In tonight’s episode of “Gossip Girl,” entitled “It Girl, Interrupted,” Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) is looking to remove herself from the spotlight as part of the popular entourage known as the Upper East Siders now that she’s been tasked as the newest behind-the-scenes *ish maker for the group (aka: Gossip Girl herself). “One Life to Live’s” David A. Gregory appears in the episode as Aidan, the boy toy of Diana Payne (guest star Elizabeth Hurley, who returns as the founding editor of the fictional Spectator newspaper).

As previously reported, Thorsten Kaye has landed a recurring role on NBC’s highly-anticipated new musical drama, “Smash.” In case you have lost all contact with American media during the past three months of promotions for “Smash,” the series that heralds Steven Spielberg as an Executive Producer debuts “the Monday after the Superbowl” (February 6). Kaye will be playing the love interest of producer Eileen Rand, played by Academy Award winner Angelica Huston. This afternoon, a reliable source close to the actor revealed a few new details about the role.

Former “All My Children” leading men Cameron Mathison and Thorsten Kaye are scheduled to help heat up the primetime schedule later this winter. Mathison is scheduled to hit the sheets with one of televisions original housewives on the last season of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.” Meanwhile, Kaye will show up on NBC’s highly anticipated mid-season replacement, the musical drama “Smash,” where his character will turn the temperature up for a determined Broadway producer going through some rough personal and professional times.

On Tuesday, May 17, the ABC Television Network presented its 2011-2012 primetime schedule in front of advertisers, affiliates and the press. Two months earlier I received intel on a new series called “Once Upon a Time” that the network had in development where fairy tales and the modern-day collide in the town of Storybooke.

As we all know, four weeks ago Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney/ABC Television Group, visited the set of ABC’s “All My Children” to announce the cancellation of the 41-year-old soap live and in person to cast members while also canceling “AMC’s” sister soap “One Life to Live,” whose cast members learned via video feed of the 42-year-old daytime dramas fate. According to Frons, with “The Chew” and “The Revolution” the network will be saving between 30-40% a week on programming costs. It’s easy to see why as Soap Opera Network has your exclusive first look at the new programming that falls under the networks “It’s a Brand New Day” promotional campaign. Materials for the campaign will be sent out to advertisers and press outlets beginning next week as the network presents its 2011-2012 daytime and primetime schedule to Madison Avenue’s elite buyers at the Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center in New York City on Tuesday, May 17. Soap fans are scheduled to protest outside the event from 2:00 – 6:00 PM.