Errol

It’s been ten years since SOAPnet signed off as the first and only cable network devoted to airing episodes of current and classic soap operas 24 hours a day. So, how have viewing habits changed since the network signed off? Let’s break it down!

Since officially dissolving as of 12:00 a.m. ET on January 1, 2014, SOAPnet has been replaced by a multi-platform world where watching shows on the go has become the new standard via streaming capabilities.

For instance, instead of watching episodes of “General Hospital” on ABC or catching up at night on SOAPnet back in the day, viewers can now watch the show Live and On Demand on Hulu, the ABC App and ABC.com. In fact, if you missed an episode, you no longer have to wait for a weekend marathon to catch up. Now, you can watch up to two weeks On Demand at your leisure with what we now call binging, or if you utilize the DVR feature courtesy of a Hulu + Live TV subscription, you can hold as many episodes as you want until you delete them.

As for “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless,” Paramount+ is their official streaming home, in addition to watching daily on CBS. Fans can watch Live and On Demand via a Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscription or just On Demand with the Paramount+ Essential plan. Before Paramount+, both shows and a plethora of other CBS programming were available to stream on CBS All Access. The rebrand to Paramount+ in 2021 resulted from Viacom and CBS merging to become ViacomCBS, which itself has since been rebranded to Paramount Global.

Starting in September 2022, “Days of our Lives” left NBC after nearly 57 years on broadcast television, becoming a Peacock exclusive series. Peacock renewed the series for two more seasons in March, which will cover the show through its show’s 60th anniversary. The move to Peacock marked the first time that a daytime drama series had become exclusive to a streaming service, not including the short-lived reboots of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” which at launch were available on Hulu and the discontinued Hulu Plus premium option, along with the ability to purchase episodes on the since discontinued iTunes store. Prior to being exclusive to Peacock, same day episodes were available to stream for free on Peacock hours after the show’s NBC broadcast starting in April 2020.

Before streaming, and several months prior to SOAPnet’s final broadcast, same day episodes of “The Young and the Restless” were moved to then CBS-owned TVGN starting in July 2013. “The Bold and the Beautiful” joined its sister soap on the channel in December 2013, and so did “Days of our Lives” in August 2015 when TVGN was rebranded to Pop TV. 

In the years since acquiring all three soaps, “Days of our Lives” was dropped from the channel in 2016, with “The Bold and the Beautiful” following suit in 2017. “The Young and the Restless” remained on the channel until 2019. Since 2020, the channel itself has become virtually obsolete, airing no original content. This is a far cry from when it gained mainstream attention with the well-regarded and critically acclaimed comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” which ended its run in 2020 and later swept all seven major categories in which it was nominated during “The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,” including Outstanding Comedy Series.

The Pop TV website is rarely updated and mainly highlights “NCIS: New Orleans” and “Law & Order” reruns as part of its schedule. In fact, the page links to a TV schedule featuring a list of crime reruns and links to curated Paramount+ programming. Beyond that, the channel also promotes its never-updated social media platforms, all of which last saw any attention from a Paramount intern in April. Ironically, considering the lack of updates, the website notes that the network is “TV the way it should be: effortlessly entertaining and home to some of the most buzzed-about shows in television, including ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and ‘One Day at a Time.’”

Outside of the failed SOAPnet-like rebroadcast attempt by Pop TV and a plethora of streaming options currently available, another more modern way of watching the soaps is through FAST (Free Ad Supported Television) services, such as Pluto TV from Paramount Global or Unlocked Channels from ABC.

In October 2021, Pluto TV launched the Soaps Channel dedicated to rebroadcasts of “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” While initially saying there were plans to provide fans with additional episodes from other daytime and primetime soaps, the channel continues to only air episodes from the two CBS stalwarts. Pluto TV is available as an app on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Tivo, Xfinity, Roku, and other Smart TV-enabled devices, including those designed by Samsung and Vizio. You can also stream programming via its website, plutotv.com, without registering or signing up. By doing so, however, you can customize your viewing experience.

ABC launched a beta version of the all-new “General Hospital Spotlight” FAST Channel in May. The channel allows fans to watch episodes of the daytime drama series from 2018 and later for free at any time, 24/7, with no login required. The channel was officially launched in late June and is available exclusively on ABC.com or via the ABC App.

SOAPnet launched on January 20, 2000, and after nearly 14 years of broadcasting, the channel ended its run at the stroke of midnight, airing the final 2013 episode of ABC’s “General Hospital” (originally aired on Monday, December 30). Throughout the episode, viewers were treated to endless commercials promoting ABC and ABC Family programming, including “General Hospital,” and the since-canceled shows “Revenge,” “The Chew,” “The Fosters,” “Switched at Birth,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “Ravenswood.” ABC Family was rebranded to Freeform in 2016.

