News
OLTL's Robin Strasser speaks out on Frons decision & praises Valentini!
Courtesy/ABC
One Life to Live’s fabulous Robin Strasser (Dorian) has taken to twitter, and letting it rip when it comes to her thoughts, disappointment, and outrage at the decision made by ABC and Daytime President, Brian Frons of cancelling both One Life and All My Children.
This time Strasser spoke out to Soap Opera Digest and said, “When Brian Frons makes this size decision, he shoots down thousands of New York City jobs…. If I were thanking anyone, I’d be sure to put Frank Valentini (Executive Producer) up there because he saved money, brought us in under budget and raised the standards of our production. If you’re gonna thank anyone, I would be thanking Frank Valentini. That is who deserves the credit. [Brian Frons] is bullying hundreds of employees and he’s destroying the lives and livelihood of families. Additionally, by dissing and disrespecting the audiences that love us, he puts himself in peril. I know the people who care about the audience. I know about people whose integrity is unquestioned — Erika Slezak (Viki) is chief among them and Frank Valentini…. You cannot proudly present a new endeavor when you have spit on the audience. You cannot. They will bite you back, and don’t you love it about them?”
You tell em Robin!
News
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Plan to “Spill the Tea” on Launch of Their Podcast ‘Amy & T.J.’
December 5th will be, and was, a memorable date in the careers of the controversial pairing of former ABC news anchors and GMA3 co-hosts, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes.
The duo will officially launch their iHeartPodcast Amy and T.J tomorrow on Tuesday. The series is hosted and executive produced by the couple, who last night stepped out for the first time together at the iHeart 2023 Jingle Ball.
Their outing was quite the strategic one, right before the premiere of their new show where in the teaser released by iHeartPodcasts, they play up the scandal of it all.
Photo: iHeartMedia
Making the drop date of Amy and T.J. all the more salacious is that one-year ago on December 5th, 2022 Robach and Holmes were removed from their hosting duties on GMA3: What You Need to Know.
Promoting their new podcast, the couple shared in a promotional photo: “Why yes, we be serving tea… One week from today, ‘Amy & T. J.'”
Photo: iHeartMedia
According to the press release on their new audio venture, Amy and T.J. will use their decades of experience delivering headline news and captivating viewers nationwide as they get behind the microphone to explore meaningful conversations about current events, pop culture, and everything in between where “nothing is off limits.”
The two anchors intimate relationship first became public knowledge when photos of the two together holding hands surfaced back in November of 2022. Both were presumably married to their spouses at the time. Holmes to Marilee Fiebeg, and Robach to former Melrose Place star, Andrew Shue.
Take a listen below to the intro teaser for Amy and T.J. Then let us know, what do you think about how they are working the scandal that got them ousted from ABC? Intrigued to hear if they reveal anything about their relationship and what really went down behind the scenes in the season premiere of their new podcast? Let us know via the comment section.
News
Judith Light to Star Alongside Billy Crystal in Apple TV+ Limited Series ‘Before’
Whenever we get to see more Judith Light on our screens is always a good day. Almost every project she touches, or appears in, sees her delivering yet another magnificent performance on her already more than impressive acting resume.
Now comes word that the former two-time Daytime Emmy-winning star from One Life to Live (Ex-Karen Wolek) and two-time Tony Award winner will star along with Billy Crystal in Apple TV+’s upcoming limited series, Before.
According to the loglines on the series, Before is a 10-episode atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller about Eli (Crystal), a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn (Light), encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.
Photo: JPI
Seductively enigmatic, Lynn (Light) is the love of Eli’s life, but her recent death may not be quite what it seems. As Eli digs deeper into the hidden life of the wife he thought he knew, he soon finds Lynn haunting him from beyond the grave.
According to Deadline, Adam Bernstein is set to direct the pilot. He previously directed the pilot episodes for Fargo, 30 Rock, and Scrubs. His most recent directing credit include Apple TV+’s Silo and Showtime’s Billions.
Photo: JPI
As for Judith, she had continued to work project after project. She also received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can see Light in Max’s Julia and Starz’s Shining Vale as well as Peacock’s Poker Face.
News
Winsor Harmon Hopes Audience Reaction Will Prompt B&B’s Brad Bell: “To Start Writing for Thorne Again”
On tomorrow’s December 5th episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, Winsor Harmon makes a return as Thorne Forrester, as Eric (John McCook) is set to throw a major Forrester family party since he plans on saying goodbye to his loved ones as he was given only a few months to live.
The last time Harmon visited the CBS daytime drama series was back in 2022 during a dream sequence of Brooke’s (Katherine Kelly Lang). Harmon has appeared on and off the series since from 1996- 2016. For a short run, Ingo Rademacher took over the role from late 2017- to early 2019.
Joining Harmon during his return will be another B&B favorite, Ashley Jones who reprises her role as Bridget Forrester beginning on the December 6th episode of the soap opera.
Photo: JPI
Speaking with SOD on his latest comeback to BOLD, Harmon expressed his hope’s that out of his appearances will come a potential new story for Thorne down the line.
Winsor shared, “We’ll see how the audience reacts and I think things will start popping in Brad’s (Bell, executive producer/head writer) head and he’ll start writing for Thorne again.”
Photo: JPI
In terms of what Harmon was told when the series offered him to make a comeback for some upcoming episodes, the actor revealed, “They didn’t tell me anything.” So, apparently Winsor was in the dark when he said “yes” as to just what the story would be.
Coming up, look for some emotional moments for the Forrester family, as some people know of Eric’s condition, while other’s in the family do not.
So, do you hope that Brad Bell decides to write future story for Thorne Forrester and bring back into the canvas for a longer run as played by Winsor Harmon? Comment below.
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Winsor Harmon Hopes Audience Reaction Will Prompt B&B’s Brad Bell: “To Start Writing for Thorne Again”
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I love Robin Strasser’s frankness! She is so right this is going to affect the livelihood of so many people. It’s not just about the cast, crews and fans and to make light of the cancellations by saying “they are just soaps” is ridiculous. If this were a major company closing it’s doors or laying off this many people the News Media and American people would be all over it, especially when people are making jokes! Job loss in any form is no joke!
When will ABC release that they will make more money by saving One Life To Live and getting rid of Brian Frons? Hasn”t ABC tracked all the out cry of the cancelatlon of these two soaps? Bravo To Robin Strasser and Ericka Slezak, and all other OLTL staff and production team.
I have been a huge fan of hers since she played Rachel Davis on Another World. I was only a pup when she created that role and she will always be Rachel to me when I think of that character. Her performance today with Mr. Verdorn is why I have watched daytime for forty plus years. Many good actresses have tried to fill her shoes while she was on a sabat from OLTL but there will also always be only ONE Dorian.
all i can say is the decision to cancel the soaps are a BIG, BIG, mistake and channel 7 is going down, down down! we don’t want to see other shows in place of our soaps whom we’ve grown to love. we need to PROTEST in front of the studio!
Those of us who live in NW Illinois love Miss Robin & OLTL!
All the OLTL fans……let’s do something that we should have done a long time ago. Tune in to OLTL like never before…tell a friend or a family member to watch every week. Even if they aren’t a fan of the show, just turn the tv on and walk out of the room, if they must…..but let’s do everything we can to put OLTL in the #1 soap spot. Y&R has held onto that glory for far too long. Let’s show ABC just how much we care for our show!!
I love you all.. but i will not stop fighting and hoping for a last minute save.. and you know what.. who the hell is OPRAH. she is not God and she is no one who signs my pay check. She is part of the ABC Machine.. big wigs and money.. Bull shit walking and money talking.. Frons has his to lazy to check on him peers thinking he is telling the truth. Well he is in a way… The fans saw how he was messing with the shows. AMC and GH. those were the two big money winners… So he moves AMC to california-knowing he was going to cancel. Close enough for him to mess it up the way he did GH with the writing. Their ratings drop.. Poor little OLTL ( LEFT FOR DEAD) suddenly takes off gaining viewers because it didnt fall apart when he left it alone. it blossomed…. Hell people… fire the man… and dont pay attention to oprah or barbra walters. they are part of the abc machine. If nbc cbs picks up one life and puts it on after young and restless or bold and beautiful its going to take off…. it is going to sore…. its already out doing DOOL.
Keep hope alive make those calls.. if we can get hersey to pull out we may have a win.. please call people .. we need ten thousand calls before hersey will agree to pull out… For the love of God… dont cry about a death that does not have to be… fight for life.. get off your knees and dont go down with out a fight. NOW CALL FLIPPIN HERSEY .. dont leave it to the next guy. he may be leaving it for you… just do it.
I agree I will miss All My Children and One Life to Live. They are iconic shows with iconic characters and some very fan pleasing actors. All the screaming, yelling, ranting and raving cannot hide some of the realities.
1. The soaps for whatever reason are in decline in respect to ratings. And ratings are important for sponsors. A change in the workforce population with less people at home, the internet and cable opening up more competition has cut into the soap market. Not to mention poor storylines and writing.
2. Hoping for Oprah to save the day or even sponsors backing out is a last desperate grab to try to save sinking ships. But it is not Oprah or the sponsors that can save the show. In part, the public needed to show the support by watching; watching now to try to save OLTL since AMC is almost a forgone conclusion as it only has 4 months to live, really is a temporary solution unless the fans watch religiously.
3. This is not world peace; these are entertainment shows. Iconic yes, Moving to many perhaps but life will go on. It will just be a little sadder and some of our favourite stars may never be seen.
It appears though AMC had slighlty lower ratings it was really the stronger show. It went up against two other top soaps. It does make sense a non soap has a better chance for ratings. That is a problem when you have three networks fighting for the soap audience in the same time slot. And ratings do not explain everything. The brand of AMC was always stronger = much of that lies whether we like it or not that they have the iconic Susan Lucci.
I am resigned sadly that they are cancelled. I do believe Mr. Frons should be fired but not simply because he cancelled these shows. He is like the coach. He had the goods and he could not produce two winning teams.
Now all we can do is hope to see some of these amazing performers and writers in the future.
Loser! We will NOT give up without a fight!
Everyday for the past 2 years I have been struggling to survive. My appraisal business has gone down at least 90% leaving me without money at times and my story (which is common around our country) goes on and on. Besides my granddaughters and daughter the only thing that I look forward to at night is watching All My Children and One Life to Live, and it has depressed me and so many others I know that ABC thinks by cutting out these two iconic shows they’ll save money. Whose money? They’re tearing apart not only lives of the fans (college age to seniors) but the lives of all the employees from maintenance to cast. We will all stop watching ABC. Who cares about yet another boring talk or food show. If things aren’t bad enough in the world, let us have our escape to the Soaps. SHAME ON YOU MR. FRONS!!
As a postscript I watch the Soaps at night thanks to Soapnet. Why can’t Soapnet buy-out our Soaps?
Robin
I agree with you and will miss you on the show. It has been so depressing watching
one character after another leave the show. I am done watching daytime television.
It will not be the same . I hate reality tv. I have watched OLTL for many years
and will be very sorry to see it go.
I just watched my “taped” show of Robin’s farewell and I’m crying/sobbing knowing this is the end–I miss her so much, I’m depressed over the decision to cancel the show, and disgusted with ABC and the lame new shows they have produced (their shameless promotion during the SOAPS has been especially insulting, I’m listing the sponsors and will no longer buy their products). All My Children and One Life To Live have been a staple and will not be replaced by some insipid show called the chew, dr oz, or even when katie couric graces us with her presence. The Soaps have been a refuge and the actors extended friends and family. ROBIN STRASSER is one of the Best. This cancellation makes me wonder if it’s financially driven to pay for princess katie’s over priced salary–dr oz has his daughter on the other lame show so maybe ABC thinks they’re worth more than the SOAP STARS who actually work and are the true PROFESSIONALS.