News Round-up: Jessica Leccia, CBS Digital, Indy 500

INTERVIEW: GL's Jessica Leccia (Natalia)
Leccia was a guest on a special episode of the "Big Purple Podcast" on Thursday.

Josh Duhamel To Drive Indy 500 Pace Car
Duhamel will drive a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, leading the field of 33 drivers to the green flag for the May 24 race. The car also appears in the new Transformers movie.

Ada Maris cast on OLTL?
UGLY BETTY's Tony Plana celebrated the show's early pickup by taking his family out to dinner and having "some really expensive wine." His wife just got a job on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. All ABC shows... "I'm a loyal guy," he said.

INTERVIEW: OLTL's John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex)
Lavoisier was a guest on "BuzzWorthy Radio" on Thursday afternoon.

ANALYSIS: All Eyes on CBS Digital Strategy
With three of the four big networks now partners in online video hub Hulu, CBS is now distinctly under pressure to either get on board or make its own strategy pay off.

“My guess is that CBS is going to feel their digital strategy needs to deliver this year because of their CNET acquisitions,” says Dennis Miller, general partner at venture capital firm Spark Capital. “Their individuals are going to be under pressure. We’re just in the first inning of what’s going to be relatively long game.”

CBS may ultimately become a partner, but it has other reasons for maintaining a distance; the desire to make cable operators pay for retransmission of CBS network. One executive with knowledge of talks said, “The money is with retrans today. The question is what’s the value of what’s going on with online video. Retrans is very much top of mind.”

Before They Were Stars, They Were Soap Stars
Despite the tough economy, soap operas still serve as a launching ground for actors' careers. Many of TV's most famous faces once played a recurring role on a soap opera. ABC News looks at nine.

Korean Vs. U.S. Soaps
Korean devotees of U.S. soap operas are increasingly voting with their feet, watching them not only on cable or satellite TV channels but engaging in such illegal activities like posting episodes of popular dramas with Korean subtitles online just a few hours after they are broadcast in the U.S. Pundits say as their number explodes, the viewer ratings of Korean dramas are shrinking. More than 1.5 million such fans are estimated to be out there online, more than three times the number three years ago.

When The Soap Opera Devil Possesses You, You Get Laser-Beam Eyes And Projectile Vomit
Charlie Jane Anders writes: "The Devil possesses Marlena, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' plucky doctor, and causes her to manifest powers such as laser-beam eyes and projectile vomit, which coats her longtime love-interest John completely. Greatest soap-opera plot ever."

The Latest in Soap Videos

Here are some of the latest soap videos to hit the web.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Pam informed Stephanie on Thursday that she had put in the wrong social security numbers and dates on Brooke and Ridge's marriage license, making their marriage invalid.

AS THE WORLD TURNS: Damian informed Lily and Holden he was staying in Oakdale on Thursday's episode. Watch Part 2.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Cane hired Mac to work at Jimmy's on Thursday.

CONFESSIONS: On Episode #16, "The Truth is Out," Tameka's evening with Pat was unexpectedly interrupted.

News Round-up: DVR Study, Nielsen Sued, Izzie's Mom

Study: About 16% of commercials will be skipped by 2011
About 6% of TV commercials in the U.S. are fast-forwarded because of DVRs, reflecting about $5 billion in what some consider wasted spending. By the end of 2011, about 16% of commercials will be skipped.

The data come from a study titled "Advertising in the DVR Age," which the DVR Research Institute will release Friday. It bases its conclusions on a poll of 200 top U.S. advertising executives and on averages from other research firms.

There are about 30 million DVR households, a number expected to rise to 50 million -- or 49% of U.S. households -- by the end of 2011. When a show is time-shifted, as many as 70% of ads are avoided, and as users get accustomed to their DVRs, they watch more and more TV in time-shifted mode.

All these numbers add up to 16% of commercials being skipped by the end of 2011, an opportunity loss of about $14 billion.

Disney Buys Into Hulu, YouTube Should Be Worried
In the world of media companies, every new distribution window is a new opportunity to make money. So instead of thinking of the Web as one big distribution window, maybe Hulu gets first dibs at the hottest shows and movies, and then YouTube after a while. the media companies would like nothing better than to displace YouTube as the king of all Web video. And with a stake in Hulu's success, they have even more incentive to help it win.

VIDEO: DAYS Stars Gather For Charity Benefit
On April 18, six current and former actors from DAYS OF OUR LIVES held a fan event to benefit Retinoblastoma International in Hartford, CT.

ANOTHER WORLD 45th Anniversary: Opening Titles
A look at some of the opening titles of the show which would be celebrating its 45th anniversary next week had it stayed on the air.

INTERVIEW: OLTL's Sean Moynihan (Powell)
"I was shocked when I heard from the show after 14 years. Returning to the set was like walking back in time: I saw all these familiar faces in the cast and crew and everyone was so warm and welcoming."

Sunbeam Sues Nielsen For ‘Unlawful Conduct'
Sunbeam Television filed a complaint in federal court against Nielsen Media Research alleging that the ratings giant "violated federal and state antitrust laws, as well as Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, by unlawfully maintaining and perpetuating its monopoly in the TV-ratings market."

Sunbeam claims that "television stations such as WSVN are left with no choice but to purchase Nielsen's ratings in order to market air time to advertisers. Sunbeam alleges that Nielsen has abused its monopoly position by charging artificially high prices, offering inferior and flawed ratings services in a take-it-or-leave-it basis, and engaging in exclusionary tactics to prevent competitors from gaining a foothold in the industry."

GREY'S ANATOMY Preview: Izzie's Mom Storms Seattle
TVGuide.com talks with Sharon Lawrence who has been cast as Izzie's mother. "Like Izzie, she got knocked up when she was 16! Like mother, like daughter — there's absolute legitimacy in that."

IN DEFENSE OF CHANGE, by Susan Flannery
"Our community is a small one.We should honor and respect one another’s artistry and hard work. Times, they are a changing…..Technology, in part, has reduced the size of our viewing audience, as has economics, etc. etc.

"[GL] Executive Producer Ellen Wheeler, TeleNext, her staff, her outstanding talented cast, crew, and writers nudged the soap opera genre off its axis by a point or two. And that’s a good thing."

It's Official: Disney (including GH) Joins Hulu

The Walt Disney Company is joining web video site Hulu as an equity partner. Disney joins NBC Universal, Providence Equity and News Corp. as a partner in the fast growing site.

As a result of the deal, a slate of full episodes from the Disney Channels will appear on the site, including GENERAL HOSPITAL, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, GREY'S ANATOMY, UGLY BETTY, PRIVATE PRACTICE, GREEK and THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER.

"From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today's Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey," said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. "Disney and Hulu share a focus on delivering the highest-quality entertainment experience and we look forward to working with Hulu to build value for our consumers, our brands and our shareholders."

Hulu is currently the No. 3 video site in the U.S.

Report Card: TV’s Winners & Losers

Brian Gianelli at Fancast has published a list of TV's winners and losers for this season.

I certainly can agree with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS being listed as a winner having had a superb season and being renewed for two more.

WINNER - FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The experiment between NBC and DirecTV worked. The two split the cost of new episodes, which aired in the fall on DirecTV and re-aired in the winter/spring on NBC. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS won an amazing two-year renewal. NY magazine called the news “mind-exploding.” The next two seasons will each have 13 episodes, so we can keep watching Dillon’s best parents, Eric and Tami Taylor, and find out what happens to our favorite Panthers after graduation. Unfortunately the show is losing two hotties, Adrianne Palicki and Minka Kelly. But we’re sure they’ll rebuild.

But enough with dumping on soaps and/or soap fans today!

