Daytime Soap Operas: Generations

Bennett grew up in Pasadena began her career in 1975 on Search For Tomorrow, playing the role of Liza Walton on several episodes.

From there, she segued to The Young and the Restless, where she played Julia Martin, a role that was featured on the long-running soap in appearances over four decades.

She also contributed to the soap industry as a writer, becoming the associate head writer at General Hospital and penning 197 episodes.

Survivors include her husband, Sunset Beach co-creator and writer Robert Guza, Jr., two stepdaughters, four grandchildren, and two siblings.

Morning Show Appearance

‘Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black’: Netflix Reveals Cast For New Series Under Creator’s First Look Deal

The pact calls for Perry will write, direct, and produce feature films and series under a multi-year first-look deal.

Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black follows two women leading very different lives. While Kimmie is struggling to make a living after her mother kicked her out, and Mallory is running a successful business, they find themselves entangled in each other’s lives.

The cast includes Taylor Polidore Williams (Divorce in the Black; Snowfall) as Kimmie; Amber Reign Smith (Outlaw Posse; Wu-Tang: An American Saga) as Rain; Crystle Stewart (Tyler Perry’s The Oval; Acrimony) as Mallory; Ricco Ross (A Husband for Christmas; Aliens) as Horace; Debbi Morgan (Power; Power Book II: Ghost) as Olivia; Richard Lawson (Black Hamptons; For Colored Girls) as Norman; Steven G. Norfleet (Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire; Ruthless) as Charles; Julian Horton (National Champions; Tyler Perry’s Bruh) as Roy; Terrell Carter (Empire; Diary of a Mad Black Woman) and as Varney.

Other cast members are Shannon Wallace (Diarra from Detroit; City on a Hill) as Calvin; Bryan Tanaka (Entourage) as Officer Alex; Joy Rovaris (Saint Clare; The Neighborhood) as Gillian; Xavier Smalls as Angel; Charles Malik Whitfield (The Temptations; If Loving You is Wrong) as Jules; Tamera “Tee” Kissen (House Party; White Men Can’t Jump) as Body; Ursula O. Robinson (Hightown) as Delinda; Ashley Versher (This is Me… Now; Law and Order) as Lena; and George Middlebrook (The Final Play; McGraw Ave H-Block) will play Officer Trackson.

In February, Perry struck a first-look series deal with Netflix, adding to his pact with the streamer on movies. That’s on top of Perry’s BET deal for TV, which is ongoing with more than 10 series at the company.

Ron Harper, ‘Land of the Lost’ and ‘Planet of the Apes’ Actor, Dies at 91

Harper died Thursday of natural causes at his home in West Hills, his daughter, Nicole Longeuay, told The Hollywood Reporter.

After understudying for Paul Newman on Broadway, Harper portrayed Det. Bert Kling alongside Norman Fell, Robert Lansing, Gregory Walcott and Gena Rowlands on the 1961-62 NBC cop show 87th Precinct, based on the novels of Ed McBain.

He played Jeff Conway, the husband of Connie Stevens’ character, on the 1964-65 ABC sitcom Wendy and Me, also starring George Burns, who produced the show and appeared as the owner of the apartment building in which the young couple lives.

Next up for Harper were turns as the son of Jean Arthur’s lawyer — they both portrayed lawyers, in fact — on CBS’ The Jean Arthur Show in 1966 and Lt. Craig Garrison on the World War II-set Garrison’s Gorillas, which aired on ABC in 1967-68.

All four never made it to a second season, with 87th Precinct lasting 30 episodes, Wendy and Me 34, The Jean Arthur Show 12 and Garrison’s Gorillas 26.

In 1974, Harper finally seemed to have a hit on his hands when he landed the role of astronaut Alan Virdon on CBS’ Planet of the Apes. The series, after all, had come on the heels of the five Planet of the Apes movies and starred Roddy McDowall, who was in four of the films, as a chimpanzee.

However, the high-cost show, which also starred Jim Naughton as an astronaut, performed poorly in its Friday night slot and was canceled, with just 14 episodes airing.

“Our Planet of the Apes stories degenerated into The Fugitive with fur. I think that’s one of the things that curtailed what should have been a longer run,” Harper said in an interview for Tom Weaver’s 2008 book, I Talked With a Zombie.

Harper then joined Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost in 1976 for its third and final season, stepping in for Spencer Milligan to play the family’s Uncle Jack on the NBC sci-fi show. He was on just 13 episodes, but those showed up often in repeats over the years.

