Paul Raven

I think it was Rick Daros.

If it's only a year pick up, I guess a positive way to look at it is they can't be too complacent. Y&R received a multi year pick up a while back and it seems to have taken out any need to write compelling storylines. BTG needs to keep things hopping! Luckily as a new show they're not so constricted and hampered by years of history and worn out characters.

Courier Express May 9 1982. Soap Report Jon Michael Reed It's simply impossible to believe that Ann Flood recently celebrated her 20th anniversary in the role of Nancy Karr on Edge of Night." She's too young, both in appearance and energy, to have played a character that long. If we must accept the fact of her longevity, we must assume she goes off somewhere for an annual revitilization injection, since she never, absolutely never, presents a less than total conviction in her acting style. She disproves the axiom that soap actors "dry up" playing a character long-term." She's as fresh as this morning's puff pastry, with layers of dimensions still to be exposed. And if this is beginning to sound like a: "puff piece," it's entirely intentional. Ann Flood is not only a "soap opera institution," she's a testament to the skill and ever-renewing verve possible in the acting profession. . The one odd fact that sticks out in Miss Flood's mind after 20 years is that "Nancy never had a child of her own. She raised her husband's daughter and there have been countless orphans who came under her wing, but she never had a natural child. That's certainly a rarity for a soap opera heroine, but it's ' given me the chance to play aspects of her professional career and not solely be involved in domestic situations." As a "sort of anniversary gift" from "Edge," Flood was recently given the opportunity to work opposite the Broadway and film musical legend, Alfred Drake, who will play villainous Dwight Endicott for a limited engagement through June.

In an interview during her China Beach stint Marg Helgenburger mentions RH. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 Helgenberger attended Northwestern U. and won several acting roles, culminating in a performance of “The Taming of the Shrew.” Little did she know that a casting person was seated in the audience and that she would be noticed. Nor did she know that she would soon find herself playing the part of Siobhan Ryan for three and a half years on “Ryan’s Hope.” About soap operas, she said, “They are very grueling.” “It’s a new script everyday. The hours aren’t as bad as they are with ‘China Beach,’ where we film mostly at night. But I have to be honest. At least to me, (working on a daytime soap opera) is not gratifying at all. “It’s probably one of the most boring things you can get involved with,” she said. But the days of soaps are a quickly fading memory for this small-town girl turned star whose career looks to be anything but boring.