As stated by Anne Sweeney, the then co-chair of Disney Media Networks and then president of the Disney/ABC Television Group, “SOAPnet was created in 2000 to give daytime viewers the ability to watch time-shifted soaps, before multiplatform viewing and DVRs were part of our vocabulary. But today, as technology and our businesses evolve, it makes more sense to align this distribution with a preschool channel that builds on the core strengths of our company.” That preschool channel, named Disney Junior, formally replaced SOAPnet on cable and satellite services on January 1, 2014, marking the official end of the channel and “the new way to watch soaps.”

“Disney discontinued their SOAPnet broadcast. The SOAPnet channel is no longer available from any television provider,” read a message immediately after the channel signed off.

Read a detailed background on the Rise and Fall of SOAPnet

Note: The post Life After SOAPnet: How Soap Fans Watch the Four Remaining Daytime Soaps in 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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On Monday, January 1, 2024 (New Year’s Day), the two broadcast networks that still carry scripted programming as part of their daytime lineups, ABC and CBS, are set to provide a different set of programming than they offered on Christmas Day, with ABC airing The Rose Parade along with sports, while CBS is set to air reruns of its regular daytime schedule. Meanwhile, Peacock releases an all-new episode of “Days of our Lives.”

On ABC, the network will broadcast “The Rose Parade” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET/8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT. Marking its 135th year, the annual event brings residents and visitors to Pasadena, California as they celebrate New Year’s Day with grand floats covered in flowers, spirited marching bands, and high-stepping equestrian units. Immediately following the parade, the network will air its coverage of College Football with the Cheeze-It Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee game. 

As a result, ABC will preempt its full daytime schedule, including “The View,” GMA3: What You Need to Know” and “General Hospital,” on both the East and West Coasts. All three shows will return to airing original episodes on Tuesday, January 2.

As for CBS, the network is set to air reruns of its entire lineup, including “The Price is Right,” “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Talk” and “Let’s Make a Deal.”

In the case of “The Young and the Restless,” the series will air episode #7739, which originally aired on October 17, 2003, and is a continuation of the repeat that the network aired this past Friday. In the episode, Nick (Joshua Morrow) questions Sharon’s (Sharon Case) loyalty, J.T. (Thad Luckinbill) and Brad (Don Diamont, now Bill Spencer on “The Bold and the Beautiful”) work together to rescue Colleen (then played by Lyndsy Fonseca), and Kevin (Greg Rikaart) keeps up appearances with Lily (Christel Khalil).

On “The Bold and the Beautiful,” the show continues airing episodes from its Rome, Italy location shoot, this time episode #9049, which originally aired on Monday, June 26, 2023. The episode featured Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) surprising Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) with a romantic gesture via a private performance by opera singer Andrea Bocelli, while Liam (Scott Clifton) confided in Wyatt (Darin Brooks) about his trip to Rome. Veronica Bocelli (real-life wife of Andrea) also appears as herself.

Watch a snippet from Andrea Bocelli’s performance below.

Both “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” along with the rest of the CBS daytime lineup, return to originals on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

As for “Days of our Lives,” which is the only daytime drama series airing an original on New Year’s Day, the people of Salem ring in the New Year with a bang. As Paulina and Abe (Jackée Harry and James Reynolds) celebrate together, Tate (James Martin Mann) finds Holly (Ashley Puzemis) unconscious after she is the victim of tainted pills. After learning what happened to her daughter, Nicole (Arianne Zucker) is beside herself. Elsewhere, Theresa (Emily O’Brien) is furious with Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) when he suggests that Tate might have been involved with Holly’s drug use. Lastly, Harris (Steve Burton) has questions for Stefan and Ava pertaining to what happened to Holly.

Watch this week’s “Days of our Lives” promo below.

“Days of our Lives” streams all new episodes weekdays exclusively on Peacock. Visit PeacockTV.com for more information.

Note: The post Sports Preemptions, Classic Soap Rebroadcasts and an All-New ‘Days of our Lives’ Sets the Tone for New Year’s Day 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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9 hours ago, dragonflies said:

They wouldn't reverse it cause Frons wanted it gone. His pet was GH even though GH is the one that deserved cancellation

That did make sense Errol but also that was the covid era and all show's ratings were down big time. So is it really an accurate comparison?

