Broderick

At the time, I absolutely hated Andrea Evans as Patty, but now, in retrospect, I think she does a FINE job with the material. As someone said above, it was an unfortunate time for a recast to stray into the storyline, and that probably colored our (lack of) tolerance of Andrea Evans in 1983. But watching the clips now, and knowing that the "new Patty" will be playing the shooting scenes, there's no letdown at all. I can completely appreciate the qualities Andrea Evans brought to the role. Another character that I really appreciate in the clips is the "liberated Julia Newman" of 1983. In her first incarnation of 1980-1981, she was a rather dull, drippy, insecure character that didn't generate much interest. But once she returns from Europe more sophisticated and worldly, I find her hilarious, especially when she's brushing Nikki aside and rolling her eyes at Douglas Austin and Victor. Her character growth while she was out of town completely changed her dynamic with Victor. I'd forgotten how much storyline Nikki was working all at once --- divorcing Kevin, being courted by Rick, marrying Tony DiSalvo to get the master copy of "Hot Hips", being in love with Victor. It's funny when the characters in Nikki's orbit are bewildered by Rick Daros, and just as soon as they get accustomed to him, they're suddenly confronted with "now who the hell is this Tony DiSalvo?" Enjoyed the awkward and tentative steps that Stuart Brooks and Liz Foster took towards a reconciliation in the spring of 1983. I'd honestly forgotten those scenes entirely; I was thinking that their separation (and interaction) had fizzled-out long before then. Bill Bell was clearly still interested in writing for the two characters (and exploring their relationship fully) as a B-storyline, until Robert Colbert bolted. The Golden Touch/Sleazy's Bar/Tony DiSalvo storyline is utterly DREADFUL, but it's fun to watch Paul and Andy mature into likable heroic characters, outside of the stupidity of the situation. Also fun to watch Jazz Jackson evolve, despite his ridiculously bad dialogue (combined with other characters referring to him as a "gorilla" and an "ape". Yikes.) Chris Holder does such a good job of making his dimwitted yuppie Kevin Bancroft character sympathetic and endearing. With the reintroduction of Brenda Dickson as Jill --- poof! --- all of Deborah Adair's insecurity and warmth go sailing out the window. Works out fine though, as I don't believe Brenda Dickson's vampy Jill could've ever snared John Abbott into a marriage, and I don't believe Deborah Adair's earthy Jill would've ever divorced him so easily.

I think she just "outgrew" him and told him his gravy train had come to an end, best for him to move on. But she did seem happy to see him again during the Newman wedding.

Seems like the little kid's full name (during all of that business with Eve and Derek) was "Charles Victor Howard".

I think Kevin Bancroft added a lot to the show, too. But in hindsight, where he REALLY excelled was serving as a foil to Nikki & Victor's relationship. Chris Holder played Kevin as such a dimwit, and Melody Thomas played Nikki as such a dimwit, and their marriage and silly fights were a very good light-hearted contrast to Eric Braeden's brooding vampire of a character.

April had some fire AND a mullet. lol. Bobbie was ok, too. The parents drove me crazy, and mainly it was because they were quarantined in that same dreary set 24/7, repeating the SAME lines of dialogue. ("That Williams scum better do the right thing by April." "What about April and that Precious Little Girl?" "She's asking too many questions about Her Twin." "Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a Real Family.")

We're like panhandlers, just thrilled with whatever little coin someone throws us. lol. Looking back at these clips, it's easy to see why Bill Bell opted to make the changes that he did. Some of the young performers (specifically Terry Lester, Doug Davidson, Melody Thomas, Lilibet Stern, Beth Maitland, and Eileen Davidson) are so FRESH and so full of charisma that it's easy to see how he decided they could carry the show forward into the 1980s. If it was Wes Kenney's idea to ditch the entire Stevens family, then I sure don't blame him. Lord, they were a bore --- although, in hindsight, there's something sweetly pathetic about the manner in which Cindy Eilbacher played April Stevens. In 1982, I thought she was a drag. Now I'm finding that I kinda like her.

1982: I'd forgotten this, but one of the biggest obstacles to Nikki and Victor's storyline (in my opinion) is how much CHEMISTRY Melody Thomas had with Chris Holder (Kevin Bancroft). Their character interaction was always so comical to me, as Nikki was presented in 1982 as such a bubble-headed bimbo who makes one stupid mistake after another, then compounds each mistake with yet another, and Kevin was presented as such a bubble-headed yuppie who inadvertently falls right into her ridiculous traps in his noble (but brain-dead) efforts to do "the right thing" in every situation. And Jeanne Cooper's Kay Chancellor is equally funny as the eye-rolling, outdone, world-weary matriarch trying to counsel those two air-headed children.

It started out (in 1979) being the New Chris, as April wasn't on the show yet. The New Chris was too new to make it into the opening, just the closing. Later on, the New Chris made it into the opening (in a shot with Snapper), and April was added to the closing in Chris's old spot. That's my recollection.

