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Head Scribe Chuck Pratt Jr. On What To Expect On Y&R: "You'll See More Centralized Stories, With Bigger Umbrellas, Touching More Characters …"
Courtesy/CW
The new head writer of The Young and the Restless, Chuck Pratt Jr.’s episodes are going to begin airing shortly on the number one soap opera. Fans of the CBS Daytime drama are of course wondering what he has planned for the residents of Genoa City and how he plans to tell story.
In a intriguing feature in this week’s Soap Opera Digest (on newsstands now) called, “The Future Is Now” which has several daytime creatives weighing in on how they foresee the 2015 landscape in the world of daytime dramas, Y&R’s Pratt Jr., predicted that 2015 will be a year of surprises speaking solely about his show.
When SOD asked what is Chuck’s game plan to make Y&R shine, he related: “Emotional stakes will be at the forefront across all stories – and you’ll see more centralized stories, with bigger umbrellas, touching more characters with shared challenges and hopes and fears.”
The scribe went on to also say, “Overall, expect a faster pace, deeper, more relatable emotions and a sense of, “I can’t believe they’re doing that!”
So, what do you think about some of Chuck Pratt Jr.’s plans for Y&R? Excited to see what 2015 has in store as we turn the page to a new chapter with a new head writer? Comment below!
ohhh no!
Chuck is disappointing me!
I really believed he would be the man to bring some ”action” and ”suspense” and kill-off
Sharon and blow up Crimson Lights..
Crimson Lights is a junkyard of junk. A set from Sanford and Son..
I keep thinking Fred is going to walk in and sit down with a beer and turn on the TV on and tell Elizabeth he’s coming.. ..
I’m going to expect some ”keep me awake” adventures from Pratt, I want some exciting thrillers.
I will settle for anything exciting, to start with..
Pratt has no qualms about killing off stars or blowing stuff up, I’m counting on him!
su0000 alright you’re going WAY TOO FAR defaming Sanford and Son. It was a bonafide hit like it or not. It provided it’s entertainment for all television viewers so KNOCK IT OFF with comments like that…NO LOL…well maybe a tiny one since it is SLIGHTLY amusing as usual. I just don’t get how I truly want to tell you off but yet still laugh at your nonsense.
Did you know Sharon is already dead…thats why her expressions make her look like a zombie…her marriage to vampire Victor sucked the life out of her…lol
PLEASE let Sharon and Adam get back together! I really hope they stop making it lok like Chelsea ever was a love of Adams. Adam would die for Sharon.
Could he be any more vague? Could SOD conduct a less in-depth interview?
I’m sure it’s not the whole interview, Jeffery—there’d be no reason SOD would allow this site to have the whole thing.
The part when he says “a sense of ‘I can’t believe they’re doing that!'” is what scares me the most. I sincerely hope Chuck doesn’t completely rewrite characters to suit his stories, I know he’s notorious for doing that on All My Children but hopefully he’s learned from all the fan backlash from that. I’m all for faster paced, exciting stories, with twists and turns and intrigue (like GH), but Y&R still needs to stay true to itself. Bending legacy characters and rewriting histories to fit plot-driven stories is NOT what Y&R has ever been about, and I hope it does not turn into that under Chuck.
Jimmy, that part concerned me as well. It sure sounded like something Ron would say.
Pratt is 500x worse than Ron Carlivati.
He makes the “General Hospital” headwriters look like Ernest Hemingway.
They need to go back and look at the history better. Chelsea will never be right for Adam she never understood his pain or whats important to him . Adam ONLY married Chelsea because what happened instead of Victor trying to frame Adam for Skyes death Victor changed it to frame Sharo because Sharon went to Hawaii to clear Adams name & ask Skye to come back. But Skye fell into the volcano & Victor watched Sharon try to help save Skye but instead he let Skye die and Sharon take the blame. Then he told Nick and Nick said if Sharon sees Adam he w
If YnR ever turned into another GH I’d have to quit watching same as I did with that nonsensical debaucle.
The part that scares me is ” I can’t believe they’re doing that”
I know right. I’m afraid us viewers are going to be screaming: “I can’t believe they’re writing that!”
