From Soap Operas to Stardom: Celebrities’ Journey to Success

We all know that it can be extremely challenging to break onto the Hollywood scene. Los Angeles is filled with hopeful actors waiting to make their big break — but they can’t just sit back and wait for the opportunity to come to them. The road to fame requires a lot of hard work, including work to pay the bills while you audition and fight for roles.

In fact, some of the biggest names in Hollywood today started out working odd jobs to make ends meet. Did you know that Brad Pitt worked as a fast food restaurants chicken mascot? Or that Mark Consuelos was a roadie and exotic dancer before settling into his role on All My Children?

Luckily, these stars didn’t have to work regular jobs for too long before making their way to the small-screen with roles in some of your favorite soap operas. From there, they catapulted their careers and have become some of the most well-known actors in the industry. The team at Hola looked at the journey to stardom for actors like Pitt, Consuelos and more, and their humble beginnings, their start on soap operas, and when they caught their first big break.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: Dark Shadows' Barnabas attacked a woman trying to save him.
1983: General Hospital's Heather was arrested.
1985: Days of our Lives' Bo & Hope decided to lope.
1988: All My Children's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: Dark Shadows' Barnabas attacked a woman trying to save him.
1983: General Hospital's Heather was arrested.
1985: Days of our Lives' Bo & Hope decided to lope.
1988: All My Children's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: Dark Shadows' Barnabas attacked a woman trying to save him.
1983: General Hospital's Heather was arrested.
1985: Days of our Lives' Bo & Hope decided to lope.
1988: All My Children's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

Ken Corday, Eva Longoria Among Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2017

Ken Corday

Days of our Lives executive producer Ken Corday, former The Young and the Restless actress Eva Longoria, late singer Selena Quintanilla, Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel, singer John Legend and actors Chris Pratt, Amy Adams and Hugh Laurie were among those announced today as the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s class of 2017.

The honorees were selected to receive stars on the legendary walk from among hundreds of nominations submitted to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Walk of Fame Selection Committee. The recipients were chosen by the committee and ratified by the chamber’s Board of Directors.

Honorees in their respective Walk of Fame categories are:

'Devious Maids' Season 4 Premieres Tonight (June Spoilers)

Judy Reyes and Susan Lucci star in season 4 of Devious Maids,
premiering Monday, June 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
Photo by Annette Brown Copyright 2016

Season 4 of Lifetime drama Devious Maids premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Below is a preview of the June episodes of the hit primetime soap opera.

Monday, June 6 ("Once More Unto the Bleach")
Lives are changed forever following the explosion at the Powell mansion.  

Monday, June 13 "Another One Wipes the Dust")
Rosie finds herself entangled in the aftermath of the latest murder in Beverly Hills. Marisol makes a shocking discovery about Genevieve. Carmen worries about her ability to control Daniela when she begins displaying a wild streak. Meanwhile, Zoila becomes uneasy after discovering her neighbor’s relationship with his mother is a little too close for comfort. Evelyn's desire to move on from Adrian has her reaching new lows.

Monday, June 20 ("War and Grease")
Genevieve’s war on Marisol is taken to new heights. Carmen attempts to be "friends" with Daniela, but struggles when Danni's behavior spirals out of control. Zoila's friendship with Frances continues to build. Adrian cuts off Evelyn's funding, throwing a wrench into her plans to divorce him. Meanwhile, Rosie and Jesse have a new visitor to deal with.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: Dark Shadows' Barnabas attacked a woman trying to save him.
1983: General Hospital's Heather was arrested.
1985: Days of our Lives' Bo & Hope decided to lope.
1988: All My Children's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

NEWS: Susan Lucci, Lawrence Saint-Victor, Eva Longoria, Sean Whitesell, Alison King, Don Stewart, Matthew Morrison, Kerry Washington, Sherilyn Fenn

Eva Longoria

Is Telenovela based on Eva Longoria's soap opera experience?
Longoria says that Telenovela, airing Monday nights on NBC, draws from her time on The Young and the Restless. But she connects with her character, Ana Sofia, in other ways too. “As a Mexican-American, I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish, so I was kind of shunned by my community,” says the Desperate Housewives alum. “Then in the American community, they were like, ‘Oh, you’re the Mexican,’ so I really never fit anywhere. And that’s exactly how Ana Sofia feels.”

