Showing posts with label Reality Bytes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reality Bytes. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Today in Soap Opera History (August 1)

On this date in...

1966: On DARK SHADOWS, Vicki told Liz that David tried to hurt her.

1980: Beverlee McKinsey made her final appearance as Iris on ANOTHER WORLD (a Friday episode). The show aired its final 90-minute episode which included Russ and Tracy's wedding.  The following Monday (August 4), Iris would be spun off into her own show, TEXAS, and ANOTHER WORLD reverted back to 60 minutes.  Watch the episode below:

Monday, August 1, 2011

Today in Soap Opera History (August 1)

On this date in...

1980: Beverlee McKinsey made her final appearance as Iris on ANOTHER WORLD. The show aired its final 90-minute episode that Friday. The following Monday, Iris would be spun off into her own show, TEXAS.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

NEWS: Nadia Bjorlin, Lang, Sparks, Lyman, Hot CORRIE

VIDEO: Nadia Bjorlin hots ACME SATURDAY NIGHT
Bjorlin hosted ACME SATURDAY NIGHT on Saturday night.

Rosie to bed Jason in 'raunchiest CORRIE'
According to The People, Jason, played by Ryan Thomas, will drive Rosie (Helen Flanagan) to an underwear photoshoot and join in himself when a male model fails to show up. The pair then go back to Rosie's empty house and remove each other's clothes before sleeping together.

A source said: "These episodes will be, without a doubt, the hottest ever shown by any soap. The crew and cameramen are already bribing each other for places on set when the scenes are filmed."

Dorothy Lyman to Direct Margulies' "Sight Unseen" Sept. 23-Oct. 10
Lyman's most recent producing and directing credits include the feature films The Northern Kingdom (2007), in which she also starred, Split Ends (2009), and the documentary Janet's Class (2010), currently in post-production.

A look at the history of soaps on UK's Channel Five
With speculation continuing to rise that the broadcaster could be about to revive or repeat BROOKSIDE, Lynn Swift takes a glance back at the other soaps to feature on the channel across the years from its home-produced FAMILY AFFAIRS to exports such as SUNSET BEACH.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Dana Sparks (Karen, REALITY BYTES; ex-Grace/Faith, PASSIONS; ex-Victoria, FALCON CREST) - 49
Jennifer Gareis (Donna, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; ex-Grace, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 40
Sasha Jackson (ex-Kylie, ONE TREE HILL) - 22
Jack O'Connell (Cook, SKINS; ex-Ross, THE BILL) - 21

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

REALITY BYTES Completes Casting


Upcoming indie soap REALITY BYTES has completed its casting process. Below are the actors who have signed on, which includes many faces familiar to daytime. You'll also notice some crossover with THE BAY, which went into production this past weekend. Tristan Rogers is a producer on THE BAY as well. The actors on both shows are in bold.

Tristan Rogers (Trevor Rains)
Tonja Walker (Avery Meadows)
John Callahan (Stuart Leary)
Drake Hogestyn (Jerry Parker)
John Reilly (Dalton Whitley)
Lilly Melgar (Rachel Bennett)
Ben Hogestyn (Jacob Kaplan)
Jade Harlow (Victoria "Vic" Radcliffe)
Billie Hayes (Emily Odgen Rains)
Edie Lehmann (Angela Rains)
Jered Allen (Ben Anderson)
Sarajane Rogers (Harper Rains)
Tracey Ross (Alex Armstrong)
Dana Sparks (Karen Walton)
Martha Madison (Hannah Taylor)
Danica Stewart (Kimberly McMillan)
Bryce Vine (Xavier Armstrong)

Saturday, June 5, 2010

NEWS: Dana Sparks, CTV, Dirty Little Secrets, FNL

INTERVIEW: REALITY BYTES actress Dana Sparks (Karen)
"While COVER UP started off great and it was exciting to be on a show, it quickly became the classic story of a TV show with too many women on one set. And of course the death of John Eric Hexum was devastating. He was a wonderful regular kind of guy."

