Carin Baer/Crown Media Holdings, Inc.

Soap fans certainly know Eddie Cibrian as “Sunset Beach’s” Cole Deschanel, but the hunky star is widely known for a slew of other roles in films and TV shows like “Third Watch,” “Vanished,” “Ugly Betty,” “CSI: Miami,” “The Playboy Club,” and “For Better or Worse.” And now the actor is adding yet another gig onto his resume, this time in a new Hallmark Channel original movie called “Notes From Dad.”

Read More >>

Howard Wise/JPI Studios

Fans who loved seeing Crystal Chappell (Gina Brogno, “Venice;” ex-Carly Manning, “Days of our Lives;” ex-Olivia Spencer, “Guiding Light”) as Jane in Steve Silverman’s Alfred Hitchcock-inspired series, “The Inn,” are in for quite a treat: The two-time Emmy Award winning actress is reprising the role in the second season of the dark drama!

“I’m so proud of this project,” Chappell says of the series, which follows the journey of a woman (Chappell) whose car breaks down off the beaten path and is forced to stay at the town’s local inn. “The role fulfilled my dream of playing a Hitchcock girl kind of character.”

Read More >>

Ghost Pepper Entertainment, Inc.

“Another World” and “Sunset Beach” were canceled in 1999, “Port Charles” in 2003, and “Passions” in 2007 (NBC version) and again in 2008 (DirecTV version). In 2009, “Guiding Light” got turned off and in 2010 “As The World Turns” just stopped. 2011 then brought the double cancellations of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” As a result of 8 soap operas being cancelled within a 12 year span, one would have expected 2012 to end with another soap saying goodbye. Thankfully, the year came and went without a single soap cancellation for the first time in five years. Now with the 2013 resurrection of “AMC” and “OLTL,” soaps are no longer “dying” and the genre is finally thriving once more. But, if you’re like us, you never forget your soap opera history. Enter “Soap Life,” a documentary that follows the rise and fall of American soap operas before the genres recent re-birth.

Read More >>

Edward Herrera/ABC

With Prospect Park now signing agreements with key unions SAG-AFTRA (actors), the DGA (directors),  and the WGA (writers), with an expectation to begin filming episodes of “All My Children” as soon as next month, we wondered who you wanted to see act on the soap when it moves to the web. Your choices can include past actors as well as wishful casting (recast and new characters are welcomed). We also wondered who you want to join the writing team now that thousands of writers are at Prospect Park’s disposal courtesy of their agreement with the WGA, as well as who you want to direct episodes of the series. Keep in mind that Agnes Nixon, who created both “AMC” and “One Life to Live,” is currently working as a consultant for Prospect Park, according to Foz McDermott, head of production for TOLN (Prospect Park’s The Online Network). Also note that actors Jordi Vilasuso (Dr. Griffin Castillo), Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard), Debbi Morgan (Dr. Angela Hubbard), Vincent Irizarry (Dr. David Hayward) and Lindsay Hartley (Dr. Cara Castillo) are all confirmed as signing on to return to “AMC” when it moves to the web. Alicia Minshew (ex-Kendall Hart) has reported that she’s been approached, while Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan Lavery) hope’s he can be involved. There’s no word yet on the status of Susan Lucci (ex-Erica Kane), who was the only original cast member from the first season of “AMC” that had remained with the show without interruption from its debut on January 5, 1970 through its final ABC broadcast on September 23, 2011.

Read More >>

IMDb

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) – Finola Hughes, who has portrayed Anna Devane on “All My Children,” “General Hospital” and its spin-off “General Hospital: Night Shift” over the course of nearly thirty years, has been bumped to contract status at “GH” according to executive producer Frank Valentini, who made the announcement via Twitter.

“I am so excited to announce the lovely @finolahughes is now on contract!” Valentini said. Hughes followed up the producers tweet shortly afterward when she said “@valentinifrank And I am so happy to be there xxxx.”

Hughes returned to the ABC daytime soap in early 2012 and has appeared in numerous television programs in between her appearances as Ms. Devane including roles on such series as NBC’s “Blossom,” FOX’ “Pacific Palisades,” The WB’s “Charmed,” and NBC daytime’s “Sunset Beach.” In addition to television, Hughes has provided voice talents to the films “Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” and “Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur.”

In 1991, Hughes appeared in a faux Daytime Emmy reel for the fictionalized soap opera “All My Trials” as part of the film “Soapdish” starring Sally Field as Celeste Talbert – a spoof character of Susan Lucci‘s Erica Kane from “All My Children.” From 1999-2003, Hughes transplanted Anna Devane and her twin sister Alex Devane Marick to “All My Children” in one of ABC’s first attempts to provide cross-over character appeal to its daytime soaps.

