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Crystal Chappell's The Grove The Series Debuts! – Watch the Pilot Episode!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/OpenBookProds

Courtesy/OpenBookProds

Just in time to ring in 2013, Crystal Chappell finally has released her highly-anticipated new project, The Grove The Series. The pilot episode features so many of your daytime favorites including: Jessica Leccia, Robert S. Woods, Michelle Stafford, Christian LeBlanc, Jordan Clarke, Mark Hapka, Bobbie Eakes, Nadia Bjorlin, Beth Maitand, Peter Reckell, Linsey Godfrey, Judi Evans, and Harrison White.  The story tells the tale of two longtime feuding families against the backdrop of Nico (Chappell) and Ivy’s (Leccia) wedding (although they were legally married a few years before, this was to be a celebration for themselves, friends, and family).

The just released pilot is an hour plus, but sets up the story nicely as the valued land of The Grove provides plenty of dramatic tension, as we learn the dynamics of the relationships of all the characters.

It was wonderful to see Robert S. Woods again in a part worthy of his talents.  As well, Jessica Leccia delivered one of her best performances, and creator Chappell is always stellar!  It was also noteworthy to see Christian LeBlanc, back in bad boy mode, and Nadia Bjorlin in quite the departure from her roles as Lara on Venice, or Chloe on DAYS.  Michelle Stafford also did some fine work, and we hope to see more of her character when the series continues.  And how great it was to see Beth Maitland, Peter Reckell, and Mark Hapka again!

Watch the pilot of The Grove The Series after the jump and let us know your thoughts! Do you like the story?  Who was your favorite in the pilot episode? 

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What a fabulous time I had watching this!! Crystal Chappell has done it again! The actors were fabulous. the Story interesting…. Can’t wait to see more!!

I loved it. The whole cast is excellent . It is great to see Bob Woods again an in such a heartfelt role. Beth Maitland was another stand out character for me. Great show!!

I thought it was great!!! I loved seeing RSW on screen again. He looked so at home and so alive working on this project. It was so nice to see him in a role that was suited for him.

Crystal has done it again! What a cast and crew! I thought it was very well written and looked great. Congrats toall involved. Thanks for reviewing it, Michael.

The story was well put together, everybody was in their elements. This serie has the best actors and i mean all of them. Bravo to the people that had work behind the scenes (Team OBP).

It was very good to see Robert S. Woods again! He was my favorite! It looks good… but some of the language was gratuitous and I am sure that makes me old fashioned. The writing seems to be well done. Some of the characters are a bit annoying and maybe a bit too strange. Jessica does seem to be so natural and at ease with the character.

I guess I’m old fashioned too. Just because you CAN use the language doesn’t mean you should overdo it. JUST MY OPINION… I do love the show , the quality of the production, and the characters’ dynamics. And it’s nice to see Jessica Leccia allowed to “stretch” more. She seems to really be in her element. 🙂

Thanks for verablizing it better than I did and for agreeing too!

Love it! Look at all the great talent on this show! Crystal is so great with these web soaps!

I absolutely love the Grove! Thank you Crystal for bringing all of these actors together for us! So great to see them. Crystal and Michael brought us a brilliant show!

I really liked it and loved seeing RSW, BM, CLB, MS, BE and others together in one show. Jessica was so gorgeous and it was one of her strongest performances for sure. The chemistry between JL & CC was still there for me. It was different than in other roles but just as strong. I wish we were seeing more of The Grove soon.

I loved The Grove I love Nico & Ivy both and there is three parts of it 1 is when they first met 2nd is when they knew they loved each other 3rd the wedding ceremony loved the song Nico chosen to walk down the isle.Crystal is a Amazing writer and Actress.Everybody involved the cast and crew did a amazing job on the show.Joyce All

There are so many noteworthy performances that it’s difficult to name them all, but standouts include Nadia Bjorlin and Beth Maitland (hilarious mother-daughter team!), Judi Evans, The Stafford, CJ LeBlanc, and of course, Chappell and Leccia. Their chemistry is unparallelled, no matter what venue. I’ve watched it twice, just to absorb everything…and there is so much! The best compliment a show can receive is the question “when do I get to see more?”.

Thank you, Michael, for showcasing The Grove. It’s a must-see.

Great job by Crystal and OBP. Enjoyed seeing Jessica act out a Hepburn imitation immensely!

it was a pleasure to watch this story unfold. The Chemistry of CC & Jl does not dissappoint. Glad to see a story showing the love of this couple and how it will unfold in time. The series left enough anticipation of further story lines to keep us wanting more. CC does not dissappoint and JL looked beautiful in her gown . Nadia was hysterical and Nico daughter both prove to be interesting characters as it grows..Bravo

Nico’s daughter – Lindsy Godfrey is quite an actress, too. She’s so natural and sweet and charming. Wonderful role model for children of gay parents.

