PREVIEW: Tonight's MVP Season Finale

Episode 110 ("Mad Scramble") -- Desperation drives Evelyn to solicit the help of a psychic to locate Molly when attempts by the police fail. Mandy breaks Damon out of the rehab clinic with disastrous results. Trevor makes some decisions about both his career and his girlfriend, Tabbi. Connie and Gabe take a big step in their relationship, but when Wanda arrives with shocking news, it might change everything, on the season finale of "MVP," Thursday, August 21 (11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., ET) on the SOAPnet Network.

"MVP" stars Lucas Bryant as Gabe McCall, Kristin Booth as Connie Lewis, Deborah Odell as Evelyn McBride, Natalie Krill as Molly McBride, Peter Miller as Damon Trebuchet, Dillon Casey as Trevor Lemonde and Anastasia Phillips as Tabbi.

"Mad Scramble" was written by Kent Staines.

News Brief

"Rock the Soap" Cruise
If you have ever wanted to hang out with your favorite actor or rub elbows with your favorite on screen couple, villain, temptress, or hunk - then be a part of the first ever "Rock the Soap" cruise! This inaugural voyage is sure to capture all the love you have for your favorite soaps as you'll get the chance to rock out with 20 plus of the biggest stars from DAYS OF OUR LIVES, ALL MY CHILDREN, AS THE WORLD TURNS, GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and many more!!!

Natalie Cassidy: Take me back, EASTENDERS!
Natalie Cassidy is desperate to return to EASTENDERS after a series of problems have left the star depressed and unhappy. The 25-year-old left Albert Square in February 2007 but her acting career has failed to take off.

Now that her on-screen half-sister Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer, has returned to the soap she’s hoping BBC bosses will bring back her character Sonia Jackson.

A source says: "When she left EastEnders, Natalie was telling friends how she admired Kathy Burke and would love to do the sort of films she made. But it hasn’t really worked out."

MVP's Sullivan to SMALLVILLE
Actress Charlotte Sullivan, who recently starred on the Canadian soap opera MVP, has been cast in the villainous role of Maxima, who will make her first appearance in the series during the fourth episode of season 8.

DAYS star Deidre Hall on KTLA


GL's MacDonald in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
The first show out of the '08-09 theater gate in Connecticut is "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Hartford Stage. Director Lisa Peterson sets the Shakespearean romantic comedy in 1958 Athens, Ohio — with the concept of the play being "a bride's fevered dream of her wedding day."

The cast includes David Andrew MacDonald (ex-Edmund, GUIDING LIGHT, ex-Jordan, ANOTHER WORLD) as Theseus/Oberon. The show runs Aug. 28 to Oct. 5.

SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES: Episode #849
Matt has an awkward conversation with Casey.

Evening News

Hometown boy Michael Park returns — now he's ruling Egypt
Back when Michael Park was a lion thrashing across Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery stage in 1991, he had no idea where community theater would take him. In the years since, he has toured with "Phantom of the Opera," starred in Broadway productions and become a brooding detective on AS THE WORLD TURNS.

He’ll return to the Rochester area this weekend as Pharaoh in the Rochester Children’s Theatre’s production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," for its Aug. 2-3 shows at Nazareth College. (Another actor, David Autovino of Auburn, will assume of the role of the Egyptian ruler for the Aug. 9-10 shows.)

"Never in my lifetime did I ever expect my life would take the turns it (has) taken," Park said. "Fate has been very good to me."

Shake-up on set of DAY
Soap stars had to deal with some real-life drama earlier this week. On Tuesday, when an earthquake that measured over five on the Richter scale stopped people in their tracks from Los Angeles to San Diego, DAYS OF OUR LIVES stopped tape, allowing the cast and crew to evacuate the building.

Forever young: Former DALLAS and B&B star Linda Gray looks sensational at 67
Nobody can predict how people will age. While some beauties wither as they get older, others seem impervious to the ravages of time.

Linda Gray certainly falls into the latter camp.

Indulging in a spot of retail therapy while out and about in Los Angeles, the actress looked years younger than someone who turns 68 in September.

Not much to say yet about the fall season -- or see
In previous years, a TV critic could expect to preview a majority of fall series by mid-June. DVDs would arrive from each network with the caveat that "numerous changes may be made" before the airdate. These works-in-progress offered useful clues to what awaited the audience come fall. They gave critics a chance to start spreading the word about any new series that stood out. So far this summer, critics have gotten a peek at just a half-dozen upcoming shows.

HOLLYOAKS to star in online soap
Not content with monopolising the tea-time TV slot, Channel 4 teen soap HOLLYOAKS now has the internet in its sights and plans to launch an online soap opera.

According to the BBC, Hollyoaks characters will be seen talking about and watching clips of RUNNERS – an online soap opera based around a group of students working as runners in fashion and the entertainment industry, during episodes.

Fans of the Chester-based soap will also be able to keep up-to-date with RUNNERS themselves by logging on to the HOLLYOAKS website to view regular three-minute episodes. It's also thought RUNNERS will be available through Bebo, MSN Messenger TV, Facebook and iTunes.

The online soap opera will start a 10-week run early next year while a weekly 15-minute summary episode is also expected to air on TV, most likely following the HOLLYOAKS' Sunday omnibus.

SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES: Episode #836
Sam tries to comfort Stacey.


INTERVIEW: MVP's Dillon Casey
"I always looked at Trevor as a guy who is between Gabe and Damon. I would look at Peter Miller’s character of Damon and think that is the most fun character to play on the show. The bad guy is always the most fun. When Trevor goes to the dark side I get to be more like Damon Trebuchet. So, the scenes were a lot of fun in episode 7. My favorite scene coming up has Damon and Trevor partying. At this point, Trevor has decided to become Damon. He goes to Lagoon, which is the “MVP” version of the Playboy Mansion, and it’s no holds barred for Trevor. He is just a kid in a candy store. He is a young Damon Trebuchet, by this point."

