Lynda Hirsch on Television

"General Hospital" Executive Producer Frank Valentini reported: "I am so excited to announce the lovely Finola Hughes is now on contract!"

For the past two weeks, Valentini has hinted that a big name was staying with the show. Hughes reprised the role of Anna, Robin's mother, in February.

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When "Days of Our Lives" did their reboot last year, it was amazing. Who cares that storylines were dropped. Characters we loved and missed returned. New sets looked smaller, but allowed for focal meeting places. The idea of John working with his often disgruntled son Brady was a classic father/son power struggle. When Sarah Joy Brown came on to play Madison, we were intrigued.

Brown said she was excited because her character was going to be an independent woman. A woman who could have a meaningful life without always having a man in it.

Then things started changing. All of a sudden, Madison was all about the man. She was about her insta-love for Brady. She was about being scorned by her brutal, manipulative secret husband, Ian. Daniel, who just discovered Maggie was his mother, went out of town to find himself. Shawn Christian, who plays Daniel, admitted he was written out because the producers were not certain what they were going to do with his character. Thankfully, they brought him back. Jack's PSTD plotline was wonderful. He seems to have been cured. One group session does not cure that issue.

Now we are having to deal with the long-thought-to-be-gone ISA. Can you spell CIA? I turned several folks on to "Days." They loved it. Now they are scratched their heads and changing channels.

What was going on is Salem? A head writing change.

"Days" Head Writers Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr., who joined the show last May, have been replaced by former "Days" Co-Executive Producer and onetime Co-Head Writer Gary Tomlin and former "Days" Co-Head Writer Christopher Whitesell. McPherson just tweeted the following: "Thank you DOOL fans. U r the best and we love you! NBC never let us tell our stories. They kept stopping us and changing our direction."

There is some good news. Lorraine Broderick, who wrote the "All My Children" wrapup storylines and went to "One Life to Live" to work on that show, is joining "Days" as a breakdown writer. A breakdown writer is responsible for the day-to-day happenings on a soap opera. The head writers dictate the storylines. The breakdown writer turns the stories into daily shows. The breakdowns are given to the dialogue writers, who literally put the words in the character's mouths. All of these different writers work together to produce the finished product.

Give the show a few months to get back on track.

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After playing Lexis Carver for 20 years, Renee Jones has decided to retire. Jones says that she is no longer fulfilled by acting. She decided it was time to retire when acting became a chore not a joy. Producers told Jones if she left the show they planned to kill off the character. The beauty whose plan is no plans for now was thrilled.

Last week, the character was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The actress assures there will be no lingering death. Jones promises there will be no way she can come back from the dead like her dad Stefano, who has more lives than twin cats.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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