Mason

Dec 7 2009, 12:52 PM

Sindacco

Dec 7 2009, 12:49 PM

Do you have Best and Worst 2002?

Yes, I'm going to post it along with 2000 and 2001.

Mason

Dec 7 2009, 02:18 PM

BEST NEW PRIME-TIME SOAP


DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Grown-up nighttime sudser DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is smart, sexy, funny and mature, just like our fave Wisteria Lane residents. The post-feminist medley of drama, comedy, romance and mystery is smartly written and focuses on dimensional characters, whose problems strike a chord with contemporary women. Brittle Bree's perfectionism is balanced by glimpses of her caring nature and vulnerability; though Lynette, a former boardroom shark, is bored, resentful and frazzled as a stay-at-home mom, she's a loving mother to her unruly boys; divorcée Susan is pretty, intelligent and charming, yet buffoonish and Gabrielle is an adulterous, spoiled trophy wife, but she's so likable, fans can easily justify her naughtiness. If you haven't done so already, be sure to drop in on these neighbors.

Mason

Dec 7 2009, 02:59 PM

BEST SHOW


THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Last year, Y&R commandeered our Best Show category, and it receives this accolade yet again by continuing to deliver intricately woven plots, smart dialogue and characters whose integrity is fiercely protected.

Under the guidance of Executive Producer/Head Writer Jack Smith, Head Writer Kay Alden and Supervising Producer Edward J. Scott, viewers know what to expect. While some shows appear to bow to the whims of focus groups, victims of too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen syndrome, Y&R is remarkably consistent with confident, character-driven writing.

The show regularly draws on its history. Revisiting Katherine's alcoholism was organic to the character and realistic. Sharon and Nikki's in-law squabbles are rooted in the past - Nikki never wanted her son to marry Sharon in the first place. Malcolm's return from the dead as a bitter badass is a reminder that the Winterses don't always live in COSBY-style domestic bliss. Drawing on the past is a payoff for long-time viewers and enriches the experience of more-recent fans.

Newer characters aren't plopped front and center, but developed gradually as layers are slowly revealed. Take Damon: His Zen-like demeanor hid a horrible rage due to the killing of his young son, while reckless, predatory Kevin suffered a ghastly boyhood abuse.

The daytime genre takes a lot of knocks from the unenlightened, so the next time some know-it-all criticizes the form, have them watch Y&R. It exemplifies everything that is wonderful about soap opera.

Mason

Dec 3 2009, 06:02 PM

MOST ENTERTAINING FEMALE CHARACTER


BONNIE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES

There wasn't a lot to laugh about this year in Salem...unless Bonnie was on the screen. Tacky, free-spirited, transparently ambitious, Bonnie is a far cry from soap vet Judi Evans's former stints as tortured heroines, but the actress ably pulls off the role of a trashy, flashy, man-hungry mama with superb comic timing and fearless, physical humor. Whether she's leading a line dance or is decked out in one of her tarty outfits, Bonnie provides much-needed comic relief. Is it over-the-top at times? Sure, but it's supposed to be. Story-wise, it was a smart move to bring in Mimi's mom to beef up the Lockhart clan, as well as breathe new life into Mickey and Julie's back-burner tales. Who saw Mickey's revived sex life coming? Who doesn't love a Julie/Bonnie catfight? And with Maggie in the mix, it's three's company indeed at the Horton house.

Mason

Dec 3 2009, 06:26 PM

WORST SECRET


T.C.'S SHED CONTENTS, PASSIONS

For five years, we saw T.C. sneak off to his mysterious shed - somewhere off-limits to the viewers and fellow Harmony residents. This led us to believe (or at least hope) that something scandalous was inside. Murder evidence? A creepy Norman Bates shrine to his dead dad? Even a tennis court would have stirred up some interest in this dull dude's story. Instead, the contents were revealed to be the old car that T.C. thought Julian was driving when it hit him thousands of moons ago. Boooooring! The reveal sparked zero interest, especially because we were already privy to T.C.'s obsession with the crash. Eve eyeing the hunk of junk did provoke a flashback, exposing that she was behind the wheel. However, Liz, Julian and Alistair already knew that pertinent info, so it was bound to slip out eventually - with or without the car around. In a word, this reveal was a clunker.




(Worst. Soap. Secret. EVER.)

Mason

Dec 5 2009, 09:32 PM

MOST TORTURED COUPLE


LUIS AND SHERIDAN, PASSIONS

Luckless lovers Luis and Sheridan have taken this category in 2000, '02 and '03. Every time it looks like the doomed duo will catch a break, something goes horribly awry. Former amnesiac Sheridan finally confessed to husband Antonio that his bro, Luis, is her true love and was close to discovering that kidnapped Little Martin is her and Luis's presumed-dead child. But then her dad, Alistair, arranged for her to undergo electroshock therapy, so she forgot Luis. Again. Antonio was presumed dead in a jet crash, and Luis and Sheridan reunited, but after five years, the fans have yet to be rewarded with a valid Luis/Sheridan wedding. That hasty Mexican commitment ceremony didn't cut it. We'll have to wait until Antonio is officially declared dead - uh huh, like that will happen. Who'd have thought that the Boston Red Sox would conquer their curse before Luis and Sheridan overcame theirs?

