News Round-up

Fans get up close with stars at Soap Opera Mania stop in Cleveland
The Soap Opera Mania Tour made a stop at the Embassy Suites in Cleveland on Saturday.

Fans had the chance to get autographs and pose for pictures with the stars including Laura Wright (pictured), Christian LeBlanc, Cameron Mathison, James Scott and Brandon Beemer. The actors will do it all again today in Columbus.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In this particular picture, there were a number of empty seats. If anyone attended, I'd be curious to know how many people actually showed up for the event. I have to admit being surprised that a tour like this would start up with the economy in such bad shape. But if it is working and profitable, more power to them. The Cleveland Plain Dealer had a similar thought a few days ago: "In the midst of economic downturns, stagnation and rollbacks, Soap Opera Mania on Tour is betting that soap-opera fans will decide $95 is not too much to spend on a few hours in the presence of their favorite hunks and hunkettes."

SAG rejects 'final offer' from AMPTP
Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild have rejected the majors' take-it-or-leave-it offer, two days after talks on a feature-primetime deal fell apart over the issue of the length of the new deal.

SAG announced Saturday night that 73% of its national board had spurned the "last, best, final" offer following a day-long meeting at the guild's headquarters in Hollywood.

Melissa Leo, up for Oscar, has longtime ties to Hamptons
Against her father's wishes, Leo dropped out of SUNY Purchase with just a few credits to go before graduation. She became a star on ALL MY CHILDREN and was nominated for an Emmy after her first season. She left and successfully auditioned for A Time of Destiny, a movie with William Hurt and Timothy Hutton. She took time to raise a son, Jack, now 21. In between, she appeared in Patch, Last Summer in the Hamptons, and TV shows such as HOMICIDE. Of Leo's performance in Frozen River, Time magazine raved, "it is screen acting of the highest order."

Fake Facebook profiles are getting out of control
A mystery Facebook user set up a fake profile for EASTENDERS actress Kara Tointon, who plays Dawn Swann in the soap, and published what they claimed were future soap plotlines.

Bill Roache: "I'll never quit CORRIE"
Bill Roache has reportedly pledged his future to CORONATION STREET following the sudden death of his wife Sara. The 76-year-old actor vowed never to quit his role as Ken Barlow on the ITV1 soap after attending a memorial service for his partner this week, according to The People.

"I'll never quit the show I love. Sara would have wanted me to carry on," the newspaper quotes Roache as saying. "Apart from my family, Coronation Street has been my life. At my lowest ebb it crossed my mind but I knew I could never walk away. Sara always joked that the show was the second woman in our marriage. The cast and crew are like family. I'd stay for another 50 years if I could."

Daytime Gold, Close But No Big Surprises
Tommy Garrett of the L.A. Canyon News opines about the best soap performances of 2008.

Cady McClain gets a dog
"Mr. Peanut is SUCH a princess, even though he’s a boy. I hope that I can raise him well and not spoil him to death! I’ve had MANY dogs throughout my life- and the puppy process is always pleasure-able effort!"