VOTE: Indie Soap of the Week Poll (April 24-30, 2011)

Which indie soap was your favorite last week? Support your favorite continuing drama and vote in the weekly WE LOVE SOAPS TV poll below. Check back on Tuesday morning for the results (voting ends Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET). Only the shows that aired one or more new episodes from April 24-30, 2011 are listed. Based on release schedules, the shows in the poll will change weekly.

If an indie soap aired this week and is not on the list, feel free to cast your vote as "Other" and add a note in the Comments section of this post.



Watch this week's indie soaps below:
- ANYONE BUT ME Season 3 Premiere "Stick Figures"
- BROOKLYN IS IN LOVE Parts 1 & 2
- DEVANITY Series Premiere
- DOWNSIZED Season 2 Premiere "Employment"
- FREAKS Episode 1X02 "Blackout - Parte II"
- FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES Episode 7 "What's for Dinner"
- LEGENDS OF ATOLL Series Premiere
- LIFE OF THE OTHER HALF Episode 5 "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
- MIND'S EYE Episode 23 "Into the Woods"
- NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN Episode 2 "Not Suitable For Blind Dating"
- ORANGE JUICE IN BISHOP'S GARDEN Season 4 Premiere
- THE P@ASSIONATE & THE PRIVILEGED Episodes 115 & 116
- PIECES Episode Five "The Request"
- RAGGED ISLE Episode Eight
- SOLO The Series Episode 6 "Turning Japanese"
- THEN WE GOT HELP! Episode 2.7 "I Never"

If you are an indie producer and would like to have your web series added to our Indie Soap Guide, please contact editor@welovesoaps.com.

Murder Case Surveillance Video Taped Over With GUIDING LIGHT

Here's an interesting story from the Associated Press:

A panel investigating claims of innocence by two men who pleaded guilty to a murder learned Friday that four minutes of a videotape obtained as possible evidence have been recorded over with scenes from GUIDING LIGHT.

The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission is investigating the innocence claims of Kenneth Kagonyera and Robert Wilcoxsin, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Walter Bowman of Fairview. Bowman was killed during a home invasion in 2000. Two other men sentenced in the case have been released.

RECAPS: This Week's Daytime Soaps

Miss one of your daytime soap favorites this week? Read the on-air summaries for April 25-29 below and catch up on viewing on the web. Then vote for your favorite in our weekly daytime soap opera poll.

ALL MY CHILDREN: Escalating her plan, Kendall pretended to show the same feelings for Ricky that he revealed to her. Kendall put out a story to Cara and Tad that Griffin had gone to Afghanistan, while he remained hidden in Pine Valley and shadowed her every time that Kendall met with Ricky. Bianca's date, Louisa, pointed out that it's clear Bianca cares about someone else, causing Bianca to realize that she's being affected by her attraction to Marissa. Erica's captor claimed that Erica doesn't know her but finally agreed to send a message to Erica's loved ones saying that she's OK. Krystal provided comfort to Jack but was embarrassed when she misinterpreted a close moment. Maya complimented Colby on her blogs while not saying anything about herself. Watch at ABC.com.

Lucci on Leno: 'Our Fans Are On Fire'

Susan Lucci appeared on THE TONIGHT SHOW last night and talked to Jay Leno about the ALL MY CHILDREN cancellation. Lucci shared her excitement with Agnes Nixon being involved in writing the show's ending and praised viewers saying, "Our fans are on fire."

Said Lucci: "I was completely blindsided. I had just started the book tour. I had been to cities all over the country meeting thousands and thousands of people enthusiastic, so excited about the show. I had no idea. I found out five minutes before. I received a call from Brian Frons, the Vice President of Daytime television, asking me to come upstairs to the producer's office. I kind of knew something was going on because when I went up the stairs there were a lot of very seriously dressed executives coming down. I was shocked. I've seen productions on both coasts now, both the New York company production taken away from New York, hundreds of people. And now here in Los Angeles. Agnes Nixon has been welcomed back in to writing her own show and we're going out with the hands we came in on."

Watch it below.

WATCH: THEN WE GOT HELP! 2.7 "I Never"

An all-new episode of Indie Soap Award-winning THEN WE GOT HELP! is out this week. Creator and star Julie Ann Emery offers a preview:

"Eric and Dan are in attendance together again...and Eric runs the meeting! He makes the group play a drinking game (of course he does). We also get a tiny foreshadowing moment of what is going to happen over the next 5 episodes with these two. The adoption process story line is going to turn dramatic in the next 3 weeks. Actually, the most dramatic we've ever gotten on our little show. And I'll leave you with that cryptic comment (of course I do).

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

1978: A successful five-part DALLAS mini-series aired its fifth and final episode. The show received enough buzz to be launched as a series in the fall and eventually lasted 13 seasons.

1999: ANOTHER WORLD debuted the next-day preview at the end of the episode.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Robyn Griggs (ex-Maggie, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Stephanie, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 38
Dianna Agron (Quinn, GLEE) - 25

VOTE: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll (April 25-29, 2011)

Which daytime soap opera was your favorite the week of April 25-29, 2011? Vote in the weekly WE LOVE SOAPS TV poll below and check back on Monday morning for the results.

Voting ends at 9 a.m. ET on Monday.

WATCH: ONE LIFE TO LIVE Celebrates 40 Years of Erika Slezak

ONE LIFE TO LIVE celebrated Erika Slezak's 40th anniversary on the show with a special episode on Wednesday.

On a recent episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Slezak spoke about why she thinks Viki has lastd for 40 years and is still loved and adored today saying, "Viki is a wonderful creation of Agnes Nixon, and Aggie gave her all of that to begin with. She gave her heart and soul. She made a very flawed person whose always trying to be better. She's not judgmental. She's so aware of her own faults and problems. She's so forgiving and patient and kind. I mean she's practically not human [laughs].

WATCH: Luke's Intervention on GENERAL HOSPITAL

GENERAL HOSPITAL aired Luke's intervention on Thursday's episode. Star Anthony Geary explained to TVSquad.com, "The whole show is in one set. There are flashbacks involved, but they're used in a very unique and creative way, a way in which I've never seen before. We go in and out of reality and not fantasy, but [something else.]"

Jane Elliot added, "It's like theater. This is done stylistically. It's a very gripping episode, visually. It's also very simple. We're in a circle with folding chairs. Luke is paired up with his children [Lucky, Lulu and Ethan], Sonny, Carly, Nikolas and [my character] Tracy."

Watch it below.

