Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

UPDATE 5:00 PM ET: A CBS spokesperson has confirmed to Soap Opera Network that Hartley Sawyer will replace Blake Hood in the role of Kyle Abbott on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless.” No further information was provided.

PREVIOUS: According to Soap Opera Digest, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” has recast Kyle Abbott, son of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), with daytime newcomer Hartley Sawyer. The actor replaces Blake Hood, who first aired in the role on April 27, 2012.

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ABC

When Ingo Rademacher (Jasper “Jax” Jacks) was announced as a celebrity dancer on “Dancing with the Stars” for the competition series’ 16th season, many avid “General Hospital” fans wisely guessed the actor’s dancing chops would be tested as part of a cross-promotional opportunity between ABC’s primetime juggernaut and the networks daytime soap staple.

Entertainment Weekly is exclusively reporting that Rademacher and Vanessa Marcil (Brenda Barrett) are returning to “GH” for more than a few weeks as the daytime drama series prepares to celebrate it 50th anniversary on Monday, April 1. Although a first airdate is not known at this time, Weekly  says the duo are expected to hit the air before the soaps anniversary episode airs.

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American Media, Inc.

As People Magazine gets ready to release its special collector’s edition honoring 50 years of  ”General Hospital” on Tuesday, March 12, the editors of Soap Opera Digest have collaborated on their own special tribute issue for the ABC Daytime drama series. Going on sale on Monday, March 25, the full sized Digest issue will include “revealing interviews, backstage gossip, photos, memories and more!”

“General Hospital” premiered on April 1, 1963. The series has been placed on various all-time best soap opera lists including those by such publications as Time Magazine and TV Guide Magazine.

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JPI

Earlier today Paos Revolution (aka: Soap Revolution flipped) announced that actor Ray MacDonnell is scheduled to make a return visit to Pine Valley as Dr. Joe Martin. It was previously stated by Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin), in a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, that MacDonnell would likely be appearing on the reboot of the soap. “I think the Martins are going to be well-represented with Cady and I hear Ray. I’m sorry if Ricky [Paull Goldin, ex-Jake] won’t be. I’m blessed, personally, that the Martins are going to be represented,” said Knight.

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With just a week to go before production is set to begin once more on “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” after more than a year since both series aired their last episodes on ABC, a number of behind the scenes personnel have been hired on to help spearhead the soaps into the digital world via Hulu and iTunes later this spring.

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Prospect Park

Prospect Park’s much anticipated online revival of long-running soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” continues to inch closer to reality as both shows are scheduled to go into production in the coming weeks ahead of their excepted launch dates on Hulu (and iTunes) sometime in April.

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ABC

It was on Friday, January 25, when Soap Opera Network first reported that Prospect Park‘s “All My Children” was looking to recast the role of Cassandra Foster, the adopted daughter of Angela Hubbard (Debbi Morgan), who the good doctor found abandoned in a dumpster during her run on ABC’s “The City” back in the mid-1990′s. The character returned as an 18 year-old seeking comfort from mommy dearest in 2008 as played by actress YaYa DaCosta. Since then, the production company has now officially issued a casting call for the role. According to the casting call, the role is for an African-American in her early-mid 20′s, “gorgeous with an air of sophistication.” The character spent the majority of her time in Paris, France, which has helped her become “worldly, independent and a force to be reckoned with.” The role is contract.

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Prospect Park

The big news of December 2012 was word that Prospect Park was taking another stab at moving ABC’s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” to the web in 2013. The news was first reported by Deadline.com‘s Nellie Andreeva. In her initial reporting, Andreeva revealed that Prospect Park had made agreements with the unions SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)  and the DGA (Directors Guild of America). Previously, while the company had planned on debuting the shows on the web in early 2012, no deals had been signed with either union or the WGA (Writers Guild of America). This hindered the company’s plan to move forward with the shows and resulted in a postponement that was announced in November 2011. In a statement at the time, AFTRA (prior to its merger with SAG) said that they were ”deeply disappointed to read that the executives at Prospect Park have decided to suspend their efforts to produce the long-running and popular daytime serials.” Additionally, the union had said that they “remain hopeful that an opportunity to revive these two popular series will emerge in the future, and remain ready to resume discussions should that opportunity arise.” The future took more than a year, but it appears to have finally emerged. However, although a representative from SAG-AFTRA confirmed that an agreement with Prospect Park had been made when pressed for comment from Soap Opera Network early last week, it remains unclear if said agreement had actually been signed. “Not absolutely certain it had been signed but can check that for you,” said the rep. Due to the holidays, we don’t expect a response on that little detail until at least tomorrow, January 2.

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Robert Voets/Nickelodean

Soap Opera Digest grants Daytime Confidential‘s Jamey Giddens his wish. On Wednesday, August 15, Giddens had posted a Wishful Casting report shortly after word broke that Kevin Schmidt was out as Noah Newman on CBS’” The Young and the Restless.” The writer figured that Nickelodeon’s “Hollywood Heights” actor Robert Adamson (Phil Sanders) would fit the role perfectly. Today the magazine reported on its Facebook page that Adamson is now heading to Genoa City!

According to Digest, Adamson begins taping at “Y&R” on Tuesday, September 4. His first airdate is scheduled for Monday, October 1.

Jill Farren Phelps and Josh Griffith, the newly installed executive producer and head writer, respectively, at “Y&R” also served in the same capacities at “Heights.”

No word on whether Adamson has been offered a contract. Schmidt had portrayed Noah while on recurring status.

Adam Rose/Investigation Discovery

Five years after being taken off contract and placed on recurring status, Jacklyn Zeman (ex-Bobbie Spencer, “General Hospital“) has opened up to Soap Opera Digest in its newest issue about the circumstances surrounding her unexpected departure from the ABC daytime drama series.

“It was like a grieving process when I left the show because it was such a part of my life for so many years. I mean, I played Bobbie for over 30 years, pretty much five days a week. So when Jill Phelps [former executive producer, now EP of 'Y&R'] decided to get rid of the character, I was one totally unprepared and two, totally shocked, because I just assumed that Bobbie would always be there. I had this commitment to the network and I felt that the commitment worked both ways,” reveals Zeman.

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