There's a whole write-up thing Nelson did on Maria, naming her his "Entertainer of the Year," but I'll skip that and just post the interview.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/2008s+Ente...r_NB.htm?isfa=1

TVGuide.ca: When I watch Y&R, I catch myself singing Ave Maria, and trust me, while it’s not a pretty to hear, it’s a visceral response. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving the world back their treasured soap opera, The Young and the Restless.

Maria Arena Bell: Well, thank you for all your support and all the kind words you have printed about our show. Remember, I told you at the Emmy red carpet that we had a big summer and fall planned? Well, that was Sudden Impact, and we’ve been on a [roller-coaster] ride ever since.

TVG: No one can accuse you of BS-ing anyone, that’s for sure. Since we met on that red carpet, you hired “The Dream Team,” which consists of Emmy winner Hogan Sheffer and veteran producer, Paul Rauch as your co-head writer and co-executive producer, respectively.

MAB: I feel we have the dream team. Paul couldn’t be a better or a more experienced producer. He ensures our show is produced to perfection. When I watch Y&R, I’m always blown away at how our material is perfectly [realized] onscreen.

TVG: Welcome back to daytime, Paul! We’ve missed you. I’ve heard you’ve dabbled in soap opera before, right? [Laughs]

Paul Rauch: [Laughs] Every now and then! You know, I never retired form the business despite what you’ve heard. One never retires in this business. In the summer, I came in to consult with Maria. Shortly after, they offered me the co-executive producer job. All I can say, is I’m thrilled to be working on Y&R.

TVG: Ditto. As you both already know, Paul’s my favourite all-time soap producer ever! This is a question for Maria. You’re producing, writing, and probably even mopping the floors! Is working alongside three other creative executives — including co-head writer Scott Hamner, who helped write the show with Lynn Marie Latham — difficult or easy?

MAB: To be honest, it’s just a great relationship. My focus here? It’s as a writer and a storyteller. It’s important as a writer to ensure your story is taken to the screen to its absolute highest height. Since Paul’s been here, the material has been fulfilled. Really, my job is to write the show. In daytime, especially these days, having creative control is important. You need to be able and free to tell the stories you want to tell — in the way you want to tell them. If you have a vision and the passion, people will come along with you for the ride. Viewers need to trust the creative heads in control of their soap — period. I can tell from what you’ve written that you would agree. And all of us here appreciate TV Guide.ca’s support. We really do.

TVG: I’m probably going to be shot down by lightning for saying this, but what the hell? There have a been a handful of episodes in which I have felt that William Bell could have written a particular moment or scene. In fact, there are a couple of episodes in which I thought you outshined Bell. Is that blasphemy?

MAB: As you know, that’s a huge compliment. That’s enormous high praise. It’s been incredible to utilize Bill’s bible. The characters and the history he left have only grown richer and richer over the years. My job is to move Genoa City into the 21st century. Bill was my mentor. I owe everything I know about this business to him. When I walk into Television City, I know he’s smiling down on me — especially when I pass his picture in the studio each morning. I think he’s smiling down on all of us.

TVG: Let’s talk about your “unconventional” strategy to resurrect Y&R. In today’s reactive world, new producers and writers typically try to sweep the dirt under the rug by “fixing” the show from the outside in [which is akin to putting a Band-Aid on cancer], but you chose to not only take your time but also improve the show from the inside out. Was that your intent from the start?

MAB: For me, it really was. When I returned to Y&R, a lot of things had changed. A lot of the characters and storylines had [swung] in some wonky, strange directions. I didn’t want to be one of those people who came in and changed direction by forgetting what viewers had experienced onscreen during past regimes. Instead, I felt it was really important to build on what was already here; wrap up stories that were left dangling for too long; and give viewers the satisfaction of a resolution and pay off. After we accomplished that, we moved in a new, fresh direction. But… I had to take that time, so I could organically jell the show in every respect. And I have to say that mantra and evolution really defined our show this past year.

TVG: Did you watch the show during your absence?