SPOILER: ATWT's Dusty is alive
When Grayson McCouch returns to AS THE WORLD TURNS as Dusty Donovan on September 24th, he won't be playing a ghost. Dusty is alive, despite "dying" on camera back in January.

News Brief

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Judith Chapman
"It’s not very often that you have a character written for you and the powers-that-be let you run with it. And I’ve reached a point in my life where I have nothing to lose, but run with the storyline. And even take it a step further at times."

Narrow Margin: AFTRA Ratifies Primetime Contract by 62.4%
AFTRA has ratified the primetime contract, but SAG's assault had great effect. The margin - the percent of yes votes - was only 62.4%. The percentage of no votes was 37.6%. Turnout was not released.

In contrast, the margin on the somewhat similar daytime pact (the AFTRA Network Code), ratified April 30, was 93%. In other words, SAG drove the margin down by 30 points - well over what I (I had predicted 20 points) and other expected when SAG's anti-AFTRA campaign began.

Former soap hunk Martines to appear on THE CLOSER
THE CLOSER star Kyra Sedgwick (ex-Julia, ANOTHER WORLD) will have a new antagonist when the TV crime drama returns for a fourth season. Former soap actor Stephen Martines will have a recurring role as a Hispanic news reporter who asks tough questions about how Sedgwick's police interrogator, Brenda Leigh Johnson, and her Los Angeles Police Department colleagues do their jobs.

The character played by Martines, whose credits include GUIDING LIGHT and GENERAL HOSPITAL, reflects an attempt to keep up with changing U.S. demographics, series creator James Duff said in an interview.

"You have some older white people and a lot of young minorities," Duff said. "The audience looks for itself in these stories. They look for someone who articulates their point of view."

INTERVIEW: Departing HOLLYOAKS star James Sutton
"I was always very keen for Guy [Burnet] to come back and I know that Bryan Kirkwood and the writers, everyone was always keen for him to come back. It was just a question if the logistics of it could work out because Guy’s been living in L.A. since he left the show, so it was just a case of scheduling it in and making sure that if I was going to leave, he could come back and film. It’s worked out perfectly."

Phillippe's Stop-Loss Out on DVD

The DVD for Kimberly Peirce's Iraq film Stop-Loss, starring former ONE LIFE TO LIVE actor Ryan Phillippe, came out yesterday and she sat down with Popwrap to discuss it, as well as some scenes of interest that were cut.

Said Peirce: "It's really funny, there were one or two more scenes written without his shirt and when we got there, it was like, 'don't you think he has too many shirtless scenes already?' But I don't think I can have too many shirtless scenes with him. Ryan's really fantastic and he got himself into such great shape. I think it was funny that all those scenes got cut because a lot of the girls were craving them."

EVENT: AMC's Jacob Young to attend County Fair and judge Pretty Baby Content
The Marion County Fair Board has been working hard to make this upcoming fair, Thursday through Sunday, relevant and exciting for residents and those from surrounding areas. Fair visitors may meet and greet Jacob Young, who plays J.R. Chandler on ALL MY CHILDREN. Mr. Young will also judge the KBZY Pretty Baby Contest and the talent show finals.

More golf for Jack Wagner
The 19th edition of the American Century Championship, a nationally-televised celebrity golf event, begins this week at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL star Jack Wagner, one of six celebrities to participate in all 19 tournaments, has long been one of the field's best golfers and finally broke through and claimed the $125,000 winner's check of $600,000 prize purse in 2006.

PHOTOS: Fun with Hansis and Silbermann
Columnist Greg Hernandez posed for pictures with Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann at last month's SOAPnet "Night Before Emmy" party.

From GL writer to Middlebury Town Hall Theater Executive Director
Douglas Anderson has had a few moments in the past 10 years when he thought the Town Hall Theater might never reopen. One of the more recent moments? "Today," the Town Hall Theater director said Monday evening as he stood at the back of the stage while cast members of the Middlebury Actors Workshop rehearsed a sword-fighting scene from their production of "Cyrano!"

"There were 80-some contractors running around."

Anderson took on the Town Hall Theater project a decade ago. He was commuting at the time from his home in East Middlebury to New York City, where he was a writer for GUIDING LIGHT. He figured restoring the old performance space would take two years or so. That was before he and his fellow organizers of the project realized what shape the space was in.

Clearing the air with MVP star Dillon Casey
"The tattoo [on the billboard photo of him] is actually photoshopped on there! What's funny about it, is that there was actually a different one there before (Trevor's real tattoo of a Cree dream-catcher.) The network just thought "MVP" would be better for the billboard."

News Brief

AMC's Mathison is talking himself up
Sunday's New York Daily News is reporting that ALL MY CHILDREN hottie Cameron Mathison has acquired an awful big head after co-hosting the Daytime Emmys with Sherri Shepherd. He now fancies himself the next Regis Philbin, even if REGIS & KELLY isn't exactly, according to him, the hottest gig in town.

"That would be the ultimate job for me, yeah," the soap star told us. "Every day you're talking to new celebrities. It's also nice and high-profile, clearly, if it's not the biggest morning show."

He has already done his homework.

"Michael Gelman knows that I want it. There's a ton of people that know I want it. My agent knows."

Can't beat YouTube? Then join 'em
Remember the days when, if you wanted to watch a vintage TV show – say, THREE'S COMPANY or AIR WOLF – you dusted off the VHS tapes in the closet or trotted to the video emporium?

You can still do those things, but TV networks, movie studios and others are making viewing the past just a mouse click away on your computer.

They’re doing so not just for your convenience but for their profit margins. Tired of sites such as YouTube stealing their thunder – posting clips and sometimes entire episodes of popular fare without permission or payment – entertainment conglomerates are taking charge of their own content. In order to beat the little guys, content providers are joining them.

