ID Enlists Lynn Herring, Kin Shriner, Mary Beth Evans, Wally Kurth, Lamon Archey, Darnell Williams & Katie Barberi As Hosts For Its Daytime "Soap" Block

Kin Shriner and Lynn Herring hos Sinful Secrets week on ID.

After a successful debut last year, Investigation Discovery bringing back its ID Daytime programming block featuring what the network calls "real-life soaps." Beginning Monday, August 25 from 1-4 p.m. daily, soap stars from past and present host encores of ID’s most scandalous series, such as Wives with Knives, My Dirty Little Secret, Scorned: Love Kills and Evil Twins. Beloved pairs are reunited on screen each week to provide insight into these cautionary tales, including: General Hospital's Lynn Herring and Kin Shriner; Days of our Lives' Mary Beth Evans and Wally Kurth; bad boys Lamon Archey from The Young and the Restless and Darnell Williams from All My Children; and telenovela actress Katie Barberi, Dona Barbara.

The daytime stunt airs in conjunction with ID’s evening primetime return of a new season of Deadly Affairs with Susan Lucci, featuring all-new stories of deadly dalliances on Saturday, August 16 at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.

NEWS: Deidre Hall, Kin Shriner & Robin Mattson, Eric Braeden, Eileen Fulton, Trevor St. John

DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Deidre Hall Previews John and Marlena's Reunion
What happens in their first scene together? And exactly where does it take place?

"I'm going through the park," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena) in character. "I stop to do something in my handbag, and I hear, 'Doc.' We all get chills, because nobody else calls her that."

"We had one scene where I turn on him and go after him," recounts Hall. "He tries to involve himself in something that's not really his business, and I turn on him. 'Where were you? Why weren't you here? I have so many reasons to be angry at you...'"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Deidre Hall is nominated for Best Supporting Actress - Comedy at the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day! Check out a fun Valentine's greeting below from photographer jim warren, with the help of JibJab, featuring GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Kin Shriner (Scott Baldwin) and Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe).

NEWS: Whoopi Goldberg Joins OUATIW; Jamie Dornan Lands '50 Shades of Grey' Role; Y&R Casting Call; Kin Shriner; ARCHER Season 5

Whoopi Goldberg joins ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
Goldberg will guest-voice Mrs. Rabbit in the freshman ABC drama’s eighth episode, in both the current storyline and a flashback to the furry-footed fella’s past.

Jamie Dornan Will Play Christian Grey in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
ONCE UPON A TIME star Jamie Dornan has been tapped to replace Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey in the Universal and Focus adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. Former AS THE WORLD TURNS actor Billy Magnussen also screen tested for the role last week.

New THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Casting Notice for "Esmerelda"
The soap has released a casting notice for Esmerelda, a young model who "is always helpful in showing a 'newbie' the ropes."

GENERAL HOSPITAL's Kin Shriner on Scott Baldwin's campaign to be D.A. of Port Charles
"Baldwin is exactly the guy to clean up the crime in Port Charles once and for all. True, back in his younger days, he was involved in some slippery stuff and was a mouthpiece for the mob but he's straightened out. Now he stands for justice. He deals from a clean deck now!"

How SCANDAL Beat HOMELAND At Its Own Game
On SCANDAL, the romance, character development, and themes are aligned. On HOMELAND, they’re torn in different directions. And one of the reasons that’s the case is that SCANDAL's alignment is based in clearer convictions. The show is clear-eyed about institutions and the people who run them, while HOMELAND keeps forgiving them.

ARCHER Takes Highway to Danger Zone With Season 5 Shakeup
When Archer returns in January, the show’s world will be shaken as it abandons the central premise — that the characters are incompetent spies working for ISIS — and send the cast on the lam, attempting to sell drugs after the government shuts down the agency.