A 'golden age' for British TV drama?‎
In March the BBC announced proposals to invest an extra £25m in BBC2, with drama a priority; Sky, not much known for drama, is to put some £40m into new series, and Channel Four, with money freed up by the dropping of the reality TV show BIG BROTHER, is to invest about £20m of that into drama.

Differences between the UK and US traditions have also produced a sharp divergence in the nature of the craft. British writers tend to cleave to the romantic view of the writer, alone with his vision. American dramas use the Hollywood system of teams of writers.

Demand Media Will Take Out AOL First, Yahoo Later
According to Joanne Bradford, the newly minted chief revenue officer for Demand Media, "We have so many people coming to our content every day, over 50 million uniques on eHow alone. We didn't get to these numbers by some crazy robot -- this is humans doing this every day. We give them a byline and we publish it to a great place on the web."

TRESemmé and ELLE magazine launch branded online series
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET is an online graphic novel web series that follows the life of Riley Kendrick, an aspiring stylist in New York City.

CTV Announces Industry-Leading 2010-2011 Canadian Television Package
The international phenomenon DEGRASSI moves to MuchMusic for a 10th incredible season, featuring 48 all-new episodes.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS wins 18-49 Friday night
At 8 p.m. ET, FNL had 3.8 million viewers overall) and finished #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, giving the critically acclaimed drama a second straight week in first place in the Friday 8-9 p.m. hour. Pending updates, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS scored its top 18-49 and total-viewer results in three weeks.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Season 4 hits DVD on August 17‎
Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release "Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season" in a three-disc set. All 13 episodes are included.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Today's Soap World Birthdays

Tristan Rogers (Trevor, REALITY BYTES; Lex, THE BAY; ex-Robert, GENERAL HOSPITAL/NIGHT SHIFT; ex-Hunter, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) - 64
Arianne Zucker (Nicole, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 36

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Lilly Melgar & Danica Stewart Join Cast of REALITY BYTES

Two more actresses have joined the cast of the upcoming indie soap REALITY BYTES. Lilly Melgar, who already has a role on THE BAY, will be playing Rachel Bennett. Danica Stewart has been cast in the role of Kimberly McMillan. They join Tristan Rogers, Tonja Walker, Drake Hogestyn and many others in the star-studded cast.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

INDIE SOAP BEAT: May 20, 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.

Casting for the upcoming first season THE BAY is now complete. In addition to the previously announced Mary Beth Evans, Tristan Rogers, Martha Madison, John Callahan, Taylor Stanley, Sandra Robinson and Lilly Melgar, others in the cast are Derrell Whitt, Monti Sharp, Tanisha Lynn, Camden Toy, Kristos Andrews, Jade Harlow and Dylan Bruce. Bruce was last seen as Chris Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS. The show shot an opening sequence on Thursday in Pacific Palisades.

The second season of EMPIRE is well underway and the improvements in the look and feel of the show have not gone unnoticed by fans. If you've missed any of our recent features with the cast of EMPIRE, you can find them all on the We Love Soaps EMPIRE page. Video interviews with Christian Barber, Tina Sloan, Orlagh Cassidy and Kate Forsatz are included as well as an entire episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV dedicated to the show.

THE CAVANAUGHS, from creator Adrian Morales, premiered on Thursday. The show is about a group of friends that reunite for the screening of an unsold sitcom pilot entitled 'The Cavanaughs', and the seed to return to the project is planted. THE CAVANAUGHS has filmed six episodes to date and will resume production in three weeks. New episodes will be released every Thursday.

The latest actor to join the cast of REALITY BYTES is Bryce Vine, son of Tracey Ross. Vine will be playing Xavier Armstrong while Tracey is playing Alex Armstrong on the upcoming series. On a recent episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, producer Tristan Rogers teased that a "huge announcement" about the show would be coming out in the near future. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 1.26 Gregori J. Martin Party

On Episode 1.26 of WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Stephen Seidel goes on location to My House Hollywood for the birthday party of actor/director Gregori J. Martin. Martin is currently in pre-production on a new indie soap, THE BAY, which will star Mary Beth Evans, Tristan Rogers, John Callahan and many other daytime favorites.

