Evening News

Soap Watch: Haskell Comes Home to Llanview
On what enticed her to return: "I trusted Frank and I knew that Ron [Carlivati, head writer] was back in charge, and I quite like him. And I knew that he was aware of the character. That was one of the concerns about the previous head writer [Dena Higley]. She really didn’t seem to. But you know, I feel safe there and it’s not my first time around, so if I’ve got questions or ideas, we’ll all just figure them out together. But the amnesia part sounded good to me. They said I’d be working with Trevor [St. John] and Michael [Easton, John McBain] and that also sounded good to me."

On the length of her stay: "I have a certain time that we’ve agreed to, but it’s still a little flexible in the end. As far as story line, though, I really don’t know. I just know what it was coming back for and that was kind of interesting to me. The whole amnesia thing is kind of fun. I asked Frank when he was going to send me information on what Marty had been up to and he said, ''Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. She doesn’t remember.’' Okay! Great! You don’t even know how much help that was for me."

OLTL Celebrates No. 40 with Blasts from the Past
Michael Logan from TV Guide reports: Long before Passions came along, One Life to Live was daytime's wildest soap — especially back in the Reagan era, when Viki (Erika Slezak) had an out-of-body experience during brain surgery and wound up on a space ship to heaven. To celebrate the ABC soap's 40th anniversary next month, OLTL head writer Ron Carlivati will revisit that celestial 1987 plot by having Viki die — just momentarily, of course! — in a car crash.

"This time, heaven will be a very modern high-rise — Viki will go up the elevator floor by floor, encountering all sorts of dead characters along the way," said Carlivati. Among the former stars making angelic returns are Phil Carey (Asa), Mark Derwin (Ben), Stephen Markle (Mel) and Jessica Tuck (Megan). OLTL's legendary creator, Agnes Nixon, will also appear in heaven.

That's not all. Carlivati will redo the famous '80s plot where Tina (Andrea Evans) survived a plunge over the Iguazú Falls in Argentina, only this time, creepy Carlo (Thom Christopher) will force Tina to watch in horror as he sends her daughter Sarah (Justis Bolding) over a waterfall in Mendorra. Fan favorite John Loprieno will return as Tina's ex-hubby, Cord.

And remember the time Clint (Clint Ritchie) was knocked unconscious and time-traveled to the Wild West? Carlivati will riff on that plot, too. "Bo (Robert S. Woods) and Rex (John-Paul Lavoisier) are hit by lightning and wake up in 1968 — the same year OLTL hit the air," Carlivati says. The kicker: Bo has become his pop, Asa, and Rex has become the young Bo.

All three homages air July 21–22, but the Bo-Rex twist will play out for several weeks, maybe with dire consequences. Says Carlivati: "If they can't find their way back to the future, Rex will be drafted and sent to Vietnam."

AMC casts Petey Cortlandt
Soap Opera Digest is reporting newcomer Daniel Kennedy has landed the recurring role of Petey Cortlandt on AMC. Petey, the son of Opal and Palmer, will return on July 11. Mitchel Federan last played the part in 2002.

BLOG UPDATE: DAYS Headwriter Dena Higley
"I had a crappy week at work. I don’t know how else to describe it. For anyone who thinks I just make stuff up for DAYS and it’s perfectly realized on the TV screen, I’ve got a flash for you… I strike out more than I hit. So many times I’ll work out a story only to have it axed. It’s not that I think I’m always right. But sometimes the rejection and the sense of 'fighting City Hall' is just exhausting emotionally, physically and (worst of all) mentally."

Liveblogging ATWT: Guess who's coming to dinner?
"Come on, come on ... where are the gay breakup fireworks? No, we watch the girls pack for camp. Ooooh boy. Riveting."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Felicity La Fortune
Off the Boat Productions presents a by-invitation-only reading of the screenplay "Curvalicious" on June 16th at Chelsea Art Museum. Written by Florina Rodov and directed by Caitlin Moon, the reading boasts the talents of Carly Jibson, Felicity La Fortune and Seth Kirschner. La Fortune is familiar to television audiences for her work on ALL MY CHILDREN and RYAN'S HOPE.

Hunter Tylo joins forces with the American Epilepsy Outreach Foundation in Public Awareness Campaign
The newly organized American EpilepsyOutreach Foundation (AEOF), epilepsyoutreach.org, has joined forces with Hunter Tylo in a nationwide campaign toraise awareness of seizure disorders and to educate the public on first-aid tips for someone experiencing a seizure.

"My 19-year-old son, Mickey died this past fall of 2007 after suffering aseizure. It rendered him unconscious and he fell into our pool and drowned. Noone heard a thing and there were people around -- it was a silent killer. Irealized then how little people know about this disorder that affects somany," said Hunter Tylo of CBS soap THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, who also serves as national spokesperson for AEOF.