With Emmy Award-winning writers Ron Carlivati (“One Life to Live,” “Days of our Lives”) and Jamey Giddens (“Days of our Lives,” “Beyond the Gates”) spearheading the first of the two planned “All My Children” TV movies set up at Lifetime, which are being produced by “Live with Kelly and Mark” co-hosts and former “All My Children” stars Kelly Ripa (Hayley Vaughan Santos) and Mark Consuelos (Mateo Santos), Daytime Confidential is reporting that Leo Richardson has been tapped to write the follow-up.
Charles Moriarty (Courtesy)
“The sequel flick was written by primetime writer Leo Richardson,” said the outlet in its reporting, which noted the writers were “handpicked” by veteran producer Andrew Stearn, who is working on the project alongside Ripa and Consuelos, whose Milojo production company is producing with support from the estate of Agnes Nixon, creator of the iconic series and its sister soap “One Life to Live,” both of which were unceremoniously canceled in 2011. Albert Bianchini, executive producer for Milojo, is also part of the team.
If Richardson’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he was the writer behind a planned primetime reboot of the daytime drama series that remained in development at ABC several years after it was first announced in December 2000.
Like the TV movies, “Pine Valley” was to be set in the present day, focusing on the lives of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue), with an official description noting that when a young journalist with a secret agenda arrives in Pine Valley, she plans to “expose the dark and murderous history of of the town only to become entangled in a feud between the Kane and Santos families.” It’s unclear if elements from that project will be implemented into either the first or second planned TV movie.
That said, should the new project go beyond the development stage and begin taping with a full cast announced, fans can expect to see a brief appearance by Ripa and Consuelos, with Lucci and LaRue also reprising their roles.
“Lifetime is always interested in shows that kind of tap into a powerful nostalgia that can be made fresh for today’s audience,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network, in a statement released via the Los Angeles Times. “There’s a whole generation of women that have missed these stories and these characters.”
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” said Consuelos. “‘All My Children’ gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
“So excited to share this news! Thanks to Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini and the Agnes Nixon estate for entrusting @Jamey_Giddens and me with the first of two planned ‘All My Children’ movies for Lifetime! Stay tuned!” said Carlivati in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“I’ve been booked and busy in 2026,” commented Giddens, who was recently named as co-head writer of “The Young and the Restless,” working alongside Dan O’Connor (“General Hospital,” “Days of our Lives”). “Thanks to Andrew Stearn, the Agnes Nixon estate, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos for entrusting @carlivatiron and me with the first of two planned ‘All My Children’ movies for Lifetime!”
In response to the news of Carlivati and Giddens writing the first movie, former “All My Children” star Alicia Minshew (Kendall Hart) said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “Woww massive congratulations!” She added, “I know you guys will kick ass and do it justice!”