Burgess Jenkins bids farewell to The Young and the Restless
Jenkins has left the role of Billy Abbott, which will be played by Jason Thompson started next week.

Jenkins wrote a short and sweet goodbye tweet on Friday: "Farewell GC, thanks for the memories! #YR"

Susan Lucci hopes Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis doesn't lose another 12 NFL playoff games before notching his first postseason victory with the Bengals
After losing to Houston in 2012, Lewis said he was starting to feel like Lucci, who was nominated 19 times before winning her first Daytime Emmy Award for Best Actress in her role as Erica Kane on All My Children.

Three seasons later, Lewis and his Bengals host Pittsburgh on Saturday as the coach looks to avoid an NFL-record seventh straight postseason defeat.

"I hope he doesn't go 12 more years before he wins a playoff game," Lucci said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, and she wasn't joking. "I certainly hope the best for him. I'm sure he has a similar feeling to what I had - how do you do your work better and grow?"

The Bold and the Beautiful's Lawrence Saint-Victor to guest star on BET's Zoe Ever After
Saint-Victor, who plays Forrester Creations attorney Carter Walton, is slated to appear in two episodes of Zoe Ever After as Stephen Hawthorne, a love interest for the title character, a divorced mother, played by Brandy Norwood. Former The Young and the Restless and General Hospital actor Ignacio Serricchio is a series regular in the role of Miguel.

Saint-Victor's episodes will air on January 26 and February 16.

Sean Whitesell, Producer for Oz, House, The Killing, has passed away at age 52
Sean David Gerard Whitesell, a writer and producer for television shows including HBO’s Oz, CBS’ Cold Case, FOX's House, TNT’s Perception and AMC’s The Killing, died on December 28 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 52.

Coronation Street's Alison King is leaving the British soap for good to embark on 'new chapter'
King, who has played Carla Connor since 2006, has finally addressed rumors that she is leaving the soap. Speaking to Radio Times, she confirmed that she has handed in her notice to ITV bosses and is not taking a sabbatical as previously reported.

"It's been put out there that I'm taking a sabbatical, but I'm not," she said.

Don Stewart

A look back at the life of Guiding Light alum Don Stewart, who passed away 10 years ago today
Jerry verDorn played Ross Marler on Guiding Light for more than 20 years, beginning in March 1979. He remembers Don showing kindness to him when he was a newcomer on the show.

“I joined Guiding Light in 1979 and Don had been there for 10 years or more,” verDorn said. “He was very kind to me, a young guy new to New York, and we had many scenes together from 1979 to 1984. We also had much in common as I, too, was a Midwesterner from both Dakotas and Minnesota. He was a terrific guy and wildly popular on the show.”

Tina Sloan played Lillian Raines, whose character was a love interest for Mike Bauer shortly before Stewart left the show in 1984.

“He was lovely to work with,” Sloan recalled. “He cared about appearances. He always took care of his looks. He always was prepared for scenes.”

While on Guiding Light, Don Stewart met his future wife, Susan.

“Don and I met in New York on a blind date with a Navy buddy of his shortly after he joined Guiding Light” she said. “I remember thinking I never heard this line before, ‘I’m an actor on Guiding Light.’ I am a nurse and the next day I asked a patient what she was watching and it turned out to be Guiding Light. There he was. That night I called him to apologize if I was rude and he asked me to dinner — and that was it.”

As the World Turns and Glee alum Matthew Morrison joins The Good Wife
Morrison (ex-Adam, ATWT; ex-Will, Glee) will recur as a U.S. attorney who’s had experience putting four Illinois governors in jail.