In 1984, the legendary star received two Razzie Awards nominations for her role in “Staying Alive, the sequel to John Travolta‘s “Saturday Night Fever.” She won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at “The 18th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” for her role on “GH.”

NBC Universal

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Exclusive! Soap Opera Network has learned that “Days Of our Lives” has fired Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. as its co-head writers and replaced them with Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

McPherson and Thomas were hired in May 2011, replacing Dena Higley, to help shepherd the “DAYS” reboot (the returns of fan favorites Drake Hogestyn, Deidre Hall, Patrick Muldoon, Christie Clark and Matthew Ashford).  Unfortunately, the ratings did not improve and the show recently hit a new low in Women 18-49 Viewers with just 496,000 total tuning in from that ratings category for the week March 19-23, 2012.

Tomlin returns to “DAYS” after being the Co-Executive Producer from September 17, 2008 – September 2, 2011 (on air episode dates) . This will be Tomlin’s first head writing gig in about 27 years – he was Head Writer of “Another World” in the mid-80′s.  Though he was an interim Head Writer for “One Life To Live” (on air episodes dates: February 1, 2008 – May 1, 2008) during the 2007-2008 Writers Strike.

Whitesell also returns to the show after being Co-Head Writer from October 13, 2008 – June 13, 2011 (on air episode dates).  This will be Whitesell’s 6th Co-Head Writing stint: he co-head wrote for “General Hospital” (1997), “Sunset Beach” (1998 – 1999), “One Life To Live” (2001-2003), “As The World Turns” (2005-2007).   Whitesell was writing breakdowns for “The Young and The Restless” for the past year.

Adam Taylor/ABC

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Jack Wagner, 52, is a soap opera legend and singer, but for millions of viewers he’s a dancing star courtesy of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” The actor joined the 14th cycle (season) of the reality-competition series along with such celebrities as Melissa Gilbert (actor, “Little House on the Prairie”), Sherri Shepherd (talk show host and actress, “The View”), Jaleel White (actor, “Family Matters”), Gladys Knight (singer), Donald Driver (NFL star, “Green Bay Packers”), William Levy (latin soap star), Katherine Jenkins (opera star), Gavin DeGraw (singer), Martina Navratilova (tennis star), Roshon Fegan (actor, “Shake It Up!) and Maria Menounos (TV host and correspondent), but what fans truly want to know is if Wagner is heading back to ABC’s “General Hospital” after being taken off contract by CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” in early February.

In promotion of “Dancing’s” current season each celebrity is taking part in “You Tweeted, They Answered,” a taped segment in which they answer questions provided to them by “Dancing with the Stars’” Twitter followers (@DancingABC). Of the three questions Wagner answered none was as attention grabbing for soap fans, in particular those watching “General Hospital” (in which Wagner portrayed Frisco Jones off and on from 1983 to 1995), as the one pertaining to his possible return to the soap that put him on the map. When asked if he “would you ever consider coming back to “General Hospital,” Wagner stated “Frisco’s never dead, man! He’s right here! Yeah!” While that isn’t an outright yes, or much of an answer in itself, it does help that “Dancing” is on the same network as “GH” and with Kristina Wagner (Felicia Jones) reportedly returning to the soap in late April the possibilities are endless. If you want to ask Wagner your own question, he’s always available online @JackWagnerHPK.

In addition to his Emmy nominated stint on “General Hospital,” Wagner portrayed the Emmy nominated role of Dominick “Nick” Marone on CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” and was the much beloved and hated Dr. Peter Burns on the FOX primetime soap “Melrose Place.” Other soap stints include appearances in NBC’s short-lived primetime soap “Titans” and daytime soap “Sunset Beach.”

Fans can vote for Wagner each week via telephone or text message until an hour after the Monday performance broadcast of “Dancing with the Stars” based on their local time zones. To vote by text message, text the word “VOTE” using the information below:

*Message and data rates may apply.

Online voting, however, is open from the beginning of the Monday performance show until 11:00 AM ET/8:00 AM PT the next day (morning of the Tuesday results show). To vote online, you must create a username and provide a valid email address at ABC.com. You can also connect your Facebook or Twitter account to your ABC.com account and login to vote (find out how).

