general hospital

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. Rumors persist that there might be a reprieve for 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live', but so far nothing concrete. But the shows keep churning out great storylines, and we're covering them all on TV Squad.

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

For instance, on 'Days of Our Lives,' the two Rafes finally came face to face with each other and Sami! Shoots were fired, but if it were you, would you have pulled the trigger?

'Days of Our Lives'
Real Rafe came face to face with fake Rafe. When the faker pulled a gun, a fight ensued and Sami was knocked out. Sami came to and shot fake Rafe. Chloe had a one-night-stand with a stranger named Quinn who left her money on the nightstand, assuming that she was a hooker. Jennifer and Daniel's date went awry when she had an allergic reaction. Carly wrote a prescription for Katerina Von Leuschner, her real name. Nicole forced EJ to remain in their bedroom to keep up the pretense of their marriage. Taylor was frustrated that EJ couldn't explain his reason for staying married to Nicole.

'General Hospital' leads all soaps with 21 total Daytime Emmy nominations.

PBS leads ABC in total nominations, but ABC's 'General Hospital' -- its last remaining soap come January 2012, unless Katie Couric moves in -- leads the pack with 21 total nominations. Besides the Outstanding Drama Series nomination, stars Jonathan Jackson, Laura Wright, Maurice Benard, Nancy Lee Grahn, Jason Thompson, Chad Duell and Lexi Ainsworth all received nods from the Academy.

'The Young and the Restless' received 20 nominations, 'Sesame Street' grabbed 16, 'All My Children' got 13, and 'One Life to Live' trailed with 12. With the sting of cancellation still present, 'All My Children' picked up a Best Drama nomination, but no such luck for its star Susan Lucci.

Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek will received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the June 19 ceremony.

"In honoring Pat and Alex, we're honoring not only two of the great game shows throughout the history of television," Darryl Cohen, chairman of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, said in a statement, "but two individuals whose talent and personality have given us an additional reason to tune in and watch."

Nominations are below.

There's good news and bad to report from ABC's 'General Hospital.' Actor Steve Burton has re-signed with 'GH' for another year. Considering the rumors about the last remaining ABC soap possibly being on life support, this is probably the right decision for Burton.

Any long term deal would be wishful thinking for the long-time vet. It's a relief for know that Burton will continue as Jason, the sensitive mob enforcer for Sonny Corinthos, through 2012.

On the other hand, there's bad news regarding Rebecca Herbst; she's being temporarily replaced by Martha Madison. Rebecca has been diagnosed with a case of viral meningitis, so she'll be off the show for a few weeks. This comes just months after Rebecca was fired, then re-hired, by the soap, so it's been a helluva year for her.

Madison will step into the role of Elizabeth Webber effective June 8, picking up where Becky left off ... that's Liz having visions of her dead son Jake and contemplating revealing the truth about Aiden's paternity to Lucky.

By the way, Madison is a soap vet. She played Belle on 'Days of Our Lives.'

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. Rumors persist that there'll be a reprieve for 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live', but so far nothing. But the shows keep churning out great storylines, and we're committed to covering them all on TV Squad.

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

For instance, on 'The Young and the Restless,' were you thinking (like I was) that Kevin was going to have to put on that chipmunk head again? Do you think Jana's really dead or just faking it?

'The Young and the Restless'
Jana forced Kevin into a closet to train him to love her again. Phyllis agreed to share Lucy with Billy and Victoria, but Child Protective Services took Lucy because of questions about her adoption. Cane asked Lily to bring the twins to see him at the cemetery. Olivia helped Sofia alter the conception date to keep secret that Neil was the father. Jack bought Abby's shares of Newman Enterprises. Diane suggested that Jack stick it to Victor by making love to her. Ashley begged Abby to support her wedding. Chloe rushed to rescue Kevin, then fought Jana for the gun. Jana keeled over in the middle of their struggle.

Could Katie Couric's potential new ABC talk show kill 'General Hospital'? That's the latest buzz.

According to TMZ, Couric is close to signing a $20 million deal with ABC. The new deal would entail ABC News and '20/20' specials, fill-in anchoring gigs and a syndicated one-hour talk show. The show would debut September 2012. If that deal happens, ABC is considering giving the hour of programming space 'General Hospital' now occupies back to its affiliates.

'General Hospital' is the third-longest-running soap on the air, and after January 2012, it will be the only soap on ABC. In April, ABC canceled 'One Life to Live' and 'All My Children.' The two soaps will be replaced by lifestyle/talk shows 'The Chew' and 'The Revolution.'

