Table of contents for May 25, 2015 in ABC Soaps In Depth

Q:Why weren’t GENERAL HOSPITAL’s winners on THE TALK’s post-Emmy celebration on rival network CBS? Rather than have the winners appear on THE TALK, the GH actors were guests on ABC’s own daytime chatfest, THE VIEW, live via satellite from the soap’s set the next morning. But Angelica McDaniel, senior vice-president of CBS Daytime, assures Soaps In Depth that the invitation is always open for any Emmy recipient to appear on THE TALK’s post-Emmy show. “Every year, we invite all the winners from all the soaps,” she says. “At the end of the day, the reason we created this show is to celebrate the genre.” Q:How much money did Ellen DeGeneres and Matt Lauer’s prank — she volunteered the TODAY host to donate $1,000 of his own money to charity any…

Congratulations to GH fan favorite Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda), who is engaged to be married! After weeks of teasing that she had personal news to share, the QUEENS OF DRAMA star showed off her new ring (and a fresh manicure!) on Instagram, writing “Okay! Here is my news, finally! I got a mani after exactly one year, and we are planning our wedding.” In a follow-up post on Twitter, Marcil added that the simple yet elegant gold band serving as her engagement ring once belong to the iconic Audrey Hepburn and that her fiancé (whom she’s said before is a police officer) popped the question on bended knee while dressed in uniform. “Thank you for sharing in our excitement,” gushed the bride-to-be.…

The latest comings and goings — and how they will change your shows! The In Depth Story: Geary had been at his home in Amsterdam since mid-March (after taping the climax to the Fluke story) but returned to the soap’s set in early May, a week after he broke his own record as the most-decorated daytime performer by taking home his historic eighth Emmy Award. Just moments after his win, Geary told Soaps In Depth exclusively in the press room that he was eager to see what path his alter ego will take in his recovery. “Luke’s coming out of therapy,” the soap opera legend revealed. But that was the extent of his knowledge about his upcoming storyline. “I don’t know what they’re going to do. What they have planned,…

It seems GH viewers have seen the last of Ellie and Spinelli — at least for now. Portrayers Emily Wilson and Bradford Anderson have offered to return whenever the soap needs them. “I would absolutely go back in a heartbeat,” gushes Wilson. Anderson wholeheartedly agrees. “The time away made me love Spinelli even more,” he confesses. “It was really fun to get all these scripts and see that I was working with Maurice [Benard, Sonny], Jane [Elliot, Tracy], Billy [Miller, Jason], Kelly [Monaco, Sam] and Laura [Wright, Carly]. It felt like the old days. I was so grateful to not just be [involved in] one storyline.” There is a pretty good chance that Anderson will bring Maxie’s ex back to town someday. “Every good couple needs a foil,” he says…

GH alum Brandon Barash (ex-Johnny) is one of the guest stars in the Wednesday, May 13, episode of CSI: CYBER, airing on CBS at a special time, 9 p.m. EST. In “Bit By Bit,” the cyber team is called in when a hacker uses a power outage in Detroit to mask a jewelry store robbery/homicide in which precious gems weren’t the target. Barash will play Stephen Christos, the store owners’ estranged son, who wasn’t keen on the idea of his family placing the majority of their assets into bitcoins to begin with. Naturally, he’s a suspect in the case. DAYS hunk Lucas Kerr (Clint) also appears in the episode.…

Nikki knows Victor better than anyone, and yet she still gives him an ultimatum on Monday, May 11. That same day, Hilary tries to make things right with Neil, but is that even possible at this point? Kelly steps up her game with Jack on Tuesday, May 12, while Victor makes a major move that shakes things up at Newman-Jabot on Wednesday, May 13. Fen swings by for a visit on Thursday, May 14. And on Friday, May 15, things heat up between Sharon and Dylan! Just how far will these two go?…

Though Bill believes that his son should pull no punches when it comes to unearthing Maya’s secret on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, Wyatt’s family loyalty will be put to the test as he grows closer to Nicole as part of the Spencer strategy. How far will he go to get the answers they need? Though Bill’s wife, Katie, is disconcerted by Wyatt’s ploy to woo Nicole in order to get her to spill what she knows, Liam and Bill have stressed to him how important it is to keep up the ruse. As he gets to know the young woman better, however, Wyatt is going to grapple with his morals (or lack thereof). “It’s fun to explore that ruthlessness,” says the actor. “As Quinn’s son, he’s done things in…

