Today in Soap Opera History (September 21)

1979: Dallas' Sue Ellen neglected baby John Ross Ewing III
1979: Dan Stewart was mourned on As the World Turns.
1981: General Hospital's Luke Spencer saved the world!
2011: All My Children's Martin family reflected on the past.

"The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: Radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire broadcast day. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day a "time capsule" was created for posterity. Of important note is Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress encouraging repeal of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Below are recaps for the daytime soap operas that aired on WJSV that day. All totaled, 18 daytime dramas were heard during the course of this broadcast day. The high number of soaps presented on the schedule underscored what an important, dominate genre this was on radio at the time and what a sought-after audience women must have been.

8:45 a.m. Bachelor's Children - Sam explained to his wife, Janet, how bills were brought before the legislature.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 21)

1979: Dallas' Sue Ellen neglected baby John Ross Ewing III
1979: Dan Stewart was mourned on As the World Turns.
1981: General Hospital's Luke Spencer saved the world!
2011: All My Children's Martin family reflected on the past.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: Radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire broadcast day. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day a "time capsule" was created for posterity. Of important note is Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress encouraging repeal of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Below are recaps for the daytime soap operas that aired on WJSV that day. All totaled, 18 daytime dramas were heard during the course of this broadcast day. The high number of soaps presented on the schedule underscored what an important, dominate genre this was on radio at the time and what a sought-after audience women must have been.

8:45 a.m. Bachelor's Children - Sam explained to his wife, Janet, how bills were brought before the legislature.

9:00 a.m. Pretty Kitty Kelly - Michael and Martin worked to proved Kitty was innocent of Madmoiselle Dupin's murder.

Bradford Anderson to Guest Star in 'Homeland' After Backing Out on 'General Hospital' Commitment (Updated)

Bradford Anderson

Popular General Hospital actor Bradford Anderson took to Twitter on Monday to reveal that he had to back out of a scheduled appearance on the ABC soap opera as Spinelli in order to shoot a guest stint on Showtime drama Homeland.

ABC has now confirmed former Days of our Lives actor Blake Berris is taking over the role of Spinelli when the character returns for multiple episodes in January.

Read what Anderson had to say the situation below.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 21)

1979: Dallas' Sue Ellen neglected baby John Ross Ewing III
1979: Dan Stewart was mourned on As the World Turns.
1981: General Hospital's Luke Spencer saved the world!
2011: All My Children's Martin family reflected on the past.

"More and more, I tend to read history. I often find it more up to date than the daily newspapers."
― Joe Murray

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: Radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire broadcast day. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day a "time capsule" was created for posterity. Of important note is Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress encouraging repeal of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Here are synopsis for the daytime soap operas that aired that day:

Bachelor's Children - Sam explained to his wife, Janet, how bills were brought before the legislature.

Bradford Anderson Back to General Hospital as Spinelli

Photo by Blake Gardner

Bradford Anderson is set to return as Damien Spinelli on General Hospital, reports Daytime Confidential.

Anderson, who originated the role in 2006, will first air June 9. His return isn't expected to be a long one.

'General Hospital' Spoilers (March 28-April 1, 2016)

"He has convinced himself he's in love with her," Laura tells Liz about
Nikolas after they discover Hayden's true identity.

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on ABC soap opera General Hospital during the week of March 28-April 1, 2016.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 28
Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) brings Sam (Kelly Monaco) up to date; Tracy (Jane Elliot) has a plan for ELQ that involves her secret weapon; Ava (Maura West) asks for help from an unlikely person.

'General Hospital' Spoilers (March 21-25, 2016)

"Please, dont' ask me to do that," Monica tells Tracy.  "You want me to
pull the plug if you're incapable of doing it."

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on ABC soap opera General Hospital during the week of March 21-25, 2016.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 21
Carly's (Laura Wright) hostile persuasion gets results; Nina (Michelle Stafford) sets the wheels in motion to flush out Crimson's saboteur; Tracy's (Jane Elliot) lab results come in.

'General Hospital' Spoilers (October 26-30, 2015)

Diane questions Same's engagement to Patrick.

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on ABC soap opera General Hospital during the week of October 26-30, 2015.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, October 26
Carly (Laura Wright) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) react to the news that Michael (Chad Duell) and Sabrina (Teresa Castillo) are having a baby; Sam (Kelly Monaco) seeks Diane's (Carolyn Hennesy) help following Spinelli's (Bradford Anderson) arrest; Sam assures Jake (Billy Miller) that she will help him uncover his identity; Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu (Emme Rylan) move forward with their family plans.

