ALL: Unpopular opinions

[Sweetness]

I'll start with Days

Sami and Lucas: From what I have seen (in the last 6 months and also the -few-episodes I caught over the years)....

I don't feel intense chemistry or "connection" there ... Lucas seems to do one emotion on a

regular basis: anger...I don't see him as being a multi faceted character and I don't really get what Sami sees in him.

I think Sami's "ok"...the actress is a bit on the hyper/over the top side at times...I don't sense a lot of depth to the

character as she is now. She's fun though...she has a vibrance and energy. I hope she gets a sense of mischief back

because I am finding it hard to "buy into" Sami as a heroine. That said I like them...I just don't *love* them,

and I think they are overrated. Still I would watch them over the following...

John and Marlena I really don't see chemistry between them anymore. I saw it in the 80s, when he was still

Roman...I don't see it now. Marlena's gasps and mannerisms annoy me at times, but in general I am just indifferent

to that character now (even though I really, really loved her in the 80s). I think I could still like John, just don't like

them together.

Mimi If Farah does choose to leave, it's not going to upset me. I don't hate Mimi...but I find it hard to warm

up to her. I really liked her the first week I watched but now she can kind of annoys me. I prefer to see her in small doses.

New Shawn I am not on the Brandon Beemer bandwagon: I think he has a long way to go... He's barely-there

, and he just doesn't have the charisma and *it* factor. He is too serious. He looks too old to be B&H's kid. I fail to see chemistry with MM.

Yet he has 69% of the airtime

I am not into Shelle and I think Belle is so dull (even though the actress is decent)

I am glad Bonnie is leaving but

I don't want Adrienne to return for anything more than a visit

I would love to see Kim and Shane again, but only for a visit (not contract)

Not sorry at all to see Tek leave

Though I felt bad for the actors, I was glad to see Austin and Carrie go. I found them *so* dull and vapid.

I was not a fan of J&J (but I liked them better than half of the couples currently on the show)

Never thought they should redeem Jack and didn't like that story

I was not opposed to Days pairing Kayla and Shane (when Kim and Steve were out of the picture,

seemingly for good). Kayla and Shane didn't intend to fall in love; she just leaned on a friend during

a hard time. I even thought the storyline had potential, because these are two people who were always the upstanding

citizens, never doing anything to hurt anyone or to rile anyone up. And here they were, in this situation

neither of them had chosen...doing exactly that. It created great conflict for the Bradys. I liked the story

until they turned it into a typical triangle mess and weren't true to Kayla or Shane *in the end*. But it didn't

start out awful IMO.

All my other unpopular opinions

The following Daytime Actors & Actresses annoy me and I think they are *way* overrated...

Eric Braeden

Kim Zimmer

Crystal Chappel

Eileen Davidson

Hunter Tylo

Jacklyn Zeman

Maurice Benard

Steve Burton

Michael Easton

Colleen Zenk Pinter

Erika Slezak

The following popular Daytime Characters *really* got on my nerves..I wasn't a fan

Cady McLain's Rosanna (ATWT)

Vanessa Marcil's Brenda (GH)

Rena Sofer's Lois (GH)

Amber Tamblyn's Emily (GH)

and brace yourselves for the doozy:

Genie Francis as Laura I adored Laura when Claire Labine was writing GH, but once Guza took over,

Laura became a spineless, constantly crying, mess of a character. I ended up actually loathing the sight of her.

Actors/characters I liked but thought they didn't have much range...:

David Canary as Adam

I found Hunt Block's Craig to be fun and exciting to watch as a devious cad. In fact he was one of the

characters I *had* to watch. That said, I thought he lacked depth and vulnerability in the role (and I do think

it is the actor's fault in that case)...And I thought he had only limited chemistry with most of his costars

Jonathan Jackson's Lucky: He was one of the better *young* actors ever in daytime. I think he was good at drama,

and he had a lot of sensitivity and depth. He had major chemistry with L&L too, and was perfectly cast in the role of their son.

That said, I didn't think he could do comedy or lighter scenes convincingly. I would even say he bored me often... Don't get

me wrong, I liked/loved the character but I don't think he was the best thing since sliced bread.

JMO.

A couple I loved that wasn't popular among GH fans:

Stefan and Katherine (until Guza ruined them both).

[SteveFrame]

Some more on certain categories:

Overrated Performers:

Eric Braedan (even though he has his moments)

Deidre Hall (used to not be the case)

Susan Lucci (big time)

Roger Howarth

Maurice Benard

Couples I can't stand:

Steve & Kayla (Days) - never have and definitely this version I can't stand

Babe & JR (AMC) - never have liked them together

Simon & Katie (ATWT) - liked them a little at first but it wore off

Jack & Jennifer (Days) - never bought them as a couple either

Todd & Blair (OLTL) - never got into them at all

Clint & DOrian (OLTL) - just do not like them together

Nash & Tess (OLTL) - never jumped on their bandwagon either

Bo & Billee (Days)

Unpopular Couples I Actually Like

Antonio & Jessica (OLTL)

Korbel & Colleen (Y&R)

JT & Colleen (Y&R)

Steve & Billee (Days)

John & Kate (Days)

Roman & Kate (Days)

Characters I Can't Stand

Kayla Brady (Days)

Stefano DiMera (Days) - became too cartoonish for my liking

Simon Fraser (ATWT)

John McBain (OLTL)

Spencer Truman (OLTL)

Recasts that are unpopular that I actually like

Josh Taylor (Roman)

Jeffrey Meek (Craig)

Laura Wright (Carly)

Michelle Stafford (Shiela)

Kirsten Storms (Maxie) - she actually fits this version of Maxie even though I can't stand Storms

[Sweetness]

I so agree with you on this (except I think Guza and JER are tied as the worst things to ever happen

to daytime).... though I don't think that's an unpopular opinion.

[SpiritualJunkie]

I like the categories idea:

Overrated performers

Kim Zimmer (Reva, GL)

Gina Tognoni (Dinah, GL) - She's good but she's not perfect

Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC)

Martha Byrne (Lily, ATWT)

Jon Hensley (Holden, ATWT) - boring character/performer

Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT) - not the best young actor to come since the '80s

Maura West (Carly, ATWT)

Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)

Deidre Hall (Marlena, Days)

Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days) - I tried liking her but I find her character/performances boring

Genie Francis (Laura, GH) - Ditto

Underrated performers:

Stephanie Gatschet (Tammy, GL) - I still can't believe she didn't get an Emmy nom over Tammy's "I want to get clean" scenario

Nicole Forester (Cassie, GL) - I'd LOVE for her to replace Zimmer as lead actress on the show

Marcy Rylan (Lizzie, GL)

Beth Chamberlin (Beth, GL)

Michael Dempsey (Alan-Michael, GL) - this guy's charming and has great comic delivery

Jesse Soffer (Will, ATWT) - his character and performances bore me now but I blame it on the sideline writing

Colleen Zenk-Pinter (Barbara, ATWT)

Overrated couples:

Josh & Reva, GL

Holden & Lily, ATWT

Bo & Hope, Days

John & Marlena, Days

Sonny & Carly, GH

Jack & Carly, ATWT

Will & Gwen, ATWT

Casey & Maddie, ATWT

Luke & Kevin, ATWT

Shawn & Belle, Days

Dinah & Mallet, GL

Ava & Alan-Michael, GL

Jason & whoever, GH

Characters I don't care to see return:

Chris Hughes, ATWT - too many recasts

[darraholic]

Overrated

Greg Rikkart (Kevin, Y&R)

Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&

Jack Wagner (Nick, B&

Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT)

Deidre Hall (Marlena, DAYS) - Deidre can be brilliant one day, horrible the next. If she could stop the damn orgasm gasps she'd be alot better

Lauren Koslow (Kate, DAYS) - Deb Adair will always be Kate to me.

Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)

Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC)

Alexa Havins (Babe, AMC)

Jacob Young (JR, AMC)

Underrated

Hunter Tylo (Taylor, B&

Judith Chapman (Gloria, Y&R)

Victoria Rowell (Dru, Y&R)- I truly think she's the best actress in daytime period.

Marie Wilson (Meg, ATWT)

Eleni Goode (Jade, ATWT)

Martha Madison (Belle, DAYS) She's brilliant.

Laura Wright (Carly, GH) One of the only reasons I watch GH

Hilary B. Smith (Nora, OLTL) She's been wasted so much the past few years on OLTL.

Overrated Couples

Brooke & Ridge/Nick (B&

Stephanie & Eric (B& SO BORING. I loved it when they were at war against eachother.

Gwen & Will (ATWT) The most boring couple in all of daytime.

Casey & Maddie (ATWT) So bland.

Paul & Meg (ATWT) Meg can do so much better.

Steve & Kayla (DAYS) I've really only seen a few scenes that made them look like a supercouple.

Abe & Lexie (DAYS) Don't see why the writers seem to think they belong together. Abe just sucks all entertainment out of Lexie.

Jessica & Nash/Antonio (OLTL) Don't like her with either.

[DruRocks]

Underrated

Melody Thomas Scott

Jeanne Cooper

Doug Davidson

Hillary B. Smith

Kassie Depaiva

Beth Chamberlin

Kristoff St. John

Michael E. Knight

Bobbie Eakes

Greg Vaughan

Lindze Letherman

Catherine Hickland

Ilene Kristen

Timothy D. Stickney

Kathy Brier

John Driscoll

Elizabeth Keifer

Robert Newman

Yvonna Wright

Colleen Zenk Pinter

Kathleen Widdoes

[DruRocks]

Ex-Daytime Overrated Stars

Kimberlin Brown

-Awful facial expressions, over the top antics, and evil glares....

Eva Longoria

-She only got good when she became evil

Keith Hamilton Cobb

-Anybody ever figure out his fake ass accent?

Michael Damian

-No matter what he did, he just BORED me

Lauralee Bell

-HONESTLY. Cricket dear...like STFU. Phyllis I'll never forgiven you for not finishing the job!

Shemar Moore

-Yes Shemar you were delicious eye candy, but a mediocre performer

Jennifer Ferrin

-What happened there?

Ex-Daytime Underrated Stars

Alex Donnelly

Carolyn Conwell

Tricia Cast

Tonya Lee Williams

Veronica Redd

Jerry Douglas

Overrated Couples Past/Present

Guiding Lights' Reva & Josh

Days of Our Lives' Bo & Hope

Days of Our Lives' John & Marlena

As the World Turns Lily & Holden

The Young and the Restless' Christine and Danny

Underrated Couples

The Young and the Restless' Katherine & Rex

The Young and the Restless' Drucilla & Neil

The Young and the Restless' Ryan & Nina

[WTGH]

She'd be loads better if she didn't have to pester Emily everytime she's on.

DAYS

-I hate the Brady's, especially since they've pretty much usurped the Hortons as the main family on the show. That mawwwwwwwwww, pawwwwww and chawdahhhhhhhhhhh shít is ridiculous.

-Matthew Ashford is the most overrated actor EVER!

-Jack and Jennifer suck.

-Steve is more interesting without Kayla.

-I don't like Max and Abby.

-I don't care for Deidre Hall's acting. *gasps*

Overrated

Kim Zimmer

Anthony Geary

Martha Byrne

Laura Wright

Deidre Hall

Tom Pelphrey

Jacob Young

Justin Deas

Alexandra Chando

Terri Colombino

Kelley Menighan Hensley

Jennifer Landon

Eileen Davidson

Mary Beth Evans

Kassie de Paiva

Susan Lucci

Michael E. Knight

Bobbie Eakes

Alexa Havins

Kelly Monaco

Maurice Benard

Steve Burton

Roger Howarth

Elizabeth Hubbard

Drake Hogestyn

Underrated

Hillary B. Smith

Beth Chamberlin

Greg Vaughan

John Driscoll

Elizabeth Keifer

Robert Newman

Colleen Zenk Pinter

Kathleen Widdoes

Martha Madison

[All My Shadows]

ITA! ITA! ITA!

[bellcurve]

Too late to join in the festivities?!

