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Honored scribe Claire Labine in WGA acceptance speech, "I'm appalled that more care was not taken with this form that I love a lot"!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/WGA

Courtesy/WGA

One of soaps all-time greatest writers, Claire Labine who created and steered Ryan’s Hope to Daytime Emmy Gold with stops along the way at General Hospital, and other soaps was presented with the prestigious Ian McLellen Hunter Award this past weekend in WGA ceremonies held in New York City.   The award is presented to a WGA member for their career achievement and to honor of his/her body of work as a writer in motion pictures or television.  Former Ryan’s Hope star, Kate Mulgrew presented the award to Labine.

When Labine addressed the crowd midway through her acceptance speech, she let those in attendance know how she felt about the cancellation of the soaps, and their decline, and how the genre has been mistreated by the networks.

Claire said, “I am in mourning. Yes, some of the shows had gotten silly. Yes, some of the budgets had gotten bloated. But there are more creative solutions than cancellation across the board!  The Daytime audience is loyal beyond belief. These characters had been in their lives for years. They watched these people grown up and it was a form that had such value and provided an emotional construct for people that did not have one.  And it reinforced emotional values for people that did have one.  I’m appalled that more care was not taken with this form that I love a lot. ”

After the jump watch the video of Mulgrew’s presenatation to Labine, and then let us know what you think of Claire’s comments!

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Congratulations Ms. Lebine. I loved Ryan’s Hope and her work at GH.

As a lifetime soap fan, I agree with her comments regarding the care of the genre and the fact that this art form should have and could have adjusted itself to the changing times. Scripted dramas are not dead, they just needed some tweaks to survive. I wish ABC/Disney and the other PTB valued them as much as their loyal fans do.

I entend my congratulations to Claire Lebine. Her name is very familiar to soap fans. She was right when she said the soap fans are very loyal. I am loyal enough to keep ABC/D off my televisions. If ABC can dismiss me so casually then I can dismiss them too.

One of the greats of daytime. This is what the genre needs; someone with experience and TRULY cares about the characters and history. Soaps are not dead, because if they were, THAT network would not be producing the upcoming Nashville and currently airing Revenge. ABC used to have such a great programming dept. I guess that is not the case anymore.

Claire is a bona fide ROCK STAR with regard to this medium. RYAN’S HOPE (along with AMC) was the first soap I ever followed. She made GH a watchable entity again back in the early 90s when its action/adventure stories were becoming overkill. She even had a good turn on ONE LIFE. Her words speak volumes as to the idiocy of the networks. Her words have particular meaning as it was the asinine “suits” at the network that ultimately led to RH’s demise… they forced her out back in the early 80s and AGAIN in about ’84. If they’d left well-enough alone we may have been able to celebrate 30+ years of THAT soap. Thank you for your words, Claire!

Joe, Good post!

I loved ryans hope. was really upset when we lost that soap .I wrote my first protest letter to abc ,so angry it was canceled .they could care less .they didnt care then and they dont care now.and you right claire is a rock star,she was involved in all the soaps that I cared about.

everything claire said is right on ,however I was happy with my soaps just the way they were ,my only problem was with general hospital and all those mob stories,I watched year after year of sonny jason ,all of them commit crime after crime after crime and never in all those years were any of them held accountable for there actions ,they were thrown in jail and ,well not behind bars, they were in that room ,where the lawyers go and before you knew it ,alexis or diane walks in and they are free ,poor max ,he never gets the bad guys ,well that will change when john mcbain comes to town.there I go again ,as 1loveabcsoaps say,got off the subject again.

Laughed out Loud, and said, ” You funny! ” And I needed that laugh, bc I’m home all day with headache, not feelings well.

Everything she said–so true and so sad.

A true legend! Spoken in a way that proves she knows, respectsand values the loyalty of the daytime audience. Too bad the daytime heads son’t share her views.

We are all in mourning and yet… she is right it isn’t over till it’s over and not yet!

Claire is the writer who made me a fan of GH. She writes beautiful soap.

Hey Michael : Are you at the academy awards? Are you going to attend any of the after parties? Hope you are well. Have fun.

General Hospital

Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)

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Maura West and Kelly Sullivan

It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.

The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.

Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.

Photo: JPI

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST

Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”

Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”

Photo: JPI

KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL

Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”

You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.

So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!

 

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General Hospital

Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’

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Steve Burton

The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.

TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.

That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.

Steve Burton

Photo: ABC

STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES

GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.

Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.

GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS

Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.

Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.

Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.

So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?

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Jason and Britt

On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.

Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.

However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.

Britt

Courtesy/ABC

BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON

Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.

He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.

Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”

General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”

So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in 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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