News Round-up: Bierdz, ARCHERS, Windsor, Sheldon

Thom Bierdz Honored For Literary Work
The National Best Books 2009 awards named Bierdz’s tome-Winner in the Autobiography/Memoirs division. This award is given out annually by the Best U.S.A. Book News organization. Bierdz spoke to the L.A. Canyon News about the honor. “This was a huge surprise. The autobiography category is the biggest category with the most entries. I had no idea I would have a chance to win it. It is very exciting and a great honor,” said Bierdz, adding “It was very important to share my past so others can benefit.”

THE ARCHERS: An everyday story of topical folk
Norman Painting, the longest-serving actor in the BBC's venerable radio soap opera, THE ARCHERS, died on what would otherwise have been a day of celebration for the 60-year-old show. New figures showed its ratings soaring, and suggested that programmes that had maintained their standards were doing better than those that had joined the rush to dumb-down.

If anything, THE ARCHERS has been subtly dumbing-up. Once presented as "an everyday story of country folk", it now styles itself as "contemporary drama in a rural setting". Nothing illustrated the development better than the slow ascent of Norman's character, Phil Archer, from a randy, motorbike-riding lad-about-the-shires into the upstanding, admired-by-all patriarch of the fictional village of Ambridge.

Windsor denies salary dispute led to EASTENDERS exit
The actress said she was "upset" by speculation that an argument with BBC bosses or a row over money was behind her decision to quit, sparked by a comment by her EASTENDERS co-star Larry Lamb that something had "really upset" Windsor.

"I am upset at suggestions made that I have chosen to leave EASTENDERS because of money, changes that are being made to the show or a supposed 'bust up with producers' as there is absolutely no truth in them," Windsor said.

"I made the tough decision to leave for purely one reason - after 15 years in the show I want to spend more time with my husband, Scott."

EDGE OF NIGHT writer Lee Sheldon cared about audience
Lee Sheldon spoke at “A Writer's Life” at Wells College on Friday night.

“If you care enough about your work, then you care about the audience, ” he said. “Write things that touch people. I write because I don't have any choice,” he said. “It's not a career, it's a vocation, a need within me. I would do it for free. I have no choice.”

4.5 million watch BETTY
4.5 million viewers watched UGLY BETTY on Friday which doesn't bode well for the show's future.

Aspen joins HOLLYOAKS
HOLLYOAK viewers will see a new face next week when Duncan arrives in Chester. The 15-year-old, played by Dean Aspen, will get a frosty welcome from his godparents Neville (Jim Millea) and Suzanne Ashworth (Suzanne Hall) when he tries to buy alcohol in the Dog.

Rhonda Ross has a special place in her hear for ANOTHER WORLD
"ANOTHER WORLD holds and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I learned so much from the producers, directors and the veteran actors on that show. The people in the cast remain my dear friends to this day. On top of that, we had the best fans of any show ever! I will be forever grateful for my time in Bay City!"

Source Interlink Media Strikes Deal with YouTube

On Friday, Source Interlink Media announced the availability of its video content on YouTube with the launch of more than a dozen branded channels, as part of a new partnership between the two companies. Enthusiast audiences worldwide -- ranging from surfers and snowboarders to automotive and soap opera buffs -- can now watch video content from leading publications, including Soap Opera Digest, Surfer, Snowboarder, Hot Rod and Motor Trend.

"YouTube is the most popular destination on the Internet for viewing video so we're very pleased to be in partnership with the site to showcase our content," said Sean Holzman, President of Source Interlink Media's Enterprises Division. "Our goal is to make sure our content is accessible to the widest audience possible, so being on YouTube is a must."

John Aniston on This Week's COLD CASE

DAYS OF OUR LIVES star John Aniston (Victor) will play a World War II Air Force pilot veteran on Sunday's epiosde of COLD CASE on CBS.

In the episode, the team looks into the 1944 murder of the top pilot from the WASP program, a pioneering group of civilian women who volunteered to fly non-combat missions for the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII. Also, Lilly becomes fixated on her nemesis, Moe Kitchener (Daniel Baldwin), who is out on bail awaiting his trial for running Lilly's car off the road. You can watch a preview at CBS.com.

Additional guest stars include multiple Emmy Award winner Michael Learned (THE WALTONS) as a former WASP pilot, Tony Award winner Deanna Dunagan as the ex-WASP commander, and Chad Faust as a WASP flight instructor.

The Latest in Soap Videos: Sonny, Pam, Ashley, Adam

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

YOU PSYCHOTIC PIECE OF TRASH: Sonny blasted Claudia on Friday's GENERAL HOSPITAL and promised the world Claudia has lied for the last time! Later, Claudia took Carly hostage and they ended up in a car accident.

A GOOD TEAM: Pam may have lost her mind but her chemistry with Donna was noticed on Friday's THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND: Ashley told Nikki she didn't get why she would want Victor again on Friday's THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

STUART, I REMEMBER: The details of the night Stuart died came rushing back into Adam's mind on Friday's ALL MY CHILDREN.




BONUS:
- Jonathan Jackson talks about his return to GENERAL HOSPITAL as Lucky.

