News Round-up

INTERVIEW: Grant Aleksander On Phillip Spaulding’s Past, Present and Future
"As soon as he arrives he starts encountering people. He’s got issues with all of them! So I think he comes back with the desire to clean up some of the situations that he created before he left and some of the problems that have arisen since due to the circumstances under which he left. The biggest one is Lizzie. He thinks that she’s the most vulnerable, being subjected to negative influences inside and outside the family."

Academy expands Primetime Emmy noms
The Primetime Emmy Awards are letting more nominees into the tent. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said Wednesday that it will expand from five to six the number of nominees in the best drama and comedy series categories as well as in the lead and supporting actor and actress heats for series. Previously, nominees were limited to a maximum of five in each category, and only in the case of a tie would there be six contenders.

Aimee Teegarden: 'There's A Showdown Coming!'
"[Her Rhonda character] gets jealous because we're spending time together and she assumes it's something more than it is. There's a standoff coming with Rhonda and Annie!"

Vanity Fair: NBC's Fall 2009 Schedule?
VF's new Hollywood issue includes Bruce Feirstein's cynical look at next season's NBC nighttime schedule.

GREY'S ANATOMY-PRIVATE PRACTICE Crossover Sneaks
"Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) is going to propose marriage to Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) on GREY'S ANATOMY. But there is one question besides the big question, and that's when will it happen? The mystery of Derek's plan is the focus of Thursday's big-deal GREY'S ANATOMY episode, which launches the PRIVATE PRACTICE crossover and brings romance to, well, everyone. It's a very positive episode for the love affairs between Owen and Cristina, Lexie and Mark, Izzie and Alex, Mer and Der and heck, even for Callie, who is aggressively single at the moment."

Arianne Zucker's Greatest DAYS OF OUR LIVES Moments
It's been an adventurous ride for Arianne Zucker, since she joined DAYS OF OUR LIVES as gold digger Nicole Walker back in 1998. Over the years, she's amassed fond memories of her time in Salem. Zucker shares her five most memorable moments with Soap Opera Digest.

Former president’s son shares life lessons
Students and faculty who attended the third annual Delta Gamma Dorothy Garrett Martin Lectureship on Monday night came away with a rare glimpse into life in the White House. Apparently, growing up at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is an experience akin to coming of age anywhere else, at least according to Steve Ford, the son of the late former President Gerald Ford, and former star of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

New mobile soap 'takes TV to a new level'
A new soap opera designed specifically for watching on mobile phones has revolutionised TV for teenagers, it has been suggested. 20:20 London said this week that THMBNLS, an interactive drama which gives handset users the opportunity to take part in the action, has brought mobile entertainment "to a whole new level". Peter Riley, creative director of the company, said that THMBNLS had succeeded in combining realistic teen drama with a new way for people to interact with story, characters and themes.