Y&R: Who Should Replace LML, When The Time Comes?

[Adam]

The day already belonged to CBS.... and ABC and NBC over the last couple of years have all lost significantly more ratings... so why exactly would CBS want to model themselves after then?

It was quite possibly as Dee said the worst decision CBS could ever make and is only contributing to the eventual downfall of the soap genre. I used to always say, well all the other soaps are sinking into the abyss but Y&R will always be there as an option.

Umm not anymore. Y&R is no longer the fail safe show for me and many many other daytime viewers.

[Sylph]

Soon, there will be nothing to discuss. Even now there's no discussion - it's endless criticism. Deserved, though.

[Ann_SS]

Even before Y&R won the Emmy, I never thought that LML was going any where. The ratings would have to tank for her to get fired and even then she would hang on like JP at ATWT. I liked Hogan at ATWT, but wouldn't want him near Y&R. Every veteran would be on the back burner under Hogan. Anyway, Y&R just needs tweaking, not overhauling.

[DeeeDee]

Exactly, AMC.

TPTB brought in a hack of a HW (with a plethora of canceled and/or ruined shows in her wake) who ushered in an absurd amount of new writers & newbie actors while shamelessly firing everyone in front of & behind the camera that made Y&R great.

Y&R's biggest asset has always been it's vets & it's consistency.

Now that the first has been decimated & the latter is LONG gone all that's left is a sinking ship with a LML sized hole in it.

And CBS appallingly shortsighted attempts to model their Daytime Lineup after ABC/NBC (both of which have become absolute abominations to themselves & the genre as a whole) is just inexplicably stupid.

[heatherwebber]

CBS is not trying to copy ABC or NBC. They all have clearly different agendas and styles.

NBC has been catering to kids worse than either of the other 2 networks which has defined the style too much. That said, the 2 NBC shows are rather different especially now Reilly is not on Days anymore.

ABC is still mired in the dark dismal and nasty with a youth agenda and a huge obsession for big bangs & shocks galore. In short tacky dreadful & horrible, relentlessly miserable, and unwatchable messes.

CBS is still in my book, even at its worst, a class act. Nothing about any of the CBS shows resembles the other networks. Some aspects of some CBS shows might resemble some ABC material from 20 years ago when the shows were good & watchable but nothing on CBS has any similarity to the dreadful junk ABC airs these days.

That said, I find some of B&B wildly erratic. Sometimes excellent, sometimes not so much, sometimes it's "what the HELL????" but still way ahead of ABC & unrelated to whatever problems NBC has had.

Also, I do watch Days(& B&B as well as Y&R) every day despite having some problems with some of Days' storytelling and most particularly with Slutty Stephanie.

[juppiter]

ITA with Toups.... Y&R should go back to being a Bell Family & Friends production when LML is finally ousted. That said, I don't think that the LML experiment has completely failed. She has had some good stories. But Y&R, one of the last soaps to retain its uniqueness, has lost its charm and become just another soap opera. Y&R needs style over substance (though it always had substance too, style is what made it famous and successful.)

However, I feel like Y&R's loss HAS been B&B's gain, as was stated above. B&B has the "Bell Family Feel" now... in addition to retaining its own "Awesome/Trashy Feel."

Barbara Bloom has been awful for CBS. Never thought I'd say it but I miss Lucy Johnson! B&B IMO is in many ways the best soap on the air and has been for about 5 years. Even though it's the most schizophrenic, inconsistent soap ever made.

[juppiter]

Except for the part where Harding Lemay has stated that he LOVES working with Jill Farren Phelps, and would therefore probably be given a job at GH if he wanted one since Jill loves hiring friends. Fact is he's too old.

[Judipur]

I don't think LMLs going anywhere soon as her soap just tied with Gl for best daytime drama.

[DeeeDee]

CBS is totally attempting to copy both ABC & NBC.

From the firing & marginalization of the vets to the rampant OOC character destruction of almost every character to the extremely plot driven stories to the lack of significant Minority Presence to the complete lack of strong Women & the absurdly cheap production values.

