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2003- ABC
Soaps To Be Released on DVD: Buena
Vista Home Entertainment plans to release compliations of AMC and GH on DVD in
2004. (SID 9/2/03)
Kimberly
McCullough: Was She Asked Back or Not? Bad
news, Kimberly McCullough fans. The actress, who played Robin Scorpio on
GH, is not bringing Robin back again to AMC. Why not? That depends on
whom you ask. According to ABC, an overture was made to the Emmy-winning
McCullough (who appeared on AMC as Robin in 2001), but the timing could
not be worked out.
"She
was asked to return to AMC as part of the upcoming Anna/David/Leora
story, but a scheduling conflict prevented her from returning,"
says an ABC spokesperson. "But with a new head writer on board, who
can say what may happen down the road?" That
comes as news to at least some in McCullough's camp. Asked if the
actress had received any offers to return to AMC, her spokesperson
insists, "No, not that I'm aware of. Kimberly did a little,
couple-day role [a while] ago on the show but hasn't returned
since."
According
to her representative, McCullough would "possibly" be
interested in reprising the role she created if she were asked.
"She's doing other stuff, so I'm not really sure," the
spokesperson cautions. "I always say, 'Never say never.' If we hear
from them, we'll obviously listen to what they have to say."
McCullough
played Robin on GH from 1985-96 and 1997-98. She won a Daytime Emmy in
1996 for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress and in 1989 for Outstanding
Juvenile Female. McCullough has completed a pilot for CBS called The
Stones, described as a "dysfunctional family comedy," with
Judith Light. (SOD 4/13/03)
Will
Robin Nest at AMC? A
long-held wish of GH and AMC fans alike is to have Kimberly McCullough
return to the canvas- either canvas. Now, according to rumor, AMC is
picking up the ball and trying to lure the young actress back to Pine
Valley.
The
storyline would involve Robin's new baby sister, Leora, and would take
place during May sweeps. McCullough played Robin on GH from 1985-96 and
again from 1997-98, then repised the role in May 2001 on AMC, when Robin
reunited with her presumed-dead mother, Anna (Finola Hughes). Hughes
indicated at the time that the four-day stint was far too short. She
told Digest, "I want to do a bigger story [with McCullough]."
One
possible impediment to any long-term return, however, is that it would
require a relocation (or a lot of commuting) by McCullough, who is based
in Los Angeles. AMC tapes in New York, and McCullough has been keeping
busy of late with guest spots on Firefly, The Shield and Family Law. So,
will she or won't she? Neither ABC nor a rep for the actress would
comment. (SOD 4/13/03)
2002- AMC
Exec "Finola is here." One rumor that just won't die is the
notion- widely disseminated online- that Finola Hughes will be taking her alter
ego back to GH, which she called home from 1985-91. But AMC Executive Producer
Jean Dadario Burke offers a firm denial of the speculation. "That's not
true," she says. "Finola is here, and she has just signed a new deal.
Okay?" (SOD 10/29/02)
Congrats
for their 2002 Emmy noms! Finola
and Vincent are nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor. Tune
in to CBS to find out who wins on May 17th.
More
Emmy news...
Ian Buchanan: "I'd love to
be Duke again" AMC has contacted Ian Buchanan about reprising the role
of Duke Lavery, but so far no deal. "They've spoken to me several
times," reveals Buchanan, who originated the role of the enigmatic
nightclub owner/mobster and Anna's second husband on GH in 1986. "I love
what Finola (Hughes, Anna) is doing on AMC, and I'd love to be Duke again and
work with her for a bit."
Unfortunately, "While I've always said 'Yes,' it's never gone beyond
that," Buchanan laments. "They run these things like beauty pageants
nowadays- you know, like popularity polls. Playing Duke is still a great
highlight of my life, and of course, Finola is one of my closest friends. We had
a lot of fun back then, and I have no doubt we'd have a lot of fun again. Back
then, we had (executive producer) Gloria Monty, who didn't have any fear. She
committed to a story and we went with it. Nowadays, if they hear somebody turned
off one television set they change the whole story immediately. It's
bizarre."
As for how Duke Lavery might fit into AMC's canvas, the show would first have to
overcome the hurdle of Duke dying on-screen in 1990, after Gregory Beecroft
assumed the role. No biggie: Roy DiLucca died on-screen (in the arms of nurse
Bobbie Spenser, no less) on GH more than 20 years ago, but he's alive and well
now, isn't he?" (SOW 3/12/02)

Mac
Finds Anna: Another Scorpio
reunion took place on October 8th when Mac comes to Pine Valley to urge
his sister-in-law to return to Port Charles.
AMC
"kills" Robert. After reading a letter
from Robert to Robin, Anna recalls the boat explosion and
"remembers" that her husband died in the explosion.
