Faulkner

Just watched the Nov 4 episode. The show looks richer and more elegant than it has in years. No blinding JFP-style “let’s see everything we paid for” lighting. The dull Kyle/Claire “love scene” at least didn’t have the awful shadows I saw in a recent Audra/Nate bangdown. Billy and Sally have zero chemistry, but how could they with that dumb dialogue? Amanda Beall had her fingerprints all over that stupidity. Hopefully, the writing fix will follow some of the production improvements.

He’s got Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GH) on today:

Epic majesty and drama.

Wertheim’s apology:

Such a great song:

Jon Wertheim with a hot mic moment talking trash about Krejcikova’s looks:

Holy bronzer.

I know. Was there a big funeral in 1993 during the Kansas/Hope story? I recall Victor’s looney tunes funeral that Sharon and SN’s Tucker planned to double as a wedding.

This guy would have been catnip to Grammys in the ‘90s when adult contemporary was a big format:

I keep seeing clips shared of Sharon’s “funeral” on Y&R from 2011, when MM’s Adam laid into everyone. The twist, of course, was that Sharon was alive—and the audience knew it at the time. Back in the day, when soaps had bigger budgets, they’d sometimes go all out for these fake funerals. They even brought back several old cast members for Katherine’s fake death, which happened just five years before Jeanne Cooper’s real-life passing and Katherine’s “real” memorial service (which they handled pretty well). Compare that to more recent times: Phyllis’s own sister Avery didn’t even show up to her “funeral.” (Though to be fair, we've seen no-shows at real soap funerals over the years too. You can’t always bring back everyone.) These shows just don’t spend money like they used to unless they really have to... What are some notable “fake” funerals you've seen on soaps (where the audience knew the “dead” character was actually alive)? Did they pull out all the stops like they would for a real death, or did it feel like they held back—like during Sonny's recent “death” and the Nixon Falls storyline on GH, when everyone’s grief seemed pretty muted and short-lived and there were no big returns?

I’m just curious if GH broke 2 million yet lol. Surely, Sam’s death must have put them over the top (although it wouldn’t show up until the week of Oct. 28).

Not to add any negativity: I’m super glad that BTG looks to be getting off the ground, but we call them TIIC (the idiots in charge) for a reason. I’m sure they did their due diligence and plan to support this well, but we’ve been burned many times by well-meaning executives, especially on CBS Daytime. They appear to be making moves to improve Y&R but that show had been languishing and the moves they’re making now (bringing back Ed Scott to make that raggedy soap look polished) feel reactive and overdue. And elevating Carter out of nowhere on B&B is laughably transparent. I hope with so many entities operating with their own agendas (CBS, P&G, NAACP) there aren’t too many cooks in the kitchen. I’m sure MVJ has thick skin over her 73 years on this planet, is focused on the right things, and can ignore the peanut gallery. I want an engaging show first and foremost, and it appears she’s put together a solid team of BTS people with different skill sets. Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis are spectacular, attractive, experienced leads. I’m being very cautiously optimistic, if only to avoid a letdown. The industry is really unsettled right now.

Nominations announced. Beyoncé being nominated in the country categories is B.S. pandering but whaddya gonna do?

Finola hanging with Vinessa Antoine (ex-Jordan, GH):