CBC's cancelled MVP soap getting good reviews in U.S. - even from The New Yorker
While Canadian reviewers were lukewarm about the CBC's cancelled nighttime hockey soap, MVP, the show is getting high praise from television writers in the United States, where its first and only season is airing on the cable channel SOAPnet.

The most surprising American review, arguably, appeared in a recent issue of The New Yorker, the high-brow magazine popular among the intellectual set.

The show "calls to mind such past treasures as DYNASTY and almost every other nighttime soap you can think of," Nancy Franklin wrote. "I'm going to sit right down and send Canada a thank-you note."

Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald was in agreement: "Not since the glory days of MELROSE PLACE has a soap seemed like such a naughty pleasure," he wrote.

AUDIO: The Nuke Fancast, Episode #5


HOLLYOAKS star wants period drama role
HOLLYOAKS star Roxanne McKee has revealed that she is feeling "positive" about her chances of finding work after leaving the soap.

The actress has no immediate plans to quit her role as Louise Summers on the Channel 4 show, but she is already considering a future in film and serious drama.

"I just try to think positive," Roxanne told Celebs on Sunday magazine. "I want to do a period drama - I'd love to be in a bonnet and a big flouncy dress - and I'd like to do a play, because I've never done one before. And a film."

News Brief

Daytime Emmy ratings hit new all-time low
Opposite CAMP ROCK on Disney on Friday, the Daytime Emmy Awards on ABC settled for a preliminary 1.2 rating/4 share in adults 18-49 and 5.4 million viewers overall -- down from the kudocast's previous low of 6.1 million two years ago on ABC.

Inside The Daytime Emmys With Sara Bibel
"Hmmm… OLTL won writing and directing. So that means the best show is… General Hospital. There’s a simple explanation for how this seeming nonsensical result happened. Writers vote for writing. Directors vote for directing. Everyone in daytime votes for best show. It’s a different pool of voters, voting on different episodes."

Moments from the Daytime Emmys
Greg Hernandez of Out in Hollywood covers some of the highlights of this year's show.

BLOG UPDATE: Lynn Licadro "Pimping the 2007 Daytime Emmys"
"So, what is it with CBS? Why would they pass up the opportunity to put their shows front and center for two hours in front of an audience that loves soaps? Why did they think that pimping a show that lasted all of two episodes made more sense that showcasing GUIDING LIGHT, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2007?

A big part of it goes back to that corporate synergy thing. And, I’m not being snippy here; ABC has it, big time. The network owns and produces all three of their soaps, then rebroadcasts them on SOAPnet. They used this year’s Emmy broadcast to heavily promote a new show that will run on SOAPnet, MVP (a show about hockey players and their groupies), then ran an episode on ABC immediately following the Emmy broadcast. Now, I would rather have somebody poke me in the eye with a sharp object than actually watch MVP, but you have to give ABC credit for how well they’ve connected all the pieces."

Emmy Q&A with Lynda Hirsch
Hirsch on an outrageous Emmy moment: "There was one bizarre happening at the Daytime Emmys. Robert Gentry (Ross Chandler, ALL MY CHILDREN) was waiting to hear the announcement for Best Actress. Susan Lucci (Erica) was up. The actress was nominated for the fifth time and really wanted to win. When the winner was announced, Gentry became agitated. Gentry knew Lucci was not going to win.

He was mad -- not just because Lucci was not getting the statuette. A few minutes earlier, Gentry left the table to have a smoke. On the sidewalk he noticed a headline on the front cover of the Daily News: "Lucci loses." Gentry could not believe the headline was out before the award was presented. Seems someone at the awards office leaked the information to the press the morning of the show. Terry Lester (original Jack, "Young and the Restless") attended a private afterparty that night and showed off a new solid gold Dunhill lighter he had purchased for himself.

'I was at a newspaper office doing an interview when I saw the copy for who had won and lost the award. I knew I was a loser," he told me. 'I decided to make myself a winner and buy this,' he said, flicking the expensive lighter."

Tammin Sursok loses Daytime Emmy, parties like a winner
Despite being nominated for her first Daytime Emmy award, Sursok lost out to Jennifer Landon, considered TV royalty in the US, as the daughter of the late Michael Landon, of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE fame.

But you can't keep a good party girl down for long, with Sursok one of the first to prop up the bar at the gala after-party - on the arms of her THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS co-stars Vail Bloom and Adrienne Frantz.

Still keeping her mystery American beau under wraps, Sursok did make the most of the Tinseltown experience, spotted snapping up free designer shoes at the pre-awards gift suite, with her mum Julie in tow.

HOLLYOAKS babe Kari Corbett: I've gone blonde but am not doing bikini shoots
HOLLYOAKS star Kari Corbett insists she will not strip off to join the teen soap's sexy calendar girls. The former RIVER CITY actress went blonde before joining the hit Channel 4 show but insists she will be keeping her bikini for the beach. Kari, 24, who has also been in Monarch of the Glen, said: "I don't see myself as the kind of girl who wants to be known for bikini shots.

"It's up to each person to make that decision for themselves but I would be reluctant to go down that path. As far as the acting goes, it's great fun and I'm very happy to be on the show. I'm enjoying it tremendously."

Chatting up the guys of "MVP"
Dillon Casey has been getting a lions share of the attention for the gigantic billboard in Times Square that features him wearing very little and revealing quite an awesome body. Co-star Lucas Bryant joked: "It's just his head, it's my body."

News Brief

'MVP' is everyone's favorite sport, plus hockey
The Mustangs are an unusual hockey team. They only seem to recruit players who look like their previous experience came in a Calvin Klein ad. They also don't seem to play any hockey - or at least we never see any hockey on opening night of SoapNet's latest steamy drama, MVP. Building a soap around a hockey team isn't necessarily a silly idea. The behind-the-scenes world of professional sports, as Dan Jenkins demonstrated years ago with the marvelous novel "Semi-Tough," can easily be infused with money, sex and drugs, not to mention hot guys and sultry gals with no discernible moral standards. In other words, turf that seems to have been plowed and prepped just for soap operas.

