Indie Series Awards Expanding Best Comedy & Drama Categories to 8

Indie Series Awards nominees will be announced on Wednesday, February 1.

Big changes are coming to the Indie Series Awards, and one was announced today. The ISAs are expanding the number of nominees in the Best Web Series — Comedy and Best Web Series — Drama categories from six to eight.

The expansion will allow four additional series to be introduced to the audience during the ceremony, a special honor given to the nominees of the evening's final two awards.

More big changes for this year's ISAs are in the works, and will be announced in the coming days.

The nominations will be revealed Wednesday, February 1st, and several daytime favorites are expected to be recognized. The exact time of the announcement will be posted at IndieSeriesAwards.com on Monday.

The nominations in 29 categories will be revealed on Wednesday, February 1st. Join the discussion on Twitter, and be sure to use hashtag #ISA8 so everyone can follow the discussion.

Founded in 2009, the Indie Series Awards celebrate the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Web.

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers: (January 30-February 3, 2017)

Check out the day-to-day spoilers to find out what's happening on NBC soap opera Days of our Lives during the week of January 30, 2017.

Monday, January 30, 2017
Nicole urges Chloe to return the baby.
Deimos makes threats to help Nicole.
Jennifer and Valerie meet for lunch.
Gabi and Chad drift apart.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Hope's fever makes her delusional.
Eric sees a familiar face in Salem.
Marlena and the others lure Stefano out of hiding.
The police search for Hope.

Daniel Hall Cast as Scott Grainger on 'The Young and the Restless'

  Photo by Vanessa White.

Soap Opera Digest is exclusively reporting that actor Daniel Hall has been cast in the role of Scott Grainger, Lauren's (Tracey Bregman) son, on The Young and the Restless.

The actor is already taping scenes, but the soap isn't revealing any other information about Scott's story at this time.

The role of Scott was last played by Blair Redford in 2006.

Hall's list of credits includes roles in Quarry, Graceland, Mad Men, Mixology and a brief stint on Guiding Light.

'The Young and the Restless' Casting New Role

The Young and the Restless is looking for an actress in the late 20s to mid 30s range to play Fawn, an international sales representative, according to the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest.

The character is described as a "stunning" and "ambitious" Asian-American. The role will be recurring, but "very large."

Pre-Noms Revealed for the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards.

The process used to determine those chosen as Pre-Nominated performers follows:

An online judging ballot containing all entrants in each of four performer categories (Lead Actor and Actress and Supporting Actor and Actress) was sent to all registered, eligible peer judges. The ballot contained a randomized order of performers in each category, regardless of their show affiliation. Judges were required to view clips online containing the work of each performer entry before selecting their top 10 performer choices in each category.

Ballots were submitted directly to Lutz & Carr, Inc., an independent accounting firm, who tabulated the results. The candidates below who received the highest number of votes now advance to the blue ribbon screening round, scheduled to begin on February 20, 2017, which will determine both nominees and recipients. Please note that this release also contains the names of the entrants for the Younger Actor and Actress categories, who will proceed directly to the Blue Ribbon Round. Nominations will be announced on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, live on “The Talk” on CBS.

Pre-nominated performers in alphabetical order in six categories follow below:

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kristian Alfonso, as Hope Williams Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Sharon Case, as Sharon McAvoy The Young and the Restless, CBS
Melissa Claire Egan, as Chelsea Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Mary Beth Evans, as Kayla Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Nancy Lee Grahn, as Alexis Davis General Hospital, ABC
Jen Lilley, as Theresa Donovan Black Days of Our Lives, NBC
Gina Tognoni, as Phyllis Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Heather Tom, as Katie Logan The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Jess Walton, as Jill Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Laura Wright, as Carly Corinthos General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Maurice Benard, as Sonny Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Peter Bergman, as Jack Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Scott Clifton, as Liam Spencer The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Billy Flynn, as Chad DiMera Days of Our Lives, NBC
Roger Howarth, as Franco General Hospital, ABC
Vincent Irizarry, as Deimos Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Christian LeBlanc, as Michael Baldwin The Young and the Restless, CBS
John McCook, as Eric Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Kristoff St. John, as Neil Winters The Young and the Restless, CBS
Jason Thompson, as Billy Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Eileen Davidson, as Ashley Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Judi Evans, as Adrienne Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Stacy Haiduk, as Patty Williams The Young and the Restless, CBS
Amelia Heinle, as Victoria Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Elizabeth Hendrickson, as Chloe Fisher The Young and the Restless, CBS
Finola Hughes, as Anna Devane General Hospital, ABC
Anna Maria Horsford, as Vivian Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Kate Mansi, as Abigail Deveraux Days of Our Lives, NBC
Michelle Stafford, as Nina Reeves General Hospital, ABC
Kelly Sullivan, as Sage Warner The Young and the Restless, CBS

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
John Aniston, as Victor Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Obba Babatundé, as Julius Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Steve Burton, as Dylan McAvoy The Young and the Restless, CBS
Sean Carrigan, as Ben “Stitch” Rayburn The Young and the Restless, CBS
Chad Duell, as Michael Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Bryton James, as Devon Hamilton The Young and the Restless, CBS
Wally Kurth, as Justin Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Jeffrey Vincent Parise, as Carlos Rivera/Dr. Joe Rivera General Hospital, ABC
James Reynolds, as Abe Carver Days of Our Lives, NBC
Dominic Zamprogna, as Dante Falconeri General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Lexi Ainsworth, as Kristina Corinthos Davis General Hospital, ABC
Camila Banus, as Gabi Hernandez Days of Our Lives, NBC
Reign Edwards, as Nicole Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Hayley Erin, as Kiki Jerome General Hospital, ABC
Olivia Keegan, as Claire Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Hunter King, as Summer Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Chloe Lanier, as Nelle Hayes General Hospital, ABC
Alyvia Alyn Lind, as Faith Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Paige Searcy, as Jade Michaels Days of Our Lives, NBC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jared Breeze, as Max Rayburn The Young and the Restless, CBS
Bryan Craig, as Morgan Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Rome Flynn, as Zende Forrester Dominguez The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Pierson Fodé, as Thomas Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
James Lastovic, as Joey Johnson Days of Our Lives, NBC
Kyler Pettis, as Theo Carver Days of Our Lives, NBC
Tequan Richmond, as TJ Ashford General Hospital, ABC
Anthony Turpel, as R.J. Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

Daytime Ratings: 'Days of our Lives' Up For The Week In Women 18-49 and 18-34

The Live + Same Day daytime ratings are in for January 9-January 13, 2016. According to Nielsen, The Young and the Restless (-298,000), The Bold and the Beautiful (-290,000), General Hospital (-165,000) and Days of our Lives (-40,000) were all down for the week in total viewers.

However, Days of our Lives was up in women 18-49 (+8,000), while Y&R (+12,000), B&B (+37,000), and Days (+10,000) were up in women 18-34.

Check out a breakdown below of the daytime soap opera Nielsen ratings by category:

'General Hospital' Spoilers (January 23-January 27, 2017)

Check out the daily spoilers to find out what's happening on ABC soap opera General Hospital during the week of January 23, 2017.

Monday, January 23
Anna recovers an important memory.
Dante offers Lulu comfort.
Valentin reveals his true self.

Tuesday, January 24
Sam finds out about Alexis' secret.
Carly has trouble with Sonny's violent lifestyle.
Jordan and Curtis remember the old times.

'The Bold and the Beautiful' Spoilers (January 23-27, 2017)

Check out the daily spoilers to find out what's happening on CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful during the week of January 23, 2017.

Monday, January 23
Eric demands info from Ridge about his time with Quinn in San Francisco.
Wyatt helps Steffy start the life that she's been wanting with Liam.

Tuesday, January 24
Katie is suspicious when Ivy expresses concern for Quinn's emotional wellbeing.
Not having heard from Steffy, Liam decides to keep his word on the ultimatum he issued.

'The Young and the Restless' Spoilers (January 23-27, 2017)

Check out the daily spoilers to find out what's happening on CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless during the week of January 23, 2017.

Monday, January 23
Phyllis and Jack butt heads.
Hilary will not give up on Devon.
Paul looks for Dylan.

Tuesday, January 24
Jill confesses.
Victoria puts her foot down with Reed.
Lily considers a proposition.

LMN Movie 'Girls Night Out' Premieres Tonight, Stars Mackenzie Mauzy, Katherine Barrell, Jacob Blair, Kelly Kruger

LMN movie Girls Night Out premieres Sunday, January 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The film stars Mackenzie Mauzy (The Bold and the Beautiful), Katherine Barrell (Wynonna Earp), Jacob Blair (The Pinkertons) and Kelly Kruger (The Bold and the Beautiful).

McKenzie (Mauzy) is a few months away from getting married when her three best friends from college surprise her with a bachelorette party. What they promised would be the best night of her life turns into a night of terror. McKenzie is forced to reckon with Brandon ((Blair), her ex-boyfriend  who date-raped her back in college and who kidnaps her fiancé to get even with McKenzie for destroying his reputation and ruining any chance he had of making it to the NHL.