REALITY BYTES for Tristan Rogers & Kate Lang, Part One

Tristan Rogers has been a favorite of soap fans since he first appeared as Robert Scorpio on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 1980. In recent years, through his online chats, video blogs and posts on his official websites, fans have gotten to know his thoughts on the world of daytime drama and what it takes to make a show successful. Many have said he would be the perfect person to run a soap. It looks like fans are about to have their wish granted as Rogers has teamed up with writer Kate Lang on the upcoming web soap REALITY BYTES. In this informative two-part interview with We Love Soaps, Rogers and Lang explain where the idea for REALITY BYTES came about, how they are approaching their series a bit differently from others and what their long-term goals are for the project.

We Love Soaps: Tell me about how the idea for the REALITY BYTES script came about?
Kate Lang: Reality is always stranger than fiction. It started as an actual dream to tell you the truth. It was a recurring dream every night and I wrote it down at some point because I wanted to dream something else. I told the idea to Tristan and it was his decision to try to make it a web series. We had been talking six to eight months before that about doing a project that would be suited for the web because it was something we both wanted to try. It just turned out that this was best suited for it in story style and structure.

News Round-up: Windsor, McDreamy, Flockhart, OLTL

Did Barbara Windsor actually quit EASTENDERS over a pay cut?
Barbara Windsor (Peggy) quit EASTENDERS following a row with producers over her £360,000 salary, her co-star has revealed. She said she wanted to spend more time with her family. Sources said producers had cut back on her episodes and allegedly asked her to take a £54,000 pay cut. The BBC said that it did not discuss cast members' contracts.

OLTL's Gay Love Triangle is Truly Groundbreaking Television
"Love triangles, long a staple of daytime drama, often offer up some of soap's best and most beloved storylines. That gay men have finally been admitted to this inner circle of the soap world is a definite breakthrough. Sure, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's mayor-pretending-to-a-lesbian-in-order-to-win-votes storyline is patently ridiculous, even by soap opera standards. But the way the show has treated its gay characters is remarkable on a number of levels."

GREY'S writer Pete Norwalk on the all McDreamy episode
"This episode probably felt different. I only say that because that’s exactly how I felt the minute we started working on it. As you've probably noticed, we’re trying to experiment more this season. And that’s probably uncomfortable for some of you. It was for me. When we first decided to focus this episode solely on Derek and his patient, I was a little scared. Most of this patient story (inspired by a case told to us by Dr. Robert Bray, an amazing neurosurgeon here in LA) involves Derek staring at a tumor. Not cutting, not operating, not talking to anyone. Like I said, scary. In retrospect I’m really glad we told this story this way."

INTERVIEW: BROTHERS & SISTERS' Calista Flockhart (Kitty)
"For me it's mostly about the process, and once you shoot an episode, there's something anticlimactic about watching. I watched some of ALLY [MCBEAL]. Sometimes I thought they were great and sometimes I couldn't bear watching myself. I have to watch it at the right time of day. I certainly can't watch a show I'm in before I go to bed. It would drive me crazy."

Funny or Die expands
Will Ferrell's Funny or Die is about to leave its own Web site for a comedy tour at HBO and YouTube. The 2-year-old site will get a new YouTube channel next month.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Lee Grant (ex-Rose, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW) - 82
Charles Cioffi (ex-Kirk, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Claudius, RYAN'S HOPE; ex-Ernesto, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 74
Deidre Hall (ex-Marlena, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 62
Andrea Hall (ex-Hattie/Samantha, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 62
Nolan North (ex-Chris, PORT CHARLES) - 39
Scott Clifton (Schuyler, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ex-Dillon, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 25

James Franco Now Taping at GH, Will He Help?

Lynette Rice is reporting that Oct. 30 was James Franco’s first day on GENERAL HOSPITAL.

His role will play out over a two-month period that starts airing Nov. 20, but Franco’s only contracted to shoot three days on the sudser’s Los Angeles set. No matter: any kind of star-studded appearance from a star like Franco should do wonders for the soap world. Or can it? Analysts don’t seem convinced that appearances by film stars – even those as appealing as Franco – will make a difference.

“Committing to five hour a week is a lot,” says Chris Boothe, president and chief operating officer of Starcom, a media buying firm. “There just hasn’t been a lot of innovation in daytime. Bringing in new characters here and there, or various bands or musical acts to appear in the cliché bar or hospital party, is not going to get someone to say, ‘I’m gonna watch this for five hours.’”

Rena Sofer Cast in NCIS

Rena Sofer (ex-Lois, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Rocky, LOVING) has joined the cast of CBS' NCIS as a potential recurring.

She will play a no-nonsense attorney with mysterious motives.

Sofer was recently seen in the Hallmark Channel movie Always & Forever and also previously played roles on MELROSE PLACE, THE CHRONICLE, ED and COUPLING, among others.

She can next be seen in Gold Circle Films' The New Daughter opposite Kevin Costner.

The Latest in Soap Videos: Fish, Ralph, Adam, Vivian

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

GAY WEDDINGS: The day of the mass commitment ceremony in Llanview arrived on Friday's ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Oliver announced "I'm gay!" in a passionate speech to the crowd.

UNCLE RALPHIE: Ralph was finally arrested on Friday's AS THE WORLD TURNS. After receiving a bump on the head from Ralph, Henry had a vision of Brad.

TRICK OR TREAT: It was Halloween on Friday's THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and Nick wasn't happy to find Adam at Sharon's.