The Perry Mason radio show seems to receive little attention even though it was a unique daytime show and ran successfully for years. Even among mystery fans and devotees of Gardner, it is given short shrift compared to the TV series. Perhaps due to a lack of available episodes or the perception that it was too soapy. Not sure if that was the case. Each case/storyline seemed to last many months from what I can gather. OGDENSBURG JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1950 Erle Stanley Gardner Talks About Radio, Perry Mason And The Wheels Of Justice The world's best selling mystery writer talks like a social philosopher — at least on the banks of the St. Lawrence. YESTERDAY, sitting outside Harry Hoff's camp near Merry's Point, Erie Stanley Gardner didn't say two words about the 12,000,000 words of mystery fiction he has written in the past 17 years. Instead, he talked about radio justice, parole systems, and soap. Gardner is here with 14 friends not to write books but to discuss the daily radio show involving his famous fictional lawyer-detective Perry Mason. . This explains Gardner's interest in radio and soap since the Perry Mason show has been running successfully for seven years under the sponsorship of the Proctor and Gamble Co. GARDNER, is somewhat impatient with critics of radio's "daytime continuity programs" — i.e. "soap operas." He says the soap opera has raised the intellectual level of America in the past 10 to 15 years. And he insists the Perry Mason type of entertainment gives a pretty honest interpretation of human emotions. To prove his point, Gardner cites the case of a witness who testified 25 years ago that a Michigan man was a murderer. Gardner began investigating the case this year and got the witness to admit he was not sure of the man's identity. He even admitted the police had roughed him up to make him testify. Yesterday Gardner played. a record of the man's statement. In it, be said a radio mystery show started him thinking about his testimony and how he had sent a man to prison for 25 years. " I got to thinking about it and it just didn't seem right/' he declared. 'THAT'S WHAT radio can do," Gardner remarked as he switched off the record. Gardner's interest in the Michigan case is only one of many instances in which he has helped free innocent men from prison. He and three other criminologists work as an investigating board for a national magazine. The magazine conducts a "court of last resort" which Gardner, insists is simply "the people." Through the "court of last resort" the magazine seeks to have state authorities review cases where there is doubt about a prisoner's guilt. Gardner says the court has saved two men from execution and has aided many others to freedom'. Gardner, who was a California lawyer years before he started writing whodunits, is greatly concerned with the problem of justice. Last year he and Dr. Lemoyne Snyder, a world-famous, criminologist, sailed to Europe and studied crime detection methods in Scotland, England, 3Tran.ce and Italy. He has also taken part in crime seminars at Harvard University and has made an intensive study of several cases. THROUGH HIS association with courts and police methods Gardner has come to appreciate the problems of parole boards. "The newspapers necessarily make a play of the cases in which a parolee has gone wrong," Gardner points out. "but it doesn't give the whole picture and it doesn't show the true problems of parole." "What are you going to do with a man who has served 10 years for forgery?" Gardner asks. "If you turn him loose with a prison suit of clothes and $10 in his pocket, what do you think, his chances are?" THE MAN WHO have a tough time finding a job with only a 10-year prison record for a reference, Gardner points out. 'What's the solution? Why you let him out a couple of years early for good behavior and fry to help him along," Gardner declares. "Some of them go wrong, but in most cases it works." "We've got a long way to go in our system of justice," the ex lawyer concludes. The Perry Mason creator says he likes to keep the principles of justice foremost in Mason's radio show, and that is particularly the reason for the annual conference on the St. Lawrence. GARDNER DOES NOT write the radio show. Instead, Irving Vendig, one of radio's top script writers, does the job with a little technical advice on legal wrinkles from Gardner. Vendig, who is also the author of radio's Judy and Jane show, is proud to point out with Gardner that the Perry Mason show is the only successful daytime mystery program. A few others have struggled along for a time, but none can equal the thriving 5-day-a-week, 7-year pace of Perry Mason. Gardner and his friends attribute some of this success to their informal conferences every year. Two years ago they met in California, but for the last two years they have met at Harry Hoff's camp on the St. Lawrence. The conferences include, beside Gardner, Vendig, and Hoff, the producer: William Ramsey, director of radio and television for Proctor and Gamble; Al Morrison, P&G program supervisor; Walter Craig, vice president in charge of radio and television for¥ the Bentpn and Bowles advertising agency of New York; and .Gardner's two secretaries, Lili MacLean arid Jean Bethel . ALSO ALONG AS CRITICS .and vacationers are Mrs. Craig, Mrs. Hoff, Mrs. Ramsey and Bill Ramsey Jr., Mrs. Vendig and Laurie Ann Vendig. The clan has gathered from all corners of the U. S. California, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, and New York — and they seem to be enjoying life on the river immensely. As Gardner himself puts it: "It is a salubrious climate devoid of gnats, flies, mosquitoes, and other disturbing influences." Gardner and his party plan to remain in the salubrious North Country until Sunday.