Ratings were terrible in the first few months following the pandemic shutdown, yes. However, when B&B and Y&R are the only ones showing improvement over those 2020 numbers, I think it is worth noting. It shows it's taken time for them to build back their audiences while the other shows, which had gotten early bounces (like the game shows) are definitely not performing so great. I could add 2019 to further compare if that helps clear things up even better, but I'm not sure it would.

1 hour ago, Jeff said:

I think that is the point to show the numbers during 2020, the height of covid, when production was at a halt, and weren't we only getting only a couple new episodes a week.  The comparison shows how the soaps have rebounded (or not as the case may be) since the pandemic.

We started getting all-new episodes every day like we used to when B&B went back to originals on July 20, 2020. Y&R and GH soon followed in August, and DAYS, which technically never stopped airing originals, returned with episodes filmed after the pandemic shutdown in October. 

Otherwise, yes. 

1 hour ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

What should have been reversed? 

ABC's decision on canceling One Life to Live should have been reversed before they made the announcement. The show was on an upward trend in the weeks/months before the decision and was outpacing General Hospital in many instances, not to mention it remains the highest-rated canceled soap of the last 30 years and the only soap within that time frame to gain viewers during its final months on the air (not just a last-minute bump for finale week).

1 hour ago, Soapsuds said:

That's a good question. I keep asking myself that too!

@Errol???

Never mind  see Errol answered it.

Sí

20 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

Thanks that makes more sense. Why do they compare to 2020 anyways?

I started adding additional years to compare the current ratings to so as to put in perspective how the shows are doing relative to a trend. I did this because we were long told that All My Children and One Life to Live were canceled due to their trend of losing viewers. Therefore, when you look at how a show does this week, last week or compared to one year ago, you don't have a clear picture of how the networks are looking at the positive or negative aspects of a show. For instance, OLTL was trending upward just before it was canceled. But it was down in the two years prior, which justified ABC's decision even though it should have been reversed before announcing the decision.

The fact that Y&R and B&B in particular still manage to outpace their 2020 numbers when most shows (daytime, primetime or otherwise) can't say they are up in anything compared to any recent periods, it's necessary to mention or highlight when people claim the sky is falling and the shows are about to be canceled or placed strictly on streaming.

I started out by doing two year differences and then adding three year differences a while back. This way, when available, you can see how the show is doing this year relative to last year, two years ago and three years ago. If the trend is just down, down, down or up, up, up (or some other mix) then you can understand why a show is either canceled or renewed.

Does that make sense?

12 minutes ago, BrendaB said:

Why does this show keep propping up a z-list ESPN talking head as a "star"?  Do sports fans even think of him as a star?  No sports fans are watching General Hospital and soap fans are not watching sports, anyways.  The show is overflowing with 60 years of superstars in film, television, stage and music that they could be highlighting on this special.  So it's ridiculous they keep trotting out and propping up Brick or whatever-his-name-is like that.

He's cheap (already works for Disney). He likes the show and talks about it to his millions of followers on social media and is good friends with Maurice Benard in real life. It's a cross-promotion type thing if you think about it. On the day the show airs, he can talk about it on his ESPN show to hopefully get people to tune in, plus he can share the news on his social channels.

As for the stars you are speaking about, most of them refuse to mention they ever worked on the show, much less any soap opera, and they are more likely to want to get big paydays for appearing on the special.

For the fourth consecutive week, and the fifth time overall this season, “General Hospital” attracted fewer than two million viewers during the week of December 18-22, 2023, according to the latest Nielsen figures available to Soap Opera Network. Note: Women 18-49 and 25-54 ratings were unavailable at press time.

“General Hospital” (1.915 million) was down by -12,000 viewers week-to-week, marking its fourth consecutive week in which the series has lost viewers. Among Households, the daytime drama series kept its 1.3 rating. 

A possible cause for the show’s decline in recent weeks could be attributed to a carriage dispute between TEGNA and DIRECTV, which began Thursday, November 30, and has resulted in the satellite provider losing access to 66 TEGNA-owned television stations across the United States. Thirteen of those stations are ABC affiliates, including WFAA in Dallas-Fort Worth, the fifth-ranked DMA (Designated Market Area). WFAA is the most watched station in the market and the highest-rated ABC affiliate overall that is not owned by The Walt Disney Company, parent of the ABC Television Network.

That said, TEGNA also owns 15 CBS stations and 22 NBC stations, and neither network is seeing noticeable declines among their daytime shows. In fact, “The Price is Right” (3.978 million / 4.497 million) saw hefty week-to-week gains as viewers headed into a long Holiday break and was the week’s big winner among Total Viewers.

Both half hours of the popular game show added +396,000 viewers on average compared to one week earlier, plus “The Young and the Restless” also saw week-to-week gains, adding +72,000 viewers over the week of December 11-15, 2023. Meanwhile, “NBC News Daily” brought in +75,000 additional viewers compared to last week.

