The CW announced today during its portion of the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena that it has given an early renewal to “Arrow,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Reign,” “Supernatural,” “The 100,” “The Flash,” “The Originals” and “The Vampire Diaries,” all of which appeared on the network’s fall 2014 schedule, for the 2015-2016 television season.

“The Royals” marks E!’s first entry in the original scripted drama series game when it premieres Sunday, March 15, and as the network highlights the annual Christmas address by Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley), who says, “I’m supposed to tell you what a wonderful year it’s been. I’m supposed to smile and stick to the script. But the truth is, as a family, as a monarchy, we’re hanging on by a thread,” we can’t help but prepare to witness the next great soapy drama!

May you now and forever refer to her as a dame! Queen Elizabeth II has awarded actress Joan Collins (“Dynasty,” “Guiding Light”) with the honor of damehood, reports the BBC.

Brandon Stoddard, the former president of entertainment and director of daytime programming at ABC, who is best known for spearheading the launches of such series, specials and miniseries as “All My Children,” “Roseanne,” “Roots,” “ABC Afterschool Specials,” “Moonlighting” and “Thirtysomething,” among many others, died today at his home in Bel-Air after a long battle with cancer. He was 77 years old.

On Tuesday, December 9, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced the nominees for the 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards. For the first time since at least 1994, when the category was first recognized, no actor or actress from a daytime drama series was nominated in the Outstanding Actor or Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series following the organizations decision not to include the categories this year. Representatives for the NAACP have yet to officially comment on the matter at press time.

When CBS announced earlier this year that it had picked up a new drama series from Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) and David Shore (“House”), and that it would star former “All My Children” actor Josh Duhamel (ex-Leo du Pres), “Guiding Light’s” Aubrey Dollar (ex-Marina Cooper) and Dean Winters (“Oz,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), the network would only say that the series, “Battle Creek,” would air sometime in midseason. Last week the network announced that the series will air on Sundays at 10:00 PM ET/PT, beginning March 1. The series replaces “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” which currently occupies the timeslot and will air its season finale two weeks prior to the launch of “Battle Creek.”

POP’s “Queens of Drama” is rolling out the red carpet and delivering exactly what the show’s title implies: In addition to the list of popular soap stars already attached to the reality show, “Dynasty” legend Joan Collins will also be a part of the new show!

As previously reported, soap stars Lindsay Hartley (“All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Passions“), Crystal Hunt (“Guiding Light,” “One Life to Live”), Vanessa Marcil (“Beverly Hills, 90210,” “General Hospital”), Chrystee Pharris (“Passions,” “General Hospital”) and Hunter Tylo (“The Bold and The Beautiful”) have signed on for POP’s newest reality series, “Queens of Drama,” where the ladies will work together to produce a pilot for a new serialized primetime drama series. As the poster above warns, today, October 28, marks the beginning of production for show. Donna Mills (“General Hospital,” “Knots Landing,” “Melrose Place”) will also be taking part with special appearances.

It seems as if soap opera writers are penning Crystal Hunt’s life: The actress — who’s known in the soap world as “Guiding Light’s” Lizzie Spaulding and “One Life to Live’s” Stacy Morasco — was recently slapped with three years probation and 45 days of community service work after a 2013 bar brawl in which she threw a glass at another woman. And now, that woman — revealed to be Elizabeth Nam — is suing the actress, claiming that her injuries killed her future baby!

As Soap Opera Network previously reported, former “Guiding Light” and “One Life to Live” star Crystal Hunt (ex-Lizzie Spaulding; ex-Stacy Morasco) was facing up to four years in prison after allegedly attacking a woman in a West Hollywood bar in December of 2013, but a sentencing in court on Friday, October 17, left her with a much lesser punishment for the crime: Three years of formal probation and 45 days working for the California Department of Transportation.

With soap stars Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott, “The Young and the Restless”; Kristen DiMera, “Days of our Lives”) and Lisa Rinna (ex-Billie Reed, “DAYS”; ex-Taylor McBride, “Melrose Place”) currently filming the fifth season of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” it was only a matter of time before a network greenlit a new reality series/docu-series comprised solely of the divas of daytime and primetime soap operas.

If you’ve ever tuned into NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and wondered what life is like for the contestants following their grueling experience, former “As The World Turns” actress Martha Byrne (ex-Lily Snyder) along with writer Daryn Strauss have come together for a new series that hopes to give you the answers you crave. In “Weight: The Series,” Byrne portrays the role of Claire Carlson, a mom who loses 100 pounds on a reality show and then has to contend with the absurd and complicated reactions of her friends and family as she attempts to balance the day to day pressures of staying thin and appearing on reality TV. If the description sounds interesting to you, you might be interested in attending a VIP Soap Party and Advanced Screening of the pilot alongside several of daytime’s biggest and brightest stars!

“The Young and the Restless” has cemented its spot as the number one daytime drama for the past 25 years with a record of outstanding decisions, and the sudser’s latest flawless move was the addition of Emmy-winning actress Gina Tognoni, who took over the role of Phyllis Summers (previously portrayed by Michelle Stafford, Nina Clay, “General Hospital”) this year. The Missouri native showed off her serious acting chops as “Guiding Light’s” Dinah Marler and “One Life to Live’s” Kelly Cramer, and now that Phyllis is finally out of her lengthy coma and headed back to Genoa City starting this week, Tognoni will be giving soap fans yet another dose of her powerhouse skills — but this time, as the feisty GC diva “Y&R” fans have loved since she hit the scene back in 1994!

Cape May Stage Equity Theater Company is putting on a production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play “Other Desert Cities” with a super soapy twist: former “Guiding Light” actor Robert Newman (ex-Joshua Lewis; Richard, “Venice”) will be performing in the show, which is being directed by former “Days of our Lives,” “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light” director Roy Steinberg!

The chemistry between “Days of our Lives’” Hope and Aiden started out as a slow burn, but its since built into an inferno of flames searing through television sets across America. Never one to miss a hot story, Soap Opera Network sat down with portrayers Kristian Alfonso and Daniel Cosgrove, who opened up about the storyline and their real-life professional connection in their first joint interview ever! Read on to get the scoop — which they reveal in between plenty of jokes and laughter!

Retro TV has announced that its finally set a debut date for reruns of the classic soap opera, “The Doctors.” According to an official press release sent out today, the sudser will join the network’s afternoon lineup starting Monday, September 29!

The wait is over: “The Young and the Restless’” Terrell Tilford (Dr. Barton Shelby) and his wife, former “Guiding Light” star Victoria Platt (ex-Vicky Spaulding), welcomed their new daughter into the world this past weekend!

While his “White Collar” USA Network series gears up for its final swan song, former “Guiding Light” star Matt Bomer (ex-Ben Reade) has signed on for at least one episode of “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” reports Entertainment Weekly, who spoke with show creator Ryan Murphy to get the scoop.

For weeks gossip sites and celebrity magazines have been left wondering if former “Guiding Light” star Hayden Panettiere was indeed pregnant after pictures of the “Nashville” actress surfaced with what would appear to be a baby bump. As part of the social phenomenon known as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Panettiere put those pregnancy rumors to rest while challenging her unborn child to take part.

Miss seeing former soap star Jeff Branson on the screen? You’re in luck! The actor, who has portrayed “The Young and the Restless’” Ronan Malloy, “All My Children’s” Jonathan Lavery and “Guiding Light’s” Shayne Lewis, will be appearing on tonight’s episode of TNT’s “Perception!”