Michael Logan Perfectly Sums of Y&R's Current State

[Drew]

She trained under Bell, and absolutely understood his style of storytelling. Alot of her actual stories ended up sucking, but they still were told in the Bill Bell way which still made them watchable. I'd take her material, sperm stealing and switching and all, over anything I've seen on Y&R lately.

She'll always be fondly remembered by me for the Matt Clark/Carter Mills story, and for batshit crazy Tricia McNeil.

[DaytimeFan]

My first choice, as always, would be Kay Alden.

I think Janice Ferri Esser, Natalie Minardi Slater, Jerry Birn, Jim Houghton, Trent Jones or Sally Sussman Morina would all make suitable candidates for HW of Y&R. As you likely notice, all of them worked under Bill Bell. That, in my opinion, is the key. Y&R is a 'Bell' show...it needs a 'Bell' touch in order to retain its identity.

And as far as EP's go: David Shaugnessy. He's a no brainer.

[DeeeDee]

Amen.

[R Sinclair]

Where's ghbakedziti or whatever their name is?

[MTSRocks]

I've been saying this forever...

The stories stink. AND I am beyond tired of watching Eric Braeden suck face with that Sabrina actress in every scene that they share! I hope Sabrina robs the old bastard blind!

[Ann_SS]

Of all its post-Bell writing teams, Y&R was the best when Alden, Smith, and LML were working together with Scott and Shaughnessy . They stopped each other from indulging in their worse tendencies. Plots moved faster (good LML) and were more well developed with emotional pay off (not-LML), but they were interesting unlike the crap that Alden and Smith regularly churned out. The ratings were also pretty consistent under this team usually around 4.3 in the HH. Too bad that CBS/Sony didn't maintain the status quo and picked LML over Smith and Alden. Right now, I can't see how Y&R can get better with MAB using the show to pimp her artist protege and boring stories. It didn't take long for her and Griffin to wear out their welcome.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Even though there is a lot wrong with Y&R right now, I hope that MAB and JG DON'T go anywhere. My one big worry about them leaving is that this will start the EP/HW merry-go-round that has sucked the life out of the most of the other soaps and made them virtually unrecognizable. Y&R always seemed immune to the endless comings and goings of EPs and HWs and each new vision that comes with each new regime. I much rather Sony and CBS keep Bell and Griffith in place, at least for now, and let them try to right what is wrong. It really isn't rocket science to be able to abide by Bill Bell's classic formula but with a modern twist, which is why I think that the Latham/Alden/Smith trio was fab. (It's when Latham went solo when the show began to lose some of its flavor.) I would like them to rehire some of the old Y&R writers too, but I'm not sure that's a viable option. Let's not forget, it was Sony and CBS, not LML, who presented a mandate that the show enter into the 2000s, as it were. I'm sure that mandate is still there, and that could include keeping Bill Bell's writers as far away as possible from Y&R.

[ian]

I agree, maybe if they try to keep the same HW and EP, it'll make for a small bit of stability and let them get back on track, let's see if they can get us out of the latham rut, maybe things are just transitional right now and an interesting story is just around the corner.

[DevotedToAMC]

And I can sum up Michael Logan in one word: Moron

[Adam]

I agree with him here. The show is a total directionless bore.

[Drew]

Whatever .... that Sheila Carter & The Bombshelter story sucked ass, as did everything else at the time.

[VPCandy]

Exactly, after 21 years of watching, these past two years have been torturous.

[JackPeyton]

[Sylph]

I would like to know what were those stories and why are you two so sure those stories weren't 100% Alden or 100% Latham, that is – why do you think they are a result of a collaboration?

[DeeeDee]

Better boring than bad. lol