Christopher Goutman: Goodbye Five Days A Week?

In the September 30th Soap Opera Digest, Christopher Goutman (Executive Producer of AS THE WORLD TURNS) says the following: "I don't think there is an appetite in this society right now to watch this show five days a week; they don't have the time or the energy." Goutman may or may not be correct with this theory. But why doesn't he produce a quality show five days a week before he determines no one wants to watch it? ATWT is a mess right now moving from one plot point to another going from one overly dramatic outdoor "event" to another. The latest is Ethan Snyder stuck in a hole. Stephanie Sloane conducted the interview with Goutman and CBS Daytime Senior Vice President Barbara Bloom. Once again, only softball questions were asked and no real follow-up was done when they were giving the usual spin. Why can't anyone confront Goutman, Bloom, Frons, Corday, etc. on the fact that the lack of interesting and imaginative writing is the biggest issue with these soaps? Why can't anyone get a straight answer about the lack of diversity on daytime? The answers given by Goutman and Bloom were the soap equivalent to John McCain saying "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" during a huge financial crisis for the United States. There wass an opportunity for real journalism here. Fans are thirsty for it, just like they are for a well-written daytime soap. In regard to Luke and Noah, they give the usual double talk about it being an "important" storyline, but SOD does not ask why Noah has appeared in only a handful of episodes the past two months or why Luke and Noah have not had sex. SPOILER ALERT: It looks like Lucy and Johnny may be on their way back, or at least included in a storyline in the near future. If so, speculation that the casting notice for Josie was really for a new Lucy would have been correct.

Riegel and Braun to AMC

1 SOAPnet.com is reporting that not only is Eden Riegel returning to ALL MY CHILDREN as Bianca, but she will be joined by Tamara Braun, who will be playing Bianca's new girlfriend, Reese Williams. "Reese is a confident and successful architect who Bianca has been shacking up with in Paris." Bianca first airs on October 17. Reese will follow on October 30. Riegel won a Daytime Emmy award in 2005 as Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. Braun is best known for her role as Carly on GENERAL HOSPITAL but recently completed a run as Ava on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2004 as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.