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20 November 30th, 2011 Is Frank Valentini about to be named new General Hospital EP and Jill Farren Phelps OUT?

There is a brand new tweet out tonight from ABC Soaps In Depth via their twitter page that is saying that they heard from sources at ABC/Disney that One Life to Live’s, executive producer, Frank Valentini is the new executive producer at General Hospital and that Jill Farren Phelps had been let go! The tweet also says the actors will find out in the AM!

We will stay on top of this developing story in the next 24 hours to see if these sources are correct, and this move has been made to re-schuffle and shake up things in Port Charles, or if this is just a plain rumor.

Valentini was scheduled to become the VP Serial Dramas for Prospect Park following the end of his run as EP on One Life to Live. But since Prospect Park bowed out of bringing the show online, that has freed up Valentini for other opportunties.

Tags: abc soaps in depth, Frank Valentini, General Hospital, jill farren phelps

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NaVell J. Lee says:

November 30, 2011 at 11:03 pm

Will Ron C. be that far behind????

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aria says:

November 30, 2011 at 11:32 pm

I only hope that if this is true, that Mr. Valentini, will take into account, GH rich history, that he will be smart enough to take into consideration what fans have been asking for, we don’t want someone coming in and thinking they have to populate the show w/ all new characters. I think oltl was a fun show w/ great history, but i don’t want GH to become a copy of oltl, cause i don’t think that would work for the show. It would also be a mistake to populate the show w/ the oltl cast, although i wouldn’t mind seeing a few of the actors on GH, thats not what we want now. we need the show fixed w/ its current cast intact. GH biggest problem right now is storyline an the pacing. Its not the cast, so please don’t mess w/ that. I think the mistake of anyone who comes in, is thinking that they have to completly overhaul the show, and one of the reasons Garin Wolf is failing is because he’s awful at pacing the show, and hardly did anything storyline wise, he’s basically still telling Bob Guza s storylines.

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MEG says:

November 30, 2011 at 11:45 pm

MAYBE THEN I’D WATCH AGAIN IF BOTH FRANK N RON WERE THERE.

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david says:

December 1, 2011 at 1:36 am

If Frank is EP can he do whatever he wants? Can he integrate OLTL characters and storylines into GH? What about just dumping GH and replacing it with OLTL? OLTL beats GH in every category of the ratings, except for tying in the women 18-49 rating:
http://www.soapoperanetwork.com/ratings/ratings-good-week-for-daysoltlgh

Oh wait, most of the New York actors from OLTL don’t want to go to LA. If Frank stays in New York, moves GH there, and transforms it into OLTL, the world would be better off (in my dreams).

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aria replied December 1st, 2011 at 7:21 pm
yes thats right in your very bad dream, dream on about oltl being better then GH.

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Cole says:

December 1, 2011 at 2:44 am

Well, if that is the case, my guess is that Disney is doing everything it can to keep Valentini on the pa

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Cole says:

December 1, 2011 at 2:45 am

(oops, let me finish it now)
Well, if that is the case, my guess is that Disney is doing everything it can to keep Valentini on the payroll and quiet about the OLTL/Prospect Park debacle. I am sure FV would/could have a LOT to say…

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jp says:

December 1, 2011 at 5:30 am

Don’t do it frank. I think its an evil plan by abc to say that even the talents of valentini couldn’t save gh and abc will feel justified in their decisions to cancel amc, my beloved oltl, and gh. I feel gh fate has already been decided by abc. They haven’t publicly announced the cancellation yet because oltl is still on until jan. But its coming. If fv did go to gh, I do not want to see any oltl characters on that show. Oltl deserves there own time to live in llanview not port charles.

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SS says:

December 1, 2011 at 5:48 am

they should get some OLTL actors while they are at it a lot of people are complaining about the newbies they are bringing on, with some established talent new characters will be easier to accept for some.

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Robin says:

December 1, 2011 at 6:27 am

Why are they even Bothering As Gh Is being cancelled will be off the air by next yr.Abc/disney WILL announce it by end of JAN. Katie Couric Is Having Her Own Show In GH time slot That was Announced MONTH’S AGO.

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Torrey says:

December 1, 2011 at 7:39 am

What I don’t get is why ABC is so quick to try and snatch up Frank & Ron from OLTL when they are canceling that show. So, they’re good enough to be with GH, but not OLTL? These decisions make no sense. OLTL is kicking GH’s butt in the ratings, and obviously ABC believes that the people in charge over at OLTL know what they are doing…..so why are they canceling OLTL again?

