NEWS ROUNDUP: Marlene McPherson To Write ALL MY CHILDREN, VAMPIRE DIARIES Spinoff, GENERAL HOSPITAL

GENERAL HOSPITAL wants to keep its ONE LIFE TO
LIVE characters Todd and Starr (and John).  Prospect
Park licensed the rights to the characters, while ABC
has the actors under contract.

Soap Stars Weigh In on the Prospect of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Revival
"This is such a historical thing," says Debbi Morgan, "like when soaps made the move from radio to television. I guess there are all sorts of positives and negatives to being in on the ground floor, but I'm game! Will [these reboots] succeed? With soaps, it's all about the story and the characters."

And that's where things could get ugly. In licensing the two soaps from ABC, Prospect Park has the rights to all characters, including the three from OLTL that are currently enjoying huge success on ABC's General Hospital: Starr (Kristen Alderson), John (Michael Easton) and Todd (Roger Howarth). Prospect wants those characters back, and that has the GH brass in a tizzy. Complicating matters: The actors are under contract to ABC, so theoretically Starr, John and Todd could go away, but the people playing them would stay with the network.

RUMOR REPORT: Marlene McPherson to Write ALL MY CHILDREN; Prospect Park Searching For Co-Head!
The buzz is McPherson will be one of the two head writers of the new ALL MY CHILDREN, working closely with series creator Agnes Nixon. Prospect Park is actively looking for a co-head writer for the project.

Executive producer Frank Valentini talks Prospect Park and previews GENERAL HOSPITAL
On the Prospect Park situation: "We are trying to work things out and figure out what's going to be best for both shows."

On what's ahead for the character of Sam: [SPOILER ALERT] "Let’s just say that what Sam is in for next is something she’s ever been up against before."

On the writing process: "The entire writing team is in New York. We do video conferencing and we also do phone calls every Monday. I call Ron [Carlivati, Head Writer] after work when he's about to go to bed and I'm about to go to the gym. I usually have a 1/2 hour drive down and talk 10-15 times a day so it works out really well. He's in a place where he can concentrate on writing and I'm in a place where I can concentrate on production so...and we're both workaholics in our own ...it works. It's working."

DOWNTON ABBEY Estate Highclere Castle Hosts Weddings, Private Events
The magnificent estate that serves as a backdrop for all the drama on PBS's Downton Abbey is actually Highclere Castle located in Newbury, U.K., and available to the public for weddings and other private events.

But much like the Crawley family learns, it's anything but cheap to be at Downton. For around $24,069 (not including tax), you and your beloved can play Mary and Matthew in front of family and friends.

'This how celebrities are supposed to live:' ALL MY CHILDREN alums Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos list luxurious SoHo loft for $24.5 million
The couple just put their five-bedroom, 6,800-square-foot SoHo loft on the market for $24.5 million. They purchased the home in 2005 for $9.1 million.

A staircase at the 76 Crosby St. loft is set against a Balinese wall and leads from a 20-x-35-foot living room and gourmet kitchen with two dishwashers to a second story with home gym, media room, guest bedroom and roof deck.

VAMPIRE DIARIES Spinoff THE ORIGINALS in the Works at CW
The potential new CW series would be an offshoot revolving around the Original family led by Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and set up in a season-four Vampire Diaries episode. Executive producer Julie Plec, who will write the episode, is shepherding the spinoff, with Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo as executive producers.

In THE VAMPIRE DIARIES episode slated to air April 25, Klaus returns to the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans, a town he helped build centuries ago, and is reunited with his diabolical former protege Marcel.

SCANDAL Creator Shonda Rhimes Says Season 2 Will “Ramp Up The Drama”
Rhimes said the series needed to widen its scope because the new season will have 22 episodes instead of the short order of 7 that launched the series.

EASTENDERS actress Gemma McCluskie dismembered by brother 'over sink row'
Tony McCluskie claims he "blanked out" after arguing with his sister and has no recollection of killing her, the jury heard.

"He does not remember killing her, nor can he recall cutting her up, nor does he remember dumping her body in the canal," Aylett told the court.