News Round-up

DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM inspires single mothers to get ahead
One Economy Corporation, a global nonprofit that leverages technology to help people improve their lives, and actor/director Robert Townsend have premiered Diary of a Single Mom, a new online video series that looks at the chaotic and rewarding lives of three single mothers who are trying get ahead in a world that holds them back. The show brings together One Economy's eight-year history of creating online media that connects people to the information they need and Robert Townsend's experiences growing up in a single-parent household in Chicago and as a seasoned director.

Under Robert Townsend's leadership, the V studio will bring together talent from across the entertainment industry--including Diary of a Single Mom actors Monica Calhoun, Janice Lynde (ex-Leslie, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; ex-Tracy, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Laurel, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Valery Ortiz, Billy Dee Williams (Touissant, GH: NIGHT SHIFT; ex-Jim, GUIDING LIGHT) and Richard Roundtree (ex-Oliver, AS THE WORLD TURNS).

SARA A. BIBEL: Set Piece
The second day of my visit to GUIDING LIGHT, we headed to the show's Manhattan production studios, located at CBS Broadcast Center. The publicist took us to GL's production offices on the fifth floor. I was immediately struck by how small and threadbare everything was in comparison to CBS Television City in Los Angeles, where THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL tape. I realized how lucky I had been to work for the wealthiest show in daytime. We were briefly introduced to John Driscoll (Coop) and Murray Bartlett (Cyrus.) Budget cuts have not impaired GL's ability to find hot male actors.

PATRICK ERWIN: Ghosts of Manhattan
"It must seem unfair to GL’s creative team sometimes that the show’s history is so often used to measure its present day. But then again, at 71, the show has more history than any other soap."

Y&R's Bloom staying put
A rumor circulating that Y&R's Emmy-nominated Vail Bloom (Heather) is exiting Genoa City is just that. "Vail Bloom is not leaving Y&R," her publicist clarifies to Soap Opera Digest. "In fact, her option was just picked up. It's just a nasty rumor."

Contest offers fans the chance to win online while watching their favorite caytime shows
tvClickr(TM) is a new game on the Facebook platform that allows television fans to play along on their computer while they watch their favorite TV shows.

MARK HARDING: Ratings: What is meaningful variation?
"I have a vague sense that over-focus on the dailies and weeklies may actually be destructive, because it promotes stunt plotting and stunt promotion. (In primetime, the weekly ratings make more sense...because shows have fewer episodes). The barometer of a show's health, I think, is where it is trending."

Faith Ford looks for Mr. Right in new Hallmark Channel movie
On Dec. 27 the former ANOTHER WORLD actress stars in A Kiss at Midnight, a telefilm on the Hallmark Channel. Ford plays a professional matchmaker who hasn't found her own true love.

Dramatic ending for EASTENDERS' sick love triangle
Happy occasions, as we know, are bad news in EASTENDERS. This week was no exception as Bianca and her family of feral children celebrated step-daughter Whitney’s 16th birthday. Unbeknownst to Bianca, Whitney was planning to honour the occasion by running away to Spain with Whispering Tony the pedophile.