News
OLTL's Hillary B. Smith comments that things are "up in the air" about continuing with series online!
Courtesy/ABC
Daytime Emmy Award winning actress, Hillary B. Smith (Nora Buchanan) spoke with TheatreMania about her new play, Any Given Monday which begins performances this Thursday in New York City, and her time with One Life to Live. Hillary also revealed where she stands with continuing with One Life when it moves online in January. Here are a few excerpts from the interview below.
Hillary on when OLTL goes off the air on ABC in January, what is the likelihood that she will continue with the show when it moves online via Prospect Park: “I can say that Nora and Bo (played by Robert S. Woods) will be leaving together when we stop taping on ABC, and that makes me very happy. As for the online venture, I am very excited that the show’s fans will have another venue, and I am sorry for ABC that they made this decision. But I don’t know what’s in store for me after Thanksgiving, when I stop shooting One Life. Things are up in the air. I am continuing to work on this Internet series,Venice, which shoots in Los Angeles. I would love to do more stage work. And I have to admit it’s both liberating and scary not to know what’s next. Like a lot of actors, I actually love change and love reinventing myself.”
Hillary on playing Nora for 20 years on daytime: “I have to say she has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and too often, she became a device to move the story rather than the character we started with. She’s done a lot of things I wouldn’t have Nora do. Lately, with the story about Destiny having Nora’s son’s baby, I’ve had to play Nora like she’s losing her mind — she’s so stressed out and so desperate and so full of grief that she’s making decisions Nora would never make and that go against her moral fiber. But, as an actor, you have to come up with justifications for what your character does.”
So can you see OLTL without Nora and the talents of Hillary B. Smith? Let us know.
General Hospital
RATINGS: ‘General Hospital’ Shows Most Gains in Total Viewers Week-Over-Week and Up in Key Demo
The ratings are out for the week of August 24-28 for your favorite broadcast television soaps, and it was ABC’s General Hospital which added the most total viewers and planted itself firmly in third place in its battle with Beyond the Gates in the key demos of women 18-49 and 25-54.
According to Soap Opera Network, all daytime dramas were up year-over-year, and General Hospital was joined by The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful with gains in their total audience viewership, while Beyond the Gates was only slightly off pace for the ratings week.
Let’s take a look at what had viewers tuning-in, starting with General Hospital, who added +79,000 viewers. While still under the 2 million viewers mark (which they can hopefully return in the coming weeks) their overall tally was an average of 1, 935,000 tuning-in, while still up year-to-year +136,000.
GENERAL HOSPITAL
In addition, GH while actually down from the previous week in the 18-49 ratings share, they still out performed Beyond the Gates for third place. However, GH was firmly in third place for the 25-54 ratings share.
The stories that were featured for the week included: Anna’s (Finola Hughes) PTSD and struggle with painful memories tied to Cesar Faison, and her concocting a plan to get rid of Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) recording Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) threatening her, and later running into a severe threat from Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) regarding Kai (Jens Austin Astrup) and Drew’s (Cameron Mathison) shooting, and Drew enlisting Ava (Maura West) to gain leverage over Jack, which resulted in Ava drugging him, while Drew went snooping for the evidence Brennan had against him.
Photo: JPI
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Y&R remained in the top spot amongst all the soaps once again with 3,062,000 tuning in, and up +35,000 for the week, while year-to-year still showing strong gains at +231,000 viewers. However, while Y&R remained #1 for the 25-54 ratings share, it fell to #2 in the 18-49 ratings share behind The Bold and the Beautiful.
In story for the week, Nick’s (Joshua Morrow) sobriety in rehab was a focus, as was Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) hitting the Jabot office couch and having sex for the first time, and Lily (Christel Khalil) and Billy (Jason Thompson) battling over control and ownership of Chancellor Industries.
Photo: JPI
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
B&B is continuing to be inch closer to Y&R for the top spot, separated by a little more than 300,000 viewers. For the ratings week, the series posted a total audience of 2,719,000 adding +31,000 eyeballs overall, and like Y&R, is up year-to-year in its performance.
