Saturday, July 13, 2013

NEWS: EASTENDERS Original Cast, OWN, Heather Roop, Nelson Aspen, Corbin Bleu, Thalia, Edutainment, Alison Sweeney, Monday OLTL Preview

Albert Where? What became of the EASTENDERS stars who posed for this photo in 1985
Of the original line-up, four are now dead while many left seeking careers elsewhere. Only three — Adam Woodyatt (Ian), June Brown (Dot) and Letitia Dean (Sharon) are still with the show.

CORONATION STREET character to go missing [SPOILER ALERT]
According to the Daily Star, schoolboy Craig Tinker, played by Colson Smith, will go missing after killer Karl Munro (John Michie) realises that he has information which could expose him over the Rovers Return blaze.

With ALL MY CHIDLREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, Will OWN Own the Soap Genre?
The big questions here are these: Will Winfrey let HAVES loosen up a bit and develop more of an edge, and will she look to develop more original serialized dramas? The answers may depend on how well AMC and OLTL play on OWN.

ALL MY CHILDREN's Heather Roop on today's soap operas
She grew up watching legacy soap operas with her mom, and says the genre has changed with the times. Gone are the days when outbreaks of amnesia and mysterious evil twins popped up conveniently to propel storylines.

“As you turn on all the soaps, they’re all addressing issues that are pertinent right now,” she said. “It’s always evolving. Right now our main storyline is about sex trafficking. It’s real. It’s something you want to have a dialogue about it.”

Nelson Aspen's MAD MEN Destination Birthday in East Hampton
This was a serious "Destination" event. Actor Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen in the first four Superman films, Dave McFly in Back to the Future) and wife Carol flew in from Palm Springs. WABC Meteorologist Amy Freeze drove in and out in time to do the early weekend weather reports. Former Fox News babe Louise Pennell flew in from LA. SEARCH FOR TOMORROW stars Louan Gideon (Liza) came in from Asheville, NC, where she lives and is preparing a one woman show, and Marcia McCabe (Sunny) left her Westchester Country Club routine.

Aspen told Hamptons.com, "so I decided on a 1963/MAN MEN party." Think madras jackets, shifts, and Babe Paley in Palm Beach. Signature cocktails: the Nelsontini (vodka with cucumber juice and watermelon) and Nifty 50s (a tequila concoction). Retro deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket, and shrimp cocktails were passed around. "We duplicated my favorite Grandma's chocolate cake recipe, complete with Crisco!" Nelson said. Salmon and steak were entrees. Chita Phong Phanh, of Hamptonspeaceofmind.com catered. Tim Cronberger, of Halcyon Designs in Manhattan, curated the music. "First all 60s songs," said Nelson. "And as the night wore on we moved into the 70s and 80s."

Corbin Bleu spotted around Stamford
Corbin Bleu, who stars as Jeffrey King on The OnLine Network's ONE LIFE TO LIVE, which films in Stamford, has been seen frequenting Plan B Burger Bar on Tresser Boulevard and Zaza Italian Gastrobar on Broad Street. Bleu also attends Mass every Sunday morning at First Presbyterian Church on Bedford Street.

Shenae Grimes, Marshall Allman & Corbin Bleu star in 'Sugar'
The film’s message of hope for homeless youth also attracted an accomplished cast of Hollywood actors. 90210 star Shenae Grimes plays the namesake character who gives the film its title. Marshall Allman of TRUE BLOOD and PRISON BREAK fame, along with Corbin Bleu of ONE LIFE TO LIVE lend additional star power.

Sugar follows the struggle for survival and hope on the streets of Venice Beach following the death of the main character’s family in a car crash.

Soap operas as 'edutainment'
There is evidence that so-called ”education-entertainment,” which weaves important information about health, safety, and cultural issues into an enticing plot line, can be highly effective in combating cultural prejudices and encouraging positive behavior. In some cases, exposure to progressive media is enough to upend societal preconceptions. For example, a recent study shows that one year after cable television was introduced into several rural Indian communities, fewer viewers said it would be acceptable for a husband to beat his wife than said so a year earlier. The study also found that there was a reduced preference for male children in Indian communities with cable access compared to those without it.

Is Thalía Coming Back to Telenovelas? Producer of Soap Opera LIBRE PARA AMARTE Wants to Cast Her
The producer of telenovela LIBRE PARA AMARTE has sent an invitation to Thalía asking her to make a special cameo in the TV show, which stars Gloria Trevi. "I declare myself a fan of @Thalia. I wonder if she is @LibreParaAmarte (available) for a very special participation? #ThaliaLibre with @GloriaTrevi?," wrote producer Emilio Larrosa on Twitter.

LOST's Henry Ian Cusick Returns to the Aloha State in HAWAII FIVE-0
The dashing Scotsman will guest-star in the Season 4 premiere as Ernesto, a tough, fearless and ruthless member of a terrorist group called the National Liberation Movement. Provided he makes it out of the mayhem he makes alive, he possibly could reappear like a bad penny.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Alison Sweeney on food, soaps and Second Chances


A trip down memory lane to WEAVERS GREEN
It was one of the original UK soap operas, based in a small Norfolk village and broadcast around the country twice a week. WEAVERS GREEN was launched by Anglia Television in 1966.

The soap opera was filmed in Heydon near Aylsham and introduced soap queens such as Wendy Richards, who went on to play Pauline Fowler in EASTENDERS.

It was axed after just a few months, but now, Tim Snelson, an academic from the University of East Anglia has revived the long-lost show and has a rather interesting perspective on the impact it's had on TV soaps.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Monday Preview
On Monday's episode, Viki (Erika Slezak) and Clint (Jerry verDorn) are in the middle of another rough patch, with Viki still reeling from a recent financial near-disaster, as well as the knowledge that Clint filed a restraining order on behalf of their daughter Natalie (Melissa Archer) against her on-again, off-again love, John McBain (Michael Easton).

1 comment:

  1. Reuniting with Louan and Marcia for my 50th in the Hamptons (along with talent like Marc McClure and Melissa Doyle) got me thinking we should do a SFT reunion special. Amy Freeze could TOTALLY have forecast that nasty old flood!

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