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Avery insists she loves Dylan, but Joe’s accident had us wondering if her feelings for her ex were in the past after all. Certainly, she was concerned when he fell out of his hospital bed in an attempt to force his legs to work again. “You need to give your body time to heal!” she reminded, then instantly worried that he was in pain when he turned away, asking her to leave. “It’s not pain I feel — it’s fear,” he whispered. Ironically, Joe’s admission of weakness strengthened Avery’s resolve to stay. “There is no prognosis yet. This is one day. One moment! You can hang on for one moment!” she ordered. “And if I can’t?” Joe wondered. “Then I hang on for you!” The…

Ava Jerome was never a woman to give up at anything, let alone at life itself. But with each passing day, the pain caused by the cancer spreading through her body worsened until it was intolerable. The only way to end the pain was to end her life. No Pain, No Gain When the day came for Ava’s portrayer, Maura West, to tackle that “death with dignity” scene on GENERAL HOSPITAL, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy… and it wasn’t. “It was hard,” West says. “It really affected me. I don’t want to sound too artsy fartsy, but if you really are using all of your imagination in a scene, then you’re sort of tricking yourself into [thinking and feeling] what the character is feeling.” The emotions began…

All we had to do to get to know GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Parry Shen (Brad) better was, it turns out, ask him a series of incredibly telling this-or-that questions! Angel food cake or devil’s food cake? “Devil’s equals versatility. Angel is blah on its own and needs a fruit compote companion.” Disney movies or horror movies? “Is there really a difference?” Vampire lover or vampire slayer? “Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar is way cuter than Robert Pattinson.” Half-naked or half-dressed? “The latter. There’s just somethin’ about seeing a woman wearing a man’s dress shirt in the morning.” THE SOPRANOS or LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE? “LITTLE HOUSE. Carrie tumbling down the hill always gets a chuckle out of me.” Porsche or Prius? “If I ever got into a Porsche, I think I’d…

Q: Who on your cast do you think ought to pen an autobiography? Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH) “Laura Wright (Carly). One of the reasons she’s so much fun to be around is because she always has a story to tell, but at the same time, she’s a beautiful, intelligent mother and wife. She’s also had one of those lives you would’ve loved to have lived. I told her the other day, ‘You’re the type of girl I wished I were in high school.’ She’s just so outgoing.” Karla Mosley (Maya, B&B) “Alley Mills (Pam). She’s got a great perspective and point of view. She and her husband [actor Orson Bean] have been around the business for so long.” Greg Rikaart (Kevin, Y&R) “Me! Yes, me! I would spill lots of…

The In Depth Story: The harsh line that Michael has drawn with his parents following the death of his biological father, A.J., has obliterated his relationship with everyone in his family circle. Brother against brother, father against sons, words have been spoken and actions have been taken that can’t be unspoken or undone. As a result, the Corinthos clan has been left in complete devastation. “They’ve got a lot of work to do to get back to where they once were, but I’m not sure it can be fixed. At least not right now,” confesses Michael’s portrayer, Chad Duell. “Michael’s family has always meant a lot to him, but right now, h e feels like he doesn’t have a family. Michael is pretty forgiving, but what Morgan did [to him]…

The In Depth Story: Steffy will return to the Forrester fold on Tuesday, May 26, and Wood says it was a provocative summer storyline — and a new “take no prisoners” attitude for her alter ego — that ultimately convinced her to return to her daytime roots. “I’m really excited about what’s going to happen with Steffy this summer,” the actress shares with Soaps In Depth. “I wanted to jump on board, because it was something new and fresh.” Having returned to the set in April, Wood says in many ways it feels as though she never left. “I live near the studio and I used to come in all the time during the period when I wasn’t filming,” she notes. “Obviously, there are certain actors that I miss [including…

