B&B/Y&R Article: Coker Critical Of Bell & Others

[AntiNWO]

Busted To Blissful ~January 2007 Written by Lesleyann Coker; Friday, 29 December 2006

B&B strikes out, Y&R reveals too much

Busted: B&B/Y&R Bad Choices

I am disgusted with The Bold and The Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. Both shows have recently squandered amazing storyline opportunities.

On B&B, my problem is the story of Stephanie’s childhood abuse. The audience has loved/hated Stephanie for almost 20 years, and never once has her abusive childhood at the hands of her father been mentioned. (Contrived, anyone? ) While Stephanie’s new found past may explain her domineering personality to a certain degree, it also rewrites the history of the character in a way that doesn’t make sense to long time viewers. (Thanks, Bradley! )

Not only was a mistake made in springing Stephanie’s abuse on the audience out of the blue, but also by the introduction of a never mentioned mother and sister. B&B cast veteran actress Betty White, most recently of Golden Girls fame, to play Stephanie’s mother, which is an insult to White. She doesn’t look old enough to be Susan Flannery’s (Stephanie) mother, but more like a sister. White is an outstanding and accomplished actress, and I’m sure Brad Bell couldn’t resist the pull of two powerhouse women like White and Flannery burning up the small screen together, but as a mother/daughter duo they just don’t work. Every time Flannery calls White “Mom” it’s laughable and takes away from their intense scene work. If Bell wanted to hire White, I’m sure he could have created a more original and less insulting role for her to play. (This is Bradley Bell, remember? Keep expectations low )

On Y&R, my complaint is with the show’s publicity department. The writers have obviously spent a lot of time thinking up a creative way to reintroduce the character of Shelia Carter after a year’s absence, without having to bring back her portrayer, Kimberlin Brown. When we last saw Shelia, she was requesting plastic surgery to look like an unknown person. Recently it was revealed Shelia now looks like Phyllis, but we were told the Shelia/Phyllis look alike had died in a car accident - complete with DNA proof.

Imagine our surprise to find out at the end of an episode (a Thursday no less) that Paul is holding the very much alive Shelia/Phyllis prisoner. Only it wasn’t a surprise to anyone who subscribes to Soap Opera Digest or who goes through the grocery store checkout line. There, from the cover, a picture of Phyllis and her doppelganger with the words “Shelia’s alive” had been staring at us for more than a week before the actual episode aired! And the powers-that-be wonder why the ratings are down? Could it be because there just aren’t any surprises left on soaps any more? I don’t understand why Y&R and Digest couldn’t have run their cover the following week and kept the surprise under wraps until it was revealed to fans when they watched the show live. There’s something to be said for a show that’s going to keep you on your toes and throw surprises at you, and if you already know what’s coming, why bother to watch at all?

It’s boneheaded decisions like relegating White to a thankless role, and ruining what could have been a classic soap moment by touting it to the media ahead of time, that’s keeping soap’s ratings in the basement.

-----End of article-----

Preach, sista! B&B has so much contrived B.S.! Can REAL change occur on B&B if Bradley Bell remains HW & EP, aka THE BOSS? Does Bill Bell Jr. have the power to fire his brother? If so, why hasn't he done it already? Family loyalty? Why doesn't Barbara Bloom have more say at what happens on B&B? She is the Vice President of CBS Daytime after all. I stopped watching B&B in November. Didn't want to see Brooke/Ridge/Nick/Bridget Round 10 I might only return once Bradley Bell is locked out of the writer's room.

BB Analysis

What is with Bell's obsession with triangles involving RELATIVES? It's disgusting! 2 half-sisters f-ing the same man? Mother-daughter f-ing the same man (Nick/Deacon)? Don't forget Bridget's lust for her thought-to-be half brother, Ridge! 3 half-brothers & the father to 2 of them f-ing the same woman (Ridge/Eric/Nick/Thorne)? Stephanie had sex with the man who's had sex with their son's ex-wife. Jackie had sex with the man who who had sex with her son's ex-wife. Let's not forget Taylor & Brooke's dad! Disgusting! Yet, they manage not to acquire an STD or HIV/AIDS! I guess the beds in L.A. must always be kept warm! I'd love to see Brooke become celibate for 365-consecutive days.

Nick can never be redeemed (destroyed)

When Stephanie "pushed" Jackie, I didn't care about Jackie health (destroyed)

Didn't care about Stephanie's contrived abusive past. She loves her sis but NEVER mentioned her since at least March 1987? Contrived!

Lesli Kay was wasted in an idiotic, contrived triangle, Taylor & Thorne's "love" for each other is so f-ing contrived. 3 months after Darla dies, he's fallen in "love" with Taylor?!?

