News Brief

AfterElton: Despite the fact it is 2007, same-sex couples on broadcast television are so unusual as to still be considered a Very Big Deal. But a gay male teen couple on a daytime soap? That constitutes an actual milestone in gay visibility. Earlier this year, CBS’ As the World Turns made that breakthrough when Luke Snyder (Van Hansis) fell hard for newcomer Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann). And viewers fell just as hard for the couple quickly naming them Nuke as their growing popularity helped to push the show’s ratings up. In fact, Nuke became so popular that a recent poll named them the most popular couple on ATWT and one of the seven hottest couples on all of daytime television. So when readers were given a chance to submit questions to the actors, hundreds of readers responded.

TV Guide Canada: Times are a-changin’ whether we like it or not. Find out what’s hot and what’s not on daytime TV right now.

Towleroad: For you Towleroad readers who have watched the YouTube clips posted here from the soap opera As The World Turns of the teenage gay character, Luke Snyder, there is Van Hansis. He plays Snyder on the soap, but nothing could prepare you soap fans for the outrageousness of his portrayal of Lance, Angela’s gay son who has been cast as Ado Annie in his college production of Oklahoma.

People: Hunter Tylo is no stranger to hardship – her 9-year-old daughter bravely battled eye cancer as an infant. But nothing could prepare her for the shock and grief that came with losing her 19-year-old son last month. "I thought the worst thing in life was having a sick child," the Bold and the Beautiful star told Larry King Live Monday night. "But, there's really nothing more painful than losing a child." Michael (Mickey) Edward Tylo II, who died in a drowning accident at the family home in Henderson, Nev., contended with "complex partial seizures" since he was 15, his mom said.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Kristian Alfonso, well-known for her long-standing role as Hope Brady on "Days of Our Lives", will make an appearance at the Junior League of Fort Smith Holiday Market on Saturday at the Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 S. Seventh St. Alfonso will be showing her jewelry, Hope Faith Miracles, which ranges from wooden bracelets with charms saying “Hope,” “ Faith” or “Miracles,” to earrings that look like Hershey’s Kisses. For more information go to hopefaithmiracles. com.

All American Patriots: Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina, The Teenage Witch”) and Mario Lopez (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) star in the romantic holiday comedy “Holiday in Handcuffs,” a story about a modern young woman who has a breakdown at Christmas and desperately kidnaps a handsome guy to take home to her parents. Can she keep her misdeed a secret from her family and convince them that they are a happy couple or will their Christmas be ruined? The two-hour original movie will premiere during “25 Days of Christmas,” SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9 (8:00-10:00p.m., ET), on ABC Family. Also starring is Vanessa Lee Evigan (“The Young and the Restless“).

Branford Review: Ex-"As The World Turns" and "Santa Barbara" star Frank Runyeon will star in The 3-½ Stories of Christmas" at St. Therese Parish in Branford on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.

PGP Blog: Technical support if you are having trouble viewing videos on the P&G Classic Soap channel on AOL Video.

Amazon: Check out the Official "Hollyoaks" Hunks A3 Calendar 2008.