News Brief

Budig leaving ALL MY CHILDREN after one year; Minshew taking time off
Rebecca Budig has elected to leave the popular role of Greenlee on "All My Children" when her one-year contract expires in January. "No comment," responds an "AMC" rep.

Meanwhile, co-star Alicia Minshew (Kendall) will be taking time off this fall to marry Richie Herschenfeld, the owner of Prohibition on Manhattan's upper West Side. The two were introduced by Minshew's onscreen husband, Thorsten Kaye (Zach).

New GL star Mosley to visit Easton for Obama benefit
A star-studded lineup is in store for the benefit concert "Broadway for Obama" starting 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at the State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton.

Performers will include Karla Mosley (HI-5 and newest cast member on GUIDING LIGHT).

Mosley will debut as Christian on GL on October 22.

Ebersole and Everett to star in "Blithe Spirit"
The New York Times is reporting that Rupert Everett will be joining Christine Ebersole (ex-Maxie, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) in the upcoming Broadway revival of "Blithe Spirit." This will be Everett's Broadway debut.The play will be produced by the same group behind August: Osage County and the currently in previews Speed-The-Plow.

Y&R and DAYS On Demand in Canada
For the first time in Canada, television viewers will have free access to the biggest slate of their favorite first-run Global and E! network shows On Demand from Rogers Cable. In addition to several prime time shows, daytime hits THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and DAYS OF OUR LIVES will be made available to loyal fans across the country.

SCOTT SODE: Gay soap suds
"Lately, though, I’ve found the 'Nuke' plots on AS THE WORLD TURNS a bit wanting. It’s as if the writers on the show don’t know what to do with them, as if gay people cease to be interesting once they’ve come out and entered into their first relationship. It’s all a bit maddening and, quite frankly, a waste of Hansis and Silbermann’s talent."

World's First Interactive Internet Soap Opera Begins UK Talent Search
CHALKHILL - the world's first interactive Internet soap - is set to hit the big time having secured broadcast partnerships with a number of leading websites. The Portsmouth based soap - which piloted over a 5-year period receiving critical acclaim - is now set to become a fully funded Internet soap opera production to rival its terrestrial TV counterparts.

Filming will start on the soap in January 2009 with funding coming from advertising and product placement deals. Developed as a 'living media brand', with the interactive opportunities around Internet TV being far greater than anything offered by terrestrial TV viewers will be able to get fully involved with the pioneering production by suggesting storylines, taking events from their own lives, and even training to star in the show as a paid actor by attending one of the productions screen-acting training workshops that will roll out across the UK in 2009.

In the lead up to filming the production is busy searching for fresh acting talent to play the CHALKHILL cast which it aims to find by holding a number of open auditions across the south coast between now and Christmas.

EASTENDERS stars gather to witness dying Wendy Richard's wedding
A beaming Wendy Richard waved to supporters today as she arrived at a London hotel ahead of her wedding to long-term partner John Burns. The brave actress, who is dying of cancer, will marry Burns in front of 60 family and friends at the Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair later today. Arriving in a Range Rover, the casually-dressed ex-EASTENDERS couldn't stop smiling as she stepped out of the car ahead of her nuptials.

Soon after the bride arrived at the hotel, EASTENDERS stars past and present, including Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler), Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell), Laila Morse (Mo Slater), Joel Beckett (Jake Moon) and Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell) entered the venue. Also in attendance was Richard's former on-screen son, actor Todd Carty, whose character Mark Fowler died of AIDS four years ago. Richard's Cairn terrier, Lily, who is the niece of Betty, Pauline Fowler's dog in EASTENDERS, will be a special guest.

INTERVIEW: Former GL star Tom Pelphrey
The two-time Emmy winner was a guest on "Stardish Radio" Thursday night. Pelphrey address recent rumors and said he has never auditioned for BROTHERS & SISTERS and there were some talks with GENERAL HOSPITAL at one point but that's not what he's looking to do right now.