"Days of Our Lives'" Alison Sweeney (Sami) and husband David Sanov are expecting their second child. Big brother Benjamin gets a brand-new sibling come January. No word if Sweeney's character will be pregnant on the show. Sweeney will continue her hosting gig on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." The actress joined the show in 1993 and has played the problematic Sami since.

***

Hooray! Legions of Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael, "Young and Restless") fans are getting their wish. The character is about to have his own story line. The two-time Best Actor Emmy winner has spent the last two years doing little more than playing sidekick to his wayward brother, Kevin, and his ditzy but lethal mother, Gloria. Michael has decided to search for his father. The character hopes to prove that he has not inherited the horrific, bad traits from his mother's side. Bad news for Michael: his father is wanted for murder. Not just any murder — it appears that dear old dad, Lowell, was a protester in the 1960s. He is wanted by the government for a murder that took place during the bombing of a building. This will give Michael a truly Greek tragedy story line. Does he turn in not-so-dear old dad or allow him to hide from authorities? Remember, Michael's a lawyer. He himself has spent time in prison, and the only parents he's known were his rage-aholic stepfather and our girl Gloria. Casting for the father should be completed by the end of this week. The character is said to pop up the first week of August.

***

What a difference a week makes on a soap opera. Just last week, Joe Mascolo (Stefano, "Days of Our Lives") felt hoodwinked by the "Days" powers that be. He had left his role of "Bold and Beautiful's" Massimo to return to the soap on which he's worked on and off for over 20 years. Mascolo, who had seen little action on B&B for the last three years, was delighted to return as the central villain on "Days." A few weeks into his return to the set, Stefano was placed in a drug-induced coma by Marlena. They haven't even shown the comatose Stefano. That means Mascolo wasn't even getting paid to lie around and say nothing. Ken Corday, "Days" executive producer, said that Stefano, aka the Phoenix, is once again rising from the ashes. Let's see. This would make the ninth time Stefano has returned from the nearly, really, sincerely dead. Corday says that, "Stefano is always an important part of the show. We always intended to bring him back. We just needed the right story line. And of course, when you think of Stefano, you think of Joe Mascolo. Who else could (possibly) play the part?"

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.