Love the fact that the one and only SUSAN FLANNERY is involved along with all the other behind-the-scene folks that don’t always get the credit like those folks in front of the camera.

My only minor complaint was that on ocassion, the camera seemed to jump around a bit.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. This show “THE GROVE” and the story have so much potential. I want to know more about these families past and present and definitely the FUTURE!!

I forgot one thing — I loved the setting!!

As expected from CC an awesome show, her talent truly amazes me. Her selection of the cast is outstanding.

The Grove is excellent! It has fantastic story lines, writing, and acting!

Won’t support anything Chappell does after her approval of that bully Melissa Reeves this past summer.

Approval? What approval? You may wish to revisit what actually happened. If anything Crystal proposed some hard questions of Melissa that went loudly unanswered.

Love CC and all of the fabulous actors on The Grove. Also LOVE LOVE LOVE Venice, the Series. But, unfortunately, The Grove just didn’t keep my interest. Watched about 45 minutes of it and … nothing. Very sorry to say it, too.

I rather see Robert Woods on OLTL IF it comes on line. Everyone here seems to like The Groove. But I watched about five minutes of it and it’s not my cup of tea.

This was a great cast, great acting, great cinematography and production. All-in-all very well done. I found myself liking the characters, they were all very distinct and the story line has me interested in what is to come. I have to admit I am pleasantly surprised. Even though it featured the same leads as Venice, I not once felt a resemblance between the two shows, didn’t even think of it while watching.

Amazing Show. Great acting. I am watching it for the third time. Great music, setting, storyline, and beautiful actors with great comedic timing and realistic. Can hardly wait for the next episode.
Thanks for a great show.
Jeanie Borchelt from Sonoma Ca.

I absolutely loved it! So many great performances from all involved, but I have to say that Nadia Bjorlin and Jessica Leccia did it for me. I loved seeing Nadia in a comedic role. She had me laughing out loud with her facial expressions and delivery of her lines. Jessica Leccia was simply perfect. I didn’t want the pilot to end and I’m so looking forward to seeing more of “The Grove!’

Omg yeah, Nadia made me laugh so hard 😀 Like you said, the facial expression, and it was hilarious how she was constantly chewing chewing gum. I feel so sorry for her, I guess at the end of the shoot she was sick of any chewing gum at all 😀

I am in awe with such a great story line, cast and acting. The Grove is …… WOW!!! Exciting!!!

Am I wrong in thinking that there are no immediate plans for more of The Grove? The pilot is all we get for now?

I loved it. seeing all the people I watch or have watched on daytime, that was great. Crystal Chappell Has done it again, awesome work. Love seeing chritian LaBlanc play a bad boy again. Loved it all. great acting across the board.

I love the soap genre so much and it was a real treat to see all these wonderful actors in The Grove. Beth Maitland is a gem – her performance really stood out for me and I always love how CC and JL interact with each other. I enjoyed the humorous moments and the soapy story lines. I hope very much that this Pilot will lead to a series both on line and perhaps on cable. I would so love to see a true soap opera channel with new original programming on cable or even on the internet.

The acting was superb. Crystal and Jessica really captured the emotion felt between NIcho and Ivy.

What shines is the ensemble strength of this cast and a genuinely clever and warm script (major props to Michael Sabatino, Crystal Chappell and Paul Barber). Maitland, Bjorlin and Le Blanc perhaps steal the show … so deliciously wrong but oh so right. Woods, Clarke and Reckell are all class..as always. Leccia delivers the first performance I have felt genuinely comfortable watching from start to finish. She seems in an easy place with Ivy and it shows. Crystal is Crystal .. I am not sure much more needs to be said. Powerhouse .. particularly during her vows. Sniff. Godfrey is light and fun. Stafford and Eakes … “who’s drooling .. who’s the one who’s drooling” … what a win for Chappell to add them to the Open Book family. Add to that beautiful locations and a soundtrack (including a perfectly original theme by Kelly Moneymaker) to be proud of and this is a must see production on every level. It really shows when a cast and crew is genuinely invested. Making drama for the sake of good drama.

The Grove pilot was a great mix of comedy and drama. With some extremely talented actors. I am looking forward to seeing more from OBP and Crystal Chappell.

