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.

I have more...

B&B

- When Ridge is written as 'the voice of reason', Ronn Moss isn't half bad.

- Brandon Beemer is a terrible bore. I can't believe he has lasted as long as he has while Brad refuses to bring Sean Kanan back (and save Deacon from complete ruination on Y&R).

- I have enjoyed all three adult Rick Forresters.

- I haven't liked Felicia since Colleen Dion played her.

- The thing B&B needs more than anything else is a Sheila-esque psycho. Brad really dropped the ball by not going that route with Aggie.

Y&R

- LML's show, while far from perfect, was a thousand times more watchable than MAB's writing-wise. The music/lighting is better under MAB though.

- Some of MAB's actor hires have been absolute stinkers (West, Riegel, McCrary, Zima) but some have been fantastic (Muhney, Rylan, Driscoll, Francis, Rogers, Sean Young).

- The show is not 'unfixable'. I firmly believe a skilled HW could restore the show and make MAB/Sheffer/Hamner's dreck a distant memory, much like LML's stories are now. I don't believe any show can reach the point of 'unfixable'.

- Some of MAB's actor hires have been absolute stinkers (West, Riegel, McCrary, Zima) but some have been fantastic (Muhney, Rylan, Driscoll, Francis, Rogers, Sean Young).

It's a shame they quickly sidelined Driscoll and Rogers. The worse you are the more likely you'll stay around.

I fail to see how some of these are unpopular opinions I am curious about the Brad Bell love though. While I've not watched B&B regularly enough to fairly say, I do gather that he loves his show (though I think a handful of other recent HWs for soaps have too, including Ron C who I agree is vastly overated), but he seems completely unaware of his faults that have become more and more repeated and extreme. That said I guess the two things aren't mutually exclusive, and I admit that when I tune into B&B occasionally it's one of the easiest current soaps to enjoy. It's when I watch it regularly that I have issue with the way he tells story. I think he does benefit from it being 30 minutes, and would have a hard time adjusting to a longer format.

I think Brad Bell probably loves the idea of writing and producing a soap, and that's good, because MAB, Guza, RC, and many others seemed to stop caring some time ago. I don't think he is very good at it, unfortunately. No good writer - in my opinion - would have a story where a woman with Alzheimer's turns into a lunatic and is drowned by her archrival. I also can't think of one character who has been anything but damaged by his material over the years. The one who survives most is Stephanie, probably due to Susan Flannery. After that I guess you have Bill or Steffy, but these aren't really characters, they're mostly just cutouts.

Edited February 22, 201213 yr by CarlD2

RC sucks as a writer and yet he is considered to be the greatest thing since slice bread. I don't like that "beloved" characters from OLTL are invading Port Chuckles, especially, John McBain. If GH was cancelled instead of OLTL, viewers would not welcome, Sonny, Carly, Jason, Sam to Llanview.

B&B has passed Y&R as the more creative soap with a heart. Y&R used to tug at the heart strings. Now, more often than not, it's plot driven (and convoluted plot at that) with a dash of heartbeat thrown in. Production-wise, B&B has also surpassed its sister soap with stunning location shots, better lighting and sets and an overall feel that someone at the helm really cares about whether this show stays on the air or not. (Maybe that speaks to all the "old" Y&R "refugees" that currently grace the writing and production staffs. They all have long histories with soaps, and more specifically the Bell soaps. They seem to know what classic soap opera is, and aren't floundering around trying to tell and produce story.)

General Soap Opinion

Soaps are and have always been a guilty pleasure - nothing more - which is I have always been able to enjoy them as they are - hot ass messes. If I wanted to watch an intelligent show, I'd tune into Mad Men.

OLTL

I (mostly) loved Ron's vision of OLTL because it was camp and never pretended to be otherwise. Over the last seven months of the show's run, he struck the fine balance between respecting the show's history/vets and providing us with actual humor - something that was/is lacking in the other soaps.

Y&R

Contrary to popular belief, Victoria Rowell isn't crazy or belligerent for being outspoken about the racist double-standards of the show that made her a star/the soap industry. Nor is she a hypocrite for wanting to come back to Y&R, as it is clearly in response to overwhelming fan demand.