MAB: Yes. Listen, I admit — I didn’t watch every episode, but I followed Y&R since I worked here in the 1980s. Despite being a Bell, I’ve always loved soaps, and especially Y&R. So yeah, I followed Y&R like a fan. If you’re working in this business, you must be a fan. Even as [the boss], when I watch the show, I forget I work on it, because I switch back into fan mode. I cried like crazy at Katherine’s funeral! For crying out loud, I knew she wasn’t dead! [Laughs] If you don’t enjoy the show, no one else will. Yes, not everything was perfect this past year, but most of it was great stuff. At the end of the day, I’m very proud of what our team at Y&R produced. I can only tell stories the way I tell stories.

TVG:Y&R is your vision, but Emmy winner Hogan Sheffer has aided you. The former As The World Turns and Days of our Lives writer is clearly happy to be penning a show that respects his talent. What’s it like working with Hoagie?

MAB: Omigod — working with Hogan has been a great deal of fun, as you can imagine. Although I’m the primary head writer and storyteller on the show, I have been lucky to have him on our team because he brings a fun sensibility to the stories he writes. He knows how to lay out a storyline. Hogan’s one of the funniest people on the planet. And Scott Hamner offers this incredible sense of integrity in his writing. Our show is really cohesive. In other words, we’re paddling in the same direction. We’re all in this together. They all defer to my vision, and yet, because we share the same goal, we have all professionally jelled rather beautifully. As you know, you can’t run a soap opera if there are too many cooks in the kitchen — especially when it comes to story. Yes, soap opera is a collaborative medium, but there must always be one vision. With so many characters, you do need a lot of great writers to help you fulfill that vision. It’s a balancing act. The nice thing is… I have a team that is completely behind me. And Scott really deserves equal credit along with Hogan.

TVG: Scott has written some of my favourite prime-time shows: Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing.

MAB: He has. Scott has a beautiful sensibility when he writes. His father is Earl Hamner [who wrote The Waltons, Boone and Falcon Crest], so he really gets that intimate writing style. Scott understands heartfelt family stories. And then we have our wild cowboy Hogan, and, of course, Paul. Yes, we have the dream team!

TVG: You joined the show a few months ago, Paul — is there anything in the production realm that viewers can expect?

PR: I’ve been on the show a little over three months and it’s been a revelation how well-organized Y&R is. It was well-organized before I got here. So, I feel as though as I have taken over the reins of the horse that was already headed in the right direction. We have a great cast. The production values have always been superlative. What do I bring? I like to think I enhance performances. Also, I make sure I have Maria’s back when it comes to translating storylines onscreen. I think I have been able to that.

TVG: Yes, you have.

PR: Getting back to Maria though… I just wanted to say that after working in soaps for over 40 years, Maria is a genius. You were smart to name her the smartest executive in daytime. Every time I turn the page, I am surprised at what she has written. For me, that’s saying a lot. The heart and soul of the show resides in Maria’s office.

TVG: So many people in this business consider being a soap fan a four-letter word. I certainly get flack for that.

MAB: The people who are the most successful in this business are people who love it inside and out. I think you make a colossal mistake if you think soap operas is anything less than any other medium or storytelling forum. We never dumb down our show in any way. I’m doing the best job I know how to do. Everyone here feels that way. We do our absolute best, because we respect our fans and don’t take their time or investment for granted.

TVG: Paul, what would the woman who brought Charles Dickens to daytime TV, soap creator and legend Irna Phillips, think of the industry today?

PR: Irna was a very unique character. I worked with Irna and Bill on As the World Turns. In those days, it was the two of them and Irna’s assistant. They literally worked on a sheet of paper, and that paper was divided into boxes, which reflected the five weekdays we aired. In each box, which was two inches by two inches, they would write the stories for the day! Then, Irna would dictate the lines of dialogue to her assistant. She would act out all the parts. And that’s how we taped the show. We went right to script in those days. There were no outlines back then. So… Irna would think the business has grown vitally, but she’d also think it’s pulled back because of budgetary concerns. She’d be amazed at the mechanism of daytime TV today, and, of course, she’d be impressed that the storylines have deepened. The essence of what she created still airs today. Story is everything. Without story, good production means nothing.

MAB: Wow, that was incredible to hear!

TVG: I’d say. Maria, what would Bill Bell think of the soap world today?

