So, I was at the gym recently, and as I worked myself out on the elliptical machine , I noticed something on the television before me, loads of former 80’s and 90’s TV stars on daytime soap operas. Within seven minutes I saw Alley Mills (the mother on The Wonder Years), Darius McCrary (Eddie Winslow), Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks), Patrick Duffy (Dallas & Step by Step) and Jamie Lunar (Savannah- remember that one? & Just the Ten of Us).   I mean seriously, aside from the thrill of watching Ashley Banks and Eddie Winslow in a serious moment together on screen, it was almost surreal.  Now I understand that yes they have to make a living, and hey, I say more power to them.  But how was it possible to get so many stars from so many of the shows that I watched so fondly growing up? Hopefully they are paid better than the other actors, simply based on their appeal to the mass audience.  In fact the only reason that I actually watched a segment of the show was because of Tatyana Ali (admit it, she’s hot).

Now James Franco has signed on to a soap opera as well. What has the world come to? Is this where we will find Steve Carrell and Tina Fey in ten years?  Maybe we should just face it;  soap operas have become the elephant burial ground for semi-popular 80’s & 90’s  TV icons.  Hmmm… Maybe Jaleel White can make a comeback.