Big Returns!

All My Children has been making more noise in the soap world this past week. First came the announcement that Rebecca Budig was reprising her role as Greenlee Smythe as the show moves from New York City to Los Angeles into its new digs. Maligned head writer Chuck Pratt seems to feel that Rebecca could be the cure to what ails the show. In fact, in a strange quote in Soap Opera Digest, Pratt had this to say: “Oddly enough, I always thought regardless of the move, and regardless of who we're losing and who we're getting, from the minute we lost her and she was coming to L.A… I kept thinking, 'We're going to get her back. It's going to take about a year.' Luckily, I laid in the story and had it in my mind this whole time. She’s always been my favorite.” The bright spot here is that if all goes as planned, the stage will be set for bitter enemies Greenlee and Erica to fight for the affection of their man, Ryan.

Hot on the heels of this item came word that former soap darlings Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos (Ex- Hayley and Mateo Santos) are heading back to Pine Valley for the 40th Anniversary episode of the series to air in January. Could Josh Duhamel (Ex-Leo) be next? Especially if Pratt darling, Budig, is on board?

Just What Team Does Stephanie Forrester Play For?

I received a package from The Bold and the Beautiful
recently which included a T-shirt with the likeness of Susan Flannery’s
bulldozing matriarch Stephanie Forrester’s mug on it and the emblazoned
words “Team Stephanie” with this little note: "Stephanie Forrester has
spent 23 years being hateful, depraved, and manipulative to just about
everyone who has crossed her path. So, why in the world would anybody
root for her? Tune in on Friday, October 16th, to find out." And that
is just what I did!

You see, after a series of mini-strokes, this
once-tough gal has become a bit of a softy, and has made a decision to
leave her position at work. So her coworkers decide to try to get her
to come back (even though her self-confidence is shaken by these recent
debilitating physical problems) by staging a sort of a
rah-rah type intervention. Dressed as cheerleaders, football players
and coaches, the Jackie M. design house, where Stephanie works, shows
up in front of her chanting S-T-E-P-H-A-N-I-E. Of course, the gay
audience was thrilled for the opportunity to see Brandon Beemer (Owen,
below) in sexy football garb, and Jack Wagner (Nick) doing his best
circuit party dance moves. Needless to say, after that soap bit, this
weekend I am wearing my Team Stephanie T-shirt, proudly.