LOSER - SOAP FANS: After 72 years (57 of those on television) GUIDING LIGHT will go dark in September, ending the longest-running TV drama in history. Fans have only a few precious months to spend with their favorite Springfield residents. One rumor circulating has Lifetime interested in continuing the show. But one thing’s for sure: Daytime soaps are in trouble. Beset by declining ratings and changing viewing habits, the genre’s future could suffice as its own danger-plagued plot. A mere seven soaps remain on the three major networks. Demographics have changed. “You don’t have stay-at-home moms like you used to,” UCLA television professor Myri Schreibman noted three years ago. Until the CW stepped up, no network wanted to broadcast the Daytime Emmys. One college newspaper captured the situation when it headlined a story ‘The Young and the Ambivalent.”

FNL is a soap too but critics refuse to accept that fact. To me a continuing drama is a "soap" whether it airs in the daytime or at night. I have a special place in my heart for the daytime variety but I treat them all the same on the blog. Continuing stories will never go out of style.

NIGHTLINE: Hard Times Come To Soap City

In a new story by John Berman and Steven Baker, "Tears in Soap City Starting to Look Real," ABC News takes a look at the state of soap operas today.

As soap fans, we have read this story before, with it being pointed out how ratings have fallen, actors are taking pay cuts and shows are in danger of cancellation. It would be nice if more of the positives were pointed out like how the genre is thriving in prime time, how some shows have actually gained viewers over the past year and that predictions of doom have been made in the past but never come true. The continuing drama will never go away. They daytime versions may end up thriving online or on cable.

It's the Great Recession.

"It is hitting Pine Valley, we are not unique," said Julie Hanan Carruthers, the show's executive producer.

So far, the tough economic times haven't actually worked their way into the soaps' ever-evolving plot lines. But behind the scenes, daytime shows face tighter budgets, shrunken ad revenues and competition for viewer attention from new media.

"The recession has affected everything and obviously, you know, my big challenge is, how do you tighten a budget and not see it on the air?" said Hanan Carruthers.

Susan Lucci commented on her pay cut.

"Everyone has pitched in, and everyone has stepped up to the plate, and we've tightened where we can," said Lucci. "I've felt it in a couple of ways, there's some missing faces on the studio floor, and that's sad because we really are an ensemble here, from top to bottom, not just the company of actors but the crew, very much so."

John Valentini believes it is more difficult to hold viewer's attention these days with the advances in media technology.

"I think the biggest challenge for the media is it is so fragmented right now that people are either multi-tasking, surfing the Net, texting, talking on the phone all at once," said Valentini. "So, I think to truly capture their attention for the 45 minutes a day, and not just those 45 minutes that day, but for the five days and the following weeks ... once a story starts, it has to start with a bang and then go from there."

Soap's secret weapon is their committed fans.

"In a bad economy, that's when the audience really wants to watch something that really helps," Lucci said. "The escape is in some ways instructive, and is also really hopeful, exciting and fun."

Apprently this will be a topic of conversation on NIGHTLINE tonight at 11:35pm ET on ABC.

FLASHBACK: TV Soap Opera Pitches 1982

TV SYNDICATORS AWASH IN SOAP OPERA PITCHES

By Lee Margulies
Los Angeles Times
March 15, 1982

LAS VEGAS - America apparently has gone mad for soap operas - both the television variety and the sort that real life tends to dish out.

At least that's the impression at the television industry's annual syndication convention, where program buyers from stations across the country shop for the shows they'll need next fall to fill in those portions of the weekly schedule that aren't given over to network or local programming.

This bustling program marketplace is part of the National Association of Television Program Executives, which runs through Wednesday at the Las Vegas Hilton. More than 200 program-distribution firms have set up shop to pitch everything from first-run, original series and TV movies to recycled old films and TV shows. The rerun titles range from the still-fresh THREE'S COMPANY and CHIPS to the upteenth go-round of I LOVE LUCY, MOD SQUAD and PETTICOAT JUNCTION.

Those are the old favorites. The new look, according to a tour of exhibits in hotel suites nad convention hall booths, is the soap opera in various incarations. For example:
- There are five different series being peddled that are devoted exclusively to talking with and about the stars and characters of TV soap operas, both daytime and prime time (DALLAS, DYNASTY, etc.) Take your pick: SOAP WORLD, THE WORLD OF SOAPS, SOAP TALK, SOAP OPERA DIGEST or SOAP OPERA RECAP. Sporting various mixtures of interviews, profiles and gossip, they are the video equivalent of the soap opera magazines sold in supermarkets.
- A new soap opera series, ROMANCE THEATER, has materialized on the market. Seeking also to capitalize on the popularity of romance novels, the show differs from the network serials by serviing up a new five-part love story each week. Louis Jordan hosts the new series from Comworld International.
- A profusion of shows screening here might be termed "real life" soap operas, focusing with varying degrees of seriousness on the problems of real people - from tear-jerking divorce and terminal illness to lighter issues, such as whether the young wife of a 79-year-old man should start a family with him.

Continue reading...

Prominent in this "real life" vein are the imitations of this year's big syndication success, THE PEOPLE'S COURT, in which individuals come before a TV camera to air their small claims court squabbles and accept a judge's settlement. Now, in its wake, come CUSTODY COURT, spotlighting what distributor MCA-TV calls "the drama and emotion of parents battling one another for the love of a child"; FAMILY COURT, featuring not only child-custody cases but also divorce settlements, paternity accusations and other "family" problems; and POLICE COURT, offering "non-professional actors" portraying persons of accused felony crimes as they step before a judge for arraignment.

Then there are several proposed serials dealing with (or capitalizing on, depending on your viewpoint) people problems in other guises.

PolyGram Television, for example, has resurrected the old QUEEN FOR A DAY show, in which women recount their hardships in hopes of having a special wish fulfilled. Over at Group W Productions actor Joseph Campanella hosts GETTING PERSONAL, in which he, along with a psychologist and a studio audience, discuss what he describes in the pilot program as "thoughts, feelings and conflicts with guests who are experiencing strong emotions." And Ralph Edwards and Stu Billett, who introduced THE PEOPLE'S COURT last year, are back with SO YOU THINK YOU GOT TROUBLES? a light-hearted show on which people banter about their offbeat problems with comedian Jay Johnson, then have an opportunity to win money by listening to advice from a clergyman, a psychologist and an astrologer or psychic.

Not everything that gets displayed here automatically makes it to the air. On the contrary, most of the first-run proposals will die for lack of sufficient support. It isn't enough to have two or three stations agree to buy a show; the economics of television dictate that a minimum of several dozen get behind a particular program to ensure that the revenues at least will come close to matching the production and distribution costs. Many syndicators are willing to absorb some loss initially for the chance of getting on and obtaining rating data that may help build the station lineup.

Thus, there was a strong feeling over the weekend that only one of the series about TV soap operas is likely to survive. Now will all of the "real life" problem shows be picked up. So, come fall, the viewer at home probably won't feel overcome by the clone lineup that is being pitched here.

In any case, these aren't the only first-run shows on the market. Other contenders for air time include a 60 MINUTES type news program hosted by investigative report Jack Anderson, a music series starring Glen Campbell, a collection of game shows, a cooking program with Chef Tell from PM MAGAZINE, a comedy series starring Wayland Flowers and his bawdy puppet Madama, a magazine show for singles and a big-band music show starring Peter Marshall, the former host of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES.

The interesting question, though, is why the soap opera and personal problem shows exist, in such numbers here? Many of the syndicators involved suggest that the producers independently have been reacting to the same trends: the unprecedented crescendo of attentioni paid to daytime serials, the growing appetite for reality-based entertainment, and information programming, the obvious success of THE PEOPLE'S COURT and the special appeal of soap opera programming to the female audience that is so important to advertisers.