Loved it! Michael & Crystal did a great job pulling this together. Outstanding performances by a stellar group of actors. The chemistry between Jessica Leccia and Crystal Chappell is still there. The production value was great, the scenery – spectacular, the storylines held my interest and left me wanting more. I sure hope this series will continue! Great job as well by the crew, directors and producers (Hilary B. Smith, Susan Flannery, Karen Wilkens, Katherine Kelly Lang and Crystal Chappell).

Loved it so much. Hurry up and get some more up for us. We miss all the great actors from the soaps that are no longer on. Thank you so much!!!

No surprise yet another brilliant show by Crystal and Michael! Brilliant!!, Such a fantastic brilliant cast! cant wait for more ! Love the Grove!

Crystal Chappell and her husband are creative geniuses. The Grove is amazing; and I believe it to already be better and more serialized than Venice. It’s brilliant and I look forward to future episodes!

What can i say but our girl has done it again. Everything Crystal touches turns to gold. She puts her whole heart and soul into everything she does and along with Michael (boots) Sabatino and the Open book team including the amazing Susan Flannery, Hilary B Smith and Kathering Kelly Lang to lead the team it is clear that they have another hit on their hands. My favourite performance is by our Nadia Bjorlin and Beth Maitland who made me lol so much sitting on the couches watching the spanish soap. Nadia & Beth doing comedy is pure gold. The chemistry and emotion that Jess and Crystal put into their scenes are so cute and adorable. Love all the cast and crew so much for bringing us such an amazing show and i can’t wait for more.

What a fantastic 1+hrs. Continue dreaming big CC and MS…inspiration to anyone having a dream and then seeing it brought to life. Amazing cast and crew. CC + JL still have such great chemistry…best performance yet for Leccia, she seemed so happy and was having fun. NB was hilarious RW was gracious and is such a talented actor. The cinematography WOW and what a great storyline, that get me captivated!!! Bravo OBP team. Bravo Crystal. Look forward to future episodes!

Loved it! Very good story that moved along quickly. Nice to see all of my favorite soap stars! Thanks CC, can’t wait to see the next edition…

Brilliantly done! “Thank You!” to everyone involved in bringing this pilot to us. Looking forward to more of “The Grove”.

I watched this on twitter a few days ago and loved it. I especially love Beth Maitland’s character. It was so great seeing some of soap favs again. I hope we see more of this saga.

I love the new show. I love the people in it and I can’t wait to see more!

Maravillosa actuación de Jessica Leccia, fresca, hermosa, creible absolutamente en su papel de Ivy. Crystal, como siempre estupenda en su papel. Grato ver a a la actriz Linsey Godfrey, después de haber superado sus problemas de salud. Su papel de Poppy es fresco, agradable, amoroso. Ha sido un placer disfrutar de este piloto, del cual espero se desarrolle la serie que seguro será un éxito de seguir mejorando, en este ritmo de calidad en temática, diálogos, mezcla de comedia y drama. Por los momentos me gustó. (Traductor Google) Wonderful performance by Jessica Leccia, fresh, beautiful, utterly believable in his role as Ivy. Crystal, as always great in his role. Nice to see aa actress Linsey Godfrey, after having overcome their health problems. His role as Poppy is fresh, friendly, loving. It was a pleasure to enjoy this pilot, which I hope to develop the series is sure to be a success for further improvement in this rate of quality thematic dialogues, mix of comedy and drama. For now I liked.

I love this show and was so Awesome! I so love the Green that it was breathtaking. Crystal and the gang did a super damn job. The cussing was great and it was like any family out there (funny, it was a bit of a turned on for me) LMAO!. Excellent job Crystal and can’t wait to watch the next one!

I loved the pilot of the Grove! It was Awesome and Amazing!
Crystal,Michael,Hilary,Susan and other Producers,directors and crew people made it look so easy!
Congratulations to a wonderful job!
The best part was that I was able to see my favorite guy back n actin and onscreen !
Mr.Robert Woods was fabulous and just amazing in this role as Doyle Monihan.
He is a wonderful,fun,cool guy to hang out with as well.
Well done …..Everyone!
Can’t wait to see the next Episodes!
Anyone know when that will be ?

I LOVED IT! Great to see all of my favorite soap stars working together to tell what is shaping up to be a great story! I can’t want to see the next episode!

Loved it. Watched several times. Everything CC does is passionate and magical. Loved Nadia’s performance. Such honest chemistry between our favs CC and JL….such a wonderful production from start to finish. Fans say they want more…..here’s hoping Michael and Crystal hear us loudly!!! Thank you!!!

KUDOS Ms. Chappell!!!!