MASTER LAWRENCE'S ASHES, MADAM: Vivian was back on Friday's DAYS OF OUR LIVES declaring about Carly she would "deal with her personally."

VOTE: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll

Which daytime soap was your favorite this week? Vote in the weekly We Love Soaps poll and check back on Monday morning for the results.

Give Up Your "Should" Day!

It's time for Damon's annual Give Up Your "Should" Day!

Come over to The Absolutely Should-less Blog and find out how YOU can participate on November 1st.

You can even win a signed copy of "Absolutely Should-less: The Secret To Living the Stress-Free Life You Deserve".

C'mon, it's fun!

Suds Report: Kanan, Bjorlin, Braeden, Livingston

In his weekly "Suds Report" column for TV Guide Canada, Nelson Branco covers the following headlines and more:

- Sean Kanan not fired from Y&R

- Eric Braeden on his brief “divorce” from Sony

- Greg Vaughan joins 90210

- Nat Livingston out at GH

- B&B’s Steffy kisses Bill

Night of the Iguana with Judith Chapman, Part One

Judith Chapman has been a daytime favorite for decades with starring roles on AS THE WORLD TURNS, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, GENERAL HOSPITAL and now THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (as Gloria). She has also made a name for herself in primetime television and film. The talented actress is also the founder of The Troubadours of Daytime, whose next show, "The Night of the Iguana," will be playing November 7 and 8 in Los Angeles. Chapman spoke with We Love Soaps this week about the project.

We Love Soaps: Tell me about this play!
Judith Chapman: I’m sure you are familiar with Tennessee Williams. “Night of the Iguana” is just a great, great play. It was also made into a fabulous film with Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr. I will be playing the Ava Gardner part. Christian LeBlanc [Michael, Y&R] will be playing Shannon, the defrocked sacrilegious drunken naughty lusty woman, or rather, young-chick-after priest, who is always getting himself into trouble. And the wonderful Alley Mills from BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL will be playing the Deborah Carr part. And her real life husband Orson Bean will be playing Alley’s grandfather who is the last living poet in America. It all takes place in this seedy hotel in Mexico, and they are all just damaged people trying to survive and trying to find a little love.

It is a staged reading as The Troubadors of Daytime. But as soap actors we’re so good at learning lines so quickly that a lot of it we’re off book. There’s a lot of staging. We use props. We use costumes. It’s as close to being a full-on production that we can manage with our tight schedules and getting everybody coordinated. This is our third fundraiser and our second for Rogue Machine Theater, which is considered the hottest new theater company in Los Angeles. I’m a member, and they’ve actually just asked me to be on the Board of Directors. We only do original work on the mainstage theater. It’s just so exciting. The Los Angeles Times, Variety, so many people are calling us the hottest new theater company. But because of the economy, the economic climate, and because of production costs, people don’t realize we don’t get paid to do this. We are absolutely doing this for love of the theater. It’s having a theater that gives young, and not so young, playwrights a place to premiere their work.

So doing a fundraiser is really about getting production costs. Now I know this is short notice. But there is a Y&R discount. It’s about coming and spending an afternoon with your favorite soap actors and these other legendary people in the theater, who now want to work with us, the Troubadours, like Orson Bean, and the great Sandy Martin, who played the grandmother in Napoleon Dynamite and is on BIG LOVE now. And then drink lots of champagne afterward, what more can I tell you?

PREVIEW: Next Week's AS THE WORLD TURNS

It's game on for Mason, bitchy Meg, ghost Brad and the return of Carly - next week on AS THE WORLD TURNS.

News Round-up: Norman Painting, Jonathan Frid, Hatcher

Record breaking radio soap actor Norman Painting has died
Warm tributes were today paid to actor and scriptwriter Norman Painting – who starred in the Birmingham-made radio soap opera THE ARCHERS for almost 60 years – after he died aged 85. The Birmingham University graduate, who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for holding the world record for the longest continuous role, created the character of Phil Archer for the pilot episodes which were broadcast on the BBC Midlands Home Service at Whitsun 1950.

INTERVIEW: DARK SHADOWS' Jonathan Frid (ex-Barnabas)
When he first took the roll of Barnabas, he was relieved it didn’t immediately air around his home-turf of Hamilton. That meant his friends wouldn’t have to see it.

“But suddenly, it took off,” he recalls. “And I was getting 5,000 pieces of (fan mail) every week.”

“I thought I was…dreadful. Awful,” he adds of his work on the series. “I tried to fight the vampire for years.”

Brandon Beemer Joins NoH8 Campaign, Strips Down for Male Cancer
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Brandon Beemer (Owen) is one of the latest celebs to join Adam Bouska's NoH8 campaign. He also gets bold and beautiful for the Everyman campaign in collaboration with Cosmopolitan to raise awareness about prostate and testicular cancer. Beemer's awareness-raising centerfold is set to appear in next month's Cosmo.

Hagman selling home for $11M
Former DALLAS star Larry Hagman has put his Ojai, Calif., mountaintop estate up for sale, reportedly priced at $11 million. The Los Angeles Times said Hagman’s nine-bedroom main house features an indoor grotto spa, a 40-foot indoor lap pool and a “grand room” with space for 200 guests. The spread also includes a two-bedroom guest house, a detached office, a private heliport and an outdoor pool connected via streams to two ponds.