Before 'All My Children' comes to a close in September 2011, one long-time favorite will be back for another stint on the show. Actress Cady McClain is slated to reprise the role of Dixie one more time. McClain's deal was done prior to Frons' decision, so it's likely not a return tied in to wrapping up storylines on 'AMC.'

In her last return to Pine Valley in April 2010, McClain's Dixie was seen escorting Uncle Palmer to Heaven. That's because Dixie was killed off in 2007 at the hands of a serial killer.

Therefore, for this upcoming visit, and considering the current plotlines, Dixie might turn up as an apparition.

She might have some advice for Tad as he tries to come to terms with his new love, Cara.

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. There's still no reprieve for 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live', but that doesn't change the fact that there's great storylines unfolding. We'll continue to cover them all on TV Squad, so keep reading and commenting.

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

For instance, on 'General Hospital,' were you surprised to see Luke walk away from the intervention unchanged? What now for Lucas Lorenzo Spencer?

'General Hospital'
Luke tried to bait Jason into shooting him. Brenda agreed to Robin's suggestion to have her DNA compared to Lucian. The Spencers organized an intervention to get Luke to stop drinking. Michael confessed to killing Brandon when Abby had been arrested for the crime. Lisa gave Kristina a drug-laced herbal remedy. Dante stopped Ronnie from accepting Michael's false confession. Jason doubted his ability to be a father because of Michael's choices. Kristina passed out while babysitting Emma, allowing Lisa free reign. Lucian disappeared.

Lately 'General Hospital' has become known for its the mob storylines and special effects like hotel fires, train wrecks and bus crashes. But, as true fans of the show know, soap operas have thrived on putting people in a room and letting them go at it.

Good news soap fans, 'GH' is going back to those basics on Thursday April 28 at 3PM ET when Luke Spencer's loved ones stage an intervention with the the alleged alcoholic.

While he technically may not have been drunk the night he got behind the wheel and accidentally killed toddler Jake Spencer, Luke's been dealing with the tragedy by getting hammered.

This special episode has two goals -- the first is to get Luke to admit that he has a problem and the other is for the show to prove that the daytime serialized storytelling format still has some life left in it.

Six-time Emmy winner Anthony Geary (Luke) and Emmy-winner Jane Elliot (Tracy) spoke with AOL TV about Luke's intervention and how soaps have to up the fight to stay in the game.

When ABC's head of daytime television, Brian Frons, canceled 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' in favor of a food program and exercise/diet show, he riled the fans of daytime around the world. That included advertisers, most notably Hoover. Now, according to the New York Post, Frons' decision may cost him his job.

In addition to Hoover, other big-name advertisers like Hershey's and L'Oreal have been hearing from consumers that they should yank their commercials from the ABC soaps to pressure the network into reconsidering the decision. Also, the ladies from 'The View' and Kelly Ripa from 'Live With Regis and Kelly' were reportedly told to stop bemoaning the end of 'AMC' and 'OLTL.'

ABC's spokesperson has denied both assertions, as well as the idea that Frons might be axed for canceling the soaps. However, in recent weeks the Nielsen ratings for 'AMC' and 'OLTL' have risen, which may cause some powers that be at ABC to have second thoughts about Frons' decision. By the way, if you want to protest the cancellations, check out SoapCentral.com's Support Our Soaps Web page for how to let your voice be heard.

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. It's still difficult to believes that 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' have been canceled. But that doesn't change the fact that there's great storylines unfolding now. We'll continue to cover them all on TV Squad, so keep reading and commenting.

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

For instance, on 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' do you think Thomas and Brooke will survive a plane crash in the South Pacific? Do you think they'll wind up stranded on a desert island? Share your thoughts below!

'The Bold and the Beautiful'
Justin and Donna disagreed about the Bill/Katie squabble. Thorne was ticked off that he's been left out of Forrester. Ridge announced that the Taboo women's line was back on and Thomas and Brooke were flying to Australia to promote it. Taylor objected to Ridge's decision. Bill and Katie had a volatile first therapy session. Steffy told Ridge that she wanted a bigger role in Forrester. Katie blurted out to Taylor that Bill plotted to kill Amber. Steffy threw herself at Bill again. Brooke and Thomas were on the Forrester jet when he crashed in the Pacific.

In a week when the soap world was filled with tumult, one of the stars of 'The Young and the Restless' is thinking about moving on. Billy Miller is reportedly in talks with 'The Young and the Restless' about renewing his contract, and it's not a done deal that he'll be sticking around. Miller, an Emmy winner for his role as Billy Abbott, is a star on the rise.

Reportedly, he may agree to stay with 'Y&R' if the show will give him enough 'outs' to let him work on other projects. This is a perk that's usually accorded to stars who are popular on the soap and being enticed to work on other projects.

Recently, Miller used time away from 'Y&R' to work on FX's 'Justified' in a multi-episode turn as a pedophile (in which he was excellent).

'Y&R' may be inclined to play ball with Miller, especially in light of the dual ABC axing last week -- actors are thinking twice about counting on soaps for future work. Even 'Y&R,' the top-rated soap in America, may not provide the kind of job security a soap job used to guarantee.

The show's spokesperson had no comment on Miller's status.

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. It's been a tumultuous week outside the shows, with 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' canceled. However, we will continue to appreciating the soaps here on TV Squad, so keep reading and commenting about all the storyline developments.

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

For instance, on 'AMC,' were you stunned by Erica's kidnapping? Who do you think is behind her wedding wipeout? Share your thoughts below!

'All My Children'
Caleb flew to St. Bart's to confess his love to Erica. Erica chose to go ahead with her wedding to Jack, but before she go down the aisle, she was abducted. JR gave Marissa credit for his two years of sobriety. Griffin was denied bail. Ricky convinced Kendall that he was a good person. Ricky made a call to have Griffin executed. Emma rejected Greenlee. Marissa told Bianca she didn't want to love JR. When Griffin was stabbed, Cara and Jake saved his life. Jack believed that Erica had been captured. Caleb assumed Erica and Jack got married and was shocked to learn she was missing.

The rumors were true. Emmy-award winning actor Roger Howarth is returning to 'One Life to Live.' Howarth, who was most recently Paul Ryan on 'As the World Turns,' was originally Todd Manning on 'OLTL' from 1992 through 2003 (with some time off in between). But he's back now.

"We are thrilled to have Roger return to 'One Life to Live,'" said Frank Valentini, executive producer. "As 'OLTL' viewers know, Trevor St. John has been playing the role of Todd Manning since 2003. We have a great story planned that will involve both actors."

Howarth was dynamic as Todd Manning, a character as complex as he is compelling. But currently the role is being played by Trevor St. John, and Trevor is not leaving 'OLTL.' The question on the mind of fans everywhere is this: if Howarth resumes the role of Todd, who has Trevor been playing all these years?

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. Each week, we sum up all the best stories from each and every soap, from 'All My Children' to 'The Young and the Restless.'

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT. ... Oh, one last thing, please comment and join the conversation.

For instance, on 'The Young and the Restless,' Sharon being found guilty of murder was a shocker, especially since there was so little evidence. What do you think of Sharon's decision to go on the run rather than face prison?

'The Young and the Restless'
Phyllis gave Malcolm the Thai memory cards, asking her to search for proof that Sharon didn't kill Skye. Chloe and Gloria were arrested for breaking into Jana's apartment. Billy learned that someone had snooped into his bank account. Phyllis told Daniel she'd never stop searching for Daisy's baby. The jury found Sharon guilty of murder. Noah told Nick he was moving to New York permanently. Adam sold his Newman stock to Tucker to finance Sharon's escape. Nikki asked Victor to fix their family's problems. Kay reported Tucker to the SEC. Sharon used Adam's stash to elude police custody and go on the run.

Welcome to the Soap Round-Up, our weekly recap of all the soap action this past week. Each week, we sum up all the best stories from each and every soap, from 'All My Children' to 'The Young and the Restless.'

If you don't want to know what aired already, consider this a SPOILER ALERT. ... Oh, one last thing, please comment and join the conversation.

For instance, a lot of fans were thinking that Ridge would leave Brooke on 'The Bold and the Beautiful.' He didn't ... were you surprised that he's giving her another chance?

'The Bold and the Beautiful'
In Paris, Taylor and Stephanie were anxious for Ridge to tell Brooke he wanted a divorce. Katie was furious to find Bill with Steffy. Thomas asked his mother to back off. Steffy suspected that Thomas felt more for Brooke than he was letting on. Ridge surprised Taylor and Stephanie by recommitting to Brooke. Katie left Bill to think about their marriage. Steffy badmouthed Katie to Bill. Oliver consoled Hope after she saw Liam kissing Amber. Steffy discovered Katie was staying on Nick's boat and told Bill. Amber tried to seduce Liam.