All My Children
Carolyn Hinsey's Tell-All: "Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter" due out in 2011
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Big news today, when TV Guide exclusively announced that Carolyn Hinsey, long-time noted soap opera journalist and columnist (Soap Opera Digest and the New York Daily News) has a new tell-all book coming out that should rip the lid off of some of the backstage drama that soap fans will want the real inside scoop on. Hinsey teased TV Guide with a few nuggets from her book titled: Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter scheduled for release in 2011.
Hinsey stated:”Guiding Light wasn’t canceled, it was murdered. After 20 years covering this crazy genre, I know where the bodies are buried. I think fans would be more understanding of certain changes if they knew an actor was let go, for example, because he was too drunk to remember his lines. By the same token, when All My Children mangles its negotiations with big stars like Eden Riegel [Bianca] and Thorsten Kaye [Zach], they deserve to know that, too.”
TV Guide also mentions that, “Along with that wisdom and advice, Hinsey promises heavy doses of scandal and dish.” Hinsey elaborated, “‘I plan to put a light on the entire industry from a loving, informed place. The roaches will scatter, and the stars will shine.”
All My Children
Billy Miller Memorial Scholarship Endowment Created at His Alma Mater to Help Others ‘Realize Their Dreams’
Two months since three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor, Billy Miller passed away, the beloved All My Children (ex-Richie), General Hospital (ex-Jason/Drew) and The Young and the Restless (ex-Billy) star, will now have a permanent scholarship endowment in his honor at the University of Texas at Austin which was Miller’s alma mater.
Through the scholarship, it will be able to help radio/television and film undergraduate students with financial need. Billy’s family and friends have established this permanent scholarship in his memory, naming it the William Jon Miller II “Billy Miller” Memorial Scholarship. They hope the endowment will be a legacy to his life and love of acting.
Before becoming soap-famous, Billy graduated from the the university’s department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF) at the Moody College of Communication. On its official website, they shared the news of this special memorial scholarship and how Miller died at the age of 43 after surrendering his life to bipolar depression, which he struggled with his whole life.
Photo: JPI
Megan Hubbell, Billy’s sister, expressed, “We want something positive to be held in his name in perpetuity through the University he loved. He would be honored to know that even in death, he can help someone else realize their dreams.”
She added how she hoped her immensely talented brother will be remembered: “I hope BJ (as Billy was known by to his friends and family) is remembered for the kind-hearted, silly, funny, goofy, generous, beautiful soul that he was His megawatt smile, deep belly laugh and gorgeous mug were gifts on screen, but his true self was a bright light that will be carried with us forever.”
Photo: JPI
According to Miller’s family, Billy had his picks of schools and UT was his first choice. When he first came to the university, Billy started in the zoology program before switching to radio-television-film, where he felt he belonged. Miller was one of just 20 students at the time accepted into the department’s prestigious production-sequence program.
“BJ was extremely proud to be a Texas Longhorn and always remembered his time there fondly,” Hubbell said. “The time he spent at UT allowed him the space to explore who he wanted to be and what he wanted to accomplish.”
Photo: JPI
In honoring her brother’s work and strength to persevere in the often heartbreaking world of entertainment, Megan related: “I always admired the guts it took to go after a dream in Hollywood that so many people tried to discourage. He heard, ‘You’ll never make it’ more times than I care to count, but he used those comments as fuel and said, ‘Watch me.’”
Miller’s roles went far beyond those on daytime soap operas, as throughout his career he played major parts in primetime’s Suits, Ray Donovan and Castle to name but a few.
Photo: JPI
In his death, Billy’s family is encouraging people to take stock of their own mental health. “BJ would want anyone struggling with intrusive thoughts to seek professional help,” Hubbell said. “Do not suffer in silence or try to muscle through on your own. Mental health is vitally important and shouldn’t be spoken about in silos behind closed doors but rather in open forums with open arms. Shame has no place in the discussion to seek help.”
To donate to the William John Miller II “Billy Miller” Memorial Scholarship click here.
Share your thoughts on Billy’s family and friends, along with his alma mater, setting up this memorial scholarship endowment to help other talented young people in financial need get a shot at realizing their dreams via the comment section below.
All My Children
‘Live with Kelly and Mark’ Scores Touchdown in Ratings with Taylor Swift-Inspired ‘Halloween: The Eras Show’ Delivering Largest Audience In Over A Year
More great numbers for Live with Kelly and Mark. The talk shows Live’s Halloween: The Eras Show scored an impressive 2.9M total viewers on October 31, making it the most-watched Halloween episode in four years, according to the Nielsen ratings.
