Is/Was There a Soap Industry A-List?

[ellabelle]

I was watching Susan Lucci on Hot in Cleveland this week, and it reminded me that yes, she really is THE A list from daytime. Here you have a sitcom with a character who is a former soap icon, and the writers wanted an arch nemesis for her. Who did they pick? Susan Lucci. Who else? They've named whole episodes after her. Heck, last week all of the characters were walking around saying "I've been LUCCIED!" I kept trying to picture any other daytime actress playing that part on Hot In Cleveland, and it just doesn't work. The characters saying "I've been Sweeneyed" or "I've been Francised" just isn't the same, and it doesn't have the same recognition to the world outside of daytime. Because everyone either knows who Susan Lucci is, or they know who Erica Kane is. How many non-daytime fans watching The Biggest Loser could tell you who Alison Sweeney plays on Days of Our Lives? My guess is not many.

[DaytimeFan]

I have to disagree. Lucci and Sweeney aren't in the same league by a light year and it comes down to a simple thing: Susan Lucci became famous at the peak of daytime soap opera relevance, the 70s and 80s, she captured a huge number of people because a huge number of people were watching her. Sweeney has not had that benefit. She gained relevance as daytime was on the slide into irrelevance. The Biggest Loser is not a titanic hit, in fact the ratings have been declining over time. As you've pointed out Lucci became famous for being Lucci, which has allowed her into numerous business ventures. Sweeney, if she has fame from hosting The Biggest Loser is pidgeon holed into the fitness sector, an overcrowded sector to say the least and a sector that already has a Biggest Loser: Jillian Michaels. Sweeney's turning 36 this year, she looks it and Hollywood is ageist. By the time Lucci was 36 she was nearing her zenith of fame, a level she has more or less sustained. That hasn't happened for Sweeney and it won't be happening either.

Precisely, there is but one A Lister and but one Susan Lucci.

[VirginiaHamilton]

I find that surprising, as I figure that NBC would use both as a great opportunity to cross promote so that both sets of fans could be aware of AS being both Sami Brady/host of The Biggest Loser.

[DaytimeFan]

Doesn't happen. Won't happen. NBC is focused on its primetime lineup. DAYS has been spared because nobody's paying attention to it.

[Jonathan]

I posted this in the music and movies forum: La Lucci in Gloria Estefan's new music video! La Lucci is mentioned in the song.

http://perezhilton.com/2012-02-08-sneak-peek-gloria-estefan-susan-lucci-hotel-nacional-music-video#.TzKDSMWJe8A

[Paul Raven]

I'm going to give a shout out here to Rosemary Prinz,who I think represented A list back in the 60's and 70's.It was a totally different time and soaps had zilch profile in the wider world,but in those terms Prinz was beloved as Penny Hughes and was front burner on the nations #1 soap for many years and was allowed to take time off in Summer to do theater.

When she agreed to return to daytime on AMC it was on her terms-6 months contract and star billing on the opening credits (a daytime first) as well as some storyline input (the anti-war stance).Then when she agreed to launch HTSAM she again got star billing and was the highest paid daytime actress at the time.

[ellabelle]

Did you see the picture Susan just posted today on facebook of herself and Gloria in Miami? I will happily debate how much Photoshop I think was used in that image, but even so, dear God that woman looks amazing for her age.

[Jonathan]

Yes, I saw that. I don't think the pic is photoshopped. There's just a lot of makeup going on in that photo from both ladies.

[Jonathan]

Here's the A Lister in Gloria Estefan's video. She's hot!

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[SFK]

I was done at Hucci-Cucci! LOVE. She is perfection when she spins around in that chair.

Looks like Eden Riegel on drums, Rena Sofer on bass.

This seems like something Shirley Bassey will cover.

[ellabelle]

Ahhh... that was video was awesome. Susan looked gorgeous. Hanging out in a bar in a sexy dress being fondled by hot men... it's a rough life at the top of the A list.

[Jonathan]

She's not at the top of the A list. She is the A list. Have you not learned anything in this thread? Get it straight.

[Jonathan]

Had to post this somewhere. La Lucci with Ivanka Trump and Joan Rivers.

https://twitter.com/...5/photo/1/large

[DaytimeFan]

She looks amazing in the Estefan video and very few women wear fur better than her (awful as fur is).

[SFK]

They're all so matchy-matchy, it looks like Dennis lent them those furs with their front row invite.

Joan: sable

Susan: broadtail with sable trim

Ivanka: chinchilla