Soap fans first heard buzz about an exciting new project by Sean Kanan (ex-A.J. Quartermaine, General Hospital; ex-Deacon Sharpe, The Bold and the Beautiful/The Young and the Restless) earlier this November, and now the soap star-studded series, called Studio City, is hitting Amazon Prime.
Showrunner Timothy Woodward Jr. announced the exciting streaming news along with the premiere date: fans can head to the streaming service this Friday, December 20, to start watching what Kanan calls "a love letter to soaps."
Studio City follows the journeys of Sam Stevens (Kanan) and the cast of the fictional show-within-a show, Hearts on Fire, America's #2 daytime drama. The characters navigate their own messy personal lives while working it the parallel universe of soap operas. Each episode gives fans a double dose of storyline by weaving in clips from the fictional soap-within-the-show, and they illustrate how life often imitates art -- especially in the world of daytime.
Stars of Studio City include Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio, GH; Colin Atkinson, Y&R), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane Miller, GH), Sarah Joy Brown (ex-Carly Corinthos/Claudia Zacchara, GH; ex-Madison James, Days of our Lives; ex-Agnes Jones/Sandy Sommers, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Julia Larrabee, As the World Turns), Patrika Darbo (ex-Shirley Spectra, B&B; ex-Nancy Wesley, DAYS), and Scott Turner Schofield (ex-Nick, B&B).
Says Kanan, "Soap operas have been an integral part of my life and I wanted to create a project that reflected my deep affection for the enormous talent behind their continued success and longevity."
Soap Central's Dan J Kroll was given a sneak peek at the series and reports that "Studio City is everything that soap fans think goes on behind the scenes. It's snarky, it's sexy, it's chock-full of politicking -- but it's more than that. It's also a chance to see some of our favorite daytime performers in a totally new light. There were several scenes where I had to ask myself, 'Why isn't anyone on any of the network soaps writing material like this for these actors?' Sean Kanan is the leading man that he deserves to be. Carolyn Hennesy is deliciously bitchy. Patrika Darbo is absolutely mesmerizing. And Scott Turner Schofield really delivers a breakthrough performance."
Studio City was co-created by Jason Antognoli and also stars Michael James Lazar, Philip Bruenn, Erin Michele Soto, Melissa Riso, and newcomer Juliet Vega. Veteran producer and director Timothy Woodward Jr. is at the helm alongside his longtime producing partner, Zeb Huling, and seasoned producers Michele Kanan and Leah Aldarondo.
Lauren de Normandie joined the dynamic husband and wife writing duo of Michele and Sean Kanan to draft the heavy-hitting series which explores #metoo and LGBTQ issues with just enough levity to keep the story moving and audiences enthralled. The series writing team includes Timothy Woodward Jr. and Jason Antognoli.
For more information on Studio City, check out the series' official website.
Kanan joined the soap world in 1993 as General Hospital's A.J., which he played until 1997 and again from 2012 to 2014. He also played the role of Deacon Sharpe on-again, off-again from 2000 to 2017 on both The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. His other credits include Werewolf, Baby Boom, The Outsiders, and Step by Step.
In addition to creating Studio City, Kanan recently wrote a book called Success Factor X that features interviews with soap stars like Steve Burton (Jason Morgan, GH; ex-Dylan McAvoy, Y&R), Kimberlin Brown (ex-Sheila Carter, B&B/Y&R), Jennifer Finnigan (ex-Bridget Forrester, B&B), and Susan Lucci (ex-Erica Kane, All My Children).
What do you think about the casting and premise of Kanan's Studio City? Will you be tuning in to the digital drama when it hits Amazon Prime? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
