2008 Bideawee StarPet Luncheon

1 AS THE WORLD TURNS legend Eileen Fulton and singer Roberta Flack posed for a picture at today's 2008 Bideawee StarPet Luncheon at The Edison Ballroom in New York City. Also in attendance were former ANOTHER WORLD and ONE LIFE TO LIVE star Linda Dano, Ivana Trump and Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Fulton was the Honorary Chair of the event. Montel Williams hosted. 1 1

PHOTOS: 24th Annual Artios Awards

A current (Van Hansis) and former (Jason Biggs) AS THE WORLD TURNS nominee for Outstanding Younger Actor at the Daytime Emmys are on hand for this evening's 24th Annual Artios Awards ceremony in New York. Stay tuned for the casting award winners.

More Artios Awards Photos: L.A. Edition

1 Several stars showed up for the Los Angeles ceremony as part of the 24th Annual Artios Awards honoring the best in casting. The L.A. event was held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Sandra Oh (Cristina, GREY'S ANATOMY), Joshua Jackson, Elizabeth Shue, Josh Peck, Audra McDonald, Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan, GUIDING LIGHT), Jimmy Smits, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan were among the attendees. Related: AMC's Judy Blye Wilson Wins Artios Award 1 1

35th Annual People's Choice Awards Nominee

The nominees for the 35th Annual People's Choice Awards have been announced and a number of soapy prime time soaps and their actors, along with former daytime actors, have been nominated. Once again daytime soaps have been ignored, even though the show is produced by Telenext Media, the producers of AS THE WORLD TURNS and GUIDING LIGHT. FAVORITE TV DRAMA CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION GREY'S ANATOMY HOUSE M.D. FAVORITE TV COMEDY SAMANTHA WHO? TWO AND A HALF MEN UGLY BETTY FAVORITE MALE TV STAR Patrick Dempsey (GREY'S ANATOMY) Hugh Laurie Charlie Sheen FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR Christina Applegate Sally Field (BROTHERS & SISTERS) Mariska Hargitay FAVORITE TALK SHOW HOST Ellen DeGeneres David Letterman Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, ALL MY CHILDREN) FAVORITE SCENE-STEALING GUEST STAR Luke Perry on LAW & ORDER: SVU Britney Spears on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Robin Williams on LAW & ORDER: SVU FAVORITE TV DRAMA DIVA Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko on SAVING GRACE Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin on WEEDS Kyra Sedgwick (ex-Julia, ANOTHER WORLD) as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on THE CLOSER FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA 90210 CRUSOE EASY MONEY ELEVENTH HOUR FRINGE KNIGHT RIDER LIFE ON MARS THE MENTALIST MY OWN WORST ENEMY PRIVILEGED For a complete list of nominees, including the film and music categories, and to vote visit pcavote.com. The awards will be presented on Jan. 7 in Los Angeles.

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.

