Michael Easton: "I Cannot be at General Hospital After February 8th"
Fans hoping to deliver goodies to Michael Easton (John McBain) for his birthday received sad news, straight from the popular General Hospital star himself. Easton won't be there to accept any cake, cards or presents, because he will be legally prohibited from being at GH after Feb 8. Posted Easton on Facebook:
While this development should come as no surprise to faithful Daytime Confidential readers, I was hoping Disney-ABC (of whom Easton, Roger Howarth and Kristen Alderson are all under contract with) and Prospect Park—the company which holds the rights to One Life to Live and the characters of John McBain, Todd and Starr Manning—would come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement. I've been told I shouldn't hold my breath, as negotiations between the two parties have turned "contentious".
"It's turning into a real pissing contest," says one insider. "Jeff [Kwatinetz] went way above Time Square Studios' head. Word came down to Vicki [Dummer] from Bob Iger's office for General Hospital to do what Jeff wants. What they don't realize is the actors flat out don't want to do the reboot."
Apparently Disney-ABC is so geeked about the potential loot they can haul in via licensing fees for Prospect Park's upcoming reboot of One Life to Live, they're prepared to roll over in the negotiations — even if it negatively impacts ratings juggernaut General Hospital. Easton and the character of John McBain are currently at the start of a frontburner murder mystery on the ABC Daytime drama.
Keep checking back with Daytime Confidential as this story develops.
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Comments
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
Funny You see "statements" saying that the actors don't want to do the reboot, Yet you have not seen ONE statement made by any of them ((All the statements are made by ABC or a spokesperson for ABC)) saying that they do not want to be a part of it! ME never said that he did not want to be apart of it, he signed on the first time, RH said that he had NO Problem going back for the Reboot but did not want to stay as long they wanted him too. KA IMHO is only needed if they Bring back Cole and Hope! ABC told the actors they could not speak to the media but then turns around and makes "statements" for said actors! If the actors felt that way why keep them quiet ABC???
ABC is "geeked" because GH is going to get screwed, Well Maybe ABC should have thought about that knowing what the agreement was, instead of doing what they wanted to do! Long term contracts should have never ever been offered to them Actors with ABC knowing that pp can take them back at anytime and I'm sure it was in the agreement, that's why ABC was ready to "roll over" because they knew they did not abide by the agreement for the "lending" of the 3 OLTL characters! IF ABC had been on the up and up they would have never been prepared to "Roll Over" to a production company! GH fans need to see that this is not PP fault this is ABC'S FAULT and they are the reason why you got invested on Characters they did not own! I am sorry GH fans but you had your show for the last year, We didn't and now that we get our show back you's & ABC should graciously step aside and wish the actors and characters the best!
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
GH is getting DICKED by ABC NOT PP!!!!
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
"But it sure feels like the fans are the big loosers here"......
And that is exactly it and the ones you need to be mad at is ABC not PP
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
Well Lisa you must be a close friend of ME to able to speak for him and what he feels and what he bought! I am so sick of you GH fans talking for the Actors like you have some right to do so or like you know these ppl personally! Ya what they say when you ASSume!
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
Actually your wrong on that! ABC was the one that gave PP the extension, Disney owns ABC your right HOWEVER ABC makes ALL decisions when it comes to their shows and that was clearly stated by Disney during a Public Share Holders meeting when a question was posed about the impending cancellation of OLTL and it was stated "We have no say in what they do regarding their shows, that is all done by the Network". Disney still makes money off of ABC if they were going to "get rid" of ABC they would have done it when they lost all those Advertisering dollars when ABC cancelled AMC AND OLTL, Your right Disney does not care about the soaps neither does ABC, HOWEVER ABC is the one you need to worry about not DISNEY! IF Disney was able to "Go over the head of ABC" I think they would have done it to save OLTL whom was the on top of ALL 3 shows at the time!
13 January 2013
14 weeks 6 days
OK Gord, So because that is the way you see it that is the way is it going to be! I am so tired of you and your matter of factly attitude that this is going to fail! Boy it is a good thing that you were not in charge of the soaps when they wanted to go from Radio to Television, ppl would be listening to the soaps instead of watching it!
18 February 2009
2 hours 41 min
Apples and oranges. When soaps went from radio to TV, there were only a handful of entertainment options and adding pictures to radio soaps was a definite improvement. Today, there are thousands of entertainment options, and everyone is fighting for our entertainment dollars. And soaps going from TV to the internet is by no means a "definite improvement".
As for my "attitude", I would love to see AMC and OLTL thrive in the new medium, but I'm just as tired of seeing so many of you setting yourselves up for disappointment AGAIN, after Propect Park screwed fans over last year by promising things they couldn't deliver. My gut just says it's not economically feasible in the long haul, but if these shows are still running in a few years, I'll happily admit that I was wrong.