"In the heart of every syndicator burns the desire to hook onto something you can do economically five days a week that will appeal to women," explained Norman Horowitz, president of PolyGram Television, which is offering both QUEEN FOR A DAY and THE WORLD OF SOAPS.

Promotional literature for SOAP WORLD, a weekday magazine-format series hosted by John Gabriel of RYAN'S HOPE, also stresses the importance of women in the show's late afternoon time slot. "This series," a brochure tells station programmers, "will hold your audience! It is the perfect segue between the emotional fantasyland of soap opera and the pragmatic layer of local and world news. SOAP WORLD will sweep your female audience happily and confortably (even unsuspectingly) into your news bloc, not to mention men and young adults."

But these shows also reflect what TV executives perceive as shifting audience interests, away from the all-purpose celebrity talk shows and toward more special-interest and personal-service programming.

Steven Bell, general manager of KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, recalled that when his station brought a pilot called COUPLES to the syndication four years ago, the concept of having pairs of people discuss problems in their relationship with a psychiatrist was so radical that is was rejected out of hand. But KTLA has dusted off the project and is launching it locally as a weekday series today at 4 p.m. - and visiting station officials here have been clamoring to get a look at it, he reported.

"The audience is changing," Bell said. "The message is coming through loud and clear, and you've got to tailor your programming to the demands they are making."

UGLY BETTY "Rabbit Test" Screened at Paley

UGLY BETTY returns from hiatus tonight on ABC with a brand new episode, "Rabbit Test."

The episode was screened last night at The Paley Center for Media in New York City..

Cast memebers Tony Plana, Becki Newton, Mark Indelicato, Ana Ortiz, and Vanessa Williams were in attendance.

News Round-up: BETTY Death, Graz, Mikey North

An UGLY BETTY death
"Someone plummets to their death in the season finale. It will play a big role in the plot."

Cady McClain has 'huge shoot' coming up
"ATWT is keeping me out of trouble and off the streets as my mom would say. I have a huge shoot the next two days. Its fun to be on location. I like working outside, even though the amount we shoot in one day boggles the mind."

'Bad boy' Mikey returns to the STREEET
CORONATION STREET star Mikey North has returned to work weeks after being beaten up in his home town. North, 22, suffered a broken jaw and other facial injuries in an alleged assault in Scarborough town center after enjoying a night out with his girlfriend and friends over the Easter break.

Viewpoint: The Reese/Bianca Reunion
"Just in case lesbianism and bisexuality aren't vilified enough, here are a couple of additional stereotypes to add to the pile!"

EVENT: "A Night Out with Y&R's Michael Graziadei"
A limited number of new seats for the Y&R event being held at the Marconi Club this Saturday, May 2, have just been released.

Irwin To Receive Distinguished Faculty Award
The Canisius College Alumni Association will present Barbara J. Irwin, PhD, chair and professor of communication studies, with its 2008 Kenneth L. Koessler Distinguished Faculty Award during spring honors convocation on Friday, May 15 in the Montante Cultural Center.

A best-selling author, Irwin has written two books about television's highest-rated soap opera, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, both co-authored with Mary Cassata, PhD of the Communication Department at the University at Buffalo. As a consultant to daytime television industry leaders, Irwin has been involved in television features, specials, and conferences on soap operas. She serves as co-director, with Cassata, of Project Daytime, a comprehensive research endeavor focusing on the study and monitoring of the daytime television environment.

Watt and Jenkins guest on DOCTORS
BBC One daytime soap DOCTORS is set to welcome two familiar faces as Tom Watt and Sue Jenkins guest star in a July episode. Watt, who is best known for playing hapless Lofty in EASTENDERS, plays a layabout husband whose wife (played by ex-BROOKSIDE actress Jenkins) is terminally ill.

Soap Blog Coalition: April 30, 2009

Here are this week's hot topics brought to you by the Soap Blog Coalition.

Former GUIDING LIGHT star John Driscoll is joining the cast of The Young and the Restless as Phillip Chancellor IV. (Daytime Confidential)

Michael Fairman's exclusive interview with the creators of the online parody sensation, PRATT FALLS, Ellen and Portia. Plenty of laughs, just in time for Bianca and Reese's exit from Pine Valley! (Michael Fairman Soaps)

This week the Pine Valley Bulletin asks "who do you think really tried to kill Babe but got Dixie instead"? Take the latest poll and tell us who you think was the real deliverer of the dastardly dish!? (Pine Valley Bulletin)

In their latest Soap Opera Digest column, the Serial Drama girls take some new-to-them soaps for a spin for a week. Check out their thoughts about AS THE WORLD TURNS, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, GUIDING LIGHT and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. (Serial Drama)

Everyone has problems, but the average soap character doesn't ever have to acknowledge or respond to the likes of a global health issue, a shrinking economy, elderly care issues, the Craig's List Killer or swine flu. (Soap Opera Examiner)

In an exclusive interview, Evan Alex Cole talks with We Love Soaps about his role as Hunter on AS THE WORLD TURNS. (We Love Soaps)

Want to Twitter? Find out all about the Soap World and Twitter Nation! Fastest way to get scoops and star sightings. (Wubs.net)

PREVIEW: Tonight's GREY'S ANATOMY

"No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)" - As preparations continue for Meredith and Derek's wedding, Izzie receives a surprise hospital visit from her handful-of-a-mother, Robbie. Meanwhile, a newly sober Thatcher visits his daughters, Meredith and Lexie, in order to make amends, and the Chief and Meredith bitterly fight over a controversial medical case, on GREY'S ANATOMY, tonight (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network

GREY'S ANATOMY stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Katherine Heigl as Isobel "Izzie" Stevens, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, T.R. Knight as George O'Malley, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Eric Dane as Mark Sloan, Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey and Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt.

Guest starring Sharon Lawrence as Robbie, Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona, Jeff Perry as Thatcher, Kellie Martin as Julie, Nina Siemaszko as Kate and Megan Henning as Willow.

"No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)" was written by Krista Vernoff and directed by Tom Verica.

PREVIEW: Tonight's PRIVATE PRACTICE (Season Finale)

"Yours, Mine & Ours" - As Violet chooses between Pete and Sheldon, a grief-stricken patient poses a danger to her; Addison faces her feelings for Noah as Morgan goes into labor; Dell has concerns for his daughter when a drugged-out Heather returns to town; and Naomi must decide if it's in her best interest to stay with Oceanside Wellness or start anew at Pacific Wellcare, on PRIVATE PRACTICE, tonight (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

PRIVATE PRACTICE stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, Chris Lowell as William Dell Parker, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.

Guest starring Josh Hopkins as Dr. Noah Barnes, Amanda Detmer as Morgan Gellman, Amanda Foreman as Katie Kent and Brian Benben as Dr. Sheldon Wallace.

"Yours, Mine & Ours" was written by Jon Cowan & Robert Rovner and directed by Michael Zinberg.

PREVIEW: Tonight's UGLY BETTY

"Rabbit Test" - The Suarez family gets an invitation to meet Matt's famed billionaire dad, Calvin Hartley (guest star David Rasche), at his legendary Easter Egg hunt. While Betty sees this as a chance to get closer to Matt, Daniel seizes the opportunity to get Mode a bailout. Meanwhile Wilhelmina suspects that little William might not be her biological son, on ABC's UGLY BETTY, tonight (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

UGLY BETTY stars America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade, Tony Plana as Ignacio, Ana Ortiz as Hilda, Ashley Jensen as Christina, Becki Newton as Amanda, Mark Indelicato as Justin, Michael Urie as Marc, Judith Light as Claire Meade and Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater.

