TV Source Podcast

TV Source Soap Talk edition on deck: Genie Francis off General Hospital -- the messy reports about her exit ahead of the soaps' upcoming 55th anniversary; GH's Ava centric episode and the return of Faison; B&B hitting rinse and repeat on every storyline and the controversy remains about Bill and Steffy's tryst; Y&R's steamy revisited pairing off JT and Victoria -- moving too fast or coming just right? Why is Hilary so baby obsessed as of late? DAYS' whodunnit, poison patches and keeping the baby (from his real father). Original Tape Date: 1/28/18

The TV Source Podcast is back for its first new episode of 2018! With the start of a new year and so much happening – good and bad – on the soaps, we taped a supersize episode covering the previous two weeks of soap episodes. We discuss the latest on General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives. Brief rundown: On B&B: Liam and Steffy's marriage implodes and she's begging him not to leave her. Who thought this was a good idea? GH: Nathan's father is finally revealed but who cares? Y&R: The fast pace leaves some crucial story moments on the cutting floor. DAYS: DiMeras sparking excitement.

We turn our focus on the NBC and CBS soaps, which are ranging from great to unfortunate. Things between two of our hosts get heated when pointed criticism of one soap's team of writers sets off a passionate debate. You don't want to miss it. The rundown for the episode taped December 17th, 2017: B&B Thorne is back to win back Forrester. And Brooke. And OMG we've been here before.Why is this show so heavy-handed, lazy and uninspiring? There's no more intrigue. The pacing is classic soap but the story is thin. What happened to the great business stories of days gone by? A fiery debate between two of our hosts that raised tension on set. Y&R (24:15) Hilary & Devon are just drifting in stories. Not sure if they're drifting closer together but drifting nonetheless.Loving the Alzheimer's drama with the siblings taking opposite but very realistic sides. Probably the series' strongest story, but Ryan and Ashley are over it.Speaking of returns, JT is finally back! Also, next episode teasers have been cut and fans are wilding out. Thoughts? DAYS (58:38) Belle and Shawn's blink and you missed it return. Why don't they stay?Ciara 3.0 is a bit extra, but Victoria Konefal is knocking it out of the park. Her misplaced anger toward Claire is finally being redirected to the right target...Rafe. Is she Sami Jr.?Sonny's stalking Will through these Salem streets. Why is Will giving him another shot? We're happy Will is keeping his options open, just like a young gay man in the digital age should!#DAYsoWhite – Backlash over the perception of JJ after Theo's storyline continues to draw debate on #SoapTwitter. Are their arguments misplaced?

In part one, we're talking all things General Hospital. A new career path for Lulu has our team excited, even if it seemed to come out of left field; Nelle is pregnant (shocker), but her scheming is lacking; The meat of the two Jasons story takes shape with Sam being torn between two men, we discuss her options and Franco & Elizabeth's engagement. The rundown for the episode taped December 17, 2017: Hosts: Ashley, Coryon, Johnathon & Ryan Lulu and Maxie finally have some fun with stink bombs and breaking and entering - and it's entertaining! It's nice seeing Lulu have fun and new job seems to be leading to a meatier story for her with discovery of rigged election ballots.Nelle reveals she's scamming for two after being exposed. Do we buy anything she's selling? Why hasn't anyone offed her yet? Ryan makes a shocking admission, but Johnathon takes things a bit too far. Ashley and Coryon are having NONE of it.With the truth out, Sam is torn between two brothers. Though she's doing her best to reaffirm her love for an insecure Drew, but is she being too cold to Jason? Some say so. Our hosts debate Sam's actions, and her central role as the show's heroine. Coryon wants more "Carly" in Kim, and he and Ashley criticize the GH for adding an unnecessary element to an already good storyline with Kim and Oscar.The backlash for Elizabeth and Franco's relationship grows louder on social media, but Ryan comes to their defense. Is Franco the worst person for Elizabeth? Our hosts debate that question and lay out their reasons yay or nay.  Runtime: 51 minutes Follow us on Twitter @TVSource and check out our official website https://tvsourcemagazine.com.