Yeah, that version originally featured Stuart, Lorie, and Leslie in the first shot. The camera focused on Leslie and then segued to Lance & Lucas. It then faded to Liz and Jill; Liz was on our right, and Jill was on our left. The camera focused in on Jill, and then segued to Brock, Kay and Derek. They faded out and segued to Greg & Snapper. Once Brenda Dickson left the show, Jill was "erased", leaving a solo shot of Liz. The closing credits that accompanied that version featured Vanessa, Casey, Nikki, and the new Chris (Lynn Topping).

Naw, if you mean PEGGY, she wasn't anything to redevelop the family around. Pamela Peters was a capable actress, but she didn't have any big charisma factor going on. Plus, she actually HAD been recast in the late 1970s, although the original actress was brought back in 1980. She had one big story circa 1975, and another circa 1980, but there always seemed to be some kind of "issue" with the actress that kept her from really committing to the show, and even if she had committed, she just wasn't a big draw.

That's always been my feeling about Chris --- that she would have left with Snapper, except Lynn Topping Richter was probably on a different contract cycle from David Hasselhoff. If Chris had suddenly said, "I'm leaving with Snapper! Bye!", the show would've had to continue paying Lynn Topping's salary until her next 13-week contract cycle ended, even though she would've no longer been a cast member. So they just kept her around for another cycle or two, then let her go.

Oh, no doubt. It was a strange & interesting time period for the show. And it definitely had its high points. A lot of the dialogue was witty and clever, and several of the stories were completely engaging. I looked forward to it daily, just for the unpredictability of it.

Yes, and by 1983, Y&R was also back in a position to win the Emmy for best show, which hadn't happened since 1975, as the "new improved show" was fully developed and finally realized after three years of wandering aimlessly in the desert (1980-1982).

Because after all the recasts and reconfigurations, the two main "draws" remaining from the original core families were Jaime Lyn Bauer as Lorie Brooks and David Hasselhoff as Snapper Foster. Hasselhoff opted out during the spring of 1982, and then Bauer opted out during the summer of 1982. It was just all over for them after that. The rest of them were only peripheral characters, and he had three new stories that he wanted to tell: the saga of the Abbotts, the triangle of Victor, Nikki, & Kevin, and the tale of young detectives Paul Williams and Andy Richards versus the "syndicate". He tried to keep Chris Brooks Foster around for a little while (didn't work), and he tried to keep Leslie Brooks around for a short while (didn't work), so he wisely just gave them all the heave-ho.

I think so, too. Didn't he say something to Lorie along the lines of, "Next time I see you, Lorie, I hope Big Brother is standing right there beside you." I don't remember seeing Lucas at all after that. About a year ago, several of us on here had a LIVELY conversation about who in the hell ended up with young Brooks. They'd all fought over him like cats & dawgs for YEARS, culminating in the famous boat scene, and it appears they all left town without him. Lance basically said, "I'm leaving town since I've lost Prentiss Industries. I'm leaving in five minutes! Bye!" Then Lorie said, "I'm going to look for Lance with these proxies. I'm leaving in five minutes! Bye!" Then Lucas vanished. A few months later, Leslie said, "I'm leaving town on a never-ending concert tour! Oh, and I'm leaving in five minutes! Bye!" Presumably Brooks was still around, unseen, and left with Leslie, but none of that was made very clear in Bill Bell's haste to usher them all out the door.

To those who've furnished "the vault" with 1982 clips, thanks so much! It's easy to see what a haphazard mess the show was in the very early 1980s, when an entire family could be swept off the canvas in one episode. ("Mom, Dad, I'm moving to New York. Won't you go with me? I just remembered that I have a gigantic apartment with maids and butlers there! I've asked April to go with us! We can finally be a REAL FAMILY! Oh by the way, we're leaving in five minutes!") Sometimes if you missed an episode, you didn't know what on earth had happened to various characters. Sometimes even if you DID watch all the episodes (I did), you'd still start wondering, "Hey, whatever happened to Greg Foster and Peggy Brooks? Weren't the two of them in the middle of a storyline? Haven't seen 'em in weeks!" But Bill Bell's writing could be so POIGNANT when he pulled out all the stops. I watched Jerry Cashman's death scene last night. I remember watching it when it originally aired, and I had no idea John Gibson was being written out. I was completely surprised by Cash's demise. After the scene ended, I sat there crying my eyes out --- I was just a kid --- and I could recall later that the dialogue somehow compared a person entering Heaven with a performer walking out onto a new stage and not knowing what to expect. Honestly, that scene still stands up 38 years later. Cash's line, "When I can no longer hold a champagne glass, then I'm a dead man. Ha, ha." And then his champagne glass crashes to the floor. Wow. And Kay's glass drops as well. (She's dying INSIDE). Nikki comes in babbling with the chaplain, and Kay Chancellor shushes her and says, "He's making his Entrance right now. Can you hear the music? I do. He's Headlining tonight. He's finally becoming the Star he always wanted to be." Goodness. Soap writers don't give PERSONALIZED death scenes like that to characters anymore. Those lines were specifically chosen for a character who'd always wanted to be a "star", but had instead lived in messiness and squalor. Like Cash. It was a great ending for his bizarre character. When things went right for Bill Bell, they definitely went RIGHT. And in my opinion, that was a scene which was just about perfect.

Many thanks! I don't always respond, but these posts are my favorites.

Ruth was the one who had the crush on Bill Foster. Seems like Ruth was also the one who claimed (at first) that Kay wasn't drunk when she signed Phillip's divorce papers.

If I remember right, that's just Lorie's way of "teasing" Brad, by letting him know that she's sexually active (unlike Leslie) and completely available for boinking.

If you're ever in his archives at UCLA, ask for Box 347. That's the one where it's apt to be, if by chance they have it. There should be really good stuff in that particular box.

There are definitely some copies of "The Innocent Years" bible floating around somewhere, based on what Bill Bell said in his interview with the Archive of American Television. Wish someone could find one! I'd assume the Bell family has one, unless they've donated it to a university or something. I really appreciate the notes posted above about the various working titles and the character prototypes!

About the Y&R bible, here's what Bill Bell reveals of its existence during his discussion about the initial meeting with executives from Screen Gems and CBS on a trip to New York: " I passed out the copies of the book, and as I was doing it I realized one thing --- that none of them were going to understand this. They’ll understand a nighttime show that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. But here we are --- we have a 62-page book. Maybe it was 72 pages. But the first third of it told about what happens before the show even begins. The second quarter established characters and really defined the characters. And we were so diversified; it was just a fabulous group of characters. And then the final part, which was about 25 pages, told what the story would be for the next two years. Or maybe it was 30 pages. About 30. Covered two years of story. Well, I knew by watching them read it, not an expression on anyone’s face, they didn’t know what the hell they were reading. So then it was all over, and one by one, they closed their books, and they looked around at others. They were looking around at others, and then someone else would close their book. Everyone looking at the other for some look or expression, but there were no expressions …. They just don’t understand how you take these few pages and make two years out of it.”

I think the "Liz Prototype", in addition to blossoming into both Jill Foster and Sally McGuire, also has certain character traits of Lorie Brooks and Brock Reynolds inside her. The "years in Europe" is indicative of both Lorie and Brock, who had attended college in Paris. Like the "Liz prototype", Lorie was filled was "father issues", especially when learning that Stuart was not her biological dad, much as Jill was drawn to the older, more mature Phillip Chancellor, since her own father had been absent from the household for so long. The "little relationship between mother and daughter the past two years" is indicative of Lorie's tormented relationship with Jennifer Brooks upon the revelation that Jennifer hadn't been faithful to Stuart, and also defined Brock Reynolds' estrangement from Kay Chancellor following the death of Gary Reynolds. (Kay felt that Brock had always shared a special relationship with Gary Reynolds and was somewhat jealous, while Brock felt that Gary had loved him and Kay hadn't.) I really love the evolution of the title. You can see exactly where Bill Bell's mind was going there. He had a few traditional "soapy" titles that had come from his years of working with Irna Phillips: "Where Lies Our Destiny", "To Love Each Day", "The World We Live In". But he fundamentally knew that his show was going to be about a group of young people, living in a world of confusion, and finding themselves. So he started with that more superficial "The Bad and the Beautiful" to describe his young characters. Then he decided he'd rather concentrate on their "innocence" rather than their bravado, and he crafted "The Innocent Years" as his title. Then he and Lee Phillip came to the realization that young people in the early 1970s weren't really that "innocent" anymore because of the Vietnam War, the protests, and so forth. So he started switching switching to "The Young and the Innocent", then began realizing that he needed to ditch the word Innocent entirely, and find a better adjective that captured the mood of the early 1970s, which led him to "Young and RESTLESS Years", and as he reflected upon it further, he decided that YEARS needed to go out the window entirely, and he switched finally to "The Young and the Restless", a title that was the perfect compromise between "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "The Innocent Years". For a fan of the early years of the show, it's really fascinating stuff to recreate his thought process as he worked on those initial scripts.

I honestly don't remember much about Brent, or who played him. Jill had some "haphazard hit and miss" stories until she went to work for the Chancellors. If I remember right (and gosh I was a little kid back then and shouldn't have been watching), it seems like Jill wandered briefly into Gwen Sherman's orbit (prostitution and nude modeling), but Snapper bailed her out of all that.

Jeanne Cooper gave some insightful comments about her in one of her final interviews, basically saying, "She's a fine girl, a likeable girl, a competent actress who was put in an impossible position -- playing a major character on her father's show and opening herself up to so many complaints of nepotism." I just felt we saw way too much of Cricket. At my house, we used to laugh about it even before the internet came along. Whenever Cricket WASN'T directly involved in a storyline, we'd try to guess how she might ultimately take-over the storyline. During the Cassandra Rawlins story, I can remember my sister rolling her eyes and saying, "Well, I guess Cassandra will turn out to be Cricket's older sister." lol.