News Brief

CAROLYN HINSEY: Jerry explodes & bombs a clinic on GH
Just when you thought Jerry Jacks was softening because of his romance with Alexis, he blows up the clinic Friday on GENERAL HOSPTAL - and then puts the moves on her daughter.

"He firebombs the clinic because he doesn't want Matt investigating the counterfeit drugs," says Sebastian Roché, who plays the troublemaking Jerry. "He's trying to shut him up and make it look like an accident."

Jerry shuts Matt up all right.

"Matt and Nadine get burned," says Roché, "but nothing on the face. They have severe burns that you will never see unless we see them in a swimsuit."

Matt and Nadine survive, and the police close in.

"Of course, they find out right away that it's arson," says Roché.

As district attorney, Alexis will eventually have to prosecute the culprit.

"Jerry thinks it won't be traced back to him," says Roché. "Nobody knows he has been making it possible for the drugs to go through Port Charles, even though he has been loitering around the clinic in a very obvious way. He has this feeling of invulnerability."

Montel back to GL
Montel Williams returns to GUIDING LIGHT as Clayton Bordeaux on Thursday, September 18. Kim Brockington also reprises her role as Felicia.

MALA BHATTACHARJEE: Epic Fail alert!
"GH, which is set in New York state just a stone's throw from Manhattan, has Jerry planting a bomb in Nik's clinic right around Sept. 11. Who thought that was a good idea?!"

Style Expert Finola Hughes Shares Insight for Translating the Vice Presidential Candidate's Style Into a Wearable Look for You
With all eyes on vice
presidential candidate Sarah Palin, she has the public abuzz with not only
her platform, but also her eyewear. Palin's signature specs have people
talking about her style, and fashion expert Finola Hughes weighs-in on how
other women can incorporate this look into their own lives from head to
toe.

As a progressive lens wearer herself, Hughes knows a thing or two about
choosing the right eyewear. "Lenses are actually what make a pair of
glasses," said Hughes. "Of course, frames are key, but the highest quality
progressive lenses are what will really take your look to the next level.
Once you have the lenses, you can buy designer frames at any price point."

Y&R's Graziadei to 90210
Michael Graziadei (Daniel) has landed a recurring role on 90210.

Erin Sanders cast on Y&R
Erin Sanders (best known for her role as Quinn on Zoey 101) has been cast on THE YOUN AND THE RESTLESS as Eden, River's daughter.

Here are her upcoming airdates:
September 17 (background only), September 19 (background only), September 22, September 23, September 24, September 25, September 26, September 29, October 2 and October 3.

British TV viewers over NEIGHBOURS
British TV fans appear to have lost their affection for long-running Australian soap NEIGHBOURS. The series switched from BBC1, which screened it at lunchtimes and again in the early evening on weekdays, to commercial broadcaster Five in a STG300 million ($A656.89 million) deal in February. But viewer numbers have plunged, with 2.2 million viewers tuning in on Five compared to 4.8 million a year ago when the show was on the BBC.

NEIGHBOURS has been one of the most successful soaps to hit British TV screens and helped launch the careers of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan in the UK.

"The show just doesn't have the same appeal," a show source told The Sun newspaper.

"People who watched NEIGHBOURS five days a week can now watch HOLLYOAKS - a British soap - every night instead. Five gets fewer viewers anyway because it's a smaller channel. The same thing happened to HOME AND AWAY when that moved to Five from ITV years ago."

INTERVIEW: VERBOTENE LIEBE head writer Tom Chroust
"Because I watch all the US daytime shows, I know about Noah and Luke- but I’ve only seen their first kiss and Noah’s struggle with his feelings. Since I’ve been watching US- soaps enthusiastically for 20 years, I’m happy that ATWT has the courage to tell this story – despite some moronic organization trying to get Procter & Gamble to drop the storyline. I hope my colleagues on ATWT will make it through."

Now EASTENDERS tackles paedophilia with horrifying child abuse 'grooming' plotline
A horrifying EASTENDERS plotline will see a teenage girl raped by a family member who has been grooming her for months. Tony King, played by 34-year-old Chris Coghill, will be introduced to viewers in tonight's show. But he will soon be revealed as a paedophile who intends to abuse stepdaughter Whitney Dean, played by Shona McGarthy.

In shocking scenes the 15-year-old will be abused after King, the boyfriend of Bianca Jackson, returns to live with the redhead and her children after serving a prison sentence for GBH. The plot is the latest in a series of controversial storylines which have drawn complaints from viewers.

SOAPnet and Variety team up for DH promotion
Variety is currently taking questions for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES boss Marc Cherry. The "best" question will receive a Season 4 DVD. Other winners will receive a t-shirt from SOAPnet.com emblazoned with “My Life is So Like TV.”

The 11 Hottest Big 10 Celebrity Alumni
"Playboy’s 'Girls of the Big 10' issue has finally hit newsstands and it’s not looking good, considering they had to put a UF girl on the cover. This list is proof that at least there used to be hot girls in the Midwest, all of whom got their start at a Big 10 school where they might have made Playboy's pages at the time."

Soap stars Tamara Braun, Donna Mills and Melina Kanakaredes are on the list.

Sweeney's big moment to be revealed on BIGGEST LOSER
It will be a girl when DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) gives birth to her second child with husband Dave Sanov (they have a 3-year-old son, Ben) in January. Fans who watch THE BIGGEST LOSER when it returns to NBC on Sept. 16 will be able to see the emotional moment when Sweeney reveals she is pregnant.

TV Squad Soap Report: No experience necessary
Allison Waldman writes: "Executive experience. We've been hearing an awful lot in the media lately about what constitutes executive experience and how important it is when a person gets the chance at an important position. Well, you know what I've learned while watching soap operas? Experience is overrated. Anyone can be a CEO or mayor or run a company, it's easy."