General Hospital
Michael Fairman & Dan J. Kroll Discuss The OLTL Crossover Conundrum On Soap Central Live – Listen To The Segment!
Courtesy/ABC
In case you missed last Friday’s Soap Central Live with host Dan J. Kroll, On-Air On-Soaps Michael Fairman was a featured guest during a segment discussing the latest in the soaps.
The main topic during the episode turned out to be the situation that has developed between Prospect Park, and ABC and General Hospital, over the rights to use original One Life to Live characters John (Michael Easton), Todd (Roger Howarth) and Starr (Kristen Alderson) in the upcoming online reboot of the beloved series.
Last Friday, news broke from various sources including: Michael Easton himself announcing that February 8th was his last tape date at his moment at GH due to legal issues, which was followed by a statement by GH stating that they intend to keep the actors who are under contract to them, even if it means they have to become different characters. That was soon followed by an official statement by Prospect Park relating that they “lent” the characters of John, Starr and Todd to GH, but that they are willing and hoping to work out a deal with ABC and General Hospital that benefits all parties involved in a “win-win” situation.
After the jump, listen to Fairman’s segment in the first 35 minutes of the series, and then let us know what you think of the situation after listening to the views expressed during Soap Central Live!
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
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.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
General Hospital’s 16,000th episode was packed with little reminders through points in today’s script that the ABC daytime drama series has set another milestone and it paved the way for the return of fan favorite and newly nominated Daytime Emmy Lead Actor nominee Steve Burton (Jason Morgan). The 16,000th episode also introduced viewers to the new surgeon in Port Charles Dr. Tristan Roberts played by Dean Geyer.
Here are the key takeaways and what went down on the July 13 episode: Tristan and Jason are seated next to each other on a plane heading to Port Charles. Throughout the flight, a beaten up Jason has flashbacks to being thrown into, and being held captive in a cell and tortured. It appears Jason is suffering from some form of PTSD from what he was put through after being dragged out of Port Charles by the WSB months ago.
As the plane prepares to land, Tristan tells Jason there would be a car waiting for him once they land and to enjoy the rest of his life. Later, Tristan arrives at the nurses and doctors hub at GH and approaches Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst). He tells her his name and that he is the new surgeon on staff.
Photo: ABC
A REUNION PLUS A HEAD NURSE DEFENDS SONNY
Meanwhile, at the end of the episode, Jason is outside the Quartermaine boathouse looking bewildered when he runs into Danny (Asher Antonyzyn), who is so thrilled to see his father, and the two hugs each other as tears are shed.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth tells Sonny (Maurice Benard) that he thinks its a great idea for him to get the 16th seat on the hospital board, but when it comes times to convince Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) of that, things go awry when Tracy, Laura and Sonny try to work things out. After Tracy launches into Sonny about killing Alan and Monica’s son AJ, Sonny walks away dejected.
Next, Sonny runs into Elizabeth, where he informs her what happened with Tracy. So what’s a head nurse to do? Elizabeth marches into the conference room and reminds Tracy of all the different donations and ways Sonny has contributed to the hospital from the Stone Cates AIDS wing, to the Michael Corinthos Center for Pediatric Head Injuries as well as his constant support each year for the GH Nurses’ Ball.
Courtesy/ABC
WSB WAR SCARS
Then, in one of the best parts for longtime fans of the series, Elizabeth talks about her legendary grandparents, Audrey and Steve Hardy and she tells Tracy they would have wanted Sonny to have a seat on the board for all the good that he has done for the hospital. After Elizabeth states Sonny’s case, things took a turn and Tracy and Sonny wound up shaking hands as Sonny is board member #16.
In the how great was it to see Anna (Finola Hughes) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) together scenes department, the pick-up of last Friday’s cliffhanger is played out as the two former lovers fill each other in on what has gone down in their lives in the last several months including Valentin admitting he had been living in Carly’s attic, and Anna realizing she was kidnapped by Cullum, Sidwell and Cassius Faison. During their conversation, Anna sees the hallucination of Peter August (Wes Ramsey) right while Valentin is standing there.
