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B&B's Touching Christmas Episode With John McCook's Hankie-Worthy Performance!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/CBS

Courtesy/CBS

Of all the Christmas episodes that aired over the last few days on your favorite soaps, this year to On-Air On-Soaps, one stood out among the rest.

The Bold and the Beautiful continued its throughline with the Forrester family moving on with life after the passing of the matriarch of the clan, Stephanie Forrester.   And in addition, for the actors on the series, this was to be the first Christmas episode without Susan Flannery …  well sort of.

The set-up of the episode had an MIA Eric (John McCook) who takes himself to a concert of Celtic Woman and sits in a very special box  section above the concert hall.   Alone, he fills Martini glasses for two, as if he is spending Christmas with his beloved Stephanie.  All the awhile, the Forrester family and friends have no idea where he is and our very concerned.  After they get Pam to spill the beans, by throwing her infamous Lemon Bars she made for Christmas at her … and the wall …  Pam reveals where Eric is and the group heads out to find him.

As Eric in tears watches Celtic Woman singing some of the most known Christmas tunes, he realizes he is not alone as the Forrester clan and friends meet up with him in his private box at the concert hall.  And from there, the touching moments with little dialogue said so much!  In addition, it was soap veteran John McCook, who was the one who brought the gravity of the situation and heartfelt emotions to all the viewers at home.

But B&B had one more little surprise! Susan Flannery was next seen with a bluebird on her shoulder,(Pam referred to a bluebird earlier in the episode, that meant that Stephanie would be watching over her) wishing everyone at home a “Merry Christmas” followed by a wink!

B&B’s Executive Producer and head writer, Brad Bell struck the right balance of a touching story and the Christmas spirit, while the understated and often under utilized John McCook made us reach for the Kleenex.  If you missed the episode, you can check it out on CBS.com here!

So soapers, what show had your favorite Christmas episode this year?  Do you agree with our choice for B&B?  Let us know!  And for more on how it is for John McCook moving on in-story on and off the screen, without Stephanie and Susan Flannery, read our recent interview with him here!

 

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Days had a Great christmas episode and Bold was great with all of the stephanie clips. (But I couldn’t help to wonder if this was merely an Informercial for Celtic Woman, in Leu of paying them to appear). BB has had too much product placement of Italy and aspen clips.

B&B was beautiful yesterday!!!!
Thumbs up for that episode 🙂

I think B&B nailed it with McCook showing his amazing skill…without having to say a word! Love him! And kudos Bell 🙂

It was touching, but B&B always overplays their hand. It seems Brad Bell and his team stumble across these moments, and they think “Wow that worked great, lets do it again, and again, and again. But of all the soap Christmas shows, this one was the most sentimental. I missed Y&R doing a show based on a Christmas movie, maybe that was one thing I like that MAB did. The show we got this year was okay- I would have rather seen a repeat of classic Christmas show- I often enjoy those.

I enjoyed the episode because I knew it would be the last I taped in a long time we are now headed back to Liam/Steffy/Hope and Caroline/Rick. It is sad for me Brad Bell has given the boot to some great actors for this silly bunch and it for me is like saying goodbye to an old friend.

we all watch to see our favorites as well as good storylines…i’m looking forward to Crystal Chappell returning to my screen on B&B…what a great way to ring in the New Year! ☮♡☺xo▽♀♀✩ツ♫

It has been said here in several ways but Brad Bell is just not adept at knowing when enough is enough. He beats dead horses. The Celtic Women, okay fine, have them on once, even though no one ever knew about stephanies heritage. At Christmas, why pay to have them on again…instead of bringing back missed characters or showing flashbacks? I get that Flannery was a beloved actress, but Stephanie was certainly not so as a character. She spent 25 years being a vindictive, spiteful. Jealous, violent, bordering on sociopathic character. Elevating her to some kind of sainthood in the end just seemed odd. The character was a hostile control freak who rarely showed any kindness or tenderness. Her and Eric spent more time bitter and battling than they ever did lovey and dovey. Compare this to the sendoff Jason got on GH…UNCEREMONIOUSLY shot and kicked into a harbour…very indicative of how the character was written and portrayed for 16 years. Burton was beloved…but the character as written was an unrepentant murderer for hire…if they had given him months long tributes with characters singing his praises, it would have rang false.

I can’t believe they allowed the characters of Ridge and Stephanie to leave so they can focus on that ridiculous triangle between boring Limey, Stuffi and Hopeless. What a waste.

I agree that Bold and the Beautiful had the most meaningful Christmas episode. I watched it and cried through most of it. I lost my husband to cancer two years ago around Christmas so I could really relate to how Eric was feeling.

