Table of contents for 11/20/2017 in ABC Soaps In Depth

“There is not a doubt in [Sonny and Carly’s] minds.” The In Depth Story: This week, Sam deals with the shocking fallout of Patient 6’s arrival… not to mention the implications. What if Patient 6 really is who he claims to be? “Obviously,” says co-headwriter Shelly Altman, “this is an impossible situation that Sam finds herself in the middle of. And it certainly won’t get easier as the stor y moves forward!” While having Steve Burton and Billy Miller on the canvas at the same time is a win/win for viewers, the same can’t necessarily be said about Sam having one Jason too many. “If she allows herself to believe that Patient 6 is the Jason who left her five years ago,” Alt-man explains, “then that would invalidate the happiness…

The In Depth Story: Davidson, who broke her toe while in Florida to grand-marshal a charity motorcycle parade to benefit youths with serious illnesses, is maintaining a good sense of humor regarding her injury. “Doesn’t get much prettier than that,” she tweeted of her sock-clad foot in an orthopedic shoe. At press time, there was no word as to whether the injury would be written into Ashley’s storyline. As for Sofer, although the actress said she was laid up for two weeks after breaking her ankle playing tennis, B&B didn’t have to do any workarounds in taping in order to accommodate her injury. “Rena has been a trouper,” reports a show spokesperson. “We just make sure she can sit as much as possible in scenes, and if she can’t be…

The In Depth Story: Even more than two decades after Brenda first arrived in Port Charles, Marcil remains a favorite amongst GH viewers, many of whom hope that the beloved actress will reprise her role for longer than a brief visit. So when she Instagrammed the pic of her younger self and wrote that she had a “big, new announcement coming,” many of her followers assumed that she’d be reprising her role of Sonny’s model ex-wife. The mobster’s portrayer, Maurice Benard, only added fuel to the fire when he tweeted Marcil a few days later, writing, “Happy birthday, Brenda… I mean Vanessa! See you soon.” Despite the fan frenzy, Marcil (who last appeared during the 2013 Nurses Ball) has downplayed the talk of her actually returning to GH, going so…

IN August comes to Port Charles this November Sweeps by way of GUIDING LIGHT alum Wes Ramsey (Sam)! The actor — who also happens to be the boyfriend of Laura Wright (Carly) — will debut in the role of mysterious Peter August on Tuesday, November 14. While no further details were available at press time regarding Ramsey’s casting, the former CHARMED star tweeted that he was “thrilled” to share the news. “Port Charles is a dream come true!” he wrote.…

Finn finds himself feeling a little bit uncomfortable on Monday, November 6. Given what we know about Cassandra, the fact that she “comes up with an idea” on Tuesday, November 7, could be cause for nervousness. When Nina accepts the newcomer’s invitation to lunch on Thursday, Novem ber 9, she goes in with her guard up! Wisely, Crimson’s boss lady remains cautious on Tuesday, November 14. Might she be the one who puts Valentin on the spot on Wednesday, No vember 15, or could that have something to do with the big news Lulu receives that same day? And what will it mean when Nina takes the time to put everything in perspective on Fri day, November 17?…

Victor tries to cut a deal with his daughter on Mon day, November 6, but will Victoria agree to his terms? Cane and Billy may not like each other very much, but they’ll wind up in the same metaphorical boat on Tuesday, November 7, with both in very hot water! That same day, Phyllis breaks out some of her old tricks to help out a friend. Juliet absolutely blindsides Lily on Wednesday, November 8, and Neil accepts a new challenge on Thursday, November 9. It’s all building to Friday, November 10, when what should be a great night for the Newman clan goes down in flames!…

when Soaps In Depth accidentally refers to Steve Burton’s GENERAL HOSPITAL character as Jason, Laura Wright is quick to correct us. “You mean Patient 6,” chides the Emmy winner who plays Carly, adding that even “when we’re going to the set, they call ‘Patient 6 and Carly’ or ‘Jason and Sam.’ At this point, Steve’s character is not Jason.” And at first, Carly agreed with that assessment of the familiar-looking hunk. “When Sonny told her, she said, ‘No way’ — our Jason would never ever pull a gun on him!” Wright sniffs. “Carly was confused and upset, because she saw someone save Sam… but thought her mind was playing tricks on her.” Once faced with Jason and Patient 6, side by side, however, Carly couldn’t help but suspect that Sonny…

