All Things About
Things are about to start looking a bit different in Genoa City, as “The Young and the Restless” has named its new headwriters: Current ‘Y&R’ scribe Shelly Altman and daytime writer Jean Passanante will share the position, along with ‘Y&R’ scribe Tracey Thomson, who’s been promoted to co-writer within the new, all female headwriting team.
They say fast-paced soap operas are good training grounds for primetime gigs, and that must be the case, considering several former soap stars have garnered Primetime Emmy nods this year! In light of the official announcement of the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Award nominees, Soap Opera Network brings you the who, what and where of stars who’ve given sudsers a go.
As previously reported, “Days of our Lives” stars Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) and Greg Vaughan (Eric Brady) are starring in the Hallmark Channel original movie, “Second Chances.” The network recently released the first promo for the film, which premieres on Saturday, July 27.
Broadway star and former soap actress Valarie Pettiford (ex-Sheila Price, “One Life to Live;” ex-Courtney Walker, “Another World”) is about to take a bite out of something new: She’s joined the sixth season of the super popular HBO vampire series “True Blood!”
They portray “twins” on NBC’s “Days of our Lives,” although Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) and Greg Vaughan (Eric Brady) are anything but that in Hallmark Channel’s “Second Chances.” Premiering Saturday, July 27, the TV movie tells the story of 911 operator Jenny McLean (Sweeney), who along with her two kids, Luke (Benjamin Stockham) and Elsie (Charlotte Labadie), take in firefighter Jeff Sinclair (Vaughan) after he is injured on the job and the family is in desperate need of extra income as a result of Jenny’s work hours having been recently cut. As Jeff and Jenny find themselves drawn together due to circumstances beyond their control, they begin to wonder where their mutual attraction will take them.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, former “General Hospital” star Marissa Ramirez (ex-Gia) has been upped to series regular on CBS’ “Blue Bloods” beginning with the primetime shows fifth season. Ramirez, who joined the series as a recurring guest-star beginning with the Friday, March 8 episode entitled “Protest Too Much,” portrays Detective Maria Baez, the former and now ful-time partner of Donnie Wahlberg’s Detective Danny Raegan. The actress is replacing Jennifer Esposito, who portrayed Wahlberg’s onscreen partner, Jackie Curatola, on the drama series until November of last year.
The world may know Anne Heche (Vicky Hudson, “Another World”) as the wife of Ellen DeGeneres, but the successful actress has carved a path of her own and is about to shine in NBC’s “Save Me,” a new comedy that will have the Emmy nominee talking to God!
“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.
When “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” debut with brand new episodes on Monday, April 29 on Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes, they will have the full support of CBS Daytime. Angelica McDaniel, Senior Vice President, CBS Daytime, wishes Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz, whose Prospect Park licensed the two soaps from ABC in 2011, nothing but the best. She relays via Soap Opera Network, “Congratulations and best of luck on the success. Your success is our success and vice versa. And it’s just a thrilling new experience and I look forward to seeing where the journey takes you.”
Drea de Matteo may be best known for her roles as “Sons of Anarchy’s” Wendy Teller and “The Soprano’s” Adriana La Cerva, but soap opera fans probably recognize her as “Desperate Housewives’” tough-as-nails neighbor, Angie Bolen. And now, the Queens-born actress is set to play in yet another drama-filled adventure: Lifetime’s upcoming film, “Stalkers.”