“The stories were very good,” Harper said in 2005. “Each generation of children as they come up and are exposed to it like those stories and remember them, pass them right on. I have about three tapes, and I’ve been showing them to my daughter since she was 5. And she still, of all my series, loves Land of the Lost best.”

Ronald Robert Harper was born on Jan. 12, 1933, in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh. He graduated from Turtle Creek High School and earned a scholarship to Princeton University, where he did two seasons of summer stock. He then was offered a fellowship to Harvard Law School.

“I kept saying to myself, ‘Should you waste your good education being an actor?’ And that little voice within me kept saying things like, ‘What do you want to take that fellowship to Harvard Law for? Be an actor. Starving is fun,’” he said in 1966. “And like the fool that any actor has to be, I listened to that dumb little voice.”

He studied with Lee Strasberg, served in the U.S. Navy and in 1959-60 was Newman’s understudy in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth, directed by Elia Kazan. He got to play opposite Geraldine Page four times one week when Newman was ill.

“In my last performance of it, I saw Paul in the audience,” he recalled in 2015. “If he was not feeling too well, he was feeling a little bit better. He was a wonderful, sweet guy. I think he probably felt generous enough to say, ‘Let Ron do one or two of the performances.’”

After that, he appeared on installments of such shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Thriller, Wagon Train and The Tall Man before landing on 87th Precinct.

Harper returned to Broadway in 1972 in 6 Rms Riv Vu and did lots of soap operas, among them Another World, Loving, Capitol, Generations, Where the Heart Is and Love of Life.

His résumé also included the movies The Wild Season (1971), The Odd Couple II (1998) and Pearl Harbor (2001) and TV guest stints on The Big Valley, Remington Steele, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Walker, Texas Ranger, The West Wing and Cold Case.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his son-in-law, Daniel; granddaughters Ronnie and Harper; and ex-wife Shirley. His first wife was actress Sally Stark.

CBS Studios NAACP Venture To Develop New Daytime Drama For CBS Called ‘The Gates’

Dubbed The Gates, the new daytime drama is from Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmys for her work on The Bold & The Beautiful and General Hospital. She will serve as writer and showrunner and will also executive producer alongside CBS Studios NAACP Venture President Sheila Ducksworth, along with Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Ducksworth. “This series will salute an audience that has been traditionally underserved, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture.”

“I’m excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is both powerful and inspiring,” continued Ducksworth. “I also want to thank CBS’ George Cheeks, NAACP’s Derrick Johnson and P&G’s Marc Pritchard for their personal involvement and support to take our next step forward with The Gates.”

It’s been years since one of the broadcast networks launched a new daytime sudser. There are only three still existence between CBS and ABC — B&B and The Young and the Restless on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC.

CBS continues to rank No. 1 in daytime with its dramas but all three of the soaps are down in the key demos versus last year. Days of Our Lives is now streaming on Peacock — having moved from NBC to the the platform in 2022.

The CBS Studios’ production venture and development deal with the NAACP was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on broadcast and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.

Morning Show Appearance

Actors Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Mekhi Phifer and Michael Beach ("Soul Food")

Cuba Gooding Jr., Vivica A. Fox, Vernon Davis & Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Join Thriller ‘Break The Cycle’

Others in the cast include Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale) and Kym Whitley (Next Friday). Production kicks off in Memphis in March.

Directed by Josh Webber (Never Heard), Break the Cycle delves into the lives of two brothers whose childhood is marred by a horribly tragic incident. Raised by their loving but stern grandmother, the brothers take radically different paths as they come of age in the gritty streets of Memphis.

Jay, a gifted basketball player with dreams of making it to the NBA, is a beacon of hope for his grandmother and a potential ticket out of their harsh reality. However, the allure of his charismatic yet troubled brother, Eddie, who’s deeply entrenched in the world of street crime, casts a shadow over Jay’s future.

“This film is a heart-pounding journey through the world of streetball that explores themes of family, ambition, and the moral complexities of urban life. It tells the story of navigating a treacherous path, an unfortunate reality for far too many young boys in our urban communities,” said Stokes. “I’m so excited to have written my first film and honored to be working with such a tremendously talented group of actors to bring this project to life.”

Said producers Goodrich and Armstrong: “What excites us about the script is its terrifying plausibility. It’s essentially a true story. We’re thrilled to be working with Jarnell, Josh and the entire team to bring Break the Cycle to the big screen for what will no doubt be a gripping thriller.”

