cbs daytime

At first I thought that a new Let's Make A Deal wouldn't go over well in these oh-so-hip, ironic times. Who wants to go on television in front of millions of people dressed like a hot dog or a robot and embarrass themselves? And then I remembered that people go on TV nowadays to eat bugs, frolic naked in hot tubs, and showcase their children to the world, so dressing up like food products and fire hydrants will probably seem quaint now.

There's good news and bad news on the CBS soap opera front. The good news is that The Young & the Restless has been renewed for two years. The bad news is that As the World Turns could be axed just like Guiding Light.

The Young & the Restless is CBS daytime's top rated soap. It's been number one in the Nielsens for nearly 20 years running. So the renewal wasn't a big surprise. However, the pick-up came with a warning to cut costs, tighten the budget and, basically, don't expect the stars to get big raises anytime soon. In the past year alone, two of the veterans -- Melody Thomas Scott and Jess Walton -- opted to take less money when the show threatened to write them out or recast. Welcome to the brave new world of daytime!

The waiting goes on. Kind of like that spinning planet that symbolizes As the World Turns. TV Squad reported recently that many fans of the soap are anxious to see the two gay lovers, Noah (Jake Silbermann) and Luke (Van Hansis), smooch on screen. There are web sites with a clock ticking, waiting for the next on screen kiss from the fellas. Now comes news that TV Guide's Michael Logan questioned Barbara Bloom, head of CBS Daytime, to find out if the show, the sponsor or the network is afraid to depict a homosexual teen love story in the same way they do a heterosexual one?

Seriously. Mario Lopez is supposedly one of the three finalists in the running to take over for Bob Barker when he retires from the long-running CBS game show later this year. The other two finalists? Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Donald Trump.

OK, I'm kidding about those last two names. But would they be more of a ridiculous choice than Dancing with the Stars star Lopez? What do producers see in him that they say, "you know, he might be a good replacement for Bob?"

Wow, this is an impressive achievement, any way you slice it. Helen Wagner has played the same character on the same show for a half century!

Wagner has played the character of Nancy Hughes on As The World Turns since this show's debut on April 2, 1956. She is now 87 years old. Just think of all the TV shows where an actor might play the role for a year or three or five or ten. Take that, David Caruso!

Wagner uttered the very first line in As The World Turns: "Good morning, dear. What would you like for breakfast?" (His answer: "Your head on a plate, you selfish bitch!" I'm kidding, I'm kidding.) She is also the actress in that famous ATWT scene that was interrupted by Walter Cronkite breaking in to the soap and telling the world that JFK had been shot (they did the show live back then).

Congrats, Helen.