Feast of Famous Faces raises $400,000
It was a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds as television stars and talented chefs came together to raise support for the Center for Hearing and Communication in New York at the 17th annual Feast of Famous Faces on Oct. 19. Unfiltered counted 27 chefs, 34 soap stars and 41 broadcasters at the Wine Spectator–sponsored event, a walk-around tasting, silent auction and live auction at Chelsea Piers. The event was hosted by James and Kassie DePavia, whose son has been diagnosed with hearing loss, and it raised more than $400,000.

Danielle Panabaker to appear on GREY'S ANATOMY
Panabaker, best known for her role as James Woods’ daughter on CBS’ SHARK, is checking into GREY'S next month. The actress will play a patient under the care of Cristina and Jackson in the Nov. 19 episode.

Teri Hatcher Does Not Have Swine Flu
After earlier reports that Teri Hatcher was absent from the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES set this week because she was suffering from Swine Flu, her spokesperson now says it was a simply a medical misunderstanding.

"She is sick and has laryngitis, but has already finished her work for the week and is not scheduled to work again until next week," according to the rep.

PREVIEW: Tonight's UGLY BETTY

"The Wiener, the Bun and the Boob" - Betty is overwhelmed with her editorial work, so Wilhemina assigns Marc to be Betty's temporary assistant. Betty's story idea to cover the worst jobs in New York goes south when she has to dress up as a hot dog and do a Bollywood dance number. Meanwhile, Marc frets that he'll never be taken seriously by his idol at Vogue magazine, Hilda gets Archie's campaign in trouble, Daniel hires a gorgeous but inept assistant (supermodel Brooklyn Decker), and Natalie introduces Daniel to the Community -- a group whose charismatic leader (Dylan Baker) zeroes in on Daniel -- on UGLY BETTY, tonight (9:00-10:00 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, Judith Light as Claire Meade, Becki Newton as Amanda, Michael Urie as Marc, Mark Indelicato as Justin, Daniel Eric Gold as Matt Hartley and Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater.

Guest starring in "The Weiner, the Bun and the Boob" are Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Natalie, David Rasche as Cal Hartley, Yaya DaCosta as Nico Slater, Ralph Macchio as Archie Rodriguez, Jr., Brooklyn Decker as Lexie and Dylan Baker as Bennett.

"The Wiener, the Bun and the Boob" is written by Brian Tanen and directed by Wendey Stanzler.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Jane White (ex-Olivia, A WORLD APART, ex-Lydia, THE EDGE OF NIGHT; ex-Tante, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW) - 87
Marilyn Alex (ex-Molly, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL/THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 79
Kathleen Cody (ex-Laurie Ann, THE EDGE OF NIGHT; ex-Sally, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Cecilia, THE SECRET STORM; ex-Hallie, DARK SHADOWS)- 56
Gina Gallego (ex-Diandra, RITUALS; ex-Santana, SANTA BARBARA; ex-Gina, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - 54
Shanna Reed (ex-Terry, TEXAS) - 53
Brümilda van Rensburg (Louwna, EGOLI) - 51
Kristina Wagner (Felicia, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 46
Nia Long (ex-Kat, GL) - 39
Dominique Jennings (ex-Virginia, Sunset Beach)
Matthew Morrison (Will, GLEE; ex-Adam, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 31
Eva Marcille (Tyra, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 25

WLS Interview Archive: Lynn Herring

Lynn Herring's run as Audrey on AS THE WORLD TURNS may have come to an end, but the humor, wisdom, and intellect she shared with We Love Soaps will live on forever. Just in case you missed it, here is where you can find the complete We Love Soaps interview with Lynn Herring.

Part One - Herring shares her insights on what made Lucy a hit on GENERAL HOSPITAL, which writer(s) captured Lucy’s spirit, and her thoughts on the famous raised eyebrow.

Part Two - Herring revisits the beginning and ending of PORT CHARLES, Lucy’s cutoff from GENERAL HOSPITAL, and the short but glorious life of Liseanne Garner on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

Part Three - Herring discusses her latest role as Audrey on AS THE WORLD TURNS, reflects on changes behind the scenes at daytime, and explains how she came to ring the NYSE bell.

Part Four - Herring weighs in on what is lacking in GENERAL HOSPITAL today (and soaps in general).

OUT ON THE TOWN: The Ladies of 'Bold and the Beautiful'

Sarah Brown (Sandy) joined her new BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL co-stars Hunter Tylo (Taylor) and Alley Mills (Pam) at The International Women's Media Foundation's Courage In Journalism Awards held at the Beverly Hills Hotel last night. Brown debuts on B&B on November 5.

Soap Opera TV Ratings For Oct. 19-25, 2009

Compiled from a list of several sources, here are the Nielsen ratings for the week of October 19-25, 2009 for all the daytime and primetime television soap operas.

