Paul Raven

In a bio Enid Powell lists Y&R from 83-94. She was in her 50's when she joined Y&R staff and was Chicago based.

Eric W Friewald is reported as having written for Y&R from 1980 to 2010 (his death at 82) His daughter Linda Shreiber also wrote for the show from mid 90's till 2010.

Our House - My Grandfather's House

One month after Y&R debuted a writers strike began May 14th 1973 and continued till August 24th 1973. I wonder how Y&R was affected? I guess Bill Bell may have has a stockpile of scripts completed when the show began but surely not several months worth. Maybe he had some detailed outlines but who wrote the actual scripts? Was Bill Bell sole writer at the beginning or did he have a scriptwriter also? Sherman Magidson is a possibility as a non union writer.A book extract online says he returned to soaps in 1973 when the former producer of As The World Turns asked him to help with another show. That could mean Y&R as the timeline fits. That ATWT reference could be a misquote.

Sherman Magidson was a Chicago lawyer who Bill Bell used as alegal consultant and writer on Days in the 60's and later on Y&R and B&B. I remember seeing his name on Y&R credits in the 80's as legal consultant He died in 2014. Kay Alden wrote What will I miss most about Sherman? Everything. His great laugh, his wonderful sense of humor, his readiness to help our family at any time with no questions asked, his brilliant mind, and right now I wish I could be consulting with him on The Young and the Restless. After 40 years of great friendship, my heart is heavy with this loss. But Sherman will live on in my memory, and in the memories of Vern, Conci, John, and Noah forever. Godspeed, dear friend. Magidson was not a member of the WGA so no doubt was involved with writing the show during the strikes. CHICAGOAN SOAPS AWAY THE TRIALS OF HIS PAST James Warren, Chicago TribuneCHICAGO TRIBUNE When Sherman Magidson helped gain a hung jury in last year`s retrial of Daniel McKay, the suburban Chicago veterinarian accused of killing his newborn child, it capped another stellar courtroom performance. But it was very much a cameo appearance by a criminal defense lawyer who has left grit for glitter in the latest episode of a decidedly full life. As the strike by film and TV writers dragged on, Magidson continued his labors as full-time legal consultant and writer for two premier soap operas that remained on the air despite the walkout, ''The Young and the Restless''and ''The Bold and the Beautiful.'' Rather than aiding real-life rogues or the unjustly accused, he melds fact with fiction for an audience far greater than all the juries he has swayed. For example, he concocted a complex and legally credible scheme for ''The Young and the Restless,'' in which conniving Nikki Newman tries to rip off $40 million from her mogul husband, Arthur, only to be thwarted by an Arthur counterattack, replete with counterfeit stock certificates. It`s a scheme so subtle that it might impress investigators from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Magidson, 55, was one of Chicago`s prominent criminal defense lawyers when he chose to embrace his second love, the soaps; in particular the two shows created by the husband-wife team of Chicagoans Bill Bell and Lee Phillip. ''It was all so sudden,'' said Chicago lawyer Sam Adam. Here was an about-face by a man near the top of his competitive trade who had lived and breathed the combat of criminal litigation since a teenager. In a world of inflated reputations, egos and jealousies, he was widely respected as tough, aggressive and genial, notes Cook County Criminal Court Judge James Bailey. A street-smart, rumpled Yale University graduate, his clients had included the late Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, reputed mob ''hit-man'' Joseph Lombardo, TV weather forecaster Jim Tilmon and the late Metropolitan Sanitary District Commissioner Chester Majewski. ''This was just an opportunity to climb another mountain and get some sunshine,'' he said last week, content and at ease in short pants and sports shirt in the house that serves as his home and computer-filled office. Magidson may know the often byzantine, ethically clouded Chicago courts better than anyone. His mother was secretary to Charlie Bellows, a legendary Criminal Court defense lawyer of the 1940s and `50s, and Magidson was helping to write briefs by age 16. After completing Northwestern University Law School, he worked with Bellows and, later, with Harry Busch, another fabled defense attorney. To some, Magidson was exiting his mentors` vast shadows at the time he headed west. But he always had reflected eclectic passions and intellect. Sure, he was a lawyer, but he also was a military history buff, professional photographer, scuba diver and founder of the Lawyers Assistance Program, a successful drug and alcohol counseling service in Chicago. His double-life is traced to 1960, when he had met Chicagoan Irna Phillips, a cantankerous grand dame of the soaps who wrote many episodes of ''Days of Our Lives'' in the `50s and `60s. That acquaintance, and a friendship with Bill Bell, a young Phillips aide who took over the writing on ''Days of Our Lives'' in 1965, spurred a second career unknown to most. He`d be lawyer by day and soap writer at night, crafting stories of murders, custody fights and even a critically acclaimed rape trial for ''The Young and the Restless.'' It was an exhausting schedule but one derived from the mix of his diverse talents and longtime suffering from insomnia. Two years ago, Bell sold the idea for ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' to CBS and asked Magidson if he`d come aboard full time. He initially declined because he was nervous about leaving his hometown, mother and two of his four adult children. But he relented. Bell`s timing was fortuitous. Magidson was spending as much as 40 weeks a year in courts, getting worried about his health and chagrined over the ramifications of Operation Greylord, the federal investigation into Cook County court corruption. Greylord was at its height, and public respect for the profession Magidson loves was plummeting. ''When I was a kid, you said you were a lawyer and people looked up to you,'' he said. ''In the mid-1980s in Chicago, a lawyer became synonymous with `crook.` It was deeply painful to me.'' In March, 1987, he came to Los Angeles in a move that took by surprise even those who knew his ties to the soaps. ''I admire him for having the guts to make a change,'' said Loop attorney George Cotsirilos, underlining that Magidson was blossoming into ''one of the real big guys in town.'' Magidson, who is not a member of the writers guild, concedes tremendous difficulty in adapting to the ''social milieu'' in Los Angeles. He gets along well with Bell, Phillip and their colleagues, many of whom are Chicagoans, but gets queasy around most others. ''People in this world are different,'' he said. ''The criterion is often how much you make, not what you contribute. You`re gauged by the car you drive and the diamonds you wear.'' He misses ''the action of being an attorney, though not the heartbreak. I miss being the big dog in the courtroom. Here, I`m a speck.'' At times, he even finds himself playing drama coach, perhaps showing actors the small gestures and attitudes that can bring an air of reality to law-oriented, especially courtroom, scenes. But there also are realities he`s happy to leave behind. ''The money is better in that you don`t have clients who give you stiff checks and hollow promises, especially in criminal practice.'' Anyway, you can always take a loan from the underhanded Nikki Anderson if she ever steals $40 million from Arthur.

