Long on the ratings floor but never short on talent, ”Santa Barbara”
continues to march out daytime`s top guns.
Last May, the soap snagged ”General Hospital” megastar Jack Wagner. Last month, one of daytime`s favorite actresses, Kim Zimmer, a fixture as the adventurous Reva on ”Guiding Light” until she left to have a baby, showed up with the tide at ”SB.”
But for soap watchers, it must be considered a certified coup that Stephen Nichols-the guy with the patch who jumped ship from ”Days of Our Lives” at the peak of his popularity as Patch/Steve, the rugged and the tender-will be shoring up the cast of ”SB.” He`ll play Skyler Gates, a therapist influenced by Eastern spiritualism who, perhaps with the aid of a third eye, will be helping B.J. through her childhood sexual-abuse
recollections.
Nichols` departure from ”Days” was highly publicized, and producers, acutely aware of the actor`s devoted following, wrote a switched-coffins death scene that leaves the lid open-was he really in the coffin they buried? Was he, in fact, dead?-for his character`s return. Instead, Nichols has chosen
”SB” as his new home, possibly because of the particular storyline
(Nichols himself is a spiritualist), and will make his first appearance Tuesday.
– Bare-chested and eating cake during a lunch break last week, actor Scott Reeves (Ryan, ”The Young and the Restless”) seemed nonchalant about his upcoming bedroom scene with actress Heather Tom (Victoria) on the ”Y&R” set.
The two climbed into bed around mid-afternoon, and stayed under the covers through several takes for the climactic storyline in which Scott and Victoria finally have a shot at their first intimacy, not counting the time in the car. However, a knock on the door will interrupt their magic moment, not to mention their entire relationship.
– ”2000 Malibu Road” made its debut Sunday in a two-hour episode on CBS-Ch. 2 and will now air Wednesdays for at least four more weeks. The continuing drama, created by Terry Louise Fisher and Joel Schumacher, washes up at a Malibu beachfront with several daytime actors in key roles, including Bryan Bloom and Scott Bryce from ”As the World Turns,” Tuesday Knight from
”General Hospital” and Michael Weiss from ”Days of Our Lives.”
– Judging from her stack of fan mail, Evanston native Kelley Menighan has been assured of a continuing role as Emily Stewart, businesswoman-provocateur, recast for ”As the World Turns” last month. Menighan will split her time between business and bathing suits for the soap.
– ”One Life to Live” has put together a fitting culmination for its homophobia storyline. Cast and crew traveled to New Jersey, where the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt-a traveling exhibit in memory of loved ones lost to AIDS-was on display. In the ”OLTL” storyline, Andrew has made a panel dedicated to his brother William and he, along with real-life extras who have lost family and friends to the disease, will read the names on each panel of the quilt. The episodes air Friday and Monday.
– On the floor of the Forum on a recent Saturday in Los Angeles, stars and politicians gathered with basketball`s Magic Johnson for what was dubbed
”A Magic Weekend” to raise money for AIDS education. Soap luminaries who participated in the auction and autographing sessions on the court included John McCook, Jeff Trachta and Bobby Eakes from ”The Bold and the Beautiful” and John Castellanos, Brenda Epperson, Tracy Bregman Recht and Tony Pena from ”The Young and the Restless.”
– Trading in his Speedos for a hat, Billy Warlock leaves the cast of the syndicated ”Baywatch” series to co-star with Don Michael Paul and Nestor Serrano as one of three cops orphaned by violent crimes on the new CBS series ”The Hat Squad,” which makes its debut at 7 p.m. Sept. 16. Warlock caught fire as Frankie, ”Days of Our Lives` ” teenage orphan who put himself through art school while raising a boy he found on the streets of Salem and winning the heart of the lovely Jennifer.
– Look for Larry Keith to return this week for a short-time affair on
”All My Children” as Nick Davis, Erica`s great love in life (even though she bedded his son and grandson).
