NEWS: Leslie Charleson Off Contract, Reggie Austin, Coppola

GENERAL HOSPITAL's Leslie Charleson no longer on contract
Soaps In Depth has learned that Leslie Charleson (Monica) has been taken off contract and is now a recurring player with GENERAL HOSPITAL. Charleson, who has four Emmy nominations under her belt, joined the soap over 30 years ago, but her screentime has dwindled since the death of her on-screen husband, Alan, played by Stuart Damon, in 2007.

Vanessa Williams' DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Husband Cast
Reggie Austin will portray the New York baseball star husband of Vanessa Williams' new housewife, Renee Perry. Reggie will not debut until the fifth episode of the new season, as Doug and Renee's marriage is sadly on the rocks.

HBO unveils BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BOARDWALK aspires to a top-shelf, whole-cloth re-creation of a place and time long lost, but now the network is footing the bill alone. Industry insiders peg the cost of the season at upwards of $65 million. Variety recently reported the price of the pilot alone at $18 million, though that includes constructing a 300-foot-long actual boardwalk featuring period-perfect replicas of storefronts and seaside attractions, including the then-shocking Incubator Baby.

Toshiba developing no-glasses 3-D televisions
Company spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara confirmed such technology was in the works. But she declined to comment on a report in the Yomiuri newspaper that the Tokyo-based company plans to start selling the new TVs by the end of the year.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler joins Sherry Stringfield in Josh Berman pilot
Lifetime’s untitled drama pilot from DROP DEAD DIVA creator/executive producer Josh Berman, from Sony Pictures TV, is a closed-ended drama set in San Diego, which centers on police detective Molly Collins (Stringfield), married mother of two on the verge of divorce, who, along with her partner Brooke Kross (Sigler), investigate the city’s most high-profile crimes while navigating their divergent personal lives.

Alicia Coppola will guest star on NCIS: LOS ANGELES
The former ANOTHER WORLD star will play FBI agent Amy Rand, an expert on kidnapping cases. Described as athletic, determined and authoritative, she works with the NCIS agents to find a victim to prevent a killing spree.