News Brief

Which prime time shows are fans most emotionally connected to?
Marketing Evaluations, The Q Scores Company, has released data on which fans have the strongest emotional attachment to their series. These shows are the ones coming back in the fall -- so no AMERICAN IDOL or LOST.

With all the soapy shows in prime time, it's interesting how many of the non-soaps made the list. But GREY's (#6) and DH (#11) ranked fairly high.

Judith Light finds her mission
For Judith Light, who stars in Save Me as Gayle, the founder of an ex-gay Christian ministry that specializes in curing "sexual brokenness," you could say it was a leap of faith.

"You can't judge your character and play them," said Light by phone from New York, where she's shooting her second season as Claire Meade on TV's UGLY BETTY. "Gayle isn't evil, she's just misguided. I think you have to show that in order to give people a way in to see someone," Light says of her judicious approach to the hyper-vigilant Gayle.

"We felt it was extremely important not to vilify anybody. To, in fact, be even-handed in our portrayal of these people. You can't have a conversation if people are taking sides," said Light, who signed on to the independent film, written by her husband, Robert Desiderio (who she met while they were both on ONE LIFE TO LIVE), more than six years ago.

LUKE KERR: Nuke vs. Rianca, Improving Daytime?
"ts been said that 'competition breeds innovation' and for the sake of both shows let's hope it's true. ALL MY CHILDREN bringing on a lesbian "power couple" in the form of Bianca and Reese will force AS THE WORLD TURNS to get up off its ass, get rid of the alleged Nuke backburning policy and write a meaningful story for Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann. If it doesn't, As the World Turns will find itself in the unenviable position of being the soap that wasted away one of daytime's most popular couples."

A busload of 27 authors
The Meijer Read This! Author Tour, including former Y&R star-turned author Victoria Rowell, is making its way across Michigan this weekend and will wrap up its three-day tour from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Monroe.

Hit Colombian soap breaks cocaine taboos
Colombians do not like outsiders portraying their country as a cocaine nation, but that's not keeping many from watching a smash local soap opera about their multi-billion dollar narcotics trade.

Betrayal, murder and the lust for quick riches - while not the stuff of national pride - make for gripping television in CARTEL DE LOS SAPOS (Cartel of the Snitches), about the powerful Norte del Valle drug smuggling organisation.

Former PEYTON PLACE star Ryan O'Neal and son bailed
Actor Ryan O'Neal and his son have been released on bail after a drugs bust. The former PEYTON PLACE star, 67, and Redmond O'Neal, 23, were arrested and charged with possessing methamphetamine on Wednesday following a search of their home in Malibu. Both men were later released on $10,000 bail each, the authorities said.

HOLLYOAKS gets Gas Oscar
The CORGI Awards have been dubbed by some the "Oscars of the Gas Industry." The ceremony took place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and the judges were impressed by the carbon monoxide storyline in HOLLYOAKS, which raised awareness particularly amongst students and it even saved a viewer’s life who realised that she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.