OptionsOther ShowsAll My ChildrenAnother World As The World Turns Beyond The Gates The Bold & The Beautiful Capitol The City Coronation Street Dark Shadows Days Of Our Lives Desperate Housewives The Doctors Edge of Night General Hospital GH: Night Shift Generations Guiding Light Loving Nashville One life To Live Ordinary World Passions Pine Valley Port Charles Revenge Ryan's Hope Santa Barbara Search for Tomorrow Sunset Beach Titans Texas The Young & The Restless Mailing Lists Non-Soap PollsHunk Of The MonthBabe Of The Month Top 10 Hunks Top 10 Babes Best Eyes (m) Best Eyes (f) Best Hair (m) Best Hair (f) Best Smile (m) Best Smile (f) Best Abs (m) Best Legs (f) Other SitesSponsors
|
News & Cast Updates(News section last updated November 2, 2024)Sherri Saum guests on The Accused(11/2/24) A wrestling coach (Chiklis) is on trial after pushing his star athlete too far in the all-new "Justin's Story" episode of Accused airing Tuesday, Nov 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (ACU-205) (TV-14 L)Guest Cast: Michael Chiklis “Justin,” Andrew Liner as “TJ and Nico,” Sherri Saum as “Erica,” Lee Tergesen as “Rob,” Stephen Thomas Kalyn as “Tyson,” Stephen McHattie as “Joe” Soap Star Michael Sabatino Diagnosed With Parkinson’s(10/3/24) (soapsindepth.com) Daytime star Michael Sabatino has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His wife, Crystal Chappell recently shared the news on Twitter/X. “Michael as Parkinson’s,” she posted. “He’s just fine, folks. We feel blessed and ready for tomorrow. Meanwhile, to quote him, he makes a ‘fine’ martini with that right hand…”Sabatino’s big break came in 1982 when he played Chip Roberts on the primetime sudser Knots Landing. From 1990-93 he played another villain, Lawrence Alamain on Days of Our Lives. The actor then moved over to CBS to play Anthony Armando on The Bold & The Beautiful from 1993-95, returning for another visit in December 2006. From 1995-96 he could be seen playing another villain, Dr. Jonathan Kinder on All My Children. After playing Phillip Vargas on Sunset Beach, Sabatino had a brief run as J.T. Cornell on Passions in 2006, played Vince Russo on Guiding Light in 2008, and reprised the role of Lawrence on DAYS in 2009 where the character was killed off. Still, he made additional appearances in 2010 and 2011 as a ghost. Most recently, he has appeared alongside his wife as Alan Anders in the web soap Venice: The Series. Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that progresses over time causing muscle tremors, stiffness, trouble with balance, and slurred speech. There is no cure, but as symptoms worsen, there are medications that can help improve them and brain surgery is also an option to improve quality of life. Fans naturally shared love and good wishes for both of them after Chappell’s announcement, and she was grateful for the support. “Thanks for all the good energy,” she posted the following day. “Always appreciated!” Then, the day after that, Chappell showed how well they’re doing by sharing a selfie of her and her hubby in the car wearing headbands and eyepatches to celebrate their grandson Zeke’s pirate-themed third birthday party. “A good time was had by arrrr,” she joked. Please join us in sending love to both Sabatino and Chappell as well as their entire family. ‘Accused’ Season 2 Adds Sonequa Martin-Green, Mike Colter, Jamie Chung, Sherri Saum & Kiara Barnes(9/28/24) Sonequa Martin-Green, Mike Colter, Jamie Chung, Sherri Saum, and Kiara Barnes have joined Season 2 of Fox‘s crime procedural Accused.Martin-Green and Colter will lead the finale, titled “Megan’s Story,” as Megan and John, respectively. Barnes play Eve in the same episode, in which a music executive’s marriage to her husband is threatened by a beautiful seductress. Chung will play the character Grace in “Eugene’s Story,” and Saum will play the character Erica in “Justin’s Story.” In “Eugene’s Story,” a kind-hearted jewelry store owner is put on trial after his wife’s past throws their present into chaos. “Justin’s Story” sees a wrestling coach is on trial after he pushes his star wrestler too far. The new cast joins some heavy hitters who have already been announced for Season 2, including Felicity Huffman, Taylor Schilling, Patrick J. Adams, William H. Macy, Justin Chambers, Danny Pino and Nick Cannon. Michael Chiklis is also returning in front of and behind the camera, after starring in the premiere and directing a later episode in Season 1. Accused is developed for American TV by Howard Gordon who executive produces with Gordon, Alex Gansa, David Shore, Erin Gunn, and Daniel Pearle. Gordon and Pearle serve as co-showrunners. Milan Cheylov, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, All3Media America’s Jacob Cohen-Holmes, Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, Roxy Spencer and Louise Pedersen for All3Media International also EP. The series is a collection of intense, topical human stories of crime and punishment. Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, each episode is a fast-paced provocative thriller, exploring a different crime, in a different city with an entirely original cast. Accused Season 2 debuts on Fox on October 8. Jason George Teases Ben Warren’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Return Is “Very Much Mirroring” His Own Life After ‘Station 19’(9/6/24) Jason George is starting to see art imitate life as he transitions back to a recurring role on Grey’s Anatomy following the cancellation of Station 19.Seven years ago, George’s character Ben Warren left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, where he’d been training as a fifth year surgical resident, to pursue his second dream of being a firefighter. Now, Ben is back for Season 21, resuming his residency program at the hospital with a lot more experience and a bit of a different perspective on life — which is basically how George feels about returning to the ABC medical drama. “I’m loving being back,” he told Deadline in a recent interview, admitting that it does feel a little “weird.” “It’s like, there’s the house you grew up in, and there’s the house you made as an adult. It’s not like my mom’s house is not mine. That’s my journey. That’s where I grew up. But this is the house that I made with my wife,” he explained. “So they’re very different, but I love them both dearly and for different reasons.” “Now that I’m back at Grey’s, it feels like being in your late 20s and coming back to live with your parents, but your parents are cool…you still come home when you want. You live your life as an adult, and you’re all good, but you’re in your room that you grew up in,” he continued. In fact, George teases that Ben puts this feeling into words during one of the first episodes of the season, describing how “everything you’ve done comes with you, even it feels like you’re going backwards.” George has been on Grey’s Anatomy since Season 6, and he was a series regular from S12-S14 before leaving to help launch spinoff Station 19. While George hasn’t been around full time, he’s made guest appearances on Grey’s Anatomy over the past few seasons, as Ben is still married to former Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson). Ben’s Season 7 storyline on Station 19 also saw him tapping more and more into his medical skills while he questioned his future as a firefighter. But there’s a different feeling to putting back on a pair of scrubs and stepping into an operating room, which both George and his character are experiencing again for the first time in years. “The journey right now is very much mirroring each other for both Ben and Jason,” the actor said. Season 21 of Grey’s Anatomy will premiere September 26. At D23 in August, showrunner Meg Marinis remained fairly cryptic about what’s to come, but she did indicate that Ben’s return to the fray would be quite swift. “It’s not going to be a super easy journey for him, but we’re excited to have him back at around Grey Sloan,” she said at the time. She added that, as always, the season will have “some fun relationship” moments, which kick off in the premiere, as well as “some very fun event medical, very Grey’s Anatomy, shocking moments.” Sherri Saum Signs With Paradigm(7/19/24) Saum is best known for her role as Lena Adams Foster in Freeform’s The Fosters and spinoff, Good Trouble. Her other credits include the role of Bess in Season 2 of HBO’s In Treatment, as well as recurring roles in FX’s Rescue Me, the original Gossip Girl, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the CW’s Roswell, New Mexico, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, and opposite Jessica Biel in Peacock limited series Limetown.Saum recently starred as Ellie Whedon in Netflix’s Locke & Key. She recurred opposite Clifford ‘Method Man’ Smith, Jr. in Starz’s Power spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost as well as in Peacock’s sci-fi drama, Mrs Davis, and most recently in Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, which premiered on April 25. Saum also has a passion for directing. She made her television episodic helming debut with the January 9 episode of Good Trouble, titled “With a Little Help From My Friends”. Saum continues to be repped by Generational Entertainment.
