SoapDope

I liked that Nikki and Julia became friends. I guess since she was the first Mrs. Newman, Nikki had a quiet respect for her and realized she did not want Victor back. Julia also rooted for Nikki and Victor to get together. 

Jamie would be great character to have on canvas. She and Nikki could have a close friendship. 

Eve was a great psycho and I wish she had been used more over the years before they killed the character off and the death of Margaret Mason. 

Meg Bennett (Julia) was a beautiful woman. If you put Michelle Lee and Marie Osmond in a blender, you would pretty much get her. I wish the show had kept Julia around. I guess Bell felt that Nikki/Victor would not grow if the first Mrs. Newman were still in the picture.

2 hours ago, Khan said:

You thought he was joking when he said that?  I thought he was pissed, lol.

It's been a while since I saw that interview, so he probably was.....LOL

10 hours ago, kalbir said:

ED 1988 departure and TL 1989 departure were huge blows to the show. The Abbott family balance was totally thrown off with Ashley and Jack recasts.

I've pointed out before that I thought Bill Bell lost interest in the Abbotts when Y&R was off track (Fall 1994 through first half of 1997) but with the way he wrote Ashley and Jack after the recasts, he might have lost interest in the Abbotts even earlier. 

I think Bill Bell writing started showing signs of losing interest in the Abbotts around 1987, overlapping with Cricket eating the show, Ed Scott becoming EP, and Traci role being reduced.

 

I think it's funny that Terry Lester blasted Bell and his daughter in the press. I read years later Terry apologized to the Bells and they accepted. I wish they had brought Lester back as Jack around the same time Davidson returned. 

I remember Bill Bell said in an interview that after Deidre finished her role on Y&R, he sent her over to Days for the part of Marlena. He joked " She still has not thanked me to this day".......LOL

Elinor Donahue mentioned in her Archive Of American Television interview that she was being considered for a role on Days several years prior to playing Evil Nurse Honeycutt. She said she was replacing someone in a popular role and even tested in a blonde wig (which she said was hilarious). She was trying to remember the character and the interviewer jumped in and asked her if it was Marlena (Deidre Hall)....Donahue thinks and minute and agrees it may have been that role.......I think Elinor meant Susan Flannery (Laura Horton) before the interviewer side tracked her.  

Macdonald Carey co-stars as Gidget's father Russell Lawrence in "Gidget Get's Married". This was an ABC TV movie of the week in January 1972 that was a proposed pilot for a series that ABC passed on. The cast is full of soap vets such as Joan Bennett, William Gray Espy, Judith McConnell, Elinor Donahue, Corinne Camacho, Helen Funai etc...I read somewhere that Monie Ellis who played Gidget was married to Chris Hubbell from AMC. Not 100% sure on that.

Here is an episode of Lear's short lived series " All That Glitters" from 1977. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD_6TTFVkQs

2 hours ago, Broderick said:

Yes, she was from Birmingham and left for Ole Miss.  

Espy was from Dothan and left for Vanderbilt.  (I believe he started in mechanical engineering, but graduated in something like philosophy that didn't offer much "job market potential", so he shrugged and said, "Reckon I'll try acting," went to NYC for a short while to do theatre and ended up in Hollywood on Y&R.)  His brother Kip was a lawyer in West Texas.  When their mama was diagnosed with dementia about 30 years ago, Bill popped back up pretty much full-time as her caregiver.  

He's a good son to take care of his mother. It would be nice if he could have been brought back to the show. The Jill being adopted crap pretty much killed off the Foster family for good. 

Kate Jackson has kept a low profile in recent years. I always enjoyed her acting. 

7 hours ago, Broderick said:

Well, he definitely always liked golf.  Even when he was on Y&R, he used to show up on golf courses with his fraternity brothers from Vanderbilt, whenever he would come visit his mama.  He dragged Jim Houghton down here one time (about 1975) to raise money for a local boy who had cancer.  Not very many years ago, Bill did some stage work at the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre.  Like I said earlier, I don't think he ever cared much about "stardom"; he seemed like a guy who'd rather tend to his mama and hang out with his friends than audition for movies.     