Guest starring are Daniel Eric Gold as Matt Hartley, David Rasche as Calvin Hartley, Derek Riddell as Stuart, Brennan Brown as Miles Foster and Adam Grupper as Dr. Erskine.

"Rabbit Test" was written by Chris Black and directed by Richard Heus.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Judith McGrath (ex-Margaret, NEIGHBOURS) - 67
Robyn Griggs (ex-Maggie, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Stephanie, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 36

The Latest in Soap Videos

Here are some of the latest soap videos to hit the web.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Wednesday's episode was reading of Bill Spencer's will. Karen and Bill, Jr. (future star Don Diamont) split his company 50-50. Joanna Johnson wrapped up her guest stint: "Brooke and [Ridge] are married again?"

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Nick burned Sharon's confession letter on Wednesday. Phyllis was released when Sharon dropped the charges against her.

ALL MY CHILDREN: Bianca decided to give Reese another chance on Wednesday's show and then they left for Paris together.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE: Starr continued to hide Cole in her bedroom on Wednesday. Meanwhile, David sent Matthew a jar of "Hav-a-Seat" leading to some laughs.

News Round-up: Diversity, Robin Wright, Dylan Patton

Dan Wieden Makes Impassioned Diversity Pitch at 4A's
Speaking plainly, directly and at times profanely, Wieden + Kennedy's Dan Wieden today used the platform of the American Association of Advertising Agencies to urge agencies to finally address the relative lack of diversity in the industry.

Wieden pointed to an outdoor camp for at-risk youth he helped create in Oregon as a concrete example of what he has done to introduce minorities to the art of filmmaking and the possibility of working in advertising. At the same time, he acknowledged that his agency is still predominantly white, though its percentages of African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians have increased in the past six years.

INTERVIEW: DAYS' Dylan Patton (Will)
"I think Will is a typical 16-year-old. My real mom is not lying and manipulative like Sami, but we still have our disagreements -- only it's about real life stuff like curfew and chores."

Obama To Nominate Clyburn As FCC Commissioner
President Obama late Wednesday announced his intention to nominate South Carolina Public Service Commission member Mignon Clyburn to be a Federal Communications commissioner. Clyburn is a South Carolina public service commissioner and daughter of House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Sources said last week that she had already been vetted for the post by the administration.

Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn separate again
EXTRA has learned that Sean Penn filed for "legal separation with minor children" from wife Robin Wright Penn (ex-Kelly, SANTA BARBARA) on Friday, April 24th, 2009, according to a court record. Penn and Wright married on April 27, 1996, and have two children, Dylan and Hopper Jack. The couple filed for separation in December 2007 but reconciled in April 2008.

AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS Gets Weekday Syndie Slot
Daytime broadcast syndication is getting more people falling down and shots to the groin next season as Disney-ABC Domestic Television is selling AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS as an hourlong Monday-through-Friday strip.

Currently cleared in 85% of the U.S., and sold to the Fox Television Stations in the country’s largest markets, Disney-ABC is offering the episodes hosted by Tom Bergeron, who took the job in 2001.

Y&R's Kevin on BEST WEEK EVER

Y&R's Kevin and the Squirrel Man were featured on the latest episode of BEST WEEK EVER (starts at 6:58).

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

RELATED:
- BWE Writers Room: As The Squirrel Turns on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

News Round-up: DH Wedding, Swine Flu, Yvonne Perry

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Sharon Case
"Maria Arena Bell told me it’d be a long wait for a Nick and Sharon reunion. You want to play all the beats in the drama. I learned Nick and Sharon would be [drawn into each other’s orbit] in October. I thought it would take six months for us to reunite, but I’m happy with how it’s developing. I think Nick and Sharon have a long way to go before they realize their happily ever after."

HOUSEWIVES wedding mystery: Who's getting hitched?
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will conclude its season on May 17 with a surprise wedding. The nuptials are so top secret that even members of the show's cast and crew don't know who's walking down the aisle.

Will swine flu help TV ratings?
Media reports say swine flu is hitting people between the ages of 25 to 45 the hardest. That's right: The super flu is actively targeting the core of TV's coveted adults 18-49 demographic.

So depending on the severity of the flu outbreak, we're looking at either a potential short-term increase in viewing ... or a long-term decrease.

Deep Soap: The Birth of Exec-Fic
Sara Bibel writes: "P&G/Televest may be losing GUIDING LIGHT, but it’s gaining a toehold in the fan-fic business. In a sweet, surprising and not remotely profitable move, the production company is bringing back ANOTHER WORLD as an interactive blog. Picking up in the present, a decade after the show’s cancellation, the well written first chapter fills readers in on what has happened to the characters in the past ten years. The website promises that a new chapter will be posted every week and fans will have the chance to vote on future plot points. It’s a rare instance of a media company producing a professional version of an amateur phenomenon."

JENNIFER GIBBONS: A Woman Named Irna
"While in college, Phillips became pregnant at nineteen. She was unmarried at the time, and in 1920 she probably felt like the most isolated person in the world. The baby was stillborn, and she sought guidance from the medium that would make her famous, the radio. She listened to sermons about how we weren’t all alone, that there must be light somewhere, and we had to help others just as much we had to help ourselves. She called her new show THE GUIDING LIGHT."

Crystall Chappell believes 'love is universal'
"It means so much to me that you're willing to share your stories with me. I've wept at some of the letters I've received. I've shared them with my EP and HW. I feel hopeful that with a story like the Otalia story we can open a few minds and hearts to the very basic idea that love is universal! Label-less Kind! Decent! Let's move it forward."

Yvnonne Perry: Waking Up at Last
"Today was sunny and hot for April. My husband took off a few hours from work in the middle of the day, and we walked for miles through the neighborhood. Talking and laughing. When we got back home, we stripped off our clothes and jumped into our pool. The water was cold. Cape Cod ocean cold. It seemed like the silicone in my chest was freezing into two large ice cubes. Another thing that has changed about my body. The old boobs floated and bobbed freely. Swimming topless used to be like instant relief. But today in the pool , as I looked at my scarred, naked body and my solid, immovable new breasts. . . it was still difficult to feel badly."

Sony's Crackle Adds Content
Sony Pictures' Web video site Crackle.com will launch a pair of original series later this year along with a slew of theatrical movies as the property continues its evolution toward becoming a destination for premium, young-male-targeted content.

Bewkes: Plans for AOL to Be Revealed 'Very Soon'
Time Warner didn't offer any decisions on what it will do with AOL during its first-quarter earnings call today, but it offered some heavy hints.

Reports earlier this week suggested Time Warner will soon spin off the internet portal, and CEO Jeffrey Bewkes said new AOL Chairman-CEO Tim Armstrong is involved in those discussions and that they would announce plans about AOL's future structure "very soon."

Catherine Hickland on FOX's Strategy Room

Soap vet Catherine Hickland is on FOX's STRATEGY ROOM right now. You can watch online at foxnews.com.

News Round-up: Hulu, Tittensor, Springfield, Willey

Hulu video views in March beat Yahoo
Hulu.com, the website that offers TV shows and movies, was the third-most watched Internet video destination last month, overtaking Yahoo Inc. The Hulu service, whose owners include News Corp. and General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, showed 380 million videos in March, compared with Yahoo's fourth-place 335 million, according to ComScore Inc.

Viewers watched 5.9 billion videos on YouTube and other Google Inc. sites, and News Corp.'s fully owned sites such as MySpace.com provided 437 million viewings for second place.

Ex-EMMERDALE star to be sentenced
Former EMMERDALE star Luke Tittensor is due to be sentenced later for assaulting a teenager. The 19-year-old, who played Daz Eden in the ITV soap, appeared in court last month and admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on a 16-year-old.

Bolton Crown Court heard how the victim was left "badly injured" following the attack in February last year. Last week an ITV spokeswoman said the actor's contract had been terminated. He was seen leaving the show on Friday.

AMC's Walt Willey committed to Soap Fest's mission to raise funds for children
"My 13-year-old son Chance has Asperger's Syndrome (children and adults who have autistic behavior but no problems with language), and my soap opera daughter Lilly has autism," he said. "I've seen first-hand how occupational therapy has changed not only my son's life but many other lives, too, and I'll do anything I can to help children obtain the therapeutic services that let them lead fuller lives."

Rick Springfield joins CALIFORNICATION
GENERAL HOSPITAL actor-slash-"Jessie's Girl" crooner Rick Springfield has signed on to play himself in four episodes of CALIFORNICATION.

Caitlin VanZandt still has hope
"I hope another network picks up the show," Ms. VanZandt told Florida Weekly. The native New Yorker said she and several of her cast mates intend to stay in Manhattan, where GL is taped, although a few have plans to seek out their next big roles in Los Angeles.

EVAN ALEX COLE: Welcome to the Soap WORLD

Georgia native Evan Alex Cole will debut as Hunter on AS THE WORLD TURNS on Thursday, April 30. He spoke with We Love Soaps earlier this week about how his career path changed from cardiovascular surgery to acting, his new ATWT character and much more. Cole was a big hit with fans at the recent AS THE WORLD TURNS Fan Club luncheon and his charismatic personality has helped established a fan base before he even airs.

We Love Soaps: Tell me about your background. Where did you grow up?
Evan Alex Cole: I grew up in Marietta, Georgia, which is a little suburb north of Atlanta. I went to a private prep school in Atlanta called the Lovett School. I wanted to be a cardiovascular surgeon so I was really heavy into academics. I was also a musician so I did a lot of music in high school as well. That's what I spent my time doing - studying and playing piano.

We Love Soaps: How did you get into acting?
Evan Alex Cole: I was pretty fortunate to have a great adviser at my high school. I had done some plays, but I wasn't really considering it as an option for my career. I was considering a few different options in terms of colleges but made some last minute changes when a manager met me in Atlanta. We ended up going out to Los Angeles and getting signed with Talent Works. It was a right place, right time sort of situation.

Check out Tina Sloan's New Website

Tina Sloan has launched a new website at tinasloan.com.

CHANGING SHOES is the title of the website as well as the title of a play and book she's written. It is meant to appeal to all women who are getting older - going from spikey high heels to black low flats. She's hoping that since the play is filled with GUIDING LIGHT scenes, it will win the show new viewers and more attention.

When she did her first show in Florida a few weeks ago, she did a TV interview and talked about the play's opening, and of course, about GUIDING LIGHT. Two women she met later that day were enthralled when she told them about some of the storylines they are doing and are now new GL fans. This is what she wants to happen.

When the book is published, it will have lots of funny and happy GUIDING LIGHT stories from Tina's 26 years of living in Springfield and again, hopefully, will draw new fans. You can visit Tina's new website at tinasloan.com. She will her blog with new GL stories. You can also join Tina's Facebook group.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Susan Pratt (ex-Claire, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Barbara, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Charlotte, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Elizabeth, LOVING) - 53

The Ellen and Portia Interview - PRATT FALLS

Michael Fairman has conducted an interview with the creators of PRATT FALLS, Portia and Ellen.


Read the transcript at michaelfairmansoaps.com.

News Round-up: Bipolar Disorder, Molly Burnett, BETTY

How is 90210 doing in their portrayal of bipolar disorder
Margarita Tartakovsky writes: "Overall, 90210 does a decent job of portraying bipolar disorder. The show focuses on a severe case, known as bipolar disorder I. However, many viewers might miss the fact that there’s a spectrum with shades of severity. Some people experience mild manic episodes — known as 'hypomania' — and deeper depressions. Others can cycle through depression and mania within a month, whereas some patients experience depression for a year. Simply put, everyone experiences bipolar disorder differently, so viewers shouldn’t assume that all individuals who have bipolar disorder act like Erin Silver."

ACA: Metered Bandwidth Pricing Is Coming
Metered bandwidth pricing for Internet service is coming, said cable executives gathered for the American Cable Association's (ACA) annual summit outside Washington Tuesday. Patrick Knorr of Sunflower Broadband, currently Ex-Officio chair of ACA, pointed out to reporters during a press conference that his company has been employing metered pricing for the past four years. Current ACA chairman Steve Friedman says his company, Wave Braodband, is gearing up for metered pricing. It has not been deployed yet, he said, while the company focuses on informing customers about it.

Panel debates future of television
What kind of content will continue to work on TV and what will migrate to the Internet was an underlying theme during a panel at the OnHollywood conference Tuesday.

NBC Entertainment co-chair Marc Graboff believes the two mediums will continue to co-exist. "Our research shows that the Internet is not cannibalistic," he said. "There will be network TV, but not exactly as we know it now. Big events like the Oscars will be its purview."

BermanBraun co-founder Lloyd Braun believes that there's a financial discrepancy between TV and online content that's hard to bridge. "Some content works well online, but when you try to apply a TV business model to that, it just doesn't pan out."

Who should guest on UGLY BETTY next?
UGLY BETTY returns Thursday, April 30, with new episodes and a host of A-list guest stars like Christine Baranski and Bernadette Peters. And now that the show has finally secured a spot in ABC’s fall line-up, cast members are making their guest wish lists for next season. “We’ve had every Broadway diva I’ve been obsessed with, but you know who I would love? Bette Midler!” Ana Ortiz told TV Guide Magazine at the Point Foundation’s New York City gala on April 27. “I think she would fit perfectly with our show,” agreed costar Vanessa Williams, who joined Ortiz and other cast members to support the show’s creator, Silvio Horta, as he accepted an award for his advocacy of the LGBT community.

INTERVIEW: DAYS' Molly Burnett (Melanie)
"Melanie is going to put her life on the line for Philip. I'm so excited about what we're working on because it's very much a Bonnie and Clyde kind of adventure!"

Schulenburg in "The Pink Campaign on Broadway"
The Young Professionals Committee of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, New York City Affiliate will present "The Pink Campaign on Broadway" at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd St). This one-night only event will take place on Monday, May 4, 2009. ATWT's Marnie Schulenburg is one of the performers.

GL's Branson and Driscoll on the cancellation by CBS
Jeff Branson (Shayne): “We held our breath to see if it was someone’s bad idea of an April Fool’s joke, but it wasn’t. Right now, nerves are really raw. Everybody’s really shocked at the timing because the ratings have been going up.”

John Driscoll (ex-Coop): “I couldn’t believe it. I really thought they were making some progress. But this ball had been put into motion a couple months beforehand. It’s frustrating, but it’s a business.”

The Latest in Soap Videos

Here are some of the latest soap videos to hit the web.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Sharon wrote a letter of confession on today's episode, written by Tom Casiello. Later a hotel worker brought Sharon a DVD showing Phyllis breaking into her room. Phyllis was then arrested.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE: Today's episode closed with this musical montage.

EMMA SAMMS: The former GH and DYNASTY star visited GOOD DAY L.A. this morning to discuss her return to GH as Holly.

CONFESSIONS: On Episode #15, Will was reunited with his daughter will Tameka prepared her for evening with Pat.

News Round-up: John Brotherton, Irna Phillips, PRIVILEGED

INTERVIEW: OLTL's John Brotherton (Jared)
Brotherton was a guest on "BuzzWorthy Radio" this morning.