VIDEO: ABC vs. CBS in Charity Soap Softball Game
Soap stars from ABC and CBS gathered for the 10th Annual Tammy Rubin-Rice charity softball game in Brooklyn, N.Y., earlier this month. The event raised $8,500, with the ABC team winning 8-6. Cast members from ALL MY CHILDREN, AS THE WORLD TURNS, GUIDING LIGHT and ONE LIFE TO LIVE braved the 94-degree heat and showed their team spirit.

GL's Van Zandt guest speaker at The Walk on the Capitol
In what was the largest gathering in the history of those affected by obesity, thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC for The Walk on the Capitol, yesterday evening to raise awareness of the disease of obesity. Attendees traveled from all over the world to join in the Walk on the Capitol. Ranging from the United States to Australia, everyone in attendance represented one voice, one cause - the disease of obesity. In addition, Caitlin Van Zandt from GUIDING LIGHT was featured as the guest speaker for the event. Caitlin discussed her own battle with obesity and expressed a deep and true concern for those affected by the disease.

Daytime for Planned Parenthood cocktail party
Kimberly McCullough, Bradford Anderson and Carolyn Hennesy from GENERAL HOSPITAL were among the stars who attended the Daytime for Planned Parenthood cocktail party at Cosmos Lofts last night. In 2003, Heather created Daytime for Planned Parenthood, a committee which promotes a women's right to choose and have access to the latest in medical care. This committee chairperson position has allowed her the chance to lobby Congress on behalf of Planned Parenthood two years in a row.

Hometown paper shout out for Farah Fath
Lexington native and One Life to Live star Farah Fath will be one of the presenters at the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday. Fath, 24 and a graduate of Lafayette High School, has played the good-hearted Gigi Morasco on ABC's ONE LIFE TO LIVE since last fall. Before that, she played Mimi Lockhart Brady -- described by NBC as "an insecure yet effervescent young heroine" -- for eight years on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

Penghlis sees the light of 'Days'
"I go to countries where terrorists reside, like Jordan, and no one goes with me. When you travel alone, (security) thinks something is wrong. They always pull my bags. They always go through them. They always pull me out of line. Even when I was getting my immigration papers, there were foreigners all around. Who did they pull out of line? Me."

Greg Moberly: Who watches this stuff?
"I've infrequently watched GENERAL HOSPITAL in the past, in the present, and probably will in the future. But it doesn't seem like much changes from day to day on the linchpin soap and I'll bet it's the same for other daytime soaps. On the show, I wonder if anybody actually works. I see people who have plenty of time and money to sit and talk about their feelings and their love life. Oh please, shoot me now."

Kim Ryder signs £100k CORONATION STREET deal
CORONATION STREET star Kim Ryder has signed a six-figure contract to stay on at the ITV soap for another year. Ryder, who plays busty barmaid Michelle Connor in the long-running show, has more than doubled her £60,000 a year salary. She has also negotiated more flexible working hours to spend more time with her children, David, 12, and 10-year-old Emily.

CBS.com goofs big time
If you go to CBS.com and read the recap for Wednesday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS, you'll see a recap for an episode next week instead. A key episode. The outcome of the Chris Hughes vs. Alison Stewart court case is revealed in detail.

Evening News

Soap Watch: SOAPnet's new leading hunk
Don't recognize the ripped, shirtless guy pictured here? Give it a couple of days. Soon he, his abs, and his knickers will be plastered on ads all over the country, including a billboard in Times Square. His name is Dillon Casey and he plays a rookie hockey player on SOAPnet's racy new drama MVP, which premieres at 11 p.m. on June 19 and reairs on ABC at 10 p.m. on June 20, following the Daytime Emmys.

"My friends see that [the underwear ad his character shoots in the second episode] and they rip on me pretty hard for it. You know what, it's not like I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I'm okay with it. It's part of the show, it's part of the character."

Lehigh Valley feels like home to Josh Duhamel
For the last few days, helicopters have been whizzing through the sky and grand explosions have been lighting up the city of Bethlehem, normally a pretty quaint place. Movie stars and crewmembers have been filming the opening fight scene for the upcoming Transformers 2 movie, set for a June 2009 release. Former ALL MY CHILDREN star Josh Duhamel, from North Dakota, said Bethlehem reminded him of home. "I've had a great time in this town, I wish we could stay another week or two, I really do," Duhamel said. "It's a fun little place. It reminds me of where I grew up."

Mathison on AMC's new headwriters
"I think All My Children is in a really good place right now. I think it was really tough timing for Jim [Harmon Brown] and Barbara [Esensten] to come in when they did. Now, momentum is changing. Chuck [Pratt Jr.] has a lot of amazing things behind him that he has worked on."

Liveblogging ATWT: Storyline Overboard!
AfterElton's Brian Juergens provides funny commentary on Thursday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS.

"Back on Law & Order: Special Gays Unit, Noah turns on Luke for getting the police involved. He thinks that he had everything under control and that Luke's getting pistol-whipped and spending three days in the same clothes isn't suitable sacrifice. Luke tells him that he 'went through hell' and Noah says 'you don't know what hell is!' Um ... have you met his family?"

LATE NIGHT HOLLYOAKS for E4
Another late-night version of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks is to air on E4. The new series, currently entitled LATE NIGHT HOLLYOAKS, will see the return of Guy Burnet as Craig Dean to save his sister in a dramatic cliff-top rescue.

The bank of five 60-minute episodes will also see various characters travel to Belfast with unexpected results; an extremely unlikely marriage; the Dirty Diegos fighting first night nerves as they prepare to play their debut gig; and the students of Hollyoaks Community College spicing things up and getting more than they bargain for.