Corbin Bleu’s DANCING WITH THE STARS Blog: Bringing GAME OF THRONES To The Ballroom
"The challenge was finding a way to marry the medieval and often barbaric adventure of THRONES with the elegant and romantic waltz. The result is pretty unconventional, but I believe it has turned out to be one hell of a dance."

UK soap star Michael Le Vell to seek sanctuary in Perth
Le Vell has played mechanic Kevin Webster on CORONATION STREET since 1983. But he was in the spotlight for different reasons earlier this year, when he faced 12 child sex charges, including five rapes. After a trial, which revealed personal problems including issues with alcohol and infidelity, Le Vell was cleared of all charges.

Unwelcome headlines continued, with reports of a social media campaign against Le Vell, and damage to his car, which was parked outside his home in Greater Manchester. London's Daily Mirror claims Le Vell is now planning to travel to Perth to spend time with his brother Phil Turner, a teacher, who supported him during the trial.

SABC canceling ALL MY CHILDREN! Again!
According to various source South Africa's SABC3 is planning on getting rid of the American soap in November, the second time it has canceled the series.

Kin Shriner Event During GH Fan Club Weekend, Sunday, July 28

INTERVIEW: Kin Shriner On His 'General Hospital Comeback, Liking His Co-Stars & Returning To 'Gotham'

Kin Shriner returned to General Hospital as Scott Baldwin for the show's 50th anniversary earlier this year. Shriner has come and gone from GH since he first debuted in 1977. We Love Soaps recently caught up with Shriner by phone to discuss Scott's return, the state of GH and resuming his role as Jon Prescott in Martha Byrne's Gotham. The day he called the office TV happened to be on an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR man he guest-starred in. Read our new interview below:

WE LOVE SOAPS: I was just watching you in an old episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. It was a Bionic Christmas.
KIN SHRINER: I was a contract player at Universal Studios and one of my jobs was on Six Million Dollar Man. I had to say something that he overheard with his bionic ear. The girl I did that scene with (Ann Dusenberry) became a movie star for a while, I think. That was like 1975!

WE LOVE SOAPS: Outside of soaps, what was the favorite thing that you ever did?

GENERAL HOSPITAL Update: Laura, Scott, Lucy Sticking Around; Brenda Around For Current Arc; Frisco Gone; Bobbie Leaving

Kin Shriner & Genie Francis - Photo: ABC

On Thursday, GENERAL HOSPITAL revealed that Roger Howarth, Michael Easton and Kristen Alderson would be returning to the soap on May 10, as new characters. Today, head writer Ron Carlivati filled TV Guide Magazine in on the plans for some of the veteran GH actors that have returned in 2013. Below are a few excerpted quotes:

Genie Francis (Laura) & Kin Shriner (Scotty):

There's still a lot of story to tell with Genie and Kin. We'll keep that triangle very much alive for a while but it will be resolved. I don't see either one leaving us anytime soon.

WATCH: KATIE's GENERAL HOSPITAL Extravaganza

On Thursday, KATIE aired a special episode honoring the 50th anniversary of GENERAL HOSPITAL. Watch the entire episode below:

PHOTOS: GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Greet Fans After Taping KATIE

Genie Francis signs an autograph for a fan after taping KATIE - Photo: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Anthony Geary (Luke), Kin Shriner (Scott), Genie Francis (Laura), Finola Hughes (Anna), Kelly Monaco (Sam), Rick Springfield (Noah) and Jason Thompson (Patrick) taped an episode of Katie Couric's talk show, KATIE, on Tuesday morning in New York. After the show was finished, they greeted fans who were excited to see their favorites on the east coast. Check out some photos below:

Genie Francis, Kin Shriner Preview GENERAL HOSPITAL's 50th Anniversary & Talk Nurses Ball (Video)

In a new "Whats The Buzz" interview, GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Genie Francis and Kin Shriner look back at their time on their iconic soap opera, GENERAL HOSPITAL, as it celebrates 50 years on the air today. Watch the segment below which includes some footage from the upcoming Nurses Ball.

