Passions

The bi-annual list of Television’s Highest Paid Stars: The Soap Opera Edition, is here! Find out who made the cut, who got richer and how being part of TV’s biggest hit doesn’t always equal big checks.

Michael Einfeld shutters L.A. offices after reports of death threats and the social media response to his alleged remarks to a former assistant who quit after receiving an email saying “Uppity selfish c—” and “Someone should sew her vagina shut.”

After portraying Griffin Castillo on “All My Children” and Tony Santos on “Guiding Light,” actor Jordi Vilasuso decided the timing was right for another turn in daytime. Lucky for him, “Days of our Lives” was looking to expand the Hernandez clan with the return of Dario (last played by Francisco San Martin). After meeting with executive producer Ken Corday, co-executive producer Albert Alaar and co-head writer Josh Griffith last summer, Vilasuso responded well to the idea of portraying a “very intelligent” character on the soap.

“Days of our Lives” and “Passions” alum Lindsay Hartley (ex-Adrianna Hernandez; ex-Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald) is set to star in “Nightmare Nurse,” a Lifetime movie about home health care gone horribly wrong. Hartley is cast in the title role as Chloe, a nurse with a killer agenda.

Is Dena Higley‘s reign as co-head writer of “Days of our Lives” over before it even hits the air? According to a report by Daytime Confidential last week, Higley asked for, and was granted, a leave of absence from the show citing personal reasons.

First announced in October of last year, Pop is ready to release their “Queens of Drama” as soap stars Lindsay Hartley (“All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Passions”), Crystal Hunt (“Guiding Light,” “One Life to Live”), Vanessa Marcil (“Las Vegas,” “General Hospital”), Chrystee Pharris (“PSNS,” “GH”) and Hunter Tylo (“The Bold and The Beautiful”) are joined with special appearances by Donna Mills (“Knots Landing,” “Melrose Place” and “GH”) in their new reality series debuting Sunday, April 26 at 10:00 PM, ET/7:00 PM, PT, immediately following the network’s exclusive live broadcast of “The 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.”

With NBC’s “Bad Judge” and “A to Z” pulling less a than a 1.0 rating in the key Adults 18-49 sales demographic the network has decided to end both Thursday comedies after airing the original full 13-episode order for each. “Judge,” the higher rated of the two, starred “The Practice’s” Kate Walsh as a “bad judge” who really isn’t. The series pulled a 0.9 in the demo in its most recent airing, while “A to Z,” co-starring Cristin Milioti (aka: the mother from CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother”), pulled in a 0.7 rating, which is the lowest rating a primetime show reportedly can hit before it gets the axe. Former “Passions” star Ryan McPartlin recently completed an arc on “Judge.”

POP’s “Queens of Drama” is rolling out the red carpet and delivering exactly what the show’s title implies: In addition to the list of popular soap stars already attached to the reality show, “Dynasty” legend Joan Collins will also be a part of the new show!

As previously reported, soap stars Lindsay Hartley (“All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Passions“), Crystal Hunt (“Guiding Light,” “One Life to Live”), Vanessa Marcil (“Beverly Hills, 90210,” “General Hospital”), Chrystee Pharris (“Passions,” “General Hospital”) and Hunter Tylo (“The Bold and The Beautiful”) have signed on for POP’s newest reality series, “Queens of Drama,” where the ladies will work together to produce a pilot for a new serialized primetime drama series. As the poster above warns, today, October 28, marks the beginning of production for show. Donna Mills (“General Hospital,” “Knots Landing,” “Melrose Place”) will also be taking part with special appearances.

“Passions” alum Charles Divins is now a news anchor, joining the team at NBC affiliate station WDSU in New Orleans as co-anchor of “WDSU News This Morning.”