Fan favorite (and that's an understatement) Crystal Chappell (Carly) recently stunned fans when she Tweeted on her husband's (Michael Sabatino of 'Knots Landing' fame) account that she would be leaving 'Days of our Lives' later this summer when her contract expires.

The good news is that given how far ahead the show tapes Carly could remain on-screen for quite some time. Another casting shocker quickly occurred when Louise Sorel (Vivian) told TV Guide that she, too, was on her way out.

Sorel revealed in the exit interview that the much-missed Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall, who play supercouple John and Marlena, are coming back to 'Days' this summer.

Chappell and Sorel will be deeply missed. Carly is the one true viable threat to super-duo Bo and Hope. Vivian entertains viewers with comedy one moment and turns calculatingly evil the next. (Was there ever anything more chilling in soaps than Vivian taunting Carly via walkie talkie after she buried her alive back in 1993?)

Read on to hear Chappell's thoughts on leaving Salem a second time and what her plans are for the future.

The emphasis will be on "entertainment" during the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, set for Sun., June 27 at 9PM ET on CBS.

Regis Philbin, a nominee for hosting 'Live With Regis and Kelly,' is the kudofest's emcee. Producers for the awards gala are hoping to draw big numbers with a host of musical acts and star appeal with appearances by Simon Cowell, Susan Lucci and Cirque du Soleil.

Here are 10 highlights to watch for during the live broadcast ...

I'm still not really over the end of Guiding LIght, but if there's one thing soap fans know, you have to move on. You get over the end of Santa Barbara, mourn the loss of Another World, remember forever that before vampires were in vogue in prime time, Barnabus Collins ruled daytime, despite rickety sets and off-the-rack costumes.

That said, even while people are saying that soaps are dead -- or dying -- I'm excited about Crystal Chappell returning to Days of Our Lives.

You want to know how excited? I'm going to watch. After Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn were unceremoniously dumped by the soap, I drifted away. But I'm willing to give Days another try, especially because my curiosity has been piqued about Crystal's return.

A lot of Guiding Light fans are entranced by Otalia. That's not a butter substitute, it's the "Brangelina-ish" name that fans have given to Olivia and Natalia, the lesbian couple played by Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia. Fans won't be able to see that couple anymore, since Guiding Light will air its last episode ever on September 18. But the actresses have decided to keep the storyline alive on the web.

Though as I said above, kind of.

There will be no reprieve from the governor, no last minute miracle save. No, the end is approaching and Guiding Light will stop filming the week of August 3. The CBS soap opera will air its last show on September 18, 2009, and the 72-year-long run of America's most enduring daytime drama will officially wrap.

Fans have been hoping that somehow, someway Guiding Light would find a new home, but neither CBS nor Procter and Gamble have been able to save the show. Soapcentral.com has reported that efforts have been made to no avail. "We have not been able to secure an outlet to carry the show moving forward. We are extremely disappointed with this outcome, but we are confident we have exhausted every possible option," said TeleNext Media SVP Brian T. Cahill.