Browsing: General Hospital

As previously reported, ABC’s “Home for the Holidays” special event will be hitting “General Hospital.” Soap Opera Network has learned that Christopher Allen, a real life United States military veteran who served four years in the U.S. Air Force, will be appearing on the Thursday, December 26 episode as military veteran CPO Hicks.

With an estimated value of $5,500, a lucky individual and their partner could win a dinner date with “General Hospital’s” William deVry (Julian Jerome) and former “Port Charles” and “The Young and the Restless” actress, Rebecca Staab. Now through Thursday, December 12, the married couple is auctioning off a meal that includes Sea Save founder, Georgienne Bradley, which will take place at the elegant Geoffrey’s Malibu, “a unique place, rich in its own history, it embodies the natural beauty from which it sprang, while offering an invitation to everyone who cares to celebrate life.” The highest bidder will be provided with insight into the entertainment industry, according the description on the CharityBuzz website as listed by the two soapers.

With nearly 24 minutes in total airtime between them, LANYentertainment released the first two installments of “The Bay: The Series” chapter 11 on the official “Bay” website yesterday. Fans of the series will not only get caught up in the happenings in Bay City, but they’ll also get their fill of drama, sex, drugs, romance, deception, murder, and much more.

During the week of November 25 through 29, 2013, ABC’s “General Hospital” reached its largest audience in nearly six years (since week of January 21, 2008), when 3.3 million viewers tuned into the happenings of Port Charles. The soap is currently pacing for its best season in seven years in total viewers (since the 2006-2007 television season). In addition to an increase in viewers, the daytime sap reached an over 2-and-a-half-year high in Women 25-54 (1.04 million/1.7 rating) and an over 2-year high in Women 18-49 (774,000/1.2 rating) – since weeks of 3/21/11 and 8/15/11, respectively – to rank a strong #2 for the week in the key female sales demos.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced yesterday that it’s going to be easier than ever for entrants to submit material for the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy race and for voters to get their voices heard, as the entire process has shifted to an online space! In addition, entries for this year’s awards ceremony are now being accepted, and submission are open in all 81 Daytime categories.

Ratings Report for the Week of November 18-22, 2013

The Emmy-nominated online soap opera “The Bay” is back for its 11th chapter, and the sudser’s return is expected to be edgier, bigger and better than ever!

On Monday, September 26, 2011, ABC premiered a new daytime talk show that brought food back to the table and into our everyday lives. Now in its third season, “The Chew” is currently enjoying one of its highest rated on record in both total viewers and key women sales demos. As the talk show celebrated its 500th episode yesterday, fans of the ABC version of “All My Children” continued to mourn the loss of their favorite daytime soap opera, which made Susan Lucci and her character Erica Kane a household name to mainstream viewers.

From Friday, March 14 through Monday, March 17, former “General Hospital” star Ronnie Marmo (ex- Ronnie Dimestico) will be MC’ing a weekend of comedy on Princess Cruises Lines’ SAPPHIRE as it heads down to Mexico. Joining the actor as performers will be comedians French Stewart (“The Middle,” “3rd Rock From the Sun”) and Mo Collins (“MADtv,” “Parks & Recreation”), among many others.

As if tackling daytime soap operas and the Academy Awards wasn’t challenge enough for James Franco (ex-Franco, “General Hospital”), the actor is gearing up to next take on broadway as he’s signed on to make his debut in “Of Mice and Men” next year. Franco will portray George in the production, which is based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. The character is one half of two migrant workers looking for employment during the Great Depression. Actor Chris O’Dowd will portray Lennie, the other migrant worker.

Ratings Report for the Week of November 11-15, 2013

It’s not uncommon for soap opera stars to appear in music videos (we’ve even done features about it in the past), but “General Hospital’s” Sean Kanan (A.J. Quartermaine; ex-Deacon Sharpe, “The Bold and the Beautiful”/“The Young and the Restless”) and his wife, Michele Kanan, have turned the tables: The duo actually made their own music video specifically about the genre!

In celebration of its “Home for the Holidays” campaign, ABC announced today plans to incorporate United States Veterans in upcoming episodes of its daytime and primetime programming, including “Modern Family,” “Last Man Standing” and “General Hospital.” Comedy “The Neighbors” will offer a veteran the opportunity to shadow one of their directors as they put an episode together. Meanwhile, “The View” and “The Chew” will support the vets with various themed episodes throughout the holiday season.

With word that Tristan Rogers would be departing ABC’s “General Hospital” and returning to CBS’ “The Young and the Restless,” it was only a matter of time before fans heard from the actor himself on the abrupt change in status from one soap to the next. Said Rogers on Twitter of his “GH” experience, “I’d like to thank Frank [Valentini, executive producer] and Ron [Carlivati, head writer] for great storyline that kept Scorpio true to himself.” On his “Y&R” return Rogers said, “I’m stoked on Colin’s return to #YR in 2014 and delighted to once again be a part of the CBS Daytime family.”

Ratings Report for the Week of November 4-8, 2013

With sudden word that Tristan Rogers would soon be departing ABC’s “General Hospital,” one could only imagine what may have been the catalyst behind the actor’s decision. Looks like a move [back] to “The Young and the Restless” may have persuaded the actor to say goodbye once more to Port Charles’ Robert Scorpio and hello again to Genoa City’s Colin Atkinson, Cane Ashby’s (Daniel Goddard) father. A spokesperson for the CBS drama series confirms to Soap Opera Network that the actor is returning to the soap in early 2014.

The return of Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) to “General Hospital” is short lived, it seems. According to head writer Ron Carlivati, the actor will be leaving the canvas in February. “I had no idea @tristanrogers was leaving. I found out last night. I now have 1 day to write him out of a big Feb Sweeps storyline,” Carlivati tweeted earlier today. He added, “Meanwhile, you will see a lot of Robert between now and February! And please respect @tristanrogers and his decision. Thanks.”

Get ready for your jaws to drop, because the battle over “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” just got a hell of a lot uglier! In addition to the lawsuit that Prospect Park launched against ABC this April for the alleged sabotage of the company’s efforts to move the two sudsers online, the plaintiff filed a new amended complaint today with more details regarding the alphabet network’s alleged fraud and a claim that ABC schemed to create a “mega soap.” And guess what? It all comes with a demand for more than $95 million in damages!

On Friday, November 8, Soap Opera Network reported that SOAPnet, now the old way to watch soaps, would cease operation on December 31, 2013 at 11:59:59 ET. In a piece by the Los Angeles Times, Ben Pyne, president of global distribution for Disney Media Networks, said, “SOAPnet had a great run.” He added, “It served an audience of super-soap fans. And when given the opportunity, all of our affiliates kept the channel up and running.” The affiliates Pyne refers are the cable and satellite operators including DirecTV and Cablevision, et al that have kept the cable network on their channel listings whether a new deal with Disney and the carriers was signed or not.

Earlier today a fan tweeted, “@JohnStamos @carlivatiron @valentinifrank #BringBlackieBack #GH,” which attracted the attention of the intended parties, but the responses themselves were the least expected of all.

Stamos, who portrayed Blackie Parrish on ABC’s “General Hospital” in the 1980’s replied to the tweet and said, “Sociopathic! You don’t remember [the] phone call in @valentinifrank office?” As confusing as the tweet appeared, it became less confusing when “GH” head writer Ron Carlivati responded to Stamos’ tweet with, “Yes, I remember it well. But for some reason you seem determined to rewrite the narrative.”