For now, the soaps are all washed up. During the virus, many are temporarily throwing in the towel. All of the soaps have suspended production. All the daytime dramas have a few shows stockpiled shows. "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless" have three weeks in the bank. "General Hospital" has a month of shows in the hopper. "Days of Our Lives" tapes months in advance. The "Days" writing staff is writing the Halloween episodes.

The Daytime Emmy Awards have been scrubbed. The head of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which is responsible for the Daytime Emmy Awards, had planned a three-tier event. With no TV outlet, they are going to stream for three days. The winners have been selected and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Soap stars such as Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, "General Hospital") are asking fans to stay in to avoid COVID-19. Soaps are being preempted for news of the virus. I am in a state where the governor has lengthy daily updates at the time "Genera Hospital" airs. The network is offering time shifting slots. NBC is airing "Days of our Lives" at its regular time and then airing information on the virus after.

Kate Linder (Esther, "Y&R") had her annual charity tea slated for April. It has been moved to October. Linder realizes that new date may not work for everyone, so money for the tickets will be refunded. For those who can do the switch, their tickets will be honored.

When the late great Doug Marland became the head writer of "General Hospital," he knew that he had to cut some characters. He came up with the dreaming death. Everyone in Port Charles had it or had loved ones with the deadly virus. When Marland took over, the show was not mob-centric. It really focused on the hospital. "New Amsterdam" was about to air a show about an epidemic that put everyone in danger. That has been scrubbed for now.

Kelly Ripa of "Kelly and Ryan" and her husband, Mark Consuelos, have donated a million dollars for virus relief. The money will go for ventilators that NYC needs and to eight food centers in the NYC area. The couple met on the "All My Children" lot. She was playing Hayley. He was auditioning for the role of her boyfriend. He was so taken with her, he did not care if he got the part; he wanted the girl. He got both.

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: methodshop at Pixabay