Table of contents for January 18, 2016 in ABC Soaps In Depth

1 Soap-hopper Eileen Davidson visited from THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS (where she plays Ashley) for the reveal that Kristen had stolen Theresa’s unborn baby. 2 After 22 years in Salem, Alison Sweeney exited as Sami — and nabbed her first-ever Daytime Emmy nomination for her work in EJ’s nightmare episode of what would happen if his fiancée discovered that he’d slept with Abigail. 3 DAYS won the GLAAD Media Award in the daytime category for the Sonny/Will/Paul triangle. But by year’s end, Sonny had left town, and Will was dead, leaving Paul as Salem’s lone gay character. 4 Peter Reckell returned as Bo, and the character spent weeks trying to get free from his captors and reunite with Hope… only to die days later of an inoperable brain tumor.…

Jill has some harsh words for Victor on Monday, January 4! By Tuesday, January 5, Victor is back to issuing warnings to Marisa. Things have been more than a little chaotic at Jabot of late, but Jack makes an important decision about the company on Wednesday, January 6. Does Mariah care about Kevin more than she’s willing to admit? She tries to sort those feelings out for herself on Thursday, January 7. And on Friday, January 8, Abby, too, is working through some complex feelings. What’s next for her and Stitch?…

Sure, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Abby and Stitch have tied the knot. But in Genoa City, marital knots have a tendency to come untied fast! Considering that only a few months ago, Stitch made a declaration of love to his bride’s mom, is his marriage already doomed? Sean Carrigan (Stitch) insists his alter ego is head over heels in love with Abby. “He wants to concentrate on their future.” That said, Carrigan confesses that the good doc might not exactly view Ash-ley as mother-in-law material. “I think you’re always going to have [those feelings] at the back of your mind. When he sees [Ashley], she looks so beautiful. She’s this strong, smart, confident woman that he’s always admired,” he shares. “There’s always that flame, that ex that you still…

To paraphrase Dr. Phil, 2015 has been a changing year for GENERAL HOSPITAL. Actors have come and gone, a new writing team took over and Jason at long last found out who he is! So as we head into 2016, we sat down with Nathan Varni — manager, current programming for ABC — to discuss not only the year that was, but what viewers can expect from the soap as it moves forward! — Deanna Barnert Soaps In Depth: There sure have been a lot of changes at GH of late! Nathan Varni: Yes, there is a bit of a reset going on. Obviously you can’t reset a show like this overnight, so we’re trying to make it as subtle as we can. If that is noticeable by fans, fantastic.…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Hayley Erin (Kiki) and beau Logan Luedtke are inseparable. She even went to work with him recently and spent the day filing! Now, that’s love! But Erin’s work day wasn’t all about shuffling papers: She also spent time fielding questions and kudos. “His whole office watches GH,” she explains. “All they could talk about was how much they love Crazy Kiki.” And Erin could relate. “I have been playing ‘Girl In Mourning’ for months. First, Kiki was mourning Ava’s death, then Silas’,” she recounts. “Then I got to do Drunk Kiki and Drunk Crazy Kiki, which was super fun, because I hadn’t done that one yet. We’re seeing a whole other side of the character, which is gratifying.” It also keeps the beauty on her toes! “Every time…

1. “Remember FAMILY FEUD before Steve Harvey? Yeah, neither do I… ” 2. “Jason and Sam are making out in Patrick’s house? What the heck?” 3. “Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right time. Just saw the most beautiful shooting star.” 4. “Gotta get back to spending money I don’t have on-line!” 5. “Welcome to United. How can we piss you offtoday? By not giving a crap? Check!” see page 92 for answer key gh say what? answers (from page 46) ANSWERS: 1. b. 2. e. 3. c. 4. a. 5. d.…

Whenever Haiduk has to jump on the crazy train for her alter ego, Patty, she finds inspiration in Jessica Lange’s performance in the movie Frances. “I loved that movie when I was younger, and I watched it so many times that maybe it became my blueprint!” she laughs. The movie details the life of actress Frances Farmer, who eventually was committed to an insane asylum for her outspoken views and alleged Communist sympathies. Haiduk believes that society at that time simply didn’t know what to do with Farmer. “She was never crazy — she was just powerful,” she insists. “They couldn’t handle her independence or passion for acting. It was pretty sad. Powerful women in those days were scary, I guess. I think powerful women are incredible. We need to…

