If you're not a soaps fan, you might say that a soap is a soap is a soap. But if you are a soaps fan, you're going to know that there's a world of difference (really!) between daytime and primetime ... between the "Days" and the "Dynasty"s of this TV world ... And now the trend seems to be former primetime stars fleeing to daytime soaps for new livelihood. Take, Patrick Duffy, who built a mega-career out of his time as the handsome Bobby Ewing on CBS' "Dallas" (then had the success of ABC's "Step By Step" and -- believe it or not -- "The Man From Atlantis," which sure didn't swim for long but for which he's remembered big-time, decades later). That would've been enough, you'd think? And Duffy, truth be told, has even said as much in interviews. But he works on. He loves to work. So the news broke this past weekend that he would be returning to a role he did last year on CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful." Soaps.com is reporting that Duffy will return to the role of Stephen Logan Sr. on Friday, November 5.
"The Bold and the Beautiful" certainly seems to be a refuge for "Dallas" stars. Linda Gray, who was Sue Ellen Ewing, played Priscilla Kelly on "B&B" in 2004-2005. Lesley Anne-Down, who showed up on "Dallas" for a season as PR guru Stephanie Rogers, has been Jackie Payne Marone on the show since 2003. Joseph Campanella, who was Hutch Corrigan on ABC's "The Colbys" and Joseph Lombardi on "Dallas," played Jonathan Young on "B&B" for nearly 10 years. Then there's Susan Flannery, the platinum-tressed Leslie Stewart on "Dallas," who has played Stephanie Douglas Forrester on the soap for a full 20 years, since the show's beginning! Yowza.
Hop on over to sister show "The Young and the Restless," and you'll find Ted Shackeford, Duffy's on-screen bro Gary Ewing of "Dallas" and "Knots Landing," as the recently resurrected (honestly!) William Bardwell (or is that Jeffrey?). His "Dallas" and "Knots" wife, Joan Van Ark as Valene Ewing, was Gloria Fisher on "Y&R" in 2004-2005. Joan Collins, that "Dynasty" powerhouse Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan, got just about as many names when she did a 2002 stint on CBS' "Guiding Light," as Alexandra (Alex) Spaulding von Halkein Thorpe.
Emma Samms is an even more interesting specimen -- she started on daytime (Holly Sutton Scorpio on ABC's "General Hospital"), then moved to primetime (second Fallon Carrington on "Dynasty"), then returned to her daytime gig! Well, whether daytime or primetime, sunshine or moon, what they all agree on is, thank God for the TV soap!
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