This show survives (and likely stays No. 1) by being nostalgic comfort food for an aging audience (no shade) who’ll rage if Victor isn’t played enough (whipped into further fury on social media by Eric Braeden, one of soaps’ few remaining superstars). In an era when you can’t afford to accommodate a sprawling cast, there’s no room for a young group to flourish, especially if they need a few young non-legacy characters in the mix for romantic purposes. They aren’t going to let Bergman, Stafford, Case, Morrow, Heinle, or Thompson go or take a backseat to their kids, especially with the salaries they command. It’s a huge bottleneck.
The tried-and-true wins, with soaps becoming more risk-averse about unloading popular expensive stars whose time may have come and gone. Newbies are halfheartedy introduced, then jettisoned to refocus on the older stars with a proven track record who command more viewer loyalty.
I’m curious how Claire will be integrated. Will she be thrown at Kyle or something? Is a Victoria/Nate/Claire triangle a possibility? This show just feels stuck even when it’s “making moves.”