News Round-up: GL, Melvin, Bell, Griggs, Beemer

WSJ: The Longest-Running Drama Ends
Soap operas are facing a dramatic obstacle as dire as any of the tension-filled plot turns on the daily, hour-long daytime dramas. Fewer women are home to watch television during the day, and evening dramas and reality shows have cannibalized viewers. "People are watching THE BACHELOR the way they would have watched GENERAL HOSPITAL some years ago," says Brian Frons.

GUIDING LIGHT executive producer Ellen Wheeler says the finale cannot tie up every loose end, or longtime fans will feel angry and abandoned. "We need to let the audience know that Springfield is going to go on and that just because GUIDING LIGHT isn't on the air doesn't mean these lives don't go forward," Ms. Wheeler says.

For its part, CBS says it did everything it could to save the soap. Barbara Bloom, CBS head of daytime programming, declined to talk in much detail about the show's end. "I don't want to take apart the body when the corpse isn't cold," she says.

Former designer Dangle mourns loss of GL
David Dangle was fortunate to design several wedding dresses for GUIDING LIGHT during his run on the show. He also enjoyed designing costumes for the character Nola, who had a fantasy life and placed herself in Agathe Christie novels or classic films such as “Gone with the Wind.” As a young designer, working on a daily show was a valuable experience because “it trains you to think on your feet and work fast.”

“I have a great respect for the soap industry and the fans,” he said. “The fans were always phenomenal, really loyal and supportive. It was a great little world to be a part of."

Rachel Melvin's HEROES character not a lesbian
"It’s not me. That’s all I’ll say," said Melvin on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

B&B's BRAD BELL: "It was upsetting"
On his Emmy speech getting cut off: "It was upsetting, but that is show biz. It just landed on my lap this time. It was great to share this with the cast and crew up on the stage. I wanted to acknowledge my father which was the most important thing to me, but I did in my own way, so it’s cool."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: AW/OLTL's Robyn Griggs
The actress is among the stars of the much anticipated psychological horror feature/thriller Dark Twisted Karma, which is being developed & produced by 20th Century Wolf Horror Films.

Nadia Bjorlin and Brandon Beemer’s Sexy Spread In Italian Vanity Fair
Brandom Beemer and Nadia Bjorlin appear in a smoking hot new spread in the latest issue of Italian Vanity Fair.

Soapside: Daytime Emmy Special
In his bi-weekly Advocate column, Michael Fairman covers the following: Braun, Hansis, Claywell, Chappell, Leccia, Zimmer and more! James Scott crowned the hottest hunk in all of soapland, Y&R’s Ford and Bierdz speak out on their roles!

NEW YORK TIMES: Reading Underground
"Across the aisle, James Wright, 31, was dressed casually, sitting beneath a dark suit and starched white shirt on a hanger. On his way to an audition for a soap opera, AS THE WORLD TURNS, he was reading Arthur Miller’s 'Death of a Salesman' — he aspires to play Biff some day — to warm up."