Martha Byrne recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl in real life. I'm glad that the baby and mum are doing great.

Benjamin Hendrickson, the actor who portrayed Hal Munson, passed away over the July 4th holiday weekend.

~Adam

My condolences to the actors family. I did not know about his passing. Shalom to his family.

That is pretty sad. It always seems so much more difficult on soaps when someone dies in real life, as they have usually been such long standing actors on the show. He was so well liked by his co-workers, according to everything I've ever read. 55 doesn't seem all that old to me anymore.

For the show, this will be difficult too. They say they do not plan to recast, which means the character will most likely pass away too, on the heals of what looks like his daughter's death this week. Obviously anything happening in real life is way more important and tramatic than "reel" life, but this is going to be hard to overcome. That leaves will the only Munson on the canvas.

I would much prefer for Hal Munson's character to be killed off following his tv daughters death than have a recast. It just wouldn't work well. Again,my sympathies to his family. 55 is sure young to pass on.

TV guide is reporting that Hendrickson died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound. That is just devestating. I don't know why, but I am really bothered by this...a lot.

Suicide is such a hard thing to wrap my mind around. How horrible things must have been for him, and how horrible things must be now for his family, friends, and his "family" at ATWT.

How awful. 21 years on the show - I literally grew up with him. What's even more strange is plans on screening episodes already taped w/ Hal through next week? Isn't that a little off?

They have to screen those shows. I mean what are they to do? He's probably in very pivitol scenes, and group scenes at that, with Jennifer's death on the show.

I think it's hard for people who don't watch soaps to understand what it's like to lose a character, and in this case one of the actors. Watching a show for 20 years, 5 days a week is so different it than watching a prime time show (26ish episodes) for 7-10 years.

Of course I take a lot of shit for being a soap fan, but there are shows I've watched for 20 years. It is always so terrible when an actor dies while still on a show, especially when it is a suicide. Of couse I know I don't know these people, but after a while it does seem like you know them because you see them so much.

When the actor who played Wallingford (if I remember the character name correctly) on 'Another World' passed away, his remaining episodes arired (of course) and Linda Dano offered him a tribute tagged onto the final one of the episodes.

When Michael Zaslow died, 'One Life to Live,'--where he hadn't worked in a decade--featured a post-episode tribute to him from Erica Slezak and Robin Strasser.

~Adam

Not off at all. Usually, there is a 4 to 8 week lead time from when an episode is filmed to when it actually airs.

I will admit that it was very strange to see Benjamin Hendrickson, who played Hal Munson for over 20 years, in a promo for the show the same day it was announced that he committed suicide.

Very sad.

[ July 07, 2006, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: gmjambear ]

I am devestated that the man shot himself. Suicide and depression are bad bad things. I recently read that most teen suicides are due to undiagnosed bipolar 2 disorder. My prayers and well wishes to all who knew this wonderful gentleman. Such a great actor.

The story on ATWT that is really interesting is the new one about Matty being raped. That lunatic is coming to Oakdale to terrorize it's inhabitants. I'm addicted to this stuff.

The new serial killer story on ATWT is scary stuff. The girl murdered Friday in the shower was a hideous scene. I felt so sorry for her. The frat boy rapist of Matty obviously has followed her back to Oakdale and is killing people. I imagine that Jade will be attacked but will survive. A scary story. Probably the most graphic thing I have ever seen on a daytime soap opera. Take care everybody.

I had to post on this topic again. Yesterday, Luke Snyder saved the life of the former friend and homophobe Kevin. I hope Kevin can be friends with his savior. And the oakdale police believe that Louis Browning, the rapist brother in law of Maddy is the slasher. I used to think that too. I think the slasher will be revealed today and be no other than JADE. I may be wrong and have egg on my face but instinct as a lifelong soap fan makes me think that JADE is the crazy killer. And just think. Will has screwed her twice. Can you imagine having sex with a serial killer and not even knowing the truth about them. Sure Jade is a hot woman, but if she is a mass murderer then YUCK.

Jade is not the slasher, trust me on that one.

Anthony

Well, Lewis played by the former scrubs star was killed yesterday. I don't know who the hell else it could be unless it's some day player that we don't of. Alot of the killed victims connected to the internet As the world turns tie in were incredably hideous as actors. The nerd boy who was going to get his inhaler and then got slashed couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. These people have no acting careers in front of them. I would personally have been embarrassed to gone on national tv if my acting ability sucked that badly. I may be totally wrong about Jade. Its not Maddy. I don't think it's her sister EVE. I want Jack with CARLY. Not with Eve. J and C are a great couple. Take care.

Anthony, Give me a wee hint who the killer is.

My money is on EVE or the other sister Bernadette that Henry has mentioned, but we have not seen on screen.