“The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” continue to show improvement over their 2020 figures, with the former adding +149,000 viewers while the latter added +155,000 viewers. In fact, “The Bold and the Beautiful” is also up over its comparable performance during the same week in 2021, adding +35,000 viewers.

“The Talk” and “The View” aired amended repeats for the week and are excluded from the weekly rankings.

What follows is a breakdown of how the daytime broadcast shows performed during the week of December 18-22, 2023 in Women 18-49 Rating, Women 25-54 Rating, Households and Total Viewers, including a look at their comparable performance in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. A closer look at the daytime soaps, including their daily performance breakdown in the demos, will be posted shortly.

Week Of December 18-22, 2023 Rankers

Households

Total Viewers (In Millions)

The numbers above are calculated using Live+Same Day viewing and DVR playback, defined as 3:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m. and are courtesy of Nielsen. Household ratings are the percentage of TV homes in the U.S. tuned into television, each of which represents 1,250,000 homes as of the 2023-2024 television season.

Note*: Officially, the demo ratings are sorted by the rounded figures released by Nielsen. “NBC News Daily” 2021 and 2020 figures are compared to the performance of “Days of our Lives,” which moved to Peacock exclusively beginning September 12, 2022.

“The Talk” and “The View” aired amended repeats. As a result, neither show was rated by Nielsen.

Year-to-year comparisons (2023 vs. 2022) for most daytime broadcast shows among Households and Total Viewers will be unavailable for the foreseeable future due to figures being unavailable to Soap Opera Network during that period.

Women 18-49 Rating (Rounded)

Pending Updates

Women 18-49 Rating (Unrounded)*

Pending Updates

Women 25-54 Rating (Rounded)

Pending Updates

Women 25-54 Rating (Unrounded)*

Pending Updates

Notable Preemptions/Schedule Changes:

• Pending Updates

Note: The post Daytime Broadcast Ratings for the Week of December 18-22, 2023 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Brian Gaskill is heading to Genoa City next month when he appears on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” as a new character named Seth, a man Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) meets at an AA meeting.

First reported by Stephanie Sloane in her all-new “Soap Dish” column for TV Guide Magazine, on sale January 4, 2024, Gaskill says his experience on the show’s set has been good and praised his co-star. “Melody has been incredibly inviting and kind, a joy to work with,” says Gaskill, who noted, “It feels amazing to be back [on a soap set].”

Making a name for himself in Hollywood in 1994 when he played the role of David Michaels in the short-lived primetime series “Models Inc.,” a spinoff of “Melrose Place,” Gaskill is probably best known to soap fans for his role as Bobby Warner on “All My Children” or Rafe Kovitch on “Port Charles.” Following the cancellation of the latter series, Gaskill was cast as Oscar “Ozzy” Marone on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He would later have roles on “As The World Turns” (playing B.J. Green) and “Guiding Light” (playing Dylan Lewis).

From 2012-2015, Gaskill appeared as Chase Walker on “The Bay.” Since then, he’s appeared in a few other television shows, including “Castle” and “Casual,” among others.

In an interview with Soap Opera Digest published last year, Gaskill said of his time working on soaps, “I love the medium and I think I have a lot to bring to the table. If the part was right and if I was right for it, I would love to do it.”

At press time, an official airdate for Gaskill had not been released.

Note: The post Soap Alum Brian Gaskill Joins ‘The Young and the Restless’ appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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2 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

@Errol I got it in the mail today it's dated Jan 8 - 28 and has Sam Heughan on the cover

It's fine. No worries. I understand that print issues come out sooner than digital ones. My only concern was that technically it's not supposed to be out yet.

As the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens, and that holds true for former Soap Opera Digest editorial director Stephanie Sloane. The veteran soap journalist has joined TV Guide as a columnist.

According to a post published earlier this month on the TV Insider website (online counterpart to TV Guide), in announcing Sloane’s joining the publication, writer Meaghan Darwish noted that Sloane is eager to answer all the burning questions in her new column. Soap fans are being asked to email [email protected] with questions for their favorite soap stars or submit questions in the comment section found at the bottom of the post on the TV Insider website (click here).

Sloane’s column, titled “Soap Dish,” makes its debut in the January 8-28, 2024 triple issue of TV Guide, on sale January 4, 2024.

“Stephanie has been covering the drama of daytime TV for more than 30 years as a writer and editor at Soap Opera Digest. With her unparalleled access to all the stars, producers and creators, you can expect major scoops, behind-the-scenes coverage and insider stories in every issue of TV Guide Magazine that you won’t find anywhere else,” reads a description of the new column, which is receiving a primo spot within the magazine, appearing within the first 15 pages thus far out of the usual 135-140 page magazine.

In addition to Sloane’s content appearing in future issues of TV Guide, fans can also find more from Sloane on TV Insider in the new year.

In November, Sloane exited a360media, publisher of Soap Opera Digest, after the company eliminated her position as VP, editorial director while deciding to fold the print magazine and the teen books she oversaw, including  J-14. She began her writing career straight out of college in 1990 when she joined Soap Opera Digest.

The legacies of both brands remain in the digital space via soapoperadigest.com and j-14.com. The company honored the remaining balance of paid subscriptions for the print edition of Soap Opera Digest by providing Women’s World as a replacement magazine.

Last week, Sloane, along with former Soap Opera Digest editors Meredith Berlin and Lynn Leahey, took part in a live interview with Alan Locher on “The Locher Room.” Throughout its nearly 50 years in print, Soap Opera Digest became the go-to magazine for all daytime fans to read and learn more about their favorite storylines, actors, characters, and behind-the-scenes scoop. Sloane replaced Leahey as the magazine’s top editor in 2011. The final print issue of Soap Opera Digest was dated November 13, 2023 (shown above).

To watch what Sloane, Berlin and Leahey had to say about their time overseeing Soap Opera Digest, click here, or watch below.

Note: The post Former Soap Opera Digest VP, Editorial Director Stephanie Sloane Joins TV Guide as New Soap Columnist appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Nearly two years after separating, Steve Burton (“Days of our Lives,” “General Hospital,” et al.) and Sheree (Gustin) Burton are now officially divorced, several media outlets reported on Thursday.

In July 2022, Burton filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 25 years, citing irreconcilable differences. According to the filing, their official separation date was listed as March 1, 2022, with Burton seeking joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s two minor children, Jack, now 17, and Brooklyn, now 9. Their eldest child, Makena, is now 20 years old.

News of Sheree and Steve’s separation first came to light in May 2022 when Burton commented through an Instagram story to clear up confusion following fans posting messages on his timeline congratulating the actor after Sheree made a since-deleted post on Instagram to announce she was pregnant with her fourth child. The daytime veteran stated the child was not his. 

“I wanted to clear something up. Sheree and I are separated,” said Burton in his Wednesday, May 4, 2022 post. “She recently announced that she’s expecting her 4th child. The child is not mine,” he noted, adding, “We are still co-parenting our three beautiful kids. We would appreciate privacy at this time.”

In October, Shree again took to Instagram to announce she was expecting her fifth child, a daughter. In her post, she shared, “If you would have told me I was going to have 5 kids with 2 of them being born in my 40s I would have laughed and said you were crazy but God has a plan, and here I am and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for my life and the people in it.”

Sheree has yet to indicate by name either child’s father publicly. 

According to PEOPLE, both parties waived their rights to spousal support “now or at any time in the future, regardless of the unforeseen circumstances that may exist in the future.” However, Sheree will receive $50,000 in retroactive support, while Steve will pay her $12,500 per month in child support for the aforementioned minor children until April 2024. Thereafter, the amount will be reduced to $10,000 per month.

Since exiting “General Hospital” as Jason Morgan in November 2021, after he was let go from ABC for not complying with the network’s since vacated vaccine mandate, Burton has since reprised his original soap role as Harris Michaels on “Days of our Lives.”

Note: The post Steve Burton and Sheree (Gustin) Burton Finalize Divorce After Nearly 25 Years of Marriage appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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24 minutes ago, janea4old said:

For Michael Maloney's articles in recent issues of TV Guide print magazine - something similar occurred - a few of his print articles appeared later/longer on the tvinsider website.

I imagine they'll do the same for Sloane. In fact, here is a somewhat buried article on tvinsider, dated Dec. 8, announcing Sloane's arrival. 
https://www.tvinsider.com/1114181/soap-stars-storylines-characters-burning-questions/

You are so damn good at research!

10 minutes ago, Errol said:

You are so damn good at research!

According to that post, it looks like Sloane's content will appear on the TV Insider website, along with the print/digital edition of TV Guide magazine.

Per a source at TV Guide, the print and digital issue isn't supposed to be on sale/available until at least January 4. But like @janea4old pointed out, print subscribers might get the magazine early, although this doesn't appear to be related to print.

