A flood of casting updates for "The Young and the Restless," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Days of Our Lives" and "General Hospital" have soap opera fans buzzing about Michelle Stafford, Hunter Tylo, Chrishell Stause, Darin Brooks, Rena Sofer and other familiar daytimers. Here's a roundup on who's coming and going on each of the big four soap operas during the end of May and into summer. 

Bing: More about "Young and the Restless" | 'Bold and the Beautiful' | "General Hospital" | "Days of Our Lives"

MSN TV has the buzz on Michelle Stafford's status with "The Young and the Restless," as well as news on which shows nabbed "General Hospital" alums Rena Sofer (ex-Lois), Jen Lilley (ex-Maxie) and Erin Chambers (ex-Siobhan); "Days of Our Lives" Emmy winner Darin Brooks (ex-Max); and "All My Children" ex-pat Chrishell Stause (ex-Amanda). Plus, what's going on with "Bold and the Beautiful" locals Hunter Tylo (Taylor), Zak Conroy (Oliver) and Ashley Jones (Bridget)?

 

"The Young and the Restless"

The big news coming out of Genoa City is that Daytime Emmy nominee and fan favorite Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) is exiting. While the story has gone viral, however, neither CBS nor Stafford is confirming the news. If in fact Stafford is leaving, there are clearly no hard feelings, as she was out partying with her Sony and CBS bosses after the story broke. 

Stafford first signed onto the show in 1994, exiting three years later. Sandra Nelson stepped in as a recast until 1998 and then Stafford returned to cause more trouble in 2000. She also spent a few months doing double duty when villainous Sheila returned looking like Phyllis. During Stafford's 16 years with the show, she's nabbed 10 Emmy Leading Actress nominations, taking home the win in 2004. She also won Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1997.

In other CBS news, "The Bold and the Beautiful" hunk Zack Conroy is taking his character Oliver to "The Young and the Restless" on business. The hot photographer will work with Jabot in crossover episodes airing Tuesday, May 21, and Friday, May 31.

 

"General Hospital" alum Erin Chambers (ex-Siobhan) is getting into the Genoa City legal scene. She's landed a recurring gig as paralegal Melanie, premiering Thursday, June 6.

 

A new woman may shake up the Cane/Lily/Tyler drama. Mishael Morgan ("Supernatural," "Total Recall") has joined the show as Hilary Curtis and will first air Friday, June 14, in scenes with Daniel Goddard (Cane) and Christel Khalil (Lily).

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

"The Bold and the Beautiful"

Lots of big moves are happening on "The Bold and the Beautiful." With two divas out, a brand new pair is joining the show and a fave returns for a some drama.  

On the heels of news that Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) is taking a break from "The Bold and the Beautiful" comes word that her onscreen mom Hunter Tylo (Taylor) is exiting the show.

 

"Contract talks ended 4 weeks ago," Tylo posted on her message board, though a show rep says they are still in negotiations. "I am moving forward and opening back up to the thousands of acting roles available, writing, and pursuing my skin care line. My friends and 'B&B' fans will be sorely missed. But don't worry! I'll keep you posted of my every new adventure!"

 

With the mother/daughter team on its way out, there's a new mother/son duo coming to town, and they're packing Daytime Emmys. "Days of Our Lives" alum Darin Brooks arrives on the scene June 21 as newcomer Wyatt and soap veteran Rena Stofer has been tapped to play his mother, Quinn Fuller, first airing Friday, July 12.

"I am so excited to be joining Bold and the Beautiful!! I have always loved daytime and I am so excited to be back!!!" tweeted Sofer, who boasts a healthy list of primetime credits and was last seen on "Once Upon a Time."

There's not much dish on her character Quinn, yet, but word is this pair has some bombshell secrets. Wyatt, for his part, is set shake up the Hope/Liam/Steffy triangle and promises to be a "badass."

"My character, Wyatt, is first seen in the nude taking a solar shower out in the woods," Brooks teased. "Hope stumbles across him and takes his picture on her smartphone and Wyatt catches her… As the story unfolds, he moves into that whole fashion-industry world and you'll find out his connection to everything. It's all very mysterious for now."

 

Former cast regular Ashley Jones will bring her character Bridget back for a short visit, starting Wednesday, May 22.

