News Round-up

Bride gets a bullet in Memphis filmmaker's online soap opera
Did you hear the one about the young Southern woman who was shot and sent into a coma on her wedding day by a mystery assailant after it was revealed that she was pregnant, that she stole her boyfriend from her cousin, that she'd been sleeping with a married man and that she was planning to sell the historic family farm to a shopping mall developer, despite the objections of her gay preacher brother?

And all that happens in the first episode of Memphis filmmaker Mark Jones' new online soap opera ON THE EDGE OF HAPPINESS, which launches at 10pm ET Tuesday at edgeofsoapopera.com. A public party celebrating the launch begins two hours earlier at Quetzal.

EDGE Unveiled
The first episode — which takes place behind the scenes of an impending wedding between characters Sarah (Corie Ventura) and Philip (Billie Worley) — ends with a murder and sets up about half a dozen potential suspects with motives rooted in family intrigue, illicit affairs, and other kinds of drama.

WWE Revenues Up 8% In 2008
They made nearly $100 million in 2008 on pay-per-view and on-demand services. Perhaps soaps should do pay-per-view concerts and shows instead of tours like Soap Opera Mania. It would cut out a lot of the overhead and, in this economy, might be a much more profitable venture.

PRIVILEGED: Tonight's your last chance to boost the ratings
Tonight is the final episode of season one (and possibly the series finale).

Bill Roache back on CORRIE set
Bill Roache has returned to work for the first time since the death of his wife. The actor - who has played Ken Barlow for 49 years - had been told by the soap's bosses that he could have as much time off as he needed, and storylines involving his character were rewritten. However, he made a subdued and gentle return to the STREET to film one scene with on-screen wife Deidre, before having meetings with CORRIE chiefs. An insider said: "They talked how his storylines were going to be altered to cater for his recent absence."

Kelli McCarty getting mixed reactions on porn career
Former Miss USA and PASSIONS star Kelli McCarty is getting mixed reactions to her new status as a porn star. Faithless, her first XXX movie from Vivid Entertainment (kelliusa.com) which was released on February 4th, is already on re-order and Kelli had a new star turn in the second episode of Vivid's DEEPER THROAT reality series on Showtime on Saturday night. On the other hand, not all her friends are thrilled with her new career choice.

"I had a blast making the movie because I enjoy acting and I really like sex," she says. "However, I am a bit surprised by the mixed reactions I'm now getting from friends. Men I've had only platonic relationships with over the years are now definitely viewing me in a more erotic way and one old friend suggested that I spend the night with him and his wife. But a woman who is a former cast mate from my days on the soap PASSIONS suggested that I leave country as soon as possible."

INTERVIEW: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' Neal McDonough (Dave)
"Everyone dies on the show. I'm the only person standing in HOUSEWIVES at the end of the season. I get a gun and put everybody down. No, I'm only kidding. But it's true that Nicollette is leaving the show and the next episode will be her last. It's so bizarre because we were married on the show for a year, and off the set she's become so close to me and my wife. All I can tell you is she's going out with a bang, that's for sure. It's pretty amazing stuff."