LYNN LICCARDO: What Would Irna Think?
"As for the storytelling, I expect she would find fault with a lot, as have many of us who love the show. But given Phillips’ penchant for insisting that her stories challenge society’s mores, I’d like to hope that Irna would be able to see in the emerging love story between Olivia and Natalia, and in how that story’s being told, that the storyteller’s essential kernel has indeed remained intact."

ATWT Fan Club Wrap-Up
Soap Opera Weekly's Mala Bhattacharjee recaps the AS THE WORLD TURNS Fan Club weekend.

ATWT's kidnapping drama "off the hook"
According to Soap Opera Digest's Devin Owens: "Luke and Noah's kidnap drama on ATWT is off the hook. I've been sitting on the edge of my seat each day as this story unfolds because it's not just about loved ones worried about bringing the boys safely home."

PRIVILEGED inching closer to pickup?
A source close to the show confirms that the network has decided to run repeats of the cult fave on Fridays at 8 pm/ET throughout the summer which raises speculation the show will be back for another season.

GREY'S widower heats up BURN NOTICE
BURN NOTICE has tapped Tony and Golden Globe-nominated actor Ben Shenkman to join the cast as the man of Michael Westen's dreams: a dude who can make his burn notice disappear forever.

Shenkman, last seen raging against Derek for killing his ailing wife on GREY'S ANATOMY, will play the recurring role of Tom Strickler, a smooth-talking, gregarious freelance spy broker who offers to cancel Michael's (Jeffrey Donovan) burn notice in exchange for an unspecified -- and potentially lethal -- job.

The Latest in Soap Videos

Here are some of the latest soap videos to hit the web.

GENERAL HOSPITAL: On Monday's episode, Jason was suspicious of Claudia following the explosion, and Robin was confronted by all her loved ones in her loving room about needing help.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Ridge and Brooke continued to fight over Rick on Monday. Meanwhile, Stephanie encouraged Ridge to return to Taylor.

INSIDE KAY & MURPHY'S WEDDING: Go behind the scenes of the latest Y&R wedding to find out the scoop behind the beautiful wedding attire.

AS THE WORLD TURNS: Zoe/Gia told Luke on Monday she would give Noah the medication she stole from the hospital if he helped give her a Grimaldi heir.




BONUS:
- Last night's episode of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER featuring Rebecca Budig.

News Round-up: TV.com, Jamia Nash, Jesse Metcalfe

Cablevision To Blast Out 101-Mbps Internet Service
Cablevision Systems will crank top broadband speeds up to 101 Megabits per second -- the fastest advertised for any residential Internet service in the U.S. -- with a launch set for next month across its entire New York-area footprint.

Audience Grows for CBS' TV.com
CBS' significantly redesigned TV.com has seen its video audience skyrocket, as the former reference site has become a consistent destination for full-episode viewing of TV shows.

According to the latest numbers from comScore VideoMetrix, TV.com’s unique viewer base soared by 401 percent to 3.5 million users from February to March (the site reached over 12 million total unique users last monh). Meanwhile, the site’s total streams surged by 153 percent to 7.1 million month over month, while time spent more than doubled to 30 million minutes.

Young singer Jamia Nash finds a cause
The multitalented 12-year-old who gained widespread fame after performing at the Oscars last year, was singing a snippet of her newest single at Lovinggood Middle School in Powder Springs. The following day, she would debut the entire song during a Global Youth Service Day celebration at Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta.

“Time for Us” holds special meaning for the former Atlantan, who dedicated the song to homeless children after learning, among other things, that one in 50 children in America is homeless. All proceeds from the song will support the Campaign to End Child Homelessness run by the National Center on Family Homeless.

HOLLYOAKS' Myra McQueen does it again
HOLLYOAKS' Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra) has beat last year's London Marathon time by over 90 minutes. She ran together with life-coach friend Janet Thomson and beat her previous best by over 90 minutes and came in under 6 hours. Fully intact with no injuries she made the 26 miles look easy.

Jesse Metcalfe to join CORRIE?
Tabloid reports have suggested that former PASSIONS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES actor Jesse Metcalfe is a huge fan of CORONATION STREET and eager to land a role. He reportedly disclosed to The People: "I am in London at the moment talking to producers, so who knows."

Source Interlink Files for Bankruptcy, Will Privatize

Source Interlink Cos., the publisher of Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly magazines controlled by billionaire Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos., sought bankruptcy protection as it moves to become a private company.

The company, which also distributes newspapers and other publications, listed debt of $1.9 billion and assets of $2.4 billion as of April 24 in Chapter 11 documents filed yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

Source Interlink publishes 75 magazines, mostly about cars and motorcycles, putting it at the nexus of two struggling industries. U.S. magazine advertising revenue in the first quarter fell 20 percent from a year earlier, according to the Publisher’s Information Bureau, an industry group. U.S. auto sales tumbled 37 percent in March. Source Interlink hasn’t reported a profit since the second quarter of 2007.

“This restructuring will materially reduce our interest expense and debt levels,” Source Interlink Chief Executive Officer Greg Mays said today in a statement. The Bonita Springs, Florida-based company also runs Web sites and distributes CDs, video games and DVDs in the U.S.

Under an agreement with its lenders, about $1 billion of existing debt will be canceled and about $100 million additional liquidity will be provided, the company said. Source Interlink said a lender-approved plan of reorganization will be filed.

At this point there is no immediate impact to Digest and Weekly which will continue to conduct "business as usual" per Lynn Leahey.

FLASHBACK: ANOTHER WORLD on GOLDEN GIRLS

With the passing of Bea Arthur, I'm reminded of many of the classic GOLDEN GIRLS episodes. One that came to mind was from season one in 1986 when Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche all had the flu at the same time. At one point, Blanche (ex-Caroline, ANOTHER WORLD) wants to watch ANOTHER WORLD.

Blanche: It's time for ANOTHER WORLD.

Dorothy: You can't watch ANOTHER WORLD.

Blanche: And why not?

Dorothy: Because you watched it yesterday.

Blanche: That's exactly why I have to watch it today, Dorothy, to find out what happens. That's why they always say, "stay tuned for the continuing story of ANOTHER WORLD."

Dorothy: Too bad, Blanche. Today is my day to choose and we are not watching ANOTHER WORLD!

A couple of years later Betty White guest starred on ANOTHER WORLD as Brenda Barlowe, an old girlfriend of Mac's, as part of "Where's Betty?", an NBC promotion,. Here's a clip from the GOLDEN GIRLS episode where the exchange above happens.

Lucci Co-Hosts Point Honors, Arrives in Audi

Susan Lucci arrived at Monday night's "Point Honors... New York" event at Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in an Audi Q7 TDI clean diesel SUV.

The annual gala honors current and future champions of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

This year's honorees were Silvio Horta (Creator and Executive Producer of UGLY BETTY), and playwright, librettist, screen writer, novelist and director, Arthur Laurents.

Lucci co-hosted the event with Cameron Mathison.

PREVIEW: Tonight's 90210

On tonight's episode of 90210, "Between a Sign and a Hard Place," Navid (Michael Steger) and Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) fantasize about their future, but when they tell his parents about their decision to spend the rest of their lives together, things don't go as they planned.

Silver (Jessica Stroup) and Dixon (Tristan Wilds) adjust to her new school, while the Wilsons (Lori Loughlin and Rob Estes) are dealing with having Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) as their new house guest.

Naomi convinces Annie (Shenae Grimes) to go on a double date with Liam's (Matt Lanter) friend, but Annie is shocked at the way the evening ends. When her older sister, Jen (guest star Sara Foster, CSI) shows up, Naomi has no idea she is about to shake things up in Beverly Hills.

