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As previously reported, former One Life to Live stars Roger Howarth, Kristen Alderson and Michael Easton will return to ABC’s General Hospital as new characters next month.
The actors, who last aired on General Hospital at the end of March, were forced to vacate their roles on February 8 as a result of failed negotiations between ABC and Prospect Park, the studio that owns the licensing rights to their characters. Roger Howarth agreed to return to One Life to Live for a short-time; Easton and Alderson declined.
Access Hollywood reports the actors will return to GH beginning May 10. “Kristen Alderson, Michael Easton and Roger Howarth will return to ABC’s ‘General Hospital’ beginning May 10. Exciting storylines full of mystery and intrigue are planned to usher in the return of these actors that will lead to the answer of one of the most asked questions in Port Charles,” said ABC in a statement.
Last month, TV Guide’s Michael Logan reported that GH would create new roles for the actors. “Prospect Park has been extremely difficult to deal with on this issue so GH basically said, ‘Screw it! We’ll create all new characters!'” said a source to the magazine. “It’s the only way GH can get past the problem and get on with business.”
Entertainment Weekly told a different story. Wrote Lynette Rice: “Prospect tried to work out a deal to share the characters, to no avail. According to one high-level executive familiar with the negotiations, Prospect only needed Alderson to work one week on OLTL and then she could return to GH. It wanted Easton for up to four weeks before he would be free to return to Port Charles, as well.”
Now that the brouhaha is over, hopefully fans can stop taking sides in this overblown war between GH and Prospect Park and go back to focusing on what’s really important — the future of the soaps.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC, weeknights on SOAPnet and ABC.com. The Online Network’s One Life to Live premieres Monday, April 29 at 12PM on Hulu and iTunes.
[…] from One Life to Live were forced to leave General Hospital. Viewers eventually learned they would return, but as new characters, and they’re breezing into town this […]
General Hospital had nothing to do with the cancellation-that was all ABC!
General Hospital is actually a good show. I didnt like it at first because they took One Life to Live off the air, but I gaved it a chance when Todd, Starr, and John started playing on it…. I am mad that One Life to Live came back and now Starr and them not even going to play on it. Starr is my favorite actor but I don’t like her playing on General Hospital as Keke…. Soaps don’t even make sense nomore. It is hard to understand it…. And Shut up and dont put an opion on GH until you give it a chance.
The producers are trying soooo hard to find a new love interest for the character of Sam Morgan AND, I agree….re-visiting her with ANY character that Michael Easton is playing……BAD IDEA!!! Kelly Monaco DOES have chemistry with many other guys so…..nix the KeMo/ME idea. Your post is spot on….
I hate both ABC and General Hospital for canceling One Life to Live and poaching their talent to GH. One Life to Live was the better show at the time of the cancellation and GH should have been canceled not OLTL, as GH took OLTL’s actors and their writers and now can’t do without them; and just when OLTL wants their actors back, ABC and GH pull this stunt to rename the actor’s characters and no doubt increased their pay to stay with GH, knowing OLTL can’t match it at this moment when they are just restarting the show.
I don’t wish ABC nor General Hospital any success and I hope they show goes down the drain.
Nine days to go & Kristen Alderson’s character has been confirmed. What’s taking so long with ABC releasing Roger Horwath & Michael Easton character’s name?
I for one am ecstatic RH KA ME are returning to GH on May 10th. PP messed up when they played this cat and mouse game for 5 years with AMC and OLTL for 2 years.
Loving AMC & OLTL 2.0 they’ll just have to rewrite Todd, Starr & John. The actors are doing much better on GH & will continue to thrive. As will the on-line reboots of their former show.
Wow.. you know nothing.. these 3 were and are fantastic actors.. and I agree.. they never should have been on G.H. But with out them, the show would not have gotten way up in their ratings. G. H with out them.. SUCKS.. no matter what. The stories now, really stupid.
Just quit watching G.H because of they are the ones that are making it more difficult for P.P to get a head. They didnt even have the o.k to kill off Cole and Hope. P.P wanted to share the characters but G.H. are the ones that refused, and there for are the ones that made this war. So because of their inability to do what is right, I quit G.H. Not overly thrilled with them coming back as some one else, just not right. NO matter what.. so TA TA
I hope they DON’T put Michael Easton with Kelly Monaco, they have been paired up ENOUGH times. Bring in some fresh meat for her, KeMo is hot with tons of guys and has chemistry w/ alot of guys, KeMo/ME don’t have it anymore, this is coming from a HUGE Caleb & Livvie fan.
I am not happy that this is the direction they might go. Seems to me that there could be some way to work out phasing these actors back to OLTL in a way that keeps fans of both GH and OLTL happy. What they are proposing would NOT be it! They could send Todd back now to OLTL, Star for a few weeks then back to GH for a break up with Michael and then home, and McBain should probably leave OLTL since things are off with Natalie.
Bringing back these people as new characters??? GH has done it before, but really??? I don’t think this is going to go over well, and will end up taking down the actors, OLTL and GH!
GH and Prospect Park need to get it together. Bring back Todd,Star and McBain screw these new characters, you guys need to come together and make it happen for us fans
The plan would be completely new characters, unlike their original OLTL roles. The names of their new characters has yet to be announced, so we’ll post another article once its revealed. :)
what do they mean about new characters , be the same name but change their images ,like from good to bad or bad to good , or completely change their names ,like mcbain would be a different name macleod , would they still know like sam , michael , carly or different all together ,just like to have it sorted out for my mom ,thank you
ITA was so tired of these 3 being cramped down our throat. There are plenty of great actors who never get screen time when these 3 hog it all up. So sorry but Kiristen can’t act worth crap. ME needs to keep his shirt buttoned.
Can’t wait! I’m really excited to see how Ron is going to do this. All three are amazing additions to GH and were a much needed breath of fresh air. I love Easton’s chemistry with Kelly Monaco. Howarth’s chemistry with everyone! And Kristen is a great addition to that age group. Her Starr and CD’s Michael = adorable! Excited to see who their new characters will be.
The “GH purists” are being completely unreasonable. What, so they used to be on OLTL. Laura Wright, Ric Hearst, etc. were on plenty of soaps before GH. Heck, Ian Buchanan has been on every soap I’ve ever watched! Stephen Nichols, if he (GOD WILLING!) comes back as Stefan, made a name for himself as Steve on DOOL. How much of a purist can you be in this day and age? Have fun with the maybe 5 actors that have only been on GH.
Oh gag me. Why can’t they go back to OLTL???? They are not needed or wanted on GH. Especially not as new characters. BUT if we must, can we keep Roger and send the other two back to where ever?
I’m going to wait and see what happens. All three are good actors and GH has a wealth of legacy families that they can add to. I hope they tie all three to some of PC’s well loved family trees.
Oh they will be crammed dont you worry. They are gonna be Ron’s babies. Forget thd GH Vets. If RC/FV are mire concern over three character they tried to carry over then they do Bout GH. Now that 50th anniversay passed & old charcters go away exspect these three & who they are tied to to be the show unless Gh gets their pink slip just like OLTL got after their 40th.
If this is done wrong and those three are crammed down our throats, all the momentum the show seems to be building up is going to come crashing down.