Table of contents for June 4, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: As Sam gets deeper into her investigation of Aurora COO Peter, the sexy P.I. is back on a case and in her element — which has many viewers believing she’s primed to reunite with Jason. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to be focused on romance these days! Though her chemistry with Jason is palpable, she’s kept him at arm’s length — and we have to say, his patience is admirable. “This is his wife,” Steve Burton (Jason) says by way of explanation, reminding us that those lost five years seemed like mere months for his alter ego. “As frustrating as it is, he doesn’t want to put pressure on somebody he loves. That’s not what love is. You want to let the person thrive, and you want…

With Port Charles still mourning Nathan, his former portrayer, Ryan Paevey, returns to the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, June 2, in Marrying Mr. Darcy, the sequel to 2016’s Unleashing Mr. Darcy. The first installment, a modern-day spin on Pride And Prejudice set in the dog-show circuit, was a smash hit for the cable network. And the follow-up promises even more romance as Donovan and Elizabeth head to the altar! Soap vet Frances Fisher (Deborah, THE EDGE OF NIGHT; Suzette, GUIDING LIGHT), is also back as Donovan’s Aunt Violet for the flick, which kicks off Hallmark’s June Weddings extravaganza. Check your local listings for broadcast times.…

The In Depth Story: At press time, GH wasn’t offering any details regarding Hendrickson’s character other than confirming that it was a newly created role. Since exiting Y&R last year, Hendrickson has been keeping busy with her new business, the full-service salon Ellie And Sass in Venice, CA. “From the hospital to the salon!” the star Instagrammed. “At my other daytime gig today, but so happy to announce I found a new home on the network where it all began. “Feeling extremely welcomed already,” she added, “thanks to so many of my old soap pals, Tamara Braun, Finola Hughes, Michelle Stafford, Emme Rylan, William deVry [and] Billy Miller.” Aside from Miller, Hendrickson spent time at Y&R with Stafford (ex-Phyllis; now GH’s Nina) and Emme Rylan (ex-Abby; now GH’s Lulu). Braun…

IN THE CHEW’s Carla Hall returns for her second GH appearance as the Quartermaines’ saucy Cook Two on Monday, May 21. “It was so incredible,” Hall raved on her own daytime show. “And such a family atmosphere, because everybody knows everybody and they’ve been there for years. And it was so fantastic.” Unless Cook Two gets the axe for her attitude, there’s no reason Hall can’t return for more fun!…

Find out what Lucy has to be apologetic for on Monday, May 21. Something pushes Dante past the breaking point, because he’s had about as much as he can take on Wednesday, May 23. Regrets? Alexis has a few… and she’ll add another to her collection on Thursday, May 24! Something gets under Sonny’s skin and leaves him feeling tormented on Friday, May 25, while Carly flat-out snaps on Tuesday, May 29! Alexis decides it’s in her best interest to get to the root of the problem on Wednesday, May 30, but might that prove easier said than done? When Obrecht points the finger on Thursday, May 31, who’ll be on the receiving end of her accusation? And what causes Maxie to feel downright foolish on Friday, June 1?…

When Dina has a revelatory moment on Monday, May 21, will it shed light on recent events? And what will it mean when, on that same day, Hilary and Devon reconnect with someone from the recent past? Will Nick accept an unexpected offer on Tuesday, May 22? Perhaps feeling at loose ends, Abby takes up a new project on Wednesday, May 23. After things do not go as Sharon planned, Nick turns to one of his other exes — Phyllis — for some advice on Thursday, May 24. And the ongoing fight for control of Jabot and the Abbott family turns even uglier as Billy and Jack butt heads on Friday, May 25!…

5 The show was looong. Clocking in at over three hours, folks in the theater were getting mighty antsy by the time the final award was handed out. 4 Scammers targeted fans. Twitter was rife with links to fake sites where you could supposedly watch the ceremony… by entering your credit card number! 3 There were teleprompter issues. Several presenters wound up having to improvise as a result. 2 It was mostly a politics-free zone. Only Gloria Allred, who addressed Bill Cosby’s guilty verdict, went “there”… immediately after host Mario Lopez asked people not to! 1 Soaps were given their due. Unlike some years, most fans felt like their genre was shown a lot of love and respect!…

While Anna’s secret past was exploding, Hughes and her family were forced to evacuate their home, as a result of the fires that blazed across Southern California this winter. “I’m finally settled back in now,” she shares. “It’s been a crazy four months.” Of course, the real-world drama didn’t stop her from tackling heavy, heady story — and delivering! “You know how I do it?” Hughes says. “By having friends like Vinessa Antoine (Jordan) and Michelle Stafford (Nina), who keep me sane. I can come in and bellyache to Vinessa and she’ll listen, and then I can do the same to Michelle, because they won’t know I talked to both of them. They get the same story, and I feel better… and they don’t!”…

Late last year THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Melissa Ordway (Abby) had her days all planned out leading up to when she was supposed to give birth to her daughter, Sophie. “But she came early!” laughs the actress. “I thought I would have so much time because my maternity leave was supposed to start at Y&R’s Christmas break. But I guess Sophie didn’t want to miss Christmas! In my mind, I thought I was going to have all this time with [elder daughter] Olivia, but Sophie surprised us!” So much so that Ordway admits that it took some time to realize that she’d gone into labor. “When I went to bed that night, I was like, ‘Hmm. My stomach feels weird. I think it’s probably those Braxton Hicks,’” she recalls…

“The streak is over!” cried THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Shemar Moore (ex-Malcolm) in 1999 — on her 18th try, ALL MY CHILDREN’s Susan Lucci (Erica) at last won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress. When GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maurice Benard (Sonny) was named Outstanding Lead Actor in 2003, he refused to be played off stage by the band until he had finished his acceptance speech. Like father, like son! GH alumni Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky) and Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) both struck gold at the 2012 Daytime Emmys. By the time Jackson left the show for good, he’d won five Emmys; by the time Geary retired, he’d set a record with eight wins. It was hard for AMC’s Darnell Williams (Jesse) not to be upstaged at the 1985 Emmys while standing…

As hard as it may be for those of us who remember ALL MY CHILDREN’s Bianca Montgomery as a shy teenager coming to terms with her sexual identity, her longtime portrayer, Eden Riegel, is all grown up now. What’s more, these days the married mother of two — sons Jack, 7, and Henry, 4 — is working on animated projects that even her kids can enjoy. “I have a youthful voice, so I tend to play young, brave princesses and roles like Kira on THE LION GUARD,” says the actress, who’ll always be beloved by AMC fans for her run as the daughter of Erica Kane and Jackson Montgomery. “I also do a lot of video games.” Finding Her “Voice” Recently, Riegel took that career to the next level when…

Since joining Salem’s ranks, DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Leo has caused quite a stir! The sexy schemer was in cahoots with Vivian to secure a job at Titan Industries, seduce CEO Sonny and then claim sexual harassment. The end goal? To take down the company built by Sonny’s great uncle (and Vivian’s ex), Victor! It was just the kind of storyline that Leo’s Daytime Emmy-winning portrayer, Greg Rikaart, had been eager to play in his long-running previous role as THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Kevin Fisher. “I think that there are under-represented people in this country that watch TV and want to see their stories told,” says the out actor. “So that’s why I’d advocated for that for Kevin and why I’m grateful that I got that opportunity here.” Naughty……

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Believing that Steffy had once again betrayed him, Liam proposed to — and made love with — Hope. She accepted and giddily began planning her wedding with help from Brooke and Forrester intern, Emma. After Wyatt overheard a conversation, he unleashed his wrath upon his dad. Bill tried to bribe Wyatt into toeing his line, and Katie weighed in with her own shocking opinion about the ethical dilemma. Taylor and Brooke revisited their decades-long feud while arguing over the way things had played out between their daughters and Liam. Ridge warned Liam that, in choosing a future with Hope, he was being played for a fool by his father! Will guilt push a pair of secret lovers to tell the shocking truth they’re hiding? THE…

The In Depth Story: John McCook (Eric) says the fact that he and his co-star, Rena Sofer (Quinn), have taken a back seat on the show in recent months is an example of the natural ebb and flow that different storylines take. “We haven’t been on the canvas much,” he acknowledges, “but it’s all cool, because the show has been involved with this great [Who shot Bill?] storyline lately, and we’re not part of that story. That’s all. So if you’re not in the [current] story, you’re not on the show.” Once the soap does decide to circle back to the relationship between Quinn and Eric, might Sheila continue to factor in as a would-be spoiler? “I don’t think so,” muses Sofer. “I love the whole Sheila [rivalry], but there’s…

Steve Burton (Jason) played war vet Dylan from 2013-’17, in between his GH stints. Michelle Stafford (Nina) played schemer Phyllis from 1994-’97, then again from 2000-’13. Billy Miller (Drew) portrayed screw-up Billy from 2008-’14, who was even briefly married to Chloe. Maura West (Ava) was the center of a whodunit when her devious Diane was killed off in 2011. Hayley Erin (Kiki) spent two years as Victor and Ashley’s daughter, Abby, from 2008-’10. Emme Rylan (Lulu) replaced Erin as The Naked Heiress and played the pivotal part until 2013. Kin Shriner (Scotty) first played Harrison in 2004, then returned in ’11 to fill in as Jeffrey. Genie Francis (Laura) and Tristan Rogers (Robert) played Cane’s parents, Genevieve and Colin.…

STATUS In a backstage twist that d rival any soap plot, sources report that Marci Miller has chosen to exit DAYS OF OUR LIVES as Abigail — and the actress she replaced is returning! Miller, you’ll recall, took over the role from Kate Mansi two years ago, and according to Daytime Confidential (which broke the story), she has decided not to renew her contract in order to focus on primetime and film. Neither ingenue had made a public statement at press time, and the show did not comment, but Mansi will reportedly return this summer to the part that won her an Emmy. In other news, Freddie Smith (Sonny) has inked a new deal with the sudser. “I signed [for] another year,” he tells In Depth. “The storyline’s so good,…

there’s really only one thing to do once the Daytime Emmy Awards have been handed out and the speeches given… and that’s party! GENERAL HOSPITAL executive producer Frank Valentini hosted a rockin’ bash for the show’s cast and crew at trendy ix Tapa Cantina in Pasadena. This was a by-invitation-only affair… but don’t worry. We’re going to smuggle you in!…

Daddy Dearest GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Kelly Monaco thinks it would do Sam good to find a way to forgive her father and forge a relationship with him… but the actress is definitely enjoying the animosity. “I love hating Julian,” she confessed at the GH Fan Club Weekend. “William deVry is so great, because he takes it on the chin. During rehearsal, I’ll have fun and be sloppy with it. He lets me let him have it. He’ll let me rip on him.” Monaco added that her on-screen father is more like the kinder, gentler side of Julian than the tough mobster trying to clear up his bad rap. “He’s the sweetest guy,” she raved of deVry. “He’s always there to help, put a smile on your face or just get you…

As difficult as it was for Ordway to leave her two girls, she admits that she was also thrilled to return to work — especially since her alter ego has been thrust into a lot of frontburner storylines, including discovering Jack is not John Abbott’s biological son! “I didn’t watch the show on my maternity leave, so I had a lot of questions!” laughs the actress. “I was like, ‘Hold on! What’s going on with this storyline? I missed a month of scripts and need to figure out what’s going on!’ So when I came back, I had to be filled in on things, like why is Victoria being so mean to Ashley? Why is she trying to sabotage her? It was cool, though, because Abby came back powerful. She’s…

On THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, Sheila Carter has shaken up the tight-knit Forrester household over the years, but her portrayer is currently going after something much more powerful: the US House Of Representatives! Using her married name, Kimberlin Brown Pelzer, the actress/entrepreneur/avocado farmer is running as a Republican and striving to unseat incumbent Raul Ruiz in California’s 36th district. Having previously been asked to run in the early 1990s, Pelzer had declined due to the fact that she had young kids at home. However, the opportunity to take the podium at the 2016 Republican National Convention renewed the conversation. “What prompted me to get into politics and what prompted me to speak at the convention was seeing the financial and healthcare struggles that our employees were going through every…

… or did your ears perk up when GH’s Stella told Sonny that she’d work on finding him a nurse to help with Mike? We couldn’t help but run through a list of potential candidates in our mind, and picturing how they would impact the Corinthos household. Imagine Sonny having to deal on a daily basis with the perpetually perky Amy, for example. Given the sparks which flew between Michael and Francesca on their ill-fated date a while back, it might be interesting to put her into his family’s mix. Liz and Carly’s barely-contained mutual disdain would make Jason’s ex a fun caregiver for Mike. And you can never go wrong pairing Maurice Benard’s Sonny with Sonya Eddy’s Epiphany!…

Once upon a time, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Jason was a peppy preppy eager to follow in Alan and Monica’s footsteps by becoming a doctor. But a car accident changed his mind — literally. In the wreck’s aftermath, instead of graduating from med school, Jason swapped the surname Quartermaine for Morgan and joined the Mafia as the stoic hit man who could make (ahem) bad mobsters shake in their cement shoes. Along the way, good lord, what adventures he’s had! In the pages that follow, we recall 26 of them, from A to Z. A  Adopted: Though Jason is the product of Alan’s affair with the late Susan Moore, Monica came to love their illegitimate son so dearly that she adopted him. B  Brenda: Jason married his former Port Charles High classmate…

Having spent years holding his own opposite Judith Chapman (ex-Ginny, GENERAL HOSPITAL) as his outrageous mom, Gloria, on Y&R, Rikaart was relieved that he could likewise trade quips with DAYS’ Vivian, legendary veteran Louise Sorel (Judith, ONE LIFE TO LIVE). “She was just fantastic! It wasn’t all that dissimilar from working with Judith,” Rikaart enthuses. “They’re both these larger than life, really powerful actresses with extensive theater backgrounds and just a command about them.” Rikaart says that he was grateful that his first day in Salem was spent sharing scenes with Sorel. “It was a great way to break the ice coming onto a new set,” he reflects, “because it felt somewhat familiar.”…

Q: Which household chore do you actually sort of enjoy? Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH) “I sort of enjoy sweeping up dog hair with my cordless Dyson. It’s kind of meditative and you really get a good visual on the progress you are making!” Cait Fairbanks (Tessa, Y&R) “Cleaning the bathroom! I just get in the zone and listen to a dope podcast. It’s like a meditation.” John McCook (Eric, B&B) “That I enjoy? I don’t enjoy any of it! I do like cutting up cardboard boxes and flattening them out and tying them together in a group so they can be recycled.” Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH) “That’s so funny.” Alley Mills (Pam, B&B) “Gardening. I love it. I also don’t mind cleaning my house. I like making it beautiful.”…

Soap-hopper Jennifer Bassey (ex-Quinn, GH; Marian, ALL MY CHILDREN) eloped with LAW & ORDER vet George Bamford on April 19. “We got married at the clerk of the court in downtown Manhattan, and we’re very glad we did!” she tells Soaps In Depth. “His kids live out of town. I figured that if we invited anybody, then everyone’s gonna be angry. So we didn’t invite anyone. And you know, when you’ve lived this long, there are a lot of people!” The couple, both widowed, met when Bassey, who was trained as a grief counsellor following her husband’s passing, helped Bamford recover from the death of his wife of 50 years. Neither of them expected to find love again, but their union certainly seems to be heaven-sent. “When we were finished,…

IN When Leslie Charleson (Monica) got injured last month, temp recast Patty Mc-Cormack was on set the next morning! “It was like jumping into ice water at first,” she cracks. “But my background in theater and live TV kicked in. Everyone’s so supportive and kept saying, ‘You’re very brave.’ So I felt good about it.” Interestingly, McCormack came through for AS THE WORLD TURNS in the same way decades ago. “I stepped in for Kathryn Hayes (Kim), who had an incidence of Bell’s palsy,” she explains. “It was way back in the late ’70s, for about three months.” As much fun as McCormack has been having in Port Charles today, however, she can’t help hoping this run doesn’t last nearly as long. “I hope Leslie has a speedy return, because…

As things spiral beyond his control on Monday, May 21, Valentin tries to walk a very thin line. Meanwhile, Anna — who has risked it all — feels incredibly anxious on that same day. Peter can’t help but think he was deceived on Tuesday, May 22, and Valentin may well regret having crossed Lulu on Wednesday, May 23. Charlotte’s moms spend time together on Friday, May 25, which could be trouble for Valentin, although he does his best to keep on keepin’ on! Things could be looking up for Peter when, on Wednesday, May 30, he realizes he’s got a bit of leverage. And it should be interesting to see how things play out when, on Thursday, May 31, Valentin tries to defend himself!…

Katie’s conflicted on Monday, May 21, about the advice she gave Wyatt over the deception involving Liam and Steffy. Brooke intervenes on Tuesday, May 22, when Ridge tells Hope that her upcoming nuptials are based on a lie. Brooke and Ridge find themselves at an impasse on Wednesday, May 23, when they both defend their daughters. Steffy faults Bill for her heartache on Thursday, May 24, while Taylor lays the blame on Brooke. On Friday, May 25, as Hope and Liam’s wedding gets underway, Wyatt has the power to stop it… with the truth!…

this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards were live-streamed via the KNEKT app, Facebook and Twitter, but you know all the best stuff went on behind the scenes! Fortunately for you, we were right there with the stars of GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and DAYS OF OUR LIVES! So read on for the scoop on everything you missed! THE WINNERS: Drama Series: DAYS Lead Actor: James Reynolds (Abe, DAYS) Lead Actress: Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R) Supporting Actor: Greg Vaughan (Eric, DAYS) Supporting Actress: Camryn Grimes (Mariah, Y&R) Younger Actor: Rome Flynn (ex-Zende, B&B) Younger Actress: Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH) Guest Performer: Vernee Watson (Stella, GH) Writing Team: DAYS Directing Team: DAYS After the ceremony, one star sent out a few scathing tweets… and almost…

In recent months, GENERAL HOSPITAL has given Anna a whole new history — not to mention a full-grown son! So when Soaps In Depth caught up with Finola Hughes at the Daytime Emmys gift lounge, we had plenty to talk about! Like fans, the actress, who made her debut as Anna back in 1985, is still adjusting to the revelation that her character had a secret baby with Faison when she was a young and naive up-and-comer. “It’s insane,” she admitted. “I don’t know how I feel about it, honestly. I’m just discovering it as I go. I literally just go day by day and do a lot of figuring out what it would feel like.” Hughes first learned about the plot twist while screentesting young hunks with exec producer…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Sam got into plenty of trouble before going straight. But did the former con artist pull off these nefarious acts before straightening up, or was it Tracy Quartermaine, Britt Westbourne or A.J. Quartermaine? a. With her eye on a sexy doctor, Sam stole an embryo, became its surrogate and claimed the M.D. was her baby’s daddy. b. Sam crashed into the Oasis… and then burned it down to cover her tracks. c. In her quest to obtain the Dead Man’s Hand, Sam drugged Jax, impersonated a tutor and broke into the Quartermaine mansion. d. Sam hired a prostitute to consummate her scam marriage for her. e. After stealing treasure from her own father, Sam used Sonny’s jet to make her big getaway.…

Whether her alter ego’s telling it like it is, hooking up with a mobster or getting arrested for sexually harassing a fireman, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Lisa LoCicero has a blast with Olivia’s antics. When Soaps In Depth asked the actress to reminisce about some of her wildest, most romantic and funniest scenes, she had a grand old time reliving the moments. On top of it all, she notes, “There’s been a lot of different versions of Olivia over the last 10 years — and a whole lot of different hair colors!”…

To run for public office, Pelzer knew she’d need to start with those closest to her. “This was a family decision — it wasn’t one that I could make on my own,” she insists. “When I was in DC for the week, I had several people asking, ‘When can we announce?’ I needed to go home and talk to my family first.” Pelzer’s spouse, Gary, was already on board, and their son, Nicholas, was concerned about how the public scrutiny might affect his mom. But it was the response of their thrilled daughter that proved convincing. “[Alexes] was just, ‘I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy to have you going [to Washington] because you will make a difference and because you do listen to people and accomplish everything you…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you think Liz and Franco will make it down the aisle? Most fans are more than ready for the two to get hitched — but there are still a few holding out for a surprise Lucky intervention! This issue’s question... Has Nelle taken her quest for revenge against Carly too far? Reader Reaction: 80% TOTALLY! 20% NOT LIKELY TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 2 Sam McCall & Drew Cain 3 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 4 Laura & Kevin Collins 5 Carly & Sonny Corinthos TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Issue Last : 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Issue Last : 4 Roger Howarth (Franco, GH) 3 Issue Last : 5 Billy…

When GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maxie found something to smile over — only to have it tied to Henrik! — Kirsten Storms dove into her character’s quiet fury, and with a hand just about always touching that baby bump, let Chet talk her character down to win this week’s Gold Star. Heart Broken, Mind Made Up The LEAF foundation created in Nathan’s honor had Maxie practically glowing… until Peter revealed that Henrik was the benefactor! After raging to her new friend, the widow took the matter to her late husband. Nathan’s untimely passing has brought a lot of heightened emotions to the screen, but this time, Storms didn’t go big. Though both pain and anger were plain to see in her performance, they were tempered by Maxie’s proximity to her beloved husband’s…