, and hate, hate, HATED each other. Why the change of heart? Jack explained that he was doing it for his late father, but John's spirit had urged him before to treat Gloria more generously and Jack hadn't budged. Gloria's lavish gift to charity might have tilted Jack toward a more sympathetic stance, but then couldn't he have just bought Gloria a place of her own, or paid her rent somewhere else? But as these thoughts were going through my head, Sharon voiced exactly what I was thinking. Acknowledging the audience's skepticism like that can coax us into going along with a preposterous plot point — we're in on the joke, not played for fools. I still think it's foolish of Jack to take Gloria in, but at least I know I'm not alone!

May 29, 2008
I am a very big fan of birthdays (since mine usually falls on Memorial Day Weekend, we call it Birthday Weekend at my house). Turns out Tony Geary's birthday is two days after mine, and his web master, Vicky, sure knows how to celebrate. She sent me a link to her site, tonygeary.net, and it really is something, with birthday wishes from soap celebs like Susan Lucci and Erika Slezak, an interview with Jackie Zeman and a really sweet letter to Tony from Jonathan Jackson. The site is a wonderfully creative expression of Vicky's admiration for Tony. Great job Vicky — and happy birthday, Tony!

May 15, 2008
I am loving OLTL these days — the fabulous remote, Rex and Adriana's wedding fiasco, David Vickers and the Buchanan scam — but the sex scenes between Antonio and Talia this week were a total turn-off for me. The actors are gorgeous, sure, but it was all way too choreographed. Lift this...bend that...lick strawberry, this time with feeling!...It wasn't believable for a minute. I like Antonio and Talia together, but not like that!

April 30, 2008
I just came back from THE VIEW, where the Emmy nominations were announced. To say there was dismay in the green room would be an understatement — we're used to surprises but the list this year is so weighted to CBS, there are glaring omissions. There are some very worthy nominees but instead of the usual few "Huhs?" sprinkled in the group there are a number of head scratchers. As wonderful as it is to see DAYS stars rewarded (finally!) with some noms, what happened to GH? Only the Lead Actor and Supporting Actor categories are solid (I will never get tired of seeing Peter Bergman, Tony Geary and David Canary's names on the ballot and yay for Brian Kerwin), but the others are wildly skewed. And that's a shame because the Emmy awards show is an opportunity to showcase the best daytime, and this year much of the best of daytime wasn't invited to the party. ABC, the network airing the show, is savvy enough to figure out a way to produce an entertaining couple of hours, but they'll have their work cut out for them.

April 15, 2008
Last week there was a group in our conference room that was so rowdy and sounded like so much fun I had to pop my head in. Turns out, our advertising staff was meeting with people from the Soap Cruise, which advertises in Digest. I knew we'd worked with them on their first cruise, which sounded like a lot of fun — our West Coast editor Devin Owens went, and had a blast. Devin mingled with the fans and reported that they were thrilled to get so much one-on-one time with the stars. (Check out Devin's blog for a cruise tale.) In the meeting at our office, I was told the stars were gracious and funny and great sports. You can get a taste of what life was like on the boat in the video on our site, but from what I heard, you really had to be there! The group just really clicked; in fact, the cruise people were on their way to a bar in Manhattan to meet up with a crew of actors. I don't know that you'd find that kind of personal connection on a cruise with prime time or film stars — one more reason I feel so lucky to be working where I do.

April 4, 2008
GH has lightened up a lot recently, shootings notwithstanding. I've thought the show was too mob-centric in the past, but nowadays the violence is punctuated by wonderfully entertaining scenes between women. And often at work, no less! I love Alexis and Diane's friendship, which overrode career competitiveness to thrive on what they have in common (brains, wit, ambition, world weariness). The banter is smart and funny and refreshing for daytime in general, and GH in particular. Much like the back-and-forth at Kate's new magazine, where the imperious editor oversees squabbling Maxie and Lulu. It's a clever set-up, having two strong-willed, very different young women who already can't stand each other battling to make a good impression on their frosty boss. ("And that's my problem...why?" sniffed Kate when Lulu complained about working with Maxie.) Of course we all love drama and romance in our soaps, but well-placed laughs and female friendships and rivalries that are not about men are a breath of fresh air.

March 27, 2008
Reading the newspaper on the train this morning, it hit how much the daytime business is sadly in sync with the turmoil and uncertainty in so many other sectors — housing, banks, the election. While soaps used to quietly churn out big profits, now a few are scrambling just to stay on the air. The effect is interesting: in the one hand, producers have a "what have we got to lose?" freedom to try new things. But they're also going back to basics, if the slew of returning faves is any indication. I wrote an editor's note about how much I'm enjoying GL's new format (sorry, Carolyn), and I think the return of Angie and Jesse on AMC has been brilliant. Best of both worlds (to steal a Miley Cyrus lyric)? Could be...

March 20, 2008
Love seeing all the activity on the new fan forums. I've already gotten some great ideas for future features from readers, but more importantly it's another way for editors at the magazine to get instant feedback on what you think of your shows. Check in for word from the editors, who will be on the forums and posting regularly. (I'm on Miscellaneous, so as not to show favoritism!). Hope to hear from you soon...

March 13, 2008
Our art director Ginny came into my office this morning to show me a copy of the subscriber cover (it's different from our regular cover because we have to fit that address label on). But I couldn't spare a minute to approve the cover because I was busy...playing the eggz game on soapoperadigest.com. Ginny started laughing out loud. I have watched my children play games online and couldn't understand their fascination, and here I am transfixed. By the eggz game (high score so far 22,000. But I improve every day!). Happily I was able to eventually tear myself away, and subscribers will get their issues with label intact. Are there 10 steps for eggz addicts?