Ryan Eggold also stars. Jamie Babbit directed the episode written by Jennie Snyder Urman.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Mary McDonnell (ex-Claudia, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 57
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Julia, SANTA BARBARA; ex-Beverly, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 54
Eric Morgan Stuart (ex-Chris, ANOTHER WORLD)

News Round-up: Mick Hazen, Mobile TV, Sam Clark

Home entertainment spending falls 5%
Consumer spending on home entertainment during the first quarter was estimated at $5.3 billion by DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, down 5% from the first quarter of last year. The DEG estimate, based on studio and retail input as well as industry tracking sources, includes sales and rentals of DVD and Blu-ray Disc as well as digital distribution. The DEG further says home entertainment's net contribution to studios was down less than 4% for the quarter.

INTERVIEW: ATWT's Mick Hazen (Parker)
"Meredith is 21 and I am 16 so there are a lot of places that she can go and I am not allowed to...so besides working together we don't get to hang a lot outside of work. I never actually wanted to be actor. I was always kind of afraid. I was a tree in the class play and I ran home crying. I was so scared for saying three words. I was actually supposed to be an Egyptian and was demoted to be the tree."

Broadcast TV: Going Mobile
The future of broadcast television is mobile. At least that was the message at the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB Show last week in Las Vegas. While the 83,000 attendees at the annual convention—down about 20% from last year—encountered 3-D TV displays, super-hi-def TV and cheaper cameras everywhere on the show floor, the immediate interest for TV station managers lay in the mobile digital television exhibits.

Mobile digital television is like video on the cell phone, but there’s more to it than that. Mobile DTV lets local broadcasters harness their digital spectrum to transmit simulcasts of their existing broadcasts—news, syndicated shows, primetime programming and more—to handheld devices. That includes DVD players, portable devices for automobiles and smaller computers known as netbooks, as well as mobile phones.

Subway Caught up in Fan Effort to Save NBC Series CHUCK
Publicity like this would have been hard to buy: Fans of the NBC series CHUCK on Facebook, Twitter and TV blogs such as Television Without Pity are rallying support for "Finale & Footlong," a campaign to persuade the network to renew the show by buying Subway sandwiches. And while Subway's marketing chief admits to stoking the flames a little, the sub shop didn't start the fire.

"Finale & Footlong" is a consumer-generated outgrowth of a product integration on CHUCK earlier this month.

Sam Clark to leave NEIGHBOURS?
NEIGHBOURS star Sam Clark is planning to quit the series later this year, according to Australia's Daily Telegraph. The 21-year-old actor, who plays Erinsborough teenager Ringo Brown, is reportedly planning to bow out of the soap when his contract expires in October to pursue a music career.

"I was a musician before I was an actor," he said. "Don't get me wrong, working on NEIGHBOURS has been awesome, but I want to see if I can make it as a muso too."

GREY'S Wedding Site Draws Thousands of RSVPs; Show Boss Promises a "Beautiful" Ceremony
A website celebrating the fast-approaching wedding between Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd drew 42,000 unique visitors and collected 1,400 comments on its "guest book" in its first 24 hours. The idea for the site, hosted by real-life wedding hub TheKnot.com and ostensibly managed by the show's Izzie character, came to Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes as the show filmed its April 23 episode, in which Izzie snapped photos of her gal-pal begrudgingly test-driving dresses.

Rhimes — whose sister happens to be a wedding planner — asked for something that would "feel like a real wedding Web site," she told the Associated Press. The site is managed by Izzie as she lies in bed battling cancer. On the home page she promises "the most magical, romantic, breath-taking wedding you've ever seen."

GUEST COLUMN: My Day on Top of the WORLD

Guest Columnist Tony Gagliardi longs to work alongside Noah at Java and also hopes that Java, many years from now, with Noah in the CEO position, will one day decimate Starbucks. He has been watching ATWT for a few years now, and hopes to continue to enjoy the show many years into the future.

Located in Brooklyn, New York, in the shadows of the hustle, bustle and bright lights of the city that never sleeps, is a television studio that is filled with cast members, a crew, and staff that can often work such long hours that they also might lack sleep. Murders, kidnappings, and many other assorted crimes and evil doings take place in this studio, yet this place still manages to be a wonderful location filled with terrific people. I had no idea how true this was until, a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be part of a group of fans to tour the AS THE WORLD TURNS Studio for a day.

I have always wondered what goes into making a soap opera on a weekly basis. I’ve often pondered what goes on behind the camera in order to put one show together. Now I can say that I know, for the most part, and am completely amazed how it all gets done on a daily basis. I never really had an appreciation for all that goes into making this show until I was able to see the process with my own eyes by which the show is made.

Continue reading...

While spending a day on the AS THE WORLD TURNS set, I learned very quickly that creating one episode of this show is a lot more like running a marathon than running a 5k race. The director for the day, Jennifer Pepperman, bounced back and forth between the set and the control room all day like a ping pong ball. She would first give directions and go over each scene with the actors, and then head on over to the control room in order to supervise the actual recording of each scene. If she wasn’t satisfied with the first take, the actors would be instructed to re-do the scene either from the top or starting from any point in the scene. It was interesting to see that they would often re-shoot singular, two to five second close-up/reaction shots of the actors, usually for the fade-outs for the ending of the scenes.

Once each scene was done to her satisfaction, Jennifer would return to the set to prep for the next scene with the actors. This process was to repeat all day long, requiring Jennifer to have a lot of stamina, patience, and skill - which are all qualities that she demonstrated to me that she has in abundance.

The studio is divided into two sections or stages. The show shot on one stage during the first part of the day, and on the other stage during the second part of the day. The cast and crew would go from set to set, shooting scenes not necessarily in the order in which they were written, but in the order most convenient as it pertains to set placement.

Everyone on the crew was simply amazing in how efficiently they worked from moving from one set to the next set. From the cable guy, the camera operators, the lighting crew, to the boom operators, each person in charge of their respective tasks usually took only a matter of minutes to move production from one set to another set. These folks knew their jobs and knew them well, some having worked at the same studios since ANOTHER WORLD taped there! Their promptness in getting everything ready for the cameras to roll definitely helps in preventing an already long day of shooting from being even longer, a fact that I’m sure the cast appreciates tremendously.

The AS THE WORLD TURNS crew shoots, on average, well over 11 hours of footage each week to fill five different episodes! It is the job of the editors to cut that huge amount of footage down to approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes of show each week. Each episode is approximately 38 minutes, minus the commercials, hence the 3 hours and 10 minute total for a week’s worth of shows. The editors lock in any episode in final form a few weeks ahead of an episode’s airdate. Episodes might get finalized for air a bit closer to airtime when location shoots are done as those are often shot closer to airtime. Material that is shot in the studio is currently shot approximately 8 weeks before the episode is to air.

Editing out many hours of footage, cutting and splicing scenes together, and adding location shoots to episodes at a later time has got to be maddening, yet the As the World Turns editors seem to do it with ease. It’s amazing how much work they have to do every day, sorting through hours of footage. I’m not sure how they do it, but they definitely do get the job done, and do it quite well!

One of the final additions to each episode before it airs are any special sound effects and music that each episode requires. The sound editors get this done usually a couple of weeks before each episode is to air. I can image, being the people who put the finishing touches on each episode much give these sound editors extra pressure, but they always somehow manage to do an admirable job of getting everything done on time.

I’ve always wondered how often this show needs to resort to the time-consuming process of ADR – “automatic dialog replacement,” which is a process that involves an actor watching his/her performance repeatedly on a monitor and then he/she goes about re-performing each line to match the wording and lip movements. This is done in television and movies when the original sound picked up from the microphones on set isn’t audible. I was surprised to hear that the show almost never does this. The filters on the microphones that they use in the studio do an excellent job, meaning that the spoken audio on set comes out perfect most of the time. Hence, ADR is almost never used on As the World Turns, which is a good thing as it’s a very tedious process that would take more time than I believe the sound editors have.

