Webby Award Nominataions - Indie Soaps Score!

The nominees and official honorees for the 14th Annual Webby Awards have been announced. Indie Soaps were recognized in several categories.

While Academy judges like Martha Stewart, David Bowie, and Arianna Huffington will select Webby Awards winners, millions of people around the world will also help decide who takes home a Webby by voting in The Webby People's Voice Awards. Fans have until April 29th to vote at http://webby.aol.com.

Here's a quick run down.

Nominees - Online Film & Video

BEST WRITING
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM - Season One

DRAMA
THE BANNEN WAY

BEST EDITING
THE BANNEN WAY

Official Honorees

BEST WRITING
ANYONE BUT ME

DRAMA
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
OZGIRL

COMEDY: LONG FORM
FAMILY DINNER

BEST EDITING
LUMINA

All winners will be celebrated at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on June 14th, where they must deliver five-word speeches in the tradition of past victors like Al Gore ("Please don't recount this vote.") and Jimmy Fallon ("Thank God Conan got promoted"). The speeches will once again be broadcast on the Webby Awards YouTube channel, which attracted a major global audience last year. The ceremony will also mark the culmination of Internet Week New York 2010, a weeklong festival celebrating digital culture that's expected to draw 20,000 people to over 100 events throughout New York City.

For a full list of nominees, including the indie soap competition, click here.

Gays on Indie Soaps: We Have Arrived!

Yesterday on We Love Soaps, I lamented the firing of Brett Claywell and Scott Evans from ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and pondered if gays and lesbians are better or worse with extraneous and disposable representation on daytime television. Today I am celebrating the integral and fundamental portrayals of gays and lesbians on several of the wonderful indie soaps now available. If you are one of the viewers that are disappointed by the disappearances of "Kish," "Otalia," "Nuke," or simply enjoy seeing same sex couples do more than touch one another's chins, then you definitely will want to check out the positive and sexy images on the shows below.  [To watch the show, simply press on the title].

ANACOSTIA: If DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES took place in an upper-middle class African-American suburb, and given realistic and emotionally gripping stories, then you would have the compelling indie soap ANACOSTIA. The ensemble cast has magic chemistry together, and was deservedly given the Indie Soap Award for Best Ensemble. However, unlike the ABC show, the gay couple in this neighborhood is not peripheral and used for comic relief, they are an integral and essential part of the fabric of the show from Episode One onward. The love scene between these two men makes "Kish's" sex look like something done by Disney. Hey, wait a minute...just check out ANACOSTIA now!

2010 Streamy Award Nominations Announced

The nominations for the 2010 Streamy Awards were announced live on Monday morning in Los Angeles. There were a number of soap operas and continuing dramas that received nominations, although there were several glaring omissions. Indie Soap Award winners in the lead acting categories are nominated (Craig Frank and Rachael Hip-Flores) but many of the deserving nominees did not get recognized by the Streamys.

Here are the soap-related nominees:

Best Drama Web Series
ANGEL OF DEATH
COMPULSIONS
OZGIRL
THE BANNEN WAY
VALEMONT

NEWS: Finnigan, Davis, Blanche, Benard, Gallison

Jennifer Finnigan lands ABC pilot
In the latest round of pilot casting, Jennifer Finnigan (ex-Bridget, B&B) is set to star opposite Joanna Garcia in ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan comedy. The untitled Goldberg-Meehan multicamera comedy, from WBTV, revolves around sisters at different stages of their romantic relationships: one (Finnigan) is in a happy, long-term relationship but isn't married, the other (Garcia) gets pregnant and winds up marrying her boyfriend.

All Saints Day – Super Bowl Sunday with the Soap Stars!
A report from Winsor Harmon's Super Bowl party.

INTERVIEW: GH's Maurice Benard (Sonny)
Benard was a guest on "BuzzWorthy Radio" on Monday night.

CORRIE star Maggie Jones giving Blanche one last blast from beyond the grave
In the show, Blanche is currently in Portugal, from where she writes her final put-down for daughter Deirdre and son-in-law Ken Barlow's party in the pub. In a card Blanche says: "I considered surprising you by flying back for your party. But then I remembered some of your previous anniversary parties and couldn't imagine it'd be worth the bother. Besides, it's 83°F here and we have a pool."

