Next Generation Entertainment Soaps Who’s Kid is this Anyway

This week we are opening the doors to one of daytime televisions favorite closets.

You know the one.

The closet where apparently every soap family has been hiding a fully grown child nobody knew existed. 🤩

Long lost children.

Secret children.

Children believed dead.

Children given away.

Children whose parents never knew they existed.

And children who walk into town already knowing exactly who Mom or Dad is and carrying enough resentment to power an entire sweeps period.

We are looking back at some of the greatest surprise children and family revelations in soap history.

Anthony takes us to Port Charles and Carly Roberts arrival as the daughter Bobbie Spencer had given up for adoption. Carly knew exactly who Bobbie was. Bobbie had absolutely no idea Carly was her daughter. And Carly certainly did not come to town looking for a quiet mother daughter reunion.

David heads to Pine Valley for Erica Kanes complicated history with Kendall Hart and one of the most controversial retcons in daytime history, Josh Madden.

For decades, Ericas abortion was one of daytime televisions most significant stories. Then All My Children revealed that the abortion supposedly never happened and that Dr. Greg Madden had secretly transferred the fetus, resulting in Erica and Jeff Martins grown son Josh.

Brilliant soap insanity or an unforgivable rewrite of television history?

We have thoughts.

Candice takes us to Genoa City for Claire Grace, the daughter Victoria Newman and Cole Howard believed they had lost decades earlier, and Mariah Copeland, who turned out to be more than a woman who looked exactly like Cassie.

She was Cassies twin.

And Sharons daughter.

Because apparently even childbirth in Genoa City can come with missing paperwork. 🤩

Ashley takes us back to Springfield and Reva Shaynes surprise sons Dylan Lewis and Jonathan Randall.

If you remember Tom Pelphreys Jonathan, you already know that particular family reunion did not arrive quietly.

Sue heads to Llanview, where the Buchanan and Lord family trees practically required their own cartographers.

Natalie.

Jessica.

Todd.

Victor.

Rex.

Twins, secret parentage, switched identities and enough DNA revelations to keep Llanview laboratories operating around the clock.

We also visit Bay City for Mac Corys surprise children Sandy Alexander and Paulina Cantrell, along with one of our favorite variations on the story.

Lorna Devon and Felicia Gallant.

Imagine discovering that the young woman who has become your enemy is actually your biological daughter.

That is daytime television doing what daytime television does best.

And of course Santa Barbara joined the family reunion.

Cassandra Benedict was revealed as Minx Lockridges daughter, while Brick Wallace was eventually revealed as the biological son of Sophia Capwell and Lionel Lockridge after a baby switch.

Because naturally there was a baby switch.

It was Santa Barbara. 🤩

We bring the conversation back to todays soaps with Cody Bell and Mac Scorpio on General Hospital, Stefan DiMera and Stefano on Days of Our Lives, and the later revelation that Xander Cook Kiriakis was actually Victor Kiriakis son.

But the bigger conversation is why these stories work.

When does a long lost child deepen what we already know about a beloved character?

When does a surprise relative become a brilliant revelation?

When does it become a retcon?

And when does rewriting history go too far?

Which surprise child shocked you most?

Which one did you love?

Which one made absolutely no sense?

And which current soap character probably has a fully grown child somewhere just waiting to walk through the door?

After our roundtable, Anthony, David, Candice, Ashley, Sue and the Next Generation Entertainment Soaps crew turn to everything happening right now across daytime.

The recaps.

The breaking news.

The casting shakeups.

The returns.

The exits.

The spoilers.

The stories making us cheer.

The stories making us yell at our televisions.

And of course the fan theories that sound completely ridiculous right up until the soaps prove us right. 🤩

You can find Next Generation Entertainment Soaps wherever you listen to podcasts.

And join us on the Next Generation Entertainment Facebook page for soap news, original writings, fan interactions, conversations, and our in depth character and storyline breakdowns.

You can also find Next Generation Entertainment Soaps at the home of the Sunday Edition family of podcasts and digital media content services.

www.anthonycorona.com

And if you have not listened yet, our recent conversations with John Lindstrom and Vincent Irizarry are waiting for you in the podcast feed.

We also have a fabulous new interview coming in two weeks with someone who is currently getting quite a bit of attention on General Hospital.

We are keeping that name tucked safely inside the soap opera vault for just a little longer. 🤩

Come for the long lost children.

Stay for the secrets.

Because in soaps, nobody is ever really gone, nobody is necessarily who they think they are, and somewhere out there somebody probably has a DNA test waiting to ruin Thanksgiving.

And if you enjoy our conversations, interviews, writings and shows, please consider dropping a few coins into our tip jar. Every little bit helps us continue creating independent content for the soap community we love.

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pisode Notes

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