Super Soap Weekend Event Schedule

1 The schedule for Super Soap Weekend has been announced. The event takes place November 15-16 at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida). Saturday November 15th Event Schedule SOAP CENTRAL at the ABC Commissary From 8:00am to 8:00pm "ON LOCATION" AUTOGRAPHS 8:00am -- 7:30pm *In order to ensure that each Guest receives an autograph, please limit items to one per person. SUPER SOAP TALK SHOW at the NEW Premiere Theater (located off Streets Of America) Hosted by Bob Guiney 9:00am Family Ties -- Alicia Minshew, Eden Riegel, Brandon Buddy, Kassie DePaiva, Kristen Alderson, Susan Haskell, Julie Marie Berman, Tyler Christopher 11:15am "One Life to Live" -- Bree Williamson, Brittany Underwood, Erika Slezak, Farah Fath, Jason Tam, Kassie DePaiva,Michael Easton, Susan Haskell 1:45pm "All My Children" -- Aiden Turner, Alicia Minshew, Bobbie Eakes, Cameron Mathison, Darnell Williams, Melissa Claire Egan, Ricky Paull Goldin, Thorsten Kaye 4:00pm "General Hospital"-- Greg Vaughan, Jason Thompson, Julie Marie Berman, Kelly Monaco, Kimberly McCullough, Laura Wright, Rebecca Herbst, Tyler Christopher 5:15pm Back By Popular Demand -- Darnell Williams, Eden Riegel, Rebecca Budig, Vincent Irizarry, Bree Williamson, Susan Haskell 6:45pm Heartbreakers -- Aiden Turner, Ricky Paull Goldin, Brandon Buddy, John-Paul Lavoisier, Bradford Anderson, Brandon Barash, Jason Cook, Jason Thompson CASTING CALL presented by COLGATE TOTAL at the NEW Premiere Theater (located off Streets Of America) Hosted by Cameron Mathison 10:15am Aiden Turner, Rebecca Budig 12:30pm Greg Vaughan, Kelly Monaco 3:00pm Brandon Buddy, Kristen Alderson MOTORCADE AND STAR CONVERSATION at Hollywood Boulevard & the Sorcerer's Hat Stage 10:00am "General Hospital" -- Greg Vaughan, Jason Cook, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Kimberly McCullough, Laura Wright, Rebecca Herbst, Tyler Christopher 11:00am "All My Children" -- Bobbie Eakes, Darnell Williams, Eden Riegel, Ricky Paull Goldin, Vincent Irizarry 12:00pm "All My Children" -- Susan Lucci Hosted by Sherri Shepherd of "The View 1:15pm "One Life to Live" -- Erika Slezak Hosted by Sherri Shepherd of "The View" 1:45pm "One Life to Live"-- Brandon Buddy, Brittany Underwood, Farah Fath, John-Paul Lavoisier, Jason Tam, Kristen Alderson 4:00pm "All My Children" -- Aiden Turner, Alicia Minshew, Cameron Mathison, Melissa Claire Egan, Rebecca Budig, Thorsten Kaye 5:15pm "General Hospital"-- Bradford Anderson, Brandon Barash, Jason Cook, Julie Marie Berman, Kirsten Storms 6:15pm "One Life to Live" -- Bree Williamson, Kassie DePaiva, Michael Easton, Susan Haskell COLGATE TOTAL TRIPLE PLAY GAME SHOW at Theater Of The Stars Hosted by John-Paul Lavoisier 9:30am Vincent Irizarry, Farah Fath, Kirsten Storms 10:45am Melissa Claire Egan, Kristen Alderson, Greg Vaughan 12:00pm Ricky Paull Goldin, Brandon Buddy, Bradford Anderson GRAND MOTORCADE up Hollywood Boulevard 7:45pm - followed by - COLGATE TOTAL STREET JAM at the Sorcerer's Hat Stage Hosted by Cameron Mathison and Sherri Shepherd Musical Performances by ABC Daytime Soap Stars, followed by a Star-Studded Finale Sunday, November 16th Event Schedule SOAP CENTRAL at the ABC Commissary From 8:00am to 8:00pm "ON LOCATION" AUTOGRAPHS 8:00am -- 7:30pm SUPER SOAP TALK SHOW at the NEW Premiere Theater (located off Streets Of America) Hosted by Bob Guiney 9:00am Rivals -- Alicia Minshew, Rebecca Budig, Kassie DePaiva, Susan Haskell, Kelly Monaco, Rebecca Herbst CASTING CALL presented by COLGATE TOTAL at the NEW Premiere Theater (located off Streets Of America) Hosted by Cameron Mathison 10:15am Ricky Paull Goldin, Melissa Claire Egan 12:30pm Bradford Anderson, Kirsten Storms 3:00pm John-Paul Lavoisier, Farah Fath MOTORCADE AND STAR CONVERSATION at Hollywood Boulevard & the Sorcerer's Hat Stage 9:45am "General Hospital" -- Bradford Anderson, Brandon Barash, Jason Cook, Julie Marie Berman, Kirsten Storms 10:45am "All My Children" -- Bobbie Eakes, Darnell Williams, Eden Riegel, Ricky Paull Goldin, Vincent Irizarry 12:15pm "One Life to Live" -- Erika Slezak Hosted by Sherri Shepherd of "The View" 12:45pm "One Life to Live" -- Bree Williamson, Kassie DePaiva, Michael Easton, Susan Haskell 1:45pm "General Hospital" -- Greg Vaughan, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Kimberly McCullough, Laura Wright, Rebecca Herbst, Tyler Christopher 4:00pm "All My Children" -- Aiden Turner, Alicia Minshew, Cameron Mathison, Melissa Claire Egan, Rebecca Budig, Thorsten Kaye 5:15pm "One Life to Live" -- Brandon Buddy, Brittany Underwood, Farah Fath, Jason Tam, Kristen Alderson 6:15pm Men We Love -- Aiden Turner, Darnell Williams, Ricky Paull Goldin, Thorsten Kaye, Brandon Buddy, John-Paul Lavoisier, Michael Easton, Brandon Barash, Greg Vaughan, Tyler Christopher Hosted by Sherri Shepherd COLGATE TOTAL TRIPLE PLAY GAME SHOW at Theater of The Stars Hosted by John-Paul Lavoisier 9:30am Aiden Turner, Bree Williamson, Tyler Christopher 10:45am Rebecca Budig, Susan Haskell, Laura Wright 12:00pm Bobbie Eakes, Brittany Underwood, Brandon Barash GRAND MOTORCADE up Hollywood Boulevard 7:45pm - followed by - COLGATE TOTAL STREET JAM at the Sorcerer's Hat Stage Hosted by Cameron Mathison and Sherri Shepherd Musical Performances by ABC Daytime Soap Stars, followed by a Star-Studded Finale *All outdoor performances weather permitting. *Talent and individual schedules subject to change without notice. *Check event information locations for the latest updates. 11:15am Schemers -- Melissa Claire Egan, Thorsten Kaye, Vincent Irizarry, Bree Williamson, Kassie DePaiva, Kelly Monaco, Kirsten Storms 1:45pm "One Life to Live" -- Brandon Buddy, Brittany Underwood, Erika Slezak, Farah Fath, Jason Tam, Kristen Alderson 4:00pm "General Hospital" -- Bradford Anderson, Brandon Barash, Greg Vaughan, Jason Cook, Jason Thompson, Julie Marie Berman, Kimberly McCullough, Laura Wright 5:15pm "All My Children" -- Aiden Turner, Alicia Minshew, Bobbie Eakes, Eden Riegel, Ricky Paull Goldin, Thorsten Kaye, Vincent Irizarry 6:45pm Love Stories -- Aiden Turner, Cameron Mathison, Rebecca Budig, Farah Fath, John-Paul Lavoisier, Bradford Anderson, Kirsten Storms

