DaytimeFan

Credit is indeed due to them and it helped that, by this point, Frons was gone, having killed 2/3 soaps, so Frank and Ron were free to make the good choice they did to bring back that surge of vets in time for the 50th and it's continued on for the last decade. As La Lucci put it, Frons had the fatal combination of ignorance and arrogance. I liked the first episode well enough - Genie, Kin, Finola, Lynn, Kristina, and Jon all display the emotion of real friends losing a real friend in Jackie. Genie's speech, in particular, was about Jackie, rather than Bobbie. And that's fine by me. Jackie brought Bobbie to life and her memory is worthy of tribute.

Definitely - both cities are much smaller markets and aside from stalkers like Monica who will insert themselves into a group, I think it would be hard to find organic bonds. Heck, even RHOBH struggles - none of their cast live in Beverly Hills. More than half live in the San Fernando Valley!

She is the absolute worst. Production must not like her given the instant rewind they did when she made the eating disorder comment. She simply cannot return next year she is such a flop. Agreed. Flopmarie and Nneka are dreadful additions. Potomac hasn't had luck adding cast members - I don't consider either of Mia or Wendy a success. This is the problem when Bravo allows someone to be recruited to act as a soldier for another existing HW. They have no story of their own. Flopmarie is making a fool of herself as a medical professional. When she said there is "no thing as a narrow esophagus" that is simply dead wrong. Dr. Nicole and Dr. Moon both explained it so clearly that Flopmarie has nowhere to go but try and insult them. She's an idiot and has not done her profession proud.

It's amazing to me how differently we see the reunion @NothinButAttitude because we usually agree. I don't think Monica owned the reunion at all. When she lied about the email she sent to production, which production instantly corrected on camera, it showed that she's a chronic liar prone to constantly exaggerating. She lies like a rug. I think Heather playing that audio showed what a creepy stalker/fan Monica is and how she systematically set out to become a part of the show. The whole thing with Monica feels so gross. I don't know how Meredith can stand sitting next to her.

What I admire about Lucci is how gracious she is. She always played ball with ABC Daytime and was a reliable team player. ABC Daytime, in turn, rewarded that kind of loyalty and collaborated with her about TV Movies, all the while keeping her busy and front burner at AMC. Back in the 80s and 90s when it was owned by Capital Cities and later Disney under Michael Eisner, there was a certain level of rapport and respect between ABC Daytime and its talent that we haven't seen in 20+ years. Lucci also capitalized on her visibility by marketing products. All the while it seemed Susan really valued her personal life and having the time to devote to it to her husband and children and friends. When you look at her Instagram, she has a lot of very old friends who are loyal to her and have supported her in her widowhood - the time she spent with them, being Susan Huber from Garden City, Long Island, clearly paid dividends. That was great fun to watch. At the very end, Joan gives Susan a pat on the back - time has proven both of them nice people. That would have been fabulous. Both Joan and Susan would have had a sense of humour about it. The Carousel Ball had Gerald Ford appear as himself, if I remember correctly, there's no reason Erica Kane couldn't have shown up. Donna is a hustler. She works very hard and seemed very interested in getting back into the entertainment business 10 years ago and saw a daytime soap as her way in. She won an Emmy and then started picking up Lifetime work, she did a VC Andrews movie for them last year that was their highest rated program. And she had luck on Melrose Place where she played a Heidi Fleiss inspired madame - in my opinion the best work of her career.

I really like this analysis. I have long compared Bravo's approach to the RH franchises to how ABC approached its soaps under Frons. I think we are at 2006/2007 when ABC fired Stuart Damon and dropped Jackie Zeman to recurring on GH, and Y&R hired LML, unseating the Bell team that had been there 30+ years. Just like ABC, Bravo is chasing a younger demographic and just like Sony/CBS, none of the executives know how to do it, so they're throwing sh*t at a wall and seeing what sticks. Sadly, I do not see Bravo learning from daytime. They'll follow the same path of self destruction as the shows become more outlandish and less real.

I'll be tuning in and I'm prepared to be a wreck.

Y&R: Kay vs Jill. This feud went 40 years. The best knock down, drag out catfights in daytime. They own this thread. DAYS: Kate vs Sami. From about 1996 - 2014 this feud was electric. Lauren Koslow and Alison Sweeney played off each other so well - you cannot make the chemistry they had. In the years since, it's been interesting to see how Kate and Sami reconciled and forged a bond. AMC: Erica vs Brooke. There's this scene when Dimitri's funeral is held and Brooke asks Myrtle if she needs anything while she's sitting with Erica. The look on Erica's face is hilarious - she is totally appalled that Brooke would deem herself worthy to offer assistance to Erica's surrogate mother. Their feud was hilarious.

SLC watchers...if you listen to nothing else...listen to this.

If this clip isn't used for every single memoriam tribute to her, there should be a riot. RIP Glynis - what a unique talent. 100 is a life very well lived.

Did they pay tribute to Jackie Zeman at all?

If Strasser was a pet of the "writer" it seems the "writer" wanted to put her down given what she had to work with. But beyond the writing, Strasser just wasn't good. She seemed exhausted and worn out by the time she got to DAYS.

Even with an Emmy to his name, I don't buy Thorsten as Ridge in the slightest. The irony is that we think Ronn is dumb because he imbued Ridge with this vain, selfish, himbo energy while in real life he's really well spoken and thoughtful. I think Dame Joan had the advantage of being a recast for a character that had been off canvas for 3 years, so when she came on, she didn't have the same baggage that Marj did taking over the part from Beverlee in the middle of an active storyline. Dame Joan also had the advantage of having her recast being celebrated as an event, some excitement, while Marj's recast was an obligation. It's so true about Lisa Rinna. When she returned as Billie she might as well have been a recast - it's like she forgot how she played Billie the first time. I think for Krista Allen a lot had to do with the writing, wanting to make Billie a spoiler for Bo and Hope. Robin Strasser was a disaster as Vivian. She was flat out bad in the part. I can imagine that would have been a deflating experience. I think of Thorsten's Ridge as 'Budget Ridge' because he reminds me of someone who'd work on a barge, rather than a fashion designer.

SLC That was a memorable hour of television, regardless of genre. That was easily a Top 5 best episode in the Housewives universe. It really was the moment in the last 25 minutes or so when the original four, Heather, Whitney, Lisa, and Meredith, were united in their shared grief and shock at Monica's betrayal that was a great piece of television. Meredith was genuinely shocked at the beach when Heather told them about Monica's past as the internet troll that had dogged them for years. Everyone owes Meredith an apology, she was not the root of any of the social media hell that she's been accused of and she was visibly shaken. Whitney was focused on how Monica had hurt her because Whitney tends to always bring it back to her own pain. Goodness knows her attempt at a moment admonishing Heather at the beginning of the episode flopped. When she held Heather at the end and Heather shook from crying, I could see why they always reconcile. Lisa found her fire and her power when she got up at the table and exploded at Monica. That is the New Yorker in Lisa that I have come to really love. She was so angry and hurt. It was explosive. Heather had the floor and the monologue to back it all up. Last season was a turbulent one but she roared back this season. She delivered the goods. That her admitting that Jen Shah caused her black eye (Jen, you're in prison and a convicted felon, go run some laps in the yard and get off Instagram), was not even close to being the highlight of her take down shows just how well researched she'd been about what exactly was going on. Angie was there...she knew this wasn't really her fight...and try as Monica did to implicate her...none of the women really cared. Monica is evil and likely has a personality disorder or two. Not since RHOV's Jody Claman, when Ronnie Negus memorably exposed her at the girls group lunch in the S1 finale where Jody admitted to selling 'vintage' (ie second hand) bags in her store, thereby blowing apart the whole lie she'd based her hatred of Mary Zilba on, have I seen a housewife get so totally exposed in an episode. She really showed what a dangerous person she is when she, at first, flatly dismissed Heather, then minutes later started admitting it, only a few minutes later to totally admit it, all while trying to deflect. SLC must not make the mistake of RHOV when Jody returned for S2 and the show became an 8 snake headed Medusa and literally gasped and shrieked as it died. Monica must be banished. There is no way the women could ever plausibly film with her again. She simply shrugged off her betrayal of them as being "collateral damage" and didn't think of them as people at all.

It's going to be hard to tell until we see: 1. Episodes where AA is no longer involved; 2. Episodes where the Writer's Strike is over. The December numbers for her are dreadful and I hope things turn around.

Mia needs to get the axe. Go be engaged while not divorced from your last john.

I had it recorded and watched it this evening - a great episode and so fun to see the photo of Ann Blyth and Angela from their days at MGM.

From what I can tell of the narrative, Joan is Alexis, and Elizabeth is a different character tied to Blake who comes to a bad end.

A very, very creative and skilled person created these Dynasty prequel trailers called Dynasty: 69:

I fear for Lauren Koslow on recurring. 2 episodes in December. 1 of which was for Christmas, where her absence would have been glaring. I wonder if the exit of AA might be helpful for her in the long run?

Best & Worst of the Housewives 2023 BEST RETURN: Tamra Judge, RHOC. Let's face it, love her or hate her, Tammy Sue is a bad person, a friend to no one, and a great Real Housewife. One caveat is Tamra's penchant for producing is going to be her downfall because nothing she does is organic and it's like she's forgotten how to exist in the RH universe. WORST RETURN: Kelly Bensimon, RHUGT: RHONY Legacy. Kelly is as insane and delusional as ever. If she thought a return to the Housewives would somehow alter the perception of the audience, or boost her business, she is sorely mistaken. Her attitude is nasty, entitled, and idiotic. BEST FRIEND OF: Jenn Fessler, RHONJ. Any woman who bursts onto her franchise candidly admitting to plastic surgery and having sex with James Gandolfini is good in my books. She is a hoot and added much needed levity to an otherwise increasingly toxic show. BEST EXIT: Lisa Rinna, RHOBH. Ding dong, the witch is gone. This latest season has proven that Rinna was surplus to requirements and is not missed in the slightest. Her exit paved the way for a revitalized Erika Girardi and the exposure of Kyle Richards for the vicious bitch many of us always knew she was. BEST NEWCOMER, Part I: Monica Garcia, RHOSLC. While we wait with baited breath to see the conclusion of SLC, and the ultimate fallout, there is no denying that Monica added drama to this season. Whether she burns hard and burns out is yet to be determined. WORST NEWCOMER: Annemarie Wiley, RHOBH. Sure, she's got the shoulders and jawline of Mike Tyson, but this recent addition fails to pack a punch. Flopmarie attempted to weaponize her medical background and dismiss Sutton's esophageal condition, but a tsunami of audience backlash, supported by Dr. Nicole of Miami and Dr. Moon of Dallas, crushed Flopmarie's accusations. While her husband might rate her a solid 8.5, Flopmarie should be a one and done and be relegated to Housewives history after the end of this season. BEST TREND: Guest Appearances. If we can't get back our faves as full time housewives, then we'll happily take the guest appearances that spread across most franchises this season. There are parallels to be drawn between the Housewives guest appearances we've been treated to this year, from Camille Grammar, Denise Richards, Kim Richards, and Faye Resnick on BH to guest returns on our soaps from a beloved vet. WORST TREND: Rebooting. I am not a fan of nuRHONY and I think rebooting a franchise has set a dangerous precedent and like the Frons years at ABC Daytime, has shown that Bravo is becoming youth obsessed and happy to dump their longstanding talent in pursuit of younger demographics. MOST CRINGEWORTHY MOMENT: Drew Sidora singing to Ralph at the RHOA Reunion. While Ralph Pittman is, indeed, the pits, Drew's rendition of Throw Us Away, which had serious 1990s Vh1 Divas Live undertones, had reunion host Andy Cohen visibly uncomfortable. BEST FEUD: Heather vs. Everyone, RHOC. As Heather offloaded her Newport Coast mansion for a massive windfall, the balance of the cast didn't seem to have a good word to say about her. But Mrs. Dubrow fought back and won over audiences, much to the surprise of Tamra Judge. WORST FEUD: Whitney vs. Everyone, RHSLC. Whitney Rose tried to drum up a feud with each and every one of her cast members in a desperate attempt to be relevant. Audiences weren't buying it and Whitney proved that she's no longer needed on the show and should probably face the chopping block. BEST ALLIANCE: Garcelle and Sutton’s friendship, RHOBH. These two, a perhaps unlikely pairing, understand the meaning of friendship and I sincerely hope we never see them turn on each other. WORST ALLIANCES: The Green Eyed Bitches, RHOP. As RHOP teeters into toxic territory, there is a gruesome twosome, plus a sidekick, that are the root of the rot: Gizelle, Robyn, and Ashley are making this show less and less fun to watch as they stoke an ugly feud with new cast member Nneka with their foe, Wendy, that has left the newbie looking mean and petty. All three display a level of hypocrisy BEST QUEEN OF THEIR CITY: Karen Huger, RHOP. They don't call her The Grande Dame for nothing. Karen Huger stays funny, stays fearless, and stays fabulous. As she reached a milestone 60, Karen's proven that age looks good on her. BEST QUEEN OF THE FORMER OG’s: Luann de Lesseps, RHONY. The Countess cannot ever be counted out. From UGT to Crappie Lake, Luann is game for anything that Bravo wants her to be involved in and the audience is generally very happy to see her. She's evolved from a haughty, uptight Countess, to an evolved single girl who can laugh at herself. Honourable mention to Sonja Morgan, Luann's partner in crime for both Bravo ventures this year. I hope we see more of both of them in 2024. In Memoriam to Vicki Gunvalson's Bravo career - I believe the Wifetime Achievement Award she got at Bravocon was actually a goodbye present and Andy Cohen's attempt at closing the door on the OG of the OC. BEST SHOW: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. One of the most consistently watchable franchises, this year has been particularly satisfying for some viewers as Kyle Richards found herself in the hot seat and unable to wriggle out of her own admonition to "be honest!" MOST IMPROVED SHOW: Real Housewives of Orange County. This show was likely close to the verge of cancellation during the Covid years when it seriously faltered and struggled to get casting right, but with newcomer Jenn and returning housewife Tamra, it was a return to form. If Alexis joins in 2024, expect fireworks. MOST TOXIC SHOW: Real Housewives of Potomac. This is the first time I have struggled to watch the show and get through episodes as the fights are not fun and never ending among most of the cast. Throw in grating individual scenes with admitted golddigger Mia and there's little to like about this franchise aside from Karen Huger. MOST DISAPPOINTING SHOW: Real Housewives of Atlanta. This show is in desperate need of intervention. Not one memorable storyline in years. The fun shade is gone. The self producing cast members (cough, Kenya, Marlo, Drew, cough) have run amok, and the show feels like it's running on fumes. A major retool is needed.

Indeed - this look proves that Jess remains ready for action as Jill, so long as hair, makeup, and the wardrobe department does their job. This is probably the last time on the show where they didn't costume her as if she was styled by Chico's: Jess has said her favourite time, style wise, for Jill was the 1990s when she was in her peplum suit era. That's all wardrobe has to do: rotate peplum suits and some decent jewelry.

I believe Jess is open to working more and has better availability. The last few years were very hard for her as her late husband dealt with with a recurrence of cancer. She has since downsized from her ranch into a more manageable home and all of her grandchildren are no longer babies - she had been helping her children with them.

Condolences to Sherri Saum and RIP to Kamar. 56 is way too young to go.