News
B&B's Brad Bell On The Return Of Sean Kanan As Deacon Sharpe!
Photo Credit: Russell Bear
On yesterday’s 51st anniversary episode of General Hospital, viewers saw the end of the line for AJ Quartermaine as played by Sean Kanan when AJ met his maker.
Now, The Bold and the Beautiful’s executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell speaks to TV Guide Magazine’s Michael Logan about how GH’s loss is B&B’s gain, when Kanan returns to the CBS soap opera as the devious Deacon Sharpe on June 13th!
In the candid conversation with Bell, the head honcho talks about how his plans for Deacon’s return which apparently includes possibly being romantically teamed with none other than Quinn (Rena Sofer), and how Bell had wanted Sean Kanan back to B&B for some time. Here are a few excerpts!
Brad Bell on what he has planned for Deacon upon his return: “Deacon is also the father of our central character, Hope Logan (Kim Matula) which makes him especially valuable right now. We’re going to find out that he’s been going from town to town trying to get something going for himself. He eventually finds his way back to Los Angeles, ostensibly because he misses his daughter. But, as we all know, he’d sell her to the highest bidder if it served his purposes.”
Brad Bell on the possible pairing of Quinn and Deacon: “There’s always room for more trouble! And it becomes especially potent when trouble meets trouble. You’re going to see some great stuff with Deacon and Quinn.”
So, what do you think of a Deacon and Quinn pairing and stirring up trouble for the Forresters and the Logans, and the Spencers? Glad Sean is back on B&B? Comment below!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
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I started watching more regularly a few weeks ago…i watched Sean K. on GH and hope Brad Bell writes better for his Deacon character than what GH had done to his A.J. character!!!
This sounds like it actually has potential to be something. Hope deacons return works out and has nada to do with Relish wars or killing fashion editors! Or ill mentions of his weight!
Can’t wait.
Can’t believe GH killed AJ. Of course, he’s been killed before…
I wanted A.J., and Carly to be the next Alan and Monica…the two had amazing chemestry in scenes together!!!
I thought AJ and Carly were great together!!! Sadly, Sonny always has to win on GH. Loosing AJ was a big loss. If the writers were smart, they would have sent Sonny us the river and kept AJ.
Sad GH chose not to write a story line for A J – bringing Sean back & then wasting great talent & the history of the character to kiss up to the Mouse has brought nothing positive to the show. Sean again as Deacon with possible pairing with Rena/Quinn will be dynamite!
I like Quinn…she’s the one got me turning in…
I like Quinn too. Quinn + Deacon=DANGEROUS FUN!
Did Brad Bell actually call Hope the CENTRAL character on B&B?! I always thought that was Brooke. But, I guess “like mother, like daughter” applies here.
I’m not happy GH decided to kill of A.J. His return had so much potential. But, now B&B gets Deacon back, and it will be interesting to see the interaction between him and Quinn.
I’m also hoping Adrienne Frantz will return as Amber! How great would that be?
I was surprised he called Hope the central character as well. I thought it was an ensemble, but a lot storylines do revolve around her. I do like Hope and the actress.
Would love to see Amber return, but don’t think it will happen. They wasted her return IMO when she came back a few years ago. There were some good stories, like with her mom and the baby drama, but she could have been used more effectively. But Brad seems to have his favorites and that’s who he writes for.
And that’s why I think he should not be the head writer of the show. He’s a good executive producer but some of his stories are absolutely terrible and he tends to waste talent, like Adrienne Frantz’s return, not writing for Jackie, Nick, Bridget, Thorne, etc.
And he tends to hire too many great actors (Crystal Chappell, Hillary B. Smith, Ricky Paul Goldin) without story to match their talent.
Brad most certainly did not use Ricky to his potential. He could have gotten some guy off the street for the role. He could have done lots more with that character. I read more about Ricky coming and the character than we saw him onscreen.
I can’t wait for Deacon’s return to B&B and wish Sean Kanan all the best there.However that been said i read somewhere that a few months ago Brad Bell did approach Sean about returning to the show but he told Brad that he was under contract to GH for a long time.So i’m wondering if Sean didn’t know B&B wanted him would he still have wanted off GH?Sean has every right to criticize how GH used him but he did it after he already knew he had another job lined up.
Sean/AJ .. his heart was always with B&B..
He tried something different/GH but he wanted back to B&B bhe caleed Bell and asked to come back to B&B..
AJ was written true to the GH character AJ was what he was and was writen as AJ ..
He was not a saint nor a romantic love type character..
Anyways all is well that ends well..
Sean has returned home to his B&B..
I think you’re rather alone or in the minority on that…or at least on this site. Seems like most of us did feel AJ could be a romantic lead…especially since Sean Kanan is so good-looking. Also seems like most posters here, including myself…think AJ was more of a saint than not…his downfall caused more by others than his own doing.
I think he was genuinely excited to be back at GH…having played AJ so long ago and would have stayed regardless of other offers if his situation at GH was better. He expressed his discontent and while I’m extremely angry and disappointed that he’s no longer on GH, I hope for his sake that his role on B&B is more rewarding to play.
But for me, not being a B&B viewer, Sean’s soap “home” is GH.