Chuck Pratt taking over head writing duties & shared e/p duties does not fill me with confidence that he’s going to do right by Y&R fans. Susan Lucci credits this man for killing All My Children. My fear with his sketchy past, he’ll likely damage Y&R rather than help it.
Joe.
I afraid he may sink the ship, too. Just like he did on AMC.
He may the show almost totally, unwatchable. It was no surprise that the ratings tanked, and the show was cancelled. It was so far gone, that even a writing team change for the last 3 or 4 months couldn’t save it. The damage was done. I don’t know how he got this job, But we shall see how he does with it.
I definitely agree about the pacing needing to be faster. Y&R has been slow and boring. I hope Chuck Pratt can bring the spark back that Y&R has been missing.
If he does what he says he’s going to do, he might be a keeper…But, we’ll see…That’s al I got, for now…
He wrote many a vile story lines on “All My Children” most notably the one where Reese, the lesbian cheated on her fiancee Bianca by having sex with Bianca’s brother-in-law.
What a slap in the face to humanity!
I didn’t even mention the stripper pole he brought in as a daily story line prop. My hopes for his regime are EXTREMELY low.
There is hope..!!! 🙂
”’Reese, the lesbian cheated on her fiance Bianca by having sex with Bianca’s brother-in-law.”’
OK- that ^^^^ is good soap writing, the kind that won’t put people to sleep..
Except that it wasn’t true to the characters. He was better than Megan McT, though. No poisoned pancakes.
No Miss Sue, Reese, who was a lesbian, sleeping with Zach Slater reflects a male fantasy and it does not pay fidelity to reality.
It may not put people to sleep, su—but it may well have them tuning out in droves, which is what happened when he wrote that particular storyline on All My Children (along with several others that were equally out of character). It’s true that viewer boredom is deadly, so I sort of see your point, but on soaps, it’s always been especially important to have characters people can relate to and believe in (emotionally speaking—the things that happen to them are often outside most people’s everyday reality, soap but viewers generally demand that the characters’ behavior and reaction to those extraordinary events be believable). He didn’t get that when he was writing AMC; we’ll soon see if he’s learned anything from that debacle. “Deeper, more relatable emotions” sounds very good and on the right track, but I too am disturbed by the “I can’t believe they’re doing that!” comment—which sounds ominous, and exactly like what got him into trouble with AMC viewers and tanked the show.
Im waiting to be impressed, his track record before isnt good.
Pratt has done much more than AMC..
for 1 — he rocked while with GH ..
Pratt gave AMC the boost it needed..
So, Su, you are a fan of Mr Pratt’s storytelling?
I don’t remember him “rocking” while he was at GH—I remember more of the same old stuff GH had been doing for years (Sonny, Carly, Jason, mob, lather, rinse, repeat), and in any case, he was the co-headwriter there; it was still primarily Guza’s show. AMC, where he held the headwriting job by himself, is probably a better indication of what his own stories would be like. But perhaps he’s learned something from that unhappy experience.
Lol…yeah a boost right into cancellation.
Mark, Sue will try and nominate Chuck Pratt for the Nobel Peace Prize if he kills off Sharon.
Not a fan of what he did to All My Children, so we shall see….
All it sounded like to me , was a whole lot of beating around the bush to come out with much of the same stuff.
Every show he’s written has elicited an “I can’t believe they’re doing that” from me — but I not in a good way.
I don’t know Chuck when I hear the phrase I can’t believe they are doing that– it remains me of every horrible story line I ever watched from the aliens on Days, to vampires on GH– the awful Lumina story on AW—to Sharon marrying Victor on Y&R ,every triangle on B&B and so many more I have forgotten— so I’m not reassured by these statements here
However if everyone turns into a zombie so be it, I’ll watch Y&R to the bitter end, because I’m realist I know the simple formula that soaps used to run on don’t work in this day and age. All the classic stories of cheating spouses, divorces and out of wedlock children just don’t shock or tickle the imagination of viewers who see so much more racy stuff on YouTube — so I’m in, it is what is it is, but I don’t think different is going to be better.
