ABC's Emmy-winning soap All My Children has launched a nationwide search for a veteran of the Iraq War to join the cast in a new role. The open casting call is looking to cast the role of Brot, an injured veteran who plays the believed-dead love interest of Beth Ehlers' Lt. Taylor Thompson, who comes to Pine Valley to deliver service medals to Dr. Frankie Hubbard. When she finds out Brot is alive, the couple reunites, revealing their individual back stories along the way.Exec producer Julie Hanan Carruthers said in a release that casting a real-life veteran "will give this character an authentic and specific personal perspective, combined with a unique sensibility." Carruthers also said the show will partner with USA Cares, an organization that supports 9/11 veterans and their families to "ensure that we tell this story honestly and accurately.”While the interested veterans don't have to be injured, the writers are open to working in the real-life injuries and circumstances int...
read more
All My Children is about to get very political. On July 24, fan fave Beth Ehlers — who recently fled from CBS' Guiding Light — will join the ABC soap as Taylor McBride, an Army lieutenant fresh from a tour in Iraq. She’ll be teamed once again with GL partner Ricky Paull Goldin, who defected from that troubled soap earlier this year. Clearly, ABC hopes to re-create their supercouple magic — but don't expect Jake and Taylor to be another Gus and Harley."Like many great romances, this one will be born of conflict," says AMC’s newly arrived head writer, Charles Pratt, Jr. "Jake and Taylor’s relationship, not unlike our current presidential campaign, is a clash of ideals — the liberal versus the conservative. Taylor represents the modern warrior who is gung-ho military. For her, it's all about her country, her unit, her mission, not about the politics."Jake, on the other hand, spent years working in Africa with Doctors Without Borders and has a "complet...
read more
Nominations for the 35th annual Daytime Emmys will be announced live on The View April 30, and I'm expecting some ghastly nods due to an expanded system that has allowed 143 actors on the ballot (a third more than last year). Never mind that most of 'em shouldn't be permitted anywhere near an Emmy, that's give or take two dozen in each of the acting categories! Several judges tell me they couldn't view that much footage (each actor submits two episodes) and voted without seeing all the work. Some chose not to vote at all.Plus, there's the usual nonsense: Several lead players, most egregiously All My Children's Alicia Minshew (Kendall), are hogging spots on the supporting list. And some of the best work isn't on the ballot. Where's General Hospital's Kelly Monaco (Sam)? Guiding Light's Beth Ehlers (Harley)? Without them, it's not a fair fight. And get this — the TV academy has decided to drop the follow-up round of voting after the nominees are announced. The winners will alrea...
read more
Best Soap: One Life to LiveIt started the year utterly crappy thanks to head writer Dena Higley, but after Erika Slezak (our hero!) royally blasted Higley on the Web, ABC fired the scribe and promoted wonder boy Ron Carlivati. Like magic, the show instantly regained its heart, its thrills, its smarts. The cast is a dream, especially Slezak, whose Viki found heaven in a Texas diner, Catherine Hickland as crazy (or is she?) Lindsay and Tuc Watkins as that gold-digging man-whore David. Once again, we're loving Life!Best Actress: The Young and the Restless' Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki)As the distraught mama faced with divorce and a comatose daughter, she pulled out all the stops, then pulled out a few more we never knew existed. This was deep, blistering work. Plus the lady gets extra points for acting sans makeup on high-def TV!Best Actor: As the World Turns' Jon Hensley (Holden)His quiet, no-baloney performance was a relief in a year of so much male showboating. Whether playing Holden'...
read more