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‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Heather Tom on Working with TV Son Crew Morrow: ‘I’ve Always Wanted to Play an Overprotective, Overbearing Mother’ (Exclusive)

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Heather Tom, Crew Morrow

In an ironic twist of fate, and only in the soaps, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Heather Tom’s (Katie Logan) on-screen son is played by Crew Morrow (Will Spencer), the now 21-year-old son of her former TV brother on The Young and the Restless, Joshua Morrow (Nick Newman).

For those who have followed the six-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress’ career, Tom began on Y&R back in 1990 as Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor’s (Eric Braeden) daughter Victoria Newman. She played the role until 2003. Four years later, she joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful and has been there ever since.

Next month, at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Heather might add two gold statuettes to her collection with nominations for Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (which would be her record-breaking 7th for an actress), and one for being a part of B&B’s writing team.

Photo: JPI

WHICH MORROW IS IN THE ROOM?

In a new livestream conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Heather recalled her reaction to seeing Crew Morrow on set when he started on B&B over two years ago, and pointed out the uncanny similarities between her TV son and her former TV brother.

“I just can’t even tell you how genetics is weird,” explained Tom. “Because it’s like they are the same person; the cadence and his voice and the way he laughs. When Crew was on the shows for the first couple of months, it would take me out of the scene. I would be like, ‘Oh, my God! It’s Joshua.’ It’s crazy. It’s so wonderful to have him. I love having him there. We’re so lucky to have Crew. I think he’s a wonderful addition to the Spencer family. I love that Bill (Don Diamont) and Katie’s son is on the canvas in a real way.”

In recent weeks, fans of The Bold and the Beautiful have seen a different side of Katie in regards to her son, Will. She simply does not approve, and does not trust Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock) as far as she can throw her. That puts a wrinkle in the mother/son relationship.

Photo: JPI

HEATHER TOM IS THRILLED THE CHARACTER OF WILL SPENCER IS ALL GROWN-UP

“Honestly, I’ve been waiting for this story since Will was born,” exclaimed Heather  “To be like the overprotective, overbearing mother, momma bear, I love it!”

As for Katie’s attitude. which many feel may need an “attitude adjustment,” Tom has it all figured out on just how she is tackling her scenes! “I have all kinds of justifications for it,” reveals the multi-talented star.

Photo: JPI

KATIE SEES ALL SORTS OF RED FLAGS WITH DYLAN

“So. it’s not just Katie being the b-word,” proclaims Tom. “It’s that Will, her son, whom she loves and supports so much, has been constantly saying about Electra (Laneya Grace), ‘This is the love of my life. She’s broken my heart. I love her. All I want to do is get her back.'”

“So I think Katie could be like, ‘Okay, well, Electra’s a little flighty, but my son loves her, so I’m going to try to support that relationship,” explains Heather. “In addition, Will has never told his mother, ‘I love Dylan,’ at all. I think Katie is thinking of telling Will, ‘You should run, not walk, from this girl who seems somewhat obsessed!’ I don’t know where they’re going with the Electra/Will/Dylan triangle, but I think Katie’s very focused on Dylan for a multitude of reasons.”

So, do you like seeing Heather Tom as Katie going into overprotective momma bear-mode, now that the series has a major young triangle between Electra/Will/Dylan? What do you think about the fact that Heather has been a long-running scene partner with father/son across two different soaps in Joshua Morrow and Crew Morrow? Let us know in the comment section, and in case you missed it, check out our full conversation with Heather below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Finola Hughes Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’

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Finola Hughes

There was never any doubt that in watching the riveting and emotional scenes on General Hospital which featured Finola Hughes as a PTSD-driven and mentally tortured Anna Devane, that when the climatic moments in Anna’s story aired, that we would not be singing the praises of Hughes. Once again, Finola showcased why she is one of the soap opera genres greatest assets and actresses.

In the key scenes, Anna has had a complete breakdown as she has lured and cornered Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) on Mount Emerson, and even thought through how she would kill her and cover it up, all thanks to hearing the voice and seeing a dead man, Peter August (Wes Ramsey). It’s visions of Peter that keeps egging Anna on to pull the trigger on Britt while in her delusional state.

Before Britt realizes that Anna trapped her in meeting her in Mount Emerson, she is very confused as to why she was all the way out in the boondocks to talk about what happened to her brother, Cassius Faison. However, Britt soon learned that what Anna was about to do is personal, and not professional, as she pulls the gun on her.

Courtesy/ABC

ANNA FIRES HER GUN IN GAME-CHANGING MOMENT

When Jason (Steve Burton) shows up to save the say, he tries to talk Anna off the ledge, begging her to not shoot Britt and make one of the greatest mistakes of his life. When Jason figured out Anna felt she needed to kill anyone related to Cesar Faison, he made her think twice, because that would mean, she also would need to end the lives of two of Maxie’s children, James and Bailey Lu.

