Brandon's Buzz

A tragic victim of inevitable cost-cutting and magnificently poor network (mis)management, ABC's classic soap "All My Children" signs off tomorrow afternoon after forty-two years and some 10,700 episodes.  And returning to the Buzz to help me mark such a wrenching occasion is the soap journalism icon CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN, who has written crisp, compelling commentary for over two decades now using the nom de plume of Marlena De Lacroix, and who just happens to measure "AMC" as the finest soap opera in television history.  Talking turkey about daytime --- and bidding adieu to a television landmark --- with a true master, exclusively on Brandon's Buzz!

He burst onto the pop music scene in 2007 with his arresting major-label debut record Indiana, and followed that up with a high-profile performance on the 2008 Academy Awards telecast, and a pop masterpiece called OK Now, released later that year.  He's back on the block after an extended hiatus with a terrific third album, Forever If Ever, and singer/songwriter JON McLAUGHLIN is stopping by the Buzz to discuss both the making of the album and how liberating it is to be on his own again in the music business.  PLUS:  celebrity chef CURTIS STONE stops in for a quick chat about food, fun, and the art of life.

She has covered the crazy, kooky world of soaps for some two decades and more now, and her sarcastic and blisteringly brilliant Soap Opera Digest column "It's Only My Opinion" has one of the most readerships in daytime.  She is now taking on the world of publishing, with a brand new book called Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter, in which she reminds us why this uniquely American genre of television earned its significance within the culture, and analyzes the ways the soaps can propel themselves into the future.  And to celebrate the book's debut in stores, the captivating CAROLYN HINSEY is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to give us an exclusive sneak peek!

Brandon's Buzz is thrilled to welcome back the fabulously irreverent Marlena De Lacroix herself --- the captivating CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN --- for a special live event!  With all the recent head-spinning developments in soapland, and the news that her old favorites "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will soon be going off the air, you just KNOW Miss Marlena's got LOTS of opinions about the state of daytime these days, and she is making her seventh visit to the Buzz to gab with the fans and to tell ALL!

His magnificent music has been a big part of the soundtrack of our lives for some three decades now; best remembered for his classic 1984 smash "Missing You," he has just released his tenth studio album, "Rough and Tumble," and now, singer/songwriter JOHN WAITE is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss the new record and to reflect on one of pop music's most enduring careers.  Plus:  chef LORENA GARCIA --- one of the four judges on NBC's hot reality competition series "America's Next Great Restaurant" --- pops in to preview Sunday night's exciting finale!

She toiled away in the daytime grind for nearly three decades --- with one Emmy statuette and a slew of nominations to show for it, thank you very much! --- so you just know the magnificent LINDA DANO has lots of opinions on the state of soaps these days, and as we prepare to face life without All My Children and One Life to Live, both of which ABC has just cancelled, she is returning to the Buzz to really let it rip. (Oh yeah, and she's also dropping by to give us a special sneak peek at the latest additions to her massively successful collection of home decor accessories for QVC, and she's revealing how she feels about the upcoming royal wedding.) Compellingly candid views from a beloved daytime icon, in a riveting Brandon's Buzz exclusive.

He became a suds sensation nearly ten years ago, first by playing opposite the legendary Kim Zimmer as noble Dr. Noah Chase on "Guiding Light," and later as the slimy serial killer Daniel Colson on "One Life to Live." He has moved behind the scenes of late, having formed a new independent film production company entitled Shake the Tree Productions, and now, actor-turned-auteur MARK DOBIES is stopping by the Buzz to fill us in on all he has been up to since leaving the world of daytime behind!

He willingly walked away from a high-profile career in the world of New York City law to spend more time with his family and to return to his first love: writing. And now, author CAMERON STRACHER stops by the Buzz with an exclusive sneak preview of his fascinating first piece of full-length young adult fiction, "The Water Wars." PLUS: Academy Award-nominated actor ERIC ROBERTS checks in to discuss his participation in the latest cycle of VH1's smash reality series "Celebrity Rehab," and to preview what lays ahead for his character on "The Young and the Restless" in the new year!

They are three determined stars each making names for themselves in the cutthroat world of young Hollywood, and they've all three come to Brandon's Buzz to tell their amazing stories: JEROME ELSTON SCOTT discusses the making of his new directorial debut "Anderson's Cross"; TYNE STECKLEIN discusses working with the great Michael Jackson just prior to his tragic passing, as well as her role in the new smash musical "Burlesque"; and TANNA FREDERICK breaks down her collaborations with famed film director Henry Jaglom, and describes their latest project, "Queen of the Lot." Scott, Stecklein, and Frederick, in a Brandon's Buzz "Rising Stars of Hollywood" special presentation!

She was my fourth guest, some twenty-one months ago, and I'm so thrilled to welcome her back for episode *seventy*-four: as sensitive Blossom Russo, she was once America's favorite teenager, and now that she's a smash as natty neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS' hit comedy "The Big Bang Theory," the magnificent MAYIM BIALIK returns to Brandon's Buzz to discuss Sheldon, science, and success the second time around. Plus: Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actress CHRISTINE LAHTI stops by the Buzz to break down her recurring role on "Law and Order: SVU" and the rest of her glorious career!