Bad Is Good Let’s face it: GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Roger Howarth has played his share of bad boys. Some might even say villains. And while current alter ego Franco has been showing his softer side of late, Howarth has no qualms about playing complicated characters. “I’m super appreciative I get to [play these dark roles],” he told fans at the GH Convention. “If you’re playing the good guy and you make it bigger, he becomes too good. That’s awful. There’s no fun to it. But as the bad guy, you can go big, and you can always be worse. I like that.” Howarth also enjoys getting to play storylines that can occasionally be over the top. “What’s fun about daytime is that there really are no limitations,” he elaborated. “That’s exceptional.…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Would you like to see Alexis move on with Dr. Bensch? Reader Reaction: 90% NO WAY!! 10% YES Come Bensch or high water, the readers made it clear that they don’t plan on letting the Julexis train stop running anytime soon! This issue’s question... Do you believe Jason or Patient 6 is the real Jason? TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Maxie Jones & Nathan West 2 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 3 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 4 Sam & Jason Morgan 5 Lulu & Dante Falconeri TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Last Issue : 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Last Issue: 2 Ryan Paevey (Nathan, GH) 3 Last Issue: 3 William deVry (Julian, GH) 4 Last Issue:…

For THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Heather Tom (Katie) and Darin Books (Wyatt), a typical day at the office in recent months is not at all similar to what the rest of the world thinks of as the daily 9-to-5. More often than not, the actors are going to be half-naked and delivering their dialogue between the sheets! Brooks — who was accustomed to showing some skin when he starred on the raunchy Spike TV show BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE — says Wyatt and Katie’s romps in the sack don’t much faze him. Tom agrees that it’s all in a day’s work, though she admits it can be a bit surreal! “At one point, I was sitting on top of Darin in bed wearing pasties so they could shoot my back,”…

On the surface, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Donnell Turner and alter ego Curtis Ashford might seem like they have nothing in common other than a handsome face and wowsome abs. But “we would probably hang out,” the actor admits. Read on to find out the similarities that might make them buds. What’s the most important quality in a friend? Donnell: Trust. Curtis: Trust. What’s your personal motto? Donnell: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Curtis: Iron sharpens iron so that a friend may sharpen the countenance of a friend. What’s your favorite hobby? Donnell: I really enjoy kickboxing. Curtis: Watching kickboxing! My life would be less complicated if… Donnell: I didn’t have social media. Curtis: I didn’t care so much about my sister-in-law. My definition of romance would have…

Kimberlin Brown (Sheila, B&B) is hoping to go from a political activist to a politician. The actress, who was a guest speaker at the Republican National Convention in 2016, is running for Congress in California. “Though I’d be walking away from a very lucrative business and career, it’s a move I’m willing to make, to make a difference,” she says on her campaign Web site. As the election is still a year away, there’s every reason to believe that Brown will continue to be involved in B&B story. After all, as headwriter/executive producer Bradley Bell teases, even though Eric kicked Sheila out of his life, viewers haven’t seen the last of this iconic soap opera villainess!…

IN It’s official. Tamara Braun — who played Carly from 2001-’05 — will be returning to GH beginning Wednesday, November 22! But fans of Carly’s current portrayer, Laura Wright, need not worry that their gal will be replaced: Although the soap is offering few details regarding Braun’s comeback, she won’t be reprising her former role. Buzz is that her character will be connected to Patient 6.…

Ava might wanna buy a lottery ticket on Thursday, November 9, because Lady Luck is definitely in her corner that day! We don’t even know what to make of the fact that Alexis winds up turning to Ava for help on Friday, November 10, but it probably has something to do with Julian. (For more on Alexis and Julian, turn to News, page 4). Ava and Griffin’s budding relationship may hit a bit of a roadblock when she calls him out on Thursday, November 16. And on Friday, November 17, Ava finds time in her busy schedule to needle Franco.…

Bill’s satisfaction at having demolished the Spectra building turns to terror when he realizes on Monday, November 6, that Liam and Sally were inside when it imploded. Bill and Steffy race to rescue them on Tuesday, November 7. On Wednesday, November 8, Brooke reams Bill for putting his son in jeopardy. Liam and Sally rehash their moments together in the collapsed building on Thursday, November 9, aware that their experience will forever bond them. Despite having her own issues with Liam, Steffy assures Bill on Friday, November 10, that she will help repair his broken relationship with his son.…

Bill and Liam’s divisiveness literally turned explosive on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, but where the Spencer men are concerned, the drama won’t be ending anytime soon! Demolishing the Spectra building gave Bill the scare of his life when he believed his son was still inside when those walls came (literally) tumbling down, but Scott Clifton (Liam) promises that fans ain’t seen nothin’ yet where the fractured clan is concerned! “It’s a big moment, but the aftermath is going to be everything,” says the actor. “This is the culmination of everything that’s happened over the last few months, with all of the players involved. All of these seemingly separate threads come together after this implosion.” Don Diamont (Bill) agrees that this storyline will continue to escalate, though he refused to…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Ned and Olivia returned from their honeymoon flying high… only to crash and burn upon colliding with real life. In the process, portrayers Wally Kurth and Lisa LoCicero walked away with that rarest of treats, a shared Gold Star! Welcome Home! When Olivia and Ned walked off the elevator at ELQ, you could almost smell the Tuscan air permeating off them. Still glowing from their two-month honeymoon, Ned sighed to his bride, “All good things must come to an end,” as they prepared to face their individual days. Sending her hubby off with a kiss and a giggle, Olivia headed to pick up Leo’s prescription at the hospital. Pumped up by his wife and having spent a lot of time thinking about his position at ELQ, Ned walked…

Off screen, Wright has found love again, and she has Daytime Emmy season to thank for bringing former GL co-star Wes Ramsey back into her life. “We knew each other back in the day [when she was Cassie on the CBS soap and he, Sam], but we hadn’t seen each other or talked until we ran into each other at an Emmy party on April 26,” she shares. “I was joking around with Donnell Turner (Curtis, GH) about the line at the bar and Wesley turned around. I was like. ‘Oh my God! What’s up?’ And that was it.” The couple have been together ever since, with Wright announcing their romance via Instagram only a month later. “There were times I was out with him and people would ask for…

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words — and we proved it when Soaps In Depth followed Daniel Hall (Scott) for a day at THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS. “This is a wonderfully fluid place to work,” smiles the actor. “You get these moments that are super-intense, and then you get to take a breather. It’s a really nice ebb and flow of an acting gig. And it’s never boring. In fact, I don’t think anything boring is coming down the pipeline. It’s going to be a lot of fun!” Hall says that there are times when he still needs to pinch himself that he landed on Y&R. “Every day there is a, ‘Wow, I’m on Y&R! Wow, I’m walking onto the CBS lot!’ [moment],” he admits.…

Most Recast When he was born in 1989 to Mob boss Julian Jerome and Tiffany Hill’s sister, Cheryl Stansbury, Bobbie Spencer’s adopted son was played by Kevin and Chuckie Gravino. Since then, he’s been recast a whopping eight times and by now has been played by everyone from Ben Hogestyn — the son of DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Drake Hogestyn (John) — to Ryan Carnes, who took almost a decade-long break from Port Charles to pursue other interests. Runner-Up: Before being killed off for the last (latest?) time, A.J. Quartermaine went through eight different faces, including those of Billy Warlock (left) and, twice, Sean Kanan. Most Enduring Although Rachel Ames wasn’t an original GH cast member — she made her debut as the future Audrey Hardy in the young soap’s…

5 The Witty Pillow Talk. Like the sword around Wyatt’s neck, this couple’s flirtatious banter is always sharp! 4 Quinn’s Freak-out. The couple didn’t want his mother to know about their love affair, let alone walk in on it! 3 Katie’s Come-On. When she was finally ready to sleep with Wyatt, her vava-va-voom attire made it quite clear! 2 Bill’s Surprise Intrusion. The only thing funnier than Katie’s mortification was Bill’s complete oblivion! 1 Their First Kiss In Monaco. The French Riviera sure did make a breathtaking backdrop to their budding romance!…

GENERAL HOSPITAL legend Maurice Benard (Sonny) makes sure to point out that he is never late to work, always on time and prepared to get down to business. Two of the most important women at the studio for Garren Stitt (Oscar) are his mom, Yvette, and GH hair stylist Linda Rondinella. On-screen brothers Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Chad Duell (Michael) get along just swell off camera, too, usually talking sports or having a laugh. We don’t see her on screen enough, but the GH actors and crew love seeing the beautiful Lynn Herring (Lucy) any time she is at the studio. Hudson West (Jake) says he couldn’t have been happier that his “third favorite cousin,” Colt, rode in from Texas and spent the day with him “in Port Charles.”…

GH Twisted Sister Duke had always been too darned irresistible for his own good. Back in 1987, he and Anna were, as they tended to be, madly in love. But the police chief couldn’t help getting suspicious when she saw how close he was with his old flame, Camellia, who was by then a nun and, it turned out, his half sister. Only she really wasn’t. His half sister, that is. She really was a nun. But not for long. As soon as she found out that she wasn’t related to the dreamboat, Camellia left the church and exposed her ex’s tartan-checkered past in order to keep him from marrying Anna. Trouble was, his dark secret was that he’d covered up the murder of a Jerome because Camellia had done…

Q: Which former castmember would you love to have return to the show and why? Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH) “It’s a toss-up between Kelly Sullivan (ex-Connie) and Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke). Kelly is my spirit animal. I want to eat her soul and be more like her. She’s such a good person, and I feel I did some of my best work with her. And Ian I’ve been in love with since I was a kid, and I remain deeply in love with him. He just lights up any room he walks into. Whether it’s in the makeup room, on set or walking down the hallway, it’s just a joy to be in his presence.” Steve Burton (Patient 6, GH) “It would be Stuart Damon (ex-Alan). That relationship still had a…

