TV Guide's Coleridge Talks to OLTL EP Frank Valenti

TVGuide.com senior editor Daniel Coleridge delivers again! Coleridge recently interviewed ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Executive Producer Frank Valenti in the wake of the show’s strong showing in the Daytime Emmy nominations, including for best show. Here are some of the highlights:

On OLTL’s Best Show Emmy Nomination: I'm not so much surprised as really pleased and very honored by it. We certainly feel like we deserve it. We had a wonderful year [in 2006]…we submitted the "Todd's execution" episode for best show.

On OLTL actors snubbed by Emmy’s Nominating Committees: …It's really unfortunate that Trevor [St. John, “Todd Manning,” ex-“Walker Flynn”) didn't get in there. As we all know, the best actor and actress categories are really tough and very competitive. I was surprised Michael Easton (“John McBain,” ex-“Caleb Morley, PORT CHARLES) didn't get in, too. I was really disappointed about Kassie DePaiva (“Blair Cramer Manning”) and Bree Williamson (“Jessica/Tess Buchanan”). Bree's had an incredible year and has done some amazing work [and] John Paul Lavoisier (Rex) didn't get in because he's just really funny. I don't think those kind of performances are rewarded as they should be….I feel like that's too bad, but that's the way it goes.

On whether Roger Howarth (ex-“Todd Manning,” “Paul Ryan,” AS THE WORLD TURNS) could return to OLTL: I can't really comment on contracts. I will say that we're doing our best to make sure that we do right by the audience.

On the post-departure Emmy nominations of Heather Tom (“ex-Kelly Cramer Buchanan”), who quit OLTL, and Dan Gauthier (ex-“Kevin Buchanan”), who was released from his contract around the same time: They were just phenomenal, but Heather wanted to move on and do other stuff, and I can understand that. And we were in a situation where we had to make some cuts and Dan was let go, and that's too bad. But I really hope that they win. We're behind them 100 percent. They still have a lot of friends on the show.

On Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Evangeline Williamson”): I love Renée. She's one of my favorite people on the show and she's just a tremendous actress. It's so exciting that she's being honored for her work for the second year in a row.

On Ilene Kristen (the recurring “Roxanne ‘Roxy’ Balsom”): You'll continue to see a significant amount of Ilene Kristen in the show. It's going to be fun the way you'll see us integrate her into the show more.

On the next return for Tuc Watkins (ex-“David Vickers”): Tuc's going to come back one more time for another short stint. His stay will be not too brief, but not too long. We're really lucky to be able to have him come back, and it works perfectly with the story.

Who’s the arsonist? If I told you, then it wouldn't be any fun…it's somebody significant and it will have a really nice payoff.

Read the full interview here.

AMC's Havins and TVGuide.com's Coleridge tackle uncomfortable soap paradox

A new soap star Q&A with TVGuide.com's Daniel Coleridge features an interesting touch on the industry's mixed messages regarding the treatment of women. ALL MY CHILDREN star Alexa Havins ("Babe Carey Chandler") is currently in a popular pairing with Jacob Young ("J.R. Chandler"), despite the fact that the alcoholic J.R. frequenly subjects Havin's character to verbal abuse, and has plotted to kill her.

Coleridge, also author of The Q Guide to Soap Operas, points out that in a separate, more issue-oriented story, AMC clearly condemned domestic violence, but wonders why the show appears so supportive of the similary abusive J.R./Babe coupling. Havins notes that despite the presence of a white-knight alternate suitor for Babe (and an equally chivalrous ex), the fan base remains solid for J.R./Babe.

ABC in particular, has seen the unpredictable rise of "anti-leading" men, including two wildly popular characters with rapist pasts: Anthony Geary's "Luke Spencer" on GENERAL HOSPITAL and Roger Howarth (later Trevor St. John)'s "Todd Manning" on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Is it the appeal (or at least promise) of "redemption via a good woman's love" or the age-old affinity for the "bad boy," that draws the primarily female core audience to these characters so strongly, despite their prior violation of women? Even with the standard suspension of disbelief required for soap viewing, it's a difficult paradox. (Uncomfortability with the paradox is rumored to be one of the reasons Howarth jumped ship from OLTL to AS THE WORLD TURNS earlier in the decade.)

Havins mentions that she checked into the possibility of accompanying the story with a PSA message on domestic violence, an idea ultimately rejected by the show's brass.