Letting go is tough. John Black was modeled after Robert Ludlum’s super-spy, Jason Bourne. Hogestyn admits a certain connection with the character.

“For years, my thoughts were his thoughts,” he said.

He has caught himself giving John Black’s signature look — arching one dark eyebrow, eyes narrowing — to store clerks and talking to his fan club staff as if he’s still on the show.

“There’s an old expression: I could have been an actor, then I got a soap opera,” Hogestyn said.

“It stopped being about me. It stopped being about me going out for film. It stopped being about me pursuing anything that I wanted to do — what my dreams were as an actor,” said the father of four. “My mission was to provide for these little birds in the nest. . . . I think that’s why I kept the character alive for so long.”

Soap Operas Are Always Ahead of the Curve
Jaime Weinman writes for Macleans: “Soap operas are always one step ahead of prime-time programs when it comes to content. Any “shocking” issue that turns up on prime-time television has already turned up on a daytime soap. And of course prime-time is constantly playing catch-up with soaps when it comes to storytelling: serialization, shocking deaths, the use of a large ensemble cast where any cast member is expendable, elaborate mythology; all these things became commonplace in prime time only after they’d been commonplace in soaps for decades. So if soap operas are ratcheting up product placement to a new level, we can expect to see it in prime-time eventually.”

TOM CASIELLO: Back in the Saddle… like Riding a Bike… or Mixing a Metaphor
“I am three episodes into my trial. I am regrouping, learning, growing, and contributing as much as I can. I adore the team of people I work with, and I am doing the best I know how, and working hard to live up to the legacy Y&R has given its fans all these years. My first episode will air in late April, and I’m highly enjoying myself as I step back into the role of Breakdown Writer. Whatever comes of it, I’m living for the moment and enjoying each week as it happens.”

Deep Soap: Llanview Is The New Santa Barbara
Sara A. Bibel blogs: ” I’ve noticed that OLTL shares a number of characteristics with another critically acclaimed but low rated soap, SANTA BARBARA. Like OLTL, SB was the hip, sophisticated, modern soap. It was known for playing with the form, occasional forays into fantasy (Mason’s visit to heaven where God was played by *shudder* Brian Frons, Patrick Mulcahey’s brilliant Twilight Zone inspired ‘The Capwell Zone’ episode. Most important, both shows were deliberately quirky and comedic in ways that often served to encourage the audience to acknowledge that they were watching a television show rather than eavesdropping on other people’s lives.”

ITV needs radical action
Commercial terrestrial broadcaster ITV needs further radical action if it is to have a long-term future. Caught by both cyclical and structural change, the home to talent show the X-FACTOR and soap opera CORONATION STREET may have to suspend its dividend, increase cost savings and consider a rights issue if it is to protect its programming budget and retain advertisers. It may also be forced into non-core asset sales as it confronts the rapid downturn in advertising.

EMMERDALE’s Roxanne Pallett voted off DANCING ON ICE
EMMERDALE actress Roxanne Pallett has become the latest celebrity to be voted off ITV’s DANCING ON ICE contest. Pallett, who plays Jo Sugden in the soap opera, lost out in the skate-off to former Blue Peter host Zoe Salmon.

“It’s been such a treat – an amazing experience,” said the star. “I can’t believe I made it this far.”

BROTHERS & SISTERS: Well, technically someone did die
Robert flatlined, Nora ran in, the music swelled, the paddles charged and Robert was dead. Until he wasn’t.

NTIA: Coupon Waiting List Shrinks, But Only Slightly
Over a million households who say they rely on analog television remain on the waiting list for DTV-to-analog converter box coupons, with over 600 TV stations having already pulled the plug on analog. That’s according to the latest figures from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, which is overseeing the converter box coupon subsidy program. NTIA is still waiting for the Office of Management and Budget to free up $650 million in converter box coupon funding so it can get 2.3 million households off the waiting list. The good news is that the list is no longer growing. NTIA said Monday that the list shrunk by about 144,000 applications over the past three days.