“RIP to a man who was as kind as he was talented. He treated everyone around him like the most important person in the world. So lucky to know David Canary.” — Kelly Ripa (Hayley, AMC), via Instagram “The world lost one of its most consummate gentlemen last week, and daytime’s most notorious legend. Rest in peace, Pop.” — Adam Mayfield (Scott, AMC), via Twitter “I just learned the news that the wonderful David Canary has passed away. My deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Mo, and his children, Christopher and Katie. Rest in peace, David, you warm and generous, talented and fabulous man, actor and friend! I am so grateful to have known you and to have had the privilege of sharing the AMC stage with you! I…

It’s always good fun for Rogers to clock in at Y&R. “Colin’s an amusing character, and he’s very capable,” contends the actor. Interestingly, finding son Cane and falling for Jill has not made the rogue a better man. “He cares about his family, but he’s always looking for the main chance. So it’s hard to say that” he’s mellowed, really. In truth, it’s hard to say much about the recurring character these days. “My position on Y&R is pretty cut-anddry,” says Rogers, who’s been popping in and out of Genoa City since 2010. “I’m on the periphery of several storylines, and as much as I might be a part of them, it never manifests into anything. At one point, I was supposed to be part of Victor’s hacking story. Didn’t…

Dr. Anderson wasn’t happy to learn that Nick and Sage were trying to reconcile. Marisa warned Noah that Luca’s family were dangerous and not to be messed with. Meanwhile, Victor teamed up with Adam to oust the Santori family from Newman. To that end, Adam convinced Abby to invite Luca and Marisa to her and Stitch’s wedding. After securing a $2 million investment from Billy for his Internet idea, Kevin invited his hacker pal, Natalie, to Genoa City. Victoria agreed to accompany Billy to Abby’s wedding, while Ashley shocked everyone by showing up with Dr. Neville! Victor issues a warning to Marisa. But will she listen to what he has to say?…

10 No sooner had Robb Derringer been axed as Sloane so that soap vet Grayson McCouch could tackle the role than Mc-Couch was out, Derringer was back in… and Sloane was killed off! We still get dizzy thinking about it! Perhaps because GH never settled on a Sloane, its wardrobe department rarely bothered fully dressing the character. 9 Sonny and Carly got remarried. And, come to think of it, hasn’t that been on this list every year for, like, ever? “Whad’ya say we tie a double knot this time, just as a precaution?” 8 Ava was sentenced to prison and shot, she fell offa bridge into icy water, and she suffered from terminal lymphoma. But the vixen was too delicious a character — and her portrayer, Maura West, too valuable a player…

The latest comings and goings — and how they will change your shows! The In Depth Story: Castillo should offi-cially be on maternity leave by now: As of press time, the actress was expected to wrap up taping in conjunction with the soap’s twoweek hiatus over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. Castillo’s episodes should air through late January, according to Nathan Varni, manager of current programming for ABC. Or perhaps even longer! “Every time I think she’s being written out, she pops up again,” he tells Soaps In Depth. The actress and her husband, Shane Aaron, are already parents to 19-month-old Victoria Milani. The length of Castillo’s mater nity leave was unavailable at press time.…

We all know what they say about a mother’s instincts. So Nikolas might want to listen to Laura when she suggests he stay as far away as possible from Hayden on Thursday, January 7! But things might change when Hayden manages to shock the generally unflappable Nikolas on Friday, January 8! Liz and Laura have a long chat about Jake on Friday, January 8, after which the little boy and his mom come home to something downright scar y on Monday, Januar y 11! That same day finds Carly and Sam joining forces to look into Jason’s case. Speaking of sleuthing, Anna tries getting information from Sabrina on Tuesday, Januar y 12, and later shares her theories with Jordan on Wednesday, January 13! And on Friday, Januar y 15, Sam…

A horrible car accident brings half of Salem rushing to the hospital to check on a beloved resident on Monday, January 4! Chad gets a bit of shocking news on Tuesday, January 5. Brady and Eric’s fate will be decided on Wednesday, January 6. Ava proves to be one wily woman when she “accidentally” leaves something for Steve to find on Thursday, January 7. And trust us when we say that you do not want to miss the episode airing on Friday, January 8. Why? Because Hope and Stefano will be having an epic showdown!…

At long last, the truth is out, and GENERAL HOSPITAL fans couldn’t be more thrilled. Well, that’s not entirely true, given that soap fans are often like kids in a candy store, always wanting more than they’re being given! In this case, what many want is for the hunk’s memories to come flooding back. And while it’s true that Jason hasn’t yet gotten back his memory, we’re of the belief that that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s great story to be told in how a man moves forward when he knows who he is, and yet that knowledge doesn’t really change the fact that he has no memory of that person. What if he finds a way to forgive Liz and move forward with their relationship, only to remember…

For a while there, it sort of felt as if Hayden, trapped on both a story and literal island with Nikolas, was the latest Port Charles resident to be held captive by a Cassadine. So we were thrilled when she started interacting with other folks around town. Her being Tracy’s secret partner was as smart as it was logical. After all, we know Hayden isn’t above doing shady deeds for cold, hard cash. Better still have been her interactions with Curtis, with whom she shares both killer chemistry and witty banter. What’s intriguing about Hayden is that even after all this time, she remains a mystery wrapped in a conundrum. She’s begun opening up to Nikolas about her past, but her penchant for tall tales leaves us wondering if he…

There’s nothing better than when a soap manages to shock viewers with a plot twist. “Obviously,” says Varni, “story is strictly guarded on a soap opera. The fewer people who know the long-term stories, the better!” But it can be tough keeping secrets, given how many people it takes to actually put the show on the air! This makes social media sites like Twitter both a great resource for promoting a show… and a nightmare when it comes to preventing people from saying too much! “I love social media,” admits the exec, who is always looking to increase the show’s profile. “As a TV fan, if Twitter, Facebook, Periscope and all that had been available to me when I was a teen and I’d had the ability to ask questions…

Laura Wright (Carly) loves public appearances because she gets to hear from GH fans, firsthand. Now, she’s angling to kick things up a notch. “I’m starting to do more personal events,” she reveals, “with one or two other GH women, because I want to start creating pro-women events that I’m calling No Boys Allowed — which means no boys on the panels.” The goal? “I want people to leave with more than just an autographed photo and an answer to, ‘Who’s a better kisser, Sonny or Jax?’ Not that that’s not fun! But I also want to have great conversations around things that women struggle with and see what we can do to provide suppor t for each other. Whether you’re a soap actress, a stay-at-home mom, a businesswoman or…

“It’s always nice to culminate the year with a visit to GENERAL HOSPITAL. The cast and crew have become family to me. Speaking of… that lil’ lady of mine… such a treat to work together. Not only do I love her as my wife and best friend, but actor to actor, I respect her immensely. We inspire each other to become better, more nuanced and emotionally specific actors. Merrily, merrily, merrily… ” — GH’s Brandon Barash (Johnny) on Kirsten Storms (Maxie)…

JOIN THEM! Actor Boutique’s next industry night — a fundraiser for Usher’s New Look foundation — will include a reception and a talent showcase and will be held in March. Those interested in meeting Atlanta-based agents, casting directors and other media professionals are invited to attend. For additional information visit www.actorboutique.com. It’s no secret that Atlanta has become a jumpin’ media hub. So if there was ever going to be a time that Georgia peach Natalia Livingston (ex-Emily/Rebecca, GENERAL HOSPITAL) would be able to maintain her career while moving back home, it was now! “I love my house with the little front porch, having [great] neighbors and being able to see the leaves change in the fall. It’s such a friendly community,” she enthuses. “And I get to see my…

Q. Why aren’t Spinelli and Maxie together anymore on GENERAL HOSPITAL? Darla Francisco Via Email A. You could call it a case of bad timing, as Maxie just wasn’t ready for marriage until after Spinelli fell for Ellie. Of course, if Maxie hadn’t cheated on her thenfiancé with Franco and Matt, the cyber geek likely would not have moved on in the first place! But even after the split, the two had a pull that was hard to resist, explaining how Maxie and Spinelli ended up creating baby Georgie via a one-night stand. When Spinelli won custody, he and Georgie followed Ellie to Portland, leaving Maxie to find love with Nathan. Interestingly, Spinelli did return to Port Charles to fight for Maxie earlier this year. But Maxie insisted she felt…

While ALL MY CHILDREN’s Ryan was a first-class hero, he can’t hold a candle to portrayer Cameron Mathison’s hunky detective character, Mike, in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Murder, She Baked series of whodunits. Yet in the latest, A Peach Cobbler Mystery (airing Sunday, January 10, at 9 p.m. EST), Mike and baker/supersleuth/love interest Hannah (Alison Sweeney, formerly DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Sami) find themselves at odds. Deadly Obstacle To Romance “There’s a new bakery in town [run by a couple of Georgia peaches], so Hannah’s business is down,” Mathison previews. “And Mike’s been hanging out with one of the other bakery’s owners. So for Hannah, the blow is both emotional and monetary.” However, when a murder takes place at the rival business, Hannah finds herself in the unique position of…

