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Celebrate Llanview Chicago Style – A Tribute Party Honoring the Finale of OLTL!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Following the success of Celebrate Pine Valley! in September, “soap opera socialite” Jason Spitzer will welcome past and present actors from ABC’s One Life to Live  for Celebrate Llanview! A Tribute Party Honoring the Finale of One Life to Live Benefitting Season of Concern”  to Chicago to watch the ABC finale with fans of the show on January 13, 2012, once again being held at Sidetrack Video Bar.

Scheduled to appear are : Ilene Kristen (Roxy Balsom), David Gregory (Robert Ford), Nic Robuck (James Ford), Lenny Platt (Nate Salinger), Josh Kelly (Cutter Wentworth), Tonja Walker Davidson (Alex Olanov Buchanan), Mark Dobies (Daniel Colson), & Don Jeffcoat (Joey Buchanan).  Many more actors and special guests will be announced over the next several weeks. (Talent is subjected to change without notice.)

Festivities begin at 11AM CST when the actors make an appearance on ABC 7 Chicago’s 11AM Newscast with meteorologist Tracy Butler broadcasting live from the Sidetrack Video Bar interviewing the actors. At 12PM, it’s the “Live from Ultra Violet” talk show where Jason will interview the actors about their time on the show and take questions from the fans. After the OLTL finale, stay for the live auction and the Meet & Greet session.

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.seasonofconcern.org General Admission tickets are $35 and at this time, all VIP packages are sold out. All ticket proceeds benefit Season of Concern. For more information, please visit their website. Doors open at 11AM and you must be 21 and over to attend. Mark your calendar to “Celebrate Llanview!” in Chicago on January 13th!

 

 

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Matt Walton (ex-Elijah Clarke) is also scheduled to be there, too!

Not anymore. “(Talent is subjected to change without notice.)”

It just does not seem right to be having a “celebration” that day. A funeral would be more appropriate.

Haha…I’m upset too, but this comment made me chuckle. This show is getting SO good….I am dying to see today’s when Gigi comes face to face with that little sh*t, Jack.

you have a point there.I dont know what I am going to do when one life to live ends, I know one thing I wont be happy,and I wont celebrate ,I will have a headache from crying,my heart will be broken ,just because abc wants to go cheep,my afternoons will never be the same.

Wait until January 16th when you turn on your television set on ABC at 2:00pm and you realize that there’s no One Life to Live on the air.

I never watched Guiding Light, As the World Turns or All My Children. But I’m about the find out what the fans of these shows went through when their soap was cancelled.

I was never a regular viewer of OLTL or AMC but watched ATWT for years. I can tell you it is NO fun watching “your” soap go off the air for good. I still feel there is a hole during the day when ATWT was on the air.

It really is a shame that all of these shows are leaving the air. Frankly, I do not pull all of the blame on the networks. The producers and the writers have some blood on their hands as well. While OLTL may be the exception as it sounds like the quality might still be there, the rest of them had horrific writing and production decisions in their final years.

Sadly, I am almost certain that another of “my” shows, Y&R, will be joining these shows in the “scrap heap” in the next couple of years. The writing for Y&R has been godawful for a while and shows no signs of improvement.

Actually I think they’ll all be gone by 2020 in that respective order 1) GH 2) DAYS 3) B&B and 4)Y&R

I wont be turning my tv set on at 2 oclock on january 16 I am well aware that one llife to live wont be on .OK, it will be on but not on abc,I will watch gh then the channel will get changed again ,and that is the way it will be from now on,and if gh goes, I wont ever turn on abc again I dont care whats ,the only way I will ever watch abc is if they admit to there mistake and put the soaps back on ,and I know that is never going to happen.

Same here!!!!!!!!!! ABC SUCKS!!!!!!!And don’t care much for Brian Frons either!!!!!!!! THE SOAP KILLER!!!!!!!!! OLTL is on line already with full episodes!! And prospect Park has a show on USA called Royal Pains!!!!!!!! Why couldn’t they do this for OLTl!!!!!! Benedict Arnold!!!!!!!! No one wants to lift a finger to save OLTL!!!!!!!! So GODDBYE to ABC DAYTIME for ME!!!!!!!!!

ABC WILL NOT SEE ME ON THERE FROM 12:30 TO 3:00 I will watch GH then change again you have lost many poeple because of this change in our day time we have to many other channels to watch anything else if we want crap to watch so why watch you from 1-to 3 if you put our soaps back on you have us back ..UP TO YOU

I want to throw a question out there to all my OLTL fans…just to see if I’m the only one that believes this. With the finale of OLTL looming, who else thinks that it was a bad decision for Ron Carlivati to leave the show with a big cliffhanger? Now, I realize that this was all decided when everyone was under the belief that Prospect Park was going to pick up where the network left off, but I believe that it would have been a better decision to go ahead and write the finale as if the show wasn’t coming back. This way the fans aren’t left wondering what was supposed to happen next. I mean, if you are a writer, you should be able to pick the story up, no matter where you left off. So, the decision to do this BIG cliffhanger, just to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, will be a decision that I’m sure that will be regretted. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Ron is a spectacular writer, and I have been entertained for many years….but I’m just hoping that this finale doesn’t leave a bitter taste in my mouth, like the AMC finale did. Just curious as to what other people think.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Chris McKenna On Jack’s Reaction to Carly Cheating On Him with Valentin: ‘Heartbreak and Absolute Rage and Humiliation’

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The stage is set for next week on General Hospital, after yesterday’s May 1 cliffhanger, when Brennan (Chris McKenna) sneaks into Carly’s (Laura Wright) house and heads up to her bedroom, bursts in the door and finds her between the sheets, albeit at that moment alone.