Like so many things AI can be a good servant but a bad master. So much fakery is already out there and people seem eager to believe. Anyway I asked for a story concerning Chance's death on Y&R. Chance’s “death” in Nice can be reframed as a covert operation in which he deliberately fakes his own murder to flush out and dismantle a larger criminal network connected to Carter, Colin, and the money behind Aristotle’s empire, with only a tiny handful of people in on the ruse. This preserves him as a legacy character, respects his heroism, and turns a flat death beat into the spine of a long-game thriller. Core Retcon PremiseChance learns before the trip to Nice that Carter is not just a rogue assistant but a contract killer tied to Colin’s old criminal associates and an international laundering ring using Aristotle’s shell companies. The FBI/Interpol have been trying to crack this network but need someone on the inside who can convincingly “die” in a high‑profile incident to shake loose hidden players and dormant accounts. Chance agrees to let his “death” in France become the linchpin of a joint operation; the shooting at Aristotle’s party is staged with live rounds and a vest, but only Chance, a handler, and one accomplice in Nice know the truth. Reframing the Nice ShootingThe party at Aristotle’s estate is already a powder keg: Cane’s unmasking as Aristotle, Victor’s presence, Adam’s arrival with damaging intel, and the revelation that Carter is the killer who stabbed Damian. In the original story, Carter grabs Lily and Chance intervenes and is shot, apparently dying at the climax of the face‑off. In the retcon, Chance and his handler have intel that Carter has orders to eliminate Cane and possibly Victor; they arrange for Chance to “step in the line of fire” in a way that both convinces Carter he has succeeded and gives Interpol cause to “take jurisdiction” and move key suspects and evidence off the canvas. Who Knew, Who Didn’tTo keep the emotional fallout intact, most characters remain genuinely grief‑stricken. In on the faked death: A single Interpol contact who takes over the crime scene and insists Chance’s body goes directly to a French government facility “for diplomatic reasons”. Possibly Victor, brought in late in the game: Interpol offers him a deal—he quietly cooperates against the network targeting Newman and Chancellor in exchange for limited exposure and he keeps Chance’s secret to protect the op. Kept in the dark: Lily, Cane, Abby, the Chancellor family, everyone in Genoa City; their grief provides genuine cover that even the sharpest enemies believe. Cane is deliberately excluded because his own murky dealings and Aristotle shell corporations are under investigation; Chance cannot trust which side he is on yet. Why the Death Had to Be “Real”This addresses the sense that Chance died for no real dramatic effect by giving the death a retroactive mission. Operational logic: The network needed proof that the detective on their trail was definitively eliminated; a public, highly reported shooting at a billionaire’s party in Nice, with photos, witness accounts, and official death certificates, provides that proof. Character logic: Chance has a track record as a protector who jumps in front of danger; agreeing to a plan that uses his “death” to save Cane, Lily, and the Chancellor legacy is a natural extension of that. He cannot ask his loved ones to lie convincingly; their genuine grief is the only thing that will convince ruthless players who watch every reaction and memorial. How a Return Story Could UnspoolYou can seed a multi‑phase comeback that pays off both the Nice arc and the legacy aspect. Phase 1: Glitches in the narrative Abby or Lily notices sealed French records, odd phrasing in reports, or a photo that suggests Chance was moved, not left at the scene. Adam, digging into Aristotle‑related shell companies to protect himself from Victor, finds payments tied to Chance’s old undercover aliases and “consultancy fees” from a European task force. Phase 2: The ghost in the system A burner phone text or secure email reaches Cane: “You’re not the only one with a second life. Walk away from Chancellor, or you’ll expose me—and everyone you care about.” Signed with an in‑joke only Cane and Chance shared when Chance was “protecting and serving” around Cane’s messes. Victor’s behavior around any attempt to exhumation or autopsy is suspiciously obstructive, hinting he has something to lose if Chance’s body is actually examined. Phase 3: Reveal and fallout Chance finally returns in the middle of another crisis—perhaps when the last surviving boss from Colin’s circle comes after Jill, Cane, or the twins, and “dead” evidence is the only way to flip a vital witness. Emotional beats: Lily’s fury: the retcon depends on her being allowed to be furious that her grief was weaponised, even if she eventually understands the stakes. Cane’s guilt: his Aristotle games, and his need for protection, made Chance the perfect candidate for a martyrdom he had to perform alive; this complicates any attempt to redeem Cane as a wounded schemer rather than an irredeemable grifter. Thematic PayoffThe twist turns a seemingly pointless death into a commentary on identity and reinvention, mirroring Cane’s double life as Aristotle and Chance’s new ghost‑cop existence. It restores the Chancellor line’s importance: the only grandchild did not die; he chose to put the name on the line in a different way, protecting its future from the shadows. It gives the Nice arc lasting consequences in Genoa City instead of letting it remain an isolated “France detour” that swallowed a legacy character for shock value. If you want, the next step can be to script a specific return episode: first scene in Genoa City where someone realises the body in Chance’s French grave is not his, or the confrontation where Lily finally learns Victor helped hide Chance’s survival.

Spot on. This thread is as lifeless as the show as there is pretty much nothing to discuss. The stories are by the numbers, there are only a few characters and sets per episode and people just talk about their incredible businesses while at restaurants and/or at home (if they're lucky enough to have one)

Josh is deluded. “It’s going to be Jess Walton‘s 40th anniversary [as Jill], so that’s a milestone that we will definitely recognize. Does that mean we will actually celebrate Jill/Jess onscreen. Or will there be a Zoom scene, or even worse just some mention of Jill. Never sure with this show.

The last few shots ending with Mac seemed crammed in.

That is 1000% more interesting that what Griffith is serving up.

I'm watching mid 67 and Steven and Betty are at odds because of her 'sordid' past in NY and the fact that Martin Peyton has left everything to Betty if she marries Rodney. Both stories are stretching credibility. And Rodney is back in Betty's life-the Rodney/Sandy and Rodney/Rachel connections are being downplayed. Meanwhile Rita is bedridden, which is boring. I'm looking forward to the arrival of Adrienne played by Gena Rowlands in coming episodes.

I wonder if James Pritchett ( ex Matt The Doctors) would have worked as Gerald.? Or Robert Milli ( ex Adam GL) Although he had been on AW years before. Ed Bryce? Wayne Tippit?

Yep b/w 80 and 85 we said goodbye to Tommy, Marie, Sandy, Steve, Julie, Marie, David, Bill, Laura, Jessica. Along with Trish, Margo, Doug, Renee and Joshua who married into the family. The Hortons were clearly no longer a priority.

The actors are having to deal with limited rehearsal and scripts that are recycling past stories. It must be difficult to bring something new to scenes that are repeats of past events eg Sharon being tormented, Victor vowing revenge, Phyllis trying to gain power, Jack under threat, Kyle professing his undying love to a new woman etc The direction is now pretty much 2 people talking at a restaurant table-no movement, group scenes.

