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ATI's Romanovich speaks out on Daytime Emmy Telecast content decisions!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
ATI’s, Jim Romanovich spoke to TV Guide Canada’s, Soapgeist, Nelson Branco, on this year’s Daytime Emmy Telecast. And while fans were upset over the lack of airtime for soaps, clips of the nominees, and the ATWT’s tribute, plus the insertion of an commercial for the Las Vegas Hilton inside the telecast itself, Romanovich told Branco why it all had to be done this way. Many industry insiders apparently offered their kudos f on this show being the best telecast in years. Here are a few excerpts:
Romanovich on saving the Emmys: “Perhaps what many genuine soap fans don’t realize is that the Daytime Emmys were allowed back on TV in spite of the soaps, not because of them. Had we not had a 20-minute tribute to Bandstand (which according to the ratings on the quarter hour was the spike that won the two-time period and the night for CBS) and the Las Vegas Hilton, we would have never had CBS. It would have been over. Therefore, the Daytime Emmys would have been a dinner at the Beverly Hilton. For the daytime community, that’s not a bad thing. It’s still a good, fun night for them. But what the Daytime Emmys represent by being on television is the strength of the content of daytime television. If the soaps have a chance in hell at being looked at as relevant in mainstream America, it has to be [related with what the general public considers] mainstream. As a soap fan, I’m telling you the sad facts, which is why I have worked so hard to keep the Daytime Emmys on television. The facts are that networks really have lost interest in their soaps. They are not the financial boons they used to be. What’s sadder is that if you poll most television viewers and ask them who Oprah, Judge Judy and Jerry Springer are, they know. Ask them again who Agnes Nixon, Susan Flannery and Maura West are and they don’t know. The soap opera fan alone cannot sustain the Daytime Emmys. Like all awards shows, you need entertainment as that wide net to capture as many fish as possible. If I can do that with some magic and music, while still maintain about an 80 per cent weight to the soaps, then we all win. What I’m hoping to do with the Emmys is prolong their relevance so that these six remaining shows can have a life beyond daytime TV when the Internet and à la carte television options presented to us in the near future is our only way of watching TV. That’s what I tried to do with Guiding Light. ”
Romanovich on ATI and CBS’s plan to make the show relevant in 2010: “If we never came forward and produced the Daytime Emmys in ‘09, what message would that have sent to the broadcast networks? Everything we did for the Daytime Emmys had a grand plan and last weekend was it — to make it big, on a top network, and relevant. Was it the same as 20 years ago? No, because the soaps aren’t the same (or as plentiful) as 20 years ago. As one who is doing everything for soaps I can, I will feature Lion Kings, Kabuki dancers and the roster of Motown if that’s what it takes to keep them on TV.”
General Hospital
Blythe Howard Joins the Cast of ‘General Hospital’ as Monet: Who is She Connected to in Port Charles?
General Hospital continues to add new characters to the canvas. Now comes word of the arrival of Monet, a savvy lawyer played by Blythe Howard. Look for Monet to debut in Port Charles next week on the Wednesday, September 23 episode.
According to TV Insider, “Monet arrives in town as a litigator who recently joined Miller & Davis, the firm run by Diane Miller (Carolyn Hennesy) and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn), and meets with a Port Charles resident in need of legal counsel.”
In a statement, General Hospital’s executive producer, Frank Valentini shared, “I am very excited to welcome Blythe Howard to the cast of General Hospital. Look for her to have an unexpected connection to a beloved Port Charles resident.”
FROM TELEVISION TO CANCER SURVIVOR TO GIVING BACK
If Howard looks familiar you may have seen her on several television series including: Yellowstone, Power Book IV: Force, Walker, 9-1-1: Lone Star, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, CW’s Dynasty, Silicon Valley plus David Fincher‘s Mindhunter.
Photo: ChemoQueens
Blythe is also a cancer survivor having cofounded Chemo Queens with her sister Kelsey Howard. The company creates products for people undergoing cancer treatment, including a patent-pending cold cap design.
In recent months, General Hospital has brought in several new actors for brand new roles or recasts. They include: Alimi Ballard (William Baines), Jonathan Bennett (Joe Fitzpatrick), Kearran Giovanni (Dr. Nichols), Dean Geyer (Tristan Roberts), Kelly Kruger (Serena Baldwin), Kayden Brennan Tokarski (Scout Cain) and Troy Lennon Appel (Hudson Parker). You can now add Blythe Howard to this list.
So, who do you think Monet has an unexpected connection to that is a “beloved” Port Charles resident as teased by Frank Valentini? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
While Finn (Tanner Novlan) is unaware that his wife Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) is pregnant and that she is supposedly carrying Carter Walton’s (Lawrence Saint-Victor) child on The Bold and the Beautiful, Tanner Novlan is keeping busy, not only on the CBS soap, but in an upcoming new feature for the streamer Roku entitled Cowboy Hearts.
Laguna Beach star Kristen Cavallari is the lead opposite Novlan. The log lines of the story tease, “When a no-nonsense reality TV producer (Cavallari) is sent to Georgia to oversee the reboot of the hit dating show ‘Cowboy Hearts,’ she expects chaos behind the scenes, not romantic sparks with the cowboy himself (Novlan). Now, with the cameras rolling and her job on the line, she’ll have to decide if love is worth going off script.”
Taking to his Instagram to confirm his casting, Tanner Novlan shared, “Cowboy Hearts coming to @therokuchannel early ‘27!” The caption was posted alongside two photos of Tanner in the film wearing a cowboy hat, and a video with Tanner shirtless in said cowboy hat, but riding a horse. Tanner’s wife, former B&B actress, Kayla Ewell (ex-Caitlin Ramirez) joked in the comment thread, “Can you bring the cowboy hat home?”
Photo: JPI
KRISTEN CAVALLARI RETURNS TO ACTING AFTER 15 YEARS
Cavallari also recently starred as herself in an episode of ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville, but Cowboy Hearts marks her first acting role in 15 years since she appeared in an episode of ABC comedy series, The Middle. Earlier in her career, Kristen appeared in the Laguna Beach spinoff, The Hills (as herself), plus episodes of Veronica Mars and CSI: NY.
The partnership of Roku and Cavallari comes from her having the biggest unscripted launch ever on the Roku platform with The Reunion: Laguna Beach. Now, Cowboy Hearts will launch sometime next year with Cavallari saying in a statement to Deadline, “I’m so excited to be stepping back into acting and getting to do something completely different with a rom-com. After such a great experience working with Roku on The Reunion: Laguna Beach, it feels especially exciting to be working with their team again — but this time for a scripted film. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
MORE THAN JUST BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
As for Tanner Novlan, he has been playing Dr. John Finn Finnegan since July of 2020 on the CBS daytime drama series. He’s also well known for his role as the bad actor/ spokesperson in the Liberty Biberty commercial spots for Liberty Mutual, and his recurring role on Roswell, New Mexico.
Novlan is no stranger as a leading man in rom-coms, too. He previously appeared in 2019’s My Best Friend’s Christmas, 2022’s Christmas Class Reunion, and 2024’s Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle.
So, intrigued to see Tanner in Cowboy Hearts when it comes out next year? On B&B, do you think Finn is really the baby-daddy to Steffy’s unborn baby that will be revealed later down the road? Let us know via the comment section.
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Tonight on September 15, R. J. Decker’s returns for its second season immediately following the season 35 premiere of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. In the season premiere, as previously reported Lucas Adams (ex-Noah Newman, The Young and the Restless, and ex-Tripp Dalton, Days of our Lives) is one of the guest stars.
The season 2 premiere will also server as a crossover event with cameos from Dancing with the Stars pros Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy, as well as The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei, who won the Mirror Ball Trophy in season 33.
In the logline for tonight’s episode pf R.J. Decker (10 pm ET/PT) entitled, The Point of Us Breaking, a reunion with an old prison acquaintance pulls R.J. into a string of daring bank heists as the fallout from Victor Ochoa’s death deepens.
Photo: ABC
WHO IS LUCAS ADAMS PLAYING ON R.J. DECKER?
Taking to his Instagram story from the set of R. J. Decker, Lucas Adams, in what looks like prison garb, explains a bit about the character he plays in the crime series. ‘What’s up? It’s Lucas Adams, and I play Liam Jansen. I’ve got myself into a sticky situation, hopefully me and my little dog can get out of there safely!”
R.J, Decker stars Scott Speedman in the leading role as the private investigator. The series is inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s 1987 novel Double Whammy, the popular, comedic ABC crime drama follows disgraced newspaper photographer and ex-con R.J. Decker as he reinvents himself as a P.I. in South Florida.
Photo: JPI
HOW DID NOAH NEWMAN LEAVE GENOA CITY?
Lucas Adams departed The Young and the Restless on-screen back on the August 3, 2026 episode when Noah and Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) decided to leave Genoa City and head back to Los Angeles to get away from Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).
Adams had portrayed Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon’s (Sharon Case) son for a little under a year having debuted on November 4, 2025. Previously, Adams played Tripp Dalton on Days of Our Lives from 2017-2024 with multiple runs on the soap opera.
