News Brief

Re-smooch: Fans rejoice that AS THE WORLD TURNS' Noah and Luke have kissed again Lynn Smith of the Los Angeles Times, one of the first writers in the media to pick up on the initial "Support Luke and Noah in the Media Week" blitz, has now written a follow up article: "Nuke" fans—that is, fans of Noah and Luke, the gay couple on “As the World Turns” — are busy messaging the media again. Back in February, they organized an onslaught of e-mails protesting a perceived ban on gay kissing. While all the heterosexual couples kissed, Noah and Luke hadn’t kissed for months. Our article quoted a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble, the show’s sponsor, who explained that soap operas always want to keep viewers wanting more. If that’s the case, it worked beautifully. After 211 days — and believe me, the fans were watching and counting — another kiss has been recorded. And in another happy blizzard of e-mails, they are celebrating that it wasn’t “just a peck.” Typical subject line: "Rejoice, for the Kissing Ban is Over!!!" And "Kissing Accomplished." One wrote, "We expect the show to continue to feature the couple kissing whenever a scene calls for it. If they do, they definitely deserve some major kudos ... . I can imagine the American Family Association ... will be upset with them." Yes, indeed, activists from the other camp also issued a press release saying P&G promotes "explicit open-mouthed homosexual kissing" and more. A link to the kiss is attached — with a warning. I expect the 2008 Kiss Watch to continue — with viewer engagement ratings to soar. VIDEO: DAYS Weekly Preview 1 Heather Tom's "Horror Vault" available now The "Horror Vault" which has been in the works for now well over two years was released on April 24. It is now available at www.thehorrorvault.net. The film is an anthology and consists of nine small stories, very inspired by the pasts Creepshow, Tales from The Crypt and of course Masters of Horror. "Delusion" is a black/white 50ies style of horror drama, directed by Mark Machillo, starring Jonaton Trent, Heather Tom (THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) and many others. OUT OF THE BLUE, BBC's new Aussie soap, has a British feel Battered by more than 20 years of 16-year-olds pashing and squabbling, and tear-aways becoming responsible citizens of Ramsay Street and Summer Bay, it is very strange to watch the first five episodes of a new Australian soap opera that doesn't - at this early stage anyway - have a teenage focus. Odder still is that the BBC has commissioned OUT OF THE BLUE to be made in Australia. The logic, and financial sense, of this escapes me - couldn't they just make a new British soap? - but, hey, everyone runs around on the beach in skimpy clothing and it looks pretty. A BBC spokesman says: "The majority of drama shown across the BBC is UK produced. The BBC commissioned this new production to offer audiences a different flavour and perspective which complements existing UK series such as DOCTORS."