News Round-up

New man for EASTENDERS?
EASTENDERS bosses are looking for a new male heartthrob for Albert Square. Soap head honcho Diederick Santer wants a new man to attract the ladies following the departure of Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky), reports the Daily Star.

"I think with Rob gone that we now have a hole in the hunk stakes," he was quoted as saying. And that needs to be filled."

The producer apparently said he would be keeping his eyes open for "a sexy new 20-something actor who can spice things up in the Square".
INTERVIEW: DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Alison Sweeney
On the EJ story: "I have read all sorts of opposing view points on that story. In 16 years on a soap, I've never been part of a more controversial, divisive storyline. And for someone who is always interested in the fans perspective and feedback, it was incredibly difficult for me to try to digest both sides of the argument. In the end, I had a job to do, and I did it the best I could."

INTERVIEW: SECRET LIFE's Shailene Woodley
"I don’t feel like this show glorifies pregnancy, because if you see my character she’s obviously not jumping up and down, she’s in the bathroom crying 24/7."

TOM CASIELLO: Great Marland's Ghost! - Part Two (The Clem Years)
"The entire long story is written in this kind of prose. It isn't building to an event like the Doug Cummings reveal (a fantastic story, but definitely a more plot-driven story than this one - and not in a bad way). The entire chapter of the document is written in these wonderful run-on sentences of emotion and jealousy and doubt and love and insecurity and deception. It's the growth and decline of feelings, as opposed to actions people take."

NIP/TUCK has lost its cutting edge
At least according to Tom Jicha of the Sun-Sentinel: "Over the past couple of seasons, however, the characters and plots have devolved into parody. Story lines that used to be provocative and bold have become merely grotesque and gratuitous. The bizarre used to serve the plots. The plots now serve the bizarre. Any contrivance that can be used as an excuse for an orgy of blood and gore is. Shock seems to have become more the goal than entertainment."

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Eric Braeden
On Victor's women: "I enjoyed working with Raya (Meddine, ex-Sabrina) but I did not like the Victor/Sabrina pairing. Honestly, I felt the show moved to fast with the whole romance and marriage between the two of them. Ashley and Victor have a long and GREAT love story that has never truly been explored and I’m glad that the writers are revisiting and focusing on that. Melody is a delight to work with. We’ve had a lot of great scenes and our characters have so much history with one another.

GOSSIP GIRL creator helms web series
Take a collection of twentysomethings, mix in love, lust, ambition and music from some of the hottest indie acts, and you've got ROCKVILLE, CA. The new Web series, from GOSSIP GIRL and THE OC creator Josh Schwartz and the series' music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, premieres March 17 on theWB.com.

Set at the fictional Rockville nightclub, the scripted drama stars Andrew West (PRIVILEDGED), Alexandra Chando (AS THE WORLD TURNS), Bonnie Burroughs and Ryan Hansen.

"I spent a lot of my early-to-mid-20s, before THE OC, at these kinds of clubs," Schwartz says. "It's a time when you're poor and you don't care. Music matters to you. ... I really wanted to capture that (time)." TheWB.com has commissioned 20 episodes, each averaging around four minutes.

Andrew Sachs set to star in CORONATION STREET
The 78-year-old veteran, best known for his portrayal of Manuel in FAWLTY TOWERS, would grace the cast of the soap opera, whose 7000th episode is due to broadcast on January 28.

"Yes, I can confirm that Andrew Sachs has taken us up on the offer. He will be joining us later this year," the Daily Express quoted an ITV spokesman as saying.