How to Fix Y&R

[MarkH]

Ease up on the "refused" part.

I don't understand writers' contracts enough, but with EIGHTEEN of 'em, we really don't know how much LML committed them to before going off on vacation.

Yes, yes...and we know Jack Smith is back in orbit (and Kay is too)...but they MUST keep the energy and momentum too. High stakes...OMG moments. I'm not sure ANY of them knows how to do that.

I'm not talking about shock and awe--which mobster do we blow up this week?

I'm talking about revealed secrets, confessed passions, sudden fears, insecurities exposed.... And, yes, it should happen with our veterans and their offspring.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

A lot of those contracts should be coming to an end now. Some of those writers are nearing their first year mark with the show. You can't tell me that at least two contracts aren't up by now. Maria and Griffith aren't doing anything to trim the fat on the writing team, why does this show need 18 writers? Not only is it a burden on the budget, its a burden on the sub par show Y&R already is...

Almost none of the storylines on Y&R at the moment warrant any of those attributes, and that's sad. Also, it doesn't even look like the show is moving in that direction.

Y&R used to be the most soapy-est show on daytime. The show is so damn un-soapy at the moment and it shouldn't be. It's currently pretending to be something its not...

[Sylph]

Since I've become obsessed and have some free time, here's the ratings from Dec. '01 up until these most recent ones.

[mr. sweet]

To improve, the show needs conflict. Everyone is so happy and just coasting along. There is no drama or ongoing storylines except Gloria's troubles, which lately have fizzled.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It doesn't look like David Shaughnesy will be returning to Y&R any time soon, at least not as EP. He and his brother Charles have started their own production company.

http://www.busstop31.com/About_Us.html

[Sylph]

How does this stop him from being Y&R's next EP? I mean, I have my doubts about Sony/Bells hiring him again in that role, but I don't see this as a reason...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I figure he won't want to take on the full task of EP-ing a show, while he has outside ventures to attend to...

[DaytimeFan]

In my experience a lot of production companies are really used for 'income splitting'...not to say that's what Charles and David are doing mind you, but it's possible.

I think he'd return to Y&R if he was asked...production companies are a tough gig.

[PJA]

Yeah there is no real drama..there is some potential drama with the Newmans but that's all.

[MarkH]

Wow. This is really revealing. You can fit a linear decline slope to that graph. It shows that even when LML hit 4.5, it was illusory. The overall trend was downward.

Unless there is a massive rebound, it looks like Y&R has found its new. next lower average.

We are now headed to 3.0 for Y&R...probably within the next year.

[Sylph]

That's one way of looking at it. But, ...

... since the company isn't doing anything that big at this time, I bet he'd jump right in. And I would love for that to happen!

From 5.5 to 3.5 in no time. A simple linear regression, just a couple of linear equations and the death becomes all to evident.

What I'm so afraid of is that it will never, never recuperate from this.

[Sylph]

[Darlotto99]

I think it is important to note that the Y&R was at it's best durring the days of Jack and Brad taking over Newman Enterprise so I belive the show should return to doing those type of storylines. I mentioned in a previous post that I belive that if we take the core Forrester family (minus Ridge and Brook) and relocate them to the Y&R. Ashley and Billy would return have them align with Jack and the return of Jabot to the Abbotts. Ratings will sky rocket. imagin a aliance of the Newmans/Channsler's vs the Forrester's/Abbotts. the show would once again have a second family in the Forrester's to compete with the Newman's. in order for a storyline for that to work the old writters need to return to the Y&R b/c these new writters are incompetant and have no idea that the Y&R is not an ABC soap.

Newmans Channslers Enterprise vs Forresters Jabot Creations = Ratings

[MarkH]

The SIZE of the recent drop--near a half-ratings point--is staggering. There was a similar one (that lasted) at the start of LML's solo era (thanks for superimposing that), and the last big drop like that seems to have been 2003-2004 (I guess when Jack Smith was brought in).

Which leads to a request...any chance you could add those other eras to this graph? Bill Bell stops (but you might now want to go that far back), Kay Alden solo, Jack Smith becomes defacto HW, and then the LML eras you currently have.

[Sylph]

I would gladly do it, however, Toups' weekly ratings archives go only this far into the past. So all you see up until Latham's co-HW stint started is when John F. Smith and Kay Alden were co-head writers.

Kay Alden was co-HW from 1997 to 1998 and then in 1999 she became the solo HW (until 2002, when these weekly ratings begin).