I agree to a point, but I’m not sure the conventional wisdom that the “classic stories” won’t work anymore really would hold up if anybody tried it. Soaps can’t compete with the titillation factor of YouTube, so maybe they shouldn’t be trying. What people used to get out of soaps—emotional involvement, an emotional connection—is something they’re not going to get from YouTube, so maybe that’s the angle the soaps should be aiming for. But I haven’t seen a soap genuinely invest in that kind of storytelling for about two decades now; it’s become quite a plot-driven medium. They keep telling themselves that “oh, that won’t work anymore,” but the last soap that tried it actually had a ratings increase (until the network came in and started pushing plot-plot-plot again). I don’t see much examination of their assumptions on the part of TPTB—and meanwhile the ratings continue to erode.
OH NO…a faster pace..I can’t believe they’re doing that…for whom doth the “bell” toll? It tolls for thee Y&R..and WE.
Faster paced is a blessing..
Y&R has the longest boring stories in soap history, it needs speed, a lot of it..
and-
faster paced means Sharon will killed off very soon, and that is a good thing ..
su0000 why do I immediately laugh at your post and then get annoyed by it. OMG…kill off over emoting breathy NIKKI…ok..shocking but let’s move on and forget that tippy toe leaning walk..LOL…you know good and well what he’s saying…Towering Inferno type stories across the board…Blizzards…tornadoes…floods and fire to rival the BIBLE…Daytime disaster TV is on the way folks!!!
davlestev1 , hi..
all that ^^^ is good if not all at once lol .
and perhaps Sharon will be in the burning tower 🙂
I hope Y&R has a really great special effects team, if, Prett has all you said planed I’m ready for it !!
SHARON KEPT ME WATCHING AFTER MM LEFT ,SO IF HE KILLED HER OFF ,THAT WOULD BE A REASON I’D STOP WATCHING !
Meg don’t listen to su0000..SEE WHAT YOU DID…LOL… Sharon is firmly in place I hope..but I can guarantee when that man says expect more deeper emotions invested in umbrella stories across the board…it means disease and pestilence on a grand scale in Genoa City…before it’s all over we’ll all have a staff in hand at SONY STUDIOS menacingly saying…PRATT….LET OUR PEOPLE GO!!!!!
OMG. Su, you are so blood-thirsty, I want to hug you and boo you at the same time. There is an internal tug-of-war going on inside of me with your every post…..My strong ‘LIKE’ of you, always wins out. At least, you never falter…always true to your convictions…namely, one Sharon Newman. I am truly in awe of you….LOL. do not change….I love it!
I would love if they killed Sharon off, her character is annoying as hell! She needs to go, as does Kelly and this new Billy!
DEAR MR PRATT!!!
if u read these sites, can i ask you as a fan for 30 plus years, im in my thirtys, and my entire family, we watch all the time and have y n r as a common viewing bond!
please return y n r to its former glory under the bill bell regime! the show has been on the right track as of late , so please do your best to continue this upswing!!!
we do not need useless new characters, we need the abbotts, the newmans, the chancellors, and the winters!!!
we do want boring, long drawn murder mysteries, we want romance and conflict!
we do not out of place plot driven arcs we want emotional true to character stories!!!
we do not need ruthless evil to the core victor newman , we want calculated victor newman who bleeds, hurts and makes bad choices! (one example)
please treat and handle y n r with respect and care to the viewers who watch 5 days a week , 12 months of the year and hope to continue to watch for a very long time!!
thank you, a long time viewer!
ahhh damien,
all the things you do not want I do want them, as do others ..
I, as others, like the evil to core Victor and murder mysteries..
Pratt has to write for your wants and mine..
so, I hope he has a lot of variety for us ..
you must be a new viewer who probably started watching when y n r was at its worst during the LML years when longtime viewers such as myself watched hoping things would get back to normal!
poor you, i recommend you check out youtube and catch clips of y n r during its glory years!
damien I am with you.
su0000,
You can get all your fantasy soap writing from watching GH. A lot of us would like to keep that kind of story telling away from Y&R.
I agree with Damien. Y&R is number one for a reason. If it becomes another GH or Days, it’s viewership will drop. I am really liking Y&R now. I don’t mind a tornado, but if mob wars start, I am out.
