March 2008 News Archive (Page 5)

Yes, you read that headline correctly.

Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor and friend of Alex Rodriguez, will play himself in an upcoming episode of All My Children. He comes to Erica Kane's aid while she's in prison on a fraud rap.

It's Buffett's second appearance on the ABC drama, but his first since 1992.

In the episode, scheduled to air during May sweeps, Buffett is called to Pine Valley by his pal Opal Cortland (Jill Larson, above right with Buffett). Opal wants him to help her best friend, Erica (Susan Lucci, left and inset with Buffett), who was caught after going on the lam following her guilty plea to insider trading.

Buffett agrees to visit Erica in prison, accompanied by Opal, who's hopeful that one of the world's richest men can leverage a deal on Erica's behalf. We're sure he can!

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Martha Byrne's replacement has been hired and it is a "name" actress that didn't even have to screen test.

The series is not giving out this star's name yet, however, because Byrne had not taped her last scenes yet when the magazine went to print. Noelle Beck and Susan Haskell are the names that have most frequently been mentioned.

Robert Newman is the youngest of seven children. He was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award for Supporting Actor in 1998 and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2002.

Here are a few other tidbits about the Guiding Light star you may not previously have known:

• Active in the Guiding Light Actor's Workshop.

• Avid golfer and huge Bruce Springsteen fan.

• Was an interim pastor at a church in Los Angeles.

• Featured in the audio version of book Moonlight with Kim Zimmer (Reva).

On March 23, The Bold and the Beautiful will celebrate its 21st birthday! It's been over two decades since the show first premiered on CBS. Wow.

“Twenty-one years on television has been a remarkable, collaborative achievement,” said Executive Producer and Head Writer, Bradley P. Bell.

“We have an extraordinary, cast, crew, and staff, who have made the last two decades a pleasurable and incredible journey. Our success is due to them, to CBS, whose support has been integral, and to our viewers for their unwavering devotion.”

As loyal soap opera followers know, there have been a bevy of returns by characters and actors over the last few months.

Michael Logan of TV Guide has ranked them all and you can take a look at his list now. Below are a couple of examples from it:

Drake Hogestyn (Days of our Lives)
Who knew? This actor was often criticized for his robotic performance as white-knight hero John Black, but his character has returned from the grave as a hilariously snarky programmed killer with no emotional innards ("I love you," says his saintly wife, Marlena. "Good to know," snaps nuJohn). Weird idea, but guess what? Hogestyn is now robo-tastic!
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Rebecca Budig (All My Children)
Can she sue for promo overkill? ABC's shameless "real Greenlee" blitz set Budig up for a fall, and the show did her no favors by bringing her back in a snoozy story that had her character incapacitated by a toxic root. But Budig will triumph! It's taken weeks, but the loopy, ballsy, hot-to-trot Greens we love is slowly coming round.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

Welcome back to The Soap Dispenser! All your favorite soap opera action from Tuesday, March 18 soap operas can be found right here in our recaps of ...

• All My Children
• General Hospital
• The Bold and the Beautiful
• The Young and the Restless
• One Life to Live
• Days of Our Lives
• As the World Turns
• Guiding Light

Thank you for visiting The Soap Dispenser for soap opera news and spoilers from The Young and the Restless to As the World Turns, One Life to Live and all the rest. Thanks for making The Soap Dispenser the #1 soap opera site online!

When Casey was released from jail on As the World Turns, he wasn't the only one starting his life over; his roommate Matt flew the coop, too.

CBS.com caught up with his portrayer, Eric William Morris who filled readers in on Matt, life in Oakdale and more.

CBS.com: Tell me about Matt.
Eric William Morris: Matt grew up in a different part of Illinois because he was in the state prison with Casey, which you'll learn as the plot unfolds. I think he's a really interesting character. He's not fully bad and he's struggling to become a good guy, but he has a lot going on and he has a lot of influences pulling at him. He's got a really interesting struggle so it's really interesting to play.

CBS.com: Do we know why Matt is in prison?
Eric William Morris: You will, eventually, so tune into As the World Turns, weekdays on CBS.

Read the full interview with Morris now.

Things are looking a little shaky these days at Guiding Light, history's longest-running soap opera. The New York Daily News has a look at the show's recent changes...

The producers don't think that's a bad thing, either. A little shakiness, courtesy of hand-held digital cameras, is just one part of a major makeover they hope is transforming the look and style of the 71-year-old show from staid and traditional to fresh, contemporary and provocative.

" 'Guiding Light' has always been at the forefront of technology," says producer Janet Morrison. "It's just a way it continuously becomes a better version of itself.

"We've gone from three-wall sets to four walls and a ceiling. Now when the characters drive a car, it's a real car, not a car sitting there with fake trees..."

Read the full article now.

Though she's believed to have fallen to her death nearly a year ago, Drucilla Winters may still resurface. So believe many fans of The Young and the Restless.

While CBS refuses to comment publicly, soapcentral.com has learned that the network is actively seeking a way to bring actress Victoria Rowell back into the fold.

The portrayer of Winters, who left the show in April 2007 amid reports of hurt feelings and frustration with the direction of the show, states that she is "open" to a possible The Young and the Restless return.

"Before Christmas, through my representative, there was a dialogue with the CBS brass regarding [the] re-entry of Drucilla Winters," Rowell said. "The ball is in The Young and the Restless court. I think it's important that the fans know that I'm open to coming back and now we're waiting for an answer. That's absolutely the case."

The exciting rumor is now official:

ABC has now confirmed that Tuc Watkins will return to Llanview as David on May 7. What will this former One Life to Live star be up to? Will he come back to claim his place in the Buchanan family? Or will David be content to win over Viki with his changed ways?

Tune in. Find out.