News Brief

Paper Magazine: Soap Opera Digest is not usually a place one expects to find evidence of social progress, but recently the magazine has been an unexpected forum for gay rights in America. The weekly poll of fans’ favorite couples from each daytime drama has chosen a new couple from "As the World Turns." The couple is a classic soap pairing. Young and gorgeous, they’ve been through a lot -- a secret crush, a messy triangle, a disapproving father and a bedside hospital scene (“Why can’t I move my legs?”). Business as usual in Soaptown, USA? Yes, except that the lovers in question are both college boys.

TV Guide Canada: Nelson Branco names his "Soapers of the Year."

Soap Opera Digest: Video: Steve Burton (Jason, GH) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli, GH) flew across the country last weekend to meet with more than 400 eager fans in New Jersey. Digest's Bryan Beckley was on hand to chat with the duo before their event.

Detroit News: Since 1981, James Reynolds has starred as Abe Carver on NBC's "Days of Our Lives," certainly logging more hours on TV than most actors can ever dream of. Admired worldwide for his humanitarian and charitable efforts, Reynolds has received numerous awards for his work in front of the camera and within communities that have special needs. As busy as he is with "Days" and other TV guest appearances, he and his wife, actress Lissa Layng, own and operate the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena, Calif. Reynolds, a former Marine who served in Vietnam, is also active in the USO Celebrity Education Program.

Bossip: For those of you wanting to see more of former "Days of our Lives" actor Marcus Patrick, now's your chance. Playgirl has billed him as "CSI's Marcus Patrick" although his most significant role has been on DAYS. The uncropped cover and rest of the spread is over at Bossip.

GenerationQ: Society is never as it seems in State's Evidence, now available on DVD. The cast are not too bad overall and regular readers will know actor Drew Tyler Bell from "The Bold and The Beautiful." Alex Vega best known for her role in Spy Kids certainly grows up to take on this role. While in some parts this film will raise more questions than answers, it is a harsh look at the lives of high school kids that we may chose to ignore.

Metro: It seems former "Emmerdale" star Samantha Giles is heading to "Hollyoaks." Samantha, who played Bernice Blackstock in the ITV1 soap until 2002, will apparently take over from ex-"EastEnders" actress Jacqueline Leonard to replace party-loving Vivien Holden, who is mother to Lauren and Danny Valentine. A show insider told Digital Spy: "She's the sort of mother that every child dreads. Viv still thinks she's a teenager and dresses accordingly. "It'll be fun to see what she gets up to - and who she gets involved with."

Playbill: Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, most recently on Broadway in the late August Wilson's Radio Golf, will star in the West Coast premiere of As Much As You Can. Pinkins played Heather Dalton on "As The World Turns" in the mid-80s and more recently seen as Livia Frye on "All My Children."

New York Times: Mitch Longley, former “Another World” and “Port Charles” actor, remembers that day in Rowayton 24 years ago when hundreds of friends, relatives and well-wishers from the community gave him a surprise 18th birthday party and presented him a Buick, wrapped in a bow, that he could drive on his own, with his hands. He rolled through the cheering crowd on his wheelchair, hoisted his body into the driver’s seat, pulled each leg into place, started the engine and cried, calling thank you over and over again to everyone. “That was sort of the moment that changed everything,” said Mr. Longley, 42, in a recent phone interview from his Santa Monica bungalow.

CBS: She’s conquered the great white way having starred in such acclaimed Broadway shows like, “The Lion King” and “Dreamgirls.” Now, Chauntee Schuler has blown into Oakdale ["As The World Turns"] as Bonnie McKechnie -- the daughter of Duncan and Jessica -- a lawyer looking to settle down in town. " I'm really looking forward to giving Bonnie a new spin. I think the last time Bonnie was seen in Oakdale, she was very young and kind of a spoiled brat. She had a lot of money and she had a lot of time on her hands. Bonnie returns changed. A lot of things have happened to her to alter her lifestyle, we're going to get a much more mature Bonnie."

Soap Opera Digest: Devin Owens writes about his experience covering the first-ever Soap Cruise last month: "On the third day of the cruise, we would be docking on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, so I was anxious to check out the Mayan ruins of Tulum. It was just my luck that I found out that Christian [J. LeBlanc] wanted to do the same thing, so we bought our excursion tickets on the ship, then agreed to meet the next day."

MarlenaDeLacroix.com: "As The World Turns" Returnee Scott Bryce: Why is ATWT Wasting This Multifaceted Talent?