GREY'S ANATOMY (14.7 million, 9.6/15)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (13.81 million, 8.8/13)
THE GOOD WIFE (12.9 million, 8.6/15)
PRIVATE PRACTICE (10.0 million, 6.7/11)
BROTHERS & SISTERS (9.8 million, 6.6/11)
FLASHFORWARD (9.8 million, 6.2/10)
GLEE (7.2 million, 4.4/7)
HEROES (5.7 million, 3.5/5)
SORTILEGIO (5.47 million) - Wednesday's episode on Univision
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (5.05 million, 3.7/13) - daytime airing only
EASTWICK (4.9 million, 3.5/6)
UGLY BETTY (4.5 million, 3.1/5)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (3.24 million, 2.4/8)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (3.0 million, 2.2/7) - daytime airing only
ALL MY CHILDREN (2.67 million, 2.0/7) - daytime airing only
GENERAL HOSPITAL (2.57 million, 1.9/6) - daytime airing only
ONE LIFE TO LIVE (2.49 million, 1.9/6) - daytime airing only
AS THE WORLD TURNS (2.45 million, 1.8/6)
90210 (2.4 million, 1.7/3)
ONE TREE HILL (2.3 million, 1.6/2)
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (2.3 million, 1.5/2) - repeat
GOSSIP GIRL (1.9 million, 1.4/2)
MELROSE PLACE (1.5 million, 1.1/2)
MELROSE PLACE (1.0 million, 0.7/1) - Wednesday repeat
LINCOLN HEIGHTS (TBD)
GREEK (TBD)

The Jacklyn Zeman Interview, Part Five

In Part One of my interview with longtime GENERAL HOSPITAL star Jacklyn Zeman, the actress shared reflections on her early career and Bobbie Spencer’s backstory before coming to Port Charles. In Part Two, she looked back on two groundbreaking storylines, how Bobbie Spencer helped women [and men], and her process of portraying grief after B.J.’s death. In Part Three, Zeman shared her experience of being back-burnered on GENERAL HOSPITAL, coping with ageism on the show, and the power of transformation and change in her life. In Part Four, she discussed changes on screen and off screen. Plus, what she would have done differently knowing what she knows now.

In the final part of the interview, Zeman recalls her favorite stories, her least favorite moments, and how she really feels about the creation of Carly.

We Love Soaps: Favorite stories?
Jacklyn Zeman: I really have been so lucky. Because [co-stars] like Tony Geary, Kin Shriner, Genie [Francis], they’re like family to me. We’ve been up, down, we know each other emotionally as well as we know our immediate family. That means a lot to me. The love interests I got to work with: Kin, David Groh, Sam Behrens, the whole Bobbie and Tony thing with Brad Maule, Julian Stone. Oh my God, Julian, that was the last good storyline that Bobbie ever had. The Bobbie/Jerry story. I’m so glad we got to do that storyline.

We Love Soaps: Least favorite story?
Jacklyn Zeman: The least favorite story, this has nothing to do with the actor, I love Leigh McCloskey, I think he’s awesome, he has been a personal friend, but the Damian, Lucy, Bobbie [story]. Lucy and Damian made a bet to make Bobbie a joke. He was going to pretend to pursue her just to humiliate her. And Lucy just wanted to humiliate Bobbie. I did not like that story. I felt it was demeaning to all women. I felt that it was not what women wanted to see. I played it, of course. You’re asked to do a part as an actress. You show up, you get your script, you do your lines. But I remember going in and saying, “What is the point of this? Why are we doing this? You think this is funny, to humiliate a character that’s been on the show for all these years? To personally and emotionally and sexually humiliate this person? And to have Bobbie be stupid enough to fall for it? This is a character that pulled herself up by her bootstraps by understanding the strengths and the wonderful parts of human nature and you’re going to do this story? I don’t understand where it’s coming from, where it’s going, and why we’re doing it.” And I got no answers, so we played it, but I never liked it.

That was the one story that I kind of block out of my mind. It’s like, “Well there’s no point, it’s just something I had to do because they pay me and I had to show up and I had a contract.” But I didn’t feel that it raised the level of any of the characters, the show, or the genre of daytime, at all. And people don’t even talk about it. People watched it, [then] it was forgotten. And I’m glad.

The Latest in Soap Videos: Jack, Sonny, Carly, Dillon

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

CALL ME A MURDERER: Jack pulled a gun on Craig to try to make Craig tell him he killed Brad on Thursday's AS THE WORLD TURNS. Special kudos to Michael Park and Terri Colombino for their work all week.

HOW CAN I EVER REPAY YOU: Sonny spoke at Claudia's birthday party and thanked everyone under the sun on Thursday's GENERAL HOSPITAL as he prepared to lower the boom on Claudia.

ARE YOU THREATENING ME?: Bo wanted Carly to hang out upstairs and out of sight but she was determined to go back to the boat on Thursday's DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

EAST DILLON HIGH SCHOOL: Coach Taylor struggled in his new job and the town of Dillon was divided on Wednesday night's season premiere of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.




BONUS:
- WYFF aired a special report on AS THE WORLD TURNS's trip to Greenville, South Carolina this week. WSPA also aired a report.

News Round-up: Braeden, GLEE, 90210, Castellaneta

How Sunday Became TV's Most Expensive Night
Is Sunday the new Thursday? For at least three TV seasons, Sunday has been the most expensive night of the week on broadcast TV for advertisers, according to Advertising Age's annual survey of ad prices for network programming in prime time.

