NEWS: Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Sweeney, Franco, Elliott

U.S. series, including Y&R/B&B, take center stage at Monte-Carlo
This year's Monte-Carlo TV Festival will head over the hill in style as U.S. series take center stage to celebrate the fest's 50th year, organizers announced Tuesday. The star-powered event will feature an eclectic mix of both U.S. and Gallic talent including Ice T, LL Cool J, Scott Wolf ("V"), BROTHERS & SISTERS stars Emily Vancamp and Luke MacFarlane, plus the young casts of hit series 9021, MELROSE PLACE and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. The stars of soaps THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS will also be in town to add some daytime drama to the event.

James Franco: A lot of movies are the same as soap operas
"Soap operas, yeah, generally people think that's something to avoid, that's a 'low level' of entertainment," he says. "But if you look at a lot of movies that are released in theaters, they're just the same as soap operas."

Alison Sweeney Hosts Virtual Mother's Day Party For ParentsConnect.Com‎
The virtual Mother's Day Party will take place all day on Wednesday, May 5th. Moms are invited to log-in, play games, and even win prizes. Alison Sweeney will be on-hand throughout the day for the Party, which lasts from 10 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. ET.

INTERVIEW: EASTENDERS' Marc Elliott (Syed)
"It's really interesting what the writers have done with [his suicide attempt]. It's not a cry for help and it's not a reckless decision, either. Although it is an attempt on his own life, it's not premeditated in any way. He buys a bottle of vodka to shut his head off from all the problems. He's never drunk alcohol before as it's not part of his culture, so downing a bottle of vodka isn't a good idea…"

Nielsen acquires video technology leader GlanceGuide
The Nielsen Company on Tuesday announced the acquisition of GlanceGuide, a leading video analytics and technology company in Palo Alto, CA. GlanceGuide’s advanced analytics capabilities have been immediately integrated into Nielsen’s online video measurement tools to deliver more actionable daily insights to media publishers, agencies and advertisers. Nielsen clients now have access to better understand who is watching online video each day, and how consumers interact with online video content and advertising.