DIXIE…..aka KELLY….DON’T EAT THE PANCAKES! 😉
I know a lot of people on here probably don’t watch Tyler Perry’s soap, The Haves and the Have Nots, on Oprah’s network; but that soap has some of the best writing for a soap I’ve ever watched. It’s fast paced, and humorous and entertaining without dumbing down the plots and storylines. It’s very well written with contemporary dialogue and situations that are relateable.
Oprah missed an opportunity to bring AMC and One Life on to her network and she could have integrated Tyler’s show in, as well. She could have created an afternoon block of soaps that would have drawn fans to her network AND they would have stuck around to watch other shows, but she blew that big time!!!!
CHILD…what show are you watching on OWN…the best soap on primetime is the newest one on FOX…EMPIRE…The Have and the Have Nots..UGHH that title..is a soap opera mismash mess..scenes that drag on and on in a room like you’re listening to the radio days of old…cliched stories…cliched families..cliched dialogue..the list is as endless as one episode of that show..but with nothing left I watched..and then he went and did that silly show about the couples and a whole season hinging on the…oh just wait till that baby is born storyline.. that’s still unresolved…until it once again meanders onto OWN…
I have not see the Perry show you’re referring to; but, I absolutely agree with your statement about AMC and OLTL. OWN would have been the perfect new home for both shows. And yes, they would have created a very strong block for her network. Oprah definitely blew it big time.
I’ll have to check it out.
Chuck was the final nail that KILLED All My Children with the exact same approach – characters did things that didn’t make sense and stories just went off the rails.
He did NOT give AMC an added boost – well, he gave fans an added boost out the door.
Writers that wreck shows shouldn’t be hired to write for other shows.
This is not good news if you’re a Y&R fan. Sorry, all.
I’ve been joking around a little on here with a regular who really makes me laugh at times..but you know what they say..many a truth told in jest. But it can also be said… a lesson learned is a lesson earned…we may all be surprised in the end…we’ll see I guess. Sometimes old dogs just really don’t care about new tricks!!
Hold on there..
Pratt was out of AMC in Nov 2009 and AMC died on September 23 2011..
AMC was in the hands of Lorraine Broderick its’ last 2 years..
((Broderick won three daytime emmy awards for outstanding writing team from her work as head writer of AMC, giving her four emmy honors as a daytime head writer. and-
AMC was canceled under her 2 year care, she couldn’t save it..
or – it simply was nobody’s fault but ABC/Brian Frons and Anne Sweeney..
AMC was not in the hands of Lorraine Broderick for all of those last two years, su. I don’t remember who followed Pratt immediately, but Broderick was not brought in until the end—the last six months, maybe not even that long. As I recall, she got the job right before the cancellation announcement came.
(If your point is that Pratt’s damage was so pervasive that nobody could undo it, I agree with you.)
I looked it up. Broderick was interim headwriter for a few months after Pratt left, then the headwriters were Donna Swajeski and David Kreizman for about a year, and then Lorraine came back for the last few months of the show (May to September 2011).
The damage Pratt did was so severe that nobody could repair it. That happens sometimes when someone’s choices so badly undermine the inherent structure of a show that it can’t be fixed.
Michael (not Fairman) first of all Donna Swajeski..there’s a writer’s name I forgot about..who rose to prominence head writing Another World..and managed to keep my interest at that..as well as quite a bit of time on Guiding Light..but I remember her more for Another World. That being said what I mean by a lesson learned is a lesson earned..is that hopefully Mr.Pratt won’t go the way of saying his stories are more important than the people portraying them like he did on AMC..but he did give quite a negative vibe in one of his first post hire interviews. Like I said..some old dogs could care less about new tricks and he seems hell bent on writing and not understanding what makes the show so good. Along with La Phelps they’re going to turn the show on it’s ear and Sony seems quite content with their directional path. Tragic.
I noticed in the credits that he started co-EP and HW duties Friday. God help us all when the “honeymoon” period is over. It will be bye bye Y&R. Be prepared everybody.
Davoted Fan..
No matter how horrible Y&R is or could become the fans will always tune in, we are just that stupid to watch something we do not like simply because it’s an addicted habit..
