IA. I really think she would be able to truly pull B&B out of the gutter--her style, her fondness for all that artistic stuff, I think it would look better on B&B. As for Y&R, I really do think we haven't found anyone yet who can give it what Bell gave it....

Besides, I believe she knows how to plot a 30-minute show much better than an hour show.

Don't get too excited. One thing is to create something that gets a life on its own after it leaves your embrace. She might have "created" it, but it was as much Bill's/Brad's creation as her own.

Oh don't worry... I wasn't getting excited. I was surprised that someone like her could create someone like Sally.

Besides, I believe she knows how to plot a 30-minute show much better than an hour show.

And she could sure give Brad Bell a few tips!

Oh don't worry... I wasn't getting excited. I was surprised that someone like her could create someone like Sally.

She does seem like she would "get" B&B more (even though her understanding of Y&R is not bad) and, as Sylph said, the structure too.

"I think Hogan (Sheffer) is terrific...I love working with him. He's a great writer. Hogan's strength is bringing this enthusiasm and fun. I love him and Scott Hamner, who is the other co-head writer and very talented. Scott is a little more conservative than Hogan and I think they both bring a great deal to the show in their own way. This has always been a collaborative medium, so it's good to have those guys."

I have no idea whether Maria Arena is a Libra, but she strikes me as such. A typical Libra.

A bit lazy-ish, obsessed with looks and fashion, all romantic, charming and diplomatic, and easily influenced.

A bit lazy-ish, obsessed with looks and fashion, all romantic, charming and diplomatic, and easily influenced.

Sounds like B&B!

I have no idea whether Maria Arena is a Libra, but she strikes me as such. A typical Libra.

A bit lazy-ish, obsessed with looks and fashion, all romantic, charming and diplomatic, and easily influenced.

Hey, back off us Libra's!!

we are all of those thangs and then some. dont act like you dont love it

Hey, back off us Libra's!!

we are all of those thangs and then some. dont act like you dont love it

Hey, I love Libras. Even though my sign isn't really 100% compatible with them. I just can't get my eyes off of them.

Can wee see this scanned?

Why? You don't believe my summary?

I didn't want to violate copyright. Once the newstand date has passed by a few weeks, I will do this.

Solution: she should quit Genoa City and head for LA. There, Brad can fire Kay Alden and replace her with Maria.

Something has to happen for B&B, that is clear. Now that Brad is off making religious movies (seriously!!! religious feature films, like Mel Gibson!), something must happen. It is not Alden and Smith, who have further dragged this show into, literally, the seaweed and the mire.

I want stability at Y&R--regardless of "optimal fit and structure"--for at least 12-24 months...before we start fiddling.

Don't get too excited. One thing is to create something that gets a life on its own after it leaves your embrace. She might have "created" it, but it was as much Bill's/Brad's creation as her own.

Darlene Conley is owed as much "creator" status as anyone. Still, it is nice to see that Maria plugged into that part of it. I agree that Sally rescued that show for a time...and it is her absence that is precisely a key ingredient of the current ruination. The show has NO sense of humor about itself.

I wouldn't be against this at all--in many ways I can says that MAB saved B&B with her creation or at least provided some tools--but then, who knows what hack we'd get to write Y&R?

And I'm not gonna say it about Alden coming back to Y&R, I'm not....

No Alden at Y&R, please. I was once nostalgic, but the current B&B shows me that she is not the answer.

I honestly thing the "answer" might be (possibly without deposing Maria Arena...just to support her) adding in classic BDWs and SWs in the form of Sally Sussman Morina, Meg Bennett, Michelle Poteet Lisanti, etc. If the team had more "classic Bell" in it, to balance out the Racinas and Stanleys and Seidmans and what have you -- more Janice Ferri's if you will -- we'd be in better shape.

But I am not complaining. Y&R continues to earn a steady B+/A- from me on a day to day basis. So the whole current team can stand, IMO. Give us 24 months of stability.

Is Stanley fired? Or still writing for the show?

He's still there, but I don't mind him. He's written some very soapy and well-rounded breakdowns. He's the only LML-er that I wouldn't mind staying actually.

