The Suds Report: May 8, 2009

[Cat]

Who cares who is the "stronger" actress? Nikki and Jill are anchored to the show as much as the character of Kay or Victor are and both JW and MTS *are* Jill and Nikki. Losing either would be wounding for Y&R, IMO.

[Cat]

He is Canadian, and had Shakespearean theatrical training so maybe that is it. Christopher Plummer is a Canadian theatre actor and he can sound British, too.

And yes, GT's whole demeanor is still hot as all get-out. I don't care how old he is. He is a chemistry-magnet who can bring it.

[sheilaforever]

Indeed.

And this coming from someone who's loathed Nikki for years (ironically until LML stepped up the plate on the character) and is everything but a MTS-shipper...

[SouthOfSoap]

If this is true, I hope MTS considers her options carefully before she walks. The Bells haven't exactly been kind to either her or her husband in recent years on Y&R, so I dont know if Bradley would create a role for her on B&B. After her husband's fiasco on Days, I doubt she would go there (not that they could afford her anway). That just leaves GH on the West Coast - and they don't like women over 40. Then there are other projects I guess, but those become increasingly harder to secure with age unfortunately.

I just hope it works out on Y&R for her. Back in the 90s, I remember reading an article (I dont have a copy to post) about her high Q rating, one of the only few on Daytime. I don't know if she still has that Q rating (only one way to find out I guess...) but the show should consider that too.

[brimike]

I hesitate to even bring this up, because people will accuse me of being "anti-actor", which is SO not the case. As far as I'm concerned any vet leaving Y&R right now would be terrible, and a huge blow to the show. And I don't want it to be anybody on Y&R that Nelson is talking about here.

But a lot of these vets got huuuuuuuuuge raises in the late 80's/early 90's, with the assumption back then that soaps ratings would continue to be good. Sure ratings were in a slight decline, but I don't think anybody predicted the steep and sharp plummet that would happen in the 90's.

Let's say you work at a job for twenty years, and every few years, you get a 5%-10% raise. Sounds good - except a lot of these actors knew the shows counted on them to bring in viewers, so when soaps were popular, they re-negotiated back then to get 20%-25% raises. And the shows gave in. It was foolish and short-sighted, because eventually, other actors would catch on if a couple of them got these huge raises, and suddenly actor budgets became incredibly bloated.

Then the mid-90's happened, and the raises went back to 5%-10% - but the damage was already done. (I know Kristian Alfonso, Deidre Hall, Peter Reckell, etc. all got incredibly large raises to return to Days. Raises the show couldn't possibly continue to pay from year to year.

Now with ratings in a downward spiral, advertising revenue down, and licensing fees being slashed everywhere, all actors are going to have to take some cuts. In reality, it's probably decreases in guarantees/salary/contracts that would put them back to what they should be, were it not for those gigantic raises fifteen/twenty years ago. There's no avoiding it. It's not about disrespect, nor is it about age-ism. It's about trying to survive.

I don't want to see any long-time actor leave any of these shows, but people either need to accept the cuts and just be glad they still have a job, or they can choose to leave and begin a new chapter in their lives. It's a personal decision, that unfortunately, we fans have nothing to do with.

If you work at a job, and your boss tells you that you have to take a substantial cut to continue having any kind of employment, you have two choices. Accept it, continue working, and change your lifestyle... or if you have enough money "in the bank", choose to leave and spend time with your family and try something new with your life. I know I'm in the minority by saying this, but I really don't think it's about age-ism or disrespect. I think every actor on every daytime show has a decision to make, and they should make that decision for themselves and nobody else. And whatever that decision is, I choose to respect it, even if it hurts the show. Because at the end of the day, they have to do what's good for them and nobody else.

But in a time when companies are going bankrupt everywhere, people are getting laid off by the thousands in all industries, and everyone's looking over their shoulders, I have a hard time labeling anybody as the villain here. It sucks and it's terrible and I don't like it - but I can't fault anybody for choosing to leave or for accepting a pay cut/guarantee cut/recurring deal.

[Ann_SS]

But are they going to ask Eric Braeden and Peter Bergman to go on recurring? MAB is targeting actors playing characters she does not think are essential to the show which is a blow to the ego of any big name actor. This is not just take a cut. It is "we do not really need you so take it or leave it." I am still hoping that Nelson got the gossip wrong as usual.

[brimike]

Nothing's saying she won't at some point.

I'm not trying to defend MAB specifically. And I'm not in the habit of defending any of TIIC. If this were happening ten years ago, I'd be crying foul like everyone else, believe me. But considering the state of the economy and the serious trouble network television is in right now across the board, it's hard for me to look down on what's happening. It's happening, and it sucks, but it's a sign of the times, and it's happening at every show.

If an actor chooses to walk, I support them. ANd if they choose to stay and take the cut to recurring, then I support that as well.

[CSF]

I was trying to play both sides of the argument here. That's why I said Jess and MTS are an invaluable part of Y&R today. Regardless of the fact of what actress was there first, what character was there first and who has an Emmy.

[DRW50]

If they want to ask people to take a paycut, that's their right, as it's their right to push people out, but I question those they are targeting. I never hear about Josh Morrow being asked for a decrease, even though he's barely even bothering to give a performance these days. You don't hear about Eric Braeden being asked to take a paycut, even though his demands for the character of Victor have become increasingly ridiculous. Instead, you have people who are already being isolated from much of the canvas, even though they still have plenty to offer, who are asked to sacrifice.

[Khan]

That would depend on which Y&R vet we're talking about.

Exactly.

[JackPeyton]

How do we know that this isnt just the way the contract cycles have fallen?

And honestly, is Nikki as important as Victor to Y&R right now its current and foreseeable future? I love Nikki and think the past few years MTS has turned in her best performances ever, but not ever character and actor are on the same level. Some are needed more than others.

Also, i think it might be much easier to bring new women onto shows and establish them and have fans accept them than men. I dont know if most feel thatw ay or of Y&R does too, but thats always how i have seen it. Perhaps that might go into why we see more contract issues with women than men.

I highly highly highly doubt JM is anywhere near the ballpark in how much he makes as compared to MTS or JW. Also, JM went through major contract issues, im assuming he budgets and took a cut or didnt get what he wanted because the show seemed ready to move on without him, and Nick.

[DRW50]

I think this is true for some shows, but I don't think Y&R has brought in a strong slate of women in the last few years.

If MTS stays, I would never want her to have the role Victor has, because I think his role is suffocating the characters he interacts with. There's such an imbalance which only makes the stories more and more difficult to care about, because the outcome will always be the same.

[JackPeyton]

I dont think any show has brought in a strong slate of characters in the past decade, but still. I think it would be much easier to bring in newer women than men.