He was with CBS Daytime's embattled soap opera Guiding Light as a writer, up until the bittersweet end. He even having walked the picket lines as a Strike Captain for the sudser, as well as ABC Daytime's General Hospital, during the 2007 Writers Strike. Now Dave Rupel is back this week with the premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the latest in Bravo's line of successful docusoaps. Rupel, who serves as an executive producer and showrunner on the new series, premiering Thursday Oct. 14 (check your local listings), chats with Daytime Confidential about what it was like at GL during those lean, final years.

He shares his throughts on the now-infamous change of Guiding Light's production model. Was it a network-mandated decision or did Guiding Light's last executive producer Ellen Wheeler make the call? Speaking of Wheeler, what did Rupel think of his experience working with the controversial actress-turned-producer?

Rupel also speaks out on why so many fans of continuing drama are now getting their "soap fix" from reality television. The man who helped create the flagship The Real Housewives of Orange County, and worked on such shows as Temptation Island and Big Brother U.K., as well as penning scripts for General Hospital, offers insight soap fans aren't generally privy to. He also provides soap opera writers with a viable option for future employment, as more and more reality producers look to soap writers. Then he takes us into the world of what could be the most glamorous Real Housewives ever! It's an interview soap fans and reality lovers alike won't wanna miss.