As the World Turns Canceled; To Go Off-Air in September 2010
December 8, 2009
It was announced today that CBS has canceled As the World Turns, the 54-year-old daytime drama that most recently has enthralled gay viewers with the love story of Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer.
Luke and Noah will be signing off the airways next year
When As the World Turns goes off the air in September 2010, daytime television will be losing a leader in gay representation that has been nominated for four GLAAD Media Awards and won the past two years. The beloved characters Luke and Noah (or “Nuke,” as they came to be known) made history when they shared the first ever gay male kiss on daytime television and fans have enjoyed following their growth into daytime’s first gay “supercouple.” Although there will be one less daily drama on the air next year, As the World Turns paved the way for greater inclusion on the daytime programming that remains.
Related Posts:Guiding Light Goes Off the Airwaves with No Otalia Kiss
September 22, 2009
Last Friday, CBS‘ Guiding Light, TV’s longest running soap opera, went off the air after 72 years. With it went Olivia and Natalia, popularly known as “Otalia,” the show’s resident lesbian couple who were never given the opportunity to show any real intimacy on the air.
Jessica Leccia (l.) and Crystal Chappell (r.) as Guiding Light's "Otalia"
The pair had a long and convoluted history that began with them as bitter enemies. In a surprising turn of events, Olivia (Crystal Chappell) and Natalia (Jessica Leccia) began to grow closer after Olivia underwent a heart transplant and was nursed back to health by Natalia. LGBT fans became enthralled with the storyline when it became clear earlier this year that their relationship would become romantic.
Unfortunately, the resulting storyline polarized most of Otalia’s LGBT fans. Although it was made clear by the writers that Otalia not only had romantic feelings for each other but were in fact a couple, Otalia were never shown expressing their emotions with the same level of physical intimacy as other Guiding Light couples.
While the Otalia story was strong in many respects, the fact that the couple didn’t so much as kiss is perplexing considering the displays of affection between LGBT couples shown on other daytime dramas. All My Children broke ground with the character Bianca Montgomery (Eden Riegel), who shared the first lesbian kiss in American soap opera history. The character later married her girlfriend, also a first.
Though Bianca is not currently appearing on AMC, there are presently several other compelling LGBT relationships being depicted on daytime television. Most notably, Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann), also known as “Nuke,” have been a popular staple on As the World Turns for several years now. ATWT and CBS ran into controversy similar to that which now surrounds Otalia when Nuke were not shown kissing for a long stretch of time. However, they are now shown being physically intimate with some regularity. Also of note is the budding relationship between Oliver (Scott Evans) and Kyle (Brett Claywell) on ABC’s One Life to Live.
Eden Riegel's Bianca (r.) kisses her bride on All My Children
It is unclear whether the decision not to have Otalia kiss came from CBS or the Guiding Light’s writers. However, GLAAD has been engaged in discussions with CBS regarding the overall lack of LGBT visibility on their scripted programming. Although Guiding Light has now gone off the air, we will continue to work with CBS to ensure that their other scripted daytime and primetime programming fairly, accurately and inclusively reflects the lives of LGBT Americans.
On a final note, there is hope for Otalia fans despite the cancellation of Guiding Light. Crystal Chappell, who played Olivia, will be keeping the spirit of Otalia alive on a new web series called Venice, set to debut in November. Though the characters of Olivia and Natalia will not appear (they are the property of Procter & Gamble), Chappell will be playing a single lesbian woman in Venice, CA. Jessica Leccia, who played Natalia, has agreed to appear on Venice and the two women will at long last share a kiss. The New York Times recently published an article on the upcoming web series that provides a lot more detail, but be sure to visit glaadBLOG in the future for all of the latest on Venice!
Related Posts:Network Responsibility Index Continues to be Covered on TV and Blogs
August 4, 2009
Since the release of GLAAD’s third annual Network Responsibility Index (NRI) last week, the blogosphere has been abuzz with responses to the report. CBS and SyFy have promised big changes and Chelsea Handler comedically pointed out a few things she thinks we missed.
Video courtesy of E! Online:
We at GLAAD always appreciate Chelsea’s humor. A strong and hilarious ally to the gay community, she hosted the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco earlier this year, so despite what some blogs would have you believe, there is no feud between GLAAD and Chelsea Handler. We thank her for bringing attention to the NRI on her Chelsea Lately!
The NRI analyzes programming on the five broadcast networks, the eight highest rated non-children’s/news/sports cable networks plus HBO and Showtime which, as subscription networks, do not receive as many viewers but are considered to be among the major cable networks.
Paul James as gay frat boy Calvin Owens on ABC Family's Greek
E! was not among those networks this year. However, because ratings change from year to year, the ten cable networks counted this year are not necessarily the ten that will be counted in next year’s NRI. Case in point: the second annual NRI counted Spike, which was replaced this year by Sci Fi (now SyFy). This may change again in next year’s report. Several cable networks that did not crack our top ten but air significant LGBT content, such as ABC Family, Bravo and BBC America, were included in the “Additional Cable Overview” found in the rear of the NRI.