Lynn Leahey, the editorial director of Soap Opera Digest, pointed to an episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS in which Margo needed to get her hair fixed before a date with her husband (don’t ask) and reached for a bottle of Nice ’n Easy Root Touch-Up. “I feel like I took off 10 years in 10 minutes!” she exclaimed.

Daytime dramas are swimming in choppy waters these days. Ratings are down. Shows are getting canceled. “They’re struggling to find a business model that works,” said Leahey, in a remark I have heard a time or two lately in other contexts.

So, the viewers acquiesce. In fact, for all the complaining about car bailouts and greedy bankers, people have become extremely tolerant of irritating behavior on the part of struggling corporations. Lines we never even bothered to think of as lines are being crossed.

Deep Soap: Heart Of The Matter
Sara A. Bibel blogs: “I’m not sure why Campbell’s picked ABC soaps to spread its message. There are certainly plenty of older, at risk, women who watch. It’s undoubtedly much cheaper to get ABC daytime on board then it would be to pay for a Campbell’s themed episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. I think there’s also an assumption that us unsophisticated daytime viewers will believe that canned food with less salt, rather than actual fruits and vegetables, are the ticket to good health.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ATWT’s Jeffrey Meek (Craig)
Jeffrey Meek will star as Mack the Knife, Feb. 28-March 29, in the San Diego REP production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s groundbreaking musical, “The Threepenny Opera.”

Meek played Craig on ATWT for several months but was suddenly replaced by the original Craig in 2007 who lasted less than a year in his return to the soap.

VIDEO: Y&R’s Morrow going to the outlets
Josh Morrow from CBS’s THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS is coming to Miromar Outlets. Meet him on Saturday, March 21 from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then again on Sunday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The Man Who Came Back” part of film festival in May
The Bayou Playhouse in Lockport is giving performance-art fans a chance in May to view a showcase of works by acclaimed filmmakers Glen Pitre and Michelle Benoit at a month-long film festival. Included in the showcase is Eric Braeden’s “The Man Who Came Back” on May 31.

Jim Lehrer love FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
“The writing and acting on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is superb. These are seriously drawn stories about high school football in small-town Texas and the dilemmas these kids have. It’s very gripping. Of course, I’m from Texas, so that’s part of it.”

Is Joe McCoy Making His Son Into the Next Todd Marinovich?
Slate’s Meghan O’Rourke ponders the question: “Is FNL setting him up to be a future Todd Marinovich? Marinovich, as football fans will remember, was a vaunted quarterback who was micromanaged by his dad from birth. Like Joe McCoy, Marv Marinovich scheduled his son’s every minute and meal.”

The-N becoming TeenNick
In an effort to strengthen the already venerable kids and family-oriented Nickelodeon brand, Nick will rename its toddler-targeted Noggin network as Nick Jr. and its teen-tinged The N service (US home of DEGRASSI) as TeenNick later this year.

Lynn Leahey, the editorial director of Soap Opera Digest, pointed to an episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS in which Margo needed to get her hair fixed before a date with her husband (don’t ask) and reached for a bottle of Nice ’n Easy Root Touch-Up. “I feel like I took off 10 years in 10 minutes!” she exclaimed.

Daytime dramas are swimming in choppy waters these days. Ratings are down. Shows are getting canceled. “They’re struggling to find a business model that works,” said Leahey, in a remark I have heard a time or two lately in other contexts.

So, the viewers acquiesce. In fact, for all the complaining about car bailouts and greedy bankers, people have become extremely tolerant of irritating behavior on the part of struggling corporations. Lines we never even bothered to think of as lines are being crossed.

Deep Soap: Heart Of The Matter
Sara A. Bibel blogs: “I’m not sure why Campbell’s picked ABC soaps to spread its message. There are certainly plenty of older, at risk, women who watch. It’s undoubtedly much cheaper to get ABC daytime on board then it would be to pay for a Campbell’s themed episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. I think there’s also an assumption that us unsophisticated daytime viewers will believe that canned food with less salt, rather than actual fruits and vegetables, are the ticket to good health.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ATWT’s Jeffrey Meek (Craig)
Jeffrey Meek will star as Mack the Knife, Feb. 28-March 29, in the San Diego REP production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s groundbreaking musical, “The Threepenny Opera.”