At this point, since we have not seen Jade on the last two episodes, it would be WAY too obvious to be her. But where is she during all of this? Not slashing.

Rumors that "Casey" does not want to renew his contract....will he die or be recast? I hope neither. I think his acting skills have improved since he first came on the show and I would love for him to sit on my face...or somesuch.

Oh, and wouldn't it be great if Kevin realizes he is gay after overcompensating with his homophobia?
I want an onscreen romance with those two (he and Luke). Holden has been supportive of Luke's gayness, but that would not sit well with him.

[ September 02, 2006, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: HornFan ]

I don't watch ATWT but it has all been revealed in the latest Soap Opera Digest(in a supermarket near you) wink

[ September 02, 2006, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: eddiec. ]

Thanks eddiecat. I will get that issue today.

His name is Alex and he was the winner of the contest. I think he was the best of the three. No clue what the show will do with him. I think he'd make a cute BF for Luke.

Anthony

SPOILER ALERT: The Slasher is
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Who I suspected.

[ September 06, 2006, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: HornFan ]

That killer story was good and bad.It was a little too violent for my tastes. Eve's explanations on why she killed all those kids was really lame. She just wanted to blame her sister for the killings since Maddy was raped by Louis. Really convoluted mess. I wish the soap would have more appearances from my favorite Lisa Grimaldi. She is a very attractive middle aged woman. I miss seeing her reguarly.

ATWT has been really bad recently. The new storyline about Jade REALLY being Lily's niece is so lame. And a bookshelf fell on Jade perforating her liver. That show has characters hospitalised more than any other. Jade will surely recover in a day or two. The serial killer storyline certainly ended poorly. Eve being the killer was pretty lame too. I like the new version of Craig Montgomery but I may have to stop watching for a while as I am being bored to death.

I stopped watching months ago. Has Luke had any good storylines?

Luke came out to his friend. His former friend called him a f****t. Then just as Eve was about to slash Luke, Luke's homophobic former friend started drowning. So Luke jumped in the water and saved him. They sort of came to an understanding in the hospital. Now basically Luke is screeming hysterically about how good and decent Jade really is. Jade is a gorgeous woman but her Marcia Brady acting can be abit dull. The only soaps I think I will watch now are Eastenders, Young and the restless and Bold and the beautiful. I'm dropping Guiding Light for it's boring factor.

The show has finally cast a boyfriend for Luke. Jake Silberman will play Noah and debuts May 31. You can get the details at the After Elton website. Here's the link...... http://www.afterelton.com/afterelton.com/k...the-world-turns

I was hoping that ATWT would finally give Luke a partner. I wondered if the writers had chickened out on the gay storyline. Emily Stewart guest starred on YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS yesterday. It was nice to see Oakdale character cross over to Genoa City.

what was Emily doing in GC? i caught the shot of her but switched over to watch something else. i catch Y&R on soapnet...

Em's sister/daughter Allison is in Genoa City. She's working the porn site with Amber.

ATWT has been so boring lately. Emily's addiction, her daughter's use of laxatives to lose weight and the new Jade storyline with Gwen lookalike are just sooo boring. The writers seem to be at a low with story ideas. The lookalike for Gwen reminds me of the ridiculous Kristin/Susan storyline on Days of our lives several years ago.

The show has gotten alot better lately. The story of Cleo Bobbit is getting better. She will end up taking Will and Gwen captive and tie them to a railroad track. She is one whack job. The actor who played Casey Hughes has apparently left the show for better things. Good luck to him.

Have you folks been watching since the Luke/Noah romance started? Well, no romance has happened yet. Luke has a crush on Noah and wasn't happy to find Noah in bed with Maddie (a girl). How we get from that moment to Luke and Noah falling in love I haven't a clue, but the writers promise this will be a classic soapy love story full of heartache and angst. I guess we'll have to watch.

Anthony

I'm curious if anyone has been watching the show since the Luke/Noah romance has heated up. Now that Luke admitted to Noah that he was attracted to him (Noah responded by telling Luke that he wasn't gay, but still wanted to try and be friends). The boys are getting close (they wound up in a steamy clinch on yesterdays show) and next week they get even closer (their first kiss). I think after a very slow start the show is doing a pretty good job with the story. The acting sure is good and there's definite chemistry between Luke and Noah. Too bad the rest of the show isn't nearly as interesting.

Anthony

Noah is screwing Maddy and is hot for Luke. poor Maddy. She was raped by her brother in law. Her sister is a notorious serial killer. And her exboyfriend Casey Hughes was sent to prison and wants nothing to do with her. And now her new beau is a gay boy in denial. The show is boring otherwise. The kidnapping of JJ is dull. Iris is coming back. She's always a total bitch but in a delicous wicked way. And thank the Gods that Jade is gone. I could not stand her.