REVIEW: Jason Biggs in Howard Korder's "Boys' Life"

1 On Friday night, I went to see Howard Korder's "Boys' Life," the 1988 stunted-adolescence play starring Jason Biggs (ex-Pete, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and Rhys Coiro (ENTOURAGE) at the Second Stage Theatre in New York. From 1995 to 2000, Biggs was the only male actor on AS THE WORLD TURNS to receive an Emmy nomination. Biggs is probably best known for starring in American Pie and its sequels. Some think of him as an actor who is best suited for the type of frat boy roles that have made him famous. He's moved away from that in recent years, but in "Boys' Life" he revisits that to some degree. The play is the story of three friends who are in a kind of prolonged adolescence. he "boys'" present variations of their efforts to balance their conflicting yearning to grow up but also hang on to their schoolboy way of relating to each other and women. Biggs plays the needy Phil and has a number of hilarious sequences during the show including a wonderful bedroom scene at the beginning at a party given by Jack and his wife. The funniest moment though came in a scene between Peter Scanavino's Don, who seems most ready to grow up, and a whacky girl he has a one night stand with, which risks his budding romance and move into adulthood. There are lulls in the action and not all the dialogue is crisp or engaging. One of the most interesting parts of the show is the set changes that happen between scenes. The rotating sets moved around by the cast are amazingly well done. The show closes on Sunday so go see it if you can. But I suspect we will continue to see "Boys' Life" performed for years to come. As for Biggs, his career is still shining bright. He has the acting chops and comedic timing to last a long time in this business. GRADE: C+

REVIEW: Karl Girolamo in "The Last Days of Judas Escariot"

