SoapNet has ordered a fourth season of I Wanna Be a Soap Star -- and for the first time, the winner of the Disney-owned cable network's reality competition series will appear on a non-ABC soap, Daily Variety reported on Friday.
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The fourth season of I Wanna Be a Soap Star will follow 10 aspiring actors as they compete for a role on NBC's Days of Our Lives, while all of I Wanna Be a Soap Star's previous winners have battled for a spot on various ABC soaps.
"We've done three ABC shows, and we were eager to do one of our other shows," SoapNet general manager Deborah Blackwell told Variety. "The Days of Our Lives team was extremely supportive."
Season One winner Mykel Shannon Jenkins appeared on General Hospital; Season Two winner Alec Musser continues to star on All My Children; and I Wanna Be a Soap Star's most recent champ, Mikey Jerome, was given a role on One Life to Live. However despite airing on NBC, Days of Our Lives is a major part of SoapNet's broadcast schedule, as the cable network has aired repeats of the series since 2004.
"I think it's wonderful that they stepped up to promote a show that's not on ABC," Days of Our Lives executive producer Ken Corday told Variety. "It seemed like the stars were aligned. Hopefully we'll end up with a really good actor to star on the show. From there, who knows where it might go."
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I Wanna Be a Soap Star is scheduled to begin production on its fourth season in May. For the first time, viewers of I Wanna Be a Soap Star will reportedly "play a role" in choosing the competition's winner along with the series' judges: talent manager Michael Bruno, actress Debbi Morgan and Days of Our Lives head writer Hogan Scheffer. The fourth season will also be the first time I Wanna Be a Soap Star's finale will be telecast live. It will also mark the first time that a writer from the show that the season's winner will be appearing on will be a member of I Wanna Be a Soap Star's judging panel.
"I Wanna Be a Soap Star is great for our network and the soap genre," Blackwell told Variety. "Not only does it drive attention to the show it's casting a role for, but it brings in new viewers who are reality TV fans to our network."
All My Children actor Cameron Mathison will return as host of I Wanna Be a Soap Star. LMNO Cable Group produces the series for SoapNet, with Eric Schotz and Lisa Bourgoujian serving as executive producers of I Wanna Be a Soap Star for LMNO.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio