Sunset Beach- Daytime Soap Operas- News, polls, Susan Ward

Weakest Link first made its debut in 2001. Anne Robinson hosted the original version, which was canceled in 2003. The game show was revived in 2020 with Jane Lynch as the host. Weakest Link has a team of contestants who try to reach and complete a chain of correct answers from general knowledge questions within a certain time limit.

At the end of each round, one person is considered the “weakest link” by either answering questions wrong or not banking money. The contestants vote on who the weakest link is, and Lynch will tell them, “You are the weakest link. Goodbye!”

However much money is banked at the end of the round goes into the contestant’s total pot, and one person wins at the end. This time, celebrities will try to win money for charity.

Celebrity Weakest Link will begin on Monday, September 15, at 9/8c on Fox, and air every Monday after that. The regular version of the game show used to air on NBC. Name That Tune will precede the new game show. Lynch is no stranger to Fox, as she starred in Glee, which aired on the network for six seasons.

The new season will air on Fox. Old seasons of the game show currently stream on Peacock.

Yes! Watch above. In the trailer, Jane Lynch is seen calling the celebrities “terrible people who suck at this game.” She also teased that this season will be “bigger, badder, better.”

The new season will have 11 episodes with themed eight guest stars. They include:

Glee Homecoming: Max Adler, Dot Marie Jones, Heather Morris, Alex Newell, Chord Overstreet, Amber Riley, Becca Tobin, Jenna Ushkowitz

Roasters: Cedric the Entertainer, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Lil Rel Howery, Lisa Lampanelli, Natasha Leggero, Chris Redd, Iliza Schlesinger

TV Moms: Melinda Clarke, Jackée Harry, Mary-Margaret Humes, Constance Marie, Monica Potter, Caroline Rhea, Sherri Saum, Bellamy Young

8 Degrees of Jane: Joel Kim Booster, Laverne Cox, Ron Funches, Carson Kressley, Jon Lovitz, Cheri Oteri, Adam Pally, Andy Richter

High School Reunion: Tatyana Ali, Shenae Grimes, Matt Lanter, Beverly Mitchell, Scott Porter, Daphne Reid, Aimeé Teegarden, Barry Watson

Ex-Wives Club: Cynthia Bailey, Tamar Braxton, Kate Gosselin, Vicki Gunvalson, Dorinda Medley, Shanna Moakler, Kendra Wilkinson, Jill Zarin

Reality Couples: Kelsey Anderson, Melissa Gorga, Joe Gorga, Joe Graziadei, Lauren Speed-Hamilton, Cameron Hamilton, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt

Special Forces: Tyler Cameron, Gus Kenworthy, Kenya Moore, Jack Osbourne, Kyla Pratt, Jovon Quarles, Rudy Reyes, Christy Carlson Romano

TV Doctors: Torrey Devitto, Dr. Dubrow, Ryan Eggold, Jason George, Hill Harper, Dr. Will Kirby, Dr. Sandra Lee (Dr. Pimple Popper), Kal Penn

Holiday Heroes: Jonathan Bennett, Rachel Leigh Cook, Taye Diggs, Vivica A. Fox, Melissa Joan Hart, Eric Lloyd, Luke Macfarlane, Reginald VelJohnson

Football Legends: Emmanuel Acho, Vernon Davis, Keyshawn Johnson, James Jones, Cam Jordan, LeSean McCoy, Sony Michel, Andrew Whitworth

ICON AWARD, PRESENTERS, ATTENDEES AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED FOR ‘THE 2025 ESPYS PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE,’ AIRING LIVE WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, AT 8 P.M. EDT/7 P.M. CDT ON ABC AND STREAMING ON ESPN+

The star-studded ceremony will relive the best moments of the year, honor leading athletes, and bring together the sports industry’s fan favorites and biggest stars. The night will also feature special musical performances from GRAMMY® Award-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, acclaimed hip-hop duo Clipse, and basketball player-turned-rapper Gelo, along with a powerful In Memoriam tribute led by GRAMMY-nominated artist and multihyphenate Tobe Nwigwe featuring David Michael Wyatt.

During “The 2025 ESPYS,” ESPN will honor former WNBA player Diana Taurasi and former USWNT player Alex Morgan with the Icon Award in recognition of their incredible careers and significant impact on the world of sports.

Stars and athletes scheduled to present this year include Angela Bassett (actress), Alison Brie (actress), Rob Mac (actor), Busta Rhymes (rapper and singer), Billie Jean King (tennis legend), Leslie Jones (comedian and actress), Russell Wilson (quarterback, New York Giants), Pat McAfee (ESPN personality), Brooks Nader (model), Russell Westbrook (NBA player), Flau’jae Johnson (rapper and NCAA College basketball player, Louisiana State University), JuJu Watkins (NCAA College basketball player, University of Southern California), Lindsey Vonn (Olympic gold medalist, Alpine Ski Racing), Matthew Stafford (quarterback, Los Angeles Rams), Trinity Rodman (soccer player, Washington Spirit), Druski (comedian and actor), Anthony Ramos (actor and singer), Chris Berman (ESPN personality), Elle Duncan (ESPN personality), Desmond Howard (ESPN College Football analyst), Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN College Football analyst), Jon Jones (mixed martial artist), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Olympic gold medalist, Track & Field), Gabby Thomas (Olympic gold medalist, Track & Field), and more.

In addition, top athletes and celebrities scheduled to attend include Simone Biles (Olympic gold medalist, gymnast), Damar Hamlin (safety, Buffalo Bills), Ilona Maher (Team USA Rugby player), CJ McCollum (guard, Washington Wizards), Sean Evans (host, “Hot Ones”), Terrell Owens (former NFL player), Suni Lee (Olympic gold medalist, gymnast), Jordan Chiles (Olympic Team gold medalist, gymnast), Lamar Jackson (quarterback, Baltimore Ravens), John Owen Lowe (actor, “Unstable”), Sugar Ray Leonard (former professional boxer and Olympic gold medalist), Sloane Stephens (tennis player), Jason George (actor, “Grey’s Anatomy”), Metta World Peace (former NBA player), Nate Diaz (mixed martial artist), Chloe Kim (Olympic gold medalist, Snowboarding), Alex Morgan (former USWNT player), Diana Taurasi (former WNBA player), Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles head coach), Jonathan Owens (safety, Chicago Bears), Maksim Chmerkovskiy (professional dancer, “Dancing with the Stars”), Whitney Cummings (actress and comedian), Robin Arzón (Peloton instructor), Kyle Juszczyk (fullback, San Francisco 49ers), Kristin Juszczyk (fashion designer), Ari Chambers (ESPN personality), Mina Kimes (ESPN personality), Andraya Carter (ESPN personality), Chiney Ogwumike (WNBA player), Tim Legler (ESPN personality), University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, University of North Carolina women’s lacrosse team, and more.

As previously announced by ESPN, former NBA player Oscar Robertson will be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; Penn State University women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance; and Greater Los Angeles first responders and former athletes David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Additionally, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will feature honorees as part of this year’s show including the recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award and the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award.

Shane Gillis will appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” with guest host Chris Distefano to discuss his upcoming “ESPYS” host role, airing Monday, July 14, at 11:35 p.m. EDT.

“SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days” will also be airing from “The 2025 ESPYS” red carpet with anchors Kevin Negandhi and Elle Duncan. The cross-country summer tour, which kicked off June 27, was designed to bring ESPN’s flagship program and its anchors directly to fans across America. Inspired by 2005’s SportsCenter Across America, this reimagined version marks the first time in 20 years that SportsCenter has undertaken a cross-country tour of this scale. Coverage continues through Aug. 16 across all editions of SportsCenter and ESPN platforms.

Lynn Hamilton Dies: ‘The Waltons’ & ‘Sanford And Son’ Actress Was 95

Carson added that she “transitioned peacefully” on Thursday, surrounded by her “grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers.”

“With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia ‘Lynn’ Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress,” he wrote, in part.

Born on April 25, 1930 in Yazoo City, MS and raised in Chicago, Hamilton graduated from the Goodman School of Drama, being the sole Black actor among her peers. She soon gained experience performing with a South Side theater company, per The Hollywood Reporter, and translated that burgeoning skillset to Broadway for four plays from the late ’50s to early ’60s. Her experience on stage included productions of Shakespeare’s works and a world tour of adaptations of The Miracle Worker and The Skin of Our Teeth as a member of President John F. Kennedy’s cultural exchange program. In 1966, she joined the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Among her TV credits are episodes of Gunsmoke, The Bill Cosby Show, Hawaii Five-O, Ironside, The Young and the Restless, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, Roots: The Next Generations, Days of Our Lives, The Jesse Owens Story (TV movie), The Golden Girls, 227, Sunset Beach, Moesha, Port Charles, NYPD Blue, The Practice and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Her most significant arcs in television include her role as practical Nurse Donna Harris, Redd Foxx’s onscreen fiancée on NBC’s sitcom Sanford and Sun; Verdie Foster on CBS’ historical drama The Waltons and Vivian Potter on NBC sudser Generations. She also starred as ex-con Cissie Johnson on the early ’90s syndicated nighttime soap Dangerous Women. Hamilton also reprised her character from The Waltons for holiday-themed TV movies released in 1993 and 1997.

Hamilton was married to poet and playwright Frank S. Jenkins (Driving While Black in Beverly Hills) from 1964 until his death in 2014, and the two frequently collaborated together on various theater productions, including Nobody: The Bert Williams Story.

Denise Alexander, ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Days of Our Lives’ Actress, Dies at 85

“I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades,” “GH” executive producer Frank Valentini said on social media. “It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.”

Alexander’s acting career dates back to the early 1950s when she made her Broadway debut in “The Children’s Hour” and guest starred in such television classics as “Father Knows Best,” “The Twilight Zone” and “The Danny Kaye Show,” 1960 was the year that changed her career trajectory when she made joined the cast of the CBS soap, “The Clear Horizon.”

Two years later, she was a dayplayer in an ABC soap pilot called “Emergency Hospital,” which later became known as “General Hospital” — but not as Lesley Webber. Instead, she was cast as Susan Martin on “Days of Our Lives” in 1966, where she planted her roots for the next seven years. When she chose to leave the enormously popular soap in 1973, fans were not happy.

That is when Alexander joined “GH.” Ratings were not the best during that time, and ABC was looking to add exciting new characters and stories. Alexander’s Lesley became one corner of one of daytime’s hottest triangle — Lesley, Rick Webber (played by Chris Robinson) and Monica Bard (played by the late Leslie Charleson, who died earlier this year). Lesley was also up to her ears in trouble because she confessed to the murder of David Hamilton, a crime her daughter Laura (Genie Francis) committed. Her acting earned Alexander a Emmy nomination for outstanding actress in a Daytime drama series.

When storyline called for Lesley to be killed off in a car accident, fans once again were outraged. It wasn’t until 12 years later in 1996 that it was revealed that — in true soap fashion — Lesley was actually alive. In between the two soaps, Alexander appeared on NBC’s “Another World,” working opposite her former “GH” husband, Robinson.

Denise Alexander Dies at 85: ‘General Hospital’ Star Remembered by TV Daughter Genie Francis

Born in New York City on November 11, 1939, and raised on Long Island, Alexander began acting as a child, appearing as Perry Como‘s daughter in Perry Como’s Chesterfield Supper Club in 1949 and other primetime series in the 1950s and ’60s, including Father Knows Best, The Danny Thomas Show, and The Twilight Zone.

She made her first feature film, Crime in the Streets, starring John Cassavetes, at 14, and did her fair share of radio work from the age of 6, telling We Love Soaps TV in 2010, “My dad, at one point, counted up the number I had done, and it was 2,500 radio shows. You would get out of school and go from one show to the next. They were 15-minute or half-hour shows, and you would sit around the table, read the script, rehearse a couple of times, and do it. Then you were out of there and onto the next one. And sometimes it was in the next studio. I did way more than people know I did.”

Alexander made her soap opera debut as Lois Adams on The Clear Horizon in 1960, but her big break came in 1966 when she was cast as Susan Hunter Martin on Days of Our Lives while still attending college at UCLA. As Susan, Alexander played a host of dramatic tales, including murdering her husband David Martin (played by Clive Clerk) in May 1967 after the death of their son.

“She started out as the bad girl and was thrown out of boarding school for smoking and drinking,” recalled Alexander to We Love Soaps TV. “The character caught on and sparked something with the audience, and that is how Susan became an important part of the show. I was there for almost seven years…. I had such a wonderful time on Days. It was like going to camp every day for me. I loved the people, loved the show, and loved what I got to do. They loved the character and liked me as an actor and gave me lots of neat stuff to do. I didn’t even ask for a vacation for five years because if I worked 365 days a year, I thought I was great. It was a very good time in my life.”

In 1973, Alexander was in contract negotiations with Days when ABC offered significant perks to the actress to join General Hospital to play Dr. Lesley Williams. Though Alexander loved her time in Salem, she decided to leave. “It was [Days’ Executive Producer] Betty Corday who sent me to General Hospital,” Alexander told welovesoaps.net. “She said, ‘You must do this.’ So when I went to General Hospital, they didn’t have a character for me. They had a character that was coming in, a woman doctor who was going to have a romance with John Beradino [Steve Hardy]. And that was obviously wrong for me or for John, but they took the character and a couple of scripts of her arrival they had written and had to scramble to create a storyline.”

Alexander found great success in the role, earning a Daytime Emmy Award in 1975, famously becoming the mother of Laura Vining (Genie Francis) and foster mom to Blackie Parrish (John Stamos), and was a star player in the show’s rise to number one, thanks, in part, to the torrid Lesley, Rick Webber (Chris Robinson), and Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) triangle. In a 2010 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Alexander noted, I always say this, and I hope Leslie Charleson does, too: The first time that General Hospital ever went to number one in our era, it was on the Lesley/Rick/Monica storyline. It wasn’t Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura. They went farther than anyone dreamed possible, of course, but that was a big triangle back then.” Lesley was killed off the soap in 1984, only to be resurrected in 1996, when she recurred until 2009. She appeared again in 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2021.

In an exclusive interview with TV Insider, Francis looks back on her relationship with Alexander. “I loved her. She loved me,” she says. “I stole her good stuff. When I look at myself sometimes on television, which I don’t do often because I don’t really like to watch myself, but I have seen myself do stuff and been kind of taken aback because I realized I just did Denise. So when I say I stole her good stuff, I’m saying I was so young, she imprinted on me. And some of my acting, some of my style of acting, was directly imprinted on me by Denise Alexander. And she was very, very good to me as I was growing up.”

Alexander gave Francis a cherished keepsake that holds special meaning. “She actually gave me this lovely necklace,” Francis relays. “It’s like a little angel that’s standing on a cloud, and it’s on a pearl. It was a charm, and I wore it all the time. And then when my daughter wanted to become an actress when she was young, I said, ‘You’ve got to have your good luck charm.’ So I said, ‘I’m going to give you this little angel that’s been worn by two actresses, and now it’s yours.’ And so [daughter] Eliza [Frakes] has that, and it’s important to her too. And when I told Denise that, she cried. She was so excited to hear that what she had given me, I gave to my daughter.”

Alexander is survived by a stepdaughter, Elizabeth Colla, from her marriage to the late Richard A. Colla.

Rome Flynn, Ana Ortiz & Sherri Saum Join Apple Limited Series ‘Imperfect Women’

Based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, Imperfect Women is an unconventional, psychological thriller examining a crime that shatters the decades-long friendship of three women. The series is a mystery complicated by perspective that explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. As the investigation unravels, so does the truth about how even the closest relationships can change over time.

The core trio will be played by Moss, Washington, and Kate Mara. Joel Kinnaman and Corey Stoll recently also joined the series regular cast.

Ortiz will play Detective Ganz, and Saum will play Zoe. Rome will play Jordan, who, Deadline hears, will be Washington’s character’s love interest.

The new series will be adapted for TV, written, and executive produced by Annie Weisman, in her latest collaboration with Apple TV+ following the dramedy Physical. Imperfect Women will be produced for Apple TV+ by 20th Television and Apple Studios.

Imperfect Women is executive produced by Moss and Lindsey McManus via their production company Love & Squalor Pictures, who initially optioned the book. Washington will executive produce for Simpson Street alongside Pilar Savone. Lesli Linka Glatter will direct the pilot and executive produce. Kay Oyegun will also write and executive produce under her overall deal with 20th Television. Author Araminta Hall will also serve as an executive producer.

Knots Landing's Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark and Kathleen Noone Reunite — and Announce Exciting News About the Soap

At the recent Hollywood Show in Burbank, Calif., stars of beloved past series including Deadwood and Head of the Class reunited to swap stories about their time on set and share what's next.

Among the big names were Knots Landing stars Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark and Kathleen Noone, who greeted fans together and shared the news that a rewatch podcast on the beloved primetime soap opera is in the works from Mills, Van Ark and costar Michelle Lee.

According to Remind magazine, the show — a Dallas spinoff that ran on CBS from 1979 to 1993 — is seeing a resurgence now that it's streaming on Prime Video and Plex.

“I think it’s late to the party in a way because I think we deserve attention and [it should have been] sooner than this,” Van Ark, 81, said. “But we’ll take it at any point.”

Knots Landing followed Ted Shackelford's Gary Ewing and Van Ark's Valene Clements as they moved to Los Angeles for a fresh start, settling into a suburb alongside characters played by Lee, Don Murray, John Pleshette, William Devane, Constance McCashin, James Houghton, Kim Lankford and later, Mills, Noone, Nicollette Sheridan and Alec Baldwin.

"They had a very good cast. They had a very talented cast," Baldwin told PEOPLE in 2020. "That changes everything when you go to work. You don’t care if it’s a soap, if you’re working with somebody who’s great, everything goes up. I loved it."

"It's that kind of investment in characters that make television special," he continued. "Daytime TV and TV in general, you have a different relationship with the audience because they see you all the time. You have to go somewhere and buy a ticket and watch a movie. With television, we’re people that are in your living room."

Noone echoed that sentiment at the Hollywood Show, per Remind, calling the cast "supportive."

“The fact that they welcomed me and helped me get my feet, I’m forever so appreciative," Noone, 80, shared.

Van Ark added, “We were a family both on and off the screen, and that has ties that are deep and special and treasured. There’s love underneath all of it — true family — and taking care of one another."

Sean Kanan Says ‘Fear of Losing’ His Wife Was ‘Ultimate Catalyst’ for His Sobriety

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE alongside wife Michele Kanan, the Bold and the Beautiful star, 58, opened up about what motivated him to quit drinking nearly five years ago. He recalled the moment when Michele made a candid plea that hit him "like a lightning bolt."

"She said to me at one point, 'I have put my heart and everything into this relationship. Please tell me that I didn't back the wrong horse,' " says Sean, who has portrayed Deacon Sharpe — a character who similarly struggled with alcohol issues — on the daytime soap since 2000.

"I had been trying for a very long time to get sober, and I had intermittent periods of success followed by fairly catastrophic setbacks, let's say. But when I heard that, I don't know. The skies parted," he continues. "It set something in motion that was different than everything before."

Sean says it was the thought of losing Michele that gave him the push he needed to make a lasting change.

"I believe there's two forces in the universe that create profound and lasting change in human beings, and that's fear and love. I was motivated by both," he explains. "I was in fear of losing the thing that I loved the most, which was Michele, and that was the ultimate catalyst that finally got me to get it together."

Michele quickly clarified that she wasn't giving Sean an "ultimatum," but rather offering him a "safe space" to inwardly reflect and do the work to set himself on a path toward sobriety.

"I told him, 'Look, this is our life together, and it's either going to be painful and you're going to watch me slowly die because I love you, and I see that you're hurting yourself for some reason that I can't fix, and that's going to slowly kill me as well. So, we're in it together. Whatever you want to do, the ball is in your court,' " she tells PEOPLE.

She continues, "To me, being a partner is you take the good and the bad. I always knew that that guy was in there. I just was waiting for him to see that it was okay to come out. I figured if I provided a safe space for him, that he would be able to do it."

"I'm definitely the kind of guy, you put your finger in my chest and you're not going to get the reaction that you want, but if you give me positive reinforcement and allow me the space to do a little critical thinking, I almost always make the right decision. That's what Michele did," he explains. "I mean, she really played the long game. She understood this was not going to be a quick fix, but given the right environment and the right positive reinforcement, that I was going to get it."

The Cobra Kai star says his hard-fought sobriety has had "a profound effect" on his life and taught him a valuable lesson.

"Somebody said something to me once, and it sounds so simple, 'Would you give up one thing to have everything?' I gave up this one thing, and I have everything. I mean, I truly have everything," Sean says. "That doesn't mean that I don't strive for more, but my life is amazing. Probably the most incredible part about [giving up alcohol], aside from my relationship with Michele, is that I don't miss it. It's not like I'm white knuckling it and I'm hanging on."

"I attribute it to God, to my relationship with the Almighty that there has been something that has been fundamentally removed from me that I didn't ever think could be removed," he continues, adding, "I also attribute a lot of it to my love and relationship with Michele."

The pair — who married in 2012 — share some of their relationship wisdom in their book Way of the Cobra Couples, released on Oct. 8. According to a synopsis, the book promises to teach readers "the mindset, philosophy and battle-tested strategies that led [Michele and Sean] to a life of meaningful happiness together."

Michele credits their open communication and unflinching honesty with each other for leading them to a place where their relationship is now stronger than ever.

"When I first met Sean, he was going through some things, and I was also going through some things. We were in this really troubled time in our life, and we didn't try to hide them or pretend that it wasn't happening," she explains. "We just trudged through them. I feel like we came out the other side and are stronger because of it."

She adds, "Our relationship works because we inherently talk to each other. We inherently care about each other, and we're respectful to each other."

Sherri Saum guests on The Accused

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

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

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.

Jason George Teases Ben Warren’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Return Is “Very Much Mirroring” His Own Life After ‘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

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”.

Jason George Returning To ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ As Series Regular

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’

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.

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

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

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

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.

“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’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Jerry Springer Dies: Legendary Talk Show Host 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.

‘Station 19’ Renewed For Season 7 At ABC; Zoanne Clack & Peter Paige Set As Showrunners

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.

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

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