Contessa Donatella

Because we've got interest in it, I will further share, in the last published version, this is the last paragraph. It's included because people submit these shows, thinking they remember them having star billing. As I'm sure you can tell I am revising this currently. I appreciate the info here today about DS. It confirms what I found last year. NONE FOUND: No above-the-title billing, or starring credit lines, etc. were found to be used in the following: ATWT - Eileen Fulton, EON - Donald May, DS - Alexandra Moltke, DS - Jonathan Frid, on LIAMST, for Morgan Fairchild on The City, or for Daytime to Remember. Also none found EF's spin-off, Our Private World. Double-checked other openings of CITY & DS, all nothing. Last & double-checked EON, still nothing.

I don't think you are being disrespectful. Nor am I. I intend the correction to go forward. As a matter of fact I just submitted a new paragraph to her IMDb page, Trivia section. Discussion here today helped me word what I said. I feel like it will be accepted. I'll know in just a few days. What it said before: McKinsey's character, Iris Cory Carrington Delaney Bancroft, on Another World (1964-1999) proved so popular that she was made the star of the soap's spin-off series, Texas (1980-1982) . McKinsey remains the only star on daytime television to be given star billing in a soap opera. What I changed it to: McKinsey's character, Iris Cory Carrington Delaney Bancroft, on Another World (1964-1999) proved so popular that she was made the star of the soap's spin-off series, Texas (1980-1982) . McKinsey's star billing is singular & distinct. In it Narrator Ken Roberts announces at the end of the theme song, "Texas, starring Beverlee McKinsey," and there is a picture of the actress and the visual "Starring Beverlee McKinsey" graphic near the Texas state flag in the logo. Others before her had star billing but none have since hers. Well, he could have seen my correction & posted her "City Lights" interview because of it. No, actually I thought she was indicating an appreciation of Victoria & a kinship & some inkling of friendship. What exactly did you think was a dig?

That's Beverlee's "City Lights" interview. I thought I had posted the link to it here previously. Scott made it available to me & said that I could share it. He calls it her most candid interview. It is wonderful! I completely respect her & what she had her people fight for. Scott's seen the correction & agrees with it. And agrees as I have said that her billing is singular, distinct, different & better. If she was the source of the misinformation, I am sure it was unintentional.

That is what you said. By my count I said 5 things that are correct & 1 thing that is in dispute & will not be included despite being offered in good faith as info. Yes, pretty usual for me in that I say a great many correct things. No, not COMPLETELY INCORRECT. 1. I hope no one ever get confused & thinks you have any insight at all into how I think. 2. I do not spam. 3. You don't have to live with me at all. If you don't like it, put me in a kill file & be free of me forever. I promise it won't hurt my feelings.

Thanks for that info. I got it from a fan who likewise has them all & is rewatching for about their 7th time & was to be investigated. They must be wrong. Also people continue to suggest star billing on EON which I have not found. And, people seem to think Morgan Fairchild had it for The City which I've also not found. I suspect that comes from the promotional photo with her standing in front of the left side of the logo. Oh, and @Vee I suspect you're a much too intelligent person to just spout the glib stuff you do about me. I post & you knee jerk go SPLAT.

Beginning June 27, 1966, the opening for the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows began with a visual of the words, “Starring Joan Bennett” before the title. And it is my understanding that there was another version, "Starring Jonathan Frid".

WOW! Hit the mother lode. Thank you. And, Nic Coster, may he RIP, got to be two of Lisa's husbands! @dragonflies And, she's such a young woman I think we can be sure there will be more to come! @Sapounopera Thanks!

Yes, I recall that now! So totally lame. I had forgotten that line. And, she, of course, would not have been a virgin. She & Scotty had been married awhile. Were we supposed to think they'd taken vows of chastity?!!

1. I miss Peter Reckell. 2. RSW

Totally! She's been on #SoapTwitter (not gonna call it SoapUglyX) for hours today replying to people, just tweeting away. Lovely!

What would that be? She disagreed with Gloria Monty calling it a seduction but she didn't want to give up her job over it so she lied & went along with it.

"Star billing" and also "above-the-title" are terms for fans, sure, but also are terms that are used by agents negotiating & in movie & show lingo. And, I agree with you that they are not the same thing as the credit crawl. The crawl just comes up often when discussing the other one. But, we should clearly distinguish between them. I also agree with your statement that Beverlee McKinsey was the last actor to get star billing on a US soap and not the first. Rosemary Prinz, Dana Andrews, Macdonald Carey, actors on Dark Shadows, etc. all came before & no one has come since. Well phrased if spelling challenged.

We had a big laugh this past year when Y&R had their anniversary primetime presentation. They said that Ashley had the first abortion & that Bill Bell started using social issues in soaps! Uhhh, full stop, both wrong!

I'm sure you're right about overlap! It is really facscinating to me to try to sort out what was in her mind, when!! And as far as I know except for that one comparison between Rachel & Erica that I just quoted, was the only time she ever spoke of it.

Agnes Nixon's mother/daughter pairs: Some say they were "the troublesome daughter" & the "put upon mother". First written before 1962 THE BRIGHTER DAY's Rachel-like & Ada-like (based on AW's characters). First used Feb-Mar 1967 AW's Rachel & Ada. 2nd used AMC's Erica & Mona. 3rd used LOV's Kate & Ava. Everything I've seen leads me to believe that she wrote the AMC bible after TBD but before writing for AW, don't you think? Then why would Agnes Nixon have said:

Excellent! That's wonderful. Thanks again! That would be 1976, If I recall correctly.

Yes, all of those & there are others. Dark Shadows had versions with Jonathan Frid & others. NEVER TOO YOUNG has written, visual closing credits. A 1953 YouTube video of SEARCH FOR TOMORROW shows opening, bumpers & closing which includes a written, visual closing credits. And then many shows with stars highlighted in the opening crawl: In the Another World opening Victoria Wyndham was at the top of the crawl after Jacquie Courtney and George Reinholt left. Like Victoria Wyndham, Charita Bauer headed the crawl on GL till her passing. In the 60’s, Laurence Hugo headed the crawl as Mike Karr on The Edge of Night. When he left, Ann Flood headed the crawl until the end. On As the World Turns, Don MacLaughlin headed the crawl, then Helen Wagner. In 1977, Michael Storm headed the crawl as the most senior cast member on OLTL. I'm hoping to find even more. I am at a loss as to how to correct this on IMDb. It's just one sentence in TRIVIA.

Reva Shayne Lewis Lewis Spaulding Lewis Winslow Cooper Lewis Lewis O’Neill GL Kate Roberts Reed Kiriakis Brady Dimera Dimera Brady DOOL Joanne Gardner Barron Tate Vincente Tourneur SFT Kimberly Sullivan Reynolds Dixon Stewart Andropolous Hughes ATWT Nicole Walker Robbins Roberts Kiriakis Dimera Dimera Kiriakis Brady Hernandez DOOL Okay, there's got to be an absolute ton of these! Who can add?

An Australian fan has described a scene, DAYS, Patch & Kayla, apx. '86, where it seems Kayla is alone in a bathtub, then Patch pops up from underwater, and they are grinning & then she goes underwater. I think that might be the earliest oral sex representation.

I want to further correct something that is wrong in both texts & fan lore & on her IMDb page, etc. about Beverlee McKinsey. This is the idea that she was the first to have star billing, which is not correct, although the billing she received for TEXAS is singular, distinct & better than any other. Narrator Ken Roberts announced at the end of the theme song, “Texas, starring Beverlee McKinsey,” grazed with an outside picture of the iconic actress and the visual “Starring Beverlee McKinsey” graphic near the Texas state flag in the logo. The main example and 2 others https://shallotpeelblog.org/2022/04/05/blog-249-above-the-title-billing-in-soap-operas/ And, there are more examples of star billing.

@JAS0N47 This makes me think of something. Do you have the ratings for DAYS Doug & Julie's first wedding? It supposedly had an audience of 16 million which was then surpassed when GH L&L had 30 million. It would just be interesting to see if those 1970s ratings support that. It's so exciting seeing L&L's. I suppose this should be in the 70s ratings thread. Sorry.

In https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/sheri-anderson-thomas-talks-distinguished-career-in-daytime-tv/article/573258#ixzz8A9Dep0W0 Sheri Anderson says that it was the head of ABC Daytime who wanted the rape storyline done. This is news to me, first time I'm hearing it.

I'm a little stubborn in my conviction that Sadie and Carla belong on that list. I wish we could have Agnes Nixon's opinion of that. A 5th time?!! How exciting a possibility! As far as Agnes goes, she never talked about this trope of hers, only we soap fans do. Although there is one quote where she addresses Erica & Rachel. So, convince me, what do they have in common with these other mother-daughter pairs?

God love her! And finding out it was Judi really spurred people on. Already galvanized in the fan campaign effort, many noted that now Alarr had done it, he'd gone too far going after Judi!

Just be glad you didn't order one of Bandstand Mike's hard drives. He "sold" two, end years, all full episodes, $200 each & people knew he had them because before the purge that was why there was so much GL on YT. However, he was scamming everyone! He never delivered, just took money upfront. If only P&G would just sell to some streamer.