Chris B

I'm happy for everybody but I can't lie and act like I'm not shocked at how well the Bell soaps are considering the quality. Good for them as I don't want any soap failing but I'll just accept they're no longer for me. Happy to see BTG out of that 1.5 million range in total viewers. Hopefully they can stick with the 1.6-1.7 million range and then build from there.

I hope we get significant story movement in March considering how slow February was. I am beginning to get worried we'll have to wait until May for anything major to happen since they keep hinting to that month as when we'll have big reveals.

I found this month to be enjoyable because the scripts are so well written and the characters are engaging but the pacing is terrible. Last year it seemed like they rotated the main story every few months but with season two every story feels like it's in the same stage and you end up with a month like February. I guess the exception is Anita's story but that isn't enough. I hope March isn't more treading water and at least one story has significant movement.

I just saw it for the second time and I really loved it. I'd say this is in my top three. It wasn't perfect but for the first Sidney movie in so long, they did a great job of establishing who she is now and gave her a memorable family unit. This was nostalgic but also felt like it moved the story forward. I won't go into too many details because it's so fresh and spoilers but they definitely did a good job. Kevin Williamson's direction was excellent and you can tell her learned from Wes. He can craft a sequence like no other and all of the action set pieces felt unique and suspenseful. I feel like so many modern slashers (like most tv and film) just jumps to the point without remembering that the build-up and suspense is what really makes things scary. Coupled with his tv work, he was able to develop interesting characters and relationships. Don't listen to the fake reviews, definitely see for yourself!

I've been lucky enough to see the first year of so many soaps and I feel like BTG was one of the best, if not the best I've seen. Sure it had it's issues and wasn't perfect but the reason I gave the show so much grace is because so many soaps took years to hit the ground running. What I was looking for in Year One wasn't perfection but hope for the future. I feel like they've set themselves up in a way where I'm excited to see where it goes in future years. A good example is B&B which was fine when it started but really didn't get good until the Spectra family joined. Beyond that, it didn't break out in the ratings until Sheila arrived. Ryan's Hope is considered a classic but it also had growing pains. Y&R didn't kick off until the end of the first year once Lorie and Katherine joined and became the focal point of the show. Many have mentioned Santa Barbara, but that is another classic that needed extensive retooling. Although BTG could've done more to retool itself (recast Derek and Tomas), I feel like it has the bones of a strong series. Definitely not like some soaps which needed overhauls to be successful. Although I did enjoy PC, it never should've been created. When the show debuted it was clearly a thrown together network concept with no passion or vision. The original headwriters were painfully dull. LML was able to give it more spark but there is only so much you can do when the foundation is so weak.

I keep seeing a rumor on twitter that Lexie was recast and already finished filming. Do we know if this is true or just fanfic? I can't imagine why they'd bring her back, especially when you consider what a horrible job they've done with all these other returns.

I can't understand why they announced how many episodes she'd be in and when the story wraps. I feel like that isn't necessary. They could've just said short term.

@soapfan770 Hmmm...I hadn't heard of the Hotel remake either! Not sure that show needed to be remade. I'm surprised he didn't try to remake Dynasty while he was alive.

Still catching up on the week and haven't seen Joey's new place yet but I do agree it's odd to give him of all people a set. If anything, I'd give Vanessa a home and have him move in with her. I guess they can accomplish the same thing if they plan on keeping them together but still an odd choice. Hopefully this is one step towards retiring the casino set. There has to be something that serves the same purpose but is more pleasant to look at and more reasonable for people to visit. Maybe a discreet restaurant or bar setting?

We saw Dani spraying Anita's hair with water after cutting it which I took as an indication she was reverting it back to it's curly state. I know the hairstylist on the show posted a video of how she's been using her products to grow Tamara Tunie's natural hair and she posted a video of it straightened. I was surprised to see how long it is compared to how it looks when it's curly. Black hair is unique and complicated to understand. Shrinkage is a thing and it's very versatile. I appreciate that they are at least attempting to show this change. It's not easy and the execution isn't perfect but I thought it a creative way to do it instead of puting her in a bald cap.

Have and Have Nots is entertaining but there came a point where I stopped watching and never picked back up. I found the pacing to be very difficult to handle. I wanna say the entire series took place over a few weeks. It's just ridiculous when you consider all of the things that happened.