Bloggers also wondered why daytime television was not included in the report. There is little question that the daytime TV landscape for LGBT characters is better today than it has ever been. We commend the writers of daily dramas such as As the World Turns, The Young & The Restless, Guiding Light and One Life to Live for seamlessly incorporating LGBT characters into their stories. However, tracking 6,113.5 hours of primetime network and cable television is a big task.
While right now we do not have the staff capacity to include daytime in the NRI, we do monitor storylines and recognize outstanding representations in the Daily Drama category at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Related Posts:here! Networks Nominated for Daytime Emmy Award
May 15, 2009
Yesterday morning, here! became the first LGBT network to win a nomination for a Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award. here! Networks’ Ribbon of Hope Celebration was nominated in the Outstanding Special Class Special category.
Congrats to here!
From here’s press release:
“We are grateful to receive our first Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award nomination
for the ‘Ribbon of Hope Celebration.’ As we continue to fight this deadly pandemic
our program recognizes the excellent work done by the television industry to promote
HIV/AIDS awareness and education,” said Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow, co-
founders of here! Networks and executive producers of the “Ribbon of Hope
Celebration.” “We continually work to entertain and inform, and the ‘Ribbon of Hope
Celebration’ represents an important part of our mission. To be the first gay and
lesbian network nominated for a Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award by the National
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is truly an honor.”
Also of note, after two Outstanding Younger Actor nominations, Van Hansis earned his first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Luke Synder on As the World Turns. The Ellen DeGeneres Show again led the pack in talk show nominations with 12.
The 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be telecast on August 30, 2009 on The CW and will be hosted by Vanessa Williams.
Be an Ally & a Friend Today!
April 14, 2009
Today, GLAAD unveiled our all-new “Be an Ally & a Friend” public education campaign. This year’s campaign has 22 public service announcements (PSAs) featuring 32 top entertainers from the world of television, film and music.
Sally Field and Ron Rifkin
“Now, more than ever, we need the support of straight allies in our work towards full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community,” says GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “Straight allies play a vital role in fostering a climate of understanding and respect for LGBT people in their communities, helping all of us to recognize the common ground that we share.”
The campaign, now in its third year, features two distinct spots: one about the importance of accepting a gay friend or family member, the other about standing up for gay and transgender equality. These PSAs encourage the audience to “be an ally and a friend,” sending viewers to online resources to give them the tools to support LGBT family, friends, colleagues and fellow students, and find ways to get involved in gay and transgender advocacy in their own communities. There are multiple 20- and 30-second versions of the spots, as well as versions of the PSA in Spanish.
Ellen DeGeneres
“The diverse group of 32 talented entertainers – gay, straight and transgender – who gave their time and energy to this campaign deserves our deepest thanks for participating in this effort to reach a critical audience,” Giuliano continues. “We are so thankful to the networks across the country who have proudly broadcast the ‘Be an Ally & a Friend’ campaign in both English and Spanish, sending a clear message of acceptance and support to their viewers.”
The PSAs feature (alphabetically) actor Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money), Candis Cayne (Dirty Sexy Money), Gabrielle Christian (South of Nowhere), comic Kate Clinton, Lauren Collins (Degrassi: The Next Generation), actor Alan Cumming, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy), Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters), Van Hansis (As the World Turns), Cheyenne Jackson (Glee), Paul James (GREEK), T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty), Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), comic Graham Norton, Tony Potts (Access Hollywood), Maeve Quinlan (South of Nowhere), Anthony Rapp (Rent), comic Caroline Rhea, Ron Rifkin (Brothers & Sisters), Anika Noni Rose (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency), Adamo Ruggiero (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Jake Silbermann (As the World Turns), singer Joss Stone, Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), Sofia Vergara (Madea Goes to Jail), musician Rufus Wainwright and Eduardo Xol (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition).
The first PSA stars Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Ellen DeGeneres, Anika Noni Rose, Alan Cumming, William Baldwin, Rufus Wainwright, Sally Field and Ron Rifkin. It can be viewed at www.glaad.org, or here:
Additional PSAs will be unveiled approximately every two weeks throughout 2009. The PSAs will also be available through broadcast collaborations with national cable networks including IFC, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Television, Sundance Channel, The N and Comcast cable systems; local cable systems and network affiliates; online at YouTube and Facebook; and others to be announced.
WGA Honors Milk, Gay TV Projects
February 8, 2009
In what is seen as a precursor to the Oscars, The Writers Guild of America handed out its top awards on Saturday, with key feature prizes going to Slumdog Millionaire as best adapted screenplay and the biographical drama Milk for original screenplay.