Re Micheal Corbett His Love of Life role was Bud - a juvenile delinquent Re Chris Holder He had a part on Edge of Night before Y&R Re Mariann Aalda She did appear on ATWT as a nurse for about a year. She states this in a SOD interview.

Week ending March 4 1983 CBS -TV won daytime ratings for seventh consecutive week, averaging 8.1 rating /26 share for week ending March 4, compared with ABC -TV's 7.1/22 and NBC -TV's 5.5/18. During that week, CBS's Price is Right averaged 11.7/42, highest rating for any daytime show in two- and -one -half years. Week ending May 20 1984 CBS won 36th consecutive week in daytime ratings, averaging 6.4/25 for week ending May 20, compared to 5.5/21 for ABC and 4.7/19 for NBC, according to CBS estimates. Top five rated daytime shows were 1. Price is Right (CBS, 8.2/37) 2. Young and Restless (CBS, 7.9/31) 3. General Hospital (ABC, 7.8/27) 4. Guiding Light (CBS. 7.4/26) 5. All My Children (ABC, 7.4/26). Week ending June 3 1984 CBS won daytime ratings race by more than one full rating point over closest competitor, ABC. For week ended June 3, CBS recorded 7.2/25 in Nielsens compared to 6.0/20 for ABC and 5.2/18 for NBC. Top five shows of week were 1. Price is Right (9.5/37, CBS) 2. Young and Restless (8.8/30, CBS) 3. All My Children (8.3/26, ABC) 4. Guiding Light (8.0/25, CBS) 5. General Hospital (7.9/25, ABC). Week ending April 19 1985 CBS won daytime ratings for week of April 15 -19 with 6.1 rating and 24 share. ABC came in second with 5.5/21 and NBC came in third with 4.5/18. CBS had five of daytime top 10, while ABC had three and NBC had two. Top 10 for week were: 1.General Hospital (ABC), 8.1/28 2. Price Is Right (CBS), 7.4/34 3. All My Children (ABC) 7.3/27 4. The Young and the Restless (CBS) 7.2/30 5. Guiding Light (CBS), 7.2/25 6. As the World Turns (CBS), 7.0/26 7. Wheel of Fortune (NBC), 6.7/31 8. Days of Our Lives (NBC), 6.5/24 9. Price is Right (CBS), 6.2/29 10.One Life to Live (ABC), 6.2/23.

