“General Hospital” has promoted Chris Van Etten to the role of co-head writer. He replaces recently retired Jean Passanante in the position.

Jean Passanante, who has spearheaded “General Hospital” alongside Shelly Altman since July 2015, officially retires from soap opera writing.

“The 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” nominations were announced today live on CBS’ “The Talk,” but several categories were not included during the television broadcast including Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team.

After three go-rounds in Port Charles, he’s back on set for a fourth. Michael Easton, who previously portrayed John McBain, Caleb Morley and Silas Clay, has returned to work at “General Hospital” and announced his first air date.

As previously reported, the “General Hospital” writing team consisting of former head writer Ron Carlivati, and writers Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Elizabeth Page, Jean Passanante, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles and Chris Van Etten, took home the Writers Guild Award on Saturday, February 13 in the category of Daytime Drama. The soap beat out CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful,” the only other series nominated in the category. At press time, Carlivati’s acceptance speech was unavailable. That has since changed.

Congratulations are in order for former “General Hospital” head writer Ron Carlivati. The writer, along with his team consisting of Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Elizabeth Page, Jean Passanante, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles and Chris Van Etten, took home the WGA Award in the category of Daytime Drama for their writing work on the anniversary episode of the soap opera.

In the newest issue of CBS Soaps In Depth, on newsstands now, Nathan Varni, manager, current series, ABC Entertainment, reveals that despite all the fan chatter on message boards, Facebook, Twitter and the like, offline viewers of the network’s “General Hospital” continues to thwart online viewers when it comes to storyline direction.

With four soaps remaining on the air only ABC’s “General Hospital” and CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” were able to eek out nominations for the 2016 Writers Guild Awards in the category of daytime drama.

As previously reported, “General Hospital” will soon be saying goodbye to scribe Ron Carlivati and hello again to co-head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante when the team officially takes over writing duties next month, with material not expected to fully hit the screen until mid-October, according to insiders. But what forced ABC to make a change in its writing regime? Ratings, of course! Thirteen consecutive weeks of ratings lows that is.

With 13 consecutive weeks of record low ratings in the key Women 18-49 sales demo, ABC announced today that it has decided to oust “General Hospital’s” current head writer, Ron Carlivati, and replace him with newly appointed co-head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante. The duo, who will officially take over writing reins beginning Monday, August 10, previously served together in the same capacity at CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” up until January of this year. They won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for their work on “Y&R” during their tenure.

After returning from holiday break in Australia, “The Young and the Restless'” Tristan Rogers (Colin Atkinson) announced that he is sticking around for at least another year on the daytime drama series, which recently celebrated 26 years as the most watched scripted series in the daypart.

While it had been widely reported to be the case, CBS finally confirmed on Monday, November 10, that Charles “Chuck” Pratt, Jr. has been hired on as the new head writer of “The Young and the Restless.” The official word came from “Y&R’s” Twitter page, which also noted that Pratt will receive a co-executive producer credit on the series. Pratt replaces Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante, “Y&R’s” current head writing team.

Despite recent bouts of ratings growth in Total Viewers, Women 18-49, Women 25-54 and other assorted demographics, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” is the subject of a recent report in the October 31 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, which includes interviews with Angelica McDaniel, CBS Daytime senior vice president, and Brad Adgate, senior vp research for Horizon Media, among others. The magazine noted that following Nielsen’s admission of a counting error that lasted for more than six months (since at least March of this year), revised numbers show the daytime drama series doing better than previously thought when on October 20 Nielsen released revised ratings data for daytime television. In it, “Y&R” and sister soap “The Bold and the Beautiful” are showing growth, while ABC’s “General Hospital” is actually in decline, down 8% in viewers and down 14 percent in the Women 25-54 sales demographic.

CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” is getting a new head writer in the form of Charles ‘Chuck’ Pratt, Jr., who is best known for his writing stints at “All My Children,” “General Hospital” and “Santa Barbara.” The news was first reported by Highlight Hollywood. Thanks to the power of social media, Pratt has already updated his Twitter profile to reflect his writing duties at “Y&R” while also indicating he will receive an executive producer credit.

Although the network and Sony Pictures Television, producers of the series, have yet to issue comment on the matter, Daytime Confidential is reporting that Pratt will lead the writing team of daytime’s number one drama series beginning in November.

It is with great sadness to report that “All My Children’s” Matthew Cowles (Billy Clyde Tuggle) has died. The actor, who was married to actress Christine Baranski (“The Good Wife) for more than 30 years, passed away on Thursday, May 22 at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife and their two daughters, Isabel and Lily.

Oh, snap! Former “All My Children” actress Jill Larson (ex-Opal Cortlandt) is set to appear on “The Young and the Restless” next week during the sudser’s major fashion show crossover storyline with “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and it seems her alter ego will be quite the force to be reckoned with! Soap Opera Network caught up with the actress to get the details on her exciting guest-starring role, so read on to find out how she’ll impact some of Genoa City’s most popular characters!

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced today nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Television, New Media, News, Radio, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation during the 2013 season for its annual Writers Guild Awards. In the category of Daytime Drama, NBC’s “Days of our Lives,” ABC’s “General Hospital” and CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” are set to duke it out when the ceremony takes place on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

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.

With the ABC version of “One Life to Live” now a thing of the past, and with it airing only 9 episodes during the 2012 eligibility year, one would think that the show would not have received any Daytime Emmy Award love. While the show only received 3 nominations for its ABC incarnation, 3 noms is just great.

The Writers Guild of America have announced the nominations for the 2013 Writers Guild Awards.  In the Daytime Drama category,…