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Ellen Travolta Makes Another Return to General Hospital

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

If General Hospital’s Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) nuptials are on, you didn’t think Grandma Gloria Cerullo would miss out on the festivities, now did you?

Casting news from Soap Opera Digest reveals that Ellen Travolta is back taping scenes that will air the week of May 13th on the ABC daytime drama series.  When viewers learned that Carmine Cerullo, was also on his way back to Port Charles, now in the face and body of actor George Russo, it only made sense that Grandma Gloria would join Grandpa Cerullo. Look for them both mid-May.

As most people know, Ellen is the older sister to John Travolta. She first make appearances as Gloria back on GH in the mid-90s. Most recently, she returned to the Quartermaine mansion to meet up with daughter, Lois (Rena Sofer) and granddaughter Brook Lynn for Thanksgiving in Port Charles in 2023.  Michael Fairman TV interviewed Rena Sofer and Amanda Setton late last year where they shared what it had been liking working with Ellen, who remains very close to Sofer in real-life.

Photo: JPI

Amanda shared: “We fell in love immediately. What’s crazy is my maternal grandmother was Grandma Gloria. I had her till I was 30 and we were so close. She was really like a second mom to me. So, when I got this script and I’m reading “Grandma Gloria”, it was so bizarre. And then in meeting Ellen, she looks like my grandma – same haircut, same high cheekbones. It really did feel like I had a few days with my grandma. It was very, very special for me. Ellen is sweet, prepared, professional, talented and funny to boot. So, it was one of the best weeks I’ve had at work. I hope she comes back. My fingers are crossed.”

Photo: ABC

Now, we can’t imagine Brook Lynn and Chase’s wedding day to be smooth sailing, in fact, expect just the opposite, but could it be Grandma Gloria who is ultimately the hero or the calming voice of reason for any pre-wedding jitters? Stay tuned.

So, glad to know that Ellen Travolta will be back for Brook Lynn and Chase’s big day? Comment below.

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So the bride will have both parents, a stepmother and 3 grandparents (unless Larry Ashton pulls a surprise).

Will the groom have his mother? They finally mentioned her the other day but no indication if she’ll be at the wedding.

I can’t find any mention of it online, but I swear upon a pile of souls that I read something about Kim Delaney being involved in a Haley Pullos type of DUI situation, and that’s why her recast Jackie Templeton disappeared and has rarely been mentioned since then.

Always thought it was crazy to pick a random character who had been AWOL for 40 years and bring her back as Chase’s mom AND Finn’s ex-girlfriend in any case.

Now, on the other horn, GH did manage to get Elizabeth Taylor to show up for a wedding back in 1981. Maybe they can get Demi Moore to put in an appearance? Obviously there’s a better chance of a blizzard here in Hell tomorrow than there is of her ever returning as a permanent or even long term recurring character. But for a one or two day cameo? Who knows?

Granted, this wedding won’t be anywhere near the “event” that Luke & Laura’s wedding was, and I have a bad feeling it might end in a total disaster that has nothing to do with the bride or groom, given the recent trend of the writing.

I was thinking the same thing about Kim Delaney. I thought I had read she was involved in a drunk driving incident fairly recently, which is a shame. I loved her so much when she played Jenny on AMC.

Demi would be a dream, but at least she talks fondly of her career start on GH.

If not Delaney, there’s other soap vets that can fill Jackie’s shoes. Fiona Hutchinson would be ideal.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sidwell and Curtis Attacked in Prison Fight With Ominous Message, “Sonny Corinthos Owes You This”; Charlotte to Boarding School?

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General Hospital

The Friday, September 25, episode of General Hospital  brought with it major developments! Sonny (Maurice Benard) told Justine (Nazneen Contractor) he is all-in on her romance, but major trouble awaits the couple. Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) may be sent packing because of her stunt to frame Drew (Cameron Mathison), Monet (Blythe Howard) had terse words for her sister, Jordan (Tanisha Harper), while Curtis (Donnell Turner) and Sidwell (Carlo Rota) were targeted in a brutal prison attack.

Here’s more on what went down: Charlotte is upset with Rocco (Finn Carr) for ratting her out. He tries to explain, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) wanted his help so she didn’t make the biggest mistake of her life trying to frame Drew (Cameron Mathison) by making it look like he was inappropriate with a teenager.

It all came full circle for Charlotte’s parents, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) and Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins). Next thing you know, Valentin informed Lulu that he thinks it’s best that Charlotte goes back to boarding school to steer clear of Drew and Danny. Once Charlotte comes back to Lulu’s, her parents tell her their plans for her. Charlotte’s jaw drops.

Donnell Turner

Courtesy/ABC

PUT YOUR MONET WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

After being blindsided that her estranged sister Monet had settled down in Port Charles, and at the Miller & Davis law firm, no less, Jordan finds it hard to believe in all of the places in the country for Monet to choose she came to Jordan’s city. The two have a very icy conversation from there, where Monet gets a few more jabs at Jordan, leaving her upset, which did not go unnoticed by Michael (Rory Gibson).

Sonny and Justine get cozy and discussed their relationship, and how the two are going to handle their burgeoning feelings for one another now that Jordan was the first and probably not the last to see them publicly. He tells Justin that he feels more comfortable than ever just being around her.

PRISON BLUES

Cut to: Pentonville, and something bad is about to go down. First, Curtis gave Sidwell a heads-up that an attack was coming shortly. Curtis suggested that Sidwell go into protective custody with the warden, but Sidwell just flatly refused.

Later, alone in his cell, three men (including the one who warned Curtis) enter and begin a beatdown of Sidwell. Curtis returned to the cell, as one of the men was about to knife Sidwell. Now with Sidwell a bloody mess on the floor, Curtis takes a beating. As the three men leave, the leader uttered to Sidwell, “Sonny Corinthos owes you this and more.”