I am one of them , as are millions of others..
Y&R will need to lose 3 million viewers to fail and and I said – ain’t gonna happen 🙂
Well, thanks for your confession but I am not one of those fans who is “just that stupid to watch something we do not like.”
It will be sad when that day comes (like it was in the last months of ATWT and GL) and when enough fans do tune out to warrant a cancellation, but there are too many other options in a day and on TV and the internet to suffer what TPTB have decided to serve us – a JFP/Pratt combo. I learned from the cancellations of ATWT and GL so I am prepared. If TPTB don’t care any more about the show than to hire Pratt, then I don’t either. It was very hard for me to get to this point, but bracing myself for it and then seeing his name on the credits Friday was like seeing a KMart tag on Anna Wintour. Not to diss KMart, but one of those things – Pratt and Y&R’s legacy – do not belong.
Pratt was credited as EP and “Written By” on Friday’s (1/16/15) show – only time will tell if plans on screwing up what Shelly Altman & Jean Passanante were giving us – been enjoying “Y & R” again for months!
Thanks for the heads up i’m still in NOVEMBER on the DVR episodes LOL…now I know when to expect the true week of change although he’s probably still cleaning up after the past regime and really won’t take off till sweeps month February.
His response was vague enough to reveal absolutely nothing. Has he spent any of his career in politics. He dodged the question like a pro. LOL
For me, I’m a diehard fan of the 70s-90s sagas on Y and R: Lorie Brookes vs. Vanessa, The Cassandra Rawlings murder twist plot that lasted for a couple of years, Jennifer Brookes’ breast cancer, sibling rivalry in the Brookes girls, and how I miss great singers like Gina Romalotti! And breakfast with the Abbotts. And, if the new guy has ANY loyalty to the show, he’d make Jill holed up in the Chancellor home and become Kay incarnate, meaning bringing in a new young girl who does to Jill what she did the Kay over the years (and vice versa.) So many great stories of the past…. even the great ghost stories of Kay and Sharon– they kept us watching and wondering. And Nikki’s first marriage to Victor 30 years ago– where is the Colonnade Room and that romance? God, I hope that kind of love story telling has not died! Come on, you others out there know all the great stories. Diabolical characters like Leanna Love, you hated her and loved her… that’s what I want more of in the future. And I always respected true-to-form social issues: where’s a story on child obesity? Gamblers Anonymous? Suicidal tendencies? And story characters like Brock Reynolds, who brought faith to characters– where’s a quality story of religion? Bring these to Y and R: they were what Bill Bell made famous and thus what made Y and R famous… and for Heaven’s sake, I want some of the old melodies playing in the background; Bill created music for each character– he told me that himself!
Y&R makes money for CBS so they won’t let Chucky baby kill it. I would just give him a chance. After all, Y&R was horrible in 2014. He can only improve the show. I would hope that he sat down and made a list of the pros and the cons and write from there. Here is mine.
Pros: Michael, Lauren, Paul, Nikki, Joe, Avery, Nick, Sage, Adam, Chelsea, Mariah, Kevin, Fen, Jack, Red, Kelly, Ashley, Abby and Harding.
Cons: Victor, Victoria, Stitch, Dylan, Fake Billy, Jill, Colin, Summer and her husband, Cane and Lilly.
Rewritten: Cane, Lilly, Dylan, Jill, Colin and Sharon.
Recast: Billy, Stitch, Kyle and Summer.
Rehired: The original Tucker
Do away with? Crimson Lights, The Underground, and that annoying noise in the Jabot lab!
GOOD LUCK CHUCK!
No idea how nuNewerBilly is still employed at Y&R. No idea. Talk about a drag. Ruins every scene he’s in. Wait til you see him ruin Gabe & Chelsea’s conversation tomorrow. Baby Connor clearly called Gabe daddy, Billy walks in and says “oh Connor was talking to me. You know who your daddy is don’t little dude, don’t you?” Adam turned pale. I hope he beats the sh*t outta Billy.
Billy’s the worst, Summer is next.