It's not a huge difference, but Sunday has edged out Thursday for several seasons. Ad buyers believe the two nights have taken on different functions for marketers: Thursday remains important to any advertiser who has a weekend event to tout -- a movie opening or an important sale at a particular retail outlet. Sunday, due to the sheer numbers it attracts, stands as a good night to drive awareness of new goods and services.

Y&R's Braeden says he and Sony had a "meeting of the minds"
"We have straightened things out and understood each other's positions and came to an understanding that I think is mutually satisfactory," reports the actor, who was bowled over by the incredible fan response to the news that he was leaving. "I have to say the audience's reaction surprised me and deeply touched me," he says.

Dan Castellaneta to visit HOUSEWIVES
Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson, will play the pilot of a small plane that crashes down on Wisteria Lane during a Christmas party on the ABC series.

GLEE's 'Don't Stop Believin'' Goes Gold
In yet another sign that GLEE has gone from smash comedy hit to cultural phenomenon, the cast's rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" has just been certified Gold for digital sales in excess of 500,000 downloads, and to date, over two million Glee songs have been purchased online. Seven songs from Glee now occupy spots in the top 200 of iTunes Top Songs chart and Newsweek recently observed that the Fox series' "rabid online fanbase has given the show's music a life of its own."

90210 same-sex shocker: Rumer Willis to romance (spoiler alert)
This January, 90210 will embark on a major same-sex storyline that will pair the show’s token lesbian, Gia, played by Rumer Willis, with another major (and heretofore straight) female character - Adrianna!

Lane Davies to star in Elmira College play
Davies will play a lead role in the Elmira College Theatre Program's upcoming production of the Tennessee Williams play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

ATWT's Michael Park is celebrity chairman of TANYS
Michael Park will be the celebrity chairman of the Theatre Association of New York's 2009 Festival. The Festival, marking its 50th year, is scheduled Nov. 20 to 22 at the Genesee Center for the Arts at Genesee Community College.

EVENT: "The Night of the Iguana"

After the extraordinary success of their first two fund raising productions, The Troubadours of Daytime are hitting the stage again!

This time taking on Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana"! Starring Judith Chapman, Christian LeBlanc, and Emily O'Brien of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Alley Mills of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, the legendary Orson, the incomparable Sandy Martin, plus a few other surprises (on stage and in the audience)!

The goal is to continue to raise money and awareness for Rogue Machine, closing its second smash season with "Never Land." And as Judith Chapman, founder of The Troubadours, as well as company and Board member of RMT, says, "We just keep getting better. More and more actors want to be involved with the Troubadours, and more cutting edge playwrights want to see their works premier in Los Angeles at Rogue Machine Theatre ("The Place to See the New Works of Today, That Will Be the America Classics of Tomorrow"). If you are a fan of soaps and the theater, you won't want to miss this.

For tickets, please contact the Rogue Machine Theatre at roguemachinetheatre.com or call (323) 960-7774. Tickets are $60. Use code "YR" to get a $20 discount.

OLTL's Robin Strasser on Gay Rights, Obama & Slezak

In an interview with Dustin Fitzharris for Out.com, soap legend Robin Strasser chats about preparing to get hitched along with 21 other gay couples in a groundbreaking mass gay wedding on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. She also discusses her thoughts on the Obama administration, gay rights, working with Erika Slezak and more.

What do you say to critics who say you are making a mockery out of same-sex marriage?
I can’t listen to critics. Not because I don’t feel that their opinion is valid, but if I made an active survey or fact-finding mission about how my work is carrying out the storyteller’s vision on our show or was going to impact -- if that in any way shaped what my acting choices were or my commitment to the material -- then I would be in big trouble. And I don’t let anything "bleep" with my work.

What is another issue you were hoping President Obama would come through on?
Well, I’m a product of the ‘60s. Amongst the promises besides his commitment to gay rights was the idea that we were going to go get the boys and girls, men and women fighting for us home. I’m deeply concerned that what’s being discussed is how many more we are sending. Vietnam -- they said we want to bring them home with dignity and honor. How about bring them home alive? -- there’s a concept. Or, if they are wounded, give them everything they need to heal. If someone has died, see that their family and their children are taken care of in the sense of no foreclosures. I don’t think there should be foreclosures on military families -- period. It should be impossible in any financial agenda that a family that has a husband or a wife, son or daughter fighting for us, die for us, that they can’t get a 24-month grace period to dig themselves out of some hole that was crafted by questionable banking and lending practices.

Over the years you have been candid about the plastic surgery you have had. What is the greatest compliment you can receive?“You’re still very passionate and energized.” I smile and say, “thank you” when people try to put one over on me by saying, [puts on a thick New York accent] “Oh, you haven’t changed in all these years!” That’s not true. And I don’t think looking young is the compliment you want to be pushing on people.

What’s one of the hardest things about playing Dorian after 30 years?
If you’re going to tape your performance at 9:30 in the morning, you better be ready -- especially if you’re working with Miss Slezak [Viki]. She knows your lines at 9:30 in the morning, and she’s only read the script twice! Ugh!

ABC Family Launching 3 Hour Soap Block in January

Even though the first half of season 3 doesn't air until this Monday, ABC Family has already announced the midseason premiere of GREEK.

The show will return on Monday, January 25th, 2010.

The only change is that the network has moved back the show one hour, to 10 p.m. ET.