Meek played Craig on ATWT for several months but was suddenly replaced by the original Craig in 2007 who lasted less than a year in his return to the soap.

VIDEO: Y&R’s Morrow going to the outlets
Josh Morrow from CBS’s THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS is coming to Miromar Outlets. Meet him on Saturday, March 21 from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then again on Sunday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The Man Who Came Back” part of film festival in May
The Bayou Playhouse in Lockport is giving performance-art fans a chance in May to view a showcase of works by acclaimed filmmakers Glen Pitre and Michelle Benoit at a month-long film festival. Included in the showcase is Eric Braeden’s “The Man Who Came Back” on May 31.

Jim Lehrer love FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
“The writing and acting on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is superb. These are seriously drawn stories about high school football in small-town Texas and the dilemmas these kids have. It’s very gripping. Of course, I’m from Texas, so that’s part of it.”

Is Joe McCoy Making His Son Into the Next Todd Marinovich?
Slate’s Meghan O’Rourke ponders the question: “Is FNL setting him up to be a future Todd Marinovich? Marinovich, as football fans will remember, was a vaunted quarterback who was micromanaged by his dad from birth. Like Joe McCoy, Marv Marinovich scheduled his son’s every minute and meal.”

The-N becoming TeenNick
In an effort to strengthen the already venerable kids and family-oriented Nickelodeon brand, Nick will rename its toddler-targeted Noggin network as Nick Jr. and its teen-tinged The N service (US home of DEGRASSI) as TeenNick later this year.

Campbell execs to make ALL MY CHILDREN cameo
While some executives sign off on integration deals, few are expected to actually play themselves as part of the branded move. Yet two Campbell’s Soup heads will do just that, appearing as themselves on ALL MY CHILDREN this Thursday.

The appearance is the lynchpin in a three-show integration with ABC Daytime. Campbell’s media agency, Mediaedge:cia, brokered the deal, developed by ABC Sales’ integrated-marketing and promotion division.

“ABC Daytime delivered a strategic media solution to Campbell’s heart-health marketing objective, and we are thrilled to see all four daytime shows working in unison to support this very important initiative,” said Mike Shaw, ABC Television’s president-sales and marketing, in a statement.

Deep Soap: Everybody Hates Reese
“ALL MY CHILDREN’s writing staff has finally seen the light. Reese is not the world’s most awesome lesbian. She’s not even a lesbian. Watching the entire town of Pine Valley line up to take pot shots at her serves as the show’s mea culpa to the audience for shoving the unlikable pathetic character down our throats for months.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: DAYS’ Kenny Jezek (Lars)
Kenny Jezek, who played Lars Englund on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, has formed Command Performers, a Valley-based theater troupe. Jezek has connections in the Christian film community – specifically Advent Film Group ­- and wants to get some of his performers apprenticeships or small parts in movie projects.

Jezek, whose wife, Karen, was also a former soap star, spent many years in TV, movies and musicals, playing the role of someone else. His goal with his newly formed troupe is to give others a firm foundation in that arena – in a family-friendly environment.

“I want to keep it where a person can go and watch and not feel like, ‘Oh, I wish they hadn’t said that or done that,’” Jezek said.

INTERVIEW: DAYS’ John Callahan (Dr. Baker)
“Dr. Baker the Baby Maker has a nice ring to it. I don’t know what they will do with me. The writers are very mum about it and play their cards close to the vest. I really, honestly, don’t know where they are going to go with the character, but they do have some talented writers on the show and Gary Tomlin is a great executive producer. I am looking forward to reading what is next! I hope you and the fans will be pleased with what comes next.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: James Goodwin (ex-Kevin, AW; ex-Johnny, GL)
“I am now living in Austin, TX with Michelle, my wife of 25 years, my sons Zane, a sophomore in genetic engineering at St. Edward’s University, and Ben, a Junior in High School, and my two Welsh Pembroke Corgis, Oscar and Ellie. I now perform on a regular basis at the Zachary Scott Theatre (zachtheatre.org) and am currently performing in the World Premiere production of Steven Dietz’s ‘Shooting Star’ which runs until April 5. Although acting is my hobby now, it is what gives me true joy.”

