Table of contents for January 15, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

Y&R’s Melissa Ordway (Abby) and hubby Justin Gaston (ex-Ben, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) were expecting their daughter to be born in mid-January, but Sophie Jolie made a surprise arrival on December 9! Joining older sister Olivia, almost 2, Sophie weighed in at 5 lbs., 5 oz. “So thankful for my teeny tiny baby girl and her big sister,” the actress Instagrammed a week after the newborn’s early birth. ”Today we were supposed to be having my baby shower. But instead, I get to hold my precious angels and shower them with love.” The Gaston family is now a party of four!…

STATUS In the aftermath of the election scandal, Mayor Janice Lomax got cuffed and gave up her post — meaning viewers may have seen the last of portrayer Shari Belafonte, who assumed the role a year ago. While GH is mum on the character’s future in Port Charles, Belafonte, who is married to Sam Behrens (ex-Jake), enjoyed her time at the soap. “I’m happy to be on GH,” she’d previously told In Depth. “It’s a really fun show and really fun people. I am fully ready to come back, whenever they want me.” While jail time might keep the actress off the canvas for a bit, we hope to see the sassy fallen mayor back in action again soon!…

IN DAYS fan favorite Louise Sorel (Vivian) returned to Salem late last week, and the villainess wasn’t traveling alone! GH’s Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas) made his debut as Stefan, Viv’s mysterious, much-younger companion. The gig not only reunites the DAYS newcomer with headwriter Ron Carlivati — who, while at GH, penned the tale that netted Christopher the 2016 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy — but Stephen Nichols (Steve) as well. “I’m super happy to have him back with me,” offers the actor, who on GH played Nikolas’ uncle, Stefan. “We have scenes in passing, and it’s something that maybe will become the basis of a storyline for us.”…

Laura Wright (Carly) co-hosted the weekend — not that James Patrick Stuart (Valentin) needed much help laughing it up with the audience! “When you bring in the fans, who are just asking amazing questions, these people turn on and light up,” she says. “It’s great!” Risa Dorken (Amy), with Wright’s handsome co-host, tweeted, “Amy still loves Dillon. Robert Palmer Watkins is the best! Had such a good time at GH Fantasy events this weekend!” Tristan Rogers (ex-Robert; Colin, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) is more than all right with William deVry (Julian). “I had a great time this weekend with lots of cast that I totally connected with,” the GH vet tweeted. “Talking with the fans is always honest. Thank you.” Donnell Turner (Curtis) loves getting to mix and mingle…

Q. I am so confused, and the more I watch GENERAL HOSPITAL the more confused I get. How can Jason belong to Monica when his mother is Betsy or Heather or whomever? Janice Van Wilgen via E-mail A. Trust us, we get the confusion! The fact is, Susan Moore gave birth to both Jason and Drew. Susan’s cousin, Heather Webber, gave Drew to Betsy Frank, who secretly raised him alongside her own son, Franco. Later fearing Franco might hurt Drew, Betsy sent him off to be adopted by the Cains! As far as how Monica became Jason’s mother, it wasn’t the smoothest of progressions. Monica was not happy to discover hubby Alan not only had a mistress — Susan — but that she was also pregnant with his child. When…

OUR TAKE GH Hot Topic: Are Finn & Anna Faking It Until They Make It? With the efforts to take down GENERAL HOSPI-TAL’s Cassandra coming to a head, Finn, Anna, Valentin and Nina are at the center of it all — and oh, what a deliciously odd ride that’s been! While we’ve enjoyed watching this unusual quartet bounce off each other and Cassandra, we’ve been particularly taken by Finn and Anna’s unexpected alchemy. We spotted the sparks flying between them from the start but couldn’t tell if it was intentional or simply a byproduct of two great actors doing what comes naturally. But the more they bickered, the more we fell for the pair. By the time they were pretending to date, we were wondering how long it would take…

Outsiders love to mock the slow pace at which soaps move. But a mere month after THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS executive producer Mal Young added headwriting to his list of responsibilities, the sex-ring story was history, Juliet and Zack were dead, and Hilary was hugging Devon. Taking time from his busy schedule of shaking things up, Young chatted with Soaps In Depth about his plan to give viewers everything they want… and more! — Richard M. Simms Soaps In Depth: What’s been the biggest challenge of settling in to your new position? Mal Young: I suppose getting the balance right. You don’t want the audience to see a sudden shift, because you have to stay true to the style of the show. You inherit stories that are up and running,…

