Paul Raven

Abigail Kellogg as Patti. She looked quite like Lynn Loring

DJ Don Imus guest starred

As Soap Star and Scriptwriter, Meg Bennett Faces Double Duty on the Young and the Restless By Susan Champlin June 06, 1983 12:00 PM FBTwitterMore Meg Bennett was leaving the cast of The Young and the Restless. After a year on the show, her character, Julia Newman, was being written out of CBS’ highly rated soap at the end of 1981. But since Meg’s on-the-set script doctoring had impressed the production staff, series creator William Bell suggested a career alternative. Would Meg join the show’s stable of writers? Recalls Bell, “What it comes down to is that she’s such a lovable little thing, and I felt so bloody guilty.” For Meg, 32, it came down to having a job. Says she, “I get insecure real fast.” These days Meg has little to worry about. As a writer, she scripts one episode a week of The Young and the Restless. And last October she made a triumphant return to the series when Julia Newman reappeared to overwhelmingly positive viewer response. Alternating between acting and writing could take a toll, but a double life suits Meg. Says she, “As an actress, you’re always seeking approval. ‘Am I doing all right? Is the scene working?’ As a writer, I feel like an adult.” Meg’s second career has affected Julia Newman too. Once a spineless victim of her ex-husband, Julia is now a successful, self-assured fashion designer, after an extended stay in Paris. That change is, in part, the result of Meg’s stint at the typewriter. The other writers “saw how different I was from the character they’d been creating,” explains Meg, “and they said, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if Julia were more like Meg?’ ” Sometimes Julia’s new toughness even astonishes Meg. “Now they’ve got her so strong that I think, ‘That’s what I want to be like.’ ” Despite her current success, Bennett never envisioned herself at the typewriter. The eldest daughter of a printing company executive and a psychologist, Meg had a comfortable childhood in Pasadena, Calif. She majored in drama at Northwestern, acting in summer stock between terms. Hired in 1971 as the “Cadillac Eldorado convertible girl” for a New York auto show, she decided on Manhattan as home, which proved a fortuitous choice. In an elevator, a man asked Meg if she wanted to be on a quiz show. Thus was born a champion of NBC’s Three on a Match, with winnings that included complete furnishings for her new apartment. “I felt charmed,” she says. A part in the original Broadway cast of Grease led to the role of the good girl, Liza, on Search for Tomorrow. Meg quickly beguiled the cast, which included Kevin Kline and Morgan Fairchild, who had beaten out Meg for the show’s vixen role nine months earlier. Notes Morgan, “I still consider her a best friend, even though we don’t see each other very much.” In 1978 Meg left that soap and New York for acting opportunities in California. But a bout of hepatitis interrupted those plans. Meg’s weight dropped to 95 pounds. While recovering, she was approached about a part on The Young and the Restless. Explains Meg, “When the writers saw me, I was very frail, and that’s how they wrote Julia.” Because she is usually in front of the cameras four or five days a week, weekends are reserved for scripts. The soap’s head writers in Chicago concoct the story lines, which are sent to Meg and other dialogue writers in Los Angeles. Each writer executes an entire episode. To avoid a conflict of interest, however, Meg never scripts scenes for Julia. Like an actress, a writer can get typecast, according to Meg. Says she, “They tend to send me the more emotional scenes. I do better with that than glib, snappy repartee. In real life, I can never think of the great remark.” Her guiding principle at the typewriter: “I try not to make any character say something that would make me gag if I had to say it.” Meg’s schedule cramps her socializing, but she admits, “I really like working all the time.” Still, she would like to have a marriage and children someday. “There’s this life I envision going on in one place, and my real life is going on over here.” For Meg, working double duty has paid off. With Julia’s resurgence of popularity, she now receives 100 to 200 fan letters a week, some of which contain offbeat requests for a photograph “where I can see your belly button.” Most mail, however, concerns a continuing plot line in which Julia’s ex-husband was being slowly poisoned by the evil Eve. Says Meg, “People have written to me saying, ‘Dear Julia: It’s Eve! You’ve got to do something right away, or he’ll die!’ ” At least those fans are addressing the proper party. Meg the actress may be unable to help, but Meg the writer does have influence.

When did Don Hastings begin writing as CC Mathews? Don Chastian wrote Search during the Writers Strike in 1981. I think a lot of actors turned to writing when the shows went to an hour and more writers were needed.

So Lillibet chose not to renew her contract? I wonder if they had any inkling of this? If not, maybe Bill would have restructured things so Andrea wasn't thrown in at the deep end. Andrea was very different to Lillibet in appearance and approach.

Fantastic effort Slick ! Add Bill Zuckert. He appeared (at least) in Dec 56. An early role for him.Went on to hundreds of primetime appearances.

