He's back.

Yes, Scotty (Kin Shriner) returns to "General Hospital" next week. Kin is back in Los Angeles and the GH studio after enjoying a summer vacation that has taken him to his home in Florida and various exotic locations. But now it's time for Kin to bring Scott back to Port Charles, where in the next few weeks the popular character will shake up the lives of everyone he encounters.

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The folks at "All My Children" have twirled the Rolodex of recycled soap opera writers and have replaced current head writers James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten with Charles Pratt Jr.

Brian Frons, president of Daytime at Disney-ABC Television Group, announced May 28 that Emmy Award-winning writer Pratt will serve as head writer and consulting producer for AMC. Pratt will begin on June 23, 2008.

"Charles Pratt, Jr. is a master storyteller. His talents in writing today's biggest primetime hits in conjunction with his vast experience with daytime dramas will undoubtedly elevate All My Children stories in new and exciting directions," Frons said in a statement.

Executive Producer Julie Hanan Carruthers concurred. "I am incredibly excited to welcome Chuck as headwriter of All My Children. I look forward to his contemporary storytelling sensibility, his warmth and sense of humor enriching the entire canvas of Pine Valley."

According to the press release, Pratt served as co-head writer of "General Hospital" from 2002-2006. His recent gigs include "Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty," in addition to "Melrose Place," "Models, Inc.," and "Santa Barbara." The actors at AMC are taking a "let's see what happens" attitude, after this entire group survived Megan McTavish's head writing "skills" on three occasions — not an easy task. This is the same writer who killed Dixie by eating poison pancakes meant for Babe, and turned Tad into a cold-blooded killer. Pratt is not knows for coming in and making sweeping changes. The writer understands core characters. So fans of the Hubbard's, Tad, Adam, Zach, Kendall, Greenlee and Erica will not have to worry.

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Soapnet.com, the new gossip Internet site for the cable channel, has created quite a stir. On its refurbished site, it "outed" a CBS daytime star. Over the years many a tabloid has asked me to name names and offered big bucks to reveal a star's sexual preference. The answer was always "forget it." Sexuality is a personal matter. If an actor wants to reveal he is gay, that is his choice and we would be the first to run it — if it was the actor's choice. This is why I am refraining from mentioning the actor's name in this column. The folks at Soap Net have defended their decision. Odd that they decided to make this groundbreaking gossip decision with an actor from another network. Over the years, parent company ABC would not even comment when asked the color eyes of an actor's newborn baby. They'd always say, "We do not comment on our performers' personal lives." Obviously just the personal lives of actors on other networks. The question anyone who writes a gossip column has to ask is if a column inch of news is worth affecting someone's life forever. Long after the column or website item is forgotten by the public, the subject will continue to deal with the report.

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LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT DEPARTMENT: The touching death scene of "All My Children's" Julia (the underused Sydney Penny) was a ten-handkerchief affair. Just before she died, Julia told Krystal all the things that her ward, Kathy, likes: "Smooth peanut butter, not chunky; having her back rubbed; bubble baths. She wants a pony." All the things we know about the children we love and what those who will take care of them need to know. So simple, so beautiful, so true to life.

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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