I’m right with you. Billy and Summer are attached to so many characters and they ruin it. Why can we see this but the executives discount it? They have this problem over at GH with a character who sucks big time. He couldnt win a part in his high school play and he is on GH and attached to so many legends.
You make one crucial assumption that may not hold, Timmm—that CBS knows what it’s doing well enough to give Pratt the heave-ho in time to save Y&R. I can’t say the decisions over the last five to ten years support your faith in that. (Actually, it seems to be Sony that is making the crucial decisions, but replace “CBS” with “Sony” in this conversation, and the result is the same—I’m not sure they’ll see the signs soon enough to do anything, because they don’t seem very clued in.)
There are ways to damage a soap that go far beyond their immediate repercussions, and that’s the kind of damage Pratt did at All My Children. The best that can be hoped is that he learned something from that, but I haven’t seen him say anything that indicates he has, or that he even thinks he did anything wrong.
I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt but I see what your saying. Daytime is probably the last thing on their list of importance. However since Y&R has been #1 for 26 years I just think they they care a little more than we might expect. I guess Pratt could write the show into the gutter, turn away the fans, and CBS/Sony might say, look at these ratings, this show isnt making money anymore. Cancel it! Call Emeril, tell him to heat up his skillet!
I am in can’t wait. Looking forward to whatever chuck has planned. He is good at his story line. Go chuck .
I cant believe they would let any one character on y & R dictate the hiring and firing of another.the characters of the show are employees and have somebody fired because you don’t like themwhy would you worry about who doesn’t like who won the said if the people like them and keep them Sharon better stay on that show. And why isn’t Victor Newman getting what’s coming to him he’s being so mean and also handed over this show, karma needs to hit him in the butt.
My new years resolution is to stop watching The Young and The Restless, because I don’t like where the story is going. There are some things in that story that Black People just don’t do. A son sleeping with his father ‘s wife.
The only reason why I watch this soap to see Sharon get justice from all those so call perfect peoples l love shron
I think he is probably going to take a lot of stories from the late night soap Melrose Place. Think Kimberly Shaw coming out from a coma and her going after Michael & Jane. Now that is Phyllis, Jack & Kelly. Phyllis is out to get even with Jack. Crimson Lights will probably blow up as far as any long term veterans getting killed off who knows. the one thing I am bored with is Sage she is being shoved down my throat just like Dylan and I care nothing about either character.
It’s the waiting game coming from a professed writer that stated during his disastrous time at AMC he didn’t like “character driven stories”….
Anything is better than what they are giving us now. Bring it on!
I will certainly enjoy fast paced story lines. The ones that have been lasting for years is ridiculous. Please don’t mess with Sharon, I love her character. If you do not intend to get her back with Nick, give her a substantial long term relationship with a good man. She should never have lost Faith. Dylan is a good guy and he loves Faith.
Clearly he plans to make it shine the same way he made All My Children shine……. so long Y&R!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations kicked-off on Monday with the announcements of four major categories including, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and among the nominees is General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan).
Burton is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner in the Supporting Actor category for his roles as GH’s Jason and his turn as Dylan McAvoy on Y&R. However, Steve is yet to win in the Lead Actor category and he has received 11 nominations along the way in his daytime career.
Following the reveal that he is a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, he and his GH co-star, podcast co-host and comedy show partner, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) taped a special edition of their That’s Awesome podcast just featuring Burton’s reaction to the news.
Photo: JPI
FOR LESLIE CHARLESON
Steve expressed, “I know it’s such a cliche to say, ‘I’m just so honored to be nominated.’ But truly, I’m so grateful to be nominated, so grateful to just be on the show off and on for 30 plus years and to be nominated with the guys in my category. Just to get the opportunity. Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH) texted me right away. I was just like, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to get to do what I do.'”
Taking in the moment, Burton thanked those who helped him select the material for his nominated reel. “Unless you win, you don’t get to say things. So. I’m going just say a few things: Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) helped me a lot with the material, (as did) Michelle Henry, who’s a producer on the show, Laura Wright (Carly, GH), and then my wife Michelle (Lundstrom). I believe it was Jill Phelps who told me that when A Martinez felt like he had a great show or great scenes, he would mark it down. So, when Emmy time comes, you have all the show numbers written down, and you don’t have to think about it, because that’s half the battle (finding the material).
