Who better to celebrate General Hospital’s 50th Anniversary with than Jackie Zeman? At the Paley Center, the actress, who recently reprised beloved Nurse Bobbie Spencer,  shared her absolute joy over coming back to GH, her thoughts on a potential return for Bobbie's son Lucas and gave her thoughts on Frank Valentini and  Ron Carlivati. 

Daytime Confidential: What is like to be back for the 50th Anniversary and under the new team of executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati?

Jackie Zeman: It’s great to be back. I’m happy it’s for the 50th, because that’s a big deal, but under this team is the biggest part of what you just said.  Working with Mr. Valentini and Mr. Carlivati is amazing.  I’ve worked with a lot of executive producers, everyone that has been on GH for 35 years, that’s a lot of EP’s. There is a new energy and revitalization to the show. There’s this respect for what’s gone on in the history, but they’ve taken General Hospital and instead of redoing old stuff, they’ve brought it into the present and into the future with all this exciting intrigue and romance.  It’s compelling once again.  That’s exciting to be a part of. READ MORE

They're the fictional, brother/sister duo bringing sexual chocolate back to Genoa City on CBS Daytime's The Young and the Restless. On today's Daytime Confidential podcast, Jamey Giddens and Luke Kerr welcome Angell Conwell and Redaric Williams, who play secretive siblings Leslie and Tyler Michaelson.

What has it been like for Conwell to take Leslie from being GC's go-to attorney, to the front burner, via a juicy murder mystery and dysfunctional family drama? How is model-turned-actor Williams managing to make the role of Tyler his own amid comparisons to Shemar Moore's Malcolm Winters?

Will fans ever accept the Michaelsons getting next to father/daughter pair Neil (Kristoff St. John) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil), with the ghost of Dru and a very much alive Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard) to contend with? Luke and Jamey get to the bottom of all of that and more in this fun-filled podcast interview!

  READ MORE

The iconic scribe and I also dished about his plans to tell the kind of game-changing love stories he once told on ABC Daytime's General Hospital on the new OLTL, only with a more realistic touch for the modern day, internet savvy viewer.

Daytime Confidential: Hi Thom, it's Jamey Giddens from Daytime Confidential.

Thom Racina: Oh hi. Daytime Confidential. We love and hate you, you know? [Laughs]

DC: What? We love you!

TR: Daytime Confidential, that's how we get yelled at a lot. "How dare you post this? How dare you say that?" [Laughs] READ MORE

Speaking of having things covered, the soap vet gushes about Robert Gorrie, the young man charged with introducing a now adult Matthew Buchanan to the web. How will Bo (Robert S. Woods) and Nora react to their son's somewhat douchey behavior? Find out below what Smith told me on the red carpet before the premieres of the new OLTL and AMC!

Daytime Confidential: You're an early adapter to the web, having done Venice and Fumbling Thru The Pieces.

Hillary B. Smith: And The Grove!

DC: And The Grove?

HBS: I produced The Grove.

DC: Awesome, I didn't know that! Have you had any advice for the Prospect Park people as they embark on this venture?

HBS: I'm very careful to let them ask questions. If they want to ask me something, I'm happy to share with them my experiences, but they haven't really had to ask. I think they're way ahead of the game, so that's great. They've done their research.

  READ MORE

Soap veteran Jerry verDorn has experienced quite the roller coaster ride career-wise. Just a few years after he exited popular CBS sudser Guiding Light, the long-running daytime drama was cancelled. TV's former Ross Marler found a new suds hub on ABC Daytime's One Life to Live, re-creating the role of newspaperman-turned-tyrant Clint Buchanan. No sooner than verDorn had made the role of Clint his own, Disney made the boneheaded decision to cancel OLTL.

I managed to pick the talented thespian's brain for a few minutes before the screening. Will the online version of OLTL tell big business stories, inspired by primetime soap Dallas, like its predecesor did in the 80's? Could the returns of OLTL and AMC lead to more soap reboots? Keep reading for verDorn's thoughts on both subjects and more.

Daytime Confidential: The Buchanans on One Life to Live were initially kind of patterned after the Ewings from Dallas, which is now back on the air. Will we see any big, corporate battles at Buchanan Enterprises on the new show?

Jerry verDorn: I think eventually you will. We haven't shot it yet, but that's very much in the cards. One good thing, though, Clint is finally out from under house arrest. I can go to a different set! [Laughs] READ MORE

Finola Hughes is one busy lady.  As top cop Anna Devane on General Hospital, she's kicking tail and taking names. Away from Port Charles, the actress has been immersed in her directorial debut for The Bet. 

I asked Hughes about her passion project, when I caught up with her at the Paley Center event celebrating GH's 50th anniversary. We also talked about her on-screen reunions with Anders Hove (Faison) and Ian Buchanan (Duke) and the directorial advice on-screen daughter Kimberly McCullough (Robin) gave her.  

DC: I got to hear your interview on The Jolt with Larry Flick.

FH: Oh good; he’s hilarious.

DC: Your son was hysterical! Calling out your hairstyle from back in the day, I was cracking up.

FH: Totally, he is just, yeah, I know. [Laughs]

DC: It must have been great having your son with you during all the 50th Anniversary press events?

FH: It really was great and I think he really enjoyed it. He got to ring the bell at the stock exchange, that’s amazing, once in a lifetime. READ MORE