NEWS: B&B Monte Carlo Nom, Chace Crawford, GREY'S, January Jones

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL again nominated for Monte Carlo Audience Award
It's a week of awards for THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. The 'Telenovelas/Soap Operas' category of the Monte Carlo Audience Awards includes B&B from the USA, EL CLON, from the USA, Brazil and Colombia. The third nominee, ASI, comes from Turkey.

Y&R's Jeanne Cooper to appear at "all things she"
Finances, fitness, fashion and more presentations of "all things she" will be on tap this weekend at the inaugural Fashion & Passion lifestyle event expected to draw as many as 20,000 women from throughout San Antonio and South and Central Texas.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.55 Colleen Zenk at The Will Clark Show

On episode 2.55 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, we travel to "The Will Clark Show" at Pieces bar in New York City where we sponsored a special event featuring Emmy-nominee Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). Zenk called bingo numbers for this week's charity, NJ Buddies, spoke to the crowd about her experience with oral cancer (get screened, it's easy), and shared memories of playing Barbara Ryan for 32 years.

She also previewed her cabaret show, "Colleen Zenk: LIVE!," which hits the Laurie Beechman Theatre in NYC in July. She won rave reviews for a recent performance in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Jason Priestley's Failed 90210 Spinoffs

Jason Priestley appeared on Fuel TV's THE DAILY HABIT and revealed some footage from a few "failed" BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 spinoffs.

Watch it below.

NEWS: ONE LIFE Soars in Ratings, Robert Newman, Fonseca on Luckinbill

Daytime Soap Nielsen Ratings: April 18-22, 2011
Total Viewers (versus last week/versus last year)
1. Y&R 4,704,000 (+228,000/-293,000)
2. B&B 2,849,000 (+157,000/-458,000)
3. OLTL 2,762,000 (+263,000/+507,000)
4. GH 2,547,000 (+10,000/-61,000)
5. AMC 2,521,000 (+177,000/+53,000)
6. DAYS 2,403,000 (+49,000/-103,000)

Households
1. Y&R 3.3/11 (same/-.3)
2. B&B 2.0/6 (same/-.3) ---- ties low (3rd straight week)
2. OLTL 2.0/6 (+.1/+.3) *
4. AMC 1.9/6 (+.1/+.1)
4. GH 1.9/6 (same/same)
6. DAYS 1.7/6 (same/-.2) ---- ties low (6th straight week)

* Last time in 2nd was May 23-27, 2005

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.54 Tom Casiello & DAYS OF OUR LIVES

On episode 2.54 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Damon L. Jacobs and Roger Newcomb continue a five part series with Emmy-winning soap opera writer Tom Casiello who has written for AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

In this episode, Casiello discusses his first brief stint at Y&R and shares his memories of working at DAYS OF OUR LIVES, the writer strike of 2007-2008, and much more.



RELATED:
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.50 Tom Casiello & ANOTHER WORLD
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.52 Tom Casiello & AS THE WORLD TURNS
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.52 Tom Casiello & ONE LIFE TO LIVE

Tune in to the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV which features Casiello discussing his most recent time at THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

1983: Kathy Bates debuted on ALL MY CHILDREN as a prisoner who would beat up Erica Kane.

2005: Legendary writer and producer Bill Bell died at age 78.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Celeste Holm (ex-Isabella, LOVING; ex-Anna, FALCON CREST) - 94
Joseph R. Sicari (ex-Freddy, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 72
Kate Mulgrew (ex-Mary, RYAN'S HOPE) - 56
Leslie Jordan (ex-Brother Boy, SORDID LIVES) - 56
Susan Pratt (ex-Claire, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Barbara, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Charlotte, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Elizabeth, LOVING; ex-Annie, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 55
Eve Plumb (ex-Dora, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-June, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Jan, THE BRADYS) - 53
Jack Armstrong (ex-Carson, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Chad, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; ex-Kevin, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ex-Greg, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 53

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a tip on a bit of soap history on this date or future dates, let us know. Send an email to editor@welovesoaps.com.

First Lady Inspires Beth Chamberlin

When Beth Chamberlin viewed Michele Obama's video commemorating the first anniversary of her "Let’s Move" initiative to end childhood obesity, she was moved by the First Lady’s call to action. Beth realized that her television fame and her reputation and expertise in the fitness world placed her in a unique position to contribute in a meaningful way to this effort. So she dove into the task of creating a home fitness program for everyone.

"I believe that most children learn their important life lessons from their parents," said Chamberlin. “And the best way for parents to encourage children to become more physically active is by setting the example.” Her first goal then was to create a fitness program that was safe, effective and could be done in the home so that children could see their parents exercising and even take part.

PHOTOS: Colleen Zenk Plays Bingo For Charity

We Love Soaps sponsored "The Will Clark Show" at Pieces bar this week featuring Emmy-nominee Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). Zenk called bingo numbers for this week's charity, NJ Buddies, spoke to the crowd about her experience with oral cancer (get screened, it's easy), and shared memories of Barbara Ryan. She also previewed her cabaret show, "Colleen Zenk: LIVE!" Check out some photos from the event below which raised over $1,000 for the charity.

NEWS: Blair Underwood, Michael Fairman, Thorsten, Broderick

Will Blair Underwood Do A Cameo On One Life To Live?
RumorFix tracked down Blair, who said, "It's the passing of an era."

The star of The Event broke into daytime TV in 1985 and tells RumorFix, "I don't know what the fans are going to do because they are so into it."

But, would Blair return to the daytime drama for old time's sake? He tells us, "That's a good question. I don't know. I learned to have a great respect for that type of work."

How to watch the Royal Wedding early Friday morning
Bravo, E!, TLC, BBC America, the cable news networks and the major networks will all be covering tomorrow's nuptials in the wee hours of the morning.

Y&R's Michael Fairman Talks to the Village Voice After his Scientology Excommunication
"There is a Scientologist working on the show," he says of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. "She told me, 'You have an enemy at work.' So I went to the producers. They laughed at the whole thing," he says.

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

2006: The 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held in Hollywood for the first time.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Mary McDonnell (ex-Claudia, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 59
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Julia, SANTA BARBARA; ex-Beverly, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 56
Eric Morgan Stuart (ex-Chris, ANOTHER WORLD)

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a tip on a bit of soap history on this date or future dates, let us know. Send an email to editor@welovesoaps.com.

NEWS: Julianne Moore as Palin, Sheridan Lawsuit, Barret Helms

PREVIEW: Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin for HBO's Game Change
Donning the trademark eyeglasses and up 'do, Julianne Moore is proving she’s more than all right as former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Costarring Ed Harris as John McCain, the film follows the Arizona U.S. Senator's 2008 presidential campaign from his selection of Palin as a running mate to their defeat in the general election. Woody Harrelson portrays Steve Schmidt, McCain's senior advisor. LOST's Melissa Farman has also been cast as Bristol Palin.

