# Tainted Dreams

Tainted Dreams is a soap opera that premiered on YouTube on December 30, 2013 and later moved exclusively to Amazon and Amazon Prime. The series debuted on Popstar! TV and the Popstar! App on September 23, 2019. Created by Sonia Blangiardo, it is a "soap-within-a-soap" which follows the backstage drama of the fictional soap opera Painted Dreams.
Tainted Dreams was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series in 2014, and one for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series in 2017. Kelley Menighan Hensley, Michael Lowry, Natalia Livingston, and Anthony Wilkinson were also nominated for Daytime Emmys in 2017 for their performances.

## Cast

* Alicia Minshew as Angelica Caruso
* Michael Lowry as Jordan Bradford
* Walt Willey as Gregory Ashford
* Kelley Menighan Hensley as Veronica Ashford
* Terri Ivens as Kassandra Bently
* Austin Peck as Max Hillstone
* Grant Aleksander as Adam Clark
* Natalia Livingston as Liza Park
* Ilene Kristen as Vivian Park
* Jessie Godderz as Dylan Buckwald
* Bobbie Eakes as Courtney Parish
* James DePaiva as Eddy Parish
* Marnie Schulenburg as Peyton Adams
* Anthony J. Wilkinson as Anthony DiGiacomo
* Dina Cantin as Alessandra DiGiacomo
* Colleen Zenk as Sofia DiGiacomo
* Nathan Purdee as Ethan Washington
* Larkin Malloy as Henry Steinman
* Tonja Walker as Tina Scott
* Lisa Marie Varon as Carla Santiago
* Carolyn Hinsey as herself

## Production and broadcast

Blangiardo created Tainted Dreams after the cancellation of the long running daytime soap opera One Life to Live, where she was a producer. She said in 2013, "I was struck by the loss of this unique art form that had been such an integral part of NYC for decades. I wanted to somehow capture my own two decades working behind the scenes of three different NYC-based soaps."
First cast were Minshew, Lowry, Willey, Hensley and Schulenburg. In January 2013, Cantin of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New Jersey was cast as Alessandra DiGiacomo, a role written with her in mind. Later cast additions in 2013 included Peck, Zenk, Aleksander, Livingston, Malloy, Eakes, and DePaiva, Kristen and Walker.
The first three episodes of Tainted Dreams were released on YouTube on December 30, 2013.
Tainted Dreams was licensed to Amazon.com for streaming through its Amazon Prime service starting December 26, 2016.
The series debuted on Popstar! TV and the Popstar! App on September 23, 2019.

## Reception and awards

Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alina Adams named the series one of the "4 best soap operas on the web" in 2015.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2014 | 41st Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series | Executive Producer: Sonia Blangiardo; Consulting Producers: Mark Costello, Rob Santeramo, Candy Straight; Coordinating Producer: Robert Levinstein; Producer: Teresa Cicala | Nominated |
| 2014 | 5th Indie Series Awards | Best Ensemble (Drama) | | Nominated |
| 2014 | 5th Indie Series Awards | Best Lead Actress (Drama) | Alicia Minshew | Nominated |
| 2017 | 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series | Executive Producer: Sonia Blangiardo; Story Producer: Brandon Goins; Consulting Producers: Mark Costello, Rob Santeramo, Candy Straight; Senior Producer: Teresa Cicala; Coordinating Producer: Robert Levinstein | Nominated |
| 2017 | 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series | Kelley Menighan Hensley as Veronica Ashford | Nominated |
| 2017 | 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series | Michael Lowry as Jordan Bradford | Nominated |
| 2017 | 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series | Natalia Livingston as Liza Park | Nominated |
| 2017 | 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series | Anthony Wilkinson as Anthony DiGiacomo | Nominated |
| 2018 | 45th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series | | Nominated |
| 2018 | 45th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series | Alicia Minshew as Angelica Caruso | Nominated |