Evening News

Hollywood Reporter: A quick look around at the GUIDING LIGHT set -- a mall in fictional Springfield, a swanky hotel bedroom or the Spaulding family's grand study -- and you could convince yourself, if only for a moment, that you're not at CBS' West 57th Street Broadcast Center in New York. Unlike soap operas since the dawn of the TV era, the sets have four walls, a ceiling, lighting that gets shut on and off like a normal house and water that runs out of faucets. Gone are the big clunky cameras that gave daytime TV a look that has little changed since the 1950s, the live-to-tape production method and the control room that in the digital era is quickly becoming a dinosaur. In their place are hand-held video cameras, small lighting blocks that take the place of the big overhead contraptions and a portable control panel that captures the audio and video into a format that can be edited via laptop. The oldest soap opera still on the air -- it recently celebrated its 70th birthday -- "GL" on Friday takes the wraps off a makeover that moves the daytime drama into the 21st century and closes the gaps between the sometimes-anachronistic daytime drama production model and the techniques that have been used for decades on primetime TV.

ABC daytime president Brian Frons gives a lot of credit to "GL" for being willing to make changes. He thinks there might be an initial bump in the ratings, but it's not the production quality but the quality of the story that ultimately determines a daytime drama's success. "If it works beyond anybody's expectations -- and CBS' and Ellen's -- within six months to a year everybody will be doing it," Frons said of the changes. "Then it'll come back to who has the best story."

Bloom agrees that it's about the story more than anything else. "None of this works if you don't have the storytellers," she said.

CBS: VIDEO: Go on a tour with Rob Bogue (Mallet) and discover the new sets used on GUIDING LIGHT.

Radar Online: The soap opera renaissance will unfortunately be televised (on GUIDING LIGHT).

WDEF News 12: VIDEO: Preview: GUIDING LIGHT debuts big changes to long running soap.

Los Angeles Times: Starting today, NBC shows -- from SCRUBS to DAYS OF OUR LIVES -- will feature enviro-based themes. The green-tint is part of NBC Universal's "Green Is Universal" week, during which TV addicts can take in more than 150 hours of enviro-themed content.

ew York Post: Leven Rambin (ALL MY CHILDREN) guest-stars in tonight's LIPSTICK JUNGLE.

Soap Opera Network: Nielsen Ratings for the week of February 18-22, 2008. All soaps up in Total Viewers, Y&R #1 in 18-49 demos.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Q&A with Lisa Guerrero. "It’s been a very varied career –- I’ve been a lead on a soap opera, I played George Lopez’s sister on THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW, been on the cover of Playboy, did MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, did BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW. All over the map."

E! Online: In just the few days since we learned we might lose FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, campaigning fans have arranged the following:
* Some 6,250 minifootballs (below) are spiraling their way toward Ben Silverman as we speak.
* NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker will soon be receiving 7,500 minifootballs.
* The Any Soldier website will be distributing 42 Friday Night Lights DVDs to troops stationed overseas, thanks to the funding of FNL fans.
* FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS fans have also contributed to the following organizations:
o Gridiron Heroes, a charity that helps high schoolers who have suffered spinal cord injuries while playing high school football, much like Jason Street did in the pilot, $308. FNL's exec producer sits on the board of the Gridiron Heroes foundation.
o U.S. Quad Rugby Association, $200
o The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, $1,200, in conjunction with the Television Without Pity posters
o Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Taylor Kitsch's favorite charity, $308

CBS: Pre-Emption Alert: GUIDING LIGHT was preempted this morning, Thursday, February 28, for a Presidential news conference. The following stations will show GL in late night.

* WRGB Albany will air at 2:07 am
* WJZ Baltimore will air at 3:07 am
* WBBM Chicago will air at 1:37 am
* WWJ Detroit will air at 5:00 am
* ENEM-DT Flint/Saginaw will air at 1:30 am
* WANE Fort Wayne will air at 2:37 am
* WFOR Miami will air at 1:37 am
* WCBS New York will air at 2:07 am
* KYW Philadelphia will air at 2:05 am
* KDKA Pittsburgh will air at 2:07 am