1 Last night I finally saw Karl Girolamo (Kevin, AS THE WORLD TURNS) in "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" at Pianos Bar & Grill in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Should Judas Iscariot, Jesus Christ's duplicitous disciple continue to languish in Hell, or can a case be made for his redemption? Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis seems to think that this sinner should at least be given another hearing. To explore the redeemability of this infamous betrayer, Guirgis has envisioned a courtroom in a corner of Purgatory called Hope. To represent the comatose Judas (Nikhil Vaid), he's created a sexy defense attorney named Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (Shannon Connolly) who presents a petition signed by God to the ill-tempered Civil War era presiding judge. She challenges Judge Littlefield's unsympathetic view of Judas with "Your Honor, are you a citizen of Heaven?" Her comeback to his defensive "my papers are pending" is that his papers have been pending for a hundred and forty years and that he's farther than ever from the call of the truth about hanging himself from a tree on a Georgia battlefield. And so the legal maneuverings between the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth versus Judas Iscariot begins. Cunningham's opponent is a womanizing prosecutor named Yusef El-Fayoumy (David Zappacosta) and the next several hours bring a parade of witnesses. But don't expect a somber, period drama trial. While Guirgis' dialogue is often poetic, it is a poetry couched in contemporary hip-hop street talk with the deeper thematic concerns often presented as laughter-inducing monologues -- for example, the first testimony from Saint Monica (Ayana Bey), "heaven's nag" with a decidedly hip and down-to-earth vocabulary. She relates how she descended from her saintly perch to "check out" Judas for herself and, after convincing herself of his remorse, "went back home and got on the horn with God." Other colorful personalities parading in and out of Littlefield's court are Satan (Roger Casey), Sigmund Freud (Dustin Fontaine) and Pontius Pilate (Girolamo). Girolamo and Casey really stole the show for me. As Pilate and Satan, they had hilarious testimonies that had the audience in stitches. Girolamo played a street thug version of Pontius Pilate with incredible intensity and humor and showed an unbelievable range. This Blacklisted Productions show closes tonight with a show at 7pm, and if you are in the area, check it out. Michael Liscio Jr.'s full scale directing debut is a successful one and I suspect we will be seeing him more in the future. GRADE: B+

The Latest in Soap Videos: I Wanna Be a Pop Star Edition

In this installment of "The Latest in Soap Videos," we take a look back at some of the memorable musical performances of daytime stars. I have limited this look back to eight, but a number of other pop stars (and wannabees) have passed through or are currently starring on soaps including AS THE WORLD TURNS' Lauryn Hill, Martha Byrne and Kristina Sisco; ALL MY CHILDREN's Bobbie Eakes and Jacob Young; ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Kassie DePaiva; and GENERAL HOSPITAL's Jonathan Jackson. RONN MOSS: I never get tired of watching the "Baby Come Back" video from the group Player. THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL actor still goes on the road with his old band playing bass. The song spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts in 1977. Moss has played Ridge on B&B since the show's debut in 1987. DARNELL WILLIAMS: I also never get tired of giving my friend, Darnell Williams, a hard time about "Better Man" off his 1983 album, Pure Satisfaction," and especially about the high note he hits at the end. Lucky for us, Darnell has come back to ALL MY CHILDREN full-time and hopefully another Daytime Emmy is in his future. RICK SPRINGFIELD: What would a look at soap opera music stars be without Rick Springfield. In the early 80s, he was thrilling daytime audiences on GENERAL HOSPITAL and topping the charts with songs like "Jessie's Girl." Most people don't realize though that Springfield had been making music for more than a decade when he finally achieved his biggest success. "Speak to the Sky" went to #14 on the Billboard pop charts for Springfield in 1972. JACK WAGNER: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL star took "All I Need" to #2 in early 1985 when he was 25 (and starring as Frisco on GENERAL HOSPITAL). He never matched that success on the pop charts with follow up "Lady of My Heart" only making it to #76 and "Too Young" peaking at #52. He did have a Top 15 Adult Contemporary hit with "Love Can Take Us All The Way" in 1986. KYLIE MINOGUE: During a Fitzroy Football Club benefit concert with other NEIGHBOURS cast members, Minogue performed "The Loco-motion" and was signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records in 1987. That song ended up going to #3 on the US pop charts in 1988. On NEIGHBOURS, Minogue played Charlene Mitchell, a garage mechanic. JESSE MCCARTNEY: Before he became a pop sensation, McCartney starred as J.R. on ALL MY CHILDREN. In the late 90s he was part of the pop boy band Dream Street. He eventually went solo and has enjoyed success both as a singer and actor. Here is the video for "Leavin'" off his latest album, "Departure." MICHAEL DAMIAN: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS used to have these wonderfully cheesey rock concerts in the 80s featuring Danny and Lauren and others. His 1989 cover of David Essex's "Rock On" went to #1 on the pop charts. He had two follow up singles that reached the top 30. Damian was discovered by Y&R producers at age 17 while performing on AMERICAN BANDSTAND. RICKY MARTIN: At the age of 13, Martin auditioned for the third time and become a member of the band Menudo, a manufactured Latin pop group composed of young Puerto Rican adolescent musicians who were rotated out of the group as they advanced into their teen years. After graduating from high school, he went solo and began releasing albums. He also landed the role of Miguel Morez on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Since leaving GH, Martin has achieved much success on the pop and latin charts and had a run in "Les Miserables" on Broadway.

Soap Stars At Armaan Swiss Watches Launch Party

1 DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Darin Brooks and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Kyle Lowder attended the Armaan Swiss Watches Launch Party yesterday in Beverly Hills.

GH's Roche Hosts Angels of East Africa Event

1 GENERAL HOSPITAL's Sebastian Roche hosted the Angels Of East Africa Celebrity Charity Event at Social Hollywood on Friday in Los Angeles. Here he is pictured with Richard Fields and Rv. Sam Childs. Angels of East Africa is a Children’s Village for orphans located in South Sudan dedicated to the rescue, restoration, and enablement of children caught in the crossfire of the rebel atrocities in the area. Founded by an unorthodox American pastor from Pennsylvania named Sam Childers, the organization has been operating for a decade, saving the lives of hundreds of children and renewing hope in a region where it had all but vanished. Specifically and most notoriously, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), led by the spiritist warlord Joseph Kony, is culpable for the heinous crimes that plague the region. The threat of attack at the orphanage is a daily reality, but Sam Childers and his team refuse to let the LRA terrorize the children they have worked so hard to rescue and protect. Children’s Village is the only orphanage in South Sudan that refuses to move or retreat amidst increased rebel attacks or incidents of war. The more than 200 children at the property found their path to shelter in many different ways. Some were brought to the property after they lost their parents to disease. Others walked hours or even days from recently attacked villages, passing out literally as they approached the orphanage gate. Most of the children, however, were rescued by the soldiers and staff from Children’s Village after witnessing the murder of their parents or being abducted by rebel groups. Every child’s story is a bit different, but a common thread binds them all; after experiencing what could only be described as hell on earth, they are eventually rescued by the soldiers and staff at Children’s Village. In a valiant effort that places even their own lives on the line, this devoted staff experiences life every day with these children in order to resurrect hope in their hearts. Sam sees Children’s Village as a mission that gives purpose to his life. He would like to see more people join that mission. "A lot of times we might help someone a little bit, but I'm talking about really saving a life. Most of us have never done that. And if the American people would only learn to really save a life, it would change their own [lives]. I know, because it has [changed] mine."

PREVIEW: Tonight's DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION

1 When The N issued a press release back in September about the new students on Season 8 of DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION, one stood out for me: Riley Stavros - Grade 12 (18-years-old): Riley seems to have it all -- he's attractive and he's the star football player. But behind his apparent charm, dry humor and self-confidence, there's a potentially angry young man who harbors a big secret. Riley feels he can beat this thing with the same kind of determination he has brought to his weight training and football playing. But when Riley meets Peter, he questions if he can he be friends with this guy or would it be wiser to back away altogether? On tonight's episode, "Man With Two Hearts," we find out more about Riley as he shares a kiss with Peter Stone (Jamie Johnston).

OLTL’s Todd and Marty: Way Beyond Merely “Disgusting”

1 Marlena De Lacroix weighs in on this week's ONE LIFE TO LIVE where Marty had sex with her former rapist, Todd. "If you care about soaps, this story is way, way beyond disgusting. And if you are still trying to figure exactly out why they are dying, come with me and have a long look at this story in the context of soap history." Read the entire blog entry here.

