News Round-up: Bierdz, ARCHERS, Windsor, Sheldon

Thom Bierdz Honored For Literary Work
The National Best Books 2009 awards named Bierdz’s tome-Winner in the Autobiography/Memoirs division. This award is given out annually by the Best U.S.A. Book News organization. Bierdz spoke to the L.A. Canyon News about the honor. “This was a huge surprise. The autobiography category is the biggest category with the most entries. I had no idea I would have a chance to win it. It is very exciting and a great honor,” said Bierdz, adding “It was very important to share my past so others can benefit.”

THE ARCHERS: An everyday story of topical folk
Norman Painting, the longest-serving actor in the BBC's venerable radio soap opera, THE ARCHERS, died on what would otherwise have been a day of celebration for the 60-year-old show. New figures showed its ratings soaring, and suggested that programmes that had maintained their standards were doing better than those that had joined the rush to dumb-down.

If anything, THE ARCHERS has been subtly dumbing-up. Once presented as "an everyday story of country folk", it now styles itself as "contemporary drama in a rural setting". Nothing illustrated the development better than the slow ascent of Norman's character, Phil Archer, from a randy, motorbike-riding lad-about-the-shires into the upstanding, admired-by-all patriarch of the fictional village of Ambridge.

Windsor denies salary dispute led to EASTENDERS exit
The actress said she was "upset" by speculation that an argument with BBC bosses or a row over money was behind her decision to quit, sparked by a comment by her EASTENDERS co-star Larry Lamb that something had "really upset" Windsor.

"I am upset at suggestions made that I have chosen to leave EASTENDERS because of money, changes that are being made to the show or a supposed 'bust up with producers' as there is absolutely no truth in them," Windsor said.

"I made the tough decision to leave for purely one reason - after 15 years in the show I want to spend more time with my husband, Scott."

EDGE OF NIGHT writer Lee Sheldon cared about audience
Lee Sheldon spoke at “A Writer's Life” at Wells College on Friday night.

“If you care enough about your work, then you care about the audience, ” he said. “Write things that touch people. I write because I don't have any choice,” he said. “It's not a career, it's a vocation, a need within me. I would do it for free. I have no choice.”

4.5 million watch BETTY
4.5 million viewers watched UGLY BETTY on Friday which doesn't bode well for the show's future.

Aspen joins HOLLYOAKS
HOLLYOAK viewers will see a new face next week when Duncan arrives in Chester. The 15-year-old, played by Dean Aspen, will get a frosty welcome from his godparents Neville (Jim Millea) and Suzanne Ashworth (Suzanne Hall) when he tries to buy alcohol in the Dog.

Rhonda Ross has a special place in her hear for ANOTHER WORLD
"ANOTHER WORLD holds and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I learned so much from the producers, directors and the veteran actors on that show. The people in the cast remain my dear friends to this day. On top of that, we had the best fans of any show ever! I will be forever grateful for my time in Bay City!"