Added Fox: “I’m so proud to have the opportunity to work on such a meaningful film with an incredibly passionate group of people. I’m excited for ‘Break the Cycle’ and the impact I truly believe it will have. If it can motivate change or even a conversation in just one person’s life, we’ll have achieved something important.”

In addition to Stokes, producers on Break the Cycle are Rob Goodrich and Jason Armstrong of Walk Like A Duck Entertainment. Henry Penzi is exec producing.

Gooding is repped by manager and attorney Peter Toumbekis; Fox by Sheila Legette Entertainment; Davis by UTA, manager Henry Penzi and Fox Rothschild; Jackson by Golden Foo Entertainment, Penzi Management and attorney Robert Galarza; Devine by Innovative Artists and Essential Talent Management; Whitley by Innovative Artists, 111 Media and Untitled Entertainment; and Webber by Penzi Management.n

NAME THAT TUNE - TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13 ON FOX

Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski hosts, and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson serves as band leader. Actor/Producer/TV Host Vivica A. Fox, playing for Best Buddies International vs. Actor/Humanitarian/Documentarian Ravi Patel, playing for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in a highly competitive game of Blank That Blank, tensions run high but who’s firing blanks and who’s filling in the blanks as they try to win big money for charity? It’s the Bid-A-Note showdown that proves got the music knowledge to win big in the Golden Medley. In the second battle, Grammy Award winning Singer/Songwriter/Author/Podcast Host Michelle Williams, playing for Compassion International vs. Actor/Producer Rachael Leigh Cook, playing forOxfam. This Blank That Blank match is a close competition, but it’s Bid-A-Note that decides their ‘destiny’ leaving only one with a shot at the big bucks in the Golden Medley. Each one-hour episode of Name That Tune is comprised of two stand-alone half-hour contests, each pitting two players against each other, as they race against the clock to test their knowledge of songs, performed by the live band. The contests feature a rotating variety of games from the original format, before the iconic Bid-a-Note round. Pulling no musical punches, a true battle unfolds and the player with the most money at the end of Bid-a-Note wins the game and takes his or her bank into the final Golden Medley round, for a chance to win additional cash and potentially the $100,000 grand prize for their charity in the all-new “It’s Destiny!'' episode of Name That Tune airing Tuesday, February 13 (8:00 - 9:00 ET/PT) on FOX. (NTU-321) (TV-PG D, L)

NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Aja Naomi King – “Lessons in Chemistry” (Apple TV+)
CCH Pounder – “Full Circle” (HBO | Max)
Micheala Jaé Rodriguez – “American Horror Story: Delicate” (FX)
Phylicia Rashad – “Heaven Down Here” (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
Tisha Campbell – “Every Breath She Takes” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Guest Performance
Ayo Edebiri – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Garcelle Beauvais – “Survival of the Thickest” (Netflix)
Giancarlo Esposito – “The Mandalorian” (Disney+)
Michael B. Jordan – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Roy Wood, Jr. – “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
“Creed III: The Soundtrack” – Michael B. Jordan, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis, Frank Brim (Dreamville / Interscope Records)
“Godfather of Harlem: Season 3 (Original Series Soundtrack)” – Swizz Beatz & Avery Chambliss (Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)
“Metro Boomin Presents Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture/Deluxe Edition)” – Metro Boomin (Republic Records)
“The Color Purple–Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Various Producers (WaterTower Music/Gamma)
“The Little Mermaid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Alan Menken, Mike Higham and Lin–Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Records)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. – Cinnamon (Tubi)
Chris Robinson – Shooting Stars (Peacock)
Keke Palmer – Big Boss (YouTube TV)
Numa Perrier – The Perfect Find (Netflix)
Vivica A. Fox – First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story (BET+)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Antoine Fuqua – The Equalizer 3 (Sony Pictures)
Ava DuVernay – Origin (Neon)
George C. Wolfe – Rustin (Netflix)
Juel Taylor – They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)
Michael B. Jordan – Creed III (Amazon / MGM Studios).

Vivica A. Fox To Host Food Competition Series ‘Family Recipe Rumble’

She has teamed with Rainbow Heads Productions and Woody Woodbeck, a producer on Bravo’s Southern Hospitality, to develop Family Recipe Rumble (w/t).

The series will follow two families battling it out for culinary supremacy and a $10,000 prize. They will put their family recipes to the test, while sharing their stories.

