Connect with us

News

OLTL issues statement on end of Kish/GLAAD's response to ABC!

By Michael Fairman

Published

on

The LGBT community is not taking kindly to the pull-out by ABC and One Life to Live of the Kish storyline featuring Brett Claywell and Scott Evans.  In a news item from Advocate.com, a One Life to Live spokesperson issued the following statement today, “The groundbreaking Kyle-Fish relationship on One Life to Live was embraced by fans both as a great story and a fair and honest reflection of the LGBT community. We’re glad their story resonated with the audience, and understand the fans’ disappointment now that it has concluded. The show has a history of bringing LGBT stories to the screen — earning two GLAAD awards in the process — as well as returning popular characters when they serve the ongoing story. These great characters remain in Llanview, and while there are no immediate plans to advance their story, the door is always open for their return.”
 
The statement comes after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced Friday morning that it is lobbying ABC Daytime to review its decision to end the storyline. “Last summer One Live to Live brought a groundbreaking relationship into the homes of millions with Kyle and Fish’s story, one that build acceptance and understanding of gay people,” GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. He went on to say that ending the story is a step backward in the representation of gay Americans, even though plot changes and cancellations are common in daytime dramas.

 

“We remain disappointed that ABC Daytime has chosen to stop sharing this powerful story with viewers of One Life to Live. GLAAD will continue to advocate that in the near future producers and writers at ABC Daytime incorporate gay and transgendered characters in their programming.”

There have been rumors that One Life to Live was ending the gay story line because of low ratings and poor response to the characters.

Click to comment

0 Comments
oldest
newest

The same sex marriage aspect harming Kish should be addressed by the soap press when critiquing OLTL axing Kish. With a topic as splintering as same sex unions, it definitely hurt more that it helped Kish. Soaps are about escapism, not political debates. Even in someplace as stereotypically thought to be liberal like Manhattan, many people are not on board w/ same sex unions. And the ratings of a conservative news channel like Fox reflects that sentiment.

Accrdg to TVGCanada’s newest report, it was Frank Valentini who axed Kish. So no one go blame Brian Frons or say some homophobic group engineered their firing. It’ll be interesting how the soap press criticizes Valentini for this move, since OLTL seems to be the golden child of the soap press. Even in TVGC, the only critique for Valentini was a sarcastic “Thanks a lot” for Valentini axing Kish.

Goutman was raked through the coals consistently for mishandling Nuke and Ellen Wheeler was all but crucified numerous times for neglecting Otalia. But at least those 2 didn’t fire their same sex couple. Carlivati’s writing should be taken to task, but I think the closest criticism he’d get was TVG’s Michael Logan’s “gay overkill” comment. If this were Megan McTavish, imagine all the harsh reviews she’d get?

Also accrdg to TVGC, speculation is that one of the portrayers of Kish is a hard partying kinda guy. He’d hold up production, so he was axed. My bet goes to Evans, since he admitted to going to the gay bars frequently in the interview here, and anyone who’s been to a gay bar/club knows how out of control it can get, especially in Manhattan.

More from TVGC, speculation is that they are axing 8 actors bec of budgetary constraints but the most interesting speculation is that the Kish storyline hit too close to home for certain execs. Well Carlivati is out, so it can’t be him.

Onto that mess GLAAD, they gave the award to Nuke the year that Nuke was banished from kissing or showing any affection on ATWT! So GLAAD is a joke. And they’d be even more of a joke if they award it to Kish now that kish has been written off.

All this blaming the actors thing is nonsense.

Scott Evans didn’t even have a contract so if they wanted to fire him for whatever reason, they could have done so without so much as a “See ya”.
They replace actors and actresses all the time (even long-time actors and actresses who have contracts).

If they were committed to these characters and their story, the producers would have simply recast or rewritten.

I’m not buying this “actor parties too hard ” crap for one second.

And if this is the reason he was fired, why fired both he AND Brett?

Why even make the statement about “not resonating with the mainstream”?

The “wedding” was like a month of the entire Fish coming out storyline and it was over by the period they claim was the problem area (November 09)

All of these latest excuses are just nonsense spin.

The primary viewership of soaps hasn’t being stay-at-home straight women for like 20 years. Teens, and gay men also make up a huge portion of the viewing audience (if they ever bothered to notice)

They cut KISH and fired Scott and Brett because they got scared and caved into the pressure of the right wing, conservative voices screaming in their ears. It’s a simple as that.

Don’t kid yourself, Persa!

I am a “stay-at-home straight women”; I am also what a lot of people would consider a “right wing, conservative voice”.

That being said, hearing that KISH had been unceremoniously dumped was, for me, like a kick in the gut. I loved their story, and I was really looking forward to the (seemingly) upcoming custody battle story-line! I wanted to see KISH kick stupid GiGi’s Butt, in court, get their baby, and raise their little girl together!

I wanted to see this couple go through all of the trials, tribulations, pride, and joy of parenthood together! It would have been great to watch them cope with being a family, while also facing all of the inevitable prejudices that would have gone along with their relationship.

I, for one, am very, very sorry that we are losing these wonderful characters/actors – along with their ground-breaking story! I can only hope that the Network will, somehow, miraculously, reconsider their unfortunate decision and decide to give our KISH a last minute reprieve from their looming execution!

Oh, and for what it is worth, I have already sent off my letters and e-mails (first time ever doing this!) that fully detail my displeasure with this decision to all concerned parties!

TVGC already reported that it was Frank Valentini who axed Claywell and untalented Evans, and they axed Crystal Hunt prior to them. They were not axed bec of so called pressure by a so called right wing grp. Why is everything homophobic for fans of Kish or Nuke? There’s no conspiracy theory against Crystal Hunt. She was let go bec people disliked Stacy, her acting is awful and she didn’t translate to ratings. The same applied to Kish. Since valentini axed them, complain to him instead of blaming these anonymous right wing groups.

Explain “doesn’t resonate with mainstream viewers ?

If it’s not about the “gay” what is it that doesn’t “resonate”?

Is it both Scott and Brett who don’t “resonate”?

Is it Kyle and Fish together or separately that doesn’t “resonate”?

Did Kyle as a character “resonate” before the viewers realized he was gay? Did Fish?

Scot Evans has never been on contract so did they just keep him around for almost 3 years because he’s pretty? Do tell.

You’re ascribing things to me that aren’t about me. I’m an individual, not some sheep following along and I have a right to voice my opinion and what I see is a heterosexist point of view taking precedence over good storytelling..

ABC made this about the characters being gay, I didn’t start it.

I don’t know what you gripe is with NUKE fans an KISH fans in general and it’s not really relevant to what I’M saying. How do you even know I’m a fan of NUKE? Who’s talking about NUKE, I never even mentioned them.

What does Crystal Hunt have to do with anything? Lot’s of actors got fired and the reasons given didn’t target their race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. I have no problem with firing an actor that isn’t working out as an actor, I have a problem with an American tv show, in 2010 firing actors because its viewership is upset about all the gay. OLTL has had some of the most preposterous story lines (for good or ill) I’ve ever seen outside of Passions. So to target the Big Gay Wedding as somehow totally out the box and over the line is just coo coo bananas.

I’m responding to the REASONS the producers of OLTL gave for why they fired BOTH Brett and Scott. That’s the issue. They are the one’s who made it about the characters being gay, not me.

If it’s all about Scott, why fire both of them AND why not just say they are firing them because the actors aren’t working out AS ACTORS?

What does their “mainstream” viewers have to do with anything? Whether it was Frank Valenti or The Pied Piper is immaterial to me.

If actors suck, then fire them because they suck.

Don’t claim that you are firing them for a whole host of other reasons that have to do with the sensibilities of your viewing audience then get shocked when members of your viewing audience who don’t happen to have that particular sensibility decide to speak out against your decision.

Scott Evans was on the show for an entire year before he even interacted with Brett Claywell, if his acting sucked so badly they could have fired him then. His character has always been a second-tier character so they could have easily replaced him. Why keep him around if he was so much trouble?

If you think the folks complaining to ABC about gays on OLTL aren’t right-wing, then you’re just not a very critical thinker or you have no idea about the way American culture functions.

I’m not slamming the right-wing viewers. They have a right to their opinion. But they don’t speak for me and my voice is just as valid.

I am simply pointing out that the people who complain are usually right wing and if you read their comments that’s pretty clear. Whether they are lovely people in their personal lives doesn’t matter because that has no effect on the daily lives of gay folks in the US.

Obviously there are right wing folks who like KISH. But, of course not, they aren’t the folks I’m talking about.

If people don’t want to see gay characters on your tv because they are gay, they are conservative homophobes. Period.

If we’re talking about firing actors for being bad actors, then I can think of at least two hands full of other actors on OLTL that I’ve observed who SHOULD be on the chopping block long before Scott Evans of Brett Claywell.

My grandma called what OLTL producers are doing “Spitting on someone’s next and trying to convince them it’s rain”

That dog won’t hunt. That’s all I’m saying.

There’s no pt debating w/ you. As for who’s “complaining” about Kish, I’m a queer male viewer of soaps, I thought Claywell was a good actor and he was the only actor who carried Kish, but I thought Evans sucked at the role majority of the time. So to make a sweeping generalization that only homophobes with an agenda don’t like Kish is closeminded. People can or can’t like a same sex rel storyline based on other factors too, like performances (Claywell’s was good, Evans’s was awful) and writing (Carlivati clearly had many missteps). Majority of the Kish fans seem as closeminded as these so called homophobic grps that they blame for Kish’s axing. I find it strange that you would say it’s immaterial that Frank valentini or the pied piper is who axed Kish. Who axed Kish has everything to do with it. If it was Brian frons who axed Kish then everyone would be complaining at him. It’s very telling that the soap press in particular are not going after Frank valentini on this issue of him axing Kish, but they raked Goutman through the coals for the Nuke kissing banishment, and they all but crucified Wheeler, a Mormon, for not letting Otalia marry in the GL finale. Goutman and Wheeler did not get rid of their same sex couple, but Valentini did.

Persa .. if you watch the video, around 13 minutes in, Brett says something like they do a lot of scenes in 1 take. Doesn’t sound like partying is a huge problem if it’s 1 take.

I only watched OLTL because of Kish and when they are gone, I will be gone as well.

DO NOT stop this storyline. It has been one of the best depictions of just how gay people live in the non-accepting gay world. I lived in the closet for a long, long time — fifty years — going the marriage route for a number of years. It wasn’t until my husband’s death and subsequent psychiatric counseling for other issues that I finally came out. I have been out fourteen years. I never felt as much of whom I was and am until that day when I declared I can be my gay self. The story on One Life To Live has been one of the best, better than All My Children even. It has featured gay men which it seems programs have trouble showing how they really feel, interact, how they think and believe. Women have been portrayed many times. This was a real break through as far as I am concerned. Please do not let naysayers and others decide what you will put in the show. It is certainly more realistic than underground worlds and Mitch Lawrence. Would you please kill him and Allison once and for all!

dont stop this storyline with brett claywell and scott evans and keep going to keep their storyline open and we need to bring scott evans and brett clatwell to bring them back to the show with oltl

Hello there, You’ve done an incredible job. I will certainly digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

Published

on

By

Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

Continue Reading

Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

Published

on

By

Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

Published

on

By

Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful

Airdate: 7-24-2026

Popular

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x