Lilly Melgar, Melissa Archer Among Winners at 7th Annual Indie Series Awards

Lilly Melgar

WINNERS REVEALED FOR 7th ANNUAL INDIE SERIES AWARDS

'Arthur' Wins Best Drama, 'Keith Broke His Leg' Named Best Comedy

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2016 – Winners for the 7th Annual Indie Series Awards (ISA7) were revealed on Wednesday night in a star-studded ceremony held at the historic El Portal Theatre, hosted by Jen Lilley and Eric Martsolf, airing on AfterBuzz TV. Switzerland produced Arthur was named best drama series, while Keith Broke His Leg won as best comedy.

The ISAs celebrate the best in independently produced scripted entertainment created for the Web.

In the drama acting categories, winners included Lilly Melgar (The Bay), Adam Henry Garcia (Conversations From the Afterlife), Jodie Hirst (Night School), Raymond Ablack (Teenagers), Kym Whitley (The Bay) and Kevin Spirtas (Winterthorne). EastSiders was named best drama ensemble.

On the comedy side, acting winners included Melissa Archer (Viral), Keith Powell (Keith Broke His Leg), Darcie Siciliano (He's With Me), Brennan Murray (The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy), Stephen Guarino (Life's a Drag) and Cady Huffman (He's With Me). Hunting Season won as the best comedy ensemble.

LARPs and Winterthorne led all series with three awards each, followed by two wins ech for The Bay, The Banks, He's With Me and Keith Broke His Leg.

Nominees Melissa Archer, Tristan Rogers, Melissa Claire Egan & Carolyn Hennesy Added as Presenters for 7th Annual Indie Series Awards

Former One Life to Live and Days of our Lives star Melissa Archer is
nominated for her work on Viral.

The Indie Series Awards announced today the second slate of presenters for the upcoming 7th Annual ISAs ceremony, hosted by Jen Lilley and Eric Martsolf.

The presenters, including ISA winners and nominees, are:

Melissa Archer (Viral)
Daniel Betances (BLACK)
Jillian Clare (Acting Dead)
Claire Downs (These People)
Melissa Claire Egan (Misguided)
Mary Beth Evans (The Bay)
Jeremy Glazer (These People)
Ryan Gowland (F'd)
Carolyn Hennesy (These People)
Zac Hug (These People)
Sebastian La Cause (He's With Me, Life's a Drag)
Erika Robel (Fully Engaged)
Tristan Rogers (The Bay)
Marc Sinoway (Hunting Season)
Kit Williamson (EastSiders)
Colleen Zenk (Thurston)

These presenters join the previously announced group which includes Kristos Andrews (The Southside, The Bay), Ben Baur (Hunting Season, These People), Tia Dae (Anacostia), Crista Flanagan (Club 5150), Kathleen Gati (Winterthorne), Jill Knox (Keith Broke His Leg), Martha Madison (Winterthorne), Keith Powell (Keith Broke His Leg, These People), Darcie Siciliano (He's With Me), Karrueche Tran (The Bay), Kevin Spirtas (Winterthorne) and Ian Verdun (Life's a Drag).

See all the nominees here.

The 7th Annual Indie Series Awards will be held at the historic El Portal Theatre on Wednesday, April 6 at 8 p.m. PT.

NEWS: Eric Braeden, Bryan Dattilo, Sean Kanan, Cady McClain, Melissa Archer, Andrew Trischitta

Eric Braeden

The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden attends Carolina Panthers game, shares opinions on storytelling, getting older, egotistical actors
Below are a few quotes from Braeden's (Victor Newman on Y&R) interview with the Charlotte Observer:

“Our show was more successful than others over the last 29 years because we have tried to make it as real as possible. I hate this phantasmagoric bull----. Life is so interesting. Real-life is so interesting. My God. Just ask a person about their lives, and you say, ‘Whoa.’ So why come up with all these bull---- storylines?”

“I don’t give a s--- about getting older. I really don’t. I feel (great). And that’s why working out is so important. That’s why this is still important: boom-boom-boom. (Braeden throws three quick jabs as he talks). ... I’m 74, I’m proud of it – very proud of it – and will compete along a lot of lines with a lot of people. The only pain in the a-- about getting older is your hips. I have one resurfaced hip.”