Cable aired 750 unscripted shows in primetime last year
That includes 350 brand-new shows premiering in 2015, according to a tally by National Geographic. The 750 unscripted cable shows is 83% higher than the 409 scripted shows on broadcast and cable that FX counted at the end of last year.

Kerry Washington: Olivia Pope is a “changed” woman when Scandal returns from hiatus
“She’s definitely changed,” Washington told critics as the TV press tour. “What happened at the end of the winter finale is a huge decision for her, and she’s a different woman because of it.”

Teen Wolf is bringing back a fan favorite, but as a different character
Crystal Reed won’t return as the late Allison Argent.

Netflix: We’re restoring the Lost series finale's missing 18 minutes
In reaction to news that the 18 minutes were missing, Netflix tweeted: "We are in the middle of correcting now, and will have the uncut version back streaming as soon as possible.” Showrunner Carlton Cuse tweeted in response: "Thank you @Netflix for promising to restore the version we made of the Lost finale to the service."

HBO is close to renewing Game of Thrones for Seasons 7 and 8
A formal announcement is expected soon, according to The Hollywood Reporter, though it’s unclear if this will mark the end of the series. Game of Thrones will have its season premiere on April 24.

Sherilyn Fenn will reprise her Twin Peaks role on the Showtime reboot
According to Deadline, her character, Audrey, is expected to have a “major presence.”

Once Upon a Time recasts Gaston
Wes Brown will play the role originally played briefly by Sage Brocklebank.

The Unsung Legacy of Black Characters on Soap Operas
Well before primetime shows like Empire, daytime TV was the place where diversity and complexity learned to coexist.

HBO exec on a Deadwood movie: “It’s going to happen”
HBO programming president David Lombardo tells TV Line that Deadwwood creator David Milch "has our commitment that we are going to do it. He pitched what he thought generally the storyline would be — and knowing David, that could change. But it’s going to happen.”

Mila Kunis is producing a fashion drama for Freeform with Gossip Girl team
Made in L.A., from Kunis Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, is based on the memoir by Juicy Couture’s founders.

Netflix CEO is taken aback by Making a Murderer's popularity
"I called it wrong,” says Reed Hastings in an interview with Re/code. "I thought, 'This is going to be eight or 10 hours about a murderer? I hope it wins some awards, because it’s not going to be popular.'"

White House responds to Making a Murderer petition, says President Obama can’t pardon Steven Avery
The White House had to respond to the petition to pardon Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey because it reached the 100,000 signature threshold that triggers a response. “The U.S. Constitution grants the power of clemency to the President,” the White House’s We the People website said in an email to signees. “This clemency authority empowers the President to exercise leniency towards persons who have committed federal crimes.”

Starz developing three Spanish-language shows
Starz aims to cater to Latino audiences with the telenovela-based Maleficio, Pour Vida and supernatural thriller Santeria.

Michael Weatherly Leaving NCIS: How Will DiNozzo Be Written Out?
Special Agent Tony DiNozzo’s portrayer is parting ways with TV’s most watched drama after 13 seasons.

Fear the Walking Dead returns April 10, accompanied by Talking Dead
The 15-episode second season of The Walking Dead spinoff will air in two parts, with the first seven episodes airing in the spring. Fear the Walking Dead will also have a Talking Dead talk show, hosted by Chris Hardwick.

ABC is reviving $100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan as host
The classic game show will return this summer in primetime, running 10 episodes on ABC.

Steve Harvey to reunite with Miss Colombia on his talk show
In an episode of Steve Harvey airing the week of January 18, Ariadna Gutierrez will speak with Harvey for the first time since his Miss Universe flub that demoted her from winner to runner-up.