BUPPIES star Preston Davis to appear on BROTHERS & SISTERS
Davis (Elliot) won an Indie Soap Award last week for his Breakthrough Performance.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Former soap star Joseph Gallison
Gallison (ex-Bill, AW; ex-Neil, DAYS) will be the master of ceremonies at a charity golf tournament in North Carolina in April.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: February 3, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look back at the Indie Soap Awards, have an interview with COVIES creator Len Collin, details on a Super Bowl contest from THE RULES, and reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were broadcast on Monday, February 1 at We Love Soaps, Outviews, Daytime Confidential and several other websites. DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM won the award for Best Indie Soap, while ANYONE BUT ME and COMPULSIONS tied with four wins each. VENICE won the Fan's Choice Award in which thousands of fans voted for their favorite indie soap.

In total, 13 shows were honored and they all sent representation at the ceremony. The passion and dedication from this talented bunch of producers, writers, actors, directors, etc. was inspirational.

Click here for a complete list of winners.

Irish soap COVIES has now been airing for a month. We Love Soaps spoke with creator Len Collin about the project.

We Love Soaps: For fans who may not have seen COVIES yet, how would you describe the show to them?
Len Collin: It's a drama that combines high comedy and fantasy with social issues, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mayo countryside. Other than that it's been described as TWIN PEAKS meets FATHER TED.

We Love Soaps: How many episodes have you produced?
Len Collin: We've made eight episodes, each approximately 15 minutes long, so two hours worth of drama and comedy.

We Love Soaps: Have you watched any other web series?
Len Collin: When I came up with the idea for COVIES there wasn't really much to watch. At least not in Europe. It was only later that I discovered series such as PROM QUEEN - which looks sumptuous, but probably only got so many viewers because "Prom" is very similar to another four letter word beginning with "P". I've also seen WEB THERAPY and NOVEL ADVENTURES. I've also looked at the nominees for the Indie Soap Awards. I like BUPPIES and COMPULSIONS.

Davis & Olbert Win For Breakthrough Performances

Preston Davis from BUPPIES and Renée Olbert from SEEKING SIMONE tied in the Breakthrough Performance category at the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards on Feb. 1, 2010. Click here to watch the entire telecast.

Tonight's the Night! The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) will air tonight at 9 p.m. ET at We Love Soaps and around the web. The show, taped in New York City, will feature a performance by comedian/musician Joanna Parson and appearances from presenters and winners in locations around the world.

BUPPIES leads all indie soaps with 13 nominations. COMPULSIONS received 11, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, and another four are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," which fans voted on throughout the month of January. Six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy. We will also be naming the winners of five special Editor's Awards.

In case you need a refresher on the nominees, here they are:

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 27, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards telecast will be broadcast on Monday, February 1, at 9 p.m. ET on the Indie Soap Awards website, at We Love Soaps, Outviews, Daytime Confidential and several other websites.

The show will feature an original performance by comedian/musician Joanna Parson and appearance by several of your indie soap favorites.

For a complete list of nominees, visit indiesoapawards.com.

Voting for the Fan's Choice Award is still ongoing until Jan. 31. You can vote here.

The seventh episode of indie comedy series ALL'S FAIRE featured a guest appearance from former GUIDING LIGHT star Robert Bogue (ex-Mallet). The story takes place at the Southeastern Delaware Renaissance Faire. You can watch Bogue's first episode here. He shows up at the end to save the Faire.

THE LIKE US SHOW is a new radio soap opera set to air around the country beginning Feb. 1. Set on the campus of the fictional Atlanta University, LIKE US tells the dramatic story of the lives of the students of this Historical Black University. After being abandoned by her drug addicted parents, Kori was left feeling bitter and on a hunt for love. Her mother, Antionette Bell, recently recovered from several years of drug abuse and is now living with her two daughters Kori and Shannon. Shannon, whose nickname is "The Golden Child", feels her sister is on the same road to destruction their mother once traveled down. Deeply in love with Robert, its only a matter of time before Shannon discovers his selfish habits that will soon be unveiled and threaten their relationship.

