According to NBC, “Days of our Lives” is up by more than 30% year-to-year in the key sales demos of Women 18-49 (+30%), Women 25-54 (+34%) and Women 18-34 (+42%). The soap is also up 14% year-to-year in total viewers with the soap averaging 2.7 million viewers last week compared to 2.3 million during the same week last year. For the just completed second quarter, “DAYS” ranked 5th among ABC, CBS and NBC in the women 18-49 demo (1.0 ratings, 7 share) and tied for 4th place in women 18-34 (0.7 rating).

CBS Daytime has released a steamy new promo highlighting “The Bold and the Beautiful’s” Adam Gregory, Jacob Young, Scott Clifton, Lawrence Saint-Victor, Zack Conroy and Texas Battle. Noticeably absent was Darin Brooks, but we can attribute that to the promo having been shot in March.

For weeks “Days of our Lives” fans have been asking that question after actor Drake Hogestyn (John Black) tweeted he last taped an episode of the NBC Daytime drama series on March 18 (scheduled to air Wednesday, July 17). In his tweet he said, “Given a chance off the bench, I’m sure I could hit a homer for J&M. #putmeincoach.” Fans were given some hope when Soap Opera Digest reported in its June 24 issue that the actor “has reported back to work after a brief hiatus from the show.” The report was found under the “Stuff We Know (and shouldn’t tell you)” section. Sadly, the mag didn’t actually know as Digest semi-retracted its reporting per the Tuesday, July 9 issue citing comments from Hogestyn’s daughter, Alex, who took to Facebook to say that her father was not filming again. “[The] report is not true. My dad has not been back filming, I wish he was though!”

If you tuned your TV to ABC Family on Wednesday, July 3 expecting to see Trevor Donovan in his third and final appearance on “Melissa & Joey” as Austin, a childhood friend of Mel’s (Melissa Joan Hart), who moves back to Toledo and quickly convinces her to take their old friendship to the next level, you were probably one unhappy camper. Turns out the network pushed the episode back a week and his final appearance on the comedy series will instead air on Wednesday, July 10, a network spokesperson informs Soap Opera Network.

Tonight OnTV, former soap stars Jason Brooks (“Days of our Lives”) and Aiden Turner (“All My Children”) star in the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) original movie, “The Perfect Boyfriend.”

Soap stars Jack Wagner, Wally Kurth and Eddie Cibrian are heading to “Hot in Cleveland” later this month. Find out when and the characters they’ll be playing.

Earlier today SOAPnet posted a new promo featuring intriguing moments and mystery on “Days of our Lives” (‘Everyone’s Dark Side Will Be Exposed in the Light of DAYS’) and now the network has published the “General Hospital” equivalent.

As has been the case for the last several years, ABC will be airing a re-run of “General Hospital” on Independence Day (Thursday, July 4). The episode scheduled to air is the Wednesday, March 27, 2013 episode (#12,773), which found an injured Nikolas injected by Luke as he prepares to search for Lulu on the missing Haunted Star with Dante and Anna’s help. Laura arrives in time to join Luke on the adventure. Meanwhile, Carly debuts the Metrocourt Ballroom to Lucy and Sabrina and Felix find themselves in a tiff as they prepare for the Nurses Ball. Alexis and Shawn get a sweet surprise from Sam, Molly and TJ.

With “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” having successfully re-launched earlier this year via Hulu, Hulu Plus, iTunes and iTunes Canada by Prospect Park’s The OnLine Network (TOLN), it was only a matter of time before “A Tribute to Pine Valley” and “Loving Llanview” no longer became necessary. Today, Celebrity Events Group announced that now is your last chance to purchase merchandise featuring the ABC incarnations of both soaps on T-shirts, mugs, champagne glasses, sweatpants, magazines, and more. “Our Warehouse is Closing!” read a message sent out to subscribers of its mailing list.

Proving you can’t believe everything you read or see tweeted, earlier this evening a Twitter posting said to be by John Reilly, who portrayed Shawn — on ABC’s “General Hospital” from — , stated the actor would be returning to the soap after nearly a 20 year absence. The tweet raised the hopes of many fans of the soap only to have those hopes get dashed not too longer afterward. A spokesperson for the soap confirms to Soap Opera Network that the tweet was not by Reilly and that the handle is a fake. “Not the real John Reilly,” the spokesperson said.