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.

I'm SO glad you made a point to mention this!

This is one of my biggest problems with Y&R and most of daytime as a whole right now. Flashbacks were NEVER ad-nauseum on Y&R until Latham showed up. This show is just as bad as PASSIONS with flashbacks.

Everything SHOULD be expressed through the dialogue and the actor's emotions in their scenes. We're not stupid...we watch everyday, we GET IT. Just show us what is happening between these two characters in the NOW instead of what happened in the immediate past. It detracts from what is happening between them. ETA: Not to mention it gives the viewer ZERO incentive for tuning in everyday. Ever heard of "Miss a Day, Miss a Lot"?!

Y&R used to never dumb down for its audience until LML showed up. I never thought I would see the day when Y&R would use flashbacks, let alone three, in the course of one episode. EVERYDAY.

And Y&R just won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series(undeservedly over B&B, which should have tied with GL). That bitch ain't goin' nowhere.

Edited June 16, 200718 yr by bellcurve

I mean, for Christ's sake, their reel had SYLVIA BROWNE in it!

I mean, PASSIONS should have won Drama Series the year Jerry Springer guest-starred on the show.

B&B was phenomenal wth the Betty White material, not so great with some other stuff, ok but mystifying with the Taylor/Darla stuff, and achingly awful with just about everything involving Phoebe. In short it was so all over the place I could hardly rate it best (but the Betty White stuff WAS top notch and I'd say better than any other show doing anything all year.)

B&B was phenomenal wth the Betty White material, not so great with some other stuff, ok but mystifying with the Taylor/Darla stuff, and achingly awful with just about everything involving Phoebe. In short it was so all over the place I could hardly rate it best (but the Betty White stuff WAS top notch and I'd say better than any other show doing anything all year.)

And Y&R was consistent?!

Ice Storms, Husband Swapping, Insta-Couples, Victor's headaches, seisures, and sudden recovery, Devon's hearing loss story lasting all of five seconds, making a juicy murder mystery revolve around a dayplayer no one gives a crap about?

You call THAT consistent?!

B&B has its fault, I admit, and it hasn't been consistent, I'll admit that too. But Y&R was FAR from perfect in 2006.

No, although I've enjoyed Y&R all along I will admit it's been very inconsistent. But still much better than all the rest.

Days appeared to be starting to give it a run as its rival until it started to break out with a lot of cracks and a numblingly awful reworking of Slutty Stephanie.

Seriously, Y&R has reached low ratings lately. Even though the Emmys might help raising the ratings temporary, it is probably only a matter of time before it reaches below 4.0 in the household average ratings. Is Lynn Marie Latham really sitting as safe as everybody keeps saying? I mean, what if Y&R falls down into having constant 3.7-3.8 averages?

Edited June 16, 200718 yr by Rudolpho Meradi

There's been a downward turn in the ratings for all soaps going back for years. They're all crumbling away.

There's been a downward turn in the ratings for all soaps going back for years. They're all crumbling away.

Yes, but that is not an excuse for continuing bad writing.

Seriously, Y&R has reached low ratings lately. Even though the Emmys might help raising the ratings temporary, it is probably only a matter of time before it reaches below 4.0 in the household average ratings. Is Lynn Marie Latham really sitting as safe as everybody keeps saying? I mean, what if Y&R falls down into having constant 3.7-3.8 averages?

The damage is done. I see CBS/Sony saying, "Wow, the ratings suck, but Lynn Marie Latham is doing all she can to keep the numbers from bleeding." They will spin anything to keep her on. But who would replace her? Scott Hamner?! Keep in mind Latham and Hamner were both co-Heads at PC. She left, and Hamner stayed and wrote some of the worst soap opera I've ever seen. Nothing made sense, people were acting out of character, it just sucked really bad.

It's a bad sign that Scott Hamner is on the Y&R writing team. Keep in mind he DID write the story arc for Carmen Mesta's murder.

Yes, but that is not an excuse for continuing bad writing.

Agreed!

Edited June 16, 200718 yr by bellcurve

There is no excuse for bad writing. Y&R doesn't HAVE bad writing. GH does. Others do. Y&R has competent writing. But it also has been undergoing changes which obviously some people don't like.

But I loved what both Lynn & Scott Hamner did with Port Charles. It was later on the show became crap with those awful illogical supernatural arcs which bore no relation at all to the great and excellently written Dark Shadows.

How can any long time viewer of Y&R sit here and say what is being shown on our screens is good writing? I can think of 4 or 5 soaps that have more compelling writing currently than Latham's Y&R. heatherwebber, exactly how long have you been a viewer of Y&R? Just out of curiosity?

Late 70s. Hasselhoff & Jamie Lyn Bauer were on.

Very little on the air now has compelling writing. Writing on most shows is all over the place, often bad, but currently all ABC soaps have idiotic & atrocious writing.

""exactly how long have you been a viewer of Y&R? Just out of curiosity?""

Edited June 17, 200718 yr by heatherwebber

Episodes here and there as a young child in the early 90's. Consistent viewer 1995-2007. I mean I guess I should be happy for you that Y&R can still entertain you and compel you. It just certainly doesn't compel me. Not to watch anyway.

Y&R always was respected by everyone as "better than all the rest" and the you know gold standard. That simply cannot be said now. If every other soap opera is as you say "atrocious" then Y&R is too. Its no better than General Hospital, One Life To Live, All My Children, DAYS and any other plot driven crap that's out there. Latham is clearly channeling those mentioned shows and it just doesn't fit with Y&R. Never has and never will.

Y&R always was respected by everyone as "better than all the rest" and the you know gold standard. "">>>

Well that's not exactly true. By many accounts Y&R was extremely slow moving & even many used the word "dull" in regards to it.

That isn't what I'd say but it is how a lot of people called it.

What those people missed is that stories built up and always had huge payoffs. But I must also add that Bill Bell wrote some pretty bizarre stories for the show in his day. What I see going on now is not off kilter with his vision even though it's quite different from the Kay Alden & Jack Smith era.

I'd have a very different description for a lot of what's gone on with B&B under his son.

I'd also have very different things to say about Days now and in some former periods. Days simply can't be lumped with the ABC shows. Nor were the ABC shows always the crap they are now. They were all once something special.

We will agree to disagree. As I said I am glad there are people out there who still enjoy Y&R for what it is.

Sadly I can't. And I truly mean that. It saddens me as a long time Y&R fan.