'General Hospital' Spoilers (October 19-23, 2015)

Sam and "Jake" see the same shooting star on the anniversary of Jason's death.

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on ABC soap opera General Hospital during the week of October 19-23, 2015.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, October 19
Jake (Billy Miller) interrogates Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) about what he knows about his past; Hayden (Rebecca Budig) overhears Nikolas discussing his feelings about her to Spencer (Nicolas Bechtel); Olivia (Lisa LoCicero) must come to terms with her decisions; Julian (William deVry) makes a suspicious phone call; Michael (Chad Duell) and Sabrina (Teresa Castillo) grow closer.

NEWS: Fred Willard, Bradford Anderson, Steve Harvey, Pete Nowalk, Alison Sweeney, David Cronenberg

Fred Willard (center) stars in the new DirecTV commercial.

The Bold and the Beautiful's Fred Willard stars in new DirecTV commercial
Jeffrey Tambor, John Michael Higgins, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard (John Forrester on B&B) are helping DirecTV revive its popular “Empty Cable Suit” commercials from 2008 for the cable provider’s latest ad campaign, “Cable Corp.”

In “Merger,” Tambor’s character announces Cable Corp’s partnership with CableWorld in order to take on DirecTV. The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of DirecTV — a member of the AT&T family since July — over cable.

Alison Sweeney returns to Days of our Lives on October 12
Sweeney tweeted her return date on Thursday: "You wanted Sami, you're going to get her! Starting Oct. 12th I'll be back on @DaysofourLives. You'll have to watch to see for how long! ;)"

Steve Harvey looking for fans of Days of our Lives
Steve Harvey searching for the biggest Days of our Lives fan for an upcoming taping.

Bradford Anderson excited for his latest return to General Hospital
Anderson is excited to be making his second return trip to GH this year as Spinelli — so much so that he didn't even need to know what was bringing the character back to town before accepting the show's invitation. "There really was no story pitched; it was just, ‘Wanna come back?' " he reports. "I said this when I finished up my arc earlier this year, and it's true: I love being there and any time they need me, if I'm available, I'll be there."

Game of Thrones coloring book is on the way
"Yes, I said 'coloring book,’” writes George R.R. Martin. "Not just for the kiddies either. No, it seems that of late adult coloring books have become quite the thing, so Bantam wanted us to do one too. And since I love seeing good fantasy art, I was of course thrilled by the idea.”

How to succeed in Shondaland
How to Get Away with Murder creator Pete Nowalk reveals how he climbed the ladder and learned at the feet of Shonda Rhimes.

As a newbie, Nowalk said the learning curve was tough—he likens getting the hang of TV writing to "learning a language. Of course, you're not going to be fluent right away." But he persevered, learning the tricks of the trade from Rhimes, who has greatly diversified network television with shows based on (and written and produced by) powerful women and other minorities, and who is a master of creating richly interwoven plots and the kind of final-scene drama that inevitably blows up on Twitter.

David Cronenberg: I turned down directing True Detective because "the script was bad”
“The heat is in TV,” says the acclaimed director. “Last year I was approached to direct the first episode of the second season of True Detective. I considered it but I thought that the script was bad, so I didn’t do it. In TV, the director is just a traffic cop, but on the other hand, it is work and there’s a lot of it.”

Today in Soap Opera History (September 21)

1979: Dallas' Sue Ellen neglected baby John Ross Ewing III
1979: Dan Stewart was mourned on As the World Turns.
1981: General Hospital's Luke Spencer saved the world!
2011: All My Children's Martin family reflected on the past.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: Radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire broadcast day. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day a "time capsule" was created for posterity. Of important note is Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress encouraging repeal of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Here are synopsis for the daytime soap operas that aired that day:

Bachelor's Children - Sam explained to his wife, Janet, how bills were brought before the legislature.

NEWS: Kristian Alfonso, Bradford Anderson, Krista Allen, Linda Gray, Daniel James O'Connor, Greg Rikaart

Kristian Alfonso. Photo Credit: Jim Wright

Days of our Lives star Kristian Alfonso on Bo and Hope: "There is no hope for Bo!"
"[Laughs] There is no hope for Bo! She feels so let down by him, so discarded. That’s why she filed for divorce. The last straw was his letter saying he was going undercover again—for a year! What about the wife who yearned for him? What about his daughter, who is growing up without a father? And then suddenly there’s Aiden, this handsome, debonair attorney, a guy Hope can lean on. They’re both single parents. They have similar struggles. He’s extremely feisty and a challenge—and Hope is always looking for a challenge."

