Not only has soap vet Vincent Irizarry proven about a zillion times over — or was it a cajillion? — that there’s no one with whom he can’t throw sparks, “Dr. Evil” has a long and storied history in Pine Valley. And you never know when it’ll come in handy to have on the canvas a character who can resurrect the dead.
Walt Willey’s lovestruck lawyer suffered for too many years in pursuit of Erica. He should finally get his happy ending with the beauty by allowing the diva to be her mercurial, occasionally selfish, always entertaining self. In the end, neither he nor we would want her to be anything else, right?
If ever a character was the equivalent of a hug, that character was Erica’s younger daughter, especially the way that she was brought to life by Emmy winner Eden Riegel. And since Pine Valley will want to push into the spotlight a new generation, hey, Bianca has two girls who are practically to the front burner born.
Whether portrayed by Alicia Minshew or predecessor Sarah Michelle “Buffy” Gellar, Erica’s older daughter will have to have put down roots in Pine Valley. The character’s like a freakin’ spoon in that she’s never met a pot that she wouldn’t stir. Too bad, though, that Thorsten Kaye — who played her true love, Zach — is so tied up these days as Ridge on The Bold and the Beautiful…
If Pine Valley is going to hinge on a Santos/Kane family feud, its ensemble is going to have to include Eva LaRue’s alter ego. And since she’s recently popped up now and again as Celeste on The Young and the Restless, it does seem like the actress might be interested in revisiting her soap roots.
If Pine Valley’s young reporter is going to be looking into the “sleepy” town’s murderous history, she’s going to want to talk — a lot — with the chief of police… who should once again be Darnell Williams’ indestructible do-gooder. And since you can’t have Jesse without Angie any more than you can have an open bottle of booze without Arlene Vaughan, we’re definitely going to need you-know-who.
The beating heart of Pine Valley (and, for a time, Loving and The City), Debbi Morgan’s dependable doctor is the kind of character that not just the All My Children update but really every show needs: On one hand, she’s as trustworthy as the day is long. On the other, she can be as explosive as a firecracker lit inside a hospital waiting room.
Since Cady McClain is said to be just a temp as Days of Our Lives’ Jennifer, the Emmy winner should at some point become available to reprise her All My Children role on Pine Valley. And we’ve long dreamt of Dixie and soulmate Tad settling down and picking up where his adoptive parents, Ruth and Joe, left off. Speaking of Dixie’s significant other, next on our list is none other than…
What is Michael E. Knight’s legendary ladies’ man like now that he’s more Tad the Dad than Tad the Cad? We can’t wait to find out. And since his portrayer is only recurring as Martin on General Hospital — and that’s another ABC show — it should be easier to relocate the actor to Pine Valley than it ever was for his incorrigible character to find his way out of hot water.
Pine Valley without the iconic diva that Susan Lucci played for the entirety of All My Children’s ABC run would be like… like a party without Libidozone. And even if the primetime series wanted to “wink” at some of soapdom’s sillier clichés, the Emmy-winning actress — a deft comedienne, Devious Maids reminded us — could make doing so fun without actually making fun of the genre we love.
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