2015

After pleading guilty to vehicular assault (a fourth-degree felony) and operating a vehicle while intoxicated (a first-degree misdemeanor) in December, following an October 2014 car accident that left himself and girlfriend, Alyssa Tabit, injured, “Days of our Lives” star Freddie Smith (Sonny Kiriakis) appeared in an Ohio court earlier today as a judge handed down their ruling. Smith was sentenced to three days in jail, given two years probation and received a one year license suspension.

“The Young and the Restless’” Gina Tognoni is having the time of her life. Just seven months after reporting to the CBS Television City studio, where the daytime drama series is filmed, Tognoni is grateful for the warm welcome she’s received from viewers and the daytime community as a whole. Fresh off a pre-nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, for her role as Phyllis Summers on “Y&R,” Tognoni shares with us what it’s like playing such an interesting and dynamic character, provides insight into the Phyllis, Jack (Peter Bergman) and Kelly (Cady McClain) triangle, and which actors and characters she’d love to share more screen time with.

Ratings Report for the Week of February 2-6, 2015

After several months of disastrous ratings returns that has left many in the industry wondering if “Days of our Lives” would survive its next renewal talks between NBC, Sony Pictures Television and Corday Productions, producers of the soap, the daytime drama series will welcome back veteran writer Dena Higley, and former “One Life to Live” and “The Young and the Restless” head writer Josh Griffith, as its new head writers. The two replace outgoing head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

ABC’s “General Hospital” is adding “All My Children” alum Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee Smythe) to its all-star cast, it was announced yesterday by executive producer Frank Valentini, following an ongoing Twitter conversation with head writer Ron Carlivati, in response to Valentini’s promise of a major casting announcement. “Hey @RebeccaBudig wanna join the cast of GH in a new Killer Role??” tweeted Valentini, after saying “okay okay” to head writer Ron Carlivati.

Victoria Rowell, who portrayed Drucilla Winters on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” for the better part of two decades, is suing the network, Sony Pictures Television, Bell Dramatic Serial Company and Bell-Phillip Television Productions, Inc., producers of the daytime drama series, reports Deadline, for what her suit alleges is the result of Rowell being “impoverished and blackballed because she had chosen to speak out against the discrimination and injustice that she had endured and witnessed happen to other African Americans.”

CBS’ Angelica McDaniel, who in her role as Senior Vice President, Daytime, CBS Entertainment, has overseen the growth in all areas of daytime programming for the network since her promotion to the position in February 2012, will add oversight of first-run programming development for CBS Television Distribution, the syndication arm of CBS Corp., the company announced today.

Ratings Report for the Week of January 26-30, 2015

Ratings Report for the Week of January 19-23, 2015

For the week of January 19-23, ABC’s “The View” beat CBS’ competing “The Talk” in Total Viewers (2,881,000 vs. 2,788,000), Women 18-49 (445,000 vs. 438,000) and Women 25-54 (626,000 vs. 624,000). The daytime talk show was up across the board week-to-week to post 5 week highs in viewers and Women 25-54.