R.J. Decker airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC and be released on Hulu the following day with some major rebroadcasts of new episodes including tonight’s which can also be seen next Sunday on September 20 at 8pm ET.
So, will you be checking out Lucas Adams in the season two premiere of R.J. Decker? Let us know via the comment section below.
Blythe Howard Joins the Cast of ‘General Hospital’ as Monet: Who is She Connected to in Port Charles?
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Tanner Novlan Set to Star in Roku Rom-Com ‘Cowboy Hearts’
DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 35 Premiere: Which Male Impressed on Night One? Who Was Sent Home?
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Carter Has a Way Out and Implores Steffy, “Say You’ll Be Our Donor and Surrogate!”
TUNE-IN: ‘R. J. Decker’ Season 2 Premiere: Y&R and DAYS Alum Lucas Adams Guest Stars
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson to Star in New Holiday Movie
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
RATINGS: ‘General Hospital’ Shows Most Gains in Total Viewers Week-Over-Week and Up in Key Demo
Y&R’s Co-Head Writer Jamey Giddens, Ahead of November Stories and Scripts Debut with Dan O’Connor, Explains How Fall Tees Up Their Plans for Genoa City
‘General Hospital’s’ Bluesy Burke Marks 1 Year as Charlotte Cassadine: ‘It’s The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received’
DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 35 Premiere: Which Male Impressed on Night One? Who Was Sent Home?
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Carter Has a Way Out and Implores Steffy, “Say You’ll Be Our Donor and Surrogate!”
Soap Alums Remembered During In Memoriam Segment at 78th Emmy Awards; Patrick Muldoon Omitted
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Break Up After Realizing They Can’t Trust Each Other
Franco LoPresti and Sydney Malakeh Makes Their ‘Days of our Lives’ Debuts: What Were Your First Impressions?
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Am I the only person out here that feels a disconnect when listening to Mr. Romanovich’s claims of having the greater good of daytime television in mind when producing these past two years of Daytime Emmy telecasts? Really? Is his goal to represent the best in daytime television or is his goal to simply “air” the Daytime Emmys; because to me, he seems more concerned with the latter than with doing anything substanitive to honor those supposedly gathered.
How does he feel his telecasts represent the “strength of the content of daytime television” when a simple element as viewers aren’t even shown clips of why people are nominated leading into the awards presentation? How does he feel he “still maintains about an 80 per cent weight to the soaps” when the fact that three legendary actors (Mitchell, Reid and Wagner) passed away this year and their combined 129 years of service did not warrent a mention, yet somehow America just couldn’t live without a tour of the penthouse of the Las Vegas Hilton or an extended infomercial on Feed the Children? (People tuning-in weren’t expecting a heavy-handed public service announcement, they were expecting to see the daytime celebrated!) How does he feel “Lion Kings, Kabuki dancers and the roster of Motown” are “what it takes to keep them on TV”? If ‘them’ mean the Emmy Telecasts, that’s one thing that he definitely seems focused on … but the man ain’t ‘saving’ daytime or respecting it’s audience by green-lighting a two-minute GL tribute and a one-minute ATWT tribute! While trying to attract your ‘mainstream’ audience, you seem to be alienating your ‘core’ audience; how exactly is that good production business?
When he asks “if we never came forward and produced the Daytime Emmys in ‘09, what message would that have sent to the broadcast networks?”, it would say exactly what he already thinks: that America doesn’t consider soaps mainstream and that the networks have lost interest and it’s time to stop airing the telecasts. I say quit while you’re ahead, stop trying to produce a spectacle and return to a nice dinner/awards ceremony for the people that should be honored, produced by someone that will place a higher importance on daytime rather than trying to be all things to all people, and ending-up disappointing instead of inspiring.
Mr. Romanovich’s claims are a big pile of BS!!! I totally agree with the previous writer that they should quit while they’re ahead and go back to the nice dinner/awards ceremony where the people of DAYTIME can be honored and we’re not forced to watch an infomercial of Vegas and a hotel suite and a bunch of Vegas acts that I couldn’t care less about! Using the title DAYTIME EMMY’S as an excuse to air a Vergas informercial is a joke only it’s not funny at all!!! He has his numbers confused because Vegas took up 80%+ of the time with maybe 20% given over to daytime! And no red carpet, no Emmy reels, rushed and confused presenters, 30 second acceptance speechs, no views of the actors/nominees as their names were called and no MEMORIAL!!! SHAMEFUL AND RIDICULOUS AND A VERY POOR EXCUSE FOR WHAT THEY CALLED THE DAYTIME EMMY’S BUT CLEARLY THESE WERE NOT THE DAYTIME EMMY’S!!! This was the worse Daytime Emmy’s EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!