7 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Per the coming issue that was posted early, TV Guide now has a new section called "Soap Dish" by Stephanie Sloane.  I wonder if that will replace what Maloney offered in recent issues, or be alongside that?
Link to other thread:  link

Based on what you linked/shared, it's clear that Stephanie Sloane is now in charge of that section and it is getting more attention from the magazine's editors as they are asking fans to email [email protected] if they have a question for their favorite soap star. Good for her.

Among other changes at TV Guide, Jim Halterman (West Coast Bureau Chief) was recently let go. Among his many contributions to the magazine, he was the one who primarily covered soap content within the magazine prior to Michael Maloney's written content and now Stephanie's column/section. Prior to the shuttering of SOD last month, Halterman would have a snippet here or there in every other issue about the soaps and would sometimes have a longer story published on TV Insider (online counterpart to the magazine) along with a Zoom with the actor.

Next year will be an interesting one. That I can already tell.

4 minutes ago, janea4old said:

TV guide sends their print issues out in the mail at least a week or more before it's released digitally.    It's been common in past few years to see articles tweeted out far in advance because people get the issue early.

 

Not disputing that. However, the copy that's been circulated around the web isn't from a print edition.

4 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Seems to be a trend lately; first with SONews reporting the Bold return and now this? LOL.  Reminds me of the days when magazines would show up EARLY in the post (rather than late or never).

Those were fun times. I'm sure some at TV Guide are pissed, but I think this might be a case of someone uploading it early due to the holidays and not realizing it would go live more than a week early. Oh, well.

This is the "official" current issue, as prompted by TV Guide Magazine:

9 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Digital copy found here.

Apparently, it wasn't supposed to be published yet. Not until January 8 at least.

What's the issue date indicating Gaskill's casting and what page is this news supposed to be found under? The current issue, December 18, 2023, is a triple issue (i.e. covers three weeks) - December 18, 2023 to January 7, 2024 - and I don't see this news anywhere in the magazine. Not even in the new Daytime Drama section which Michael Maloney is writing.

5 minutes ago, Errol said:

What's the issue date indicating Gaskill's casting and what page is this news supposed to be found under? The current issue, December 18, 2023, is a triple issue (i.e. covers three weeks) - December 18, 2023 to January 7, 2024 - and I don't see this news anywhere in the magazine. Not even in the new Daytime Drama section which Michael Maloney is writing.

So it looks like it is from a future issue of TV Guide that hasn't apparently been released yet...

As shown on the Wednesday, December 27 episode of “General Hospital,” actress Nicole Paggi temporarily replaced Kirsten Storms in the role of Maxie Jones on the daytime drama series.

Unlike last week’s news that the show had temporarily recast the role of Josslyn Jacks with actress Courtney Fulk as Daytime Emmy winner Eden McCoy takes personal time off after her mother passed away from cancer in November, with McCoy set to return on screen in February, Paggi’s time on the show will be much shorter. 

TVLine reports, “Paggi will fill in for Storms for just a couple of days.”

That said, in a preview for the Thursday, December 28 episode, Storms appears back on screen as Maxie which means fans shouldn’t be surprised if they see Paggi appearing again in a future episode, as “General Hospital” is known to tape by scene, not by episode. In fact, Storms is already back taping at the show as she appears in the cast photo for the upcoming Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie Spencer) tribute episodes, airing Wednesday, January 10 and Thursday, January 11.

At press time, there was no official word for why “General Hospital” had to recast the role. Neither the show nor Storms have made any statements on the matter on social media.

In a post on Instagram, Paggi commented on her debut on the series, saying, “So fun playing Maxie Waters on ‘General Hospital!’” In addition to her post, she also shared several screengrabs of her appearance on her Instagram Stories timeline.

This marks the third time over several years in which the show has temporarily recast the role of Maxie Jones with someone else while Storms was unavailable. Jen Lilley (“Days of our Lives”) stepped in for several months from 2011-2012, and Molly Burnett (“Days of our Lives”) filled in for a couple of episodes in July 2016 and again in June 2018.

For those wondering where they might have seen Paggi before, the actress had roles on such shows as “Pasadena,” “Providence,” “Fastlane” and “Judging Amy” before making a name for herself in 2003 as the first Sydney Shanowski on the Kell Ripa/Faith Ford starring sitcom “Hope & Faith.”

Starting with season two of the series, the role of Sydney was recast with relative newcomer Megan Fox taking over the role as the family’s eldest daughter. In 2005, Paggi booked a series regular role in the fifth and final season of UPN’s “One on One.” Since then, Paggi has appeared in episodes of “90210,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “9-1-1” and more recently “The Rookie: Feds.”

Check out the Thursday, December 28 episode preview, which includes Storms below.

