Eileen Davidson, Susan Flannery, Camryn Grimes and Liza Huber

Another daytime legend has been handed his walking papers. Stuart Damon, who has played Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital for three decades, will exit the show in February. Owing to budget cuts across the board in daytime, too many veterans are being let go in order to save money. It's a shame, because the soaps risk alienating long-time fans by firing their favourites. Julia Barr was recently terminated from All My Children after 30 years of service and wasn't even given a proper story to explain her character's departure. The same thing happened to Larry Bryggman (ex-John Dixon) on As the World Turns a while back, and to Eileen Davidson (ex-Ashley) recently on The Young and the Restless. Fortunately, none of these characters was killed off, so if there is a backlash by the fans, and the actor wants to return to the soap, they can always write the character back in.

Soap fans like familiarity, they like turning on the television and seeing the characters they used to watch with their mothers and grandmothers. New faces are always welcome as long as the character is interesting, and it is important to lure younger viewers because they are the next generation who will be sitting down to watch soaps with their children and grandchildren. However, younger viewers don't necessarily want to watch only people their own age. Many fans tell me they don't care how old the character is as long as the story is good.

Even Passions, which attracts a young demographic, seems to place equal importance on its middle-age-plus actors as it does on those who look good in bikinis, and The Bold and the Beautiful has mined years of story out of its moms and dads, as well as the silver-haired Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester).

We wish Damon good luck after GH and hope he turns up on another soap. Also, perhaps Alan's demise will lead to an interesting story for the other Quartermaines on the show, much like Cassie's (Camryn Grimes) death did for the Newmans on Y&R.

In other casting news, evil Dr. Spencer Truman may finally get his comeuppance on One Life to Live. Although we hate to see Truman's portrayer, Paul Satterfield, go, it's frustrating to see that permanent smirk on his face day after day. Also, look for Tuc Watkins to return to the soap briefly in February as David Vickers. We'd like to have him stay, but if he's there to assist in Spencer's payback, we'll take what we can get.

Days of Our Lives fans can catch Eric Winter on several episodes of the ABC Family channel series Wildfire starting January 15. The handsome young actor played Rex Brady on Days from 2002 to 2005 and will play a cowboy on Wildfire. He appears on the show through February 26.

The Passions baby boom continues as Liza Huber (Gwen) gave birth to a baby boy at the crack of dawn on December 23. She and husband, Alex Hesterberg, are proud parents of Royce Alexander Hesterberg, who weighed in at seven pounds 10 ounces. Incidentally, this is the first grandchild of daytime legend, Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), All My Children, Huber's mother, who happens to share her birthday with Royce.