'Christmas on the Bayou' Premieres Tonight on Lifetime, Stars Hilarie Burton and Tyler Hilton

Photo Credit: Eliot Brasseaux

ONE TREE HILL alums Hilarie Burton and Tyler Hilton reunite in the Lifetime movie Christmas on the Bayou, premiering Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

When successful New York marketing executive Katherine (Burton) discovers her workaholic ways are taking a toll on her eight-year-old son, Zac, she decides to spend Christmas with him and her mother, Lilly (Markie Post) in her home town on the bayou. When Caleb (Hilton) tries to rekindle a childhood romance and convince her to move back home, Katherine is torn between the bright lights of the big city and the quiet, gentler rhythms of her Southern roots. Only a Christmas miracle orchestrated by Papa Noel (Ed Asner) can steer her heart to her true home.

Check out a sneak peek video below:

Today in Soap Opera History (August 24)

1979: Laura wanted a job at the disco on GH. 1987: Lizzie wanted
answers on RYAN'S HOPE. 1989: Shannon lost her baby on
ATWT.  1994: Kendall was unhappy with Dimitri's news on AMC.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times."
-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...

1948: On radio soap opera CLAUDIA, Claudia (Katharine Bard) attended a baseball game.

1976: Rosemary Forsyth debuted as Laura Horton on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

1977: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mac (Douglass Watson) listened in through the intercom as Dave (David Ackroyd) told Pat (Beverly Penberthy) he had always been in love with Rachel. Mac shut off the intercom before Dave told her that Rachel still loved Mac. Dave left Bay City to live in Boston on the next episode.

1979: On GENERAL HOSPITAL, Laura (Genie Francis) asked Luke (Anthony Geary) for a job at the campus disco. The episode opened with Richard Simmons' exercise class.

SOAPnet Celebrating Father's Day With ONE TREE HILL Marathon

SOAPnet is celebrating Father's Day with the "Buff Daddies" of ONE TREE HILL. Relive some of the show's most redeeming moments of fatherhood with Nathan, Lucas and Jake in a special four-hour marathon, airing Sunday, June 16th (10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET/PT).

Episodes:

10 a.m. - Episode #2003-018 - "To Wish Impossible Things" - Jake, Nathan and Lucas are sold to the highest bidder for charity in the annual Tree Hill "Boy Toy" Auction. Jake's mysterious winning bid turns out to be Nicki, his former flame who abandoned both him and Jenny, their nine-month-old daughter. Nicki mistakenly thinks the two can reconnect, but Jake takes the opportunity to school her on the repercussions of her abandonment.

Bethany Joy Lenz Will Recur On DEXTER Season 8

ONE TREE HILL and GUIDING LIGHT vet Bethany Joy Lenz will be recurring on DEXTER's eighth season, according to TV Guide Magazine.

Described as "an attractive former finance executive looking for a quieter life," Lenz's character, Cassie, is slated to debut in the season's fourth episode and will wind up moving in next door to Dexter.

DEXTER is set to premiere on June 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

Ring In The New Year with SOAPnet’s "New Year’s Day After-Party" Featuring VERONICA MARS, ONE TREE HILL & BEVERLY HILLS 90210

Ring in the New Year with SOAPnet’s “New Year’s Day After-Party,” featuring nine party-themed episodes from “VERONICA MARS,” “ONE TREE HILL” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.” The marathon airs on Tuesday, January 1 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. EST/PST. The episodes are:

10 a.m. – VERONICA MARS Episode #VM2005-15 – “Ruskie Business” – Veronica’s busy solving multiple mysteries, but stumbles on the most unexpected clue while attending the big 80’s dance at school.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 24)

On this date in...

1948: On radio soap opera CLAUDIA, Claudia attended a baseball game.

1977: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mac (Douglass Watson) listened in through the intercom as Dave (David Ackroyd) told Pat (Beverly Penberthy) he had always been in love with Rachel. Mac shut off the intercom before Dave told her that Rachel still loved Mac.  Dave left Bay City to live in Boston on the next episode.

1979: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Sarah and Raven fought over Elliott.

SOAPnet Presents the "Nathan & Haley, Always & Forever: One Tree Hill Memorial Day Marathon"

SOAPnet is planning a nine-hour marathon featuring the love story of ONE TREE HILL's Nathan and Haley. The "Nathan & Haley, Always & Forever: One Tree Hill Memorial Day Marathon" will air Monday, May 28, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Aside from their love for hoops, Lucas and Nathan seemed to have little in common. But the two young men are bound by the fact that they share the same father. The star of the basketball team, Nathan was raised to inherit his father's popularity and wealth, while his half-brother, Lucas, was raised in modest surroundings, the only child of a single mom. When Lucas joined the Ravens team, his transition into Nathan's world created a love triangle with Peyton. And it didn't take Nathan long to notice Lucas' best friend, Haley, an intriguing girl who helped bad-boy Nathan become a kinder person.

WBshop.com Celebrates "The Year of The Soap" With DVD/Bu-ray Sale!

WBshop.com celebrates "The Year of The Soap" with an enticing sale on all of it's soap opera-related DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

From classic primetime serials like DALLAS and FALCON CREST to today's favorites like THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and ONE TREE HILL, WB promises that you'll be hooked on these season sets, priced at as much 50% OFF during their SPRING CLEANING TV SOAP SALE.

You'll also find rare TV gems like THE YELLOW ROSE, SCRUPLES and LACE offered through the WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION program as well as British imports like the original FORSYTE SAGA (alongside the 1949 film classic THAT FORSYTE WOMAN that inspired it) and the recent reboot of the beloved UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Chandler Massey Relieved, 3.58 million Will Drop Pay-TV, Nicollette Sheridan Wants Retrial

DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Chandler Massey expresses 'relief' as his gay soap character comes out
"Will has been had so much angst and conflict for so long," he said. "Once we finally filmed those scenes where Will comes out and is okay with it, for some reason, I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders as well."

