News Brief

Duffy and Gray team up for new series
DALLAS star Patrick Duffy is to be reunited with his on screen sister-in-law Linda Gray – in an Italian TV drama. Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the hit US soap opera for 13 years, spoke about the hush-hush project he’s been working on with Linda, who played Sue-Ellen – the long-suffering wife of JR Ewing – when he was in Birmingham last week.

“Linda and I are developing a series that will be shot and screened in Italy,” he told the Sunday Mercury. "We’re inventing a new TV drama. It won’t be anything like DALLAS in terms of characters and storyline – we want it to be completely different.”

Both actors have appeared on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in recent years.

Eileen Davidson -from actress to author
Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R) has added the title of author to her resume with last week's release of her first novel, "Death in Daytime: A Soap Opera Mystery." Set in the world of soap operas, Davidson has created a mystery that casts Alexis Peterson, the star of the fictional series "The Yearning Tide," as the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

"I have been saying for years that what goes on behind the scenes (is more intriguing)," she says. "In writing, I have to pull the reins in because there is so much, and I don't want to offend anyone. So I take things that are real and mess them up a little bit."

So while Alexis is trying to sleuth out whodunit, readers will get the chance to speculate on which of the incidents in the books may be true but embellished and which come from Davidson's imagination.

"Death in Daytime" has just hit bookstores, but Davidson is already working on a second novel and says a third and fourth may follow.

"I always wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager, but it was so intimidating," says the actress, who worked with a writing partner to get her past that. Now she is more confident and states, "Once you get an idea, you are off and running."

TV networks seek franchise fix
The feature world's franchise fever has spread -- and is now infecting TV. Broadcasters continue to raid network and studio vaults in search of old favorites to dust off. For starters, NBC is plotting a modern-day THE PATRIDGE FAMILY, while CBS is looking at reviving HAWAII FIVE-O and THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sounds like a good idea for daytime soaps as well. It's time for an ANOTHER WORLD update.

Former EASTENDERS actor to star in SWORD OF FIRE
LITTLE BRITAIN’s openly-gay co-creator Matt Lucas has signed on to star in a new TV series billed as “equal parts workplace comedy and sword and sorcery fun”.

Lucas will play the evil Chancellor ruler Dongalor in KROD MANDOON AND THE FLAMING SWORD OF FIRE.

The titular hero of the series will be played by the spunky Sean Maguire who played Aiden Brosnan on EASTENDERS.

New GL actress singing for Obama in PA
In an effort to get out the vote in the swing state of Pennsylvania, Linny Fowler, Beth Falcone and Karla Mosley (Christina, GUIDING LIGHT) will present BROADWAY FOR OBAMA, over twenty Broadway performers will join local High School "rising stars". This amazing one-night event will take place on Monday, October 20, 2008 at the State Theatre in Easton (53 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 18042) at 7:30pm.

INTERVIEW: Matt Borlenghi
Borlenghi, mostly recently the mayor on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, appeared on "Stardish Radio" on Thursday.