All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- Howard Stern as Simon Cowell’s replacement on American Idol? It’s such an out-of-left field idea, but potentially interesting enough that I’d definitely watch. You?

- More Idol buzz: Fox released a snippet of footage of Ellen DeGeneres in action as the newest judge. Her official AI debut is Feb. 9 (8PM ET).

- It’s about time: The always awesome Gary Cole is getting his own series again. He’ll play a Philly homicide detective who partners with his rookie nephew in the TBS comedy Uncle Nigel.

- Who will fill James Arness‘ boots in the big-screen movie version of Gunsmoke? Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds are reportedly the top contenders.

- HBO is developing a comedy about a female Hollywood blogger.

- Start planning your send-off party now: The Lost series finale will air on May 23.

- Wish as we might, the Simpson family (not Homer and company) isn’t going away anytime soon: Papa Joe Simpson is developing an autobiographical comedy for Nickelodeon, while Jessica Simpson’s VH1 reality series The Price of Beauty debuts on March 15.

- Charlie Sheen’s legal woes continue, as TMZ reports that he’ll be charged with felony menacing re: that Christmas Day incident with his wife.

- The cast of Jersey Shore will guest on The View on Feb. 23.

- R.I.P. Days of Our Lives star Frances Reid, a.k.a. Grandma Alice Horton, who died on Wednesday at age 95. Reid’s last appearance on DOOL was in 2007, but her character will always be remembered for keeping her family together (she was always a key supporter of supercouple Bo and Hope) and for her homemade doughnuts.

- Rumor has it that Tiger Woods may return to golf later this month, in an Arizona tournament that will be broadcast by NBC. Who would have imagined the PGA tour turning into an US Weekly hotspot?

- It’s a bummer that Bryan Batt won’t be back on Mad Men as Sal next season, but the actor/interior designer is keeping busy: He just designed “The Hef,” a loveseat to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Playboy Clubs.

- Though its fourth season has some iffy storylines unfolding – really, you didn’t think anyone would find out about that whole polygamy thing until after the election, polygamist/state Senate candidate Bill?!? – Big Love has gotten a thumbs up for a fifth season at HBO.

- The next cast of Dancing With the Stars will be revealed during the March 1 season finale of The Bachelor, but rumor has it that Pam Anderson will be one of the D-list top tappers when the new season of DWTS premieres on March 22.

- And Jonas brother Joe is going to be a flashback guest on Brothers & Sisters, playing the younger version of Balthazar Getty’s Tommy Walker.

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• Filed in American Idol, Boob Tube to Big Screen, Daytime TV, Lost, TV News

The end of an era – a 72-year era – comes Friday (check local listings for time) when CBS airs the series finale of Guiding Light, the longest-running daytime soap in history.

The show’s cancelation is sad because it’s another sign of the rapid decline of the whole daytime drama genre, and, for a lot of us, because Guiding Light is a part of our personal histories.

I started watching the soap with my grandma when I was in junior high. She passed away last week, so the GL finale is extra moving for me. It sparks memories of a lot of great afternoons, when I couldn’t wait to get home from school and see what the Spauldings and the Bauers were up to, alongside my grandma. And I’m sure that’s true for a lot of viewers, past and present, who’ve been regular viewers of their favorite soap as they watched with their mom or their grandmother or another loved one. It’s sad that there’s now one less opportunity for future viewers to bond in that same way with their loved ones.

I’ll definitely be watching tomorrow, as TV land says goodbye to the town of Springfield, and its citizens. Will you?

In the meantime, a few tributes to Guiding Light from around the Web …

- AOL TV has a top 10 moments in GL history list, as well as an interview with GL Emmy-winning diva Kim Zimmer.

- Beth Chamberlin, who plays GL heroine Beth Raines, recalls how emotional she was shooting the finale, and says she doubts there’ll be another soap with Guiding Light’s longevity.

- A quiz about Phillip Spaulding, one of the show’s most beloved male characters, played by Grant Aleksander.

- SoapCentral.com has the recipe for the show’s famous Bauer Burgers.

- SoapNet.com has a stellar, photo-filled “Guiding Light’s Best Moments” feature: part one, part two and part three.

- A list of GL’s famous alumni, which includes Kevin Bacon, Hayden Panettiere, Taye Diggs and James Lipton.

- Some random Guiding Light trivia.

- A CBS news clip recalls the storied life on GL’s Reva (Kim Zimmer), which has included nine marriages, cloning, time travelling and returning from the dead.

- CNN has a story on how GL’s demise is just the latest sign that the entire daytime soap genre is rapidly declining.

- One of the show’s oldest fans, 94-year-old Scotia, NY resident Nathalie Vaughan, was only 22 when the show started.

- And no trip down Guiding Light memory lane is complete without a clip of Reva’s classic “slut of Springfield” rant in the water fountain.

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• Filed in Daytime TV, TV News
• Tags: Bauer Burgers, Beth Chamberlin, Beth Raines, Grant Aleksander, Guiding Light series finale, Kim Zimmer, Phillip Spaulding