Cast & Crew Online: Houghton, Bell, Ferri Esser & Others

[RuAsRuAnAu]

For many years, it was believed (I think he admitted it) that Jim Houghton (ex-Y&R/B&B writer) frequented a few internet message boards and wrote about Y&R stories and giving away spoilers.

Bradley Bell is another one who is believed to do the same. It is said that he visits several B&B related message boards and gauges the members on all things B&B. Some say that he enjoys to pit one fanbase against the other like Brooke vs. Taylor in his postings (similar to the hegelian dialect).

I just discovered that Janice Ferri Esser, or a person claiming to be her, has/had a Wikipedia account, and edited information relating to her writing career. Giving a reason for the edit, JFE or the imposter wrote: "I am the subject and corrected my length of tenure on Young & Restless as a scriptwriter." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contr...ions/Restless34

Lst year, a mini scandal broke out concerning ATWT's HW, Jean Passanante. She admitted in the soap press that she learns about ATWT's 50 year history from, of all places, Wikipedia. The site is notorious for containing false and misleading "information". Not to mention, it is heavily censored (proper sources are deleted, while fake ones are gladly accepted).

There has been talk that a few writers, particularly Lynn Marie Latham and Robert Guza Jr. rarely read internet message board postings. LML strikes me as the type of person who would just scoff at the idea of reading online boards. Boy, would she be shocked to find out what is written about her. Her husband, Bernard Lechowick, strikes me as the type who appreciates internet feedback. After reading Kay Alden's mini-interview in the Chicago Sun-Times, I am pretty sure she's just like Lechowick in regards to viewer opinions via the web. Well, Sony Pictures Television was their own official site for DOOL/Y&R, so they must know how many feel about their respective shows, as with ABC, CBS (newly formed board) & NBC.

Any other cast and crew (past and present) that you know of or have heard of being online and discussing the show they work on?

[ChangedBYSon]

That's very true about Bradley Bell.

Quite a few people from the soaps like to lurk online and keep in touch with the fan's tastes

or give their opinions on stuff (provided it's anonymous).

A soap fan is a soap fan.

The younger people involved with soaps, especially, like to monitor the boards.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Would you happen to have any names (the younger people), ChangedBYSon? If no names, then the shows they're on or the network?

[dm.]

The sad thing is that even though some of them read what happens on the net, nothing is done to improve the show. I don't know where LML gets her stories, but she better change her source.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

LML gets stories from herself. She's copied a few of her Knots Landing stories since joining Y&R. Other sources for Y&R stories are the Co-HW (Hamner), Associate Head Writers (Bennett, Gottesfeld, Minardi Slater & DuFour), Creative Consultant (B. Lechowick) & co-EP (Griffith).

[DaytimeFan]

According to Y&R's website Natalie Minardi Slater and Lindsay DuFour are not associate headwriters, only Gottesfeld and Bennet are...LML is doing herself a great disservice by not ulitizing Ms. Slater to the best of her abilities, she's been at Y&R for nearly a decade when the show was still excellent.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

I think the more hated the writer is, the less likely they are to read viewer feedback (letters, internet message boards etc.) Save your money, do not buy stamps and send your emails elsewhere.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

I just learned that Marlena De La Croix is a frequent visitor of internet message boards.

Brian Frons has stated that he reads quite a bit of feedback via email, but not message boards.

Are there any other people in the daytime TV industry that browse for topics dealing with the shows they're on?

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Thom Bierdz is online.

i USED to play phillip chancellor III in 1986

but i hear i was an imposter...? it's all good -- there is a new beastmaster phillip chancellor III - and i wish i looked as good as he does - i played phillip from 1986-1989 (was in love with cricket, married nina, drove over a cliff as an alcoholic and died - only to reappear in 2004 as a ghost to help mrs chancellor stop drinking!) -- to see what i have been up to - visit www.thombierdz.com -- my memoirs won 3 awards - and i now paint for a living - in fact, this weekend soemone flew me to paint at their anniversary party in portland oregan - i paint any where - any style - it is my first love -- and am working on a tv show where i can incorporate painting - forgive me for not answering questions on this post, but i can be reached at www.thombierdz.com -- and to all the y&r fans who remember me - haleluiah!

thom

Posted by Thom_Bierdz @ SOC 11/6/07

[Vee]

As we have told you time and again, none of them are here, and if they are, they have to be as sick of your employment campaign for Pola Roof, the totally unrelated woman you have never ever met or heard of ever before in life, as I am. This is about as far from Sardi's or The Ivy as you get, my dear. You're not at Sardi's; you're at Applebee's. Sorry.

[Sylph]

* Mistakenly posted here... *