Just days after Anthony Geary (Luke) and Genie Francis (ex-Laura) reunited on stage as presenters at the Daytime Emmy Awards, GH executive producer Frank Valentini announced on social media that he’ll be bringing their iconic characters back together in Port Charles next! “Hey, GH fans: I have awesome news,” the boss revealed in a posting on Twitter. “Genie Francis is coming back!” (At press time, there were no additional details about the star’s return, including the length of her stay.) It’s been nearly two years since Laura left Port Charles for a check-up with her doctors in Paris. Since then, she’s not only missed daughter Lulu’s baby drama but ex-husband Luke’s breakdown as well. Could Laura be the person to help him put his demons to rest once and for…

GH’s Lisa Lo-Cicero (Olivia) has had a change in plans for her maternity leave. The actress originally intended to stop working on May 15 — two weeks before her due date — but instead called it quits on May 1. “It’s actually better that way,” she tells In Depth. “I’m realizing a little time off will be very helpful to get everything together and just lay around and be pregnant. “I’m not really wanting to do too much at the moment,” she admits to us with a laugh. LoCicero’s time off coincides with dark weeks in GH’s production schedule, and she’ll be back to work in late July. “I’ll be returning after our summer dark weeks,” explains the actress, who’s expecting a girl. “I picked a very good time to…

Things are not looking good for JJ as the week kicks off. Can he convince Roman that appearances can be deceiving on Monday, May 11? Upon realizing that he’s being set up, JJ decides it’s time to deal with the Eve situation once and for all on Tuesday, May 12. On Thursday, May 14, Daniel is ready to give Nicole another chance, but she might screw things up with her attempts to bring down Serena! And on Friday, May 15, it looks as if Nicole may have hit pay dirt!…

1 Carly’s reaction. Finding proof of Hayden’s charade left her practically giddy with joy! 2 Nathan’s tank top. Even at Kelly’s, the show found a way to at least partially strip the hunk down! (P.S. Thanks!) 3 New terminology. Thanks to Hayden, we can now add the phrase “butter my muffin” to our list of sexual references! 4 The makeup department. Somehow they managed to make the gorgeous Maura West look as if Ava really was at death’s door! 5 Felix’s ploy. He got Brad to do Sabrina’s bidding by applying a little old fashioned guilt! The interruption. Carlos, one does not answer the phone to chat with an ex-girlfriend when trying to pull off a hit. ... And 1 Thing We Could Do Without...…

Note to DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Theresa: When you start a catfight, you should expect some fur to fly! She put Nicole squarely in the hot seat by revealing to Daniel that the blonde had been on a date with another man. Having maintained her composure much longer than usual, Nicole finally reached the boiling point. “People were right about you: You are poison!” Nicole seethed. “I’m so glad Brady dumped you.” But much like a Chihuahua, Theresa couldn’t stop yapping and insisted that it was no surprise that Nicole would cheat. “What’s that old saying?” she sneered. “Oh yeah. You can’t teach a skanky old porn star new tricks.” Pushed to her limit, Nicole went for Theresa’s throat — literally!…

Through the years, Shadybrook Sanitarium has seen a lot of “disturbed” patients pass through its doors. Which of these damaged damsels never checked into Port Charles’ unfunny Funny Farm? gamesanswers gh singled out answers Although Olivia went bonkers after Heather injected her with LSD. She was never admitted into Shadybrook. (e)…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Ridge threatened to resign from Forrester Creations after his feud with Rick reached critical mass. Carter attempted to change his friend’s mind by letting him know about Maya’s secret, a decision he later regretted. Ridge was unsure what to do with the information he now possessed, but shared what he knew with Brooke, who already had reservations about Rick’s plans to propose to Maya. Brooke initially accused Ridge of making false accusations for his own personal gain. But when Brooke later confronted Maya and asked to hear her story, she worried about how it would ultimately affect Rick. Liam pressured his brother to work harder with Nicole to uncover Maya’s secret, but Wyatt was starting to fall for the younger woman! Bill is about to…

The In Depth Story: The horrific incident with Kristen in Italy has left Marlena with some serious ’splaining to do when the vixen’s little brother, Chad, demands some answers! However, Stefano’s son isn’t the only DiMera interested in chatting with Marlena. The Phoenix himself wants Marlena to pay the price for her actions against Kristen, and he wants it in blood! After being nabbed this week by DiMera goons, Marlena finds herself back at the castle and face to face with her lifelong enemy and forced to relive their tumultuous past. Will Stefano decide to play as well? Um… have you met Stefano? The job of trying to get to the damsel in distress in time will go to Roman and Abe, and you won’t believe who they enlist to…

