As part of the growing changes at ABC Daytime, the Disney/ABC Television Group has announced Mirian Arias as its new Vice President, Daytime Communications. Arias replaces Jori Peterson, who headed up the division for a number of years in the role of Vice President, Publicity, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. Although Peterson has left ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, she remains part of the Disney/ABC Television Group as the acting head of the ABC Family Communications team.
“All My Children” ended its television run on Friday, September 23, 2011, but pop-culture artist David O’Keefe has captured the essence of what made the soap opera special to millions of viewers for more than 41-years courtesy of his new painting “A Tribute to ‘All My Children’ – Pine Valley,” which took two months from concept to fruition.
As previously reported, ABC soap opera “General Hospital” will lose its coveted 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM CT/PT timeslot beginning in September 2012 when the network hands the hour back to its local affiliates. The move will leave ABC’s daytime lineup with just three hours left to program with “The View” already secured in the 11:00 AM ET/10:00 AM CT/PT slot. New talk shows “The Chew” and “The Revolution” will go head-to-head with “General Hospital” when it comes to the almighty dollar (ie. which show brings in enough income relative to cost) in a battle for the remaining two hours (1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT/PT; 2:00 PM ET/1:00 PM CT/PT). In place of “GH” beginning in September 2012 will be the new Disney/ABC Domestic Television syndicated series “Katie,” hosted by journalist Katie Couric, which was just cleared in over 60% of the country just six weeks after the sales period began.
Yesterday afternoon, Soap Opera Digest reported that “General Hospital” has named breakdown writer Shelly Altman as its Co-Head Writer working alongside Head Writer Garin Wolf. Per the magazine’s website Altman’s new role is effective immediately.
On Thursday, October 20, it was announced that longtime “General Hospital” writer Michele Val Jean would be joining the Emmy Award winning writing team of CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Also on that day Val Jean was given the opportunity of visiting the set of the soap while they were filming so she could get a better feel of the characters and the actors.
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.”
With the cancellations of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” back in April it was unclear at the time as to where their replacement shows “The Chew” and “The Revolution” would film their daily episodes. Now with “Chew” filming in New York and soon “The Revolution” set to begin filming in New York as well, Soap Opera Network has learned that ABC Daytime is shifting much of its operations to New York City including talent management and media relations.
Sources have confirmed to Soap Opera Network that actress Erin Chambers is returning to ABC’s “General Hospital” in the near future. However, word has it that she might not be playing Siobhan McKenna, the role in which she originated back in September 2010.
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.
Soap Opera Network has confirmed with an official Prospect Park spokesperson that Darnell Williams has reached an agreement to continue with “All My Children” for its scheduled online resurrection in 2012. This afternoon, Williams’ former and future co-star, Lindsay Hartley (Cara) jumped over the production company that licensed “AMC” and “One Life to Live” earlier this year to reveal the news on Twitter. The excited actress exclaimed to fans that the popular actor “has officially signed on!! More to come.” All deals between Prospect Park and performers remain tentative at the moment due to the fact that an official deal hasn’t been reached between the actors’ union AFTRA and the production company.
