FEBRUARY SWEEPS/WEEK OF JANUARY 29, 2007 EDITION

INSIDER SPOTLIGHT: EXCLUSIVE FEBRUARY SWEEPS PREVIEW!!!

"An incredible February is on the way," says EP/HW Tim Lowery. "Every episode...and, I do mean EVERY episode,will be HUGE. It's a very emotional, intense, shocking, and exciting month. We are definitely in a groove. The residents of Salem are going to be rocked this month. By the end of this month, every story will have changed will have taken some major twists and turns. Our fans are going to love it!! It's payoffs a plenty and, if you miss a day, you definitely miss alot!!!"

Mysterious Cloaked Figure: "We are building to the beginning of the VENDETTA event in March. The mystery of who this person is and why they are targeting who they are targeting will draw in pretty much the whole canvas. We will see friends and foes come together as the threat this person represents to all of Salem intensifies. More and more people will find themselves targets of this mysterious figure whether it be by manipulation or something much worse and deadly. The old saying is you can't stop what you can't catch and this applies big time here. This person will be manipulating and controlling people's lives. Just when you think you've seen it all, this person will committ an even more horrible and despicable act. How far will this person go and to what extremes will be the big focus as we go through February and beyond."

Roman/Marlena: "Marlena's family and friends hold an intervention. They know something is wrong with you but she keeps avoiding them and her disappearing acts don't help matters. What exactly is wrong with her? We will delve more into that in February. We will learn more about her connection to James and what they seem to both be involved in. The fans are going to be really stunned to see where this story takes Marlena. By the end of the month, fans will be clued in to what is driving her and causing her to do what she is. As for Roman, he is very concerned and has his own issues to deal with, one of which is the MCF. He will have a difficult time holding his family together and will try to get through to Marlena. It's a very emotional and troublesome time for him and his family and, to think, it's only just a fragment of what's to come."

Victor/Stefano: "The war takes a break as both Stefano and Victor continue to lie low. They both become obsessed with this MCF as they are not happy that this person is using their operations to their own ends. Victor and Stefano return to Salem by the end of the month and we will see them team up with each other and with their enemies. It's an interesting turn of events as everyone wants to stop this mysterious threat from targeting their loved ones. Differences are put aside and friends and foes uniting becomes a common theme. Stefano and Victor will present Roman with a deal: they provide him and the SPD and ISA with their resources and help to find and catch the MCF and, in return, both Victor and Stefano get immunity. IIt's a difficult choice for Roman and one he certainly doesn't take lightly."

Bo/Hope: "They are keeping HUGE secrets from each other. Hope is afraid to tell Bo and Billie about Chelsea not being their daughter. She knows it will devestate them. The fact that Chelsea is her daughter and the father is unknown also plays into it. Meanwhile, Bo is dealing with the memories/nightmares he has been having on his own. He will undergo hynosis and will learn the truth. It's a long buried Brady secret that will shake the Brady's and Bo to the core. The repercussions of the truth coming out will be monumental and will forever change Bo and those he loves and cares about. It's a case of just when you think Bo and Hope are on the right track, they hit another bump in the road. The trust issues between them have never been more obvious. Bo will again be pushing Hope away as he deals with learning the secret that is buried within himself. Expect Bo to go on an emotional journey in the aftermath of all this. His story will begin to parallel another one on the canvas as the month comes to a close."

Sami/Lucas/Carrie/Austin/Alan/Will: "This story will finally explode in February. All the groundwork has been laid now for this story to take off and, boy, will it. Carrie goes in labor all by herself. Shane catches Alan with Will and finally comes clean about knowing Carrie's whereabouts. Roman, Sami, Austin, and Lucas race against time to reach her before Alan does something horrible. The questions remains, is Alan good or evil? Fans will finally get the answer in early February. Will will finally learn this his pal "Ace" is Alan, the man that raped his mother. It will definitely be a emotionally gripping event. Expect a huge twist after Carrie's baby is born. Two shocking characters get dragged into the story and things really get turned on their ear. Carrie will learn about what has happened in her absence and her and Sami will have a major turning point in their relationship. Plus, Carrie will finally settle the situation between her, Austin, and Lucas. Sami and Lucas have some big time romance coming up. They finally take steps toward building a life together."

The McClure's: "James is in way over his head and he knows it. His wife is suspicious and so our his kids. JJ and Angel decide that the best way to end all the tension in their family is to find out what James is up to one way or the other. JJ uses his journalistic instincts to get to the bottom of the situation. JJ and Angel turn to Billie for help and they are hot on James' trail. JJ and Angel come to Jonathan and Renee with their findings and that leads to a huge twists that ups the ante in this story. James realizes the true horror of what he is involved in and there may be no way out."

Nicole/Eric: "Tension builds for Eric and Nicole. The fact that she gave up her dream in LA at Highstyle for him and now she is unemployed and at home while he works is a major sore spot for her. The issues they are having with having their own child only add to the stress. They decide to take a trip and something big happens that throws them into the middle of something that is bigger then they think it is. We will also begin to see shades of the old Nicole."

Jack/Billie: "Billie and Jack are finally moving on. They will be there for their daughters and will help them deal with a major crisis. Billie and Jack get drawn into the MCF mystery as her days as a private investigator begin and Jack begins to return to form as the great reporter he once was. Billie will also get caught up on the McClure story in a big way. Expect a nice surprise upon the reveal of the new owner and editor in chief of The Spectator in the first week of February. Fans will really like seeing who Jack's new boss is. It will be a delight."

