Great Soap Opera Couples

[Gilbert]

Just like the Great Psychos, this is stuff Steve had in the Walk of Fame section. I know that he intended to put more stuff here. I'll just share what he got too. Some of the wording may not matter to folks, but thought I would share all of what he wrote along with the photos and stuff.

Philip Brent & Tara Martin (All My Children)

Phil & Tara have always been one of my favorites on soap operas. I know there were young love stories before this one, but for me this was the first one I remember.

I loved how Phil & Tara seemed like typical teenagers in love. I felt that Richard Hatch & Karen Lyn Gorney were wonderful in the roles.

I did grow to love Nicholas Benedict as Phil and even loved later Taras esp. Stephanie Braxton.

I could not find a clip of Phil & Tara but here is one of Tara talking to her dad about Philip.

***** Not sure why the videos aren't showing up. I think I am inserting them right....using the insert media button. Oh well, sorry.*****

[Gilbert]

Nicholas Newman/Phyllis Summers (Y&R)

Nick and Sharon's marriage had been under tremendous strain since their daughter Cassie's death in May 2005. Later that year, Nick began an adulterous affair with Phyllis Summers. An affair that was supposed to be fun, later turned to mutual feelings between the two. Their affair ended briefly, after getting caught by Phyllis' son and Nick's wife. The two decided to part ways, after realizing the pain it caused their family. However, Phyllis later discovered she was pregnant with Nick's child. Fate had plans for Nick and Phyllis, when they were stranded in Los Alamos. Nick and Phyllis discovered they still had feelings for each other when they shared a dance which led to a passionate kiss. The next day Phyllis decided to share the news of her pregnancy with Nick. The news of Phyllis' pregnancy made Nick recognize his love for Phyllis. Nick divorced his wife of 10 years to be with Phyllis. Nick later moved in with Phyllis at her apartment, to be with her during her pregnancy. The child had been determined to be a daughter. On October 24, 2006, Nick and Phyllis eloped in Los Alamos.

Phyllis was expected to give birth to her baby on Thanksgiving. However the baby was late, and she was also in a breech position. One night during an ice storm, Nick left Phyllis at the office to get her hospital bag that was at home. On his way back to his wife, he lost connection on his cell phone. While he was driving, he found out that his stepson, Daniel, was in a car accident. Scared for his stepson's life, Nick was determined not to lose him. Nick saved Daniel, and on his way to the hospital, he found out his wife was in labor. Nick desperately wanted to be present for his baby's birth. However, Phyllis had already given birth to their daughter in the elevator at Newman Enterprises, with the help of her ex-husband, Jack. Nick met his daughter for the first time at the hospital as they were wheeling in his wife. Nick was thankful to Jack for helping Phyllis during her time of need. Nick and Phyllis decided to name their daughter Summer Ann Newman, because of the coincidental fact that she was born during an ice storm, and the fact that Phyllis' maiden name is Summers.

Nick was presumed dead from May to June 2007 following the crash of the Newman jet. However, on June 12, Nick regained consciousness and woke up in a cabin in a remote area, thanks to a woman named Logan, who had found him while hiking up a mountain. Nick was eventually rescued, hospitalized and reunited with his family. However, he had some amnesia, not remembering the last two years, and believing that he was still married to Sharon. Nick decided that he was going to do everything in his power to win her back. He did not remember Phyllis or Summer. Nick decided to move back in with his wife and child, but was not willing to sleep with Phyllis. After seeing Phyllis interact with their daughter, Nick began to realize how and why he fell in love with her in the first place. They became husband and wife in all sense of the word, right before Phyllis went to prison on a 6-year sentence (she was released two months later when her conviction was overturned).

Since Phyllis left prison she and Nick have joined forces with Jack and Sharon Abbott in a magazine venture. The magazine, Restless Style, was downgraded by Victor after he fired Nick from Newman Enterprises. The latest venture was to do business with Forrester Creations but when Jack talked with Eric Forrester, who was interested until he talked with Victor, after which he turned Jack down. However after the launch Eric changed his mind and his daughter Felicia Forrester worked with Nick on Forrester's ad in Restless Style that led to a flirtation between Nick and Felicia. When Victor hired his other son Victor Adam Newman as a Newman executive, tension rose between Nick and Adam since everyone thinks that Victor is now grooming Adam to be the heir of Newman Enterprises instead of Nick. The situation has become worse now that Victor has written Victor Jr. into his will and written out both Nicholas and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) due to the slander story written in Restless Style magazine.

When Victor left for Mexico the board of Newman Enterprises first wanted to make Nick acting CEO but he turned it down given his relationship with his father instead nominating Victoria. The board overwhelmingly voted to make Victoria acting CEO much to Adam's dislike. Upon the claim that Victor died in a boat accident during a violent storm in Mexico and his will allegedly makes Adam CEO of Newman Enterprises. Adam has recently fired longtime loyal employee Neil Winters clearly for personal reasons. When Victor returned he fired Adam from Newman Enterprises and kicked him off the Newman ranch for what he did to Neil, Victoria, Nick, and Victor's dog Zapato. Nick and Victoria were thrilled to have their father back but he told them both to leave and in a public announcement he asked everyone including family and friends to leave him in peace at the main house on the Newman ranch. Nick having problems with Jack's control over Restless Style almost sold out to Jack but after talking with Sharon Victor gave Nick a line of credit covering any check Nick wrote. Nick bought out Jack thereby completely owning Restless Style and he told Victoria to talk the job Neil offered her at Newman Enterprises.

The Secrets That We Keep

Tribute to Nick & Phyllis

[Gilbert]

Steve Frame & Alice Matthews (Another World)

He has more posted over to that are just photo montages without the histories. I'll add those as I can to this thread.

[Gilbert]

Ben Bruckner/Michael Novotny (Queer As Folk)

Ben Bruckner became a main character during season two, when he is the first customer in Michael Novotny's comic book store. The two begin to date, but Michael decides to stop after finding out that Ben is HIV positive. After several failed attempts at dating other men, Michael realizes he loves Ben, and that he will have to accept his HIV status.

As a couple, Michael and Ben have their fair share of fights. In one episode, Michael is upset after learning that Brian Kinney had a one night stand with Ben. A story arc involved Ben turning to steroids after learning that the man who gave him HIV died, which led to Michael threatening to infect himself with Ben's used needle in order to get Ben to stop.

When Michael and Justin get a deal for their movie, Ben becomes extremely envious, mainly because his book can't get published. Michael also experiences some reservations with Ben wanting to keep Hunter at their house, but eventually Michael grows to accept Hunter and the couple later legally adopt him in the series finale.

During the fourth season, Ben and Michael are in Canada in Toronto for the start of the Liberty Ride. On the bus ride up to Canada Ben asks Michael to be his husband. The two get married, and they experience trouble in returning to the United States as their marriage will not be recognized once they return. Ben and Michael had applied for re-entry in to the States on single form as spouses. They were told that they had to fill out two forms. Michael's mother Debbie was next in line and took it upon herself to tell the customs officer off in her own special way.

In season 5 Ben and Michael move house, to a traditional street and Brian accuses them of being 'conformist homosexuals'. This does not matter to the couple who are proud of their new home and two children. However, this does not last long as after Hunter's HIV status is revealed at school and his ex-girlfriend gets another boyfriend, he leaves home. Ben becomes extremely distraught and angry with both Michael and himself, until they receive an E-mail from Hunter a few weeks later. Ben tirelessly parades to stop 'proposition 14', which will take away all gay rights.

Feeling Good:

Tribute to Ben & Michael (Queer as Folk)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCGYoTWkhY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f

[Gilbert]

Two Other Ben & Michael Vids He Had Listed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubX5DfqLbs8&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a

[Gilbert]

David Cameron/Michael Novotny (Queer As Folk)

Dr. David Cameron (or Dr. David, as he is commonly referred to by the other characters)[1] is Michael's main love interest for all of Season 1.

He was previously married but was later divorced, and he also has a son, Hank (portrayed by Ryan Cooley in one episode). David meets Michael after he injures his back working at the Q Mart. David is the chiropractor Michael is referred to, and later, when he sees Michael back at the Q Mart, asks him out, and the two begin to date.

Nevertheless, they are almost constantly at odds with each other. For example, at one point, Dr. David was jealous of the relationship Michael has with Brian, and at one point forbade him from seeing him again. Michael, on the other hand, is put off by David's willingness to do everything, such as pay for dinner at restaurants, and at one point, Michael found out that David was not cashing the checks he was giving him for rent.

Michael often finds himself intimidated by the lavish lifestyle that Dr. David leads.

At the end of Season One, Dr. David decides to move back to Portland, Oregon to be with his son, and invites Michael to come with him. Michael was originally going to leave with him, but stayed behind after Justin was assaulted. In the Second Season, Michael comes back to Pittsburgh, and after Emmett catches him having sex with another man, confesses that he and Dr. David are no longer together. Dr. David is neither seen nor heard from again for the rest of the series.

Tribute to Michael & David

(Queer As Folk)

[Bright Eyes]

Ew, David Cameron was absolutely terrible. Hated the actor, hated the character. Yuck, barf, vomit. Plus, the actor who played him always sounded like he had to much spit in his mouth. Compleyely nauseating. HOWEVER, JT from Degrassi was his son, so that was very amusing to me.

[Gilbert]

I did watch all of QAF with Steve. He kept telling me about it and we sat through all the seasons sometimes last year.

I liked Ben and Michael the best but I did like David and Michael too. Steve was equal on both. I liked David more when it was just the flirty thing like at the doctor's office than I did anything that happened afterward.

[DRW50]

My favorite thing with David Cameron was when he did a striptease at the Babylon to show he wasn't scared of the gay scene. The actor always looked so uncomfortable on the show I kind of wondered if the producers did that just because they could...

I loved Ben/Michael. For me they carried the show.

That Afternoon TV cover with Gorney and Hatch is great. I miss that type of thing, today's soap covers are so damn fake looking.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Phyllis and Nick!?!?!

[Ann_SS]

QAF? Blech. I have bad memories of sitting through episode after episode of bad acting and crap storytelling on that show. If it wasn't for the copious number of almost naked men, I would have bailed after the first few episodes. The only romance I ever liked on QAF was Justin and Ethan and they didn't last long. I couldn't believe Michael and others trying to make Justin feel guilty for being with Ethan after years of putting up with Brian's [!@#$%^&*].

[Gilbert]

Chris Keller / Tobias Beecher (Oz)

from Wikipedia:

Season 1

Beecher quickly learns that he is out of his element after being roomed with monstrous inmate Simon Adebisi during his first week in the titular facility. Inmate Vern Schillinger offers to be his new cellmate; he then brutally rapes him. Schillinger, the leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, then "brands" him by burning a swastika design into one of his buttocks. Beecher is regularly sexually humiliated by Schillinger and develops an addiction to heroin (with help from Ryan O'Reily). Schillinger then has him get a "makeover" by one of Em City's drag queens. Among other tortures, Schillinger makes him beg to see his wife, eat pages of a law book, and tear up pictures of his family. Eventually, Schillinger tires of him and forces him to leave the cell wearing a Confederate Flag t-shirt. Beecher snaps and, emboldened by PCP, attacks Schillinger, smashing the acrylic glass wall of Schillinger's cell and sending a broken shard flying into his eye. Beecher almost jumps to his death immediately afterward, but is restrained by guards and thrown in the isolation ward.

After being released, he confronts Schillinger (who is now sporting an eyepatch) in the prison gym's basketball court. He incapacitates Schillinger by kicking him in the groin and assaulting him with a piece of gym equipment, then defecates upon him in front of many of Emerald City's fiercer inmates. This earns him respect from inmates such as O'Reily, Miguel Alvarez, and even Adebisi. When a riot erupts in Em City, Beecher sides with O'Reily in the chaos, defending Ryan from an attack by the Muslims, as neither belongs to any strong gangs.

Season 2

In the aftermath of the riot, Beecher and the other prisoners housed in Em City are sent to other sections of the prison. Beecher finds himself sharing a cell with James Robson, an Aryan member who tries to make Beecher perform oral sex on him. Beecher has by now learned to fight back, however, and bites the tip of Robson's penis off.

Upon his release from isolation, Beecher begins taunting Schillinger, threatening to ruin his chances at parole. Frightened, Schillinger unsuccessfully seeks other people to kill Beecher for him. Finally, Schillinger seems to find somebody willing to do the deed: guard Diane Wittlesey, whom he blackmails with knowledge that she had shot a prisoner during the riot. Wittlesey reluctantly agrees to get rid of Beecher if Schillinger will keep quiet. Beecher disappears and Schillinger subsequently meets with Wittlesey to discuss their deal. During this meeting, however, Schillinger is under surveillance; Wittlesey had never intended to kill Beecher and had reported Schillinger's request to her superiors, who arranged to hide Beecher until they could get Schillinger on tape incriminating himself. Schillinger obliges them, and Beecher has the satisfaction of being present to see the look on his nemesis's face when he realizes what has happened.

Afterwards, with Schillinger in the hole, Beecher brags to his new cellmate, Augustus Hill, that his plan worked perfectly; not only has Schillinger blown his chance of parole: he also will be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and have even more time added to his sentence. Hill warns him that Schillinger, who now has nothing to lose, will be out for revenge even more than he was before. Beecher is too happy to care.

Hill is eventually transferred to a different cell, and Chris Keller is brought in. As time passes, Beecher is surprised to find himself becoming attracted to Keller. This becomes more apparent after Beecher's wife Geniveve commits suicide. Unbeknown to Beecher, however, Keller is working with Schillinger, in order to help the latter get revenge. After using Beecher's attraction to Keller to put him through an emotional wringer and start him drinking again, the two corner him with the help of an Aryan guard, Karl Metzger, and break his arms and legs.

Season 3

Keller discovers that he has genuinely fallen in love with Beecher, and is desperate to win Beecher's trust. Beecher, however, rejects Keller and refuses to forgive him unless he confesses to his role in the attack. Beecher then kills Metzger. While Keller does confess, Beecher still withholds forgiveness, and ambushes Keller shortly after his release from the infirmary, stabbing him. Although Keller never sees his attacker, Beecher tells him that he'd been the one who attacked him some time later.

The conflict between Beecher and Schillinger continues throughout the run of the series. When Schillinger's son Andy is arrested and incarcerated in Oz, Beecher sees his chance to get even with Schillinger by befriending the young man and arranging to share a cell with him. While Beecher never does anything to Andy and in fact helps him cope with his withdrawal from drugs, he leads Schillinger to believe that he is going to rape Andy. Moved by Beecher's kindness, Andy renounces his father and everything he believes in. Schillinger then arranges to have his own son killed. Beecher's co-conspirators in the plan (Keller and Ryan O’Reilly) are happy about the outcome, since they have tormented Schillinger and turned his son against him. Beecher isn't as satisfied, despite having gotten revenge, and he feels guilty for his part in Andy's death. At this point, Beecher is cellmates with former Muslim leader Kareem Said, who convinces Beecher to resolve his guilt by asking for forgiveness from Keller and Schillinger. Beecher finally forgives Keller who saves him from Schillinger's attack.

As the racial tension in Oz intensifies, Beecher and Saïd are the only men of different backgrounds who remain friends.

Season 4

Beecher tries to resolve his guilt with Schillinger further by having a private investigator at his father's law firm discover his younger son Hank. Schillinger, however, wants revenge on Beecher for "corrupting" Andy, and orders Hank to kidnap both of Beecher's children. Hank kills Beecher's son before ultimately releasing his daughter. Hank Schillinger severs the hand of Beecher's son before killing him and mails it to Beecher in Oz. Schillinger also pays another prisoner to tell Beecher that Keller is responsible for the kidnapping. Enraged, Beecher tries to kill Keller thus opening a rift between the two lovers.

When Beecher learns the truth, he tries to apologize to Keller, but Keller casts him aside. Beecher has sex with inmates Nate Shemin and Mondo Browne, as he needs to 'feel something'. Upon learning that Hank Schillinger has been acquitted due to a legal technicality, he approaches Chucky Pancamo in order to commission a hit on Hank Schillinger. Beecher has second thoughts shortly afterward, but when he goes to Pancamo to cancel the hit he is informed that it is too late; Hank Schillinger is already dead. Keller later has Shemin and Browne killed in a plot to undermine the authority of Emerald City's new manager, Martin Querns.

When Schillinger learns of Hank's death, he plots revenge — all chance of which is lost after Keller falsely confesses to having hired the hitman. Keller does so to make himself Schillinger's target instead of Beecher, and not long afterwards he is transferred to another facility. Beecher and Schillinger then are involved in a victim-attacker interaction programs led by Sister Peter Marie, who is trying to help Beecher fight his inner conflicts. With Keller in Massachusetts for confessing to Hank's murder, Beecher is up for parole and falls in love with his attorney, Katherine McClain. McClain does what she can for Beecher, but Schillinger rallies the Aryans to ruin his parole chances. Beecher is protected from Schillinger by Saïd and the Muslims, but is denied parole. Schillinger and Robson then attempt to rape Beecher, but Saïd comes to his defense and fights the Aryans off with a knife.

Season 5

Fearing for a war between the Aryans and Muslims, Sister Pete suggests Beecher mediate interaction sessions between himself, Schillinger, and Saïd. In the first interaction session, Beecher says he felt Schillinger's attempts to ruin his parole were semi-justified, and that Saïd and Schillinger are very alike, despite drastic differences in beliefs. As the interaction sessions continues, Chucky Pancamo informs Beecher that Agent Pierce Taylor has implicated him in the murder of Hank Schillinger, and that the elder Schillinger will come after the Italians for protecting him. Sure enough, the Italians and Aryans go to war.

Shortly after, Keller is released from Massachusetts custody. Keller's return to Oz is not easy, however; Taylor now has evidence implicating him in a series of murders, and a guilty verdict will send him to death row. Keller is isolated from the general population, and thus from Beecher.

In an interaction session, Schillinger denies any involvement in Beecher's rape. Beecher then attacks him. Afterwards, convicted rapists Franklin Winthrop and Adam Guenzel arrive in Oz, the latter being a friend of Beecher's family. Winthrop is immediately raped by the Aryans; Beecher, fearing for Guenzel's safety, recruits the Italians to protect him. When Robson attempts to rape Guenzel, Frank Urbano saves him. Angered by a failed attempt, Schillinger forces Winthrop to tell the homophobic Guenzel about Beecher's relationships with men. Disgusted, Guenzel rejects his protector, in part due to concerns about other inmates thinking that he and Beecher are lovers.

Schillinger then apologizes to Beecher in an interaction session and shortly afterwards offers him a deal. Schillinger tells Beecher he can see Keller working in the mail room if he allows Guenzel to be transferred to Unit B, without the Italians' protection, where Schillinger will be free to do whatever he wishes to Guenzel. Beecher initially refuses, but then considers giving in after growing tired of Guenzel's verbal abuse. When Guenzel is talking with Biker Max Sands, Beecher warns him of the Aryan/Biker alliance that is being used to set Guenzel up for Schillinger. Guenzel then sucker punches him in front of the entire Em City population and repeatedly pushes Beecher's head toward his groin to simulate oral sex. Beecher gives in to Schillinger's demands and convinces McManus that he can no longer help Guenzel. McManus then transfers Guenzel to Unit B where he is gang-raped by the Aryans with Winthrop watching. Guenzel is then seen in the gym, beaten and raped.

