Y&R: In Support of Melody Thomas Scott

[Juliajms]

I think it's 40%.

Obviously. I'm talking about each time a contract comes up cut it by X percent.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Very true, and so far, he's the only one reporting this. Unlike the Jess Walton situation, which SOD couldn't wait to latch on to.

[Sylph]

Well, that is a very noble vision, but it's never going to happen. Every actor, and I kind of agree, is approached on a personal, unique basis. And that's how it should stay. (And it will, no matter if it should or not.)

I'm not but I have kind of given up proving otherwise so I'm playing into this role of the Wicked Witch of the West that has been given to me.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

But that process can take a while though, some contract cycles are probably not near to being over. If they need to save money immediately, then they have to go with whose cycle is up immediately.

[MTSRocks]

Gotcha.

[Juliajms]

I wonder if all this is the reason Don D left. Was he given the option to stay with a cut a chose not to?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

He didn't leave, they fired him.

[Juliajms]

But was it because he wouldn't take a cut or was he just handed his pink slip one day with no negotiations. Hearing that they may actually be doing across the board cuts makes me wonder.

[RavenWhitney]

Sorry, but MTS won't garner much real sympathy nor does she have a leg to stand on...EVERYONE is hurting and the soaps are dying. She needs to take the paycut. She's very rich, has worked steadily for many, many years as an actor and continues to get good material on Y&R. The show can go on without her. As with DOOL, shows can survive when they cut their aging, botoxed, puffy divas. I love MTS, don't get me wrong, but she can't continue forever. So she should take what they offer. Nelson Branco even agrees with me!!!

[SouthOfSoap]

Using DOOL as a precedent is a dangerous path for soaps to follow - what works on DAYS, wont neccesarilly translate into success on other soaps. JER's OTT stories, while a rating goldmine on DAYS, transplanted onto other soaps was a recipe for disaster.

I'm kinda torn on whether MTS should take a stand or compromise. I feel she and her husband have been treated badly by the Bells over the last few years, so if they have enough cash between them saved, she should stick it to them. OTOH, she won't have many options for work once outside of Y&R....

[Cashton]

Love you! I hope EB pitches up a storm. He can do it. We know they'll never get rid of him. This whole thing makes me sick. I know we're in a new reality, financially, but this leaking to the press, is just humiliating. JW was humiliated, too.

When they put out a call for a "big name star" for Jill, I wondered "Are thy going to pay her what Jess was being offered? Doubt it. MTS is not the best actress in daytime, nor one of my favorites. But she is Nikki. She is part of the fabric of this show. She and Victor will always be the endgame and no amount of "restructuring" will ever change that. Ashley is not going to be it for Victor.

I remeber back in the day when they released the Q scores and MTS was second only to Julia Roberts. Julia-FREAKIN'-Roberts. This is a huge mistake. And I don't put the blame on MAB, but they have to finesse this situation and cool it down before it torpedoes the show.

[Bright Eyes]

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the Q scores?

[Cashton]

Oh, I didn't know what the heck they were before either! Here's the definition: The Q Score is a way to measure the familiarity and appeal of a brand, company, celebrity, cartoon character or television show. The higher the Q Score, the more well-known and well thought of the item or person being scored is. The Q Score is primarily used by the marketing, advertising and public relations industries.

[y&r_fan]

Quiet, Days fans. The grown-ups are talking.

Now, now. Melody is certainly more valuable to the show than Tammin, but it doesn't need to come to that. Especially when they have a perfectly good Eva Marcille to fire. And I'm willing to wager that Eva makes more than Tammin.

I'm in two minds about this. They should NOT have expected MTS to take that much of a pay cut, and they definitely should not have asked her to go recurring. But as Branco said, she still makes more money than anyone on an ABC soap. And I'm sure she's not strapped for cash.

I have a feeling it will work out, one way or another.

[Bright Eyes]

Now I am intrigued ... did this include all actors in every medium. I ask since you included Julia Roberts in your previous post?