Abby/Max/Cassie/Chelsea: "This story finally explodes. Chelsea begins to make progress with her recovery, leaving Abby to wonder if she will ever get better. Cassie will lay all her cards out on the table when she reveals to Max and Abby she is pregnant with his baby. It rattles Max and Abby and puts them in a place where Abby feels like she has lost him and doesn't stand a chance. Cassie will seek out Chelsea's help to aid in her plot to break up Max and Abby. Chelsea refuses so Cassie will blackmail her with knowing that she killed her two rapists and that Hope is her mother. This all builds to a huge twist that throws all these characters for a loop and sends all their lives in surprising directions."

Steve/Kayla: "They go on an emotional journey down memory lane. Valentine's Day is big for them. We take them to places that hold special meaning for them. Kayla is going to help Steve fight through the painful memories. He is making progress but will suffer a major setback. It's sort of tragic but Kayla is there for him. It's like they are falling in love all over again. He barely remembers her but she still reaches him. He worries about putting her in danger as he continues to remember more of these painful memories. It's all very romantic and very true to Steve and Kayla."

Frankie/Greta: "They are becoming good friends and their bond grows stronger when they get involved in the MCF mystery with Jack and Billie. It's not a romance, at least not yet, but it has potential. We are exploring the drives and ambitions of both characters. We are also trying to give Frankie more of an edge. The character need to be feeled out more. Character exploration is key for these two and the fans will see that become a focus in the coming weeks."

Cal/Katherine: "Cal's progress in regards to recovering his past and memory may be stagnant but that is not the case in regards to the growing feelings between him and Katherine. Cal is ready to leave his past in the past and move on with his future. Katherine and him finally see their passion explode around Valentine's Day. How far will they go? As for Cal's past, the last person he would want to have the information and answers he seeks is the very person who does. Why does the MCF have this information and how will this person use it? That will be the big question in this story as we go into February and beyond."

Shane/Kim: "Shane comes clean about knowing Carrie's whereabouts and that she was with Alan. The Brady's won't be happy. Kim will have to deal with the repercussions of her and Roman keeping the long buried Brady secret. She will feel a great deal of guilt over how Bo and her family is affected by it. Meanwhile, Kim and Shane bond when circumstances bring them closer together. The guilt they both feel makes them vulnerable as they become ostracized from their family and friends."

Belle/Philip: "Philip takes on his new role as head of the Kiriakis empire head on. As for what is going on with Belle and him, we will finally reveal the truth and what truly happened in San Francisco will become known. Philip will get a huge shock when Victor returns to Salem alive and well. Philip will not be so easy to give up his newly-inherited power and prestige. The groundwork will be laid here for a fierce father/son battle. Philip is indeed following in his father's footsteps. However, let's remember, he is also Kate's son and we all know how Kate ended up betraying Victor. Hmmm...."

Kate: "She keeps vowing to change but it still seems like the same old Kate. How will she handle it when her children and grandchildren begin to warn her more and more to clean up her act or face a future without the love of her family? We are slowly building to a turning point for Kate and it's right around the corner."

Caroline/Victor/Maggie: "Caroline begins to feel some guilt over the way things ended with Victor. We see that she isn't quite over him yet. Maggie falls apart and slowly turns back to the bottle. The difference this time is that she doesn't shut people out and acts like everything is fine. She keeps internalizing everything and that only drives her to drink even more. By month's end, her addiction will worsen to the point where those around her could even be at risk. Look for Victor's return to set up yet another huge fall for Maggie and, this time, she may never bring herself back up."

Doug/Julie: "No, this is not a typo. Doug and Julie have a story coming up. Julie's support of Victor and Maggie and her compassion for Victor really has Doug seeing red. Julie will learn that Victor is alive from Maggie and will take it upon herself to find him and make it so he can come back to Salem. She knows Maggie will fall apart without him so she feels she has no choice. Julie will make a big mistake, one that will come back to haunt her in the months ahead. Doug won't be happy that is for sure."

Celeste/Abe/Lexie: "Celeste and Abe continue to care for Theo and to monitor the search for Lexie. Celeste manages to convince Abe to give Lexie another chance. Upon Stefano's return to Salem, Lexie returns too. Abe tries to get through to her but her recovery and time away has made her even more of a Dimera then anyone could've imagined. She will do anything to get Theo back and make the lives of all of her former loved ones in Salem a living hell. Abe and Celeste decide that the only way to save Lexie is to bring down Stefano and his empire so they committ themselves to that cause. Look for Celeste to have a stunning vision towards the end of the month, one that is sure to stun fans just as much as it will Celeste."

Previews and Peeks into Wk of 1/29/07

-James issues a warning to his family.

-Bo wants to undergo hynosis and continues to keep the truth from his loved ones.

-Shane interrogates Kim.

-Sami tells Will about her rape.

-Steve and Kayla prepare to go on a journey.

-Jack has a new boss and is shocked to find out who it is.

-Billie begins her new career.

-Sami and Lucas commit to each other.

-Bo begins to piece together his memories.

-JJ and Angel seek out Billie's help.

-Maggie returns to old habits.

-Cassie drops two bombshells.

-Carrie goes into labor.

-Shane is ready to tell the truth.

-A shocking truth about Marlena and James is revealed.

Next Week: Philip wields his power as Kiriakis heir. It's a race against time to reach Carrie as she prepares to give birth. A stunning twist occurs in the aftermath of Carrie giving birth. Billie and Jack investigate James. Jack warns JJ and Angel. Will learns the truth. Victor and Stefano are fixated on the MCF. Julie learns Victor is alive and prepares to take action to help Maggie.