AMC
Exec "Finola is here." One rumor that just won't die is the
notion- widely disseminated online- that Finola Hughes will be taking her alter
ego back to GH, which she called home from 1985-91. But AMC Executive Producer
Jean Dadario Burke offers a firm denial of the speculation. "That's not
true," she says. "Finola is here, and she has just signed a new deal.
Okay?" (SOD 10/29/02)

Oh Baby! Eva LaRue Callahan
and hubby, John, became first-time parents on Dec. 6th when Kaya McKenna
Callahan was born.
Alert! Alex
and Anna Lose Their Brother. Gabriel
(Eric Dearborn) will be written off the show due to the change in head
writers. Mid-September will be the time frame for Gabriel's last
airdate. For more information, go to Eric's
offical website.
2001-
Stop the Presses- No More Double
Duty for AMC's Hughes Insiders say AMC's Dimitri and Alex,
played by Anthony Addabbo and Finola Hughes, will be leaving town this summer.
Hughes' Anna will remain in Pine Valley, however. Sources also say ABC likes
Addabbo and will offer him a role on another soap. (SOW 6/12/2001)
Rumored Sources say AMC has approached Samantha Eggar about bringing back the villanous
Charlotte Devane. (SOW 6/12/2001)
Stop the Presses- Kimberly
McCullough to AMC With all the talk of GH's Robert and Robin
Scorpio on AMC since Anna's return from the presumed-dead, it was just a matter
of time before one (and maybe both) showed up in Pine Valley. Kimberly
McCullough, who has played Robin on and off since 1985, will reprise the role
beginning May 30 for a few days. She will be reunited with on-screen mom Finola
Hughes, now doing double duty as AMC's Alex and Anna, Robin's mother.
Since her parents
were presumed dead in a boat explosion in 1992, Robin contracted HIV from her
boyfriend, Stone Cates, in one of GH's most memorable storylines. She later had
a tender romance with Jason, and then left Port Charles, first to attend Yale,
and later to study in France.
(SOW 5/1/2001)
AMC Fans Rate the New Dimitri When AMC recast Dimitri in Michael Nader's absence, many of his
devotees protested that only Nader could play the count. Anthony Addabbo took
over on April 6, and though Nader fans (specifically The Loyalists) have upped
efforts to get the original back, his replacement has scored some boosters.
In an e-mail to
ABC and Digest, a fan claimed to be a member of "Anthony's Adorable
Angels" raved, "We have a new hunk in Pine Valley, and it's Anthony
Addabbo... The hottest male specimen to hit AMC. Besides his great looks, he can
actually act."
Another fan
wrote, "He is doing fantastic and is giving the biggest compliment an actor
can give another actor... continuing the true essence of the
character."
The majority of
e-mails and posts favor a Nader return after he sorts out his drug-related and
legal woes. "There is only one Dimitri Marick, and that is Michael
Nader," argues one viewer. "I will not watch AMC again until he is
back."
One fan came up
with a solution for everybody. "[I] hope that if Michael Nader does come
back, [AMC] finds a way to keep Anthony." It wouldn't be a first. Kevin
Bernhardt, who briefly replaced Jack Wagner as GH's Frisco in 1984, was brought
back the following year as Kevin O'Connor.
(SOD 4/10/2001)
AMC's New Dimitri As reported in the 3/27 issue, Anthony Addabbo will take over as
Dimitri while AMC figures out what to do about troubled Michael Nader. The star,
who originated the part of Count Andrassy, was charged with selling cocaine to
an undercover cop on February 24 and subsequently checked into rehab.
Addabbo (ex-Jim,
GL; ex-Jonny/Rush, B&B; ex-Jason, Generations), who first airs on April 6,
has been doing his homework on the complex royal. "They've loaded a bunch
of tapes on me so I could see the relationships Dimitri had with different cast
members. And so far, so good. I'm ready to jump right in there."
The actor has his
work cut out for him- he's filling the shoes of an actor with a vocal and
organized fan base. "I don't find it intimidating," says Addabbo.
"I know how they can come to love a certain actor portraying a role and how
he plays the role and everything, but this happens in daytime so frequently that
I don't find it intimidating at all. What I do find a little intimidating is
making the Dimitri that I will portray fit in with the rest of the cast. I'm
just here to do a job; people are either going to love me or they're not."
The recast's
message to the fans is: "I hope I can live up to your expectations, and I
will certainly try. I will definately make Dimitri a very interesting and
fascinating character." Tune in next week and judge for yourself. (SOD
4/3/2001)
New in Town Pine Valley's getting a new man and he's a big
primetime fan favorite. Ralph Waite, who played John Walton on The Waltons, will
be joining AMC. Waite will play the character of Bart and will be part of the
mystery of where Alex Marick has been for several months. Sources say Bart's not
one of the bad guys, but just who is he? Look for him to arrive in town when
Alex returns at the end of February. (SOU 2/27/2001)
A New Mystery Man Ralph Waite has been cast in the recurring
role of Bart, a mysterious man who will play an integral part in Dimitri and Edmund's discovery
of Alex. Mr. Waite is best known for his role as John Walton on the television series "The Waltons." His first
airdate on AMC will be Monday, February 26. (ABC Inside
Scoop 2/6/2001)
2001-
Hughes Takes a Baby Break!