The CBS soap now , now in its 40th season is +217,000 from the same time last year. In the key demos, The Bold and the Beautiful was in the top spot for the women 18-49 ratings share and number two for women 25-54.
In story, the major threat to Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) and Daphne’s (Murielle Hilaire) marriages continued as Steffy and Carter swore they would not tell their spouses that the two had a drunken hook-up. But as viewers know now, Steffy is pregnant!
Photo: CBS
BEYOND THE GATES
Beyond the Gates tallied an average of 1,611,000 total viewers for the week, up +72.000 year-over-year and down slightly in tune-in for the week losing just -36,000 viewers. The CBS soap came in fourth place in the key demos for the week behind General Hospital, with whom they are often trading places for the third spot.
In story, after Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) was released from the hospital, Hayley (Marquita Goings) stuck to her plan, doubling down on poisoning him and even getting caught in a major lie or meeting with Randy (Maurice P. Kerry), as Vernon (Clifton Davis) may be on to her machinations.
The ratings report is generated from Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) for the week of August 24-28, 2026
So, what did you think of the performance of General Hospital for the ratings period? Which daytime drama has you most likely to tune-in each day? Which has you tuning-out? Let us know what’s working, or not working for you in story, via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
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!
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.
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.
RATINGS: ‘General Hospital’ Shows Most Gains in Total Viewers Week-Over-Week and Up in Key Demo
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
‘General Hospital’s’ Braedyn Bruner Reveals Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and How Emma is Getting Her ‘Edge’ Back
‘General Hospital’s’ Bluesy Burke Marks 1 Year as Charlotte Cassadine: ‘It’s The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received’
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
‘Beyond the Gates’ vs. ‘The Young and the Restless’ in a Soap Opera Showdown on ‘Flip Side’ Season 3 Premiere
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Heather Tom Talks Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and What’s Behind Katie’s Deep-Seated Issues with Dylan (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Did Brook Lynn Deserve Chase Walking Out on Her?
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General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
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News1 week agoVivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
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News2 days agoJess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
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General Hospital7 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Braedyn Bruner Reveals Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and How Emma is Getting Her ‘Edge’ Back
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General Hospital5 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Bluesy Burke Marks 1 Year as Charlotte Cassadine: ‘It’s The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received’
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News5 days ago‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Drops First Look 40th Anniversary Opening Title Sequence
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Interviews6 days ago‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Kelly Sullivan Talks Becoming Darcy Dylan, Who’s Melissa’s Dad, and Future Love Interest (Exclusive)
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News3 days agoY&R’s Co-Head Writer Jamey Giddens, Ahead of November Stories and Scripts Debut with Dan O’Connor, Explains How Fall Tees Up Their Plans for Genoa City
No, I can’t imagine OLTL without Bo and Nora. I waited a decade for them to be reunited. But I have hated the writing with all this Destiny baby mess and what the writers have done to Matthew. I don’t blame the actors for moving on at all. I wish Hillary the best in all her future projects. She is very talented and OLTL has not appreciated her in years.
I wish that Bobby & Hillary were asked to continue as “Bo & Nora” on-line!
