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The literal intersection of "reality" television and the soap-opera genre was probably an inevitable collision, as it blurs a line that's already fairly indistinct. Hey, if pseudo-celebrity Dr. Sean Kenniff -- the dim Survivor neurologist -- can test his acting chops on Guiding Light, then our favorite quintuple-threat O-Town can certainly chew scenery with the Grande Dame of Daytime.
Susan Lucci's character on All My Children, Erica, shepherds O-Town from Orlando to fictional Pine Valley, USA, where the universities, hospitals, schools, hotels, and brothels are all eponymous, probably all in the same building and likely on the career track of every city denizen. Erica is one of those quintessential soap-opera diva-heroines. She's been married a million times, been a model, a cosmetics mogul, and a talk-show host, among other things, and basically acts like a self-centered bitch much of the time. Her daughter, Bianca, a teenager recovering from either anorexia or bulimia, is in Pine Valley for the summer (her dad's a Seattle resident), and Erica decides to boost Bianca's social status by throwing a massive shindig in her honor. Unfortunately, neither Boyzone, Milli Vanilli, Rick Springfield, Tiffany, nor the Chuck-E-Cheese mouse were available to provide the entertainment, so a stumped All My Children turned to O-Town instead.
The first mention of our intrepid close-harmony singers comes early in the hour. Chatting with her ex-lover (and brother of Bianca's father), Jack, Erica enthuses about the festivities: "I landed O-Town! O-TOWN is going to be here," she shrieks. Susan Lucci is choking the words out. She's pissed. La Lucci didn't labor nineteen years for that Emmy, only to turn into ABC's publicity bitch. Oh wait -- her Emmy drought already took care of that. Jack stares blankly at her, silently wondering if it would ruin the take to whip out his flask and chug Jack Daniels to dull the pain. Erica/Lucci gushes that a "special favor" she's requested from the band manager will surely delight Bianca, although why her mother's sex life would enthrall the girl is beyond me. Perhaps she's requested a two-year torrid marriage to Ashley, which would give Bianca some very special peer-to-peer parental guidance. Plus, it would make Ms. Kane, as "Erica Angel," a walking oxymoron.