"Days of Our Lives" gave a wink to "All My Children" fans. In the show, "AMC's" Dixie, played by Cady McClain, died after eating poison pancakes. Yes, the weirdest soap death ever. McClain has been playing Jennifer on "Days" for almost a year. In the story, Jennifer's mother died suddenly. Before the funeral, Julie made the same pancakes that killed Dixie. Jennifer was not certain why but the pancakes made her queasy. With McClain ending her run, the character is off to Boston to be with her brother, Mike. McClain took over for Missy Reeves as Jennifer, who took a leave of absence from the show. Living in Tennessee with real life husband, Scott, she was uneasy of traveling during the pandemic. There were rumors of a social media post where Reeves suggested she had some racial issues.

Happy birthday to me! "New Amsterdam" is returning on March 2. My birthday is March 3. I forget the year. Working on TV, the year was always changing. That is often true for folks who work on TV. Gordon Thomson, who played Adam on "Dynasty," told me about their first set meeting with Joan Collins, who played his TV mom, Alexis. "She looked at me and my bio. 'This will never do. I am too young to have a child your age.' With that, she chopped 10 years off my life. Joan ran the show. So I was whatever age she wanted."

As for "New Amsterdam," it has been picked up for multiple seasons. The show is amazing. Textured characters, engrossing storylines, actors who give engrossing life to the folks they portray. When the show returns, things will be very different. Just as the real world is dealing with COVID-19, so was the show. When Daniel Dae Kim was filming "New Amsterdam" he came down with COVID-19. He avoided hospitalization and a drug cocktail put him on the road to recovery. As for the show, it will deal with the pandemic. The show is set in Manhattan, so not delving into the pandemic was not an option. When the show picks up, Helen and Max's flirting will be on hold. In fact, Helen will become involved with a staffer played by Daniel Dae Kim. Iggy will realize he has a food addiction. Kapoor comes down with COVID-19 and someone dies.

It was a very happy Valentine's Day for Chad Duell (Michael, "General Hospital") and Courtney Hope (Sally, "Young and Restless"). The long time and beautiful couple became engaged. The duo gushed about each other on social media.

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

Photo credit: Pexels at Pixabay