NEWS: Eva Longoria, Julianne Hough, Rose Siggins, Dennis Haskins, Susan Lucci

New movie Joy features soap-opera stars Donna Mills, Susan Lucci, Maurice Benard, Laura Wright
In the film, Joy’s mother watches one soap opera for years in the background while the main action is going on. Virgina Madsen plays the mom, and she’s a hoot.

Director David O. Russell decided to film scenes from his own fake soap rather than use clips from a real one. So he tapped the most famous soap star of all, Susan Lucci, aka Erica Kane from All My Children. She's joined in the scenes by Laura Wright and Maurice Benard, who play Carly and Sonny on General Hospital. Their antics go on and on in the background and it’s all very amusing. It’s not throwaway either–they are featured.

Eva Longoria, Jose Antonio Baston get engaged in Dubai
"Ummmm so this happened….#Engaged," the former Young and the Restless and Desperate Housewives actress posted on Instagram, along with a photo of her kissing her new fiancé in the desert with her engagement ring in plain sight.

Coat of Many Colors starred Alyvia Alyn Lind as Dolly, Jennifer Nettles
as Avie Lee Parton, Rick Schroder as Lee Parton. Photo by: Quantrell
Colbert/NBC

Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors attracts a big audience
Over 13 million tuned in for the Dolly Parton biopic, the biggest audience for an original movie on network TV since 2012.

FOX buys Richard LaGravenese/Julianne Hough dance drama, Tom Fontana medical show from Temple Hill
The LaGravenese/Hough project is described as an aspirational, serialized character drama set in the competitive world of dance that highlights how dancers must work, fight and create to achieve their dreams.

Fontana’s Juarez General is described as an unconventional medical franchise about a hospital in the border town of Juarez, Mexico, the deadliest city in the world and ground zero for the drug war.

Is Television is becoming a truer reflection of who we are and where we're going?
Writes Robert Lloyd: “Something is happening, a subtle rearrangement of the medium's DNA that better represents both who we are now, collectively and variously, and where we are hopefully headed. The popular arts have always been a harbinger and an agent of change, positing the world that the world grows into.”

Saved by the Bell's Principal Belding graduates from college at age 65
Dennis Haskins celebrated Saturday his degree from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's theater and speech department.

American Horror Story: Freak Show actress Rose Siggins dies
Siggins, 43, played Legless Suzi on the FX series. According to TMZ, Siggins died of an infection that she got while having kidney stone surgery on Monday.

MST3K secures funding for 14 new episodes by breaking a Kickstarter record
Mystery Science Theater 3000 has raised $5.76 million from Kickstarter, plus $425,000 in outside funding for its revival, becoming the largest crowdfunded video project on Kickstarter. The Veronica Mars movie held the previous record with $5.7 million raised. Host Joel Hodgson says the money will go toward 14 new episodes, including a holiday special.

NZ On Air washes hands of MediaWorks’ soap ambitions
Broadcast funding agency NZ On Air has knocked back MediaWorks’ funding application for a new local soap opera for TV3. In announcing its decision to contribute $4,116,000 to a third season of Prime’s murder-mystery series The Brokenwood Mysteries, NZOA noted the MediaWorks proposal “was given serious consideration but was not supported.”

Eva Longoria Comedy 'Telenovela' Getting Post-'The Voice' Sneak Peek on December 7

NBC will air a 1-hour sneak peek of Telenovela on December 7.

NBC will launch of two of its highest profile comedies on Monday, January 4, but viewers will get an early look at both Superstore and Telenovela with sneak previews for two consecutive Mondays in late November and early December behind live episodes of The Voice.

On Monday, November 30, two original episodes of the ensemble workplace comedy Superstore, starring Emmy winner America Ferrera, will air back-to-back from 10-11 p.m. ET following the two-hour telecast of NBC's Emmy Award-winning musical competition "The Voice." Back-to-back episodes of the behind-the-scenes comedy Telenovela, featuring Eva Longoria as the star of a hit Spanish soap opera, will air Dec. 7 from 10-11 p.m. following the penultimate Monday telecast of The Voice. Both series will then make their official launches on Monday, Jan. 4 with Superstore premiering at 8 p.m. and Telenovela at 8:30 p.m.

