Daytime Soap Operas: Search For Tomorrow

His death was announced by family, who noted that he died “in his beloved Victorian home aside the 11th hole at Rye Golf Club.”

Born June 22, 1932, in Auburn, New York, and raised in New Paltz, New York, Cunningham would go on a stint in the Army before attending the Yale School of Drama, where he attained a masters’ degree and made a lifelong friend in classmate and future talk show host Dick Cavett.

After Yale, Cunningham launched a film, stage and TV career that would span 70 years, including early TV roles on soaps The Secret Storm, The Doctors, Another World and Search For Tomorrow.

He began his stage career even before he had an agent: Following an audition for director Moss Hart, the 27-year-old Cunningham made his debut in the 1960 national and international touring company of My Fair Lady, taking the roles of Zoltan and Henry Higgins understudy.

His second Broadway production came in 1968 when he was cast as a replacement in the original staging of Cabaret; he succeeded Bert Convy in the role of Clifford Bradshaw.

A long and steady stream of significant roles in Broadway productions would follow, among them: Nikos in Zorba, Peter (and the understudy for Bobby) in Company, John Adams in 1776, Flan Kittredge in Six Degrees of Separation (opposite Stockard Channing), Nicholas Pym in The Sisters Rosensweig and Captain E.J. Smith in Titanic.

Cunningham last appeared on the New York stage in 2012 when, at age 80, he appeared in an Off Broadway revival of Tina Howe’s Painting Churches, just one of numerous Off Broadway productions in which he starred through the decades.

On the film side, Cunningham played the supporting role of John in the 1993 movie version of Six Degrees of Separation (Donald Sutherland was cast in the lead role of Flan). Other film credits include include the role of grandfather to Matt Damon’s character in 1988’s Mystic Pizza, the father of Ethan Hawke’s character in 1989’s Dead Poets Society, and the father of, again, Damon’s character in 1993’s School Ties. Other film credits include the 1993 Michael J. Fox comedy For Love Or Money and John Singleton’s Shaft remake in 2000.

Cunningham’s stentorian voice was featured in the 1997 Kevin Kline comedy In and Out (Cunningham was the voice on the “Be A Man” instructional guide) and as a newsreel announcer in 1997’s Starship Troopers.

His many TV credits include Law & Order, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Damages, Cupid and Blue Bloods.

Cunningham is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Carolyn Cotton Cunningham; children Christopher, Catherine, and Laura; six grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. The family will host a memorial service at Rye Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York (and online via Zoom through the Church’s website) on Saturday, January 17 at 1:30 p.m. ET. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Entertainment Community Fund.

PRESENTERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE “83RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES

Presenters for the 83RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES include: Amanda Seyfried, Ana de Armas, Ayo Edebiri, Charli xcx, Chris Pine, Colman Domingo, Connor Storrie, Dakota Fanning, Dave Franco, Diane Lane, George Clooney, Hailee Steinfeld, Hudson Williams, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Joe Keery, Judd Apatow, Julia Roberts, Justin Hartley, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Hart, Kyra Sedgwick, Lalisa Manobal, Luke Grimes, Macaulay Culkin, Marlon Wayans, Melissa McCarthy, Mila Kunis, Miley Cyrus, Minnie Driver, Orlando Bloom, Pamela Anderson, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Sean Hayes, Snoop Dogg, Wanda Sykes, Will Arnett and Zoë Kravitz.

The Golden Globes, often referred to as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year®,” is the largest awards show in the world to celebrate the best of film, television and now podcasting. Multi-Emmy Award®-winning producing duo Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment (WCE) will return as executive-producing showrunners for the 83RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES. Dick Clark Productions will plan, host and produce the 83RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES, which has been viewed in more than 185 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s votes were again tabulated by KPMG, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.

*Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.

Procter & Gamble Backs New Soap Opera Consisting Entirely of Micro-Episodes

The consumer-products giant behind household staples like Tide, Crest and Pampers has been entwined with daytime serials for nearly a century, helping to produce radio dramas like “The Guiding Light”; daytime TV mainstays including “As the World Turns”; and a recent revival of the format called “Beyond the Gates” that airs on CBS. Now the company hopes to reach digitally savvy consumers with an intriguing twist on the old formula.

In January, P&G will launch “The Golden Pear Affair,” a 50-episode “microsoap” that will be made available initially via social media and, later, a bespoke mobile app. The idea, say backers of the new program, is to reach people who are used to giving content a swipe on a mobile phone, rather than those who sit back and passively swoon in front of a more traditional screen.

Will fans of the original concept flock to new one? The bite-sized episodes “are serialized dramas. They are soapy and there are going to be some elements that are a little out there,” says Anna Saalfeld, head of P&G Studios. But the new series — some people behind the scenes refer to it as a “short opera” — is “definitely social-first. It is optimized for viewing on your screen. It is very snackable. There are key differentiators” from old-school programs.

“The Golden Pear Affair” is meant to highlight Procter’s Native line of personal-care products. A new collection of “Global Flavors” products sport fragrances from around the world, and will likely get some nods during all the action in “Pear.” “It’s got romance. It’s certainly got adventure. And it’s a lot of fun,” says Geneva Wasserman, global executive vice president of entertainment IP strategy and investment at Dentsu, the agency that has worked with Procter & Gamble on creating the series.

Native may have more room for such play. The brand was founded in 2015 with a commitment to clean formulae for its products. P&G acquired it in 2017 — a nod, perhaps, to the growing clout of start-up consumer brands such as Dollar Shave Club, Honest Co. or BodyArmor. Native is no Tide or Old Spice, which are instantly recognizable and potentially harder to slip into a piece of programming without distracting the viewer.

“Golden Pear Affair” stars Nick Ritacco and Aloyna Real, two actors who have played roles in other microdramas. The Native products being spotlighted will be available only via the brand’s website and in Target stores. The hopes is that viewers will swipe their way through the whole production.

“We want you to have a little smile and a laugh, but also a shock, and ask ‘What’s going to happen next?’” says Wasserman.

Procter is the latest to enter the growing frenzy around what is known as “microcontent,” or programming with stories and plots that are told over the course of dozens of episodes that may last just a minute or two (some parts of “Golden Pear” may go as long as two and a half minutes). In recent months, several companies have begun to supply bite-sized dramas and serials for venues like TikTok or Meta’s Reels. In China, the content capsules have already proven quite popular. Microdramas could generate as much as $11 billion in 2026, according to estimates from Omdia, a London consultancy.

Already, U.S. media companies are trying to woo adherents of shorter stuff to their own venues, well aware that a rising generation of viewers is growing accustomed to having more control over the content they watch. Viewers can now swipe away instantly if they’re bored with something.

Spanish-language giant TelevisaUnivision in 2025 offered sponsorships tied to a new wellspring of “microdramas”– as many as 30 different titles. But the company plans to increase its production to as many as 100 in 2026. The company recently produced a Spanish-language microdrama for the large retailer JCPenney.

Others are courting similar (short) attention. When ESPN unveiled its much-ballyhooed new “ultimate” streaming service earlier this year, it did so along with a new interactive version of “SportsCenter” that is perfect for young sports aficionados with limited time. “SportsCenter for You” doesn’t feature anchors or intros. It serves up quick, consecutive clips — a key play, a short report from a correspondent — all narrated by Hannah Storm or handful of other ESPN personnel, boosted by A.I. ESPN calls its rapid-fire clips “verts.” Meanwhile, the new Fox One streaming service features “shorts” that let users dive into their favorite topics or programs with a series of attenuated video vignettes.

“Golden Pear” drama starts from the first second of the program. The heroine is marrying a crime boss, and things pick up from there, says Jonas Barnes, founder of Pixie USA, a Georgia-based microdrama studio that produced the new series. The hope is that any nods to Native won’t get in the way of viewers enjoying the show. “What’s really important is making the product part of the story where it’s instrumental. and not just on the table. Or the character picking it up and saying, ‘Look what I got.’”

Procter & Gamble wants to get Native into the hands of young consumers. To do so, the company needs to connect with them in the venues where they get their content — and accommodate their behaviors. “A lot of our growth is going to come from multicultural consumers. A lot of our growth is going to come from younger consumers, says Saalfield. “This format really affords us” an opportunity to speak with them in ways they might appreciate.

Executives believe viewers will stick around for the high production values of the series, as well as some of the humor and sudsy antics. Procter will be counting the length of time people interact with the episodes, and how many they watch, among other behaviors.

Add up all the views, says Wasserman, and they may just equal something bigger than the sum of its parts “If you watch it all, you’ve got an hour, maybe an hour and a half of content — like a feature film.”

‘Unmerciful Good Fortune’ Adds Scott Eastwood & Susan Sarandon Opposite Rosario Dawson

The film is written and directed by veteran film and TV editor Tirsa Hackshaw (Marvel’s Luke Cage, Netflix’s One Piece, Sony’s Spider-Noir) in her feature directorial debut. Unmerciful Good Fortune is adapted from award-winning playwright Edwin Sánchez (La Bella Familia, Trafficking in Broken Hearts). Deadline first told you about the project when Dawson boarded.

In Unmerciful Good Fortune, Dawson plays Maritza Cruz, a high-end celebrity attorney pulled into a headline-making case involving Fatima, a cunning young waitress who is accused of serial poisoning and murdering 28 people. Fatima’s defense takes a darkly mysterious turn when she claims to have the psychic ability to see how someone will die when she touches them and that she is killing people to prevent a “fate worse than death.” Maritza rejects the claim as delusional until strange things start happening, and Fatima admits there’s one more victim “still alive.” With the last victim’s life at stake, Maritza begins to question whether the girl is telling the truth as she descends into a cat-and-mouse journey through ganglands, mental asylums, and into the dark heart of a fanatical Santeria cult. it’s deadly race against time as Maritza finally unravels Fatima’s secret, unveiling a horrifying conspiracy that endangers her own family and sanity.

Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men) is producing alongside Dawson, Corey Large (Paradise City, It Follows), and Brian Kirchoff for Rising Tide Entertainment. The film is executive produced by Jordan Wilson, Pia Patatian, Jordan Nott, Jamie Thompson and Hackshaw.

Pia Patatian’s new production and sales company, Noora Films, is handling worldwide rights.

“The cast coming together for this film is extraordinary,” said Hackshaw. “Each of them brings such intelligence, precision, and depth to the story. It really is a murderer’s row of talent, which couldn’t be more perfect for a project that redefines the serial killer genre.”

“Unmerciful Good Fortune is one of those roller coaster rides which is the reason people go to the movies. It lures the audience into a shadowy world they have not seen before, like Se7en, it’s unpredictable with an ending that people will be talking about for days after,” DeSanto said.

Under his banner 308 Enterprises, Large produced Demian Lichtenstein’s action thriller The Razor’s Edge starring James Franco and Tommy Lee Jones, and Jesse V. Johnson’s CIA action thriller Scorpion starring Aaron Eckhart which are both in post-production. Additional projects include Barry Levinson’s thriller Assassination starring Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston.

Sarandon is repped by United Agents and Atlas Artists. Eastwood is repped by UTA, LBI Entertainment, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Hackshaw is represented by Hillary Bibicoff of Feig Finkel, The Gotham Group, and WPA.

Kyra Sedgwick To Narrate ‘The Ark,’ Documentary On Ukrainian Family’s Quest To Save A Thousand Animals Imperiled By War

The film, from BFD Productions and Believe Entertainment Group, follows a rural Ukrainian family whose home becomes “an improbable sanctuary for over 1,000 animals” abandoned by the war. Sedgwick will also serve as an executive producer on the feature directed by Jeremy Chilnick and Viacheslav Rakovskyi.

“Zhenye and Anatoliy Pilipenko’s dream of a quiet place in the country is shattered overnight when Russia invades Ukraine,” notes a synopsis. “As rockets fall and fires rage, they face an impossible choice: flee the violence or stay and protect their home. When a soldier on his way to the frontline asks the couple if they can care for his goats – all 37 of them – while he fights in the trenches; their home transforms into the largest animal sanctuary in Eastern Ukraine.”

The synopsis continues, “From rescued chickens, displaced donkeys, wandering horses and even emus, Anatoliy and Zhenye risk their lives and livelihoods to rescue any part of Ukraine they can. Told primarily through verité, amidst constant danger, heartbreaking loss and improbably an inextinguishable reservoir of hope, Zhenye and Anatoliy’s sanctuary stands as a defiant testament to the unbreakable bond between a nation, its people, and the land they refuse to surrender.”

The film is produced by Tony Castle, Roxy Hunt, Olena Morentsova, Jeremy Chilnick, and Viacheslav Rakovskyi. Along with Sedgwick, executive producers include Brian Hunt, Dan Goodman, William H. Masterson III, and Jay Ruderman.

Sedgwick’s acting, producing and directing credits number in the many of dozens, among them Born on the Fourth of July, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Something To Talk About, Phenomenon, Carolina Caroline — which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and of course, the starring role in long-running series The Closer, which won her an Emmy.

“Kyra’s creative instincts and boundless empathy have elevated our film in ways we never could have expected,” co-director Jeremy Chilnick said in a statement. “It’s been truly thrilling to have such a collaborative partner who understands just how intertwined humanity and nature are, particularly in such extraordinary times.”

The Ark is an acquisition title. Amy Beecroft of VERVE is representing the film for domestic sales.

“For all the news reports of life in Ukraine under the terror of Russia’s invasion, rarely has such an unusual story of defiance, courage and patriotism emerged,” Peter Wortmann writes in the Woodstock Film Festival program. “When asked why they risked their lives to create the refuge, Anatoly had a simple answer, ‘the animals were Ukrainians, no more or less than all the people of their land.’”

Heather Hill, Emmy-Winning Director of ‘The Young and the Restless’ and Other Soaps, Dies at 85

A pioneer for women in daytime drama, she began her television career in her hometown of New York City after graduating from Rye Country Day School. She became a production assistant on the CBS soap opera “Love of Life,” which ran for 29 seasons during the 1950s until the 1980s.

While in New York City, Hill also rose from assistant director to director, helming episodes for daytime dramas including “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” “Search for Tomorrow” and “As the World Turns.”

In 1985, Hill relocated to Los Angeles and became a contract director for the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”

She remained a part of the production for 15 years, where she directed hundreds of episodes. From 1988 through 2000, Hill was nominated for 13 Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of outstanding drama series directing team for her work on “The Young and the Restless.”

She won the Emmy award six times throughout her career, sharing her first win with her colleagues Rudy Vejar, Frank Pacelli, Randy Robbins and Betty Rothenberg.

Her other directing credits include “General Hospital” and the popular hit drama series “Baywatch.” Additionally, she earned a supervising producer credit for her work on the 1980s daytime soap “The Caitlins.”

Hill is survived by her husband Randy; sons Tim and Chris; daughter-in-law Debbie Deuble Hill and grandchildren Violet, Quinn and Carter.

Morning Show Appearance

Talk Show Appearance

Polly Holliday Dies: ‘Alice’ Actor Who Turned “Kiss My Grits” Into National Catchphrase Was 88

Her death was announced to The New York Times by her theatrical agent Dennis Aspland. She was the last surviving member of the comedy’s principal cast.

Holliday’s portrayal of the flame-haired, irreverent, gum-chewing diner waitress landed many of the show’s laughs. In a Southern drawl loaded with deadpan, Holliday’s Flo made a national catchphrase of “Kiss my grits.” The barbs were frequently aimed at the gruff owner of Mel’s Diner played by the late Vic Tayback.

Born Polly Dean Holliday in Jasper, Alabama, on July 2, 1937, Holliday studied theater arts at the Alabama College for Women and Florida State University before beginning her professional acting career at the Asolo Theatre Company in Sarasota, Florida. After moving to New York City she landed a role at the Public Theater Off Broadway in 1972.

Shortly thereafter, Holliday appeared on Broadway in the hit All Over Town directed by Dustin Hoffman. The two would reunite in the 1976 film All The President’s Men, the same year she was cast in Alice as Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry.

Holliday remained with the series until 1980 when she left to star in the short-lived spin-off titled Flo. Her place on Alice was filled by Diane Ladd as new character Belle Dupree (Ladd had played Flo in the Martin Scorsese 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the movie that inspired the sitcom.)

That show was canceled in 1981. Two years later, Holliday joined the cast of CBS’ short-lived Private Benjamin to replace Eileen Brennan, who had been injured after being hit by a car.

On TV’s The Golden Girls, Holliday played the part of Lily, the blind sister of Betty White’s Rose Nylund. She also had TV roles on Tim Allen’s Home Improvement and the John Grisham 1995 legal thriller series The Client. Her final TV credit was an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street in 1996.

In addition to All The President’s Men, in which she played a protective secretary who almost foils Dustin Hoffman’s attempts to interview her boss about the Watergate scandal, Holliday also appeared in the films W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), Gremlins (1984), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Parent Trap (1998) and The Heartbreak Kid (2007). Her final film credit was Fair Game in 2010.

On Broadway, in addition to All Over Town, Holliday appeared in Arsenic and Old Lace (1986), was nominated for her portrayal of Big Mama in the 1990 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She returned to Broadway in 1994’s revival of Picnic. In 2000, she appeared in the Lincoln Center revival of The Time of the Cuckoo.

Holliday was the last surviving original cast member of Alice: Lavin died last year, Tayback in 1990, Beth Howland in 2015 and Philip McKeon in 2019.

Jane Krakowski on Brilliant Minds

Christian Slater To Star In ‘Father Of Us’ For Former MGM President’s New Banner First Class Pictures

Set in 1968 suburbia, Father of Us follows five siblings caught between their magnetic but reckless father and their radiant but overwhelmed mother.

The film is being directed by Suzanne Coote and Matt Angel (The Wrath of Becky), from a screenplay by Carol Olson Coote. Additional casting is being finalised.

The film is produced by Hollywood vet Michael G. Nathanson and Chris K. Daniels through their new production and development banner First Class Pictures, marking the first collaboration in their slate. L.A. Confidential and A Time To Kill producer Nathanson is the former President of MGM Pictures, also known for his stints at OddLot, Columbia Pictures and New Regency, while Daniels heads The Launch Company.

Michael Benaroya’s International Film Trust (IFT) is representing worldwide rights. Sales president, Christian de Gallegos, will introduce the project to distributors at the TIFF market.

The project is a three-generation family collaboration. It’s a true story about Bob Olson, written by Bob’s daughter and co-directed by Bob’s daughter’s daughter. Slater takes on the role of Bob Olson, the adored but flawed father at the heart of the story.

Suzanne Coote and Matt Angel said: ”This is a true story about family. But not just any family. It’s our family. It’s people we see and speak to nearly every day. And we’ve been given the opportunity to dive into their childhoods and explore some of the most influential moments in their lives—the moments that made them the beautiful people we know and love today. We can’t think of anything more terrifying and special as filmmakers.”

Producer Michael G. Nathanson commented: “This is exactly the kind of emotionally resonant storytelling we want to champion at First Class Pictures. Carol has crafted a screenplay that finds profound beauty in life’s messiest moments, and Christian brings exactly the complexity and vulnerability this role demands.”

“Working with Suzanne and Matt to realize this vision has been extraordinary,” added producer Chris K. Daniels. “They understand how to balance the humor and heartbreak that makes this story so universal yet deeply personal.”

Jane Krakowski To Star In Broadway’s ‘Oh, Mary!’

Returning to the Broadway stage for the first time since her Tony-nominated performance in 2016’s She Loves Me, Krakowski will take over the Mary role from Jinkx Monsoon, whose final performance will be September 28. Hannah Solow will play the title role from Tuesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 12.

Others who have played the role include its originator Cole Escola, Tituss Burgess and Betty Gilpin.

“Thank you, Cole, for giving us this madcap work of genius, directed to perfection by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton,” said Krakowski in a statement. “I am so honored to slip into the bratty curls previously worn by (my Tony Award winning zaddy) Cole Escola, (my sister wife) Betty Gilpin, (my comedy brother) Tituss Burgess, and (mother) Jinkx Monsoon. From the first time I watched Oh, Mary! downtown I thought, ‘how do I get myself on that stage in this role?’ After watching Cole take the NYC taxi ride uptown and now worshipping it four times more, I made it! Oh, Mary! is a comedic work of genius that ends up in my dream version of 7 minutes in heaven.”

Krakowski’s casting was announced today by producers Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia.

Oh, Mary! has been extended with performances now on-sale through Sunday, July 5, 2026.

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John Cunningham Dies: Prolific Broadway Actor, ‘Dead Poets Society’ Dad Was 93