MAB: Bill did a lot of dictating, too. I worked in Bill’s writing room for at least five years. He would become the characters to the point where Bill would pass the actors in the building and he would address them as their character! Since the characters were so real to Bill, they were real to the audience. That was the key to his success. Genoa City was so intensely real to him — to the point where he lived and breathed soap opera. If he looked around today, he’d be disappointed that there is so much talk about the business being in jeopardy. But I think he would also feel what I feel — which is that there is a lot of life left in daytime. You know what? I was at a party the other night and went up to Greg Rikaart [Kevin] and called him “Kevin” by accident. I thought to myself: Omigod, I’m doing it, too!

TVG: Are we going to fix the Nielsen Ratings? So many people DVR soaps and watch it on the weekends, but the Nielsen’s don’t account for that latent viewing audience. Can we work on that, please? [Laughs]

MAB: If you take into account that a third more viewers are watching our show since that’s the statistic — if you factor in DVR+7 — then the soaps have not taken the dip media analysts have claimed. There are still a lot of eyes on this show. Yesterday, we celebrated 20 years as the No. 1 soap opera in America — along with being No. 1 in all the demos by the widest margin we’ve ever had. Yes, I agree — we need the numbers from viewers who catch us on their computer, DVR, and SOAPnet. Even without those numbers, we’re second only to Oprah in daytime. That’s a lot of eyes! We’re certainly more viable than people give us credit for.

TVG: Are you going to update your opening?

MAB: It’s on our minds, for sure. We’re hopeful we can get to that very soon.

TVG: I love the opening, but new cast members need to be featured. Were you bummed out over the fact that CBS declined to air the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards, especially since this is your year?

MAB: We all wish they would still air on a prime-time network. They’re still shopping it around for what I hear, right?

TVG: Yep. I’m disappointed SOAPnet didn’t air them because what’s the point of having a soap opera network if they don’t air our own industry’s awards show?

MAB: Yeah, I thought SOAPnet would have been a perfect fit.

TVG: I offered them my living room, so you may be coming to Canada next summer! Y&R is unbelievable popular in Canada because it airs in most markets late in the afternoon. Would you consider airing Y&R in America at a later hour?

MAB: All I can tell you is that there is talk about a lot of possibilities. We’ll have to see. As you know, there are constant changes in programming. Look at Jay Leno — he is filling the 10 p.m. slot five days a week! So, who knows?

TVG: How much influence does CBS V-P Barbara Bloom have on Y&R? She’s not peeing on the trees, right? This is your show?

MAB: We have a very respectful relationship with the network. But this is my show and my vision.

TVG: It shows. And you’re giving good show.

Edited December 17, 200816 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Awesome, awesome, team.

I did notice Maria's not so subtle two time mentioning of the fact that she is the "primary headwriter and storyteller" and that the show is HER show and HER vision....

She sounds like an interesting character herself!!!

Was I wrong that Hogan was a co head writer? Is me more of a lead breakdown writer or something?

Was I wrong that Hogan was a co head writer? Is me more of a lead breakdown writer or something?

He is a Co-HW. She mentioned that he knows how to layout story, and he assists a great deal with plotting them.

I believe most of the story ideas are probably Maria's but Hogan and Scott assist her in developing them (plotting, layout, etc) and Paul Rauch executes the material on-screen.

As for her vision thing, you can tell Maria probably HATES Barbara Bloom. It sounds like Bloom doesn't have the type of power at Y&R she had during the Latham era.

Edited December 17, 200816 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I think it's quite clear that Maria is the main HW, while Hogan and Scott are Co-HW, and I guess she does run everything (hence her co-exec. spot). I just love what Rauch has done for the show.

And I'm so glad they addressed the opening---hopefully it'll change by next summer.

It sounds like Bloom doesn't have the type of power at Y&R she had during the Latham era.

And that's a VERY good thing.

