The New Look of Daytime Drama

Today was an exciting day for soap opera fans! Prospect Park made history with their online launch of two favorite daytime soaps that had been cancelled.

I watched both shows which are each 30 minutes long. Fans will remember that both these shows were 1 hour when they aired on ABC.

The convenience of watching them on my laptop was great. I couldn't get my former OLTL fan to watch with me but it wouldn't have been awful to share the laptop screen.

All My Children had many new faces as since it last aired it has moved 5 years into the future. Not a lot was explained about where the show left off. If you remember, the climax of the last episode was JR shooting into the crowd that gathered for Brooke and Adam's engagement party. Well it is 5 years later and Brooke and Adam are still together but not yet married. References were made to what happened 5 years ago but no real details were divulged.

Bianca's daughter Miranda is now a teenager and she and JR's son are good friends. Pete Cortlandt (son of Opal and Palmer) is now a successful businessman and his mother is desperate for him to revive his father's business.

Jesse and Angie (one of my favorite couples) is living happily ever after but with scars from what happened 5 years ago. Lucy has moved away (the baby that wasn't really their baby) and Jesse surprises Angie with a visit from his daughter Cassandra.

Dixie is back but no Tad (as of yet) and Kara was seen checking up on a mysterious patient. David Hayward was released from prison and is headed back home to cause trouble I am sure.

No Erica Kane on this re-launch and time will tell if fans miss her.

On One Life to Life there were plenty of new faces as well and re-casts of characters like Matthew Buchanan and Destiny Evans. Old favorites like Dorian, Vicki, Clint, Blair and Todd are back.

Capricorn, which was Blair's nightclub has been re-vamped into a hot new club that seems to attract a much younger, hipper crowd.

Natalie and John's son is not an infant anymore and Natalie seems determined to move forward with her life.

Cutter is now working for Blair as her new club's promoter.

Thanks to Vicki, Dorian has been exposed in a scandal which she is convinced Vicki has created.

David is back and still self-absorbed with a new reality show.

Tea is having a hard time getting over the loss of her infant son and doesn't seem to notice that her daughter Dani has a serious drug/alcohol problem.

Matthew is still at odds with his parents and when they discover a baggie of Oxycontin, they argue with him.

Destiny and Matthew are parents but not together.

Blair and Tea are surprised at her club's grand opening by the return of Todd. Before they can get into it, Dani passes out and 911 is called for the troubled young girl.

A mysterious man with a strange tattoo is seen being followed and he finally kills the person stalking him. The hooded man arrives at the new club and it is revealed that it is Victor!

The look of both of these shows is great. The sets are unlike any of the current shows that air on daytime. I watch the CBS soaps also and have seen bits and pieces of Days on Soap Net. The look of these online shops is really hip, fresh and exciting.

The first episodes of both of these shows do show promise. AMC had many flashbacks which was good in a way because it helped to refresh my memory. Kara's remembering being with David (wow- was that almost too hot for daytime or what?) made me remember her history with the bad guy doctor.

Both shows seem to have a heavy emphasis on drawing in younger viewers but are balancing the push for youth with familiar fan favorites. The new look is exciting (oops I said that already) and as the word gets out I am sure fans who miss their shows will check them out.

The convenience of being able to watch whenever you want is even better than I thought. Personally I dvr General Hospital and the Young & the Restless and occasionally catch them on SoapNet if they were interrupted due to local news events. With Hulu I can watch these shows whenever, whereever and I think that is a huge plus.

30 minutes goes fast and yes, I wanted more! I didn't realize how much I missed the folks in Llanview or Pine Valley.

Thanks Prospect Park! It was a smart albeit huge financial undertaking but I predict that it will pay off. What do you think?

Sonny's Birthday

Felix and Sabrina got worn out by a very inquisitive Emma.

Britt's plan to trap Patrick worked and after putting Patrick on the spot she didn't have the abortion.

AJ continued to taunt Carly even though he wanted something from her.

Olivia talked Sonny into going to the Metro Court for his birthday.

Sonny broke up a disagreement between AJ and Carly and wound up punching AJ who later had a panic attack.

Johnny told Connie about Morgan's gambling troubles and asked him to please tell his parents.

Raif kissed Molly who was stunned by his actions.

TJ asked Shawn to borrow money for a limo for the prom to impress Molly.

Molly told Raif they can only be friends.

Sam and Alexis discussed raising teenagers.

Raif came home disappointed.

TJ questioned Molly about Raif knowing something was wrong.