(Dothan Eagle, August 24, 1975)

Actor Bill Espy, a Dothan native, and Jim Houghton, also an actor, were met at the airport Friday by Charlie Silva.  Silva underwent lung and throat surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago and expects to begin cancer treatments this week.  Espy and Houghton, who play Snapper and Greg in the daytime TV series "The Young and the Restless" will emcee a six-hour musical extravaganza at the Dothan Civic Center this afternoon.  Proceeds will go toward Silva's medical expenses.  Featured artist will be Bobby Goldsboro, also from Dothan.  

[It was a Sunday afternoon concert that started after church and lasted till about dark.  They raised a ton of money for Charlie Silva, but he died a few months later.  He had a LOT of really extensive surgery and radiation but had no health insurance at all.  I believe the Espy boy and his friends organized the whole fundraiser.]   

 

That's nice they did the fundraiser and sad that Silva passed away shortly after. Yes, Espy just probably acted when he wanted and lived his life. I remember reading an interview where he said he was a loner on the Y&R set and would hole up in his dressing room. He also admitted he did not have the best working relationship with Trish Stewart and was trying to work on it. A few years later after he left the show there was another article where he was her house guest....so they must have developed a friendship along the way. 

Trish Stewart was a beautiful woman. I remember a few years ago someone posted on another forum about the Brooks sisters and when Chris was mentioned the poster described her as " Pretty in that 70's Olivia Newton John Have You Never Been Mellow way".....LOL

Wasn't Kate Jackson from Alabama as well ?

5 hours ago, Broderick said:

I expect everyone was "taken advantage of" in their original contract negotiations, because nobody had ever heard of them, they were mainly inexperienced kids, and they were probably signed at a bargain price.  They likely went from feeling "rich" at first, to resenting their contracts later.

Mister Espy is from over in my neck of the woods.  His mama and daddy died back around 1995 or 1996, and seemed to "roost" around Dothan in their final years.  I wasn't sure what he was doing over there, but I was thinking it was a wildlife preserve.  He's always marched to his own non-Hollywood drum.  He definitely never gave a flip if he was a "star" or not.    

I'm pretty sure James Houghton mentioned golf course in a soap magazine when he and Espy returned to the show in the early 2000's, but that's been over 20 years ago. Espy would be 75 years old now and may be retired. 

A few years ago I bought the DVD of the TV movie "Gidget Get's Married" from 1972 and Espy has a small role in it. He had no lines and was pretty much an extra to make Gidget's husband Moondoggie jealous during a party scene.  

Gidget Get's Married has a lot of actors who also appeared on soaps. Macdonald Carey( plays Gidget's Father), Elinor Donahue, Corinne Camacho, Helen Funai, Joan Bennett, Judith McConnell, Roger Perry. 

The movie is now free to watch on Tubi.

2 hours ago, Broderick said:

Most of those young original actors who bolted after their contracts expired were probably looking for greener pastures than a long-term soap role.  I'd say the two exceptions were likely Miss Bauer and Mister Espy. 

When Jaime Lyn Bauer bolted in 1982, I believe she was pretty adamant about leaving because she was TIRED.   During that chaotic transition period, Bill Bell often used her 4 or 5 times a week, which led to her working five days a week, sometimes six days a week, and she claimed that the workdays were often 12-18 hours.  She said she wanted to rest and spend time with her family.  She didn't seem to be angling for an immediate movie role.  

And William Gray Espy was such an unpredictable and unusual boy, there's no telling why he left.  He didn't seem overly committed to being a movie star.  He probably woke up one morning, discovered he'd saved enough money to buy a horse and said, "I'm leaving. Bye."   

Espy was a strange fish. Several co-stars said after a few months he would start complaining about having to come to the same place to work day in and day out and wanted out. They also said he is probably happy now that he runs/owns a golf course. I also remember reading he said he felt he was taken advantage of in his original Y&R contract.

For years a lot of people thought he and Janice Lynde were married because they appeared on Tattletales together.....LOL

1 hour ago, Khan said:

I think Lorie Brooks was the greatest character that Bill Bell ever created, on ANY soap.  Seriously.

She was one of those characters that pretty much crossed paths with all the other characters during her run. 