Tony Wood, creative director at Lime Pictures said: "HOLLYOAKS is performing well on all fronts. It's viewed by 16 million people across the week and is up 24% on E4. Therefore, it is fitting that the programme should expand across that channel where its audience is growing fastest. This new hour-long format will give far greater scope to explore our characters and I'm delighted to be giving our fans an opportunity to enjoy HOLLYOAKS even more."

The special episodes will begin filming in September and transmit in November.

BLOG UPDATE: Tom Casiello
"Writing for a soap, (if you do it well), means you have to live up to the legacy that's been created by writers long before you, crossing decades. Creating a show from scratch, that pressure isn't there. You have the ability to explore, to let the characters grow and evolve and come into their own. When we first started brainstorming this idea, it quickly became apparent that we were not going to write it. It was going to write itself. Everything started to take on a life of its own, and all I can do now is have faith that we'll pass through to the next level, and the one after that. And then, of course, there's writing, and casting, and staffing and more notes meetings, and shooting... wait, hold on. I think my heart just stopped beating."

INTERVIEW: Johnathan Young (Executive Producer, THE BILL)
On celebrating the show's upcoming 25th anniversary: "We've got some fantastic plans for a strong two-part storyline that we'll be airing in November, but it's far too early to reveal anything too much at the moment! It's quite a departure for us, though, and is something we haven't tried before. In fact, from a production point of view, I think it might be a TV first."

Daytime Nielsen Ratings for the week of May 26-30, 2008
From the ABC Daytime ratings release:
* ABC captured its third straight win as Daytime's No. 1 network in Women 18-49 (1.4 rating/932,000 - tied in rating).

* Tallying its largest Women 18-34 (331,000/1.0 rating - tied on rating) and Women 18-49 (978,000/1.5 rating - tied on rating) audiences of the 2007/08 season (since week of 9/24/07), "One Life to Live" tied for No. 2 this week in Daytime, based on rating, in the target Women demos.

* "All My Children" delivered its largest Total Viewer audience in four months (2.71 million - since week of 2/4/08), and hit a 14-week high in Women 18-49 (887,000 - since week of 2/18/08).

* In Women 18-49, ABC owned 4 of Daytime's Top 5 programs, marking the 8th straight week the net has aired at least 3 of the Top 5: "General Hospital" (No. 2T, 1.5 rating/1.00 million), "One Life to Live" (No. 2T, 1.5 rating/978,000) and "All My Children" (No. 5T, 1.3 rating/887,000) and "The View" (No. 5T, 1.3 rating/862,000).

* In Women 18-34, ABC delivered 3 of Daytime's Top 5 programs for the 8th consecutive week: "General Hospital" (No. 2, 1.0 rating/345,000), "One Life to Live" (No. 2T, 1.0 rating/331,000) and "The View" (No. 2T, 1.0 rating/327,000).

* Once again, "General Hospital" towered over CBS' "Guiding Light," surpassing the time period competitor by a robust 148% in Women 18-34 (345,000 vs. 139,000), by 62% in Women 18-49 (978,000 vs. 617,000) and by 21% in Total Viewers (2.78 million vs. 2.29 million).

Following are the Daytime Lineup averages, plus Top 5 Programs Ranks - Week of May 26, 2008:

Daytime Rank:   Total Viewers       Women 18-49 (Rtg/000s)
No. 1 CBS       3.57 million        No. 1 ABC    1.4/932,000
No. 2 ABC       2.87 million        No. 1 NBC    1.4/909,000
No. 3 NBC       2.67 million        No. 3 CBS    1.2/781,000

Top 5 Daytime Programs in Women 18-49 (rank based on rating)

Program                    Net              Rtg/000s
The Young & the Restless   CBS              1.7/1.10 million
General Hospital           ABC              1.5/1.00 million
One Life to Live           ABC              1.5/978,000
Days of Our Lives          NBC              1.4/909,000
All My Children            CBS              1.3/887,000

Mathison, Shepherd to host Two Hour Daytime Emmy Awards

Cameron Mathison (ALL MY CHILDREN and DANCING WITH THE STARS) and Sherri Shepherd (THE VIEW) have been tapped to host "The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards," live from Hollywood's Kodak Theater, FRIDAY, JUNE 20 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET -- tape-delayed to the West Coast) on ABC. The announcement was made today by Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group and executive producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss. Frons also announced that the first episode of SOAPnet's new original scripted series, "MVP," which follows the on and off-the-ice drama surrounding the Mustangs hockey team and the women in their lives, will air on ABC at 10:00 p.m., immediately following the Daytime Emmys.

"Cameron and Sherri both have such an inviting way about them. Viewers will feel like they're in the Kodak and part of the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding this year's broadcast," said Frons. "They bring the perfect vibe to the celebratory atmosphere of this show." In commenting about "MVP," Frons said: "the Daytime Emmys are the perfect springboard into SOAPnet's new original series. We have a unique opportunity to leverage the strength of the division and showcase a great new dramatic series to a broad audience that loves serialized drama."

"We are excited to have two of the biggest supporters of daytime programming as our hosts," said Mr. Kirshner and Mr. Weiss. "The audience - both in the Kodak and at home - is in for a very entertaining evening, courtesy of Cameron and Sherri."

Mathison currently portrays Ryan Lavery on ABC's ALL MY CHILDREN, a role he created. He is also the host of SOAPnet's reality show I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR, and was featured as a celebrity dancer on the fifth season of ABC's hit competition series, DANCING WITH THE STARS.

Shepherd is a co-host of ABC's THE VIEW. In addition to stand-up shows and roles in several sitcoms, she had a regular supporting role in the ABC primetime comedy series LESS THAN PERFECT.

If you miss the June 19 premiere of SOAPnet's new original series "MVP," you can catch it on the ABC Television Network at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT on June 20, immediately following the two-hour Emmys broadcast. All-new episodes will premiere Thursdays at 11:00 p.m., on SOAPnet. The pilot episode, entitled "Game On," opens with a shocking tragedy with one of the team's star players and the aftermath that sends shock waves throughout the organization and his family. The series is produced by Screen Door Inc., with Mary Young Leckie and Heather Haldane serving as executive producers.

