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Sep 20, 2000 04:00 AM ET
- by Soaps
Dear Soaps,
Is it just me, or are the writers of All My Children making Finola Hughes's character, Alex, very cold? Ever since Dimitri came back, she has not been the warm person she used to be and is treating Edmund like a piece of dirt. It makes the viewers wonder why Edmund would still want her. And Dimitri needs to leave the show for good this time. What are your thoughts? — Dianna
Dear Dianna,
First, I think the legion of Michael Nader fans who campaigned to get Dimitri back on the show would object to him leaving so soon. As for Alex's coldness, I can't say I've noticed it. She certainly must feel awkward for falling for Edmund so soon after Dimitri's "death." Also, the British can kind of come off cold and condescending in general. It's not their fault. It's that
haughty-sounding accent. (Michael J. Maloney)
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Sep 20, 2000 04:00 AM ET
- by Soaps
Dear Soaps,
Don't you think that Jax's departure on General Hospital was handled badly? After the buildup and then actually seeing Vanessa [Marcil] back in her role it was really stupid to not have a meeting between them. Please give your opinion. Thanks. — Katie
Dear Katie,
Your thought poses an interesting dilemma. If Jax had met up with Brenda, would he have had any reason to leave Port Charles to try and find her? But more to the point, Ingo Rademacher actually taped his last scenes in early August. Vanessa Marcil didn't tape her cameo until a few days before they aired (an unexpected surprise that was pretty exciting in its own right). Only time will tell if Rademacher's new primetime vehicle, Titans, will be a hit. If the show doesn't last, Rademacher may make his way back to the GH canvas. And after seeing Marcil once again on the GH scene, there's no doubt in my mind that she
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Sep 20, 2000 04:00 AM ET
- by Soaps
Dear Soaps,
Didn't Marlena (Deidre Hall) have a twin before on Days? I thought she did but can't think of the storyline. Thanks for your help. — Ddutch34
Dear Ddutch34,
A lot fans are racking their brains trying to figure out the Marlena/Hattie connection, so let me shed some light. Deidre Hall is not playing Hattie; her real-life twin sister, Andrea Hall-Gengler, is playing the role. This marks Hall-Gengler's return to the show. She first appeared as Samantha Evans, Marlena's twin sister, in 1977. Samantha was a struggling actress who liked booze and drugs, and much like Hattie, coveted Marlena's cushy lifestyle. Samantha drugged her sister, kept her held hostage in a sanitarium and pretended to be the good doctor until she was caught. But Samantha would soon sacrifice her own life to save her sister's, though involuntarily. Samantha fell victim to the Salem Strangler, who thought she was Marlena when
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Donna Swajeski, former headwriter of Another World and past director of daytime
at NBC and ABC, is penning a new soap — on the Internet. She has created an interactive
one-minute soap titled 4o'clock4play for 4anything.com. "It's time to find ways of
telling stories in a different way," says Swajeski. "I think the audience no longer wants to
just watch, they want to get involved. It's an on-going soap with all the traditional elements
of love and romance, and everyone can take something away from the show that's more than just
the story."
	The show follows the lives of four characters in the virtual town Harbor's Edge, two
of whom meet when they are sold the same apartment. "One character, Destiny Blair, she's sort
of the Erica Kane of the digital age," explains Swajeski. "She's really unpredictable, wild,
a lot of fun to watch, outrageous. And everybody is in love with somebody else."
Site users will not only be able watch and d
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It's going to be a lively weekend in Salem, IL, as the town kicks off its 6th annual Days
Fest. More than 18 states will be represented at the three-day event, says festival chairman
and vice-president Barbara Schooner. Steve Blackwood (Bart) will perform at a
blues/jazz concert Friday evening. Fans can catch Blackwood, Arianne Zuker (Nicole)
and Austin Peck (Austin), who is stepping in for Bryan Datillo (Lucas), at the
free outdoor festival on Sat. 16. Jason Cook (Shawn-Douglas) and Nadia Bjorlin
(Chloe) round out the weekend with appearances on Sun. Sept 17. Lorraine Zenka, author
of Days of Our Lives: The Complete Family Album and Days of Our Lives: A Tour
Through Salem, will be on hand to sign copies of her books on both days. "There's a lot
of activites, raffles, look-alike contests, auctions and autographed items from studios
available," promises Schooner. For last-minute information, call 618-548-087
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As The World Turns: Searching for clues about the Lily and Rose connection, Iva and
Lucinda meet Sister Mary Catherine, played by Tresa Hughes, on Sept 19… Kelly
Mealia plays young Iva and Sean Patrick Reilly appears as Lucinda's attorney in a
flashback on Sept. 19….At David's trial, Elaina Erika Davis plays prosecuter Corinne
Lee, Richard Borg plays David's defense attorney and John Wojda plays the judge
on Sept. 20.