When each episode is locked into its final form, you might think that the show would send a physical copy of the episode to CBS in California so that CBS could transmit the show when it was time. If you thought that, you would be wrong! AS THE WORLD TURNS has truly gone high tech in that each episode isn’t mailed to California, but is instead uploaded over the internet to CBS! This is most likely a much more efficient and cost effective way of getting each episode into the hands of CBS.

While I’ve thus far gone over the inner workings of the show as I saw them, I really haven’t delved yet into the heart of the soul of this show – that being the cast, crew, and staff that make this place, I believe, a truly great place to work. Enough cannot be said about how amiable and fun-loving the cast and crew were to not just each other, but also to us visitors. The impression that I got from all of them is that they all seem to behave like one big family, and I was so giddy and thankful to be treated like a member of that family, even if only for a day.

The crew and cast seem to truly love their jobs as they all get along extremely well. When they’re shooting a scene, they’re all doing their best to create the best results possible. When there is downtime, they love to have fun and joke around with each other – which is something I saw in full effect when poor Mick Hazen tried to walk his character’s bike off set at the end of a scene without first putting up the kickstand!

Many on the cast and crew were nice enough to find time to come over and talk to us for a bit between scenes. All of us set visitors were tremendously impressed with the graciousness and genuine interest that the cast and crew showed to us during these conversations.

While we conversed with many cast members, including the extremely friendly Roger Howarth and Ellen Dolan, in particular, I feel compelled to point out how cool it was for Jake Silbermann and Van Hansis to find some time to talk with us. Both guys were very engaging and couldn’t have been sweeter. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit to being a huge Luke, Noah, Van, and Jake fan, but that doesn’t mean that I am lying or exaggerating when I state that these guys are truly genuinely nice people who deserve all of the accolades that their fans throw their way.

Please forgive me for going on about my two major league “geek/fandom moments,” but I must say that it was truly an awesome experience to see Noah “at work” at Java. I really wanted to ask him if he could make me a hot chocolate, but unfortunately, I couldn’t for two reasons. First off, asking Noah for a drink would require him to actually work, which is not something Noah does much of (sorry Noah, you know I love you man, but you know it’s the truth!). Secondly, asking a fictional character to do their fictional job would probably result in me getting institutionalized. Hence, I thought it best to refrain from asking!

I also “geeked out” when I witnessed Van and Jake use their super (hero!) like acting ability to transform into Luke & Noah before my eyes. Seeing that was a magnificent treat that I will cherish forever.

The AS THE WORLD TURNS episode that I saw taped is scheduled to air on June 12th, 2009. I can’t wait for this episode to be broadcast as I’m sure it will bring back to me all the fantastic memories of being on set the day the episode was shot. It will also help for me to see how the pieces of the puzzle, presented to me out of order on set, without background music and sound effects, will finally came together to form a finished product.

This final product of an episode wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the determination of the cast, crew, and staff of As the World Turns to do their best to put together as good of a show as they can. Every employee that I saw working in the studio during my visit was doing their job, and doing it well.

Speaking on behalf of all the fans, I would like to thank them for what they do for us on a weekly basis, and wish them all continued success. Though the show’s future may be uncertain at this point in time, it is my sincere wish that things improve and that the show continues indefinitely. The cast and crew are so damn good that I believe they deserve a chance to continue, and hence I hope that the fans that might have tuned out give the show another shot. I highly recommend that they do!

News Round-up: Jeanne Cooper, Noelle Beck, Drama Desk

Y&R's Cooper inducted into the Taft Union High School Hall of Fame
Seven people were inducted in the Taft Union High School Hall of Fame Saturday night. The group included actors, educators, businessmen, and civic leaders.
Saturday’s ceremony brings to 21 the number of TUHS alumni that have been honored for their life’s achievements.

Jeanne Cooper (Class of 1949) was honored. “The Taft School system is the finest school system in the United States,” she said.

INTERVIEW: ATWT's Noelle Beck (Lily)
Beck appeared on "Robert Reid Live" on Monday afternoon.

On if she was nervous returning to daytime: "I was incredibly nervous. Even before I committed to AS THE WORLD TURNS, I would have nightmares about going back to daytime. I thought about it for a long time and was waiting for the right role. I spoke with Chris Goutman, our executive producer, and he was lovely, and the way he described the character of Lily so appealed to me. I had so many butterflies in my stomach. My first day of work they gave me 24 scenes. Luckily I had a week to prepare for it. I had every single one of my children, I have three kids, running lines with me. I would pay them a dollar a page. I wanted to go to work as prepared as I could possibly be. As soon as I walked in the door, I was met with so much warmth, and people were fantastic, and it just all disappeared. It's a great job and great people. I love it."

On playing the mother of a gay character on ATWT: "I'm so proud our show is doing it and doing it so well, and that it's received so well. I was just saying how impressed I was with the Luke and Noah fans at the Fan Club luncheon last weekend. I was really touched by their sincerity. They are behind that storyline and behind those actors in such a beautiful way that I was sort of just standing there and taking it all in, and looking at Van, and being so proud to get to be his mother on television. I have never seen fans like that before. It's pretty impressive."

Lorenzo Lamas to star in "A Chorus Line"
Former FALCON CREST and B&B actor Lorenzo Lamas makes his triumphant return to the Ogunquit Playhouse to star as Zach in this ground-breaking musical May 20th through June 13th.

Soap stars in crash on way to charity game
Two soap stars were unable to take part in a charity soccer match yesterday after they were involved in a road accident on their way to Suffolk. Former EMMERDALE heartthrob Ayden Callaghan and ex-HOLLYOAKS actor Jake Hendriks, both 27, were travelling to the fundraising event in Needham Market when their car was hit from behind.

CBS moves HARPER'S ISLAND to Saturdays
CBS is exiling HARPER'S ISLAND to Saturdays, which continues to serve as a clearinghouse for original series that didn't quite cut it during the week. According to insiders, HARPER'S got a reprieve from outright cancellation thanks to its live-plus-seven Nielsen ratings, which exhibited solid DVR interest in the show's premiere. HARPER'S also earned a healthy online streaming audience.

Drama Desk nominations announced
Nominations for the 54th annual Drama Desk Awards were announced today and several actors who appeared on soaps were recognized including Thomas Sadoski and Allison Janney.

Nancy St. Alban Returns to GUIDING LIGHT

Soap Opera Digest has learned that Nancy St. Alban will reprise the role of Michelle Bauer, which she took over in 2000, in late May. She was last seen on-screen in 2005. Plans for a recast were scrapped in light of the show's cancellation by CBS.

Via soapoperadigest.com

Y&R's Clementine Ford on Miss California

On Friday at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s gala benefiting its women's services, out THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS actress Clementine Ford shared her thoughts with E!'s Marc Rossi on Miss California Carrie Prejean and her now infamous answer to the gay marriage question posed to her at the Miss USA pageant.

That whore!

I mean, I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether or not it goes against what I believe or not. But I think if you want to be [Miss USA], don't be such a d-k.

Not to be outdown, Ford's mother, Cybill Shepherd also weighed in.

I think her stupidity lost her the crown.

Lisa Rinna No Longer Interested in MELROSE PLACE

After a very public campaign to return to her old MELROSE PLACE address for The CW's planned reboot, Lisa Rinna now tells Entertainment Weekly that she's reconsidered going back to the famous apartment complex.

I don’t think I wanna go back anymore Seriously, I watched some old tapes recently -- Harry [Hamlin, her husband] and I were going through stuff. It doesn’t feel right! It feels weird. I’ve changed my mind. You can’t go back!

Rinna played Taylor McBride from 1996-98.