Michael Rady cast in MELROSE pilot
Michael Rady, who starred in both GREEK and SWINGTOWN, is the first actor to sign on for The CW’s remake of MELROSE PLACE. Rady will play Jonah Miller, a cute and quirky 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker who films weddings and bar mitzvahs.

INTERVIEW: Y&R’s Sharon Case (Sharon)
“It’s stress that causes her to do weird things and panic. These are really extreme circumstances, where people can blank out or do things unlike themselves, or freak out. They even could go blind, temporarily. I heard someone who was having a nervous breakdown got hysterical blindness in real life. I know of people who have gone blind from stress or illness, and things can happen temporarily to you. With Sharon, she does not remember moments of time, here and there.”

GL’s Stunt Coordinater does “Hamlet”
In preparation for Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School’s Performing Arts upcoming production of “Hamlet,” acting students were given “hands on” combat instruction by internationally acclaimed Fight Choreographer Rick Sordelet.

Sordelet was delighted to take a break from his busy schedule to be a guest artist for the highly touted Performing Arts Honors Program at the school.

He was the stunt coordinator for the films The Game Plan, Dan in Real Life and Hamlet and is the chief stunt coordinator for GUIDING LIGHT.

MY Sun’s Top 10 Soap Stars
Readers of The Sun voted on their favorite UK soqp stars.

BBC’s first ever all-black episode of EASTENDERS watched by 8.4million viewers
The show which included references to civil rights leader Martin Luther King and racism showed an increase of over one million viewers in comparison to last Tuesday’s episode. And this week the show was up against Champions League football on ITV1 rather than it’s usual ratings rival EMMERDALE.

Charlie Brooks “blessed” to be back on EASTENDERS
EASTENDERS star Charlie Brooks (Janine) has said she feels “blessed” to be back on the soap. The 27-year-old actress returned to Albert Square at the end of last year after almost five years away from the show.

Charlie said on THIS MORNING: “I’m so happy. I feel blessed to have a job in the current economic climate and things are falling into place for me. I love the EastEnders cast. I was 17 when I first joined and a lot has changed since then, but Janine is still as fun to play.”

Television’s quiet gray revolution
For years the all-consuming emphasis on reaching adults under 50 has imposed dictatorial constraints on TV casting, prompting a Logan’s Run-like effect that expunged older performers. Look closely, though, and you’ll notice a new wave of dramas is producing what amounts to a mini grey revolution, virtually waged on the sly.

YouTube has lots of content, but from the perspective of advertisers much of it is utterly worthless. Nobody wants to tout their brand amid user-generated videos that could turn out to be almost anything, Arash Amel, analyst for researcher Screen Digest, says. He reckons that only 3 to 4 percent of the clips in YouTube’s library are able to carry advertising, while at Hulu 100 percent of the library can carry advertising and 80 percent of the streams Hulu delivers have advertising attached.

Slumdog and soaps in India
An excerpt from an interesting Letter to the Editor in the Stabroek News today: “Robin Muneshwer (Sunday Stabroek Feb. 22) writes about the non-acceptance of Indians of the movie Slumdog Millionaire because of ‘its overly negative portrayal of India and Indians, embarrassed perhaps, that the world should discover that India, home to a million gods, has crime and corruption and poverty.’ He further stated that: ‘For them, India is best represented by shows like KASAMH SE where everyone is rich and fair-skinned.’ Some of the main characters of KASAMH SE—Jigyasa is very dark in complexion; Jai Walia, the star is not ‘fair-skinned’ and so is Piya, just so you know. But to say that soaps like KASAMH SE are true representations of life in India is like saying that DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS are true representations of the American way of life.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GUIDING LIGHT’s Ashley Peldon (Marah)
“I do still continue to tune in now and then. I also get great fan letters that fill me in on what the Marah character has developed into over the years. I’m honored to have been a part of Marah’s origins.”