Courtesy/ABC
Later Anna was on her way to saying goodbye to Valentin, when the two share an emotional hug. After Valentin made his exit, Peter reappeared and warned Anna to not let Valentin distract her because she has important work to do. Anna answers, “I know.”
So, what did you think of General Hospital’s 16,000 episode? What do you think is wrong with Jason? What is the important “work” that Anna has to do? Were you glad to see Sonny get a seat on the hospital board, or not so much. Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out the scenes on Jason and Tristan’s long flight to Port Charles.
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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cant they just do crossovers and borrow the characters occassionally. todd, starr, john, could call gh home now but travel to oltl for a brief visit to wrap up the todd/victor story and john/natlie/liam, then all three go back to gh. oltls nat and others could move on to different stories but on occasion todd, starr, and john could make brief returns to oltl and nat and blair could do the same with gh if needed. actually no matter how much i like the three, both shows could still go on without them. im tired of this with abc who i think wants oltl to fail to prove they were right to cancel. its getting to the point i dont care anymore what happens to the characters. im glad to get oltl back no matter who returns
p.s. in an unrelated subject, i want Brittany to be related to the dead Lisa Niles who came to gh for revenge for Lisa’s death with plans to hurt Patrick but fell in love with him instead. i also want Brit to be Faisons daughter, and had helped with Robins kiddnapping. i doubt itll turn out this way but it would be great way to connect the stories together.
I agree with you Jim!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t want their charcters changed at all.. I like them just the way they are! I followed their characters a long time and come to look forward to seeing them as John McBain, Todd, &Starr! Especilly Michael Easton’s
character. It shouldn’t change to a different character at all. I woudn’t like that one
bit! And all three actors can do both. Do GH & OLTL . And forget about Easton
playing Caleb again. I don’t like the vampire storyline at all. Leave the vampire
stories for the horror movies not the soaps!
Think of the vampire story as an inside joke of how the previous producers and writers sucked nearly all the life out of gh, and almost killed it, and now with the transfusion of new blood behind the scenes, gh has been revived and can live again. i posted it before but thought it worth repeating to help fans accept the vampire story in a different way. I have mixed feelings about the story myself. Maybe there isnt vampires, and its a harmless little mystery with a reasonable explaination at the end. But if it is about real vampires, its okay with me too because it brought old favorites back like Kevin and Lucy., even if it might be 4 a short visit. If someone can freeze pc or Robin can be visited by an alien y not vampires? Ratings r up so that could b helping. I just happy the show is doing well whether i like the vampire thing or not. It actually could be worse with the show stuck with all that mob stuff, and very little else where it had been far too long.
Right now it is a murder mystery. There have been no vampires and no fangs. To assume Caleb is really a vampire is assuming a lot right now. No one knows where this storyline is headed. We’re guessing at this point. I love the storyline so far and have faith in Cartini to deliver a great mystery. I don’t think the will jump the shark.
The vampire element is actually quite intriguing. Potentially the subplot could take a purely symbolic, existential route or a literal route (actual vamps) or a savvy combination of the two. There are limitless avenues available in the realm of imagination and creativity and a substrata of mystery, in the hands of inspired writers (which GH certainly has at this time), can lead down paths of brilliance. Under the guidance of distinguished writer Ron Carlivati, cliches (shades of TWILIGHT)will be avoided and the storyline won’t lead to (pardon the pun) dead ends (or”undead” ends?).
I agree. They really could loan these characters and actors to finish the storylines and then move on. As a long-time viewer I would be fine with that.
Great discussion. I hope this turns out as a win-win for all parties, especially the fans. I really think it’s do-able.
Off subject…just want to congratulate you Mr. Fairman on how far this blog has come and most importantly THANK YOU! “Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps” is my go-to for all things soapy!
I agree 150%. This is my favorite soap site. I always trust your words.
They should not be expected to do double duty. Recast on O!TL. New characters on GH!
Just finished watching GH there is Caleb & John . He’s playing two different parts. I saw
John McBain at the police station and Caleb on the docks. Oh Boy! I don’t like were this is going.
I don’t like vampire’s on GH! Again leave this story for the horror movies NOT THE SOAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I watched GH a long time and don’t want stories about vampire’s on it. I will watch repeats of Dark Shadow’s for that…..
They better work out something we the soap fans would like because we watch the soaps. Want to keep our inteerest in the soaps don’t mess around with John , Todd , or
Starr. Don’t change their characters!
of course I want to keep them on Gh and as the same characters, don’t care if they have to tinker with the character names, as I’ve said earlier, maybe John Ravaine instead of John McBain… but you know if PP is nasty about it and they have to be completely different characters, than there is no reason to mention any OLTL character and no reason for anyone to care about what PP is doing, and certainly no reason to go watch what they’re doing online for those that would have watched both just because they mention each other.
I think cross promoting each other is a good thing.
I want all three staying right where they are on GH. PP blew their chance last year! And I want Michael playing Caleb!
Watched him as Caleb on GH years ago. I feel it is a limited role..I don’t think it
is a long lasting role. There is so much you can do with that certain type of character (vampire). It isn’t a solid role like John McBain is.
Easton was Caleb on PORT CHARLES not GH. And you bet he could be Caleb permanently on GH now!
Hello? I see most of you are GH watchers, I have watched both for over 25yrs I was there on OLTL when these character were created, they belong back home on OLTL I have had trouble even watching them on GH they are not the same there and it takes away from their true characters….they have seemed out of place on GH> If anything they belong to OLTL and can crossover to GH. PP bought the rights to these characters because they belong with OLTL and their stories……I think there needs to be a mutal agreement somehow.
Agree Lynn!
I agree with Lynn. I watch both GH and OLTL, and these characters are OLTL characters. I have LOVED them over on GH, but now that OLTL is back….they belong “home”. Or, as others have suggested, they, along with maybe other characters, and do crossover stories from time to time.
All parties involved need to work together and not against each other.
I hope that they can be on both GH and OLTL !With OLTL taping in 6 week cycles,they could film scenes for GH when OLTL is on a shooting break,with all the great characters on the GH canvas,they would hardly be missed because of other great stories being played out during they’re absence !!
Bring the 3 back to oltl. abc and pp should work together to transition the stories on the correct canvas. It does not have to be rushed. I know it would be tough on the 3 actors who have already brought their lives to the west coast. The Caleb bring back is insulting. Sorry Blair needs Starr and Natalie needs John. Todd is the only one that can easily stay at gh. Once we find out that victor is still alive! The story line crossovers can be incredible.
I agree with what the radio guy said !! There is a way to do this with out messing it up! You can’t recast the characters for on GH and have different people playing them for both shows. I watch Both shows and it will only mess it all up!!!! If you watch both shows like I do, then there can’t be two different story lines for the same Characters. And what since they killed off Cole and hope on GH are they going to still be alive on OLTL???
They need to just go back and forth between both shows!!
I understand what people may feel about where the characters should end up. But I think people should also see the other side from the financial point of view. They will not be making the same salary as they did on an Advertisement driven Daytime Network show. Im an actor in nyc and Im so frustrated that people cant see where these actors are coming from. They all moved to LA pretty much making the same salary. Why should they move back to NYC/CT for a fraction of their salary? I get that fans want their characters, but the reality is that bills need to be paid, and that should definitely be their first personality.
Exactly Travis. And going back and forth woukd not be fair either to the actors. They should not be expected to do both shows. They would not have a family life. They would constantly be on the move. They moved out to LA thinking they woukd be on for the duration of their ABC contracts. PP had pulled out of the soaps. I mean what should have Easton done, not gotten a job. I hope they stay where they belong on GH!
Michael, I think you make a very interesting point. People are so busy pointing the finger and PP, at the OLTL Fans & The GH Fans that they are all forgetting that ABC is the one that put this ball in motion. And I personally believe that it goes a little deeper. Follow me on this one…..
Ok, at the height of the fans anger, after ABC decided to cancel AMC & OLTL….ABC could not have been more hated by the fans of daytime television. Well, here comes Prospect Park to save the day. Now can you imagine what would have happened to ABC or GH for that matter, if PP would have been able to successfully pull off the transition from television to internet, the first go round? They would have been the downfall of ABC entire daytime lineup….but I firmly believe that ABC put so much red tape and hassle in the mix for PP, the first go round that they made it virtually impossible for PP to get things off the ground….ergo making PP the bad guys and taking the heat off of ABC. Now with this new situation with Kristen, Michael & Roger….who is taking the heat? PP….AGAIN! ABC knew the deal when they came to an agreement with PP. They have just been using the popularity of these characters and others that have made cameos as the fuel to gain them more viewership and more money. They should have never lead the fans of GH or OLTL to believe that John, Starr & Todd were on GH for good….yet another lie told by ABC…Remember, PP had a year to start production with either show, per the licensing agreement. So to sign these actors to multiple year contracts was kind of an under-handed thing for ABC to do, not knowing the certainty of the future of the internet endeavor.
I am a long-time soap opera fan….let me state that. I’ve had my moments where I have literally watched just about all of the soaps at some time or another. I have always found myself drawn to AMC & OLTL, because that’s what I grew up on….My mom watched and passed it on to me and my siblings. So I find myself more invested in these two shows. Now I can say with no regret, I don’t like the way the characters of OLTL have been handled on GH. I didn’t think it was necessary to bring Starr, Cole & Hope on….only to kill off her family. Then bring John McBain on….only to have him leave his new family (that all of the OLTL fans had watched for an eternity fight all kinds of crazy odds, only to get a brief happy ending) then have him immediately hook up with Sam on GH. And as far as Todd, I have always been a fan of the back & forth entanglement that he and Blair have always had…..but to have him come on and be apart of that story where Tea’s baby, the only connection that she had left with Victor, gets killed off and go through the whole horrible baby-switching story (which is so overplayed).
I want these characters back in Llanview. At least Starr & John. If Starr is not back, what family member will Blair have to worry about? LOL And you are right, Starr drove story on OLTL. Right now, she’s just a seat filler on GH…so she’s not really being utilized to the best of her abilities. John needs to come back and be with his family. Besides that….he was the detective that was like a dog with a bone on OLTL….they need that on the show. Now, if they don’t bring Todd back; 1, it won’t make sense….but other than that. Do everything in their power to bring back Victor & Tomas. Blair needs some kind of man in her life….and I liked the connection that she had with Tomas.
I wouldn’t be offended with cross-overs….because like you stated, God knows all three shows AMC, OLTL & GH have connections with each other. I mean, who didn’t love those “What If” Webisodes that Frank Produced using all of the characters from the various shows? Ok, I have more to say, but I’ve rambled on enough….. Just want to get the point out, that I don’t think PP is the bad guy in this. I still blame ABC!!
How are the characters not acting like themselves? Starr is trying to be a singer and her stories have been about boys, singing, and her dad. Ummm…I’m pretty sure minus Langston, that’s what she was doing in Llainview. It’s been over a year since Natalie decided to leave John. He only came to Port Charles on an assignment, but after losing your home, your girlfriend, your job, and your child, and being offered a job doing what you’re good at doing, why wouldn’t he take it. Gotta pay the bills somehow. And he’s only kissed Sam. Again, a year after his relationship ended. He’s a cop, who hates Todd Manning, always being overprotective of a “spunky” girl, & has a close relationship to the commissioner. Ummm….sounds like same old John to me. Ha.