Many of Will's scenes and conversations about being gay have been with Marlena who is played by the show's longtime star Deidre Hall. The chemistry between Massey and Hall has been noted by many fans as the most fulfilling aspect of the coming out storyline so far.

PREVIEW: ONE TREE HILL Two-Hour Series Finale Tonight!

In the final chapter of ONE TREE HILL, a two-hour series finale special airing on The CW at 8 p.m. on April 4, the tenth anniversary of Tric brings old faces and new possibilities for the Tree Hill family.

Sophia Bush, James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Austin Nichols, Robert Buckley, Shantel VanSanten, Jackson Brundage, Lee Norris, Lisa Goldstein, Stephen Colletti, Tyler Hilton and Paul Johansson star.

Watch a few sneak peaks below.

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
8 p.m.		ONE TREE HILL (CW)
		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)
9 p.m.		THE TUDORS (BBC America)
		EL TALISMAN (Univision)
		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)
10 p.m.		REVENGE (ABC)
		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)
		LA QUE NO PODIA AMOR (Univision)

On CSI at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, Jesse McCartney, Mary Page Keller, Nazanin Boniadi are among the guest stars.

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1) 
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More

Wednesday Night Ratings: REVENGE Up, ONE TREE HILL Down

The Wednesday night television ratings are in from Nielsen. Soap stars were all over the lineup on primetime soaps, comedies and procedurals.

From ABC:
From 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC freshman drama REVENGE ran a strong second in its hour, beating NBC's "L&O: SVU" by double digits in Total Viewers (+13% - 7.6 million vs. 6.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (+14% - 2.5/7 vs. 2.2/6). In addition, the Disney-owned drama ranked No. 1 in the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, February 1, 2012

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)

PREVIEW: CW Wednesday Night Soap ONE TREE HILL ("Love The Way You Lie")

As The Year of the Soap continues, The CW's ONE TREE HILL airs a new episode on Wednesday, January 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

In "Love The Way You Lie," Dan (Paul Johansson) helps a struggling Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) at Karen’s Café.

Meanwhile, Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) discovers that Clay (Robert Buckley) is hiding something from her, and Chase (Stephen Colletti) tries to mend a broken heart.

Brooke (Sophia Bush) is let down by her lunch plans with her dad, and Julian (Austin Nichols) makes a life-changing mistake.

Watch a preview below:

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (New Episodes)

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, January 25, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
		VENICE The Series (venicetheseries.com)
8 p.m.		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)
		ONE TREE HILL (CW)
		TOUCH (FOX)
		(Series Premiere)
9 p.m.		THE TUDORS (BBC America)
		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)
10 p.m.		RELACIONES PELIGROSAS (Telemundo)
		MISTRESSES (BBC America)

ABC is airing a REVENGE repeat on Wednesday night at 10 p.m.

Marg Helgenberger's final CSI airs on CBS at 10 p.m.

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1) 
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 (New Episodes)

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
		VENICE The Series (venicetheseries.com)
8 p.m.		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)
		ONE TREE HILL (CW)
9 p.m.		THE TUDORS (BBC America)
		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)
10 p.m.		REVENGE (ABC)
		MISTRESSES (BBC America)
		(Season 3 Premiere)
		LA CASA DE AL LADO (Telemundo)

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1) 
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More

Wednesday Night Nielsen Ratings: REVENGE Down, ONE TREE HILL Premieres; MAID, FLOR, CASA

Here's a look at the preliminary Wednesday evening Nielsen ratings:

- REVENGE was down 4% with a 2.4 Adults 18-49 rating on an audience of 7.51 million viewers.

- Compared to OFF THE MAP, in the same ABC time slot one year ago, REVENGE was up about 9%.

WHAT TO WATCH: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (New Episodes)

What's new in the world of soaps? Serialized scripted content is everywhere in 2012, The Year of the Soap, and we have your guide to the new episodes airing on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.  Daytime TV, primetime, broadcast, cable, web series, we've got it all.

NOTE: Daytime soap times may vary in some local markets.

(All times are ET)

12:30 p.m.		THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS)
1 p.m.		DAYS OF OUR LIVES (NBC)
1:30 p.m.		THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (CBS)
2 p.m.		ONE LIFE TO LIVE (ABC)
3 p.m.		GENERAL HOSPITAL (ABC)
		VENICE The Series (venicetheseries.com)
8 p.m.		UNA MAID EN MANHATTAN (Telemundo)
		ONE TREE HILL (CW)
		(Season 9 Premiere)
9 p.m.		THE TUDORS (BBC America)
		(Season 4 Premiere)
		FLOR SALVAJE (Telemundo)
10 p.m.		REVENGE (ABC)
		STATE OF PLAY (BBC America)
		(Season Finale)
		LA CASA DE AL LADO (Telemundo)

The People's Choice Awards air from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Remember to use #yearofthesoap on Twitter to promote your favorite serialized shows.

RELATED:
- Most Fascinating People of 2011
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 1) 
- Why 2012 Will Be "The Year Of The Soap" (Part 2): DARK SHADOWS, RAGGED ISLE, DALLAS, Univision Telenovelas and More

NEWS ROUNDUP: Jessica Tuck Visits CASTLE, Matthew Fox Arrested, J.R. Martinez DANCING?

Jessica Tuck to guest star on CASTLE
The actress will play a wealthy museum benefactor who becomes a suspect in a murder investigation. This is the same episode that features THE KILLING's Kristin Lehman as an art insurance investigator and a potential lust interest for Nathan Fillion’s titular detective.