Watch Wagner dancing the Jive with his professional partner Anna Trebunskaya

Thomas A. Montalto/MontaltoPhotos.com

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — As Soap Opera Network first reported yesterday evening, Lisa De Cazotte has been hired to fill the shoes of the departing Noel Maxam as Co-Executive Producer of NBC’s “Days of our Lives.” In a statement issued earlier today to the press, Co-EP Greg Meng confirmed that De Cazotte will be joining him as Co-Executive Producer and that, “[Executive Producer] Ken Corday is excited to have Lisa join the ‘Days of our Lives’ family.”

The change from Maxam to De Cazotte is effective immediately.

De Cazotte was the Executive Producer of “Passions” for the show’s entire run (July 5, 1999 – August 7, 2008). This reunites her with former “Passions” writers and current  “DAYS” Co-Head Writers Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. and Marlene McPherson.

De Cazotte began her soap opera career as an intern for “One Life To Live” in the early 1980′s and worked her way up to Coordinating Producer before leaving in 1991 to join “Santa Barabara” as a Producer. When “Santa Barbara” ended in 1993, she joined “All My Children” where she was a Coordinating Producer and later Supervising Producer. In 1996, De Cazotte left “AMC” to help start NBC’s new soap opera “Sunset Beach” where she worked as a Producer and Supervising Producer. In 1998, De Cazotte was chosen to be the Executive Producer of another new NBC soap, “Passions.” After “Passions” ended, De Cazotte was name the Executive Producer for the second season of SOAPnet’s “General Hospistal: Night Shift” (July 22, 2008 – October 21, 2008). In 2009, she returned to “All My Children” as a Producer and worked there for a year.

Maxam joined “DAYS” as a Producer/Director in August 2007. In late 2008, Maxam was promoted to Supervising Producer. Beginning his daytime career with “The Young and the Restless” in 1997 as an Associate Director, Maxam directed a number of episodes at the drama series starting in 1999 until his departure in August 2007 to join “DAYS.” He was named Co-Executive Producer along with Meng in June 2011 in what producers called a “reboot” of the series.

JPI

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — EXCLUSIVE! Sources have confirmed to Soap Opera Network that “Days of our Lives” has fired Co-Executive Producer Noel Maxam. His replacement will be former “Passions” Executive Producer Lisa De Cazotte.

This comes as a shocking development as Maxam was named Co-Executive Producer this past June, along with Greg Meng, who will remain as Co-Executive Producer.

De Cazotte was the Executive Producer of “Passions” for the show’s entire run (July 5, 1999 – August 7, 2008).   This reunites her with former “Passions” writers and current  “DAYS” Co-Head Writers Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr.  and Marlene McPherson.

De Cazotte began her soap opera career as an intern for “One Life To Live” in the early 1980′s and worked her way up to Coordinating Producer before leaving in 1991 to join “Santa Barabara” as a Producer.   When “Santa Barbara” ended in 1993, she joined “All My Children” where she was a Coordinating Producer and later Supervising Producer. In 1996, De Cazotte left “AMC” to help start NBC’s new soap opera “Sunset Beach” where she worked as a Producer and Supervising Producer. In 1998, De Cazotte was chosen to be the Executive Producer of another new NBC soap, “Passions.”   After “Passions” ended, De Cazotte was name the Executive Producer for the second season of SOAPnet’s “General Hospistal: Night Shift” (July 22, 2008 – October 21, 2008). In 2009, she returned to “All My Children” as a Producer and worked there for a year.

De Cazotte is a graduate of Fordham University and has 4 Daytime Emmy nominations.

Stay tuned to Soap Opera Network as more details become available.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Daytime veteran actor Sean Kanan began his daytime career in 1993 as AJ Quartermaine on “General Hospital;” a role the handsome 44-year old actor played until 1997. After a short stint on NBC’s “Sunset Beach,” in 2000 the actor landed on the most popular American daytime drama in the world which is CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful.” His bad boy character, Deacon Sharpe, memorably began an affair with and impregnated “B&B’s” top siren Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) while married to her daughter Bridget (then played by 3-time Daytime Emmy winner Jennifer Finnigan). His “B&B” stint ended in 2005, but Kanan has continued in the role on America’s number one daytime drama CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” since 2009. In Genoa City, Deacon’s carried on affairs with some of the most prominent women including queen bee Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott). Soap Opera Network recently caught up with the actor for an interview pertaining to his lifestyle book “The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan,” which was released on September 13. Kanan also discussed his career and his thoughts on the current state of daytime television.

Can you summarize the main theme and lessons of “The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan”?

