Table of contents for 9/25/2017 in ABC Soaps In Depth

With GH’s Steve Burton (ex-Jason) due to make his comeback any day now, fans of Billy Miller’s Jason are a bit worried. The actors’ legendary castmate, Maurice Benard (Sonny), however, sees Burton’s return to the canvas as a win/win. “It’s going to be great story,” Benard promises. “Two racehorses going down the track, and we’ll see where it goes. I love it! “People are asking me who I’d rather have” — Miller or Burton, Benard continues. “That’s not a question I can answer. Billy plays Jason a different way, and he’s a cool dude. People love Billy. “But,” he concludes, “Steve’s the one who started it. He’s also like blood to me. So you can’t really compare. I’d like to work with both of them — two Jasons is better…

Ev e n a s cutie Garren Stitt is rocking Josslyn’s world as beau Oscar, the young actor is romancing another young lady for the Di sney Channel ! “We’re shooting Season 2 of ANDI MACK right now, so I’m doing double duty, flying back and forth,” reveals Stitt, who heads to Utah for his recurring gig as Marty on the teencom. “It’s a similar story with the girl,” he adds, “but the Disney version, of course!” As Oscar and Josslyn’s young romance continues to blossom on GH, the actor hopes that his alter ego’s backstor y will be fleshed out. “I’m excited to learn all about” who his dad is, grins the teen. So are we all!…

Wonder what it is that has Lulu in the mood to celebrate on Monday, September 11? (Not that it matters… we’re always ready to welcome good news!) • Someone turns to Finn for a little help on Wednesday, September 13, but they’re not necessarily looking for medical advice. • Valentin decides to put it all on the line on Thursday, September 14. But will Nina be blown away by his display of honesty or feel as if it’s a little too much? • Anna is a woman with a mission, and on Friday, September 15, she is ready to do whatever’s necessary to achieve her goal! In fact, by Monday, September 18, she is more determined than ever! • What causes Kristina to have second thoughts on Wednesday, September 20?…

On Monday, September 11, Dina finds out the hard way that when it comes to the past, you can run, but you can’t hide. Still determined to learn what Graham’s hiding, Ashley decides to try a different approach on Tuesday, September 12. Things are not going great for Devon and Mariah on Wednesday, September 13. Nick decides it’s time to stand on his own two feet on Thursday, September 14. And on Friday, September 15, Nikki somehow manages to make things even worse than they already were between Victor and his son!…

So far, DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Bonnie has slipped pretty seamlessly into — and made a mess of — look-alike Adrienne’s life. And, at the moment, it’s looking like the schemer’s going to get away with it, too! For those who remember the character from before her incarceration, that shouldn’t be surprising. “[Prison] is the last place she wants to go back to,” says portrayer Judi Evans. And she’s capable of doing whatever it takes to remain a free woman. After all, she knows first-h and that “you’ve got to fight to get what you want. Unfor tunately, that was her life… knowing that she’s gotta fight for every little scrap.” Does that make Bonnie a bad person? It depends on whom you ask! After all, Bonnie was doing time…

Playing a schemer like GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nelle, Chloe Lanier is always a bit on guard at fan events. “Some people think I’m this conniving, horrible person — which I’m not,” says the actress. “At one event, this woman hugged everybody and then said, ‘I don’t know about you,’ and just walked past me! I also had someone call me the devil, and I had to block somebody on social media. But for the most part, everybody’s really nice. They can see I’m not a bad person.” Plus, Laura Wright (Carly) always has her back… well, except that one time. “I got a fan letter, written in blue Sharpie, telling me I need to get breast implants like Pamela Anderson and start taking steroids to make my arm muscles larger in…

Ned’s finally settled down. But time was, the reformed playboy couldn’t stay out of trouble to save his life. Did he get into the mischief below, or was it one of these other bad boys — Stavros Cassadine, Nikolas Cassadine or A.J. Quartermaine? a. Ned kidnapped his true love, lied about the death of her true love and forced her to marry him. b. Ned married his true love… and then the bigamist also married the scheme queen who was blackmailing him! c. Ned kidnapped his son and let everyone believe the kid was dead. d. Ned faked his own death, but not before telling his son — for whom he intended to somehow come back! e. After playing daddy to help his bestie in a paternity scheme, Ned tried…