Ex-DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES exec producer backs Nicollette Sheridan in her lawsuit
Emmy-winning producer Lori Kirkland Baker says Sheridan's versions of events in her sexual discrimination lawsuit against Marc Cherry are true.

Y&R + DAYS To Recruit Actors From AMC & OLTL

Sony is planning to bring in a number of actors from AMC and OLTL to join its two daytime dramas, NBC's DAYS OF OUR LIVES and CBS' THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, according to a new report on Deadline.com. The names mentioned so far are Debbi Morgan and Jacob Young from ALL MY CHILDREN and Gina Tognoni and Josh Kelly from ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Sony Pictures TV president Steve Mosko is behind the plan. When the AMC and OLTL's cancellations were made official earlier this month, he sprung into action, starting consultations with his top daytime executive Steve Kent and DAYS co-creator/exec producer Ken Corday and Y&R co-creator/exec producer Bill Bell about which actors from the departing ABC shows would strengthen the talent roster on the two soaps.

WATCH: DOWNSIZED Season Two Premiere

In the Season 2 opener of DOWNSIZED, Hank (Gerard Urciuoli) tries to shake Beth (Daryn Strauss) out of her depression, while Connor (Chris Henry Coffey) is caught between the sheets with his estranged wife (Michele Mavissakalian.)

DOWNSIZED is a made-for-the-web ensemble dramedy about the extremes people go to when faced with an economic crash. The critically acclaimed series, told in "the mosaic style of Magnolia with the dark humor of NURSE JACKIE," follows the lives of several New Yorkers as they try to balance work, love and their checkbooks post-economic crisis.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.53 DOWNSIZED Season Two Premiere Party

On episode 2.53 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Roger Newcomb and Kevin Mulcahy Jr. travel to Copia NYC, site of the second season premiere party for DOWNSIZED the web series. Daryn Strauss (Beth, creator/producer), Duncan Murdoch (Lowell) and Conan McCarty (Andy) are interviewed.

Indie Soap Beat: The Latest Web Series News

Here's a rundown of some of the latest web series news:

WE LOVE SOAPS TV attended the second season premiere party for DOWNSIZED on Tuesday night at Copia in New York City. The crowd, which included ALL'S FAIRE creator Thom Woodley, and THEN WE GOT HELP's Julie Ann Emery and Kevin Earley, loved it. Look for additional coverage of this event later today.

Southside, the new movie from THE BAY creator Gregori J. Martin starring Kristos Andrews, begins shooting today in New York. Emmy winner and Indie Soap Award nominee Martha Byrne will be playing an NYPD cop in the film.

Play BINGO with Colleen Zenk TONIGHT (4/27) at The Will Clark Show

WE LOVE SOAPS TV is very proud to invite you to a special appearance by the Emmy-nominated daytime icon Colleen Zenk tonight at 8:00 at Pieces Bar in Manhattan (at 8 Christopher Street).

Help her celebrate the opening of her fabulous one-woman show, "Colleen Zenk: LIVE!" at this unique event, full of surprises, where Ms. Zenk will be calling out the numbers (and perhaps the audience!) as we all BINGO! for charity.

It's a great cause, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play games and party with an amazing talent--a woman who has been nominated for an Emmy--TWICE! So grab a friend and please join Damon and Roger and our whole WE LOVE SOAPS family tonight at 8:00!

Please RSVP (and find more information) here.

The multi-talented Colleen Zenk is best known to millions of fans for her role as Barbara Ryan (from 1978 to 2010) on the iconic daytime drama AS THE WORLD TURNS. Her portrayal earned her an Emmy nomination in 2002 (Outstanding Lead Actress) and in 2001 (Outstanding Supporting Actress). Ms. Zenk was also one of We Love Soaps TV's Most Fascinating People of 2010.

NEWS: Soap Fans Rally, Black Thursday, Max Adler, Mommy Bus

Soap opera fans protest at ABC's offices over cancellation of ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE
Daytime television buffs rallied in Midtown Tuesday to let ABC know that without their soaps, they'll have no lives to live.

A distraught group of 30 soap opera fans gathered outside ABC studios to protest the imminent cancellation of iconic soaps ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

"These Soap Operas are our lives," said Danielle Pope, 25, a child care provider from Brooklyn. "I grew up watching these soaps. These characters are like family. When they marry we celebrate. When they die, we mourn."

ABC Accused Of Cheating GENERAL HOSPITAL Creators

The daughters and heirs of Frank and Doris Hursley, the husband-and-wife writing team who created GENERAL HOSPITAL, say ABC owes them an accounting and years of royalties from the show.

Bridget Dobson (SANTA BARBARA creator), Deborah Hardy, and Polly Keusnik say ABC used Hollywood accounting to cheat them of their parents' 10 percent share of the show's net profits. They say they recently discovered the number juggling during an audit, and say ABC also "wrongfully refused" to disclose more information that will show other contractual breaches.

The plaintiffs describe themselves as "the daughters and heirs" of the Hursleys, "who became famous in the 1950s for writing soap operates."

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

1998: ANOTHER WORLD debuted the post-opening theme follow-up scene.

2007: Jessica Leccia debuted on GUIDING LIGHT as Natalia Rivera.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Schae Harrison (ex-Darla, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - 49
Cali Timmons (ex-Paulina, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Maggie, RYAN'S HOPE) - 48
Christopher Corwin (ex-Michael, ANOTHER WORLD) - 43
Maura West (Diane, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; ex-Carly, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 39
Taylor Anne Mountz (ex-Kay, PASSIONS) - 29

NEWS: B&B CGI, Cancellation Opens Up Cable Nets' Chances, Ian Ziering

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL writer/producer Brad Bell on the use of CGI
"Absolutely, when we can afford it. There's such great new technology at our fingertips now and, as writers and producers, it really opens our mind to new possibilities. We dream it up and say 'Can you do it?' and the CBS Digital people always say 'Yes!' We're building a great relationship with them. Soaps are no longer just about the bedroom and the living room or the cup of coffee. This even affects us in smaller ways. Now when we shoot in our Insomnia coffee house set we can go out on our green-screen terrace and the viewers will see the real Los Angeles in the background. No more fake backdrops!"