"I'm only going in for three or four episodes, as of right now," Jones said. "But there's some fun stuff with Bridget's mom."

 

The timing makes sense: Brooke is once again pregnant with an in-law's child and trying to get another man to take credit for knocking her up - As fans recall, the last time this happened, it was Bridget's then-hubby Deacon who knocked Brooke up and Whip who took credit. It sounds like Jones (who has been dating former onscreen hubby Jack Wagner!) would be open to the idea of sticking around town, as long as there was a juicy story lined up for her. 

"I feel like this is too cool a character to come back and just sit in the background," she explained. 

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"Days of Our Lives"

Salem has quite a few soap hoppers coming to town.

 

"All My Children" alum Chrishell Stause has signed on for a mysterious new role and will show up in Salem mid-summer.

 

"I couldn't be happier!" Stause tweeted. "My bags are packed-moving to Salem!"

 

"General Hospital" alum Jen Lilley (ex-Maxie) will heat up "Days of Our Lives," starting in July. Lilley earned props from Port Charles fans during her stint covering for Kirsten Storms last year, but don't get ahead of yourselves "Days of Our Lives" fans. Lilley is not a recast for Belle, the role that launched Storm's career years ago. 

 

Nadia Bjorlin's Chloe will be back for a few episodes toward the ends of summer. 

Meanwhile, with Casey Deidrick's (Chad) contract up in June, buzz suggests he could be on his way out. The show may even be recasting the role, but neither he nor the show have confirmed this rumor. 

 

"General Hospital"

With summer approaching, Samantha Logan ("666 Park Avenue") has joined the "General Hospital" teen scene as Felix's younger sister, Taylor DuBois. The newcomer will shake up the Rafe, Molly and T.J. triangle.

 

"Not everything can be a triangle, so there will be another girl thrown into the mix," teased headwriter Ron Carlivati.

 

America Ferrera and ABC could reunite.

 

The actress, who rose to fame on the network's telenovela-style drama "Ugly Betty," is eyeing a new ABC project called "Pedro & Maria," EW.com reports. Inspired by "Romeo and Juliet," the modernized tale is in development and comes from executive producer Ben Silverman ("The Office" and "The Biggest Loser").

 

Bing: More on 'Pedro & Maria' | America Ferrera

 

According to the report, instead of the Capulets vs. the Montagues, "Pedro & Maria" will focus on "two opposites cut from the same cloth caught in the trap of forbidden love. He is a second generation Dominican from the mean streets of Washington Heights. She is a Puerto Rican whose parents made millions as real estate developers. It's a clash of the haves and the have-nots, of Main St vs. Wall St, set against a volatile cultural backdrop that fiercely believes neither side should mix with the other."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

Silverman also produced "Ugly Betty," which aired from 2006-2010, and like the series, "Pedro & Maria" will have a telenovela format. The drama was initially pitched as an interactive series that would allow viewers to vote and choose the direction of the characters and story lines, but it's unknown if that is still a variable.

 

Paul Lee, ABC's entertainment president, said the network will explore limited-series projects to fill the gap created by hiatuses for hits such as "Scandal" and "Once Upon a Time." Lee made the announcement at last week's upfronts presentation and added that ABC's top-rated series will be clustered into tight runs with all-original episodes for up to 12 weeks at a time. He didn't say "Pedro & Maria" has received the green light yet, but the show and its proposed short-run make it a strong candidate within ABC's new landscape of fewer reruns.

 

Susan Olsen (Cindy), Christopher Knight (Peter) and Barry Williams (Greg) returned to Kings Island in Ohio for a mini-reunion Sunday, May 19. The "Brady Bunch" alumni celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1973 episode that saw one of TV's most celebrated blended families go on summer vacation at the amusement park.

 

Bing: More about "The Brady Bunch" | Watch clips and episodes of "The Brady Bunch"

 

Fans packed the 844-seat venue for four mini-reunions that featured Williams, Christopher and Olsen sharing behind-the-scenes stories, memories and classic clips. Retro TV fans also got to shake hands, get autographs and strike a pose with the stars for $20.

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

  

During the reunion, former wild child Knight, now 55, quipped that he didn't remember much from that time, but enjoyed hearing about the good old days from fans. Olsen, 51, gave fans a time check when she talked about her 16-year-old son with a Mohawk.

