Wednesday, January 11, 2012

ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Howarth, DePaiva, Easton & Alderson To Cross Over To GENERAL HOSPITAL

Frank Valentini, executive producer of GENERAL HOSPITAL, announced today that Emmy Award-nominated Kassie DePaiva and Emmy winner Roger Howarth, along with fan favorites Michael Easton and Kristen Alderson, will reprise their ONE LIFE TO LIVE characters and head to GENERAL HOSPITAL as part of a new storyline for the multi-Emmy Award-winning daytime drama. Production begins late January 2012 in Los Angeles.

"We have a very exciting story planned for the citizens of Port Charles, with Sonny Corinthos at the center of it! I am confident viewers and fans alike will be excited for the arrival of John (Easton), Starr (Alderson), Blair (DePaiva) and Todd (Howarth)," said Valentini. "Incorporating characters from ONE LIFE TO LIVE continue the legacy of the show as we weave them into GENERAL HOSPITAL."

With many television, film and stage credits to her name, DePaiva played the role of beautiful Blair Cramer on ONE LIFE TO LIVE since December 1993. In addition, she played good-girl Chelsea Reardon on the daytime drama GUIDING LIGHT. Horwath returned to portray Todd Manning on ONE LIFE TO LIVE in 2011, a role he originated from a day-player to a compelling long-term character. Performing at many prestigious regional theater centers, he has many theater credits to his name, and in addition appeared in the television series PREY and in the primetime teen drama DAWSON'S CREEK, as well as the daytime drama AS THE WORLD TURNS.

Easton joined the cast of ABC's long-running ONE LIFE TO LIVE in 2003 as John McBain. A published poet, he also played vampire Caleb Morley on the ABC daytime drama PORT CHARLES, among many other television and film credits. As for Alderson, she continuously played the role of Starr Manning on multi award-winning ONE LIFE TO LIVE since March 1998, the precocious young daughter of Blair Cramer and Todd Manning.



Kassie DePaiva explained further on her official website: "I must say that ads and press release by ABC is a little misleading and I feel I need to clarify to all my friends, family, and fans that are emailing and calling wondering when I’m moving to Los Angeles. Frank Valentini, GH’s EP, asked me to come out for a couple of shows in February and I’m thrilled. Now only will I get to work with a fantastic cast.... but a little piece of OLTL will live on. That makes me very happy. And who knows where it will lead. Once the Mannings come to town anything is possible. I wish everyone at GH the best. No one loves daytime more than Frank Valentini and [Head Writer] Ron Carlivati and no one works harder than those two men. GH is in good hand and hopefully ABC will let GH live on!!!!!!! See ya’ll soon in Port Charles!!!!!!!!!"

Garnering eight Daytime Emmys in 2011, GENERAL HOSPITAL airs at 3:00 p.m., ET, 2:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Television Network, and on SOAPnet at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Winner of a record-setting 10 Emmys for Outstanding Daytime Drama, the program celebrates 49 years of broadcasting on April 1, 2012, and is the longest-running dramatic serial on ABC, having aired close to 12,500 episodes. The show is produced by Time Square Studios for ABC Daytime.

GENERAL HOSPITAL was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer. Mary O'Leary, Mercer Barrows and Michelle Henry are producers. Ron Carlivati is the head writer. Full episodes of GENERAL HOSPITAL are available on ABC.com immediately following its air on the network for users to watch online.

RELATED:
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1) 
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards
- Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year: Vote Until Feb. 13
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

10 comments:

  1. rwe need a couple of more!!!! Farah, John, and Bree!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. but when do they make their first appearances.

    And what of the rest of the Manning family, Jack...

    And Natalie, and by extention all the Bucchanens?

    I realize it presents a cost issue, so we might not see them, and moving them over and dropping other regulars just makes GH the new OLTL.. so care has to be taken (not that Im against it...

    ReplyDelete
  3. disreI agree with Ann! We need to have a few more join the cast as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Doesn't Prospect Park still own these characters? How are they allowed to move to General Hospital like this?

    ReplyDelete
  5. This proves that ABC still owns the rights to OLTL - The PP story was just a way to divert the fans as ABC stabbed us in the back. I'd feel a little joy about this except that GH will probably be gone by next September.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Characters can move to other productions with their "owners" consent. Think of it like an extended cross-over. If PP temporarily owns any rights to these characters, all they have to do is agree to the move, with a contingency stating that they have the right to "take them back" after giving some pre-defined notice to make the transition. And given that everything on their end is "suspended," why should PP say, no? In fact, if PP is still trying to make a go of things, it might actually be considered beneficial to keep some OLTL characters alive and out there. - jmho

    ReplyDelete
  7. ABC *always* owned the characters. Prospect Park never owned them - their deal was to LICENSE the option to use them for a year.

    Clearly, in the absence of either show continuing, ABC is using the characters.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The announcement was just made today and ABC wasted no time getting a promo on the air announcing the GH crossover. They must really want to placate the fans so they don't boycott The Revolution (too bad...we still are - four characters does not equal a revival.)

    Of course i'm happy for the actors that were able to get work again so soon. Though i can't help but think GH viewers may be a bit resentful...if several AMC characters all of a sudden crossed over to OLTL during its last month and gobbled up airtime i would not have been happy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm do not resent them coming to GH...
    Been a fan of AMC, OLTL AND GH for 30+ years!

    ReplyDelete