News Round-up

The MAD MEN Dilemma
First THE SOPRANOS. Then THE WIRE. Why you might be suffering from Quality Show Fatigue.

TOM CASIELLO: Mythbusters, Soap Style - Part Three
"Even if you don't know the term 'C-story', you've seen hundreds of them. They're the least important story on the show at the moment, and it's usually used as a cutaway from the big heavy-hitter storylines. There seems to be a myth that if you just play this story one or two days a week, and just get through it as quickly and painlessly as possible, you've accomplished your goal."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GUIDING LIGHT's Kevin Mambo
The MTC and Goodman Theatre world premiere co-production of Lynn Nottage's RUINED confirms the critically acclaimed cast from Chicago will appear at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street).

The cast for the MTC run will include Kevin Mambo, who won two Daytime Emmy Awards for the role of Marcus on GUIDING LIGHT in the 90s.

NY TIMES: Is 'On Sale' the Greeting of the Season? And Other Questions
How many Young & Rubicam advertising executives do double-takes when they see the covers of magazines like Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly and CBS Soaps In Depth — which typically abbreviate the title of the soap opera THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS — and read headlines like "Shake-Up at Y&R"?

LIPSTICK fans delayed gratification
During an interview this week about LIPSTICK JUNGLE the teetering NBC drama in which she stars, Ms. Shields embarked on an arcane discussion of the show’s performance in the Nielsen ratings, specifically its gains in the category of "live plus 7," when measured against "live plus same day." Translation: Among viewers 18 to 49, the group prime-time advertisers most wish to reach, the show’s ratings increase by about 29 percent — or by 652,000 viewers, to 2.3 million, according to the most recent Nielsen figures — when the numbers include people who take as many as seven days to watch an episode on digital video recorders as opposed to those who watch it live or within hours of its broadcast.

Vanessa Williams marks local cancer fundraiser
UGLY BETTY star Vanessa Williams was at Country Road Communications in Mount Kisco today, marking the start of a breast cancer fundraising campaign for Relay for Life.

By driving a pink post into the ground, Williams kicked off the "Post for a Cure" campaign, in which Campanella Fence Center of Mahopac will donate one dollar to Relay for Life for every post put in the ground through April 18.