Williams, 58, was reportedly the star of the reunion. In addition to emceeing the event, he gave fans a bit of his classic Johnny Bravo and then shared his re-written version of "The Real Slim Shady," "The Real Greg Brady." He rewrote the Eminem song in order to explain his popularity with strangers to his son. The idea sounds a bit ridiculous and the track did not impress his son, but the video is not all that bad. 

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Daytime talk shows promise an A-list lineup the week of Monday, May 20. The Billboard Music Awards and Memorial Day will be hot topics. Blockbuster movie season brings stars from "We're the Millers," "Epic," "Now You See Me," "The Hangover Part III," "Fast and Furious 6," "Before Midnight," "The English Teacher" and "What Maisie Knew." Big screen and TV stars are talking "Behind the Candelabra," "Nashville," "Mad Men," "Criminal Minds," "The Client List," "Save Me," "Arrested Development," "Glee," "Modern Family," "The Middle," "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice," "Shark Tank," The American Baking Competition," "Rock My RV With Bret Michaels" and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

 

Bing: More Daytime TV news  |  "Behind the Candelabra" 

Mariah Carey and fun. kick off the "GMA" and "Today" summer concert series Friday. Other performers coming to daytime include Pitbull, Darius Rucker, Michael Bolton, Grizzly Bear, TobyMac, John Fogerty, Psy, Candice Glover, "American Idol" runners up, "Dancing with the Stars" winners and finalists, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs, Youngblood Hawke and Broadway's "Matilda" and "Pippin."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

"Anderson Live"

Mon: hidden-camera investigations 

Tue: (repeat) Co-host Deborah Norville; daughter of the "Coffee Cup Killer"

Wed: (repeat) Co-hosts Lisa Rinna; Ricky Schroder, Sandra Vergara, strange addictions revealed

Thurs: (repeat) Co-host Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi; The Pregnant Man, Bow Wow

Fri: (repeat) Co-host Judge Marilyn Milian; avoiding money scams, Grumpy Cat

 

"Ellen"

Mon: Ed Helms, Ellen Here's My Talent winner

Tues: Hayden Panettiere; Sophia Grace and Rosie at the Billboard Music Awards; Ed Sheeran performs

Wed: Co-host Jennifer Aniston; Portia de Rossi, Ludacris

Thurs: Amanda Seyfried, Kevin Nealon; Michael Bolton and Delta Goodrem perform

Fri: Steve Harvey, Dr. Neal Barnard; Grizzly Bear

 

"Good Morning America"

Mon: Michael Douglas; Julianne Moore and Nathan Lane; BHS at "DWTS" with Cameron Mathison; Billboard Music Awards highlights; Olly Murs performs

Tues: Matt Damon; Helio Castroneves, Louis van Amstel and Chelsie Hightower; Aziz Ansari; Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer; Darius Rucker performs

Wed: "DWTS" final four couples and Tom Bergeron; Pitbull performs

Thurs: "Behind the Candelabra" cast, Jason Sudeikis, Trisha Yearwood; Broadway's "Pippin" performs

Fri: Mariah Carey performs in Central Park's Rumsey Playfield

 

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"Katie"

Mon: Dr. Ian Smith and Sherri Shepherd talk weight loss

Tues: Jenny McCarthy, Jo Frost, Jenna Ushkowitz

Wed: how to save, stretch and make money with Melissa d'Arabian, Andrea Woroch and Daymond John

Thurs: Bob Woodruff; Salute our troops

Fri: TBA

 

"Live! With Kelly and Michael"

Mon: Colin Farrell, Elisabeth Moss; Candice Glover performs

Tues: "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" winner; Psy talks and performs; "American Idol" runner-up performs

Wed: Morgan Freeman, the "Dancing with the Stars" winners perform; "American Idol" third place contestant performs

Thurs: Co-host Carson Kressley; Ken Jeong, winner of the National Geographic Spelling Bee; 2nd place "Dancing with the Stars" couple performs

Fri: Ethan Hawke, winner of the MathCounts competition; the third and fourth place "Dancing with the Stars" couples perform; summer-long Truckin' Amazing Cook-Off food truck competition kicks off

 

"Marie"