I watched ATWT when I was a kid at my grandparents' house during the summer, my grandmother would not miss "her shows." Caleb Snyder, Holden Snyder, Craig Montgomery (?) and Dusty were my ealiest gay crushes - but I also had a thing for Lily Walsh. I was a confused young man.

I have not watched ATWT in years, probably since I was a kid. However, about a week ago, I came across the Luke & Noah storyline on YouTube (played to perfection by Van & Jake, for the record). After spending way too much time catching up on what happened since they first met each other months ago, I'm now completely enamored with both of these characters. I absolutely love their budding relationship. It's all so sweet and innocent...takes me back to when I first came out and experienced my first loving relationship.

After more than 20 years, I'm an ATWT fan again!

Ok so I hadn't really been watching ATWT recently but from what I had browsed by a couple weeks ago it appears as though Luke and Noah were having problems. Well...I was watching today and apparently there is a daddy/twink thing going on now. Apparently, the guy who is married to Lucinda Walsh (Luke's grandmother I believe) was admitting today that he's got the hots for Luke. It really was great stuff though. The guy said he didn't like labels and apparently the two of them kissed recently. Luke was asking him if he and his grandmother have sex. It was a pretty intense scene. Go to CBS.com to watch the scenes of todays show online. Love the fact that this show is "going there" with this stuff. Its about time.

YAY!!!! Luke and Noah had sex today for the first time. They are so cute. They showed them taking their clothes off and kissing, and then the next scene was the both of them coming from the shower with jeans and no shirt on, their chests all glistening wet. Certainly not as risque as they get with the hetero couples but I'll take it. I applaud ATWT for being progressive enough to make this a main storyline, and to show their intimacy and kissing.

I've never watched ATWT but it sounds really interesting, hopefully it's breaking some new ground for soaps. Actually primetime TV is way ahead of them in portraying gay characters. I do occasionally watch Y&R, they have it playing in the break room while I'm at lunch and I've gotten so addicted that I watch it at home in the evening now. I wish they'd start up a gay storyline for some of their characters, its bugun to get really boring lately and that would liven things up.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_zurvd-azM...feature=related
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kr-q8A_8rY...feature=related

The only thing missing was a let's make love song playing when they first kissed...I would have voted for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ztBG1LwlM

But that's my own storyline I guess...

Just when I had given up on this storyline because of the ridiculously slow pacing, a potential affair between a masculine, closeted older man and Luke ends abruptly. Good news is that Brian's character is not being written out for good, so there is a possibility he will be resurfacing.

The hype surrounding the storyline has never truly been justified. The reason? Look at how many people watch soap operas now. The average viewership is somewhere around the lines of 2.5 million, a FAR cry from its golden age (roughly 1978-91) when the numbers were between 8 and 11 million a week. The production values of soaps have diminshed so much that these days soaps are lucky to have one-year contracts with the networks. The writing is no longer in the hands of talented individuals. Focus groups and corporate figures now dictate the storylines. Yes, this is going off-topic but even a homosexual storyline like this isn't enough to rivet a large audience.

Mad Men has similar numbers and it's considered a cultural supernova. I'm just glad to see it happen. More representation is good.

ATWT has turned into a boring yawner. Luke and Noah are great characters but the stories are boring. Now it's turning into the new GENERAL HOSPITAL with actors from that show flocking onto the show. I prefer the lesbian storyline of Natalia and Olivia on GUIDING LIGHT which alas will be going off the air soon. And Van Hansis who plays Luke has always waxed his chest. But now he's been unbuttoning his shirt and tons of chest hair is showing. I like the hairy Van Hansis. YES.

The latest buzz is that ATWT may be cancelled in December. This is not definite but likely. CBS wants to end all of their soaps and replace them with gameshows. Guiding Light is to be replaced with a new version of LET'S MAKE A DEAL.

As a fan of CBS soaps for at least 40 years, this would not sit well with me. I currently keep up with ATWT and B&B, but have also been a fan of Y&R (watched it from day one for YEARS) and Guiding Light. If there were enough hours in the day, I'd still be watching all of them.

I was watching ATWT (as a very small child) with my Mom when JFK was shot. I think they were doing it live in those days. Still blows my mind to see some of the same actors on screen today as then.

Austin Peck aka Brad Snyder has been fired from the show. He will be gone in about a month. Most sources think his character will be killed off. In real life Austin is a big born again Christian and has been seen on the 700 club and on Trinity Broadcasting. He's handsome but not really my taste. That Jonathan Silbermann aka Noah is so hot. Tall, brown eyes and perfect perfect man body. He looks good in and out of his clothes. He looks so good when he is shirtless and barefoot. YES.

The latest news is that "As The World Turns" will be cancelled in 6 months.