Note: The post ‘General Hospital’ Temporarily Recasts the Role of Maxie Jones with Nicole Paggi appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Over two episodes airing on Wednesday, January 10 and Thursday, January 11, “General Hospital” will celebrate the life of the late Jacklyn Zeman and her iconic character, Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer. In May, Zeman passed away after a short battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.

According to PEOPLE, which first reported the news, the show’s viewers and the citizens of Port Charles will learn of Bobbie’s passing next week, unintentionally bringing sadness to their world as a new year begins.

“When we shot the memorial, the entire cast was there. And it wasn’t just for Bobbie; it was for Jackie as well,” said Laura Wright, who plays Carly Spencer, Bobbie’s daughter on the show, in previewing the story to PEOPLE. “I mean, walking on set and seeing her photo, seeing all the pamphlets of like when you come to a memorial or a celebration of life, the pamphlet speaking about the individual and who is going to speak, it was bittersweet. It was about Jackie and everyone was so present. … It was like we as a cast got to really say goodbye.”

The two episodes will be “filled with twists and feature lots of surprises that make the most of the show’s history,” the show teases for what fans can expect.

In addition to seeing several current characters remembering their beloved friend and family member, the show has also tapped Ryan Carnes to reprise his role as Lucas Jones, Bobbie’s adopted son with Tony Jones (played by Brad Maule). Outside of Carnes, PEOPLE noted that “a stranger’s surprise arrival unearths a shocking secret — and kicks off a mini adventure for [Carly and Felicia; Kristina Wagner] in Amsterdam, where they attempt to take care of Bobbie’s unfinished business.”

Zeman made her debut as Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer in 1977. She received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her portrayal (1981, 1995, 1997 and 1998) along with a fifth overall nomination in 2021 for her portrayal of Sofia Madison on “The Bay.” Before making a name for herself on “General Hospital,” Zeman had roles in “The Edge of Night” and “One Life to Live.”

“Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work,” said the show’s executive producer Frank Valentini in announcing Zeman’s passing last May. He added, “Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends, and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey.”

For fans wondering why the show took so long to celebrate Zeman and her character, that can be attributed to the since-concluded Writers Strike, which lasted from early May to the end of September. With the show’s head writers, Dan O’Connor and Chris Van Etten, unavailable to write episodes for the series throughout the duration of the strike, the show solicited Fi-Core writers during their absence. As a result, producers preferred to wait out the strike until their return to properly pay tribute to the actress.

Returning to the writer’s room almost immediately after the strike ended, both writers’ names reappeared in the show’s credits, starting with the Monday, December 11 episode, with one of the first writing priorities to honor Zeman and her character.

Note: The post ‘General Hospital’ to Celebrate the Late Jacklyn Zeman and Her Character Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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4 minutes ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

Sure. Will do. It was totally weird. For about 20 minutes, no matter where I clicked, it took me to that one LLBean website. Anyway, if it happens again I will definitely Ctrl+PrtScr.

If I would guess, it sounds like this was due to a bad ad. For instance, earlier today and yesterday I got a particular ad for Lamarca Prosecco a number of times and the only way to get it to go away was to click on the "X" button. Otherwise, I was still on the board.

13 minutes ago, Antoyne said:

Why was this topic moved from the main Primetime forum? It airs on Bravo even if NBC Universal owns the network. Peacock gets the replays. @Toups @Errol????

Not that I need to explain myself, but I am re-organizing the primetime forums because there's too much disorganization and it is hard to find a thread about any specific show, and there are duplicates in certain parts. The hope is to get things organized similar to how the Discuss the Soaps: Cancelled Soaps forum is organized.

Yes, this franchise airs on Bravo, which is an NBC | Peacock property. To help people find the thread in case they start worrying, I have implemented an informed re-direct for 30 days which is more than enough time to get people to find the thread within its proper home. 

Starting on Monday, January 1, there will be a link available listing all shows and the discussion threads attributed to them to better provide visitors with the ability to discuss anything about said show with people who also watch it as well. This will cut back on clutter and allow proper continuity for commentary.

Unless you can show us what you are talking about, there is no way in which we can help in any particular matter that impacts your experience on the board. Next time, take a screenshot.

Former “One Life to Live” star Kamar de los Reyes has died. The actor, best known for his portrayal of Antonio Vega off and on from 1995-2009 on the ABC daytime drama series, passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles after a brief battle with cancer, a rep for the family confirmed to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter this morning. He was 56 years old.

Moving to Los Angeles in the late 80s after visiting his brother Daniel, de los Reyes was born in Puerto Rico but raised in Las Vegas. He got his big break when he landed a dancing role in Cher’s music video for “We All Sleep Alone,” which Daniel had played percussion. The actor would go on to work with director Kenny Ortega in the 1988 film “Salsa.” 