Mason

Dec 5 2009, 09:57 PM

BEST PAYOFFS


PASSIONS

For a while, it looked like the slow-moving soap should have been named PATIENCE. Fortunately, that is changing. Prior to a two-week pre-emption for the Summer Olympics, PASSIONS went into a sprint and is still bounding forward, rewarding fans with long-anticipated developments. The reveal that lovers Chad and Whitney are siblings was satisfyingly explosive and the ripples continue in two core families, especially because Whit is preggers. After years of Pilar pining for long-lost husband Martin, he came home - along with his "wife", Katherine, who happens to be Sheridan's presumed-dead mom. This tale has likewise set off a domino effect. Finally putting a face to evil Crane patriarch Alistair was a good move, opening up story options. By picking up the pace and delivering more can't-miss moments, PASSIONS gives fans incentive to tune in tomorrow.

Mason

Dec 3 2009, 08:00 PM

BEST CHEMISTRY


MAURICE BENARD (SONNY) AND EVERYONE, GENERAL HOSPITAL

Some complain that GH revolves around Sonny. But it would be foolish not to take advantage of the remarkable magnetism that Maurice Benard has displayed for the past 11 years.

To embody Sonny is to commit from the inside out, synchronizing a complex chorus of morality and passion on every level. Benard positively hums with it - which helps draw out the essence of every character Sonny crosses. So while he's riveting in scenes with everything from graves to ghosts - it's opposite flesh-and-blood characters like Carly, Sam and Alexis that he has helped spawn three boisterous fan bases. And we may joke about his closeness with Jason (they could be GH's hottest couple), but the truth is, this is one of the most intriguing male bonds on daytime.

Creating sparks is hardly guaranteed, but with Benard at the nucleus, you won't be bored.



(It took everything within me not to puke as I was typing this up.)

Mason

Nov 30 2009, 10:02 PM

MOST SHOCKING TWIST


THEY'RE ALL ALIVE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Looking back, we should have figured something was up when Alice was the serial killer's final victim. But with all the talk about cost - and cast - cutting, we chalked it up to a penny-wise, pound foolish decision to ax 10 popular stars. Leave it to clever scribe James E. Reilly to pull off the unthinkable by making all of the Salem Stalker victims alive. Online posters spent months gathering clues, trying to figure out what the twist of all twists would be, but few came up with this one. Ditto the Digest editorial staff. Sure, some found it callous that the actors weren't told they'd be coming back and the heartbreaking exit interviews (including lines like "I was blindsided!" and "It's like me dying.") were for naught, but well worth it in the end to have the actors back on-screen.

Mason

Dec 1 2009, 12:35 PM

WORST TRIANGLE

yes,that was some crazy shit back then!!!i didnt like the aftermath cause then we had to see marlena hook up with roman....puke!!


KENDALL/RYAN/GREENLEE, ALL MY CHILDREN

With Cameron Mathison's (Ryan) 2003 return, we anticipated a tantilizing triangle with Kendall and Greenlee, rivals-turned-best friends who each had a rich history with Lavery.

But a truly heartfelt tug-of-war never materialized. Instead, Kendall and Greenlee turned against each other, stooping to such inane lows in their bid for Ryan that we found ourselves hoping he'd say sayonara to both of them. Then again, Ryan was written so pompously, it was difficult to discern why the women craved his affections in the first place.

By the time Ryan finally picked Greenlee, it seemed like AMC had plucked her name out of a hat and shoehorned the story to fit that outcome (Ryan gets psychic messages from Greenlee: It must be true love!), as opposed to her emerging organically as the right choice for Ryan.

Take comfort, Kendall, viewers were the real losers in this triangle.

Mason

Dec 1 2009, 12:50 PM

BEST NEW COUPLE


RIC AND ALEXIS, GENERAL HOSPITAL

They're everything a typical soap couple is not. Forget sweet nothings, candlelight and roses...even sex. But it's their sublime awkwardness that makes Ric and Alexis's courtship so endearing - neither one has ever been very good at this thing called love, and that makes them perfect for each other. Frankly, we wouldn't have thought about putting them together, but this wildly unexpected pairing brings out things we haven't seen before in either character. He's not intimidated by her strength; she doesn't have to go all girly to get the guy. At first, the attorneys walked the fine, familiar line between love and hate (You know: insult, insult, kiss!), but somewhere between that sexy spin on the dance floor and the surprisingly tender vows they shared at their quickie nups, the relationship went beyond "unconventional." This truly odd couple has the potential to redefine what romance is all about.

Ally

Dec 7 2009, 09:16 PM

Mason

Dec 7 2009, 02:18 PM

BEST NEW PRIME-TIME SOAP


DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Grown-up nighttime sudser DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is smart, sexy, funny and mature, just like our fave Wisteria Lane residents. The post-feminist medley of drama, comedy, romance and mystery is smartly written and focuses on dimensional characters, whose problems strike a chord with contemporary women. Brittle Bree's perfectionism is balanced by glimpses of her caring nature and vulnerability; though Lynette, a former boardroom shark, is bored, resentful and frazzled as a stay-at-home mom, she's a loving mother to her unruly boys; divorcée Susan is pretty, intelligent and charming, yet buffoonish and Gabrielle is an adulterous, spoiled trophy wife, but she's so likable, fans can easily justify her naughtiness. If you haven't done so already, be sure to drop in on these neighbors.

Sigh....What happened? DH used to be SO good :(