Soap Gossip

"Young and Restless" viewers are about to get some answers about the mysterious Rose, who has a connection to Leslie and Tyler's past. Starting on July 25, Leslie Stevens starts her gig as the woman who may have answers to who has been posting Neil's musings on the Internet.

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Roger Howarth is here, there and everywhere. On daytime he is playing Franco on "General Hospital" and Todd on "One Life to Live." Now he is heading to nighttime. He is set to appear in several episodes on the Showtime series "Californication." The show, which is on hiatus, is slated to return in early 2014.

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I need a nap just thinking about Alison Sweeney's schedule. Her "Days of our Lives" character, Sami, is front and center with her romance with E.J. and her murdering one of Stefano's henchman. Sweeney's novel, "Star Attraction," was released in May. She is a spokesperson for Walgreens drugstores and is now directing on "Days."

Sweeney has always been an overachiever. The first time I interviewed her, she was writing her memoir. "All the Days of My Life (So Far)" was published in 2004. After we talked, she was headed out to go horseback riding. Sweeney was a natural choice to host "The Biggest Loser." As a teen, she lost 30 pounds when she went on a low-carb diet.

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Foreign placement of daytime dramas is a major money generator. For years "Bold and Beautiful" was the No. 1 show in all of Italy. It is still going strong, as is "Young and Restless." Until April of this year, "Days of our Lives" was seen in Australia. Channel 9, which had been broadcasting the show, canceled it when they decided it was too expensive to buy.

Starting on June 17, Crackle — an online TV and film-streaming site — will be carrying the show. On that day, 10 episodes will be offered. On succeeding Mondays, seven episodes will be streamed.

Crackle launched in 2009 and streams TV and films from the Sony Pictures library for free on a number of platforms, including connected TV, gaming consoles, mobiles, tablets and PCs. "Days" is the first major acquisition for their television section. ??

"We are very happy to be offering 'Days of our Lives' fans an opportunity to keep up with the show in Australia," Phil Lynch, senior vice president of digital networks and games for Sony Pictures Television, said.??

"There has been an outpouring of support from fans across Australia, telling us how much 'Days of our Lives' means to them," added Mark Young, senior vice president of distribution, Australia and New Zealand for Sony Pictures Television. "We are delighted to be partnering with Crackle to help viewers keep up with the daytime drama as we solidify long-term plans."

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