Too bad they will not be going along with P&P but who knows. Maybe that will change in the future. Either way I will be watching 😀
Too bad they will not be going along with P&P but who knows. Maybe that will change in the future. Either way I will be watching 😀
For Llanview to be Llanview as OLTL fans love it and are supportuing it, Bo Buchanan is a critical player as a key member of the Buchanan family dynasty with history and depth. Mr. Robert Woods (aka The Commish, aka “Woodsey” [aside from being the cast ensemble’s most beloved and renowned practical joker] is a highly talented and seasoned veteran displaying great flexibility, and who has been with the show for many years. Hilary B. Smith, as Nora Buchanan, not only is one of Llanview’s finest attorneys (she is one tough lady!), beloved wife and companion to Bo and mother too to Matthew Buchanan, she is also a great sucker for junkfood, burgers and fries, and Bo & Nora are great dancers and rock n’ roll fans, also having brought to the show some of its finest moments ever with tremendous humanity and love. They and their partying and dancing prowess have brought people like Little Richard and Snoop Dog into Llanview with great style (and ratings!) time and time again. Bo & Nora are one of soap operas’ greatest couples ever, certainly in that fictional suburb we have come to know and love as Llanview, Pennsylvania. Prospect Park is toooooooooooooooooo smart to not do the right thing…IF Llanview can BE Llanview, and granted that is still an IF but overall there are tremendous signs of hope, then there will be an international blockbuster success and riches aplenty for those who were smart enough to have banked on it, as one brilliant savvy and well founded investment. Hire them on PP and millions of us will do the Happy Dance for you: Just Name The Location!:.))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Losing Bo and Nora would be a huge blow to OLTL as I believe they have always been the stable couple, even through their ups and downs and the heart of the show. I am hoping that both Hillary and Bob take a chance with the online format as I have a feeling its going to be great and attract new viewers from around the world.
I hope that both are offered contracts to stay with the show, and that we see a return to the real “Nora & Bo” storylines
I don’t think there performance will make a big impact, they kind fizz out and in. I like the actors, but I don’t think it will make a big difference without them.
I agree. I think the show will have to feature the “next” generation. I see it being about Viki’s kids, and the Mannings. It appears that Destiny will still be on, otherwise they would not have asked Sean. I can see Bo and Nora leaving Llanview. I don’t want that to happen, but if the show has to be downsized, so be it. I need to see Viki, Jess and Nat, Todd Tea and Blair. It could still feel like OLTL without them. It would not be OLTL without a Todd Manning.
Not everyone watches the show for Todd. This Todd stuff has gotten old fast. Im sick of the silly Buke twins. I love my Buchanan men and Cramer women. When Bo and Nora leave so will Matthew and with them Asa’s legacy. Kevin is gone. Dorian and her children are all gone. The show will be all Lords. Bo and Nora are certainly the heart of the show as someone said, even when they were apart. Losing Bo’s family will be a huge blow. I am in my 30’s and I watch for the core characters and families. I don’t care about the younger characters nearly as much, especially Todd and company and Jolie.
bo & nora are major staples in landview – what are these people smoking????
i remember when the buchanans came to landview – i can’t imagine not seeing bo & nora………………..smh
The problem is Nora needs her arch nemesis in the picture….. Please bring back Cathryn Hickland!!! Nora is at her best, when she and Lindsay are going at it, toe to toe. I hope that PP makes that happen. I love Bo & Nora, and the show wouldn’t be the same without them, but let’s face it, Nora hasn’t been the same since Lindsay has been out of the picture.
As a matter of fact, wouldn’t it be something if Matthew got better, Lindsay was released from prison and found out that he was responsible for the Eddie Ford’s murder and she got even with Nora…..I mean after all, Nora went after Lindsay so hard, when she faked her nervous breakdown to avoid prison, so it would be karma coming back and biting Nora in the butt….It would be so juicy to watch unfold.
I would hate to see Robert S. Woods and Hillary B. Smith not on OLTL when it moves to online in January. They are both talented actors who give amazing performances. I hope PP is listening and offer these two intergal characters and actors a contract.
No Bo and Nora ??
If not on OLTL on line….then maybe something else.
Hillary and Robert have such a wonderful acting partnership…..it would be a shame not to see them together in anything…..God I’d watch them in commercials.
I cannot imagine OLTL without Bo & Nora. I hope both Hilary & Robert take some time to think about the move to Prospect Park and seriously consider maybe even making some appearances if that is possible. We have seen Bo throughout the Todd storyline, but sure missing Nora…plus Matthew needs to recover and return to his family .
If that is not possible, then good luck to all three of them and hopefully we will see them again with whatever the future may hold for them..primetime?
well, she really didnt say she wanted to continue or not continue did she? grrr! lol.
I for one absolutely love Bo and Nora and really think that they need to continue with OLTL when it goes on TOLN.com with PP. I want to see them with their grandchild, I want Matthew to be ok and be with Desitiny, I want them all on OLTL when it goes to the net 🙂
I CAN’T SEE MYSELF WATCHING 1L2LIVE ONLINE IF HILLARY B. SMITH IS NOT ON THERE… I LOVE TO WATCH IT WHEN I SEE NORA AND BO ON THERE 2GETHER… THEY ARE THE BEST COUPLE ON THERE THAT MAKES THE SHOW… YOU ALL NEED TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE HILLARY B. SMITH COMES 2… SHE IS A GREAT ACTRESS…
To tell the truth I’m only interested in seeing if Florencia Lozano or either Roger Howarth or Trevor St. John will be with the online version I’m happy enough with the people they have signed so far.
Bo has to stay! As much as I love Nora I could do without her but NOT BO! OLTL is the best show on tv right now. I wish ABC had not cancelled it. I love the flexibility of watching on tv at work during my lunch hour, recording it on a vcr at work or dvr at home, watching at night in bed on Soapnet, or online the next morning if necessary. So many choices. I hope all this works out in January.
She has time to fly off and do Venice, but doesn’t know if she’ll stick around to do OLTL? I am so over it!! I know that all of these stars have the right to go on and do whatever they feel is in their best interests, but to be honest with you, I’m getting tired of feeling like I’m begging for my faves to stay on and be a part of the show that the fans help save. It’s totally about my own selfish desires, but geez, sometimes I fell I would be better off not knowing until we get a complete list of all the people who are going to stay on, and all of those who want to go on to something else. Just when we get good news about Ron, Melissa, Jerry and all the others that plan on staying, we hear that some of our other favorites aren’t so sure. This is a rollercoaster ride that I’m getting tired of. Hurry up PP and let us know more details! LOL
It doesn’t feel like AMC is coming together as well though….the AMC camp has been very tight-lipped and quiet about what’s going on, which concerns me….but anyway, if Hilary decides to go in another direction, I wish her the best, but I hope that she reconsiders. I have never seen fans fight for their shows so hard, as with AMC & OLTL, so I hope the talent considers that in their decision on whether or not the choose to live another life in LLanview…..
Maybe I missed it, but I don’t see anything in the article to indicate she has even been asked to stay on, or that not knowing whether she’ll be doing the online version is her choice. I don’t see anything there about having gotten an offer and now she’s considering it. All I see is that she doesn’t know what the future holds.
If the characters of Bo and Nora will be leaving Llanview together when the show ends on ABC, it sounds to me as though Prospect Park has decided not to keep the characters/actors around.
I think it’s pretty clear they’re going to have to cut some people. Maybe they’ve decided Bo and Nora are expendable.
I can think of so many other characters I would prefer to see leave Llanview, frankly.
They need to try and keep OUR favorites, lets just hope for the best.
I heard a rumor that Bob Woods wants to go into semi retirement after the ABC finale. Most likely, Kris Alderson and Eddie Alderson will not be coming back due to their family’s move to LA, so Starr and Matthew would have to be recast…Without Bo, Nora would be kind of…lost…in Llanview. I hope that they decide to stay on as recurring if they do not sign contracts.
I heard that Bob Woods wants to go into semi retirement after the ABC finale. Most likely, Kris Alderson and Eddie Alderson will not be coming back due to their family’s move to LA, so Starr and Matthew would have to be recast…Without Bo, Nora would be kind of…lost…in Llanview. I hope that they decide to stay on as recurring if they do not sign contracts.
One of my biggest OLTL prayers has just been answered…..They are bringing back Lindsey Rappaport!!!! Happy days are here again! Finally, TPTB are listening to some of the fans prayers….LOL Now, just bring back Trevor & Robin, and I’ll be a happy camper. Looks like Nora will get some much needed attention….being that Lindsey’s on her way back into town.
I don’t want to lose Nora. OLTL will be diminished without her. Smith is so good. She makes what she does look so easy that I don’t think she has been recognized recently for her incredible work regarding her son as a murderer and his subsequent injury. It doesn’t get any better in soap land than Nora and Lindsey or Nora and Bo.