And Todd, hated Victor. The “Todd” character has pretended to have DID before. Always putting his daughter in compromising situations. Has always been rather selfish to a degree…even when he thinks he’s making the right decision. He kidnapped Jack and made Blair think he was dead for goodness sake. lol. Todd’s running a magazine, off and on with his daughter, obsessed with a strong in your face blond, in and out of jail and other illegal activities, and doesn’t really have any friends. Sounding like same ol Todd to me. Ha.
I think some people expected….well I don’t know what people expected. I just think, yes, there were minor changes, but they were made to benefit the the support of the show and daytime. But also, those three wouldn’t have signed on if they didn’t approve the directions their characters were being taken.
They’re not THAT different. And frankly, I’m kinda glad we’re not being forced into another Blair and Todd I love you/I hate you soon. Or Starr and Cole/James. Or John and Natalie. People grow and evolve in real life with how they handle things that come at them. These characters are being written that way.
I personally think they ARE bringing something to GH. And frankly, if the actors and the networks agree to “sharing custody”, it’s not like all three have to go at once. It could all be gradual, if at all. There are a LOT of amazing Legacy characters signed back on for OLTL. I think they could do quite fine if John, Todd, & Starr aren’t immediately on the screen. :-p
Hugo Boss, I don’t know if you actually read one word of what I said. I said that I didn’t like how the characters were being handled…..I didn’t like the killing off of Cole & Hope, the killing off of Tea’s & Victor’s baby, and it wasn’t a year after that John broke it off with Natalie before he was kissing Sam….OLTL went off the air in Jan of 2012 and the characters of OLTL joined in like March or April….by July he was kissing Sam. HA! Not quite a year.
I read exactly what you wrote. Yes you did mention Cole and Hope, who lets be honest, Cole wasnt even on the show anymore. Yes Tea lost a baby. But how often does that happen on all soaps. But you did also mention John and his family, which I commented on. Todd and Blair….which I commented on. And Starr, the “seat-filler”, which I commented on. How is that not reading anything you wrote?
And I’m sorry. It wasn’t a year. You are very correct. How silly of me to extend the time frame in a daytime soap. That NEVER happens. I mean Michael’s only like 9 years old right? lol
The bottom line of my response was simply to say, the characters are evolving. There’s a reason Kristen and Roger DIDN’T sign on to Prospect Park. Kristen said point blank she wanted to try something else. So, is Starr leading a storyline? No. Not exactly. But, just like John and Todd, they’ve all been mixed in nicely. And look who’s writing for them? The same guy who knows their characters as well if not better than they do. So you gotta assume there’s big plans on down the line in the future. I’m all for legacy characters and keeping history of the soaps in mind. But sometimes, we the fans just need to trust the people who created/write for/KNOW these characters and accept a little change. It’s hard, cause we all want things how WE want them. But even reading these posts on here. You could have five people in a row, all with different opinions, all “speaking for the majority”. lol.
I’m wasn’t trying to offend you. I just pointed out that the main three who were given contracts and crossover are basically the same characters at the core. With a little new dynamics. And it sucks Tea lost her baby. However, we all know Victor is alive. And I’m pretty sure we can all rest assured that Tea will one day deliver a healthy baby by Victor. Haha. And think about how losing a child is going to give Flo’s character even more levels to play with. And John and Nat have been off and on forever. They’ve both dated others. Hell how long did we bare with Jared being her “one true love”. lol. I’m just saying, you know all of these characters will make their way back to each other. I’d rather it take it longer. Cause if they do it now, they’re just gonna end up breaking up in another year when one cheats or lies or has a former dead lover or unknown child pop up. :-p
Bottom line is, I guess it would have worked out better “in my opinion” if Ron & Frank would have just started off making John, Starr & Todd three new characters that were not tied to OLTL. Had they done that, none of this contract mess would be an issue…..and on top of that, they wouldn’t have had to kill off Cole, Hope, Victor’s baby….plus have John leave Natalie behind in Llanview. It would have been just as easy for them to write 3 new characters in. When I said that I didn’t like how they were being handled, I didn’t mean that the characters were acting like different characters….I meant that I “personally” don’t like the story situations. I mean was it really necessary to bring Tea onto the canvas, so she could lose her baby that she had with Victor? I know there’s a chance for her to have another child, but for me it was just pointless storytelling. And Hope could have stayed home with Blair, while Starr went off to have her music career….Guess I just don’t get into the whole baby killing stories. Plus, being that Hope is a part of a major family on OLTL, the opportunity for some great heart wrenching performances were missed out, because they couldn’t spend too much time on that subject on GH, because the Mannings haven’t cemented their feet in the ground at GH, by this time….So they had to spend time focusing on the major characters on GH, which is understandable….
I don’t know, I just don’t like it. I want the actors to do whatever makes them happy. I just wish it could have been handled a little differently
If I have read correctly, PP will be filming OLTL and AMC in CT. GH films in CA. This could cause a slight problem with Starr, Todd and John/Caleb bouncing back and forth between the two soaps and the two coasts.
Years ago the story lines did cross over General Hospital’s Dr. Steve Hardy appeared in Llanview to consult on Meredith Lord Wolek’s blood disease. One Life to Live’s Dr. Larry Wolek visited All My Children shortly after its premiere in 1970. AMC Skye Chandler to GH to become a Quartermaine. AMC’s Babe Carey’s son to OLTL’s Kevin Buchanan & Kelly Cramer in a baby-switch story line. Just as Port Charles and General Hospital crossed over with the Nurse’s Ball with the story starting on one show and continuing to the other. It was easier then, since AMC & OLTL were filmed in NY. GH has always filmed in CA. In 2010 AMC & OLTL also moved their filming to the ABC studios in CA, If Prospect Park were to film the on-line version in CA then it might be possible, but I read they will be filming in Connecticut.
OLTL never moved to CA, it was just AMC. OLTL took over AMC’s studio space in NY, when AMC moved to California.
Torrey, I stand corrected. I was under the impression all of the ABC soaps were filming in California. Thanks for the correction.
Saw today on GH (Mon.) John McBain at the police station and on the docks you see Caleb. Looks like Michael Easton is playing two parts. John the cop & there’s Caleb the
vampire. What’s up ???
When GH split into another series of Port Charles aka Port Chuck. They got into a whole vampire story. Yes Michael Easton was a vampire back then. That’s why he looks like he is playing two characters. I turned it off and got tired of the vampire storyline. Who knows whats happening now. Maybe this is what they want to do to write him out.
Thank you for being one of the voices of sanity. I’m one of those who have been deep in the trenches involved with the fight to save the shows since the beginning and to see so many people all of a sudden saying they’re not going to watch the oltl reboot because mean ol’ PP is wanting their own characters back is just forehead-slapping insanity…how quickly people forget what the whole PURPOSE was in the first place in regards to getting the show back – and the oltl’ers TEMPORARILY visiting gh to keep up their visibility was all to service that result!
Sadly, part of the reason there’s all this hostility and blame games going on in the first place is due to the irresponsibility of a lot of the soap press in their reporting on the subject. Some on the worst examples i’ve seen have included a headline saying the oltl3 were “banned” from the gh set after 2/8 and another very biased toward abc article with a poll at the end asking readers if they’re “Team GH” (“Please PP, don’t steal our babies!!”) or “Team PP”. UnbeLIEVable!!!
Thankfully there’s still the rare voice of sanity like yourself. Thank you.
Just like I said before…ABC is doing all the dirt slinging. They knew that PP has the rights to the shows and the characters. And for them to sign those 3 on to long contracts, knowing the possibility of PP getting things going on the internet was a dirty, under-handed move.
