All My Children reunites on Home & Family

All My Children cast members l-r:
Taylor Miller, Peter Bergman, Kathleen Noone,
Michael E. Knight, Eva La Rue, Susan Lucci,
Jill Larson, Eden Riegel, Kim Delaney and Laurence Lau.
February 1, 2017
Photo by Erica Berger

For fans of daytime TV's classic series, this past week of Hallmark Channel's Home & Family was a real treat.  All week long, daytime diva Susan Lucci guest-hosted the two-hour daily program -- and on Thursday, Lucci joined in for a reunion of many of her former All My Children co-stars.

The vibe was familial as the actors joined in different combinations not only to talk about their days on the soap, but to work with Home & Family correspondents such as Debbie Matenopoulos, Lawrence Zarian, Kym Douglas and Paige Hemmis for segments on beauty, cooking and crafts.

Home & Family hosts
Mark Steines and Debbie Matenopoulos
February 1, 2017
Photo by Erica Berger

Later, over cocktails in Home & Family's backyard, I talked with Michael E. Knight, aka AMC's Tad Martin, about how he got his start.  Not long after graduating, he found himself on AMC -- and acting opposite one of his idols.  As a kid, Knight had broken his wrist, and during his recuperation, home from school, he discovered All My Children and its resident vixen, Erica Kane.  So years later, when he got the job on AMC himself, he approached Susan Lucci like a real fan -- and, he admits, probably scared her.  "I know you!  I love you!"


Check out Hallmark's Home & Family, airing weekdays at 10 AM Eastern/Pacific.

All My Children's Kim Delaney (l) and Kathleen Noone
February 1, 2017
Photo by Erica Berger

With the delightful Eva La Rue
at Hallmark's Home & Family
February 1, 2017
Photo by Erica Berger

Colucci meets Lucci at long last!
With Susan Lucci and my husband Frank DeCaro
at Hallmark's Home & Family
February 1, 2017
Photo by Erica Berger

Devious Ana Ortiz

As the substitute host of yesterday's Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius XM OutQ 109 (so that Frank could attend the funeral here in NYC of James Gandolfini), I had the pleasure of interviewing Ana Ortiz, one of the stars of Lifetime's new series Devious Maids.

If the description of Devious Maids sounds familiar -- five women come together and form a friendship after the murder of one of their own -- it's because it's from the creator of the long-running hit Desperate Housewives, Marc Cherry.  In the interview below, Ana -- an incredibly funny, sexy lady whom I first met nearly a decade ago when she was acting in a sitcom pilot created by a mutual friend -- talks all about her new character, Marisol, and about her star-making role as Ugly Betty's fabulous, high-heeled sister Hilda.

And by the way, if you missed the premiere of Devious Maids this past Sunday, June 23, there are a few ways to catch up before episode 2 this Sunday.  This IMDB link will work for the next few days, so go ahead and enjoy the pilot for what looks like a fun, soapy new end-of-the-weekend treat.


Devious Maids
Lifetime
Sundays, 10 PM Eastern