Writer Dustin Lance Black received a standing ovation after his win for Milk. In one of the night’s most emotional moments, Black thanked “God for a dream come true and I thank God for giving us Harvey Milk.” Black also won the previously announced Paul Selvin Award.
There were a number of other WGA winners for gay-inclusive television projects, including:
Dramatic series: “Mad Men,” Lisa Albert, Jane Anderson, Rick Cleveland, Kater Gordon, David Isaacs, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Marti Noxon, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner
Comedy series: “30 Rock,” Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Andrew Guest, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner
New series: “In Treatment,” Rodrigo Garcia, Bryan Goluboff, Davey Holmes, William Merritt Johnson, Amy Lippman, Sarah Treem
Episodic comedy: “Succession” (“30 Rock”), Andrew Guest & John Riggi
Daytime serials: “As the World Turns,” Jean Passanante, Leah Laiman, Courtney Simon, Lisa Connor, David A. Levinson, Peter Brash, Richard Culliton, Susan Dansby, Cheryl Davis, Leslie Nipkow
All My Children to Feature Landmark Wedding
February 5, 2009
Romance and marriage are staples of daytime dramas, and ABC’s All My Children is certainly no exception. On Monday, Feb. 16, the Emmy-winning, 39-year-old soap opera will depict a wedding like one never before seen on scripted daytime television: The marriage of female couple Bianca Montgomery and Reese Williams.
“This is a milestone in daytime drama,” says GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “Bianca and Reese’s wedding is a joyful day that countless people – gay and straight alike – dream of for themselves and the ones they love. It’s a celebration of love, commitment and family, and we’re thrilled that All My Children’s viewers will be able to experience the joy of that day right alongside them.”
Bianca (played by actress Eden Riegel) is notable as daytime drama’s first contracted gay character that is also part of the show’s core family; her mother is Erica Kane (actress Susan Lucci). Bianca’s relationship with Reese gives the couple the distinction of being the only lesbian couple currently depicted on daytime or primetime broadcast television.
In recent weeks, Bianca and Reese have had their relationship tested. But during the coming days, the couple – along with family and friends, and Bianca’s two children – will travel from fictitious Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, to the state of Connecticut, where marriage for gay couples became a legal reality in late 2008.
As the World Turns
Gay characters, and their romantic relationships, have been slow to evolve in the daytime genre. CBS’ As the World Turns currently features a same-sex relationship between male characters Luke and Noah. The now-defunct and campy Passions featured what was ultimately a comic relationship between Norma and Edna. After Passions moved from NBC to satellite carrier DirecTV, the show featured a symbolic commitment ceremony between the characters before the show was canceled in 2008.
During recent years, Bianca has made short-term visits to Pine Valley based on actress Eden Riegel’s availability. This story arc is no exception. While Bianca’s marriage is expected to happen, this being a soap opera, the twists and turns this relationship takes may play out off camera as well until Riegel’s next return to All My Children.
ABC is to be commended for its ongoing commitment to diversity, and their continuation of Bianca’s story when Riegel is available. “The best way to resonate with your audience is to be authentic,” Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, recently told the Los Angeles Times. “And you’re only authentic if you are holding up a mirror to your audience and saying, ‘I see you.’”
Please visit the official site of All My Children.
“Nuke” Blows Us Away with a Great Interview
February 4, 2009
Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, the two actors who play boyfriends Noah and Luke (“Nuke”) on CBS’ As the World Turns gave a strong interview to Advocate.com yesterday. Not familiar with the only gay male couple on daytime?
Van and Luke at the GLAAD Media Awards last year
Read on for all the juicy details…
To catch the uninitiated up to speed, Noah and Luke have been together for quite some time, but they finally “sealed the deal” a few weeks ago by having sex. Though it was off-camera, the guys made it all-too-apparent they’d just done the deed and celebrated by sharing ice cream. (Awww!)
According to Advocate.com:
The big day was met with controversy all over the Internet — from soap pundits to mainstream journalists, many questioned the lack of promotion for the long-awaited moment from the powers-that-be at ATWT and Procter & Gamble (the show’s sponsor). Still, when the time finally came, Nuke fans were thrilled.
Though we highly recommend reading the interview in its entirety, here’s some tidbits that are especially good:
Advocate.com: Now that it’s finally aired, how do you think Nuke’s first sex scene played out?
Hansis: I think it was a natural progression for the characters at this point to sleep together. I think it’s a good thing that they did. The time was right. It is important to show that they take it seriously. I am glad the fans are so happy because that is the most important thing.
Silbermann: I really liked the way the show handled it by not really having it with bells and whistles and fanfare…
Hansis: Also, it was exciting for the fans not to have any “spoilers” on it, because I know there was a big fan group waiting for this moment. In this day and age, to keep that a secret is pretty cool. I think the fans enjoyed being surprised and shocked.