I wonder how much real life eg actors choosing to leave affected Bill's story plans. He may have another scenario planned for Phillip or maybe not. Donnelly/Phillip wasn't even on 2 years so unless he signed a short term contract it looks like Bill's decision to kill him off.

I wonder if they had committed to the Cliff and Nina story when Cliff was planned to be Dr Jeff Martin. With Jeff and the Martins involved it wouldn't have felt like newbies taking over. Nonetheless, the writing and casting obviously grabbed viewers as Cliff and Nina (with a lot of help from Palmer's villiany) became very popular. I guess the timing was right as perhaps viewers were ready for something new as Phil/Tara/Chuck/Donna had pretty much played out along with Paul/Ann, Linc/Kelly etc

Re Gwen and Mitchell Sherman. I don't believe there was any connection - just another case of Bill Bell re-using names. He did that with Ellen Winters and then Neil Winters, Brandon Collins and Sharon Collins, Marion Reaves and Dr Sharon Reaves , Suzanne Lynch and Robert Lynch etc Perhaps using the Sherman surname was a nod to Sherman Magidson, legal consultant to Y&R and soap writer.

How long was Sears at Loving? I wonder if her approach was not what the network wanted. Any Loving viewers able to comment/critique her era? She popped up again after years away from the business due to owning rights to Handmaid's Tale from years back and getting involved in that series.

Variety reports in March 43 that Light of the World - the serial based on bible stories was the top rating segment of the General Mills Hour besting Guiding Light, Woman in White and Today's Children - all Irna Phillips soaps.

Had Bryan Cranston been cast as Tom. he would have likely left after his contract expired and Tom would be recast yet again.

Didn't Bell make the official announcement of Kay as headwriter on the 25th anniversary?

Tom Hallick was the truck driver not Tom Selleck. It was a reference to the first scene ever on Y&R but it was wasted on a recast Phyllis returning.

Brad seemed to just fade away. Maybe once Bill knew Tom Hallick was leaving he wanted to diminish Brad's importance in the story.

Peggy Phillips

Irving Vendig, prolific radio/tv soap writer - Perry Mason/Edge of Night etc had written bibles/outlines for proposed soaps over the years The Bridge of Love for CBS bw 1959 and 61 The Family Next Door Some Women

Bill liked to name characters after family and friends, so I guess when it came time for a new character he decided to use his son's name once more. There was no possibility of Brad #1 ever returning so it was a reasonable move to make.

John M Young wrote some Days scripts for Bill Bell/Betty Corday in 66 and early 67. Perhaps he had pretty much retired by that point.

Bill Bell had no involvement in Days until he took over in mid 66. He worked with Irna on ATWT, AW and the nightime Our Private World. Ted Corday and Allen Chase are listed alongside Irna as creators of DOOL.

Both radio and TV versions of TGL were the same so anyone who missed the TV episode could catch up later on radio. This discussion of radio writers and TV follow through is fascinating. I'm not sure that Irna had much to do with Days beyond some early involvement years before the show debuted. Wasn't there a lawsuit from Ms Phillips over ownership of the show?

Re Vanessa mixing it up with other GC peers, I think Bill Bell was experienced and smart enough to keep some characters apart so that there was room for plots to unfold without things getting too complicated and interlinked. It also gave him stuff to play in the future if he wanted. Think how later on,it took a long time for Victor and Nikki to meet and Paul to interact with Lauren and the Newman and Abbotts to become entwined. I think at one point Vanessa and Stuart were teased or was it the Maestro and Vanessa?

re Shirley Stoler her Loving appearance was 1993

Hope you enjoy these Frank and Nancy's second wedding. Billy Clyde 1978 Kitty and Linc 1975 Nina and Cliff's anniversary party 1982