FYIFYIFYI All You Can Tweet: Say hello to the actress at @Marth27 or @theradiosoapbox. Homegirl: Madison grew up in Houston. Her Business: The actress and her husband, AJ Gilbert, created a Web-based, restaurant inventory management tool called ChefSheet and hope to open another restaurant of their own soon. If At First You Do Succeed… : “My mother taught me to set high expectations and goals for myself,” Madison reveals. “I hear her voice in my head every day, pushing me to be better.” The fact that it took the death of her father-in-law, Bo, to bring Belle back to Salem was surprising. However, her announcement upon arriving that she and husband Shawn were divorcing was downright shocking! How could this be? Apparently, Shawn and Belle not only grew up while…

Hope got closer to the person responsible for Bo’s kidnapping. Ava set herself on a collision course with Kayla and Steve. Kate dealt Theresa a devastating blow, but the young brunette still had her moment of truth at the New Year’s Eve Basic Black re-launch. Unfortunately, Nicole had to take charge to save the show, but that didn’t stop her from ripping into Kate! Abigail and Jennifer rushed Thomas to the hospital, where they received stunning news about the baby. Abby rushed offto find Chad, only to find him in bed with Belle! And a tragic New Year’s Eve accident forever changed the lives of some of Salem’s prominent citizens! The young people of Salem break into Club TBD in order to have their own private party!…

Billy Miller (Jason) won’t be splitting his time between Port Charles, NY, and Austin, TX, after all. FOX has passed on the drama pilot URBAN COWBOY — a modern-day reimagining of the classic John Travolta movie with a Latin music twist. Miller had been cast in the supporting role of Bobby, but because the actor is still in the middle of his contract with ABC, he would either have had to be written out of GH or juggle schedules between two shows on two different networks. So for the time being, GH viewers get to keep the handsome star all to themselves!…

Following yet another run-in with Ivy, Steffy tries to explain herself on Monday, January 4. By Tuesday, January 5, Steffy is left to worry about the future of her relationship with Liam, while Wednesday, January 6, finds Liam having to deal with a rather awkward situation following his attempt to be a good friend to Ivy. Thursday, January 7, is a worrisome day for Steffy, who isn’t exactly sure where her guy is! On the plus side, Wyatt is there for Steffy when she needs him most on Friday, January 8!…

preview She’s plotted and schemed and even been accused of murder, but this week, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nina does something downright crazy: She opens herself up to the possibility of being happy with Franco. Can these two formerly crazy kids really make it work? We may soon find out! A Whole New Nina! The Nina who fell into a coma over two decades ago would probably not even recognize the woman who currently seems to be doing everything right. Heck, the Nina who woke up from that coma likely wouldn’t recognize this version of Nina, either, given the changes she’s gone through over the past few months. Instead of sitting around plotting ways to trap a man who doesn’t love her, Nina now has a high-powered job and a guy who…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Quinn has made no secret of the fact that she thinks her son would be best paired up with Steffy, regardless of the fact that the comely Forrester president desperately wants a life with Liam. But with the recent messiness between Steffy and Ivy threatening to derail her engagement to Liam, could Wyatt soon have a chance at exploring romance with Ridge’s feisty daughter? “Everybody on this show hooks up at some point,” jokes Darin Brooks (Wyatt), who would be curious to see a Wyatt/Steffy pairing explored in earnest. “They could make such a fun, interesting, fiery couple. They’re both emotional people who go after what they want, so I could totally see them having some real chemistry.” Though Wyatt only has eyes for Ivy…

… or did the break-up of GH’s Patrick and Sam happen at the worst possible moment? We suspect that, were Jason Thompson not exiting the role of Patrick, this couple might have at least given it the old college try. Instead, we got a rather quick break-up designed to free Patrick up to search for — and have a joyful reunion with — Robin. Happily, this still resulted in some fantastic scenes for both Thompson and Kelly Monaco (Sam). The real star of the break-up, however, was Brooklyn Rae Silzer, whose scenes as Emma were almost brutally painful to watch. Even as Patrick and Sam’s relationship was dissolved quicker than an Alka-Seltzer tablet in a glass of water, the show still managed to give us top-notch drama every step of…

The Write Stuff Thank you to the new GENERAL HOSPITAL writing stafffor bringing romance back to the show. The dialogue, the scene quality and length have all improved dramatically. I absolutely loved the scenes between Jason and Liz in December. We got angst, longing, struggle, love, romance and everything in between. The dialogue was just fantastic, but the acting’s even better. Billy Miller (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Liz) have truly hit their stride in the chemistry department. It looks so effortless. I found myself rewinding every scene to watch again. It’s been years since I felt so strongly about a soap couple, but Miller and Herbst have me completely hooked. Jill Regan via E-mail The Dream Team Epiphany and Sonny are awesome. More Epiphany, please! The beautiful, talented Rebecca Herbst…

When Kin Shriner (Scotty) and Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) joined GH in the late ’70s, both had studied under Lillian Chauvan (ex-Lil, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS), the French-American film and TV character actress, host, director and writer who continued working right up until her death in 2008. And although Chauvan has passed away, she has managed to stay on the minds of her former students in a most unusual way! “I was locked in John J. York’s (Mac) dressing room, waiting for my scenes, when SUPERMAN came on — and Lillian was on!” Shriner recounts. “Jackie was working that day, and I called her in. We sat in the dark and watched our former acting teacher on an episode of SUPERMAN from the 1950s. It was a great moment for…

Remembering David Canary 1938-2015 All My Children For nearly three decades, the characters of Adam and Stuart Chandler were as familiar to ALL MY CHILDREN fans as Erica Kane. But on November 16, the twins’ portrayer, David Canary — who had also stolen hearts while rustling horses as BONANZA’s Candy Canaday — passed away at age 77 at an assisted living facility in Wilton, CT. Here, his former colleagues pay their respects to the beloved actor. Jill Larson (Opal, AMC) “David was a prince of a man, so kind, so generous and supportive, and of course, he was greatly loved… although James Mitchell (Palmer) was known to express envy over David’s hair! David said people always assumed he was like the dashing, self-assured Adam but that actually he was Stuart,…

When news broke that Tristan Rogers’ Scorpio was returning to GENERAL HOSPITAL, no one was sure what to make of it. Was this just another extended visit? Or a real return? And what did it mean for THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Colin? FYIFYIFYI Big Move: The Aussie relocated to Hollywood in 1979. First Sighting: Rogers premiered on GH in December of 1980. Staying Power: Rogers says that he initially was hired to do a “three-week gig” in Port Charles. Fortunately for us, that wound up turning into a solid 12-year run! Twitter Handle: You can chat with the daytime legend at @tristanrogers. “There’s been a lot of curiosity, but nothing has been decided,” says the actor. “I’ve got one show with Y&R this month and then quite a few…

Madisonrecently wrapped production on TALK SHOW, a pilot presentation for Warner Bros. in which she plays an off-kilter television host. “She’s a little crazy — she slips in and out of different characters, and it’s hilarious,” Madison reveals. “In one scene, she was having a fight with herself!” In it, the actress worked opposite the very funny Sterling Jones (Lone Survivor), who gave her a strong sense of déjà vu. “It turned out that he’d once tested with me to play Shawn [on DAYS],” Madison reveals. “So I was like, ‘Oh! You and I have kissed before!’” Madison calls her castmate “one of the greatest people I’ve ever met” and wouldn’t mind if he eventually did wind up in Salem. “That would be super fun,” she giggles. “He wishes he…

Q: Who was your celebrity teen crush? William deVry (Julian, GH) “When I was a teenager, I sort of liked Lindsay Wagner and Loni Anderson. And then there was Lynda Carter. Suzanne Somers. And [Dawn Wells], Mary Ann from GILLIGAN’S ISLAND.” Tyler Christopher (Nikolas, GH) “Alyssa Milano. I got to kiss her on CHARMED, so I was so stoked. I called to ask her out on a date, but her mother answered the phone, and I panicked. I don’t even remember if I said anything.” Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) “When I was young, I liked Jan Michael Vincent. I also liked Doug McClure [from THE VIRGINIAN].” Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R) “I have so many! Every actor in the movie Newsies: Christian Bale, David Moscow, Gabriel Damon… I was…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Wyatt prepared to propose to Ivy, unaware that his beloved was at that very moment begging Liam to get back together with her! Quinn overheard Ivy and Liam’s tête-à-tête and wasted no time in informing her son. A regretful Ivy determined that her only course of action was to return to Australia, and her announcement left Liam questioning his feelings for his ex. Katie and Bill offered Brooke an editing position at Spencer Publications, but the blonde was hesitant to accept because she still had feelings for her brother-in-law! She confided in Bill about the real reason she couldn’t take the job… and they even shared a kiss! Brooke later decided to put on a brave face and accept the job “for Katie’s sake.” Insecurities…