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS Victor offered to buy Brash & Sassy, but Victoria refused and tried to get another loan from Hamilton-Winters. Unfortunately, Devon turned her down! Later, Victor announced that he’d bought the Underground’s liquor distributor and was raising prices. Across town, Lauren urged Sharon to break up with Scott! When a new challenge is presented, will someone rise to the occasion? THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Liam learned Bill and Wyatt planned to demolish the Spectra building and suggested that Sally’s company stage a sit-in. As the demolition crew arrived, Bill warned Liam to vacate the premises, then decided to switch tactics by putting fear into his opponents! What will happen when an act of vengeance winds up putting lives in danger? DAYS OF OUR LIVES Eve…

The In Depth Story: Van Etten’s first involvement with GH began as a case of mistaken identity when scribe Chris Van Etten was promoted to co-head-writer in August. Eager fans congratulated him on Twitter… but had the wrong guy! “I was like, ‘It’s not me,’” he laughs, “‘but congratulations to the other Chris.’” With the Man Landers storyline already underway, the mix-up proved fortuitous: Casting director Mark Teschner reached out to Van Etten via E-mail about playing Chet. “I felt bad, because I didn’t see it [at first]!” he confesses. “But I got ahold of him and here we are.” Van Etten’s own story is as compelling as any soap tale. The Marine lost his legs and his best friend to IED explosions in Afghanistan in 2012. Once home, he…

Having followed the clues to Memphis, Sami, John and Marlena demand answers about Will on Monday, November 6. In Salem, Eve delivers yet another shock to Victor and Brady on Tuesday, November 7. She denies having been involved in Deimos’ murder on Wednesday, November 8, but Brady is convinced he can prove otherwise! As Chloe tries to help Lucas on Thursday, November 9, Sami goes to Rafe with a request. And on Friday, November 10, Rafe and Sami get shocking news about Will!…

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Mariah has been struggling with her sexual identity ever since she began to have feelings for Tessa. If she winds up admitting where her heart truly lies, how will Devon react to the news? Bryton James (Devon) believes that it could get complicated. “It does make me curious how it’s going to play out,” confesses the Emmy winner. “Neil was in the dark when Devon and Hilary had their affair, and now Devon is the one in the dark! I would think that Devon would remember that and maybe base what he does on his own past. I think he is going to be understanding — hopefully!” That said, he could wind up annoyed with the confused beauty. “Mariah has been putting so much pressure…

GH Hot Topic: Can Griffin Make An Honest Woman Of Ava? OUR TAKE Whether GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Ava and Griffin can make a romance work, we’re loving them together. Beyond their basic chemistry, it’s the precarious interpersonal conflicts that have us hooked. When these two are in a bubble together — without pesky Port Charles locals weighing in — it’s clear how beautifully they challenge and lift up one another. Griffin has spent years cowed under his guilt and shame, but those are totally new emotions for Ava, who’s always been able to explain away her sins. As Griffin has given Ava faith in her own value and redemption, we find ourselves not only rooting for her but also hoping she can help him finally find peace — instead of bringing…

A few years ago, Lindsay Hartley (Cara, ALL MY CHILDREN) had an epiphany that proved to be life-changing. “My boyfriend [ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Will, Jason-Shane Scott] and I were watching some thrillers on Lifetime that, between the two of us, we were in quite a lot of,” she reflects. “We thought, ‘Why don’t we write these ourselves?’” Write Turn Perhaps channeling Cara, whom Hartley recalls as being “a strong, intelligent woman,” the actress agreed to go for it. The couple have penned five scripts, one of which (tentatively titled Deadly Exchange) has been made into a movie and two others of which are in production. “I love writing,” she enthuses. “It’s so exciting.” And since their first script was close to the duo s hearts, they also arranged to…

GENERAL HOSPITAL fans may remember Antonio Sabáto Jr. as Jagger Cates, the hunky boxer who was torn between two knockouts, Karen Wexler and Brenda Barrett. But he’s making a name for himself as more than the eye candy who once adorned billboards in his Calvin Klein undies. He’s running for office, hoping to represent California’s 26th District in Congress. “I support the law enforcement and [local] agriculture,” he shares. “And as an advocate for addiction, I’m passionate about doing whatever it takes to stop drugs from getting to our kids, families and schools.” Sabáto has sacrificed much to join the race but says that he and his loved ones are “in it to win it. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Starting Conversations Back when he was learning to box in…

The Perfect Touch A gorgeous floral robe adds insta-style to this otherwise casual outfit on GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Kirsten Storms (Maxie). Easy, Breeze-y Brianna Brown (ex-Lisa, GH) looks more youthful and laid-back in this printed, sleeveless wrap dress than in the more constricting and conservative cocktail dress. What Were They Thinking? The hands of Abigail Spencer (Becca, ALL MY CHILDREN) appear trapped in this dress, which looks suspiciously pilfered from THE GOLDEN GIRLS’ wardrobe vault.…