I'll go first:

B&B

- While not perfect, the show is currently in the best shape it's been in since 2003.

Y&R

- Genie Francis is terrific as Genevieve Atkinson. I know she wasn't well liked in her first few months on her show, but I'm currently watching June 2011 episodes and I LOVE her campy take on the character, despite the overall wretchedness of the storyline. Although I never saw Francis on GH, so I don't have that to compare it to. I'd love to see her on B&B in a Sally Spectra/Jackie Marone type role.

- Phyllis is one of very few characters to actually flourish under MAB (save for the Lucy custody madness). And of course, I still consider La Stafford to be the best actress in daytime.

- Maura West was AT LEAST as miscast as Diane as Shari Shattuck was as Ashley.

If TPTB wanted to throw Maura at the Newman men, she should've been Grace Turner.

Pretty much!

OLTL

Layla & Cris had more chemistry than Evangeline & Cris.

Tea Delgado is a sociopath but Florencia can definitely act.

Killing off Gabrielle, Keri, Al & Talia were mistakes.

Getting rid of Layla, Greg, Rachel, Markko, Nick & Kish were also big mistakes.

When he wasn't paired with Jessica, Antonio was tolerable.

B&B

Kristen & Felicia should have been brought back instead of SORASing Hope & Steffy.

Aaron Spears is a good actor.

Taylor should have stayed with Nick.

Brooke should have remarried Whip.

Pam Vs. Donna was horrible.

Here's one of mine:

Although I applaud DAYS for (acknowledging a significant portion of their fanbase and) finally doing a "gay storyline," I must admit that, in my heart of hearts, I think they chose the wrong two characters (namely, Sonny and Will) to do it with.

And here's another:

Questionable story decisions aside (like killing off ANOTHER WORLD's Frankie, and bringing Eric Kane to ALL MY CHILDREN's Pine Valley as "Barney the Clown"), Margaret DePriest is the most underrated writer in the industry.

I don't know if DAYS chose the wrong characters, but they chose the wrong way to go about it. Will is so unlikeable and they have made Sonny the most irrelevant token since that sassy gay housekeeper who vanished from The Golden Girls.

I have a lot of issues with DePriest's 86-87 AW run (what did you think of it?), although it does seem like she saved the show from cancelation.

Ok, but let me ask you, did you watch DAYS when Deborah Adair played Kate or was Lauren Koslow already playing Kate when you started watching the show? Because trust me, that makes all the difference and youtube clips aren't the same as watching the show on a daily basis as the story played out. For example, Adair's Kate's relationships with Lucas, Austin, and especially Billie were far more complex and layered and psychologically involving than Koslow's Kate's ever were. Kate's current relationships with her children are COMPLETELY different and it doesn't stem from natural story progression. Hell, she's barely even spoken to Austin or seen Carrie since their return and that's just an example. I cringe at her fawning over Billie and her contemptuous relationship with Lucas. It's just not the same and makes Zero sense to me, even after 15 years of watching it.

I have and I think Lauren Koslow's Kate is far, far superior to Deborah Adair's Kate. Deborah Adair's Kate would have been written off of DAYS after the Sami/Franco/Lucas/Deathrow storyline like many of the 'rich bitch' characters in daytime. Lauren Koslow's Kate is far more layered, sensual, conflicted...she's just fabulous and I don't understand the Deborah Adair love. She's a fine actress, but she's not unique, while Koslow is. Koslow has a vulnerability to her and a sense of survival that I just don't see Adair possessing. Koslow has taken Kate places that Deborah Adair never could.

Koslow can and is dropped into so many random stories and she never, ever, fails. She always makes them work and she perks up the worst scenes and props up the worst actors. She moves mountains on that show and I think she is criminally underrated.

Louise Sorel is the one who picked Koslow to take over the role of Kate, it was left to her by Corday and Reilly because Vivian and Kate were sharing most of their scenes and Lauren is the actress Louise thought was best.

Some more GH unpopular opinions inspired by today's episode:

1. I've never had any use for anything Cassadine and always believed that they turned everything from sugar to sh*t (i.e.: Nikolas being revealed as Laura's son, thus breaking up the Luke/Laura/Lucky harmony that I loved), so hearing about them being supposedly decimated earns a 'meh' for me.
   
2. I've always found Alexis to be a bore and truly believe that the only reason why she is beloved is because she is 'relatable' to some viewers while far more glamorous or dynamic characters intimidate.
   
3. While we're on the subject of Alexis, I also don't understand the overwhelming hoopla over Nancy Lee Grahn's 'thespian skills', as she's always come across as a clucking chicken with its head cut off onscreen. The fact that she is an obnoxious attention ho off-screen hardly helps in my regard of her, either.
   

I think the idea of the Cassadines was great, but I think they should have kept them as recurring players, instead of having them move to Port Charles. Stefan only had two good years - if even that - and Nik failed early on.