GREY’s shocker: McDreamy quits?
In a preview of the March 12 episode, ABC reveals that Derek is quitting Seattle Grace.

DIRTY SEXY Tamara Feldman land GOSSIP GIRL role
Tamara Feldman is joining the cast of GOSSIP for a four-episode arc as a Gotham socialite.

Minka Kelly Dishes on Her ‘Bubble Butt’ – and Love of Eating
“I never really took the idea of me being a model seriously, because I never thought that I had the body for it,” the star of NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS tells the March issue of Health, on newsstands today. “I’m five-feet-five, and I have a bubble butt and pretty big thighs. So I learned quickly just to be happy with what I’ve got.”

ARMY WIVES renewed for fourth season
ARMY WIVES has been Lifetime’s most successful series to date, with the second season finale giving the network its highest ratings ever in the 18-34 demo. The series is also cable’s most watched drama among women 18-49, a demo the network has been trying hard to attract as it seeks to shift its demos younger.

Pippy a regular on ARMY WIVES
Katelyn Pippy has become a series regular on Lifetime’s ARMY WIVES. She recurred as the daughter of Kim Delaney’s character last season.

YouTube has lots of content, but from the perspective of advertisers much of it is utterly worthless. Nobody wants to tout their brand amid user-generated videos that could turn out to be almost anything, Arash Amel, analyst for researcher Screen Digest, says. He reckons that only 3 to 4 percent of the clips in YouTube’s library are able to carry advertising, while at Hulu 100 percent of the library can carry advertising and 80 percent of the streams Hulu delivers have advertising attached.

Slumdog and soaps in India
An excerpt from an interesting Letter to the Editor in the Stabroek News today: “Robin Muneshwer (Sunday Stabroek Feb. 22) writes about the non-acceptance of Indians of the movie Slumdog Millionaire because of ‘its overly negative portrayal of India and Indians, embarrassed perhaps, that the world should discover that India, home to a million gods, has crime and corruption and poverty.’ He further stated that: ‘For them, India is best represented by shows like KASAMH SE where everyone is rich and fair-skinned.’ Some of the main characters of KASAMH SE—Jigyasa is very dark in complexion; Jai Walia, the star is not ‘fair-skinned’ and so is Piya, just so you know. But to say that soaps like KASAMH SE are true representations of life in India is like saying that DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS are true representations of the American way of life.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GUIDING LIGHT’s Ashley Peldon (Marah)
“I do still continue to tune in now and then. I also get great fan letters that fill me in on what the Marah character has developed into over the years. I’m honored to have been a part of Marah’s origins.”

GREY’s shocker: McDreamy quits?
In a preview of the March 12 episode, ABC reveals that Derek is quitting Seattle Grace.

DIRTY SEXY Tamara Feldman land GOSSIP GIRL role
Tamara Feldman is joining the cast of GOSSIP for a four-episode arc as a Gotham socialite.

Minka Kelly Dishes on Her ‘Bubble Butt’ – and Love of Eating
“I never really took the idea of me being a model seriously, because I never thought that I had the body for it,” the star of NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS tells the March issue of Health, on newsstands today. “I’m five-feet-five, and I have a bubble butt and pretty big thighs. So I learned quickly just to be happy with what I’ve got.”

ARMY WIVES renewed for fourth season
ARMY WIVES has been Lifetime’s most successful series to date, with the second season finale giving the network its highest ratings ever in the 18-34 demo. The series is also cable’s most watched drama among women 18-49, a demo the network has been trying hard to attract as it seeks to shift its demos younger.