The Grove is interesting, but in some way missed the good writing of Venice.
Loved seeing all of the pros, especially, my favorite, Jordan Clarke. He plays a nasty person through and through, not a good guy underneathh. It is good to see him stretch his acting chops.
Good work.

Loved the show – can’t wait to see more

WHY the cursing??? You’re gonna lose a lot of viewers. Good.

I’ve seen the first series i guess u call it that so good to see all my old actors and actress on one show had missed them. this is great but how do you get to the second one if there is one am new at this computer stuff and really need a lot of help but i want to see more. How can i do that? dont want to miss the next one been trying but can’t get it figure out. THANKS

I love it, I love me some Nico and Ivy- been in love with them since guiding light days, can’t wait to ser morr

I am so thrilled that I found the Grove. I am a huge RSW fan and he did not disappoint. The entire cast was fantastic. Great story. Ican not wait to see more.

All My Children

‘All My Children’ Movie Writers for Lifetime Revealed: Ron Carlivati, Jamey Giddens and Leo Richardson

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This week began and as reported with a spotlight article on Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and how their production entity, Milojo, has been teeing up the All My Children reboot with Lifetime.

The L.A. Times featured the married couple, co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark, and former All My Children cast members (where they met and fell in love) about their plans to bring two All My Children movies to Lifetime and how they are working with the Agnes Nixon estate to make it come to fruition,

On Wednesday, it was revealed by Daytime Confidential, that All My Children reboot producer, Andrew Stearn handpicked none other than Ron Carlivati (ex-head writer, One Life to Live, General Hospital and Days of our Lives) and Jamey Giddens (who is the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless, following his tenures on the writing teams of Beyond the Gates and Days of Our Lives), as the two scribes who will bring the first of two of Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movies to the page.

Photo: IMDb

RON CARLIVATI AND JAMEY GIDDENS CONFIRM THEIR BOARDING THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE PROJECT

The second installment is said to be written by primetime writer Leo Richardson whose credits include: Star, Katy Keene and more recently the Penn Badgley (ex-Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless) starring series, You.

Richardson also wrote for three years on the U.K.’s long-running soap, EastEnders. All My Children revival fans will recall Richardson’s name was attached as the writer for the first incarnation of the All My Children movies, entitled, Pine Valley.

Ron Carlivati took to X and confirmed he is indeed boarding the All My Children movie project. Carlivati shared, “So excited to share this news! Thanks to Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini and the Agnes Nixon estate for entrusting Jamey Giddens and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime! Stay tuned!”

Photo: Jeremy Smith/imageSPACE

Jamey Giddens confirmed DC’s announcement by taking to his account on X and expressing, “I’ve been booked and busy in 2026. Thanks to Andrew Stearn, the Agnes Nixon estate, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos for entrusting Ron Carlivati, and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime!”

Some fans seemed to question how Giddens could be writing for the first All My Children movie at Lifetime, when he is the new co-head writer at The Young and the Restless with Dan O’Connor. Jamey answered that head on via X and explained, “We turned in our All My Children script months ago. My sole focus as of this past Monday, is Genoa City, Wisconsin! #YR”

ERICA KANE, MARIA SANTOS AND HAYLEY AND MATEO SANTOS TO APPEAR IN THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE REVIVAL?

In the planned stories, Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane and Eva LaRue’s Maria Santos will be two characters whose lives we will get to see for the first time since the series was canceled by ABC back in 2011 after 41 years on the air. As well, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos confirmed they will make brief appearances on-screen; one could assume as Hayley and Mateo Santos.

“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos to the LA Times. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”

So, what do you think of Ron Carlivati and Jamey Giddens getting nod to write the All My Children movie #1 script and Leo Richardson #2? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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All My Children

‘All My Children’ Revival Updates: Lifetime EVP Speaks on Why Proposed Movies are Great Fit, Mark Consuelos Wants To ‘Give Back’ to Fans

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The All My Children revival via movies at Lifetime is still in the works from former series stars and marrieds, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, through their production company, Milojo.

The co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark were featured this week in a Los Angeles Times article which detailed their efforts to bring some of the citizens of Pine Valley back to your screens.

As previously reported, and reaffirmed by the L.A. Times, the All My Children movies will be set in the present day and focus on what beloved characters such as Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue) are doing now. In addition, Kelly Ripa confirmed that she and Mark Consuelos will also appear on screen briefly most likely appearing in their signature soap roles as Hayley and Mateo Santos.

Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, All My Children

Photo: ABC

ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIES BRING NOSTALGIA THAT CAN BE MADE TO FEEL NEW AGAIN

Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network said of the All My Children reboot, “Lifetime is always interested in shows that kind of tap into a powerful nostalgia that can be made fresh for today’s audience. There’s a whole generation of women that have missed these stories and these characters.”