Two stars from ANYONE BUT ME will be presenters at the Indie Soap Awards (tune in to find out!). If you missed the We Love Soaps interviews with Rachael Hip-Flores (Vivian) and Nicole Pacent (Astor), you can watch them here. Episode four of season two will air sometime in February.

The next new episode of VENICE will air on Friday on the show's website for subscribers. Creators Crystal Chappell and Kim Turrisi participated in the NOH8 campaign last week. Turrisi has been confirmed as a presenter for the Indie Soap Awards. VENICE music artists Jen Foster (who seems the show's theme song) and Vanida Gail performed at The Bitter End in New York City on Wednesday night.

SECRETS returned last week with five all new episodes. The show, which is shot in South Jersey and various locations in Philadelphia, had previously aired five episodes in early 2009. We Love Soaps asked creator and star Damian Tracy about the show's return.

We Love Soaps: Why did you decide to release five episodes at once? It's an interesting approach that most of the indie soaps are not follow.
Damian Tracy: When we released the first five episodes last year, I launched them weekly. Frankly, following the number of Youtube hits, I noticed viewership trailed off with each episode. I think people just forgot to come back each week and tune in. I thought for the second season, I'd try releasing them all at once and see how that changed the numbers... and sure enough, the numbers are much closer. The episodes are short enough that you can watch five in one sitting during your lunch hour.

Viva La (Indie Soap) Revolution!

When I was growing up I loved watching soap operas. I was fascinated by seeing the adult characters tackle life's challenges and navigate their way realistically through emotional hardships. Watching Julie Williams or Kimberly Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES thrive, despite dealing with the worst situations life could possibly throw at them, fueled my inspiration and hope that I could do the same. The underlying but implicit message on all shows was: These people can survive in spite of their problems, and you can too.

But somewhere around fifteen years ago, daytime dramas lost their way. They focused less on the triumph of the human spirit, and more on mobsters, cartoon villains, baby switches, bombs, and weird weather patterns. It seemed they no longer had an interest in inspiring and educating their audience. In fact, one actress on a popular show around this time was told by her executive producer, "We're not in the business of helping people."

Fortunately, the Indie Soap Revolution is here, and they are picking up online where the television networks left off. By reviewing the nominees for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, I have been entertained, enriched, and enthralled. Not since my childhood have I been so excited and inspired about the power and relevance of the continuing story format. Sure, I will always love the network soaps out of loyalty, tradition, and nostalgia. But I’m telling you readers here and now that my focus, passion, and devotion is now electrified on the web, and you will be hearing a lot more from me from now on about the new worlds turning out in cyber space.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 20, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on January 6 and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com. The winners will be announced on a special episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV on February 1. Comedian/musician Joanna Parson will perform on the show.


We Love Soaps was on the set of EMPIRE this past weekend as the show continued production on its second season. Damon L. Jacobs and I played bartenders (that's all we can say!). Will we make the final edit? And just how amazing did new cast member Orlagh Cassidy look that day? Find out when new episodes of EMPIRE begin airing this Spring.


The ninth episode of Indie Soap Award nominated BUPPIES, "Come Close," is now playing on the show's website.


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations for the Indie Soap Awards. Stars Rachael Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent will be appearing on WE LOVE SOAPS TV later today. Season 2 Episode #3, "Identity Crisis," is currently playing on the show's website.


We Love Soaps interviewed hilarious new GOTHAM star Kin Shriner (Jon) and you can read that interview here. If you missed Shriner's debut on this week's all-new episode, you can watch it on the show's website and YouTube. This was the first of a new batch of episodes shot two months after the first four. The improvement in all areas - editing, sound, music - is a promising sign this show is going to continue to get better and better. Former ANOTHER WORLD star Matt Crane has also joined the show's cast as Perry.