“The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan” is a hybrid combining the best parts of a “how to” cook book and a self help/pop psychology guide for men to become better men. I teach you how to use food as a metaphor to connect with other people. I also decipher what it means to be a gentleman in today’s confusing landscape of mixed social signals. Many woman lament that they always fall for the bad boys. I will show you how to exude the “best” qualities of a bad boy all the while remaining a true modern gentleman. The book also offers woman a front row seat in the theater of the male psyche. This ain’t your mama’s cookbook.

The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan

What inspired you to write “The Modern Gentleman”?

I love to entertain and cook for my friends. For years everyone has told me that I should open a restaurant. Writing a book seemed like a better way to reach and affect more people. At the end of the day my most basic desire is to affect a positive change in as many people as possible. My other inspiration for the book centered around the frustration I see among men who have been largely depicted by Hollywood and Madison Avenue as a group of bumbling, overgrown and inept children. Obviously this is not reality. Men have simply never had a mentor, someone to teach them all of the things that women wish they knew. I am also very involved with the Anti Defamation League (ADL). I speak out frequently about bullying and cyberbullying. As a young boy I was bullied. Later I played iconic bully, Mike Barnes, Karate’s bad boy in the Karate Kid III. I was searching for a nexus between my work with the ADL and the information in my book. My girlfriend, Michele, pointed out that young boys taught to be gentleman do not generally grow up to become bullies. On the contrary, they evolve into well adjusted and tolerant men who view all women as someone’s daughter or sister. Consequently they treat them with respect.

On the subject of your daytime career, you’ve starred on “General Hospital” as AJ Quartermaine, and on “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless” as Deacon Sharpe. Can you give us some of your fondest memories from each show both as an actor and for each character?

My early days on “GH” were bitter sweet. I was involved in some very socially poignant story lines as well as a great many emotionally challenging scenes. I was honored to have this opportunity professionally. I was also dealing with some very serious inner-personal challenges that made my tenure in Port Charles very, very difficult at times. Ultimately albeit years later those days served to make me the man I am today. My early days playing Deacon Sharpe were really magical. They were so fulfilling on many different levels. I had finally found “The Part”. This is the role every actor prays for that will draw the attention of the outside world and speak to his or her soul. Deacon Sharpe was in those days my, “The Part”. I was extremely connected to my fellow actors, producers and the fantastic crew which supported me so well. I miss those days but I gotta say I am also loving these days.

With all the cancellations and potential online resurrections, what are your thoughts and feelings on the current state of daytime? What are your hopes for the future of daytime?

It all boils down to ratings and production costs. If a show sustains the ratings that allow the network to sell commercial time for a profit then that show has a good shot of remaining on the air. I am fortunate to be a part of the number one rated, daytime drama. My heart goes out to all of my fellow actors and the crew and production members who have lost their jobs. There is a very human face on these cancellations. Concurrently I really dislike when I hear people say “I hate that character. They should fire so and so.” That so and so has a family to feed and children to raise. Careless and insensitive comments like this result in human beings losing their livelihood. Words become actions. I talk about this in my book. Remaining accountable for the things we say is the mark of a mature adult and the hallmark of a modern gentleman.

You competed in the third season of the Italian version of “Dancing with the Stars.” Describe the experience. Are you ready for the American version?

My participation in “Ballando con le Stelle” was a life-changing experience. I lived in a foreign country under the best circumstances. I learned to dance with the best dancers in the world and, oh, by the way, I was living in Rome!! I drew a lot of inspiration from my book from my days in Italy. I would love the opportunity to dust of my dance shoes and join the American show.

Kanan is currently doing book signings for “The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan.” Follow the actor at his official site to find out the latest locations, dates and times for these signings. You can purchase this thoughtful advice and recipe book at book stores such as Barnes & Nobles and online at Amazon.com.

A special thank you goes out to both Kanan, of course, for taking some to share his thoughts with our SON family – and to Turk Entertainment for setting up this interview between the actor and SON.

Update (10:00 PM EST): The actor has just added three more dates for book signings for ”The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan.” The book that just sold out at Amazon.com (it has been re-ordered) will be available at the signings and cooking demonstrations this coming weekend. Sean’s book is also coming to Bed, Bath & Beyond locations soon. The locations, dates and times for the upcoming appearances are as follows…

Saturday, October 16th, New Castle, PA
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Chuck Tanner’s Restaurant
2305 Wilmington Rd.
New Castle, PA
724-658-5900

Sunday, October 16th, Pittsburgh, PA
11:30 am
Giant Eagle Store
South Hills Market District
Village Square Mall
7000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park
Cooking Demonstration and Book Signing