Readers and Listeners,

On behalf of everyone at Daytime Confidential I would like to wish all those living in the U.S. and all those U.S. citizens living abroad a safe and happy 4th of July weekend.

DC ADVISORY: Expect light posting over the weekend. Also, normally we record all network and POW episodes on the weekend before they air. In order for everyone here at DC to enjoy the holiday weekend we will not be recording the network or POW episodes this weekend.

If you are going through DC withdrawals during the weekend check out Jamey, Jillian and Regan's Twitter profiles. You never know what these three might say there. Follow Daytime Confidential on Twitter.

Luke

Could The Bold and the Beautiful's Marcus (Texas Battle) get a daddy soon? TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco reports Donna (Jennifer Gareis) may come face to face with her ex:

Insiders are buzzing that Bradley Bell will be casting Marcus’s father soon. Paging Shemar Moore (ex-Malcolm, Y&R)! Hey, I’ll settle for Réal Andrews (ex-Taggert, GH), who got shafted by One Life as Dr. Evans.

Does this mean CBS's finally getting with their diversity program? Stay tuned.

The Young and the Restless star, Vail Bloom (Heather) has been a bit busy these days when not fighting crime in Genoa City. The actress has snagged a guest spot on the HBO smash hit, Entourage. Bloom will mix it up with Vince (Adrian Grenier) and the boys July 26. 

Yes! After everything she's pulled, she's getting what she deserves.

No! No parent deserves this, no matter what they do to other people.

On today's Performer of the Week episode of Daytime Confidential Luke, Jamey, Mike, Melodie and Jillian choose the actors and actresses who they believe did an outstanding job during the week of June 29, 2009.

The gang also debates their honorable and dishonorable mentions.

Who are do you think did an outstanding job during the week of June 29 and who do you think deserves an honorable or dishonorable mention?

Help support and improve the Daytime Confidential podcast: Take a few minutes to fill out the two Daytime Confidential listener surveys: Listener Survey A l

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Just when I thought the days of a soap opera couple stealing my heart, sucking me in and making me— for a second— look beyond all the back stage shenanigans that are generally much more interesting than anything we're seeing on our screens these days, comes a couple like Days of Our Lives' Philip (Jay Kenneth Johnson) and Stephanie (Shelley Hennig).

My love for this couple certainly didn't happen over night. In fact it has rather taken me by surprise. I'm sure many Daytime Confidential readers and podcast listeners remember me uttering TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco's trademark phrase "hair model" in the same sentence with Hennig's name on more than one occassion over the past year and a half, and are currently experiencing jolts of anticipated carpal tunnel as they rush to log in to tell, er type me so, but what can I say? Opinions change. READ MORE

Brandon Beemer

Daniel Goddard

Don Diamont

Jake Silbermann

James Scott

John-Paul Lavoisier

Mark Lawson

Shawn Christian

Steve Burton

Van Hansis

He killed his wife

He thinks he killed his wife, but it wasn't him

Someone else killed his wife, but he blames himself

Don't know, going to have to watch and see

Don't care

A day after the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, one of my closest friends called and asked me to write something about their impact on our lives. In that conversation and inwardly, I balked at the idea; there are far better, more thoughtful writers, observers and commentators who would be publicly ruminating over good and the bad — especially in Jackson's case — for years to come.

However, as sleep failed me the previous night in that distant sadness that one feels over the deaths of people one may have never met, I reconsidered my friend's request. To say that organizing these musings over the last couple of days has been a struggle would be an understatement, until one struck me as much apropos to the moment as it was unexpected.

"The end of an era" is a phrase too often overused in overheated ways, but the deaths of Jackson and Fawcett (and to some degree, Ed McMahon) signal to millions of people that a confluence of eras have indeed ended in their lifetimes, even if at first glance it might appear that some of those eras have long since faded away. Though it may seem inappropriate to some, I feel this is no less true for fans, admirers and even their detractors as it is to millions of viewers who at one time or another had their lives touched by the daytime serial Guiding Light, which after 72 years will be extinguished in a matter of weeks. I beg your patience as I ask you to walk with me.... READ MORE

The future of Guiding Light is looking dimmer by the day. CBS.com has added a Finale Page to its Guiding Light website. The page features classic photos and videos from the 72-year-old sudsers rich history. There is also a section for interviews from the cast about their experience on Guiding Light. Check it out