Conscious Living Radio with Catherine Hickland

Conscious Living Radio with Catherine Hickland the Heartbreak Kid herself will premiere on Sunday, Novmeber 9th at 8pm EST. Actress, speaker and author Catherine Hickland will be your Host and friend in her first radio show installment. Cat's new book "The 30 Day Heartbreak Cure," which is being released on December 30th, will generate the life topics of your choice, but relationship topics are featured. The only thing you have to do dear friends, is tune in. You are invited to call in with any questions about whatever is on your mind. If it's personal, you do not have to give your name. You are also invited to type in a question. This show is to learn new things about ourselves and others, and most important, to have fun and make new friends. Website: Conscious Living Radio with Catherine Hickland

Sam's Club Announces Exclusive Holiday Shopping Event

Sam's Club is offering several exclusive and one-of-a-kind holiday gifts online at samsclub.com this year that are also featured in its gift guide. For the soap fan this holiday Sam's Club and Secret(R) Flawless are offering a speaking role on AS THE WORLD TURNS in New York City and a Critics' Choice Awards Experience in Los Angeles, $13,500. For the Twilight book series fan, Sam's Club is offering a spellbinding experience to attend the Twilight World Movie Premiere in Los Angeles. This package costs $9,500 and includes an opportunity for purchaser to meet the cast, filmmakers and creators. For the race car enthusiast with a green conscious, there's the first electric super car by Hybrid Technologies, at $100,000.

Company 81 Launch Party

1 90210's Adam Gregory co-hosted Company 81's red carpet launch last night at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica, filled with celebs, clothing, cocktails and music. Company 81's stylish and laid back look puts a fresh spin on sporty designs -- with comfortable prices to boot. The brand's cool tees, button-downs, polos and hoodies are fashion faves of THE HILLS' Spencer Pratt, Frankie Delgado and Jason Wahler, and worn by Aaron Carter, Brendon Urie and Jason Castro. Gregory's 90210 co-star, Jessica Lowndes, was in attendance as was former ONE LIFE TO LIVE star Ty Treadway and his wife, Monica.

Daytime Nielsen Ratings For Week of Oct. 27-31, 2008

From the ABC ratings release: * For the first time in the show's 12 year history, "The View" ranked as Daytime's No. 1 program in Women 18-49 (1.5 rating/963,000 - tied on rating), and extended its streak of placing among the Top 3 programs in Total Viewers to six straight weeks (No. 3 - 4.33 million). * Driven by "The View's" record performance, ABC stood as Daytime's No. 1 network in Women 18-49 (1.3 rating/890,000 - tied on rating). * For the second consecutive week, "The View" delivered its largest Total Viewer audience in the show's history (4.33 million). * Mirroring last week's outcome, Wednesday's (4.47 million) and Monday's (4.43 million) telecasts rank among "The View's" Top 10 most-watched ever in Total Viewers. * "The View" set another record, as every telecast this week delivered more than four million Total Viewers: Monday (4.43 million), Tuesday (4.21 million), Wednesday (4.47 million), Thursday (4.15 million) and Friday (4.37 million). * Powered by record deliveries in the past two weeks, season to date "The View" widened its lead over year-ago levels to 14% in Total Viewers, or by an substantial 500,000 (4.03 million vs. 3.53 million). * In Women 18-34, all ABC programs placed among Daytime's Top 5: "General Hospital" (No. 1T - 362,000/1.1 rating), "The View" (No. 3 - 347,000/1.0 rating), "One Life to Live" (No. 5T - 284,000/0.8 rating) and "All My Children" (No. 5T - 267,000/0.8 rating). * In Women 18-49, ABC owned 3 of Daytime's Top 5 programs with "General Hospital" (No. 1T - 983,000/1.5 rating), "The View" (No. 1T - 963,000/1.5 rating), "One Life to Live" (No. 4T - 842,000/1.3 rating). Daytime Rank: Total Viewers Women 18-49 (Rtg/000s) No. 1 CBS 3.38 million No. 1 ABC 1.3/890,000 (+12,000) No. 2 ABC 3.11 million No. 1 NBC 1.3/833,000 (-100,000) No. 3 NBC 2.71 million No. 3 CBS 1.0/687,000 (-70,000) Top 5 Daytime Programs in Women 18-49 (rank based on rating):Program Net Rtg/000s The Young & the Restless CBS 1.5/987,000 (-63,000) General Hospital ABC 1.5/983,000 (+101,000) The View ABC 1.5/963,000 (-4,000) One Life to Live ABC 1.3/842,000 (+24,000) Days of Our Lives NBC 1.3/833,000 (-100,000) Source: NTI, Live + Same Day, Current Week of 10/26/08; "The View" season to date: 9/22/08-10/31/08. All ranks are based on rating unless otherwise noted; program percent changes based on 000s.)