Mon: Todd Bridges, chef Alex Hitz, Susan Rizzo Vincent

Tues: Kuk Harrell, Alicia Lagano; Savannah Van Band performs

Wed: Behind the scenes at "Marie"

Thurs: Colin Mochrie, Laura McKenzie; Glennon Doyle Melton

 

"Rachael Ray Show"

Mon: Co-host Guy Fieri; Wayne Brady; Youngblood Hawke performs

Tues: Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Christine Ha, Justin Tuck

Wed: Totally Awesome '80s with original MTV VJs, Huey Lewis, Colin Quinn 

Thurs: Hayden Panettiere

Fri: (repeat) Gwyneth Paltrow

 

"The Talk"

Mon: Co-host Carnie Wilson; Shemar Moore, Anne Heche

Tues: Jeff Foxworthy, Julie Bowen; chefs Marcela Valladolid and Paul Hollywood

 Wed: Patricia Heaton, chef Art Smith

Thurs: Isla Fisher, Carter Oosterhouse

Fri: La Toya Jackson, Linda Daly

 

"Today"'

* Great American Adventure week takes the hosts on the road

Mon: live from Hawaii; Paul Anka

Tues: live from Yellowstone; Joe Bastianich, Michael Caine

Wed: live from Chicago; SQuire Rushnell

Thurs: live from Orlando; Giada DeLaurentiis, Anne Heche; latest eliminated "The Voice" contestant

Fri: live from the Jersey Shore; Co-host New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Bobby Flay and Giada DeLaurentiis; Fun performs

 

"The View"

Mon: Co-host Brooke Shields; Michael Caine

Tues: Woody Harrelson, Jane Lynch

 Weds: John Malkovich; tour of Harlem; Broadway's "Matilda" performs

Thurs: Co-host Jillian Michaels; Jason Sudeikis; John Fogerty performs

Fri: Co-host  Chris O'Donnell; Julianne Moore Dr. Kelly Starrett; peforms

 

"The Wendy Williams Show"

Mon: Maury Povich

Tues: Ray J; Trace Adkins and Penn Jillette

Wed: Bret Michaels
Thurs: (repeat) Kerry Washington and David Alan Grier
Fri: (repeat) Paris Hilton, DJ Armin van Buuren

 

Schedules are subject to change.

 

Season 7 of Showtime's hit serial-killer drama, "Dexter," ended with Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) making a horrible choice. It's a choice that changed her life and the way she looked at her brother, Dexter (Michael C. Hall), forever.

 

Plus: 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' 

 

When the beloved series returns in June, for its eighth and final season, Deb's decision continues to haunt her as her life takes a downward spiral. But what will Deb do? Will she confess and turn in herself and Dexter, too? That's certainly what the show's newly released trailer suggests. Check it out:

 

"Dexter" Season 8 debuts Sunday, June 30, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

 

SPOILER ALERT: This post includes plot points from the Season 2 finale of "Scandal."

 

To call "Scandal" a guilty pleasure after Thursday night's delicious Season 2 finale would be a misnomer. After all, why should anyone feel guilty for watching what was arguably one of TV's most gratifying and twist-filled closers this year?

 

Not only did fans see mole Billy Chambers get his comeuppance but the rise and painful fall of Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) once again. This, after Olivia devised such an awe-inspiring divorce package for Fitz and Mellie (Bellamy Young). The bit on Mellie being labeled a racist was a thing of beauty in and of itself. But the best part was when viewers learned that Rowan (Joe Morton), the underhanded CIA-B613 boss, is none other than Olivia's dad. Whaaaaat!

 

Bing: More on ABC's 'Scandal' 

 

This revelation and all the other juicy twists and turns -- including Quinn's (Katie Lowes) penchant for torture and Cyrus' (Jeff Perry ) heart attack and break-up abilities -- captured the attention of 9.1 million viewers. Many of these same viewers flocked to Twitter, GetGlue and the web to give voice to their shocks and delights.

 

Plus: 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' 

 

"Exhausted after the #Scandal finale," tweeted fan Mona Scott-Young. "I feel like I've been 'fixing,' drilling & went into cardiac arrest my damn self! #Wow!!" Meanwhile, Lena Dunham got in on the action, too. Not one to be excluded from a good time she tweeted, "Not leaving the house this weekend until I'm caught up on Scandal. I feel left behind & left out like the last girl to get my period."

