Y&R: Week of April 27, 2009

[DRW50]

She gave some fascinating interviews, didn't she? All that about her husband, and about her suffering through sexual abuse as a child, and her deep religious convictions.

The sad part is I think Laurie would have fit into the big OTT female era of the Y&R 80's, so she probably did make a mistake leaving. I can see why she left from exhaustion (especially since that was before Y&R was a huge show, so there were probably fewer perks), and I can imagine she felt horrible when she realized others were losing their jobs. The fact that Bill Bell didn't tell her ahead of time about getting rid of other actors makes me wonder if deep down he wanted them out.

I wish they'd done more with her return. I thought most of the returns were a wasted opportunity, as every last one of Victor's exes had their complex history with him paved over so they could moon over him.

Bell always knew how to have strong families on Y&R. That he managed to replace the two core families with two new ones (Abbott, Williams) is still amazing, very, very rarely accomplished.

[MTSRocks]

I guess their highlighting Jill as a drinker, for the pivotal day when she pulls a B&B Taylor (Was she? Or wasn't she). Everybody knows the actor that plays Murphy is not long for the soap world.

[Khan]

The day when Ana sang "Bless the Beasts and Children", one of the show's themes, I just about had a stroke (and I don't even like that song!). What next, I thought? Are they going to rename the show, "Ana's Life"?

[Eric200]

For me Victor and Murphy talking to each other was hilarious. Victor must of been thinking in his head "what a nice simple man" I know that they had the dinner cater the wedding but I just can not see in my head Victor eating dinner food at a wedding.

[dm.]

Tyra and Ana are one of MAB's biggest mistakes, if not the the worst one for now.

Of course, she's singing at Kay's wedding and she'll definitely sing at Lily and Cane's too.

[MarkH]

Walton says Jill is not an alcoholic. They don't want that...then they'd have to rehab her. She just gets drunk sometimes...for fun.

QUIT SAYING THAT ABOUT MURPHY. I'm expecting YEARS of story with him. STOP SAYING JILL IS GOING TO KILL HIM.

They've dialed back. Each of her few songs since last August (Sabrina's benefit, the montage at Sabrina's funeral, twice Bless the Beasts and Children) have been used to good effect.

I agree. I'm going to assume the writers know this by now, and they'll repair this soon, one way or another. I like that they have a plan and are not caving to viewer pressure.

[Cheap21]

lol..at this point, I have way too much fun with it. Helps me to laugh at the situation instead of just hating her and that horrendous mess

[dm.]

Isn't that great? Show-wise and real life-wise?

It might just happen. I've been wondering exactly what they would do with him. Both Kay and Murphy should just enjoy their time and rest for the time being, but eventually they'll have to come up with something for them.

First of all, looks like

.

In many cases they should.

[CSF]

I thought the same thing as well. But also, at the same time, I don't think Bill Bell was in LA, he didn't move there until 1986, so wouldn't it have been the responsibility of John Conboy or Wes Kenney?

ETA: If Jaime Lyn Bauer stayed on consistently until today, she would be Y&R's longest running cast member and only original actress on air from the original cast.

[MarkH]

Well, like Dickson, Bauer WAS a complainer. It may have been legitimate, but she complained about working conditions. I'm not sure that was tolerated for long.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Come on, you all know Murphy won't be with us much longer. LOL!

And it makes total sense for Katherine to finally find love and to have Jill be partly responsible for that coming to an end.

[CSF]

But were their complaints addressed by Bill Bell? Look at Eric Breaden for example. Punching a director, a fellow actor, and he's still around. Clearly he was no walk in the park to work with. I just get the impression that Bill Bell was like the prison warden. When he was not around, the other jail officers (the producers, directors) treated the prisoners (Bauer, Dickson) as they pleased and it never got back to the warden, only their complaints. I know Brenda Dickson is a wack job, but I believe the things she said actually that took place behind the scenes. I mean look at MTS for example, she married the EP. I definitely feel like partiality took place on that set.

Also, if Bauer had young children and asked for a slightly reduced work schedule, was that really a big problem to grant her? Especially since the Abbotts and the Newman's were becoming so popular? It brings more validity to the idea that Bell wanted them gone and also the possibility that he allowed his producers to force them out. Or, Bell had plans of how to phase them out if they were opting to leave under the notions from his producers and directors that those actors wanted out, and it was those producers and directors who really wanted those characters gone. If Bell wanted his original cast with the except of Jill all gone, that's fine, it's his show and his vision, but why beat around the bush and not say "okay, I want them gone."

[MarkH]

That's seriously like a gut punch. Finally, something a little happy, and pleasant...and you plan for it to end.

Want to know what I want? Murph as the dad. I want him to finally give Kevin the father he never had...Michael too. I want him to take them fishing and have long talks with them. I want him to counsel Amber through her romantic travails with real-guy advice. I want him to talk turkey with Victor in a respectful but straight shooting way. I want him to be a father to Jill...by hook and by crook...and help heal her. I want him to counsel Chloe.

I really see him as a healing force and a possible moral center on a show that urgently needs one. I also see him as a potential warrior for Kay.

I don't want that to end any time soon.

Especially with Kevin and Murph, I really really just wanna see Murph show him what a normal, moral decent father figure looks like. So that when Kevin finally becomes a father, Murph can talk him through the terror.

I think we've heard that Murphy is estranged from his offspring. I want to know that story too...and maybe see the reconciliation. I want the actor on at least a 3-year contract, please.

I don't know the answers. I agree that Bauer's requests sounded very reasonable...some of Dickson's too. But especially then, it seems, there may have been more of a culture of "squeaky wheel gets replaced". I mean, even now, isn't that part of the story of Peeples' and Rowell's ousters?

Does this seem a little gender biased? Does Braeden not get disciplined enough? Good points....

[CSF]

Interesting point there Mark. And that brings me back to my original thoughts. Maybe if Bell was around full time prior to 1986, Dickson and many of the Foster's and Brook's would have still been on the show today. This kind of made me remember the interview Bill Bell gave for the American Institute of Television (or whatever it's called). He was asked at the end "What are your your thoughts and opinions of John Conboy?" Bell gave no response. I don't know their history, but it kind of gives the impression that there is clearly bad blood between them. At the same time, Bell gave no response, he didn't come out and say: "He's this, he's that." He kept it professional. I believe Wes Kenney made references about Dickson in the E! True Hollywood Story that she was difficult and so forth in a tone like "I don't tolerate any bs, and one step out of line and you're out the door! Was that necessary? It again brings up the questions, was it Bell or the people he left in charge when he wasn't around? I know nobody on here can really answer these questions, but it's just all for thought really.

At the same time for Breaden, maybe in his case it's handled differently because Bell could have be around for that and mediated the situation differently. Not saying Bill Bell is a total saint or he is the devil, it's just one of those "hmmm... What really happens on the Y&R set?"

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's the only way to milk continual dramatic effect for YEARS to come for Katherine and Jill.

The Fishers brother can go to hell for all I care, they're so unlikable and smug that they deserve to have a lack of a father-figure, and really, they're too old for that crap now anyway, they aren't children.

My only concern is Katherine and Jill, I do not care who Murphy impacts outside of them.

He's not John Abbott, and if they want a moral figure, they could always bring Traci back.

Once again, when did Kevin turn 5 years old?

I do not want for Murphy's past to hog up potential storylines from Katherine and Jill. As we know, as fast as those two character jumped to the frontburner this year, it's also possible for them to sink back onto the backburner for years to come.