Broadcast's Departing Soaps, Oprah Give Women's Cable Nets an Opening
"The upcoming cancellation of those soaps are going to take a lot of ratings points out of the market," says Dave Cassaro, president, cable advertising sales, NBCUniversal, which owns Oxygen (along with other networks including USA, Bravo and SyFy). That translates to a lot of ad money, particularly in the package goods category being freed up and "looking for new homes," he says.

WATCH: ANYONE BUT ME Season 3 Premiere

ANYONE BUT ME, the Indie Soap Award-winning modern teen drama, premiered its third season today www.anyonebutmeseries.com.

Over the past two seasons Vivian and Aster, together with their high school friends and family members, have experienced the highs and lows of love, loss, change and family relationships. Last season, Vivian and Aster’s relationship took an abrupt turn, leaving audiences hanging about their future together and the tough choices that lay ahead. Betrayal, lies and confusion all come together in an exciting, edge-of-your seat season three.

Watch the Season 3 premiere, "Stick Figures," below and let us know what you think.

NEWS: Katie Couric, Susan Lucci, Fernanda Romero, Univision

CBS Thinks ABC Will Get Katie Couric
One person close to Couric described the ABC move as "a distinct possibility."

Sources say CBS News insiders initially accepted the idea of having Couric keep a role in the division, but have grown weary with the drawn-out negotiation process. "They are ready to wish her well," says one person close to the talks.

"No comment," says a spokesman at ABC News.

Susan Lucci: ALL MY CHILDREN is in the 'Best of Hands'
"It's horrible and it's sad and disappointing, but we're on for five more months," said Lucci. "And the best thing the fans can do is watch, because Lorraine Broderick and Agnes Nixon (both longtime writers on the program) are at the helm and we are in the best of hands."

NEWS: Social Gaming Killed Soaps, GLEE in NYC, BORGIAS, Lohan

Social gaming killed soaps? Audience shifts as viewers become gamers
While the soap audience has been shrinking for decades, driven by more women in the workplace and a 200-channel universe, the genre's decline appears to have accelerated over the past few years with the meteoric rise of social gaming. When Zynga–publisher of massively popular Facebook games such as FarmVille and CityVille–arrived on the scene in 2007, both ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE were averaging a 1.9 rating among women 25-54. By 2011 the two shows were averaging 1.3 and 1.4 ratings respectively in that key viewer group. The drop is even steeper for other demographics. Meanwhile, by April 2009, Zynga was reaching 40 million monthly active players on Facebook, according to comScore. These days, the game has over 47 million players each month while the more recent hit, CityVille, attracts a staggering 88 million active participants.

Experts believe that soap viewers, particularly stay-at-home moms, are increasingly finding the connection inherent to social games far more compelling than the goings on in Pine Valley.

RESULTS: Indie Soap of the Week Poll (April 17-23, 2011)

Here are the results from the WE LOVE SOAPS TV "Indie Soap of the Week" poll for the week of April 17-23, 2011. TRAILER MADE returned to the top spot with their latest episode.



If you're a fan of any of these shows, we encourage you to check out some of the other series you may not have watched yet.

Indie soaps that aired one or more episodes last week were eligible.

Watch last week's indie soaps below:
- AS THE CORN GROWS Episode 64
- BLOOD AND BONE CHINA Chapter 5 "There's No Such Thing As Vampires"
- THE CAVANAUGHS Season 2 Episode 6 "Dear Old Friend"
- MIND'S EYE Season 1 Episode 22 "Altered Arrangements"
- THE P@ASSIONATE & THE PRIVILEGED Episodes 113 & 114
- RAGGED ISLE Episode Seven
- SOLO The Series Episode 5 "MOLE!"
- THEN WE GOT HELP! Episode 2.6 "If I Had a Hammer"
- TRAILER MADE Season 1 Webisode 9
- WORKSHOP Season 2 Episode 4 "The Mormonator"

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

1946: Radio soap AMANDA ON HONEYMOON HILL, starring Joy Hathaway, aired its final episode after six years.

1991: Veteran soap actress Emily McLaughlin, who played Jessie Brewer on GENERAL HOSPITAL for many years and spoke the show's first line, passed away at age 60. McLaughlin also portrayed Eileen Seaton on YOUNG DOCTOR MALONE.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Carol Burnett (ex-Verla, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 78
Michael Damian (ex-Danny, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 49
Olivia Birkelund (ex-Arlene, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 48
Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford (Writer, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 40
McKenzie Westmore (ex-Riley, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Sheridan, PASSIONS) - 34
Charissa Chamorro (ex-Tory, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Sophia, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 34
Nate Golon (Jeff, WORKSHOP) - 32
Jordana Brewster (ex-Nikki, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 31
Shenell Edmonds (Destiny, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 17

NEWS: THE FADES, Kelli Giddish, GREY'S Wedding, Local Soaps

BBC America announces THE FADES and explains its science-fiction fixation
The network just announced that it’s co-producing a new supernatural drama called THE FADES, to premiere January 2012.

Written by Jack Thorne (who wrote for the U.K. versions of SKINS and SHAMELESS as well as co-writing the Shane Meadows movie “This is England ’86”), it stars Lily Loveless and Daniel Kaluuya (who both starred in the original U.K. SKINS) and features a plotline about a boy who sees spirits.

Kelli Giddish to appear on THE GOOD WIFE
Giddish will appear in this season’s final two episodes playing what is being described as a provocative role — an investigator for Lockhart Gardner who used to work with Kalinda (Archie Panjabi).

NEWS: Nielsen's State of the Media Trends, Cady McClain, Eddie Cibrian

An Upfront Look at U.S. TV Audiences and Trends
With the 2011 TV Upfront meetings between TV studios and advertisers in full swing, Nielsen takes a look at emerging trends in TV viewing.

* Timeshifting continues to be a significant factor in how consumers watch TV. In fact, 38 percent of all TV households in the U.S. have a DVR
* Mobile Video viewing has increased 41 percent from last year. The heaviest users of mobile video are teens ages 12-17 who watch 7 hours 13 minutes of mobile video a month
* Viewing video online also continues to increase. In January 2011 143.9 million Americans viewed video online
* The TV audience for sports is expanding. Record numbers of African Americans, Hispanics and female viewers helped drive the Super Bowl’s audience growth
* The audience overlap between visitors to network and broadcast media sites and social networking & blog sites is significant. In January 2011 alone, 49 percent of social networking & blog site visitors also visited TV network and broadcast media sites
* Television advertising spend was the largest medium for all ad spending in 2010, accounting for $69 billion.

Nielsen Reports Majority of Online Video Viewers are Women
Nielsen, in its State of the Media Trends in TV Viewing—2011 TV Upfronts, stated that 54% of online video viewers are…female. That sort of flies in the face of what we have been seeing from all other research outfits up until now.

This is America: Why is our Television Trending Fascist?

I never watched an entire episode of ONE LIFE TO LIVE or ALL MY CHILDREN in my entire life. But after a week of analysis and outcry following the cancellations, I'm angry. And I think this is a Network moment. “I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore.” Here's why:

They didn't do their homework.

From the beginning, the argument that there weren't enough viewers to be profitable didn't pass the smell test. After massive community outcry and mobilization, it's just plain as day that there is, in fact, an audience out there. A passionate, educated, diverse, and very loyal audience. Is it possible that Corporate missed this? If so, it might be because they glanced at the broadcast Nielsens and called it a day.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.52 Tom Casiello & ONE LIFE TO LIVE

On episode 2.52 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Damon L. Jacobs and Roger Newcomb continue a five part series with Emmy-winning soap opera writer Tom Casiello who has written for AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

In this episode, Casiello reveals how he landed a writing gig on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, shares memories of his time there, and what lead to his departure from the ABC sudser.



RELATED:
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.50 Tom Casiello & ANOTHER WORLD
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.52 Tom Casiello & AS THE WORLD TURNS

Tune in to the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV which features Casiello discussing his time at DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

NOMINATIONS: 77th Drama League Awards

This morning, "Norbert Leo Butz and Kathleen Chalfant announced the nominations for The 77th Annual Drama League Awards in the categories of Distinguished Production of Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and the Distinguished Performance Award. Both actors are previous winners of The Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award.

The 2011 Drama Desk Nominees are:

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) proudly announces the nominations for the 2010-11 Drama League Awards, "to be presented at The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The ceremony will be hosted by Kathleen Turner (High).

Distinguished Production of a Play (12)
"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" | Richard Rodgers Theatre
"The Diary of a Madman" | Brooklyn Academy of Music
"The Dream of the Burning Boy" | Roundabout Theatre Company
"The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" | Second Stage Theatre
"Gatz" | Elevator Repair Service/The Public Theater
"Good People" | Manhattan Theatre Club
"Jerusalem" | Music Box Theatre
"Kin" | Playwrights Horizons
"The Motherf**ker with the Hat" | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
"Other Desert Cities" | Lincoln Center Theatre
"Sleep No More" | Punchdrunk/The McKittrick Hotel
"War Horse" | Lincoln Center Theatre

Distinguished Production of a Musical (7)
"The Book of Mormon" | Eugene O'Neill Theatre
"Catch Me If You Can" | Neil Simon Theatre
"Elf" | Al Hirschfeld Theatre
"In Transit" | Primary Stages
"The People in the Picture" | Roundabout Theatre Company
"Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" | Palace Theatre
"Sister Act" | Broadway Theatre

Distinguished Revival of a Play (10)
"Angels in America" | Signature Theatre Company
"Arcadia" | Ethel Barrymore Theatre
"Born Yesterday" | Cort Theatre
"The Collection and a Kind of Alaska" | Atlantic Theatre Company
"The House of Blue Leaves" | Walter Kerr Theatre
"The Importance of Being Earnest" | Roundabout Theatre Company
"La Bête" | Music Box Theatre
"The Little Foxes" | New York Theatre Workshop
"The Merchant of Venice" | The Public Theater/Broadhurst Theatre
"The Normal Heart" | John Golden Theatre

Distinguished Revival of a Musical (3)
"Anything Goes" | Roundabout Theatre Company
"Hello Again" | The Transport Group
"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" | Al Hirschfeld Theatre

"What an amazing season this has been for Broadway and Off-Broadway theatergoers! In the Distinguished Production of a Play category, there were more than seventy new plays in contention this season -- a record for Drama League consideration," said Drama League President Jano Herbosch. "The nominating committee felt, as do we all, that the stunning bounty of work on display merited an expanded slate of nominees, given the extraordinary accomplishments in that area."

This season's Broadway transfers of "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," "Brief Encounter," "The Scottsboro Boys" and "Time Stands Still" were nominated in 2010 for their original productions, and thus were not eligible for this year's awards.

The Drama League also pays tribute to the season's best performers by including the nominees of The Distinguished Performance Award on a dais. This season's 63-member dais includes the following performers, one of whom will be honored with The Distinguished Performance Award on Friday, May 20:

Nina Arianda, "Born Yesterday"
Vanessa Aspillaga, "underneathmybed"
Daniel Beaty, "Through The Night"
Brian Bedford, "The Importance of Being Earnest"
Jim Belushi, "Born Yesterday"
Laura Benanti, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"
Reed Birney, "The Dream of the Burning Boy"
Desmin Borges, "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity"
Christian Borle, "Angels in America and Peter and the Starcatcher"
André Braugher, "The Whipping Man"
Charles Busch, "The Divine Sister"
Bill Camp, "Notes From Underground"
Bobby Cannavale, "The Motherf**ker With The Hat"
Victoria Clark, "Sister Act"
Billy Crudup, "Arcadia and The Metal Children"
Colin Donnell, "Anything Goes"
Lisa Emery, "The Collection/A Kind of Alaska"
* Ensemble, "Sleep No More"
* Ensemble, "Hello Again"
Raúl Esparza, "Arcadia"
Edie Falco, "The House of Blue Leaves and This Wide Night"
Halley Feiffer, "Tigers Be Still"
Sutton Foster, "Anything Goes"
Josh Gad, "The Book of Mormon"
Laura Heisler, "Kin"
John Benjamin Hickey, "The Normal Heart"
Marin Ireland, "In the Wake and Three Sisters"
John Larroquette, "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
Dan Lauria, "Lombardi"
John Leguizamo, "Ghetto Klown"
Judith Light, "Lombardi"
Joe Mantello, "The Normal Heart"
Elizabeth Marvel, "The Little Foxes and Other Desert Cities"
Frances McDormand, "Good People"
Laurie Metcalf, "The Other Place"
Patina Miller, "Sister Act"
Arian Moayed, "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo"
Donna Murphy, "The People in the Picture"
Seth Numrich, "War Horse"
Al Pacino, "The Merchant of Venice"
Estelle Parsons, "Good People"
Alison Pill, "This Wide Night"
Lily Rabe, "The Merchant of Venice"
Daniel Radcliffe, "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
Andrew Rannells, "The Book of Mormon"
Martin Rayner, "Freud's Last Session"
Vanessa Redgrave, "Driving Miss Daisy"
Paul Reubens, "The Pee-Wee Herman Show"
Chris Rock, "The Motherf**ker With The Hat"
Mark Rylance, "Jerusalem and La Bête"
Michael Shannon, "Mistakes Were Made"
Fiona Shaw, "John Gabriel Borkman"
Tony Sheldon, "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"
Scott Shepherd, "Gatz"
Christopher Sieber, "The Kid"
Alexandra Socha, "The Dream of the Burning Boy"
Paul Sparks, "Dusk Rings a Bell"
Ben Stiller, "The House of Blue Leaves"
Will Swenson, "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"
Kathleen Turner, "High"
Aaron Tveit, "Catch Me If You Can"
Robin Williams, "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo"
Tom Wopat, "Catch Me If You Can"

* The ensemble casts of "Sleep No More" and "Hello Again" will be honored collectively on the dais. The producers of each show may appoint one or two cast members to appear on the dais on behalf of the show's entire ensemble.

In addition, seven past recipients of The Distinguished Performance Award will be honored on the dais for their work this season. However, because an individual can only receive The Distinguished Performance Award once in his/her lifetime, they are ineligible for award consideration this year. Those past honorees are:

Norbert Leo Butz, "Catch Me If You Can"
Stockard Channing, "Other Desert Cities"
Cherry Jones, "Mrs. Warren's Profession"
James Earl Jones, "Driving Miss Daisy"
Patti LuPone, "Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown"
Brian Stokes Mitchell, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"
Geoffrey Rush, "The Diary of a Madman"

As previously announced, each year The Drama League awards three non-competitive Special Recognitions. This year, Whoopi Goldberg will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award, Liza Minnelli will be honored with the Distinguished Acheivement in Musical Theatre Award and Susan Stroman will receive the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing.

Tickets for The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon are now available by calling 212-244-9494.

For more information, "please visit www.dramaleague.org.

PEOPLE en Espanol Names the 50 Most Beautiful Hispanic Celebrities

PEOPLE en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful" issue celebrates its 15th annual edition, honoring the hottest and freshest names in Hispanic entertainment. This year the magazine goes back in time to depict four iconic decades: the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. The exclusive photographs were shot by celebrity photographer Omar Cruz on location in a total of six major cities: New York, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Mexico City and London.

Helping to commemorate the issue are two special honorees; Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias, who was featured in the magazine's first ever Bellos issue; and Sofia Vergara, who has appeared on this list an incredible six times. In a recent interview for the issue, Iglesias opened up about his fears: "I've always been afraid of not being happy, of loosing the motivation to keep fighting. That's why I want to enjoy every moment," says the singer. Joining them is Mexican actress Kate del Castillo who currently stars in Telemundo's hit telenovela LA REINA DEL SUR. The Spanish soap opera has been receiving a great deal of buzz for its network-breaking ratings. Among these Bellos veterans—and making his first ever Bellos debut—is Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez. Ramirez, who most recently was awarded a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Carlos (IFC Films), comments on being a newcomer to Hollywood: "When you're at award ceremonies or parties, life isn't as glamorous as you read it in the magazine...it's a lot of work and distance from your country."

As for the details on the highly-anticipated cover and behind the scenes footage, readers can tune into the Los 50 Mas Bellos de People en Espanol TV special, transmitted through the Univision network, on Thursday, April 28 at 10:00pm/9:00pm Central.

The complete list of People en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful":

1.Alejandra Guzman—Mexican singer
2.Ana Maria Polo—Cuban-American TV host, CASO CERRADO (Telemundo)
3.Angelique Boyer—Mexican actress, TERESA (Univision)
4.Blanca Soto—Mexican actress, EVA LUNA (Univision)

More Soap Cancellation Fallout: Former ATWT & AW Studio For Sale

The loan on J.C. Studios, the television and film production studios where such daytime soaps as AS THE WORLD TURNS and ANOTHER WORLD (see photo from the 1970s) were taped (along with programs like THE COSBY SHOW), is up for sale, according to a source. The 100,500-square-foot property is in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

It is made up of two separate studios at 1268 14th St. and Avenue M, where it takes up an entire city block. Each studio has its own dressing rooms, office and storage space, as well as state-of-the art audio, lighting and pre- and post-production facility areas. The original loan for the site is valued at $20 million, according to public city records. The borrower, J.C.S. Realty, defaulted on the loan issued by Wachovia Bank last year, records show. Since then, the loan has been transferred to a special servicer, which recently retained brokerage Massey Knakal Realty Services to market the note, sources said. The identity of the special servicer could not be determined immediately.

Eric Greenfield, a first vice president of sales at Massey Knakal, who is marketing the non-performing loan, declined to comment when Crain's New York inquired about the situation.

The source old Crain's the outstanding balance on the loan is $17.3 million. There is no asking price for the note, but the deadline for bids is May 4. Four deep-discounted offers from real estate investors have been made on the note, the source said.

Since AS THE WORLD TURNS was canceled last year, J.C. Studio's owner has had a hard time finding a steady stream of income to cover the cost to maintain the property, the source said. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, a new movie starring Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, was recently filmed there. The movie, scheduled for release next year, is about a 9-year-old boy searching for a key that belonged to his father, who died on September 11, 2001.

The studio has been in operation since 1903, when the motion picture company Vitagraph opened it. The company was sold to Warner Bros. in the 1920s.

NEWS: New ABC Shows Cost $575K or Less, DVR Viewers, Brian Presley

The Biz: Why ABC Lost Hope for Its Soaps
Greater choice and audience fragmentation have meant lower ratings for all programs. The daytime soaps built their cost structure during a time when the networks had little competition. The ratings have reached a point where even after cutbacks, ABC was on a path to lose money on ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE if they stayed on the air next year.

The cost of producing each ABC soap ran from $750,000 to $1 million a week. The new shows that will replace them will each be $575,000 a week or less.

CBS is already seeing higher profits for its new daytime chatfest THE TALK, even though the ratings are slightly below those of AS THE WORLD TURNS, the soap it replaced. When CBS recently gave multiyear renewals to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, it was at significantly lower license fees.

RESULTS: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll (April 18-22, 2011)

Here are the results from the WE LOVE SOAPS TV "Daytime Soap of the Week" poll for the week of April 18-22, 2011. ONE LIFE TO LIVE remained the most popular soap for the third week in a row.

Today in Soap Opera History

On this date in...

1977: ALL MY CHILDREN expanded to an hour on a full-time basis.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Lynn Hamilton (ex-Alice, PORT CHARLES; ex-Selita, SUNSET BEACH; ex-Vivian, GENERATIONS; ex-Mae, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 80
William Roache (Ken, CORONATION STREET) - 78
Katherine Bruce (ex-Sandy, DARK SHADOWS) - 69
Gina Torres (ex-Magdalena, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 41
Casey Deidrick (Chad, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 23

Also celebrating a birthday today is We Love Soaps' Damon L. Jacobs. Happy Birthday, Damon! Check out his series, "40 Lessons of 40 Years," at shouldless.com.