News Brief

Nelson Branco's "Suds Report"
Andrea Evans back on ‘OLTL’? SOAPnet buys Canuck soap ‘MVP’! Jacob Young sticks with ‘AMC!’ ‘Y&R’s Lily’s preggers!

Engagement fete TURNS sticky when ex arrives
Margo throws Katie and Brad an engagement party next week on AS THE WORLD TURNS, which leads to a series of events that could wreck the wedding. "Mike shows up at the engagement party," says Austin Peck, who plays Brad. Mike is Katie's ex-husband, who just came back to town. But Mike is now being played by a new actor (Jon Prescott), so viewers can be forgiven if they don't feel the full impact of his return when he crashes the party. "Brad is totally cool when Mike shows up," says Peck. "He's like, 'Big deal.' But Henry fills his mind with all this doubt and that makes Brad want to rush the wedding."

Kelly Ripa Happy That Kathie Lee Gifford Is Returning To The Air
Kelly Ripa, co-host of LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY (and former ALL MY CHILDREN star) is thrilled that her predecessor, Kathie Lee Gifford has landed another hosting job. Gifford has just landed a gig co-hosting the fourth hour of NBC's "Today" show. Ripa and Gifford have both shared the co-hosting chair with Regis Philbin over the years. Ripa, 37, who took over for Gifford in 2001, said Gifford was very influential on her life. Ripa told People.com that Gifford, 54, was a big influence on her life because she saw her as a working mom. "I saw her doing it all - a working mom. She had a big impact on me," Ripa said.

Space Opera Returns: One Last Step for Mankind
Baltar, played hammily as a selfish, cowardly survivor, is to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA what Erica Kane is to ALL MY CHILDREN — an amusingly villainous central character who brings a little campy comic relief to all that earnest, jaw-clenched melodrama.

ATWT's former Chris Hughes to play gay
The April 22nd episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU is called "Closet" revolves around a gay pro football player blayed by Bailey Chase (ex-Chris, AS THE WORLD TURNS).

Petition to decertify B&B as AFTRA?
According to AFTRA president Roberta Reardon, SAG leaders broke that fragile peace with a move to organize the soap opera THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, an AFTRA signatory show. A group of B&B actors -- including longtime featured player Susan Flannery -- reportedly came to Allen about a month ago with complaints about the show's AFTRA contract. Reardon maintained that unnamed SAG members then helped circulate a petition to decertify B&B as an AFTRA show. Calls to Flannery and other actors reportedly involved with the petition were not returned as of press time.

Former GH actor embroiled in cat drama
Allegheny County officials and the Pennsylvania branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided Tiger Ranch, on Miller Drive, March 13 after an undercover sting confirmed suspicions of what it determined to be animal cruelty. But Tiger Ranch supporters have spoken out on the good that they claim was done for every cat that came through the sanctuary's gate.

Animal rights activist Chris DeRose (ex-Dino, GENERAL HOSPITAL), president of Los Angeles-based Last Chance for Animals, said the SPCA and assistant district attorney are "telling a big enough lie."

"From what I have seen of the place and the photos that were sent to my office, there's nothing wrong with Tiger Ranch," DeRose said. "It's all very inflammatory. What they did was really wrong."

The SPCA issued a statement claiming that DeRose is mounting a "campaign of lies" against the Pennsylvania branch of the SPCA and its case against Tiger Ranch.

"As a soap opera actor, Mr. DeRose is no doubt very familiar with creating drama and sensationalism. And clearly he has employed his acting skills with great success in garnering media attention for himself and his group, Last Chance for Animals."

New Daytime TV Soap Opera - HACIENDA HEIGHTS

Chan Add Films is proud to announce the first ever English speaking Latin soap opera
HACIENDA HEIGHTS. This hot new show is a groundbreaking new television show that takes the familiar and popular format of the telenovela, but introduces a new audience to the experience. This project was brought to life by Executive Producer and CEO Desmond Gumbs of Chan Add Films. The story is about the trials and tribulations of the families in the fast growing city of Hacienda Heights. The conflicts that arise between the political, wealthy and the working middle class families are universal and extremely current in today's world. The stories are rich and are portrayed fantastically by its talented cast.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS is an exciting new venture that also tells truly intriguing stories filled with love, struggles, mystery, vengeance and the search for happiness. It is a television show that is the first of its kind and will be sure to captivate its' audience from the opening episode.

Evening News

ABC Daytime Ratings Release
ABC delivered 4 of the week's Top-5 ranking programs in Daytime in Women 18-34: "General Hospital" (#1T - 1.0 rating/349,000), "The View" (#3T - 0.9 rating/308,000), "One Life to Live" (#5T - 0.8 rating/271,000) and "All My Children" (#5T - 0.8 rating/257,000).

"General Hospital" delivered another dominant win over time period opponent CBS's "Guiding Light" (3:00 - 4:00 p.m.), surpassing the drama this week by 30% in Women 18-49 (1.03 million vs. 792,000), by 66% in Women 18-34 (349,000 vs. 210,000) and by 9% in Total Viewers (2.82 million vs. 2.58 million).

DAYTIME RANK:

            TOTAL VIEWERS        WOMEN 18-49 (RTG/000S)
No. 1 CBS    4.01 million        No. 1 CBS    1.4/945,000
No. 2 ABC    2.85 million        No. 2 ABC    1.3/885,000
No. 3 NBC    2.84 million        No. 2 NBC    1.3/850,000 

TOP 5 DAYTIME PROGRAMS IN WOMEN 18-49 (rank based on rating)

Program                       Net        Rtg/000s
The Young & the Restless      CBS        1.9 /1.26 million
General Hospital              ABC        1.6/1.03 million
Bold and the Beautiful        CBS        1.5/969,000
As the World Turns            CBS        1.4/901,000
The View                      ABC        1.3/889,000
Days of Our Lives             NBC        1.3/850,000
The Price is Right 1/2        CBS        1.3/820,000

Two dozen daytime Emmy divas!
This year, there are more divas in the running for best actress at the Daytime Emmys than ever. That's because a new rule permits each of the nine soap operas to advance up to three contenders -- instead of the usual two -- to the pre-noms list. At that point all finalists are judged by fellow actors based upon their selection of two sample episodes from the past TV season.