Jason George Returning To ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ As Series Regular(6/12/24) It’s official: Jason George is rejoining Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular. The Station 19 star has closed a deal to join the main cast of the venerable ABC medical drama for the upcoming 21st season.George has been on Grey’s Anatomy since Season 6 as Ben Warren. He was a series regular from S12-S14 before leaving to help launch spinoff Station 19. For the past seven seasons, George was a series regular on the firefighter drama while making frequent guest appearances on the mothership series, both produced by Shondaland and ABC Signature. In addition to George, Station 19?s main cast included one more Grey’s Anatomy transplant, Stefania Spampinato who reprised her role as Carina. For now, there are no plans for her to return to the mothership but there is always a possibility for her to pop in as a guest star, something Grey’s Anatomy does frequently with its alums. George is rejoining the medical drama as it is preparing to bid farewell to two series regulars, Jake Borelli and Midori Francis, who will be back in the fall to wrap their characters’ arcs. Ben’s Season 7 storyline on Station 19 had him tapping more and more into his medical skills while questioning his future as a firefighter in light of his shoulder injury, setting up a potential return to Grey Sloan. It culminated in the Station 19 series finale, in which Ben told Captain Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) that he was going back to finish his surgical residency. (In 2017, as a fifth year resident at Grey Sloan, Ben found a way to explore a dream second career as a firefighter without jeopardizing his chances at going back one day should he choose to do so.) Of course, Ben always has had a personal connection to Grey Sloan through his marriage to Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), which was revisited with one final crossover in the Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 finale. George has been in the Shondaland family for more than two decades. In addition to his runs on Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, he also was a series regular on the company’s 2011 medical drama Off The Map. The actor, who is a board member of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, is repped by Independent Artist Group and Yorn, Levine, Barnes. Jason George Poised To Return To ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After End Of ‘Station 19’(5/30/24) In 2017, Jason George left ABC‘s Grey’s Anatomy to help launch its spinoff series, Station 19. For seven seasons, he was a series regular on the firefighter drama as Ben Warren while making frequent guest appearances on the mothership series. With Station 19 coming to an end, all signs point to him going back to Grey’s Anatomy, a return which the Station 19 finale helped set up.According to sources, there is no deal in place and the exact capacity in which George would return to Grey’s Anatomy is unclear but talks are ongoing, and the intent is to have him back on the show where he has been since Season 6, including a series regular stint from S12-S14, before moving to Station 19. Reps for ABC and ABC Signature, which produces Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, declined comment. Rumblings about George potentially rejoining Grey’s Anatomy next season started in January. In a March interview with new Grey’s showrunner Meg Martinis, Deadline asked whether Station 19 series regular characters who originated on the medical drama, George’s Ben or Stefania Spampinato’s Carina, could end up back on the mothership. “How they end their stories [on Station 19] will help me determine whether or not I will be seeing those characters on Grey’s,” Martinis said. The way the firefighter drama wrapped Ben’s story, he is practically headed back to Grey Sloan. More on that in a bit, preceded by a spoiler warning. Ben Warren always has had a personal connection to Grey’s Anatomy through his marriage to Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson). But his professional connection has grown stronger too over the final season of Station 19 as Ben has been stepping up more to use his medical background. Back in 2017, as a fifth year resident at Grey Sloan, Ben found a way he could explore a dream second career as a firefighter without jeopardizing his chances at going back one day should he choose to do so. Thanks to the elite Medic One program, Ben successfully became an EMT through its fellowship program and, with Miranda’s support, became a firefighter at Station 19. Across 7 seasons on Station 19, Ben always embraced the duality of his professional passions which at its core center around helping people. There were many instances where Ben was able to apply his talents as a doctor while working as a firefighter, including performing an amputation in the field. The most notable was probably the launch of his Physician Response Team in Season 3, a mobile emergency room offering on-the-spot assistance to patients who maybe would not survive a trip to the hospital. The initiative, jointly funded by the Seattle Fire Department and Grey Sloan, was short-lived due to critical flaws but it was a touchpoint for Ben that further fueled his love of medicine. In Station 19‘s penultimate episode, he saved a severely burned man by cutting through the burnt skin to let him breathe but could not lift the gurney the victim was on because of his shoulder injury. That prompted Ben to open up to Vic (Barrett Doss) about the duality to his life, noting that he was a really good doctor that day but his injury was making it impossible for him to be a really good firefighter, hinting at a potential career path reversal. When Theo (Carlos Miranda) was gravely injured, Ben was there to triage him before accompanying him to Grey Sloan in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, seamlessly passing the medical care baton to Owen (Grey’s Kevin McKidd). SPOILER ALERT: The remaining portion of the story includes mild spoilers about the series finale of Station 19. In the series finale of Station 19, which saw the crew battling a massive wildfire, Ben was alongside Carina (Spampinato) while she assisted a badly burned mother in labor. It came at no surprise that by episode’s end, Captain Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) figured out Ben’s plans to retire as a firefighter and return to medicine (and Miranda). “Let me guess, you’re going back to finish your surgical residency?” Andy asked. “It’s that obvious, huh? It’s just that between the multiple injuries and constantly being away from Miranda…,” Ben tried to explain before Andy stepped in. “No explanation needed. It’s alright, I get it,” she said. “Look, you’re a great firefighter but I know that your love of medicine and helping people knows no bounds. We all have our calling.” As the two later walked back into the main room, Ben couldn’t resist one last quip, “I don’t know if I ever told you but I’m a doctor,” he said to a laugh because Ben reminding everyone he is MD has been a recurring theme on the show. “I’ve never heard you say that before. Like ever,” Andy deadpanned. The Station 19 finale flash-forward provided a glimpse at Miranda and Ben’s future as their adopted daughter Prue, daughter of late Station 19 firefighter Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan), is seen graduating from the Fire Academy and joining Station 19. yt ‘Reagan’ Biopic First Trailer Out, Featuring Dennis Quaid As Ronald Reagan, The 40th President(5/24/25) (Video) Director Sean McNamara‘s Reagan, the first full-length feature on the 40th U.S. president, is out with its first trailer.A biopic starring Dennis Quaid and set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film follows Reagan’s journey from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, to Hollywood, and then on to the White House. It begins with an aging Petrovich (Jon Voight), now 90 years old, being visited by an up-and-coming Russian leader who wants to know how the Soviet Union was lost. Petrovich, the spy who knows everything there is to know about Reagan, begins recounting the tale of his adversary: the man he mockingly nicknamed “The Crusader,” beginning in 1922, when 11-year-old Ronald Reagan faces his first life crisis. Additional cast for Reagan includes Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan, Mena Suvari as Reagan’s first wife Jane Wyman, Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher, David Henrie as teenage Reagan, and Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner. Originally scheduled for release in 2023, the film has faced a long road to theaters, following multiple delays due to the Covid pandemic and actors’ strike. Meg Bennett Dies: ‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Who Played Julia Martin Was 75(4/21/24) Meg Bennett, an actress and writer on soap operas General Hospital and The Young and the Restless, died April 11 of cancer at 75, her family said.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. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ EP On Epic Final ‘Station 19’ Crossover & Whether Jason George & Stefania Spampinato Could Return To Mothership Series(3/11/24) Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19 is coming to an end after seven seasons but not before one last big crossover with the mothership series, which may come at the end of the two series’ 10-episode runs, new Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis hinted in an interview with Deadline tied to the upcoming 20th season of the venerable medical drama, which premieres this Thursday, March 14.She also teased upcoming appearances on Grey’s by the two Station 19 series regular characters who originated on the medical drama, Bailey’s husband Ben (Jason George) and Carina (Stefania Spampinato), indicating that Ben will remain part of the Grey’s Anatomy world. “I haven’t read their last two episodes yet. I know generally where they’re going,” Marinis said when asked about the upcoming Station 19 crossover. “What I can tell you is that the Bailey and Ben relationship will continue to cross over. Those two actors love crossing over and it’s very important to them that what they do over here and what they do over there, that it’s one symbiotic thing.” Marinis spoke of the “great working relationship and great personal relationship” with new Station 19 showrunners Zoanne Clack & Peter Paige. “We’re constantly on the phone because I want to be able to help them any way I can succeed in telling amazing ends to their stories — whether it’s a crossover medical case or whether it’s Ben crossing over, whether it’s Carina crossing over. We’ll definitely see Carina on Grey’s at one point.” As for “that final crossover,” “we like to share catastrophes, that’s what I’m saying,” Marinis said. Station 19 coming to an end raises speculation whether George and Spampinato could return to Grey’s next season if the medical drama is renewed for Season 21 as expected. George was a series regular on Grey’s before he left in 2017 to help anchor spinoff Station 19. Having recurred on Grey’s, Spampinato started recurring on Station 19 in Season 3 before becoming a series regular the following season. Could any of them rejoin Grey’s next season? “I don’t want to answer that because I don’t want to answer anything about Station 19 that I’m not only fully aware of,” Marinis said. “How they end their stories will help me determine whether or not I will be seeing those characters on Grey’s.” Station 19’s Final Season Trailer Gives Andy a ‘Helluva First Day’ as Captain — Plus, Uh-Oh, ‘Layoffs Are Imminent’(2/29/24) (Video) Dunno about you, but we are in no way, shape or form ready to say goodbye to Station 19. Nevertheless, the trailer that ABC released Thursday for its cancelled Grey’s Anatomy spinoff makes it clear that, oh yeah, the end is near. In it, Chief Ross warns newly minted captain Andy that “budget cuts are coming down the pike. Layoffs are imminent.”Luckily, it’s not like Herrera is under any kind of pressure, right? Oh, wait — she so is. In fact, Maya reminds her that “as a woman in charge, you have the weight of every woman in the department on your shoulders.” What’s more, as the stress seems to start to get to Andy, Maya, who so badly wanted the captaincy back, tells her friend, “It’s not enough to be strong, you’ve gotta be tough.” Elsewhere in the clip, Carina and Maya get what may be way too close to a medical emergency, Sullivan reassures Natasha that she’s the love of his life (sorry, Andy), Chaos Kate informs Theo that she’s “down for a good time,” and Herrera’s passionate defense of her LGBTQ+ friends at a Pride parade appears to lead to tragedy. Per the official logline for “This Woman’s Work,” which airs Thursday, March 14, at 10/9, “Jack’s life hangs in the balance, the team is called to a hostage situation, Natasha fights for her career, and Maya and Carina make a choice” (perhaps about adopting the baby they helped deliver for waitress Nanette in the Season 6 finale?). E. Duke Vincent Dies: Emmy-Winning Producer Of ‘Melrose Place,’ ‘Sunset Beach’ & Former Blue Angel Navy Pilot Was 91(2/27/24) E. Duke Vincent, a naval aviator and novelist who also, with partner Aaron Spelling, produced some of the most popular shows in television history, died on February 10 in Montecito. That, according to his wife, actress Pamela Hensley. He was 91.Born Edward Ventimiglia, Vincent’s 40-year TV career kicked off after he joined the Navy, became a Naval aviator and eventually joined The Blue Angels. About that time, he flew the F8F-8P filming the aerial photo sequences for the NBC’s The Blue Angels. On resigning from the Navy in 1962, he followed his interest in TV and got a job producing seven one-hour documentaries called Man In Space. While in Los Angeles, filming sequences for the series, Vincent met with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, the executive producers of The Dick Van Dyke show. After writing a spec script for them, he signed on to do their next series, Good Morning World. The following year Vincent became a producer on Gomer Pyle: USMC, and subsequently, The Jim Nabors Hour. In 1977 he met Aaron Spelling and partnered up with him in 1978. Over the next 29 years (until Spelling’s 2006 death) they produced 43 series, including Dynasty, Suset Beach, Hotel, Vega$, Matt Houston, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Charmed, 7th Heaven, miniseries such as Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives and Emmy Award-winning TV movies Day One and And the Band Played On. His title when he retired were Executive Producer and Vice Chairman of Spelling Television. He subsequently wrote 4 novels: Mafia Summer, Black Widow, The Strip and The Camelot Conspiracy. On news of Vincent’s passing, the Blue Angels posted a tribute video and remembrance recorded in 2015 in which Vincent shares his memories of being on the team. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Hensley Vincent, whose long career includes playing C.J. Parsons on Matt Houston. ‘Secrets Of Sulphur Springs’ Canceled After 3 Seasons By Disney Channel(1/30/24) There will be no fourth season for Disney Channel‘s Secrets of Sulpher Springs. The network has canceled the time-travel mystery-adventure series after three seasons, Deadline has confirmed.Created, written and executive produced by Tracey Thomson (The Young and the Restless), Secrets of Sulpher Springs followed 12-year-old Griffin Campbell (Preston Oliver), whose world had been upended by his father, Ben (Josh Braaten), after he moved the family from Chicago to take ownership of an abandoned hotel property, The Tremont. The family—which also includes Griffin’s mother, Sarah (Kelly Frye), and his younger twin siblings, Wyatt (Landon Gordon) and Zoey (Madeleine McGraw)—lived in The Tremont in hopes of restoring it to the lively vacation destination it once was. On his first day at his new school, Griffin heard rumors that the hotel was haunted by the ghost of Savannah (Elle Graham), a girl who disappeared decades ago. He soon meets and befriends Harper (Kyliegh Curran), a thrill-seeking classmate, and they discover a secret portal that allows them to travel back in time and uncover clues about the town mystery. This is the second Disney Channel series to be canceled in less than a month. As we previously reported. Jessie spinoff Bunk’d is ending with the conclusion of its seventh season. Charles Pratt Jr. served as showrunner and executive produced with Thomson. The series was produced by Gwave Productions. ‘Station 19’ To End With Season 7 On ABC(12/8/23) The upcoming seventh season will be the last for ABC‘s Station 19. The decision, early in production on the season, would allow producers to craft a proper ending for the first responder drama, a spinoff from the network’s flagship Grey’s Anatomy.Before it signs off, Station 19 will hit the 100th episode mark in Season 7, which was impacted by the double Hollywood strikes. The series has aired 95 episodes to date; its seventh season will consist of 10 episodes. Boosted by frequent Grey’s Anatomy crossovers, over the last few seasons, Station 19 established itself as ABC’s No.2 drama series behind Grey’s. Over its run, the series also has been lauded for tackling important — and sometimes difficult — topics and recently received a Sentinel Award from Hollywood, Health & Society for its depiction of systemic racism in Season 6. Station 19 has undergone significant changes heading into Season 7. It has new showrunners in Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige who succeeded Krista Vernoff. (Clack had been named head writer in August 2022 amid an upheaval in the series’ writers room, which exposed long-simmering racial issues on the show.) In Season 7, which premieres March 14, Station 19 also is moving from 8 PM to 10 PM on Thursday and will now follow Grey’s Anatomy vs. being its lead-in. As Deadline reported last month, the scheduling tweak signals a new dynamic between the two dramas, with the spinoff being less reliant on the mothership series and standing on its own, with only one crossover currently planned for the upcoming abbreviated season. In addition to Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige, Stacy McKee, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Paris Barclay also serve as executive producers on the series, produced by ABC Signature, part of Disney TV Studios, and Shondaland. “For seven seasons Station 19 has been a highlight of the ABC lineup thanks to Shonda and Betsy’s incredible vision, beloved characters and compelling storytelling,” said Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group. “With Zoanne and Peter at the helm of the upcoming farewell season, we have so much to look forward to, most notably the celebration of the show’s milestone 100th episode.” Created by McKee, Station 19 is set in Seattle and focuses on the lives of the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. It stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Alberto Frezza, Jay Hayden, Okieriete Onaodowan, Danielle Savre, Miguel Sandoval, Boris Kodjoe, Stefania Spampinato, Carlos Miranda, Josh Randall, Merle Dandridge, and Pat Healy. As Station 19 is planning its exit, ABC is adding a new first responder drama, Fox transplant 9-1-1, which will be taking over Station 19?s Thursday 8 PM slot. Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition(10/27/23) The weekly print edition of Soap Opera Digest — the newsstand chronicler of daytime drama — is ending after nearly five decades.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. Sean Kanan and Annika Noelle Live Chat 10/13/23(10/7/23) (Watch Here) Come spend the afternoon with The Bold and the Beautiful’s Sean Kanan and Annika Noelle live in The Locher Room on Friday, October 13th at 3 p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PDT. This talented duo play father and daughter on the long-running CBS daytime drama. Emmy Award-winner Sean Kanan portrays bad boy "Deacon Sharpe" and Annika Noelle plays his and “Brooke Logan’s” daughter “Hope.”In 2021, Sean won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series as the Executive Producer and Creator of Studio City (Amazon Prime), for which he was also Emmy nominated in the categories of Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Writing Team. Annika received her first Emmy nomination in 2020 in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for her critically acclaimed performance on B&B as a heartbroken young mother who tragically loses her infant daughter and then is miraculously reunited with her eight months later. Emmy Award-winning Writer Lisa Seidman Interview(9/28/23) (Watch Here) Emmy Award-winning writer Lisa Seidman will sit down for a live interview in The Locher Room on Thursday, October 5th at 3 p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PDT to look back at her almost 40-year career as a television writer.Lisa has written for some of the hottest shows on primetime TV starting with Cagney & Lacey in 1984. She went on to write for Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Knots Landing: Back To The Cul-De-Sac to name a few. Lisa also spent five years in Russia writing nighttime soaps and won the equivalent of an Emmy for best show. In daytime, she has written for Another World, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, Sunset Beach and The Young and the Restless. Lisa has been nominated multiple times for a Daytime Emmy and has won the award for her work on DOOL and Y&R. Lisa has also taught writing at USC and UCLA. Jerry Springer Dies: Legendary Talk Show Host Was 79(4/27/23) Jerry Springer (Sunset Beach / Days Of Our Lives), the legendary talk show host, daytime TV star and and former mayor of Cincinnati, died Thursday at his home in Chicago. He was 79.A statement from family spokesman Jene Galvin issued to WLWT, where the broadcaster and journalist once worked, read: “Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word. He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.” According to TMZ, he had been fighting cancer over the past months and recently had taken a turn for the worse. Springer was known for Jerry Springer, the mega-popular but controversial syndicated talk show that ran for nearly 5,000 episodes. After launching with a focus on politics, it retooled and became a ratings smash and cultural phenomenon as a tabloid-style program with focuses on hot-button topics. Many guests would swear or end up in fights as they told their salacious stories. Springer would act as the fatherly figure overseeing the proceedings, and despite the chaos, he would sign off every episode with a final thought, saying: “Take care of yourselves and each other.” “I don’t watch the show, but it’s not aimed at 66-year-old men,” Springer said in a 2010 interview on NBC’s Today celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary. “If I were in college, I would watch. I enjoy doing it. It’s a lot of fun.” Jerry Springer producer NBCUniversal paid tribute to Springer in a statement: “Jerry Springer was much more than a talk show host who redefined television. He was a savvy politician, pop cultural icon, and devout and loyal friend who was most proud when he spoke up for the marginalized and unrepresented. He connected equally with both the powerful and the man on the street. Strangers would open up to him and he loved nothing more than to give them a voice. We deeply mourn his loss and are fortunate to have been partners in a career that was truly astounding and a life that emulated the very best of us.” The Jerry Springer Show was produced by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and ran for 27 seasons. It continues to air in syndication. Born on February 13, 1944, in London, Springer moved with his family to the U.S. in 1949, Before starting a career in broadcasting, he had a protracted political career, serving on the Cincinnati City Council before being elected mayor in 1977. He served one term. Springer was also a political campaign adviser to Robert F. Kennedy in the ’60s. In 1982, Springer launched a failed campaign to become governor of Ohio. Springer also hosted NBC’s America’s Got Talent for three years and returned to daytime TV in 2019 when he launched the court show Judge Jerry, which ran for three seasons before being canceled at NBC. After the show was dropped, Springer told the press that he planned to retire from public life. “I’m 78 and have been in front of the camera now for 40 years, plus 10 years in politics. I’m winding down,” he said in an interview at the time. He added: “We taped Judge Jerry for the entire season, and I want to try out retirement while I’m still healthy.” He also was a contestant on Season 3 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, paired with pro dancer Kym Johnson. They were eliminated in Week 7. Springer made one of his final on-screen appearances late last year on Fox’s popular show The Masked Singer, where he performed in a large beetle costume. He is survived by his daughter Katie Springer and his older sister Evelyn. ‘Station 19’ Renewed For Season 7 At ABC; Zoanne Clack & Peter Paige Set As Showrunners(4/20/23) Station 19 is set to hit its 100th episode in the 2023-24 season after ABC renewed the first-responders drama series for a seventh season.The network also has confirmed that Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige will serve as showrunners and exec producers after Deadline revealed that Krista Vernoff was stepping down from Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy, with the pair likely to step up. Over the past few years, the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff has been getting renewals alongside its mothership series. However, Grey’s was renewed for its 20th season last month, and Deadline understood that the holdup on Station 19 was the size of the order, which ABC has not revealed. Previous seasons have generally been 16-18 episodes. Helping this renewal was the fact that the main cast have contracts that cover next season and beyond. Clack had added exec producer and head writer duties on Station 19 under Vernoff, and this marks her second promotion in eight months. She joined the show in August amid an upheaval in the series’ writers room following an incident involving racial slur used by a racist character in a draft of an outline, which exposed long-simmering racial issues on the show. Clack will share the role with The Fosters and Good Trouble co-creator Peter Paige, who joined the show in 2020 during season four as a director and became an exec producer in season six. Stacy McKee, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, and Paris Barclay serve as executive producers on the series. It is produced by Shondaland and ABC Signature. Station 19, which was created by Stacy McKee, is set in Seattle and focuses on the lives of the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. It stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Alberto Frezza, Jay Hayden, Okieriete Onaodowan, Danielle Savre, Miguel Sandoval, Boris Kodjoe, Stefania Spampinato, Carlos Miranda, Josh Randall, Merle Dandridge, and Pat Healy. The season six finale will air on May 18. It is the latest renewal for ABC as we head into May Upfronts; earlier this week it renewed The Good Doctor for season seven, Will Trent for its second season and The Rookie for its sixth season as well as hit comedy Abbott Elementary for its third season in January and Grey’s last month. With The Goldbergs ending with its tenth season and A Million Little Things also coming to an end, this leaves The Connors, The Rookie: Feds, Big Sky, The Company You Keep, Not Dead Yet, Alaska Daily and Home Economics waiting on decisions. Zoanne Clack said, “I feel incredibly honored to be entrusted with this dynamic and relevant show alongside Peter. The diversity of the cast, writers, and crew in addition to their enormous talent and dedication to their craft makes this a thrilling adventure to undertake. We are excited about the stories we get to tell using this worldwide platform and both understand the responsibility of being able to share them as we reach into millions of homes weekly. Many thanks to Krista and Shondaland for this opportunity and their faith in us.” Peter Paige added, “I’m beyond honored to be handed the reins to Station 19 – a show I love, full of incredible, complex characters, and resonant, important stories. To get to partner with a talent like Zoanne as showrunners truly makes it all the more exciting – we share a similar vision for the show, and we’ve got some incredible twists and turns planned for the coming season. A huge thank you to the entire team at Shondaland, and everyone at ABC for their faith in us. And eternal gratitude to Krista Vernoff, for bringing me into the 19 family, and for modeling conscious leadership in such a powerful and deliberate way.” Clack is represented by CAA, Circle of Confusion and Felker Toczek Suddelson Abramsib McGinnis Ryan LLP and Paige is represented by Anonymous Content and Jackoway, Tyerman, Wertheimer, Austen, Mandelbaum, Morris, & Klein.r For Older News Visit The Daytime Soap Operas News Archives: Here!
Facts
Submit CommentsPlease Include Your Email Address If You Want A Response |