News Brief

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES tries a new direction
Series creator Marc Cherry shifted the series five years ahead so he could take new, fresher, directions with the characters.

"The soap tends to build up and I wanted to get back to where we were that very first season where it's just the problems of some ordinary women and they were small and relatable And, of course, the ball will start rolling and pick up steam as the year goes on. But I thought it would be a good chance to do something interesting and give everyone some challenges."

KEVIN MCDONOUGH: Do these sisters ever listen to themselves talk?
"The problems on BROTHERS & SISTERS don't get solved right away, but gosh, those Walkers seem terribly focused on their faults and confront them with the zeal of a patient paying a therapist $400 an hour.

BROTHERS & SISTERS hardly has the market cornered on unreality. Some series make you wonder whether their creators live on the same planet as the rest of us. And they go on to prove that depravity can be as boring as anything else."

Two brothers from San Diego in hit shows
Tonight will be a banner evening for Hillary and Jason Cotton. The Spring Valley couple's two sons, Maxwell, 8, and Mason, 6, have roles in back-to-back hit series on ABC.

First, on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES at 9 p.m., Mason will debut as the 5-year-old son of Teri Hatcher's character, Susan (the series speeds ahead five years from last season's finale when she gave birth).

Then, at 10 p.m., Maxwell reprises his role as Sally Field's grandson on BROTHERS & SISTERS. Maxwell has played Cooper since the TV series began two years ago.

Former ATWT star Runyeon to speak at Holy Trinity Catholic
Former soap actor Frank Runyeon will do a one-hour performance titled "Sermon on the Mount," followed by a 30-minute talk on "Hollywood vs. Faith" at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church -- Richmond, 571 Howard St. in Kalona.

Lago gives back rubs for a good cause
Actor David Lago, formerly of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, gave impromptu back rubs for $20 at the local United Cerebral Palsy celebrity waiter luncheon last Friday.