I am really interested to know. I do not like Kay Alden, everyone knows that , and I'm not really all that much into Maria Arena's writing either...

Both have (strong) supporters here so perhaps this shall be interesting.

This is an important point. Because the road to soap-creative-destruction is littered with EPs and HWs who came into established shows and tried to completely reform the canvas, with little respect for what had come before. Dena Higley at OLTL (and, one might argue, DOOL); Jill Farren Phelps at OLTL.

Everyone at Y&R...EVERYONE...yes, even "hack bitch from hell"...pretty much respected Genoa City, its veterans, and what had gone before. Even Victor Newman's epilepsy was based in his history of head-butting, John's stroke was based in his history of cardiovascular illness, and Brad's Nazi past was written out of the 20-years of cipher-dom that Bill Bell had invested him with.

One of the reasons Y&R's blood continues to beat a healthy red, IMO, is that nobody came in and tried to completely reinvent. No new core families,etc.

And, correspondingly, there is something I enjoyed in each post-Bill-Bell regime.

I agree. I may not have liked LML's "Y & R" but even she used the vets and on the whole respected the history of the show.

The topic of this thread is Kay Alden and Maria Arena Bell...

Yes, but others brought up the lack of Lauren hence I responded. Again I don't want to argue and take this of topic, but I am an adult and don't feel the need to be scolded.

I agree. I may not have liked LML's "Y & R" but even she used the vets and on the whole respected the history of the show.

I really hope you are joking, because if not expect some more scolding coming your way. Respected the history? Exactly how did that woman respect the show's history when she systematically dismantled the Abbott family capping it off by killing off John?

Where was this woman's respect for history when she decided it would be a good idea to say Jill's son had not died, and was actually alive because Kay switched the babies at birth?

I really hope you are joking, because if not expect some more scolding coming your way. Respected the history? Exactly how did that woman respect the show's history when she systematically dismantled the Abbott family capping it off by killing off John?

Where was this woman's respect for history when she decided it would be a good idea to say Jill's son had not died, and was actually alive because Kay switched the babies at birth?

Look, I didn't like LML so won't defend her. I just think she could have dismantled the show by focusing on newbies and young characters and she did not do that. I don't like what she did with the Abbotts. I didn't like that she brought in Cane. I don't like Cane and thought Phillip should have been left dead, and I hated the idea that Katherine would have kidnapped Jill's child even in a drunken state.

I was just agreeing with another poster that she used many of the vets and so that when the Bells took over they were able to bring these characters back to the forefront of the show.

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by lmfan

Look, I didn't like LML so won't defend her. I just think she could have dismantled the show by focusing on newbies and young characters and she did not do that. I don't like what she did with the Abbotts. I didn't like that she brought in Cane. I don't like Cane and thought Phillip should have been left dead, and I hated the idea that Katherine would have kidnapped Jill's child even in a drunken state.

I was just agreeing with another poster that she used many of the vets and so that when the Bells took over they were able to bring these characters back to the forefront of the show.

Again, I agree with you. You have hightlighted SOME of LML's mistakes (and there were more). But "either-or" thinking is useless. You've got to find the good with the bad to have a balanced picture.

LML did not dismantle the show. (I'm not saying, if she'd stayed another year, she might not have done so. But, as lmfan says, LML used many of the vets, and did not so kill the show that it couldn't be summarily healed with the new team came in.

I vote for Dena Higley.

Kay and Maria are both great, but I would have to say Maria. Kay's storylines were a little too slow-paced for my taste.

I also liked Jack Smith.

On the topic of LML, while she paled in comparison to Bill, Maria, Kay and even Jack, I have to agree with lmfan in that she did respect the history of the show for the most part, contrary to popular belief. Firing Eileen Davidson and Jerry Douglas weren't exactly her finest moments, but at least she didn't go firing vets left, right and center like other shows' head writers (Days' Dena Higley comes to mind). She brought back former cast members for family events (Olivia at Dru's funeral; Traci at Jack's court hearing) and for the most part, characters' personalities stayed in tact, with the notable exceptions of Nikki and Daniel (Daniel STILL hasn't recovered).

Question for DaytimeFan: did you ever meet LML?

Question for DaytimeFan: did you ever meet LML?

Absolutely not. I'd sooner walk across hot coals than meet that hack bitch from the depths of hell.

Joan Collins doesn't like LML, that's all I need to know about her.

Oh, you'll be serving the drinks?

That's Mark, always offending people.

No, I won't be. They'll serve them for me.

As of right now, Kay Alden for sure.

- The Takeover

- Billy/Mac

- Crazy Tricia kills Ryan

- The return of Matt Clarke

Maybe in time, MAB will have more better stories because as of right now, she only has one (Katherine's "death") under her belt.

The only thing MAB needs to improve is her handling to the Winters, however... I am not sure what much more can be done over there.

MAB's handling of the Winters has been PAINFUL...I actually think LML did a much better job by them. I believed LML considered them a core family, even though her writing for them was, predictably, crappy. MAB doesn't give a [!@#$%^&*] about the Winters, and it shows.

Alden didn't serve them all that well either. Her tenure was very Malcolm-heavy, and she basically ran that character into the ground.

Absolutely not. I'd sooner walk across hot coals than meet that hack bitch from the depths of hell.

Joan Collins doesn't like LML, that's all I need to know about her.

:lol: :lol:

That's Mark, always offending people.

No, I won't be. They'll serve them for me.

Awww. I'd hope you'd take that as a joke. Sorry if you were offended.

Awww. I'd hope you'd take that as a joke. Sorry if you were offended.

It's the old dish-it-out-but-can't-take-it thing. I thought it was funny.

Me? I *will* be the one serving drinks. :lol:

It's the old dish-it-out-but-can't-take-it thing. I thought it was funny.

Me? I *will* be the one serving drinks.

No one cares. Back on topic: Arena or Alden.

No one cares. Back on topic: Arena or Alden.

Oh, thank God. We were getting along so well there for awhile, I thought it was Bizarro SON. At least now it feels like "home".