The new Monday schedule on ABC Family will be a three-hour block of soaps, beginning with THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER at 8 p.m. ET. That will be followed by MAKE IT OR BREAK IT and then GREEK.

PREVIEW: WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Episode 2

On the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, AS THE WORLD TURNS star Evan Alex Cole is in the studio with us to co-host, west coast correspondent Stephanie Burke reports live from the set of VENICE, we have a report from ATWT's location shoot in Greenville, and debut our latest "Soaps on the Street" segment - is it real or DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Look for an all new episode on Monday, November 2.


If you want to watch WE LOVE SOAPS TV on iTunes, you can. The TV show has a different link than our audio podcast. You can find it here.

News Round-up: Best, Thomason, Tognoni, Korean Wave

INTERVIEW: B&B writer Rex M. Best
"It's one whole episode (per week). Some weeks I could be assigned Tuesday, some weeks Thursday. You write all characters and all scenes. We're trying to stay so far ahead because around Christmas, we'll take two weeks off, and again around Easter, we'll probably try to take three or four weeks off. There's not a lot of time off. We'll be writing our Christmas episodes in October. So it's kind of funny putting your head in that space.

"When I first started out, the shows were much more character driven. It gave you a chance to like or dislike them. Now, I don't think audiences necessarily get that because the soaps are so busy moving plot, trying to get somebody clicking on the remote."

Soap Opera Diplomacy: North Korean Youth Look South for Entertainment
In recent years, bootlegged South Korean dramas have been flooding into its northern neighbor — part of a recent explosion across Asia in popularity of South Korean TV shows and music known as the "Korea Wave."

Marsha Thomason cast opposite James Franco on GH
GENERAL HOSPITAL has cast Marsha Thomason as the mystery woman who will be playing opposite film star James Franco when he arrives in Port
Charles next month. Thomason is widely recognized from her stint as Naomi on LOST and her 2003-05 run alongside Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda) on LAS VEGAS.

Jonathan Jackson's GENERAL HOSPITAL return: Everything you hoped for?
"Jackson’s reprisal might also make some start looking at whether his chemistry works for these now-adult characters who, let’s remember, are supposed to be parents of two children."

INTERVIEW: OLTL's Gina Tognoni (Kelly)
I really don't know exactly what she's going to be doing. They haven't told me yet, but I totally trust them. She comes back to Llanview and we don't know whether or not if she's with Kevin or where Joey is in the picture. Will they bring back another Joey? It's very exciting. I'm excited to see what they come up with. I think Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati run a great show over there."

Thoughts on abortion on TV and ATWT's Liberty
"ATWT ultimately side-stepped the issue with the miscarriage, but the mere fact that abortion was even an option (pregnant teenage girls only have babies on TV, they never even consider abortion) was ground-breaking."

PREVIEW: GREY'S ANATOMY & PRIVATE PRACTICE

"Give Peace a Chance" - When Isaac, the hospital lab tech, has an inoperable tumor wrapped around his spine, he turns to Dr. Derek Shepherd to do the impossible, and Derek tests the Chief's authority when Richard objects to moving forward with the risky surgery, on GREY'S ANATOMY, tonight (9:00-10:01 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, 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, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt and Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins.

"Give Peace a Chance" was written by Peter Nowalk and directed by Chandra Wilson.

Continue reading...

"Strange Bedfellows" - Addison must deal with the return of Naomi's former patients, Zoe and Amelia, whose embryos were accidentally switched, and a serious complication that may end up jeopardizing both fetuses. Meanwhile the time has come for Katie's trial, as Violet struggles with whether or not she can face her attacker in court, and Charlotte is determined to convince Addison, Sam and Cooper to let her join Oceanside Wellness Group, on PRIVATE PRACTICE, tonight (10:01-11:00 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 Amanda Foreman as Katie, Tessa Thompson as Zoe, Robin Weigert as Amelia, John Getz as Mr. Kent, Tamlyn Tomita as Katie's lawyer and DaJuan Johnson as Martin.

"Strange Bedfellows" was written by Kathy McCormick and directed by Steve Gomer.

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Finola Hughes (Anna, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Alex, AMC) - 49
Laura Bonarrigo (Rebecca, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Cassie, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 44
Grayson McCouch (Dusty, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Morgan, ANOTHER WORLD) - 41

Greg Vaughn Back to 90210!

Mr. Un-"Lucky" himself, Greg Vaughan, has tweeted that he has been hired to appear on the new 90210 on The CW.

@greg_vaughan I'm officially making my return to the NEW 90210 tomorrow!! I'm 100% thankful for all your love & support! God Bless You All!!! HAHAHA

It is unclear at this time if he will appearing as a new character, or as the character of Cliff Yeager, whom he portrayed in season seven of the original series. As I recall, he was one of Donna's squeezes that year.

Congrats to Greg Vaughan on this career move. Was it not a certain WLS host who predicted he would quickly land on his feet on "We Love Soaps Radio" #16?

News Round-up: Cherry, Jonathan Jackson, Greenville, B&B

Marc Cherry signs new deal with ABC
Marc Cherry has sealed a new deal that could keep DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES on the air through 2013. As part of a two-year extension Cherry signed with ABC Studios, Cherry will remain exec producer of "Housewives" for an eighth and ninth season. Whether or not HOUSEWIVES continues until then will now depend on the show's core cast members, who are only committed through the 2010-11 season, the show's seventh.