The format will include three courses, where the families share their recipes on classic favorites. While they are preparing, viewers learn about their lives, their culture and their sweet and savory creations along the way. Then Fox invites her special guest judges to taste the results and award the grand prize of $10,000 to one lucky family per episode.

Rainbow Heads, which was founded by former Discovery exec Jodi Tovay and 1000lb Sisters exec producer Daniel Keller-Bradshaw, is currently taking the project out to networks and streamers.

“This isn’t your typical food competition show,” said Fox. “Recipes passed down by generations sometimes tell the story of a family’s rich traditions, that nourish not only the appetite but the soul.” “We hope to show that meals made with love, and a little bit of friendly competition, can be satisfying to everyone who watches.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Ms. Fox and veteran executive producer, Woody Woodbeck, on this project.” added Tovay and Keller-Bradshaw. “The goal is to showcase that culture and tradition shine through with each family’s passion for cooking; serving the viewer with a truly unique culinary competition experience.”

Talk Show Appearance

Lifetime Movie Net Releases Q1 Movie Slate

The Wrong Life Coach will premiere on January 11, and is executive produced by Vivica A. Fox, who stars alongside Eric Roberts, Tracy Nelson, Michael Paré, Jackée Harry, Morgan Bradley and Allison McAtee. Roberts, Paré, Harry and Nelson also star in the Valentine’s themed Tall Dark and Dangerous, set for February 8th, with Matthew Pohlkamp and Vanderpump Rules‘ Tom Sandoval.

Dying For Fame (January 4 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Dylan Raine, Amelie Anstett. A career-driven tabloid reporter Anna (Raine) is assigned to write a profile about popular influencer Juliet (Anstett). During their time together, Anna discovers that many of Juliet’s fans aren’t real. After she is confronted, Juliet reveals a different story about a stalker who has been tormenting her for months but Anna ultimately decides to proceed with the fake fans story.

The Wrong Life Coach (January 11 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Vivica A. Fox, Morgan Bradley, Allison McAtee, Michael Paré, Tracy Nelson, Eric Roberts, Jackeé. Harry When Jordan (Bradley) gets a new boss, Tara (Fox), the job becomes more than she bargained for. Jordan enlists the help of a life coach named Liz (McAtee), but unfortunately, Liz has some sinister plans of her own including sabotaging Jordan’s new job with Mr. Gordon (Roberts). Hybrid produced.

A Party to Die For (January 18 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Jonetta Kaiser, Kara Royster, Jermaine Rivers. Sadie (Kaiser) works in a luxury boutique store but is ready for a change in her life when she meets socialite Jessica (Kara Royster). They become fast friends but when they attend an after party at a new friend’s house, the night goes terribly wrong, and someone ends up dead. Tubi co-prod.

Crowdsource Murder (January 25 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Nicole Weber, James Hyde, Francesca Barker McCormick, Clark Moore, Lexi Minetree. After her daughter Shannon (Minetree) is injured in an accident, her mother Monica (Weber) is encouraged by her friend Rebecca (McCormick) to start a crowdsource fund to pay for the hospital bills. But when a handsome stranger, Noah (Hyde), donates more and more money to the fund, she begins to question his motives.

Sabotaging the Squad (February 1 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Meyon Jacobs, Lauren Mayo, Olivia Buckle, Brittany Goodwin. Missy (Jacobs) is ready to take over as head coach of daughter Arielle’s (Mayo) cheer squad but unfortunately, the other cheer moms are resistant to a change in regime, especially Darlene (Buckle), who has been vying for the top job ever since becoming interim coach. With the help of her friend and assistant coach, Gemma (Brittany Goodwin), Missy focuses on getting her cheerleaders ready for competition. But as strange things begin to happen that sabotage all her efforts and one mom ends up dead, Missy fights to clear her name while keeping her squad competition ready before anyone else dies.

Tall, Dark and Dangerous (February 8 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Jamie Bernadette, Matthew Pohlkamp, Michael Paré, Tracy Nelson, Tom Sandoval, Eric Roberts and Jackeé Harry. As Valentine’s Day approaches, Alice (Bernadette), a successful real estate attorney, decides to try out the dating app Be My Valentine where she finds her seemingly perfect match, Chris (Pohlkamp). But Alice soon realizes that her “Valentine” is an imposter who stole the identity of his former roommate Jason (Sandoval) in order to insert himself into her life, fooling her boss Ed (Roberts) and even her parents.