General Hospital casting 9-11 year old girl
GH is seeking to fill a role described as "Caucasian, 9-11 years old. This is an ONGOING recurring Day Player. Very important role, looking for complex actress." It's possible this is a recast of Josslyn, whose current portrayer, Hannah Nordberg, has been unavailable to the show of late; she booked a role in NBC's upcoming Dolly Parton biopic, Coat of Many Colors.

Daniel James O'Connor leaves General Hospital writing team, remains at ABC
"Thank you to the amazing GH team & fans for a great 3yrs," O'Connor tweeted on Monday. "My last ep airs today. Hope it goes off without a hitch... Happy to still be part of ABC on a new project. Stay tuned."

The Young and the Restless star Greg Rikaart wraps guest stint at TNT's Major Crimes
Tweeted Rikaart: "Episode wrap for Bobby G. Monroe. Cannot overstate how lovely, talented & welcoming the @MajorCrimesTNT folks are. Such a great time."

Bradford Anderson set to make another return to General Hospital

Days of our Lives alum Krista Allen was thrilled Significant Mother cast Linda Gray as her mom
"First of all, when I found out that Linda Gray was going to play my Mom, I absolutely fangirled out so hard. I was so excited. I was also a huge fan of Dallas, a huge fan of Linda Gray. I’ve always thought she was fantastic and it was a real big deal. Linda Gray is playing my mother! It was amazing. When she first came to the set, I just gushed. I was so happy and welcomed her. We had such a great time shooting. She was wonderful. She was just wonderful. She’s such a great lady and so talented and so funny and so easy to work with and everyone loved her. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Linda Gray. She’s fantastic."

Gray guest stars on Monday night's episode of Significant Mother on The CW.

'General Hospital' Stars Interviewed on 'Valley View Live!' (Video)

Nicolas Bechtel with KNTV's Megan Telles.

KNTV's Valley View Live! interviewed the stars of ABC soap opera General Hospital all week. Check out the Las Vegas affiliate's interviews below with Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones), Ryan Paevey (Det. Nathan West), Ian Buchanan (Duke Lavery), Finola Hughes (Anna Devane), Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli) and Nicolas Bechtel (Spencer Cassadine).

NEWS: 'Nashville' and 'Parenthood' in Negotiations for Renewal; Kathleen Gati's 'Willkommen' on iTunes; Jason Thompson, Bradford Anderson, Melissa Claire Egan Talk Emmys

"Willkommen" from Kathleen Gati & the General Hospital Cast now available on iTunes
Gati's Dr. Obrecht interrupted the opening Nurses Ball number on Thursday's episode of GH to sing her own tune.

'General Hospital' star Jason Thompson on his Daytime Emmy nomination
"I submitted the episode where Patrick tells Sabrina that he's going to go back to Robin, and then he goes back to his home and tells Robin he's home. It told its own story within the episode. It represents me and the show well. It's always interesting trying to go through those episodes and find the one to send in... I was very comfortable with the one I chose."

Bradford Anderson on earning an Emmy nomination with his most dramatic moment
"I submitted the day Ellie told Spinelli that he was the father of the baby outside the nursery. It's not every day that you get a circumstance like that. One show does not a year make. Some years you don't get those heightened scenarios. You take the best work that you can think of. I think the Emmy shows that win have to be a combination of a good actor doing good work with heightened material; what sets this day apart from every other day? That was the most dramatic moment I had."

'Nashville' Renewal Focus On Tax Credit Issues
The co-producers, Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios, are working on making the numbers work, according to Deadline. That is focusing on state tax credit issues (the series films in Nashville), which have to be worked out for the series to get a formal renewal. The goal is to get to 22 episodes.

NEWS:Jordanian Soap Star Dies While Filming Scene; Bradford Anderson & Emily Wilson To Visit 'GH'; IFC Rebranding; Series High for 'GoT'

Jordanian soap star Mahmoud al-Sawalqa dies filming deaths scene for 'Blood Brothers'
Mahmoud al-Sawalqa died on the set of the soap opera Blood Brothers, in front of actor Mundhir Rihane, who was playing his son, Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported on Tuesday.

Rihane was in a state of shock after the death on Saturday, the report said, quoting a statement from his office.

In a telephone interview with Egypt's CBC television, Rihane recounted the tragic event.

"He said, 'Son, I think I'm really going to die'. I said, 'You're joking'. He said, 'I think I'm really going to die'. I said, 'no, no, no, you're joking'," Rihane told the broadcaster. "And at the moment that we were filming the scene, he was dying... the angel of death was there with me."

Bradford Anderson and Emily Wilson to visit 'General Hospital'
A show rep had no comment, but it's likely that the return of Anderson (Spinelli) and Wilson (Ellie) will be a relatively brief one.

'24' ratings: Jack Bauer boosts Fox's Monday
Fox's 24: Live Another Day premiere delivered 8 million viewers and a 2.5 rating among adults 18-49. The two-hour telecast is down 29 percent from the debut of the final season of 24 back in 2010. For a show that’s been off the air for four years while broadcast ratings have plummeted, that’s not a bad drop at all. The premiere was the third-highest rated show Monday night, following The Voice (3.0) and The Blacklist (2.7).

NEWS: Bradford Anderson, Jake Wood, Rebecca Budig, George R.R. Martin, Naya Rivera, Seth Gilliam, John Heard, Mark Jordon

'General Hospital' alum Bradford Anderson and wife welcome second daughter
Anderson (ex-Spinelli, GH) and his wife, Kiera, became the proud parents of their second child, daughter Finola Leo Anderson, on May 2. "A big week for sure," he tweeted. "Today we welcomed our 2nd daughter…. Juna [their 2-year-old] is thrilled." On May 3, he clarified that the baby was not named after his Port Charles cohort Finola Hughes (Anna), saying, "Thanks for the good wishes all! And Finola is a family name, not to mention the name of one of the coolest gals we know. So, perfect!"

EastEnders' Jake Wood on Lucy mystery: '15 endings will be filmed'
[SPOILER ALERT] Wood has said that the soap's bosses are planning to film 15 different endings to the Lucy Beale murder mystery. The show launched a long-running whodunnit storyline at Easter as Lucy was found dead on Walford Common. The plot will run until EastEnders' 30th anniversary in February 2015.

Wood's character Max Branning is among the many suspects in the story, but he told ITV's Good Morning Britain today (May 5) that he may only discover the outcome when the reveal episode airs.

Asked whether Max is the culprit, he replied: "I genuinely don't know. I think there's about four people in the world who know at the moment. I'm certainly not one of them."

Bradford Anderson: 'I'm Excited For What's Ahead' After 7 Years on GENERAL HOSPITAL

Bradford Anderson tweeted about his leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL and the role of Damian Spinelli on Thursday, writing, "Thanks everyone for the well wishes! I'm excited for what's ahead but am so grateful for these amazing 7 yrs, and for all of you!"

Spinelli is leaving Port Charles with Ellie (Emily Wilson) and the baby Georgie.

Anderson was nominated at the 2012 Indie Soap Awards (now the Indie Series Awards) for his guest appearance in the web series THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF CUPID AND EROS. He recently appeared in an episode of NCIS: LOS ANGELES.

RELATED:
- Bradford Anderson Off-Contract On GENERAL HOSPITAL
- INTERVIEW: The Further Adventures Of Bradford Anderson
- Nurses Ball 2013: Bradford Anderson & Emily Wilson Sing "She Blinded Me With Science" (Video)
- GENERAL HOSPITAL's Kirsten Storms & Brandon Barash Are Married, And Expecting A Baby!

GENERAL HOSPITAL Day-By-Day Spoilers (Week of September 30th)

Photo Credit: ABC

Check out day-to-day spoilers below to find out what's happening on GENERAL HOSPITAL during the week of September 30th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, September 30
Luke (Anthony Geary) learns a doctor is working on a cure; Sabrina (Teresa Castillo) thinks about her relationship with Patrick (Jason Thompson).

In the promo video below, Lulu (Emme Rylan) realizes baby Connie is Maxie (Kirsten Storms) and Spinelli's (Bradford Anderson) biological child saying, "Oh my God. She is your baby, isn't she?"

Monday on GENERAL HOSPITAL: The Truth Comes Out, And A Return

On the Monday, September 30 episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL, the wait is over when the truth comes out! And someone returns. Watch a new GH promo below for a sneak peek:

Today in Soap Opera History (September 21)

1979: Baby John Ross Ewing III made his first appearance in
DALLAS. 1979: Dan Stewart's funeral was held on ATWT.
1981: GH's Luke Spencer saved the world! 2011: AMC's Martin
family got together and reflected on the past.

"In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind."
― Edmund Burke

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: Radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire broadcast day. From 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day a "time capsule" was created for posterity. Of important note is Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress encouraging repeal of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Here are synopsis for the daytime soap operas that aired that day:

BACHELOR'S CHILDREN - Sam explained to his wife, Janet, how bills were brought before the legislature.