(as voted by Soaps TOP 10 COUPLES In Depth readers) 1 Last Issue: 2 Maxie Jones & Nathan West, GH 2 Last Issue: 1 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome, GH 3 Last Issue: 5 Brooke & Bill Spencer, B&B 4 Last Issue: 7 Elizabeth Webber & Franco Baldwin, GH 5 Last Issue: 6 Sam & Jason Morgan, GH 6 Last Issue: 3 Lily & Cane Ashby, Y&R 7 Last Issue: 4 Carly & Sonny Corinthos, GH 8 Last Issue: - Lulu & Dante Falconeri, GH 9 Last Issue: 9 Hilary Curtis & Devon Hamilton, Y&R 10 Last Issue: 8 Kiki Jerome & Dillon Quartermaine, GH…

If the fashion business doesn’t end up panning out for Wood’s B&B alter ego, she can always consider moonlighting as a stuntwoman! Ste. y’s “no-fear” approach to life brought about these memorable B&B moments!…

Marc Anthony Samuel (Felix), Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina) and Ryan Carnes (Lucas) called fans together for some karaoke and mayhem — and having heard about past years’ fun, GHFCW first-timer Dioni Michelle Collins (Deanna) couldn’t resist coming out, too. The event was an opportunity for fans and actors to let their hair down — or don fabulous wigs! — and just have a good time together. At their personal events, Carnes had fans rocking out with his drum-solo performance, while Samuel took the festivities to a classier place with a tea party the next morning, and Anderson got . shy — and silly! — at Crab Avenue.…

Just as Abigail and Gabi were able to talk each other into just about anything — including belly-dancing — their portrayers are equally adventurous. “A few weeks ago, Camila Banus (Gabi; formerly ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Lola) and I went on a ropes course at a camp where you help kids,” Miller con. des. “It’s one of those things where you’re tethered to a rope, so you know you’re not going to fall, but when you’re standing on top of a 25-foot pole, it’s terrifying!” Of course, when Miller was visibly frightened prior to making the leap, Banus made sure to document her pal’s experience for posterity. “She took a video, and you could see that my legs were just shaking… They shook the whole pole! ” Miller admits. “But…

Forced to leave Eric’s home, Sheila recruited Charlie to trap Ridge and Quinn in the Forrester elevator, hoping they’d give in to their passion. Watching via closed-circuit camera, Sheila mistook their friendly interaction for lust and captured an incriminating photo. Liam fantasized about taking his father down, but before he could tell Thomas the truth about Caroline, Steffy ran interference to stop him. Later, Liam threw a wrench in Bill’s negotiations with C.J. over the Spectra property. Having overheard Lizzy call Nicole “Mama,” Maya encouraged Rick to send her sister and Zende to work at Forrester International. Nicole grew suspicious when she heard that Zende’s “promotion” was Maya’s idea. After a fire consumed the Spectra building, Sally, blaming herself for the blaze, decided to leave Los Angeles for good. Sneak…

Abigail and Chad shared their big news with JJ and Jennifer. Tripp tried to make things right with Kayla, even as he made Theo jealous when Claire invited him to move in with them. Rafe, Eli and Hope raced against time to save Gabi. John and Marlena made their move to escape. Andre made a shocking announcement at a press conference. He was then stunned to encounter John and Marlena, even as Paul — who began to catch on to Hattie’s deception — sought help from Hope in locating the two. As Adrienne made an unlikely ally, Bonnie made a big move! Sneak preview How will Gabi react when she finds out about Chad and Abigail’s big wedding plans?…

GH is being tightlipped about when Genie Francis (Laura) and Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) will be back on screen, but once there, they should find themselves in the middle of a juicy storyline! “When Laura returns, having left Spencer in France, she’s hopeful the civil suit launched against Valentin will move forward successfully,” teases co-headwriter Shelly Altman. But, as revealed in the In Depth Cover Story, page 24, Laura and Spencer may be losing the upper hand, thanks to Ava! Luckily, Nikolas’ grieving mom will have her beau to lean on. “Returning with Laura,” Altman says, “Kevin proves to be a source of enormous comfort.”…