"Hughes and her husband, photographer Russell Young,
announced this past June that they were expecting their first child. Since
spreading that news, the mom-to-be has been shrouded in dark duds when
on-screen, so as to disguise her condition.
'As you may have
noticed, I have the corner on wearing black around Pine Valley,' Hughes quipped
in a letter to her on-line fans at friendsoffinola.simplenet.com. 'Our esteemed
wardrobe master, [AMC costume designer] Richard Schurkamp, has decided it is the
only way to disguise the "bump". It is the first time he has faced the
challenge of dressing a lady in waiting... I thank him for making me feel both
comfortable and fashionable.'
Having taped her
final AMC scene in late October (to air Friday, November 17), Hughes now is
officially on maternity leave; an AMC rep had no comment on her possible return
date.
How is the show
writing in the absence of Hughes' character? Sources say that Alex's departure
will factor heavily into the renewed animosity brewing between the British
beauty's husband, Dimitri, and Edmund, her increasingly borderline ex-lover.
Alex's surprising exit reportedly will serve to either reunited the sparring
siblings, or perhaps explosively split them apart once and for all!
(SID 11/28/2000)
Alex sees Dimitri! "This should be a wonderful week for AMC's Dimitri. His neurological condition is finally improving and the time is right to tell wife
Alex that he's alive. Unfortunately, Edmund plans to propose to Alex this week,
by enlisting Hayley and Mateo to pull off an A Midsummer Night's Dream
marriage proposal for his lady love. 'We spout a little Shakespeare, and then it
gets very sincere,' enthuses Finola Hughes (Alex).
In the meantime,
Dixie, who knows that Edmund is planning to pop the question, urges a stubborn
Dimitri to go to Alex. Michael Nader (Dimitri) explains, 'Based on the history
of what he's going through with this disease, he thinks it's inevitable that
Hayward's treatments will not work. So why expose himself?' At long last, Dixie
gets through to Dimitri, who decides to come clean with Alex. The count heads to
Wildwind just in time to learn that his brother and his wife are engaged. 'He
does take the chance, but at that moment when he hears the proposal and her
acceptance, he finally says, "That's it."'
Instead of making
his presence known, Dimitri decides to disappear again after his treatment is
over. But by the week's end, Alex, Edmund, and Dimitri all end up at the
airport, where the count is departing for Zurich to get his affairs in order.
'That's where Alex thinks she sees Dimitri,' previews Hughes.
Will the couple
immediately fall back into each other's arms? 'The dilemma for Dimitri is his
brother's happiness,' notes Nader. 'As much as he loves Alex, he's made the
choice to give her to Edmund.' But for how long?" (SOD
8/22/2000)
Oh Baby! Finola and hubby are expecting their
first child in late October. The pregnancy will not be written into the current
storyline.
Secrets Exposed! "It
will be a shocking time for Alex when she finally finds out that Dimitri is
alive. 'It will be interesting to see who she chooses, Dimitri or Edmund,' says
Dadario Burke,'if she chooses either one of them. The question is: How
will she react when she realizes all of the deception that's gone on behind her
back. Is she truly in love with both men? What will the journey back to normalcy
be for all of them?'" (SOU 8/29/2000)
Mama Mia- Samantha Eggar's first airdate as
Alexandra's mother, Charlotte, will be May 24th. Her last airdate will be July
10th.
He's Back! Michael Nader's first airdate is
said to be May 5th.
Alex's Mother is on her Way!
"Don't put out a 'missing person' ad for Alex's mother on AMC just yet.
Although Alex and Edmund failed to hook up with the Devane matriarch during
their recent visit to Wales, SID has learned that AMC is, in fact, looking to
cast the role of Andrea, Alex's mom.
Described as
'beautiful, but unbendable'- like mother, like daughter?- the character is
slated to first appear some time in late May and air for approximately two
months. Will the elder Devane be able to offer some insight into the identity
crisis befuddling her daughter, to whom one character recently referred to as
Anna? Stay tuned!" (SID 5/2/2000)
From TV Guide Online- AMC is casting
for an actress to play Andrea, Alex's mother, for the next 6-8 weeks. Andrea
will be attended to by a nurse and orderly.
Hunt Block
Joins AMC "Hunt Block, who played Ben Warren On Guiding Light
(1997-99), has landed the recurring role of Guy Donahue on AMC. Block's first
airdate is March 10. Edmund hires Guy as a stable hand to care for Alex's new
stallion, yet Guy may have his eyes on someone else at Wildwind." (SOW
2/29/2000)
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