How to Fix Y&R

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Seeing as canceling the show isn't an option, here are my choices:

1. If the show doesn't improve significantly by July, Fire Maria Arena Bell and Josh Griffith. So far, outside of wrapping up Latham's stories, they've done nothing to help the show. The couplings are all wrong, the stories are very contrived and boring, and the pacing is beyond horrific for the type of storylines they're telling.

2. Trim the damn cast. There's so many character who need to be written out, yet they aren't doing that. It looks like Korbel will be gone soon, they need to take Colleen off this show permanently too. I know, she's an Abbott, but we rarely see her and Tammin Suresucks isn't very good in the role (as we all know.) Also, I wouldn't mind seeing Cane, Victoria, JT, and a few others make their way out of town.

3. Revive the damn Abbott family. It's time to bring Eileen Davidson back from B&B, and bring Traci back as well. I also wouldn't mind them asking David Tom to come back as Billy.

4. Expand Jill's role and capitalize more on her rivalry with Nikki. Enough said...

5. GET RID OF THE 4-Some from hell. It's time to branch Jack, Phyllis, Sharon, and Nick off into their own orbits. These characters have been joined at the hip for like 3 years already, and that's a damn shame. Yes, they'll always be connected in some way, but they shouldn't be connected this much for this long. Also, break Nick and Phyllis up, its that paring which signified the show sucking so much IMO. They're entirely boring and whatever chemistry they used to have is all gone. It's also time to give Phyllis her tits back. Phyllis isn't suppose to be the saintly housewife. She's suppose to the gray character who is fighting between the bad girl in her and the girl who wants to do the right thing.

6. Bring Dru back, Victoria Rowell already said a million times that she's open to coming back. She makes Niel seem interesting. They need to revitalize the Winters family badly. I also wouldn't mind Olivia coming back, assuming they can actually write for her this time.

7.Bring back the sense of community the show used to have. Everything is so separate and contrived on the show these days. It's time to make Genoa City feel like a real place again.

8. TRIM THE DAMN WRITING TEAM. 18 members is WAY TOO MUCH! There's too many cooks in the kitchen, which is why the show is coming off as visionless, choppy, and boring. It's time to keep some of the good writers, while bringing back some of the old Bell/Alden/Smith writers. I wouldn't be upset if they trimmed the staff down to like 10-12 writers...

9. The show desperately needs a good new EP who can keep the HW in check. I don't mean tyrant EP's in the Paul Rauch or JFP mold, I mean someone with a strong vision for the show who can maintain a balance with the HW's vision for the show. I'd take David Shaughnessy back in a NY Minute.

10. As for HW replacements. I wouldn't mind if Natalie Minardi Slater, Jerry Birn, Trent Jones, or Jim Houghton were all given the chance to helm the show. I also wouldn't mind having Alden and Smith back as consultants as well. They could also bring in someone entirely new. However, I'd only hope that person is someone who is a fan of the show and studied the show's history, so they'd know what type of stories to hell and how to write for certain characters.

[Sylph]

Excellent post! I'll e-mail it to Maria ASAP!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Brad, tell your brother his wife sucks and needs to be fired.

[rhythmchyc]

Welcome!!

The music industry in real life is dying a long, miserable death, though. B&B hasn't had too much realism in their history but this wouldn't make any sense if they'd go into something to make more money that in real life is making absolutely no money.

I still think ALColleen and Kevin should never be together. He tried to kill her for goodness sakes. Being friends would be fine, but I don't think that I can stomach that pairing.

I also don't like the young Black characters leaving the show. I just wish someone would give Lily a drug problem already. Can y'all imagine doped up Lily?? Oh wait, there is no difference now, is there? Shucks.

It's probably time to break Michael and Lauren up.

But, more seriously, break Victoria and J.T. up. Jesus! I'd kinda like to see Victoria and Korbel...

And Sabrina and Adam, if Sabrina was more vindictive, of course.

If Sabrina betrays Victor, we'll see fun bad Victor again.

I also wish Nick would do something deceiving rather than Jack. He's been Mr. Nice guy way too long. It's time to put some hot coals under his feet to get him jumping.

[YRBB]

Joshua Morrow came in mind, literally doing that. HILARIOUS I tell ya!

Agreed with everything you said, apart from Kevin/REAL Colleen... I think those two would be HOT.

[Sylph]

Maria and I are swapping places! How about that?

BTW, RE: the excellent post: I don't expect anything else from you.

[rhythmchyc]

Honestly, what up with all the whining Phyllis and Nick have done about Jack's complete disrespect? Have they forgotten how to stand up and be pissed?

In fact, that's all I've been hearing on this show recently: CHARACTERS WHINING!!! Have they decided to take acting lessons from Christel? Are they rebelling against the producers and writers by not delivering their lines with any conviction?

That's it. I'm officially boycotting this show from now on. I thought I could stick it out but if they aren't trying their damnedest to make this show stellar, why should I try my damnedest to watch?

[Sylph]

A note to Maria Arena Bell (Patrick Erwin's question reminded me): stop these international art references in the soap! It's just awful. I know my art, thank you, but I don't want it suffocating my soap. This clearly has Maria's fingerprints all over it.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

As I've said before, with Y&R's ratings tanking massively, I don't see Maria and Josh lasting by the end of the year. Yes, all other soaps are losing viewers and households. However, Y&R's proven it can get as high as 4.3 in dailies and as low as a 3.4. Something is up there, hopefully TPTB see this error and make changes based on it. Latham was fired for a lot less. If things don't improve, Griffith and Bell should be on their way out as well.

[Sylph]

Do you think she has a ratings clause in her contract?

[DaytimeFan]

That's a good question. Kay Alden did (and was the only one of the three who didn't violate her ratings clause), Jack Smith did, LML did...I sure hope Maria does...that way her ass is guaranteed to be fired.

[sheilaforever]

HAHA - this post makes me forgot all the things I should better do right now like unpacking my luggage.

So much MTS hate, Sylph. How dare you... *hits the dancefloor in party mode*

Irony is, except for that hideous hairdo and that pink pieces of hooker-gone-CEO-clothing and my general dislike for MTS, she has really grown on me. I still think she she is one of the brightest spots on Y&R spring 2007 till present. Not only due to a general decline of quality (oh well, definitely because of it) but also because the writing gives her more layers.

EB is another issue. He is so much his role. He would fail in probably any other role, now that his acting really stilted the past 10 years or so. Yet, he is Victor Newman. He's a prime example that daytime can create strange melanges of roles and their protrayers which are addicting.

I'm not too fond of either of them (although TGVN is verrrry pivotal to Y&R IMO) but they are necessary evils.

As for the general purpose of this thread. I've 2 weeks of Y&R to catch up with but I more or less like the show these. It is frustrating at times but overall my main grind is that stories seem to vapor just when you think they are headed for a climax.

Jeff has a huge secret. Mini-downer: It's just a Korean wife. Still nice possibilties. Swoooooosh! Korean wife is already shipped of. That mystery and the whole Gloria in the Abbott mansion stuff has no ramifications at all. Huh???

Most stories develop that way and multi-fragmenting the episodes where pacing is better than under LML but got much worse as soon as those post-strike episodes aired isn't helping the matter.

People behind the scenes need to decide what to do with Y&R: I f they a more edgy envelope pushing lighthearted show they could just ask Brad Bell over to pen some stories with Maria Arena. If they want to go back to the roots with real, great compelling drama: bring back Kay ALden and or promote Janice Ferri Esser or Natalie Minardi Slater... Right now the direction seems unclear.

But most of all, weak links need to be cut in the writers room, amongst the cast and behind the scenes in the music department.

BTW: What I really enjoyed was a playful episode where Jill got flirtatious during a conversation with Brad at GCAC who then got played by Skye. Both Brad and Jill were totally back to their essence. I'd really like to see more of that with these characters and some more...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Alden's Y&R didn't tank as massively in the ratings as Smith's, Latham's, and now Maria Bell's stint is. However, when Alden was sole HW, ratings were generally a lot more stable in daytime across the board.

I often wonder how Jack Smith eventually ranked higher than Alden the way he did. I know, many, myself included, were unhappy with some of Alden's stories, but it seemed weird how fast she was phased out for Smith.

I do know Shuaghnessy, Smith, and Alden were one big happy team though. They glued better than they previously did with Ed Scott. Alden and Scott hated one another during Scott's final years as EP there. I hear she's part of the reason his contract as EP with the show wasn't renewed, they clashed so much, and Bill Bell eventually sided with Alden. I remember Alden singing Shaughnessy's praises when he was promoted, those two along with Smith seemed to have a much better working relationship. It's good when EP's and HW's can work together for the betterment of a show.

I think Josh Griffith and Maria Bell's problem is that they have no long-term vision. Also, they seem to support the influx of newbies and slow underdeveloped stories. They share too much of the same approach, there's no balance. They both seriously need to go soon...

[Sylph]

Well, what can I say? I have that effect on people. I don't actually hate her and pursue her every fault like a Fury from hell. It's just that I like questioning certain "authorities" and like to point to certain opinions I think many other people share/have only are not admitting it for whatever reason. So, if someone hates Nikki, please come forward and say it out loud.

[Sylph]

Yes, that is a mystery for me, too. I think that she was loathed by certain power-players who couldn't wait to get rid of her.