Donna Mills reported to the GH set in late April for another run as Madeline, so expect Nina’s mom to be back on screen later this month. In playing the society dame-turned-jailbird, the QUEENS OF DRAMA star has found a comfortable second home. “When you play a fun character like this, you get hooked,” says Mills. “I’ve talked to my contemporaries who have done [soaps], like Joan Van Ark (ex-Gloria, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) and Joan Collins (Alexandra, GUIDING LIGHT), and they all say it’s the hardest job they’ve ever had.” Mills credits her desire to continually return to the soap to GH’s executive producer, Frank Valentini. “I like the way they have me on with these arcs,” Mills confesses. “I work pretty hard for a month or two.…

Alison Sweeney (ex-Sami) has joined the ranks of actors coming back for DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ 50th anniversary this fall! “Guess what?!” the actress shared on social media, captioning a photo of herself clutching a script. “I get to be a part of celebrating #days50! So thrilled!” Sweeney left the soap late last year but still works there as a director. Since her exit, she starred in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Myster y opposite Cameron Mathison (Ryan, ALL MY CHILDREN), and also stars in and executive produced the upcoming Hallmark Channel movie Radio Hype. Because of DAYS’ advanced production schedule, Sweeney and Sami should be on screen in October or November. In addition to Sweeney, Camila Banus (ex-Gabi) is also returning…

Alexis asks Julian for an update about his Mob activities on Tuesday, May 12, but does she really want to hear what he has to say? Nina decides that one of GENERAL HOSPITAL’s live episodes — the one airing on Friday, May 15, to be exact — is the perfect time to share some news with Franco. But on Tuesday, May 19, Franco does something that probably won’t win him any points with the redhead! And on Thursday, May 21, Julian comes to Alexis during a time of need. But will she be able to provide what he’s looking for?…

Wyatt provides Liam with the ammunition he’s been hoping for on Monday, May 11, but their strategy goes straight out the window when Bill gets involved on Tuesday, May 12. When Nicole puts Wyatt on the spot about his trustworthiness on Wednesday, May 13, he’s left to scramble for an answer. A lovers quarrel is sparked on Thursday, May 14, as Katie and Bill disagree on the subject of ethics and scruples. On Friday, May 15, Bill goes rogue while the team at Forrester Creations braces for backlash at the hands of Spencer Publications!…

There are certain things you sort of expect to happen in Port Charles during May Sweeps, and over the next two weeks, GENERAL HOSPITAL will not disappoint. We will get a wedding and, of course, a shooting… but just to make things even more interesting, the events will play out live on Friday, May 15, and Monday, May 18! Which means, as executive producer Frank Valentini acknowledges, “Absolutely anything can happen… and probably will!” Fear Factor With the clock ticking down to the live episodes, the exec admits to being a tad anxious. “It’s absolutely a nerve-wracking thing,” he says, “and the closer we get to it, the more nervous I get! It’s one thing to have, for years and years, relied on post-production and editing. But now, all of…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Hope initially declined her dad’s invitation to his and Quinn’s wedding, but she ended up showing, all right, in rather unorthodox fashion: Brooke charged in with her daughter — via video chat — on her iPad! “I didn’t think that you would actually marry someone who has done all the things that Quinn has, especially to the daughter you say you love,” Hope said via “FaceTime footage” that was realistically choppy. “Dad, please don’t marry Quinn!” We’ve seen many nuptials stopped in their tracks on soaps, but thanks to modern technology, even wedding crashers are upping their game!…

Like the song from the ’70s goes, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maxie was torn between two lovers and feeling like a fool. Dreading the idea of breaking one heart, she was on course to break two! Her feelings ran deep for both Nathan and Spinelli, but as time marched forward, it was becoming tragically apparent that her decision to commit to her babydaddy wasn’t the one her hear t felt was right. Kirsten Storms’ subtle take on Maxie’s struggle once again proves why she’s a fan favorite — and earned her this week’s Gold Star. Maxie’s Heart Knew The Truth With Georgie tucked in for a nap, Maxie kicked of f her shoes and poured herself a glass of wine just as Lulu and Rocco arrived. Lulu needed her BFF in a…