INDIE SOAP BEAT: April 16, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The second season of EMPIRE premieres on April 27. We Love Soaps is current counting down to the new season with "The 12 Days of EMPIRE." Look for a new feature every day including a brand new episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV fearing interviews with creators Greg Turner and Brian Hewson. Season Two star Tina Sloan recently previewed her new film, Oh My Love, for We Love Soaps. Read that interview here.

The fabulous Rachael Hip-Flores, who plays ANYONE BUT ME lead Vivian, won the Streamy Award on Sunday for Best Female Actor in a Drama Web Series. Why the Streamy show itself was vulgar and full of technical difficulties, it was nice to see some of the winners, including Flores, get recognized. ANYONE BUT ME was also an Official Honoree (Drama, Best Writing) for the 14th Annual Webby Awards which released nominees this week. Season One of ABM is now available for purchase at Amazon.com.

We Love Soaps recently spoke with new REALITY BYTES star Jade Harlow, who will play Victoria Radcliffe on the upcoming drama. Harlow revealed how the casting process worked: "I got the script and it was different than a lot of the other pilots in general that I had been reading over this past season. I got real excited to go in. The meeting was unlike any meeting. It was a giant conference table, which was a bit intimidating, but [Tristan] was very personable, a very smart man." Look for the full interview soon.

THE LOVERS AND FRIENDS SHOW returned on Wednesday with the first part of the Season Three finale. L&G is an urban web-based lesbian soap that debuted in January 2008. The show stars Marlaina Law, Christy Rodriguez, BeBe Brunswick, Nicole Pina, Zaire, Kissa Jo and Hollissia Holloway. A Season Two DVD is currently available for purchase.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: April 2, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps spoke with new REALITY BYTES star Drake Hogestyn this week. Hogestyn, whose son, Ben Hogestyn, is also part of the cast, will play Jerry Parker. Drake told us, "Ben and I have not worked together in the business before. However, he was asked to come in to read for the role of Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES years and years ago." Aside from REALITY BYTES, the two of them also have some other projects in the works including a baseball-related docudrama/reality show. Look for the full interview with Drake Hogestyn on Saturday. In other REALITY BYTES casting news, Sarajane Rogers has been cast as Harper Rains the teenaged daughter of Trevor Rains (Tristan Rogers).

LENOX AVENUE recently released a trailer for the upcoming season. LENOX AVENUE follows the fast-paced metropolitan lives of Harlemite friends Owen (creator Al Thompson), Sellars (Dorian Missick), and Vaughn (Ryan Vigilant) as they learn that in relationships even with experience, there's no playbook. The show also features a star-studded supporting cast, including Victor Williams, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jamie Hector, Chenoa Maxwell, Lord Jamar and Michael K. Williams.

VENICE was honored with three awards at the recent LA Web Festival - Outstanding Achievement in a Drama Series, Best Theme Music and Lead Actress in a Drama (Crystal Chappell). We Love Soaps recently had the opportunity to VENICE actress Tina Sloan who said she would be turning for Season Two: "Kimmy [Turissi] said I was. I imagine I'll just be a tiny character but that's just fine with me."

EMPIRE released the trailer for Season Two last week and fans are buzzing about the show. We Love Soaps spoke with Kathryn Neville Browne, who plays Haven matriarch Sandra, about the upcoming season.

We Love Soaps: Sandra seems like a fun character to play.
Kathryn Neville Browne: She definitely is. This time we're seeing a lot more of her, and learning a lot more about her history and what she's really all about beneath the glamorous exterior.

We Love Soaps: What do you think are her driving motivations?
Kathryn Neville Browne: Well, in this instance, definitely pride and revenge. I guess they're two sides of the same coin.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: March 26, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

Indie Soap Award winner EMPIRE released the trailer for Season Two this week and it looked great. You'll notice We Love Soaps in a cameo early in the clip. We Love Soaps had the opportunity to interview new EMPIRE star Tina Sloan recently and she had a blast working on the show. In describing her character, Theodora, Sloan said, "I'm totally bitchy. It was hysterical."

DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM released the Season Two finale on Thursday titled "Emasculated." Ocean learns the extent of Trina and Sammy's secrets. Eventually, she teaches Sammy the real meaning of manhood when an unexpected situation demands he "man up."


PREVIOUSLY ON POINT DUME is now airing at funnyordie.com. Every "webisode" will be a PREVIOUSLY ON POINT DUME style collection of clips from the previous episodes — and there'll never be a full-length episode, at least not for the foreseeable future. Instead, you'll see the soap-opera parody's storyline unfold through these little recaps.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: March 19, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

In case you missed it, check out Damon L. Jacobs' recent feature on "Gays on Indie Soaps" here.

