The loss or gain (or return) of a major star is a surefire way to gamble with the ratings, and network and show execs have been criticized in the past for being particularly unwilling to work with hot, young actors tempted by outside projects. (GENERAL HOSPITAL is famously rumored to have sealed the end-of-contract departure of Jacob Young--then GH's "Lucky Spencer," now ALL MY CHILDREN's "J.R. Chandler"--when they refused to allow him to take a role the Renny Harlin-Sylvester Stallone film Driven.)
That is why many observers were surprised when ABC Daytime and GH were able to come to terms with a clearly happy Kelly Monaco ("Samantha McCall," ex-"Livvie Locke Morley," PORT CHARLES). Though the negotiations went down to the wire, Monaco--a ripe candidate for daytime departure if there ever was one (after raising her profile considerably by winning the first season of the breakout hit Dancing with the Stars)--declared that the show had given her unprecedented flexibility in exchange for ABC having exclusive rights to any prime-time "branching" she might seek to do.
The details were vague, and rumors had Monaco reporting to the set of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES for work seemingly every week (she wasn't). It now turns out that fate had an entirely different ABC nighttime soap in mind for Monaco: the highly anticipated, star-heavy British import FOOTBALL WIVES (based on the British hit soap Footballer's Wives). Monaco will be a featured guest star (hello, Heather Locklear!) for an undetermined amount of episodes, joining a cast that already includes Lucy Lawless, DAWSON'S CREEK's James Van DerBeek, SUNSET BEACH and Third Watch's Eddie Cibrian, real football wife Holly Robinson Peete of 21 Jump Street, and film star Ving Rhames, among others.
And what about GH? Despite Monaco's "Sam" being played in very heavy story, the show has let her out as required without objection. While a temporary recast was considered, GH decided to shoot around Monaco's schedule instead, confirming that the flexibility built into Monaco's contract by ABC is indeed extensive.
Should the experiment work, it may serve as a model for future contract renewals with breakout stars, allowing soaps to keep much needed (and significantly happier, no doubt) fan favorites, while allowing said favorites the chance to do the kind of outside projects that will not only serve their careers, but might also make new fans willing to follow them back to their "day job." Sounds like a win-win to me...if a potentially more complicated one.
Variety reports on the disappointing performance of the 2-hour premiere of FOX's action serial DRIVE (starring, among others, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Nathan Fillion, ex-"Joey Buchanan," pictured), which suffered in a debut time-slot placing it directly opposite an original episode of ABC's hit serial DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.
