relative newcomer Lindsay Morgan, who is quite the stunner. And she looks like Maurice Benard’s daughter. Or love interest! Look for Morgan to debut the week of May 21. Don’t worry about Lexi: She’ll be fine and she tells me she’s happy to pursuing her film career.
• Bros before hos! How long before James Franco returns as Sam’s baby daddy? As savvy fans predicted, Jason’s brother Franco is the father of Sam’s baby. If Franco does return, do you think James will continue to play the psycho’s lust for Jason now that they’ve been revealed to be bros? Bet on it!
• As expected, ABC has “renewed” GH and cancelled THE REVOLUTION. During the summer, before GH’s timeslot replacement, KATIE, premieres, ABC will air IN THE AFTERNOON, a GMA-spinoff. If the show takes off, GH’s future could also be in question but so far it looks like ABC is committed to Port Charles long enough for the venerable sudser to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The GH cast weighed in on the encouraging news to TV GUIDE. Here’s a roundup:
“For the last year or two we've been living on death row hoping for a reprieve, so this feels great," says GH icon Anthony Geary (Luke). "We're all breathing a sigh of relief, although we don't really know what this all means."
"For all we know, we've only bought ourselves six months," notes GH star Maurice Benard (Sonny). But that's not stopping the celebration on the set. "It's a beautiful day in Port Charles!" Benard says. "Everyone's excited and we're determined to work hard and keep this thing going. Our goal now is to boost our ratings and be the No. 1 soap. Then they can't cancel us!"
Geary continued, "Frank is a force of nature who is bringing great energy to the set. He loves this show and is fully prepared to go down with the ship, standing on the bow screaming at the top of his lungs. I can only admire that. It has made me and most of us want to work harder. Some people don't like it because they got complacent, and I'm not just talking about actors but people throughout the production. Those who don't want to work harder will not stay."
Is the GH cast worried that the show will become ONE HOSPITAL TO KILL? "No one is worried that Port Charles will be usurped by Llanview," says Geary. "There's just no downside to this. It makes us a much better show." Adds Benard: "Bringing in all this new blood is the smart thing to do. Let's hope there's more coming. I've been telling people we should do this for years!"
HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS, Nick-At-Nite — Grayson McCough Joins Cast!
• Head writer Josh Griffith emailed me to let me know that he’s super-excited for the premiere of HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS, his new cable soap that he produces with Jill Farren Phelps. “Grayson McCouch is joining the show,” he tells me. “I think you’re going to be very impressed.” Can’t wait. Let’s hope JFP doesn’t create a contentious, ego-driven set like she’s famous for on soaps. But considering HEIGHTS is a show centered around young characters, I doubt there are any veterans to piss off and fire!
THE TEAM — There’s No Hate in Team!
• Crystal Chappell and Tristan Roger’s new web project, THE TEAM, has come under fire recently. Emily Hummel addressed concerns that the THE TEAM had a behind-the-scenes Christian right anti-gay agenda. Fans were understandably concerned about donating to THE TEAM if that rumour was true. Apparently, it’s not and THE TEAM is morally kosher:
There is confusion going around regarding my personal beliefs & a ministry I was formerly affiliated with. Hard to clear the air on twitter but will do my best to state the facts in as few words as possible. Much of this confusion seems to stem from audio recordings that were up on a ministry website that I use to be affiliated with. For the record, I am a Christian and I did formerly work in a ministry affiliated with the Southern Baptist denomination. I have not worked in ministry since 2010, nor do I currently attend a Southern Baptist Church. To first address the audio recordings that are being shared over the internet, it should be noted that those were recording in 2009. Yes, they were up on a sight longer than that and once it was brought to my attention that they were still up I asked that the entire site be removed. It was costing money for no purpose as I was no longer using it. Context is key. These “talks” were being made in a Baptist church to a group of people who believe that the Bible is the word of God. My job at that time was to teach them what the Bible said as best as I understood it. These talks were not about homosexuality and do not ever mention homosexuality directly. However, they have obviously hurt some people. That was never the intention. The whole intention of this talk was to remind Christian students that the Bible teaches abstinence until marriage. It was stated in the audio clips that God’s plan was never for single parenting. Please know that this was not an attack on single parents. I have great respect for single parents and the job they do to raise a child (or children) on their own. I do believe that most single parents would agree that it would be easier if they had help from a second parent. This was emphasized to teenagers to discourage them from making decisions that could make them single parents as teenagers. I would like to see teenagers be able to finish high school and in an ideal world be in a loving committed relationship with someone that will help them raise their child. God wants the best for His people. “The Team” actually has a single parent character that is painted in a positive light.