The rundown for the episode taped December 4th, 2017: The surprisingly quick pace of the 2 Jasons reveal, but did it give us everything we wanted? And what do we even want from those characters moving forward? The best path would probably be to move away from the mob and not fall back into the same bloody abyss... But it's doubtful.What makes this Thorne different from the last few? We're not sure if there's too much different and we're not buying into it anyway. Much like the city of Los Angeles should not be buying into Sheila's supposed redemption! What is going on there?We're still struggling to find out why Tessa is in Genoa City, especially if the writing seems to be moving her away from Mariah. There's also questions about whether or not Mariah is truly with us... Similarly, is Hilary better off alone or have the recent Hevon teases gotten us all worked up? There's a bit of a clash, to say the least!The return of Strangle Bae gets the hosts hot under the collar but do we thank Sami for trying to re-kill her son? We break down why we think it wasn't that bad, considering how bad Samantha Gene can be. Like sleeping with her ex-husband Rafe after he breaks up with her aunt in a scene that was actually realistic and poignant. Episode Runtime: 01:06 Follow us on Twitter @TVSource and check out our official website https://tvsourcemagazine.com.

We're back with another soap edition of the TV Source Podcast. We've got snark, sass and some talk of throwing ass in the new episode. We're talking The Bold and Beautiful's weird Thanksgiving celebration, Abby vs. Victoria on The Young and the Restless, Susan's mental breakdown & Will's return to Salem on Days of our Lives and baby rabies on General Hospital. General Hospital – No Fake Friends, a Naxie Baby and Holy Redemption: Maxie is pregnant with Nathan's baby, but is it what she really wants? We discuss the potential of Maxie's untimely pregnancy, and when a host tries to come for Naxie, another comes to their defense. Also: Feeling bad for Billy Miller's Jason, Ava and Griffin's growing appeal. The Bold and the Beautiful – No one is buying Bill and Steffy as the show's latest destined couple. We discuss their creepy love scene, the reappearance of Rick and Maya, Hope recast and that awkward Thanksgiving dinner. The Young and the Restless – If Abby vs. Victoria is the follow up from the lackluster sex trafficking storyline then we're here for it. One of our hosts come to Abby's defense (shocking, we know) regarding her issues with Victoria. Also, we briefly discuss the rumors surrounding JT's return storyline and why it's upsetting #SoapTwitter. Days of our Lives – Susan has a mental breakdown as Will heads back to Salem. We talk feeling bad for Susan, appreciation for the nuance in Sami empathizing with Susan despite her anger; Marlena's breakthrough to Will; the complications as we head toward Sonny/Will/Paul and more. Episode Runtime: 01:30 Follow us on Twitter @TVSource and check out our official website https://tvsourcemagazine.com.

The TV Source Podcast talks about soap operas during November sweeps. General Hospital's riding a wave of momentum on the strength of the Tale of Two Jasons, Days of our Lives steps into topical storytelling with Theo's shooting, The Young and the Restless has stabby senior citizens and The Bold and the Beautiful has, well, more of the same. Check out a preview of the rundown for the episode taped November 13, 2017: One story is propelling General Hospital – The Tale of Two Jasons has been a great way to get back into the show, but the other storylines could use some work. We're giving the new creative team time to effect more change, but we're hoping it happens sooner than later. Also: GH overtakes Y&R in the key demo for the week of 10/30 – a fluke or a sign of things to come? We say don't read too much into it. The Young and the Restless – The end of Cane and Lily, drama with Hilary and Dina's stabby tendencies. The Bold and the Beautiful is anything but Bold at the moment – We discuss the interview head writer/showrunner Brad Bell gave to TV Insider re: plans for the show, and why none of the minorities have storylines of note. We had opinions, obviously. Also: WTF kissing? Days of our Lives dares to be bold – With a mixture of classic soap tropes and socially conscious storylines, DAYS is the mixed bag every soap should aspire to be. Theo's shooting is a lot a more than a "ripped from the headlines" tale, and we explain why. Also: Will thinks he's EJ DiMera and that "Oh Our Effing God" November Promo. Follow us on Twitter @TVSource and check out our official website https://tvsourcemagazine.com for more.

EP 9 – Soap Talk – Coming Out Swinging The TV Source Podcast talks about Days of our Lives' wild week, Mariah's coming out on The Young and the Restless, and a huge stunt on UK soap opera Hollyoaks. Check out a preview of the rundown for the episode taped November 5, 2017: The Carlivati Effect on NBC's Days of our Lives – Executive producer Ken Corday has high praise for the show's new head writer, and it was legitimate for a change. Where does Paul go post-Will reveal? Preview of the controversial shooting storyline with JJ and Theo. Also DAYS' taping schedule.  Mariah's Coming out on The Young and the Restless – An unexpected but well appreciated non—promoted development with Mariah Copeland's (Camryn Grimes) coming out to her mother Sharon. It's hard to admit when you've fallen for a friend, especially a friend you shouldn't. How did Y&R handle the scenes? We talk about the strengths (and weaknesses) of the material; the extended time given for the scenes and the juxtaposition with the club fire.  No one does stunts like quite like UK soap Holloaks. Though we discuss the hyped school fire, we also give reasons why for why fans should give the genre across the pond a chance.  Things We Want More Of – Do we want more romance? Do we want more diversity? Do we want more drama? A brief teaser of a later show topic where discuss the kind of stories/emotions we want to feel from our soaps. Episode Runtime: 01:15 Follow us on Twitter @TVSource and check out our official website http://tvsourcemagazine.com for more.

The TV Source team is talking PRIMETIME TELEVISION. Shocker, right? The CW's Riverdale and Dynasty, Fox's The Gifted, NBC's This Is Us and Netflix's Stranger Things is on deck.  Check out a preview of the rundown for the episode:  Our hosts clash over The CW's lackluster ratings draw Dynasty. Ryan is more optimstic about the state of the show, whereas John and Coryon rip it to shreds. The Flash - Has the series improved after the overly dark Season 3? Our hosts seem to think so. Thoughts on #WestAllen (We love a cannon ship), villains and more.Netflix's Stranger Things - Ashley has critical words for the sophomore season of the surprise hit series. Don't worry, we try to keep this part as spoiler free as possible.Riverdale - Subversion is the new black. Will Season 2 live up to the hype of the first? Praise for star KJ Apa in the season premiere.This Is Us - All of the tears every week. Hosts discuss false perceptions of the series, Kate's storyline and more.The Gifted - Set in the X-Men universe, Fox's new superhero drama hits that sweet spot of TV viewing pleasure. Episode Runtime: 01:17 Follow us on Twitter @TVSource.

TV Source staff discuss the latest happenings in daytime as we head into November Sweeps 2017. Is General Hospital's Tale of Two Jasons delivering a satisfying viewing experience? What is going on at The Bold and the Beautiful? How can you botch a return like Sheila Carter? Changes at The Young and the Restless, and ramp ups on Days of our Lives. Check out the a preview of the episode rundown: Bold and the Beautiful Is a creative intervention needed?Shelia Carter's lame attempt to break up Eric/Quinn The Young and the Restless He who holds the power of the pen – Mal Young's first week as Y&R's head writer/showrunner – dead hookers, Killer Face Cream, The Hunt for Dina, and some stylistic writing changes. General Hospital The Jasoning – Thoughts on the storyline so far. Who is the real Jason? What twists do we foresee coming down the pike? Days of our Lives The downfall of Bonnie LockhartThe end to the Eric/Brady/Nicole triangle.

