Sunset Beach
A special look at how daytime soap stars past and present spent their day during the big #CaliforniaPrimary2018.
On the Friday, February 19 edition of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” former soap star Sarah Buxton (ex-Morgan DeWitt, “The Bold and the Beautiful”; ex-Annie Douglas Richards, “Sunset Beach”) will appear as she tries to get the sharks — Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary — to make a deal over her one-piece swimsuit line that not only keeps things in the right places, but can keep you sun-safe and stylish at the same time.
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.
“Witches of East End,” which was inspired by Melissa de la Cruz’s best-selling novel, has a launch date! Lifetime announced today that the new witching hour of drama is coming to a TV screen near you beginning Sunday, October 6 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The series stars Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin, Mad Men), Mädchen Amick (“Mad Men,” “Damages”), Jenna Dewan Tatum (“American Horror Story”) and Rachel Boston (“In Plain Sight”) as a family of witches living in the secluded seaside town of East Haven. The new series also stars Eric Winter (“The Mentalist,” “Days of our Lives”), Daniel DiTomasso (CSI), Jason George (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Sunset Beach”) and Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominee Virginia Madsen (“Sideways,” “Anna Nicole”).
As previously reported, Jack Wagner (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “General Hospital,” “Melrose Place“), Wally Kurth (“Days of our Lives,” “GH”) and Eddie Cibrian (“The Young and the Restless,” “Sunset Beach“) will all be appearing on upcoming episodes of TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland.”
Jack Wagner (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “General Hospital,” “Melrose Place“), who was tentatively scheduled to appear in the Wednesday, July 3 episode of TV Land’s “Hot In Cleveland,” will instead appear in the Wednesday, July 31 episode, a TV Land representative has confirmed to Soap Opera Network. The actor will reprise his role as Dr. Aaron Everett, who was last seen in Season 2, Episode 4 entitled “Sisterhood of the Travelling SPANX.” Specific storyline details for Wagner’s upcoming appearance were unavailable at press time.
Soap fans certainly know Eddie Cibrian as “Sunset Beach’s” Cole Deschanel, but the hunky star is widely known for a slew of other roles in films and TV shows like “Third Watch,” “Vanished,” “Ugly Betty,” “CSI: Miami,” “The Playboy Club,” and “For Better or Worse.” And now the actor is adding yet another gig onto his resume, this time in a new Hallmark Channel original movie called “Notes From Dad.”
Fans who loved seeing Crystal Chappell (Gina Brogno, “Venice;” ex-Carly Manning, “Days of our Lives;” ex-Olivia Spencer, “Guiding Light”) as Jane in Steve Silverman’s Alfred Hitchcock-inspired series, “The Inn,” are in for quite a treat: The two-time Emmy Award winning actress is reprising the role in the second season of the dark drama!
“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.
With Prospect Park now signing agreements with key unions SAG-AFTRA (actors), the DGA (directors), and the WGA (writers), with an expectation to begin filming episodes of “All My Children” as soon as next month, we wondered who you wanted to see act on the soap when it moves to the web. Your choices can include past actors as well as wishful casting (recast and new characters are welcomed). We also wondered who you want to join the writing team now that thousands of writers are at Prospect Park’s disposal courtesy of their agreement with the WGA, as well as who you want to direct episodes of the series. Keep in mind that Agnes Nixon, who created both “AMC” and “One Life to Live,” is currently working as a consultant for Prospect Park, according to Foz McDermott, head of production for TOLN (Prospect Park’s The Online Network). Also note that actors Jordi Vilasuso (Dr. Griffin Castillo), Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard), Debbi Morgan (Dr. Angela Hubbard), Vincent Irizarry (Dr. David Hayward) and Lindsay Hartley (Dr. Cara Castillo) are all confirmed as signing on to return to “AMC” when it moves to the web. Alicia Minshew (ex-Kendall Hart) has reported that she’s been approached, while Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan Lavery) hope’s he can be involved. There’s no word yet on the status of Susan Lucci (ex-Erica Kane), who was the only original cast member from the first season of “AMC” that had remained with the show without interruption from its debut on January 5, 1970 through its final ABC broadcast on September 23, 2011.
Finola Hughes, who has portrayed Anna Devane on “All My Children,” “General Hospital” and its spin-off “General Hospital: Night Shift” over the course of nearly thirty years, has been bumped to contract status at “GH” according to executive producer Frank Valentini, who made the announcement via Twitter.
Soap Opera Network has learned that Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. were fired and replaced by Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.
Jack Wagner, 52, is a soap opera legend and singer, but for millions of viewers he’s a dancing star courtesy of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” The actor joined the 14th cycle (season) of the reality-competition series along with such celebrities as Melissa Gilbert (actor, “Little House on the Prairie”), Sherri Shepherd (talk show host and actress, “The View”), Jaleel White (actor, “Family Matters”), Gladys Knight (singer), Donald Driver (NFL star, “Green Bay Packers”), William Levy (latin soap star), Katherine Jenkins (opera star), Gavin DeGraw (singer), Martina Navratilova (tennis star), Roshon Fegan (actor, “Shake It Up!) and Maria Menounos (TV host and correspondent), but what fans truly want to know is if Wagner is heading back to ABC’s “General Hospital” after being taken off contract by CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” in early February.
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.”
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.
Daytime veteran actor Sean Kanan began his daytime career in 1993 as AJ Quartermaine on “General Hospital;” a role the handsome 44-year old actor played until 1997. After a short stint on NBC’s “Sunset Beach,” in 2000 the actor landed on the most popular American daytime drama in the world which is CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful.” His bad boy character, Deacon Sharpe, memorably began an affair with and impregnated “B&B’s” top siren Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) while married to her daughter Bridget (then played by 3-time Daytime Emmy winner Jennifer Finnigan). His “B&B” stint ended in 2005, but Kanan has continued in the role on America’s number one daytime drama CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” since 2009. In Genoa City, Deacon’s carried on affairs with some of the most prominent women including queen bee Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott). Soap Opera Network recently caught up with the actor for an interview pertaining to his lifestyle book “The Modern Gentleman: Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan,” which was released on September 13. Kanan also discussed his career and his thoughts on the current state of daytime television.