There was a reference in the audio clip that God’s plan for marriage is one man and one woman. I was using the Biblical definition of the family until. Every time the Bible describes the family unit it describes the role of a husband and a wife. There is a difference between a “religious” definition and a secular or “legal” definition. I do not have a problem with a nation defining a legal binding of two individuals however the people of that nation decide. I honestly think the government should get out of the marriage business. I consider myself married to my husband not because the state of Mississippi gave us a license, not because the pastor had a license to marry us, but because my husband and I made a commitment to each other in front of God. I understand there are legal necessities for a union of two people. I do not have a problem with a legal union of two homosexuals. I also don’t have a problem with any religious organization defining marriage however their religious belief defines it. Just like I don’t have a problem with a Hindu who doesn’t eat meat, a Jew who doesn’t eat pork, and they don’t have a problem with me who eat both. It’s all the same thing under religious freedom.
I also want to be clear that I do not believe anyone should be discriminated against or treated unfairly in any way due to their race, gender, or sexual preference. I also freely admit that I have not spent extensive time studying specifically homosexuality in the Bible because it has never been an issue for me. I also admit that my understanding of the Bible continues to grow and that my interpretations have not always been right. God has shown me a lot of love and grace and I hope that anyone I have hurt can extend this same grace to me. Thanks for hearing my side before making a judgment about me.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS — The Older and the Restless! Update on Morrow’s Toronto Visit!
• It’s summer SORASing time: As I broke on Twitter, Y&R is recasting Summer and Fen to around 15/16. I think Shenell Edmonds would make an ideal Summer! Ha. Hey, how about Eddie Alderson as Finn?
• Joshua Morrow shares a few more details about his upcoming Toronto appearance on May 6. He says, “Apparently, I am going to be at a casino up there but it is only a VIP event. A little weird.” And that’s all he can say. Why the secrecy? Little does Morrow know that this VIP event consists of just me, Josh, limitless booze, a hangover, and a tiger. Mike Tyson hasn’t RSVP’d yet.
• Guess who’s back? While the sudser may be recasting several legacy characters, Y&R’s not replacing Noah Newman. Well-intentioned but oh-so boring Kevin Schmidt announced on Twitter that he’s back on set. Whoopie. He wrote, "Guess who's back, ba da ba, back again, ba da ba, ‘Noah's’ back, ba da ba, retweet your friends!"
• In story 411, it’s sexual music chairs when Nikki and Jack, Victor and Gen do the ho
rizontal mambo! Now this is a quad I can get behind. Nicely done, Y&R. Nikki and Jack have a lot of unfinished business and I can’t wait to see this once-popular couple sizzle on the front burner again. Too bad they couldn’t have thrown Jill into the mix.
• Be afraid, be very afraid: Y&R showrunner/socialite Maria Arena Bell is committed to the show, she affirmed to SOAP OPERA DIGEST. Well, at least she’s back on the set! Here’s her latest spin:
Driving story with the things Y&R is known for. We're going to have some boardroom stories and some great bedroom stories, but still have great, intense family drama. There's going to be a lot of romance this summer, but unexpected romance. We're playing a lot of the history of the show, but in a surprising way, so you'll feel like the show is moving forward. Characters will be evolving and developing, with people on to new eras of their lives. You'll be seeing stories that fans will think are sensational this summer and some of them will be love-to-hate stories. Some of them will push the fans to the edge, but to me, they're still very much about the history