Pippy a regular on ARMY WIVES
Katelyn Pippy has become a series regular on Lifetime’s ARMY WIVES. She recurred as the daughter of Kim Delaney’s character last season.

YouTube has lots of content, but from the perspective of advertisers much of it is utterly worthless. Nobody wants to tout their brand amid user-generated videos that could turn out to be almost anything, Arash Amel, analyst for researcher Screen Digest, says. He reckons that only 3 to 4 percent of the clips in YouTube’s library are able to carry advertising, while at Hulu 100 percent of the library can carry advertising and 80 percent of the streams Hulu delivers have advertising attached.

Slumdog and soaps in India
An excerpt from an interesting Letter to the Editor in the Stabroek News today: “Robin Muneshwer (Sunday Stabroek Feb. 22) writes about the non-acceptance of Indians of the movie Slumdog Millionaire because of ‘its overly negative portrayal of India and Indians, embarrassed perhaps, that the world should discover that India, home to a million gods, has crime and corruption and poverty.’ He further stated that: ‘For them, India is best represented by shows like KASAMH SE where everyone is rich and fair-skinned.’ Some of the main characters of KASAMH SE—Jigyasa is very dark in complexion; Jai Walia, the star is not ‘fair-skinned’ and so is Piya, just so you know. But to say that soaps like KASAMH SE are true representations of life in India is like saying that DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS are true representations of the American way of life.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GUIDING LIGHT’s Ashley Peldon (Marah)
“I do still continue to tune in now and then. I also get great fan letters that fill me in on what the Marah character has developed into over the years. I’m honored to have been a part of Marah’s origins.”

GREY’s shocker: McDreamy quits?
In a preview of the March 12 episode, ABC reveals that Derek is quitting Seattle Grace.

DIRTY SEXY Tamara Feldman land GOSSIP GIRL role
Tamara Feldman is joining the cast of GOSSIP for a four-episode arc as a Gotham socialite.

Minka Kelly Dishes on Her ‘Bubble Butt’ – and Love of Eating
“I never really took the idea of me being a model seriously, because I never thought that I had the body for it,” the star of NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS tells the March issue of Health, on newsstands today. “I’m five-feet-five, and I have a bubble butt and pretty big thighs. So I learned quickly just to be happy with what I’ve got.”

ARMY WIVES renewed for fourth season
ARMY WIVES has been Lifetime’s most successful series to date, with the second season finale giving the network its highest ratings ever in the 18-34 demo. The series is also cable’s most watched drama among women 18-49, a demo the network has been trying hard to attract as it seeks to shift its demos younger.

Pippy a regular on ARMY WIVES
Katelyn Pippy has become a series regular on Lifetime’s ARMY WIVES. She recurred as the daughter of Kim Delaney’s character last season.

YouTube has lots of content, but from the perspective of advertisers much of it is utterly worthless. Nobody wants to tout their brand amid user-generated videos that could turn out to be almost anything, Arash Amel, analyst for researcher Screen Digest, says. He reckons that only 3 to 4 percent of the clips in YouTube’s library are able to carry advertising, while at Hulu 100 percent of the library can carry advertising and 80 percent of the streams Hulu delivers have advertising attached.

Slumdog and soaps in India
An excerpt from an interesting Letter to the Editor in the Stabroek News today: “Robin Muneshwer (Sunday Stabroek Feb. 22) writes about the non-acceptance of Indians of the movie Slumdog Millionaire because of ‘its overly negative portrayal of India and Indians, embarrassed perhaps, that the world should discover that India, home to a million gods, has crime and corruption and poverty.’ He further stated that: ‘For them, India is best represented by shows like KASAMH SE where everyone is rich and fair-skinned.’ Some of the main characters of KASAMH SE—Jigyasa is very dark in complexion; Jai Walia, the star is not ‘fair-skinned’ and so is Piya, just so you know. But to say that soaps like KASAMH SE are true representations of life in India is like saying that DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS are true representations of the American way of life.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GUIDING LIGHT’s Ashley Peldon (Marah)
“I do still continue to tune in now and then. I also get great fan letters that fill me in on what the Marah character has developed into over the years. I’m honored to have been a part of Marah’s origins.”