Coming: Britt continues to use the baby to try and come between Sabrina and Patrick.

Connie tells Sonny about his son's troubles.

AJ's condition threatens his business.

Lulu fights to stay hidden as Dante continues to search for his wife.

Ellie gets closer to the truth.

The Return of the Soaps!

General Hospital remains my favorite but I have to admit that I am curious to see the return of All My Children and One Life to Live.

Resurrecting these two daytime dramas is something that many daytime fans never thought would happen. When ABC cancelled AMC and OLTL fans were outraged and even with boycotts ABC did not back down and reverse their decision.

In my house the replacement shows were not watched. In my thinking we have options like the Food Channel if you want to see stuff like "The Chew". Who needs another talk show anyway?

Daytime dramas have been around for decades and although some would argue that their time has passed, there are tons of soap fans who disagree.

Being able to watch whenever you want thanks to the dvr and Soap Net has kept daytime drama alive. Now we enter into a new generation with Prospect Park.

I admit that I have never used Hulu or iTunes to view any television show but I am sure excited about the prospect of doing so. I am tempted to use my iPhone at work when I need a soap fix. MUST resist that urge!!!

So who is going to tune in tomorrow to see the launch of the new All My Children and/or One Life to Live?

I'll be reviewing it in a special blog post after I catch you up on the goings on in Port Charles.

Wrapping Up the Week on GH

After Lulu escapes from the hospital, she runs into Milo and unknowingly uses his feelings for her to get him to hide her from her family.

Max is not happy when he finds what Milo has done.

Dante learns Lulu left with a mysterious guy and is determined to find out who.

Sonny says goodbye to Brenda who is disappointed that he won't follow her to Rome.

Ellie gets closer to the truth and Britt warns Maxie.

Spinelli goes off to find the Quartermaine heir.

Britt continues to play games with Patrick.

Felix works to get Sabrina and Patrick on a first date.

Elizabeth decides that she and AJ no longer have a chance at a future.

The battle over Pickled Lila continues.

Tracy uses Nicholas' feelings about AJ to get the financial backing she needs and then rubs in in AJ's face.

Carly is proud of herself for refusing a call from Johnny.

Connie rehires Maxie.

Connie goes to see Johnny at Pentonville and he tells her that Carly's life is in danger.

Duke romances a willing Anna.

COMING MONDAY!!!

History will be made as All My Children and One Life to Live air on Hulu! Will you be logging on to see the return of AMC and OLTL???

Homecomings

Sonny and Olivia talk about Brenda while waiting at the airport.

Lulu arrives home with Luke, Laura and Dante and is overwhelmed by Olivia's joyful welcome.

Ellie and Spinelli babysit Danny and talk about Maxie's baby secret.

Maxie gets summoned by Connie and agrees to take her old job back.

AJ taunts Carly with news that he saw Brenda with Michael.

Brenda confesses the whole truth to a shocked Michael.

They did not sleep together, Brenda staged it to get back at Carly who she holds responsible for Jax breaking up with her.

Maxie walks in on Spinelli and Ellie and is annoyed with what she hears. Spinelli covers and Maxie buys his story.

Laura takes Lulu to the hospital.

Sonny tries to assure Dante that Patrick can fix what is wrong with Lulu.

UPDATE

Today (Friday, April 19) General Hospital was pre-empted due to coverage of the search for the Boston bomber. Friday's episode will be aired on Monday.

What to look forward to?

Luke, Laura and Dante bring Lulu home. How will they handle to memory loss?

Maxie desperately tries to hide her secret about the baby but Ellie and Spinelli are on to the truth. Knowing them it won't be long before they uncover the truth.

Will Elizabeth be forced to choose between Nicholas and AJ?

How will Kate move forward with her life now that she has broken up with Sonny?

Will Sonny go after Brenda?

Will Brenda tell Michael the truth about the night they spent together?

Endings

Carly and Sonny discuss the Brenda situation and Sonny is reluctant to do anything to turn Michael against him. They also talk about Connie and Carly tells Sonny she feels badly for him.


Ellie tells Spinelli that she believes Maxi has a secret about the baby.

Sam is granted guardianship of Raif which makes Molly very happy.

Nicholas and AJ discuss Elizabeth and AJ warns him to stay away. Nicholas tells him that he doesn't like the idea of Elizabeth and AJ together. Meanwhile Elizabeth walks in and notices the tension between them.

Olivia and Connie discuss her recovery and her relationship with Sonny.