As for working with Kelly and Mark on the Lifetime movie versions of the soap, “They’re exactly the kind of partners you want at a brand,” expressed Bryant. “They’re trusted voices because every day they’re talking to their audience, which, a lot of times, is our audience. They bring a real credibility and have an authentic point of view. You meet Kelly and Mark and kind of what you see is what you get, and I think they bring that same authenticity to their development standards.”

Albert Bianchini, executive producer for Milojo, says he knows All My Children is so wildly popular with the fans of daytime. That was punctuated when seeing it in person, and how the energy was off the charts back in January of 2025 when Kelly participated along with Susan Lucci, former head writer, Lorraine Broderick and casting director, Judy Blye Wilson in a conversation with Andy Cohen at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

Susan Lucci, Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen

© Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM Credit: AFF/Alamy Live News

“I’ve never seen a crowd like that in my life. People were lined up around the block, recalled the Bianchini.  “Everyone wanted to know, ‘When is (All My Children) coming back? We want more.’  We got to see that in real life and Kelly got to feel it in real life, and it made so much sense. I just know that the minute it gets out in the world, people will want more and more and more. There’s just a love there.”

Kelly Ripa added that they are, “working closely with Bob and Sarah Nixon, who are also serving as producers.” She recalled, “She (Agnes Nixon) was so far ahead of her time. She covered topics that weren’t being covered. It was extraordinary the audiences that the show drew, and she served them real stories that were affecting Americans across the country but weren’t necessarily being represented anywhere.”

“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”

THE CANCELLATION AND STOPS AND STARTS OF ALL MY CHILDREN REBOOTS

All My Children aired on ABC from 1970 to 2011. It got a second chance at life when Prospect Park resurrected the show and brought it to The OnLine Network and Hulu for one season in 2013.

Recently, the series made a return through the estate of Agnes Nixon and is streaming internationally on BEONDTV and through their partnership with PlutoTV Canada with episodes starting in 1995. Fans hope original episodes will some day soon be available in the U.S. as well, but that could prove more difficult since ABC owns the rights to the episodes stateside.

Now 13 years later, while there is no word yet on a definitive production start date to the two movies at Lifetime, all the people involved seemed determined to make it come to life.

So, what do you think of the executive vice-president of Lifetime and LMN being enthusiastic about Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movie revivals? Are you wanting to see this come to fruition? Kelly and Mark seem to have made this a very high priority.  Do you hope that by 2027 we might be able to get this to the finish the line and into production? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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‘All My Children’ Episodes to Stream on Pluto TV Canada

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Starting on May 1, All My Children fans in Canada will be able to see classic episodes of the beloved former ABC soap opera when they stream on Pluto TV Canada. 

Pluto TV picked-up the All My Children Channel that the Nixon family has created in partnership with BEONDTV +. The show which aired for 41 years on ABC and ended on the network in 2011, had so many memorable storylines and characters; the least of which is the enduring run of Erica Kane played by soap icon, Susan Lucci.

As previously reported, starting with episodes from the year 1995, which was the 25th anniversary of the soap. Pluto TV Canada viewers will be able to catch 8 episodes on repeat per day. With the success of the venture, the Nixons are hopeful that they will bring viewers many more years of the show to come.

Photo: ABC

Sarah Nixon, producer, shared with Michael Fairman TV exclusively, “We are thrilled that Pluto TV has launched All My Children in Canada! Let’s hope the engagement from our incredibly loyal fans across the border will encourage ABC to bring it to the U.S.!  We share what Aggie (Agnes Nixon) always felt, that it is the enthusiasm and love from the fans that has kept this legacy beloved and relevant – to this day!”

In addition, 0ne week ago, during Susan Lucci’s visit to Los Angeles promoting her book La Lucci, she was joined by her former Pine Valley castmates, Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee, AMC, now Taylor, B&B) and Eva LaRue (ex-Maria, AMC) and the trio posed for a pic. At that time, LaRue shared via Instagram, “NEW All My Children channel streaming classic episodes 24/7 now on Pluto TV Canada! Fingers crossed to watch soon on Pluto US.”

That was also confirmed this week by TV Watercooler’s Jeevan Brar who took to X and expressed,The All My Children channel begins streaming this Friday, May 1 on Pluto TV Canada.

So, Canadian viewers, excited about Pluto TV’s All My Children channel? United States fans, hopeful from Sarah’s message that perhaps soon, we can see the beloved soap once again as well? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

 

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