BUPPIES Episode #9: "Come Close"

The latest episode of BUPPIES, "Come Close," is now online. Eliot is forced to make a tough decision. Quinci is caught between the pain Derek caused in her past and what her heart feels now. The web soap garnered 13 nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards and you can watch to find out why below.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 13, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on January 6 and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com.


BUPPIES lead the Indie Soap Award nominations with 13. The eighth episode, "The One You’re With," is now playing on the show's website.


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations in the Indie Soap Awards. Stars Rachael Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent will be appearing on WE LOVE SOAPS TV next week. Season 2 Episode #3, "Identity Crisis," is currently playing on the show's website.

BUPPIES Episode #8: "The One You’re With"

The latest episode of BUPPIES, "The One You’re With," is now online. Derek begs Quinci’s forgiveness while Nikki confronts Shaka on where they stand. The web soap garnered 13 nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards and you can watch to find out why below.

NEWS: DAYS Books, Mark Pinter, Wireless TV, Leno

Sourcebooks to Launch DAYS OF OUR LIVES Book Line
DAYS OF OUR LIVES has inked a publishing partnership with Sourcebooks to do a line of branded titles. The deal, brokered by agent Jeff Herman and done in conjunction with Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Consumer Products, will produce nonfiction and fiction titles, from novels featuring the cast to historical "behind the scenes" accounts of the show itself.

Days of Our Lives Publications will launch with the May 2010 title, by Corday, "The Days of Our Lives: The Untold Story of One Family's Deam and the True History of The Days of Our Lives." Sourcebooks calls the title "an insider memoir" about the family behind the soap, adding that it will show fans "the true stories that drive the fictional ones they love on TV." Sourcebooks is also planning a coffee table-style illustrated book to celebrate the show's 45th anniversary for release in the fall, as well as a number of novels based on DAYS characters.

Pinter back to GENERAL HOSPITAL
Mark Pinter (ex-Roger, AMC; ex-Grant, AW, et al) returns to Port Charles as Federal Agent Thomas Rayner on Tuesday, January 26.

BUPPIES Nabs 13 Indie Soap Award Nominations!
"I'm truly over the moon about the nominations. Our amazing cast and crew went above and beyond to make Buppies happen and it means so much to have that recognized," says Buppies creator Julian Breece to Daytime Confidential.

Is Leno's 10 p.m. show getting the axe?
Jay Leno is going back to his 11:30 PM time slot, and it's looking like Conan O'Brien is the odd man out ... sources tell TMZ.

CES2010: Haier shows off TV demo that has wireless electricity
Chinese manufacturer Haier is showing off a 32-inch TV set at CES that is running completely wireless. The video is provided by a DVD player using Wireless HDMI, which is something a lot of manufacturers also offer. But the big trick is that Haier is also powering the TV sans electrical wires.

CW previewing LIFE UNEXPECTED online
The CW will put the first 10 minutes of its new drama LIFE UNEXPECTED online a week before its linear debut. Starting Jan. 11, the network is putting an extended preview across all official CW fan pages.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 6, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on Wednesday and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com.


BUPPIES lead the Indie Soap Award nominations with 13. The show is currently airing on BET but it was definitely an indie production. The seventh episode, "99 Problems," is now playing on the show's website.


COMPULSIONS was nominated for 11 Indie Soap Awards. The show wrapped up Season 1 in December. Creator Bernie Su wrote on the show's website when asked about Season 2: "I wish I did but so goes the world of Independent Online Web Series. We can only do so much by ourselves, and we need some big help. Those of you who know film production can tell that this is not a cheap series to make."


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations in the Indie Soap Awards. You can read an excellent interview with the show's writer and producer, Susan Miller, here. Look for Damon L. Jacobs' ABM interviews coming soon. Season 2 Episode #2, "Quickly, to the Exits," is currently playing on the show's website.

NOMINATIONS: 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

NEW YORK (We Love Soaps) January 6, 2010 -- The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) were announced today. BUPPIES received 13 nominations to lead all web series. COMPULSIONS received 11 nominations, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, another three are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," and six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy.

The winners will be announced on February 1, 2010.

For more details, visit indiesoapawards.com.

