Paul Raven

So on Monday, family and friends gather at Society to honor as Michael reflects on the past and thinks about the future as Victor offers him a job. Then on Tuesday, family and friends gather at Crimson Lights to honor Nick as Noah ponders two job offers. And dear friend Phyllis couldn't be bothered attending either event-probably because she wouldn't be the center of attention...oh, wait...she'd make herself the center of attention. Coming up on Wed. Family and friends gather at the Gangrenous Pineapple to honor Phyllis, just because she hasn't been on for two days.

Could see that happening. That way they could rid themselves of Devon's penthouse set and save more $$$$. And cos the Chancellor estate is so huge, Moses can move in as well, and he and Faith can have their 2 eps a month there as well! Now that Micheal has had his moment in the spotlight, how long before we see him again?

I think they're on to something with the birthday celebration. One episode each week could be devoted to a character's birthday. Friends and family could tell them how great they are and they could make a heart rending speech. Bam! 37 minutes of airtime filled.

I touted him for a recast Tucker a few months ago. He had said he'd only come west for a soap role if it was contract.

Dallas dropped out of the Top 10. 1. Cosby Show NBC 35.5/55 Family Ties NBC 33.4/51 Cheers NBC 29.7/45 Murder, She Wrote CBS 28.2/41 Golden Girls NBC 27.3/47 Night Court NBC 28.8/41 Moonlighting ABC 25.4/38 60 Minutes CBS 24.8/39 CBS Sunday Movie CBS 23.8/36 Growing Pains ABC 22.7/34 . Who's the Boss? ABC 22.5/36 NBC Sunday Night Movie NBC 22.5/34 Newhart CBS 21.9/32 : Amen NBC 21.7/38 Dallas CBS 21.6/34 NFL Monday Night Football ABC 20.6/34 Kate & Allie CBS 19.3/30 227 NBC 19.3/34 Designing Women CBS 18.8/28 Dynasty ABC 18.7/29 Head of the Class ABC 18.5/30 Hunter NBC 18.2/33 Together We Stand CBS 18.1/27 Miami Vice NBC 17.4/27 Cagney & Lacey CBS 17.3/28 Highway to Heaven NBC 17.3/29 Hotel ABC 17.1/29 Falcon Crest CBS 17.0/29 LA Law NBC 17.0/29 Hill Street Blues NBC 16.9/29 Gimme a Break NBC 16.7/28 Jack & Mike ABC 18.5/29 Perfect Strangers ABC 16.5/28 Matlock NBC 18.4/25 Valerie NBC 15.9/23 NBC Monday Night Movies NBC 15.9/25 You Again? CBS Tuesday Movie CBS 15.4/25 53 Magnum, P.1. CBS 15.4/25 Amazing Stories NBC 15.4/23 Facts of Life NEC 15.2/28 20/20 ABC 15.1/26 Webster ABC 14.7/26 Scarecrow & Mrs. King CBS 14.7/28 Knots Landing CBS 14.7/22 Our House NBC 14.8/24 Mr. Belvedere ABC 14.5/25 Easy Street NBC 14.5/22 MacGyver ABC 14.0/22 ALF NBC 13.8/21 ATeam NBC 13.7/24 St. Elsewhere NBC 13.3/23 Kay O'Brien. Surgeon CBS 13.1/23 Disney Sunday Movie ABC 12,6/20 ABC Sunday Night Movie 12.6/19 Sledge Hammer! ABC 12.2/19 1986 NBC 12.0/21 Simon & Simon CBS 11.6/18 Sidekicks ABC 11.5 / 18 The Wizard CBS 11.2/17 Starman ABC 10.9/18 Downtown CBS 10.8/20 Spenser: For Hire ABC 10.6/19 Crime Story NBC 10.6/18 The Colbys ABC 10.5/16 Life with Lucy ABC 10.2/19 Mike Hammer CBS 10.0/18 Together We Stand CBS 10.0/17 Twilight Zone CBS 9.8/16 Better Days CBS 9.7/16 Ellen Burstyn Show ABC 7.0/14 Our World ABC 6.5/11 Heart of The City ABC 6.5/11

Thanks for reviving this topic. It is apparent that Y&R's budget has been cut to the bone. They are down to taping 4 days. Sets have been shrunk to allow more room for permanent sets to save on having to pay for assembling/pulling down sets on a regular basis. A lot of actors have been put on recurring so they are only paid when they appear. Contract cast have taken paycuts and reduced guaranteed appearances. Fewer actors are used per episode. There are no extras and hardly any day players. Costume budget appears to have been cut -especially apparent from women's clothing. i wonder if backstage personnel have also been cut. Should compare the credits to see. I'm sure Josh Griffith is being paid less than he would have for past gigs but would be earning a fair amount. Anyone have any idea what he is making? The whole COVID set cleaning and testing might have to come out of the established budget. Having said all of that the show looks dreadful and it's embarassing that daytimes #1 soap looks so cheap.