INTERVIEW: GH's Jonathan Jackson (Lucky)
"Tony and I have had some great scenes that feel like re-establishing something. Again, I did not watch the other versions of Lucky, but for me it’s picking up where I left off ten years ago, but now as an adult. There is a lot of interesting chemistry going on there. Then there is Ethan. I have only had some group scenes with him, and there is a lot of potential for story there…and again, with him being a con man and Lucky being a detective. Lucky is Luke’s son, so he has a dangerous side to him that could potentially take him either way, when it comes to that stuff."

Greenville locals shine on AS THE WORLD TURNS
The drama is moving full speed ahead at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. More than a 100 locals will be featured as extras in upcoming episodes of AS THE WORLD TURNS. It’s one of several stops during Jack Snyder’s Redemption Tour. “You got to check to see if Jack wins the race or not, because Michael’s life depends on it literally,” said Michael Park.

Livingston and Moran to appear on B&B
Sitcom faves Barry Livingston and Erin Moran (he played Ernie on MY THREE SONS; she was Joanie on HAPPY DAYS) will show up as married couple Mike and Kelly from the Logan family’s old neighborhood on November 12 and 13. Joanna Johnson (Karen) will be returning on those days as well.

Optimist Youth Raises $160,000 for at Risk Youth Treatment and Education Programs
Kate Linder from Y&R served as the guest auctioneer at the Oct. 21 Mentors Award Gala.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV #2: Coming November 2

On the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, AS THE WORLD TURNS star Evan Alex Cole is in the studio with us to co-host, west coast correspondent Stephanie Burke reports live from the set of VENICE, we have a report from ATWT's location shoot in Greenville, and debut our latest "Soaps on the Street" segment. Look for an all new episode on Monday, November 2.

Y&R's Eric Braeden on GOOD DAY LA

Eric Braeden was a guest on GOOD DAY LA on Wednesday to talk about his contract situation with Y&R. Braeden feels AFTRA needs to work to change the policy which allows the shows to break actor's contracts every 26 weeks. The actor and hosts also talked a little politics along the way. Warning: There is a spoiler in the clip.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: October 28, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. We Love Soaps now has a shortcut to all our Indie Soap cover. You can view those posts by clicking the "Indie" option at the top of the page or by visiting IndieSoapBeat.com. You can get to any of the show's websites by clicking their logo.


In breaking casting news, Nadia Bjorlin's character has been changed. She was originally cast to play Jenna but due to Elizabeth Keener's illness, she took over the role of Lara. Keener will appear on the series as a different character in the second season. We Love Soaps was on the set of VENICE on Wednesday and will be bringing you videos interviews soon with Crystal Chappell (Gina), Jessica Leccia (Ani), Gina Tognoni (Sami), Harrison White (Jamie) and others. Look for a report on WE LOVE SOAPS TV on Monday.


We Love Soaps was on the set of GOTHAM recently with Lisa Brown directing. It's hard to believe this amazing actress has not won a Daytime Emmy. I'm hearing the footage is looking good and it's hard to believe that Martha Byrne's vision is going to be anything but successful. This woman has listened to the fans for years and knows what a soap fan wants. Look for the show's official website to debut soon.


Producers Tristan Rogers and Kate Lang appeared on the latest epsidoe of "We Love Soaps Radio" to discuss REALITY BYTES. The folks behind RB are taking a different approach than some of the other web series by lining up sponsors in advance and trying to create a sustainable long-term business model. Things are fluid at the moment but the tentative plan is to air the 8-minute show three days a week. You can listen to interview here. Look for a full transcript with other tidbits from Rogers and Lang later this week.


We Love Soaps recently caught up with WED-LOCKED producers and stars Lawrence Saint-Victor (Robert) and Karla Mosley (Denise). If you missed our video interview, you can watch it in three parts here, here and here.


The second season of EMPIRE is coming in early 2010. Look for some exciting casting news soon from producers Greg Turner and Brian Hewson.


Episode #10 of WORKSHOP, "Shake Your Money Maker," is now online. The comedy was created by Nate Golon and Kimberly Legg and stars former PASSIONS actor Phillip Jeanmarie. In the episode, Jeff is shooting his Sparkle White Gum commercial, Sarah and Vivian are competing for the same role, Matthew's causing a ruckus on set, and Kaitlyn is taking a workshop. The show is having a screening in L.A. to celebrate the first season on November 16.


The IMAGINARY BITCHES Emmy special featuring We Love Soaps continues to be a YouTube hit surpassing 24,000 views and still going strong.


The RELATIONSHIPS website has been updated and the show has just launched a Facebook page. There is a new Vicky's World page as she goes to a fashion show. It is all about her of course!


The latest episode of Lauralee Bell's web comedy, FAMILY DINNER, is now playing at FunnyorDie.com. As with Episode 3, this family dinner features guest star Cloris Leachman, who plays Bell's mother. The episode has over 5,400 views as of today.


Episode #5 of FANTASY OVER REALITY, the web sitcom that revolves around a group of guys and their fantasy football league, is now playing on the show's website. Y&R's Vail Bloom has significant screen time in this one and is quite funny. Bloom, a Patriots fan, plays Sarah Smith in the series.