News Brief

Boston Globe: Once upon a time, in the melodramatic environs of CBS's "As the World Turns," there was a boy named Luke and another boy named Noah, and they fell in love. They shared in self-discovery, made it through a trying time when Luke was paralyzed from the waist down, celebrated his miraculous recovery, and kissed onscreen. Twice. Then they stopped kissing. And some fans were happy. And some fans got very, very angry. "We appreciate so much that the show is doing this," said George Hinds, 29, a youth employment counselor in Cambridge who praises the show for airing daytime TV's first gay kiss. "The campaign is really here to let them know we think it's time to move forward. We think America can handle it."

Southern Voice: AS THE WORLD TURNS features a young gay couple, Luke and Noah. Apparently, the guys don't get to kiss as much the straight couples on the show. This angers a number of the devoted show’s fans, who believe all kisses were created equal. So they launched an internet campaign asking media outlets across the country to find out what's going on. Are Luke and Noah being censored? Is the soap opera worried about offending its more conservative viewers? While the fans applaud the show for incorporating gay characters, they think the couple should be given the same amount of screen time to smooch. Their letters have been polite, spell checked, intelligent, and to the point. And most importantly, they have a point. It's not like soap characters are known for their chaste lives. So why these boys?

Snark Weighs In: Latham's Y&R: What Was the Point?

Times Colonist: Regis Philbin has spent more time before TV cameras than any other person alive. His accomplishment is even recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. He currently hosts LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY with former ALL MY CHILDREN star Kelly Ripa. "You came to New York in 1983, and I started All My Children in 1990, and it was the biggest thrill of my career, when I really felt like I made it, when I did Live With Regis and Kathy Lee," Ripa told Philbin. "I thought I had hit superstardom. It meant something."

Soap Opera Digest: Everything old is new again for fan fave Arianne Zucker. She has reconciled with hubby Kyle Lowder (Rick, B&B; ex-Brady, DAYS) and is reprising the role of DAYS's Nicole.

Digital Spy: Former HOLLYOAKS star Darren Jeffries has revealed that he would love to star in DOCTOR WHO. The actor recently moved to London after playing OB in the Channel 4 soap for the last ten years. Talking about potential future roles, he told Nuts TV: "Doctor Who would be good. I'm not a massive Doctor Who fan, but I do love a bit of sci-fi. That would be amazing... it's totally different. You wouldn't get an alien in Hollyoaks!"

Press Association: Gemma Bissix is enjoying her return to EASTENDERS' Albert Square as gold-digger Clare Bates, but swears she's got nothing in common with the money-hungry young woman she plays. "I'm definitely not like my character at all," she said. "I've been single three years - I'm not a man-eater."

Marlena De Lacroix: With spoilers, there are no storyline surprises on soaps anymore. That’s not to say that the ways in which storylines are presented can really come as shockers — especially in the February sweeps that just wrapped up, the sweeps in which we expected little to nothing interesting because of the Writers Strike. So here are four soap stories/sweeps events which really shocked moi this month, either because they were so daring … or so cowardly!