Days of Our Lives: Harry Danner appears as Dr. Maxwell, a pediatrician, on
Sept. 24…. Look for Nadia Bjorlin's (Chloe) real-life sister, Kamilla Bjorlin,
to make an appearance on Sept. 26 and 28. She plays the Serpent in Austin and Greta's virtual
Eden.
Guiding Light: Michelle Morgan plays an ICU nurse Sept. 19…. James Biberi
plays a thug Sept. 20…. Justin Silverman is Bo, Marah's pushy admirer, on Sept. 21
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After three years in the top writing slots on General Hospital, headwriter Robert
Guza Jr. and co-headwriter Meg Bennett (ex-Megan, Santa Barbara, ex-Julia,
Y&R, ex-Liza, Search For Tomorrow) have given the show their departure notices.
"It's been a great ride," says Guza in an official statement, "but we feel that it's time to
move on."
Guza, who previously held the role of headwriter at GH, rejoined the writing staff in
the fall of 1997. Bennett joined the team in 1998, fresh from the headwriting position on the
defunct NBC soap Sunset Beach. Under their guidance, General Hospital wowed
viewers with powerhouse storylines, which included revisiting the infamous Luke and Laura
date-rape scenario that happened more than 20 years ago. Guza and his team took home the
Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for the 1998-1999 season.
	No stranger to the daytime or primetime drama canv
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	General Hospital may be losing a powerful daytime duo, but its spin-off,
Port Charles, is welcoming in a new team. Barbara Esensten and James Harmon
Brown have signed on as headwriters for the 3-year-old soap. "We're excited by Barbara
and Jim's vision for Port Charles, and I believe the fans are going to love what we
have planned for the show," says Angela Shapiro, president, ABC daytime. Their stories
will start to air in the first week of December.
	Esensten and Brown first began their collaborative effort in 1988, writing together
for the primetime series Dynasty. They were part of the award-winning writing team on
Guiding Light in 1993, before their appointment as headwriters of Loving. The
team also wrote for the fast-paced cutting-edge serial The City. They returned to
Guiding Light as headwriters in 1995.
	Current PC headwriters Barbara Bloomand
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For all of you who have been itching for more Robin Strasser since she left the
daytime canvas, hold on to your hats! The talented soap veteran is moving to Passions,
where she will play the role of Hecuba.
	Strasser was last seen on One Life To Live, where she played popular
villanness Dorian Lord, a role that earned her an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy. She appeared
as Christina Karras on All My Children and originated the role of Rachel Davis on
Another World.
	Passions came to Strasser with the idea of joining the cast. While there are
only a few details available about Strasser's role, according the show's web site, Hecuba
will be "like nothing you've ever seen on daytime." Could Strasser's character be somehow
related to Tabitha, armed with her own bag of supernatural tricks? "Strasser seems happy with
the direction of her character," says the actress's spokesperson. Look for Strasser to strut
into Harm
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Sep 13, 2000 04:00 AM ET
- by Soaps
Dear Soaps,
I was watching TV the other night and saw a show with Patrick Duffy and
Suzanne Somers, but I can't remember the name of the show. The daughter on the show was named Karen. Was she played by the same actress who plays Alison Barrington on Port Charles? I have a $100 bet riding on this. I swear it was her. My best friend is nagging at me that there is no way that they could be the same actress. I told her a bottle of bleach can change a person's hair color. Please help me. I'm going crazy over this! —Teresa
Dear Teresa,
While a bottle of bleach can (and has) changed many a hair color (not to
mention a career) in tinseltown, Erin Hershey (Alison, PC) did not play Karen on Step By Step, the Somers/Duffy sitcom. Karen was played by actress Angela Watson. Step By Step did have a few soap connections, however. Patrika Darbo (Nancy, Days of Our Lives) play
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