Arianne Zucker stunned DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans when she revealed that she’d quit the role of Nicole, which she’d played since 1998. But there was nothing sudden about the decision. “I already had plans to leave the show two years prior,” she tells Soaps In Depth. “It was just that nobody knew. “With life, work, a child, I had to have everything planned out,” she continues. “So along with being smart about leaving the show, I made that decision and then let [the powers that be] know when I was ready.” Roles Of A Lifetime In her final days on the soap set, Zucker had been one busy lady. Not only was she filming Nicole’s unforgettable, emotional break-up scenes with both Brady and Eric, she was already working on…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL As Liam celebrated Steffy s pregnancy, she followed up with Dr. Campbell to find out when the paternity test results would be ready. While waiting for a response, she confronted Bill and asked if he’d slept with her to get even with Liam. Steffy eventually received the paternity results, which indicated that Liam was the father. Irritated by Thorne’s attitude toward Ridge, Brooke told him he needed to move out. Thorne ended up at Katie’s who, thinking Wyatt was at the door, answered in skimpy lingerie! Thorne was intrigued, and they caught up before she suggested he stay at her place. A powerful person is about to find out there are always consequences to your actions. THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS Paul and Christine invited…

PSST! Two GH-ers have been moonlighting! Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) — who played a murder victim on NCIS: LOS ANGELES just a few months ago — is set to appear alongside THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS alum Shemar Moore (ex-Malcolm) on his hot new CBS series, S.W.A.T. While an exact date was unavailable at press time, Lindstrom’s episode, “Seizure,” is expected to air this month. “Honestly one of my fave experiences on any shoot was this one,” the actor Instagrammed. Meanwhile, Vinessa Antoine (Jordan) will guest-star on another CBS procedural, NCIS. “Having a blast” she Instagrammed her first day on the set. “Such a nice cast and crew.”…

Anna finds herself in a bit of a bind on Tuesday, January 2. That being the case, she might be very glad to see Jordan when the top cop tracks her down on Wednesday, Januar y 3! Does all of this have something to do with why Anna winds up in the hospital’s intensive-care unit on Thursday, January 4? Is she there as a patient… or perhaps to visit someone who’s wound up on the wrong side of fate’s fickle finger? One thing’s for sure: Anna will get a heck of a surprise on Mon day, January 8!…

It promises to be a battle royale when Nick confronts Abby on Tuesday, January 2! That same day, J.T. can’t help but worry that Billy’s been a bad influence on Reed. Are Victoria’s exes on a collision course? Sharon proves that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned on Wednesday, January 3! Nick and Chelsea hit a major speed bump in their road to happiness on Thurs day, January 4. And 2018 could be looking up for fans hoping Cane and Lily will reunite, because on Friday, Januar y 5, sparks fly between the estranged pair!…

When naughty met nice! Donna Mills (ex-Madeline, GH) and Cameron Mathison (Ryan, AMC) both stopped by Hallmark Channel’s HOME & FAMILY for some holiday fun on the same day. A veteran of the network, Mathison called his 2013 Hallmark flick, The Christmas Ornament, “one of my favorite projects I’ve ever worked on in my whole life. I loved this movie!” “The overwhelming spirit of Christmas shocked Hayden at first,” laughed Ashley Jones (ex-Parker, GH) on Instagram, “but he quickly got his bearings!” In the end, it wound up being “another year, another great Secret Santa Workshop!” The VIP screening of Christmas At Holly Lodge had Alison Sweeney (ex-Sami, DAYS OF OUR LIVES), Holly Robinson Peete, Lacey Chabert (Bianca, AMC) and Rachel Boston seeing red. “What an incredible evening,” Sweeney Instagrammed.…

If 30 million guests at tended your first wedding, you might be skeptical about your chances of finding love again post-divorce. But, against all odds, GENERAL HOSPI-TAL’s Laura did discover that she had a second soulmate in Kevin. “That was surprising, wasn’t it?” marvels Genie Francis, who plays the Port Charles heroine. “I didn’t know if viewers would accept Laura having a new love life after Luke. “My hat’s off to the writers and producers,” she continues. “I don’t know how they knew it was going to work, but it was kind of perfect. Besides the chemistry, Kevin and Laura had both been on the canvas for a long time, so it was nice to surprise the audience with something new about those characters. And I’m very happy to play…