B&B Conclusion: I miss William J. Bell. May God rest his soul

Y&R: I try my best to stay away from spoliers, so all I knew was that Stafford would be playing dual roles, but I didn't know in what capacity they would be in. The Y&R staff should zip it. They have the potential to blow their competitors out of the water.

[Soapsuds]

You want to see Character Assasantion....watch ATWT! Jean P. is loaded telling those kind of stories. Y&R and B&B are tame comapred to the mess ATWT and Jean P. are doing.

[Darn]

Your posts are really bizarre to me for some reason.

Anyway, Y&R completely destroyed that surprise, they used to have a pretty staunch no spoilers policy. Not so much anymore I guess.

[winterguy125]

I totally agree with this guy that when a huge storyline is about to happen on any soap not just Y&R that the mags and other media outlets need to keep it hush hush, so that we the fans can be surprised sometimes. I love spoilers myself but sometimes it would be nice if they just left some of the huge stuff out of the spoilers. I still like the storylines but the surprise of not knowing it was going to happen would have been much better for me.

[KMan101]

Yeah, the magazines pretty much ruin any plot twist that happens. I stopped buying them a few years ago and avoid them in the store if I can, although I still end up reading spoilers on here

[All My Shadows]

I disagree about Betty and Susan playing mother-daughter. They're a good 17 years apart, which, for the time during which Stephanie was born, isn't that much of a stretch for a woman to have her first child. And given that both Betty and Susan look a few years younger than they really are, I really don't see the problem there.

[BadZoe]

Once again I have to disagree. I think the Stephanie storyline is brilliant. For so many years Stephanie has come across to me as a sexually repressed woman hating loon, and FINALLY I know why. One thing I love about soap is the ability to draw from the past to create current drama. This is not a history re-write, B&B started with Stephanie as a middle aged woman, she never had an on air history. The writer is also wrong about Pam, the sister, never being heard of before. At least two years ago Susan Flannery's vacation was explained by her going on a cruise with her sister Pamela, and everyone has a mother.

As for Y&R I do agree. Some surprises are good for the soul and ratings, soaps are going to the dark side.

[All My Shadows]

ITA about B&B. I didn't know how to say it, and I really didn't want to try. But you explained exactly how I feel. Stephanie has never ever come across to me as if she had a great, normal childhood. I think it was pretty great that Bell decided to go and do something with it.

[sheilaforever]

I can't take this article seriously.

Simply because the B&B part - at least - is full of mistakes. Stephanie's never-mentioned mother AND sister? Memo to the person who write nonsense: Please watch the show first before you critize it. Thank you! And Betty White at age 83 doesn't pass up as Susan Flannery's (who's in her 60s) mom? Reality check and check your argumnets first before making stupid accusations...

[AntiNWO]

Busted To Blissful was written by Lesleyann Coker on Friday, December 26, 2006

[kentville]

I can't comment on much of what he said, because I stopped watching months ago, just read recaps. I will say that I think Bell loves incest and has no respect for the history of the show or the history of characters. He loves bring in new characters and the firing them because he's written them in a corner, of runs out of story for them. All he knows how to do is recycle stories over and over again. He hasn't had an original thought in years. He's slowly ruining the show.

[DruRocks]

I so agree on the contrived, bullsh.t, emmy bait material for Susan Flannery a la Stephanie's abusive past.

[Cat]

I loved Stephanie's recent story with Betty White. However, Bradley Bell is a hack. The guy hasn't come up with an original idea since Deacon Sharpe and Rick Hearst's Whip shook up the show. Even worse, he cannot follow up on ANY storyline idea because the guy has the attention span of a newt. It also means that any new hiring cannot be integrated into the B&B canvas because Bradley gets bored with his new toy and goes back to the boring Brooke/Ridge/Whoeverthefuck triangle. He should be EP only, IMO.

[DruRocks]

I hated Stephanie's story. It was a whole bunch of nothing. And SERIOUSLY now, was Anne Douglas truly memorable. HELL NAW. But IA with your assessment on Brad Bell.

[Q Steph]

I couldn't get into the story because it came out of NOWHERE. From my understanding, Stephanie has long cherished her father. If he truly were an abusive prick, why didn't she speak up to Eric over the years? Or make a mention of it when it was revealed that HE left HER Forrester? It could've been written that the decision stemmed from guilty, but on it was Eric just being...Eric. Besides, a week later she was over it.

Stephanie is just a mean, old, bitter, meddlesome shrew who bullies everyone. her ovaries swim for Ridge and that's disgusting.

Now, my sister and i share a lot of things, but I'm not going to get with her man if she tosses him to the side. Sisters may swap boyfriends, but it's ridicuolus on this show.