“I have met so many actors over the years who’ve said, ‘Without me, this show would be nothing.’ ... And where are they now? Don’t ever assume that without you, the show will go down the drain. Bull----. It doesn’t. Are you kidding? ‘Oh, this can’t be done without so-and-so playing the part. Then they leave and we say, ‘Well, not quite the same, but oh well.’ ”

FOX and Lee Daniels Are Working on Making an Empire Spinoff a Reality
FOX TV Group co-chief Dana Walden tells Vulture that discussions have begun about exactly how to make it happen, explaining that the seeds for the new show could be planted by early next year via one or more episodes of Empire. “If there’s a character … that feels original enough, has enough momentum and enough of a storytelling engine, we will definitely look to spin Empire off for next season,” she said. Said character, Walden added, “would, in all likelihood, appear in the second half of this season.”

Ratings Watch: The Muppets Dips, Grandfathered and The Grinder Open Soft on Week 2 Tuesday Fast Nationals
ABC
(8 p.m.) The Muppets 5.8 million // 2.0 rating (Last week 9 million // 2.9 rating)
(8:30 p.m.) Fresh off the Boat 4.8 million // 1.7 rating (Last week 6.1 million // 1.9 rating)
(9 p.m.) Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4.8 million // 1.7 rating (Last year 2.0 rating)
(10 p.m.) Quantico (repeat) 4.2 million // 1.0 rating

CBS
(8 p.m.) NCIS 16.0 million // 2.1 rating (last week 18.2 million // 2.5 rating)
(9 p.m.) NCIS: New Orleans 12.6 million // 1.7 rating (last week 12.6 million // 1.7 rating)
(10 p.m.) Limitless 9.6 million // 1.9 rating (last week 9.9 million // 1.9 rating)

FOX
(8 p.m.) Grandfathered 5.3 million // 1.5 rating
(8:30 p.m.) The Grinder 4.9 million // 1.5 rating
(9 p.m.) Scream Queens 3.6 million // 1.4 rating (last week 4 million // 1.7 rating)

NBC
(8 p.m.) The Voice 13.3 million // 3.6 rating (last week 12.4 million // 3.5 rating)
(10 p.m.) Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris 6.3 million // 2.0 rating (last week 5.9 million // 2.1 rating)

Glee Star Naya Rivera Welcomes Baby Boy
Rivera and her husband Ryan Dorsey have welcomed their first child, Us Weekly reports. The Glee star gave birth to a son last month is Los Angeles.

Bryan Dattilo, Sean Kanan, Cady McClain, Melissa Archer & Andrew Trischitta join web soap Youthful Daze
Bryan Dattilo (Lucas, Days of our Lives), Sean Kanan (Deacon, The Bold and the Beautiful), Cady McClain (ex-Dixie, All My Children), Melissa Archer (ex-Natalie, One Life to Live) and Andrew Trischitta (ex-Jack, One Life to Live) have all been tapped to appear in the upcoming season of the web soap, premiering February 20, 2016. While details of their roles have not been released, the actors have tweeted the names of their characters. Dattilo will be playing Eric, Kanan will be playing cult leader Richie Kingsly, McClain will be playing Aunt Kathy, Archer will be playing Monica Reynolds and Trischitta will be playing Travis.

NEWS: Melissa Archer, Alicia Coppola, Shannen Doherty, James Franco, Marcia Cross, Greg Vaughan

This week on Days, Chad and Serena's night takes an unpleasant turn.

Melissa Archer exits Days of our Lives this week
“I completely understood and somewhere, expected it,” Archer tells Soap Opera Digest about her leaving Days. “It was a very positive experience. I joke about it like, ‘Getting fired, it didn’t really feel like it.’ It was the most pleasant ‘getting fired’ conversation I’ve ever had. There was laughter. It was great, actually.” As for her overall Salem experience, she says, “Honestly, it was amazing. I’m not just saying this: I very wholeheartedly mean it that from the top to the bottom, I loved everybody. I thought that the sets were very relaxed. Professional and relaxed.” SPOILER ALERT: Serena is murdered this week on Days.

Greg Vaughan signs new contract with Days of our Lives and books Hallmark movie
Vaughan tweeted the news on Friday: "Great day today! Official contract extension @DaysofourLives & new movie @hallmarkchannel Truly Blessed!"

Without America’s soap operas, we would never have gotten Mad Men
General Hospital, and soap operas overall, are usually not considered especially innovative. On the contrary, they’re thought of as melodramatic and cliched. And yet, it’s likely longform television dramas like The Wire wouldn’t exist if soap operas hadn’t paved the way.

James Franco Recreates Friends, Breaking Bad and more
The Oscar-nominated actor and General Hospital alum turns his attention to television for Season 2 of Making a Scene With James Franco.