It’s important that gay romance receives fair cultural representation on television. Do you feel a responsibility in portraying these roles?
Silbermann: The most important thing is that it’s a story for people who felt unrepresented on our show, or any show.
Hansis: One of the most important things in the daytime medium, in portraying a couple long-term, is to give a voice to people who had not had a voice. Also, to show people who are not gay or who don’t have a personal connection to the story. They can form an empathetic connection to these characters. It helps people in that way.
Read the entire interview here.
As the World Turns is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama. The series airs on CBS Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for air times.
Share Your Stories From the Holiday Table
January 6, 2009
Last year, GLAAD partnered with Mitchell Gold, editor of the anthology Crisis, to urge folks to share their stories with friends and family during the holiday season.
That’s exactly what my family did this year. Our big annual holiday dinner included the usual grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, along with three of us openly gay grandchildren.
CRISIS examines the overwhelming effects of prejudice and discrimination on the lives of gay youth.
In preparation for our big meal, my mom added one task to her list of things to do – to call everyone coming over for dinner and let them know we were having two special guests: my brother and my cousin’s partners. To my mom’s surprise, everyone was just fine with the inclusion of our gay family members. I wasn’t too surprised, though. I work for GLAAD, and every day I get to see examples demonstrating that our work is making a difference in eliminating homophobia.
As part of being GLAAD’s Central Region Media Field Strategist, I work to ensure media coverage of our community in the region (which includes my family’s home base, Ohio) is fair, accurate, and inclusive. Going into the holiday season, I knew that my extended family has been seeing more and more images of gay and transgender people in the media regularly, and that these positive portrayals are inevitably playing a role in changing their hearts and minds.
My grandma’s reaction to the news that two new members of the family would be joining our holiday meal was amazing. I know how important the media advocacy work we do here at GLAAD is, but it hit home for me as I watched my grandmother simply smile and say, “That’s great. You know this guy on one of my soaps, he’s gay. I love all my grandchildren, this doesn’t change anything.”
The actors who play Luke and Noah on As the World Turns received a GLAAD Media Award this year.
Towards the end of 2008, GLAAD commissioned a poll from Harris Interactive, the results of which told us that if someone knows a gay person, they are more likely to favor legal protections for our community. In fact, 19% of survey respondents reported that their feelings toward gay and lesbian people have become more favorable over the past five years. The number one factor for this change of heart was knowing someone who is gay or lesbian.
I firmly believe that the fact that my brother, my cousin, and I have all come out to our family, coupled with the fact that my family regularly sees fair and accurate media coverage of our community has made all the difference.
Not only have we built up a great group of allies in our extended family, but we’ve paved the way for any future family members who may be gay. They will be comforted to know that Grandma loves Luke and Noah on As the World Turns, and that openly gay folks are welcomed to our family’s holiday meal table every year.
Please feel free to share your story from the holidays in the comments section below.
New Year’s Nuke for As the World Turns
December 30, 2008
Noah and Luke, aka Nuke, have had quite a roller-coaster relationship on As the World Turns. Anyone who watches daytime TV knows that’s actually a good thing because a “happy” romance means the end of the line for a soap couple.
It was just one year ago that daytime’s first same-sex male couple was in the spotlight for what appeared to be producers’ or CBS’ hesitation to show simple acts of intimacy between the two men. The public outcry was deafening and brought some much-needed attention to the dying soap opera genre.
It wasn’t long before the two characters were kissing onscreen just like any of the soap’s straight couples. They now kiss and kiss often, according to Van Hansis, the Emmy-nominated actor who has brought Luke to life with sensitivity. “They have had a peck at least, if not a kiss, in any episode they were in together, unless they were fighting and hating each other,” says the actor. “When things are good, they are kissing.”
An interview with Van is featured in the new issue of IN Los Angeles Magazine, a must-read if you want a teaser to what is to come for the super couple in 2009. Van also says some pretty nice things about GLAAD (thanks Van!):
“The GLAAD Awards are fantastic! We have done it three years in a row. I remember last year, it was the first year Luke and Noah had blown up and become bigger than just soap opera characters. It’s great when you have a role that means something to people and that you are doing something for the good of what is happening in this country. I really applaud GLAAD for what they are doing, and I am very excited to help their cause on daytime.”
The fan reaction to this couple has been incredible as witnessed by the many video mashups online. My favorite part of this one may just be the montage of images after the song is over. Check it out.
“Nuke” Fans in the Holiday Spirit on World AIDS Day
December 1, 2008
Fans of As the World Turns‘ Luke and Noah are launching the second annual Project Holiday Spirit today, in honor of World AIDS Day. 
The fundraising campaign, which raised over $6000 last year, has once again been organized to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. More information can be found at the Project Holiday Spirit website, or by emailing ProjectHolidaySpirit@vanhansis.net.