First and foremost, Sean will always be”AJ” to me as well, rebecca1!!! I gave up on “B&B” years ago when it became too repetitive, so even “Deacon” will not lure me back, but best of luck to SK on his return. I only hope his talent/energy are better appreciated/utilized by BB than were by”Cartini.” Over the weekend I was recalling the excitement that “AJ’s” reintro brought to GH and how SK looked so pleased to finally be reprising his role as the misunderstood bad boy-he truly seemed to “relish”the opportunity (no pun intended….) and for the brief time he was given suitable material, he really ran with the role-ahh such lovely memories! It honestly does make one wonder what could have been, and I, too, concur that Sean would have kept his home at GH had his character been given the proper attention and story arcs. It’s all a crying shame….almost feels like a real death in the family as we have to adjust to our favorite Quartermaine’s glaring absence. Sigh……
I know, Shay! That’s what I meant when I stated on one of my posts regarding the emotional investment we place in these characters…it’s a double-edged sword. We’re given the gift of being able to suspend our disbelief…the ability to intellectually know that you’re watching a show…and yet at the same time…care. So while being drawn into the show/any show…we also have to go through the emotions of loss. Thankfully we…to quote Cher…”snap out of it!!!!” rather quickly. (though I’m kinda feeling a tad depressed as I write this…AJ/SK…come back!!! 😉 )
LOL. We’re no doubt more upset than SK is over his departure at this point; perhaps he’d be moreso if he hadn’t gotten another show so quickly. As a viewer I mourn the loss of the character which yes, I did feel emotionally invested in. And I agree, his return was triumphant in the sense that he was placed centerstage for a bit…we were able to witness the FINALLY realized love of father (AJ) and son. Those, for me, were such sweet long-awaited, long overdue moments. And I’m so glad the writers at least gave Michael a mind of his own. He overcame the poisoning of his mind toward AJ that Carly and Sonny instilled in him, forged a relationship with his bio dad against their wishes and at least got to hear from AJ’s mouth the true version of what happened. I do give the writers that much…so far Michael’s loyalty toward AJ has been completely emotionally gratifying…while at the same time it drives story due to Michael’s conflicted love/loyalties.
I, like you (and probably quite a few others)..anticipated AJ’s return and the possible resurgence of the Q’s with AJ’s return and the probability of Michael being brought more and more into the fold. Though you can never replace the “golden era” of the Qs…so many are gone…they could have built anew with AJ/Michael/Tracy/Monica…possibly even Jason if they really do bring him back…would have been nice to see some of the comic moments with Alice…
I guess the reason we watch soaps is for a moment in time we believe in these people and whichever little town they reside…and thus there demise and/or misfortunes effect us.
One other thought…I wonder if enough fans protested AJs demise and Sean’s departure if something could have been done. But SK was already swooped up by B&B so it’s a moot point…
Well put, rebecca1! All that you stated here is right on the mark….unfortunately, it is also now water under the bridge, and we need to move on. But I do have to say that we are certainly not by any means the only ones to have experienced outrage and disappointment over this latest GH development. I have visited a number of other soap websites this week, and the consensus seems to be pretty evident that the GH showrunners’ cavalier handling of AJ Quartermaine’s death (and by extension, Sean Kanan’s departure) has not been at all well-received. On the contrary, it has stirred a great deal of resentment and anger, so at least we can take some small comfort that we are not alone in our dismay and displeasure…LOL. That being said, I highly doubt any protests would have made a whit of difference to this current regime….they are going to do exactly what they want to do, and what we (the audience) think seems to matter none. In this day of social media/online commentary, they receive enough feedback on a daily basis to have a very good idea of what is loved and what is loathed, and yet, they still appear to be hellbent on having it their way. Quite frankly, the only time I have seen any indication that they have taken viewer reaction into consideration is with the expanded role for the magnificent Kathleen Gati as Dr. O…..she had so many plaudits from the fans that I do believe she was given a larger, more regular presence due to our enthusiastic requests. Then again, perhaps the fact that she is such a delight for which to pen words and deeds had far more to do with their decision and our opinions actually meant nothing….they just adored her that much!!!! Oh well, it is what it is….however, my concluding thought is that I do hope that Sean has had the opportunity to witness and enjoy how much support he has garnered here at MF from his loyal followers…there have been so many strongly positive and lovely tributes to his acting talent and portrayal of the much-beloved AJ, so at least he can leave GH with the knowledge that he will be sorely missed as part of the Port Charles population!!!!
Ditto!
Right back at ya, rebecca1!!!! Penned a spirited thumbs-up to your two fabulous rebuttals (to David) on the previous GH thread. Hope you will get the chance to read it!!!!
I’m a big Sean Kanan fan and I’m happy to hear he’s landed on his feet at B&B. I’m looking forward to Deacon and Quinn mixing it up and I hope SK becomes a major force on B&B in 2014.
Although I’m happy that Sean Kanan has somewhere else to go after Ron C.’s fit of pique killed off his beloved character, I will always prefer blue-blooded AJ Quartermaine to white-trash Deacon Sharpe! However, the fact he can play both so convincingly just goes to show the actor’s talent and versatility. Good luck with this return engagement, Sean…hope it turns out far better than the one GH completely squandered.
I agree. Shame on the casting and writing staff at General Hospital. Hate to see the Quartermaine’s decimated.
agree Shay.
I am happy he is back, I would like him with brooke
GH’s loss of a great actor, legacy character from a core family. Best of luck, Sean. You’ll always be AJ Quartermaine to me. Funny, Sean worked with Rena on General Hospital, both Quartermaines. Two amazing people with such amazing talent! Surely missed in Port Charles.
thinking the same thing. Rena was great as Lois…must be fun to work together again. soaps are the ultimate microcosm…fans see the same faces on different shows once they’re killed or written off…and actors get to work with each other again. There really is no room for them to throw stones in the shrinking world of soaps…they’re stuck with each other!
Ned’s wife with Junior ,tongue in cheek .LOL I want to wish Sean the best. GH IIC have no idea what the fans want to see, or maybe they just don’t care.
Deacon and Brooke.
Hope needs a father.