Anna can’t stop seeing hallucinations of Peter pushing her to shoot Britt. Suddenly and completely overcome, Anna fires bullets straight in the direction of where she sees Peter as she declares this all must end tonight.

After the shots are fired, Anna realized what she had done and just sobbed and shook. It was a devastating and heartbreaking moment for longtime General Hospital fans to see the beloved Anna Devane, super spy, so lost. Anna explained to Jason, after he was able to disarm her, how she was being pushed to kill Britt by her visions of Peter.

EMMY-WORTHY SCENES FOR 2027

In another hankie-inducing moment, Anna just grabs Jason and breaks down in his arms. If these weren’t Emmy-worthy scenes, we don’t know what is, and it must be remembered by Hughes, General Hospital, and hopefully the voting body of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) when Emmy submissions and voting get underway in 2027 for the 54th annual Daytime Emmys.

From everything we noted above, to the sheer brilliance of her work, Michael Fairman TV names Finola Hughes, this week’s Power Performance of the Week.

Now let us know, do you agree with our pick of Finola? Were you moved to tears during the gut-wrenching scenes? Should Finola include these scenes in an Emmy submission in 2027, should she decide to compete for Lead Actress gold? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

RATINGS: ‘General Hospital’ Shows Most Gains in Total Viewers Week-Over-Week and Up in Key Demo

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General Hospital

The ratings are out for the week of August 24-28 for your favorite broadcast television soaps, and it was ABC’s General Hospital which added the most total viewers and planted itself firmly in third place in its battle with Beyond the Gates in the key demos of women 18-49 and 25-54.

According to Soap Opera Network, all daytime dramas were up year-over-year, and General Hospital was joined by The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful with gains in their total audience viewership, while Beyond the Gates was only slightly off pace for the ratings week.

Let’s take a look at what had viewers tuning-in, starting with General Hospital, who added +79,000 viewers. While still under the 2 million viewers mark (which they can hopefully return in the coming weeks) their overall tally was an average of 1, 935,000 tuning-in, while still up year-to-year +136,000.

GENERAL HOSPITAL

In addition, GH while actually down from the previous week in the 18-49 ratings share, they still out performed Beyond the Gates for third place. However, GH was firmly in third place for the 25-54 ratings share.

The stories that were featured for the week included: Anna’s (Finola Hughes) PTSD and struggle with painful memories tied to Cesar Faison, and her concocting a plan to get rid of Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) recording Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) threatening her, and later running into a severe threat from Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) regarding Kai (Jens Austin Astrup) and Drew’s (Cameron Mathison) shooting, and Drew enlisting Ava (Maura West) to gain leverage over Jack, which resulted in Ava drugging him, while Drew went snooping for the evidence Brennan had against him.

Photo: JPI

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Y&R remained in the top spot amongst all the soaps once again with 3,062,000 tuning in, and up +35,000 for the week, while year-to-year still showing strong gains at +231,000 viewers. However, while Y&R remained #1 for the 25-54 ratings share, it fell to #2 in the 18-49 ratings share behind The Bold and the Beautiful.

In story for the week, Nick’s (Joshua Morrow) sobriety in rehab was a focus, as was Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) hitting the Jabot office couch and having sex for the first time, and Lily (Christel Khalil) and Billy (Jason Thompson) battling over control and ownership of Chancellor Industries.

Photo: JPI

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

B&B is continuing to be inch closer to Y&R for the top spot, separated by a little more than 300,000 viewers. For the ratings week, the series posted a total audience of 2,719,000 adding +31,000 eyeballs overall, and like Y&R, is up year-to-year in its performance.

The CBS soap now , now in its 40th season is +217,000 from the same time last year. In the key demos, The Bold and the Beautiful was in the top spot for the women 18-49 ratings share and number two for women 25-54.

In story, the major threat to Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) and Daphne’s (Murielle Hilaire) marriages continued as Steffy and Carter swore they would not tell their spouses that the two had a drunken hook-up. But as viewers know now, Steffy is pregnant!

Photo: CBS

BEYOND THE GATES

Beyond the Gates tallied an average of 1,611,000 total viewers for the week, up +72.000 year-over-year and down slightly in tune-in for the week losing just -36,000 viewers. The CBS soap came in fourth place in the key demos for the week behind General Hospital, with whom they are often trading places for the third spot.

In story, after Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) was released from the hospital, Hayley (Marquita Goings) stuck to her plan, doubling down on poisoning him and even getting caught in a major lie or meeting with Randy (Maurice P. Kerry), as Vernon (Clifton Davis) may be on to her machinations.

The ratings report is generated from Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) for the week of August 24-28, 2026

So, what did you think of the performance of General Hospital for the ratings period? Which daytime drama has you most likely to tune-in each day? Which has you tuning-out? Let us know what’s working, or not working for you in story, via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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