Christmas came early for some General Hospital fans late Wednesday night, when Soaps In Depth broke the news via Twitter that Jill Farren Phelps is on her way out as executive producer of what soon will be ABC’s lone daytime sudser.
Taking over the reins at GH will be Frank Valentini, who had been with One Life to Live since 1985 and served as EP there since 2003. The well-regarded show boss became a free agent last Friday when Prospect Park formally abandoned its plan to keep the Llanviewers alive via an online video hub. OLTL airs its series finale on Friday, Jan. 13; the lifestyle show The Revolution seizes the soap’s time slot the following Monday.
One source tells In Depth that Phelps’ pact with the soap was up in mid-December, and that the cast would be getting word of the switcheroo on Thursday morning.
JFP, who had helmed GH for a decade, had come under fire as of late in the wake of 1) wilting ratings that threaten to make GH extra-dispensable to ABC affiliates when Katie Couric’s daytime talker debuts next September, and 2) the announced exit of Emmy-winning fan fave Jonathan Jackson, who in leaving cited several requests of TPTB that fell on deaf ears. Similarly, another Emmy-winning GH vet, Kimberly MCullough, recently announced her plan to vacate the role of Robin, so that she may pursue a career in directing.
This article was written by General Hospital Shake-Up! Jill Farren Phelps Out as Show Boss, OLTL's Frank Valentini In - TVLine
No comments :
Post a Comment