The new GUIDING LIGHT is not working
TV Squad's Allison Waldman writes: "On February 29, 2008, a new era began for GUIDING LIGHT. Daytime television's longest running serial drama -- 71 years old this year -- burst out of the confines of a New York studio to begin shooting on location and on the fly in makeshift, portable sets and real places. The idea on paper was not only exciting, it seemed revolutionary. If they succeeded, Guiding Light could truly be a 'guiding light' to the rest of the soap industry. Sad to say, I don't like it."

AMC casts Angie's daughter
Yaya Dacosta from AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL is coming to ALL MY CHILDREN. The model-actress hyphenate has been cast as Cassandra Foster, the daughter of Dr. Angie Hubbard (Debbi Morgan). She first airs on April 25. Many will remember Yayaas the runner-up of Season 3 of America's Next Top Model. Despite not taking the prize, she's enjoyed a successful modeling career, including campaigns for Sephora, Garnier Fructis and Olay. Acting gigs followed, such as a starring role in the film Take the Lead with Antonio Banderas.

Yaya's character, Cassandra, was adopted by Angie and her ex-husband, Jacob. Cassandra made her debut on ABC's The City. In that soap's final episode, Angie and Jacob (played by Darnell Williams, who currently plays Jesse on AMC) found an abandoned Cassandra and brought her home with them.

Cassandra's all grown up now, and she arrives in Pine Valley to meet her mother's first (and current) husband, Jesse. Don't expect the family reunion to be all roses, though: Cassandra will be pulled into the sinister plan Rob (David Rasche) has for Jesse.

AMC's Havins to DAYS rumors false
Soap Opera Digest confirms that online rumors claiming popular starlet Alexa Havins (ex-Babe, AMC) is in talks with DAYS are false. Word on the Web is that she would join the show as a NASCAR groupie ex of Max who gave birth to his love child. "Not true," says a DAYS rep.

Leven Rambin to Record Fergie-esque Album for Izzy Gold

Izzy Gold, who is a Renaissance man by the definitions of contemporary young Manhattan society (T-shirt designer, D.J., and dear friend to Ally Hilfiger) has added another feather to his cap: Izzy Gold Records. The fledgling record label is working with three tentpole artists who will be familiar to the types of people who are familiar with the rest of Mr. Gold's social oeuvre. One is the 18-year-old protosocialite and former ALL MY CHILDREN actress, Leven Rambin. The second is party-chronicler Patrick McMullan’s son, Liam McMullan. The third is Mr. Gold himself.

76ers coach Maurice Cheeks is a Y&R fan
Cheeks enjoyed himself after Thursday's practice. He shot a few jumpers, joked with reporters and impressed with his knowledge of the key plot points in THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. That would be the daytime drama, of course, not his 20-something nucleus.

First footballers’ wives, now hockey wives
Outsports' Cyd Zeigler writes about SoapNet's acquisition of MVP: "I find it a little strange that, if they wanted to highlight a sport in their new series, they’d settle on hockey. Sure, hockey players can be super hot. But they also skate around with masks and bulky padding on (not exactly titilating) and the sport isn’t exactly the most popular in the U.S. Now calm down, I’m not dissing hockey, it’s just odd to me that they’d choose it for this show (though the Toronto-based production company is probably a clue). Alas, I’ll definitely tune in to see how it is."

Proudly made in Australia: Paul Leyden
CANAL ROAD is a medical and legal centre where Spencer McKay (Paul Leyden from AS THE WORLD TURNS) works as a psychiatrist trying to improve the lives of others and find some meaning following the death of his wife and child. Surrounded by caring colleagues and with clients who seem as concerned for him as he is for them, he's a nice guy making the best of a ruined life and desperate to find just who was behind their brutal murders.

"CANAL ROAD crosses a lot of genres in that there's a strong suspense and thriller theme going through it with Spencer's investigations, but at the same time it's a medical drama and about relationships as well," said Diana Glenn, who plays Dr Olivia Bates, head of the centre.

"And that's what I think makes it so interesting because there's so much going on that will keep people watching to see how things develop."

Canal Road will also be a hotbed of romance, she said. "It's quite a sexy show; there's a lot of something I'd never heard of before I read this script, - 'URS' or unresolved sexual tension.


Will fans in illegally download FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS this fall?
FNL fans who don't subscribe to DirecTV are expected to turn to BitTorrent rather than wait until Season 3 is broadcast on NBC in 2009.

Former DAYS writer Tom Casiello squashes a couple of rumors
1) He's not suing DAYS OF OUR LIVES
2) The project he's working on right now is not a long story for DAYS.

Ex-Y&R star O'Hurley hosts new CBS show while Josh Morrow juggles
Former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS actor John O'Hurley will host CBS' SECRET TALENTS OF THE STARS premiering April 8th. CBS has also added two more stars for upcoming episodes. Jo Dee Messina -- a country singer, they say -- will demonstrate her gifts with urban dancing, while Joshua Morrow from Y&R will juggle. Both Messina and Morrow will make their first appearances on the Tuesday, April 15 episode.

SoapNet Picks up MVP

Back in November, I reported that Canadian network CBC was going to start airing a new prime time soap, MVP, in January. Look for the show to now air on SoapNet in US after CBC pulled the plug on its steamy hockey drama.

According to today's Globe and Mail, SoapNet has signed a deal to purchase the first season of the show, set to air June 19.

