Anthony Geary, renowned for his role as Luke Spencer on 'General Hospital' and a key figure in daytime TV, has died at age 78 in Amsterdam due to complications from surgery. He was celebrated for his iconic portrayal, earning eight Emmy awards, and his character's legendary wedding with Laura Webber drew a record viewership. Geary's career spanned over 40 years, including work on other soap operas and stage productions, and he was known for his complex anti-hero character.
Susan Lucci, the 77-year-old star of "All My Children," revealed that her publicist was contacted about her potential involvement in "The Golden Bachelorette," but she declined the offer. Although she enjoys watching the show, she did not pursue the opportunity. Joan Vassos, 61, has been announced as the first Golden Bachelorette for this fall.
CBS has greenlit The Gates, the first Black daytime soap opera in 35 years, set to debut in January 2025. The series will follow the lives of a wealthy Black family in a gated community and is a collaboration between CBS Studios, the NAACP, and P&G Studios. The showrunner, Michele Val Jean, has extensive experience in the genre, and the series is seen as a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television, aiming to provide impactful representation and fresh perspectives in daytime drama.
CBS and the NAACP are collaborating to develop a new daytime soap opera titled "The Gates," which will focus on the lives of a wealthy Black family in a gated community. The series will be produced in partnership with P&G Studios and will be written and executive produced by Michele Val Jean, known for her work on "The Bold and the Beautiful." This project aims to provide impactful representation and fresh storytelling for an underserved audience in broadcast television.
Jacklyn Zeman, who played nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC's "General Hospital" for 45 years, has died at the age of 70. She passed away from cancer. Zeman's portrayal of Spencer was a spirited, upbeat woman who was as sweet as pie but who also had a sense of self. She was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on the show. Zeman's death is the third death to hit the "General Hospital" cast and crew in six months.
Jerry Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati and longtime TV personality known for pioneering confrontational daytime television, has died at the age of 79. His show, "The Jerry Springer Show," ran from 1991 to 2018 and was known for its profanity-prone guests and on-set security guards restraining audience members as they cheered. Springer had no regrets for the high-energy, low-brow material he aired on afternoon TV, and his name became synonymous with anything outrageous or ridiculous on TV. The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