GL

I loved every cringe worthy second of Jonathan and Tammy. I could care less that they were an incestuous mess or that the acting was over-the-top (as I said, I do love campy soap), those two were magic.

ATWT

The only time I was ever interested in the borefest that was this soap was when Lamman Rucker was on. Once they decided to make him the Predatory Negro, I left and never looked back.

AMC

I prefer SMG's Kendall over AM's - not because SMG went on to bigger fame, but because I loved Kendall in her original incarnation as an unrepentant bitch who lived to make her mother's life a living hell. Once they decided to make her a weeping willow that needed love, my interest in that character died.

GH

I've always had and always will love Brenda Barrett, so seeing her being trashed onscreen/off-screen so that the show could prop lesser characters that were proof of how far the show'd fallen since her original tenure in the 90s plain old was beyond infuriating. To say that I am actively wishing for the show to get canned because of this is an understatement.

B&B

After OLTL, I thought I'd never find a soap that catered to my love of camp. Though it may be too soon to say (since it's been only a month since I'd started watching again after a 10+ year hiatus), this show may be my next guilty pleasure.

Steve Burton needs to retire from acting

I thought that was a popular opinion.

I agree about SMG's Kendall. Nothing against AM, but the character as written during the SMG years was much more exciting and fun. I think the Kendall character suffered in the shadow of the new demi-bitch, Greenlee. And if Erica could be Erica for the show's entire run, I see no reason why Kendall HAD to soften, or anything like that. I'm not sure SMG's Kendall would have been a mother of two, and if she was, she would have been a much different mother with her bag of issues.

I really felt Miller showed a lot of potential on AMC--and was underused (I chalk some of that up to how bizarrely paced and "balanced" AMC was under B/E but while they actually did good with introducing him slowly--many, including myself, thought he was a day player when he first showed up as Krystal's bartender--they could have done a lot more with his relationship with Annie, the interesting dynamic of nobody knowing if it was he or Annie--or both--who were crazy and their deaf father, etc Then they killed him way too soon, had the lame unused twist that involving COlby and crew running him over as well, etc... I remember B/E even promised in SOD a fun story with him and Janet when they meet in the insane asylum and I swear it actually lasted about an episode and a half and then they never interacted again). But the random episodes I've seen him on Y&R have been very unconvincing, to say the least. He was ok, though he did the thing I've now seen him do in every role, on Ringer, so maybe he really simply is not trying anymore on Y&R

Miller was amazing on AMC. He really upped the ante with all of his cast mates. He brought life into Egan's performance for the first time ever and he acted circles around much of the people he was put against. He was a riveting villain. I'm kind of sad that Alexa left so soon after he was cast because I thought they had quite a bit of sweet chemistry between them. Ritchie/Wes was what AMC really needed at the time a breakout male character who upset the status quo. The last time I really felt that happened was with William DeVry's version of Micheal Cambias. AMC needed a catalyst stimulate and Ritchie/Wes was it. It's crazy but I felt more for him then I did for most of the characters on the canvas. He was brilliant.

On Y&R the most recent actors have succeeded if they do a lot of ACTING. Michael Muhney is similar. The main difference is that he does seem to care about his character and he has chemistry with Sharon Case. Miller has anti-chemistry with his leading ladies and he doesn't seem to care about Billy (IMO), although I can't really blame him.

I really like Miller but you couldn't pay me to sit down and watch Billy Abbot screw his life up continuously for four or five years. I really think it's Y&R's fault because things are so dreary, sedated and slow that it just makes watching the show unbearable. I used to love Nick and Sharon but they have been decimated as well.

AMC

I prefer SMG's Kendall over AM's - not because SMG went on to bigger fame, but because I loved Kendall in her original incarnation as an unrepentant bitch who lived to make her mother's life a living hell. Once they decided to make her a weeping willow that needed love, my interest in that character died.

I don't think this is an unpopular opinion. I think even the Alicites know that SMG is a better actress then Minshew. Or at least I sure hope they do. I actually liked AM's Kendell when she first came back, her best years were her first two after that her character lost purpose fast. Kendell should have always been the outsider clawing her damnedest to get back in. Kendell was at her heart a self-destructive character who struggled to find love and acceptance and when she didn't get that she lashed out in hurtful ways. Once Erica accepted her, Kendell meant nothing. I still say Kendell should have went to jail for killing Micheal Cambias in an effort to save Bianca.

I think the Kendall character suffered in the shadow of the new demi-bitch, Greenlee. And if Erica could be Erica for the show's entire run, I see no reason why Kendall HAD to soften, or anything like that. I'm not sure SMG's Kendall would have been a mother of two, and if she was, she would have been a much different mother with her bag of issues.

Those kids killed the Kendell character. Greenlee herself also had a very small shelf life, Greenlee should have died along with Leo or just left town after he died. Erica towards the end of the show got irritating too though, it was as if she never progressed from being 19 years old.

Edited February 22, 201213 yr by Skin

I agree about SMG's Kendall. Nothing against AM, but the character as written during the SMG years was much more exciting and fun. I think the Kendall character suffered in the shadow of the new demi-bitch, Greenlee. And if Erica could be Erica for the show's entire run, I see no reason why Kendall HAD to soften, or anything like that. I'm not sure SMG's Kendall would have been a mother of two, and if she was, she would have been a much different mother with her bag of issues.

I've nothing against AM either, but I'm in total agreement with you about her Kendall being watered-down to the character's detriment. I wish I could say whether AM would've been able to stack up to SMG's brilliant bitchery, but I don't feel that the show honestly gave her a chance to do that (another unpopular opinion of mine).

SMG Kendall as a mother of anyone - I just can't see it (another reason why I enjoyed her).

I don't think this is an unpopular opinion. I think even the Alicites know that SMG is a better actress then Minshew. Or at least I sure hope they do. I actually liked AM's Kendell when she first came back, her best years were her first two after that her character lost purpose fast. Kendell should have always been the outsider clawing her damnedest to get back in. Kendell was at her heart a self-destructive character who struggled to find love and acceptance and when she didn't get that she lashed out in hurtful ways. Once Erica accepted her, Kendell meant nothing. I still say Kendell should have went to jail for killing Micheal Cambias in an effort to save Bianca.

The most I've read about SMG in regards to Kendall is that she's only regarded as a good Kendall because she went on to bigger fame and that she wouldn't be as well regarded if she'd remained in soaps. Again, nothing against AM, but her sappy version of Kendall left me cold and was not the Kendall that made me fall in love with AMC back in the day.

Alicia Minshew is a horrible actress and Thorsten Kaye became an albatross to AMC. Both actors, along with the worship of Rebecca Budig and Cameron Mathison, creatively destroyed AMC.

Jacqueline Macinness Wood: not the second coming of Christ, not a good actress and she appears to be already dabbling in injectable fillers.

Zach never should have lasted beyond 2005 as a character. He should have never been involved with Kendell either. He should have come in between Edmund and Maria and then bowed out when they both left the show. Ryan never should have came back after he originally left the show. AMC had so many characters that went way past their due date in it's last years.

#1

I'm as repulsed and bored by JaSam as I am by Liason yet I hold nothing against either Kelly Monaco nor Rebecca Herbst. Am pretty sure it's the Steve Burton factor

#2

I actually agree that Drew Garrett and Lexi Ainsworth

needed

to be re-cast.

GH.

#1 They need to kill off Jason. Cause, everyone always complains about him. Yet, if they did. I know that the same damn people who were complaining would flip sides and start complaining about how they 'were killing off a legacy character' and headhunting the writer who did it.

#2 They needed to bring on Natalie instead of Starr (cause, there's just not much to do with her except stick her with Michael) With Nat, they could keep her with John. Make her friends with a few of the female characters, and let her take Padilla's place at the PCPD. Just said she went into training to be a cop. She could actually kick some ass instead of just setting behind a desk all day.

#3 Don't know how unpopular this idea is. But, change the theme song back to the 90s Faces Of The Heart theme. They don't have to change the visuals. But, it would be nice if they did. Yet, it would take less money just to change the song back. Still flows well with the new visuals.

#4. I like JL better as Maxie than KS. Jen reminds me more of original Maxie (Robin Richards)