A "Kiss Campaign" is underway, hoping to coax CBS and Procter & Gamble Productions into giving As the World Turns' Luke and Noah another on-screen liplock (especially since some primo opportunities were conspicuously dodged in recent weeks). "Soaps, like all businesses, live and die by consumer response to a product," campaign founder Jerome writes at AfterElton.com. "And while email complaint letters certainly get noticed, it's the more-grandiose gestures that usually succeed in eliciting a response." Hence, his decision to make like Jericho fans did (showering the Eye with nuts) and call on Luke-Noah supporters to flood CBS Daytime Programs SVP Barbara Bloom with Hershey's Kisses. "The symbolism," Jerome notes, "is obvious." Let's hope this campaign has a result other than Ms. Bloom's administrative assistant gaining 10 pounds. — Matt Webb Mitovich
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Colleen Zenk Pinter by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/PGP
Last spring As the World Turns star Colleen Zenk Pinter was diagnosed with oral cancer. Now her character, the conniving Barbara Ryan, is about to meet the same fate. "I set up a meeting to pitch the idea to our executive producer, Chris Goutman, even though I wasn't sure I was emotionally ready to do such a story," says Pinter, 54. "We sat down and, before I could say anything, Chris pitched the same idea to me."The actress, who underwent three surgeries and internal radiation treatment, is now cancer-free and eager to spread the word about this increasingly common, potentially deadly disease. "Like cervical cancer, oral cancer has now been linked to the HPV virus," says Pinter, noting that the website oralcancerfoundation.org was her lifesaver — literally. First doctors missed her cancer, then recommended the wrong surgery, prompting her to take charge, do her own research and get herself the proper care.The bad news will hit Barbara on Jan. 2, the same day she's banned from ...
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Natalia Livingston and Tyler Christopher by Ron Tom/ABC
As the World Turns: And Baby Makes Five Paul (Roger Howarth) and Rosanna (Cady McClain) get hitched, but Paul may have impregnated Craig's gal Meg. Naturally, somebody will mess with the paternity test. Holden and Lily head for divorce court. Nutty moms Barbara and Iris team up for villainy. General Hospital: Murder at the Ball Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) throws a black-and-white ball climaxing in the death of a top character. The story rewinds 11 hours, then each episode moves forward one hour — à la 24 — to reveal what really happened. Who's going bye-bye? There's much buzz that it's Nik's ex-wife Emily (Emmy winner Natalia Livingston), but ABC is strictly mum. One Life to Live: What a Drag Baby snatcher Marcie (Kathy Brier) evades the law via an offbeat underground railroad that finds her performing with drag queens in Georgia and getting help from a Katrina family in New Orleans. Plus, Tuc Watkins, briefly sprung from his gay-neighbor gig on Desperate Housewives, ...
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Comedy Central has proactively snapped up broadcast rights to three upcoming National Lampoon films: Bag Boy, Ratko: The Dictator's Son and The Legend of Awesomest Maximus Wallace Leonidas (a spoof of 300).... Kim Kardashian will grace Playboy's December cover and inside will unveil one girl and her back porch, a source tells Us.... Super Bowl MVP and former Giants QB Phil Simms will appear on As the World Turns Oct. 8.... Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse, arrives on DVD Oct. 16 in a two-disc, extended and unrated version.
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Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Nope, not gonna mention the kid doc by name for another 700 words or so. But boy, has Neil Patrick Harris accomplished the almost-impossible, creating a character on CBS' hit freshman laffer How I Met Your Mother (Mondays at 8:30 pm/ET) so fresh and different that we almost forget his original TV incarnation. (Of course, that little escapade with Harold & Kumar helped the cause.) Just how much does the actor love creating Barney trouble? Here's what he had to tell TVGuide.com.
TVGuide.com: When I interviewed As the World Turns' Terri Colombino née Conn years ago, she mentioned that you were her prom date. What do you remember about that night?Neil Patrick Harris: She's married now? Oh, I remember lots. That was really fun. We had
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Paolo Seganti (Damian) may not be the only hunk coming back to As the World Turns. Industry buzz has it Paul Leyden is returning to Oakdale as Aussie scoundrel Simon Frasier. "It's all rumor at the moment," ATWT's rep tells TVGuide.com. "There is no confirmation." Stay tuned....
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Colleen Zenk-Pinter and Diana the bear, As the World Turns
CBS' As the World Turns marks 50 years on daytime television next month. I'm not April foolin' you! So fire up your FauxVo because ATWT will celebrate its golden anniversary with two special episodes: On Friday, March 31, the residents of Oakdale are reimagined as characters from classic TV shows like I Dream of Jeannie and The Beverly Hillbillies. On Monday, April 3, seven of the soap's divas board a chartered bus for a road trip. Their sentimental journey includes lotsa vintage ATWT clips and even some action adventure. "I stand up to an 8-foot-tall, 350-pound black bear!" Colleen Zenk-Pinter (Barbara) enthuses to TVGuide.com. "It was so much fun. It really was."
Having screened a preview tape, this suds fan can vouch for Pinter's point. Between the bear battle and the sight of 87-year-old Helen Wagner (Nancy) fleeing from a flaming bus, this is can't-miss stuff. Who knew Nancy — an ATWT staple
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As the World Turns fans, our wish is granted! Italian stallion Paolo Seganti — who played Lily's ex-husband, Damian Grimaldi — reports back to work on the CBS soap's set in mid-April. That means Damian will return to Oakdale just in time for May sweeps.
"Part of what interested me in coming back is that my son Luke (Van Hansis) is gay," Seganti tells TVGuide.com. "This story line is so different, and that's cool."
Between ATWT stints, Seganti has done film work in Europe and spent quality time with his family on their 20-acre property in Tuscany. "Martha Byrne (Lily) and I are still best buddies. She's always asking me to come back, and one day I got a call from [executive producer] Chris Goutman," he says. "I could stay for th
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Scoop! There's an As the World Turns audition script floating around that features a scene between Lucy Montgomery and her devious daddy, Craig. Oh sure, the script calls them "Lauren" and "James," but since she calls him "Daddy" and he calls her "Lullabye" and "Sweetness" — Craig's pet names for his daughter — this soap spy is not fooled.
So is
ATWT replacing pretty
Peyton List, the ex-Lucy who's off seeking her fortune in prime-time TV? And might
Hunt Block return as currently incarcerated Craig? "We are recasting Lucy and you can look for her sometime this summer," the show's rep confirms to TVGuide.com. "There are no plans for Craig at this time."
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Ted King and Jay Pickett, General Hospital
Due to Ted King's emergency throat surgery this month, General Hospital was forced to temporarily recast the role of Mafia boss Lorenzo Alcazar. King's last airdate is March 22. Port Charles star Jay Pickett — who played paramedic-turned-vampire Frank Scanlon — then steps into Lorenzo's Gucci loafers for three episodes on March 23, 24 and 27. GH viewers can expect King to reprise his role (with a noticeably raspy voice) on March 28.
It's not uncustomary for GH to recast a front-burner hunk on medical leave. Last year Chris Beetem (ex-Jordan, As the World Turns) played Nikolas while Tyler Christopher recovered from a broken arm. For the talented Pickett, this temp job was a golden opportunity.
"I got a call that Ted Ki
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