We Love Soaps: Celebrating The Year of the Soap Opera 2012

National Gay Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce Partners With Indie Soap Awards

2012-02-10T02:22:00.003-05:00

As organizers of The 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards, We Love Soaps TV is honored to announce our Community Partnership with The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, New York Chapter (NGLCCNY). NGLCCNY is committed to forming a broad-based coalition representative of the various interests of LGBT owned and friendly businesses, professionals, and students of business for the purpose of promoting economic growth and prosperity of its members.

We spoke with Richard Oceguera, President of the respected organization, about the cultural impact of the Indie Soap Awards in the New York LGBT community. "NGLCCNY is proud to support the talented artists who are creating this exciting new wave of video content," he said. "That many of the nominees are LGBT is a testament to the massive creative and business genius that our community has to offer!"

While daytime television has wavered in its commitment to accurately and respectfully representing the lives of gay/lesbian individuals, Indie Soaps have always portrayed members of this community with complexity, depth, and resilience. This year's nominees such as ANACOSTIA, ANYONE BUT ME, EMPIRE, GREGORY WAY TV, HUSBANDS, HUSTLING, OUT WITH DAD, PRETTY, and VENICE, all prominently feature LGBT characters with real strengths and flaws. They are part of the very fabric of their shows, not trounced out for a "special episode."

Such diverse and rich portrayals help to transform lives, empower viewers, and validate a sense of universal experience. Similarly, NGLCCNY offers opportunities for New Yorkers who wish to succeed in business, improve connections, and empower their personal and professional communities. We are grateful to Mr. Oceguera for recognizing this commitment in the Indie Soap Awards, and look forward to seeing all of you there!

Click here for a complete list of nominees for the Third Annual Indie Soap Awards.

If you would like to support the LGBT artists who are being recognized and celebrated, and be in the audience for this live event (to be filmed and broadcasted for The SFN) then register to come to the Indie Soap Award show and party in Manhattan, at New World Stages, on February 21st, 2012. For only $69.99 you can come view the ceremony, meet your favorite stars, and enjoy the open wine and beer bar!

Register: $69.99. Enter affiliation and press "Add to Cart." You will be prompted for the number of people in your party and method of payment.

Today in Soap Opera History (February 10)

2012-02-10T01:04:00.001-05:00

On this date in...

1897: Dame Judith Anderson was born. Anderson moved to New York from Australia in 1918 and was a hit on Broadway before moving to Hollywood to make films. In 1984 she joined the original cast of SANTA BARBARA as Minx Lockridge. She died in 1992 at age 94.

1966: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mike Bauer told Emily that he found he has a lot in common with John, since both their wives died when their daughters were young.

1989: On GUIDING LIGHT, Reva and Sonni began their walk across a suspension bridge.

1992: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Victor continued to have memories of Nikki even though she was going to be alright and was with Jack.

2008: Roy Scheider died at age 75. He played Kenny on THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Jonas Falk on LOVE OF LIFE and Bob Hill on THE SECRET STORM.

2011: THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW aired a soap special featuring Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Darnell Williams, Michael E. Knight, Anthony Geary, Genie Francis and Jeanne Cooper (plus the actors who played Erica Kane's husbands as a surprise).

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Roberta Flack (Herself, GUIDING LIGHT) - 75
Jay Pickett (ex-Frank, PORT CHARLES, ex-Chip, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-David, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 51
Sarah Aldrich (ex-Courtney, PORT CHARLES; ex-Jill, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 45
Vince Gilligan (Writer/Producer, BREAKING BAD) - 45
Micheal Dietz (ex-Jake, PASSIONS; ex-Mark; THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; ex-Alan-Michael, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Joe, PORT CHARLES) - 41
Kim Onasch (ex-Jennifer, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 30

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.

RELATED:
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

The 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards To Be Broadcast Exclusively on The SFN!

2012-02-09T21:14:00.009-05:00

We Love Soaps in conjunction with The SFN proudly present the Indie Soap Awards, to be broadcast exclusively on The SFN! Read all about at SFNtv.com.

If you would like to support your favorite show in person, then register to come to the Indie Soap Award show and party in Manhattan, at New World Stages, on February 21st, 2012. For only $69.99 you can come view the ceremony, meet your favorite stars, and enjoy the open wine and beer bar!

Register: $69.99. Enter affiliation and press "Add to Cart." You will be prompted for the number of people in your party and method of payment.

Thursday Night Ratings: REVENGE Up, ONE TREE HILL Down

2012-02-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

The Wednesday night television ratings are in from Nielsen. Soap stars were all over the lineup on primetime soaps, comedies and procedurals.

From ABC:
From 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC freshman drama REVENGE ran a strong second in its hour, beating NBC's "L&O: SVU" by double digits in Total Viewers (+13% - 7.6 million vs. 6.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (+14% - 2.5/7 vs. 2.2/6). In addition, the Disney-owned drama ranked No. 1 in the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

* ABC's REVENGE matched a 12-week high in Adults 18-49 - since 11/16/11.

* REVENGE produced substantial year-over-year improvement for ABC in Wednesday's 10 o'clock hour, surging by 2.0 million viewers and by 32% in Adults 18-49 over first-run drama programming on the year-ago evening ("Off the Map" on 2/9/11 = 5.6 million and 1.9/5).

Other Broadcast Network Soaps:
At 8 p.m. The CW sixth in the adults 18-49 demo with a 0.7 for ONE TREE HILL and Telemundo was seventh with a 0.6 for UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN.

At 9 p.m. Univision was fourth with a 1.4 for EL TALISMAN, while Telemundo was sixth with a 0.6 for FLOR SALVAJE.

At 10 p.m. ABC second with REVENGE, Univision was fourth with a 1.5 for LA QUE NO PODIA AMAR with Telemundo in fifth with a 0.4 for RELACIONES PELIGROSAS.

Soap Opera Stars In Primetime: Upcoming Guest Appearances

2012-02-09T14:08:00.002-05:00

Daytime and primetime soap stars are everywhere this winter! Below are some of the upcoming guest appearances by soap stars on primetime shows. We update this list every few days.

If you see a name missing or find out an official airdate, add it in our Comments section.

FEBRUARY
9 THE MENTALIST - Victor Alfieri (ex-Giovanni, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL), Kathryn Joosten (Karen, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES)
10 A GIFTED MAN - Peter Hermann (ex-Michael, GUIDING LIGHT)
10 BLUE BLOODS - Aubrey Dollar (ex-Marina, GUIDING LIGHT), James Rebhorn (ex-Bradley, GUIDING LIGHT)
12 BODY OF PROOF - Joanna Cassidy (ex-Katherine, FALCON CREST)
14 NCIS - Ray Wise (ex-Jamie, LOVE OF LIFE)
14 NCIS: LOS ANGELES - Mackenzie Mauzy (ex-Phoebe, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL), Anthony Palermo (PASSIONS)
14 NEW GIRL - Ryan Kwanten
14 BODY OF PROOF - Donna Pescow
15 HAPPY ENDINGS - James Wolk (ex-Bob, LONE STAR)
15 CRIMINAL MINDS - Bellamy Young
15 CSI - Jesse McCartney, Mary Page Keller, Nazanin Boniadi
16 THE MENTALIST - Michael Rady, Marisa Ramirez, Jay Pickett
16 PERSON OF INTEREST - Annie Parisse (ex-Julia, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Susan Misner (ex-Grace, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
17 BLUE BLOODS - Benton Greene (ex-Derek, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
19 THE GOOD WIFE - Parker Posey (ex-Tess, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Jonathan Groff (ex-Henry, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
19 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - Robert Pine (ex-Stephen, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL)
20 HAWAII FIVE-0 - Erin Cardillo (ex-Esme, PASSIONS)
21 NCIS - Wendy Makkena (ex-Katie, SANTA BARBARA)
22 CRIMINAL MINDS - Paul Johansson (ex-Greg, SANTA BARBARA)
22 SUBURGATORY - Barry Livingston (ex-Mike, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL)
22 CSI - Ashley Williams (Dani, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
23 THE MENTALIST - Malcolm McDowell (ex-Crispin, CROSSROADS)
24 A GIFTED MAN - Eriq LaSalle (ex-Mike, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Lee Tergesen (ex-Tobias, OZ)
24 BLUE BLOODS - Yancey Arias (ex-Emilio, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
29 CRIMINAL MINDS - William Russ (ex-Tucker, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS), Bellamy Young (Mellie, SCANDAL), Kelly Theibaud (ex-Alicia, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)

MARCH
4 THE GOOD WIFE - Christian Camargo (ex-Mark, GUIDING LIGHT)
13 RINGER - Nic Robuck
TBD BLUE BLOODS - Margaret Colin
TBD GOSSIP GIRL - David Gregory

APRIL
15 NYC 22 - Monti Sharp (ex-David, GUIDING LIGHT)

2012
TBD PRIVATE PRACTICE - Ashley Jones
TBD HAWAII FIVE-0 - Ed Asner
TBD HOT IN CLEVELAND - Steven Weber
TBD CASTLE - Justin Hartley
TBD MELISSA & JOEY - Shawn Christian
TBD MODERN FAMILY - Bobby Cannavale
TBD SUPERNATURAL - Misha Collins (recurring), Rachel Miner
TBD LAW & ORDER: SVU - Fisher Stevens
TBD CSI: NEW YORK - Molly Burnett, Sherri Saum
TBD CRIMINAL MINDS - Lexi Ainsworth
TBD SMASH - Thorsten Kaye (recurring)
TBD HOT IN CLEVELAND - Rick Springfield (Summer)
TBD HAPPILY DIVORCED - Sean Kanan

RELATED:
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

Christian LeBlanc Joins FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES For Season 2

2012-02-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES, the award-nominated comedy series airing exclusively on The SFN, today announced the casting of Y&R star Christian LeBlanc in the upcoming second season.

LeBlanc, who currently plays Michael Baldwin on the long-running CBS daytime series, will play a character who comes to town to stir things up for Vince (series regular Robert Maffia).

“We’re thrilled to welcome Christian to the show,” said Julie Smith, creator and writer of the critically acclaimed comedy, nominated for 8 awards in the INDIE SOAP AWARDS taking place in New York City this month.

“We couldn’t be happier that Christian will be part of the network,” said Stewart St. John, co-founder and president of The SFN. “He’s a gifted actor and Julie has crafted a great character for him to play. The second season of FUMBLING is going to set a new bar for web series.”

FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES, starring Hillary B. Smith, Diane Delano, Kelsey Robinson, Kitty Swink, Tara Chocol-Joyce and Maffia, is currently gearing up for production and will premiere its second season exclusively on The SFN. More casting news to follow soon.

Watch Ilene Kristen on LAW & ORDER: SVU

2012-02-09T13:09:00.002-05:00

ONE LIFE TO LIVE star and Indie Soap Award nominee Ilene Kristen was a guest star on Wednesday night's episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU. She played the estranged mother of a troubled young man. Watch the episode below. She appeared at just past the 28:00 mark.

And if you missed Jill Larson and Brianna Brown on CSI at the same time, you can watch them here.

WHAT TO WATCH: Thursday, February 9, 2012

2012-02-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Thursday, February 2, 2012. Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)

3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

8 p.m.		THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (CW)

		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)

9 p.m.		DEVANITY (SFN)

		THE SECRET CIRCLE (CW)

		GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)

		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)

		EL TALISMAN (Univsion)

10 p.m.		ARCHER (FX)

		PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)

		LA QUE NO PODIA AMOR (Univision)

		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)

10:30 p.m.		UNSUPERVISED (FX)

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards
- Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year: Vote Until Feb. 13

PREVIEW: ABC's Thursday Night Soaps GREY'S ANATOMY & PRIVATE PRACTICE

2012-02-09T11:30:00.001-05:00

The Year of the Soap continues when GREY'S ANATOMY airs an all-new episode, "All You Need Is Love," on Thursday, February 9 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Meredith and Derek try to have a night to themselves when Lexie offers to watch Zola; Callie hands babysitting duties over to Mark so that she can surprise Arizona with a romantic evening; and Ben proves to Bailey that he knows her better than she thinks.

Meanwhile, the ER fills with romantics, including a 10-year-old girl who has an allergic reaction to chocolates from her valentine and a man who is hit by a car while chasing down his frustrated girlfriend.

GREY'S ANATOMY stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, 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, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, Kim Raver as Teddy Altman, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery and Sarah Drew as April Kepner.

"All You Need Is Love" was written by Jeannine Renshaw and directed by Rob Corn.

PRIVATE PRACTICE follows at 10:02 p.m. ET with "Too Much".

Sam finds his estranged sister, Corinne, in jail, heavily medicated and near-catatonic, and brings her to Sheldon for help.

Erica begins secret treatments for her cancer and refuses to let Cooper and Charlotte tell Mason.

Cooper, Pete and Addison treat the baby of a drug addict.

Things between Violet and Scott continue to heat up in the bedroom.

PRIVATE PRACTICE stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Benjamin Bratt as Dr. Jake Reilly, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, Brian Benben as Dr. Sheldon Wallace and Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.

Guest starring Anika Noni Rose as Sam's sister, Corinne. Also guest starring A.J. Langer as Erica and Stephen Amell as Scott.

"Too Much" was written by Noah Evslin and directed by Karen Gaviola.

RELATED:
- AS THE WORLD TURNS ON DVD: Sara Ramirez Reminisces About Playing Hannah
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards
- Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year: Vote Until Feb. 13

PREVIEW: CW's Thursday Night Soaps THE VAMPIRE DIARIES & THE SECRET CIRCLE

2012-02-09T11:14:00.001-05:00

The Year of the Soap continues when THE VAMPIRE DIARIES airs an all new episode, "Dangerous Liaisons," on Thursday, February 9 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Elena (Nina Dobrev) is surprised to receive an invitation to a formal ball, and when Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) hear the party is being hosted at Klaus's newly renovated mansion, they both insist on attending the event with her.

Caroline (Candice Accola) and Matt (Zach Roerig) also receive invitations to the ball from unexpected admirers. At the elegant party, Elena learns of a horrifying plan that could lead to numerous deaths and she must decide who she can trust wither her new information.

Caroline discovers a side of Klaus (Joseph Morgan) no one would have suspected.

Finally, after an evening of violence and dashed hopes, Damon finds a new way to cope.

Chris Grismer directed the episode written by Caroline Dries.

THE SECRET CIRCLE follows at 9 p.m. ET with “Valentine”.

In honor of the holiday, Faye (Phoebe Tonkin) and Melissa (Jessica Parker Kennedy) throw a girls only anti-Valentine's Day slumber party for themselves and fellow witches Diana (Shelley Hennig) and Cassie (Britt Robertson).

But the night gets wilder than expected when Melissa offers Diana some mood altering "Devil's Spirit" and the first person Diana loosens up around is Lee (guest star Grey Damon), who crashes the party to help Faye achieve her own power.

Meanwhile, Cassie is forced to turn to Adam (Thomas Dekker) and Jake (Chris Zylka) after she becomes haunted by the spirits of some vengeful witches.

Dave Barrett directed the episode written by Roger Grant.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards
- Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year: Vote Until Feb. 13

ISA NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: OUT WITH DAD

2012-02-09T00:50:00.003-05:00

As we count down to the 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards on Feb. 21, we will feature the shows nominated for Best Web Series, Comedy and Drama.

Up next is Best Web Series (Drama) nominee, OUT WITH DAD, the story of Rose (ISA nominee Kate Conway) as she comes of age and comes out to her dad, Nate (ISA nominee Will Conlon). Nate has raised Rose as a widow since she was a baby, but how did he react when she finally came out to him?