Many fans keep hoping that GH alum Bryan Craig will bring Morgan back from the dead, but the actor has a new gig keeping him busy — he’s landed the recurring role of Adam Coogan on The CW’s upcoming series, VALOR! The drama, about what happens after a top-secret US Army helicopter mission to Somalia goes wrong, premieres Monday, October 9, at 9 p.m. EST. For more, check out Craig’s Keeping Track interview in an upcoming issue!…

Nicole proves how much she loves Brady by making a huge sacrifice on Tuesday, September 12. That day also finds a clash of the titans unfolding at DiMera Enterprises, and a man asking his favorite lady why she seems so reluctant to become his wife! When Claire wants to make Theo jealous on Wednesday, September 13, Tripp is happy to help. Find out on Thursday, September 14, whether or not Claire’s plan works the way she hopes! And on Friday, September 15, Gabi finds out that in order to celebrate Sonny and Paul’s love, she’ll have to endure Abigail and Chad’s wedding!…

about a month after Kirsten Storms suddenly vacated her GENERAL HOSPITAL role of Maxie this spring, she surprised fans by revealing she’s been battling depression. Now that she’s back in the swing of things at GH, Storms talks to Soaps In Depth about her time away, her decision to share her struggle with mental illness with fans, and what it was like to come back to work. A Break To Heal After three months away, Storms admits she was a bit nervous about returning to the set in June. “I’d taken so much time to just focus on myself, and I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself at work — just because I want Maxie to be the best Maxie I can make her,” she explains. “Before my…

When her husband, director Michael Patrick Jann, is off on location, Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) mans the homefront on her own. “It is a bit of an adjustment,” admits the mom to Verity, 2, and Luke, 15. “That’s why my house is such a disaster!” The separation might be easier to manage if the couple weren’t such a team. “When he’s here, we do everything together,” she explains. “And that makes it a lot more fun. When Verity does something funny or silly, being with the other person in the world who appreciates it as much as you do makes it like it actually happened.” Big brother Luke chips in and shares some laughs, and there’s lots of FaceTiming with Dad, but these solo runs give LoCicero perspective. “It definitely makes…

HE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Cait Fairbanks (Tessa) didn’t get bitten by the acting bug so much as the singing bug when she was 8 years old. Yet she discovered the quickest way to sing before a live audience was musical theater. “I joined a community theater in Irvine, CA, called MTV — Musical Theater Village. I liked to tell my friends that I was on MTV!” she shares with a laugh. “The first thing I ever did was Annie. I didn’t get to be Annie, but I fell in love with the process.” Which doesn’t mean the dark-eyed beauty was dreaming of a career in showbiz. In fact, when the director of the theater company brought it up, “I was like, ‘Ha! I’m going to be a veterinarian!’ But…

These days, Alicia Leigh Willis (ex-Cour tney, GENERAL HOSPITAL) is just as comfortable in the kitchen as she is on a movie set. Having studied at Matthew Kenney Culinary School and enrolled in a community-college program, she’s mastered many techniques and especially learned a lot about raw and vegan dishes. “It taught me about super foods and a healthier way of eating,” she shares. “It’s made me really question where food’s coming from and what we’re putting into our bodies.” Combining Her Skills Willis isn’t trying to become a professional; rather, it’s about honing her skills prior to launching a cooking show! “I want to have different chefs on every episode and travel to farms around the world,” she previews, adding that the plan is to produce the pilot in…

Q: What teacher made the biggest impact on you, or do you have fondest memories of? Donnell Turner (Curtis, GH) “Mrs. Howell, my second grade teacher. She always knew I was going to be famous, and she used to say every day, ‘When asked who was your biggest in. uence, say “Mrs. Howell, my second grade teacher.”’ It’s been programmed into me since second grade, even before I knew what the word ‘in. uence’ meant, because she believed in me back then.” Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas, DAYS) “Mrs. Friedman from Beverly Hills High School. She got me. She saw right through me and understood my act. She didn’t want to hear my shtick; instead, she called me out and got me interested in studying history. To this day, I’m a…

The In Depth Story: Dillon’s romance with Kiki not only solidified Watkins’ place in viewers’ hearts, it gave rise to the popular por tmanteau Killon. So when word spread that GH had let the actor go, fans reacted in a big way! Touched by the outpouring, Watkins took to social media to respond. These sorts of “things in life can either break you or set you on fire for the next chapter — consider me lit,” he wrote, posting a video of himself wearing a #KILLONIT T-shirt. “Honestly, all of the love and support you are showing me has put a smile on my face.” What didn’t put a smile on Watkins’ handsome face, however, was the ensuing angry backlash, which included suggestions in the Twitterverse that other cast members…

Come fall , the Cheetwood brothers, Drew and Derk, will be “in and out of Por t Charles” as Milo and Max, says a show rep. Debra Strang steps in for Betsy “Mother Of James” Franco as Franco’s adoptive mom, Betsy, this week. And, while GH could not provide any info regarding the casting of Alla Korot (Allie, ALL MY CHILDREN), the soap vet was quick to tweet to an upset GH viewer that she only “made an ‘appearance,’ I did not replace Rebecca” Budig (ex-Hayden).…

It’s touch-and-go for several Por t Charles relationships this week. Michael must decide where he stands with Nelle on Wednesday, September 13, and Griffin is put in the awkward position of having to confront his own feelings on Thursday, September 14. Franco makes it very clear exactly where he stands on Friday, September 15. Things get a little bit scary for Liz when she is accosted on Tuesday, September 19. Could this have something to do with Franco’s mysterious past? It may not ultimately matter, because on Friday, Septem- ber 22, the beauty vows that she not only supports Franco, she intends to remain completely committed to him, no matter what!…

Steffy unknowingly interrupts Katie and Wyatt’s secret liaison on Monday, September 11. Enraged over Liam’s act of disloyalty, Bill makes a surprising move against his son on Tuesday, September 12. Sally’s outlook goes from one of gloom to glee when she receives great news on Wednesday, September 13. On Thursday, September 14, a terrible memory causes Bill, for the first time, to accept that he may have taken things too far in the name of ambition. After having a bit of a breakdown on Friday, September 15, Bill finally confesses to Brooke the truth… or, rather, half of it!…

Eric’s continued willingness to give Sheila the benefit of the doubt on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL has lef t Quinn beside herself with frustration. But regardless of the headway Sheila may make in derailing Eric’s relationship with Quinn, John McCook (Eric) says he believes the Forresters’ relationship is for keeps. “In my mind, no matter what the ups and downs are, no matter who comes and goes, no matter what happens with Ridge or anybody else, the story I’m playing is Eric and Quinn’s love story, ” he says. “That’s the real throughline for me, and I know it’s the same for Rena [Sofer, Quinn], too. We love playing this together, and that’s what we hang on to through all the machinations happening. “But we know that the ‘old’…

… or we re you unable to decide whether GH was offering up some foreshadowing or simply messing with viewers when Sam, Carly and Sonny suddenly became . xated on how their relationships with Jason had changed since his return from the dead? The whole thing seemed to con. rm that Steve Burton’s return would play with the question of whether his Jason or the one played by Billy Miller is the “real” Stone Cold, and yet it was so heavy-handed that we started to get suspicious. “Maybe,” we thought, “they’re trying to trick us into thinking we’ve got it all . gured out!” Only time will tell whether we were ahead of the curve or heading for a blindside!…

Hot Topic: Is Parker’s Return Good News For Kristina? OUR TAKE Last summer, Kristina was reassessing her sexuality, love triangling with both sexes and just trying to figure things out. GENERAL HOSPITAL sent the young beauty on an intriguing journey of self-discovery… which sort of came to a premature end without any real resolution. Now that Parker’s back in the pic- ture, we’re eager to see how things play out. We are also hoping to get to know Parker a little better. After all, we’ve spent more time hearing about Parker than we have in her actual company. Might she have ties to other Port Charles locals? We’re also intrigued by the way Valerie has played into this story. Could she be yet another love interest for Kristina? Might recentlymentioned…

Parry Shen (Brad) is getting animated for a popular Disney Junior series. “I’m going to be on DOC MCSTUFFINS,” cheers the actor, who recorded his vocals for “First Responders To The Rescue” all the way back in February of 2016. In the episode, premiering on Saturday, September 23, a young boy finds himself and his toys magically transported to Mc- Stuffinsville after a storm hits, where they help Doc put the town back together again. Shen gives voice to Shinji, an adorable toy robot firefighter. “The animation just takes so much time,” he marvels. “I didn’t even know what my character looked like when I recorded it… but he does have a pretty cool song! It’s been fun that I’ve gotten to sing in some of my recent projects. I’m…

Maybe Tessa will be the one to break Noah’s dismal track record in the romance department. Consider her predecessors: Eden: First love Eden wreaked havoc by causing Noah (then Kevin Schmidt) to rebel against his parents. The teen then followed her to live in Paris, but she dumped him after six months. Noah returned to Genoa City a little smarter and a lot more bitter. Still, the hunk got some closure when the beauty came back to town and apologized. Courtney: Noah fought his feelings for Courtney because he thought Summer’s friend was too young for him… and, oh, yeah, she was dealing drugs. Their romance flourished when she revealed that she was an undercover cop. Alas, she was murdered on the day they were to wed! Marisa: While Noah…

Most people don’t board a flight covered in tiramisu, but that’s exactly the s i t u a t i o n THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) found herself in earlier this year. Blame it on a tight schedule and a day spent on set playing out a food fight with Courtney Hope (Sally). When the director yelled “Cut!” Wood would’ve ordinarily hit the shower, but “I was flying out of town right after work, and I had to basically run from the set to the airport,” she laughs. “I was trying to pick [cake] out of my hair the whole Uber drive there. “The good part,” she adds, “is that I at least smelled like a nice dessert when I went through security!” A Well-Stamped…

ENERAL HOSPITAL’s Sonny is somber, even on a good day, so it was a treat to see the lighter side of his portrayer, Emmywinning soap legend Maurice Benard, who hosted the annual gathering of the show’s fan club in Glendale, CA. Mic in hand, he cajoled a panel of his castmates into answering a few questions while guests noshed on brunch. Then he handed it over to the alwaysentertaining Kin Shriner, who worked the room like the pro he is before being acknowledged for his 40th anniversary as Scotty. Of course, there were some surprises, too, as fans got the oppor tunity to greet ONE LIFE TO LIVE vet James DePaiva (Max), who plays GH’s Dr. Bensch, and welcome back Ashley Jones, who shared with fans the news that she…

AYS OF OUR LIVES’ Abigail loves Chad, and truly wants him to be happy… even at her own expense. Her portrayer, Marci Miller, says that’s exactly why she released him to be with the other woman for whom he fell during the time that his wife had faked her death. “Abigail knew that he wanted to be with Gabi,” the actress insists, “and he was too good of a man to make that choice on his own.” Absence Made Their Hearts Grow Fonder As it turned out, making decisions for Chad was a mistake that left them both miserable, and now they’re hoping to put a fork in that difficult time of their lives. “The struggle of having to face life without each other has been a very sobering and…

With the GENERAL HOSPITAL audience still divided over Julian’s guilt, the stoic defendant took the stand and then demanded his sentencing. While the former Mob boss couldn’t convince the judge of his innocence, portrayer William deVry ruled the courtroom with a tense, layered performance that earned him this week’s Gold Star. Disorder In The Court As Rudge began his testimony, Julian kept his lips tightly sealed, but the more the witness lied, the hotter the defendant’s seat got. Finally, he lunged at Olivia’s sidekick, shouting… and destroying his case. Though left dazed for a beat, Julian soon was reduced to grumbling dejectedly at Scotty. Then Alexis showed up, so of course, he caught himself. Hands on hips, he firmly shot down every witness at his disposal and, after listening to…

Victoria accused Phyllis of teaming up with Jack to take down Brash & Sassy. Victoria later had a dizzy episode after Phyllis admitted to pushing Benjamin in her direction. Victoria called a truce with Victor, but Nick and Nikki refused to participate. Ashley was furious to learn that Graham had finished Dina’s Jabot report. Later, Ashley freaked when Abby began asking questions about Brent Davis. Tessa worried about Crystal’s safety. Zack received a text from his business partner stating their new girl was ready. He then got a photo of Crystal! Sneak preview How will Victor react when someone in the family questions his motives?…