TV Guides Best and Worse of 2008 Soaps--Nelson Branco

The only totally positive remark was about Drake. Nicole was praised for her performance on a BAD show. The rest of the Days was listed as the worse. Higley was listed as worse writer, while many of Corday's decisions were not only questioned but also listed in the worse catagory.

The Worthy and the Worthless

By Nelson Branco


2008-12-10

2008 will be remembered as the year the soap opera death knell rang loud and clear. Find out why as TV Guide.ca unveils our best and worst choices from the wackiest soap year on record!

BEST SOAP OPERA:
The Young and the Restless

BEST HEAD WRITERS:
Hogan Sheffer and Maria Arena Bell, Y&R

SMARTEST EXECUTIVE IN DAYTIME:
Maria Arena Bell, Y&R

WORST HEAD WRITER:
Dena Higley, Days of our Lives

MOST MISMANAGED WRITING TEAM:
The 5348 head writers of Guiding Light

MOST PROMISING NEW DAYTIME TALENT:
Sri Rao, General Hospital: Night Shift

BEST SCRIPT/BREAKDOWN WRITERS:
The writing team of OLTL

BEST QUOTE OF THE YEAR:
“I’m Erica Kane — everything I do is breaking news!”
—AMC’s writing team

WORST QUOTE OF THE YEAR:
"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."
—ATWT Executive Producer Christopher Goutman

WORST SOAP:
Guiding Light
MOST DISAPPOINTING SOAP:
One Life to Live

MOST FRUSTRATING SOAP:
As The World Turns

BEST DIRECTING IN A STORY:
OLTL

BEST LOCATION SHOOTS:
OLTL

WORST LOCATION SHOOTS:
GL, ATWT (tie)

BEST LOOKING SHOW:
OLTL

WORST LOOKING SHOW:
GL

BEST LOVE STORY:
Amber and Daniel, Y&R

MOST SURPRISING CHEMISTRY:
Maxie and Spinelli, GH

WORST LOVE STORY:
Todd and Marty, OLTL

MOST ADULT ROMANCE:
John and Blair, OLTL

MOST WASTED PROMISING NEW COUPLE:
Emily and Casey, ATWT

MOST IMPROVED COUPLE:
Gloria and Jeffrey Bardwell, Y&R

WORST NEW COUPLE:
Nick and Katie, B&B

WORST COUPLE:
Paul and Meg, ATWT

WORST LOVE TRIANGLE:
Aaron/Alison/Chris, ATWT

MOST RIVETING BREAKUP:
Nikki and Victor, Y&R

WORST BREAKUP:
Sami and Lucas, DAYS

BEST KISS:
Sharon and Nick in Paris, Y&R

MOST CONTROVERSIAL KISS (OR LACK THEREOF):
Nuke, ATWT

BIGGEST MAN-WHORE:
Nick Marone, B&B

BIGGEST SLUTS:
Sam McCall and Carly Jax, GH

HORNIEST CHARACTER:
Tess Brennan, OLTL

SEXIEST BAD BOY:
Brad Carlton, Y&R

BEST RENEWED RIVALRY:
Emily and Margo, ATWT

BEST ALL-TIME RIVALRY:
Dorian and Viki, OLTL

MOST IMPROVED CHARACTERS:
John McBain, OLTL; Nikki Newman, Y&R (tie)

MOST RUINED CHARACTER:
Sami Brady DiMera, DAYS

DUMBEST CHARACTER:
Cane Ashby, Y&R

MOST OVEREXPOSED AND OVERRATED COUPLE:
Rex and Gigi, OLTL

BEST REVIVED LOVE TRIANGLE:
Sharon/Nick/Phyllis, Y&R

MOST DISAPPOINTING LOVE TRIANGLE:
Carly/Holden/Lily, ATWT

MOST DISAPPOINTING LOVE STORY:
Noah and Luke, ATWT

BREAKOUT PERFORMER:
Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe, Y&R)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STORYLINE — FEMALE:
Jeanne Cooper (Katherine/Marge, Y&R)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STORYLINE — MALE:
Trevor St. John (Todd, OLTL)

WORST PERFORMANCE IN A STORYLINE:
Justis Bolding (Sarah post-waterfall, OLTL)

MOST SURPRISING PERFORMANCE ON SUCH A BAD SHOW:
Arianne Zucker (Nicole, DAYS)

BEST CASTING:
Tamara Braun (Reese, AMC); Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH) (tie)

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Janet Ciccone Snyder, ATWT

WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Claudia Zacchara, GH

WORST CASTING:
Erin Sanders (ex-Eden, Y&R), Molly Burnett (Melanie, DAYS) (tie)

BEST RECAST:
Billy Miller (Billy, Y&R)

