YRfan23

January 2024 Episode Rankings
A total of 22 Episodes aired this Month
Thanks as always @jcar03

1.) Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman) : 16
2.) Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) : 13
*.) Amelia Heinle (Victoria Newman) : 13
4.) Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) : 12
5.) Joshua Morrow (Nick Newman) : 11
*.) Zuleyka Silver (Audra Charles) : 11
7.) Sharon Case (Sharon Rosales) : 10
*.) Hayley Erin (Claire Grace) : 10
*.) Trevor St.John (Tucker McCall) : 10
10.) Connor Floyd (Phillip "Chance" Chancellor IV) : 9
*.) Mark Grossman (Adam Newman) : 9
*.) Allison Lanier (Summer Newman) : 9
13.) Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott) : 7
*.) Michael Mealor (Kyle Abbott) : 7
*.) J. Eddie Peck (Cole Howard) :  7
16.) Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings) : 6
*.) Michael Graziadei (Daniel Romalotti) : 6
*.) Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) : 6
*.) Susan Walters (Diane Jenkins) : 6
20.) Vail Bloom (Heather Stevens) : 5
*.) Bryton James (Devon Hamilton) : 5
*.) Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) : 5
23.) Lauralee Bell  (Christine WIlliams) : 4
*.) Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore Baldwin) : 4
*.) Brian Gaskill (Seth) : 4
*.) Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) : 4
27.) Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti) : 3
*.) Melissa Ordway (Abby Newman) : 3
*.) Colleen Zenk (Jordan) : 3
30.) Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson) : 2
*.) Camryn Grimes (Mariah Copeland) : 2
*.) Kate Linder (Esther Valentine) : 2
*.)Cait Fairbanks (Tessa Porter) : 2
*.) Beth Maitland (Traci Abbott) : 2
*.) Lily Brooks O'Briant (Lucy Romalotti) 
36.) Tricia Cast (Nina Webster) : 1

Contract Star(s) Not Appearing this Month
1.) Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) 
2.) Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin) 
3.) Brytni Sarpy (Elena Dawson) 

Random but I just realized that The day Brooke and Taylor got into their little cat fight, on July 5, 1995, was the same day Nick and Matt had their huge fight on Y&R that day! Lol clever Bill and Bradley! 

@JAS0N47 Thanks so much! Worth the Wait!   

January 2024 Episode Rankings
A total of 22 Episodes aired this Month
Thanks as always @jcar03

1.) Joshua Hoffman (RJ Forrester) : 17
*.) Lisa Yamada (Luna Nozawa) : 17
3.) Matthew Atkinson (Thomas Forrester) : 16
4.) Tanner Novlan (Dr. John "Finn" Finnegan) : 14
5.) Annika Noelle (Hope Logan) : 13
*.) Romy Park (Poppy Nozawa) : 13
7.) Jacquline Maclnnes Wood (Steffy Forrester Finnegan) : 12
8.) Don Diamont (Bill Spencer) : 11
9.) Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester) : 9
*.) Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan Forrester) : 9
11.) John McCook (Eric Forrester) : 6
12.) Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer) : 5
*.) Delon de Metz (Zende Forrester Dominguez) : 5
14.) Naomi Matsuda (Li Finnegan) : 4
15.) Lawrence St. Victor (Carter Walton) : 3
*.) Adain Bradley (Xander Avant) : 3
*.) Jennifer Gareis (Donna Logan) : 3
18.) Darin Brooks  (Wyatt Spencer) : 2
*.) Dick Christie (Charlie Webber) : 2
*.) Naomi Matsuda (Li Finnegan) : 2
21.) Kimberlin Brown (Sheila Carter) : 1
*.) Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe) : 1
*.) Heather Tom (Katie Logan) : 1
*.) Samantha Cutaran (Nurse Rachel) : 1
*.) Kate Schettler (Diana) : 1

Contract Star(s) Not Appearing this Month
1.) Diamond White (Paris Buckingham) 
 

10 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

Haha @YRfan23 on the bright side at least Matt died; we’re still stuck with Kevin still popping in 20 years later

Actually at the time back in 2001 I actually thought for a weekend Matt and Tricia died when Tricia accelerated that Jeep off a cliff Thelma & Louise style…unfortunately that was too ballsy of a move for Ed Scott’s Y&R or something he mentioned during his feud with Alden so Matt lingered on alive. 

