Tamara Braun by Mitchell Haaseth/NBC
Tune In Tamara: Say goodbye to Tamara Braun. The impossibly sublime actress will exit Days of Our Lives August 4 when it looks like her character, Ava, will stand trial for causing that pesky plane crash. But, before skipping town, she has one more sex romp with her brainwashed Robo-John.Storm Warning: The Bold and the Beautiful takes a dark turn August 5–6 when Storm Logan (William deVry), who killed himself last spring, returns in a fantasy sequence. His sister Katie, who is distraught over an unexpected pregnancy, will see him rise naked from the sea and urge her to join him in death. When she dives underwater after him, he morphs into a demon.Seeing the Light: Montel Williams steps into the role of Clayton Boudreau on Guiding Light for a two-day stint (August 1 and 5). Word is, the author-talk show host so impressed execs with his acting chops that they want him back. Now for the bad news: Clayton's return involves a heartbreaking tragedy, so have a hanky ready. — Mich...
read more
Days of Our Lives viewers have not seen the last of Stefano. In this video interview, Deidre Hall wonders who, with John still not himself, might help Marlena survive the indefatigable megalomaniac's latest reign of terror. Plus: Scoop on the dual role ahead for Hall!
read more
Susan Lucci by Steve Fenn/ABC
This just in from ABC:"The 13th annual ABC-SOAPnet Super Soap Weekend will be held November 15-16 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Colgate Total toothpaste will serve as the presenting sponsor of the event for the ninth consecutive year."Throughout the weekend, fans will have the opportunity to meet favorite stars from All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. Festivities include celebrity motorcades, autograph sessions, game shows, interviews and the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind memorabilia from each of the shows. The Colgate Total Street Jam will close the event each day with live musical performances by some favorite Daytime stars."The Colgate Total sponsorship includes a national sweepstakes, awarding four trips for four to the 13th annual ABC-SOAPnet Super Soap Weekend, or one of many other great prizes. Go to SOAPnet.com for details and official rules."
read more
Rick Springfield and Finola Hughes by Adam Larkey/ABC
Eighties icon Rick Springfield is back on General Hospital as lookalikesDr. Noah Drake and rock star Eli Love. And the latter turns out to be quite the ageist pig. Eli will perform a concert in Port Charles on Tuesday, July 29 (Springfield's new CD Venus in Overdrive drops the same day), and he'll deny to the press that he's dating his ladylove Anna (Finola Hughes). The reason? Her daughter, Robin (Kimberly McCullough), is pregnant. "Eli is afraid it'll do damage to his career to be seen hanging out with a grandma — what will his young fans think?" the 58-year-old Springfield says. "It was a hard thing for me to play because it's such a jerky thing to do."He couldn't get away with this in real life. "Are you kidding? My fans would never put up with that," Springfield says. "A lot of them are grandmas!" — Michael Logan
read more
Speaking with TVGuide.com at the ABC's TCA press tour party, Kamar de los Reyes reflected on One Life to Live's 40th anniversary and pondered what's ahead for Antonio and Talia now that his love interest's big secret — she's master villain Carlo Hesser's daughter! — is out. Plus: How de los Reyes does his part in real life to improve needy children's lives.More soapy press tour videos:• Can GH's Robin & Patrick Survive a "Glitch"?• Will GH's Jagger Go On a Mission with Scorpio?
read more
Rebecca Budig by Steve Fenn/ABC
I think I'm gonna like this guy. All My Children's new head writer, Chuck Pratt — whose work officially hits the air Aug. 27 — has a big problem with Fusion, the soap's hopelessly dopey cosmetics corporation. You know, the all-girl firm where no work seems to get done but there's a stripper pole and disco lights? "It took me three weeks to figure out what they actually do at Fusion and that Greenlee [Rebecca Budig] and Kendall [Alicia Minshew] run the place," says Pratt.The solution? Pratt will take a cue from Ugly Betty, where he previously served as a consulting producer. "I'm going to blast into Fusion and make it a real workplace," he says. "We're going to get into the drama of office politics. We'll see what it's like for the poor assistants and underlings when two spoiled rich girls are in charge." — Michael Logan
read more
Speaking to me at ABC's TCA press tour party (just moments after she caressed my silky-soft blazer!), Kimberly MCullough previewed the second season of General Hospital: Night Shift, spoiled a French-talking "glitch" in Robin and Patrick's future, and revealed her plan to make Daddy Scorpio a bit less grouchy. Did I mention she was digging my blazer? Just $49 at H&M! — Matt Mitovich
read more
I know we just talked to him about Celebrity Circus (which he has since won) and a bit of his return to General Hospital by way of SOAPnet's Night Shift. But here's even more from Antonio Sabato Jr. discussing Jagger's upcoming visit to Port Charles. Might the FBI agent get embroiled in mystery with the also-returning Robert Scorpio? Plus (of course) more Brenda/Vanessa Marcil talk! — Matt Mitovich
read more
Genie Francis by Bob D'Amico/ABC
She's baaack.Genie Francis is returning to General Hospital next month to reprise her role as Laura."This is a short visit," Francis, 46, told the AP. "It's a mother-daughter story. Years ago when I started playing the character as a 14-year-old girl, it was a mother-daughter story, only I was the daughter. So it's kinda cool this is full circle. It's nice to come back for visits. General Hospital is my home."She'll return to a storyline involving Lulu, her daughter with Luke Spencer (played by Tony Geary).Laura was last seen in Port Charles in 2007 in a mental institution, having slipped back into a catatonic state. The return engagement — in which she and Luke renewed their vows — won her the Daytime Emmy for Best Supporting Actress.Luke and Laura's 1981 TV wedding, by the way, still ranks as daytime TV's highest-rated soap opera episode, attracting 30 million viewers.Francis — who lives in Maine and runs a home furnishing shop — said producers assured her Laur...
read more
Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers by Heidi Gutman/ABC
All My Children is about to get very political. On July 24, fan fave Beth Ehlers — who recently fled from CBS' Guiding Light — will join the ABC soap as Taylor McBride, an Army lieutenant fresh from a tour in Iraq. She’ll be teamed once again with GL partner Ricky Paull Goldin, who defected from that troubled soap earlier this year. Clearly, ABC hopes to re-create their supercouple magic — but don't expect Jake and Taylor to be another Gus and Harley."Like many great romances, this one will be born of conflict," says AMC’s newly arrived head writer, Charles Pratt, Jr. "Jake and Taylor’s relationship, not unlike our current presidential campaign, is a clash of ideals — the liberal versus the conservative. Taylor represents the modern warrior who is gung-ho military. For her, it's all about her country, her unit, her mission, not about the politics."Jake, on the other hand, spent years working in Africa with Doctors Without Borders and has a "complet...
read more
