Di, Mommie, Die!

There are so many things to overlook while watching All My Children these days, for example, like all these people with deep roots in the Appalachians, i.e. people who might have been considered hillbillies at least in their youth, have nary the hint of a southern accent even among themselves. Di/Dixie has a slight one. Opal and Krystal seem to be the only ones true to form. Perhaps they should turn on the TV and give a listen to Blair on One Life to Live.

The newcomer, Mr. Musser as Del Henry held his own with Canary and Knight all the same, but the much anticipated approach/avoidance dance with nephew JR Chandler (Jacob Young) did not live up to expectations. Perhaps it leaves something to look forward to. Most of us should consider ourselves lucky that we do not own mansions in Pine Valley or Llanview. What use is all that money with people bursting in left and right at any given moment? Unless of course, the burster is Uncle Del in the person of Alec Musser.

One must also overlook how young Mama Dixie/Di looks in comparison to her son, not to mention Uncle Del. As a matter of fact Cady McClain the actress most closely associated with Dixie and rumoured to be returning is only ten years older than Jacob Young. Next door in Llanview is probably where stretching the imagination as far as age is concerned originated. Erika Slezak would have been about 17 when TV Son Dan Gauthier was born and would have been 34 when TV grandson Matthew Metzger was born. Rapidly aging the children on Soap Operas puts everything into a time warp not to mention playing fast and furious with credulity. Kelli Giddish who is playing Di who is pretending to be Dixie following extensive plastic surgery is in real life one year younger than TV son Jacob Young.

O to be the show’s casting director! O to have the opportunity to cast Charles Busch as Di Kirby/Dixie Cooney Martin! ‘Twould be brillig to have a character be both pseudo-Mama Dixie and Uncle Del at the same time and actually be age appropriate. Perhaps it is too late. All My Children’s camp days seem to be well behind it try as Mr. Knight may.

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There is absolutely no camp value in Ryan’s plots these days. Forget that Cameron Mathison could do voice-overs with that voice. He would do well to get cast in a children’s animated series. Either that or go to Lauren Bacall’s voice coach. It has been mentioned here that the death and rebirth of characters like Jonathan has been done to death, so to speak, so as to take all the fun out of it, in addition the holes in the Lavery Family Plot are enormous. As a former Soap Opera magazine scribe pointed out today a brain tumor would not have caused the turmoil that was Jonathan and his family. Even a sister would not have sympathy for that behaviour and how could she not burst into laughter at her cartoonlike older brother?

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Jamie and Amanda are hardly worth mentioning. Will somebody please mention that Jamie’s parents are quite well to do and Aunt Phoebe’s money doesn’t amount to a hill o’ beans as Pete Cooney et al. might have said in Pigeon Hollow.


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Over at General Hospital the character of Lucas slated to be gay as discussed on these pages is being recast with Drake Hogestyn’s son, Ben. At first glance on Soapnet it seemed as if Drake himself had been cast in the role. Talk about age inappropriate casting! It seemed as if Drake’s plots to break up Marlena and John might have worked.

Ryan Carnes’ role, some have opined, has been expanded on Desperate Housewives. Others are of the opinion that Ryan Carnes’ Burgeoning career made him the higher priced spread. Like butter. Rock on, Ryan.

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As Google may show you, the Josh usually associated with All My Children is the delightful Josh Duhamel. However, these days it is the character who deflowered Danielle – a pivotal character involved with Erica Kane and the son of fertility doctor played by Ian Buchanan. The casting director who gave us all the age mayhem cited above has recast the role with Colin Egglesfield who is most easy on the eyes and would have no problem deflowering any number of people. Viewers will be at least grateful for that. The current Josh played by Scott Kinworthy will morph into Egglesfield after September 15 a mere two months after his debut.

Casting directors these days are being pulled in all sorts of directions as evidenced by Mr. Metzger being cast as Duke Buchanan on One Life to Live because Brian Frons’ wife thought it would be a good idea.

A mere month after his debut this blind item appeared in the Soap Opera press:

This front-burner soap newcomer got a little too friendly with a same-sex producer after a party, causing some tension and awkward moments on the set the week after.

Without spilling too many details there are a couple of opinions that believe that Scott Kinworthy may have been fired for reasons other than the storyline’s. The question is: was Kinworthy's behaviour inappropriate or was Kinworthy’s orientation too apparent?


Come out, come out wherever you are – Mr. Kinworthy is not necessarily the respondent here.