NEWS: Katherine Kelly Lang, John Stamos, Drake Hogestyn, Adam Croasdell, Eva Longoria

Katherine Kelly Lang

The Bold and the Beautiful star Katherine Kelly Lang completes Ironman Triathlon in Kona, HA
Lang swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran a full marathon (that's 26.2 miles) on Saturday in 15 hours and 57 minutes.

EastEnders actor Adam Croasdell to guest star on Once Upon a Time
Croasdell, who played Dr. Al Jenkins on EastEnders, has been cast as Hook's father for an upcoming episode of ABC's fantasy drama, EW.com reports.

Days of our Lives actor Drake Hogestyn teachers an acting master class with fellow actor, Christopher Sean (John Black on Days) gave a master class in acting for daytime television last Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Malibu Playhouse. Christopher Sean (Paul Norita) joined Hogestyn on stage for an interactive exchange of acting experience, advice and practical acting techniques.

- See more at: http://www.malibusurfsidenews.com/malibu-resident-actor-imparts-acting-tips-local-playhouse#sthash.K4wZiN1u.dpuf

John Stamos charged with DUI, faces up to 6 months in jail
The General Hospital alum was officially charged today with misdemeanor DUI following his arrest in June in Beverly Hills.

Showtime responds to 'Homeland is racist' graffiti that made it to the air on Sunday
The three street artists responsible for the work — Heba Amin, Stone, and Caram Kapp — released a statement on Wednesday, explaining that production crews gave them pro- President Bashar al-Assad graffiti as inspiration but instructed them to keep their art apolitical. However, it quickly became apparent that, as Amin tells the Washington Post, “no one was paying attention.”

In a statement released to EW, Homeland co-creator and showrunner Alex Gansa said, “We wish we’d caught these images before they made it to air. However, as Homeland always strives to be subversive in its own right and a stimulus for conversation, we can’t help but admire this act of artistic sabotage.”

Empire ratings slip for fourth straight episode
FOX’s Empire this Wednesday drew 12.2 million total viewers and a 4.6 rating, down 7 and 10 percent week-to-week and marking a fourth straight decline since its Season 1 finale.

Nashville (4.6 mil/1.2) ticked up 5 percent and two tenths.

Drake reveals he was fired from Degrassi
Drake, known as Aubrey Graham when he starred on Degrassi, told W Magazine his aspiring rap career began to affect his work on the show.

After filming Degrassi during the day, he would spent nights in the studio recording. “I’d sleep in my dressing room and then be in front of the cameras again by 9 a.m.,” he said. “Eventually, they realized I was juggling two professions and told me I had to choose. I chose this life.”

Eva Longoria, Jason Blum & Eric Winter producing Zone Of Silence paranormal drama for NBC
Zone Of Silence focuses on the area acting like a domestic Bermuda Triangle, an invisible interference which appears in the southwest and not only wreaks havoc on communications but is central to key myths, folklore and legends. When a group of ICE agents go missing under odd circumstances within the “zone”, a task force is formed to find them. Science clashes with the unexplained on a weekly basis while the larger search to explain the disappearance continues.

NEWS: Jason George, Tuc Watkins, Hillary Clinton, Amazon, Netflix, Cuba, Hindsight

Tuc Watkins and Eva Longoria.

Desperate Housewives stars Eva Longoria and Tuc Watkins reunite
Tweeted Longoria, who has been shooting her NBC single camera comedy, Telenovela: "Look who came to play last week! I love you @tucwatkins It was so fun filming with you again!"

Jason George on Grey’s Anatomy Season 12: "They've hit reboot almost”
"The writers have made this extra effort to breathe new air and refresh everything,” he says, adding: "There's a lot of things that make it feel brand new, but it has that lightness and sense of humor that people fell in love with in the first place. And the sexy sexy is back on.”

