The big news of December 2012 was word that Prospect Park was taking another stab at moving ABC’s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” to the web in 2013. The news was first reported by Deadline.com’s Nellie Andreeva. In her initial reporting, Andreeva revealed that Prospect Park had made agreements with the unions SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the DGA (Directors Guild of America). Previously, while the company had planned on debuting the shows on the web in early 2012, no deals had been signed with either union or the WGA (Writers Guild of America). This hindered the company’s plan to move forward with the shows and resulted in a postponement that was announced in November 2011. In a statement at the time, AFTRA (prior to its merger with SAG) said that they were “deeply disappointed to read that the executives at Prospect Park have decided to suspend their efforts to produce the long-running and popular daytime serials.” Additionally, the union had said that they “remain hopeful that an opportunity to revive these two popular series will emerge in the future, and remain ready to resume discussions should that opportunity arise.” The future took more than a year, but it appears to have finally emerged. However, although a representative from SAG-AFTRA confirmed that an agreement with Prospect Park had been made when pressed for comment from Soap Opera Network early last week, it remains unclear if said agreement had actually been signed. “Not absolutely certain it had been signed but can check that for you,” said the rep. Due to the holidays, we don’t expect a response on that little detail until at least tomorrow, January 2.

Soap Opera Digest grants Daytime Confidential’s Jamey Giddens his wish. On Wednesday, August 15, Giddens had posted a Wishful Casting report shortly after word broke that Kevin Schmidt was out as Noah Newman on CBS'” The Young and the Restless.” The writer figured that Nickelodeon’s “Hollywood Heights” actor Robert Adamson (Phil Sanders) would fit the role perfectly. Today the magazine reported on its Facebook page that Adamson is now heading to Genoa City!

Five years after being taken off contract and placed on recurring status, Jacklyn Zeman (ex-Bobbie Spencer, “General Hospital”) has opened up to Soap Opera Digest in its newest issue about the circumstances surrounding her unexpected departure from the ABC daytime drama series.

Despite Soap Opera Digest reporting on Tuesday that she was staying, TV Line is now reporting that Monday’s report by CBS Soaps In Depth was correct when it said actress Susan Flannery had informed producers and writers at “The Bold and the Beautiful” that she planned to leave the series at the end of her contract. To compensate, Flannery agreed to sign a short-term deal that would allow her to wrap up Stephanie Forrester’s 25-year storyline.

“Happy Back to Work Day!!!! YAY!!” said Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones) in a tweet earlier today as she prepared for her first day back on the set of ABC’s “General Hospital.” The actress also tweeted a photo of her script that was tucked away in her purse, saying “Bag packed. Off to work. #excitement.”

Daytime’s most watched soap is also daytime’s most heavily viewed series for African American audiences, but you wouldn’t know it based on the storyline’s written for its African American characters of late. With a new writing team in place, that will soon change. According to Soap Opera Digest, the series has put out another casting call for an African American character. Unlike the previous casting call, this one is for a female and it definitely sounds like a possible recast of a current character, but we could be wrong.

After her character was shamed out of Salem last year prior to the major “Days of our Lives” reboot, Nadia Bjorlin is returning to the NBC Daytime drama series in the coming months as a “stronger and more confident Chloe [Lane] who can really stand up for herself and not be bullied,” so says the actress in an interview with TV Guide Magazine’s Michael Logan.

Soap Opera Digest held off on reporting any news of Susan Flannery’s reported decision to leave CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” yesterday, but today there seems to be a reason why. According to the magazine’s website, Flannery is staying on as Stephanie Forrester.

While “The Bold and the Beautiful” canceled its casting call last week following news of Ronn Moss’ (soon-to-be ex-Ridge Forrester) departure, sister soap “The Young and the Restless” has announced its plans to cast the contract role of an African American male.

A week after word leaked that Ronn Moss (Ridge Forrester) opted not to renew his contract, CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful,” now in its 26th season, has worked overtime to not lose another member of its “core four” (the soaps four original cast members).

According to Soap Opera Digest, CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” has issued a casting call for a “new, hot guy.” According to the casting breakdown the show is seeking a “Male. Caucasian. 25-28 years old. Heart throb. Very Masculine. Edgy. Not afraid to get the job done. Bit of a cad.” It is a contract role.

America Media, Inc. (AMI) has purchased 37-year-old Soap Opera Digest from previous owner Source Interlink Media. As followers of Soap Opera Network knew, America Media licensed Digest from Source Interlink on April 14, 2011, wherein American Media would retain editorial, advertising, marketing and distribution control of the magazine and its sister publications Soap Opera Weekly and Pixie! (both now defunct), while ownership would remain with Source Interlink.

As Soap Opera Network first reported on March 16, Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva is reporting that ABC has officially canceled “The Revolution” and plans to slide “General Hospital” into the 2:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT timeslot beginning Monday, September 10, the same day the network hands over the 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT time period to affiliates. The news was later reported by The New York Times.

Although Soap Opera Digest has since “confirmed” their story on the ouster of several “Days of our Lives” stars with a show representative, according to its website, one actress appears to not have been told as the magazine stated. In fact, it looks like if the firings do hold, actress Sarah Brown (Madison James) has not been told by her bossess of any change to her status with the NBC daytime soap.

After weeks of speculation, Soap Opera Network can now report that actress Florencia Lozano will be reprising her role as Téa Delgado from “One Life to Live” on ABC’s “General Hospital” in the coming weeks. The news was broken by website We Love Soaps.

Although the likelihood was expected thanks to the loss of long-time soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” in 2011 and 2012, which were preceded by the departures of “Guiding Light” and “As The World Turns” in 2009 and 2010, news broke on Thursday, March 22 that after 22 years in publication Soap Opera Weekly would end its successful run as one of the premier soap opera magazines. The final decision to end the mag was just one of many blows the soap opera industry has felt in as many years. Soap Opera Network takes a by the numbers look at Weekly and how its readership levels helped lead to its ultimate demise.

In a story we had been following since it was first reported last April that Soap Opera Weekly and Soap Opera Digest magazines would fall under the umbrella of American Media, publishers of such mags as Star and TV Guide, Soap Opera Network has learned that after 22 years Soap Opera Weekly (launched in November 1989) will be shuttered and its April 10, 2012 issue will be its last.

A compilation of Twitter and Facebook posts from the cast of “One Life to Live” following word that Prospect Park was dropping plans to resurrect the show online only five days after the soap wrapped production on its ABC run.

On Sunday, November 13, The New York Times reported that American Media, Inc., which earlier this year purchased the licensing rights of both Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly from owner Source Interlink, in which the company now oversees all aspects including editorial, advertising, marketing and distribution, would be launching a new weekly magazine dubbed Reality Weekly.

When “One Life” fans last saw Charlie Banks (Brian Kerwin) earlier this year, he was leaving town in disgrace after his love affair with Echo DiSavoy (Kim Zimmer) was exposed, ending his marriage to Viki Lord (Erika Slezak). However that isn’t stopping him from creeping his way back into Llanview.