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OLTL's Hillary B. Smith tweets her sadness as she packed her things & left ABC Studios!

By Michael Fairman

Published

14 years ago

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Daytime Emmy winner and long time member of the cast of One Life to Live, Hillary B. Smith (Nora Buchanan) took to Twitter this morning to share her thoughts as she prepared to go to One Life’s ABC Studios in New York City to clean out her dressing room and take one more look around.  As you know, tomorrow, December 9th, is the final day for the cast to clear out their dressing rooms and belongings.

Hillary’s touching tweets stated, “I am awake and dreading today. It is the day I move the last of my stuff from the dressing room and say good by to my family. I will roll my stuff unaided through the audience waiting in line to see The View like a discarded lover when she has been all used up.”

“After 20 years of caring and bleeding for this show. I feel dismissed. Like we are all being told, “Move along. Nothing to see here.”

“Have to share the morning. Walked in, through and passed all the audience lining up for The View. It hit me… I will be doing the “Walk of Shame” leaving the building pushing and carrying all of my belongings past the sad looks of the audience. I walked into wardrobe to say “Good-Bye” and burst into tears! After hugging, all 5 walked in my dress room, grabbed my things. Your not alone. They walked me through the crowd like an entourage, helped me load the car and hugged, kissed and waved me “Good-Bye”. True Friends!  It makes you realize, the little gestures in life are like the arms of a conductor, they bring music to your soul. The lightest touch leaves the deepest imprint. Even a passing courtesy can make someone’s day. This morning will be forever a memory of love.”

These tweets broke our hearts! And doesn’t it make it all the more real for all soapers everywhere?  It’s hard to fathom the scene at ABC Studios today and tomorrow.  Our thoughts are with all the performers and behind-the-scenes personnel who gave so much to make One Life what it has been for 43-years.  One. Terrific. Show.

 

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MY HEART IS BREAKING!

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And it makes me want to be able to whip the bird and shout the words OUT LOUD to Frons and ABC and Disney…but I’ll do it the right way…I can’t stop watching Castle – but I CAN and WILL not watch anything new on ABC – not now, not ever.

Trust me on this…..I mean it.

Haven’t figured out how I’m going to hurt Disney yet, but I’m contemplating options. Any ideas out there? I don’t have little kids, so I don’t buy the movies…but there’s got to be something………

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stop watching castle ,stop watching anything on abc except the soaps.

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The thing is-nobody knows I watch the soaps, so how will they know when I quit watching ABC? Point being-where do these “ratings” come from? I’ve been watching soaps since I was old enough to watch tv, in the mid 1960’s & I have never been contacted by anyone, any ratings organization. I have always wondered how ratings are determined. Anybody have the answer?

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Gloria, read about Nielsen ratings at these links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/measurement/television-measurement.html

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My heart is so broken over everyone loosing there JOBS these shows aren;t just some show. THESE ARE OURS BELOVED FAMILY many of us have been watching since the begining for.some of us this all they have.now what what is going to happen to our ICON soaps.so many of us our so depress over this loss..but we will keep figting no matter what when you love something so much you just dont give up.SOAPS FANS OUR THE BEST FIGHTERS that any one could have and they are so LOYAL .just ask ABC THEY HAD SO many FANS FOR 43 YEARS. THEN THEY JUST THREW EVERYONE AWAY.TO SAVE 40% I hope it was worth it to you .

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You are so right Tammy. Breaks my heart. I have been so down since Nov. 23, I have cried & cried, this keeps me awake at night, the idea of not having this show in my life. The show is better & better every day-how can it end? How can ABC not understand what they are doing? I am just sick over this.

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Thanks, Hillary. We Totally Love You So Very Much!

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Nothing but the highest respect to all the wonderful people who gave us “One LifeTo Live” Hope to “see” all of you very soon. All the best in what ever comes next.

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Still can’t believe it….hoping it was all just a nightmare.

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Just heartbreaking! The fans, the actors, the crew, everyone wants this show to continue! Someone has got to be able to take all of this and make it profitable! I can’t believe that there isn’t some creative person/people who can capitalize on this. There is an opportunity here…

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Crying. Hating on ABC. I will only watch GH on ABC once OLTL is gone. Everything else, day or night is off limits in my home, forever.

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I feel like I am losing a family member or a dear friend. These characters from OLTL have been a part of my life for over 40 years and I can’t imagine a day without them in it. It is so sad. The last week it airs will be such a sad week for me. I am sure I will go through a sort of mourning. It is so sad and ABC is making such a mistake by getting rid of the soaps. Hillary is one of my fave’s along with so many from OLTL. Good luck to you all and I hope to be seeing all of you on another show. Love you all !!!!!!!!

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I really hope ABC loses a great deal of money and viewers in the coming year. I have never hated a television network as much. Sure TV shows come and go over the years. Plenty of my favorites have been canceled. However, ABC is literally killing an entire genre. AMC and One Life maintained ratings of over 2 MILLION viewers, in an era of multiple viewer choices. Not to mention, that One LIfe to Live is wonderfully written and performed. It has so much life left- and ABC is just killing it- for cooking shows!! I hate ABC.

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All I can say is shame on ABC execs who pulled the plug. Nothing and no one else has given them 43 years. Probably not even some of their spouses if they were soap lovers. It may take time but they will see they made some pretty powerful enemies.

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Hillary: “the little gestures in life . . . bring music to your soul. The lightest touch leaves the deepest imprint. . . . will be forever a memory of love.”

Your words remind me of your performances and OLTL.

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I am nit watching live with KELLY either,wish that annoying show was cancelled

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I’m heartbroken.

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For Gloria regarding how ratings information is gathered and from whom. It is called the Neilsen’s ratings system.

Nielsen television ratings are gathered in one of two ways:

1. Viewer “diaries”, in which a target audience self-records its viewing or listening habits. By targeting various demographics, the assembled statistical models provide a rendering of the audiences of any given show, network, and programming hour.
2. A more technologically sophisticated system uses Set Meters, which are small devices connected to televisions in selected homes. These devices gather the viewing habits of the home and transmit the information nightly to Nielsen through a “Home Unit” connected to a phone line. The technology-based home unit system is meant to allow market researchers to study television viewing habits on a minute to minute basis, seeing the exact moment viewers change channels or turn off their TV. In addition to set meters, individual viewer reporting devices, such as people meters, have allowed the company to separate household viewing information into various demographic groups, but so far Nielsen has refused to change its distribution of data of ethnic groups into subgroups, which could give more targeted information to networks and advertisers.

Changing systems of viewing have impacted Nielsen’s methods of market research. In 2005, Nielsen began measuring the usage of digital video recordings such as TiVo. Initial results indicate that time-shifted viewing will have a significant impact on television ratings. The networks are not yet figuring these new results into their ad rates due to the resistance of advertisers.”

So as you can see, the networks only take in part of the numbers(Ratings) counted not all. It is unfair to cancel our soaps or any show for that matter, when the Networks and advertisers are not considering all the millions of people who digitally record the soaps to watch when they get home from work.

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This was nice of Hillary B. Smith to let us know what happens now. I read with interest all the insights from actors on GL, ATWT and AMC. This simple story of Smith’s cleaning out her dressing room really touched me. It is always difficult to bridge past and future, but when it was situation was done in this way… well, it is more poignant.

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In a real sense Neilsen’s ratings system is still operating in the old standard of America, both when they were rating radio programs in the 20’s, 30’s 40’s and 50’s to when television came into regular use. The 20’s through the 50’s in America was a time when Mom usually stayed home with the kids while Dad went out to work ostensibly to bring home the bacon so to speak.

My point is that America hasn’t looked like the first three quarters of the 20th century in a very long time. Since the later quarter of the 20th century we have gone from VCR to DVR and as we have recorded our soaps they have never been missed. It is well to mention here that along with the recorded program comes the commercials in between just like on live TV so the sponsor products are there as well… ever in our sight for us to pick and choose from according to our individual household needs.

But since the Networks are only looking at what I suspect to be Neilsen’s ratings of whatever is being watched at its scheduled time, the real story has been ignored..and that is where I cry foul. We as soap viewers support the soaps not only when we watch but …when we buy sponsor advertised products.

To the Advertisers and the Networks:

This is the 21st Century not the antiquated first three quarters of the 20th century. We do not live in a welfare state in America and because we are not all independently wealthy, people have to go out to work so that we can pay our bills and taxes and buy those lovely sponsor products.
We in America all live in that reality, so why should we (the soap viewers (that number 7 million) lose a 43 year old unique American Tradition (One Life To Live) just because the Networks and Advertisers refuse to get out of the first 3/4 of the 20th century? The answer to that question is that: We shouldn’t have to and we wouldn’t have if the Networks , the Advertisers and the antiquated version of the Neilsen’s ratings system as used by them would come out of the dark ages.

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Networks don’t want you to DVR soaps. Because if you, that means that you’re not watching the commercials.

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“My point is that America hasn’t looked like the first three quarters of the 20th century in a very long time. Since the later quarter of the 20th century we have gone from VCR to DVR and as we have recorded our soaps they have never been missed. It is well to mention here that along with the recorded program comes the commercials in between just like on live TV so the sponsor products are there as well… ever in our sight for us to pick and choose from according to our individual household needs.”

That is the point of my comments. You see it doesn’t matter that they don’t want us to DVR or record our soaps and /or daytime shows or not because the reality is, that unless the Networks, and Advertisers come into the 21st century, and start counting recorded shows or “shifted viewing” as viable numbers, then by default there is no show that will make it so to speak… because reality dictates that most of us have to leave our homes to work for a living.
At some point the Networks and Advertisers will have to come to accept our current reality and deal accordingly or they will have to pay the steep prices for lost show after lost show. It costs a great deal of money to put shows on TV, imagine how much those costs will rise as they continue on in their present path with the Neilsen’s Ratings System having to replace show after show simply because they persist in counting viewers the way they have for the last 50 years… and thereby doing, they refuse to recognize “All” the viewers.

So in the end it doesn’t matter that they don’t want us to DVR our shows reasoning that we aren’t watching the commercials; because as we need to make a living to buy those sponsor products, reality dictates that the DVR is recording the shows we watch anyway.
and as the Networks refuse to look at all of us, they will be the ones to lose in the end.

Whether it is recording the soaps or watching them at their regularly scheduled times…we, millions of soap viewers are not the ones at fault here, we have been there watching our shows faithfully for more than four decades, having spent billions of dollars over the last four decades in sponsor product purchases.

ABC has blown a lot of hot air regarding the viewers not wanting to watch soaps anymore because they had the Nelisen’s Ratings System the way it currently counts viewers, to back up what they said…but the truth is …a system, such as the Neilsen’s that refuses to count ‘All” the viewers is flawed.

Bottom line …….
If soaps can’t make money anymore as ABC and Oprah have both claimed, then why did ABC ‘Sell” the licensing rights to Prospect Park in the first place? And why did ABC expect to receive millions in royalties every year? If our soaps can’t make money then where did ABC expect to get royalties in the millions? Huh?..

And finally, if our Soaps can’t make money anymore then why didn’t ABC just give the licensing rights away for free or at one dollar to make the licensing deal legal?

Other Networks know all this and they know that wherever our soaps go…. we go….even if we have to buy cable to do it.

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BOYCOTT ABC! Get smart STOP watching EVEN DWTS.
AWARDS SHOWS, ANYTHING THEY BOARDCAST and they will fell the rath.

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I agree boycott ABC! There is nothing now on ABC that I can’t see anywhere else.

Reply

Days Of Our Lives

‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 1, 2026

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After languishing on the bubble for months, on Friday, NBC handed down the decision and canceled the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons.

Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

The final six episodes of what will now be the end of its second and final season were already set to air beginning on May 27, after being pulled off the network schedule in February as viewership saw a steep decline. Brilliant Minds second season became the lowest-rated drama on linear TV viewing, which didn’t bode well fo a network renewal, although it had its hard core fan base.

Photo: NBC

There are some exceptional notables in the cast along with the talented Quinto that includes Days of Our Lives alum, Al Calderon (ex-Javi Hernandez) who joined the series in its second season as Nurse Nico Silva, and One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) who plays Wolf’s love interest and fellow physician, Dr. Josh Nichols.

The rest of the talented cast includes: Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus.

In an ironic twist of fate on Thursday, April 30, Days of Our Lives finally revealed the actor who was Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Javi, when they announced that actor Jacob Martinez had now stepped into the role. Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming new episode, Calderon left in the spring of 2025, but will be seen in the part for the final part this month, and then on June 20, Martinez debuts as Salem’s new Javi.

Taking to his Instagram with a sorrowful and heartfelt post on the Brilliant Minds cancellation was Teddy Sears who wrote, “Thank you, Brilliant Minds. I got the call today and I didn’t want to hear, but I knew that it would come, You have to be a particular vintage to quote Don Henley from memory, but that’s the line that came to mind earlier today after I got off the phone with our inimitable showrunner Michael Grassi who delivered the news that NBC has cancelled the series”.

Photo: NBC

Sears continued, “To say that I feel sad to be moving on from these stories, this character, and this cast and crew just doesn’t paint the entire picture. I’m sad, sure. But I’m also deeply grateful that I got hired to play this part, so proud of the stories we told, and the other actors I got to play alongside. I’m excited to see what comes next, what adventures await, and terrified to be without a professional home. A quick and heartfelt thank you to everyone, all over the globe, who found us and found themselves in us, in our characters and in our stories. We wouldn’t have been able to tell them without you. And we still have 6 fresh episodes yet to air, and I do hope you tune in enjoy the remainder of the series. They’re the best we’ve done.”

As he wrapped up his sentiments, Sears signed off with, “The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I figured out I have to learn again. I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But everything changes…Thank you, Brilliant Minds.”

The medical drama was created and executive produced by Michael Grassi alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.

So, what do you think of NBC’s decision to cancel Brilliant Minds after two seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’

Published

18 hours ago

on

May 1, 2026

By

Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.

Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark

Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”

In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.

It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.

Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.

You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.

So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.

 

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?

Published

1 day ago

on

April 30, 2026

By

On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.

As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.

Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?

Courtesy/ABC

Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.

BROTHERLY LOVE?

Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”

With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”

BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE

Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”

So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.

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