On the red carpet at the party, Seidel interviews Martin, Rogers (who teased a big REALITY BYTES announcement), Kate Linder, Sally Kirkland, Lisa Wilcox, John Littlefield and Nadine Stenovitch, Doug Jones, Phoebe Price, THE BAY stars Derrell Whitt and Kristos Andrews, and more.



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Friday, May 7, 2010

Big Casting News From Indie Soap REALITY BYTES

Indie soap opera REALITY BYTES has announced four more big casting moves today, adding to a cast that already includes Tristan Rogers, Tonja Walker, Jade Harlow and Drake Hogestyn.

The following actors have now joined the cast: Tracey Ross as Alex Armstrong, Dana Sparks as Karen Walton, John Reilly as Dalton Whitley, and Martha Madison as Hannah Taylor.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Jade Harlow Interview: Life, Career and REALITY BYTES

Actress Jade Harlow is best known to soap opera fans from her run as Jessica Bennett on the NBC series PASSIONS. She's also appeared on 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN as well as films such as Old Man Music and Prey 4 Me. She has now been cast in the upcoming indie soap REALITY BYTES from Tristan Rogers and Kate Lang. Harlow recently spoke with We Love Soaps about her life, career and her entry into the world of web series.

We Love Soaps: Can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up?
Jade Harlow: I was born in Vegas and I did half my growing up there. Right in the middle of adolescence my mom and I moved out to Orange County, in Laguna actually, and lived there a couple of years before L.A.

We Love Soaps: As a kid did you want to be an actress?
Jade Harlow: I never, ever wanted to be anything else. I never considered anything else. Never.

Friday, April 16, 2010

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.

Friday, April 9, 2010

INDIE SOAP BEAT: April 9, 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 the We Love Soaps interview with REALITY BYTES star Drake Hogestyn, you can read it here. Hogestyn previewed his character, Jerry Parker: "Creating a character is always a challenge, but in this particular case I'm going to be ask to bring a character to life. He was a real-life hero to many and that in itself is especially daunting. I'm up for the task but I'll also be very respectful of the writer's interpretation of this man's reincarnation. From what I understand, the man was a state trooper who died a very young and untimely death, and left a lot of people behind. He was one of the all around good guys and quite a prankster. I'm honored to be asked to bring this man back to life with the help of Kate Lang, the writer." Look for our interview with Jade Harlow (Victoria Radcliffe) in the coming days.

The second season of EMPIRE premieres on April 27. WE LOVE SOAPS TV is going to feature interviews with writers Greg Turner and Brian Hewson as well as features with several of the stars of the show as we countdown to the premiere date. Turner's critically acclaimed musical, "All Fall Down" is having a reading in New York City on Saturday.

THE LIKE US SHOW, a radio soapa opera airing on stations around the country, has now aired 49 episodes. The episodes are short enough that you can easily catch up so check it out! Christian Barber, who plays Robert, also has a role on EMPIRE in Season Two. Look for the We Love Soaps interview with two-indie soap star Barber soon.

THE LOVERS AND FRIENDS SHOW returns on Wednesday, April 14, for the finale of Season Three. L&G is an urban web-based lesbian soap that debuted in January 2008. You can watch the trailer for the season finale here. The show stars Marlaina Law, Christy Rodriguez, BeBe Brunswick, Nicole Pina, Zaire, Kissa Jo and Hollissia Holloway.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Drake Hogestyn Enters The Indie Soap World (Exclusive Interview)

Drake Hogestyn played John Black, among many other characters, on Days of Our Lives for 23 years before his character was written out of the soap last year. Fans have anxiously been waiting to hear about his next role. It turns out he's landed on indie soap Reality Bytes, being developed by Tristan Rogers and Kate Lang, in the role of Jerry Parker. Hogestyn isn't the only member of his family working on the project, stepson Ben Hogestyn was previously cast as Jacob Kaplan. In this exclusive interview with We Love Soaps, Drake Hogestyn talks about his new gig and what he's been up to since leaving DAYS.