Stricken with guilt, Beecher asks for Saïd's advice. Saïd counsels Beecher to give up his relationship with Keller and help Guenzel any way he can. Beecher asks Sister Pete to talk to Guenzel and Schillinger; Afraid that Guenzel will eventually inform on the Aryans, Schillinger arranges for Guenzel to "escape", which results in Guenzel's death courtesy of the electric fence. Guilty over Guenzel's death, Beecher confesses to the authorities about Schillinger's involvement, forcing Warden Leo Glynn to sentence Schillinger to solitary confinement for an undetermined length of time. Beecher then sees Keller, who has just been found guilty of murder, released from the hospital, where the two of them share an intimate kiss.

Season 6

Beecher is transferred to a safer unit, as McManus sees that he has become an Aryan target once again for testifying against Schillinger. Beecher's father, Harrison, in the meantime appeals Keller's death sentence until Winthrop kills him to earn membership in the Aryan Brotherhood. Fortunately, Beecher is paroled, inherits his father's law firm, and gets Keller's death sentence overturned.

Soon afterward, Beecher is sent back to prison after a lonely Keller arranges for him to get caught buying illegal drugs. Keller had told Beecher that his ex-wife was terribly ill and asked him to pick up a drug for her that hadn't been approved by the F.D.A. and was thus illegal. After Beecher agrees to do so, Keller anonymously telephones the police and tells them where the deal would take place. Once in prison again, Beecher banishes Keller from his life. In an attempt to make Beecher forgive him, Keller engineers Schillinger's death; during Oz's production of Macbeth (in which both Beecher and Schillinger had been cast), he switches a prop knife for a real one, resulting in Schillinger's death when Beecher stabs him.

Once Beecher realizes what had happened, he and Keller get into a heated argument, during which Keller realizes that Beecher would never be able to love him again. The argument ends with Beecher rejecting Keller and, as Beecher pushes him away, Keller commits a final act of betrayal by throwing himself backwards and over a railing while screaming "Beecher, NO!" effectively committing suicide and implicating Beecher as a murderer. At the end of the series, Beecher is in protective custody to shield him from the Aryans and awaiting trial for Keller's death.

What Hurts The Most:

Tribute to Chris Keller & Tobias Beecher (Oz)

As much as Toby tries to forget, he can't forget Chris and the good and bad times they shared in OZ.

Take Me Under:

Tribute to Beecher & Keller (Oz)

Missing:

Beecher/Keller Tribute Vid (Oz)

It definitely wasn't the greatest show in the world, and to me had identity problems most of all. It seemed to not know whether it wanted to gay iconic show, soap opera, social commentary, etc. Just seemed as if it changed directions way too often.

As far as the couples, I had no problem with them for the most part. I liked Ben and Michael most of all, but the others were okay too.

[Ann_SS]

I loved Chris and Toby although Chris was a freaking psychopath. Only Chris Meloni and Lee Tergesen's talent made that hellish sick dysfunctional relationship believable.

[EricMontreal22]

This isn't the place--I've talked about this in the Primetime thread, but (despite how much of the remake was Canadian--behind and in front of the camera) I hated the US QAF. Partly because the UK original meant SOO much to mewhen I saw it as a teen, I admit, but basically agreed with everything you said. Though I never liked anything with Jonathan (I did meet the actor who played Ethan at a party in Vancouver though--the Asian girl from Smallville was there too--he was very nice lol). But actually the couple linked above was one of the stories I didn't mind. (and yes the fact that Brian would have any friends let alone lovers after 5 years of assholery is ridiculous--something that was addressed in the UK original with his equivalent character Stuart)

[Ann_SS]

I loved the UK Queer of Folk also. It was really good tv by Russell Davies. It was turned in to pooh by the U.S. producers.