Lindsey Middleton (who plays Vanessa) and Wendy Glazier (Vanessa's mother, Theresa) are also nominated this year and the show received nods for Writing and Music as well.

Creator Jason Leaver has crafted beautiful story that draws viewers in and always leaves you wanting more. Watch the wonderful Season 2 premiere below:

Then continue watching at outwithdad.com.

If you would like to support your favorite show in person, then register to come to come to the four hour Indie Soap Awards party in Manhattan, at New World Stages, on February 21st, 2012. For only $69.95 you can come view the ceremony, meet your favorite stars, and enjoy the open bar!
Register: $69.99. Enter affiliation and press "Add to Cart." You will be prompted for the number of people in your party and method of payment.

RELATED:
- NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards
- Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year: Vote Until Feb. 13
- ISA NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: BANDWAGON The Series
- ISA NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: PRETTY The Series
- ISA NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: RAGGED ISLE
- ISA NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: THURSTON The Western Web Series

Today in Soap Opera History (February 9)

2012-02-09T00:12:00.005-05:00

On this date in...

1911: Longtime THE EDGE OF NIGHT announcer Harry Kramer was born. He died after a short illness at age 84.

1971: Philip Carey and Anthony Geary guest starred on ALL IN THE FAMILY in an episode titled, "Judging Books by Covers."

1981: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mac and Rachel told Mitch about Janice, St. Croix, and Matthew’s paternity.

1989: On DYNASTY, Jeff saved Sammy Jo from the burning barn.

1990: THE BRADYS, a primetime soap featuring the sitcom and variety show family, premiered on CBS. Bobby became paralyzed after a racing accident.

1994: BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 aired its 100th episode on FOX, "Scared Very Straight." David's amphetamines addition was out of the control so he called Dylan for help.

1996: On ALL MY CHILDREN, Laurel was shot and killed.

2005: Lyndsy Fonseca aired for the final time as Colleen on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Barbara Young (ex-Doreen, CORONATION STREET) - 76
Judith Light (ex-Claire, UGLY BETTY; ex-Karen, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 63
Charles Shaughnessy (Elliot, THE BAY; ex-Shane, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Alistair, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 57
Jason George (Ben, GREY'S ANATOMY; ex-Michael, SUNSET BEACH) - 42
Sharon Case (Sharon, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; ex-Debbie, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Dawn, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 41
Colin Egglesfield (ex-Auggie, MELROSE PLACE; ex-Josh, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 39
Corey Parker Robinson (ex-Remy, GUIDING LIGHT) - 37
Rachel Melvin (ex-Chelsea, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 27
Michael B. Jordan (Alex, PARENTHOOD; ex-Vince, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS; ex-Reggie, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 25

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.

Soap Opera Weekend Coming To Bally's In Atlantic City March 24-25

2012-02-08T23:59:00.002-05:00

ATLANTIC CITY IS ALL ABOUT THE DRAMA AS BALLY’S PLAYS HOST TO SOAP OPERA WEEKEND

Bally’s Atlantic City features Special Soap Opera Weekend complete with Cast Meet & Greets, Wine and Brunch Offerings, and a Special Musical Performance by Port Chuck

(Atlantic City, N.J.) February 8, 2012 – So Jane’s youngest sister turns out to be her evil twin, which everyone thought had died three years ago from a brain tumor, only to reappear from a mental hospital, when her amnesia cleared up! Have a hard time following? Well, Bally’s Atlantic City is here to clear the whole thing up for you as they present Soap Opera Weekend. With all the drama set to unfold on Saturday, March 24th and Sunday, March 25th, Bally’s Atlantic City will never be the same.

Popular cast members from timeless Soap Operas set to appear include: Greg Rikaart, AKA Kevin Fisher from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; Michael Muhney, AKA Adam Newman from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; Michelle Stafford, AKA Phyllis Summers from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; and finally Stephen Nichols, AKA Tucker Mccall of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS fame. If that wasn’t enough Soap Opera groupies rejoice as musical mega-group Port Chuck leaves the harbor and heads to Bally’s. This cover-band quartet is made up of actors from GENERAL HOSPITAL which include Steve Burton, AKA Jason Quartermaine; Brandon Barash, AKA Johnny Zacchara; Bradford Anderson, AKA Damien Spinelli; and Scott Reeves, AKA Dr. Steve Webber.

On Saturday, March 24th at the Bally’s Park and Garden Ballrooms THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS stars will align to speak to audience members and answer all their most burning questions for the Genoa City Conversations event. This event features four conversations total, on the hour every hour beginning at 11am and lasting until 3pm, and is hosted by Soap Opera Weekend’s Joyce Becker. Tickets are $40 and attendance is limited to 180 people per discussion.

Also, on Saturday, March 24th the Bally’s Ocean Ballroom will serve as the prime setting to rub elbows with these daytime heroes while enjoying some signature wines. This Panel Meet and Greet Wine Tasting features Soap actors and actresses regaling guests with tales from behind the scenes, as well as a Q & A session. This event is from 6pm to 9pm and is limited to 400 guests; tickets are $85.

To complete the Saturday evening festivities, guests can gather at Bally’s Traymore Ballroom and watch as residents from everybody’s favorite, fictional, Western New York lake-side town take the stage at 10pm and rock out until midnight. GENERAL HOSPITAL's Port Chuck will spend the night delighting audience members with songs and a few stories too racy for TV. Tickets prices range from $35 to $55 to $75 depending on seating.

At 10am on Sunday, March 25th, at the Bally’s Ocean Ballroom, fans can prepare for the aptly titled, Drama Brunch. Tickets for this delectable offering are priced at $85; the event includes and include Soap stars dishing it out, literally, as they will be serving up some of their favorite brunch specialties till 1pm.

“Bally’s Atlantic City is thrilled to play host to a weekend devoted to all the twists, turns, and fictional love triangles of daytime television,” said Karen Worman, Vice President of Finance for Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City. “Soap Opera Weekend allows generations of fans a chance to meet and connect with some of their favorite actors and characters, while enjoying all the amenities that Bally’s has to offer.”

Tickets for Soap Opera Weekend go on sale February 10^th, through www.ticketmaster.com. For more information on Soap Opera Weekend, please visit: www.ballysac.com.

Michelle Stafford To Be Honored With Media Awareness Award From Project Cuddle On Feb. 11

2012-02-08T22:26:00.006-05:00

Project Cuddle has announced that the nonprofit organization will honor Michelle Stafford at its annual Dinner by the Bay “Denim and Diamonds” fundraiser on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at The Hilton Long Beach and Executive Meeting Center. Stafford will receive the Media Awareness Award for helping Project Cuddle prevent newborn abandonment.

Set against the backdrop of the Long Beach skyline, Dinner by the Bay is an evening of dining, dancing, and saving lives. National Spokesperson John Stamos invites you to dress‐up your denim for this year’s theme, “Denim and Diamonds”. The event is supported by Los Angeles Magazine and includes performances by Neil Morrow Band featuring John Stamos. The evening begins with an exceptional silent auction featuring exciting items including gift baskets, weekend getaways, spa packages, dinner & hotel certificates, and tons of other gifts for men and women – and there is always a large assortment of baby items.

An Emmy® nominated actor and producer, John Stamos is an advocate for Project Cuddle. Stamos currently serves as the non‐profit’s National Spokesperson and Chairman of the Advisory Board, and he has been a supporter of the charity for over 8 years. Stamos was most recently been seen in the film Father of Invention opposite Kevin Spacey. On Broadway, Stamos has had tremendous success starring in the Tony® Award‐winning musicals "Hairspray," "Bye Bye Birdie," and "Nine." Stamos began his career over 25 years ago on the hit soap GENERAL HOSPITAL and has since starred on such hit television series as ENTOURAGE, E.R., and recently in a multiepisode arc on FOX’s hit series, GLEE. He is, however, perhaps best known for starring in the iconic ABC series FULL HOUSE. Stamos continues to enjoy a wide variety of roles on film, television and the stage, and he is currently in development with Twentieth Century Fox and Neil Meron & Craig Zadan for a feature musical set to the songs of the Beach Boys, whom he’s toured with over the last 25 years.

Michelle Stafford will be honored for her outstanding contribution to Project Cuddle. She has been on Project Cuddle’s Advisory Board for 3 years and has done a lot for the organization by spreading the word about the cause. Currently, Michelle can be seen as Phyllis Summers on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Stafford's role as Phyllis is one of the most popular in daytime television and has earned her two Emmy Awards and nine nominations. Founder & CEO Debbe Magnusen shares: “Michelle has been a true ‘spunky’ angel. She is always willing to lend her name to help protect the tiniest of victims…the babies. She is getting ready to launch an online fundraiser called Daytime Quacks. Unique rubber ducks signed by the stars from daytime soaps will be auctioned off. She has spoken with birth moms on the phone, encouraged me when I have met challenges, and is a true cheerleader for Project Cuddle”.

Other honorees include: President’s Choice Award, Dora Marie Klein; Founder’s Choice Award, Miguel Pola; Angel of the Year, Jeff & Syrna Glasser; Volunteer of the Year, Robin Johnson; and Phone Operator of the Year, Sandra Alvarado.

The Event Chairs this year are Talea Magnusen and Tamara Freedman, and the Event Hosts John Stamos and Debbe Magnusen. Lu Parker will be the Master of Ceremonies for the fundraising event, with Gary Eisenberger as Co‐Master of Ceremonies.

All proceeds from this event will benefit Project Cuddle and help continue the mission of the organization to save the lives of babies from abandonment – as of today, 688 babies have been saved.

Date: Saturday, February 11th, 2012
Time: 6:30 PM Cocktails & Silent Auction, and 7:30 PM Dinner & Entertainment
Place: The Hilton Long Beach and Executive Meeting Center
701 West Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California

VIP Table and VIP Individual tickets are SOLD OUT, but General tickets are still available upon request. General Table – $700; General Individual – $80 per person. Please call 714‐432‐9681 or visit http://projectcuddle.org/?page_id=629.

NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD THE DAY OF THE EVENT. All ticket sales are final, no refunds and all minors must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or legal guardian.

Register Now For The 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards

2012-02-08T21:58:00.005-05:00

The list of celebrity presenters for the 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards continues to grow, and with it the "buzz" about the big event! In addition to the stars who have accepted our invitation to present (see below), We Love Soaps TV would also like to thank the many other popular daytime TV celebs who have accepted our invitation to spend the evening with us honoring the very best in serialized, independent web series.

With less than two weeks remaining before the ceremony, at New World Stages in New York City on February 21, we are opening up a limited number of seats to the public for anyone who may want to attend and support their favorite web series.

Register: $69.99. Enter affiliation (if any) and press "Add to Cart." You will be prompted for the number of people in your party and method of payment.

Event Details

What: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards

When: February 21, 2012

7-8 p.m. Arrival/Red Carpet and Networking (open wine/beer bar)
8-10 p.m. Ceremony (winners revealed)
10-11 p.m. Winner's Circle and Networking (open wine/beer bar)

Where: New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
New York, NY 10019

Who:
Celebrity Participants

• Michael O'Leary, Emmy winning star of Guiding Light; Indie Soap nominated actor from Steamboat
• Sebastian La Cause of Broadway's Rocky Horror Show and Chicago; creator and nominated actor from Hustling
• Colleen Zenk, Emmy-nominated star of As the World Turns; now appearing in Marrying George Clooney

• Patrika Darbo of TV's Step by Step and Growing Pains, longtime star of Days of our Lives; nominated actress from Miss Behave

• Yvonne Perry, longtime star of As The World Turns; actress from Empire

• Orlagh Cassidy, star of Guiding Light and Another World; nominated actress from Empire

• Jillian Clare, featured on Days of our Lives; nominated actress from Miss Behave
• Robert Valin, celebrity Announcer from Nick At Nite and dozens of advertisements on TV/radio

• Stacy McQueen of General Hospital; nominated actress from Pretty

• Julie Ann Emery of TV's Damages, ER and Commander in Chief; nominated actress and producer from Then We Got Help!

• John Colella of TV's The Untouchables and 2012 documentary film The Chicago 8; nominated actor from VAMPIRE MOB

• Alexis Zibolis of The Young and the Restless and the upcoming feature film American Trash; nominated actor from Devanity

• Kristos Andrews, X-Games Champion with multiple Guiness Book of World Records entries and star of 2012 film The Southside; nominated actor from The Bay

• Karri Bowman of TV's Grounded for Life; nominated actress from Bandwagon

• Dee Freeman of TV's The Hughleys; nominated actress from Pretty

• Kevin Earley of Broadway's Tale of Two Cities and Thoroughly Modern Millie; actor from Then We Got Help!

• Sid Garza-Hillman, head of Innerstate Records recording artists The Sid Hillman Quartet; nominated actor from Sundays

• Michael Myracle of action films Violent Zone and Delta Force 2; nominated actress from California Heaven

• Catherine Frels of The Academy of Classical Acting at George Washington University; nominated actress from Thurston

• Anthony Anderson, nominated actor and ISA winner from Anacostia

• Rachael Hip-Flores of the new series Good People in Love; nominated actress and ISA winner from Anyone But Me

• Rick Dalton, nominated actor from Ragged Isle

• Michael Taylor Gray, nominated actor from Pretty

• Jason Leaver, nominated creator of Out With Dad

• Forrest Naylor, nominated creator of Sundays

• Jodi Britton, nominated actress from Sundays

• Michael Caruso, nominated actor from Devanity

• Marion Akpan, nominated actress from Anacostia

Other Celebrities Expected to Attend

• Julia Barr, longtime star and Emmy-winner from All My Children; producer/star of Written Off and The Vindicated

• Anna Holbrook, Emmy-winner, nominated actress from Far From The Bay

• David Forsyth, longtime Emmy-nominated star of Another World

• Brad Bell, producer and nominated actor from Husbands
• Tom Gregory, Huffington Post blogger; nominated actor from Gregory Way TV
• Andrew Long, nominated actor from Gregory Way TV

• Tamieka Davis, nominated actress from Anacostia
• Matt Palazzolo, nominated actor from Bloomers

Register: $69.99. Enter affiliation (if any) and press "Add to Cart." You will be prompted for the number of people in your party and method of payment.

Media Inquiries & Press RSVP: Contact Kevin Mulcahy Jr. at kevin@welovesoaps.com.

Note: We are not live streaming the event, but we will be recording it for a special broadcast later (stay tuned for those details). The only way to find who won an Indie Soap Award in real time is to attend the celebration in person.

Click here to review the nominees and here to vote for the Fan's Choice Indie Soap of the Year Award (voting until Feb. 13).

Professional Announcer Robert Valin Joins Indie Soap Awards

2012-02-08T19:39:00.002-05:00

photo by Kristin Hoebermann

We Love Soaps TV is thrilled to add Robert Valin as the official Announcer of the Third Annual Indie Soap Awards, on February 21st, at New World Stages in Manhattan. Valin's voice is well known to Nick at Nite viewers, as well as anyone who has listened to radio in recent years. His extensive resume includes advertisements for Broadway's The Toxic Avenger, Fujisawa medications, Subway Sandwiches, American Express, and dozens more.

"Robert's voice conveys authority, purpose, and humor," said Indie Soap Award Producer Damon L. Jacobs. "His polished talent and articulate creativity are the perfect voice of the Third Annual Indie Soap Awards...literally."

To learn more about Robert Valin, and hear the voice that you just know you have heard somewhere before, press here.

To see who is else is attending The Third Annual Indie Soap Awards in Manhattan on 2/21, and to get your seat at this once-in-a-lifetime event, press here.

INTERVIEW: Tyler Blackburn on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and More

2012-02-08T18:42:00.004-05:00

Tyler Blackburn is perhaps best known for his stint as Ian on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. His other TV credits include UNFABULOUS, COLD CASE, ROCKVILLE CA, and GIGANTIC. He recently completed shooting Brave New World, a TV movie starring Ed Begley Jr. and Robby Benson.

Blackburn is currently starring on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS playing Caleb Rivers, Rosewood's resident "bad boy" who caught Hanna’s eye. Their attraction was palpable but Caleb’s shady past was exposed when the PLL’s figured out he was working with Jenna to spy on the PLL’s. When he began to have feelings for Hanna he tried to back out, but ultimately Hanna’s trust had already been broken.

We Love Soaps TV recently spoke with Blackburn and you can read a transcript from that Q&A session below.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: In the past, you’ve done some work on the soap opera DAYS OF OUR LIVES, how is working on the soap opera similar or different than working on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, they shoot an episode in one day, and PRETTY LITTLE LIARS shoots an episode in seven days, about. You definitely get more time with the material. On DAYS OF OUR LIVES it seems like there’s more dialogue, and less time to film it, so you have to really be on your game. It moves very quickly. That was a great learning experience for me. It was a little stressful at times, so I definitely enjoy the formats of one-hour dramas because we have more time. So I would say that’s probably one of the main differences, but it was such a great experience for me.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Would you ever go back to doing soap operas if you weren’t doing PRETTY LITTLE LIARS?
Tyler Blackburn: I don’t know if I would go back full-time, but I would definitely make appearances and stuff like that. I think DAYS OF OUR LIVES in particular has been around for so long, and it was kind of a starting ground for me. So if they wanted me to come back for, I would absolutely do it.

You’re a series regular now on PLL. How does that make you feel?
Tyler Blackburn: I am very, very excited. I just loved every minute of working on the show, so the fact that I can work on it more and more, it’s such a good feeling. I am over the moon.

Do you happen to know who A is yet?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, obviously I can’t say a whole lot about that, but I can tell you that by the end of this season A will be revealed. So yes, I do know. I do know, but I can’t give any hints or anything.

What was it about the show that piqued your interest to want to be a part of it?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, when I first auditioned and I got the sides for Caleb, I just thought he was a great character. I got some backstory about Hanna’s character and she was sort of a spitfire, and I just felt like Caleb was able to keep up, and I liked that. But, it’s funny, when I saw a big billboard for the show—I think right before it came out—and it looked sort of edgy and it was, like four beautiful girls, and I was like, “I could totally be on that show.” So then I got the audition, and I was like, “Wow, this is very fortuitous.” And I auditioned, and I just felt like it was a good place for me. So it all worked out really great.

What would you say are the similarities or differences between you and Caleb?
Tyler Blackburn: Similarities: I think I can kind of keep up with all different personality types, but I may be not quite as troubled as Caleb and his past are. But I definitely have a brooding side, I think, that comes out sometimes but you know. That’s probably how we’re similar and also dissimilar.

Are we going to continue to see Caleb being involved in the adventure and the mystery of A or is this target going to slow him down a bit?
Tyler Blackburn: I think that after this next week’s episode it does slow down a little bit for Caleb. I think A definitely gives people these hurdles, and if they prove themselves and successfully jump over them—A doesn’t necessarily back off but gives a slight amount of breathing room. So I think that’s sort of what happens with Caleb. He’s put in some hot water, but he does prevail in some ways. So I think that for the rest of the season after that, he’s focusing again on his relationship with Hanna, as opposed to all of this craziness. So it does shift a little bit, but he definitely helps to facilitate finding out the mystery of who A is.

Now, when you’re reading the scripts, what’s your general reaction? Do you find yourself shocked by what’s happening or surprised by what Caleb’s actions and reactions are? Did you expect Caleb to be where he is now or where he ends up in the next two episodes?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, when I read the scripts, I’m not going to lie, I get really into it because it’s really well written, and it’s exciting. Obviously, the mysteries are left open for us too, and once we read a script and it’s like, “What does that mean?” And then it’s answered in the next episode, or it’s not. So it does get very exciting.

As far as where Caleb is, it’s just really funny because I was supposed to do four episodes of this show, and I kept doing more, and I was like, “Wow, this is really cool, and I’m enjoying this.” Then I was starting to think like, “Oh, it would be awesome if Caleb helped the girls find out who A is,” and then that’s kind of happening. So I am surprised, but I’m not surprised where he is at this point.

It seems there’s going to have to be some sort of serious showdown between Caleb and Garrett. What can you tell us about what’s going to happen with them?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, Garrett’s just a creepy dude. He’s also a cop, and Caleb has a bit of a sordid past with the law and I think that A knows that. A sort of sets it up to where Garrett and Officer Wilden are able to basically charge—not charge but assume—that Caleb has done some hacking illegally and A sort of sets Caleb up in that way.

So you wonder is Caleb going to get in trouble with the law again, and the law happens to be Garrett. I think Garrett also has some ulterior motives as well, so they’re definitely out for blood. But Caleb is a tough dude, you know? He has a lot of street smarts, and he can keep up pretty well.

Are we going to see anymore of Caleb with his family that he’s been introduced to, and how is that going to play into everything?
Tyler Blackburn: I’m not sure. I know for a fact that the rest of the season takes place in Rosewood, but third season—who knows? That would be fun if Caleb and Hanna were to go surfing in Malibu or something like that. That’d be fun.

Since A is going to be coming after Caleb, does that put a wedge also between his relationship with Hanna in any way?
Tyler Blackburn: You know what? Quite to the contrary, it brings them a little bit closer. Usually, it’s Caleb trying to protect Hanna, but because Caleb is in hot water, Hanna has to kind of figure out how she might be able to help Caleb, and so the roles are reversed a little bit, and I think it brings them closer, actually. So I’m sure A is pretty pissed off.

The show is very girl-centric, but I’m wondering if you hear from male fans at all (straight or gay) as far as the guys watching the show?
Tyler Blackburn: Obviously it is a rarity, but I have for sure. I don’t know their sexual orientation necessarily, but it could hardly matter either. A fan is a fan and if guys don’t reach out—I mean, the thing is I know that guys have to watch it. I watch every episode, and I enjoy it not only because I work on it, but it’s because it’s a really good show, and it has a little bit of everything. Yes, it’s girl-centric, and there’s fashion and stuff, but it’s scary sometimes. You know what I mean? It’s like, mystery. So I think guys would really enjoy it. I know they’re out there. I know they’re out there.

Have you ever come up with theories about what’s going to happen next before you read the script with other cast members? Do you guys ever sit around and think, “I wonder if it’s going to go this direction?”
Tyler Blackburn: I think a little bit, but it seems like we crank it out. I mean, it’s like we film an episode, halfway through the episode we get the new scripts, almost, and it’s like—it moves so fast, and the writers are just so good at their job, that we kind of just leave it to them. And we kind of—we’re along for the ride, in a way, you know?

Do you think there would ever be a possibility for fans to hear you sing on the show?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, on the show, I’m not sure. I mean, that would definitely have to be sort of like a decision for the character. But I actually have recorded a couple songs, (one of them was for a web series that I did) and we filmed a music video for it. So that’s actually available online. That song is called “Save Me.”

Called “Save Me”?
Tyler Blackburn: Yeah, and then I’ve also recorded another song that—it’s sort of through ABC Family—and hopefully I can continue to do so. They’ve just been really great in providing a platform for me to get in the recording studio and hone that craft. So we’re hoping that some cool stuff can happen with that music, so I absolutely know that the fans will be able to hear some music from me.

If it were up to you, what kind of mischief would Caleb be involved with? Or would you like to see him end up more of a hero?
Tyler Blackburn: Oh, well I think at this point he’s definitely leaning towards hero, and I think for the sake of this show, I would definitely enjoy that. I think these four girls must be driven crazy every single day. I can’t even imagine. So if Caleb can alleviate any of that and play the superhero for a minute, I think I’d like that. I think that they would be very grateful. I think the fans would enjoy it too.

Who do you see Caleb ending up with romantically, ultimately, and who do you think is going to be going after Caleb?
Tyler Blackburn: At this point I think that he and Hanna are just like a dynamic duo, honestly. I think it’s kind of a match made in heaven, and so I personally hope that they end up together, and I think that if anybody else goes after Caleb, Hanna’s claws will come out.

Do you have a favorite moment from filming so far behind the scenes or something shot?
Tyler Blackburn: Oh man, there’s so much because it’s just this show allows you to explore different settings and stuff, you know? I mean, I loved—well, just so many—but in one of the recent episodes where Hanna and Lucas are out on the rowboat and there’s this whole surprise party for Caleb, actually. And I wasn’t even in it that much, but it was just so fun to be in this Warner Bros. backlot outside. I mean, they literally just—the sets on the show are epic, and I love being outdoors. I love being on-set, so it was just a … combination of the two. So I really enjoyed that, but there’s just so many. I just have so much fun while I’m there, so it’s kind of a hard answer to come up with.

How did you get involved into acting?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, I’ve always been interested in it, actually. I mean, since I was in preschool I was putting on performances and stuff, and then I did plays and all of that throughout my childhood. But it wasn’t until the end of high school that I decided that I wanted to professionally, so I just started taking some acting classes and really learning how to act for TV and film because it’s quite different from theater. So then I just sort of met different managers and agents and started the roller coaster that is the entertainment business. I’m very happy to be where I am at this point.

I know that when Caleb was brought in on the whole secret between the girls he wasn’t given the entire truth, just enough so that he could help them out. Will he learn the whole truth of what’s going on with them?
Tyler Blackburn: This season from here on out, as far as Caleb goes, after next week’s episode it does start to focus a little bit more on the four girls as the mystery of A is coming to a close. So he doesn’t learn the whole truth this season. I think that he possibly will learn it next season, but for this season, he knows that they’re being harassed, and he’s not okay with that. So he, I think, has his theories, but yes, he does have a lot of unanswered questions about what’s going on. I think he thinks Jenna’s abusing them because he’s been sort of taken advantage by her as well. He sort of has his own theories, like most people have their theories on who A is. You know what I mean?

In the past, it’s mainly just been you and Ashley working together, but now you seem to work with all of the girls more. What is that like?
Tyler Blackburn: It’s really fun, honestly. I like that that’s shifted. Obviously, I love working with Ashley, and I find that we have just really good chemistry and stuff. But it’s been really fun working with everybody. I mean, it makes me feel like I’m maybe like the fifth PLL or something. But everybody is great, honestly, in their own way as actors, so it’s fun to experience that. With acting, it’s like you form chemistry with different people in different ways, so it’s really added even more fun to work, you know?

So it’s not too much of an estrogen-fest or anything?
Tyler Blackburn: I love women, and I just think that they’re great. I mean, yes, they can be a little nutty sometimes, but they’re great. So I’m pretty comfortable. Definitely, I like to come home and, like, do something manly.

Decompress?
Tyler Blackburn: Yeah, I like to do yard work or something sort of like more manly to—well, but I can adapt. It’s fine. It’s all good.

Could you tell us what your number one song on your playlist is right now; do you have a celebrity crush; and the most magical place you’ve ever been?
Tyler Blackburn: My number one song right now—there’s actually a guy named Matt Corby who I am obsessed with, and I just like pretty much any of his songs. My celebrity crush—gosh, that’s just sort of difficult because there’s a lot. Wow. I don’t know. I don’t know. There’s just so many beautiful female celebrities out there. I’m not sure. And then, the most magical place that I’ve ever been- I really love the island of Kauai. I’ve been there many, many times, and I just have a lot of affinity for it. When I’m there, I sort of like turn into a jungle boy, and that’s fun to do sometimes. But I am going to gear up next week for the first time ever, so I’m thinking that might be pretty high on the list after Kauai.

What do you think makes Hanna and Tyler’s chemistry click together, especially after Tyler’s original lies and deceits?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, I think that they’re both similar in the sense that they put out this tougher exterior, but they have a lot of sensitivity inside. So I think when they’re together, it’s kind of a platform for them to be able to open up and really feel something. You know what I mean? I think that that makes them feel safe together, and I think that feeling safety with a significant other is just really important.

As actors, I feel that it’s a little bit of the same thing. Not that we have these tough exteriors, but that Ashley and I can just really have a good conversation, and we really sort of understand each other. So I think that that helps, absolutely.

Why do you think PLL fans have taken to Caleb so well?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, the show is about four girls and I think that our fan base is mostly girls. So you have to have a balance between the female eye candy and the male eye candy. I feel like they like the fact that Caleb sort of breaks things up a little bit as far as he does definitely bring something—not humorous, but just like an edge to things. He can be a bad- I think, and he’s also a good boyfriend to Hanna, and I think that girls like watching that as well.

I think the writers have done an amazing job at creating the character and the evolution because when I first got on the show, he really was just kind of a rebel and stuff, and you start to learn more about him and why he is the way he is. I think that people like that as well. It’s just when you get a background or a backstory to a character, I think that they like that.

If you could pick the perfect celebrity guest star for the show, who would you pick, and what would their storyline be?
Tyler Blackburn: There’s just so many though. Whenever I get asked like, “What’s your favorite movie; who’s you favorite actor,” I’m like—it’s hard for me. I’m not someone who has, like, a favorite. I don’t have a favorite song or a favorite band. I just love so many things, you know? Gosh, ideal guest star—let’s see. Literally, the first name that comes to my mind is Dustin Hoffman. I don’t know why.

Do you have any Valentine’s Day plans you can share with us?
Tyler Blackburn: I do, but I’m going to be in London, actually. I don’t have a Valentine or anything like that. I’m going to just explore the world a little bit for Valentine’s Day.

A is like the big mystery of the show. How is revealing it at the end of this season going to change the dynamics of the entire show?
Tyler Blackburn: That’s a great question, and I wondered the same thing. Obviously, you feel like, oh, the show would end, but that is not going to happen. Once A is revealed, there’s another mystery kind of starts from that. So they definitely have kept the momentum going, so you’re not going to be disappointed, and there’s just going to be more and more. I think this is probably one of the biggest black holes that anybody could fall into because there’s just so many layers to it, you know?

Do you think it’ll have any negative impact with the fans after A is revealed?
Tyler Blackburn: No, I don’t, honestly. I think that people are going to, like, just be aghast, literally. It’s going to be so awesome.

Since you’re a series regular now, do you think Caleb will get more of his own storyline?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, I mean, yeah. It’s possible. Obviously the four girls, they’re the ones with all the headache and all of that. So I think that it’s going to—my assumption is that it’s going to remain mostly about them, but I do think that Caleb’s part is going to become a little larger. I mean, I would hope so. Just once he’s sort of clued into everything that’s been going on, I think that he will play a bigger part.

As far as his own storyline or backstory, I’m not sure. That would be cool. I mean, as I said earlier, it would be awesome if he and Hanna went to California and went surfing or something. That could be a cool storyline—turn it into the endless summer, you know?

Is there anyone on the show that you haven’t really been able to work with that you would like to work with?
Tyler Blackburn: Holly, I think, would be awesome. I really enjoy watching her, and she is just so sweet and awesome and amazing, and I would love to do some work with Holly. We never really get to do anything, so I would say her or Keegan. I think that would be cool.