Oh yes!  and unfortunately Rikaart is now forever a SONY Pet giving him allowing to appear on both Y&R and Days.

Sigh....I really hate what happen with Sabryn Genet's health, cause I do think we would have gotten Tricia back at some point....I wouldn't really want her back now with Griffith's "EVER SO EXCITING" Y&R LOL.....but I do think Tricia should have been back ages ago. 

8 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

I’d gather Matt was simply originally Bell’s 1990’s update to Derek Stuart and George Curtis and the show just simply moved on like it had done in the past from them. 
 

Eddie Cibrian didn’t exactly light the world on fire between Baywatch Nights and Sunset Beach at the time but I doubt he would have gone back to Y&R. 

The Carter Mills/Matt story was strange. They originally hired a Power Rangers actor (not joking!!) to play the role (we saw him in a 2020 repeat) before hiring Hearst who was a well known and talented soap veteran stuck in a one dimensional role. I think the Y&R crew realized their mistake which is why they held onto Matt’s ghost as long as they could. 

In some ways I also wondered if he could have been the "male Lauren" at one time, where he doesn't necessarily turn evil, but schemes and plots all sorts of petty "school boy" stuff on Nick instead of framing him for attempted murder, but still maintaining some sort of heart, or redeeming qualities while evolving into a B/C leading man on the show? But I guess EC was just too good with the sadistic stuff that Bell really saw no redeeming qualities....I feel honestly Matt didn't face any real punishment for his crimes either, as when he died as Carter, he tried to frame Nick one more time before cutting his own Oxygen off...

The most recent thing I saw EC on was the failed netflex sitcom "Country Comfort" which Starred Katherine McPhee.  He played the single widowed dad with  4 kids, with one of them being the actor who's currently Tate on Days. haha 

1 hour ago, yrfan1983 said:

I hope to be surprised that things might improve as I continue with ‘95? I feel like things got better by spring ‘96 for the last strong story “Who Shot Victor” before the show entered the doldrums of late ‘96 into ‘97.

Which 1995 episode are you at btw?  I do think the first few months (Jan-March) overall was pretty solid for 95, then it tips downwards a little in the spring, but peaks up again by summer 95. At least I think it's really that period (summer/fall 1995) that definitely sets up all the events that happen the first and stronger half of 1996.

EDIT: Wait, you said you just finished 2/1/95!  IMO pretty slow episode until the ending with Jill/Katherine's fight, LOL

10 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

The purpose of Jeri still puzzles me to this day LOL.

I know we discussed this several years ago @YRfan23 but the 8/4/95 episode I have on VHS strangely hints that Jeri is obsessed with Cole with her having a picture of him on her work desk yet it based on the synopses I have read from the period the story goes absolutely no where other than Victoria correctly assuming Jeri is in love with Cole, she confesses, and then is promptly swept under the rug never to be spoken of again although Victoria and Ryan shared a top secret kiss in this mess.

The Victoria/Cole/Nina/Ryan quad was such a mess. Bell loved his quads but they always sputtered out at the end. 

Yes! I remember you posted a nice summary of that episode years back!  Of course I have to ask, if it's ever possible that episode can be uploaded on here it would be greatly appreciated!   

I guess with the role out of psychos Y&R had running around in 1995, even Bill Bell thought it was one too many....although a psychotic Jeri holding Victoria hostage while Cole and Ryan rescued her (with Nina seething through all of it, haha), would have made more sense then Mari Jo holding Cricket hostage. 

37 minutes ago, yrfan1983 said:

I hope to be surprised that things might improve as I continue with ‘95? I feel like things got better by spring ‘96 for the last strong story “Who Shot Victor” before the show entered the doldrums of late ‘96 into ‘97.