Good for MAB! I like that the show is her vision and that the buck stops with her. She acknowledges that she doesn't do it alone and that she has talented people helping, but it's clear Babs Bloom doesn't have her fingerprint on the show, and that's a very good thing. Y&R is a different soap altogether. It plays by different rules. Babs never got that . I'm glad she's been marginalized. The show is much better off for it. I also like what MAB said about the status of soaps. There is still life left in them. Audiences will stay, and old viewers will be won back, if the writing is good and respectful of the fans. It's that simple. As a longtime Y&R viewer, I've got to say that this show looks and sounds more like Bill Bell' s Y&R than it ever did under Kay Alden or any of the other headwriters since Bill stepped down. My fondest wish would be that the other soaps would find strong storytellers, shove the EP's and network honchos to the background, and let the STORY and WRITING be front and center again. That's a soap's strength. That's a soap's salvation. Powerful, emotion-driven storylines and characters we alll care about. Forget the focus groups. Forget the demos. Tell a compelling story and the viewers will come. MAB is proving it. Like I said, good for her!!

Thanks for posting. I enjoy reading Nelson's columns and articles; he sounded a bit fan girly!

As for her vision thing, you can tell Maria probably HATES Barbara Bloom. It sounds like Bloom doesn't have the type of power at Y&R she had during the Latham era.

Thank God and for this alone, MAB has to be a smart woman!

Edited December 17, 200816 yr by Heyou

It took a while, but man is this show on fire. It makes sense it would take a while because Latham left it in such shambles. I will admit I grew bored and impatient with MAB and tuned out until just recently. The show is back and I look forward to watching it every day!

This interview was insightful.

Through her remarks, you could tell why Y&R felt so uneven until summer. Sometimes it was hot, then cold. Look at the snide remark at Josh Griffith by praising Paul Rauch and the not so subtle last line about CBS and Barbara Bloom. So far, Maria kept what she promised. So far, her vision really has been a vision I enjoy watching...

Very good interview.

As To Hogan taht is where is strength lies and MAB needs to stay in control. Hogan is a good writer when he has someone to lead him and guide him. When he had Carolyn Culliton at ATWT, he was great. When he lost her even ATWT got into a mess. And his Days was a big mess. The only good thing there was the dialogue writers - not him.

He needs to stay where he is at. He has done his best work as part of the team here.

And thank God for Paul Rauch too. He has been good for Y&R. Many didn't want him because of his age but he proves that even at his age he still knows what makes a good soap.

As far as MAB taking time to get things going - if the rumors were true that Josh Griffith was sabotaging her work - then it would have probably happened sooner that the show got better. Look how quick it has turned around with him gone.

I love how that she says she's in control. I'm so glad she doesn't have her hands on Y&R anymore.

Okay, I tried to be cynical with all the mutual gushing going on. But there are two places where MAB was absolutely SPOT ON:

TVG: Are we going to fix the Nielsen Ratings? So many people DVR soaps and watch it on the weekends, but the Nielsen’s don’t account for that latent viewing audience. Can we work on that, please? [Laughs]

MAB: If you take into account that a third more viewers are watching our show since that’s the statistic — if you factor in DVR+7 — then the soaps have not taken the dip media analysts have claimed. There are still a lot of eyes on this show. Yesterday, we celebrated 20 years as the No. 1 soap opera in America — along with being No. 1 in all the demos by the widest margin we’ve ever had. Yes, I agree — we need the numbers from viewers who catch us on their computer, DVR, and SOAPnet. Even without those numbers, we’re second only to Oprah in daytime. That’s a lot of eyes! We’re certainly more viable than people give us credit for.

Well, ahem, that is in perfect agreement with what some of us have said here and elsewhere! I never thought about the 'second only to Oprah' bit (I guess that is right, though).

As many of you have noted:

TVG: How much influence does CBS V-P Barbara Bloom have on Y&R? She’s not peeing on the trees, right? This is your show?

MAB: We have a very respectful relationship with the network. But this is my show and my vision.

This is a direct recapitulation of the kind of "managing agreement" DaytimeFan wrote about last week. Clearly, Sony has given the Bells control, and it must also be running some kind of interference to keep Barbara Bloom "respectfully" at a distance. This is a good thing, obviously.

With regard to a primetime move, Bell noted:

TVG: I offered them my living room, so you may be coming to Canada next summer! Y&R is unbelievable popular in Canada because it airs in most markets late in the afternoon. Would you consider airing Y&R in America at a later hour?

MAB: All I can tell you is that there is talk about a lot of possibilities. We’ll have to see. As you know, there are constant changes in programming. Look at Jay Leno — he is filling the 10 p.m. slot five days a week! So, who knows?