If you met the group of girls that are on the show in real life, would you hang out with them, or would you have anyone that was in particular closer to your similar tastes in females?
Tyler Blackburn: Very well put. Honestly, in real life, I hate drama, so I probably wouldn’t really hang out with them too much because they have a lot of drama. But as far as their characters go, I would say Aria or Emily, maybe, just as far as personalities go—maybe hang out with them a little bit. I mean, they’re all pretty cool, but I would say one of those two.

Do you have any other new projects lining up, or are you just really focusing on Pretty Little Liars right now?
Tyler Blackburn: Yeah, well, now that I was made a series regular, that’s just pretty much my focus at this time

Do you have any memorable fan experiences you can share with us?
Tyler Blackburn: Memorable fan experiences—actually, over this last weekend, I met a bunch of teenage girls—and this is a little bit of a downer, maybe—but one of the girls had a condition called alopecia—that’s where you basically lose all of your hair—and she asked me to sign her head, and it was very touching, actually. I would say that would probably be one of the most memorable. I don’t know why. I felt a lot of compassion for her, and she was so bold and awesome about it. She was like, “Hey, I don’t have any hair. Please sign my head.” And I was like, “Absolutely.” Very, very sweet.

What’s been the coolest experience you’ve had being part of the show?
Tyler Blackburn: Oh my gosh. Those are, like, countless to be honest because it’s been such a change in my life. This show is amazing, and it’s just so successful that I’ve had the opportunity to do so many things. Wow. Gosh. Let’s see. Being a little bit more public figure, it’s sort of awesome when you can lend a hand to certain charities and that type of thing.

I’m now a global investor of Stomp Out Bullying, and I was able to go to—not the White House—but to Washington D.C. to raise awareness about cyber-bullying and bullying. And that was pretty awesome just to have certain people there to listen to a little bit of my story, just talking to people who experience that and let them know that it’s—the world is a safer place than it seems—and keep pushing through because it’s pretty awesome out there. The ability to have a voice like that, I think, is awesome.

Also, just to be able to act. That’s really what I love to do. I love being on set. I love getting scenes and rehearsing them, and it’s just awesome to have that opportunity, so I’m just excited for everything. I’m just an excited person, I guess.

When will Caleb wise up to Lucas’s obvious, undying love for Hanna?
Tyler Blackburn: It hasn’t really been written, but I feel like he totally knows, to be honest. The thing is Lucas is a good guy, and he’s been a pretty good friend to Caleb—other than the whole gambling thing—and I feel like it just kind of it is what it is, and I think Caleb feels like, “Hey, we can be friends and make it all work.” But I’m not sure if it’s going to be—I’m not sure if there’s going to be, like, a showdown or anything like that. I just think it is what it is, and I think Caleb just has respect for the situation and Lucas. I don’t think Caleb really goes out of his way to, like, rub it in his face or anything like that.

Hanna has a lot of secrets and lies, and Caleb seems to be a little bit turned off by them, yet a little bit turned on by them. What, if anything, can drive Caleb and Hanna apart?
Tyler Blackburn: You’re correct in saying that he kind of likes it, but also doesn’t like it. I think that Caleb likes to solve problems. Do you know what I mean? He definitely likes to solve problems. That’s why he likes to sort of get in between there and figure it all out. But I don’t know to what extent—I don’t know what it would take for them to separate. I don’t think that—honestly, maybe something like cheating or something. I don’t know, you know? I feel like they have a lot of trust in each other, and I feel like something like that would break their trust.

A lot of the stars have said that they would be interested in doing a PLL convention for fans. Would that be something you were interested in doing?
Tyler Blackburn: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. That would be so fun. I mean, something like Comic-Con or something like that. I just think that’s so fun. That energy must be so tangible. It must be cool because … that, I would totally participate in that.

You get to go to al these amazing award shows, like People’s Choice now. How does that make you feel?
Tyler Blackburn: It’s awesome, to be honest. It’s a little bit surreal. I try to live just like a very normal life and just do what I like to do, so when I go do that, honestly, it’s nerve-wracking a little bit. It’s a little bit intimidating. I still go into it with really wide eyes and all of that, but it’s really just fun and a little bit surreal.

Do you think Caleb and Hanna are made for each other? Leading up to the finale, can we expect any surprising turns for Caleb or maybe even getting that Caleb/Lucas duo back on the screen?
Tyler Blackburn: Their little bromance? Not with Lucas, but I will say that Caleb is sort of put in a position to have to do something that he really doesn’t want to do to help someone out. So yeah, that’s actually a spot-on question, so I think fans will love it. They’ll love it. I thought it was awesome.

If you could give Caleb a piece of advice for the coming episodes and coming seasons, what would it be?
Tyler Blackburn: I would say, actually, a combination of don’t forget to breathe, and take notes because there’s a lot of information out there.

What other things do you like to do in your spare time?
Tyler Blackburn: I like to do a lot of things, to be honest. I’m someone who likes to sort of grab life by the horns and just kind of do some stuff.

But some stuff I love doing these days: I love traveling. My friend has a ranch up in Oregon, so I’ve been spending some time up there, and as I said, I’m going to Europe next week. But when I’m home, I take a lot of hot yoga, which is really awesome, and I like hiking and just kind of getting some space. I also loved cooking recently—well for a while, but I go in spurts—so I’ve been cooking a lot. Going to see live music and movies and stuff like that. I’m pretty—not boring—but I’m mellow, I guess you would say.

Do you watch yourself on TV after you film a scene?
Tyler Blackburn: I’m going to be honest. I do watch it. In the beginning, I was really reluctant, but I think it’s awesome to be proud of yourself, and I am proud of the work that I do, and I’m proud to be a part of this show. Obviously there are moments where I’m like, don’t ever make that face again, or—you do get a little critical. But I think it’s really fun to watch it because you do put a lot of time and effort into it, and you see It on the page, you perform it the way you think it should be done, and you want to see the end results and how it came out, and I think that’s awesome.

What was your reaction the first time you found out who A was?
Tyler Blackburn: I kind of got giddy. The finale episode is like—I mean, do you remember—I mean, most people would remember when Ian was hanging from the bell tower, and there was so much action. That’s literally just a fraction of what goes on in this season finale. So it’s adrenaline pumping. I really genuinely was, like, biting my nails reading the script, and I was just so stoked when it all came to a close and the way it was done. It’s awesome.

What is your dream plotline for Caleb in season three, now that you’re a regular?
Tyler Blackburn: Wow. I just feel like there are so many options. I feel like it could go so many ways. I do feel like because of the big reveal— which they’re dubbing “A-Day” by the way—I feel like that’s just going to really open up a huge can of worms for everybody involved, everybody at Rosewood High, all the parts, Caleb, I think everyone’s going to start to get clued in, I would imagine.

So I feel like, obviously, Caleb wants to continue to help Hanna specifically, but also her friends. So I don’t know. I really don’t have a solid answer for it. I just want him to continue to be there with them and trudge through the grind of A and all of the damage A has done.

A lot of our readers are Team Haleb fans, (Hanna and Caleb) but there’s also a lot of Team Ezria fans, (Ezra and Aria) so I just want to know if you could choose between the two, which couple do you think has a better chance of survival.
Tyler Blackburn: Absolutely Haleb.

Because?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, they’re the same age. No, but I do think that’s going to be a factor. I think, obviously, the romance of it with Ezra and Aria is really romantic, kind of because it’s so forbidden. I hope it lasts, but it’s going to be a little bit more challenging, I think. I think that Haleb will be the winner in that one.

Hanna may be the one for Caleb, but which character is the most your type in real life?
Tyler Blackburn: I said it before and I think it’s the same still: It would probably be Aria. She just has a little bit of this kind of—a little bit of this Bohemian vibe to her, like funky fashion. Yeah, I think I would say Aria.

What about the girls in real life, all the actresses? Which one would be most your type?
Tyler BlackburnI might get in trouble with that one. I’m not sure. I mean, they’re all very unique in their own way. They’re their own people, and I find that to be attractive in a person, so if I could have all of them, maybe.

Besides PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, what is your favorite show to watch on TV?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, I have guilty pleasures, but the truth is I don’t really keep up with shows like ritualistically, but I will say I enjoy watching—I’m sort of embarrassed to say it—I actually kind of enjoy watching Revenge. I remember being younger and watching Emily VanCamp on Everwood, and I thought she was so cute, and so I really like her in general, and I think that show is just really, really juicy. So sometimes my teenage girl comes out. But I would say that’s it really—and I watch that on my iPad when I have a chance. But when I sit down to watch TV, I love watching the Discovery Channel or—I said this in an interview yesterday, I love Man Vs. Wild. I want to go on an excursion with Bear Grylls. I would love it. So I like that kind of stuff, and I love Food Network. I don’t, like, record shows and sit down and watch them. You know what I mean? I don’t really do that, unfortunately.

Can you give us spoilers about what viewers can expect in these episodes leading up to the season finale?
Tyler Blackburn:In the next one, Caleb does have a huge storyline in the next episode. A has really put their sights on Caleb and wants to destroy Caleb. Caleb is getting a little too close for comfort, I think, and so he’s sort of accused of some false charges of hacking, and so he winds up in the police station and has to get out of a pretty sticky situation.

But after that, there’s only a few left, so things just get a little bit more—let’s see, what’s a good word for it?—obviously confusing. I mean, the show, not confusing, but there’s just like, “What,” like your questions do not get answered. So there's definitely more of that.

I will say in one of the upcoming episodes, there’s a big masquerade ball, and Hanna and Caleb are sort of like a play on Romeo and Juliet, which I thought was awesome, and I think that fans will enjoy watching that because it’s just so beautifully done. I can say that.

I know that you can’t tell us who A is, obviously, but I’m wondering since we’ve seen Caleb go against two of the most terrifying and creepy people on the show, (Jenna and Garrett) can we use that to eliminate Caleb for good as a suspect?
Tyler Blackburn: Well, I don’t even know if I’d go that far. I mean, anything’s possible. I will say that Caleb is very street savvy, and he’s definitely had to lie and stuff in the past, so I wouldn’t rule him out, to be honest.

Are there any deaths coming up in the rest of the season.
Tyler Blackburn: You’ll have to watch and see.

Q&A: Alice Greczyn Talks THE LYING GAME, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT and Food!

2012-02-08T18:12:00.001-05:00

Alice Greczyn recently had a recurring role on ABC Family's MAKE IT OR BREAK IT and appeared for three seasons on the network's critically acclaimed series LINCOLN HEIGHTS. She also starred as a series regular on NBC's WINDFALL, and other TV credits include arcs on PRIVILEGED and QUINTUPLETS. On the big screen she could be seen in The Dukes of Hazzard, Fat Albert, and most recently Sex Drive.

Greczyn was born in Walnut Creek, California and grew up moving around the Midwest and Rocky Mountain range. While a nursing student in Colorado, she was approached by a talent scout who invited her to LA where her acting career was quickly set in motion. She enjoys traveling, cooking, writing, and spending time with her family.

Currently Greczyn is starring as Madeline "Mads" Rybak on THE LYING GAME. Mads is a cool, intelligent high school student and ballerina, and one of Sutton's (Alexandra Chando) best friends. Her mother left the picture years ago, and her father Alec (Adrian Pasdar) is trying to turn a new leaf with his family as he continues to hide the indiscretions of his past. Mads is very close to her older brother Thayer (Christian Alexander), but with the arrival of Emma replacing Sutton unbeknownst to Mads, she increasingly senses that something is up and that her father and brother know more than they are letting on.

Below is a transcript from a recent Q&A with the up and coming young actress.

How do you think things are going to change for Mads and other characters now that she knows the big secret?
Alice Greczyn: The biggest thing that changes for Mads is that being let in on the secret opens up a door for her to find out a lot more about her dad and his possible involvement in all the mysteries on the show. For the rest of the season, Mads is pretty much just uncovering more and more about him, and it brings a lot of tension between Mads and Thayer, and Emma’s sort of in the middle of it.

Mads kind of acts as an ally to Emma because she’s really upset with Sutton, and now that she knows Emma’s not actually Sutton, she and Emma can be friends. But at the same time, Emma’s also the one telling Mads thing she doesn’t want to hear about her dad, so there’s still some tension there, and that plays out through the rest of the season…

Is ballet a part of your life too?
Alice Greczyn: No, but I am so flattered that they even asked. That means I’m doing something right if it’s not extremely obvious. No, I’m not a dancer. I was a competitive figure skater when I was a kid. I think I did, maybe, six months of ballet at some point in there in my childhood, but when I moved to Austin for the show, that was one of the first things I did. The first two, three weeks were filled with intensive days with a choreographer that the show hired to help work with me, since they weren’t going to use a dance double, and it was pretty brutal.

I’m naturally thin, and people tell me I have a ballerina’s build, but I’m not naturally—my muscles were not trained to hold themselves in the way that they must for ballet. To even just hold your arm right is very difficult and painful. I have so much respect for dancers now after, kind of, putting myself in their shoes for a little bit.

What are the similarities between you and your character on the show?
Alice Greczyn: There aren’t many. I’m from a big family; I have four younger siblings. My parents are still happily married together. I grew up moving around a lot, and my family was certainly not affluent. So on face value, there’s not much I have in common with my character, like the whole—I was going to say we could get into the whole nature versus nurture argument, but that’s a different conversation.

Basically, your environment brings you up when you’re a child, kind of shapes who you are. I think Mads and I had very different upbringings, and so we don’t really have a lot in common. Even if we were the same age and I met Mads, I don’t even know if we’d necessarily be friends. I think we tend to socialize in the circles that we’re raised in to an extent, and I don’t have that much in common with her. But that’s what makes her so fun to play.

I’ve enjoyed putting myself in the shoes of this rich girl who has a father that is the villain of the show. And for the first time (I think) in my career, I’m playing a character that has a sibling, which is really cool. I really enjoy having scenes with Christian, who plays Thayer. It’s a fun dynamic to play with.

I think the only thing, maybe, me and Mads have in common is that we both are very loyal and very keen observers, I guess. Mads, from day one, has always been suspicious of Sutton’s new behavior, and now she knows that it’s Emma. So all the dots are starting to connect, and everything’s starting to make sense.

What do you admire most about Mads?
Alice Greczyn: I admire her sense of confidence and discipline. I think anyone who dances ballet has to be a very self-disciplined person, very motivated, and very hardworking. She’s also a good student, and I think she prides herself on being a good friend. She’s very there for her friends.

Char is not really in the show so much anymore, but I think with Char you really got to see what a loyal friend Mads was to her, and very caring. I think there’s very few people Mads lets in, but the ones that she does let in, she cares very deeply about. So that’s why it’s very wounding to her when, all of a sudden, Sutton is—she’s gotten used to Emma’s version of Sutton, who’s been really sweet and really kind, and I think that’s really meant a lot to Mads—and all of a sudden, real Sutton comes back, and before she knows it’s real Sutton, she’s so thrown because they’re two completely different people, and being inconsistent she’s obviously aggravated her. But now that she knows that there’s two of them, she and Emma can work on their own relationship, and Mads will have to deal with Sutton totally separately.

When you first read the role of Mads, what was it about this character that made you want to play her?
Alice Greczyn: When I first read it, the role was a lot different than it is now. When I first read it, she was sort of the edgy, punky one in the group, and she wanted to be a writer. She had a possibly abusive relationship with her dad. Her brother was gone and she seemed much more like a loner and much more of the darker one of the three girls—of Mads, Char, and Sutton.