The TV Source staff hopped back into the recording studio to record a special bonus Days of our Lives centered episode focusing on Ron Carlivati and team's first episode! The excitement and happiness was real among the Source trio of John, Coryon and Ryan. Even though it was only the first episode (taped July 19, 2017), they described the shift in tone as instantly noticeable. It was this and more that they would discuss over the course of the 72 minute episode. Topics: - Highlights from Ron Carlivati's first Soap Opera Digest interview. - First Impressions: What did we think? Did this feel like the start of a new DAYS? - Balancing excitement and criticism during the creative course correcting. There will be growing pains as they find their footing so being understanding of that while also not being afraid to criticize when necessary. - Story Discussion: Should Lucas feel insecure about Justin and Adrienne's past? Mistakes with the Gabi/Chad/Abby triangle and the shift to fix it; Ryan being a HATER against Abigail getting into journalism; Murder mystery theories. - Casting News: Belle and Shawn's return, Dario's exit, and possible recasts on the way! - Changing bringing new attitudes towards DAYS

The Ron Carlivati era of 'Days of our Lives' is finally upon us. In the new episode of the TV Source podcast, taped on June 30, TV Source's Ryan, John and Coryon take a look back at the promises of great reboots past, and why we're tempering the expectations for this latest. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the canvas he inherited and our hopes for the fall.   Main topic: Is this the reboot to end all reboots - or just more of the same DAYS?Is new head writer Ron Carlivati and creative consultants Sheri Anderson and Ryan Quan the dream team? Many believe DAYS is the perfect fit for Ron given some of his past work.2017 Reboot vs. the past: Why isn't there the same level of press?Ken Corday’s endless promisesWhat did last reboots get wrong? What should this reboot do and avoid?Dena Higley's final months and what Ron will have to work with.What we hope Carlivati & Company bring to DAYS.

In part 4 of the series premiere episode of the TVSource podcast, the Year in Soaps discussion shifts to CBS' The Young and the Restless. Contrary to popular opinion, the hosts reveal they were mostly entertained by former head writer Charles Pratt Jr.'s final year of Y&R. But with a changing of the guard behind the scenes, what are their hopes for a revitalized Y&R for 2017? The consensus among our hosts is Y&R's 2016 was less of a creative disaster than 2015. Pratt's storylines focused mainly on the fallout from the destruction of the year before, and while misogyny ran rampant along with plots driving characterization, in many ways the show was entertaining. It's easy to pin the creative failures of Y&R at the feet of Pratt, but the damage did not begin with him. He was the last in a long line of writers who came in trying to put their own stamp on an iconic show with a unique identity rather than use the blueprints already in place to add, rather than remake it in their own lacking vision. With each new change in creatives, the show became more and more chaotic. After years of chaotic reigns, new head writer/co-executive producer Sally Sussman, a veteran of the late great Bill Bell years, has a chance to steady the ship and she's starting off with a fiery passion. The show is forcing you to pay attention to the dialogue, the characterizations are returning to form and the show is using previous plot developments as a way to spin off into new, character-driven stories using history. In our hopes for 2017, we discuss the need to refocus the "lost generation" of characters such as Noah, Lily and boost their age group with the returns of Scotty Jr., Fenmore and others; giving the "young" a purpose outside of reacting to their parents' drama; rehabbing Sharon Newman and more. 

In part 3 of the series premiere episode of the TVSource podcast, the Year in Soaps discussion turns to diversity, or lack thereof in soaps. Why does it feel like the minorities only interact with each other? We discuss the discuss the lacking characterization and motivation for some of the minority characters in soaps – The Young and the Restless' Hillary Curtis-Winters, Days of our Lives' Theo Carver and more. We discuss the underutilized Tequan Richmond of GH, and question how is it that a young star of his caliber can't seem to find airtime, when the problematic actions of others led to more. We discuss the need for new, fresh ideas in the writer's room, and highlight Days of our Lives' Ryan Quan as a potential opportunity for that. As the only person of color in a head writing position in daytime, there's a new voice at the table...but it remains to be seen if new equates to better. DAYS is praised for seemingly doing more with young Theo in recent weeks, including the showcasing of some very much needed point of view. We tease upcoming podcast topics towards the end of the episode including shows on Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Riverdale and whether ones identity makes them better at their creative job.

In part 2 of the series premiere episode of the TVSource podcast, TVSource Magazine editors and staff writers discuss the up and down year for ABC's General Hospital. The soap continues to be plagued by erratic inconsistencies in storytelling and the size of its cast still leads to dropped stories for weeks on end. But even with those issues at center, the first year under head writers Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman proved to be an improvement over the disastrous 2015.