Paula's Soapbox

Kassie DePaiva (Blair, OLTL; Eve, DOOL) and Nathan Purdee (ex-Nathan Hastings, Y&R) are starring in a new film called Killian and the Comeback Kids, which was written and directed by Purdee's son Taylor. The film, about a man who forms a band with locals from his hometown in order to play at a huge music festival, has already been shot. However, an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to help pay for post-production costs. There are only 3 days left in the campaign with plenty of perks still up for grabs. For example a $150 donation will get you a personal phone call from Kassie DePaiva! Other perks include: social media shoutouts from cast members, signed behind the scenes photos, signed instruments, & much more! Check out the film's full press release below, then click on the Indiegogo link to make a donation, but hurry the clock is ticking! _____________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release Contact: Suzanne ...

Former soap star Kevin Spirtas (Craig, DOOL;Jonas, OLTL;Les, Y&R) is set to star in Legacy Falls, a musical comedy about the soap genre. Legacy Falls is a part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, with performances beginning next month. This looks like it will be a fun and entertaining production, so if you plan on being in the area be sure to check it out.! Tickets are just $25! For more information please visit their website at  http://www.nymf.org/tickets/2013-events/legacy-falls/

So I took the last couple of days to catch up on OLTL on Hulu. Just a reminder Hulu is free if you watch on your computer. Anyway I watched every episode, then read through viewer comments to see what the feedback was. The reaction was pretty much what I expected, even before the first episode ever aired. I knew enough about what the plans were for the show to know what viewers would most likely like or dislike, but this is what I observed. The production quality is much better than what I expected, not at all comparable to most online shows. The cast is much smaller than it was on ABC, which is to be expected. I'm sure this bothers a lot of viewers, but I sort of like it this way. It brings all the focus to three or four storylines instead of splitting that focus in a dozen different directions (I'm looking at you GH). I've seen a lot of complaints about the cussing. There's definitely more cussing than the original OLTL. The Internet doesn't carry the same types o...

The drama continues between Prospect Park and ABC. According to  Deadline.com   Prospect Park is suing ABC for $25 million dollars. Prospect Park claims that ABC is in "breach of contract" over the OLTL characters who were essentially on loan from them. Reportedly this will not affect the re-launching of OLTL and AMC on April 29th. Of course it remains to be seen what if any impact this will have on General Hospital and the characters that Roger Howarth, Michael Easton, and Kristen Alderson will ultimately play when they return to the show. You can read the full article by clicking on the deadline.com link above. I'll post updates as they become available. 

The legal mess between Prospect Park and ABC continues and it's creating a lot of drama. According to  TV Guide.com   Michael Easton, Roger Howarth, and Kristen Alderson will be returning to General Hospital as planned, however they will most likely be playing entirely different characters. While I have been hoping these three actors would return to GH, I can't say I'm happy about the prospect of them playing new characters. In my opinion this is worse than if the actors had simply left the show. I really can't foresee any creative solution to this problem, especially in the case of Michael Easton, who has already played dual roles on GH, one of which was a vampire. Yes, soap viewers routinely suspend the reality of disbelief, but since Starr, Todd, and John have become such significant characters on GH I don't see how they can possibly come back as different characters anytime soon. I might be able to get on board with one actor returning in this capacity, but thre...

OLTL Co-Head Writer Thom Racina has been taking to facebook  to give fans insight on what they can expect from their beloved soap when it begins airing again next month via The Online Network. In this latest video from Racina he teases fans about the new direction of the show and what the freedom of the Internet will mean for the show's storylines.

Earlier today actress Kassie DePaiva (Blair, OLTL) tweeted her excitement for the OLTL reboot, set to begin production later this month.  It's difficult not to get excited about the renewal of these soaps when the stars are this enthused. Despite the fact that many people don't like watching tv online, I really hope AMC and OLTL can defy the odds and build an audience, making history in the process. Now that we are down to only four soaps on network tv the success of these shows online is imperative to the future of the genre.  According to  ABC Soaps in Depth   AMC and OLTL will alternate their tapings in Connecticut until both shows have filmed for 17 weeks.

Earlier today  Soap Opera Digest  posted a press release from The Online Network, the future home of All My Children and One Life to Live. The release states that production for both shows will begin on February 25th. They will air sometime this spring.  As previously reported the following actors have been confirmed to re-join AMC:  Lindsay Hartley (Cara) Vincent Irizarry (David) Thorsten Kaye (Zach) Jill Larson (Opal) Cady McClain (Dixie) Debbi Morgan (Angie) Jordi Vilasuso (Griffin) Darnell Williams (Jesse) In addition  ABC Soaps in Depth   is reporting that David Canary (Adam/Stuart) is coming back and that Susan Lucci (Erica) will re-join for one episode.  The following actors have signed on for OLTL: Melissa Archer (Natalie) Nick Choksi (Vimal) Kassie DePaiva (Blair) Josh Kelly (Cutter) Florencia Lozano (Tea) Kelley Missal (Danielle) Sean Ringgold (Shaun) Erika Slezak (Victoria) Hillary B. Smith (Nora) Robin Strasser (...

Earlier today OLTL's Robin Strasser (Dorian) tweeted the date they will begin taping the show's reboot  and thanks fans for making it possible:  Are you excited for the new OLTL? 

In a video posted to his facebook page, co-head writer of the new OLTL, Thom Racina, dishes on the direction of the show. Watch the video below and visit Racina's fb page  for further updates! Are you excited about the new OLTL?

With the recent announcement that AMC and OLTL are once again attempting to move their production online, the viability of the Internet has never seemed more evident. There are numerous cyber soaps and web serials, some good, some not so good. If you've never seen one it is important to note that you cannot expect the same production quality that we are used to seeing on television. The money just isn't there yet, but I believe at some point in the future it will be. Look how far television has come since we switched from radio programming. Like the rest of you I have no idea what the future holds for AMC and OLTL. If they do succeed in moving online, they may not be exactly the shows you remember. Like all cyber soaps, the production quality will undoubtedly be different than when it was on tv, but I hope that people will give them a chance despite that. I also hope you will give other online shows a chance because many of them show great potential and take very little time to...

On Wednesday evening soap viewers received two rather unexpected announcements. The first came in the form of a tweet from OLTL's Robin Strasser (Dorian) who told her fans that she would have to end her run on the show sooner than expected, meaning she will not be there when the show ends early next year. Strasser said " I'll have to leave OLTL sooner than the cancellation date, for compelling health reasons. Unable 2 meet high standards I owe our great show." She then went on to say "BUMMER! Darn right. WISDOM indicates a GRACE-full exit, before I fall on my bum. "Always leave 'em laughin". With Tuc and luck, hope I will!"  So far no announcement has been made about when her last day of taping will be and certainly no final airdate has been determined, but I will keep you posted. In other, perhaps bigger news, Robert Guza, Jr. has been replaced as headwriter by Garin Wolf. Wolf, as you might recall, was responsible for the storylines we saw...

Nominations for the 38th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced last week. The following is a list of the categories that you will be most interested in, along with a few that you probably won't be and will likely never see announced during the Emmy telecast. For more information and to see a complete list of nominees go to http://www.emmyonline.org Outstanding Lead Actress Alicia Minshew (Kendall) AMC Debbi Morgan (Angie) AMC Colleen Zenk (Barbara) ATWT Susan Flannery (Stephanie) B&B Laura Wright (Carly) GH Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) Y&R Outstanding Lead Actor Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake) AMC Michael Park (Jack) ATWT James Scott (EJ) DOOL Maurice Benard (Sonny) GH Christian LeBlanc (Michael) Y&R Supporting Actress Melissa Claire Egan (Annie) AMC Julie Pinson (Janet) ATWT Heather Tom (Katie) B&B Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) GH Bree Williamson (Jessica) OLTL Tricia Cast (Nina) Y&R Supporting Actor Jonathan Jackson (Lucky) GH Jason Thompson (Patrick) GH...

Ever wonder what the leading ladies of Llanview are like in their downtime? Well, look no further than Soapbox1! This month fellow soap blogger Silas Kain interviewed three of daytime's biggest stars on his blog talk radio show "Lathered Up." Join Silas as he chats with Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), Hillary B. Smith (Nora), and Ilene Kristen (Roxy)! Visit Soapbox1 for all the details!

As of Friday's episode of OLTL it is inevitable that Marcie is going to offer Starr the chance to raise her own child. I am so glad that this storyline was written in a way that allows Marcie to make a decision about who should raise baby Hope, rather than having another child taken away from her. Marcie is not a selfish person and there is no way she could have ever formed a close bond with any baby knowing that the biological mother was having doubts about giving her up. I am also pleased with the maturity that Starr projected in honoring her promise to let Marcie raise Hope, rather than letting her down by changing her mind at the last minute. It would have been difficult to root for either one of these characters if they had each chosen to go against their nature and put their own needs above Hope's welfare. Marcie's selflessness in realizing where Hope belonged, despite the pain she has suffered from wanting a child for so long proved that she will indeed be a great mo...

I will admit that I am not a loyal viewer of One Life to Live . I know very little about the characters and even less about their background. And I rarely have a chance to watch it in its entirety, but I have been following a few of the story lines in bits and pieces along the way. This baby switch story captivated my attention months ago, primarily because it correlated with Marty's return, another storyline I somehow became interested in. Last week Jessica finally learned that the baby she (and her alter egos) had been taking care of for months was not actually hers, but Starr's. It was difficult to hold back the tears as Jessica discovered that the baby she had given birth to had died, prompting Bess, one of her personalities to switch her baby with the baby Starr had just given birth to. This was a bittersweet revelation in more ways than one. First of all Starr and Cole were elated to find out that the baby they thought had died months ago was in fact alive, but then cam...