15 Things to Say When You Haven't Watched Any of the Must-Watch TV Shows
Whenever someone (a date, a coworker, a normal human) brings up one of these shows that you haven't seen, here's what to say to avoid the dreaded, "You haven't seen it! Oh my god! How have you missed that??" and make it sound like you're actually a part of society.

EastEnders: Queen Vic barmaid Tracey finally gets her own storyline
[SPOILER ALERT] The long-serving character, who rarely talks in scenes despite being part of the Walford furniture since 1985, will feature in big scenes later this month as returnee Kathy Beale makes contact.

The Walking Dead is getting an airplane zombie attack stand-alone special
A passenger who survives the attack will join Fear the Walking Dead for Season 2.

Ex-Obama staffer: Hillary Clinton’s campaign will have to deal with her Good Wife portrayal
Dan Pfeiffer, who was the White House's communications strategist up until earlier this year, tells how staffers had to monitor all the TV show comments about the president. "The fake Hillary Clinton on The Good Wife won’t determine whether the real Hillary Clinton wins or loses, but how Hillary is portrayed on the show will affect how some view her — and that’s something her campaign will have to deal with in the coming months,” he says.

Do Netflix and Amazon shows have too much creative freedom?
While traditional broadcast and cable networks are known to meddle with their shows, it seems like there isn’t enough meddling done on the two big streaming services. As Maureen Ryan notes, "I think Netflix and Amazon executives give their creative types a lot of rope, and I’ve often had occasion to wonder is they’re giving them too much rope. It’s common for their dramas to get tangled up and slow down, even at the pilot stage, and in the middle of seasons, Netflix dramas often sag and meander, and ... they take a long time to work up a head of steam.”

"The Unauthorized O.C. Musical" will include Marissa shooting Trey
“You couldn’t do The O.C. justice without doing something with that, so that was one that was really big for us,” co-creator Jordan Ross said, adding, “It spawned a million Internet memes.”

VH1 cancels Hindsight just before it was to begin shooting Season 2
In March, VH1 renewed the time-traveling drama starring Laura Ramsey as a woman who returns to her high school days in 1995. But following a change in leadership this summer, VH1 has opted to pull the plug on Hindsight, saying in a statement: "In this overcrowded and rapidly changing climate, we need to carve out VH1’s distinct place in the scripted marketplace and deliver the biggest audiences possible for our series.”

Cuba drama series in the works
The network-less drama Cuba plans to shoot on-location in Havana, revolving around an "international real estate mogul who returns with his family to the place of his childhood to restore a hotel in hope of capitalizing on Cuba’s emerging tourism business.”

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: Dark Shadows' Barnabas attacked a woman trying to save him.
1983: General Hospital's Heather was arrested.
1985: Days of our Lives' Bo & Hope decided to lope.
1988: All My Children's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature."
― David Hume

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to Scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

NEWS: Will 'Nashville' Leave Nashville? 'Skins' Returning? Showtime Developing 'Snowfall'

Could 'Nashville' production be leaving for Austin?
Executives from the ABC television series Nashville have explored moving the production to other states, amid ongoing talks with local officials about an economic incentive package for a third season.

There's little doubt that if ABC picks up Nashville for a third season, the combined economic incentives from state and local government will be less lucrative than the show received for the first two seasons.

Discussions underway for 'Skins' return
Creator Bryan Elsley is in talks over the creation of a new series charting the lives of a fourth generation of party loving teens, a year after the final episode aired on E4.

Confirming that the show’s original broadcaster Channel 4 would not be involved, Elsley said, “The thing about the modern world now is that the future is neither film nor television series, not platform, nor not platforms. It is about collaboration, co-production and the internet. Somehow that equation has got to be worked out and I think it will be worked out quite quickly. Whether it will be worked out in time for Skins I don’t know."