Obviously, that storyline has changed a lot. Once a pilot gets picked up, the network gives their notes on what they want to see happen, and so I guess, to be honest, a lot of things that initially drew me to her are no longer very apparent to a viewer. I know they’re there, but the storyline, dialog, and writing doesn’t shed so much light on it. But I’ve also found other things that keep me still drawn to her. I love that she was a dancer. I love playing someone that had a passion and a talent outside of just being an average high-school kid. I like that about her. And like I said before, I like that she had a brother that she really cared about. I loved playing with that sibling dynamic.

I like working on a show that always keeps me in suspense. It’s really fun for me to see what the next episodes are as I get the scripts coming in. So that’s fun, you know? It’s a drama/suspense show, and I think as far as TV goes, that’s probably the main genre I’m interested in.

Do have a favorite memory or moment from either on the show or behind the scenes that you could share with our fans?
Alice Greczyn: Well let’s see, last summer when we shot the first 10 episodes, that was a really special time because we were all new to Austin. We were exploring all over the place and getting to know each other. On Fourth of July, we rented a boat on Lake Travis and went tubing, and that was a blast. We all really do have a lot of fun together.

Let’s see, I think we might be going off-roading this weekend as sort of a little last hurrah for ourselves. Texas has a lot to do and a lot to explore, and so we all have fun doing that. And of course, I’ve made everybody explore every possible restaurant that they can. If anyone’s going to go eat with me, there’s lots of eating to be done. They’re all used to me taking pictures of their food before I allow them to eat it so I can either tweet about it or just have it for my own personal collection to inspire me in my cooking.

As far as the show goes, I really had fun shooting—I remember I had a lot of shooting the homecoming episode. That was really fun. I think that was episode 105 or 106. But really just—I mean, it’s hard because I feel like I know each of the cast members so well individually, but I work with very few of them. I have very little scenes with Allie, and Allie and I are very good friends off-screen, but we hardly ever get to work together. If we’re in a scene together, we never have dialog.

I have a lot of dialog with Christian and Alex. And Alex, (poor thing) she’s the one who works more than any of us, so I rarely see her outside of work. I see Christian quite a bit outside of work and Tyler, who plays Dan, he and I hang out. I mean, a lot of the guest stars that come through—like Randy—I’ve known Randy for a while, Misha—who’s playing Ryan right now—he and I hang out. And then one of my best friends from L.A., Andy Fischer-Price—he plays one of the guys in Laurel’s band and has no on-screen dialog—but when he’s around, he and I hang out too.

So I don’t know. I wish the fans could—or I should say I wish the writers—could give a little a lot more scenes where all of us are together. I’d love to be able to have more dialogue with Allie. Blair and I were laughing the other day; I think we said two lines to each other in the entire season, and we hang out a lot outside of work too, so it’s like—how do you know that if you’re just watching the show? But it is fun. We are all very close.

You recently did a guest-starring appearance on Make It or Break It, where you performed as an anorexic character. Can you tell us about that experience and how it may have affected you personally?
Alice Greczyn: I certainly did not realize what I was walking into when I did that role. Obviously, eating disorders are a very hot topic, and that’s one of the things that fans asked me the most about on Twitter or Facebook. It seems everyone wants to know if I have an eating disorder, and playing an anorexic character on MAKE IT OR BREAK IT. It probably didn’t help much.

To set the record straight, I certainly do not have an eating disorder. I think as anyone can gather, I love food, and it is not just a front to cover up the fact that I don’t eat any. I do like that. I think that arc on Make It or Break It—I was in there for three episodes—it was interesting to play that character because she did have an eating disorder and was in total denial about it and had been in and out of rehab for anorexics and bulimics and knew how to work the system and play along so that she could get out, and then she’d go right back to being anorexic again.

I’ve never played a character like that before, so that was really interesting for me personally and the aftermath of that was what affected me personally. I had girls tweeting me saying that they—one girl, she taped a picture of me on her water bottle when she went jogging to inspire her to stay thin, and that made me feel really sad.

On one hand, I think it’s great that people are talking about it. I always try to encourage everyone to be happy and healthy and fully accepting of who they are, but it’s a very sensitive subject to talk about because it’s very easy for someone like me who’s naturally thin to be like, “Oh, well just eat in moderation, blah, blah, blah.” But a lot of people don’t look like me naturally, and so they must assume that there’s something very wrong with me mentally and physically, and that’s been difficult for me to deal with personally.

There are times that I feel very angered by a lot of the responses and questions, and I think a lot of people project a lot of hateful jealousy in their comments. I’ve definitely gotten some nasty ones, and I’ve gotten some very troublesome ones (some disturbing ones) of girls who were trying, like, “Oh, I need to make sure my ribs show like hers do, then I’ll know I’m skinny enough.” It’s not about ribs showing or not. If they show, and you’re a naturally healthy person, you just have really prominent bone structure or you’re just naturally healthy. Just be healthy.

That has been a very troubling topic to me. I could go on at length about it. It’s a very big deal, and I recognize that. I don’t take it lightly. I don’t take viewers’ comments lightly. It definitely does affect me, and there’s not much I can really say except to just encourage loving of yourself, and there are bigger things to worry about than whether or not your ribs are showing.

How did you get into acting?
Alice Greczyn: I never anticipated being an actor. When I was a kid, I competed in figure skating, and I thought I might go that route, and then by the time I was high-school aged—I got my GED when I was 16, and I was in college for nursing school—and I really wanted to be a nurse and travel the world and do that. But then I fell into acting through modeling—because I’ve done quite a bit of modeling as well—and a talent manager from L.A. was like, “Oh, you should be an actress. Come to L.A. for pilot season.” So I did. I did not plan to stay. I did not plan for anything really to happen, but I started booking work. So long story short, I just thought, “I guess I’ll just see where this goes and see what else I book,” and it’s been a very fruitful career.

I’ve been very fortunate not to have to have a second job since I started, which was nine years ago. I’ve made my living from acting, and a little bit of modeling too every now and then for fun. Yeah, I think I’m pretty committed to it now. The longer I’m in it, the harder it would be to imagine doing something else as my primary career, even though I have a lot of other different interests.

When you found out you booked the role of Mads, how did you research to play her? What preparation went into that, and is it different from the ways you’ve researched your other roles?
Alice Greczyn: It is different. One thing I always do for all of my characters is I—I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs temperament test, but I’m kind of obsessed with psychology, and I love taking personality quizzes. The Myers-Briggs test, I take as each one of my characters, and it kind of tells me, in a nutshell, what type of personality they are, [what] they’re like in life and family and work and love, and I kind of start from there.

So when we were filming the pilot, I kind of felt like, “Oh, I think Mads is an ISTP artisan. I know that’s a very clinical-sounding word, but basically I thought she was more of an introvert and a lot more observant. She’s a dancer, and so she’s very technical and very artistic and very disciplined. That kind of filled me in a little bit about her.

In the beginning of the season, I had a crush on Eduardo (my dance teacher) who I probably grew up having a crush on, and as we all know that ended disastrously. So I think Mads is at a very fragile time in life right now where she’s still learning about herself, as many teenagers are, and I think these events are happening to her right now in this season—losing Eduardo, having suspicions about her dad, not being able to trust her best friend—I think all of these are very much going to shape the woman she is going to become. I think Mads is an internal processor and thinks about things very deeply, and things affect her very deeply even if she doesn’t necessarily let it show.

Yes, it does. It tells us you put a lot of thought into it.
Alice Greczyn: I do. I do. And of course, it changes too, because sometimes I think like, “Oh Mads wouldn’t handle a situation like this,” then I read the next script and it’s like, “What? Now she’s emotional?” I’m like, “Oh, wait a minute, now she’s strong?” It’s a little confusing sometimes because the writers—we have a lot of different writers—and I think episode to episode, Mads evolves, which people do.

But sometimes it’s a little bit frustrating and I find inconsistencies with character, but fortunately we have a great team of writers who are very collaborative, and we can talk it out and work on it, and find a happy medium where the network is pleased or the director is pleased, the producers, and me as the actor. And I really value that about this particular TV show. It’s very rare to have that in TV.

How is it that food became your passion? You can seem very passionate about it from a lot of different aspects.
Alice Greczyn: I am. I was raised in a family where food was very central to our lives. I have a mother who’s a great cook, and she was always trying new recipes from all different worldly cuisines. We’d have Moroccan food one night, and then the next night she’d try a Vietnamese soup, and then the next night it would be a casserole.

My mother’s half-Asian, and she grew up with a lot of Asian food, and so therefore I grew up with a lot of Asian food, mainly Korean dishes. We love bulgogi, and there’s a Korean potsticker, and that was a family favorite. So I think from a very young age, even though I grew up mainly in the Midwest, I was exposed to a lot of different types of ethnic cuisine, and that sort of set the bar for my palate as an adult. And then now as an adult, I try to take it even further.

I love traveling. I think travel is probably how I found my own individual love for food separate from my family because when—you don’t know what you’re missing until you find it, you know? You don’t know what you don’t know about. I didn’t know that I didn’t know about schnitzel or … until I was in Austria, or blood pudding in Ireland, and I think food symbolizes culture to me because food is the centerpiece of any social gathering. It would be very weird to have a social gathering where there’s not food, and so I think food is just a symbol.

Yes, I love food in and of itself. I love flavor. I love texture. I love fragrance. I love playing with all of those. I think it’s a beautiful science. It’s a perfect example of art and science merging in one, and it’s something that you can share. So I think what it symbolizes to me is the facilitation of social gathering, and then in that, I find it to be—I love observing people. I love learning new things, and I think food is a great way to do that. It shares someone’s history. If you ask anyone what’s on their family’s Thanksgiving menu, you learn a lot about their culture and where their family comes from, whether they’re Swedish or Turkish or anything. So I think that that’s why I love it. I love what it symbolizes, and I also just love it for its own sake.

You were talking about Mads’ suspicion of her father. Do you think she will ever figure out that Alec had anything to do with Eduardo’s accident, and how will she react?
Alice Greczyn: I’m not sure. I think, maybe, she probably already has, but you would not see that on the show. I think the way the disaster with Eduardo ended, she did find out that her dad did pay Eduardo to leave town. Emma, as Sutton, confirmed that. I’m not sure. I imagine it must have been a story line issue where they couldn’t devote that much time to Mads’ story line because there were so many other things going on with the other characters on the show as well.

I think we just have to assume that Mads does know her dad paid Eduardo to leave town. I don’t think she thinks he deliberately ran him over with a car, but I think Mad chose to move on, deal with it. Eduardo’s gone. I think she has a very steely resolve, and I think family’s important to Mads, and she just wanted—there was a scene with Thayer at the end of the first 10 episodes where she was like, “Look, you know, let’s just be a family. Let’s just get along. That’s all Dad wants. That’s all I want. Let’s just stop thinking these bad things about Dad.”

I think Mads, she’s very aware her dad’s not a very savory character, but I think she has just sort of accepted it and would rather focus on more positive things and just not deal. I think it’s very difficult as a teenager, especially one who’s so close to leaving the house—I know for myself, you just kind of go into just dealing mode, and if you try to challenge and it doesn’t get you anywhere good, you just stop, and you just deal with it internally. So I imagine that’s probably, to an extent, what Mads is doing with the suspicions about her father and his character.

You tweet a lot about food @alicefood).
Alice Greczyn: I certainly do.

What is the most exotic dish that you have ever sampled?
Alice Greczyn: The most exotic dish I’ve ever sampled, probably—it happened when I was a toddler, and I can’t really remember—but according to my parents we were in South Korea, and they fed me dog. That would be the most exotic. The most exotic food I’ve ever eaten of my own accord was probably barbecued alligator in Louisiana, which was actually really good.

Do you ever see in the future of you doing a complete TV show about food?
Alice Greczyn: You know, people have asked me that. People have asked me if I would even do my own web series about food. I’m not very comfortable being myself in front of camera, but I love to write about food. I used to do restaurant reviews as a side hobby in L.A., and I love writing about it. I love food journalism, especially travel and food together. I am working on a cookbook, so I think my passion for food will manifest itself more in writing than in front of the camera. But who’s to say, you know? I am open to the possibility.

Do you have a favorite dish that you like to cook for yourself or friends, or anybody?
Alice Greczyn: For friends, I love cooking—I guess my go-to recipe if I know I’m going to host people over for dinner, and it’s sort of like a last-minute thing, and I don’t have time to browse over new recipes, I love making a butternut squash ravioli with a sage and brown-butter sauce. I use the recipe from Todd English—that’s a chef and owner of Olives restaurant, which has the dish. My favorite Olives restaurant is in Vegas at the Bellagio. That dish, when I eat it, it was—stars were in my eyes. He was a generous chef enough to share the recipe online. Anyone can find it.

It sounds really overwhelming, but it’s actually fairly simple to make, and it’s always a hit with vegetarians and carnivores alike. That’s a pretty easy recipe. Then I love baking. Baking is my favorite thing to do. I love making pies, cobblers, cookies, cakes, anything. I’ll try anything. I subscribe to a lot of food magazines, and so those always give me new inspirations and—so yeah. It’s fun.

I love hosting. I rarely cook just for myself. I always have to have a group to cook for to really motivate me. If I’m just by myself, and I’m home at night, I usually order takeout Thai or Indian food or I’ll just have cereal or Ramen Noodles. I’m shameless about it. I love Ramen, loaded with chemicals, but I love that parmesan chicken Ramen. I love it.

Perhaps maybe you should think about opening your own restaurant later.
Alice Greczyn: Oh, I have plans one day. One of my big dreams is to have my own bakery/tea house. I’m equally obsessed with tea as much as I am with food. There’s not enough tea houses, and the ones that there are, they’re usually, like, stuffy and English-themed and just not that great, or they’re too Zen Buddha-themed. I’d like to have an international variety of tea and a beautiful setting, and I’d also like to have baked goods. So that’s one of the things on my list of things to do. I figure, maybe, when I’m in my 50s. I got to save something for me to do later on in life, can’t do it all now.

BUNHEADS: ABC Family Greenlights New Soap

2012-02-08T17:29:00.005-05:00

2012: The Year of The Soap continues with another new serialized drama planned for ABC Family, already home to modern classics like SWITCHED AT BIRTH and THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER. Its working title is BUNHEADS and amazing, Tony-winning actress Sutton Foster leads the cast.

At first blush, BUNHEADS appears to be a something of a twist on the Sister Act concept, with a Las Vegas performer running off to a sleepy town and changing the lives of young dance students. Look for it in spring 2012.

Here's the press release, just issued by ABC Family:

ABC FAMILY GREENLIGHTS THE ONE-HOUR SCRIPTED DRAMA, “BUNHEADS”
FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO
STARRING TONY AWARD® WINNING ACTOR SUTTON FOSTER

BURBANK, CA (February 8, 2012) – ABC Family, the Millennial-skewing network, continues to expand its original programming slate, giving the greenlight to the new drama series BUNHEADS (working title), it was announced today by Michael Riley, president, ABC Family. Look for it in Spring, 2012. Here's the press release from ABC Family:

Executive-produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino (GILMORE GIRLS) and headlined by Tony Award®-winning actor Sutton Foster, BUNHEADS is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law’s dance school. BUNHEADS joins ABC Family’s recently announced new original series, BABY DADDY and BEVERLY HILLS NANNIES. All three series will begin production in Spring 2012.

