Among the CW fall pilot contenders, A Beautiful Life grabbed the headlines this week with some blockbuster casting announcements. The drama is another project from network fave Ashton Kutcher, and centers around a group of young models struggling to hit runway paydirt in New York City. Storylines promise to unmask the industry’s rarely-seen dark side. Media magnet Mischa Barton (Marissa on The O.C.) was first to sign on, and is now joined by ‘80s supermodel Elle Macpherson—who’ll head the Focus Models agency with a rather fierce management style. High School Musical fans are abuzz with the news that Corbin Bleu is set to play a male-model with the Lenny Kravitz-type vibe, reports Zap2it; while Sara Paxton, fresh off rave film reviews for Last House on the Left, returns to TV as a novice poser in the Big Apple. Other roomies include Ashley Madekwe (Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Ben Hollingsworth (Cutting Edge 3; pictured), and newcomer Nico Tortorella, who could quickly become a breakout CW heartthrob. Off-camera, Hollingsworth shares an apartment with fellow Canadian Nina Dobrev, who he met on the set of Degrassi, IMDb notes. Nina recently won the female lead role in The Vampire Diaries series pilot. A cast this noteworthy will be difficult to keep off the schedule in September.

You can’t stay in high school forever, even when you’re paid to roam the chaotic TV halls of Degrassi. Several castmates from the hit drama have stuck together for a “post-graduation” project, however. Mike Lobel (Jay), Jake Epstein (Craig), Adamo Ruggiero (Marco, pictured) and Paula Brancati (Jane) are currently starring in a Toronto stage play, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, which follows the Peanuts gang as older teens just after the passing of Snoopy. The adult story explores some non-comic issues, such as bullying, substance abuse, the after-life and a personal search for identity. “These are important issues that need to be discussed and portrayed in a realistic fashion,” Epstein tells ctv.com. “Not everyone will be able to deal with that, but I think it’s okay to be uncomfortable.” He and Lobel are also sharpening their musical skills in separate bands. Lobel is a multi-instrumentalist (ukulele, melodica, keys, percussion) for Boys Who Say No, and the group just released their debut EP. Epstein, meanwhile, plays drums for Funkasaurus Rex, and the actor’s original song, My Window, is included on the new Degrassi soundtrack CD. And yet another costar, singer/songwriter Cassie Steele (Manny), has finished recording her new album for release this spring. It seems, to quote The Who, the kids are alright.

The CW has lured another young actress from Degrassi: The Next Generation to headline a major new series. Last fall, Shenae Grimes left the famed Canadian prep school for Hollywood and 90210. Now, in one of the network’s most sought-after roles, Nina Dobrev will be torn between two immortal brothers—one good, one evil—in The Vampire Diaries. Born in Bulgaria, Nina has portrayed teen mother and athlete “Mia Jones” on Degrassi for nearly three years, and she bears a striking resemblance to film beauty Jordana Brewster. Elsewhere, signs point to one-time One Tree Hill psycho Matt Barr as being the father of Gossip Girl socialite Serena van der Woodsen—their characters share the same last name. Matt just inked a deal to co-star on the Lily spinoff as a rich Malibu prince, along with Cynthia Watros (Libby on Lost) as Lily’s mother and Ryan Hansen (Dick on Veronica Mars) as a Valley friend. Over in Melrose Place, the complex is quickly filling its vacancies, with drama queen Ashlee Simpson on-board and Heather Locklear in serious negotiations. The big casting announcement yet to come involves which actors will win the CW vampire roles.

Two weeks from tonight, Northeast Ohioans can meet three major stars from Degrassi: The Next Generation in-person!  Shane Kippel joins Mike Lobel and Melissa McIntyre at the milestone 150th Portage County Randolph Fair, Thu., Aug. 21 from 9-11pm.  Mike and Melissa were in town for the event last year and had a blast greeting fans, signing autographs and tossing out prizes at the Teen Night dance barn.  As popular hottie “Ashley Kerwin,” Melissa often has the chance to showcase her strong rock-n-roll voice on the show; while Mike assures us that off-camera he’s nothing like his shady “Jay Hogart” character.  He’s been touring Toronto venues with his new indie-country/acoustic band, Boys Who Say No.  Shane’s on-air persona, “Spinner,” has been a lightning-rod for controversy at Degrassi High, first as a school bully and later for his inadvertent role in the shooting which left his best-friend, Jimmy, paralyzed.  While at times an outcast for his zigzag choices, viewers also feel compassion for Spinner when he flashes his big heart.  Spread the word—here’s your chance to meet and take photos with three favorites from one of the longest-running teen series in television history.

Eight popular WBNX series have DVD releases scheduled for this summer.  Here’s a quick rundown of the shows and extras you can expect.  Many of these sets can be pre-ordered now on amazon.com.

Degrassi: The Next Generation, Season 6, with 19 episodes: (now available)
Extras include deleted moments and bloopers, cast auditions, the Degrassi Yearbook and more.

Girlfriends, Season 4, with 24 episodes: (July 29)
No extras announced.

Gossip Girl, Season 1, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 19)
Features include unaired scenes; 3 new featurettes; music videos; gag reel; and a free audio download of the original best-selling book, read by Christina Ricci.

One Tree Hill, Season 5, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Bonus material includes unaired scenes; 100th episode celebration; OTH musical stars behind-the-scenes; “Fast Forward” discussion with cast and crew about moving the storyline ahead four years; commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew; gag reel; and a bonus offer for a digital copy of the entire season.

Everybody Hates Chris, Season 3, with 22 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and commentaries on selected episodes.

Supernatural, Season 3, with 16 episodes: (Sept. 2)
Features include an in-depth look at the series’ special effects; inside the classic 1967 Chevy Impala; segments with creative team members discussing favorite aspects of episodes; Ghostfacers! Confessionals gallery; gag reel; and a digital copy of the entire season.

Smallville, Season 7, with 20 episodes: (Sept. 9)
Extras include featurettes on Supergirl and Jimmy Olson; Smallville Legends mobisodes; commentaries with producers Al Gough and Miles Millar, plus cast members John Glover and Justin Hartley; a comic book; and unaired scenes.

According to Jim, Season 1, with 22 episodes: (Sept. 9)
After seven years and 162 episodes, this family comedy finally gets a DVD release!  No details yet about extras.

If The CW’s spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210 is half as interesting as the casting process, we’ll have a pretty big hit on our hands.  Popstar Hilary Duff was offered a female lead role, reports E! Online, but has turned it down to “expand her image outside of the teen genre.”  Career mistake?  Seems like putting your face in front of millions each week might be a good way to remain relevant and sell some music.  But one girl’s loss is another’s gain.  The adorable Shenae Grimes (Darcy on Degrassi: The Next Generation) will now play the daughter of fan favorite Lori Loughlin, who did such impressive work alongside music idols Jesse McCartney and Zac Efron on Summerland.  And someone deserves a raise for this one: Arrested Development matriarch Jessica Walter just came aboard as Loughlin’s mother, an eccentric faded ‘70s film star lush!  Couple that news with original 90210 stars Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling expressing their desire to be part of the show—and very quickly, this project’s getting juicy!  The only male to be cast thus far, Dustin Milligan, got some CW exposure on last week’s Supernatural, where he played “Corbett,” the haunted house reality-show victim.  There are countless key roles yet to be filled on the much buzzed-about 90210 pilot—and with primetime soaps it’s all about the casting.    

Ryan Cooley had starred as “J.T. Yorke” from day one of Degrassi: The Next Generation.  So when the producers let him know prior to Season 6 that his character would be the first ever to be killed off the series, it was a jolt, to say the least.  Ryan had to keep the deadly secret through the next ten episodes, and only during the initial table-read for his swan song did his castmates learn of his upcoming demise.  They freaked.  Some cried, others openly lobbied against it.  For viewers and fellow actors, there may not be a more popular guy in the show’s history.  But, as Ryan acknowledges, having thugs from a rival school stab one of Degrassi’s most-beloved students gave the storyline an emotional wallop.  The 19-year-old actor continues to help publicize the acclaimed drama, and sat down for some website Q & A’s when he visited WBNX recently.  You can watch his interview here, and also find a behind-the-scenes recap of his final day on Degrassi on YouTube.

Here’s another behind-the-scenes Degrassi: TNG interview we did when the stars were in town recently. Melissa McIntyre plays the popular—and adorable—Ashley Kerwin, and with her character in the midst of senior year (Season 7) right now, the actress is looking forward to beginning college in the near future. After high school, “I took a year off and I could feel my brain turning to blubber,” she says. Melissa plans to continue acting, but will study English, with a possible future in scriptwriting. Watch her video, and click here for more Degrassi extras.

When WBNX recently brought four Degrassi: The Next Generation stars to NE Ohio, we did what any good host would do: mic ‘em up and start asking questions! The actors were more than willing to share thoughts on the show, their fans, off-camera interests…and (yikes!) life after Degrassi. We’ll post a new interview here each week, leading off with Mike Lobel, who plays the juicy role of manipulative hotshot “Jay Hogart.” Click on the box to watch his video.Also, for photos of local fans and a video recap of the Degrassi visit, plus exclusive cell-phone wallpapers, click here! Oh yeah, next week WBNX is giving away a backpack autographed by Mike, Ryan Cooley, Amanda Stepto and Melissa McIntyre. A collector’s item, for sure! Just watch for the “Degrassi Quiz Word” each weekday at 5pm, then log onto wbnx.com to enter.

When fun facts begin to snowball, interesting trends emerge. I began thinking about various WBNX stars who are also involved in the music industry…and was surprised to quickly list 22. With Cleveland’s strong rock-and-roll ties, having that many actors on one north coast network who also “moonlight” as singers is unusual, if not unprecedented. The impressive group includes three Grammy winners (Reba, Queen and Will), multi-Grammy nominees (Foxx and Milian), and a member of one of the most-popular ‘70s groups, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Telma Hopkins. I also included Kiefer Sutherland, since he’s formed his own recording label and studio for hot indie bands. Many of these stars below can be heard performing on YouTube. Here’s my rockin’ rundown… look over our TV program lineup and see if you can add to the list! If you want more info on a particular star, post a comment.

Reba McEntire (Reba)
Queen Latifah (Living Single)
Will Smith (Fresh Prince)
Jamie Foxx (Jamie Foxx Show)
Telma Hopkins (Half & Half)
Scarlett Pomers (Reba)
Renee Olstead (Still Standing)
Persia White (Girlfriends)
Bethany Joy Galeotti (One Tree Hill)
Wesley Jonathan (What I Like About You)
Calvin Goldspink (Life is Wild)
Katie Cassidy (Supernatural)
Cassie Steele (Degrassi)
Mike Lobel (Degrassi)
Jake Epstein (Degrassi)
Tisha Campbell (My Wife & Kids)
Jim Belushi (According to Jim)
Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)
Christina Milian (8 Days a Week / midseason)
Bret Harrison (Reaper)
Amy Pietz (Aliens in America)