I wonder why was his wife fired and got to stay with the show.

Why? You don't believe my summary?

I didn't want to violate copyright. Once the newstand date has passed by a few weeks, I will do this.

I believe you.

I want stability at Y&R--regardless of "optimal fit and structure"--for at least 12-24 months...before we start fiddling.

I wouldn't really call the past 9 months stable.

No Alden at Y&R, please.

I've been saying this all along. From the beginning.

However, this reminds me of something I wanted to ask you: which team do you prefer — Alden/Smith/Latham or Arena/Sheffer/Hamner?

Edited September 16, 200817 yr by Sylph

I wonder why was his wife fired and got to stay with the show.

What did Diane Messina Stanley do on the show anyway? She was never credited as a writer.

What did Diane Messina Stanley do on the show anyway? She was never credited as a writer.

I would like to know that, too.

Which is why I asked about her.

I wouldn't really call the past 9 months stable.

I agree. What I am saying that from, say, July 2008...from that point forward...or maybe from November 2008 (when JG leaves)...I want to see a couple years of NO or LOW turnover. I want to see that everyone is commited to collaboration and building and working together, and that they will swallow their pride, mediate their disagreements, and work together for common good.

I agree that stability has been lacking.

However, this reminds me of something I wanted to ask you: which team do you prefer — Alden/Smith/Latham or Arena/Sheffer/Hamner?

Oh, you are going to get me in TROUBLE!

There is no easy answer. My answer is "contexualized" (surprise, surprise).

When LML took over for Jack Smith, it was desperately needed. After years of Brittany Hodges stealing the show, it was a disaster. I took a look at what was happening in early October 2005...just as an example: (Source is SOC)

Ashley cozied up to "Terrible Tom" to make him less likely to feel that there was a plot being put into motion against him. Michael told Lauren that he and Ashley were working together to get rid of "Terrible Tom" for good. Neil told Dru that he spent the night at the rehab center with Yolanda so that he could offer her his support and keep her from leaving the rehab center. Brittany received a call from Agent Larkin telling her to be ready to leave at any time. "Terrible Tom" refused to aid Brenda (Sheila) in finding a source for her poison. At the last minute, Sharon went along with Brad on a business trip. "Terrible Tom" told his "boys" that he planned to make amends for all his actions from the past. Nicholas turned the coffeehouse over to the new owners: Mac and Kevin. Katherine apologized to Jill for her actions towards her, way back in the past. Scott presented his Mother with his gift, that Brenda (Sheila) had laced with poison. Ashley was able to plant something on "Terrible Tom's" motorcycle. Sheila overheard the conversation that Lauren was having with Michael and realized that she did not kill Taylor. Brittany's baby was kidnapped in the airport, while Jill was holding him.

So, early in the Smith/Alden/Latham era, I thought that group was the best to grace Y&R in years. Everything that was happening pleased me. There were the "red herrings" (Nikki shot and John having "spells"...when the REAL story to focus on was Victor's "bump on the head"). There were delightful turnabouts that shed new light on old characters. (Victor smelling lavender and reminiscing about former teachers with a smile; Jack getting the upper hand on Victor for once). There was even genuinely mysterious new light being shed on the unfilled pasts of long-standing characters (Brad studying a newspaper article about a family slaying in Parma Ohio). The sets were revised for energy and movement and light (Newman Enterprises, most notably). The dialogue was more naturalistic, the humor quotient was greatly increased, and the pacing was terrific. I found it to be edge-of-my-seat. Because it was all using legacy characters, building on their history (Brad's unknown past; Victor's tendency to head-butt opponents; John's long cardiovascular history), I felt it was not reinvention, but simply "spit shining" of my beloved show.

I'd say this "good period" lasted 3 months? Maybe a little longer. As Jack Smith and Kay Alden got edged out, their influence was felt less and less. Surprisingly, their lack of influence was felt LESS in the disregard for history, and more in LML's inability to coordinate across episodes. By the time of late 2007, Y&R's characters were like shells of themselves. Who was Nikki--running for Senate and having her daughter-in-law arrested on her wedding day? What was the real glue that pulled Jack and Sharon together? Better pacing had become frenetic, with many of us asking ourselves "huh? when did that happen?".

So, in that context, 12/26/07 was a watershed. Within days, Maria Arena Bell and Josh Griffith revitalized the show. They took away all the STYLISTIC and COORDINATORIAL problems that LML's team had introduced. The show instantly felt more authentic.

It is meaningful that when the WGA writers returned, things got worse again. More inconsistency from day to day. Some unfortunate immediate post-strike decisions (like RUSHING the Sabrina-Victor romance) started to pollute the show...as did the show's disregard of some of its most important history (Victor's snip).

So, now we have the Arena/Sheffer/Hamner era. I think it is too soon to render a conclusion. There is no question that the show had ground into a kind of story-free stagnation by July 2008. There is no question that the post "Sudden Impact" episodes have been much better at containing scenes of heightened emotion, rooted in history, with scenes allowed to 'play out' sometimes. Nikki's long night of drunkenness in a Mexican bar played out in excruciatingly long scenes...that were a delight to watch.

I find it is too soon to judge where this is headed. The regime seems intent on "rebuilding" and "extending" core families (bringing back veterans, and tying newbies immediately to core families). This is a good thing. Will this sustain? Will the show tell stories today that are PLANNED to peak a year from now? Hopefully.

I will say that, with great variability, I have enjoyed almost every day since August began, and so have my viewing partners. I take that as a good sign.

There is no doubt that

Did you all see the little feature called "Who is Maria Arena Bell" in the 9/23 SOD?

I learned a few things:

- Here is one quote: "My first meeting with Bill, he said, 'We're about to introduce a new character'. He told me to come up with what this person could be like. My stepdad was an irascible, tough knockoff artist, so I made him into a woman and came up with the character of Sally Spectra. It was hilarious. So my first job was on B&B, shepherding the fashion storylines and I was Brad's writing partner. Bill become my mentor."

I knew some, but not all of this. That she created my beloved Sally Spectra elevates her a notch for me.

That's kind of interesting, especially because of how pivotal a character Sally became. Of course, a lot of that is because of Darlene's portrayal. But even so, Bill Bell once said that he knew that Darlene would be the person to play Sally from the time they brought her on, so it makes you wonder how much of that came from the skeleton of the character that MAB came up with.

And with her fashion background, it makes you wonder if MAB might be better suited for B&B than Y&R, since B&B has lost its focus on fashion of late and really needs it.

ETA: She has this to say about her writing collaborators:

"I think Hogan (Sheffer) is terrific...I love working with him. He's a great writer. Hogan's strength is bringing this enthusiasm and fun. I love him and Scott Hamner, who is the other co-head writer and very talented. Scott is a little more conservative than Hogan and I think they both bring a great deal to the show in their own way. This has always been a collaborative medium, so it's good to have those guys."

It still doesn't explain why she needs two co-head writers. And even if she needs two, why Hamner, the man responsible for the "crime wave" in Genoa City according to LML during her tenure? Y&R seemed to be getting away from that under JG and MAB during the strike, so why bring it back again?

Something interesting news I found out about Ryan Quan, from an old GL site I go to look up old GL info/news.

It seems like he REALLY wanted to be a soap opera writer. I'm happy he's getting that chance now.

http://www.soap-news.com/gl/old/glnews99.htm

June 12, 1999 - The winners of Procter & Gamble's writing contest for college students are Elizabeth Logan, Kimberly Hamilton, Ryan Quan, Amanda Brown, and Robert Craft.

There's also tons of stuff from 1999 about longtime GL writers who were leaving to write for a then "new soap," which was of course Passions. I wonder if one of them knew of him and brought him to Passions, and he eventually went to DAYS from there, though there had to have been years when he wasn't in the soap industry.

Edited September 17, 200817 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Hey, back off us Libra's!!

we are all of those thangs and then some. dont act like you dont love it

-

You're a LIbra too, JP?

I knew I loved you for a reason... :-)