News Round-up: Martha Byrne, Ashley Jones, 90210

GH is Byrne-in with ambition
Former AS THE WORLD TURNS star Martha Byrne (ex-Lily) joins GENERAL HOSPITAL next week as Andrea Floyd, the mayor's wife.

"She's a powerful woman with an agenda," actress Byrne tells the NY Daily News. "Her marriage seems to be on paper only."

Viewers will be clued into that pretty quickly.

"The mayor has shower sex with his mistress and there's an incident," says Byrne of scenes that aired Wednesday. "The mistress ends up going to the hospital and getting operated on. Then she dies. So there's a major scandal with the mayor, and Andrea comes in to try and settle it."

INTERVIEW: B&B's Ashley Jones (Bridget)
On her new role on TRUE BLOOD: "I knew it was an Alan Ball show. I knew it was kind of a cult show. That's about all I knew. I didn't even have HBO at the time, so I hadn't seen any episodes. And I think that was the key to me getting the part. I didn't quite know what I was walking into, so I didn't really know what the stakes were when I was reading with Sam Trammell and in front of Alan Ball and Brian Buckner and Nancy Oliver and the other producers and the HBO executives. I just didn't quite realize the power the show has for people. That was my saving grace."

Ashley Jones compares Alan Ball and Brad Bell
"They couldn’t be more different [as people]. But creatively they’re both writing serial drama with cliffhangers. Alan is amazing, amazing at the cliffhangers. I’ve had people tell me that they’d never actually yelled at the TV except when they’re watching the end of an Alan Ball show. Brad Bell has made an entire career out of having people tune in every day. My hat’s off to him because he has the number one show in the world and he’s had it for 22 years."

SAG eyes guild ties
Now that SAG's contract crisis has finally ended, interim national exec director David White is turning his attention to improving the guild's relations with other showbiz unions, particularly AFTRA.

Business Rules Delay 'TV Everywhere'
The chief roadblock to "TV Everywhere" -- the concept that pay TV customers should be able to access the content available on the television sets online -- isn't with the technology, Time Warner Cable chief operating officer Landel Hobbs told an industry conference Thursday, but rather the sticky situation of the business rules governing the service.

Complete Coverage: DTV Transition
Broadcasting & Cable offers breaking news and analysis on the June 12 digital television conversion and analog shutoff.

DVD release date set for 90210
The release date for the box set of The CW's new 90210 season one is August 11, 2009, according to TVShowsonDVD.com. The six-disc package contains the 24 episodes of season one and includes cast commentaries on selected episodes. Fans can also take a look behind the scenes of the show’s sets, fashion, and music.

ISIDINGO zooms in on Gugu Zuma
Fans of the popular South African drama ISIDINGO will soon have a presidential dose of soap opera through the acting skills of President Jacob Zuma’s daughter Gugulethu. Gugu, as she is known to friends, will start appearing from July 31, playing the character of a young achiever. She is old man Moloi’s (Stephen Mofokeng) daughter, a future love interest for Vusi (Meshack Mavuso) – but with a Cinderella twist.

INTERVIEW: ATWT and GTST's Elizabeth Hubbard)
On her new role on the Dutch soap opera GOEDE TIJDEN, SLECHTE TIJDEN: "I had done some talk shows over there, and people talk to you and you talk to them — everybody talks! — while I was in the country. And then somebody came up with this idea and offered it to me, and I said, "Well, sure. Why not? I'd love to. It'll be fun." I'm lucky, because I love Holland; it's a beautiful, wonderful place. It's marvelous to have this opportunity; everyone is so nice there. My significant other lives there, so I have a sense of a home base. Since this has come on the air in Holland, I have had some of the most extraordinary hits on my Web site. [The fans are] really interested. They love Lucinda and they want to see her, even if she's pretending to be somebody else. It's Lucinda who's acting this part! And this woman is going to speak a little bit of Dutch, too."

Rachel Kimsey and Nick Stabile cast on DAYS
Y&R alum Rachel Kimsey (ex-Mac) has been hired at DAYS as Meredith, who has a past connection to Galen Gering's Rafe. She will first air July 17. In other news, Nick Stabile (ex-Mark, BEACH) will make his Salem debut on June 25.