Winner for Best Indie Soap at the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM released another new episode on Thursday titled "Promise Keeper." Ocean tries to help Peggy who's been behaving erratically. Peggy finally takes a step to help herself and in doing so, realizes how lonely she is for male attention. Lupe wonders if God has abandoned her. At the same time, Ocean confronts the devil she knows. DIARY has been named "Web Series of the Year" by the Los Angeles Web Series Festival.

GOTHAM aired a new episode this week featuring the debut of Matt Crane as Perry. This week's opening theme was "New York, New York" sung by Broadway legend Lee Roy Reams. In the pre-show chat, producer Martha Byrne revealed that GOTHAM would be casting Richard's son, Nick. Stay tuned!

Enver Gjokaj, who played Victor on DOLLHOUSE, is following launching a new webseries called PREVIOUSLY ON POINT DUME He describes it as "TWIN PEAKS meets Clue." Every "webisode" will be a PREVIOUSLY ON POINT DUME style collection of clips from the previous episodes — and there'll never be a full-length episode, at least not for the foreseeable future. Instead, you'll see the soap-opera parody's storyline unfold through these little recaps.

Here's the synopsis: Something is hiding in the wealthy beach enclave of Point Dume. A dark secret so so secretive it could take at least five seasons to reveal. When big city-boy Lazlo Wood returns home for his father's funeral, his nosy questions threaten to dig up more than just a corpse. What exactly is his step-mother Ginabeth hiding in the pantry? What exactly is Professor Pyle injecting local children with? And when exactly will Bron the Landscapist ever wear a shirt? These and other mysteries promise to almost never be explained in this new recap show for the greatest nighttime soap opera never seen, POINT DUME.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: March 11, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

There was huge casting news from REALITY BYTES this week as the show announced that former daytime soap stars Drake Hogestyn and Tonja Walker were joining the cast. Hogestyn will play Jerry Parker, while Walker will be playing Avery "the queen bitch of daytime" Meadows. If you missed the We Love Soaps interview with newcomer Jered Allen, who will play Ben, read it here. Look for more on the new cast members of RB very soon.

STEAMBOAT creator Michael O'Leary recently spoke to We Love Soaps about the series: "Each one of us is taking what are sensibilities are and trying to make it into a different format, with no money. But the only place you can do that is the internet. If you’re looking for a network to say yes to you, hell will freeze over. This is the great thing about the internet. At least it gives you the forum and opportunity to get your ideas out there. For Martha [Byrne] and Crystal [Chappell] and I, at least you want to get the shot at bat." Read the full interview here.

Winner for Best Indie Soap at the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM released another new episode on Thursday titled "Snap-back." Ocean happily takes life-changing action. Lupe flounders on her career path and feels judged by Ocean. Trina's need for attention takes a dangerous course involving Sammy. Indie Soap Award winner Billy Dee Williams is particularly amazing in this episode.

NEWS: Farrah, Stevens, JACLIFE, Cablevision, BANNEN

Farrah Fawcett Snubbed in Oscar Tribute
Farrah Fawcett was left out of the Oscar tribute to those in the film industry who died last year. While the actress -- who passed away in June at age 62 after battling cancer -- was mostly known for her TV role in CHARLIE'S ANGELS. But she did appear in multiple movies, including The Cannonball Run, Extremities and The Apostle. GOLDEN GIRLS star Bea Arthur, who died last April at the age of 86, was also left out of the tribute.

INTERVIEW: ATWT's Eric Sheffer Stevens (Reid)
On the revelation that Reid is gay: "You probably will reassess a lot about his relationship with Luke, and also his attraction to Katie [Terri Colombino]. There have been a few red herrings with Reid, so I’m not really sure where this is headed. It’s very strange not to know what’s coming up, but I’m kinda loving that. For Reid, emotions are very messy and silly, but there’s definitely been sexual tension between him and Luke."

Slice.ca Launches New Web Series
JACLIFE, a new web TV series created for specialty service Slice and its online portal, launches today on Slice.ca/jaclife.

"Slice.ca aims to engage and entertain viewers beyond what's on television by creating unique and original content that both reflects and complements the Slice brand," said Paul Burns, Vice President, Digital Media for Canwest. "As part of our strategy across the digital platforms we are looking at original content as value-adding. Viewers may come to learn about their favourite show but they'll stay for our exclusive videos and blogs."

The Top 10 Most Watched Web Series, February 2010
Vanessa Marcil's THE BANNEN WAY came in at #6.

ABC programming restored on Cablevision
On Sunday night, ABC programming was restored to 3 million Cablevision customers in the N.Y. tri-state area at 8:43 p.m. after the two sides resolved the dispute over retransmission fees detailed in the original post and updates below. The network had pulled its programming at midnight on Saturday.