I think it was more a case of Judi Evans becoming available and AW deciding that a 'bigger' name might get some viewers. Did they do any specific promos to brag about Judi's arriving?

After the aborted romance with Neil Fenmore, Gina was backburnered. She was there to hostess at Gina's and be a talk to, support Danny and Rex etc. She got a bit of story through her marriage to sleazy Clint, but it wasn't given an A story treatment. I believe in latter years Patty had some health problems which limited her appearances. Also she married Jerry Birn, part of Bill Bell's old guard so was pretty much guaranteed a place on the show, i guess.

Re From These Roots A clarification re Judge Tompkins. In June 58 Edwin Cooper was in a car accident and his temp replacement was Edgar Stehil. Cooper returned in August.

Puzzled as to why Liz didn't stay around beyond this as Julianna seemed happy enough with recurring and her relationship with Jill and Kay gave her plenty of oppotunity to be involved.She met Traci at Jill's wedding and that relationship could have been developed also. I agree about the Stuart/Gina involvement. I don't recall anything between them. Maybe there is confusion with later when I believe John and Gina were hinted as a possible couple,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFeYLLgpqx8&t=463s Jill is in a scene with an unknown actor playing John Abbott.

Re Love of Life Adele Newton 13 yr old actress 1958

Florence Williams Add Our Gal Sunday (temp replacement for Vivian Smollen, whose father had died)

Elizabeth Lawrence Add Guiding Light 1958

Re Kitty Foyle Ralph Stantley takes over a role in Feb 58, don't know which unfortunately. Re Brighter Day Add Jay Barney 1958

Yes Jill and Kay were kept apart for some time, which was no bad thing. It made them coming back into each other's orbits all the more interesting. Unlike later years where inane stories were created just to keep Victor and Jack's rivalry in the forefront. After all that Derek and Jill went through they didn't get a farewell scene? I guess the fact that Brenda was gone contributed to that. And whatever happened to Derek's salon? That was his dream yet he seemed quite happy to go to work at Chancellor. Talking about favorites, I think Bill Bell liked Deborah Adair as he used Jill to introduce the Abbotts. From the youtube episode of Bond she seemed fine so who knows why she was dumped. Back to Peggy, she was raped while involved with Jack. She was at Chris' apartment .Ron had a grudge against Chris and I think he was there to attack Chris but raped Peggy instead. Did Jonas and Lucas get proper farewells?

Re ATWT Joe Silver as Mr Jason. He was the DA and appeared in 1958. He could have been involved in Jeff Baker's murder trial and/or Don Hughes law career.

Re Kitty Foyle Add Juliene Marie and Jeanne Barr Bill Meeder was the organist

Loving this discussion and analysis of this time frame. Kevin was another character that was dropped.I recall some interaction with Julia. Did he get a proper sendoff or just vanish? Kevin could have stayed and been used in a variety of ways. There was always that past with Nikki to touch upon. Bill was looking for a mate for Ashley (eg Brian). Maybe Kevin could have been used there? The move to 60 min really did a number on the show. At that point he had resorted to an amnesia plot for Leslie to set up Lorie taking care of Brooks. Then John McCook left as Lance. Lucas hooked up with Casey but when Leslie gravitated to Lucas again Casey and Jonas got involved. Snapper and Chris had little to do (I think David Hasselhoff had out clauses in his contract to film pilots etc) As stated Bill didn't seem enamored of Lynne Topping. There was Dr Jane Lewis who had some interest in Snapper but that went nowhere. The original Kay/Derek/Jill triangle got muddled with Suzanne, and Derek going to work at Chancellor. How were Derek and Suzanne written out? They never explored Derek's son Jamie either. Key got stranded on an island with Felipe and then I think Jeanne was offscreen for several months before she got involved with Cash the stripper/escort. A lot of stuff going on over those years.

My only recollection of Howard's Greg was when he was a talk to for Jill when she decided to sell the Foster home without any legal right to do so. Will again state that John Silva character with a few tweaks could have been Greg Foster and kept the family around longer.

December 1959 1, As The World Turns 10.2 2. Search For Tomorrow 10.0 3. The Guiding Light 9.9 4. Secret Storm 9.2 5. Price Is Right 9.2 6. House Party 9.0 7. Concentration 9.0 8. Edge of Night 8.8 9. Big Payoff 8.7 10. Verdict Is Yours 8.7

One strand that was briefly mentioned when Eve came on was that she had crossed paths with Derek previously. Eve moved in with Jill and through Liz managed to get a job with Stu. Stu/Liz/Eve triangle never really developed.

Bob and the Sullivan sisters

I think that was still Wings at that point.