News Brief

INTERVIEW: Former soap writer Michael Malone
Malone tells TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco: " I once asked Agnes Nixon how she could have written all those marvelous, socially progressive storylines, and she replied: 'Because no one was paying attention back then!' There are double standards in the artistic world. Plays were nothing because they weren’t epic poetry. Movies were nothing because they weren’t plays. TV wasn’t film. Daytime wasn’t prime time. And now, prime time is daytime!

Soaps always had courage. When I first came to ONE LIFE, I had the licence of my ignorance. And Linda was the same way. I could never say five million people a week were going to read my novels, but on this show, five million viewers saw my stories play out daily. It made me realize and understand the impact this genre possessed. Could I change the hearts and minds of people? Could I inspire someone to understand what the AIDS quilt really means and represents? Could I help a viewer recognize their neighbor was gay or had lupus? If your characters feel real, then you can really take your audience on an entertaining, enlightening and educational journey."

Former soap star James Earl Jones To Get Lifetime Trophy at 2008 SAG Awards
James Earl Jones, whose commanding voice is behind Darth Vader, the Lion King and CNN commercials — and acting skills have earned him an Oscar nomination as well as Emmy and Golden Globe wins will get a very special accolade at the SAG Awards this year.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced today that, Jones, whose acting prowess and iconic voice are world-renown, will receive the Guild’s most prestigious accolade-the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Jones will be presented the Award, given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” at the “15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards,” which premieres live on TNT and TBS Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. MT.

His soap career includes roles as Jim Frazier on THE GUIDING LIGHT and Jerry Turner on AS THE WORLD TURNS.

Checking in with Y&R's Michael Gross (River)
"He isn't your grandmother's daytime character," Gross says. "As I walked through the halls, I saw photographs of 35 years of YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS history, men with chiseled good looks and women without a hair out of place. Everybody looks as if they could be models as well as actors, so I thought, 'What the heck do they want with me? What am I doing here?' They said they were looking for someone who goes against the grain."

BBC plans HOLLYOAKS rival
The BBC wants to rival teen soap HOLLYOAKS with a show based in a hair and beauty academy in Manchester. The program – currently referred to as MIRROR, MIRROR – will be written by a group of young writers and aims to win over the Channel 4 soap’s audience, if given the green light.

BBC3 controller Danny Cohen said he hoped the show would get the go ahead in the next few weeks.

And Ellen Taylor, lined up as producer, revealed: "Tonally it is influenced by American teen drama. It is glossier and faster paced than traditional UK rivals and we are taking risks with the structure with lots of jumpcuts, flashbacks and fantasy sequences."

INTERVIEW: B&B's Brandon Beemer
"I was 19th in the TV Guide Soaps Sexiest Men list! So, I am not always at the top. You know what? I am just flattered that I was considered."

Nasty Nick returning to EASTENDERS
EASTENDERS' Nasty Nick will return to the BBC One soap this Christmas, seven years after he left. Nick Cotton, played by John Altman, will make his way back to Albert Square hoping his mother Dot Branning (June Brown) will welcome him. Altman said he was "thrilled" to be returning and was looking forward to seeing if Nick would "spread fear and loathing" in Walford.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Child actor Damion Scheller
Damion Scheller had roles on TEXAS (Gregory), SEARCH FOR TOMORROW (Josh), GUIDING LIGHT (Jonathan) and AS THE WORLD TURNS (Paul).

"At the time I was cast on ATWT, I was deep in the midst of my own real life soap opera. It was around this time that I discovered that my mother had been embezzling my earnings as a child actor to help her play out her own extravagant lifestyle. With no available recourse against what she was doing, I simply stopped acting as a protest. I believe my stint on ATWT lasted one or two days. I felt extremely betrayed by my mother's actions and as a result became quite surly and confused. I clearly remember coming on to the set and delivering one of the most uninspired performances I've ever delivered just hoping that they would tell me that I didn't need to come back."

INTERVIEW: ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Tika Sumpter
Sumpter, who portrays Layla Williamson, stopped by "Stardish Radio" last night.