45 minutes ago, kalbir said:

Some of the original cast went on to other soaps, but were they well received in their other roles?

William Gray Espy - Another World

James Houghton - Knots Landing, The Colbys

Janice Lynde - Another World, One Life to Live

Those are the ones I know off the top of my head. If any actors/roles are missing please add.

Trish Stewart (Chris) did a short lived series with Andy Griffith called Salvage I in 1979 and a few guest appearances. Then she re-appeared on Y&R in 1984 at Victor & Nikki's wedding. Then she disappeared. 

Pamela Peters (Peggy) did some voice work then vanished into obscurity after about 1990.

Tom Hallick (Brad) still acts here and there.

Lee Crawford (Sally) has no acting credits after her last Y&R appearance in 1982. A late 70's Close Up toothpaste ad she did with Tom Selleck showed up on youtube a few years ago and she commented on it. 

46 minutes ago, kalbir said:

Not to derail this thread, but I thought there might have been some beef between Bill Bell and Aaron Spelling in the late 1990s. This would have been around the time of the Hunter Tylo lawsuit and in that same time frame there was actor swapping among Y&R/B&B and the Spelling shows.

I remember the Tylo lawsuit, but I didn't know Bell and Spelling had a beef. That sounds interesting. I would love to know what went down between those two. 

5 minutes ago, Khan said:

I think William Gray Espy and James Houghton were so perfectly cast as Snapper and Greg, respectively, that all the actors who succeeded them in their roles pale by comparison.  Truly, John Conboy and Bill Bell did an excellent job casting not just those actors but all the actors in the Brooks and Foster families.

I agree. Y&R lost the majority of the original actors within the first 5 years and most of them never really went on to bigger things.  

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

And he might have, too, if he had hired the right people to create, develop and produce SUNSET BEACH.  If that was his one, big stab at giving us a Bell-styled soap, then he should've hired people like Kay Alden and Edward Scott.  (In fact, now that I think about it, he DID hire Wes Kenney initially, but for some reason, it didn't work out).

I never watched Sunset Beach, but I remember it being on during the late 90's and was short lived. There was buzz in the soap press when Barbara Mandrell was announced to join the cast after retiring from singing. 

Aaron Spelling was a big fan of Bill Bell and always said he liked the way he crafted a story and hoped to do a daytime soap in the Bell style. 

Spelling used Y&R clips in his film Mr. Mom.  

4 hours ago, Sapounopera said:

Y&R
Jennifer Foster, Jill's niece from hell. The perfect candidate for an All About Eve story at Jabot in the 90s.

Her brother Chuck, a a young doctor. Jill could have used a family, but Bill Bell had erased the 70s from the show's history.

Brooks Prentiss, a handsome young businessman in the 90s. By that time the show was way too obsessed with the Newmans though. Wasn't Brooks also related to Jill? I keep forgetting who his mother was. Lori or Leslie?

 

It did seem Bell mostly erased the 70's, except where the Jill/Katherine feud was concerned. I love the idea about Jennifer being a vixen stirring up trouble. 

I did get surprised one day during the 90's when Jack and Ashley were discussing Nikki's upcoming wedding to Brad. Jack blurted out "Nikki Reed Foster Bancroft Newman Abbott soon too be Carlton. Nikki's first marriage had not been referred to in years and I was surprised they mentioned that. Someone even wrote to Soap Opera Digest about that line asking who the Foster husband was and they explained it to them....LOL

Jill's brother Snapper is Brooks Uncle due to his marriage to Chris. Jill would have been Brooks Step-Grandmother briefly due to her marriage to Stuart. Then they divorced and her mother Elizabeth became his Step-Grandma when she married Stu.

Brooks and Jennifer Foster would be first cousins. Brooks should have been brought back with a good actor that resembled original actors Williams Gray Espy or Trish Stewart in the role and paired with Heather Tom's Victoria.  

I wish James Houghton had stayed as Greg. He and Melody would have looked stunning together during the Greg/Nikki pairing. They may have lasted longer as a couple on the show and could have had some steamy scenes keeping fans interested. Wings was just blech. 

