World stops turning: ATWT cancelled

Multiple sources, including Procter & Gamble, are reporting this morning that AS THE WORLD TURNS, the classic 54-year-old CBS soap opera, has been cancelled and will last air in September 2010.

After the cancellations of PASSIONS and GUIDING LIGHT, ATWT had moved into the bottom rung of the Nielsen ratings. Its cancellation leaves CBS with just two soaps, reduces the entire industry to a mere six shows, and takes Procter & Gamble out of the soap business entirely.

On the hunk front, ATWT was near the top of the list, compiling 62 Soaphunks.net Award nominations and 12 wins. It also was the stomping grounds of Mark Collier, one of the premier soap hunks of all time and the winner of this site's Adonis 2005 contest.

Put simply, this just SUCKS.

On your Mark: Collier gets set to go to ATWT?

Just as ATWT is sending hunky Austin Peck packing, we're hearing that none other than dreamboat Mark Collier has been contacted (again) for a return to Oakdale as heroic Mike Kasnoff.

Collier, among the most popular soap hunks on daytime during his tenure with the soap from 2003-07, has been repeatedly asked back to the show over the past two years--always turning them down. This time, though, we're hearing he said yes. No official word yet from the sudser.

Collier is a 5-time Soaphunks.net Award winner, including the Best Hunk prize in 2004. He also won the Adonis 2005 contest.

McCouch back to ATWT; Prescott out

In a surprising development, fan favorite and Soaphunks.net Award winner Grayson McCouch is set to return to ATWT on Sept. 24, less than a year after being killed off the sudser. No word yet on how McCouch's Dusty Donovan will be able to turn up very much alive.

McCouch is known for a very loyal online fan base, who helped him to strong finishes in the Adonis 2004, 2005, and 2006 contests.

In other ATWT soap hunks news, the latest recast for Mike Kasnoff (Jon Prescott) has been axed from the soap for "budgetary reasons." Prescott took over the role earlier this year, following the tremendously popular Shawn Christian and Mark Collier. Soap hunk fans will surely note that while Prescott was in the role, Mike--one of the most frequently shirtless characters in daytime history--went topless a total of zero times.