She's probably worried because if he doesn't want to have sex with her, then she's losing her hold on him. If he leaves her before she can get his money then she wasted her time for nothing.

I do agree with this. Would be a smart summer storyline for the younger set. Tyrell, Deanna and Donnell with a couple of friends/love interests and Vernon and Izaiah as the elders. I feel like soaps have gotten away from younger stories, especially in the summer but they have the perfect setup for it. BTW, not sure what the news is but The Gatekeepers podcast is teasing a huge BTG announcement. @Errol do you have any idea and if the announcement is imminent?

I don't think he would've worked at JR at that time.

Cassandra Creech from ATWT and B&B is also in it!

One thing I do hate is that they gave Jan a little off screen love because I'd LOVE for Derek and Jan to get together. That would drive Ashley crazy and be such a wild way to stay in her life.

If Derek were played by a better actor I'd make Grayson evil just for the shock of it but with what we have it would probably be better to let Derek go to the dark side since we can afford to lose him.

Call me crazy but dare I say the Jacob/Naomi/Smitty and Grayson/Ashley/Derek stories are two of the most intriguing for me right now. Opinions are mixed on Jacob and Naomi but they remind me of Tom and Margo, a couple I loved on ATWT (all the actor combos btw). I love that they're inherently good and moral people who want to do the right thing. Naomi hiding her diagnosis is 100% on brand and also makes sense when you consider Jacob is going undercover. The only time I enjoy Smitty is with Jacob so throwing him into this story is another win. I'm also happy to have our first real mystery brewing. Now with Grayson/Ashley/Derek, Jen Jacob needed a strong acting partner and she got it. Jordi feels natural in the role and the chemistry is there. I didn't know what would happen to Derek but he's the most interesting he's ever been. I like the sly manipulation and am very curious to see where it's going to go. I'm glad MVJ finally found something for her muse that is interesting to watch. Also: In a fantasy world, Smitty/Jacob and Ashley/Naomi would be gold as romantic pairings.

There were so many recasts in the first couple seasons that I don't know why they didn't recast her. A great example of how a recast can save a role would be with Kristen. The original made no impact and she was instantly viable with the recast. They should've replaced her after the mini-series, but at a minimum after the first full season.

I've been rewatching the show since I bought it on AppleTV and I didn't realize how early it was that it was apparent they didn't know what to do with Lucy. Right now they're playing this thing with her and Alan Beam but it's such an after thought. She exists mainly to give a quip here and there. The only interesting aspects of her story are the rare occasions we get to see Gary and Val. I know many weren't fond of Jennilee Harrison but she was a much more interesting take on a young female Ewing. Another thing I'm noticing during this rewatch is just how amazing Linda Gray is in these early years. Sue Ellen is so complex and not what you'd typically expect considering JR is her husband. She can be just as evil as he is in her interactions with the family. Also, seeing pregnant Sue Ellen constantly drunk with that huge baby belly was absolutely hysterical. There was a scene of her in bed laid up drunk that I was just screaming at. The chemistry between Gray and Larry Hagman is just off the charts.

My prediction is that he's the new AMC writer. He left to do something and it likely is a soap. If he were leaving to be HW somewhere we'd know the news by now. Susan Lucci mentioned on Kelly Ripa's podcast that she knows of the writer and has heard good things. Ron is a notable name she hasn't worked with so it would line up.

This is true but I feel like it's more bad luck than anything. Ringer and her show with Robin Williams both deserved much longer runs. Right now though, she seems to be having a bit of a career resurgence. She mentioned she's more focused on her acting now that her kids are older. She has a movie on the way, a limited series and Buffy lined up right now.

I don't think this looks great but I will of course be watching! Definitely understand why Bravo didn't want anything to do with Real Housewives of London though. The most interesting thing I can take is that one of the failed Real Housewives of Cheshire made the cast. They've had so many interesting wives over the years and Missi is the one who gets the Bravo crossover? Life isn't fair.

I feel like movies are much easier than trying to reboot the series and could help generate interest for a series. My hope is that the movies do well and it would lead to a primetime/cable revival.

Wow! Natalie Minardi Slater is a huge get! That is who Kay Aldenw as grooming as her successor had things not gone the way they did. Happy to see her at BTG!