Genie Francis, Kin Shriner Celebrate 50 Years Of GH On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

On Monday afternoon, GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Genie Francis and Kin Shriner taped a segment of HLN's SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. They talked about classic GH moments as well as the power of reality TV (HLN dared to suggest the wedding and Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries last year was somehow comparable to the wedding of Luke and Laura, which was watched by a record 30 million viewers in 1981). Watch the clip below:

Anthony Geary, Jane Elliot, Kin Shriner Share Classic GENERAL HOSPITAL Stories

TV Guide Magazine has posted a fascinating new interview with longtime GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Anthony Geary, Jane Elliot and the newly returned Kin Shriner. They dish on the show's heyday with stories about Gloria Monty, showing up to work drunk, the Daytime Emmys and much more.

Here are few interesting excerpts:

Elliot: I quit because Gloria [Monty] insulted me. I was making, like, a dollar and a quarter a week — horrible money, so little money that I asked for a $50 raise and Gloria told my agent I was unprofessional. Now, you can call me a lot of things but you cannot call me unprofessional. I was so insulted she applied that word to me that I said, "I'm not working for her anymore!" I finished out my contract and left. I went to Knots Landing for a bit, then Guiding Light. I didn't return until after Gloria was gone.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary At The New York Stock Exchange

On Monday, April 1, Executive Producer Frank Valentini, Head Writer Ron Carlivati, and cast members Anthony Geary, Genie Francis, Kin Shriner, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco and Finola Hughes of ABC’s GENERAL HOSPITAL will visit the New York Stock Exchange and ring The Opening Bell to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Emmy-award winning show.

Geary will also be a guest on THE VIEW on Monday. The soap will be featured on a special episode of KATIE on Thursday.

GENERAL HOSPITAL premiered on April 1, 1963.

RELATED:
- SOAPnet's 50-Hour GENERAL HOSPITAL Marathon Kicks Off With Very First Episode
- Watch the GENERAL HOSPITAL marathon episodes here
- Watch the GENERAL HOSPITAL Special 50th Anniversary Opening
- 20/20: GENERAL HOSPITAL – THE REAL SOAP DISH Airs Saturday, April 6
- WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE Celebrates 50 Years Of GENERAL HOSPITAL
- New photo of the GENERAL HOSPITAL cast
- GENERAL HOSPITAL Classic Photo Of The Day (1983 Cast Sketch)
- ABC Partners With amfAR For Nurses' Ball
- GENERAL HOSPITAL Nurses Ball Photos [SPOILER ALERT]

Brand New Episodes Of Martha Byrne & Lisa Brown's GOTHAM To Be Distributed By simplyMe!

New original episodes of the Emmy-nominated web series GOTHAM are coming to television and all digital media.

GOTHAM is a serial drama based on characters originally created by two-time Emmy winner Martha Byrne and DGA/Emmy Award winner Alexandra Verner Roalsvig. The show is written by Byrne and Emmy-nominated actress/director Lisa Brown. Brown and Byrne have worked in the world of daytime television for over two decades and created GOTHAM for the web in 2009 to celebrate the classic storytelling of the serial drama and as a “thank you” to the fans for their continued support.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Alums Return For Golden Anniversary (KABC Video)

Check out the KABC 7 video below previewing GENERAL HOSPITAL's 50th anniversary. It includes comments from Genie Francis, executive producer Frank Valentini, Ian Buchanan, Finola Hughes and Kin Shriner.

"It feels like they've come home," says Valentini. "At least for the next six to eight weeks, you'll see a lot of the veterans front and center and a lot more surprises coming up throughout the months of February, March and through April."

"There are plenty of surprises coming, says Francis. "And more people coming, by the way, more surprises that way as well."