 

And if you think the Season 2 finale was a head-spinner, creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, promises a Season 3 filled with more suspense and intrigue, especially when it comes to Rowan and Olivia's troubled father-daughter relationship.

 

"At the very least, Rowan was trying to get Jake (Scott Foley) to have sex with her and then make a tape of it, which seems creepy on many levels, right?" Rhimes told reporters at a "Scandal" event the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held Thursday night. "I don't know if they were trying to kill her. That's up to interpretation."

 

Rhimes also said she and the writers considered an ending where Olivia and Fitz spooned in bed and ended up together but, ultimately, they wanted Olivia to have clean hands. "It was charming, adorable and really, really sexy and I love the scene and maybe one day someone will get to see it," Rhimes said. "But the problem with it was that Olivia put the white hat back on and emotionally you felt like she had found her inner core after losing it so badly. It felt like a cheat -- that we were cheating her out of trying to do something good."

 

"Scandal" Season 3 kicks off this fall on ABC. 

 

Wonder Woman could get another shot in primetime.

 

"Amazon," the CW's prequel starring the beloved comic-book hero, is in development still, even though it didn't land on the network's fall schedule. "It's being redeveloped," said Mark Pedowitz, the CW's president, following an upfronts presentation Thursday. "We don't want to produce something (inferior). It's the trickiest of all the DC characters."

 

Bing: More on 'Wonder Woman' 

 

The original "Wonder Woman" with Lynda Carter aired on ABC from 1975-79. David E. Kelley and NBC attempted to reboot the series, starring Adrianne Palicki  in the iconic title role (pictured), for the 2011-12 season but the project died on the vine. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. TV sent out a casting call for a young woman, 5'8" or above, for a series about "the teenage years of the heroine who will become Wonder Woman," EW.com reports.

 

Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'

 

The description of the show also included details about the heroine hailing from a "secluded country where she was raised as a solider in a brutal environment. Now a stranger in a strange modern big city, she's a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic ­and she will fight to the death to make the world safe."

 

Pedowitz said the "basics" were all there, but the execution needed work. Producers and networks don't usually cast series until a pilot is ordered, but a project like "Amazon" cannot succeed without the right woman in the lead role. 

 

"All My Children" and "One Life to Live" have remained in the top 10 on Hulu since premiering on April 29, but the online soap reboots are reducing the number of episodes released per week. Viewing patterns indicated the shows were producing too much content for many viewers to consume, so fans can expect two episodes of each show to air each week, starting Monday, May 20.

 

Bing: More about "All My Children"  | "One Life to Live" 

 

New episodes of "All My Children" will now be released Mondays and Wednesdays, with fresh episodes of "One Life to Live" posted Tuesdays and Thursdays. The behind the scenes series "More" will run as a single show on Fridays.

 

"When it comes to online, as with all new technology, it's adapt or fail," Prospect Park explained in a news release. "We feel fortunate to be an online company and to have such an opportunity to adapt. Of course, we will continue to evaluate all the data that comes in and will be vigilant about revising our strategy as needed."

 

The change stems from viewing patterns that have emerged during the first month of streaming. First, fans have been binge viewing or watching on demand, usually during the weekend: That means many fans have been trying to cram five hours of soaps into their weekend. On ABC, fans watched episodes close to their airdate, so they didn't fall as far behind. They also tended to watch only two to three episodes a week. But with the action-packed reboots, it's not as easy to follow when you've missed episodes. Plus, Prospect Park clearly doesn't want fans skipping episodes. 

Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'

 

Another interesting shift in viewing was that fans aren't watching both shows. On television, maintaining audience is a key factor, with fans often watching whatever airs next. That doesn't apply on the Internet. Prospect Park likely hopes that, with less to consume, fans will go back to watching both series. 

 

While the shows will release fewer episodes at a time, production will continue at the same pace through mid-June. Prospect Park will focus on editing while productions halts in July, with production resuming in August.

 

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Hulu will continue to stream all current episodes for free so that viewers who've fallen behind can catch up. There is no mention in the release about how this affects iTunes or how the show is performing there.

"All My Children" and "One Life to Live" can be streamed via Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes.