ABC Putting New Emphasis on Soaps

1 ABC Daytime launches a multi-million-dollar on-air campaign this week designed to remind soap opera fans that the company's daytime sudsers — ONE LIFE TO LIVE, GENERAL HOSPITAL and ALL MY CHILDREN - will be packed with excitement and intrigue this season. The "Take a Look Now" campaign is comprised of 60-second spots set to pop music (Keith Urban and Shawn Hlookoff) highlighting upcoming storylines. Says Adam Rockmore, senior VP of marketing for ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, the idea "is to give part-time viewers more reasons to watch one or two more days; and [show] our current heavy viewers how much we're committed to great stories and great writing. Frankly, we have some great entry points for new viewers to come in." In early October, an enormous natural disaster will hit Pine Valley, the fictional locale of ALL MY CHILDREN. And the "Take a Look" promo for the soap will hype the show's new writer, Charles Pratt Jr., who worked on MELROSE PLACE, a nighttime soap with a more youthful cachet.

Eric Braeden To Guest on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

1 Matt Mitovich at TV Guide is reporting that Eric Braeden of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS fame has scored a gig on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, playing Robin's father. His name? Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Sr. (Apparently Alan Thicke is only Robin Sparkles' dad, in the "Sandcastles" video.) The storyline set-up: As Ted and the gang hide in a restaurant from... er, someone, they each take turns recounting the the one person they would most hate to run into. Robin's pick is her father, seeing as she has Daddy issues — in that hers always wanted her to be a boy.

FLASHBACK: Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series

Nelson Branco has been advocating the return of the "Guest Performer" category at the Daytime Emmy Awards, including the latest "Nelson Ratings" today. Here's a look back on the winner of this category when it actually existed in 1987. And by the way, I totally agree with Nelson - bring it back! At the 1987 Daytime Emmy Awards, held on June 30 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in New York, John Wesley Shipp won as Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for SANTA BARBARA. Shipp played the short-term role Martin Ellis on the show and won a second straight Emmy. He won in 1986 as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Douglas Cummings on AS THE WORLD TURNS. The other "guest performer" nominees that year were: - Pamela Blair, ALL MY CHILDREN; ABC - Terrence Mann, AS THE WORLD TURNS; CBS - Celeste Holm, LOVING; ABC - Eileen Heckart, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ABC

New Martha Byrne Interview

1 Two-time Emmy winning actress Martha Byrne, who left AS THE WORLD TURNS after more than two decades in April, has given a wonderful interview with TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco. Byrne, like many soap actors I've met, seems to really understand the issues plaguing daytime soaps today. "Daytime is all about character, which is why it’s always been successful. The problem is when you try to infuse plot into a character’s life without explaining why, well, the viewers tune out. Fans need to know why someone is acting the way they do — and we need to see the consequences of those actions. Because I’m writing a lot now, I have Marland’s bible and rules near my desk — which is all about one thing: character, character, character! The stories will take off themselves, and like you said, flow organically if the character comes first. If you focus on plot, then it’s also very difficult for the actor because the character’s growth and trajectory is [thickly veiled]. It’s no secret Douglas respected the fans. I kept a New York Times article in which he was quoted: 'The audience is always two steps ahead of me; I got to find a way to stay three steps ahead of them. So my goal is to be unpredictable.' That’s what an audience wants to see — period."