I think Hawaii 5-0 was on it's last legs in the final season and CBS saw the writing on the wall. They knew The Waltons was also winding down and that Thursday would need a revamp. They had to find a place for Knots and Thurs @10 was the most suitable slot. Sun -Trapper John had just premiered, Mon- Lou Grant was established there, Fri was Dallas. Tues/Wed were movie nights and their attempt to go with series on Sat was a disaster-Big Shamus/LittleShamus and Paris. So Hawaii was moved to place a familiar show in difficult timeslots and they figured Barnaby would do just as well as Hawaii @9. Jack Lord filmed a pilot M Station Hawaii but it was not picked up and CBS went with Magnum to use it's Hawaii based production locale.

Victor and Nikki should be strong supporting characters stepping up onto the main stage when necessary. But constantly making Victor a lead character is not working. And as for Nikki running a corporation...

I get the feeling that Y&R will farewell a main character this year. Will it be goodbye to Nate, Holden or Audra or Daniel?

@Reverend Ruthledge Thank you so much. This is amazing in details that I have never read before. Hopefully you can continue into 1941. The thing is most of this could play today with some tweaking. TGL should be relaunched using these stories and a multi ethnic cast.

BTG Some extra sets eg Jacob/Naomi living room, Banecker U., Martin's office etc More location taping taking advantage of the studio surrounds. Some actual hospital business rather than gossiping at the desk.

Devon was, is, and always will be deadly dull. They should have recast at the time Bryton was hardly appearing. As for making him Katherine's grandson, that was idiocy on a grand scale.

Yes to all of the above. The quality of the writing and production is an embarrassment at this point.

Thanks as always @DRW50

Reading this article got me to thinking how none of the original Y&R cast who left when on to have much success in primetime. Janice Lynde was all pumped for her 'Roxy' pilot that wasn't picked up and by 79 she was back on soaps on AW. Trish Stewart landed a series Salvage 1 but it was short lived and she pretty much disappeared. William Grey Espy never seemed to want to move to primetime and only found work at AW. James Houghton did OK with KL and The Colbys. He was the first of the originals. to depart. Did he have a shorter contract? Tom Hallick had a few pilots but then nothing. I wonder if any of them had regrets, or they took it in stride that being a hot daytime star didn't mean much out of that sphere. The Journal 20 November 1977 Tom Hailick TV Actor Wants More BY DICK KLEINER HOLLYWOOD — According to most polls, Tom Hallick is the number one male star of daytime television. Whether popularity is measured in terms of fan mail or viewership or whatever, the handsome Hailick hits the high figures. He's one of the big reasons CBS' The Young and the Restless is a top-rated soap opera. He plays Brad Eliot on the show and both of them are winners. But it isn't enough for Hailick. He enjoys being where he is because there's nothing wrong with the atmosphere at the top.. Even so, he wants more. In the first place he wants more money. "I have to say that I like the security of a weekly paycheck," he says, "and that's what you get with a soap opera. But I recently played a part on a TV pilot, 'The Return of Captain Nemo,' and I made doing that pilot than I made all year on The Young and the Restless. "I work very hard on the soap — I believe it's the toughest work there is for an actor — but compared to 'Nemo,' I make nothing. And on 'Nemo,' all I had to do was say 'Up, periscope' a few times." So there is the inducement of more money that beckons Tom Hallick to broader horizons. There is also the hope to attract more fans to his banner, although there is quite a crowd there already. "Actually," he says, "the make-up of the public who watches me is surprising. The show is a big hit on college campuses for example. It's almost a cult thing with the collegians, ahd I have a lot of teenage girl fans, too." Still, he'd like to become better known among the bulk of the public, those who go to movies and watch nighttime television. So he's branching out. He's done a couple pilots lately. One of the aforementioned, "The Return of Captain Nemo." Another one is a new Irwin Allen proposed series, Time Travellers. And a third pilot was for a syndicated variety series with Dan Rowan and Michele Lee called The American Flyer. "I think I can do both a nighttime series and the daytime series," Hailick says. "I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want that regular paycheck plus the other money. And most important, I like working hard." He has a clause in his contract which permits him to take time off from The Young and the Restless to do other things, provided he gives the show sufficient notice. He says it took six months to work out the details of that clause, but now it's proving its value. Tom began acting as a first-grader — "The Reluctant Dragon" was his first role — and never really deviated from the acting dream. "I did go to law school for a while, but that was mostly because I had, no idea how to become an actor." It was a long struggle working in Buffalo,in Florida, as a page for NBC in New York. Then he came to Los Angeles and things began going his way. Now he's number one — but is that enough?

Agree. Just add it to the end of an episode.

Yes I saw that yesterday. Amazing. Didn't know either of them could sing(that well)