HBO Ratings: Another Record for ‘Game of Thrones’
GoT averaged 6.9 million viewers for its 9 p.m. telecast, gaining about 300,000 viewers from last week (6.59 million) and about 1.55 million more than its episode on the final Sunday of last year (5.35 million), according to Nielsen. Its previous high had been the 6.635 million for its fourth-season premiere on April 6.

Showtime Drama To Chronicle Origins Of Crack Cocaine Epidemic In Los Angeles
John Singleton is returning to the setting of his debut feature Boyz In The Hood – 1984 Los Angeles — with Snowfall, a drama series project set up at Showtime. Told through the eyes of a young black kid from Compton, a Mexican wrestler and a CIA agent charged with running money to the Contras, Snowfall will examine the beginnings of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles. Allegedly fueled by CIA involvement stemming from the Iran-Contra affair, the drug started flowing to the U.S. in 1984, with Los Angeles as the first city to get hit hard.

Eva Longoria continues venture into politics, but will she run for office?
“I am focused on doing my part as a citizen. Whether it is through the Eva Longoria Foundation, which is focused on empowering Latinas via education and entrepreneurship, or making documentaries that humanize certain issues. I don't think you have to be a politician to be political.”

Ace Nollywood film producer, Amaka Igwe, dies at 51
Amaka Igwe, who was trained in theater arts, has produced movies, series and soap operas for television, film and video. In the 1990s the immensely popular soap opera, Checkmate, catapulted her to national renown and is among the standard-setting works for Nollywood productions.

Yahoo Bets on Live Music, New Original Web Series
This year's “newfront” presentations are underway, and Monday night saw Yahoo’s turn to pitch it’s new content offerings to media buyers.

The company’s senior executives took the opportunity to unveil two new original video series and a major partnership with entertainment firm Live Nation that will enable it to live-stream a new concert every day for an entire year.

Alibaba To Take Big Stake in Web Video Company Youku
Youku's TV dramas are mostly soap-opera-like programs with extended storylines. They had about 25 million average daily views in Q1, according to data from T.H. Capital. Internet users in China watching videos online jumped 83.8% last year to 247 million, according to statistics from the Chinese government.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 15)

1968: DS' Barnabas attacked the woman who was trying to save
him. 1983: GH's Heather was arrested. 1985: DAYS' Bo & Hope
decided to lope. 1988: AMC's Stuart & Cindy became engaged.

"There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again - now."
- Eugene O'Neill

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Mike Karr (John Larkin) told Charley (Ian Martin) that he intended to pursue Harry until he admitted to murdering Marilyn.

1968: On DARK SHADOWS, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) attacked the woman (Anita Bolster) that Joshua Collins and Countess Natalie DuPres had summoned to Collinwood to cure him.

NEWS: Twitter and TV Ratings, VAMPIRE DIARIES Gay Character, EASTENDERS Kiss Prompts Homophobic Tweets, Eva Longoria Denies Telenovela Rumors

Twitter aids soap opera's return from the dead
"Soaps were also a victim of the recession. They're more expensive to produce than reality or lifestyle shows," C. Lee Harrington, a professor of sociology at Miami University, and an expert in soap operas, told CNBC.

However, in the third quarter of this year, ratings for CBS's THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, ABC's GENERAL HOSPITAL and NBC's DAYS OF OUR LIVES all went up compared to 2012 for the first time in years.

Part of this is due to new storylines and characters targeting the key female 18-49 demographic but the answer may also lie in using social media and the internet.

The number of tweets about TV increased by 38 percent between the second quarter of 2012 and the same time in 2013, according to Nielsen. TV shows such as BREAKING BAD, SCANDAL and THE VOICE were among the most tweeted-about shows of the year. And for the first time, Nielsen identified a link between a spike in Tweets about a TV show and its ratings.

EASTENDERS gay kiss prompts homophobic tweets
A new storyline which sees Johnny Carter (Sam Strike) and Danny Pennant (Gary Lucy) kiss in Walford Sqaure attracted numerous homophobic tweets on New Years Eve.

