Here's a clip from the infamous "Buried Alive" storyline from Days of Our Lives. The Reilly-penned tale, featuring Crystal Chappell (Olivia, Guiding Light) as Dr. Carly Manning, Robert Kelker-Kelly as Bo Brady, Michael Sabatino (Vince, Guiding Light) as Lawrence Alamain, Erik Von Detten as a young Nicky Alamain and the incomparable Louise Sorel as Vivian Alamain, helped catapult Days from Number 7 to Number 2 in the Nielsen Household ratings where it stayed for much of Reilly's first run as head writer of the NBC soap. The storyline saw heroine Carly being buried alive by a psychotic Vivian to prevent Carly from "stealing" Vivian's nephews Lawrence and Nicky away from her. It was also the culmination of the wildly popular Bo/Carly/Lawrence triangle that carried Days of Our Lives during the early 90's. READ MORE

Prolific daytime scribe James E. Reilly passed away over the weekend, according to Soap Opera Digest.com. He was 60. Reilly was most known for his much talked about stints as head writer for NBC's Days of Our Lives (92-97; 03-06) and for creating the zany cult fave Passions. He also served for a time as head writer of Guiding Light on CBS and Sunset Beach on NBC. As a big fan of Reilly's work on Days of Our Lives, this news hits hard. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends, family and former co-workers.

I wonder if this one will sing opera? It's raining men...from Passions that is, at Days of Our Lives. In addition to the news that our Jillian broke yesterday about Galen Gering (ex-Luis, Passions) joining the sudser in a yet-to-be announced role, Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Ethan Crane 2.0 aka Eric Martsolf has been cast as Brady Black, the long missing son of John and the late Isabella. With both of Brady's bitchy ex-flames—Nicole and Chloe—in town, his nephew/rival Philip on perma-scowl and his Daddy, John, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs I can't think of a better time for the Brady, er Alamain, doh, DiMera heir to return!

I predict I'll once again be in the minority on this one. But what the hell...

Like many others, I have been rather hesitant about embracing A Martinez's new, short term role of Ray Montez, uncle of Langston and new foe of Dorian Lord. There are those viewers who are unfamiliar and/or unaware of Martinez's work although he has been a busy fixture in prime time and daytime since the late 60's (does that man age well or what???!). I think the very first time I saw Martinez was on an episode of The White Shadow and later on The Incredible Hulk; yes, when they originally aired. In fact,  Martinez was one of the busiest Latino actors in all of television during the last hurrah of the three network era, guest starring on what seemed to be every prime time show with a time slot and a broadcast signal. READ MORE

Eat your heart out Justin Hartley fans and get out your binoculars Naughty Nicki: Justin is returning to Smallville as the Green Arrow. Check out this preview from the upcoming season.

Smallville returns to The CW on September 18, 2008.

Be sure to check out The Suds Report as it's packed full of good reading. Including a casting scoop for General Hospital: Night Shift! And what a casting it is! Kathleen Noone (Edna, Passions; Bette, Sunset Beach; Ellen Dalton, All My Children) has been cast as the Doctors Julian mother Patricia Julian. Look for Kyle and Leo's mom to appear on September 23rd. SPOILERS say one brother punches the other in front of mom!