General Hospital keeps getting some of our favorite stars to return to Port Charles. So far, John J. York and Jonathan Jackson have announced their returns, and now we are learning that Rick Hearst will reprise his role as Ric Lansing.
Hearst, who hasn’t been on the Soap Opera for 8 years, was not expecting the phone call. But casting director Mark Teschner reached out to the actor every way he could to get Lansing back.
Why now? He is there to support his daughter, Molly (Kristen Vaganos), with Alexis (Nancy Lee Graham).
Since he doesn’t watch the show like he used to, or at all, he told TV Insider, he has been doing his research. “I’ve been trying to catch up and see what’s happening and I see that there’s a situation where Kristina (Kate Mansi) is being a surrogate for Molly,” he said. “And while I don’t know what that turns into, I have a feeling there’s going to be some friction by virtue of the fact that one daughter is parented by Alexis and Sonny (Maurice Bernard), and the other daughter is parented by Alexis and Ric. That alone is enough to create a mad amount of drama of who’s going to side with who. And it’s going to be entertaining.”
Hearst begins filming on Monday, and his first appearance will be on August 19th.
There is some big news in the Soap world today! Jonathan Jackson is returning to General Hospital this summer. This is the first time he has played this role since July 2015.
Jackson originated the role of Lucky Spencer, Luke and Laura’s son, in 1993. He stayed with the role until 1999. He took a ten-year hiatus and returned for two more seasons. He left again in 2011 to star in Nashville. However, he appeared for a short time in 2015.
According to Deadline, he will be around for a while.
The actor is looking forward to working with his TV mom, Genie Francis, again. Who knows, maybe Anthony Geary will come out of retirement to say hi to his TV son. And yes, I know they killed off Luke. But is anyone truly dead on Soap Operas as long as the actor is alive?
In September, John J. York, 65, announced that he was battling multiple smoldering myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes and that he would need a blood stem cell donor. After a few days, he miraculously found that donor.
While he was recovering from his treatment, he would need to take some time off from General Hospital.
This week, fans got some good news on York’s recovery, “Mac is back!”
We will see him back in action next month, according to Soap Opera Digest!
There are very few huge faux pas a network can do on television to feel the wrath of angry fans. They can cancel a beloved show, like Everwood, ALF, or Jericho. They can cut off a Billy Joel concert special a minute too soon. But the biggest sin is to mess with the airing of a Soap Opera.
That is what happened in Canada today. According to Soap Opera Digest, someone accidentally played Wednesday’s episode today, so they know what is happening tomorrow before the US does.
To make up for it, our neighbors to the north will get today’s episode tomorrow. Then, on Thursday, everything should be back to normal. That is unless someone puts the wrong tape in.
So, let’s start with the easy stuff first. ABC picked up The Rookie for season 7, and Disney Entertainment is still talking with Tamron Hall for a sixth season.
Now, let’s talk about what you want to talk about. Back in 1999, we got the new Soap Opera Passions. Since then, nothing. Just a lot of cancellations, like that one, Port Charles, Sunset Beach, All My Children, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, and Guiding Light.
However, today, CBS announced they picked up The Gates, which will debut in January. The Daytime Drama follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community.
The Gates is a joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP.
It will be interesting to see who they cast. I am sure there are a lot of actors who will be clawing their way in to get an audition for the show. Who do you want to see star on the Soap?
