Thursday January 7, 2010
With One Life to Live posting its worst ratings ever, rumors are flying that the show may be the next soap opera to leave the daytime schedule.
OLTL finished last in every ratings category for Christmas week, with only a 0.9 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic.
OLTL is the only ABC soap being produced in New York and the only ABC soap not yet in high definition. These facts along with the low ratings, which hit a similar low earlier in the month, should be of concern to fans.
If Brian Frons is sincere about being committed to ABC soap operas, OLTL needs some tender loving care. One Life to Live has always been a terrific show with wonderful acting and great characters. It deserves every chance to survive during this difficult time for soaps and network television in general.
Photo of OLTL cast members Robert S. Woods, Florencia Lozano, Kassie DePaiva, Hillary B. Smith - Lou Rocco/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Wednesday January 6, 2010
The character of Franco, played by James Franco, exits General Hospital the week of January 11, but according to reports, Franco will be back in the spring - Franco in front of the camera, and James Franco behind it.
In a Wall Street Journal editorial, the actor writes about "performance art" and ends by talking about his work on General Hospital:
"The folks at "General Hospital" informed me that in three days of filming we backlogged enough material for 23 episodes...After all of the Franco episodes are aired, my character's storyline will be advanced in a special episode filmed in a "legitimate" New York gallery. One more layer will be added to this already layer-heavy experiment. If all goes according to plan, it will definitely be weird. But is it art?"
Franco will be participating in a gallery show at New York's Deitch Projects, and that event is to be shot for the General Hospital spring episode. Word is that Franco will be directing as well.
Monday January 4, 2010
Now is the winter of our discontent.
--William Shakespeare
Special happy birthday:
January 4: Rick Hearst
And a very special remembrance:
January 2: Anna Lee (January 2, 1913 - May 14, 2004) - Rest well, our beautiful Lila
Photo: American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Sunday January 3, 2010
Head General Hospital writer Bob Guza has stated that the Ward family, a branch of the Quartermaines, will be returning to Port Charles.
The Ward family is the result of an affair Edward had with Mary Mae Ward (Rosalind Cash), which resulted in the birth of their son, Bradley Ward. Bradley was deceased when Mary Mae and her grandchildren, Justus (Joseph C. Phillips) and Keesha (Senait Ashenafi) arrived in Port Charles in 1994. Unfortunately, the lovely, talented Cash died suddenly in her sleep in 1996. Who can forget her "Midnight Train to Georgia" with Luke and Lucky doing backup at the Nurses' Ball?
Keesha, who was involved with both Quartermaine brothers, left Port Charles to return to Philadelphia to care for her ill father in 1998. Justus returned in 2003 (now played by M'fundo Morrison) at Jason's request to defend Sonny in the attempted murder of Lorenzo Alcazar. Justus was killed by Manny Ruiz in 2006.
It will be interesting to see what Wards show up, as there were several relatives who never did appear on General Hospital.
Photo of Senait Ashenafi as Keesha Ward with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton): American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