GREY’s shocker: McDreamy quits?
In a preview of the March 12 episode, ABC reveals that Derek is quitting Seattle Grace.

DIRTY SEXY Tamara Feldman land GOSSIP GIRL role
Tamara Feldman is joining the cast of GOSSIP for a four-episode arc as a Gotham socialite.

Minka Kelly Dishes on Her ‘Bubble Butt’ – and Love of Eating
“I never really took the idea of me being a model seriously, because I never thought that I had the body for it,” the star of NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS tells the March issue of Health, on newsstands today. “I’m five-feet-five, and I have a bubble butt and pretty big thighs. So I learned quickly just to be happy with what I’ve got.”

ARMY WIVES renewed for fourth season
ARMY WIVES has been Lifetime’s most successful series to date, with the second season finale giving the network its highest ratings ever in the 18-34 demo. The series is also cable’s most watched drama among women 18-49, a demo the network has been trying hard to attract as it seeks to shift its demos younger.

Pippy a regular on ARMY WIVES
Katelyn Pippy has become a series regular on Lifetime’s ARMY WIVES. She recurred as the daughter of Kim Delaney’s character last season.

And all that happens in the first episode of Memphis filmmaker Mark Jones’ new online soap opera ON THE EDGE OF HAPPINESS, which launches at 10pm ET Tuesday at edgeofsoapopera.com. A public party celebrating the launch begins two hours earlier at Quetzal.

EDGE Unveiled
The first episode — which takes place behind the scenes of an impending wedding between characters Sarah (Corie Ventura) and Philip (Billie Worley) — ends with a murder and sets up about half a dozen potential suspects with motives rooted in family intrigue, illicit affairs, and other kinds of drama.

WWE Revenues Up 8% In 2008
They made nearly $100 million in 2008 on pay-per-view and on-demand services. Perhaps soaps should do pay-per-view concerts and shows instead of tours like Soap Opera Mania. It would cut out a lot of the overhead and, in this economy, might be a much more profitable venture.

PRIVILEGED: Tonight’s your last chance to boost the ratings
Tonight is the final episode of season one (and possibly the series finale).

Bill Roache back on CORRIE set
Bill Roache has returned to work for the first time since the death of his wife. The actor – who has played Ken Barlow for 49 years – had been told by the soap’s bosses that he could have as much time off as he needed, and storylines involving his character were rewritten. However, he made a subdued and gentle return to the STREET to film one scene with on-screen wife Deidre, before having meetings with CORRIE chiefs. An insider said: “They talked how his storylines were going to be altered to cater for his recent absence.”

Kelli McCarty getting mixed reactions on porn career
Former Miss USA and PASSIONS star Kelli McCarty is getting mixed reactions to her new status as a porn star. Faithless, her first XXX movie from Vivid Entertainment (kelliusa.com) which was released on February 4th, is already on re-order and Kelli had a new star turn in the second episode of Vivid’s DEEPER THROAT reality series on Showtime on Saturday night. On the other hand, not all her friends are thrilled with her new career choice.

“I had a blast making the movie because I enjoy acting and I really like sex,” she says. “However, I am a bit surprised by the mixed reactions I’m now getting from friends. Men I’ve had only platonic relationships with over the years are now definitely viewing me in a more erotic way and one old friend suggested that I spend the night with him and his wife. But a woman who is a former cast mate from my days on the soap PASSIONS suggested that I leave country as soon as possible.”

INTERVIEW: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ Neal McDonough (Dave)
“Everyone dies on the show. I’m the only person standing in HOUSEWIVES at the end of the season. I get a gun and put everybody down. No, I’m only kidding. But it’s true that Nicollette is leaving the show and the next episode will be her last. It’s so bizarre because we were married on the show for a year, and off the set she’s become so close to me and my wife. All I can tell you is she’s going out with a bang, that’s for sure. It’s pretty amazing stuff.”