Coming: Lulu returns home without any memory of who she is. Ellie and Spinelli put their heads together to figure out what Maxie is hiding.

Broken Hearts and Secrets

AJ continues to fight Tracy over Pickled Lila.

Michael tells AJ he told Sonny about his night with Brenda.

Olivia goes to tell Sonny about Dante and finds out that Kate is back.

Lucy petitions the court to become Raif's guardian.

Spinelli tells Sam about the case he is working on.

Sonny tells Olivia that Connie broke it off with him for good.

Connie goes to the paper and sees Carly. She tells her that she is well but has to avoid triggers like Sonny that would threaten her mental well-being.

Sam testifies as a character witness for Lucy.

Spinelli takes Danny to meet with AJ and Michael and share what he learned about Franco's daughter.

Ellie overhears Britt and Maxie talking.

The judge denies Lucy's request even with Sam's testimony.

Ellie tells Spinelli what she overheard at the hospital.

Olivia goes to see Connie.

Carly goes to see Sonny.

Brenda shows up to see Michael.

Strange Encounters

Luke, Dante and Laura mourn Lulu.

Scott gets drunk and makes an advance on Bobbie who turns him down.

Sabrina and Patrick talk about going forward with their relationship in spite of Britt's announcement.

Britt's mother urges her to use the baby to get what she wants. She then leaves town.

Patrick takes Noah to the airport and Noah tells him to not let the baby get in the way of his feelings for Sabrina.

Felix tries to reassure Sabrina that she and Patrick are meant to be.

Patrick and Noah have a strange encounter with Britt's mother.

Bobbie says goodbye to Scott and Carly and makes her way to the airport.

Bobbie runs into Noah who tells her that he will be working at Seattle General with her.

Michael tells Sonny about his night with Brenda. Sonny assures him that he doesn't blame him.

Carly and AJ fight about Michael and AJ warns her to back off. Carly doesn't listen and is waiting for Michael when he returns home.

Michael tells her to leave him alone.

Just as Sonny is ready to confront Brenda, Kate/Connie arrives at his house but who is it really?

Lulu regains consciousness but doesn't know who her family is.

Saving Lulu

Luke helps Dante to capture Stavros.

Elizabeth tries to reassure Nicholas that he is not responsible for what is happening.

Anna has hope that Dante, Luke and Laura will rescue Lulu and defeat the Cassadines.

Anna tells Alexis that Helena is dead but Alexis doesn't believe it.

Luke, Laura and Dante rescue Lulu from the frozen chamber but struggle to revive her.

Meanwhile Laura makes sure that Stavros will not escape and locks him in the ice chamber.

Olivia and Sonny are relieved to find out that Dante is on Cassadine island and await word that he has rescued Lulu.

Monica warns AJ about Elizabeth's feelings for Nicholas and advises him to not wait to tell her how he feels.

AJ rushes to the hospital only to find Elizabeth and Nicholas in an embrace.

Ice Princess 2013

Nicholas tells Alexis and Elizabeth the story of how he discovered that his father Stavros was still alive.

He told them how he tried to talk sense into Stavros but he is convinced that Lulu is actually the Laura he remembers.

Meanwhile on the island, Stavros told Laura and Luke that he is keeping Lulu on ice so she will always be the way he remembers Laura.

He told them that he had Helena's body and he would bring her back to life the way she brought him back.

Olivia and Sonny went to Dante and Lulu's apartment hoping to find some news. They distracted themselves by discussing Brenda.

Carly and Brenda had another fight about Michael and Carly warned her that when Sonny finds out what she did, she will have hell to pay.

Michael's story of his night spent with Brenda and Carly discovering them delighted AJ who was amused at the story. He then warned Michael about drinking. Michael told AJ that he would tell Sonny what happened.

Anna confessed that she has no news about Dante, Lulu, Luke and Laura and she is concerned about their well-being.

Luke and Laura are horrified at Stavro's insanity and fear for their daughter's life.

Dante breaks into the lab and finds Helena's body and then sees Lulu locked up in a room of ice.

Second Chances

Carly busts into Brenda's hotel room only to find Michael in bed with her.

Scott is annoyed that he hasn't heard from Laura as he sits by Nicholas's bedside. Bobbie tries to assure him that they are looking for Lulu. She convinces him to go to the hotel to rest.

Luke and Laura wake up in a strange bed, unaware of how they got there. They figure out that they are locked in a room but wonder where Dante and Lulu are.

Nicholas wakes up to find Elizabeth and Alexis at his bedside.

Anna discusses her relationship with Duke with Felicia and Mac.

Duke and AJ talk relationships while they wait for Michael.

Bobbie and Scott talk Carly out of telling Sonny about what Brenda did.

Luke and Laura discover that they are being held on Cassadine island.

Michael manages to sneak out of the hotel and meet AJ. AJ is amused when Michael tells him that he slept with Brenda.

Nicholas tells Alexis and Elizabeth that it isn't Helena who is holding Lulu.

Stavros is the Cassadine that is holding Lulu and now Luke and Laura.

Disruptions at the Ball

After Richard is carted off by Milo and his friends, Lucy continues to host the ball.

Mac and Felicia discuss their future and she asks him to marry her which he says yes to.

Ellie overhears Maxie discussing the truth about the baby with Frisco.

After Frisco leaves, Ellie tries to be a friend to Maxie but she accuses her of spying.

Sabrina and Patrick's happiness is interrupted by Britt who announces to the audience that she is carrying Patrick's baby.

Devastated at first, Elizabeth and Felix remind Sabrina that Britt is a liar.

Elizabeth and AJ kiss.

Michael gets a mysterious phone call and is dumped by someone- Starr perhaps???

Fun Times at the Nurses Ball

Felicia turns down Frisco's proposal and he storms out humiliated.

Mac is thrilled when Felicia publicly professes her love for him.

Fun times are had as many Port Charles residents perform.

Rick Springfield sings his hit "Jessie's Girl".

Britt and her mother watch the ball from their hotel room and discuss their plan.

Anna and Duke tango and she finally decides to give him a chance.

Sabrina and Emma perform and they are both on top of the world with happiness.

The Celebrations Continue!

The celebrations continue! Check out ABC's 20/20 tonight (Saturday) for a special on General Hospital. Behind the scenes and interviews with fan favorites.

This past week has been fun for long time fans. Seeing old favorites like Bobbie, Scott, Luke, Laura, Felicia, Frisco, Noah, Lucy and more getting ready for the Nurses' Ball has been a real blast from the past. I don't know about you but it kind of made me feel old!

Although the Nurses' Ball is a great opportunity to see all these characters interact, there is sure to be fireworks coming. There always is!

What is evil Britt and her psycho mother planning? It sure would be great to have Robin return but that is not about to happen. What are their plans for Patrick and Sabrina?

The return of old characters like Frisco and Felicia is just temporary so I suspect that Felicia is going to break Mac's heart again and leave town with Frisco. Another part of me thinks maybe they will stick around a bit longer due to daughter Maxie's pregnancy and being that Frisco knows the truth about his daughter's baby, will he really leave now?

It was fun to see Brenda return and Sonny not be terribly bothered by it. Carly won this round by exposing her secret to Jax and although this will not be enough to have Jax and Carly get back together, it was great to see the "old" Carly back.

Although Bobbie has not been around, her scenes with Carly showed she certainly has her daughter's number. Knowing Carly was up to something, Bobbie didn't give a big effort to stop her.

With Noah back in town, will he practice as he preached to his son Patrick and will he try and rekindle his romance with Bobbie? It would be nice to see a happily ever after (although they both will probably leave town).

Is Anna going to be able to trust herself again and allow Duke back into her heart?

Now that Patrick has taken the step to be with Sabrina, will they find happiness?

What about Felix? GH has not had a gay character in quite some time. My prediction is that Bobbie's son Lucas will be coming to town and there will be a possible hook-up with Felix. If you remember, Bobbie was talking about how Lucas is not in a relationship and I read into this that he is gay and his momma hasn't a clue.

Rick Springfield's real-life son is set to join the cast and he would be the right age to play Lucas. Stay tuned to see if my prediction comes true!

What is going to happen with Connie/Kate? As Sonny waits to see who will return to him, many fans are getting tired of this DID story line.

Is it taking so long for Luke and Laura to find Lulu because of the re-cast of the character? With Helena dead, you would think they would be able to find her. If Helena was really behind the kidnapping.

What about Nicholas? As far as we know, he is still lying unconscious in a hospital bed with Scott keeping an "eye" on him.

So who is really behind Lulu's kidnapping and Nicholas' shooting? Is Britt and her mother somehow involved?

As fans enjoy the return of old characters, we are also hoping for answers to these and other questions.

Personally I think the writers have done a great job in celebrating the 50th anniversary. They stayed true to the characters and with plenty more surprises in store, I don't think we will be disappointed.

What do you think?

The 2013 Nurses Ball!

Patrick finally tells Sabrina that he returns her feelings and they kiss.

Felicia feels pressured to make a choice between Mac and Frisco.

Sonny brings Carly to the ball and Brenda arrives without Jax. Brenda tells Carly that it is her fault she and Jax are not getting married. Carly beams at Jax' decision.

Most of Port Charles is in attendance to celebrate and honor Robin.

After Mac does his ventriloquist act, he publicly announces to Felicia that he will never give up on her.

Brenda starts a fight with Carly and she has Brenda thrown out of the ball.

Frisco surprises the crowd with a love song directed at Felicia. After his performance he publicly proposes to Felicia.

Coming: More surprise performances from fan favorites! What will Felicia do? Will Anna rekindle her romance with Duke? What is Dr. Olbrect's plan for Patrick and Sabrina and what will Britt do?

Will Luke and Laura rescue Lulu? Where is Dante?

Honoring Robin

The day of the Nurses' Ball arrives and Olivia cannot focus on anything but worrying about Dante.

Anna gets word from the rescue but holds back.

Kevin tells Lucy he cannot support her because he has to leave town. Kevin reassures Lucy that she will be great.

Bobbie wants Carly to attend the ball with her but she tells her she can't.

Felicia confesses to Anna that she told Frisco and Mac how she feels about both of them.

Duke tries to convince Mac that Felicia loves him. Mac understands that Felicia is torn between them.

Patrick tries to contact Sabrina.

Patrick's dad arrives.

Brenda and Jax discuss Carly. Brenda lies to Jax about seeing Sonny and then Carly shows up at their hotel suite.

Carly tells Jax that she overheard Brenda at Sonny's asking him to take her back.

Sonny confronts Carly about spying in his home.

Brenda admits to Jax that she wants Sonny back. Jax tells Brenda that she has been ruined and he is grateful to Carly for telling him the truth.

Felix tries to talk Sabrina into a makeover and she finally agrees.

Noah tells Patrick that he needs to try harder to tell Sabrina how he feels.

Patrick finds Sabrina.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

Luke, Laura and Ethan face Helena.

Brenda drops the bombshell that she and Jax are engaged but Sonny isn't as bothered by it as she would have hoped.

Carly is angry at Jax' news but warns him that Brenda's heart is still Sonny's.

The Nurses' Ball gets closer.

Before Lulu's whereabouts are known, Luke kills Helena. They send Ethan off to safety and once again, search for Lulu.

Surprises and Faces from the Past

Tracy and Monica both see the ghost of Alan.

Jax surprises Carly with the news that their divorce didn't go through and presents her with new divorce papers to sign.

Sonny is surprised when Brenda shows up at his door. Brenda asks Sonny if they can both attend the Nurses Ball without fighting with each other. Brenda is outraged to find out that Sonny never read the letter she had Robin give him when she left.

Luke and Laura are surprised to find Ethan gagged and tied up in a room on the Haunted Star.

General Hospital remembers Steve Hardy's 50th anniversary by dedicating a picture of him.

Audrey and Elizabeth talk about Steve.

Patrick tells the new interns about Steve Hardy's legacy.

Ethan tells Luke and Laura that Nicholas warned him that he was in danger right before Helena kidnapped him.

Tracy and Monica are visited by the ghosts of Emily and Rick Webber who try to get them to make peace with each other. After their experience, they agree to a truce.

Brenda tells Sonny that she is engaged to Jax.

After Carly asks Jax for another chance he tells her that he is engaged to Brenda.

50 Years of General Hospital

Tracy taunts AJ with the recipe to Pickled Lila.

Michael goes to see Sonny who worries about Kate/Connie's integration.

Dante gets to the Haunted Star only to find Helena holding Luke and Laura captive.

Monica urges Elizabeth to get some rest when she finds her by Nicholas' bedside.

Bobbie goes to see Carly.

Monica returns home to find AJ and Tracy fighting and does something she has thought about for a long time.

Tracy and Monica are visited by the ghost of Alan.

Jax surprises Carly.

Elizabeth holds Nicholas' hand while she talks about their past together.

Audrey comes to the hospital to see Elizabeth.

Sonny waits for an answer but is surprised by an unexpected visitor.

Luke and Laura search the boat for Lulu but are shocked at what they do find.

Helena tells Dante that getting Lulu back will not be simple.