Kate Juergens, executive vice president, Original Programming and Development, ABC Family added, "Amy and I had a great collaboration on 'Gilmore Girls,' which continues to find new fans here on ABC Family, and I look forward to this new partnership being just as successful. Her vision for BUNHEADS aligns beautifully with our brand and is a wonderful addition to ABC Family's original programming slate. I know our Millennial audience is going to fall in love with Sutton Foster the same way Broadway has.”

INTERVIEW: Ian Buchanan Talks About His New DAYS OF OUR LIVES Role

2012-02-08T17:04:00.002-05:00

Ian Buchanan has played key roles on GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, ALL MY CHILDREN, TWIN PEAKS and many other TV series. We last saw enjoyed his work on DAYS OF OUR LIVES when he briefly appeared as the doomed Lord Sheraton, and we eagerly anticipate the appearance of his new DAYS character this Friday.

Buchanan's Ian McAllister will be a handsome, yet mysterious businessman who shares some history with a few other Salem residents. We Love Soaps TV recently had the chance to catch up with Ian and learn some more about his new role. We hope you'll enjoy the transcript below.

For more exclusive interviews like this one, follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook when you see the buttons at the bottom of this post! Also, if you would you like to suggest a question for our next interview with one of the stars from DAYS OF OUR LIVES, please write it down for us in the Comments section.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Good morning, Mr. Buchanan.
Ian Buchanan: Good morning!

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: On the ninth it's going to be almost exactly eleven years--to the day--since we saw your last DAYS character. What have you been up to?
Ian Buchanan: Oh, a lot. Of course, I was on ALL MY CHILDREN, and I've been touring with my cabaret group, called Citizen's Band. . . of course, I'm playing a different DAYS character now, and since the dead have no memories, we don't know what Lord Sheraton's been doing.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Is it just a coincidence, that you're returning on the anniversary of your last departure?
Ian Buchanan: Buy lottery tickets. Someone suggested that I buy lottery tickets; that's what we should do.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Tell us about your new character?
Ian Buchanan: He's a very wealthy business man who has been out-of-site for several years, but he's come back to reconnect with several people in Salem. He's returned for business reasons, but he's been romantically involved with Madison since way back. Also, he has a past with Kate.

He very quickly invests in different companies and places himself in several very powerful positions. He's causing lots of trouble.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: What changes have you noticed since the last time you appeared on DAYS?
Ian Buchanan: Everything goes much more quickly now. It's very different. I think it feels very different when you're clanking shows out quickly, but for me, now, I like it.

I like the pace and I really like the writing. I enjoy the character, and I like working with Sarah [Brown] and Lauren [Koslow]. And Eric [Martsolf], and. . . I've also been working on and off with other people, as we pass through Horton Square.

So that's what I've been doing--and I've been having a wicked, wild time.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Did you ever cross paths with any of your co-stars before?
Ian Buchanan: With most people, our paths only crossed on the Emmy red carpet. Seems we were all in different places at different times, including Lauren.

It seems everywhere I've worked people ask, "Oh my god did you ever get to work with Lauren Koslow." And also, people said that about Sarah Brown. And here I am!

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Do you have any ideas about whom your character may eventually be paired with?
Ian Buchanan: I have a feeling it's going to be "play-each-one-off-the-other" for as long as that can last.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Yes, of course. But, eventually, I was thinking, maybe, Kate DiMera?
Ian Buchanan: Yes. I think that's one. . . he knows her from before, so I think maybe--I don't know.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Outside of DAYS, you mentioned your cabaret group, Citizen's Band? Where can we catch that?
Ian Buchanan: Our next performance, I think, is at South by Southwest in Austin, in March. That's what we're doing next; we're doing three shows there. Not sure, exactly when, but we have something coming up in New York.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: What's your role within the group?
Ian Buchanan: I'm kind of the ringleader. We're like a circus, and we're a little political. The shows we're doing this year are really to encourage people to get out and vote. We did it four years ago, the same show, so we're reprising it for this election.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Ringleader, supermodel, TV star. . . so much success. I wonder what advice you might have for young people who dream of career like yours? If you could go back in time and offer a younger Ian Buchanan some advice, what would it be?
Ian Buchanan: I would probably tell myself to be as relaxed as I became later. Just get out of my own way and let things happen.

My life unfolded in a very interesting way, but there were certainly times when I got in the way of it. Now that I don't get in the way of it, I'm more open to other things that come along, and I actually have more fun than I've ever had. It makes it much more enjoyable.

RELATED:
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

Kevin Mulcahy Jr. is a Harvard alum who is currently working as a staff contributor at welovesoaps.com writing theater and web series reviews as well as other in-depth features. Read all his Web Series reviews here. To contact Kevin, email kevin@welovesoaps.com.

NEWS ROUND UP: Melody Thomas Scott on Diane & Being LAID OFF, Paz de la Huerta Off BOARDWALK

2012-02-08T16:15:00.001-05:00

Melody Thomas Scott: People didn't like Diane to begin with
"People are so over that 'Who killed Diane?' mystery. They didn't like her to begin with and they don't seem to have a problem that she's dead. Anyway, this is the third person Nikki has killed. She killed her father her first month on the show, and some guy named Walter Addison when she was mixed up in that Darlene Conley-Rose DeVille scam. So this ain't new territory."

Melody Thomas Scott reveals details of her new web series, LAID OFF
"It's about three guys who are roommates in New York and they all lose their jobs the same week. Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels are also in it."

"One of the roommates has watched and worshiped Nikki his entire life — he started at his mother's knee — and he has constant fantasies about me. But I'm never really me. I get to play a different character in every episode, all urged on by his obsession with me. I pop up as the plumber, and a pageant mom screaming at her kid and a Martha Stewart-type cooking host."

THE TALK's Sheryl Underwood on the revelation from Christian LeBlanc she would be on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
"When Christian walked out, I thought, 'Oh my God, oh my God!' He said, 'We’ve got a job for you.' I just screamed! Then I thought,'“Wait a minute. I can’t act. I’m not an actress. This is going to be bad … but it could be good!'"

SKINS actor Jack O’Connell joins supernatural thriller Beautiful Creatures
Set in the South, Creatures centers on two high school teens who must confront a curse that has haunted the girl's family for generations.

Paz de la Huerta not returning to BOARDWALK EMPIRE Season 3
Viewers have likely seen the last of her character, Lucy Danziger.

Tuesday Night Ratings: THE RIVER Has Solid Premiere

2012-02-08T11:21:00.001-05:00

Below is a look at the Tuesday primetime television ratings:

From ABC:
In viewers (7.5 million) and young adults (2.4/6), ABC's debut of THE RIVER opened to 11-week highs in the 2-hour time period (9:00-11:00 p.m.), producing the Net's best results since the season finale of DANCING WITH THE STARS (on 11/22/11). In addition, the program scored the Net's 2nd-highest numbers in the time period this season across all key Men demos (M18-34/M18-49/M25-54).

* Holding 100% of its audience share from start to finish, the new ABC drama ranked No. 1 during its final hour from 10:00-11:00 p.m. among Adults 18-49, beating out NBC's PARENTHOOD by 38% (2.2/6 vs. 1.6/4).

* THE RIVER generated enormous year-to-year time period improvement for ABC over original drama programming on the year-ago night ("V"/DETROIT 1-8-7 = 5.5 million and 1.5/4), jumping by 36% in Total Viewers and by 60% in Adults 18-49.

Other Soap Ratings:
PARENTHOOD attracted 4.64 million viewers, with a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating.

The CW's 90210 was watched by 1.36 million viewers, with a 0.7 adults 18-49 rating, 1.1 women 18-34 rating.

RINGER had 1.15 million viewers, with a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating, 0.7 women 18-34 rating.

GLEE was down over 25% compared to last year. The show had 7.72 million viewers, with an adults 18-49 rating of 3.2.

The 200th episode of NCIS delivered a season-high 20.98 million viewers and ranked as Tuesday's #1 program in both viewers and key demographics, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings.

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T01:13:00.003-05:00

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)

3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

		VENICE The Series (venicetheseries.com)

8 p.m.		ONE TREE HILL (CW)

		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)

9 p.m.		THE TUDORS (BBC America)

		EL TALISMAN (Univision)

		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)

10 p.m.		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)

		REVENGE (ABC)

		SOUTHLAND (TNT)

		MISTRESSES (BBC America)

		LA QUE NO PODIA AMOR (Univision)

On CSI at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, Brianna Brown (ex-Lisa, GENERAL HOSPITAL), Jill Larson (ex-Opal, ALL MY CHILDREN) and Roger Bart (ex-George, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) are among the guest stars.

Former AS THE WORLD TURNS Emmy nominee guest stars on Prospect Park's ROYAL PAINS at 10 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

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- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
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PREVIEW: ABC's Wednesday Night Soap REVENGE ("Perception"); William Devane Debuts

2012-02-08T00:53:00.005-05:00

As The Year of the Soap continues, ABC primetime soap REVENGE airs a new episode on Wednesday, February 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. William Devane (KNOTS LANDING) debuts as the Grayson patriarch in "Perception."

In an atmosphere of nervous excitement for Emily & Daniel's upcoming engagement party, things quickly start to unravel.

Victoria tries to regain the upper hand by using Conrad's own father (Devane) against him.

Jack finds himself wandering deeper into the fray.

The rug gets pulled out from under Charlotte, and even more so for Emily

Watch a preview below:

REVENGE stars Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson, Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross, Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson, Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport, Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter, Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson, Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson and Connor Paolo as Declan Porter.

William Devane guest stars as 'Grandpa' Grayson.

"Perception" was written by Nikki Toscano and Sallie Patrick, and directed by Tim Hunter.

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- The Best (& Sometimes Worst) of TV 2011: Shout-Outs and Take-Downs for OLTL, GLEE, REVENGE, Frons, Storms, Kirkendall and Many, Many More

Today in Soap Opera History (February 8)

2012-02-08T00:31:00.001-05:00

On this date in...

1955: On LOVE OF LIFE, Ben (David Lewis) warns Judith (Virginia Robinson) while Paul (Richard Coogan) gets pressure to marry Judith from her father. Watch the episode below.

1974: After a 20 year run, THE SECRET STORM's final episode aired on CBS.

1979: On ANOTHER WORLD, Willis (Leon Russom) asked Angie (Maeve Kinkead) to get Rose (Kathleen Widdoes) off his back.

2010: Actor David Froman died at age 71. He was popular on THE EDGE OF NIGHT in the roles of Gunther and Bruno.

2011: Sarah Brown aired for the final time as Aggie ON THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Nick Nolte (Walter, LUCK) - 71
Julia Barr (ex-Brooke, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Reenie, RYAN'S HOPE) - 63
Carolyn Pickles (ex-Shelly, EMMERDALE; ex-Moira, CORONATION STREET) - 60
Henry Czerny (Conrad, REVENGE) - 53
Mary McCormack (ex-Kate, THE WEST WING) - 43
Shiva Rose (Herself, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 43
Susan Misner (ex-Grace, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 40
Joshua Morrow (Nick, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 38
Josh Keaton (ex-Brendon, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 43
Liam McIntyre (ex-Bradley, NEIGHBOURS) - 30
Kathryn Newton (ex-Colby, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 15

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.

Monday Night Ratings: SMASH Debuts Strong, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS Up

2012-02-07T23:58:00.001-05:00

The Monday night ratings are in and SMASH debuted big for NBC. The Year of the Soap continues!

From NBC:
Monday at 10 p.m. ET, the series premiere of SMASH (3.8/10 in 18-49, 11.4 million viewers overall) scored the highest 18-49 rating for a regular 10 p.m. drama on any broadcast network on any night of the week so far this season. SMASH delivered NBC’s top in-season 18-49 and total-viewer results in this time period since November 3, 2008 (“SNL” election special).

SMASH ranked #1 versus all broadcast and cable competition in the 10 p.m. ET hour in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.

The debut of SMASH marks NBC’s highest-rated new drama premiere in adults 18-49 in more than four years (since September 26, 2007, “Life”). “Smash” also marks NBC’s highest-rated drama telecast on any night of the week since an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” on April 28, 2009 (3.9).

SMASH nearly quadrupled NBC’s season average in the time period (3.8 vs. 1.0) and nearly tripled NBC’s season average in total viewers (11.448 million vs. 3.864 million).

NBC dominated the primetime landscape Monday night versus all original programming on the other broadcast networks. In adults 18-49, NBC topped its closest primetime competitor by 58 percent (with a 5.7 rating versus a 3.6 for CBS in second place). In total viewers, NBC beat its closest competitor by 44 percent or 4.8 million persons (15.7 million vs. 10.9 million for CBS).

This marks NBC’s first in-season Monday night win with regularly scheduled programming in four years (since February 18, 2008) and the network’s highest 18-49 rating on a Monday night with regularly scheduled programming since March 22, 2004 (also a 5.7 in 18-49).

Other A18-49 Ratings:
At 8 p.m. The CW and Telemundo tied for sixth at 0.6, CW for GOSSIP GIRL and Telemundo for UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN.

ABC Family's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS had a 1.0 (0.9 last week) and 2.25 million viewers.

At 9 p.m. Fox was fourth with a 2.2 for ALCATRAZ, Univision was fifth with a 1.5 for EL TALISMAN, The CW was sixth with a 0.6 for HART OF DIXIE and Telemundo was seventh with a 0.5 for FLOR SALVAJE.

ABC Family's THE LYING game had a 0.6 and 1.4 million viewers.

At 10 p.m. NBC was first with a 3.8 for SMASH, Univision was fourth with a 1.6 for LA QUE NO PODIA AMAR and Telemundo was fifth with a 0.4 for RELACIONES PELIGROSAS.

Adult 18-49 Network Averages:
NBC, 5.7/14
CBS, 3.6/
ABC, 2.4/6
FOX, 2.4/6
CW, 0.6/1

Total Average Viewers:
NBC, 15.7 million
CBS, 10.9 million
ABC, 8.5 million
FOX, 7.0 million;
CW, 1.4 million

NBC's midseason prospects are looking a lot rosier this morning.

The network's decision to air "The Voice" behind the Super Bowl paid off handsomely with the show growing 29 percent over last year's season debut in its regular Monday 8 to 10 p.m. timeslot last night.

"Voice" averaged a 6.6 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, NBC's best average in that timeslot for non-sports programming since Feb. 16, 2004, and the network's top non-sports, non-special on any night in four and a half years, since September 2007.

"Voice" peaked with a 7.7 in its final half hour and grew from a 5.3 in its first half hour. It also became the first program this season to beat CBS's "Two and a Half Men" in its timeslot. "Men" averaged a season-low 4.2.

CBS's comedies all dropped between 7 and 11 percent from their most recent outings, too.

But "Voice" seemed to hurt Fox's lineup the most. "House" was off 17 percent from its most recent episode, and the new drama "Alcatraz" dropped 21 percent to a series-low 2.2.

"Voice's" big numbers boosted much-hyped lead-out "Smash" to a strong debut as well. The show averaged a 3.8 rating at 10 p.m.

It marked the highest rating for any drama this season in the 10 p.m. slot, and was the third-highest-rated drama bow this season, behind ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and Fox's "Touch."

It also marked NBC's best rating in the hour since an election special in November 2008.

One possible concern for NBC is that "Smash" declined 19 percent from its first to its second half hour, from a 4.2 to a 3.4. A second-half dropoff is never a good sign for a new show.

NBC was first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.7 average overnight rating and a 14 share, becoming the first network to beat CBS when it aired originals on a Monday this season.

CBS was second at 3.5/9, ABC third at 2.4/6, Fox fourth at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.6/4, CW sixth at 0.6/1 and Telemundo seventh at 0.5/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Forty-three percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. NBC led with a 5.7 for the first hour of "Voice," followed by CBS with a 4.1 for "How I Met Your Mother" (4.0) and "2 Broke Girls" (4.3). ABC was third with a 2.5 for "The Bachelor," Fox fourth with a 2.4 for "House," Univision fifth with a 1.7 for "Una Familia con Suerte" and CW and Telemundo tied for sixth at 0.6, CW for "Gossip Girl" and Telemundo for "Una Maid en Manhattan."

NBC extended its lead at 9 p.m. with a 7.5 for more "Voice," while CBS remained second with a 3.8 for "Men" (4.2) and "Mike & Molly" (3.4). ABC was third with a 2.7 for another hour of "Bachelor," Fox fourth with a 2.2 for "Alcatraz," Univision fifth with a 1.5 for "El Talisman," CW sixth with a 0.6 for "Hart of Dixie" and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for "Flor Salvaje."

At 10 p.m. NBC was first with a 3.8 for "Smash," with CBS second with a 2.7 for "Hawaii Five-0." ABC was third with a 2.0 for "Castle," Univision fourth with a 1.6 for "La Que No Podia Amar" and Telemundo fifth with a 0.4 for "Relaciones Peligrosas."

NBC also led the night among households with a 9.1 average overnight rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 6.7/10, ABC third at 5.5/8, Fox fourth at 4.2/6, Univision fifth at 2.0/3, CW sixth at 1.0/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.

RESULTS: Indie Soap & Couple of the Week Poll (January 29-February 4, 2012); DEVANITY/Gina & Ani No. 1

2012-02-07T21:39:00.002-05:00

Below are the results from the WE LOVE SOAPS TV "Indie Soap of the Week" poll for the week of January 29-February 4, 2012. DEVANITY celebrated Christmas and moved up to first place for the week. VENICE finished in second followed by GOSSIP BOY.

We also asked readers which web series couple was their favorite last week. VENICE's Ani and Gina came out on top this week. Check out the Top 5 below:

RANK	COUPLE	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Gina & Ani, VENICE	1	7
2	Lara & Ani, VENICE	2	5
3	Jason & Lara, DEVANITY	-	1
4	Brad & Kenzie, RIVER RIDGE	-	0
5	Jairus & Devin, GOSSIP BOY	3	1

Watch last week's indie soaps below:
- BLOOD LIES Episode 5 "Making Choices"
- DEVANITY Season 2 Episode 2
- GOSSIP BOY Episode 5 "The Mysterious Man"
- HOW I SEIZE IT Episode 43 "Gender Identity"
- HUSTLING Episode 8 "The Flow" (Season 1 Finale)
- INTERRACIAL Episode 2
- OLD DOGS & NEW TRICKS Episode 4 "Stuck in a Jam"
- ORANGE JUICE IN BISHOPS GARDEN Season 5 Episode 2 "The Audition"
- PRETTY Season 3 Episode 6
- RIVER RIDGE Episode 2 “Tell My Stories To The One’s I Love, Hide My Fears From Those I Don’t”
- SOCIAL ANXIETY Episode 1 Part 2 "Poe"
- THROWING STONES Season 2 Episodes 6 & 7
- TWO DOORS DOWN Episode 11 "Baby Blues"
- VENICE Season 3 Episode 9 (Subscription)

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 in the poll.

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

RELATED:
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RESULTS: Daytime Soap & Couple of the Week Poll (January 30-Februay 3, 2012) - DAYS OF OUR LIVES/John & Marlena No. 1

2012-02-07T21:18:00.002-05:00

Here are the results from the WE LOVE SOAPS TV Daytime Soap & Couple of the Week poll for January 30-Februay 3, 2012. DAYS OF OUR LIVES was voted as the favorite of our readers last week with GENERAL HOSPITAL coming in second.

In our latest Favorite Couple poll, John & Marlena from DAYS OF OUR LIVES remained at No. 1 for the tenth week in a row. See the full results below. Some new couples almost made the list this week DAYS' EJ/Will, Sonny/Will, GH's Patrick/Robin, Dante/Lulu and B&B's Hope/Liam were all runners-up.

RANK

COUPLE

LAST WEEK

TOP 3

John & Marlena, DAYS

Bo & Hope, DAYS

Sami & Rafe, DAYS

Sharon & Adam,Y&R

Jason & Sam, GH

DAYS OF OUR LIVES Stars Freddie Smith & Kate Mansi Appearing At WeHo Red Carpet Pooch Parade

2012-02-07T19:31:00.002-05:00

AT&T Presents the WeHo Red Carpet Pooch Parade to celebrate the opening of the AT&T West Hollywood Store in support of PAWS/LA and the Gay Men’s Choir of Los Angeles on Saturday, February 11th noon-2 p.m. Walk the red carpet with your costumed pooch!

The event will feature a dog costume contest, prizes and giveaways – with special guest judges The Mayor of West Hollywood and DAYS OF OUR LIVES stars Kate Mansi & Freddie Smith! This event is open and free to the public. If you're in the area, check it out!

Soap Opera Stars In Primetime: Upcoming Guest Appearances

2012-02-07T18:50:00.001-05:00

Daytime and primetime soap stars are everywhere this winter! Below are some of the upcoming guest appearances by soap stars on primetime shows including Ilene Kristen playing the estranged mother of a troubled young man on LAW & ORDER: SVU (an episode which features both Harry Connick Jr. and Miranda Lambert). We update this list every few days.

If you see a name missing or find out an official airdate, add it in our Comments section. Per our reader's request, we are including a key soap role from the actor's past in case you don't recognize a name (a work in progress).

FEBRUARY
7 UNFORGETTABLE - Chris Beetem (ex-Jordan, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
7 GLEE - Ricky Martin (ex-Miguel, GENERAL HOSPITAL)
7 JERSEY COUTURE - Alicia Minshew
7 NCIS: LOS ANGELES - Alana De La Garza (ex-Rosa, ALL MY CHILDREN)
8 LAW & ORDER: SVU - Ilene Kristen (ex-Roxy, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
8 CSI - Brianna Brown, Jill Larson (ex-Opal, ALL MY CHILDREN), Roger Bart
8 CRIMINAL MINDS - Dean Cain (ex-Rick, BEVERLY HILLS, 90210)
8 HAPPY ENDINGS - James Wolk (ex-Bob, LONE STAR)
8 REVENGE - William Devane (ex-Greg, KNOTS LANDING)
8 ROYAL PAINS - Jennifer Ferrin (ex-Jennifer, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
9 THE MENTALIST - Victor Alfieri (ex-Giovanni, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL), Kathryn Joosten (Karen, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES)
10 A GIFTED MAN - Peter Hermann (ex-Michael, GUIDING LIGHT)
10 BLUE BLOODS - Aubrey Dollar (ex-Marina, GUIDING LIGHT), James Rebhorn (ex-Bradley, GUIDING LIGHT)
12 BODY OF PROOF - Joanna Cassidy (ex-Katherine, FALCON CREST)
14 NCIS - Ray Wise (ex-Jamie, LOVE OF LIFE)
14 NCIS: LOS ANGELES - Mackenzie Mauzy (ex-Phoebe, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL), Anthony Palermo (PASSIONS)
14 NEW GIRL - Ryan Kwanten
14 BODY OF PROOF - Donna Pescow
15 HAPPY ENDINGS - James Wolk (ex-Bob, LONE STAR)
15 CRIMINAL MINDS - Bellamy Young
15 CSI - Jesse McCartney, Mary Page Keller, Nazanin Boniadi
16 THE MENTALIST - Michael Rady, Marisa Ramirez, Jay Pickett
16 PERSON OF INTEREST - Annie Parisse (ex-Julia, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Susan Misner (ex-Grace, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
17 BLUE BLOODS - Benton Greene (ex-Derek, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
19 THE GOOD WIFE - Parker Posey (ex-Tess, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Jonathan Groff (ex-Henry, ONE LIFE TO LIVE)
19 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - Robert Pine (ex-Stephen, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL)
22 CRIMINAL MINDS - Paul Johansson (ex-Greg, SANTA BARBARA)
22 SUBURGATORY - Barry Livingston (ex-Mike, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL)
23 THE MENTALIST - Malcolm McDowell (ex-Crispin, CROSSROADS)
24 A GIFTED MAN - Eriq LaSalle (ex-Mike, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Lee Tergesen (ex-Tobias, OZ)
29 CRIMINAL MINDS - William Russ (ex-Tucker, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS), Bellamy Young (Mellie, SCANDAL), Kelly Theibaud (ex-Alicia, DAYS OF OUR LIVES)

MARCH
13 RINGER - Nic Robuck
TBD BLUE BLOODS - Margaret Colin
TBD GOSSIP GIRL - David Gregory

APRIL
15 NYC 22 - Monti Sharp (ex-David, GUIDING LIGHT)

2012
TBD PRIVATE PRACTICE - Ashley Jones
TBD HAWAII FIVE-0 - Ed Asner
TBD HOT IN CLEVELAND - Steven Weber
TBD CASTLE - Justin Hartley
TBD MELISSA & JOEY - Shawn Christian
TBD MODERN FAMILY - Bobby Cannavale
TBD SUPERNATURAL - Misha Collins (recurring), Rachel Miner
TBD LAW & ORDER: SVU - Fisher Stevens
TBD CSI: NEW YORK - Molly Burnett, Sherri Saum
TBD CRIMINAL MINDS - Lexi Ainsworth
TBD SMASH - Thorsten Kaye (recurring)
TBD HOT IN CLEVELAND - Rick Springfield (Summer)
TBD HAPPILY DIVORCED - Sean Kanan

RELATED:
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- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

CBS Celebrates Valentine's Day With Special Episodes

2012-02-07T18:30:00.001-05:00

CBS Daytime is celebrating Valentine's Day with episodes filled with sweetness, love and lots of surprises, on THE TALK, THE PRICE IS RIGHT, LET’S MAKE A DEAL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL on Tuesday, Feb. 14 on the CBS Television Network.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT, with host Drew Carey, aims to make Valentine’s Day as romantic as ever, with help from actor Daniel Goddard of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Prizes include a new home theater for a date night, as well as romantic trips to New York City, Venice, Italy and Paris, and a new Mazda sports car.

On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Cane and Lily (Daniel Goddard and Christel Khalil) fans have the union they’ve been waiting for when the lovers (re)tie the knot in beautiful France. But an uninvited guest has the potential to put a damper on what is otherwise a joyous occasion.

On THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, Valentine’s Day is anything but happy for Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood). Following a knock-down, drag-out fight with her nemesis Hope Logan (Kim Matula), and a very messy chocolate fountain, her estranged husband Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) serves her with divorce papers so that he can marry Hope.

PREVIEW: ABC Tuesday Night Soap THE RIVER

2012-02-07T18:13:00.001-05:00

ABC’s new series THE RIVER will have a two-hour premiere TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

In the first hour, “Magus,” Dr. Emmet Cole, beloved adventurer and television personality goes missing deep in the Amazon. After a fruitless search for him, his family and friends abandon hope and hold a memorial service to commemorate his amazing life. His grieving wife, Tess, reluctantly tries to face the reality that her husband is gone, while her son, Lincoln, is more than ready to bury his past. Six months later Emmet’s location beacon mysteriously begins to relay a signal. Tess persuades Lincoln to join her and Emmet’s film crew on a journey through the Amazon to find him, a journey on which horrifying and almost mythical events will push them to their limits.

In the second hour, “Marbeley,” when the spirit of Dr. Emmet Cole mysteriously enters Jahel, the message is clear… go home! Instead, Tess determines to go into the jungle to find clues to Cole’s whereabouts. While on their mission, they discover a tree draped in children’s dolls that they suspect is there to ward off the “spirit of the abandoned girl” who drowned in the river. Then, when a member of the crew goes missing, the group realize they’ll have to endure a nightmare in order to appease an angry spirit and get their loved one back.

ABOUT THE RIVER
THE RIVER follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole. Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess, and son, Lincoln, while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him.

Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his nature show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole’s emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole’s cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the sexy and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann).

THE RIVER stars Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Emmet Cole, Joe Anderson (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2) as Lincoln Cole, Paul Blackthorne (LIPSTICK JUNGLE) as Clark, Paulina Gaitan as Jahel, Leslie Hope (24) as Tess Cole, Eloise Mumford (LONE STAR) as Lena, Shaun Parkes (The Mummy Returns) as Adjay, Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong) as Captain Kurt Brynildson and Daniel Zacapa (RESURRECTION BLVD.) as Emilio.

THE RIVER, from Amblin’s Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey, showrunner/executive producer Michael Green (HEROES, KINGS), is also executive-produced by Oren Peli (creator of Paranormal Activity), Zack Estrin, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider. Teleplay by Michael R. Perry and Michael Green, story by Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry and Michael Green. The pilot is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and produced by ABC Studios.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Joanna Johnson Back To B&B, Super Bowl Live Stream Success, DOWNTON ABBEY Captures America

2012-02-07T17:50:00.002-05:00

Joanna Johnson returning to THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Johnson is returning to the role of Karen Spencer. Karen will be bringing along a daughter the audience never knew existed (played by Linsey Godfrey).

THE TALKS Sheryl Underwood on her Feb. 10 B&B guest appearance: I watch all the soaps
"When I was on the set I got to meet my pride and joy, Eric Braeden. He took me in his arms and spoke romantic German to me. I'm, like, is anybody filming this?"

HBO Responds to Racing Show LUCK’s Real-Life Horse Fatalities
Eagle-eyed viewers may notice one detail missing from the pilot episode, as well as one additional installment: the American Humane Association’s usual seal of approval certifying that “No Animals Were Harmed” during the filming of the show. Instead, those two episodes state merely that “The American Humane Association Monitored the animal action.”

Decoding Mount McPhee: Is It a SMASH Spoiler?
Katharine McPhee (Karen, the ingénue): "Jack Davenport calls it Mount McPhee — he gave me a lot of sh-- for that. It's funny. That was the first shot we did that day. Of all the photos we took, I don't think any of us actually thought that was going to be the poster they picked. I was quite surprised. Is it a spoiler? I don't think so, but then again, I don't really know because I don't know what happens at the end of the season yet."

NBC's Super Bowl live stream a success
The number of total streams is likely to top one million.

Edmund White: Soap script writing seemed like hack work
In the '60s he was offered $100,000 a month to work as a soap opera scriptwriter and turned it down. ''I didn't want to write that much dialogue - the storyline was determined by somebody else,'' he says. ''It seemed like hack work.''

MAD MEN Gets Adbusted by a Whale
While for some the MAD MEN poster for season 5 conjures up darker memories, at least one graffiti artist had a decidedly sunnier interpretation.

Gary Fleder To Produce One BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Pilot, Direct The Other
Both The CW and ABC are working on pilots with this concept.

PAN AM: Enough with the Dead Celebrities...Let's Fly Away
Remember PAN AM?

British soap DOWNTON ABBEY captures America
"If people gathered around water coolers at work anymore, DOWNTON ABBEY would be what they would be talking about on Monday mornings."

GLAAD, Ricky Martin Protest Ex-Gay Therapies Promoted On Univision
On January 31st, Univision, the United States' largest Spanish-language TV network, aired a lengthy interview with an "ex-gay" therapist and one of his allegedly successful patients in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ricky Martin didn't like the segment so much, and neither did GLAAD. Ricky tweeted “El heterosexual nace o se hace?” -- were you born straight or not?

