special episode

On soaps, every now and then the powers that be -- usually the head writer who's overdosed on Red Bull and jelly beans months before -- comes up with the idea of doing a special episode. They'll focus on a single character and think outside the box. Sometimes they hit the jackpot; sometimes they create a clunker. The Young and the Restless offered a very special New Year's Eve episode yesterday and it was a home run.

Headwriter Maria Arena Bell and her talented team, including Hogan Sheffer, decided to put the character of Billy Abbott under the microscope and, as it turned out, Y&R pulled off a great episode.

It wouldn't have worked nearly as well if not for the riveting performance of actor Billy Miller. He rose to the occasion and this could be an award-winner if it's submitted for the next round of Daytime Emmys. If you haven't seen it yet or it's in your DVR waiting to be viewed, be warned that there are SPOILERS ahead.

A third season of Dog the Bounty Hunter kicks off on A&E this evening at 9 p.m. EST. Besides the usual captures and tough guy pontificating from the show's titular hero, our ol' pal Dog will also be getting hitched to Beth, his common law wife of sixteen years. The wedding episode is set for May 20 and will include guest stars Hulk Hogan, Danny Bonaduce and Wynonna Judd. Wait, is this a wedding or an episode of The Surreal Life? Anyway, Duane "Dog" Chapman says he wants to finally marry Beth "the Christian way."