I understand that they had a place as formidable enemies of Luke/Laura's 30 years ago, but they should've ended that mess after Dame Liz's fabulous turn. I didn't need to see other members infect PC 15+ years later because all they brought was doom and gloom - both of which I don't want to see.

I hated Stefan and Nikolas precisely because they screwed up the happy Spencer family that I fell in love with. I certainly didn't care to watch Stefan's life and loves, nor did I care about Laura's other son. While it's easy to blame the destruction of the Spencer family dynamic on Ethan (since he's been useless since his inception), I believe that it all started with the return of the Cassadines in 1996.

I think Guza would have broken up that relationship no matter what, as he despised it and despised Laura. The only real brutal rewrite in that story was Laura wanting to stay on the island and not intending to return to Luke permanently.

I just think overall they were something which did not work as a permanent idea. Nikolas was a big failure as a character - the only time people cared about him was when he first started and was the brooding young hunk. They ran out of stories for him in less than a year. Tyler Baker grew bored with the role even before he left the first time.

Stephen Nichols was wonderful in his first run and sizzled with Bobbie, but they just lost interest, especially when Patch and Kayla 1997 failed to ignite. The writing for Stefan/"Lasha" was so halting, it was painful to watch. Genie Francis also wasn't suited for that type of romantic material.

Genie Francis takes credit for planting the seed of Laura giving birth to a Cassadine seed so...

Genie Francis takes credit for planting the seed of Laura giving birth to a Cassadine seed so...

I can see where she'd want that as a story idea, and the story did work, for a few months.

I wonder, in the long run, if there was ever any reason to bring Luke and Laura back. Their story had already been told, and other than JJ being popular for a few years, they didn't add anything to the show when they came back. I thought Genie Francis had a few good moments when she came back but in general I feel like they were both popular just because of a specific time and place...neither has been able to carve out any big role or following outside of their heyday.

While we're on the subject of Alexis, I also don't understand the overwhelming hoopla over Nancy Lee Grahn's 'thespian skills', as she's always come across as a clucking chicken with its head cut off onscreen.

That's mostly because she is given really bad comedy to work with. NLG is probably one of the best actresses GH has had since I started watching it circa 99'. Her vulnerability, her humanity and her humility as an actress is simply astonishing. I can't imagine it's easy to play such a neurotic role on a such a sexist show like the one on GH. I love how she plays up Alexis flaws and is not afraid to make her look worn and real. She uses Alexis flaws as a badge of honor but she also exemplifies everything good in Alexis as well she has her morals, values and she is an intensely strong character at the heart of who she is. Bad choices in men, aside she is probably one of the best characters on the show. I always tear up watching these scenes during her cancer arc and when Kristina was ill because I find it to be so deeply poignant and unflinchingly realistic. Don't let the fact that she isn't glamorous discount her talent. She's a powerhouse actress. She's incandescent as a performer in this medium. Not enough actresses like her as far as I am concerned.

I'm losing my hair

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB_ct56xOMU

I thought Genie Francis had a few good moments when she came back but in general I feel like they were both popular just because of a specific time and place...neither has been able to carve out any big role or following outside of their heyday.

I'll disagree. The moment when Laura came out of her catatonic state always gives me goosebumps.

Edited March 7, 201213 yr by Skin

I guess my unpopular opinion probably has to go with Days:

-With some notable and obvious exceptions, I enjoyed a lot of what aired on Days early 2009-early 2011.

-I like Rafe and Sami as a couple and always have.

Edited March 8, 201213 yr by soapfan770

I wonder, in the long run, if there was ever any reason to bring Luke and Laura back. Their story had already been told, and other than JJ being popular for a few years, they didn't add anything to the show when they came back. I thought Genie Francis had a few good moments when she came back but in general I feel like they were both popular just because of a specific time and place...neither has been able to carve out any big role or following outside of their heyday.

Frankly, if Tony Geary had been more successful as Bill Eckert, the thought of bringing back Luke & Laura permanently might never have crossed TPTB's minds. As it was, Genie Francis appeared happy working on ALL MY CHILDREN (even if her character, Ceara Connor, had become a bore), but TG's big return to GH had been a spectacular failure. What I can't figure out, though, is why ABC felt bringing back Luke & Laura was the right way to go since GH appeared to be on an upswing thanks to Claire Labine and Wendy Riche being in charge. If anything, I would have kept GF on AMC and release TG from his contract with GH.

Edited March 7, 201213 yr by Khan

Frankly, if Tony Geary had been more successful as Bill Eckert, the thought of bringing back Luke & Laura permanently might never have crossed TPTB's minds. As it was, Genie Francis appeared happy working on ALL MY CHILDREN (even if her character, Ceara Connor, had become a bore), but TG's big return to GH had been a spectacular failure. What I can't figure out, though, is why ABC felt bringing back Luke & Laura was the right way to go since GH appeared to be on an upswing thanks to Claire Labine and Wendy Riche being in charge. If anything, I would have kept GF on AMC and release TG from his contract with GH.

I don't think Labine came onto Canvas as a writer until L&L were already on canvas a few months.