Road Trippin’ When GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), wife Linda and daughters Anbilliene, 7, Eliana, 4, and Adeline, 2, travel to Canada, it’s not quite a vacation. “It’s what my wife calls an oblication,” cracks the actor, who explains the word is an amalgamation of obligation and vacation. “We’ve got to visit my side of the family in Toronto or her side in Vancouver. It’s great to see everyone, but we realized we were just flying to destinations to visit people — not actually spending time as a family on an adventure.” So on the clan’s most recent trip, they tacked on that adventure. “We did a road trip to Canada,” Zamprogna shares. “It was the girls, the dogs and a box on the roof. We stopped in Santa Cruz…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Who do you think should be running ELQ: Ned or Michael? If the more experienced Ned was around more, he’d likely be a shoe-in, but as it is, Michael is doing a fine enough job to keep readers happy! This issue’s question... Do you believe Kiki could come between Ava and Griffin? Reader Reaction: 62% MICHAEL 38% NED TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Maxie Jones & Nathan West 2 Elizabeth Webber & Franco Baldwin 3 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 4 Lulu & Dante Falconeri 5 Carly & Sonny Corinthos TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Last Issue : 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Last Issue : 2 Steve Burton (Jason, GH) 3 Last Issue: 3 Ryan Paevey (Nathan,…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Haley Pullos (Molly) reveals what her workday is really like when the cameras aren’t rolling! My favorite days at work are the ones when I get to: “Spend time with my Davis girls. We’re like a real family, and we’re just silly and goofy together.” My first day, I thought: “‘I’m so ner vous. Ever yone is so beautiful!’ I was 10.” When I get to work, the first thing I do is: “Get a cup of coffee — no, a cup of tea. I drink both, but I always drink tea at GH because the coffee is really bad.” My most embarrassing moment on the set was when: “I completely forgot I had a script in my hand throughout an entire scene. I didn’t even stop. It…

No one could have guessed that GENERAL HOSPITAL’s mild-mannered Dr. Maddox was the mad genius behind the memory-mapping project involving Jason and Drew. The reveal was a total game-changer for Andre — and one onto which portrayer Anthony Montgomery grabbed with both hands to win this week’s Gold Star. Coming Out Swinging With Montgomery finally given some meaty material, viewers not only saw a new side of the character but also of the actor. In Cuba, he let Andre growl, throw attitude and even lunge at Curtis physically — which seemed at once natural and totally out of character! He brought that attitude back to the Port Charles PD along with a whole lot of regret… only to completely rip out our hearts when Andre finally told Anna the details…

Q: Which musical act, living or dead, do you wish to see in concert? Tamara Braun (Kim, GH) “I did see Prince a few times in concert, and I love him very much. My youth was all wrapped up in his songs. Now that he’s no longer with us, I’d still like to see him again in a very close, intimate personal concert. I would also love to see The Beatles. That wasn’t my era, but I love the music and what they did for culture. That would be pretty awesome! Can you make that happen?” Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) “You know, I was never a ‘concert’ guy, [but] I would have loved to have seen the Four Tenors when [Luciano] Pavarotti was alive. To see them when they…

Paisley Punch Though both of these dresses show off the shoulders of GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Kathleen Gati (Obrecht), more fans thought the brightly-colored number suited her spectacularly. Moderation Is Key Pairing just a hint of glitter and a dash of sexy lace with a more sophisticated black suit serves ALL MY CHILDREN’s Kelly Ripa (Hayley) well, in contrast to the all-over-sparkle look on the right. In The Navy! They’re not shipping out, as they say, but these current and former ladies of ABC daytime certainly look ship-shape in this striking alternative to basic black.…

The In Depth Story: While Obrecht claimed back in 2014 that Victor was Nathan’s father, DNAtest results proved otherwise. Of course, Detective Sexypants was not privy to that information, so he’s believed himself to be a bastard Cassadine… until now. From four years ago, we know Obrecht told Victor that she had to maintain the lie about her son’s paternity because the truth was even worse. Knowing her, that could either mean her ex-lover is somehow more evil than Victor — or that she’s perhaps personally embarrassed by the dalliance! With that in mind, Soaps In Depth has a few suggestions about which former Port Charles resident could be named on Nathan’s birth certificate. Cesar Faison: Maybe Obrecht hid her son from the (unrequited) love of her life because she’d…

