Prism Awards

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — When the 15th annual Prism Awards are handed out later this month in Los Angeles, two of daytime’s leading drama series will be honored for recent storylines involving drug abuse and lung cancer. Both “One Life to Live” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” will be recognized at this year’s ceremony for the awards, which “honors the creative community for accurate portrayals of substance abuse, addiction and mental health in entertainment programming.”

“One Life to Live” beat out “Days of Our Lives” and sister soap “All My Children” in the category of Daytime Drama Series Storyline. While the “DAYS” storyline submitted was not listed on the official Prism Award website, “AMC” received a nod for its J.R. (Jacob Young) alcoholism storyline. “One Life ” won with its “Paying It Forward” storyline, which featured Cole Thornhart (Brandon Buddy) saving Hannah O’Connor’s (Meghann Fahy) life after she overdosed on pills last fall, and then proceeded to help her kick her drug habit.

“The Bold and the Beautiful” was given the organization’s Inaugural PRISM LUNGevity Award for accurate depictions of lung cancer, in recognition of Stephanie’s (Susan Flannery) battle with the deadly disease. According to a statement, “The new award was created in partnership with LUNGevity Foundation to encourage accurate depictions of lung cancer – its diagnosis, symptoms, effects, and treatment – in movies and television programs. In 2010, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ introduced a continuing storyline dealing with the character of Stephanie who is diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, despite being a non-smoker, and is undergoing treatments.”

The awards will be handed out in a nationally televised ceremony on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 pm ET on FX. The broadcast will then re-air on a number of other cable/satellite networks through Wednesday, September 28, and will be available on Video On-Demand through the end of October. Click here for a complete schedule and listing of winners in other television and film categories.

IMDb

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Sherri Saum is getting the last laugh after being let go from ABC’s new dramedy “The Deep End” last fall.

Created by “How I Met Your Mother” Co-Executive Producer David Hemingson, “Deep End” premiered to low ratings on Thursday, January 21 drawing just 7.07 million viewers and a 1.8/5 in Adults 18-49, placing the series 3rd in viewers and 4th in the all important demo. By comparison, the series only beat The CW’s “Vampire Diaries” by  a mere 12.5% (1.8 vs 1.6) in Adults 18-49. “Deep End” was down 25% from what “FlashForward” had averaged in the same time period this season.

In September, it was announced that Saum would be replaced by “Soul Food” actress Nicole Ari Parker in the role of Susan, the “sexy, smart, steely lioness of the firm’s litigation department whose husband, Clifford Huddle (Billy Zane), is the firm’s new managing partner.”

The series stars Matt Long (”Jack & Bobby”) as Dylan Hewitt, a young attorney who starts working for the prestigious Los Angeles law firm Sterling, Huddle, Oppenheim & Craft. Former “Desperate Housewives” heart-throb Mehcad Brooks also stars.

Despite its poor debut numbers, “Deep End is still scheduled to air on Thursday, January 28 at 8/7c on ABC.

From 2001-2003, Saum portrayed Keri Reynolds on ABC’s “One Life to Live” and Vanessa Hart from 1997-1999 on NBC’s “Sunset Beach.” The actress has had numerous starring roles in such series as Showtime’s “Beggars and Choosers,” HBO’s “In Treatment” and the FX drama “Rescue Me.”