News Round-up

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS season ending spoilers
Michael Ausiello reports: "By season's end, Dillon will open a second high school, upending both the town's storied football program and Coach Taylor's tenure as Panthers coach. Also, the finale (airing Jan. 14 on DirecTV – NBC reruns the season starting Jan. 16) will jump ahead five months to the end of the school year, at which point we'll have a good idea who'll be moving away to college and who'll be sticking around for a possible fourth season. Hint: You might want to start saying your good-byes now, 'cause there are a lot of 'em."

FNL's Minka Kelly (Lila) on BONNIE HUNT today
Check your local listings.

INTERVIEW: B&B's Ronn Moss
"Kyle [Lowder] is wonderful. I love it. He is a great combination of strength and whiny little tot! A whiny little snot-nosed, 'Brooke’s son'! In the last few years I have always said, 'I have got to move on to something else other than Brooke and Taylor. You are not letting Ridge and Brooke have a go at it here. You never have for 20 years.' They just tease the fans to the point where I don’t think the fans really cared if Brooke and Ridge got back together, because the tease was over. Now I find when we are back together, and the characters are actually married again, that I am actually enjoying it."

Hannah Tointon's HOLLYOAKS pride
Former HOLLYOAKS star Hannah Tointon has revealed she forgives fans who still call her Katy. The 20-year-old actress played Katy Fox in the Channel 4 soap for a year but even though she left in 2007, people still confuse her with her character. "People still call me Katy and stuff. But I love Hollyoaks so I'm proud of it. I miss the people and I do miss it sometimes but I'm very happy where I am at the moment."

Dot, meet Dotty: First pictures of Nick Cotton's daughter as he returns to EASTENDERS
One of EASTENDERS' biggest villains, Nick Cotton, gives his 'ma' Dot Branning a shock when he turns up at her door on Christmas Day. And he isn't alone. Nasty Nick is accompanied by seven-year-old daughter Dotty, played by young actress Molly Conlin.

John Altman, 56, who plays Nick, said: "Little Dotty's a chip off the old block, but even I don't know who her mother is yet."

Canadian Actors Are Supporting SAG
News out of Canada is that ACTRA, repping more than 21,000 English-language actors, will stand behind America's Screen Actors Guild in the event of a strike authorization vote or even a strike. According to the Toronto Star, Stephen Waddell, national executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists said: "ACTRA will support the Screen Actors Guild to the greatest extent that we can. There is no other alternative for us. We are a trade union and we support our brothers and sisters."

Actor Says Police Officers Assaulted Him
Lawyers for a soap opera actor who plays cops on television have filed a notice of claim against the city, alleging that half a dozen New York City police officers beat the actor, Eric Burns, after he left Club Mansion in the meatpacking district in August.

Mr. Burns, who plays police officers on ABC’s ALL MY CHILDREN and CBS’s AS THE WORLD TURNS, was treated and released from the hospital after the episode, in which police charged him with second-degree assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. A female friend was also charged. The authorities said she used her high-heeled shoes as a weapon, hurling them and striking two officers in the head.

Van Hansis play opens tonight
Inspired by the popular video game of the same name, "Dance Dance Revolution," according to production notes, "is like Footloose set in the future — but much scarier, and with 40 really attractive, barely-clothed young actors as well as free beer!"

CLOSE-UP: AMC's Alexa Gerasimovich
Alexa began modeling at 5 months and filmed her first movie, the festival favorite Bella, at 3. A month later, she won a part as Nicolas Cage's youngest daughter in World Trade Center. Soon after came a job on the pilot episode of DIRTY SEXY MONEY and then, another big-screen appearance, in the bridesmaid comedy 27 Dresses. Since 2006, Alexa has played Kathy Mershon - that's Tad and Dixie's daughter - on ALL MY CHILDREN. When not before the cameras, the first-grader enjoys singing lessons and activities with her local Daisy troop.

Cady's McClain's soft spot
"I have always had a soft spot for hedonists, perverts, drunks, addicts, poets, theatrical types, artists and eccentrics. This world would be so boring without them."

Former AMC actress Melissa Leo nominated Independent Spirit Award
Leo is nominated as best actress for her role in Frozen River. The Spirit Awards will be presented Feb. 21, a day before the Academy Awards.