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OLTL's Valentini and Carlivati on their new deal & what it mean for the future of OLTL!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/JPI Studios

Courtesy/JPI Studios

TV Guide has the follow-up interview now online from their news item a few weeks back that broke the story that both One Life to Live’s, EP, Frank Valentini, and head writer, Ron Carlivati have been given new deals for the ABC network.  And while many are skeptical that just because the show runners contracts have been re-upped, that does not mean OLTL could not get canceled.

In this new feature, Valentini and Carlivati say it’s business as usual for New York’s solo remaining daytime drama.   Here are a few excerpts!

Carlivati on if his and Valentini’s contract renewal came with a mandate from ABC Daytime Chief, Brian Frons:  “It’s the same as always. We meet with Brian regularly and he always challenges me to look at certain aspects of the stories, to go deeper on some, to make certain stories more real for the audience. He’s always telling us not to lose sight of this or that. He’s very analytical and can look at a story and tell you where the flaws are. So that is the mandate he gives me going forward — to find the real emotion, to make the show relatable. I like a certain over-the-topness to stories. I like the bigness of our show. So I must find the balance to making the epic moments both relatable and soapy, so that we still have all those juicy scandals and the big secrets exploding.”

Valentini on the consistent play the cancellation of OLTL gets on message boards and bad press: “There’s nothing wrong with critiquing a show, or saying that a certain storyline didn’t work, or to be extremely passionate about not liking something, but to just tear a show down without any knowledge or any understanding of what’s really going on is hard to understand. Is it really worth it to say those things? A lot of information is disseminated through rumor and hearsay and it’s unfortunate because it affects a lot of people. Actors will come to me having a panic attack because it says on the internet that they’re getting fired — and it’s not true. It’s so upsetting.”

So what do you think?  Can One Life survive?  Are you liking the current stories?  Let us know.

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I have been watching OLTL since July 15, 1968. Yes, that is the day it first aired, my birthday and awaiting the arrival of my first born. I stopped watching the program for about nine years and went back like I never left in 2001. I surely hope you do not cancel this soap because of sentimental reasons, entertainment, and your ability to touch with the day to day happenings in our world today. Sometimes I want you to get on with the story, but I suppose intrigue is what sells. You’ve touched on race, religion, teenage problems and the gay rights movement. I can’t say that I was that enthused with the “Gay” storyline, but you did what you thought was right. I still stuck with you and I will continue to be a fan. Please don’t leave the airways. For the record, I stopped watching because my VCR broke and I worked days. Now that it is aired on Soapnet, I don’t hardly ever miss a beat.

Very nice story, I think you may be prove that the gay storyline may have done what it was suppose to. Sounds like you were at least open minded to be exposed to gay issues, sometimes that all it takes. I have been watching OLTL since 1981, and know that the resent gay storyline wasn’t the first. My mother also watched this show, so when i came out to her we certainly had some good reference points to refer to. The “Billy Douglas” storyline opened so much for her in understanding what high school life was like for me. I too, will watch this show as long as it is in production. All the soaps have done some much in trying to help people understand gay life style.

The two or should I say the three of them are out of touch with what fans want. They have failed in some many ways. When they fail they don’t learn from the mistakes. Gigi/Rex shoved down our throats. It failed. Fans hated them. Stacy the same thing and shoved down our throats. Failed again. Now the Ford family the same thing. They give nothing to Bo, Nora, Viki. Charlie, Clint and Dorian until now. Big question is will they let use down like they did in the mayor’s story last year? If they do it will be the last time I watch this show.

Kudos to Michael Logan for his OLTL interview. Logan’s been delivering all of these interviews recently. It seems like everytime the OLTL brass are interviewed, they mention how they feel abt the online feedback. Daytime fans can be a vicious group. And many soap blogs really go for the jugular. Daytime Confidential’s podcast w/ Logan had him sum up Y&R’s mess w/ a simple “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” LOL. I think it was really great how Logan asked their opinions on the soap press that keep generating news/rumors of OLTL being axed.

Thanks for drawing our attn. to this interview. I enjoyed it.

Hope RC and FV get the show back on track. Both are probably talented but it seems SOMETHING has stalled at OLTL lately. Not sure where all the blame lies, but it is pretty obvious the storylines are not up to par. I would have preferred to see a new head writer other than RC. He had his chance but has not been able to deliver enough for me to want him to stay on as head writer. Change in that direction is needed. Everyone bragged about RC’s knowledge of the show and its history. That should bode well for him, but since he choses to ignore history and rewrite it, and ignore character development, the show has suffered. A LOT. Dorian needs to wear a name tag at times so we recognize her. Her actions sometimes sound like she is reading the wrong lines.

ABC, consider giving RC a co-head writer. Maybe the new co-writer could get him to step up his game to really earn his keep. I was once a huge fan of his, still appreciate some of his stories, but recognize he is NOT cutting it any longer.

I have to say I have been enthralled with the current storylines and if there is one soap I can’t miss it is One Life to live. I can miss the others, but not this one. I have been watching it for nearly 27 years and it still keeps my attention. The actors, the veterans, the characters are wonderfully written. Please don’t let them cancel it. Why are the soaps being pulled? I mean, all this reality crap is taking over the tv and frankly I have no interest. I like fiction and stories that may not be something real. I have enough reality in life. The writers are to be commended on a fantastic job with writing and storytelling at it’s best..
A loyal fan

General Hospital

Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)

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Maura West and Kelly Sullivan

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!

 

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General Hospital

Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’

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Steve Burton

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.

Steve Burton

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.

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News

Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027

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Jess Walton

The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!

Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.

The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”

Jess Walton

Photo; Kensington Books

CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE

The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds,  “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill AbbottTwo Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”

“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”

“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”

WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?

Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.

This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.

So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.

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

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