Torrey,
I agree with you 110%
PP only has the rights to the character names, not the actors! They are contracted to ABC now! They do not have to do PP if they choose not to. And it could work out the roles will be recast on PP, the actors Would be different characters on GH. PP blew it when they pulled out of the soap business before.
But keep in mind Roger and Kristen NEVER signed on with PP in the first place. And Trevor is now booking so much work doing Primetime Guest spots that he most likely wont return. And he will def be back recurring on Lifetime in The Client List. And it should be noted that the moment PP canceled their first attempt, that virtually released Michael Easton from that commitment.
Im in NO way an ABC Daytime advocate, but this relaunch only became a problem because of the 1 month extension PP/Jeff Kwatinetz got from DISNEY not ABC Daytime. They were sort of blind-sided as well. I think everyone sort of assumed that PP wouldnt happen and when it did, it threw everything in turmoil. But I still dont know why ABC wouldnt write in some type of Clause to protect themselves concerning those 3 characters? Whatever contract lawyer worked on this should be terminated. I mean thats Contract 101, always have a exit strategy in place in case of surprises or the unknown.
You know what? I’m just happy that PP didn’t give up on my soaps, like ABC did. I know that everyone was mad at them, the first go round, when the online venture didn’t happen….but I do appreciate their determination on making this happen. ABC cancelled both shows, in won fail-swoop and didn’t think twice about it…..now they’re painting this picture of PP as the bad guys….sounds like PP wouldn’t be opposed to doing crossovers, which would benefit everyone…but does that appease ABC? NO! They are painting a lop-sided picture, and it’s not right. They are going to benefit financial either way, so why not do the crossovers?
Oh Im def happy for my OLTL being back. It was and is my heart and soul. But Im not sure how you are feeling like ABC is doing any dirt slinging. They have not released any statements that said anything negative about PP or vice versa. My point wasnt about ABC or PP.
My original point was about the actors. I was just trying to make it clear to everyone on the boards that two out of the 3 actors were never gonna be involved in this PP venture. And ABC can only ask them to do crossovers, but the actors dont have to if they dont want too. Their contracts are with ABC not PP is all Im trying to get across. Now ABC can ask them to do it as a favor to the network, but at the end of the day they cant force them to do it.
I think everyone keeps forgetting that RH and KA moved to LA the moment OLTL was done because they werent going to do the online version. It wasnt until the announcement came out that PP had suspended there efforts that ABC brought those characters to GH. My concern is that these actors signed a contract for Network show, and now they are gonna be forced to be on an online show for a fraction of the pay. Im a Sag-Aftra actor in nyc, so I really want this to survive, plus Im hoping to book some extra work on the show as well cause I could def use the money.
The problem for me is, ABC doesn’t own the rights to these characters, according to the deal that they made with PP…. I realize that neither Kristen or Roger were planning on signing on with the online venture, and what should have happened is ABC and the execs should have created new characters for these actors, in order to avoid a situation like this, rather than rely on the popularity of these characters to lure in pissed off OLTL fans…. guess that’s all I’m trying to say. It would have been so much easier to give these actors new roles to play, especially since they had no intentions of being a part of the online venture. And that’s why I think it’s so under-handed on ABC’s part…..is because they were using the popularity of John, Starr, Todd, Blair & Tea to lure in OLTL fans to watch GH….when they new that PP own the licensing and rights to these characters.
Dear Michael, So legal terms are that Easton, Alderson,and Hawthorne are layed off until an agreement is made. Is that somewhat correct?
Not technically. The actors are contracted to ABC, but the characters belong to PP. So there are only 4 options. ABC terminates their contracts, the actors ask to be released from there ABC contracts and sign with PP, ABC keeps the actors and make them the same characters with different names, or they come to an agreement to make ABC, the actors, and PP all happy. But even if ABC lets them go, two of those actors wont be going back. I guess the best question is what were they planning on doing last year with those 2 characters because RH & KA was never coming on board anyway.