We Love Soaps: Fans are really excited to be able to see you again, on a computer screen this time, on Reality Bytes. What do you know about the web series movement that's happening right now?
Drake Hogestyn: It seems like it's gaining traction. My son's girlfriend, Danica Stewart, has been involved in several of them, one of them was from Antonio Banderas. I'm familiar with the format of it. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. It's becoming more prevalent and obviously the way things are going to go. The biggest thing is getting people on board and being able to find them and getting the word out there. And that's what we're going to try to do with Reality Bytes.

Friday, April 2, 2010

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.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

50 Greatest Soap Actors: #50 Tristan Rogers

NAME: Tristan Rogers
RANK: 50
SOAP ROLES: Robert Scorpio, GENERAL HOSPITAL (1980-1992, 1995, 2006, 2008); Robert Scorpio, GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT (2008); Hunter Jones, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1997); CROSSROADS; Cain Carmichael, NUMBER 96 (1976); BELLBIRD

AWARDS:
1992 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Best Wedding: Daytime
1986 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial
1981 Soap Award win for Most Exciting New Actor

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Alan Carter: The true mark of what he meant to daytime...within about three months of his arrival, every show had a guy with an accent. Note to producers: it wasn't just the accent we fell for. The man could act!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Getting to Know REALITY BYTES Star Jered Allen

Indie soap REALITY BYTES has cast some daytime heavyweights including producer Tristan Rogers, Drake Hogestyn and Tonja Walker. Also part of this talented ensemble is Jered Allen, an Oklahoma native now living in Florida where REALITY BYTES will be shot. We Love Soaps spoke with Allen about his life and career and new web series role.

We Love Soaps: How long have you been acting? Is that something you grew up wanting to do?
Jered Allen: It's kind of funny. As a kid I grew up in Ada, Oklahoma, and was always around entertainment. My aunts were country singers and my uncle owned a music house. They were big in the small town areas. As a kid they would travel around Nashville and Alabama and all those places.

We Love Soaps: Ada, Oklahoma sounds familiar to me. What is it known for?
Jered Allen: It's known for [country singer] Blake Shelton. Blake and I grew up in the same area and used to catch snapping turtles in the creeks by Ada. He actually got his start at my uncle's music house, then moved to Nashville and got his recognition.

Tonja Walker Has Joined The Cast of REALITY BYTES

Longtime soap favorite Tonja Walker is the latest star to the join the cast of the upcoming indie soap REALITY BYTES. Walker will be playing Avery Meadows, who is described as "the queen bitch of daytime." She is best known to soap fans for her role as Alex on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. She has also appeared on GENERAL HOSPITAL, PASSIONS, GUIDING LIGHT and CAPITOL over the years.

Walker joins producer Tristan Rogers (Trevor) in the cast, along with Drake Hogestyn (Jerry), Suzanne Niedland (Karen), Jered Allen (Ben) and Ben Hogestyn (Jacob).

RELATED:
- WLS Interview Archive: Tristan Rogers & Kate Lang
- Drake Hogestyn Joins Cast of REALITY BYTES
- REALITY BYTES: So You Think You Can Write?
- INDIE SOAP BEAT Extra: REALITY BYTES Revealed

Monday, March 8, 2010

Drake Hogestyn Joins Cast of REALITY BYTES

In an exciting piece of indie soap casting, former DAYS OF OUR LVIES star Drake Hogestyn has joined the cast of the upcoming REALITY BYTES as Jerry Parker. Hogestyn joins producer Tristan Rogers (Trevor) in the cast, along with Suzanne Niedland (Karen), Jered Allen (Ben) and his stepson, Ben Hogestyn (Jacob).

RELATED:
- WLS Interview Archive: Tristan Rogers & Kate Lang
- REALITY BYTES: So You Think You Can Write?