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Popstar! TV Serves Up A Twist For Daytime Emmy Digital Drama Series Competition With ‘Evil Touch’ & ‘Death Squad’

Photo: ATI

This year the 47th annual Daytime Emmys competition features a crowded and mostly dramatic field of contenders in the burgeoning Outstanding Digital Drama Series category.  Over the years, this category has featured digital series that feature notable stars past or present from your favorite daytime dramas over the years from The Bay to After Forever.

Now comes two offerings and contenders from Associated Television International that are certainly not the usual suspects one would come to expect when voting for the different series in the running … for they have a significant horror-genre, superhero, or even one might say CW-type series bent to them. Both series have made it through into the Daytime Emmy blue ribbon round of voting.

Photo: ATI

 

Both Evil Touch and Death Squad are the series that are competing in the Outstanding Digital Drama Series and Outstanding Directing Team for a Digital Drama Series categories.  The shows both are seen exclusively on Popstar! TV – the only independent digital network producing original dramas.

But wait! When delving into the cast of Evil Touch we found some familiar faces to daytime!  Featured in it are: Daniel Covin (Ex-Hunter – Prospect Park’s All My Children reboot and now also The Bay), Alicia Leigh Willis (Ex- Courtney, General Hospital, and Erik Fellows (Ex- Days and currently Damian in The Bay ).

Evil Touch is a horror -genre fish-out-of-water story with a demonic possession angle. It begins with a group of students from a small American college on a religious studies tour with their professor when they become stranded in the middle of nowhere. Seeking help in the village, they soon discover that there is something very strange and menacing about this place and its inhabitants. Before they know it, they find themselves captives and they learn that the villagers aren’t the only threat.

Photo: ATI

As for Death Squad that is in-line with some of the recent popular zombie series  ( i.e. Walking Dead) that have become so popular these days.  In it, members of a team of private contractors, all former soldiers who served together in Iraq are hired by a shadowy businessman to go into a former Soviet bio-weapons lab that has been re-purposed for advanced research and development. The team has few details when they enter the facility and begin searching for the lead scientist. Viewers quickly learn that something went very wrong in the lab, and as it turns out, it’s biggest threat is that most of the lab workers have been turned into the living dead.

Photo: ATI

Clearly, these two shows are vastly different from the love stories, familial dramas and relationship-driven types of fare that often compete in the digital drama categories at the Daytime Emmys.  Since they both have made into the blue-ribbon round; is it further proof that daytime and digital television is getting on-board with the horror genre, too?

So, will there be a spot for some seat-jumping, horror-filled, adventure type of series when the nominations are revealed for the 47th annual Daytime Emmys?  (As fans know, the Daytime Emmys originally scheduled for June have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  NATAS has said that is currently exploring options for this year as how to and when they might present the awards.  As for when the nominations will be announced, we will bring you the updated information once it has become available as judging is currently underway.)

Now below, check out episode 3 of Evil Touch and Death Squad and then let us know via the comment section below what you thought of them.

 

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CBS Orders Michele Van Jean Soap Opera ‘The Gates’ to Series; Set to Debut January 2025

Great news! Soap fans are getting the first new daytime drama in 25 years with the news today that CBS has moved Michele Van Jean’s The Gates to a series order.

In addition, the show is set to bow in January 0f 2025, which means that it appears that the new soap will replace The Talk, which was just canceled and will end after its upcoming 15th season in December of 2024.  No specific time period, or exact premiere date has been set as of yet.

In the premise of the The Gates it follows lives of a wealthy Black family who live in a luxurious gated community.

Photo: CBS

The Gates has Val Jean as its writer, showrunner and one of its executive producers. Soap fans know Val Jean’s work best for her work on the writing teams of General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful.  Taking to X, Michele shared: “It’s go time” citing the news on the show coming to CBS in 2025 via Deadline.

Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner will serve as executive producers on The Gates production team. The soap has been in development through a the joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP, which was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices and increase the visibility of Black artists.

The series will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP venture in partnership with P&G Studios, which is a division of Procter & Gamble, who used to be very big in the soap opera game.

Are you excited to know that we are truly getting the first new soap opera in over two and a half decades added to a network TV line-up? Comment below.

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General Hospital

General Hospital’s Adam J. Harrington Weighs-in On John and Carly, and How it’s ‘Starting to Get Very Complicated”

On recent episodes of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) came to John “Jagger” Cates (Adam Harrington) rescue as he was beaten down in an assault. Carly put on her “nurses cap,” sort of speak, and got John to his hotel room and watched over to him, to make sure he didn’t lose consciousness.

GH fans also got their first glimpse of what may be a new romance for Carly, if she and John continue to bond.  If John and Carly were to have a relationship, it would certainly have a ripple effect with Jason (Steve Burton) and Sonny (Maurice Benard).

Adam J. Harrington shared his view on the scenes and what might be next between the two. Speaking to Soap Opera Digest, Harrington shared, “I thought it was written in a way where there’s an understanding and a respect between them both. I don’t think there was any moment where she was not aware that he’s an FBI agent, and there was no moment that he wasn’t aware of her history and relationship to other people in the town. I really liked it. I was really looking forward to shooting it with Laura and we had a really nice time shooting it.”

Photo: ABC

When Carly and John part ways, it seems there were some romantic sparks, as Harrington puts it, “Isn’t that interesting that sometimes with people, the one moment they actually show how they feel is when they know there’s an escape hatch. They know they’re about to walk away. So, it’s almost safe in that moment to do it. I thought that was really special about how (the writers) handled John and Carly. Even the music in that scene was beautifully done.”

Where is this all heading? Conflict! Internally and professionally, and as Adam explains, “Who Carly was to John on paper as just a tool to be used as bait is starting to get very complicated.”

What would you think of a John and Carly pairing? Would you prefer him with Anna, or neither of them? Let us know via the comment section and take our poll below.

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News

‘Tamron Hall’ Renewed for its Sixth Season

While news last week of CBS daytime’s The Talk being canceled after its upcoming shortened 15th season, another talk show is continuing to live another day.

Now comes word that Tamron Hall has been picked up for its sixth season. The talk show currently ranks third out of nine other one-hour syndicated talk shows.  It has now become the second-longest running talk show produced by Disney. The renewal comes from ABC Owned Television Stations and leading broadcast groups including Hearst, Scripps, Nexstar, Tegna, Gray and AMG.

In addition, the show has showed a significant growth in its digital presence and audience engagement, with a 25% increase in followers season over season and a 148% increase in content engagement.

Photo: JPI

In a statement, host Tamron Hall shared, “From the start, I saw the show as a chance to build a community. Now, here we are, preparing for Season 6. Wow!”

“Thank you to my team and my beloved Tam Fam,” Hall added, “for nurturing my dream and growing this community. We are a daily destination to talk, laugh, learn and be inspired together. From the biggest celebrities in the world to the most incredible people in their own neighborhood, they all come here to talk, and I am grateful.”

Courtesy/Disney

ABC News President Kim Godwin expressed on the pick-up “Tamron and team are a singular force in daytime because the show gets to the core of humanity through meaningful connection and thoughtful conversations whether covering the most-talked-about issues of the day or interviewing the newsmakers shaping our world. We and the Tam Fam can rejoice because Tamron Hall is back for another must-watch season of fun and fearlessness.”

Tamron Hall has also won two Daytime Emmys during its run thus far.

So, glad to see ‘Tamron Hall’ will have its sixth season? Comment below.

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