Empire is giving Gabourey Sidibe a love interest
Mo McRae will romance Becky as part of a three-episode arc in Season 2.

Beverly Hills, 90210 stars Shannen Doherty reveals she's battling breast cancer
"Yes, I have breast cancer, and I am currently undergoing treatment," Doherty, 44, told People magazine. "I am continuing to eat right, exercise and stay very positive about my life. I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me."

Lighter Fare, High-Concept Comedies, Soaps & More Remakes On Networks’ Development Menus
The success of two breakout midseason Fox series — drama Empire and comedy The Last Man On Earth — is having a ripple effect early in the selling season, with big, broad, soapy dramas sought after, along with high-concept comedies.

NBC puts Shaun Cassidy and Jeff Kwatinetz family soap in development
NBC is reassembling the team behind its 2012 Western drama pilot Frontier. The network has put in development Talent, a drama with elements of music, from Frontier creator Shaun Cassidy and Jeff Kwatinetz’s newly relaunched company The Firm, whose predecessor Prospect Park produced the 2012 pilot (as well as the online versions of All My Children and One Life to Live).

Written by Cassidy, Talent is described as a family soap that centers around a music prodigy who has a unique way of dealing with the murder of his one true love.

Another World alum Alicia Coppola finds it difficult to find schools for her gifted children
"There are very few schools that focus solely on the highly/profoundly gifted students in our country. Those that do exist are private and very expensive, if you are fortunate enough to even live in a city where one exists."

Presenting a TV Channel Guide from the future
In Five years, will we have Vox, New York Times and BuzzFeed channels?

Grey’s Anatomy is giving Alex and Jo more to do next season
Says Shonda Rhimes: “We had a lot of stories we wanted to tell with them last season, and I promised the fans, ‘We’re going to tell all these Alex and Jo stories.’”

NBC becomes the second network to order a Kentucky bourbon drama
The Bourbon Kings, like Fox’s untitled Kentucky bourbon project, deals with a bourbon empire.

Is there too much good TV?
"Binge-watching,” says Mary McNamara, "isn't just the new sex — it's the new workout, the new book club, the new cocktail hour. Where once most new shows premiered in the fall, now they drop all the time, some in complete seasons.” But how do viewers cope? “The trick,” says McNamara, "is not to panic. Television viewing is not a competition or a test. No matter what appears to be occurring on social media, no law requires you, the average viewer, to be able to analyze the use of color in Mad Men or explain why the second season of True Detective was so terrible.”

Behind The Curtain Of The Night, A Life-After-Death Movie Stars Brendan Fraser, Marcia Cross
Talk about art imitating life. A writer/director who was pronounced clinically dead twice in his life and experienced an unusual phenomenon when he was “dead,” has written a semi-autobiographical film about his experience with Brendan Fraser playing a key role and Marcia Cross playing a character called ‘The Boss’ which is really God.

Ben McKenzie: What Gotham got wrong in Season 1
McKenzie says Season 2 of the Fox series will be closer to what fans want. “I think we made a mistake relatively early on in trying to introduce a villain and take care of that villain in one episode: catch them, send them to Arkham, do whatever,”

Another World alum Morgan Freeman to guest-star on Madam Secretary
Freeman, who serves as an executive producer and director on the CBS drama, will make a cameo in the drama’s premiere episode in October.

ABC Orders Marvel Pilot Starring Adrianne Palicki & Nick Blood
The proposed Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff is back on. ABC has given a pilot order to Marvel’s Most Wanted, a drama project starring Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. standouts Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood and revolving around their respective characters Barbara “Bobbi” Morse, aka Mockingbird, and Lance Hunter.

Six Feet Under: The Oral History of HBO's Beloved Landmark Series
Ten years after its devastating finale, the show's creator and cast eulogize the life-after-death drama.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (August 24-28, 2015)

Kayla (Mary Beth Evans), Joey (James Lastovic) and Steve (Stephen Nichols).

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of August 24th. Stephen Nichols returns as Steve "Patch" Johnson, and someone is murdered!

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, August 24
Nicole (Arianne Zucker) scores a major victory over Serena (Melissa Archer) and Xander (Paul Telfer); Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) realizes Abigail (Kate Mansi) lied again; Theresa (Jen Lilley) enacts her plan to gain Brady's (Eric Martsolf) sympathy; Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) is furious when Chad (Billy Flynn) betrays him!

Watch First Three Episodes of 'Viral' The Series; Melissa Archer and Jessica Morris Star as The PeePee Princesses

Viral stars Melissa Archer and Jessica Morris.