I was thinking the same thing recently, when I wrote

First, I think the Leno experiment really should beget a "Young and Restless" experiment. What I would do...and commit to for a 24-month period...is to run the first-run Y&R episode on CBS every night at the start of primetime (e.g., 8 pm on the east coast). I would continue to broadcast it the next day at 11 am or 12:30 pm or whatever it is in the local market. But the premiere of each episode would be in primetime.

As I have blogged elsewhere, this and similar timeslots have been effective for soaps in other countries. It would have NO incremental cost for CBS. It could ONLY increase both live-views (good for ad dollars) and total viewership for Y&R. It would be a version of the Leno-move.

There was also a goosebump-inducing piece where Maria talked (implicitly) about honoring Marland's rules! Her approach is consistent with his: WATCH the show, pay attention to what the fans are saying, be objective (don't just make knee-jerk corrections), talk to everyone, honor core characters (trying not to change them) and introduce new characters slowly (which she has done--except for Sabrina), and don't fire anyone for six months. (Remember how long she kept the LML writers...even David Chow lingered for eight months before she dumped him).

MAB: For me, it really was. When I returned to Y&R, a lot of things had changed. A lot of the characters and storylines had [swung] in some wonky, strange directions. I didn’t want to be one of those people who came in and changed direction by forgetting what viewers had experienced onscreen during past regimes. Instead, I felt it was really important to build on what was already here; wrap up stories that were left dangling for too long; and give viewers the satisfaction of a resolution and pay off. After we accomplished that, we moved in a new, fresh direction. But… I had to take that time, so I could organically jell the show in every respect.

Now, here is the irony. In SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY redirecting the ship, MAB p*ssed off a lot of fans. Let us not forget that Y&R dropped from an average HH of about 4.0-4.1 at the start of her run to closer to 3.5-3.6 by the time Sudden Impact started. It is questionable whom we should blame that drop on. LML for the damage done before MAB. Or MAB for her deliberate approach.

You know what would make this all perfect? If Y&R could just go up. If it could just break the 4.0 ceiling again. If that could happen (and I know it can't...and I also know it's not that important with all the new ways of watching), this "Bell-ian" approach would be completely vindicated.

Indeed, if the numbers would go up, I'd start petitioning for someone to go over to B&B and start sprucing up that place!

I liked hearing that they don't take their viewer's time for granted. How refreshing.. And I believed her, for better or worse. It sounds like they don't mind who's idea it is, they just want to keep writing.

It was absolutely obvious that MAB had a clear plan from the moment she got on board. Sabrina's quick integration was probably because she was trying to get to the summer and fall as soon as possible. I realize that a lot of fans tuned out while she was very slowly working on the show (including me, at times, even though I appreciated what she was doing), but if I am to choose between her quickly dropping the previous stories (having us go through them and then no payoff) so she can start her own stuff and making something out of the mess, it would have been the second. It would have been rushed and the impact of these recent months would have been nothing compared to what it is now had she chosen the quick fix. I hate that the numbers are a little down, but she chose quality over a quickie and I commend her for that. She's the one writer in daytime (apart from, perhaps, Ron Carlivati) who does that. Also, let's not forget who was producing the show back then--I am wrong in thinking that the show plunged when he returned? Didn't it kind of coincide? Not to say that MAB didn't share part of the blame, for there was a little bit of an experience-in-laying-out-plots problem, but she always did great character work.

When Hogan and Rauch joined, they really did bring a renaissance to the show. I love the interview because both of them articulated what I have been thinking. Bell kinda talks like Bell, too. She sounds like she knows and loves soap, and Rauch was spot on about enhancing performances, since the actors have all woken up now. A great read, I am really starting to trust Y&R to be consistently good from now on....

Edited December 17, 200816 yr by YRBB

A great interview and I take my hat off to MAB. Old school. I wish other soaps would take a lesson from her. I love Y&R again and it does remind a lot of the Bell era. I am glad Bloom is out of the kitchen. and I am so glad they are going to redo the opening. I want the live shots red background opening again. Imagine what MAB could do at B&B

Great interview! Maria is pretty.