Now below, watch the confrontational scenes between Monet and Jordan.

Then weigh-in: Do you think Sonny had anything to do with the beatdown of Curtis and Sidwell? Or is he being set-up? How would you feel about a Jordan and Michael romance? Will Charlotte be sent to boarding school triggering the exit of Bluesy Burke? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

Federal Film and TV Tax Credit Bill Hits Congress; Daytime Dramas Not Eligible

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Daytime Dramas and Congress

In an effort to bring back productions to the United States and offering incentives to keep them from going abroad, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has introduced proposed legislation to establish a federal film and television tax credit. It is being touted as a landmark moment for Hollywood Workers and small businesses.

The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, led by Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Rep. Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) in the House of Representatives, would establish a 20 percent base tax credit on labor expenses and a potential rebate of 30% if signed into law. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are spearheading an identical bill in the Senate.

To be eligible, productions must have a minimum spend of $1 million (per film or per TV season), and at least 75% of production days must be in the U.S. For animation, 75% of the production cost must be in the U.S.

Beyond the Gates

Photo: CBS

SOAP OPERAS AND OTHER FORMS OF PROGRAMMING WILL NOT BE PART OF THE BILL

The federal incentive would be eligible to be stacked on top of individual state tax incentives, much like the current system in Canada and Australia. In the new bill, postproduction and special visual effects labor costs can be counted as eligible expenses.

However, the lawmakers proposed bill does not include the following type of shows: Daytime dramas, porn, commercials, talk shows, interview shows, game shows, award shows, news programming, live sports, corporate/industrial videos, and social media videos,

TV AND FILM PROJECTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE HOPE TO BRING BUSINESS AND JOBS BACK TO THE U.S.

The federal film and television tax credit will be available for: films, TV shows – scripted and unscripted (4-episode minimum), TV pilots, animation, above-the-line wages (producers, writers, directors, actors, etc.) and below-the-line wages (crew), and standalone post-production and visual effects.

If passed, the legislation could offer much needed help for workers who have been rocked by recent unsteady times in show business. In all, runaway productions, strikes and a contraction in the business have dashed many job opportunities in recent years, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finding that jobs in the motion picture and video industries have declined by more than 100,000 since 2022.

Click here to review the entire proposed bill from congress.

So, what do you think of the new bill on the table in the U.S. congress? Glad to know that it could, if passed, help some types of projects? What do you think about how the soaps are excluded and deemed not eligible? Does it continue to seem to you, that no matter what, those that work within the continuous tightened budget of daytime dramas can never catch a break? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Monet is Jordan’s Younger Sister

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Monet and Jordan

At the end of the September 24 episode of General Hospital, Jordan (Tanisha Harper) had a run-in with Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard), the latest attorney to join Miller & Davis. However, when the two women laid eyes on each other it seemed from a happy moment for Jordan.

As it turns out, Monet is Jordan’s younger sister and in fact, the lawyer was quite rude to Jordan even making a comment about the scars on her sister’s face. The cliffhanger ending put an end to the speculation of just who Monet had a connection to in Port Charles as had been teased, although we have to say most viewers predicted this from the start.

Earlier in the episode, Monet paid a visit to Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) and was quite threatening and unrelenting about Tracy making sure her client, Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard), has no issue moving back into the Q’s with his daughter Phoebe and wife, Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton). That’s something Tracy doesn’t want. In the end, Tracy was taken a little off-guard by Monet’s terse demeanor.

This marks the first time in over 12 1/2 years on the show, that the character of Jordan actually has a family member on the canvas, and within that span, four actresses have played Jordan: Vinessa Antoine, Briana Nicole Henry, Tiffany Daniels (a short fill-in for Henry) and Tanisha Harper.

Monet

Photo: ABC

JORDAN AND MONET HAD A SISTERLY FALLING OUT

Blythe Howard told TV Insider, about wanting the part of Monet Mitchell, “I saw it come through and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is giving Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, and I don’t get those auditions ever,’” she says. “It was just a really fun, spicy role and I couldn’t pass it up.”

The actress also gave a bit of the back-story that will fuel the sisters dysfunctional relationship,“You’ll find out that we’re estranged.” In speaking about her new Port Charles alter-ego, Howard added, “I think Monet is just here to keep everybody on their toes. I love that she’s strong and doesn’t take no for an answer. She goes after what she wants, and she’s not afraid to maybe step on some toes to get what she wants.”

Viewers may get a clue soon that Monet knows exactly what she is doing and why. “We never know what her angle is going to be or what she’s up to,” confirms Howard. “I think she knows exactly what she’s up to, but everybody else doesn’t.”

FAMILY MATTERS

As the counterpoint, Tanisha Harper weighed-in and teased this new sisterly on-screen relationship viewers are about to see to Soap Opera Digest. Harper expressed, ‘Having Monet on the show is going to allow viewers to see another side of Jordan.”

Tanisha continued, “We had Jordan as this strong businesswoman, and then we started to see a little bit more of a vulnerable side to her when she went through the car accident, and now, having her sister come onto the landscape, I think that getting to see what their dynamic is will be interesting for the viewers and add just another layer to the show in general.”

Harper says of the ending of Thursday’s GH, “I think Jordan is in shock, and she’s a little leery, as well, about what her sister’s motives are for coming to Port Charles. Out of all the cities she could have come to, why pick this particular one, knowing that her sister lives there and they haven’t spoken in many years?” Hmmm.

So, were you glad or disappointed that Monet turned out to be Jordan’s sister? What do you think happen between the sisters that caused their estrangement for years? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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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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