AMC's Judy Blye Wilson Wins Artios Award

1 The Casting Society of America has announced the winners of its 2008 Artios Awards for outstanding achievement in casting, which were presented at coast-to-coast ceremonies on Monday, November 10. Julie Halston was Mistress of Ceremonies at the New York ceremony at Caroline's on Broadway. As previously announced, Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical Group, was the recipient of the "New York Apple Award." Additional New York winners included Bernard Telsey /Will Cantler for "The Homecoming" (Broadway Theater - Drama); Jim Carnahan, "Boeing-Boeing" (Broadway Theater - Comedy); Bernard Telsey/Bethany Knox, "In the Heights" (Broadway Theater - Musical); James Calleri, "The Seagull" (Off Broadway - Comedy/Drama/Musical); Will Cantler/Bernard Telsey, "33 Variations" (Regional Theater L.O.R.T.); and Judy Blye Wilson, ALL MY CHILDREN (Daytime Series). Wilson has now won this award for seven straight years. Has ALL MY CHILDREN really done the best job with daytime casting for the past seven years? Wilson has been nominated every year for this award since 1994 and won it a total of eleven times (11 of the last 14). She also won the Daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series" from 2002 to 2004. In Los Angeles, where the ceremony was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the Career Achievement Award was presented to Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and the Hoyt Bowers Award was presented to the late Mali Finn. Celebrity guest presenters in New York included Bryan Batt, Jason Biggs, Robert Buckley, Danny Burstein, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., Gavin Lee, Norm Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Jesse L. Martin, Alan Menken, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gretchen Mol, James Naughton, Kristin Schall, Sherie Renee Scott, Paolo Szot, Michael Urie, Van Hansis, and Jake Silbermann.

SOAPnet Announces Three New Series For 2009

1 Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney ABC-Television Group, today announced three new series for SOAPnet, including the reality series GREG BEHRENDT'S WAKE-UP CALL, the scripted drama BEING ERICA and the docusoap SOUTHERN BELLES (working title). The series will premiere on SOAPnet in 2009. "SOAPnet remains committed to growing the soap genre and is increasing its original program offerings next year with new series that contain ‘soapy’ elements and complement the serialized drama found in our daytime and primetime offerings," said Frons. "In speaking to our viewers, we have learned that they are on a path of self discovery and each of our new series taps into that journey." Produced by Avalon Television, GREG BEHRENDT'S WAKE-UP CALL is a reality series of six one-hour episodes in which Greg Behrendt, acclaimed consultant for SEX AND THE CITY and co-author of "He’s Just Not That into You" (now a major motion picture set to hit theaters on February 6, 2009), will address one couple’s major issues each week and use his practical and funny relationship expertise to give them the tools to fix theirs. The reality series will air on Thursdays at 11:00 p.m., beginning January 8. GREG BEHRENDT'S WAKE-UP CALL will also kick off SOAPnet’s "Sugar-Free Valentines," a six-week programming event beginning on January 8 that is dedicated to the fun and romance surrounding Valentine’s Day without the sweet, gooey center. Behrendt will also host a series of interstitials throughout the event, providing his no-nonsense approach to relationships. BEING ERICA follows the life of 32-year-old Erica Strange, a highly educated, underachieving single woman who struggles to understand why her life is heading nowhere and why she has not found her right path "yet." She’s made years of bad decisions and has a list of regrets several pages long as a result. Enter Dr. Tom, a mysterious man who is part therapist and part rogue. In each episode he enables Erica to go back in time and re-live an event from her past that caused regret. This time she makes different choices and, in return, gains a new perspective that helps her with her present day life. The show stars newcomer Erin Karpluk (Erica), Michael Riley (Dr. Tom) and Tyron Leitso (Ethan). The one-hour series, created by Emmy-Award winning writer Jana Sinyor, is executive-produced by Sinyor, Aaron Martin, Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier, and is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The series has been picked up for 13 episodes and will premiere in Spring 2009. SOUTHERN BELLES (working title) follows the lives of five single, modern Southern women in their 20s and 30s and gives an intimate look at the professional and romantic lives of this circle of friends. Currently shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, the series has been picked up for ten one-hour episodes. The series is produced by Endemol USA (EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, DEAL OR NO DEAL, BIG BROTHER) in association with ABC Media Productions (formerly Buena Vista Productions). David Goldberg is president and CEO of Endemol USA. Joe Livecchi serves as executive producer.

24th Annual Artios Awards Tonight

1 The 24th Annual Artios Awards, which honor excellence in casting, will be presented tonight by the Casting Society of America in coast-to-coast ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and Caroline's on Broadway in New York. Producer Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Group, will receive the New York Apple Award at the New York Awards, and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will be honored with the Career Achievement Award and Mali Finn with the Hoyt Boyers Award in Los Angeles. Guest presenters in New York include Jesse L. Martin, Gretchen Mol, James Naughton, Kristin Schall, Paolo Szot, the cast of the Off-Broadway play Black Watch, Van Hansis (Luke, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Jake Silbermann (Noah, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Bryan Batt, Jason Biggs (ex-Pete, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Robert Buckley, Danny Burstein, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., Gavin Lee, Norm Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Jesse L. Martin, Alan Menken, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sherie Renee Scott and Michael Urie. The nominees for best casting in a Daytime Series are: ALL MY CHILDREN Judy Blye Wilson AS THE WORLD TURNS Mary Clay Boland DAYS OF OUR LIVES Marnie Saitta GENERAL HOSPITAL Mark Teschner GUIDING LIGHT Rob Decina The Artios Awards were established in 1985 by the Casting Society of America to "recognize the significance of casting to the success of a movie, television or theatrical production and are given on the criteria of originality, creativity and the contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project."

Grant Aleksander Returns to GUIDING LIGHT

1 Soap Opera Weekly is reporting that Grant Aleksander will return to GUIDING LIGHT as Phillip Granville Spaulding in January 2009. "I love the show very much. I always have, and when I left [in November 2004], I tried to make it clear that there were no hard feelings," Aleksander,49, tells Soap Opera Weekly. For more from Aleksander and how GL got him back, pick up the Nov. 25 issues of Weekly and Soap Opera Digest. Aleksander had played Phillip on and off since December 1982. During off times from GUIDING LIGHT, he also played D.J. on CAPITOL and Alec on ALL MY CHILDREN. He was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor at the Daytime Emmy Awards three straight years from 2003 to 2005.