EASTENDERS Hottest Guys of 2013
EASTENDERS was laden with handsome young men in 2013 including David Witts, Gary Lucy, Ben Hardy, Danny Dyer and Sam Strike.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES To Introduce A Gay Character In Current Season
According to E!, the new character Luke is "a new hottie is enrolling at Whitmore after winter break! And he'll be spending time with Caroline! Except he's so not into her in that way as Luke, handsome and sarcastic, is gay." E! also reports that Luke has a sister that goes to Whitmore, and he will "do (or sacrifice) anything to protect" her.

Eva Longoria denies signing up for three Latin soap operas
The former DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star took to Twitter to deny claims that she has signed up for the role of Catalina Creel and expressed her shock on hearing the news.

Year-End: Legal Battles Of 2013 And Beyond – Aereo, ‘Hobbit’ Sequels, ‘Walking Dead’ Vs. Frank Darabont, Prospect Park & ‘Godzilla’
With money and rights at the basis of most of the disputes, the complaints and motions were as numerous as locusts and as prevalent as rats, with many of them spilling over into 2014 and perhaps beyond. Just ask Barry Diller and Les Moonves as streaming service Aereo and CBS and other broadcasters suit up for a potential Supreme Court winner-takes-all showdown next year. Or Prospect Park as it fights ABC in a $125 million suit over licensed soaps ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE while having to contend with a complaint from co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz seeking a declaratory judgment from the court over non-compete clauses in his contract with the company.

Eva Longoria To Receive NCLR’s "ALMA de tu Mundo" Award at Premios Tu Mundo

Telemundo announced today the recipients of two special awards during the 2013 edition of PREMIOS TU MUNDO (Your World Awards). DEVIOUS MAIDS executive producer Eva Longoria will receive NCLR’s "ALMA de tu Mundo" award and Daddy Yankee will be bestowed with the “Poder Musical” award. The star-studded awards show will be broadcast live on Thursday, August 15 at 8 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, and will also feature the anticipated arrivals pre-show LA ALFOMBRA DE PREMIOS TU MUNDO.

Susan Lucci, Eva Longoria, Condi Rice, Cybil Shepherd & More Come Together to Encourage Women to Vote: "Your Life. Your Time. Your Vote."

Susan Lucci inspires women to vote against a stark white background.

Women make up a larger segment of the voting population than any other electoral cohort. And yet, women are grossly under-represented, at every level, in our government.

We Love Soaps is proud to be one of the media outlets chosen to partner with Lifetime Television to shine a light on this issue and help trumpet a non-partisan message that encourages women to vote on (or before!) this Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

In fact, the epic, new public service announcement is a tour de force featuring appearances by Susan Lucci, Condeleeza Rice, Cybil Shepherd, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Loretta Devine and Meghan McCain. Through powerful imagery, it also references many American heroes of the past, from Rosa Parks to Amelia Earhart. Please take a moment to view the PSA, below, and share it with the important women in your life.

Eva Longoria Signs First-Look Development Deal With Universal Television

The always busy Eva Longoria (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVS, DEVIOUS MAIDS) signed a first-look development deal with Universal Television. Read the details in their press release below:

UNIVERSAL TELEVISION SIGNS EVA LONGORIA TO FIRST-LOOK DEVELOPMENT DEAL

Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment Currently Produces NBC’s Upcoming Series “Ready for Love” with Universal Television

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – October 25, 2012 – Universal Television has signed a first-look development deal with Eva Longoria (NBC’s “Ready for Love,” “Desperate Housewives”), it was announced jointly today by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment, and Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment.

VOTE - Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria & Kerry Washington

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star Eva Longoria, SCANDAL's Kerry Washington and Golden Globe nominee Scarlett Johansson want to talk to women about Mitt Romney in a new 30-second TV ad from MoveOn.org Political Action. Watch the new spot below: