News Roundup Jason Katims On Parenthood Twist Plus Susan Lucci Says Soaps Served Purpose Bandb Australia Ratings

PARENTHOOD CREATOR ON KRISTINA'S TRAGIC REVEAL: 'IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY PERSONAL TO ME'

In the upcoming weeks, as PARENTHOOD continues its fourth season, creator Jason Katims says Kristina and Adam will find themselves navigating one of life's greatest hardships. "Breast cancer is such a prevalent thing and many people have gone through it," says Katims, whose wife is a breast cancer survivor and has been cancer-free for two years. "It's something that's very personal to me, and I thought it was a story that we could tell because of what the show is and because of these wonderful actors involved in doing the show."

AUSTRALIA'S CHANNEL TEN GETTING BIG RATINGS FOR THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Last week The Bold and the Beautiful averaged a whopping 431,000 viewers double the figures for rivals Seven (216,000) and Nine (215,000) 4.30pm news services.

"THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in Australia is only a couple of weeks behind America," Mr Allen says. "Other US soapies such as DAYS OF OUR LIVES can be a year behind. THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL also condenses its drama into a potent half-hour. DAYS OF OUR LIVES stretches it out to an hour per episode."

SUSAN LUCCI: 'SOAPS SERVED A PURPOSE FOR MILLIONS OF MULTIGENERATIONAL PASSIONATE FANS'

"Soaps served a purpose for millions of multigenerational passionate fans. Every day someone tells me they miss it. One man said: 'Cotton is not the fabric of our lives. In our house it was ALL MY CHILDREN. It was a constant for his wife, who he knew always watched. Back from Afghanistan, the show was their conversation starter.

"I'm still not sure why it stopped. I had no heads up when it was going off. I learned when everybody found out, and there wasn't even time to collect mementos. I only managed to get a red and white T-shirt that read 'Free Erica Kane from jail.'

"Now I'm still an early riser, only not 4:30 a.m. anymore without an alarm clock. Now it's more shopping, enjoying family, seeing a movie."

NOVELIST MICHAEL SEARS HELPED SUPPORT HIMSELF WITH ROLE IN NEW YORK SOAPS

"For Mr. Sears, novel-writing is a third career. The Bellport, Long Island native, studied literature and theater at the University of Maryland, then embarked on a career off-Broadway, supporting himself by bartending and with a series of bit roles in soap operas such as ALL MY CHILDREN, GUIDING LIGHT and ONE LIFE TO LIVE."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ALL MY CHILDREN'S RICHARD HATCH

"As an artist, I love to act the characters that I can really commit to, with a story that really means something to me, Ive been in this buisness 45 years, so I'm alwlays looking to explore new territory, bridge new ground; look for insights into the human territory and be able to tell a story that will make people laugh and make them cry. Which, at the end of day, is my favorite kind of movie. Give them hope. 'Cause I think, in too many movies you come out depressed."

CORONATION STREET'S HELEN FLANAGAN POSTS RISQU'e 'DERANGED BARBIE' PICS

When a follower commented that she was in desperate need of a stylist, Flanagan replied: "I completely agree so embarrassed I thought I looked great this morning- cool and quirky and autumn. [Then] I saw the pictures."

HIGH-CONCEPT FAMILY DRAMA FROM JOSH FRIEDMAN SELLS TO ABC WITH PENALTY

ABC has bought CHOSEN, described as a unique tale of family struggle, teen romance and California evil. It explores how a family's life is upended when their 15-year-old daughter is identified as the reincarnated prophet of a mysterious South American religion.

HBO ORDERS CRIMINAL JUSTICE DRAMA PILOT STARRING JAMES GANDOLFINI

HBO has given a pilot order to the drama project, co-written by Oscar-wining writer Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List) and Oscar nominee Richard Price.

STRANGER THAN FICTION: WOMAN LEARNS HER LATE HUSBAND WAS ALSO HER FATHER

60-year-old retired mother-of-three from Doylestown, Ohio, Valerie Spruill, who was raised by her grandparents, had already lived through the discovery that a "night lady" who had been referred to as a "family friend" was, in fact, her mom. And when she was nine, Spruill was informed that the man she had been calling dad was actually her grandfather.

Concerning the most recent revelation - that her late spouse, Percy Spruill, was her real father - Valerie says she had long "overheard odd whispers," but wasn't officially told the truth until her uncle confessed a few years after her "husband/father" passed away in 1998.

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