Evening News

Goutman finally speaks on Nuke Jennifer Lenhart interviewed AS THE WORLD TURNS Executive Producer Christopher Goutman recently for an upcoming issue of Soap Opera Digest and asked all the right questions. An excert has been released with Goutman making the following statements: 1 Digest: Let's talk about the Luke/Noah kiss campaign. What was your reaction to the fact that the fans did this? Goutman: I think it's great. Luke and Noah are terrific. These two actors are fantastic and the response to this story is phenomenal. It's basically moved into the mainstream consciousness internationally, so for us, it's been great. Digest: Why haven't they kissed? Goutman: There are so many things that go into telling a story and telling it the right way. What I'm interested in is having a feeling for the constituency and the way to tell the story. We've told it very very slowly. I'm sure you know that Lily and Holden didn't kiss until three years. I really truly believe that everyone will come out thinking this story is really fantastic. Digest: Yes, but it's been implied that they're kissing off-screen. It almost seems like you're calling attention to the fact that you're not showing it by having them under the mistletoe leaning towards each other and having the camera pan away. Goutman: It makes people mad, doesn't it? Digest: It really does. Goutman: Just as long as we don't make them too mad that they don't keep tuning in. Digest: Have you gotten hate mail? Goutman: No. We've gotten a lot of frustration and a lot of very positive things about this couple. They're two boys. They live in a midwestern town. We're not in New York City. We're not in Greenwich Village. Digest: I just have to come out and ask: Have you specifically been asked to have them not kiss? Goutman: I've never been asked for them not to kiss. I've been asked to keep in mind all of our constituency, as far as who we serve as an audience. At the end of the day, I think people will be very happy. The story is a continuing story, and as we continue this, the Luke/Noah story will develop in a way that will be incredibly interesting and rewarding. Conservative Group Fired Up Over Gay Kiss on TV When it comes to gay kissing and soap operas, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Just ask Procter & Gamble Co., though its long-lagging soap opera AS THE WORLD TURNS just may be benefiting from the controversy. Rowell talks foster care in Iowa A former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star was in Iowa Friday to talk about the importance of foster care. Victoria Rowell was the keynote speaker for this year's Children and Families of Iowa "elevate our youth to adulthood event." EVENT: Universal Studios Hollywood “Eco-Fair Sat., April 26, 10 am - 4 pm at the Universal Globe Fountain at main entrance of Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. DAYS OF OUR LIVES stars will autograph reusable bags and give out CFL bulbs at this free eco-fair, featuring over 30 interactive exhibits. Attendees are also invited to bring their household hazardous waste or e-waste to the event for free drop-off -- and free parking! Hybrid drivers can also park free. Former DAYS star Winter gets raves in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay "If there's something good about this movie, other than the aforementioned Harris cameo redux, it's DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Eric Winter as the bad guy, Colton. He nails the role, with his disingenuous smile, cocky attitude and glossy good looks." AMC's Thorsten Kaye updates his NHL playoff blog No Forsberg, shaky D...but a win. That's what matters. GH Finally Admits That Mobsters Kill People! Well, it's finally happened. It's come at a horrible price of a fictional child viewers watched grow up, but it had to happen — GENERAL HOSPITAL has finally figured out that mobsters are murderous criminals, that women who chose to be with mobsters put themselves and their families in the line of fire, that professional killers are not more heroic than police officers and members of the Armed Forces, and, generally, that crime doesn't pay. 6th Annual Omni Youth Musical & Actor Awards Gala The 6th Annual Omni Youth Musical & Actor Awards Gala, honoring young dancers, singers, actors, instrumentalists, and comedians, will be held Sunday, May 11. Awards will be presented by stars from shows such as DEXTER, BROTHERS & SISTERS, HEROES, MY NAME IS EARL and DAYS OF OUR LIVES. UGLY BETTY demotes Rebecca Romijn Alexis Meade will become a recurring character next year.

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."

Shout-out to Tom Casiello

I was reading the latest blog by Emmy winning writer Tom Casiello and he says some very kind words about me so I wanted to publicly thank him. I met Tom back in 2001 and he is a such a first class guy. His work on the soaps, most recently on DAYS where he was sensational, has been noticed by soap fans eveywhere. But it is his integrity and love for the genre that I appreciate the most. He has been one of the folks in daytime who really "gets it" and I wish him the very best in all future projects. I have no doubt he will continue to be the success he's always been.

The State of Soaps Today

The Chronicles of von Klapp blog has published an article on the state of soaps today. I was interviewed for this story along with hilarious Snark from Snark Weighs In and Timothy Rost from Celebrating the Soaps. We discuss the new GUIDING LIGHT production model, the impact of the writer's strike and more. Check it out here.