NEWS ROUNDUP: Bill Bell 1968 Anti-Violence Letter Reprinted In New Issue Of Variety, Kin Shriner & Genie Francis Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL; Y&R Alum Peter Barton Inherits Estate From Man He Never Knew

Bill Bell's 1968 letter to Variety re-printed in new "Violence & Entertainment" issue
In June 1968, Bill Bell, a writer for DAYS OF OUR LIVES, penned a short open letter to the TV and film industry and printed it in Variety. Spurred by the "insane, violent" deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, Bell called upon his colleagues to "recognize our responsibilities and take decisive steps to temper and hopefully eliminate violence from our programming." Bell argued that much onscreen violence was not simply gratuitous, but artistically bankrupt. "As a writer, I know that…you can have conflict without violence," he wrote (emphasis his). "And that invariably it is finer drama."

The letter is reprinted in a new, glossy issue (digital version here) of the venerable showbiz rag that explores the claims, expressed most recently by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre, that the entertainment industry deserves some of the blame for mayhem like the Sandy Hook massacre. Instead of shrugging off the criticism, Variety editor-in-chief Timothy M. Gray embraces it and even echoes Bell's message in his opening note: "Don't underestimate your power or responsibility…When asked about violent or demeaning content, some in Hollywood shrug, 'It's what the public wants.' But there is a fine line between catering to the public and pandering to their basest instincts."

Kin Shriner Returning To GENERAL HOSPITAL

Just a week after news that Genie Francis will be reprising the role of Laura Spencer on GENERAL HOSPITAL comes word that the character's first husband, Scott Baldwin, is also returning. Billy Warlock (ex-A.J.) tweeted the news that Kin Shriner would be returning to the soap.

Said Warlock, "Jon Lindstrom [Kevin] is back on GH and now Kin Shriner is going back. Please give them lots of support."

Shriner was last seen on the show in 2008, when Scott joined Laura on her flight to Paris. The actor first began playing Scott in 1977. He revealed in a 2010 We Love Soaps interview that Scott was the favorite character he had played.

"I've had the most fun with him because with him I've been able to span four decades from my 20s to my 30s and my 40s and into my 50s," Shriner said, "so I have history playing his dreams and ambitions and faults and everything else. He has been with me the longest. The other guys kind of fell by the wayside."

Martha Byrne & Kin Shriner Check Out Michael Park In "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"

Martha Byrne and Kin Shriner went to see their AS THE WORLD TURNS and GOTHAM co-star Michael Park perform in Tennessee Williams' "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" on Sunday, December 30. Park plays Gooper in the Broadway revival, which also stars Scarlett Johansson, Benjamin Walker, Ciaran Hinds, Debra Monk and Emily Bergl. We Love Soaps caught up with Park later that night and the busy actor shared his excitement about the show.

The limited-engagement production which began performances on December 18 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Opening night is set for January 17. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit catonahottinroofbroadway.com.

Photo: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

RELATED:
- Michael Park Joins Broadway Revival Of "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"

Today in Soap Opera History (October 20)

On this date in...

1930: The soap opera was born, with the debut of the first episode of Irna Phillips’ PAINTED DREAMS on WGN Radio in Chicago. The show is widely recognized by broadcast historians as the very first soap opera. The show ran on WGN and later CBS Radio until July 1943.

Click here to read Rob Wargo's in-depth feature from the 80th anniversary of the show in 2010.

NEWS ROUNDUP: DVR Ratings & C3 Bump, Kin Shriner & Kristina Wagner Return to GH, Pre-Emption Alert

DVRs and Streaming Prompt a Shift in the Top-Rated TV Shows
Among the group that determines much of the revenue of the television business, viewers ages 18 to 49, ABC’s MODERN FAMILY now is the most popular show on television.

No other show on television comes close to that comedy in adding 18- to 49-year-old viewers who record shows and watch them later. So far this season, new episodes of MODERN FAMILY have grown from a first-day average of 7.1 million viewers in that age group to 10.2 million, counting seven days’ worth of added viewing — a gain of 3.1 million each week, according to Nielsen Research.