WORST RECAST:
Justis Bolding (Sarah, OLTL)

BEST MALE NEWCOMER:
Mark Lawson (Brody, OLTL)

BEST FEMALE NEWCOMER:
Yaya Da Costa (ex-Cassie, AMC)

BIGGEST WASTES OF TALENT:
Lesli Kay (Felicia, B&B); Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) (tie)

WORST NEW FAMILY:
The Montezes, OLTL

BEST STAR-CROSSED LOVERS:
Starr and Cole, OLTL

WORST STAR-CROSSED LOVERS:
Ridge and Brooke, B&B

MOST TORTURED COUPLE:
Bill and Lizzie, GL

MOST IMPROVED ACTOR:
Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS)

MOST IMPROVED ACTRESS:
Melissa Fumero (ex-Adriana, OLTL)

BEST COMEBACK:
Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams (Angie and Jesse, AMC)

MOST DISAPPOINTING AND FRUSTRATING COMEBACK:
Andrea Evans (ex-Tina, OLTL)

MOST OVEREXPOSED COMEBACK:
Grayson McCouch (Dusty, ATWT)

WORST CASTING DECISION IN HISTORY:
Firing Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn (Marlena and John, DAYS)

BIGGEST CASTING COUP:
Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake) and Beth Ehlers (Taylor) dump GL for AMC

WORST SOAP HOP:
Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Y&R to B&B

BEST SOAP HOP:
Eileen Davidson (Ashley), B&B to Y&R

WORST CASTING COUP:
Anything Barbara Bloom facilitated, CBS

BEST STORYLINE:
Robert’s colon cancer, GH: Night Shift

WORST STORYLINES:
Todd and Marty Rapemance and Mendorra, OLTL (tie)

MOST INNOVATIVE STORYLINE:
Bess/Tess/Jess must integrate to solve the Hope-Chloe baby switch, OLTL

WORST SOCIAL ISSUE STORYLINE:
Theo's autism, DAYS

CREEPIEST PLOT TWIST:
Brian kisses his step-grandson Luke, ATWT

BIGGEST DISPLAY OF INSANITY IN THE HISTORY OF DAYTIME TV:
Vincent’s pregnancy storyline, Passions

BEST SECRET:
Chloe is Esther’s daughter, Y&R

WORST SECRET:
P&G’s kissing ban against ATWT’s Nuke

BEST CORPORATE TAKEOVER:
Gloria and Jack reclaim Jabot, Y&R

WORST CORPORATE TAKEOVER:
Dorian DiMera takes over BE, OLTL

MOST SURPRISING EPISODE OF THE YEAR:
Reva and Josh’s Always movie wedding finale, GL

BIGGEST NEWS SCANDAL:
Who’s writing Days of our “Scabbers”?; P&G forces Martha Byrne out; DAYS fires Hall and Hogestyn (tie)

MOST BITTERSWEET NEWS:
DAYS is renewed; Passions is cancelled

SADDEST NEWS:
Daytime’s elite passes away, including Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Alex, GL), Eileen Herlie (ex-Myrtle, AMC), and soap creator James E. Reilly


BIGGEST SCENE STEALERS:
Tuc Watkins (David, OLTL); Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH) (tie)

BEST MELTDOWN:
Taylor Hayes, B&B

MOST SHOCKING PLOT TWIST:
Storm’s suicide, B&B

MOST POINTLESS DEATHS:
Nash Brennan, OLTL; Logan Hayes, GH; Gus Aitoro, GL (tie)

MOST CONTRIVED LOVE STORY:
Ryan and Greenlee, AMC


BEST VIXEN:
Melissa Fumero (ex-Adriana, OLTL)

WORST VILLAIN:
Thom Christopher (ex-Carlo, OLTL)

MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER:
Lulu Spencer, GH

BEST PSYCHO:
Annie Lavery, AMC

WORST PSYCHO:
Nell Mooney, ATWT

HOTTEST NEWCOMER:
Kane Manera (Grady, GL)

BEST REUNION:
Robert’s dream conjures up the 80’s spy gang, GH:NS

BEST SWEEPS STUNT:
Sudden Impact, Y&R

WORST SWEEPS STUNT:
AMC’s Tornado

COOLEST SWEEPS STUNT:
Angie and Jesse’s post-nuptial helicopter ride, AMC

MOST ROMANTIC WEDDING:
Angie and Jesse, AMC

MOST ENTERTAINING WEDDING:
Katie and Brad, ATWT

WORST WEDDING:
Bridget and Nick, B&B

WORST MARRIAGE:
Carly and Jax, GH

WORST EXECUTIVE DECISIONS:
Brian Frons dismantling SOAPnet; CBS declining to air 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards (tie)

MOST RUINED SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF DAYTIME:
GL