The episode also delivered some of the highest ratings in seven months for the morning show, particularly among women 18-49 and 25-54. Live’s Halloween: The Eras Show also pulled in a 1.92 household rating, as well as a 0.47 among women in the key 18 to 49 demo and a 0.69 among women 25 to 54. Those are up over the last two years of Halloween episodes and since Consuelos first started in the co-host chair back in April.
According to Deadline, Live’s Halloween: The Eras Show, also pulled in the largest audience numbers for a single episode in more than a year and half.
Photo: Disney/ABC
As is tradition with “Live’s Halloween” episodes, they are always filled with costume and pop culture moments and special guest surprises. Ripa and Consuelos were right in step with the biggest social media love story at the moment; that of Swift and her burgeoning romance with Kansas City Chiefs Tight End, Travis Kelce.
During Halloween week which started on Monday, October 30, Live was up up 11% versus the week prior in total viewers, and averaged 2.6 million viewers throughout the week. Year-over-year, the talk show was up that week by 15% in terms of total viewers. It looks like the former All My Children’s alum on-screen chemistry is just as palpable as it off-screen; as the two marrieds are making quite a successful run together on morning television.
Photo: Disney/ABC
So, what do you think of the impressive numbers for the Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on ‘Live’? Did you enjoy their recent Halloween episode? Share your comments below.
All My Children
‘All My Children’ Star Peter White Dead at 86
Peter White, best known to soap fans as All My Children’s Linc Tyler, passed away this week at the age of 86. The cause of death was revealed to be melanoma.
The late actor’s former AMC co-star Kathleen Noone (ex-Ellen Shepherd Dalton) confirmed the news to multiple outlets sharing that White died in his home in Los Angeles of melanoma on Wednesday, November 1st. His death was first reported by Soap Hub.
White’s first soap opera role was actually on The Secret Storm in 1965-66. Then in 1971, he joined CBS’ Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, where he took on the role of Dr. Sanford Hiller. However, he became soap-famous for his role as Linc on All My Children which he began in 1976 and it would be a role he would play on and off till 2005.
Photo: ABC
In story, Linc was in love with Kitty Cole and later her sister Kelly (both played by Francesca James), despite his mother Phoebe’s constant interference and disapproval.
Peter later appeared in numerous primetime shows including: The Colbys, Knots Landing, Dallas, Sisters, Hill Street Blues, The Jeffersons, The Paper Chase, The West Wing, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sisters, and more. His film roles included: Dave, Flubber, Armageddon, Thirteen Days and First Daughter.
Photo: BroadwayWorld
However, White jumpstarted his entire acting career in 1968 with the starring role as Alan McCarthy in Matt Crowley’s original Off-Broadway production of The Boys in the Band. Later, the drama was made into a landmark 1970 film, White and his original co-stars were all featured in it.
Share your condolences and remembrances of All My Children’s Peter White via the comment section below. But first, check out this clip when Linc was trying to help Kelly after the murder of Eddie Dorrance.
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Carolyn is great
This should be a great read. Noticed AMAZON.com already has it available for pre-order. I am hoping she sheds light, and lots of it, on Brian Frons and his involvement with all three ABC soaps, particularly One Life To Live and why they are preceived (rightfully so, I think) as the red headed step child. I am curious what really happened with KISH, why there is no promo for OLTL and why the vets are sacrified in favor of the younger, newer actors. Also hope to find out what happened to some really big soap faves (Bobbie Spencer on GH, I think Jacqueline Zeaman is her name. Same with Lucy Coe on GH, played by Lynn Herring. Dicie, Cady McClain, on AMC. ) The truth about Robin Strasser and ger past diva-like behavior; Victoria RowelI and what castmates think, etc. I could go on and on. Hope the book addresses all this and more. This book could be explosive!
You don’t need her book to get info on Strasser’s diva behavior. She had a hotline where she bashed OLTL routinely, and she was still on OLTL at that time. Talk abt being professional! I don’t think OLTL is that “red headed step child” that some soap bloggers depict it as such. Zimmer joined it. They moved to AMC’s studios. They’re going HD. B&B isn’t even in HD, and it has much higher ratings than OLTL, w/o even factoring in B&B’s global ratings. If anything, the portrayal of OLTL as being “neglected” by ABCD and Frons is questionable. As for Kish, there was such a brouhaha abt their axing. There were months of reporting abt it from the soap press or places like afterelton, w/c only report on lgbtq aspects of soaps and know nothing abt Daytime. Yet OLTL axed more racial minorities, and continues to do so, w/ Terrell Tilford. Yet there’s not a squeak or complaint abt the “ethnic cleansing” on OLTL.
I am only vaguely familiar with Robin’s antics that you spoke of. I know that she is a great actress and OLTL is lucky to have her.
In terms of ABC soaps, I think it is hard to argue that OLTL receives the same treatment as AMC and GH. They do not get even half the promotion as the other two shows.
I agree that OLTL has let some really good actors go, a few that I would have loved to see stick around. Terrell Tilford is not one of them. My guess is there not any issue over his being let go because his acting was not up to par, and that became very obvious to viewers as his role increased with the Eli storyline. This particular action. I think was justified in regards to TT.
But Charles: if acting talent was the basis for letting go of an actor, then David Gregory should have been fired months ago! He’s awful, but instead, they’ve actually built a family around his char! OLTL seems heavily invested in the Fords and not in their racial minority chars. They even gave the Ford brothers a sauna sequence w/ an incestuous vibe. If acting talent was the only basis for soap actors, then many of the younger actors and some of the older actors on soaps would not even be hired. This is true for all soaps. As for promotion, it’s already grating how people act like ABCD never promotes OLTL. They ripped of Glee, arguably 1 of the most buzzed abt shows ever, and had them sing on The View. But AMC and GH get more buzz bec they had more going for them recently. AMC had the move to LA, the retirement of Canary, the returns of Budig, Barr, etc. Nouri joined as Caleb. And then GH of course had Franco and Vanessa Marcil’s return.
Rick Springfield has a book out on October 14 that should have some GH dish.
If she’s going to share behind the scenes stuff I hope its all both relevant and true and none of it is an excuse to spread nasty things about people she holds grudges against. I don’t know enough about Hinsey to know whether or not thats her style but its a common enough practice in the entertainment industry.
I’m sorry but I don’t trust Ms. Hinsey when she say she is coming from a “loving, informed place”. In the past I have noticed that she plays favorites when it comes to soap stars (Thorsten Kaye) and trashes others for no good reason. The only stars that will be shining will be the ones that she wants to shine.
Of course she name dropped Thorsten Kaye. I bet she’ll be completely unbiased abt him. LOL! I agree w/ everything you wrote. People should consider the source whenever they read abt Daytime. I think Michael Logan is probably the most unbiased. I think he mentioned in a Daytime Confidential podcast that he wasn’t invited to ATWT’s finale. Yet in that same podcast he praised Goutman and ATWT for everything they did up to the finale.
I disagree w/ Hinsey that the audience will choose to come back to soaps over reality shows bec soaps are “like a beloved family member”. If any person feels like soaps or the chars on soaps are like family members, then your family must be completely nutty. LOL. More importantly, reality shows have basically appropriated what soaps (used to) do best, but beat them at their own game. The examples are numerous. How can scheming Daytime villains compare to Project Runway’s Santino or ANTM’s bitches Jade, Bianca, Renee, etc? How can the infidelity and betrayal of soaps compete w/ the drama of an episode of Cheaters, w/c has shown a woman in a short skirt jumping on the hood of a car to stop her lover from leaving her, a drive by slapping between 2 men, a gay guy pushing his shirtless, unfaithful partner into a lake, a gay guy ripping off the wig of his cheating boytoy in drag and an actual wedding being halted by a jilted girlfriend? People get instant gratification in a single ep, w/c portrays all the drama of an infidelity arc on a soap. The difference is that soaps would need to build that storyline for weeks or even months. How can soaps compete w/ the real catfights on Bravo? Can any soap catfight top the reunion where 1 of the NJ housewives threw the gay host to his chair? Can any Daytime catfight top the wig pulling on housewives of Atlanta? How can the wacky, over the top chars of soaps compare to the trashiness and tackiness of the media whore housewives of ny? Can any alcoholic outburst on Daytime compare to the overtanned drunks from the Jersey shore? Reality shows borrowed what soaps do, but brought them to a whole new level of outrageousness. Heck even former Daytime actors have their own reality shows. People are getting elsewhere what they used to get only from the soaps.
I used to enjoy watching ‘As the World Turns’ and ‘Guiding Light’. I believe CBS (along with P&G) made the worst mistake of ending its long-running soaps. I’ve taken notice that we’re in the midst of (what can be labled as) a “reality TV over-load”. I don’t understand why we need more talk shows, game shows, and courtroom/legal shows… which we’ve already got plenty of. I don’t believe this is what legendary soap writer and creator Irna Phillips had in mind.