Before joining “One Life to Live,” de los Reyes appeared in several projects, including the films “East L.A. Warriors,” “ “Lethal Ninja” and “Street Knight.” He also co-starred in the series “Valley of the Dolls.” He would later make appearances in such shows as “New York Undercover,” “Total Recall 2070,” “Touch by an Angel,” “Early Edition,” “CSI: Miami,” “Law & Order Criminal Intent” and “The Mentalist,” along with several others.

In the gaming world, de los Reyes became a recognizable voice with his portrayal of Raul Menendez, a fictional Nicaraguan drug lord and leader of the terrorist organization Cordis Die, in “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.” The character became so popular that the actor would be called back for additional games in the series, including “Call of Duty: Strike Team,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” “Call of Duty: Mobile,” and “Call of Duty: Vanguard.” In addition to voicing the character, de los Reyes appeared as a version of the character courtesy of motion and facial capture.

In 2017, de los Reyes was part of the cast of the short-lived FOX drama “Sleepy Hollow,” playing the role of Jobe. He also appeared in episodes of “MacGyver,” “ SEAL Team,” “The Passage” and “The Rookie.” More recently, de los Reyes played Coach Montes in “All American.”

Receiving five ALMA Award nominations throughout his time on “One Life to Live,” de los Reyes finally took home the award in 2008 in the Outstanding Performance in a Daytime Drama Series category. He and his real-life wife and former “One Life to Live” co-star, Sherri Saum (ex-Keri Reynolds; “The Fosters”), received recognition at the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2002 when they were nominated for a special fan award, dubbed America’s Favorite Couple.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, at the time of his death, de los Reyes was in the midst of work on “All American” and had recently shot a role for Hulu’s not-yet-released “Washington Black,” starring “This is Us” actor Sterling K. Brown. He also has a pretty significant role in Marvel’s upcoming “Daredevil” series reboot for Disney+.

Kamar de los Reyes is survived by his wife, Sherri Saum; sons Caylen (26, from a previous relationship) and twins Michael and John (9); his brothers Daniel and Walfredo, Jr; his sisters Lily and Ilde; his mother, Matilde, and his father Walfredo.

Note: The post R.I.P. Kamar de los Reyes – ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ Actor Dies at 56 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Except for “Days of our Lives,” which is available exclusively on Peacock, the two broadcast networks that still carry scripted programming as part of their daytime lineups, ABC and CBS, opted to preempt their hit shows for sports on Christmas Day (Monday, December 25).

On ABC, the network will carry NBA Basketball instead of an original “General Hospital” episode with ESPN on ABC Sports coverage of the Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets game on the East Coast and the Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers on the West Coast.

“GMA3: What You Need to Know” will air as scheduled on the East Coast with Broadway performers Alyssa Fox, Sonya Balsara, Vincent Jamal Hooper and Alex Nicholson, and a performance by  Shoshana Bean and Tyler Hardwick. The show is preempted on the West Coast. On both coasts, The View” is preempted for the network’s airing of the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.

Meanwhile, on New Year’s Day (Monday, January 1), ABC will preempt its full daytime schedule, including “The View,” GMA3: What You Need to Know” and “General Hospital,” in order to present The Rose Parade and ESPN on ABC Sports coverage of College Football with the Cheeze-It Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee.

As for CBS, the network is preempting “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” on Christmas Day to air CBS Sports coverage of NFL Football featuring the Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs. 

Both shows will air originals on Tuesday, December 26 through Thursday, December 28, but are scheduled to air reruns on Friday, December 29, with “The Bold and the Beautiful” airing episode #9048, which originally aired on Friday, June 23, 2023, and featured Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) racing to get to Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) in order to admit his true feelings for her, while Liam’s (Scott Clifton) world comes crashing down as he witnesses an intimate moment between Hope (Annika Noelle) and Thomas (Matthew Atkinson). The episode is part of the Rome, Italy, location shoot that took place earlier this year. 

“The Young and the Restless” will air episode #7735, originally aired on October 13, 2003, and featured Victor (Eric Braeden) receiving a painful reminder about his past. Meanwhile, Nikki and Sharon (Melody Thomas Scott and Sharon Case) fight for the spotlight, and Brad (Don Diamont) worries about Ashley (Eileen Davidson) as Kevin (Greg Rikaart) plays with fire.

At press time, CBS was scheduled to air its full daytime lineup, including “The Price is Right,” “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Talk” and “Let’s Make a Deal.”

Note: The post ABC and CBS Preempt Daytime Lineups for Sports Coverage on Christmas Day appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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