News Brief

Rick Springfield: It's good to be singing
Rick Springfield has a new album coming out Tuesday, the same day he will perform his single "Victoria's Secret" on an episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL.

No, it isn't 1982, when he was playing Dr. Noah Drake on the ABC soap at the same time that he had a thriving career as a Grammy winning pop star with 17 top-40 hits, including "Jessie's Girl," "I've Done Everything For You" and "Don't Talk to Strangers."

Fast-forward more than 25 years and Rick, who still drops by to play Noah on occasion, will appear on the soap this week as rocker Eli Love.

"The good thing is they brought in a different character and he gets to do my new single, which I'm really happy about," Rick said last week. "Any time you can get on TV with a new song is great."

Love Stinks for GENERAL HOSPITAL's Anna
Eighties icon Rick Springfield is back on GENERAL HOSPITAL as lookalikes
Dr. Noah Drake and rock star Eli Love. And the latter turns out to be quite the ageist pig. Eli will perform a concert in Port Charles on Tuesday, July 29 (Springfield's new CD Venus in Overdrive drops the same day), and he'll deny to the press that he's dating his ladylove Anna (Finola Hughes). The reason? Her daughter, Robin (Kimberly McCullough), is pregnant.

"Eli is afraid it'll do damage to his career to be seen hanging out with a grandma — what will his young fans think?" the 58-year-old Springfield says. "It was a hard thing for me to play because it's such a jerky thing to do."

AUDIO: DC #275: One Life to Live's 40th Anniversary With Nelson Branco
Join the Daytime Confidential gang and TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco as they celebrate One Life to Live's 40th Anniversary by taking a trip down memory lane and reminisce about how they became hooked on the ABC soap and who is their favorite character.

ATWT debuts on Hulu today
Hulu is starting with the June 1, 2007 episode (Noah Mayer's debut).

LYNN LICCARDO: Scrolling through the chaff
"...back in the day, Soap Opera Weekly quite simply reinvented the soap opera fan magazine. While sister publication, Soap Opera Digest, would publish the occasional serious article, SOW was the first to treat soaps as an industry, providing fans with real information about the people behind the camera and in the front offices, in addition to the de rigueur interviews with soap stars. Other SOW firsts: outspoken editorials by founding editor, Mimi Torchin, along with informed criticism by Marlena de Lacroix and other editors; there was even an opportunity for fans to weigh in with their opinions."

SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES: Episode #834
Bobby tries to forget about Stacey.


FNL's Porter joins The Good Guy
Alexis Bledel (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, GILMORE GIRLS) and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS star Scott Porter are joining Bryan Greenberg, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Yoo and Anna Chlumsky in Julio DePietro's romantic comedy The Good Guy, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Joyner let down by EASTENDERS role
You'd think EASTENDERS actress Jo Joyner - aka Tanya Branning - would be on top of the world, what with having a juicy part in a leading soap. But apparently not. The bubbly blonde has admitted she felt let down by the role, until she started to get her teeth into some meaty storylines.

Joyner told the Daily Star Sunday: "I have to be honest, in the past I've been a little bit disappointed with the way things have gone for Tanya. I really didn't think she'd be so mumsy. And I don't feel like I've made much of an impact since I've been in the show."

HOLLYOAKS stars in football charity match for Coventry hospital
HOLLYOAKS stars took to the pitch to raise money for a Coventry hospital - and delighted their crowd of female fans. The all-star 11 from hit Channel 4 soap played a select team from Earl Shilton, near Hinckley, to raise money for Coventry's University Hospital. The match was organised by friends of Earl Shilton man, Steve Garrett, whose life was saved by the hospital.