STATUS Felix may be the nicest nurse at GH, but portrayer Marc Anthony Samuel gets to play a bad boy in the second season of Amazon’s LADIES OF THE LAKE, based on the novel by DAYS OF OUR LIVES executive producer Ken Corday. “Can’t wait to show you what’s in store!” the actor tweeted. The GH fave and Robert Scott Wilson (ex-Ben, DAYS; Pete ALL MY CHILDREN) will bring new villains to LAKE’s four-episode second season, premiering this summer. (Kathleen Gati, GH’s Obrecht, is also joining the cast.) While Wilson plays a troublemaking detective, Samuel steps in as the slick new hubby to Clara, played by Arianne Zucker (ex-Nicole, DAYS). “Teddy is a sophisticated and wealthy businessman,” teases show runner Michael Caruso. “He made a deal with the devil when…

Eve has good reason to be suspicious of Brady, which is why she asks flat out if he is playing her on Tuesday, January 2. Unfortunately for Sonny, Will is not playing when he announces that he wants to end things between them on Wednesday, January 3! It’s anything but fun and games when Rafe realizes that Ciara knows his dirty little Sami secret on Thursday, January 4. And Andre lays it all on the line when on Friday, Janu ar y 5, he tells Kate the truth about his feelings for her!…

While keeping busy in Port Charles in 2017, Nutrisystem brand ambassador Francis also shifted back into a stricter diet regimen. And the reformed smoker — who’d focused on weight maintenance while kicking the dirty habit — is now back to her fighting weight. “There’s nothing like fitting comfortably into your favorite pair of jeans again,” grins Francis, who’s learned to be nicer to herself — especially after the holidays! “I have a tendency to beat myself up badly, and when I do that, I’ll be more inclined to have a bad day of eating the next day. Sometimes, you’re going to slip and fall, and the only important thing about that is how you get back up — because this is life. It’s not like you’ll never go to another…

2009 When Brianna Hughes was found unconscious in Mayor Floyd’s hotel room, you could say it was suspicious. The civil servant insisted his mistress had hit her head while they were having sex in the shower… and not surprisingly, eventually became a prime suspect. Folks also blamed Matt Hunter for coming up short in the operating room and causing her death — and when the angry doc got into a fight with Johnny Zacchara afterwards, Diane couldn’t help wondering if Floyd had brought the Mob in to do his dirty work. Then, in a surprise twist, Alexis joined the line-up! She’d had a one-night stand with the mayor, and his jealous wife, Andrea, wasn’t happy about it. In fact, she was so green, she tried to frame Alexis. Sleuthing, Robin uncovered…

One of the best marks of maturity is knowing when to listen to your gut, or in the case of Kristen Alderson (ex-Kiki/Starr, GENERAL HOSPITAL), being able to see important signs around you. “Two summers ago, I went out with my cousin who had a shore house in Sea Isle [NJ] with all her friends — I realized that a fun life was something that I’d skipped over,” says the actress, who’d spent her youth on daytime sets, beginning with ONE LIFE TO LIFE at the age of 6. “I also went to a One Direction concert, and when they sang ‘Don’t Forget Where You Belong,’ I got the overwhelming feeling that I was just meant to be back home.” Milestone Moment Not long after packing her things and leaving…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Karla Mosley (Maya) was positively giddy when she discovered that she’d been chosen to join Jacob Young (Rick) and Heather Tom (Katie) on a promotional trip to South Africa last fall — and with good reason. Having visited the country years ago when she was studying acting at NYU, she knew what a remarkable place it was — particularly the warmth of its people. “It’s one of my favorite places in the world,” she shares, “so when we found out [the trip] was actually going to happen, I couldn’t contain myself. If I could have had a parade, I would have!” Instead, the party atmosphere was kicked off by the citizens of South Africa, who turned up by the thousands to welcome the B&B stars.…

THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS concluded last season by giving she-devil Veronica her due: Son Jeffrey’s lover, Justin — with an assist from Jeffrey’s babymama Melissa — sent the villainess’ car flying through the air in a jaw-dropping “accident.” As you’d expect, “fans thought last season was as good as it gets,” says Mommie Dearest’s portrayer, Angela Robinson with a laugh, “but it goes off the rails this season!” Is Veronica Headed To Hell? When OWN’s primetime soap returns on Tuesday, January 2, at 9 p.m. EST, the race to the terrifying scene is on! “The story picks up right there at the car, and there’s definitely a lot of drama,” Robinson previews in character. “There’s firemen and everyone around trying to save me.” While viewers will be left…