LOL. Each soap has created its own ridiculous mess because of their insistence to continue SORASing and de-SORASing. Whoever came up with the idea 50 or 60 years ago, I hope they're happy, wherever they're at. They're responsible for one of the most unrealistic soap opera conventions ever, if not the most unrealistic.

And it's gotten worse in recent years. Even 10-15 years ago, it wasn't as bad as it is now. It used to be that SORASing was a "wink/nod" kind of thing, just like the way I described some of the recasts who were de-SORASed to be younger than their predecessors. Just to use Y&R as an example, I remember when Heather Tom and then later Joshua Morrow were cast, I went along for the ride and said "Ok, Nikki/Melody can be the mother of teenage kids," even though it didn't make sense with the show's chronology. It was one of those soap staples you just accepted and suspended your disbelief for. But now, you have Cane, who was born years before Victor Newman ever came to GC, a contemporary of Nick's? Or Adam, who teenage Vicki and Nick didn't even want to hold as a baby because he represented another slice of their inheritance pie being cut up, being less than a decade younger than his half-siblings and dating Heather, who was born before either one of those siblings? And just wait until the new Noah shows up. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it, and the innovators behind it are probably laughing their butts off about the mess they created wherever they are now.

But now, you have Cane, who was born years before Victor Newman ever came to GC, a contemporary of Nick's?

Hence the complete absence of Tricia Cast.

And it's gotten worse in recent years. Even 10-15 years ago, it wasn't as bad as it is now. It used to be that SORASing was a "wink/nod" kind of thing, just like the way I described some of the recasts who were de-SORASed to be younger than their predecessors. Just to use Y&R as an example, I remember when Heather Tom and then later Joshua Morrow were cast, I went along for the ride and said "Ok, Nikki/Melody can be the mother of teenage kids," even though it didn't make sense with the show's chronology. It was one of those soap staples you just accepted and suspended your disbelief for. But now, you have Cane, who was born years before Victor Newman ever came to GC, a contemporary of Nick's? Or Adam, who teenage Vicki and Nick didn't even want to hold as a baby because he represented another slice of their inheritance pie being cut up, being less than a decade younger than his half-siblings and dating Heather, who was born before either one of those siblings? And just wait until the new Noah shows up. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it, and the innovators behind it are probably laughing their butts off about the mess they created wherever they are now.

As great as Y&R has been for most of its run, that's one thing that's always stuck out to me...how the aging, like you said, in recent years, has been just ridiculous. Even the aging of Victoria and Nick still makes me say "Hmm?" I think Nick went from like...I don't know...five or six years old all the way to sixteen or seventeen? Between DAYS, B&B, and Y&R, I don't know who's the worst.

And it sucks for the people playing the parents and the grandparents, too. The main reason why ATWT's Ellen was pushed into the background was because her sons were aged at a ridiculous pace and their SORASing made her out to be a contemporary of Nancy when she should have been rubbing storyline elbows with Bob, Kim, Susan, Lisa, Grant, Joyce, etc.

Even the aging of Victoria and Nick still makes me say "Hmm?"

Victoria, no. Nick, yes.

And it's arguable as to how successful those recasts are given that the use of younger replacements has often caused glaring situations that require the audience to suspend their disbelief. At first, they danced around that with the notion that the characters had not changed ages, even if played by a younger actor. Even when Tracey Melchior played Kristen opposite Felicia (as played by either Coleen Dion or Lesli Kay), Kristen was still the older sister, even though Melchior was obviously younger (and looked it) than either actress playing Felicia. But now with the Logans, it's like the characters have de-aged along with the actors who played them. This especially is true of Storm, who was said to have graduated high school in 1982, placing him somewhere in his early forties when he died. But if he's the oldest sibling, how can Brooke have given birth in her twenties to a son who is almost 30? And how can he have been a high school classmate of Taylor's and a contemporary of Ridge's when Taylor and Ridge have children in their twenties?

We're not supposed to think about that stuff!

Just a side note - I just realized that Y&R has de-SORASed a major character before: Diane Jenkins. I don't know what the age difference is in real life, but Susan Walters definitely looked and acted younger than Alex Donnelley.

Traci's character was always boring, dull, and wimpy. She reminds me of Meg from Family Guy.

Soaps just need to age their characters in a logical fashion. If there are no characters in place to pair up with a certain character that is going to be of age, then just create a new character. There is no need to SORAS a character that shouldn't be older than another character that is remaining the same age.

As great as Y&R has been for most of its run, that's one thing that's always stuck out to me...how the aging, like you said, in recent years, has been just ridiculous. Even the aging of Victoria and Nick still makes me say "Hmm?" I think Nick went from like...I don't know...five or six years old all the way to sixteen or seventeen? Between DAYS, B&B, and Y&R, I don't know who's the worst.

You're right about Nick. Kay Alden's son played little Nicholas until Victor shipped him off to boarding school, and Nick was sixteen when he returned as Joshua Morrow, jumping to seventeen, and from high school to college, in a matter of months. After that, it seemed like Nick was aged in real time until recently. Nick and Sharon's 10th anniversary was really ten years after they got married. Cassie aged in real time from the time Camryn Grimes came on until the character was killed off. But with the aging of Noah around the corner, so much for that.

And I don't really watch DAYS, so I can't judge on that, but with B&B and Y&R, it's a toss-up as to who is worse of late. It used to B&B in my mind, especially when 4 year old Mary Warwick became 16 year old Erica and Thomas jumped from 4 to 10 to 16 to 18 in the space of a short span. The worst Y&R had at that time was Nick, and they managed to make that work in some ways, so I put them in second place behind B&B. But the last couple of years of Y&R has me thinking they're both really failing in that department.

And it sucks for the people playing the parents and the grandparents, too. The main reason why ATWT's Ellen was pushed into the background was because her sons were aged at a ridiculous pace and their SORASing made her out to be a contemporary of Nancy when she should have been rubbing storyline elbows with Bob, Kim, Susan, Lisa, Grant, Joyce, etc.

Yeah. And if they don't push the parent/grandparent off as a result, it still seems odd, like Y&R's Phyllis seeming much older than she is because she has a twentysomething year old son.

We're not supposed to think about that stuff!

It's hard not to think about them when they wave red flags in our faces that remind us constantly, like B&B did by saying when Stephen and Storm both graduated high school.

Just a side note - I just realized that Y&R has de-SORASed a major character before: Diane Jenkins. I don't know what the age difference is in real life, but Susan Walters definitely looked and acted younger than Alex Donnelley.

Looked, yes, but I can't remember anything that really made me say "Diane's younger than she was before." It's like I mentioned with B&B's Kristen: Kristen was still the older sister, even though Tracey Melchior clearly looked younger than Colleen Dion and Lesli Kay. But with their recent Logan recasts, B&B has thrown in specific references that say, "This is how old Storm is," but don't ring true with the ages of his niece and nephew by younger sister Brooke, so Storm's graduation date doesn't make sense unless the character is suddenly younger than he used to be.

I would be down for a Tracci recast - but no to making her look like a model. Traci and her weight was such a huge issue for the char for so long. It did shape who she was. And in the end she accepetd it and loved herself. She didnt stave herself and get plastic surgery to look like a model.

However is she needed? I mean on oen hand yes because shes an abbott, and hs ehas tons of history on the show. But on the other... no. not really. I wouldnt mind if they used her recurring. and BM seems to be ok with that. i just wish they would use her more.

tho id prefer Nina to come back

Since I am a fan of classic flashbacks I wouldn't like a Traci recast.

However Judi Evans Luciano would make a very good Traci.

OK, the audience is not made up of complete morons. We all know Heather Tom played Victoria on Y&R for years, and that Martha Byrne won't return as Lily Snyder for, uh, probably ever. But the flashbacks add so much to the character and whatever GOOD plot the writers have set up, that they shouldn't just leave the footage to waste. I mean, if they can friggin' SORAs people, why not show flashbacks of former actors? That's such an annoying rule.

OK, the audience is not made up of complete morons. We all know Heather Tom played Victoria on Y&R for years, and that Martha Byrne won't return as Lily Snyder for, uh, probably ever. But the flashbacks add so much to the character and whatever GOOD plot the writers have set up, that they shouldn't just leave the footage to waste. I mean, if they can friggin' SORAs people, why not show flashbacks of former actors? That's such an annoying rule.

Among other reasons, it's probably because they would have to pay royalties to the former actor.

Also, they don't want to remind viewers of how good a former portrayer was, because it would cause them to start bitching that they want them back.

I say no to a Tracy recast!

they need to be re-established. One of the comments from the new Billy in the soap mags this week had him saying that they're "rebuilding the Abbotts", so hopefully things like Traci's brief visit and Billy's return to GC in the near future are starting them down that road, and Eileen Davidson's now

If they are finally rebuilding the Abbott's then how about recasting Colleen (preferably Adrianne Leon) with someone who can at least cover up their accent? They had a Colleen that could get the job done AND she looked like she was Brad and Tracy's daughter.

Edited September 9, 200817 yr by Heyou

I would actually congratulate a soap that dared to show a flashback with a previous actor on the role.