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 30, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps is currently taking nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards. If you have a show, actor or category you would like to suggest, please send it to [email protected] before January 1, 2010. Nominations will be revealed on January 6.


The second season of ANYONE BUT ME debuted on Dec. 15. Episode #2, "Quickly, to the Exits," is now playing on the show's website. ANYONE BUT ME was recently named "Best Lesbian/Bi Web Series" in the AfterEllen Visibility Awards. VENICE was runner up.


GOTHAM will air its fourth episode on Monday, January 4 at 8 p.m. ET. What will happened between Richard and Catherine? Stay tuned. The show is now available on iTunes and several video sharing websites.


VENICE aired a new episode, its third, today. This was the longest one so far, over eight minutes, and focused on Crystal Chappell's Gina's relationships with Owen, Alan and Tracy. Michael Sabatino and Lesli Kay made their VENICE debuts as Alan and Tracy. The show has worked out its technical issues and fans were able to access the episode without any major issues.


BET.com's BUPPIES stars former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS actress Tatyana Ali and former AS THE WORLD TURNS actor Earnest Waddell. The sixth episode, "Fear v. Responsibility," is now playing on the show's website.


The world of KINDRED features three twenty-something African-American women as they navigate family, work and love against the gritty skyline of New York City. The show premiered in November from SistaPAC Productions. Episode #2 is now playing on the show's website.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 23, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps is currently taking nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards. If you have a show, actor or category you would like to suggest, please send it to [email protected] before January 1, 2010.


The second season of ANYONE BUT ME debuted on Dec. 15. If you haven't watched the show yet, it follows an ethnically diverse cast as they explore for their own identity and search for acceptance. You can watch the first episode of the new season here. Look for a few We Love Soaps interviews with cast and crew coming soon.


The third episode of GOTHAM aired on Monday night and we finally got to see a real conversation between Martha Byrne's Catherine and Michael Park's Richard. The two had fantastic chemistry together. The show shot a new batch of episodes over the weekend in Brooklyn which included new cast members Kin Shriner, Melanie Smith, Anna Stuart, Brianne Moncrief and Lisa Peluso. You can check out photos here and here.


Episode 9 of DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM, the second season opener, is now online. Christmas looms and Ocean prays for a miracle as she involves her husband - and father of her children - more in all of their lives. Lupe‘s medical issues require attention and Mike is there to provide support; however, he still insists Sophie is better off with him. Peggy is showing the strain from looking for a job and dealing with the mounting bills.


VENICE aired it's second episode on Friday night and veteran daytime soap stars Tina Sloan and Hillary B. Smith made their indie soap debuts. Unfortunately there were issues with the actual delivery of the episode. The VENICE website was down much of Friday including at 11 p.m. ET when the episode was set to air for subscribers. Some fans vented their frustrations on Twitter and Facebook while others preached patience. Creator and star Crystal Chappell sent an email to subscribers describing a "security breach" that caused the issue, and promised the show is moving to a "more robust server system and technological platform" as soon as possible. Chappell added: "I'm committed to giving you, the fans, what you want to see and what you have generously paid for."

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 16, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.


The world of KINDRED features three twenty-something African-American women as they navigate family, work and love against the gritty skyline of New York City. The show premiered in November from SistaPAC Productions.


Created by Al Thompson, LENOX AVENUE is about three friends navigating through the rough terrain of love and relationships while living in Harlem. The show is currently in production. No official launch date has been announced but the show was screened in September at the South Bronx Film Festival and in November at the Big Apple Film Festival.


Six episodes have been produced so far of THE NEW TWENTIES, about six friends ten years after college. The show was created by Tracy Taylor and stars Taylor, Sharif Atkins, Ray Campbell, David Haley, Erin Wiley and April Parker-Jones.


DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM chronicles the lives of three single mothers and their families trying to get ahead in a world that is trying to hold them under. The show is produced and directed by Robert Townsend and premiered in January. New episodes start December 17.


GOTHAM is on fire with casting news. The great Anna Stuart is the latest actress to join the cast. Stuart will be playing the mother of Michael Park's Richard Manning. The next new episode will air on Monday, December 21.