I meant to also say let’s not forget Victoria being the “aimless bitch” those years in late 94-96 

Jeri’s name made me think if that. I think Victoria would even refer to her as “the bitchy editor”

2 hours ago, yrfan1983 said:

I'm watching chronologically newer eps from the mid 90s... to me, it's so sad, the downward shift in quality from 1994 to 1995, and even specifically December 1994 to January 1995.

I can watch every episode of 1994 (like all previous years) from start to finish. Starting with Jan '95 - I can no longer tolerate certain stories and am forced to FF.

1994:

Shick: I can deal with them because they're separated. I like Sharon with Matt bc of Eddie Cibrian's evil electric presence.

Phyllis: I have no problem with her because she is so new.  In fact, she's kind of fascinating, in that she only appears in a couple eps during Oct '94, and arrives full-time only mid-Nov '94. And wow, she blows through like a hurricane leading up to the New Year's Eve leading up to the vehicular manslaughter.

Victor and Hope: I ship this couple 100% May '93-July '94. Then their story takes a downward turn to a troubled pregnancy after being married for one month (cliched much?) and I am increasingly frustrated.

1995:

Shick: I've lost any interest. Still will watch Eddie Cibrian scenes just to see how Matt can cause chaos in their lives.

Phyllis: I can't stand the damage she caused to so many lives and she faces no consequences. I'm done with her and with any related stories. (I know she faces her ghosts while she is in jail in 2002, and at some later point Cricket realizes that Phyllis ran her over... but there are no lasting consequences ever.)

Victor and Hope: the pregnancy turns out ok but now it's Kansas vs. Genoa City...? So many dashed storyline possibilities of Hope claiming her power in any number of ways. I'm not interested in watching her slooooowly decide she prefers farm life.

Thank god for the continuing John/Jill divorce story! While John and Mamie being romantic feels icky to watch, I'll endure it to savor the overall story. Just finished 2/1/95, and there were poignant scenes of Jill recalling her Jan '93 courtship with John, and holding Billy close before heading to the the custody hearing. The show continuing the use of the classic background music cues really elevates the scenes.

Will continue to watch: anything Barber/Winters related. Anything Mari Jo related. I guess anything Blade/Rick related even though that story is gross.

EDIT: Oh! of course anything Lauren-related even though her time on the show is dwindling.

Will struggle through: anything Jack and Luan related. Their romance is so barf-worthy and Luan/Keemo/Mai dialogue is so stilted... but I appreciate the representation for whatever it's worth.  And I guess Ryan and Nina bc I appreciate that they had a period of stability before Nina's major 1996 decline.

Will have to also FF through: Cole and Victoria and... Jeri? Was this meant to truly be a love triangle...?

Love and agree with all of these comments!  

From my perspective it seems like Bill Bell either got very lazy or burnt out with a lot of the show/Characters. Nina/Ryan are mostly treading water, when I think at one point it was teased they were going to revisit Nina’s first born being sold by Rose Deville which of course years later we got that horrible Ronan stuff. 
 

and while this was mostly 1994, Bill Bell was definitely obsessed with everyone having babies! And no one could just be happy about it, they all had some sort of “crisis” in regards to the pregnancy or the father not being interested etc….

its a shame Matt didn’t get some sort of backstory on why he was so sadistic and narcissistic. I actually felt watching certain scenes a redemption story could have maybe been possible for him. I wonder if Eddie Cibrian becoming more of a star outside of soaps the late 90s/early 2000s, is why they didn’t do that type of story for Matt when he returned as Carter Mills in 2000/2001? 

This is kind of nice. It's been a while since any soaps competed in a game show, like in the old days. Well B&B did a few years ago on the Australian Family Feud. 

So awful!! no parent should have to go through this tragic loss! 

59 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Brilliant work by the Abbott siblings and Marla Adams' Dina.

Thanks! this is 11/27/91  the full episode is in the vault. 

It's definitely very obvious how much Eileen Davidson's absence Tailored this scene, as Ashley would be having more words with Dina, and not Traci IMO. 

