News Brief

40 years ago today
ABC-TV first presented their new daytime soap, ONE LIFE TO LIVE. And commercial air travel began between the United States and the U.S.S.R. with the first plane, a Soviet Aeroflot jet, landing at Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Beefcake fundraiser is hard to beat
"There was oohing. And aahing. And chatter. Lots of chatter. And more than a little anticipation in the excruciating wait for the doors to open. No, it wasn't the lineup for the new iPhone. It was the 10th annual THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Afternoon Tea, and last Saturday it drew more than 300 soap opera fans to the sold-out Marriott Hotel ballroom in downtown Vancouver for a few hours of star gazing, and maybe just a little star lusting."

ATWT: Cockblocker Blues
The Unemployed Soap Opera Viewer blogs: "AS THE WORLD TURNS was unbelievable today in regard to Luke and Noah's sex life (or lack thereof.) I can't believe these two would be willing to wait to have sex for the most flimsy of reasons -- they are living in the house of Luke's aunt, and she doesn't want hot, nasty gay teenage sex under her roof. Umm...don't they realize Emma is away? Jack and Janet did! And to overshare for a moment from my relevant experience -- during my college years my boyfriend and I let NOTHING stand in the way of having sex. We pushed dorm beds together. Oblivious straight dormmates of ours would knock on our door and we would lie there, giggling, pretending not to be there while we were really in bed together! It is just not realistic that Luke and Noah could be a couple for 3/4 of a year and not have had sex already!!!! Van Hansis has been very good at showing desire for Noah even with no dialogue. Let's see that desire fulfilled!"

Y&R's Engen prefers a casual approach
When Chris Engen walked on to the set of The Young and the Restless five months ago and into the shoes of character Adam Wilson, he had done a little homework, but not much.

Not because it wasn't a breakthrough role for a young actor -- his character's real name turns out to be Victor Newman Jr., making him the prodigal son of the daytime soap world's most venerable and villainous scion, Victor Newman, and thus the focus of many scenes -- but because it's just how he does things.

In fact, the 28-year-old Californian hadn't much watched the show -- daytime's Number 1 soap opera, with about 5.3 million daily viewers -- and didn't know all the characters, much less their story lines in the 35 years that Y&R has been on the air.

So when you ask him how he prepared for the role, you're surprised to hear:

"Well, I didn't, not really, but I did spend time with [Hope] and I think that gave me some idea."

He says he's signed a longer-term contract with Y&R, but that doesn't bring any guarantees, and he just hopes the cool intrigue he's bringing to the character, the is-he-good-like-mom or evil-like-dad conundrum, will keep viewers interested.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Matt Ashford
Casting is now complete for the Pittsburgh CLO staging of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Jenn Colella and Matt Ashford. Colella, who headlined Broadway's "High Fidelity" and the Off-Broadway production of "Beebo Brinker Chronicles," stars as the gun-toting sharpshooter Annie Oakley opposite DAYS OF OUR LIVES veteran Matt Ashford as Frank Butler.

BLOG UPDATE: Tom Casiello
"I agree with everything I read on the message boards - it's getting downright ridiculous the way daytime... a genre KNOWN for being diverse back in the 70's/80's... has been white-washed. But I truly don't think it's about racism or bigotry. I think it's more about not wanting to say 'This isn't my area of expertise, and I don't want to screw it up by trying to tell a story I know nothing about, for fear of offending someone.'"

Deep Soap: I Don't Buy It
Sara A. Bibel blogs: "Unlike generic public appearances, the fan weekend is perceived as an official GENERAL HOSPITAL event. Many fans are unaware that it is not run by the show itself or ABC. It’s organized by an outsider who turns a profit on the weekend."

On the Soap Shrink’s Couch: ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Dorian Cramer Lord, Part Two
Damon L. Jacobs continues his analysis of ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Dorian.

SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES: Episode #827
Jackson confronts Hannah and it's not pretty. Henry is in a playful mood, but is Blake?