Burton explained how meaningful this nomination is for him, because of playing the scenes of Jason losing Monica, and his closeness with the late, great Leslie Charleson.
“The nomination’s an amazing thing, and it’s beautiful, but really it’s to honor Leslie Charleson. A lot of my material was because of her, and how I started on the show as a Quartermaine, it just means a ton,” shared Burton. “Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has obviously has been instrumental, and I’ve said it from day one and I’ll shout it from the rooftops. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and to be working with the people that we work with is incredible.”
Photo: JPI
SHOULD JOHN OLIVER BE NAMED HOST OF THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
During the end of his conversation with Anderson, Steve suggested that the host of the Daytime Emmy should be Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, who recently guest starred as the head of the WSB named Z on General Hospital, and is soon to show up on Days of Our Lives in a mystery role in August.
Thus far, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has not revealed their host for the upcoming ceremony to be held on October 30 in a venue to be named in Hollywood, California.
You can watch Steve sharing his reaction to receiving his 2026 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination below on a special segment on the That’s Awesome podcast.
Now let us know, are you glad that Steve chose scenes surrounding Jason mourning the loss of the woman that raised him, Monica Quartermaine for his Emmy reel? What do you think of John Oliver as a suggestion to host the Daytime Emmys? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Marks Unprecedented 16,000th Episode Milestone with New Cast Photo
Today’s Monday, July 13 episode of General Hospital marks it 16,000 episode to air on the ABC television network. It is a remarkable milestone. The previous television record was held by Guiding Light which clocked in at 15,762 episodes before it went off the air on CBS in 2009.
To mark the occasion, the cast, crew and creative team of General Hospital celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony on the Prospect Studios lot in Los Angeles back on Monday, June 1, 2026.
In addition, GH has released a new cast photo taken the day of the on set celebration. Pictured in the photo are front row: Rory Gibson, Finn Carr, Kayden Brenna Tokarski, Asher Antonyzyn, Giovanni Mazza, Braedyn Bruner, Dean Geyer and Nathan Dean.
Featured in the back row are: Tabyana Ali, Eden McCoy, Josh Swickard, Kristen Vaganos, Rebecca Herbst, Dominic Zamprogna, Alexa Havins, Cameron Mathison, Brooke Kerr, Cynthia Watros, Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Jane Elliot, Maurice Benard, Laura Wright, Maura West, Donnell Turner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Tanisha Harper, Kelly Thiebaud, Kristina Wagner, Lynn Herring, Chris McKenna, Katelyn MacMullen and Sawandi Wilson.
In addition, the official GH social media handles shared these sentiments along with some other photos from the cake cutting: “Today’s episode of General Hospital is the 16,000th produced since the show’s inception in 1963. It’s a milestone we couldn’t let pass by without taking some time to celebrate as a family (and, of course… eating some cake). 🍰 We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE 16,000th Episode?
The 16,000th episode will feature Jason Morgan returning to the town of Port Charles, Anna and Valentin (James Patrick Stewart) reuniting, and a new surgeon, Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) joining the staff of ‘General Hospital.’
GENERAL HOSPITAL HOLDS SEVERAL RECORDS
Now in its 64th year, Emmy Award-winning daytime drama General Hospital is currently both the longest-running scripted American drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production.
General Hospital holds the record for the most Outstanding Daytime Drama award wins, taking home the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award a record 18 times. Will they do it again and make it 19 in 2026? Stay tuned for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations tomorrow on Tuesday, July 14 to find out if GH will be going for gold in the category, once again.
The ABC daytime drama series was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and premiered back on April 1, 1963. Frank Valentini is the current executive producer with Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten are the show’s co-head writers.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu.
What do you think of the new cast photo marking General Hospital’s 16000th episode? What do you think of the accomplishment to have that many episodes of a television show and its still thriving and kicking? Share your thoughts and congrats for everyone in front of the camera and behind the scenes on this milestone airing.
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
Randolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Daphne’s Devastated, Steffy Finds Herself at a Crossroads with Finn
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