Thanks Broderick for that analysis. Makes more sense. Can any eagle eyed viewers recall any new sets ay Y&R during that time that were similar to Capitol? Was Capitol a even firm go at that point? The 1981 writers strike. How long was that? What was happening on Y&R at that time ? We know Bell didn't write long term documents so scab writers had to fly by the seat of their pants. Are there any stories from that time that looked like seemed a bit off?

They did and everyone looked suitably downcast as Michael related how he went to a very dark place but he thanked Christine for giving him another chance.

Chuckling! Really we're being too cruel to Josh Griffith. Some of the upcoming stuff looks good: At Society,Nate notices Elena is stressed.She admits that working so hard at the hospital means she has missed her Ask MD deadline and Lily is going to be annoyed. Nate says Lily will understand. Meanwhile at Chance.Com ,Lily is annoyed about the missed deadline. Billy reminds Lily that Elena is working so hard at the hospital. Lily realizes she has been a bit harsh and thanks Billy for helping her see things more clearly. They kiss and he suggests a little office nookie. Lily wonders what was taking him so long to suggest it... Elena tells Nate she took on a responsibility. Ask MD is the nations #1 online medical advice website and lives are at stake. Nate tells an intrigued Elena he might have a solution... A bare chested Billy rises from the floor just as Traci arrives. She's embarrassed but Billy and Lily say its OK-they just have a very healthy sex life. Traci remembers what that was like and is glad they're finding a work/sex balance. Billy departs and Traci tells Lily she's here to follow up about working at Chance.Com. Traci explains she has been working all hours on her book about Dina, but now it's done she can devote time to Chance.Com. Lily says she read the book and it is the best book she's ever read. No wonder it's the #1 book in the country! Nate arrives and tells Lily he will take over at Ask MD. His workload as Chief of Surgery has eased off. That way Elena can concentrate on saving lives. Lily is thrilled!

Le Blanc wasn't even on last month and had a total of 21 appearances for all of 2021. And SOD gave it front cover 'The Week That Changes Everything! Michael in Crisis! So lame. Next week Faith and Moses- A shocking decision that changes Genoa City Forever!! (Faith decides to order a different juice at Crimson Lights)

Really?? That's crazy!! I got sick from eating week old lasagna...

He’s playing Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof I think there's been a mixup He's actually playing a Silver Daddy in 'C**k in Hot Tim's Room'

Would Conboy and CBS/Screen Gems have had the power to replace the creator and headwriter? What say would Conboy have had, unless he was using his battles with Bell as evidence that Bill was no longer effective? I really can't imagine such a scenario. Of course Bill was tucked away in Chicago and Conboy was in L.A and right in the action. What disagreements could the two have, unless Bill was unhappy with way Conboy was presenting his material? I know budget was always an issue in daytime, but that would be down to Conboy not Bell. Although Bill may have been writing certain actors above guarantee. I'd love others take on the situation.

It's kind of odd to be centering an episode on a character who has no presence on the show apart from occasional pop ins. Looking forward to an Esther tribute. In Josh's usual style, Michael is acknowledged as the best prosecutor ever! CLB needs to think about taming that mane.

When Jill needed the money to pay off her blackmailer(Esther/Kay) she rocked up at the Foster house and there was Liz on the sofa mending and telling Jill that she doesn't have any money to lend her. It was as though Stuart never existed. Re Allen Fawcwtt, he mentioned the Y&R situation in an SOD interview and I couldn't figure out at first what character he was referring to. Looking back at 80/81 there was really story after story that didn't work. That transition was very rocky. Now it's always pretty much 'Bill created the Williams and Abbotts and the show transitioned smoothly'

Great responses,guys. I could discuss this era 4eva. Thanx for the info on Paul/DD. Allen Fawcett (Kelly EON) was put on a retainer to take over as Paul if needed. Imagine how things would have been had there been a new Paul along with a whole new family. Maybe Bill would have waited a little longer to add more Williams while viewers got used to Fawcett. Conboy was called 'the Ross Hunter of daytime' and like that famed producer, who when he worked with Douglas Sirk created classic movies like Imitation of Life and All That Heaven Allows, but without Sirk his movies were glossy but shallow. Same with Conboy/Bell. There were a lot of aimless characters and stories in those years. Did Brock, formerly in love with Leslie have much interaction with her or was he too busy with Julia? Eve arrived with a bang with the claim that Charles was Victor's son but then she floundered. Wasn't it established she had a thing with Derek in the past and Charles could be his? Jill never saw Derek again? Paul seemed to keep hooking up with Nikki and declaring his love, but it fizzled out. He really lucked out with Victor/Nikki as much of the other pairings were failures.

Thanks for that comprehensive rundown. My statement on 79 was about the story direction rather than the ratings. There was nothing going on that would cause a sudden drop but I felt things were petering out and the expansion didn't help. Had the ongoing stories had exciting new twists and builup, the new characters could be introduced in the midst of it all but that wasn't the case. I think it would have been better for Lance to have been presumed dead at this point and the shock of the news brings Leslie's memory back. However, that coupled with her grief would leave her unable to care for Brooks. She asks Lucas for a divorce and rejects Jonas As Lucas was Brook's legal father, he would take custody and Lorie would use this to get Lance's precious son to herself by marrying Lucas., who always loved Lorie. I would have kept Liz pining for Stu and have Vanessa become involved with him-half to spite Lorie but also because she is discovering she can have feelings for a man (other than her son!) Lorie of course would be livid. When Stu realizes that Vanessa is too possessive he rejects her, which triggers her plan to frame Lorie for her death. Of course, along the way Les would recover and want her son back. Withdrawing Jill from the story weakened it. Would have been better to have the new Jill involved with familiar characters. Agree that Derek's motivation was murky. the show had never really done business stories so it was jarring that Chancellor was suddenly in the limelight. Perhaps Bill could have come up with something with Suzanne. Bringing in Derek's son Jamie might have led to something. The cult was one of those Summer teen stories that had no long term ramifications. If it had been the springboard to solidifying steve and Peggy... david winn was another of those bland leading men and Pam Peters just never seemed to click. Agree. Seemed much ado about nothing. Paul never cared for April who always came across as a wet blanket. Team Nikki for wanting more out of life. Using Brock as a romantic lead was jarring to the audience as Brock had always been the supporting/supportive character. Still not sure why Beau bailed. If contracts were renewed in Jan how come he was able to leave so soon. If he only agreed to say on 6 months, why give him his first big story? The problem with Jabot was that at first, it was isolated. Only those 3 characters were involved. Maybe Chris could have got a job there? Having Stu and Liz marry was a mistake in my book as it lead nowhere. They would have to be the happy tentpole couple, which isn't a bad thing but they never seemed to get the airtime in dramas surrounding their kids. I recall John Kelly Genovese saying that the intro of the Williams was too full on. Paul goes home one day and suddenly there's a dad who is a policeman, mom who's pregannt, brother who is a reporter, a teen sister and talk of another brother.He felt it was too much too soon and they should have come on more gradually.

The show is a mess. The story seemed to be made up as they went along. First the Tara story which was dropped and she was written out in a day. Then his various back stories. Hints that he was out to double cross the Newmans. The big Tuscan wedding. Then nothing to follow up and now he's out. Yet another marriage for Victoria that generated just a few months of story. Griffith and Morina need to be the next on the chopping block.

Getting back to 1980, looking back you could see the problems and opportunities Bill faced with the expansion. Y&R always had a very tight knit format linked to the Brooks and Fosters so immediately adding new faces was going to change the feel of the show. And by 79,some of the stories were losing steam. Lance/Lorie/Leslie/Lucas/Vanessa had been diluted by introducing the Jonas/Pris element. Same with Jill marrying Stuart and moving away from Derek/Kay. I don't think either of those stories were well received. Jill cheating her mother out of happiness seemed out of character and did anyone find Jonas interesting? I guess what I am saying is that the front burner stories were not super strong going in to 60 min format. Then you had John McCook and Brenda leaving. What did you guys think of the state of Y&R at that time and the choices Bill made?

The show is definitely suffering by having Darlene's love life front and center every week. The new agey boyfriend is not working for me -he presents as creepy. And she's barely broken up with Ben. If Darlene went backburner a bit, then they could explore other characters/stories in with more depth.

I get that , but at the time had Lauren thought Paul was dead, it would have been a great motivation for her to marry Scott (to me, that never came across as a great love match) Then when Paul is discovered to be alive it sets up a natural conflict b/w Scott and Lauren as he wonders whether she married him for the right reasons or as just a way to deal with Paul's death.

Hard to believe that Bell would get rid of Jeanne, but if that's what she said...Wasn't this one of the times she needed time off? So maybe it was a case of 'take the time and we'll see how things go' Maybe Jeanne saw this as pretty much getting the boot,especially if it was a low time in her personal life. I recall Traci and 'Tiffany' being mentioned but only in the Jerry Douglas era. How much earlier were the family mentioned? Agree, this is a fascinating time in the show's history. Messy for sure and that's without getting into the Victor/Julia/Brock/Michael story or the Derek/Judy Chancellor mess .

OK, thanks Broderick for that perspective. So maybe another problem (among all the other 1980 goings on) was the casting of Jack? Terry Lester had tested for Snapper I think when Espy left. How long b/w Bond's last appearance and Deborah's arrival? Edit Just read Will's response so maybe a month or so. Perhaps her sudden departure put a hold on the story progressing.

Thanks for that. So it looks like Sean Garrison was John Abbott #1. Maybe that didn't get mentioned because originally John was not going to be a major player. Although we did see him in that scene with Bond. Perhaps the plan was for John to be a stumbling block in the Jill/Jack romance and not another older man Jill was attracted to. As for Bond and the negotiations, surely contracts would have been signed off before she joined the show. Unless Bond started off as recurring? Maybe they agreed to that and then Bond's agent thought he had the upper hand? Though that seems unlikely as Y&R didn't seem to do that, especially with major roles.