News Round-up

SHONDA RHIMES: Knight, Heigl not leaving GREY'S ANATOMY
People.com reports that Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has officially stated that stars Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are not leaving the ABC series. "That was a very interesting rumor. And it's not true. That was absolutely taken out of context. Things happen, and...I think rumors become fact very easily. And you know I don't like to tell you what's going to happen on the show -– but that is a rumor."

The key to the sustaining soaps in the future
According to American academic Sam Ford, the end does not have to be near if the soap opera industry adapts to technology and social changes of a convergence media culture. This will ensure the genre's relevance for viewers and advertisers alike.

Broadcasters' must be more sensitive to fan activity and the role that fans can play in gaining and maintaining new fans. Networks must establish creative platforms to enable fan engagement. Ford further suggests that soap operas must make better use of their vast content archives, capitalise on transgenerational storytelling approaches and tell stories through multiple media formats.

Tori Spelling enjoying her return to 90210
gest nostalgic trip was seeing my trailer with Donna Martin on it," Tori told In Touch. "I was thinking 'Ok, here I go again', but this time as a wife and a mom of two."

CAROLYN HINSEY: At ONE LIFE, the end of 2 great ones
OLTL is still figuring out how to properly memorialize Carey and Ritchie onscreen, since Asa died in 2007 when Carey retired (though he returned in 2008 to haunt Bo and change his will) and Clint was recast in 2005. But the entire cast and crew will honor Carey tonight with his family at a memorial service, followed by a toast to him at his favorite watering hole.

The Vitaphone Varieties of 2009
On February 19, Film Forum cracks open the time tunnel with “Vitaphone Varieties of 2009,” a program of restored, 1920s short subjects featuring famous and not-so-famous personalities from Vaudeville’s dying days. The show was shot in Brooklyn.

It’s now a Hebrew girls’ school. After Warner Bros. left in 1939 it was used by NBC for many years. On the other side of the street, AS THE WORLD TURNS is still shot there everyday. It’s one of the oldest, continually used studios in the world.

EGOLI: PLACE OF GOLD final episode announced
After months of speculation, it was announced this week that the final episode of EGOLI will be broadcast on M-Net on 31 March 2010.

INTERVIEW: Soap vet Tonja Walker
Walker appeared on "Stardish Radio" last night.

GH on SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES?
According to Zap2it's Korbi Ghosh: "This evening's hour includes a lot of hospital time (and btw, soap opera fans, I'm pretty sure Riley was rushed to GENERAL HOSPITAL... I'd know that facade anywhere)."

INTERVIEW: Joan Van Ark
The former KNOTS LANDING and Y&R star was a guest on "Brandon's Buzz" on Thursday.