PREVIEW: Sunday Night ABC Soaps

ABC's Sunday night soap lineup is back this week with new episodes of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and BROTHERS & SISTERS. Here's a preview:

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES "The Lies Ill-Concealed" - Gaby covertly meets Bree when Carlos forbids them from being friends after learning the truth about his mother's death. Meanwhile, saved by the late Beth Young's kidney donation, Susan begins to have some inappropriate dreams about Paul; Lynette is reluctant to be the "plus one" when she accompanies Tom to a weekend conference featuring the nation's top executives; and Felicia tries to regain Mrs. McCluskey's trust in her campaign to bring down Paul Young, Sunday, April 24 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

CLASSIC CLIP: THE EDGE OF NIGHT December 2, 1975

The classic clip below features the opening and closing credit sequence of THE EDGE OF NIGHT on December 2, 1975, along with the first act in which Serena Faraday shoots husband Mark on the courthouse steps. This was the second episode of EDGE to air on ABC after moving from CBS and the second remix of Paul Taubman's theme music. The music was so unpopular, EDGE's producer quickly dropped it and reinstated the previous theme.

NEWS: Job Loss After Cancellation, 17 WGA Members, Hoover, Holbrook

New York Post: What death of the soap opera says about our economy, unions
Union super-minimum wages lead directly to high unemployment. AFTRA requires each of the main performers to be paid at least $913 a day, but stars get much more.

Seventeen Writers Guild jobs disappear when the two ABC soaps go dark. They aren’t getting paid in Palmolive, either. Head writers (of whom there might be more than one) get at least $35,345 a week. Writing expenses are minimal on reality, which the WGA hasn’t successfully penetrated yet.

An AFTRA source who didn’t want to be identified says, “We’re certainly mindful of the challenges the industry faces,” although not mindful enough to back down on their main goal: “We want to increase pay and benefits for our members.”

Hundreds of IATSE members are going to be out of work. Even unionized reality programs like ABC’s upcoming soap replacements THE CHEW (Mario Batali cooking show) and THE REVOLUTION will bring far fewer jobs in makeup, costumes, set moving, etc.

Today in Soap Opera History

On April 24, 2003, FRIENDS aired its "The One With The Soap Opera Party" episode featuring guest stars Matthew Ashford, Kyle Lowder, Farah Fath, Alexis Thorpe and Ethan Erickson.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Thad Luckinbill (ex-J.T., THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 36
Courtnee Draper (ex-Mary, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - 26
Sean Rademaker (ex-Jonathan, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Kirkland, ANOTHER WORLD) - 21

The Week in Review: Most Popular Posts

In case you missed them, here are the 15 most popular topics over the past week at WE LOVE SOAPS TV:

1.   Robin Strasser: 'I Am Incapable Of Grieving And Lying At The Same Time'
2.   NEWS: Frons in Hot Water, Bruce Weitz, Chris Colfer, SHUGA
3.   NEWS: Soaps Doing Well Outside U.S., Hershey, Brian Kirkendall
4.   NEWS: Marisa Tomei, Facebook Apology, Don't Mess With Soap Fans
5.   NEWS: Erica Kane, B&B PRISM Award, Wrestling, Y&R Accident
6.   NEWS: Daytime Disaster, Publicly Funded Soaps, BATTLESTAR
7. To ABC: What Is Real Cannot Be Threatened
8.   NEWS: John-Paul Lavoisier, Darius McCrary, Morrison, Cumming
9.   Hoover To Discontinue Ads With ABC After April 22

NEWS: Banff World Media Awards, BBC, David Sutcliffe, Oprah

Best Soap Opera/Telenovela nominees announced for Banff World Media Awards
Top-rating primetime Kapamilya soap MARA CLARA picked up a 2011 Banff World Media Festival – also known as the Rockies – nomination over the weekend.

The drama serial remake competes for Best Soap Opera/Telenovela category alongside South Korea's BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS (BAKER KING also aired on GMA-7), UK's CORONATION STREET, USA's DAYS OF OUR LIVES, EVA LUNA and THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH.

The Best Soap Opera/Telenovela category falls under The Fiction Rockies bracket which will announce winners June 12 (June 13 in Manila) at the AOL Canada Theater.

Nominees in other categories include BOARDWALK EMPIRE, GREY'S ANATOMY, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and DETROIT 1-8-7.

VOTE: Indie Soap of the Week Poll (April 17-23, 2011)

Which indie soap was your favorite last week? Support your favorite continuing drama and vote in the weekly WE LOVE SOAPS TV poll below. Check back on Tuesday morning for the results (voting ends Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET). Only the shows that aired one or more new episodes from April 17-23, 2011 are listed. Based on release schedules, the shows in the poll will change weekly.

If an indie soap aired this week and is not on the list, feel free to cast your vote as "Other" and add a note in the Comments section of this post.



Watch this week's indie soaps below:
- AS THE CORN GROWS Episode 64
- BLOOD AND BONE CHINA Chapter 5 "There's No Such Thing As Vampires"
- THE CAVANAUGHS Season 2 Episode 6 "Dear Old Friend"
- MIND'S EYE Season 1 Episode 22 "Altered Arrangements"
- THE P@ASSIONATE & THE PRIVILEGED Episodes 113 & 114
- RAGGED ISLE Episode Seven
- SOLO The Series Episode 5 "MOLE!"
- THEN WE GOT HELP! Episode 2.6 "If I Had a Hammer"
- TRAILER MADE Season 1 Webisode 9
- WORKSHOP Season 2 Episode 4 "The Mormonator"

April 23 Birthdays

Craig Sheffer (ex-Ian, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 51
Melina Kanakaredes (ex-Eleni, GUIDING LIGHT) - 44
Terri Simmons (Parker, PRETTY)
Jesse Lee Soffer (Will, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Max, GUIDING LIGHT) - 27

Hubert Schlafly, Teleprompter inventor and satellite visionary, dies at 91

Hubert Schlafly, an Emmy Award-winning engineer who helped shape modern television by inventing the Teleprompter and executing the first satellite transmission of a cable program, died Wednesday.

Schlafly, a longtime Greenwich resident who in recent years moved to the Edgehill retirement community in Stamford, was 91. He died at Stamford Hospital after a brief illness, according to close friend Thomas Gallagher of Riverside.

VOTE: Daytime Soap of the Week Poll (April 18-22, 2011)

Which daytime soap opera was your favorite the week of April 18-22, 2011? Vote in the weekly WE LOVE SOAPS TV poll below and check back on Monday morning for the results.

Voting ends at 9 a.m. ET on Monday.

OUT ON THE TOWN: Alison Sweeney at "Fight with Style" Event

On Saturday, April 16th, The Style Network hosted its first “Fight with Style: Healthy Moms + Healthy Kids” Town Hall to talk about the need to combat obesity. Held at the West County YMCA in Chesterfield, MO, the event was hosted by Alison Sweeney (DAYS OF OUR LIVES; THE BIGGEST LOSER) and featured Style stars Ruby Gettinger (RUBY) and the cast of TOO FAT FOR FIFTEEN: FIGHTING BACK. During a two-hour panel discussion, Alison spoke with Ruby about her weight challenges and with various health and nutrition specialists who offered advice on living a healthy life.

FLASHBACK: SECRET STORM Canceled (Coming Daytime Trends) 1974

From L. Ian MacDonald's TV & Radio syndicated newspaper column on February 5, 1974:

Here's bad news for soap opera buffs: CBS has canceled THE SECRET STORM after a run of 20 years. From next Monday, its place in the network's daytime schedule will be filled by a game show called TATTLETALES. The cancellation can be taken as a signal for the changing daytime order, not unlike CBS's decision three years ago to sweep out ED SULLIVAN and its rural situation comedies. The coming daytime trend is more and more low-budget, 90-minute drama and variety specials, which ABC has already gone in for in a big and apparently successful way.

RELATED:
- FLASHBACK: Joan Crawford Takes Daughter's Soap Opera Role
- FLASHBACK: Daytime Delilahs 1964

WATCH: THEN WE GOT HELP! 2.6 "If I Had a Hammer"

This week on an all-new episode of THEN WE GOT HELP!:

The Swingers are back, Dan discovers the downside of soft hands, Anna discovers the downside of Lao Tsu, and Kenny discovers the downside of bringing a squeaky hammer to the meeting.

Kenny saw a reality TV show with Jenny and "they were using these puffy bats to beat each other with when they got mad". The idea of beating Jenny with a puffy bat appeals to him so much, that he brings his own version to the meeting. And things definitely get out of hand.

NEWS: GLEE Songs, Fans Rally, Excedrin, Eric Martsolf, Ratings

GLEE Tunes Preview! ‘Born This Way’, ‘Ive Gotta Be Me’, ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’, ‘I Feel Pretty/Unpretty’
Listen to songs from the upcoming "Born This Way" 90-minute episode.

GLEE Video Preview: “Somewhere Only We Know”
Check out a preview of Blaine (Darren Criss) singing “Somewhere Only We Know” to Kurt (Chris Colfer) on the steps of McKinley High.

Former Y&R Star Lynne Topping Has Passed Away

From Legacy.com: Lynne Topping Farrell died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on April 17, 2011. She is survived by her loving husband James Francis Farrell; devoted daughters, Erin Honor Jorgensen and Ramona Megan Decristofaro; three granddaughters, Molly Honor, Jaime Lynne and Edea Lynne; her brother, Tony Topping; sister-in-law, Sharon Topping; and nieces, Debbie, Lynne and Holly. She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Edea and Malachi Topping and brothers, Jim, John and Malachi Jr.

An extremely talented and successful actor and writer, Lynne appeared in many television programs in the 1970s and 1980s, including five years as Chris Brooks on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. A former Miss Florida, Lynne was propelled to Hollywood after winning the national Irene Ryan Award for acting and signing a contract with Universal Studios.

AS THE EARTH TURNS Original Story Bible

We Love Soaps first published the original story bible for AS THE WORLD TURNS written in 1955, then referred to as AS THE EARTH TURNS, courtesy of Emmy winner Martha Byrne. As the show continues its final week on the air, we are republishing the complete bible below which includes character descriptions and six months of story projections. One story point of note is the reference to Chris and Nancy's late daughter, Susan. Was the publishing of this bible partially responsible for her reference in the episode celebrating Nancy Hughes? This is a must-read for all AS THE WORLD TURNS fans.

"AS THE EARTH TURNS", somewhere in this world the light of dawn breaks thru the darkness of night. As the earth turns somewhere in this world the sun dips into the distant horizon before the oncoming shadows of evening. As the earth turns, we know the bleakness of winter, the promise of spring, the fulness of summer, and the harvest of autumn. As the earth turns the cycle of life is completed.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.51 Tom Casiello & AS THE WORLD TURNS

On episode 2.51 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Damon L. Jacobs and Roger Newcomb continue a five part series with Emmy-winning soap opera writer Tom Casiello who has written for AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

In this episode, Casiello reveals how he made the transition from ANOTHER WORLD to AS THE WORLD TURNS. He also shares the highlights from his years working with Christopher Goutman, Hogan Sheffer and the whole team at the beloved soap which experienced what many critics consider its last "golden" era.



Tune in to the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV which features Casiello discussing his time at ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

April 22 Birthdays

Robin Bartlett (ex-Judy, RYAN'S HOPE) - 60
Steve Bond (ex-Jimmy Lee, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Mack, SANTA BARBARA) - 58
Joseph Bottoms (ex-Kirk, SANTA BARBARA; ex-Cal, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 57
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (ex-Denny, GREY'S ANATOMY) - 45
Ingo Rademacher (Jax, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 40
Eric Mabius (ex-Daniel, UGLY BETTY) - 40
Victor McCay (ex-Doc, PASSIONS) - 39
Michelle Ryan (ex-Zoe, EASTENDERS) - 2

Also celebrating a birthday today is "Portia" from PRATT FALLS.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 2.50 Tom Casiello & ANOTHER WORLD

On episode 2.50 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Damon L. Jacobs and Roger Newcomb kick off a five part series with Emmy-winning soap opera writer Tom Casiello who has written for AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

In this episode, Casiello reveals how he went from being a fan of soaps to actually working in the industry, starting as an intern at ANOTHER WORLD.



Tune in to the next episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV which features Casiello discussing his years at AS THE WORLD TURNS.

VIDEO: Why Oprah Can't Save The Soap Operas

Oprah Winfrey has made a video in response to all the requests from fans who want her to "save" their soaps following the recent cancellation of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Said Oprah, "If there was a dime left to be made from them on broadcast television, it would still be happening. All things come to an end. All things have their time. I will not be taking on the responsibility to revive an institution that, for all intent and all purpose, indicates that time has come for it to be over. Thank for you for believing I can save them, but I really can't."