http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/The+Suds+R...lson.htm?isfa=1

The Young and the Restless, Global/CBS — Hot rumour: Is Josh Griffith out? Former ABC producer on their way in?

Since I’ll probably be banned from CBS for the foreseeable future, and have nothing to lose (these days as a journalist you have two choices: side with the corporate machine, or the reader/viewer! Guess which side I chose?), I dug long and hard to find out what the heck is happening over at the topsy-turvy network. Normally, I’d call to ask for a comment from a show rep, but I’m persona non grata these days, so it’d be a waste of time.

When I rung up my backstage Y&R sources, I learned from two set insiders that Barbara Bloom is “on the warpath” these days and she’s itching to fire executive producer Josh Griffith — even though only Sony and the Bells wield that power! “She’s going to use [Y&R’s] recent ratings slide to try to pink slip him any day now. Just watch…” the vet predicts, who adds that Y&R rose in the ratings when Griffith wrote the show during the writers’ strike. And that couldn’t have been easy!

As most of us know, Griffith and head writer Maria Bell found themselves in the unenviable position of cleaning up the mess former honcho, Lynn Marie Latham (a college buddy of Bloom’s) left behind after her much-maligned tenure at the CBS soap. I say, give them time, people. When you keep transitioning between creative personnel, that’s when the ratings erode. And personally, for what it’s worth, I think Bell and Griffith have done William Bell proud.

Yes, the soap is boring, but at least it makes sense now. Moreover, Bell tells me exclusively she has a kick-ass summer planned. Look for our exclusive interview next week! Also, Bell reports her and Hogan Sheffer’s work as a team will debut this August.

When word made the rounds I was blacklisted, various insiders rang me up to dish. What ensued? A few shocking and interesting discussions, that’s what!

One snitch shed light on the backstage drama, by explaining it’s suspect that a former P&G publicist and head writers, along with FOB's (Friends of Bloom’s) have made their way to the No. 1 network and soap. It is odd, come to think of it. “There’s a major power struggle. Though Bloom can not hire and fire anyone on the Bell soaps on paper, she does maintain story control and certainly gets her way when she wants it,” continues the spy. “And from what I hear, she wants the kind of all-consuming power Brian Frons has on his [ABC] soaps. Though Hogan [sheffer, ATWT’s former head writer] is no one's patsy, especially after his time on Days. I hear she wants to replace Griffith with another pal, [a former ABC producer]. What happens from now until the end of the year will be interesting to watch.” Another insider tells me that Bloom treats the cast of Y&R and B&B “like [crap], and has made a few stars shake in their high heels when she visits the CBS studios. She certainly doesn't treat the P&G soaps like this.” If that wasn't enough, I learned Bloom nixed a popular Y&R-B&B crossover earlier this spring due to a personal vendetta.

Which prompts the question: Is Bloom dyslexic? Why is she siding with the lowest-rated soaps on her network and trying to “sabotage” her No. 1 soaps?

Grab the popcorn — it's going to be a bumpy summer, boys and girls!

Best response to a critique I’ve written: When I ran into Emmy winner Christian LeBlanc (Michael) and congratulated him on submitting one of the best Emmy reels in history, I reminded him I was pretty tough on him last year in the acting department. He commented, “Keep it up; keeps me honest.” Now that’s refreshing to hear…

While I was on the Y&R set, I ran into one of my favourite actresses, the divine Judith Chapman (Gloria)... and she’s far more youthful and beautiful in person.

Jeanne Cooper was hugged and kissed by soap-hopping AMC super-couple Beth Ehlers (soon-to-be Taylor) and Ricky Paul Goldin (Jake) in the pressroom shortly after her win. Meanwhile, Corbin Bernsen informed me he’d love to return to soaps in a meatier role. As for his mom’s win, he boasted, “It’s about time. She really doesn’t act for the awards, but it’s nice to be appreciated after all these years in the business.” I’d say.

Why was Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) hanging out with Emmy winner Ron Carlivati at SoapNet’s pre-Emmy party? Well, she wasn’t angling for a part on ABC if that’s what you were thinking. Stafford was just being friend, but admitted she thought “Ron was a writer on Days of Our Lives!” Um, that’s Dena Higley, his former OLTL co-head writer, Michelle, but close enough.

Y&R is casting Michael Baldwin’s father, a free-spirited drifter named Lowell, reports Soaps In Depth! Christian LeBlanc tells me he’s excited about playing out this beat in Michael’s life. I smell another Emmy Award nomination on the horizon.

All I have to say is holy sh*t.

I hear she wants to replace Griffith with another pal, [a former ABC producer]. What happens from now until the end of the year will be interesting to watch.”

OK, this obviously isn't about JHC, since she's still at ABC. I wonder who Bloom is courting now...

All that is wrong with DaytimeTV is right there, on that article. God, they REALLY do want to destroy them, don't they? It's clear: Bloom wants to be as powerful as Frons is--and she will try to get that power any way she can!

If that wasn't enough, I learned Bloom nixed a popular Y&R-B&B crossover earlier this spring due to a personal vendetta.

Hi Lesli!

Hi Lesli!

WHY??

What is the personal vendetta here? That Lesli Kay left ATWT and went to GH?

OMG! So much DRAMA and I love it!

It looks like JHC will be going nowhere.

Loves it.

This is exactly what is wrong with sops these days.. The real soap opera is what is happening behind the screens.

I wish soaps would become the way they were years ago.. A headwriter is writing the show and works with the executive producer. Enough with the coorporate intrigue. Is it that hard for TPTB to realise that this is the safest way to ruin a show??

This is how daytime lost Claire Labine, Nancy Curlee, the Dobsons, Pam K. Long, Michael Malone, Wendy Riche to name a few.

All I know is that whoever allowed LML to do this to Y&R should be fired first.

(BTW I hope Barbara Bloom wants Wendy Riche or Felicia Minei Behr to join Y&R)

I honestly don't see why it's so hard for the Y&R writers to come up with s/l when they have loads of inspiration in their backyard. For goodness sakes.

My prediction? Gary Tomlin.

I'm glad he's speaking out, but would have preferred if it was done before he got pissed off. Before this issue with P&G/CBS, he was perfectly content with keeping this to himself.

It seems like he didn't side with the reader/viewer until it didn't benefit him to side with the corporate machine. That said, I'm glad someone is speaking out. Let's hope he is allowed to continue to do this. We all know that mags tend to cave to network pressure......

I can't take Nelson Blanco seriously. Beyond his obvious agenda, I simply do not believe he is as much an insider as he purports to be in his blog. I do think that he is close to the some people in the know in the industry, but I just don't think that they give him much real info instead he swims in gossip/rumors which is why he gets it right sometimes and wrong an equal amount of times.

Clearly, Blanco staking out this antagonist position with CBS because he believes that Barbara Bloom is on her way out, but what if she holds on to her job or the new person doesn't like Blanco any more than Bloom does right now? Luck to him, he is going to need it.

I guess the YR/BB cross-over could be Lesli Kay (as mentioned), since wasn't Eileen Davidson's departure from Y&R more related to LML, right? If Bloom loves the P&G soaps, (which I'm not sure why since they're so far down in the ratings now), I guess she'd be pissed that LK left ATWT, especially since she's an Emmy winner.

Doesn't make sense for her to be harsh to those two soaps since they've gone down under her rule, yet are still 1 and 2.

Edited June 24, 200817 yr by bandbfan

My prediction? Gary Tomlin.

I doubt it, Bloom and Tomlin didn't work closely at ABC and she wasn't there for very long when he was an EP. Not to mention, he'd be a horrible fit for the show (but that wouldn't stop Bloom)!

As for Nelson, I have no doubt that's he's a bit over the top, but I believe most of what he's saying.