Robin Mattson Returning To GENERAL HOSPITAL

2012-02-07T17:21:00.005-05:00

Soap Opera Digest is reporting has learned that daytime veteran Robin Mattson (SANTA BARBARA; GUIDING LIGHT; ALL MY CHILDREN; AS THE WORLD TURNS) is heading back to GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Mattson played the memorable role of Heather Webber in the 1980s with a return visit in 2004. She will return in late March/early April. Look for the arrival to impact Heather's son with Jeff, Steven (Scott Reeves).

Tristan Rogers, Finola Hughes, Emma Samms and Rick Springfield are all confirmed to be returning for appearances as well.

RELATED:
- Jack Wagner Back To GENERAL HOSPITAL?
- Bradford Anderson & Hillary B. Smith Among Indie Soap Awards Nominees

PREVIEW: NBC's Tuesday Night Soap PARENTHOOD ("Politics")

2012-02-07T16:38:00.001-05:00

The Year of the Soap continues on Tuesday, February 7 on NBC with an all-new episode of PARENTHOOD, "Politics," airing at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Mark (Jason Ritter) invites Sarah (Lauren Graham) to a friend’s engagement party which stirs up a serious conversation about a baby in their future.

Meanwhile, Amber (Mae Whitman) receives a job promotion but questions her own qualifications, Adam (Peter Krause) and Crosby (Dax Shepard) clash over business strategy for The Luncheonette and Zoe’s (Rosa Salazar) behavior causes Julia and Joel to question their adoption agreement.

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- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011 (Katie Leclerc)

Brotherhood of Man - NBC Super Bowl Commercial

2012-02-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

Below is the Super Bowl commercial featuring an ensemble of stars from various NBC shows.

Included is DAYS OF OUR LIVES (and THE BIGGEST LOSER) star Alison Sweeney and former soap stars Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski, the cast of SMASH and many more.

PREVIEW: FOX's Tuesday Night Soap GLEE With Guest Star Ricky Martin

2012-02-07T16:17:00.001-05:00

The Year of the soap continues on Tuesday, February as Ricky Martin guest stars on GLEE at at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

In "The Spanish Teacher," Will assigns the glee club a Spanish singing assignment, and enlists the help of his musically-inclined night school teacher (guest star Martin).

Meanwhile, Rachel spills the beans to Kurt and Mercedes on Finn’s marriage proposal, and Mercedes has love complications of her own.

Cast: Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester; Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester; Lea Michele as Rachel Berry; Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson; Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury; Dianna Agron as Quinn; Chris Colfer as Kurt; Kevin McHale as Artie; Amber Riley as Mercedes; Mark Salling as Puck; Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina; Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez; Heather Morris as Brittany; Harry Shum as Mike Chang and Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson.

RELATED:
- PREVIEW: Ricky Martin on GLEE
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

PREVIEW: CW Tuesday Night Soaps 90210 & RINGER

2012-02-07T15:46:00.002-05:00

The Year of the soap continues with an all-new episode of 90210, "No Good Deed," on Tuesday, February 7 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

In an effort to put her inheritance to good use, Annie volunteers to organize a big charity fundraiser. When Naomi takes drastic measures to land her first event-planning client, her big plan back-fires.

Meanwhile, Silver realizes she still has feelings for Navid, and Vanessa (guest star Arielle Kebbel) vows to make Liam a huge star after his agent drops him.

Gillian Zinser, Tristan Wilds and Jessica Lowndes also star. Stuart Gillard directed the episode written by Chris Atwood.

The return of RINGER follows at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

In "What Are You Doing Here, Ho-Bag?" Juliet’s (Zoey Deutch) mother Catherine (guest star Andrea Roth) arrives in town, where she proceeds to wreak havoc on Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd) and Bridget’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) relationship. Bridget discovers someone from Siobhan’s past and thinks he might be the key to her learning more information about her sister. Meanwhile, Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) discovers a lead that causes Agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell) to think he is closing in on Bridget.

Mike Colter also stars. Jerry Levine directed the episode written by Hank Chilton.

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- Most Fascinating People of 2011

PREVIEW: ABC Family Tuesday Night Soaps SWITCHED AT BIRTH & JANE BY DESIGN

2012-02-07T15:06:00.003-05:00

The Year of the Soap continues on ABC Family with new episodes of SWITCHED AT BIRTH and JANE BY DESIGN on Tuesday, February 7.

SWITCHED leads off the night at 8 p.m. ET/PT with "Las Dos Fridas" as Kathryn’s mother Bonnie (Meredith Baxter) comes for a visit and Angelo’s disappearance leaves everyone with more questions.

A visit Kathryn’s mother makes Bay and Daphne question their new roles in the family and where they fit in. While Bonnie can’t get over the physical resemblance between Daphne and Kathryn, Daphne still sees herself as a girl from her old neighborhood and struggles with her new identity.

Meanwhile, Bay and Regina grow closer as they try to find out what happened to Angelo and their shared love of art. Toby’s new girlfriend Simone tries to change him, which Bay warns him about.

SWITCHED AT BIRTH stars Katie Leclerc, Vanessa Marano, Constance Marie, D.W. Moffett, Lea Thompson, Lucas Grabeel and Sean Berdy.

Meredith Baxter guest stars as Bonnie Tamblyn Dixon and Maiara Walsh as Simone.

JANE BY DESIGN follows at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Jane hits the hallways of her school when given a task to find the next big trend “The Image Issue.”

When she questions India’s presentation in front of Gray, Jane is tasked to do her own research to find out what high school students are really looking for in the fashion world. Determined to prove that teenagers are about finding out who they are and not changing just to fit some mold, Jane hits the hallways of her school to prove her point. But when her classmates are less then helpful, Jane starts to worry that she won’t be able to pull the presentation off.

Meanwhile, Billy tries a new look to gain a little bit more respect, much to Jane’s chagrin.

JANE BY DESIGN is executive produced by Gavin Polone, April Blair and John Ziffren. The series stars Erica Dasher, David Rogers, Nicholas Roux, Rowly Dennis, India De Beaufort, Meagan Tandy, Matthew Atkinson, and featuring Andie MacDowell.

RELATED:
- Q&A: Erica Dasher Talks JANE BY DESIGN, Being a Role Model and LMFAO
- INTERVIEW: Katie Leclerc (Daphne) & Vanessa Marano (Bay) Share Lots of Dish and Giggles from the Return of ABC Family's New Hit, SWITCHED AT BIRTH
- INTERVIEW: JANE BY DESIGN's Andie MacDowell
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011 (Katie Leclerc)

WHAT TO WATCH: Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T14:32:00.004-05:00

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new programs airing on Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)

3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

8 p.m.		SWITCHED AT BIRTH (ABC Family)

		GLEE (FOX)

		90210 (CW)

		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)

9 p.m.		JANE BY DESIGN (ABC Family)

		RINGER (CW)

		EL TALISMAN (Univision)

		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)

10 p.m.		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)

		PARENTHOOD (NBC)

		THE GAME (BET)

		JUSTIFIED (FX)

		LA QUE NO PODIA AMOR (Univision)

10:30 p.m.		LET'S STAY TOGETHER (BET)

Today in Soap Opera History (February 7)

2012-02-07T10:25:00.001-05:00

On this date in...

1908: Future AS THE WORLD TURNS star William Johnstone (Judge James Lowell) was born in Brooklyn.

1966: On ANOTHER WORLD, Emily Hastings, "a relaxed, motherly sort of woman," gazed at Mike Bauer in mutual affection when he returned home. She reminded him Dr. James said that even if Julie had lived, she would never have left the sanitarium. She was thrilled to hear that, though dissatisfied at work, he wasn't considering returning to his home town because he and Hope had found a home with her (GUIDING LIGHT was moving from Selby Flats to Springfield at the time). Mike commented it was Lee's fault as they read in The Herald about John's accident yesterday. Mike revealed that at the law banquet he'd seen Dru, who promised to recommend him.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, April learned she was now a wealthy woman following Margo's funeral.

1983: On GENERAL HOSPITAL, Robert & Holly's marriage of convenience began as they were married quickly in the mayor's office. (Thanks to Michele for the tip)

1992: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Victor informed Nikki and Jack her tumor was not malignant.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Sally Kemp (ex-Nora, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Ellen, KNOTS LANDING; ex-Marcia, DYNASTY) - 79
Miguel Ferrer (Andre, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVS; ex-Albert, TWIN PEAKS) - 57
Jason Gedrick (Jerry, LUCK) - 47
Victor Webster (ex-Nicholas, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Roger, SUNSET BEACH) - 39

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.

WHAT TO WATCH: Monday, February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T19:18:00.001-05:00

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new programs airing on Monday, February 6, 2012. Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)

3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)

		PRETTY The Series (prettytheseries.com)

8 p.m.		PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (ABC Family)

		GOSSIP GIRL (CW)

		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)

9 p.m.		THE LYING GAME (ABC Family)

		HART OF DIXIE (CW)

		ALCATRAZ (FOX)

		EL TALISMAN (Univision)

		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)

		BEING HUMAN (Syfy)

		WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW (USA)

10 p.m.		SMASH (NBC)
		(Series Premiere)

		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)

		LA QUE NO PODIA AMAR (Univision)

		LOST GIRL (Syfy)

Remember to use the hashtag #yearofthesoap on Twitter.

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- Most Fascinating People of 2011

PREVIEW: ABC Family Monday Night Soaps PRETTY LITTLE LIARS & THE LYING GAME

2012-02-06T19:05:00.001-05:00

The Year of the Soap continues on ABC Family on Monday, February 6 with new episodes of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and THE LYING GAME.

In “The Naked Truth” on PLL at 8 p.m. ET, it's Rosewood High’s “Truth-Up Day,” which is not just an opportunity for the students of the school to air their grievances and stop bullying, but also a chance for Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer to get answers to some burning questions.

Spencer looks to find answers on what is going on between Jason and her father when Jason shows up as a chaperone; Aria continues to question Holden on what exactly he is up to during their “date nights,” and Hanna tries to figure out the latest situation with Kate. But will the girls be ready for what they find out when shocking truths are revealed? Meanwhile, Emily gets help from an unlikely source to get back on the Rosewood swim team.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS won three Teen Choice Awards in 2011 for Choice Summer TV Series, Choice Summer TV Actress – Lucy Hale and Choice Summer TV Actor – Ian Harding. The show also won the “TV You Betta Watch” Award for 2011’s NewNowNext Awards as well as the “Cast to Watch” for 2011’s The Young Hollywood Awards.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television and is executive produced by I. Marlene King, Oliver Goldstick and Leslie Morgenstein. The series stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Holly Marie Combs, Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, Laura Leighton, Chad Lowe, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse.

THE LYING GAME follows at 9 p.m. ET/PT with "Reservation for Two."

When Ethan is implicated in a serious crime, he and Sutton leave town and hide out with his father, Ben, on the reservation where he grew up.

A burgeoning tension between father and son has Sutton playing mediator, but, despite the awkwardness, she appreciates seeing a side of Ethan that she did not know when they were together.

Meanwhile, Emma is left to deal with the aftermath of Ethan’s situation when she must pretend to be witness to a scene where she was not present.

THE LYING GAME is produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television and is executive produced by Charles Pratt, Jr., Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. The series stars Alexandra Chando, Andy Buckley, Blair Redford, Kirsten Prout, Alice Greczyn, Allie Gonino and Helen Slater with recurring guest star Adrian Pasdar.

Gil Birmingham (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1) guest stars as Ethan’s father, Ben Whitehorse.

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- Most Fascinating People of 2011

PREVIEW: CW's Monday Night Soaps GOSSIP GIRL & HART OF DIXIE

2012-02-06T18:58:00.001-05:00

GOSSIP GIRL is back with an all new episode, "The Backup Dan," on Monday, February 6 at 8 p.m. on The CW.

Blair (Leighton Meester) must make a difficult decision about her future, the consequences of which could hurt those she loves most. Serena takes the blame for an incident with Gossip Girl in order to protect someone she loves.

Georgina smells the scent of scandal and decides to follow its trail.

Watch a preview below.

Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kelly Rutherford and Matthew Settle also star. David Warren directed the episode written by Matt Whitney.

HART OF DIXIE follows at 9 p.m. ET/PT with "Sweetie Pies & Sweaty Palms."

Zoe (Rachel Bilson) decides that it’s too soon in her relationship with Judson (guest star Wes Brown) to go to the annual Sweetie Pie Dance so instead she makes plans to have a sleepover with Rose (McKaley Miller), whose parents are going out of town.

George (Scott Porter) misplaces the save the dates for his upcoming wedding which causes major trouble in Lemon (Jaime King) paradise.

Lemon wants her father (Tim Matheson) to finally move on from her mother leaving him, so she secretly gets him a date for the dance.

Wilson Bethel and Cress Williams also star. Patrick Norris directed the episode written by executive producer Leila Gerstein.

RELATED:
- OPINION: Penn Badgley's Dan Takes Center Stage In One Of GOSSIP GIRL's Best Episodes Ever
- OPINION: GOSSIP GIRL's Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick & even Leighton Meester Make This Viewer Squeal with Delight
- OPINION: GOSSIP GIRL's Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick & even Leighton Meester Make This Viewer Squeal with Delight
- OPINION: GOSSIP GIRL's Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick & even Leighton Meester Make This Viewer Squeal with Delight
- OPINION: Sum of Rachel Bilson, Jaime King, Cress Williams & Scott Porter Greater Than HART OF DIXIE

Today in Soap Opera History (February 6)

2012-02-06T18:45:00.002-05:00

On this date in...

1973: On ANOTHER WORLD, Jim and Mary had dinner with Pat and John.

1992: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, in the hospital Nikki finally woke up.

2009: Longtime ONE LIFE TO LIVE actor Philip Carey (Asa) died at age 83.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Zsa Zsa Gabor (ex-Lydia, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 95
Mike Farrell (ex-Milton, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) - 73
Michael Tucker (ex-Harry, RYAN'S HOPE) - 67
Robert Townsend (Producer, LOS AMERICANS; DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM) - 55
Ben Lawson (ex-Liam, THE DEEP END; ex-Frazer, NEIGHBOURS) - 32
Alice Greczyn (Mads, THE LYING GAME) - 26

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.

RELATED:
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1)
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More
- Most Fascinating People of 2011

Register Now For The Third Annual Indie Soap Awards

2012-02-06T15:47:00.004-05:00

Our list of celebrity presenters for the 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards continues to grow, and with it the "buzz" about the big event! In addition to the stars who have accepted our invitation to present (see below), We Love Soaps TV would also like to thank the many other popular daytime TV celebs who have accepted our invitation to spend the evening with us honoring the very best in serialized, independent web series.

With two weeks remaining before the ceremony, at New World Stages in New York City on February 21, we are opening up a limited number of seats to the public for anyone who may want to attend and support their favorite web series.

Event Details

What: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards

When: February 21, 2012

7-8 p.m. Arrival/Red Carpet and Networking (open wine/beer bar)
8-10 p.m. Ceremony (winners revealed)
10-11 p.m. Winner's Circle and Networking (open wine/beer bar)

Where: New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
New York, NY 10019

Who:
Celebrity Presenters

• Patrika Darbo of TV's Step by Step and Growing Pains, longtime star of Days of our Lives; nominated actress from Miss Behave

• Yvonne Perry, longtime star of As The World Turns; actress from Empire

• Orlagh Cassidy, star of Guiding Light and Another World; nominated actress from Empire

• Jillian Clare, featured on Days of our Lives; nominated actress from Miss Behave