However, Jack is already armed with plenty of ammo, he saw two glasses of wine in Carly’s kitchen, Josslyn (Eden McCoy) already lit the fire, by telling him her mother was seeing someone else, the WSB bureau chief then went to visit Carly’s ex, Sonny (Maurice Benard). The mobster’s reaction pretty much sold Jack that Carly must be sleeping with another man.

As Jack goes to check out the situation to confirm his suspicions, Carly and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) have just hit the sheets, after fighting their attraction once again for each other. Now comes the moment of truth that Carly has been sleeping with Brennan’s sworn enemy, Valentin.

Courtesy/ABC

In a preview of what’s to come, Soap Opera Digest spoke to both Chris McKenna and Laura Wright where they talked about the upcoming scenes.  McKenna expressed, “This has been coming for such a long time.” He also previews, “Brennan comes at her pretty aggressively.”

THREE’S COMPANY

Wright added, “Carly didn’t expect Brennan to walk into her bedroom! He doesn’t have a key. It’s late at night. She thinks she and Valentin are in the clear. She sees that he’s so angry and so worried about being cheated on… but not that he’s sorry for lying to her face or because her daughter is in danger because of him!”

As to how Jack will handle the situation from here and finding out that Carly is with Valentin, McKenna confirms, to expect, “heartbreak and absolute rage and humiliation” from Jack. He’s thinking, ‘This can’t be real. This can’t have happened. I can’t be this stupid. I can’t have been this blind.’ And as to Jack’s current state of mind, coming into the situation, “Jack is drunk and a little unhinged and the audience finally gets a glimpse of what’s going on underneath that rigid exterior.”

Needless to say, the fallout will be huge, and McKenna is proud of the trios work in the scenes, sharing that Laura Wright was a fantastic as ever, and that GH’s executive producer, Frank Valentini was on the set the entire time with Laura, James and him, making this story point play out to its full effect.

So, are you excited to see how what goes down between Brennan, Carly and Valentin and the fallout? Do you think this will cement Carly and Valentin as a couple, or will Carly regret what she’s done to Jack? Weigh-in on how you hope this all plays out via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast

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After languishing on the bubble for months, on Friday, NBC handed down the decision and canceled the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons.

Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

The final six episodes of what will now be the end of its second and final season were already set to air beginning on May 27, after being pulled off the network schedule in February as viewership saw a steep decline. Brilliant Minds second season became the lowest-rated drama on linear TV viewing, which didn’t bode well fo a network renewal, although it had its hard core fan base.

Photo: NBC

There are some exceptional notables in the cast along with the talented Quinto that includes Days of Our Lives alum, Al Calderon (ex-Javi Hernandez) who joined the series in its second season as Nurse Nico Silva, and One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) who plays Wolf’s love interest and fellow physician, Dr. Josh Nichols.

The rest of the talented cast includes: Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus.

In an ironic twist of fate on Thursday, April 30, Days of Our Lives finally revealed the actor who was Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Javi, when they announced that actor Jacob Martinez had now stepped into the role. Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming new episode, Calderon left in the spring of 2025, but will be seen in the part for the final part this month, and then on June 20, Martinez debuts as Salem’s new Javi.

Taking to his Instagram with a sorrowful and heartfelt post on the Brilliant Minds cancellation was Teddy Sears who wrote, “Thank you, Brilliant Minds. I got the call today and I didn’t want to hear, but I knew that it would come, You have to be a particular vintage to quote Don Henley from memory, but that’s the line that came to mind earlier today after I got off the phone with our inimitable showrunner Michael Grassi who delivered the news that NBC has cancelled the series”.

Photo: NBC

Sears continued, “To say that I feel sad to be moving on from these stories, this character, and this cast and crew just doesn’t paint the entire picture. I’m sad, sure. But I’m also deeply grateful that I got hired to play this part, so proud of the stories we told, and the other actors I got to play alongside. I’m excited to see what comes next, what adventures await, and terrified to be without a professional home. A quick and heartfelt thank you to everyone, all over the globe, who found us and found themselves in us, in our characters and in our stories. We wouldn’t have been able to tell them without you. And we still have 6 fresh episodes yet to air, and I do hope you tune in enjoy the remainder of the series. They’re the best we’ve done.”

As he wrapped up his sentiments, Sears signed off with, “The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I figured out I have to learn again. I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But everything changes…Thank you, Brilliant Minds.”

Calderon took to his Instagram story and simply shared, “Thank You, Brilliant Minds.”

The medical drama was created and executive produced by Michael Grassi alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.

So, what do you think of NBC’s decision to cancel Brilliant Minds after two seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’

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Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.

Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark

Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”

In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.

It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.

Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.

You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.

So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.

 

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