Viral the series has released three episodes, written by Sonia Blangiardo and Brandon Goins, that are sure to make you laugh. Melissa Archer (Serena, Days of our Lives; ex-Natalie, One Life to Live) and Jessica Morris (ex-Jennifer, One Life to Live) star as Kat Bradley and Jackie Jones, and their wonderful comedic timing is put to great use. When Kat and Jackie get caught on camera urinating outside a club, the video goes viral and it becomes their new claim to fame. While Kat soaks up the spotlight, Jackie isn't thrilled about being one of "The PeePee Princesses." Goins also stars as Teddy, along with Barry Brisco as Pierre.

Soap opera actor Sean Carrigan (Stitch, The Young and the Restless), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben, Days of our Lives) and Eric Nelsen (ex-A.J., All My Children) all appear.

Watch the first three episodes below:

'Viral' Trailer Released, Series Stars Melissa Archer and Jessica Morris

Jessica Morris and Melissa Archer star in Viral.

A three-part sneak peak of Sonia Blangiardo's Viral launches on August 10 but the show has just released a trailer to tease the new comedy series. Melissa Archer (Serena, Days of our Lives; ex-Natalie, One Life to Live) stars as Kat Bradley and Jessica Morris (ex-Jennifer, One Life to Live) plays Jackie Jones. When Kat and Jackie get caught on camera urinating outside a club, the video goes viral and it becomes their new claim to fame. While Kat soaks up the spotlight, Jackie isn't quite as happy about this development.

In the trailer below, you'll also notice daytime soap opera stars Sean Carrigan (Stitch, The Young and the Restless), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben, Days of our Lives) and Eric Nelsen (ex-A.J., All My Children).

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (March 23-27, 2015)

Melanie catches Clint red-handed.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of March 23rd.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 23
Serena (Melissa Archer) gets what she wants, raising Nicole's (Arianne Zucker) suspicions; Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) asks Abigail (Kate Mansi) a life-changing question; Will (Guy Wilson) warns Paul (Christopher Sean); Adrienne (Judi Evans) helps Sonny (Freddie Smith) with his marriage woes.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (March 16-20, 2015)

Will confronts Tori after figuring out why she's so desperate to get
Paul out of Salem. Photo Credit: NBC

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of March 16th. Will threatens to tell the whole world about Paul's father.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 16
At the DiMera board meeting, Kate (Lauren Koslow) and Stefano (Joseph Mascolor) jockey for control at the DiMera board meeting; J.J. (Casey Moss) takes part in a music showcase; Clint (Lucas Kerr) shows up, stunning Theresa (Jen Lilley); Brady (Eric Martsolf) asks Melanie (Molly Burnett) about Europe.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (March 9-13, 2015)

Melanie sets her foot down with Brady.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of March 9th. In a corporate power play, Chad and Stefano team up, but can they take Kate down?

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 9
Adrienne (Judi Evans) confronts Will (Guy Wilson); Justin (Wally Kurth) clashes with Lucas (Bryan Dattilo); Jordan (Chrishell Stause) says goodbye to Rafe (Galen Gering) and leaves Salem; Paul (Christopher Sean) notices Tori (Hira Ambrosino) is avoiding people.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (March 2-6, 2015)

Eve hopes Jennifer won't tell Paige about her affair with J.J.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of March 2nd.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, March 2
J.J. (Casey Moss) and Eve's (Kassie DePaiva) affair is revealed; Paul (Christopher Sean) questions Sonny (Freddie Smith) about his marriage; Tori (Hira Ambrosino) panics when she recognizes someone; Adrienne (Judi Evans) and Lucas (Bryan Dattilo) try to clear the air.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (February 23-27, 2015)

Abigail is determined to keep Ben out of prison.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of February 23rd. How far will Abigail (Kate Mansi) go to protect Ben (Robert Scott Wilson)?

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, February 23
Serena (Melissa Archer) wants to know who has possession of the statue; Melanie (Molly Burnett) makes Nicole (Arianne Zucker) an irresistible offer; Theresa (Jen Lilley) helps Brady (Eric Martsolf) out; J.J. (Casey Moss) worries Paige (True O'Brien) knows about him and Eve (Kassie DePaiva).