Brandon sends McKenzie and her friends on a deadly scavenger hunt requiring them to perform extreme versions of the hazing stunts they did back in college. McKenzie is forced to confront the traumatic events of her past she's tried so hard to forget and wonders if she'll be able to do what it will take to save her fiancé and her future.

You can watch a sneak peek below:

Daytime Ratings: 'General Hospital' Up for the Week in All Major Demos

The Live + Same Day daytime ratings are in for January 2-January 6, 2016. According to Nielsen, The Bold and the Beautiful was the only soap up for the week in total viewers (+55,000), while General Hospital (+107,000) was up for the week in all major demos.

Please Note: There were preemptions on January 6 due to the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting.

Check out a breakdown below of the daytime soap opera Nielsen ratings by category:

'Days of our Lives' Casting Alex

Days of our Lives is searching for a strong actor between the ages of 30 and 39 to take on the role of Alex.

According to soap opera digest, the casting description reads, "Alex has spent the last ten years traveling the world and amassing a small fortune. His ambition grew and his success in the marketplace has given him an enough of a cocky confidence to come to Salem with an agenda to challenge his family for control of the business. When it comes to women, Alex can be a bit of a playboy like his dad used to be."

We Will Miss Dylan on 'Y&R' Who Would Have Guessed?

Exit storyline for Burton adds layers to a once bland character
By Mark Harding

It has been widely reported that Steve Burton opted to not to re-sign his contract with the Young and the Restless, citing a desire to be closer to his young family in Nashville. Correspondingly, Y&R will somehow lose the character of Dylan in January.

It’s fair to say that few characters have been more maligned than Dylan. Many fans were suspicious of his initial hiring (his close ties to the then-Executive Producer were widely known), fearing cronyism rather than talent got him the job. Further concerns about Dylan emerged when his character was written as flawless, noble, and ever-suffering. And the concern-o-meter reached the red zone when a couldn’t-have-happened retcon suddenly made Dylan the bio-child of Y&R’s Paul and Nikki. (It couldn’t have happened because Nikki never left the canvas, and we saw that she wasn’t pregnant). This seemed like a calculated move to cement Dylan forever to a core family.

Dylan’s paragon status was not helped by story after story in which he could do no wrong. A wounded warrior with significant PTSD, he lost woman after woman. Chelsea deceived him into thinking her baby with Adam was his. “Soulmate” Avery had turned to Dylan’s brother Nick (and later left town without him). He entered into a relatively chemistry-free marriage with Sharon, again deceived when Sharon first didn’t tell him they’d lost their unborn child, and later when she realized that her subsequent child (Sully/Christian) was not really his. Moreover, Sharon was consistently off her meds and a fidgety mess. In the midst of all this, he became an insta-cop, so that he could further serve as Genoa City’s Dudley Do-Right.

Burton began to shine, however, in the aftermath of losing Sully. His pain was palpable – red eyes, grave face – he looked like a wreck. Literally on the outside looking in (at the Newman ranch), as Nick and Nikki cooed over a son Dylan could no longer see, it was hard to not to finally feel something for Dylan. And now, there is another interesting twist.

The story Dylan is currently involved in is not, in itself, inspiring. In some kind of homage to Miami Vice, Dylan is wearing a fade haircut and a goatee, and short sleeved shirts that highlight his impressive biceps (way to go, SBu!). Y&R writers have cleverly extended the emotional weight of the story by having the folks back home (Sharon with Mariah, Paul, Kevin, Nick, and even Faith, Nikki with Paul, Nick) worry about Dylan and react to his disappearance. If they care, it helps us to care.

More importantly, the story has done the unexpected. The golden son has been burnished with a touch of tarnish. In a lame twist, a lady-mobster, Alex, forced Dylan to have sex with her in some kind of loyalty test. Dylan, visibly perturbed, acquiesced. Burton clearly telegraphed self-loathing. But more important, he is Dudley Do-Right no more! Even if for good reasons (saving the mission and saving his life), Dylan has fallen off the pedestal. He’s done a “wrong” thing. These are the kinds of moral dilemmas that add shades of grey to a character, and engage the audience. Finally!

Alas, just as Dylan gets interesting under the skilled pen of new writers, we’re about to lose him. Moreover, it seems almost certain that Y&R has to “kill” Dylan so that Sharon can move on. And for the first time since his debut, losing Dylan feels like a darn shame! Finally, there is more story to tell.

This is the mark of a successful exit. The audience will be left actually wanting to learn more about the evolution of Dylan. Hopefully, some day, that may happen.

Farewell, Mr. Burton. Come back someday!