-James E. Reilly is a brilliant writer but got too lazy after his first stint at DAYS.

-Don't care if people think Reilly is gay, straight, cool with gays because of his cop-out story with Simone, etc., I still think the guy is a homophobe and tells most of his stories from a Conservative bias. Shocked I'm probably the only one who cries about this.

-Would rather have PASSIONS last as long as GL than have the TODAY show acquire their hour(and, yes, it's gonna happen!)

-Rafe and Alison had no chemistry together and were probably the worst pairing on PORT CHARLES.

-Soaps should NEVER be abbreviated by a shortening of a one word title. I.E. CAPITOL should not be CAP, GENERATIONS should not be GEN, LOVING should not be LOV, PASSIONS should not be PSNS. They should go by their one-word titles. Speaking of abbreviations, for the LOVE OF GOD, it's not SuBe! LOL. Soap Opera Digest's BEACH was a much cleaner abbreviation and clearly distinguished SUNSET BEACH from SANTA BARBARA. Same goes for those who abbreviate the Dobson creation SaBa. And the two half-hour PGP soaps that switched networks should be abbreviated by SEARCH and EDGE. And it's not DOOL, it's DAYS(the former makes me think of drool). LOL. Maybe all this comes from reading Digest from the time I started watching soaps for about 3-4 years to getting the internet.

-There aren't nearly enough New York produced soaps. There's something that is obvious about the way an LA show is produced and the way a NY show is produced. Even a top-notch show like Y&R(with a lush, fantastic production budget) can't beat the theatrical feel of ATWT and GL. I used to feel that way about AMC until their lighting made the show's sets look like cardboard(Erica's house being a really good example). But, overall, New York shows just have much more character and charm.

-Ellen Wheeler(GL) is the BEST Executive Producer in daytime right now. She has managed to take the pennies CBS and PGP give her and somehow make GL look better than a few choice soaps on the air today. If GL ends, I want her on another soap.

-I expect soaps to be able to write entertaining, but COHESIVE and REALISTIC storytelling. Or at least as much as possible. And if they don't deliver, then fans should be allowed to judge how plausible it is without people getting upset over it.

-The "It's a soap opera" excuse doesn't cut it. Never have, never will.

-I'm an admitted soap opera junkie. My friends know, my family know, I'm unashamed of it and always have been. Have been known to engage in long, aggressive debares with non-soap fans about how I think soaps are far better than any other entertainment medium(including film). I am also excited when I find people outside of the internet that KNOW writers, actors(other than Lucci, Geary, Francis, or Hall), shows, history, etc. Not sure if I could date a guy who didn't RESPECT my obsession with soaps. That would be the deciding factor. Would rather spend the evening watching a SOAPnet marathon or my own soap collection than watch anything on primetime television or film.

[KLN]

Long live SuBe!

[DruRocks]

OLTL, AMC, GL & ATWT...Really?

ETA: I'm kinda seeing the theatrical view on OLTL and AMC before the camera switch...GL is just awful though, and ATWT is OK. Y&R's production has changed, so the old feeling is pretty much gone.

[bellcurve]

Yeah. I just feel like those four shows have a more theatrical feel than the LA shows, especially the PGP soaps. I'm not knocking West Coast soaps at all, but there is clearly a distinction between watching an LA soap and a NY soap. Even with ABC making AMC and OLTL look like GH with hod bods and bad acting, you can still tell.

I personally prefer it.

Even with Y&R's old feeling, it still feels LA. The NY shows just seem so "stage" to me. It doesn't really feel like a movie set, which is what B&B, Y&R, GH, DAYS, and PASSIONS go for.

You really think GL has terrible production values? Especially in comparison to AMC(before the camera switch, which makes everything shine and gloss). Maybe I just look at how bad I expected the show to get and how good the show looks in comparison to what I thought.

[KLN]

I can tell a difference, too. But that's only because we're certified soap connoisseurs, LoL

Only in my way of saying it, theatrical = cheap

I have no preference, though.

[bellcurve]

GRRRRR!

I should also mention theatrical = more emphasis on the acting, less on the gloss.