"We are thrilled it has found a perfect U.S. home with SOAPnet," MVP creator Mary Young Leckie said. "What this means is we've got a new launch - as an original series - in the States. ABC is taking the cast around to do a number of promotions, as well as the talk-show circuit," Leckie, co-founder of Screen Door Inc., added yesterday.

"If it's successful for ABC, it could leave the door open to a second season."
Last month, CBC cancelled three series including the 10-episode MVP (which cost about $1.5-million an hour to make).

Three weeks ago - soon after learning of MVP's demise - Leckie took the high road, saying, "I think CBC did its best with the show, but I did think they'd stick with us a little longer. This is a tough business and I can't slam anyone. We move on."

Yesterday, Brian Frons, president, daytime, of Disney-ABC's Television Group, said they jumped at MVP, which he added is perfectly suited to SOAPnet's audience.

"I just think this is a prime-time serial with great production values, a terrific cast and we're delighted to be the premier network in the United States," Frons said.

"The series is a perfect fit for SOAPnet's programming mandate to supply high-quality television to the American audience. We're looking forward to developing a successful relationship with Screen Door."

Leckie said SOAPnet's thumbs-up for MVP "gives a whole new dimension to the project."

Interestingly, a source close to CBC says the broadcaster has held onto MVP's second-season licensing rights.

"Presumably, CBC will be keeping a very careful eye on the performance of MVP in the U.S. market," he said. "It if does well, CBC could jump back in for season two."

CBC plans to rerun MVP in June, the same time it will launch on SOAPnet.

Meanwhile, it has been rumoured that another major Canadian broadcaster has been talking to MVP's creators about partnering for season two.

Young Leckie refused to comment on that twist yesterday, which would hinge on the CBC releasing MVP for subsequent sale.

MVP, which employed roughly 175 people in Canada, follows the on- and off-the-ice drama surrounding the Canadian Mustangs hockey team and the women in their lives. It will air on SOAPnet Thursdays at 11 p.m.

The cast includes Lucas Bryant, Dillon Casey, Matthew Bennett, Peter Miller, Kristin Booth, Anastasia Phillips, Deborah Odell, Natalie Krill and Olivia Waldriff.

News Brief

New York Times: When Hollywood’s studios walked away from the bargaining table last month, striking screenwriters came out swinging. They filed a legal complaint, boycotted an awards show and picketed late-night television programs. But the militant tactics may be creating fissures within the guild. In particular, some writers wonder whether they are actually doing more harm to themselves than their opponents. Two of the most prominent soap opera writers to return to work are James Harmon Brown and Barbara J. Esensten, the co-head writers of “ALL MY CHILDREN on ABC, according to someone briefed on their decision who would discuss it only anonymously. The writing team, whose credits include GUIDING LIGHT and PORT CHARLES, accepted financial core status and returned to work in late December.

New York Daily News: Greenlee returns to her cosmetics company next week on ALL MY CHILDREN, just as Rebecca Budig reprises her popular role. "My first scenes back were fun," says Budig, who spent two years in L.A. with hubby Bob Guiney ("The Bachelor") auditioning for prime-time shows and films. "There are all these new girls at Fusion [Greenlee's company] now. They're fun to play with. They're game." Indeed, in Budig's absence, the role of Babe was recast, while newcomer Annie joined the Fusion team. But the biggest change is that Greenlee is now romantically involved with Aidan. "He's so funny and charming," says Budig. "We haven't had much to do together yet, though, because I've been with Kendall."

Entertainment Weekly: He may have had fans from his soap opera days, but according to LAS VEGAS Creator Gary Scott Thompson, Josh Duhamel never got to see them. "When he was in New York on ALL MY CHILDREN, he was just convinced that Susan Lucci hated him, and so he spent every weekend rehearsing and rehearsing and rehearsing."

National Post: David Booth writes: "Iam worried, very worried, in fact, that new action hero Justin Bruening (ALL MY CHILDREN) may have bitten off more than he can chew."

Sun Herald: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Winsor Harmon talks about career. In the second grade, Winsor Harmon caught the acting bug. "I did a play, called 'The Wells Fargo Wagon,' a musical, and I knew that's what I wanted to do, be an actor."

This is Nottingham: Lisa Riley first's soap opera role was actually not in EMMERDALE but in CORONATION STREET. "I had a line," she laughs. "I was in Bettabuys with Curly and Vera wasn't coming to work. It was something lik e 'Where's Vera?'. But fraught with meaning, of course." She rose to fame as Mandy Dingle in EMMERDALE but left to host YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED in 1998.

Edmonton Sun: CBC's new 'un-Canadian' soap opera MVP even has nudity!

Gawker: When Julia Allison, the Star Magazine talking head, explained her breakup with Jakob Lodwick, she blamed the charismatic uber-geek's hookup with one of her "close friends," who turned out to be ALL MY CHILDREN STAR Leven Ramblin.

Passions Fan Cruise: Emily Harper (Fancy Crane) has been added as an additional host of the "Farewell to Harmony" cruise on Carnival Elation, April 1, 2008 from San Diego! Emily joins co-hosts Eric Martsolf (Ethan Winthrop), Eva Tamargo (Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald), and Colton Shires (Little Ethan Crane) for the five-night cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

The Soap Box: ABC reached a new low in their "real Greenlee" campaign.

Buzzworthy Radio: Audio: Interview with ONE LIFE TO LIVE star Kassie DePaiva.

TV Guide Canada: Nelson Branco's latest Sud's Report.

AfterElton: Well, we got one whole day of Nuke this week on ATWT (have you sent your Hershey kisses yet?) and apparently the boys are moving in together along with Grandma Emma. Um, okay. Am I the only who thinks two college-age gay boys living with one of their grandmother's on her farm is a little creepy?

New Canadian Prime Time Soap in January

"MVP" debuts on CBC on January 11th. The new soap is a sexy look at a fictional NHL team of hunky players and the women who love them, including wives, girlfriends, lovers and puck bunnies.