35 minutes ago, Broderick said:

Soon after Peter Bergman took over the role (30+ years ago), the writers began giving him these cringe monologues in which he dramatically pours out his soul to other characters.  It likely began during the Saigon Shack storyline, where he was asked to deliver these wretchedly over-the-top speeches to Keemo about "being the fruit of my loins".  He delivered one of those speeches to Nikki this week.  ("I've been there myself, Nikki.  Thank God  Neil and Phyllis were there for me!  I want to be there for you, Nikki.  I want to be your sounding board!  I want to be your punching bag!  Whatever you need -- as God is my witness! -- I will be there for you!!")   

Instead of "downplaying" the theatrics and making the scene look somewhat genuine, Peter Bergman amplifies his intensity, becomes overly earnest and sincere, employing deep conviction, turning on the tears, wringing every ounce of emotion from his performance, channeling all the great sirens of the silver screen in the golden age of Hollywood, as if he's trying to outdo Vivien Leigh, Miss Barbara Stanwyck, and Joan Crawford in delivering the most poignant and heartfelt monologue in the history of cinema.  

And it often ends up looking downright silly.  

It's said often enough, but oh how different things would be if Terry Lester never departed the role, nearly 35 years ago....

 

9 hours ago, Broderick said:

Seth struck me as being nothing more than a short-term plot device to explain how Aunt Jack suddenly became Nikki's sponsor, and to (unfortunately) renew the conflict between Nikki and Diane Jenkins.   

And to unfortunately renew the Aunt Jack/Victor rivalry.....

50 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

Even at 93/94 he was still so Lively! That was wonderful! 

3 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

GOODBYE, BILL

 

 

Before television existed, Bill enlisted in the Navy Air Corps the moment he turned 18 in June 1943. He spent the last two years of World War II training to be a fighter pilot. Soon after the war ended, he became part of the fabric of television, first as a singer on "Your Show of Shows." In 1955, his rendition of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" hit # 1 on the Billboard charts for five weeks. In 1970, he was cast as Brent Douglas (aka Doug Williams) on "Days of Our Lives", a role he would continue to play, off-and-on, over the course of the next 54 years. It was thanks to "Days" that he met Susan Seaforth. They married in 1974, and their characters married on "Days" in 1976.

 

I found out five days ago that things were not going well. I spent the past five days reminiscing, remembering the time I was first put into contact with Bill years ago. I found out then that the man fans saw on "Days" for the past six decades was just as you saw him on screen: genuine, caring, full of life...a wonderfully nice man. He was so pleased to be sent his first script page from his debut episode in 1970 and immediately signed it for me. Through the years, we would stay in touch via email. He rarely took more than a day to respond back. As such a long-time fan of "Days", I was always in awe that he was just an email away if ever I had a "Days" question or just wanted to say hello. I will always cherish his friendship. My condolences to Susan, his children and the rest of his family.

Thats so wonderful @JAS0N47 you and him had that special bond!! I’m know those are memories you will cherish forever!!

So sad to hear this! he lived a full life! My heart goes out to his family and Susan especially! 

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

Agree about Zende and Luna for sure.

 

Thomas and Hope….where exactly is this story going now with Hope learning the truth?

Hope dumping Thomas, him “spiraling” once again and Steffy and Ridge blaming Hope for all of it??

28 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

@YRfan23 Don’t forget Sally once spooked the living daylights out of Sheila when Sally issued a death threat.

Haha oh yeah! she was channeling Rose there for sure! 

7 hours ago, Broderick said:

Ha, yes, Vince was utterly horrid too, and Rose DeVille would often lambast him loudly by calling him a "ninny" or a "stupid fool".  They were like "Honest John" & "Gideon" in Pinocchio, that terrible fox & cat who were always trying to hoodwink Pinocchio.  They typically escaped at the last minute, presumably because Bill Bell had hopes of using them yet again at some point in the future.  He could've easily tied them to the crime syndicate storyline in the early 1980s, but he declined, probably because he'd have to kill them off in a shoot-out.  He waited until all of the mob storylines were over, and they came crawling up again circa 1986 to hold expectant mothers hostage & sell black-market babies -- a crime they could potentially escape from.    

Haha yeah, I do see the "Honest John and Gideon" comparison!  Funny enough Pinocchio must have driven some inspiration for Bill Bell, and writing for Rose, since the movie deals with child trafficking. Thankfully we didn't get any of that on the show.

In 1995 I think the show was about to revisit the whole Rose angle, or at least they were toying with bringing on Nina's stolen baby....I wish Bill Bell would have gone through with that and had Darlene C. come over from B&B to reprise playing Rose....For an even better twist, maybe he could have had it that Matt Clark was a great nephew of Rose's and was using him as some sort of revenge on Nikki, and her entire family, so that all the stories involving Rose from the past could have climaxed into an epic finale. 
 

3 hours ago, will81 said:

They went to jail in 1980, which was when the "kill switch" for Cy the assassin went off for Greg which resulted in Liz being shot. Maybe they were there for 6 years. I don't think it's ever mentioned.

Can't remember if they went to prison in 1979 for the sex trafficking. If they did it must have been a light sentence since they were back at it a couple of months later. 

Thanks! I forget little details like that, and I thought it was Vince who shot Liz. 

1 hour ago, Broderick said:

Greg Foster is probably in on it, too, because of all the time he wasted as Tony Baker's attorney, searching for the "mysterious blonde girl" who was seen with Walter Addison shortly before the mugging.  Greg even helped with the police sketch of the mysterious blonde girl who looked SHOCKINGLY like Melody Thomas in the closing credits!  

 

Rose was an offbeat and interesting villain.  She had BIG HAIR, bright red lipstick, bright red fingernails, very poor grammar, and was often seen in "inner-city remote sequences", disposing of a corpse or making a getaway from the police.  She was normally in a BIG CAR, an aging Cadillac DeVille, which made us wonder if she'd named herself for the Cadillac sedan.  She had no class, no money, and was willing to engage in any underhanded and illegal scheme to make a few bucks.  

In her first go-round in the summer of 1979, she operated a shop called "Second Hand Rose Antiques & Pretty Things".  The "pretty things", of course, were the girls she planned to traffic.  She was an absolute wretch.  When Nikki ran across her in late 1979, she was operating "La Plus Belle Rose" (the very beautiful Rose), and the "beautiful things" were girls in lingerie or less.  And you remember her from 1986 when she was peddling black market babies.  

When she went to B&B as Sally Spectra, she basically played the same character -- just not as violent or lawbreaking.  Still, she was that low-rent, low-class type of "broad" who was determined to play in the big leagues with the socially established folks. 

I’ve kind of realized too though that I think Rose and Vince got away with all their schemes too if I recall?  From the little I’ve seen of Vince he was just as disgusting, and I think even tried to rape one of the teenage mothers in front of her own kids from a January 1987 episode that’s on here. 

1 hour ago, Broderick said:

Honestly, I expected him to pen some type of "redemption" storyline on Y&R for Rose DeVille, and use her more frequently.  Because she was so wretched and seedy, she was strictly a short-term villainess that he couldn't overuse.  But Bill Bell was clearly smitten with the actress (and with the character) so it really made perfect sense that he put her on B&B as a slightly less horrible person with many of the same characteristics as Rose DeVille.  The new role on B&B was more or less her "redemption", I suppose.  

That’s an excellent way of putting it, and of course he put “Rose”/Sally up against the Formidable Stephanie Forrester who of course was a worthy foe and foil for Sally, many years to come and vice versa. 

4 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

Was Josh Griffith high on mushrooms when he wrote the 2018 wedding reenactment scenes in Crimson Lights?

That about sums it up…although Sharon slugging the crap out of Nick was about the only highlight of this stupidity…

23 minutes ago, yrfan1983 said:

Is there a clip somewhere from 12/23/94 with Katherine arriving to see Nina, Ryan and Phillip? I remember seeing it once, but it's not in the Vault clips or full eps

I remember they showed  a flashback in December 2020 during Abby and Chances wedding, which aired during the 12,000 episodes week, but can’t remember which date it aired. 

2 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/29/77-9/2/77 & 9/5/77-9/9/77:

Great Work!   Nice to have another Y&R date confirmed! 9/5/77 for US Open!