In a story we had been following since it was first reported last April that Soap Opera Weekly and Soap Opera Digest magazines would fall under the umbrella of American Media, publishers of such mags as Star and TV Guide, Soap Opera Network has learned that after 22 years Soap Opera Weekly (launched in November 1989) will be shuttered and its April 10, 2012 issue will be its last.

Televisions most watched daily serialized drama series, CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful,” will be heading back to Italy next month to film eight to ten future episodes over the course of five days in the southern Italian region of Puglia as well as in and around the Masseria San Domenico and Borgo Egnazia resorts. This marks the soaps fourth trip to Italy after Lake Como in 1997, Venice in 1999 and Portofino in 2002.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” has cast actor Blake Hood in the contract role of Kyle Jenkins Abbott, the son of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Diane Jenkins (last played by Maura West). The character left the canvas shortly after the murder of his mother last year in the soaps yearly whodunit storyline.

Here’s a look at the first trailer for Johnny Depp’s new film, “Dark Shadows,” which is based on the ABC Daytime gothic soap opera of the same name and aired from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971 on the network. The film is being released by Warner Bros. Pictures and scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, May 11, 2012.

On Monday, March 19, “The Talk” will celebrate 25 years of CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful,” with a special commemorative show featuring much of the current cast including John McCook, Texas Battle, Jacob Young, Katherine Kelly Lang, Kimberly Matula and Heather Tom.

Prior to our posting the press release from the Disney/ABC Television Stations Group which revealed the premiere date of “Katie,” Soap Opera Network learned via its sources that ABC had quietly been informing their affiliates of the pending cancellation of “The Revolution,” which has greatly underperformed in key demographics and viewership compared to the series it replaced (“One Life to Live”) back in January.

On Thursday, March 15, 2012, the Disney/ABC Television Stations Group released a press release (see below) informing stations across the country of its plans to launch the long anticipated talk show “Katie,” hosted by news personality Katie Couric, on Monday, September 10. What wasn’t stated was “General Hospital,” which currently occupies the planned 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PT/CT timeslot for Couric’s talk show, is likely to air its final episode in that timeslot on Friday, September 7. As we all know ABC is scheduled to turn over the timeslot to its affiliates, which will allow them to air various programming across their stations, including the option of airing “Katie.”

“Missing” Debuts with ABC’s Biggest Audience in the Time Period in 14 Months and As TV’s Most-Watched Drama Debut in the Opening Hour of Prime in 1-1/2 Years

Call it the case of a pissed off audience or call it a fluke, but whatever it is the mystery of where “General Hospital’s” audience went by its Friday, March 2, 2012 episode is up in the air.

On June 6, 2011, ABC finally announced (after months of rumors) that it had signed a deal with former “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric to host a new daily syndicated talk show, and that said show would replace veteran soap opera “General Hospital” in the 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT/CT timeslot. While initially the decision brought fear to soap opera fans, who only two months prior learned that ABC Daytime’s two other veteran soaps (“All My Children” and “One Life to Live”) would be replaced by two new food and lifestyle centered talk shows (“The Chew” and “The Revolution”). Now nearly a year since the announcement, it looks like Katie Couric may just be the lifesaver “General Hospital” desperately needs.