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SOAP LIFE: A Documentary On Daytime Drama in preparation on the decline & future of Soaps!

By Michael Fairman

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Lest you think that the emotional toll the last few years have taken on soap fans, soap actors, producers, and anyone involved with the medium, is not going to be documented or has somehow gone unnoticed by an entity that wants to shed some light on the culture to the mainstream! Well, On-Air On-Soaps is here to tell you that a new documentary about the changes taking place in the world of daytime drama is prepping itself for distribution.

The title of the documentary project is: Soap LifeA Documentary on Daytime, and as we have all collectively watched, or have been a part of,  more classic soap operas have been cancelled.  So the company behind this documentary, NYPS.TV has interviewed many of your daytime favorites in front of the camera and fans around the country about the landscape of American television that is going through unprecedented changes. They’ve spoken with executives, and a number of current and former daytime stars to get their perspective on what it all means and what lies ahead.

Right now, they are trying to raise the last amount of funds needed to finish their documentary.  So they have posted their project on Kickstarter.com, with the hopes that within next few months,  the money they raise will help this film become a reality. The donor gifts include a pre-order of the DVD, a collectible poster, an invite to the film’s premier, a special thanks in the credits, and the chance to make an appearance in the documentary.

Some of the stars appearing in the film include: Lisa LoCicero, Rick Hearst,  Jill Larson, Bradford Anderson, Carolyn Hennesy, Ronnie Marmo, Cady McClain, Derk Cheetwood, Jordi Vilasuso, Crystal Hunt, Bobbie Eakes, Gary Tomlin, Sean Ringgold, Francesca James, Julia Barr, Eileen Fulton, and many more.  On-Air On-Soaps Michael Fairman also was interviewed for this look into the soaps.

Watch a trailer for the film below and then let us know, what you think of the concept? Don’t you think its time that people should know what viewers around the country, and the stars that have made the characters you love to love and love to hate, feel about the downturn in the soaps and losing these legacy shows that are like family members?

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I look forward in looking to this documentary.

me to from canada

Me too from Canada !! 🙂

Why Gary Tomlin? All he knows how to do is ruin soaps.

Excellent concept. Video looks good. This should be of interest to everyone interested in daytime drama.

This is great! Maybe it can shed some light for me as well. Is this an era of higher and higher shareholder profits and shows with low production costs (i.e., talk, reality & variety shows) or are soaps really a dead genre? I dunno. Spanish-language soaps (telenovelas) and the UK soaps (“EastEnders,” “Coronation Street,” “Hollyoaks,” etc.) seem to still be doing well, although certainly not at their zenith. Perhaps it’s a corporate America greed thing.

It still boggles my mind that we’re down to only four soaps! When I started sampling the daytime drama buffet in the 1970s, there were still 15 soaps on the air (“The Secret Storm” was the first of the longer-running TV serials to get cancelled in February 1974) and a flood of fan magazines … and this was during the lagging recession of the 1970s! I truly thought these chestnuts would be around when I was old and bed-ridden.

Hopefully, this documentary will help me understand what the hell happened…

Sounds interesting although I would have liked a little more variety. Of the names I recognized only Eileen Fulton was from a non-ABC soap (although Bobbie Eakes and Crystal Hunt did have prominent roles on another network in addition to ABC).

Hey Michael, when does the “RIP” go up next to All My Children?

He’s probably waiting for OLTL to end to do it in one shot.

I don’t think you actually watched the promo. Eileen Fulton does not appear in the promo. The actual promo (if you click on the video link) features Rick Hearst from B&B as well as Gary Tomlin from DAYS.

this i’d watch

I’m Very Interested In Seeing This Documentary–Yes! 😀

I would watch it too if it is in Canada too I miss my soap that they tolk away from us ATWT and my number one soap is AMC

when the soap starts i tune out i see nothing but the storyline and what i can solve on what is going on in the show

If it can show people how valuable these shows are, I can’t wait to see this documentary either! I’m all for it!

It is August 31, 2012 and I CANNOT WAIT FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012!!!!!!! It’s the premiere of Soap Life – A Documentary. Sooooo excited and soooo proud to be a part of the daytime community!!!!

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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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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