She’s Obsessed with My Husband (February 15 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Alissa Filoramo, Matthew Pohlkamp, Aryè Campos, Taylor Castro. Violet (Filoramo) has carried a torch for Garrett (Pohlkamp), the love of her life, ever since they dated in high school. Now twenty years later, Violet has moved in next door to Garrett and is determined to destroy his marriage and take her “rightful” place as his wife.

The Ex-Obsession (February 22 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Chaley Rose, B. J. Britt, Anthony Dalton II. Happily married to her husband, John (Britt), Kim (Rose) is shocked to learn John’s new co-worker is her ex-boyfriend Grant (Dalton II). Unwilling to spoil John’s excitement, Kim and Grant decide to keep their history a secret. But when John sees Kim and Grant out together one day, he becomes consumed by jealousy and confronts Kim. Co-prod with Tubi.

Lonely Crime Fanatic (February 29 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Brenna Skalski, Ian Reier Michaels, Alexandra Ponce, David Alan Hurt. Romance sparks when a true crime fan meets her favorite podcast host, but things soon turn strange as his fascination with her turns into obsession.

Danger on Party Island (March 20 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Lindsey Dresbach, Adam Harper, James Bobo, Kate Dailey. After the death of her sister, Mel (Dresbach) travels to an infamous party island to collect her estranged sister’s body. With the reluctant help from local bar owner Jever (Bobo), Mel begins to unravel the circumstances of her sister’s accident and starts to believe she could be next.

My Father’s Murder in Greece (March 21 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Cass Huckabay, Maeve Quinlan. When Allie’s (Cass Huckabay) father George takes her on a celebratory trip to Greece to uncover her family’s roots, she never expected her father would be murdered. Allie must uncover long-kept family secrets if she’s going to bring the killer to justice.a

Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition

Staffers were informed of the decision Friday, according to sources. A spokesperson for a360Media, the company that owns the brand, confirmed that the weekly edition is being discontinued. The company plans to continue publishing special print issues of Soap Opera Digest four times per year.

“Soap Opera Digest, like many other brands, is adjusting its print frequency and shifting more resources to digital to better accommodate its audience,” the a360Media rep said in a statement to Variety.

Soap Opera Digest was first launched in 1975. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp bought the publication in 1989 for $70 million before selling it two years later, per the New York Times, and it has had a succession of different owners ever since.

In its heyday, the magazine had a circulation of 1.5 million in 1991, according to the Times. But the reach of its print edition, as with many magazines, has sharply fallen off in the decades since.

According to its website, Soap Opera Digest is “the leading magazine reporting on the soap opera industry for over 40 years,” serving up “behind-the-scenes scoops and breaking news to passionate soap fans every week.” The mag also has included special editorial features on beauty, fashion, parenting, and health and fitness.

Soap Opera Digest has been available in print and digital subscription plans, priced at $45.97 for six months (26 issues at $1.77 apiece) or $69.97 for one year (52 issues at $1.34 apiece).

A360media houses a media portfolio of celebrity, entertainment and women’s lifestyle brands including Us Weekly, Star, InTouch and Life & Style. The company claims that it is the largest print publisher in the U.S., both in retail sales and units sold, with its titles representing about one-third of all magazines sold at retail.

A360media was formerly known as American Media Inc., which had been the owner of the National Enquirer (involved in the “catch and kill” scandal involving Donald Trump and which Jeff Bezos accused of an extortion attempt). In 2020, AMI was acquired by Atlanta-based logistics firm accelerate360, which sold off the National Enquirer, Globe and National Examiner tabloids earlier this year.

For Older News Visit The Daytime Soap Operas News Archives: Here!

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News & Cast Updates

Meg Bennett Dies: ‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Who Played Julia Martin Was 75

Morning Show Appearance

‘Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black’: Netflix Reveals Cast For New Series Under Creator’s First Look Deal

Ron Harper, ‘Land of the Lost’ and ‘Planet of the Apes’ Actor, Dies at 91

CBS Studios NAACP Venture To Develop New Daytime Drama For CBS Called ‘The Gates’

Morning Show Appearance

Cuba Gooding Jr., Vivica A. Fox, Vernon Davis & Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Join Thriller ‘Break The Cycle’

NAME THAT TUNE - TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13 ON FOX

NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Vivica A. Fox To Host Food Competition Series ‘Family Recipe Rumble’

Talk Show Appearance

Lifetime Movie Net Releases Q1 Movie Slate

Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition

For Older News Visit The Daytime Soap Operas News Archives: Here!

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