LA LUCCI LANDS ON 7TWO

Soap fans will rejoice with the news that 7TWO are adding ALL MY CHILDREN to their 2010 schedule. The US daytime drama, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in January, is set in a crazy town called Pine Valley and stars US DANCING WITH THE STARS favourites Cameron Mathison (pictured) and Susan Lucci. She plays the much married mother of a lesbian and is quite the icon. After the curtain call of NIGHT OF 100 STARS at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, I watched from the audience to see who would be the last person on stage signing autographs for those who had rushed the stage. It was indeed La Lucci and she didn't leave until every last fan was satusufed. Now that is a star. Here she is in action, along with a bunch of other stars, at this hilarious 80s event ...

WILL SURVIVOR SURVIVE?

SURVIVOR fans without access to GO! will be thrilled that the newest series (pictured) is going back to Nine from tomorrow (Tuesday). Fingers crossed that it does well enough in its 7.30pm slot to stick around all summer. Its main competition will be on Ten with sitcom double ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (starring Jenna Elfman) and the US version of THE OFFICE. AOP is a knock-off of KNOCKED UP except Elfman plays an older pregnant woman (ipass the bucket) while Steve Carrell and co are now in their fifth season and winning lots of new fans (both shows will also screen on Thursdays). Aaron Pedersen and Gary Sweet return for the second series of Aussie indigenous drama THE CIRCUIT on SBS every Tuesday while 30 ROCK repeats its third season on Seven at 10.30pm. This is the most recent one with some big guest stars in the first few eps ... check them out here ...

SUMMER TV IS ... GASP ... ACTUALLY LOOKING GOOD

Ratings finished for the year at midnight last night (Saturday) so we are now in the silly summer TV season. You would be forgiven for thinking everything is going to be crap considering it kicks off tonight at 6.30pm on Seven with A TODAY TONIGHT SPECIAL: 24 HOURS IN 60 MINUTES. Whatever that is about, I don't want to know but switch over at 7.30pm and there's a new GLEE on Ten and a new WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE on SBS with Patsy Kensit (pictured) as the star of EMMERDALE and HOLBY CITY re-traces her father's gangster past while GO! brings back SOUTH PARK, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and WEEDS (so let's hope they stick around this time). Tomorrow (Monday) there's lots to choose from at 7pm. Ten's THE 7PM PROJECT gets a one hour outing and Nine drops TWO AND A HALF MEN for that other exceptional series AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS. Seven wound up HOME & AWAY last Friday (with a cliffhanger that pointed the year long mystery finger at Hugo, sooo obvious it was really dissapointing) and are stripping HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER in its place. Ironically, Foxtel and Austar's Arena have taken out a full page ad in Sunday newspapers to say that they are airing TWO AND A HALF MEN at 7pm with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER at 7.30pm. The ads say "All New to Arena" which could also translate to "Done to Death on Nine and Already Seen on Fox 8". Yawn, I think I'll stick with MOTHER AND SON on 7TWO. At 8.30pm it's the 2009 Finale of FLASHFORWARD on Seven, the return of new SUPERNATURAL on Ten and GAVIN & STACEY on 7TWO. But by far the biggest act of bastardry for the week is Ten bumping NURSE JACKIE to 1am in the morning, it's 4th timeslot change since it began and with only three stunning episodes left. Seriously, if the show isn't rating, isn't that what non-ratings are for?

HEY MAN, THIS WAS A REALLY GROOVY SHOW ... NOT

NUMBER 96 was the biggest Australian show ever in the 70s but its producers could not get another show to work in its wake. Three spin-offs from 96 failed to get pick-ups and ARCADE was Ten's biggest disaster of the 80s. Cash Harmon Productions also had a brief foray working over at Nine who desperately wanted some soapie action of their own for 1975. In the very odd timeslot of 6pm on weeknights came THE UNISEXERS which was to be all about a group of hippies making jeans. Apparently nobody had bothered to wonder what could be allowed at that timeslot although surely common sense should have let the producers know that any 96-style sexy shenanigans would surely be banned from the family hour. When the show was axed within a few weeks, producers blamed the oppressive Broadcasting Control Board of the day. Re-watching the first episode today, it becomes apparent that the show was shit, regardless of what restrictions were placed upon it. It's also disconcerting to see how vile the gay photographer was in THE UNISEXERS considering what a landmark character Don Finlayson (Joe Hasham) was in NUMBER 96. Anyway, watch it though for early TV appearances from Tina Bursill (SKYWAYS), Patrick Ward (the rapist bikie from the NUMBER 96 movie), Tony Sheldon (Bernadette from the Aust and UK stage productions of PRISCILLA) and Josephine Knur (Loreli, the first victim of 96's Pantyhose Strangler) all playing whiney hippies ...

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

Nine came a cropper last night with their telecast of the ARIAS as it bombed in the ratings with just 708,000 viewers, getting soundly beaten by the season finales of BEAUTY AND THE GEEK (1.03 million on Seven) and RUSH (989,000 on Ten who dropped the broadcast this year because of rising costs). Much of the complaints centre on the technical aspects, with many music fans complaining about the sound and picture quality. I didn't notice the echo others seem to have heard, but there was a huge problem on my set whenever a presenter stood in front of the LED screens and their facial features became blurred (actually I'm relieved to hear others had a problem because I was starting to wonder if I needed glasses). Awards wise, IDOL favourite Jessica Mauboy was snubbed in favour of indie artists like Ladyhawke and Sarah Blasko (so typical of ARIA snobs) while host wise, Gyton Grantley and Kate Ritchie were charming but what were their credentials? Ritchie is winding up on Nova breakfast radio while Grantley, while cobviously an enthusiastic music fan, had no tie-in to the musicality of the event whatsoever. There was always going to be a Nine crossover with some of the presenters but whilst they graciously allowed in other network personalities like Jabba, Andrew G and Rove (who used to produce the event), the pairing of GETAWAY'S Jason Dundas and Natalie Gruzlewski was disastrous after she wondered aloud what she was doing there (big mistake Nat). The staging was good but the size swamped some of the performers and unlike Ten, there was no mosh pit leaving a dissapointing view of security standing guard to ensure a moat of nothingness around the performers. Oh well, let the rumours begin about next year's broadcast and let's remember the magnificent performance from Robbie Williams ...

HERE'S A SHOW THAT NEEDS A COMEBACK ON 7TWO

Seven's new digital channel is winning fans with its reruns of HOME & AWAY, SON AND DAUGHTERS and HEADLAND but why stop there? If ever an Aussie classic needed a comeback, it's Seven's "variety" hit MAN O MAN. For just one glorious year in 1994, the late Rob Guest would introduce a group of men (mostly tools) who would perform and strip for a studio audience full of drunk women. The concept came from Germany (surprise surprise) but was only taken up in the UK and Australia. Filmed in Melbourne, the swimming pool has since been covered over for DANCING WITH THE STARS and while nobody expects them to fill it up again anytime soon, this would be magnificent Saturday evening entertainment on 7TWO, especially the final episode that featured AFL footballers and soccer players (and yes, they all had to strip down to their speedos and jocks too). Here's a look back with Larry Emdur and Holly Brisley (pictured) as Rob Guest discusses whether the show was "ahead of its time" and what would have happened if it had been done with women stripping off and men throwing them into the pool (well let's face it, it could never have made it to air) ...

NEW ZEALAND TV IS DEFINITELY WORTH A LOOK

Ever since OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE became my favourite TV show currently on air, I have been watching every comedy/drama to come out of New Zealand. For a small country, they are not making predictable shows about cops and rescue (like we do) nor are their television families the type you'd want to live next door to (I love the RAFTERS but how come Australia won't attempt a SHAMELESS/OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE-like drama about bogans without turning them into KATH & KIM caricatures?). NZ's number one show SHORTLAND STREET is keeping soap fans happy on &TWO during daytime and GO GIRLS was pretty good although I'm yet to watch the final episodes that just aired on Ten (Series 2 is coming but without Anna Hutchison who is now in LA. Her character will be played by a different actress). As previously reported, the fifth series of OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE begins on Ten on Friday 4 December at 9.30pm and it will be followed at 10.30pm by another NZ show called THE HOTHOUSE (yes I too am happy it isn't the return of that awful house-making reality show from Bribie Island a few years back). And then there's BURYING BRIAN starting Monday on Nine and starring Shane Cortese (pictured) who also returns to OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE in the first new ep with a cheeky new scheme for Loretta. BURYING BRIAN is six eps only and looks interesting ...

JORDAN CALLS IT QUITS

Furious that the British public has voted her to do humiliating tasks seven days running, Jordan AKA Katie Price has quit I'M A CELEBRITY ... GET ME OUT OF HERE. She is now holed up at the Versace Hotel at the Gold Coast so let's hope she's in the room that overlooks the stinky prawn trawlers. Supposedly her cage-fighting cross-dressing boyfriend is going to propose to her there ... but on TV. So let's see if I've got this right - the Brits hate her and punish her but there is still enough interest in her tragic life for her latest shag to be doing a TV deal. Here in Australia we'll have to wait till early 2010 when UKTV screen this current series of I'M A CELEBRITY but to tide you over till then, here's Australia's answer to Jordan AKA Joyce Mange and a flash mob dance she just did on Bondi Beach ... funny (and Kylie loves it too) ...

SPIDERMAN VILLAIN TURNS DAYTIME KILLER

Now that James Franco is appearing on GENERAL HOSPITAL in the US, will his two month guest stint entice others to slum it in daytime? It's always been an option for big stars once the film offers dry up but in Franco's case, he's doing it part-time while going to university and will also be fitting in a guest apperance on 30 ROCK. Meanwhile good news comes from the UK with Barbara Windsor telling her fans that Peggy Mitchell won't be killed off and she plans on returning to EASTENDERS after two years. Phew. Meanhwhile, here's what James Franco is planning to do in Port Charles ...

THE AUSSIE YOUTH TV ZEITGEIST STARTED WITH THIS POTBOILER

If you want to trace where or current obsession with youth culture soapies began, it all started with THE RESTLESS YEARS on December 6, 1977. Having just cancelled NUMBER 96 and THE BOX, Ten wisely decided to replace the adult shows with something that might be more appealing to teenage viewers. This Grundy series was about school leavers looking for work and with dole-bludgers all the rage, the timing was perfect. If you can blow up this newspaper ad (pictured), laugh at some of the taglines. Penny (played by Deborah Coulls) is described as "the kind of girl managing directors chase around their desks". How very MAD MEN! If that was the only option, no wonder pretty girls stayed unemployed (or in the tortured Alison's case, became prostitutes. Hey, if you're gonna get chased, you might as well get paid). I've just found some footage from the last ever episode - quality wise it's crap but the audio is good and you get a roll call of all the major stars over the years (like Tom Burlinson, Di Smith, Penny Cook, Peter Mochrie, Victoria Nicholls etc) as Miss McKenzie (June Salter) FINALLY discovers who her son is ...

WILL LEVI GO THE FULL MONTY OR PULL A PART PALIN?

The world is waiting (OK, maybe just ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT) to see if Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin's daughter's bastard baby, is going full frontal for Playgirl. The latest news says not, but here's what I reckon - he is doing a lot of shots, some for their relaunched website and some for a special issue so at some point, in the future, as they drrrrag this thing out, there is bound to be some dick on display for dollars. Levi is as thick as they come (and maybe in more ways than one) but there was nothing thicker on TV than the turgid plotlines for Seven's failed soap HEADLAND. They're starting it from the beginning again on 7TWO at 12noon on Monday December 7. For those wondering how it all finished up, there are unaired episodes to see and my UK spy tells me the show improves vastly as it nears its untimely end .... here's a reminder of how it all began ....

SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH UKTV

The other night I went to the taping of AN AUDIENCE WITH MICHAEL PARKINSON which is going to be the cornerstone of UKTV's Christmas programming, always the best on the box that time of year by a country mile. Think about where you might be on Christmas and Boxing Day. You'll probably be stuck with your family, have eaten yourself stupid, pissed and all you would want to do is watch something interesting on the tele. Well don't expect any joy or goodwill from the free to air channels. Even though I've not yet seen their schedules, I can pretty much guarantee that there will be NOTHING on Seven, Nine or Ten and most Foxtel channels hven't been much better lately. Except of course for UKTV, who carry on the brilliant English tradition of saving their best shows for this period. The Parky special (pictured) features the legendary talk show host reminiscing about his illustrious career in front of a star-studden audience that includes Shane Warne, Marcia Hines and Kerrie-Anne Kennerley (it's great). Then it's non-stop Brit hit Christmas specials (repeats but still terrific) like EXTRAS, VICAR OF DIBLEY, WORST WEEK, TO THE MANOR BORN, THE CATHERINE TATE SHOW and GRAHAM NORTON. There will then be two Margaret Thatcher telemovies and every recent DR WHO Xmas spectacular. Best of all though are two premiere Christmas specials from GAVIN AND STACEY and THE ROYLE FAMILY. Given last year's ROYLE FAMILY special was one of the best shows of the entire year, I can't wait to see this new one ... in other words, make sure you spend Christmas with someone who has cable ...

THE KING AND I

My latest DVD for Umbrella Entertainment is the irreverent late night Nine news show Graham Kennedy did with Ken Sutcliffe and John Mangos from 1988. For once, an archive actually had information on a TV series so we were able to start with a list of what every episode of COAST TO COAST contained. Obvious selections were the first ever show and Graham's finale (even though he left mid-week with no fanfare). It was also important to include Ken Sutcliffe's last appearance and John Mangos' arrival. We also included guest host (and good friend) Stuart Wagstaff, Graham celebrating 31 years in showbiz (with a testimonial from Bert Newton) and legendary newsreader Sir Eric Pearce drops by for a visit. There is also Graham's triumphant homecoming to GTV 9 Melbourne for the 1988 VFL Grand Final (after he had caught a train down from Sydney because he didn't like planes), Coincidentally, I was in the studio audience that night as I was living in Richmond just 5 minutes away from the studio. I remember the hilarity when Graham stepped out from behind his news desk to reveal he wasn't wearing any pants. He was wearing just a jockstrap and as he turned around, he revealed both bum cheeks - one going up and one going down. While the audience went wild with laughter, Graham calmly made it back into his seat just as the commercial break ended. This DVD is also great to watch all the news stories of the day (and amazingly, not much has changed in 20 years). The international news feeds had to be edited out (because there was no copyright) but everything else from that era remains. You'll also see Ian Ross looking older back then than today! Last night, Ben Fordham did a great report about the classic show for A CURRENT AFFAIR and here it is ...

WHO WILL MOON FIRST OVER NEW MOON?

Last night I saw NEW MOON but can't talk about it. That's because all the critics had to sign an embargo promising they wouldn't talk about the film until 12.01am on Thursday, the same time the film unspools in Australian cinemas at midnight screenings. Of course the word "embargo" is like a red flag to us bullish critics and now everyone is playing the waiting game to see who cracks first. Last time, it was newspaper 'The Age' that broke the embargo and posted an early review of the movie AUSTRALIA so will News Ltd sit back this time and let Fairfax scoop them again? I'm doing MORNINGS WITH KERRI-ANNE at 9.10am tomorrow (Wednesday) and unless someone on TODAY or SUNRISE blabs before me, I will have to keep my mouth shut. Although, given TV Week already has a two page article from LA called "The First Review" in the magazine this week, it's possible we could all claim the embargo has already been broken ...

HIGH ON FOXTEL'S NEW CHANNELS

So I've been watching the "next generation" of Foxtel which started airing yesterday. None of the niche new channels appeal to me much (with Lifestyle You for chicks, 13th Street for murder mystery fans and The Style Network for fashionistas) although there could be some good new movies coming now with Showtime Action, Comedy and Drama, Starpics and FMC (Family Movie Channel). The only way to get my attention with new channels is with Aussie classics and soaps and I'm not holding my breath waiting for that. But what does appeal to me big time is more channels broadcasting in High Definition. There's Fox 8 HD (for THE CONTENDER, pictured), UKTV HD (the old BBC HD re-named) and W HD (meaning I am in heaven watching THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS in High Def). Showcase is also doing the HD thing so you can see me clearer than ever tonight on THE PLAYLIST (at 7.15pm) and then the return of CARNIVALE this Friday. Did you watch this brilliant HBO series when it screened on ABC a few summers back? It is a stunning piece of work and at a cost of $4 million per episode, it'll really be worth watching again (or seeing for the first time) in High Def ...

UK SPUNKS HEAD TO THE GOLD COAST

Fans of I'M A CELEBRITY ... GET ME OUT OF HERE, it doesn't get much better than this (and please can UKTV rush this latest series to us as soon as possible). This year's crop of English has-beens and wannabes includes former Page 3 model/singer and now lesbian Samantha Fox (pictured), tanned Hollywood legend George Hamilton, EASTENDERS' Lucy Benjamin and soap stud Stuart Manning (NIGHT AND DAY and HOLLYOAKS). Next week this outstanding line-up will be joined by Northern NSW jungle returnee Jordan who is allegedly being paid five times as much as everybody else. One can only hope that this pathetic publicity slut will be forced to do humiliating stunts five times more ridiculous than the others to make up for it. At the very least, let's hope she gets her norks out to compare with Sam Fox's. And can she please keep her filthy paws off Mr Manning? Last time she did this show, she snagged herself Peter Andre but she would be considerably trading up if she got Stuart this time ...

TEN GRABS OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE

Here's the best Christmas present ever - Ten will screen the fifth season of OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE from Friday December 4 at 9.30pm. This fantastic series has had a chequered past on free-to-air with Nine screening the first seires (off and on) before Ten slipped the second into their schedule without any fanfare. Then Arena bought it and replayed it from the beginning in a prime time Sunday slot through to the end of the fourth season (although where are they now?). Whenever it's on, it is my FAVOURITE show to watch and I am thrilled to see new episodes. Of course Ten are only playing it because they desperately need local drama points and New Zealand drama counts because of a twist in the Trans Tasman trade agreement. Normally this should be a scandal but since OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE is wilder and funnier than ANY Australian drama, we couldn't ask for a better exchange ...

WEEK TWO FOR 7TWO AS GO! GETS NASTY

I am currently watching Australia's new digital TV channel 7TWO and marvelling at 1988 episodes of HOME & AWAY. There's Vinegar Tits from PRISONER, baby-faced Justine Clarke and Carly having a rich twin sister (with both roles being played by Sharon Hodgson). There's a lot to like about this channel's programming with a mix of Aussie classics and lots of UK series rather than pure Americana. Daytime includes 2001 episodes of COROANTION STREET (just before Richard Hillman's reign of terror, the serial killer that whiny wife Gail Platt nicknamed "Norman Bates with a briefcase) and 2002 episodes of EMMERDALE (never before seen in Australia but still two years before the arrival of Patsy Kensit as rich bitch Sadie King). Monday nights bring back SAMTANTHA WHO, Tuesday is UGLY BETTY (with Vanessa Williams, pictured and guest star Lindsay Lohan) and Wednesday has the action-packed double bill AMERICAN GLADIATORS and (the fast-fading) HEROES. Classic AFL matches entertain overnight viewers (although the dreaded HOME SHOPPING pops up occasionally and that's unforgivable considering it also screens at the exact same time on Seven's main channel) and there's a HOME & AWAY catch-up late on Saturday afternoon. As a nod to the great English tradition, that would probably work much better around lunchtime on a Sunday because omnibus editions are all about being seen from a couch because of a hangover. And then there's the return of Sunday night movies and after only two weeks, rival channel GO! has hit the panic button. They've dropped CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and WEEDS from their Sunday schedule to be replaced this week by the truly appalling sequel THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Any goodwill Nine clawed back for themselves with GO! just evaporated because of playing silly buggers, yet again, with two lof their most loved TV series. Never mind that WEEDS is right in the middle of its third and best season with mary-Kate Olsen as a pot-smoking Christian ...

WE APOLOGISE FOR THIS BREAK IN TRANSMISSION

Dear readers, sorry there hasn't been a posting for over a week now but I've been a bit distracted. But now new movie 2012 has got me going again because it's the disaster movie to end all disaster movies. Starring John Cusack, George Segal and Woody Harrelson (pictured), this pure popcorn spectacle pays homage to every disaster movie that has gone before it. There's nods to THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, EARTHQUAKE, VOLCANO and almost every AIRPORT flick. The plot is preposterous and it's about half an hour too long but the special effects are amazing. There's even a planned spin-off TV series about the survivors called 2013 although no doubt they'll be carefully watching the box office returns before making a final decision. Although the Mayan's prediction that the world will end in 2012 is nonsense, I predict that it'll be number one at the box office ... for at least one week. Sadly for 2012, next week it's all going to be about TWILIGHT: NEW MOON so enjoy this end of the world porn while you can because vampires are about to take over ... again ...

MORGAN FAIRCHILD, SOAP QUEEN

No wonder THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL just won the Best Daytime Drama Emmy. Yesterday Whip (yep, that's his name) burst through a door and yelled "There's been a cougar attack!" Stephanie responds with, "Jackie attacked somebody?" and Whip replies "No, a cougar attacked Jackie." Now that's funny - and then in walked Morgan Fairchild! Is there any soap this woman hasn't appeared on? She's done SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, DALLAS, FLAMINGO ROAD, HOTEL, PAPER DOLLS, NORTH AND SOUTH, THE CITY, GENERAL HOSPITAL, FASHION HOUSE, NIP/TUCK and of course FALCON CREST (see below) where she started off playing an "intelligent lawyer" but eventually revealed a personality disorder that caused her to turn into a slut at night. In this 1985 interview from ET, Lezze Gibbons shows why Mary Hart remains ont he show and she's in "Where Are They Now" category. Check out her opening question about "trollops" ... show some respect Leeza, this woman is soap royalty ...

A MODEL TELEMOVIE: THE KILLING OF NORMAN GUNSTON'S DAUGHTER

Garry McDonald is a national treasure. Who can ever forget Norman Gunston (pictured) or MOTHER AND SON? Now he's back in the ripped-from-the-headlines story A MODEL DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNE screening this Wednesday on Ten. Screentime have done an excellent job bringing this story to the screen but the production company behind UNDERBELLY just can't help themselves when it comes to undressing their lead actresses. Clearly I am not one to lecture about nudity but there's a time and a place for it. In UNDERBELLY, non-stop strippers and hookers are expected but the last thing needed in this classy film about a grieving father was seeing his daughter, legs in the air with breasts-a-flapping, getting pounded in bed by Gordon Byrne. Surely there was a more subtle way of portraying their relationship than like that. What does the real-life Tony Byrne think? What would the real-life June Dally-Watkins say? Anyway, apart from that, it's bloody excellent so do watch ...

NUMBER 96 BACK IN PRODUCTION

Yesterday two of the stars of NUMBER 96 reminisced about their time on the hit TV show. Carol Raye (pictured) spoke about her role as Baroness Amanda Von Pappenburg and also revealed never-before-told tales about her behind-the-scenes role as casting director (did she really turn down racing identity Gai Waterhouse and legendary actor Bryan Brown?). Elisabeth Kirkby (who played Lucy Sutcliffe) talked about her controversial role as the show's Actors Equity union rep and discussed a new theory as to why the controversial show could never been screened in America or Britain (and no, it wasn't the nudity). All will be revealed on their exclusive audio commentaries when the next NUMBER 96 DVD (AFTERMATH OF MURDER) is released in 2010. Here's another teaser from the Sutcliffe's flat as Alf proudly shows off his new colour television set. And here's my theory as to why the series, after being the nation's top-rated show from 1972 to 1975, suddenly suffered a drop in ratings. That coincided with the introduction of colour TV and perhaps viewers started turning the channel to see other shows in colour. Indeed, even Alf is watching some overseas crime drama on his "tele" but can anyone pick what it is?

VICTOR NEWMAN IS BACK

EASTENDERS may be losing one of its icons (Barbara Windsor) but another has thankfully returned after a walk-out over a pay dispute. Eric Braeden, who plays THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' Victor Newman, is back on conract and saying all is forgiven between all parties. He also went on to say that he was touched by the incredible fan response to his departure. "I'm more inclined to be a cynic about these things and I honestly did not realize what kind of reaction this would evoke." he told Soap Opera Digest. "The profound reaction has so affected me in a very touching and very positive way that I was reminded of what we do this for in the first place." 68-year-old Braeden is a rarity on soaps because he's still a sex symbol despite not going under the knife. His wrinkled looks (which will be even more startling when Y&R begins transmitting in High Definition from November 15 on W HD) are a stark contrast to the type of blokes who usually populate these shows, like Brandon Beemer (pictured) who plays Jackie's toy boy on sister soap THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. B&B is also about to welcome Erin Moran (HAPPY DAYS' Joanie) to the cast but no stunt casting can top the news that Victor is back - long may he live ...

SOPHIE HAS A LIFE, HEY HEY IT'S ROVE AND IT'S TIME FOR 7TWO

How rude of me to suggest yesterday that Sophie Monk didn't have a life. Her Hollywood career (pictured) is only on hold so she can co-host THE KYLE AND JACKIE O SHOW for a week and you can't get much bigger than that. Perhaps 2Day FM is preparing an all-blonde breakfast radio show in case Kyle Sandiland's new worldwide talent TV show gest the nod. Yep, Kyle is producing it and planning to be a judge along with Brian McFadden and it's bound to be a winner because it will "show all the tears and tantrums" and "also the backstabbing that goes on behind the scenes." Oh Kyle, original AND nasty, just what is hot on TV right now, sounds great. Also in today's Sunday Telegraph, a Ruby Rose respite from Ros Reines' gossip pages .... until you discover the newly peroxided blonde is instead on page 17 kissing her girlfriend outside a pub. Another deliberately set up shot for the papparazzi and it's so not news. Far more interesting is the rumour suggesting that ROVE could be resting his Sunday night show to prepare for an assault on Saturday nights instead after the surprise success of the HEY HEY IT'S SATURDAY reunions. Could this mean a new YOUNG TALENT TIME and a new ROVE instead of those tired old movies Ten (and the other free to air networks) repeat every weekend? Sounds good to me. And don't forget Australia gets another new TV channel today, 7TWO. It's non-stop movies and football (classic old AFL matches with a bit of biff) until a more regular schedule begins Tuesday (HOME & AWAY from the very first episode 9.30am and SONS AND DAUGHTERS beginning again Wednesday at 9am) as well as a brand new US series on Tuesday night starring TWIN PEAK'S Ray Wise (the dad who killed daughter Laura Palmer). Not surprisingly, this time round he is playing .... the Devil