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’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations kicked-off on Monday with the announcements of four major categories including, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and among the nominees is General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan).
Burton is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner in the Supporting Actor category for his roles as GH’s Jason and his turn as Dylan McAvoy on Y&R. However, Steve is yet to win in the Lead Actor category and he has received 11 nominations along the way in his daytime career.
Following the reveal that he is a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, he and his GH co-star, podcast co-host and comedy show partner, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) taped a special edition of their That’s Awesome podcast just featuring Burton’s reaction to the news.
Photo: JPI
FOR LESLIE CHARLESON
Steve expressed, “I know it’s such a cliche to say, ‘I’m just so honored to be nominated.’ But truly, I’m so grateful to be nominated, so grateful to just be on the show off and on for 30 plus years and to be nominated with the guys in my category. Just to get the opportunity. Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH) texted me right away. I was just like, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to get to do what I do.'”
Taking in the moment, Burton thanked those who helped him select the material for his nominated reel. “Unless you win, you don’t get to say things. So. I’m going just say a few things: Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) helped me a lot with the material, (as did) Michelle Henry, who’s a producer on the show, Laura Wright (Carly, GH), and then my wife Michelle (Lundstrom). I believe it was Jill Phelps who told me that when A Martinez felt like he had a great show or great scenes, he would mark it down. So, when Emmy time comes, you have all the show numbers written down, and you don’t have to think about it, because that’s half the battle (finding the material).
Burton explained how meaningful this nomination is for him, because of playing the scenes of Jason losing Monica, and his closeness with the late, great Leslie Charleson.
“The nomination’s an amazing thing, and it’s beautiful, but really it’s to honor Leslie Charleson. A lot of my material was because of her, and how I started on the show as a Quartermaine, it just means a ton,” shared Burton. “Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has obviously has been instrumental, and I’ve said it from day one and I’ll shout it from the rooftops. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and to be working with the people that we work with is incredible.”
Photo: JPI
SHOULD JOHN OLIVER BE NAMED HOST OF THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
During the end of his conversation with Anderson, Steve suggested that the host of the Daytime Emmy should be Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, who recently guest starred as the head of the WSB named Z on General Hospital, and is soon to show up on Days of Our Lives in a mystery role in August.
Thus far, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has not revealed their host for the upcoming ceremony to be held on October 30 in a venue to be named in Hollywood, California.
You can watch Steve sharing his reaction to receiving his 2026 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination below on a special segment on the That’s Awesome podcast.
Now let us know, are you glad that Steve chose scenes surrounding Jason mourning the loss of the woman that raised him, Monica Quartermaine for his Emmy reel? What do you think of John Oliver as a suggestion to host the Daytime Emmys? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Marks Unprecedented 16,000th Episode Milestone with New Cast Photo
Today’s Monday, July 13 episode of General Hospital marks it 16,000 episode to air on the ABC television network. It is a remarkable milestone. The previous television record was held by Guiding Light which clocked in at 15,762 episodes before it went off the air on CBS in 2009.
To mark the occasion, the cast, crew and creative team of General Hospital celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony on the Prospect Studios lot in Los Angeles back on Monday, June 1, 2026.
In addition, GH has released a new cast photo taken the day of the on set celebration. Pictured in the photo are front row: Rory Gibson, Finn Carr, Kayden Brenna Tokarski, Asher Antonyzyn, Giovanni Mazza, Braedyn Bruner, Dean Geyer and Nathan Dean.
Featured in the back row are: Tabyana Ali, Eden McCoy, Josh Swickard, Kristen Vaganos, Rebecca Herbst, Dominic Zamprogna, Alexa Havins, Cameron Mathison, Brooke Kerr, Cynthia Watros, Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Jane Elliot, Maurice Benard, Laura Wright, Maura West, Donnell Turner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Tanisha Harper, Kelly Thiebaud, Kristina Wagner, Lynn Herring, Chris McKenna, Katelyn MacMullen and Sawandi Wilson.
In addition, the official GH social media handles shared these sentiments along with some other photos from the cake cutting: “Today’s episode of General Hospital is the 16,000th produced since the show’s inception in 1963. It’s a milestone we couldn’t let pass by without taking some time to celebrate as a family (and, of course… eating some cake). 🍰 We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE 16,000th Episode?
The 16,000th episode will feature Jason Morgan returning to the town of Port Charles, Anna and Valentin (James Patrick Stewart) reuniting, and a new surgeon, Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) joining the staff of ‘General Hospital.’
GENERAL HOSPITAL HOLDS SEVERAL RECORDS
Now in its 64th year, Emmy Award-winning daytime drama General Hospital is currently both the longest-running scripted American drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production.
General Hospital holds the record for the most Outstanding Daytime Drama award wins, taking home the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award a record 18 times. Will they do it again and make it 19 in 2026? Stay tuned for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations tomorrow on Tuesday, July 14 to find out if GH will be going for gold in the category, once again.
The ABC daytime drama series was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and premiered back on April 1, 1963. Frank Valentini is the current executive producer with Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten are the show’s co-head writers.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu.
What do you think of the new cast photo marking General Hospital’s 16000th episode? What do you think of the accomplishment to have that many episodes of a television show and its still thriving and kicking? Share your thoughts and congrats for everyone in front of the camera and behind the scenes on this milestone airing.
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
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‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
Randolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Daphne’s Devastated, Steffy Finds Herself at a Crossroads with Finn
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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.