Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

More good news from "All My Children." Julia Barr's (Brooke) return to the show was not just that Jan. 5 walk-on. On Feb. 23, Barr, returns for what the show calls a major story line arc. Barr, whose first daytime gig was as Reenie Szabo on "Ryan's Hope," joined "AMC" in 1976.

Julia Barr's Return to All My Children a "major story line arc."

Brooke rode into town on the back of boyfriend Benny Sago's motorcycle. At first, Brooke was nothing but trouble for her Aunt Phoebe (Ruth Warrick). Then she was raped by Eddie Dorrance. That horrible incident changed Brooke, but the character did not mellow. She always spoke her mind. Brooke and Erica clashed, as did Brooke and Dixie.

She also became a strong, independent woman but made several bad choices in men, including a marriage to Adam. In fact, when Brooke left the show in 2006, she and Adam were flirting. At the time, Barr hoped that Adam and Brooke were headed back to romance. Brooke's marriages also included Tad Martin (Jamie is their son) and Tom Cudahy (they had a daughter, Laura, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver).

One of Brooke's amazing qualities was her ability to have a story line even when she was not involved in a romance. No word on how long Barr will be back. How wonderful if it would be long term. As for the story, the network is not saying with whom she will be involved. It is doubtful that Brooke will be behind Tad and Liza's romance.

Since Lorraine Broderick's material as pitch-hitting writer will have begun, we know she will be true to the character. Broderick understood Brooke. In fact, Broderick understands all the "AMC" characters.


It is obviously back to crime time on "General Hospital." Mark Pinter returns to the show Jan. 26 as FBI agent Thomas Raynor. Whenever Raynor shows up, he makes Mac look like Super Cop. Speaking of whom, Mac (John J. York) and Alexis (Nancy Grahn) are so much fun together. It is great to see sides of these characters that we get to when they are crushing.

Getting to see these two let their hair down is a treat.

Everyone sees this as Alexis getting away from her obsession with bad boys -- Sonny, Rick, Jerry ... Let's not forget when Mac Scorpio came on the scene, he was a very bad boy. You can clean up the character, but you can't wash away the entire latent bad boy.

It is great to see Mac doing more than playing overprotective surrogate father to his girls and jailer of Jason. Just think -- two years ago, "GH" was thinking of sending Mac to Bobbie land -- that far, far away place where core characters ala Bobbie Spencer are sent to and never seen but alluded to from time to time.


Victor (Eric Braeden) returns to "Young and Restless" next week. Nope, getting the heart of sweet Colleen has not made him a kinder, gentler Victor.

The first thing he does is take back his business and his ranch, and declares war on Tucker. When the real ID of Kay's given-away-at-birth child is revealed, lots of things will change. Nope, we can't tell you who it is. Not trying to be a soap tease -- just want to keep our sources. Also, it is one of those payoffs that is worth the wait.