The influx of Cane, Amber, Alison, Plum & Jana?

The complete overexposure of Adrianne Leon, Thad Luckinbill, Hunter Allen, Christel Khalil, Michael Graziadei & Greg Rikaart?

The inexplicable plots & the divestment of any degree of intelligence established characters once had to maintain the thoroughline of shoving the aformentioned actors/characters onto the canvas?

Totally catering to kids.

Ice Storms? Phelia? Cream Poisoning? Reliquary? Murder Mysteries? Clear Springs? Cliff Tussles/Deaths? Constant Blackmail? Ghosts? Plane Crashes?

All "big bangs" & "shocks", none of which were well written & were almost all bordering on parody.

CBS used to be a class act.

Now it's simply a mediocre imitation of a Primetime TV show.

[heatherwebber]

I'll give you the ice storm which was beyond idiotic. But had some plot relevance.

The rest of those I loved. I thought the reliquary story in particular was brilliant. I had some problems with killing John Abbott off and more problems with writing Ashley Abbott off (B&B's clear gain) but it definitely ticked me off what they did to Sheila with Phyllis. THAT was unforgivable. The rest I appreciated in varying ways.

I don't have problems with any of those people having lots of airtime beyond Crystal. I miss Davetta and can't figure out why this particular switch occurred. It didn't help the show.

Thad Luckinbill has had hardly any airtime for months until just lately.

I do however with they hadn't killed off Amber's pseudo cousin. That guy is very good looking.

I love Cane. I say that was a brilliant move on the show's part.

I also want to see a lot more of Nikki's team including Vincent Irizarry & especially the way too short-on-airtime Nia Peeples. I love all the political intrigue and the business feuding type of material.

But a faster pace & Lynn's storytelling style don't equal chasing kids in my estimation. They just translate to something different but still interesting and still good. Unlike ABC's hideous dark style & NBC's often childish repetitive voice-over heavy and teen-heavy troublesome problems.

[sheilaforever]

OK, this personal taste. I think they totally copy the ABC style.

One undisputable fact however remains: the dialogue was totally dumbed down so was the general storytelling technique. Instead of actual dialgue you get "This was your breast Amber!" + a flashback of yesterdays show instead of a senseful conversation. The words are the most plain and simple whereas Y&R has also used to be more sophisticated and intelligent.

[DeeeDee]

The Ice Storm was solely to give MS an Emmy Reel IMO.

Other than that it didn't have any real significance nor plot relevance.

The story itself wasn't too shabby, but giving it to Don Diamont was what ruined it.

A competent actor could've done some good stuff with that story despite its plot driven structure.

But Diamont didn't/doesn't have the emotional depth nor the finesse to handle it.

All of the the aforementioned are unecessary IMO.

Though like you, I miss Davetta. Greatly.

From the morass that was his & RK's!Mackenzie relationship to JT/RK!Mackenzie/Kevin, to JT/Colleen 3.0 with Adrianne, to JT/Victoria, to Reliquary, to JT/Colleen/Adrian, to JT/Victoria/Brad, Thad has been increasingly frontburner in the past year & a half.

If by brilliant you mean history & character character destroying, sure.

Cane is to Jill what Josh is to Erica.

Expedient storytelling is one thing.

But LML's breakneck plot driven storytelling (with the constant flashbacks & complete lack of significant character development) is so newer viewers (Kids) won't get lost.

[heatherwebber]

I will admit to never having been a big fan of Don Diamont.

[DeeeDee]

LMAO. *hi-five*

[sheilaforever]

Trust me, this is one of the most UN-UN-popular opinions you ever mentioned and shall remain undisputed I guess. LOL!

Dude was okay on a low dosis and before his botox-mania and gymbot enhancers make his a greek sculpture... I really liked Brad in the 80s when Jill and Lauren all wanted the best for Brad, him in thier beds. Not so much anymore: He's Scummy Corinthos of Genoa City.