News Round-up: FNL, SOAPnet, UK's Steamiest, Otalia

FNL may film Seasons 4 and 5 back-to-back
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS has struggled to find a mass audience, but has been critically lauded. The audience it does reach is largely an upscale demographic. Helping to make the pickup economically feasible is the fact FNL is produced efficiently in Austin, where it enjoys tax incentives. To keep costs even lower, the upcoming seasons might be filmed back-to-back. Season 4 will air next season, and Season 5 runs the following season.

Angela Bromstad, president of scripted programming at NBC and UMS, admitted that FNL would have been canceled without the DirectTV deal, brokered by NBC co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. She added, though, that "it was important to keep this beloved, quality show alive because, while we need a bigger and broader audience, it's hopefully an indication of the type of shows we want to do at NBC."

CBS: Smaller Shows, Bigger Film Division
Nikki Finke writes: "I've just learned that CBS has demanded that each existing TV show -- even the hit ones -- reduce their budgets for next year, if renewed. This may mean smaller writing staffs."

EMMERDALE is UK's steamiest soap
A survey has found the countryside-set ITV show has an average of 1.8 sexually-related incidents every half-hour, narrowly beating teen drama HOLLYOAKS, which had 1.6 sexy moments.

INTERVIEW: DAYS' Jay Kenneth Johnson (Phillip), Shelly Henig (Stephanie) and, Molly Burnett (Melanie)
Hennig: Stephanie likes to change guys. She tries with all her heart. I think she’s hoping to bring out the best in Phillip. She sees past the Kiriakis in him and sees a genuine guy who is completely adorable with his dimples and is very caring.

Burnett: I’m a woman’s right activist and I think that for a young girl to have the guts to take [EJ and Tony] on is great. Melanie’s not usually afraid of guys because of the way she grew up.

Lynn Liccardo on GUIDING LIGHT
"CBS must do more to promote the show. I don't even know where to start talking about all of the things the network could be doing but isn't."

Ode to an OTALIA Widow
"OTALIA. I know, it sounds like a character in some Shakespearean tragedy, but the real tragedy is that OTALIA is a soap opera couple. This is not any soap opera couple, but a pairing of sex siren, Olivia Spencer, and self-martyred matron, Natalia Rivera. This is the kind of coupling that makes men weep and lesbians lose their collective minds."

Tonja Walker-Davidson joins "Raissa and Friends" benefit
The line-up has been announced for "Raissa and Friends - Not the Usual Suspects," a Cabaret Cares benefit to be held at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, on April 13. The show will star Raissa Katona Bennett, who will be joined by Emmy nominated soap star Tonja Walker-Davidson.

SOAPnet: The Television for Women we've been waiting for?
Jennifer Armstrong of Entertainment Weekly writes: "Having spent a weekend glued to SoapNet, I'm pleased to say I think I might've found the closest thing we've got to TV for Smart Women Who Still Don't Take Themselves Deadly Seriously.

Soaps March: When a House Is Not a Home
Marlena De Lacroix writes: "Are you a loyalist who didn’t feel so loyal to soaps in March? And how does that make you feel? I feel … homeless."