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (February 16-20, 2015)

Will's entire world is destroyed.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of February 16th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, February 16
Hope (Kristian Alfonso) engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with Aiden (Daniel Cosgrove); Melanie (Molly Burnett) seeks Serena's (Melissa Archer) help; Clint's (Lucas Kerr) decision takes Theresa (Jen Lilley) by surprise; Will's (Guy Wilson) article on Paul (Christopher Sean) comes out.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (February 9-13, 2015)

Hope uncovers shocking information concerning Aiden's dead wife.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of February 9th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, February 9
Hope (Kristian Alfonso) makes an unexpected discovery at Aiden's (Daniel Cosgrove) vacation home; Adrienne (Judi Evans) gives Paul (Christopher Sean) a stern warning - then realizes how much she actually owes her son's ex; Melanie (Molly Burnett) talks to Theresa (Jen Lilley) about Dr. Mandrake; Paige's (True O'Brien) announcement devastates Eve (Kassie DePaiva).

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (February 2-6, 2015)

Sonny is attacked.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of February 2nd.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, February 2
Aiden (Daniel Cosgrove) starts carrying out a mysterious plan at the vacation home; J.J. (Casey Moss) makes a new confession to Paige (True O'Brien); Chad (Billy Flynn) hits a snag in his effort to do the right thing; Paul (Christopher Sean) tells Sonny (Freddie Smith) he's met another guy.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (January 26-30, 2015)

Clyde has made a lot of enemies in Salem and now he's going to pay.

Check out day-to-day spoilers below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of January 26th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, January 26
Clyde (James Read) is shot and left for dead; Nicole (Arianne Zucker) makes her move on Serena (Melissa Archer); Chad (Billy Flynn) realizes he's made a mistake; Aiden (Daniel Cosgrove) gets in an uncomfortable position.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (January 19-23, 2015)

Brady is concerned when he spies Theresa with her new beau, Clint.

Check out day-to-day spoilers below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of January 19th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, January 19
Nicole (Arianne Zucker) and Serena's (Melissa Archer) argument escalates; Nicole feels Daniel (Shawn Christian) isn't supporting her enough; tensions arise when three couples all end up at the same club; Paul (Christopher Sean) makes a surprising discovery about Will (Guy Wilson).

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (January 12-16, 2015)

Melanie and Brady agree not to tell anyone they are planning a date - but the
cat's out of the bag when someone catches them kissing!

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of January 12th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, January 12
An anonymous source offers Nicole (Arianne Zucker) dirt on Serena (Melissa Archer); Jordan (Chrishell Stause) gets unexpected news; Paul (Christopher Sean) endeavors to win Sonny (Freddie Smith) back; Rafe (Galen Gering) receives a new career opportunity.

Tuesday, January 13
Paige (True O'Brien) decides to confront the woman she thinks slept with J.J. (Casey Moss); Victor (John Aniston) and Clyde (James Read) butt heads; Ben's (Robert Scott Wilson) betrayal hurts Jordan (Chrishell Stause); Aiden (Daniel Cosgrove) plans to cut ties with the past.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (January 5-9, 2015)

Paul and Will share a New Year's kiss.

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of January 5th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, January 5
Sonny (Freddie Smith) approaches Paul's (Christopher Sean) hotel room as Will (Guy Wilson) and Paul are about to kiss; an unexpected kiss surprises Melanie (Molly Burnett) and Brady (Eric Martsolf); Serena (Melissa Archer) confronts Nicole (Arianne Zucker) for snooping; Eric (Greg Vaughan) tries to rescue Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) from a bad date.

Tuesday, January 6
Sonny tells Chad (Billy Flynn) the new club is a bust; Rafe (Galen Gering) accuses Chad of sending the letter that got him fired; Brady tries to stop Theresa (Jen Lilley) and Melanie from fighting; Kayla tells Hope (Kristian Alfonso) that Aiden (Daniel Cosgrove) threatened Bree (Marie Wilson).

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (December 29, 2014 - January 2, 2015)

John asks Marlena for a chance to start over. Photo Credit: NBC

Check out day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of December 29th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, December 29
After his secret is discovered, Rafe (Galen Gering) is fired from the police force; Melanie (Molly Burnett) visits Gabi (Camila Banus) in prison; Will (Guy Wilson) blasts Sonny (Freddie Smith) for not consulting him before taking money out of their joint bank account; Paul (Christopher Sean) gets devastating news.

Tuesday, December 30
Paul tells Sonny that he has never stopped loving him and he wants them to reunite; Melanie warns Jordan (Chrishell Stause) about dating Chad (Billy Flynn); John (Drake Hogestyn) asks Marlena (Deidre Hall) for a chance to start over; Clyde (James Read) seeks out Aiden's (Daniel Cosgrove) services.