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The Soap Opera That Is ABC'S Talker THE VIEW To Have Book Written On Behind The Scenes Drama!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

If you couldn’t get enough scandal on-screen and in the tabloids on The View over the last 19 seasons, now the backstage drama will be the subject of  a book written by Variety’s New York bureau chief Ramin Setoodeh.

Ramin has covered the ABC morning talk show for years, and the book is scheduled for release in 2017 from publisher Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

Setodeh’s book is said to be focusing on the behind-the-scenes relationships — and drama — at the show that Barbara Walters launched in 1997 with the goal of providing a forum for strong women to express their different points of view.

In exclusive interviews with co-hosts, producers and key staff, Setoodeh will pull back the curtain on the show’s history-making creation, water-cooler moments and attempts at reinvention following Walters’ retirement two years ago. The story of The View will unfold against a broader backdrop of fundamental shifts in the talk show world in the wake of Oprah Winfrey’s 2011 exit.

The author and journalist commented: “The View is a groundbreaking TV show that deserves its own book. I’ve watched the show growing up, and covered it for years as a journalist at Newsweek and Variety.”

So, what do you think about a non-fiction book on the story of The View? Do you think it will make for juicy and soapy reading? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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How much do you wanna bet ABC/D buys the rights to this book and turns it into, ahem, a soap? Still waiting for them to apologize to us for canceling AMC & OLTL!

Fireworks, anyone?????

Never really watched the view unless forced to in doctor’s waiting rooms. Still, expect it to be super juicy so will probably at least check out a copy from the local library. Not interested enough to spend my own money on it!

How mysogynistic can this be? Is there a tell-all of behind the scenes action at 60 minutes? World News Tonight? 20/20? This just perpetuates stereotypes of catfighting and female drama because it’s an all-female workplace. Every work place on the planet has some element of drama because humans are a part of it.

I find this ridiculous.

Sorry but The View does NOT belong in the same journalistic category as those shows you mention. It’s basically celebrity pablum and ABC promotional crossovers.

True, Melissa. It is a talk show and not a news show.

Right on, Melissa. The comparison, in itself, is insulting to journalists, reporters, in general. THE VIEW’s cast/panel is so diverse, it does not fall into ‘that’ same category, as you say.
It makes no difference if the matriarch, Barbara Walters, is a journalist herself….and others who may ‘come in’. The fact remains, the premise was not intended as a ‘news’ program, as it were.
Needless to say, I’m with you. I will not invest in THE BOOK…..just not interested enough!

I’ll wait for the made for TV movie based on the book to come out– LOL

ABC it trying to save its’ daytime TV..
All daytime is struggling and they will use every plot/ploy to keep it alive.
” Crossovers, scandals whatever can keep people tuning in..

Daytime TV is for the live viewers… and they are quickly fading away..
I doubt many would DVR/record the Price is Right..
One thing the soaps have going for them, they are watched during the evening by recording, by network, by on demand etc….

Invision who are home to watch daytime TV, live… they will not be able to save daytime but there are always new retirees, but would they watch? nawww lol
Perhaps a book about loud annoying women will help daytime, dunno..

Actually………..I record the Price is Right. Watch it at night after work. Love Drew and am a game show fanatic.

One question posed here is as follows: “Do you think it will make for juicy and soapy reading?”

Throughout soap history, the successful ones featured one (maybe two) villains within a large cast, sometimes written in such a way that their motives can be understood, thus perhaps maintaining rooting value.

Over the years, The View has had quite a few villains on a recurring slate of four hosts, and these particular women have no rooting value.

A successful soap typically features a villain that the viewer loves to hate. The View typically features one or more villains that the viewer simply hates…

Well it started out as a forum for strong, smart women. And then it was one very dim bulb after another. Yet another sad example of Daytime underestimating the intelligence of its viewers.

“NOT INTERESTED AT ALL!” And , IMO it probably won’t sell that many copies anyways! I use to watch this show to a T , but now I don’t since that rat-ass wretched Disney ABC cancelled AMC and OLTL and f'”‘ked up their daytime lineup! All the view is just a complaining menopause fest of raging out of control hormones of buckets of stale drama! As the previous comment above , I agree that they…ABC needs to apologize to us for axing our soaps. I am a boycotter of all things Disney ABC 23/7., except for 1hr of General Hospital only until they fix the daytime lineup again by returning the soaps. Other than that…BYE BYE ABC!!! NO SOAPS…NO ABC!

In short “NO”. Who cares enough to buy the book?

Star Jones already wrote “satan sister” and that book is being turned into a VH1 tv show, so we don’t need ANOTHER book on the view…

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

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Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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