Hasselhoff was clearly not invested and not too interested in the role of Snapper and made it quite clear that he was just biding his time till a primetime gig became available. I think he was off the show during long stretches filming pilots. Another actor should have been cast.

Richard Shoberg from AMC might have been a good Snapper or Greg . He would have been available in 1975 before AMC snapped him up. 

31 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

 

.

I think that only lasted 10 episodes....LOL

44 minutes ago, Broderick said:

Or not used either one of them 

I've heard Hasselhoff say something to the effect of, "They kept telling me during my audition that the director was speaking to me from the booth, but I didn't know where the booth was."  That may be what you're remembering.  

It could be. It's been years (probably late 90's or early 2000's when I read that article. 

I think he's one of those cheesy/hammy actors like William Shatner, George Hamilton, Lyle Waggoner etc...

Wings Hauser always looked seedy. He bashed Y&R and soaps in general as a 'hair shows" and said he wished he had never done soaps blah blah blah....decades later he didn't hesitate to drag his butt back on there for a few days. Who thought he was a good re-cast for Greg ? He looked nothing like James Houghton or even Brian Kerwin. Kin Shriner did some bit roles on Y&R before he was snapped up by GH. He might have made a good Greg if they wanted to stay with a blonde. Heck Rick Springfield who is close friends to Doug Davidson and Shriner would have been a better Snapper than Hasselhoff.  David Cassidy wasn't doing much in the late 70's after The Partridge Family ended he might have been suitable.....LOL

4 hours ago, Broderick said:

I dunno.  They didn't seem to have much in the way of technology.  Miss Alden said from about 1975 to 1979, she and Bill would write the show at his dining room table and then send it by "overnight air mail" to Los Angeles.  You'd think if they could "view" what was going on in Hollywood (aside from on the TV), they could've found a more expeditious way to ship the scripts!  

That's what I thought. Hasselhoff just said something about Bell having him move around, talk etc... while watching his audition for Snapper from his home in Chicago while talking to Conboy. I wish I could find that interview just to confirm that. 

To be honest, I think they should have kept looking at actors......LOL

I seem to remember reading Terry Lester auditioned for the role of Snapper after Espy left. Of course he was not right for the part, but they remembered him when they created Jack Abbott in 1980.

The Foster/Brooks recasts were terrible for the most part. 

14 hours ago, Broderick said:

The Snapper auditions would've been something Bell definitely observed, as that was a character he intended to use for the long haul.   

I wonder what technology Bell would have had in the 1970's if he was able to view what was going on in L.A. ? 

I remember Kay Alden saying she and Bell would watch the show during lunch at his home taking a break from writing. After, if there was something he did not like, he would pick up the phone and call Conboy in the control booth at CBS and blast him. 

Speaking of Alden, I loved that interview where she talked about how she met Bell when she came to interview him. She said she told him how she always would love to write a soap. He gave her some storyline worksheets/templates and told her to do those and then send them back. She said she did and a few weeks later a check showed up in her mailbox along with more worksheets. She said after a few months of back and forth of checks/worksheets being sent to her, she dropped the last batch off at his home. She was getting ready to graduate with her degree and he asked her if she was serious about writing. She said yes and he offered her a job. She said she was going to go on vacation after graduation and he shook his head and said, NO....that's not going to work. I need you here on Monday to get started. She then showed up on Monday and the typewriter was already set up ready to go.

Brock Broughton went on to do the sets for Dynasty in the 80's. I remember they said when they were designing the Brooks home, Broughton heard about a Victorian house being torn down and he purchased the doors, windows, staircase etc....and had it all hauled to Television City. Supposedly Kay Chancellor's home was the most expensive set at that time. 

Sandy DVore who had created many opening titles/closing credits (most famously the Partridge Family) did the Y&R opening sketches and later the Y&R logo. When he retired in 1987, they switched to live shots. I remember seeing him interviewed and they were showing his portfolio. A few pages in they showed the sketches of Snapper, Leslie, Chris etc...

Wasn't there some talk about Bill Bell having some sort live feed where he could view things in the control booth ? I want to say David Hasselhoff was discussing his Y&R days and said Bell was telling him to turn to the side, now move around etc...during his audition from his home in Chicago.