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aria replied December 1st, 2011 at 7:18 pm
while its true that oltl is currently kicking GH in the ratings, when you stack up both shows towgether, and compare their history, its clear that GH is more of a gem then oltl could ever dream of being. GH, afterall has 10 emmy’s as best show, its made history thanks to LUKE AND LAURA, and if thats not enough to convince you, then just go to any soap opera magazine stand and you will see that GH, gets more covers then oltl. what does that mean? clearly that GH, even w/ lover ratings still is more popular as are their stars when it comes to sellin magazines. and i’m also pretty sure, that in the history books, GH outshines OLTL. Now my biggest hope is that Mr. Valentini, and Mr. Calveriti not try to make GH into OLTL. Both shows clearly have rich history, so heres hoping that they take that into account and respect that. I don’t want to tune in to GH and see a bunch of OLTL actors, I don’t mind a few, especially if they replace the current new characters, but, GH doesn’t need a cast overhaul, now, since OLTL isn’t going online, i wouldn’t mind seeing some characters cross over. The possibilities could be endless, so heres hoping for the best.

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Torrey replied December 1st, 2011 at 7:57 pm
well, we will have to agree to disagree because OLTL as a show outshines GH any day. I don’t care how many awards GH has managed to pick up….it’s not all about the awards, it’s the quality of the show….and watching hour after hour, day after day of the Jason/Sonny hour doesn’t quantify a great soap, in my opinion. And furthermore, the awards they have received are all based on a system that no one in the industry is happy with. The nomination selection is finally being addressed this year, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m sure Ron & Frank will do their best, but if I were you I wouldn’t get my hopes up, because ABC will undoubtedly cancel GH.
Dan says:

December 1, 2011 at 8:01 am

I hope this is true. Jill Farren Phelps ruined GH with the help of Bob Guza, and unfortunately, it hasn’t been much better with Garin Wolf. This could be the shake up that GH needs, to help return it back to what it once was, the best soap on television.

I also think this is a positive sign that ABC is at least trying to save GH. If they didn’t care, and just wanted to see it die, then they could have left the current regime in place. So I’m cautiously optimistic about this news, if it does turn out to be true.

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Torrey replied December 1st, 2011 at 10:10 am
Just like the AMC move to California was suppose to be a positive one and show the fans how much ABC was behind its soaps, I wouldn’t put too much optimism behind this announcement. This is all smoke and mirrors from ABC….we all know that Katie Couric is lined up for her new show to begin next fall, so I can already read the writing on the wall.

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Michelle replied December 1st, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I agree with you Torrey. After putting our hopes in Prospect Park and being let down, it’s good for us not to get our hopes up about anything, yet still not to give up the fight either.
RICKIE says:

December 1, 2011 at 11:45 am

This has GOT to be an improvement! I’ve never been a fan of Jill Farren Phelps. Hopefully, she will restore the Quartermaines (which at first looked promising with the return of Robin Christopher, who was promptly written out again — at least we get to see Leslie Charleson more often) and tone-down the stupid, tiresome mob storylines. American soap execs need to take a look at the UK’s “Coronation Street” and “EastEnders,” whose characters are wonderfully Dickens-like and whose storylines center on real, plausible events affecting a canvas of real, working-class people.

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Brian replied December 1st, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Yes !! I am Canadian and watch Coronation Street… prehaps I will just dump all American soaps once my beloved One Life To Live ends… Coronation Street will be enough for me…

But hey… just so everyone knows how the Brits do it.. Coronation Street airs on Itv, Monday nights for 30 mins, then breaks for 30 mins, and the second half airs after that, then a 30 min episode on Thurdays, and the same schedule on Friday as on Mondays. When they have a major story arc happening, it airs every night during the week and sometimes on Sundays as well. It always airs after the 7pm time slot, and always in the evening, never during the day… Yes, I used to live in the UK.

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Blake says:

December 1, 2011 at 11:45 am

Good for Ron and Frank finding work again, they deserve it! Hopefully this will make GH watchable until it ends. I hope they bring some OLTL actors and their characters to GH. Get rid of the useless and newbies, plus they are loosing two vets. Maybe this will keep actors from quitting now.
I won’t watch GH unless it’s really good or unless they bring OLTL characters there.

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LeAnna says:

December 1, 2011 at 1:27 pm

I am just so absolutely dissapointed that they couldn’t do something to save our soaps. I like some talk shows but not a staedy diet of them all day long. Why can’t we have a station that is just a soap channel? Like the Soap Newtork, air only soaps on this channel and those of us who want to watch soaps will, those who want to watch all of those stupid talk shows will, but do not try to force us into watching them by putting them on during the day on the local channels. It will not work. We will find movies to watch.

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