News Brief

In Pictures: Shock HOLLYOAKS - LATER twist

This is the nail-biting moment when one HOLLYOAKS character plunges to his death after a cliff-top tussle. Producers at the Chester-based soap have filmed two endings to the struggle, one which sees the evil Niall Rafferty (Barry Sloane) topple to his death on a pile of rock at the foot of the cliff, while the other features fan favourite Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) meet his maker in the same way.

Tokyo Police rock Wisteria
After being name-dropped earlier in the season, local rockers Tokyo Police Club will appear on tonight's episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES to perform "In A Cave," as part of a battle of the bands plot arc on the hit ABC series. While it might seem like a bit of a strange fit, at the very least the appearance will go a long way in helping to legitimize the band in the eyes of their families.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The re-invention of Lonnie Quinn continues in NYC
He studied acting and, in his mid-20s in 1988, landed the role of Will Cooney on ALL MY CHILDREN, to good reviews. But it was a too-typical actor’s life.

"I had gone out to Los Angeles after ALL MY CHILDREN with the intent of becoming a movie star, instead of a waiter. But there was downtime of over a year, and I was just hoofing it, when (a role on) SANTA BARBARA came along. And I thought, ‘This is just what my life is going to be.’"

But NBC’s SANTA BARBARA soon was canceled.

"I was faced with the fact that I enjoyed the acting stuff, but not the downtime when you don’t know where your next check is coming from."

As the new millennium arrived, a mostly broke Quinn decided to pursue a job in local TV.

"I thought it was gonna be a cakewalk." he said of the plan. "But oh my God, it’s competitive. I got hired as a camera trainee at a tiny station in Charlottesville, Va."

Quinn’s most recent step in his re-invention came in 2007 when New York TV managers came calling. He chose the younger-staffed, ratings-challenged WCBS-2 over "800-pound gorilla in town" WABC-7. Ratings have picked up since, and Quinn as the chief weathercaster has picked up national exposure in a side gig on the CBS Saturday morning news show.

ATWT speaking role for $13.5K sells in seconds
Sam’s Club announced today four exclusive online holiday packages sold in seconds after becoming available this week. The one-of-a-kind experiences and gifts included a speaking role on AS THE WORLD TURNS in New York City and a Critics’ Choice Awards Experience in Los Angeles for $13,500; a spellbinding experience to attend the Twilight World Movie Premiere in Los Angeles for $9,500; four tickets to the Kenny Chesney Dallas Concert for $9,900; and the first electric super car by Hybrid Technologies for $100,000. The car can go from 0 to 60 mph in five seconds without burning a drop of fuel.

Former soap writer Helfand says scrapbooking was the "original open-source technology"
After graduating from Yale, Jessica Helfand worked as a secretary at an ad firm, then as a soap opera writer. A few years of GUIDING LIGHT and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW were enough to send her back to Yale for graduate work in design. Intense and articulate, Helfand has a snaggly smile and agile mind. She is that rare person - and very rare visual person - who speaks in paragraphs.

TOM CASIELLO: (Twice) Dead Men Tell No Tales: A DAYS Rant in Three Parts
"I am not a savior, and I'm certainly no Claire Labine or Agnes Nixon or Douglas Marland. But even I can see how used and taken for granted the fans of these shows are... and even though I've dealt with my own budget issues while writing for these shows, I also know that in the end, you can take your Melanies and your Dans and your Rafes and you can sacrifice them (maybe not happily, but definitely necessarily and essentially) for the characters your fans care about. The characters that will somehow bring back your audience if you use them correctly."