News Brief

EASTENDERS' summer of red hot plots
EASTENDERS bosses are apparently promising viewers a summer of red hot plots. The residents of Albert Square are going to be rocked by a series of dramas and romances, according to the Daily Star. A source told the paper: "Fans won't know what has hit them with these plots."

Max Branning - played by Jake Wood - apparently returns to Walford after daughter Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) sends him a text pretending to be from his wife Tanya begging him to come home.

But when he arrives he finds Tanya (Jo Joyner) is happily in a relationship with his brother Jack (Scott Maslen). Max is furious and plots revenge, which could prove dangerous for Jack, who has managed to hide the real reason he left the police.

Meanwhile, pregnant Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) is trying her best to avoid Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) but he follows her on her family holiday and makes it clear he wants to be there as the father of his baby. Roxy's sister Ronnie (Samantha Janus) is stunned when their father Archie (Larry Lamb) turns up.

And it seems Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) is set to find love again with Max Branning's saucy sister Suzy (Maggie O'Neill).

BLOG UPDATE: Sara A. Bibel
Bibel interviewed Y&R stars Jeanne Cooper, Kate Linder, Christian LeBlanc, Tracey Bregman, Nia Peeples and Tammin Sursok at Monday's Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy celebration.

INTERVIEW: AMC's Rebecca Budig answers questions from fans
"I DO love working with Thorsten. We have a nice thing there, but I think the powers that be really love Kendall and Zach as a couple and are resistant to break them up. We shall see."

Ex-EASTENDER Shaun heads to THE BILL?
Former EASTENDER Shaun Williamson is apparently set to guest star on THE BILL. It seems the actor will play gang leader Dave Monks, who comes under scrutiny during an international drugs smuggling investigation. The actor told The Sun: "I had forgotten about the long days and how hard the actors and crew work on a continuing drama. But everyone has been fantastic to work with."

DVRs lifting network TV? Copy that
The growing popularity of digital video recorders is brightening the picture for network TV, which has been buffeted by steady erosion to cable.

Only 23% of TV homes owned a DVR in May, Nielsen says. But that's nearly double the 12.4% average for the 2006-07 season. And because DVR users watch more TV than others, their impact on ratings is magnified.

"People with DVRs have the capability of watching this stuff whenever they want," says ABC's Larry Hyams, adding that the most-recorded shows have ratings 40% higher in DVR homes.

Problem is, until recently, networks haven't profited from procrastinators. In a compromise, they can now charge advertisers for delayed viewership, but only within three days. DVR users also can more easily skip commercials.

AUDIO: Kate Linder Interview
On Tuesday's episode of Daytime Confidential Luke and Mike visited with THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star Kate Linder about her twenty six year career on the number one rated soap.

ARMY WIVES Musters Record Audience
The second-season premiere of ARMY WIVES (starring former ALL MY CHILDREN star Kim Delaney) set ratings records for Lifetime. About 4.5 million people watched the premiere Sunday night (June 8), making the episode the most-watched original series telecast in the cable channel's history.

CELEBRITY CIRCUS starts tonight
Look for former soap stars Antonio Sabato Jr. (GH, B&B) and Christopher Knight (AW) to be among the celebrities on tonight's 90-minute opener.

Is Father Kieron really sticking with HOLLYOAKS?
Last week, Sharon Marshall announced on THIS MORNING that, owing to online petitions, HOLLYOAKS bosses had made the decision to keep Father Kieron Hobbs (Jake Hendriks), as opposed to killing him off as various rumours have suggested.

However, a source at the Channel 4 soap's production house Lime Pictures tells me that "the fate of Kieron has yet to be determined".

Daytime Emmy Goody bags
Today, glotosleep.us announced that they are making their flagship product, the popular non-addictive alternative to sleeping pill, GLO to SLEEP™ masks, available to all of the nominees and media at the 2008 Daytime Emmys at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on June 18th and 19th. The top-ranked cast and crew of the THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, as well as the other nominees and media, will be receiving GLO to SLEEP™ masks, the healthy alternative to sleeping pills, which assist the wearer to achieve natural sleep without the use of electronics and are made from lightweight, hypoallergenic materials in the U.S.

TV Squad Soap Report: GH gets graded
"To put it bluntly, GENERAL HOSPITAL needs some intensive care. The show is suffering from post-dramatic stress disorder, not traumatic, dramatic."