Y&R: Week of June 1, 2009

[MTSRocks]

LoL, isn't this so twisted. Two psychos laughing over a common enemy. I love these scenes. Mary Jane and Phyllis would make great friends.

[MTSRocks]

Storm brewing = Greatness ahead. I hope?

[Juliajms]

Yeah, and I don't think either of them were kidding.

[classicmoment]

I think Phyllis is now quite like Dru was in a league of set it off crazy. MJ is bonkers.

LoL @ Sharon "surely you can understand" , yea ok Sharon

[MTSRocks]

I feel jipped on the Sharon/Chloe scenes. Hendrickson good, but I wanted more than just 2 minutes. I wanted to see Hendrickson wipe the floor with Case.

[Juliajms]

Jack and Billy scenes are always so good. I like Jack being a father figure to Billy.

Poor Chloe. She's not exactly an innocent, but I feel worse for her in this than I do Phyllis.

[MTSRocks]

Phyllis/Chloe/MJ = Who killed Sharon?

[Cat]

It is harsh. But I think Days was so bloated (and had been for so long) and at such a low point ratings and identity-wise, that they had to do something. Sony and NBC were thisclose to pulling the plug. TPTB probably didn't want to be beholden to the fangroups anymore and just chopped all the hair off in one fell swoop.

I imagine they had Whitesall and Tomlin and Higs and maybe Corday (if it was raining and the golf course was out of commission) brainstorming about who they would showcase, who would vacate some of the void left behind. I figure young-girl target demos for Stephanie, Philip, Chelsea and the young set were probably looking pretty good. Add to that the two Passions hunks. I'll bet James Scott scored on the Hot-o-meter, too. Sami and Nicole's rivalry is soap hatred for the ages, a Stephanie v. Brooke in the making. I'm guessing Stefano vs. Victor was a villainous bonus for us longer-term viewers.

No question, it was risky, and I thought Days would be dead and buried when they announced all the firings (especially the two DHes). I honestly thought Days, which was second-from-last, would fall below GL. But the gamble has paid off, thus far. Maybe because the writers so far have worked on preserving the essence of Days. They are writing it for what it is.

Y&R hasn't lost its identity like Days had. I think it has worked hard to recover what was lost under LML. The problem it faces is one of bloated cast and writer lists, though. Sooner or later, it will have to make judicious cuts. How do you measure the value of one Melody Thomas Scott vs. a bunch of cheap-ass newbies. Personally, I would ditch the they're-not-working newbies in favor of Melody.

[classicmoment]

They are not going to back down. With the example you just gave of Days survival and "rise" so to speak, TPTB will follow suit. They are going to make an example out of MTS, the last thing TPTB will want is any other high valued cast memeber using MTS as an example to follow suit when their turn comes. I hope she takes it but if she doesn't it is byebye.

[DRW50]

Didn't they already make an example of Don Diamont? If another longtime cast member is willing to leave even with these methods, then I'm not sure of what is going on backstage.

[detroitpiston]

Chloe should've smacked Sharon into a another tomorrow, pregnant or not.

Nick & Billy are class a douchebags.

Phyllis & Mary J

[classicmoment]

Don Diamont is Don Diamont, MTS is MTS. The only other three that would be more shocking than MTS is JC, EB, and PB

[DeeeDee]

Especially since they just did the same thing to Jess.

[Scryber96]

At least half those characters are recurring. You can have 100 recurring cast members and it won't break the budget because they're not being paid when they're not being used. Meanwhile, MTS has a minimum fixed cost because of her guarantees and that's what they're trying to lower.

If the Bryton rumors were true, and he's been taken off contract, I'd say that shoots down the whole sexism argument.

[rhythmchyc]

And Diedre Hall is Diedre Hall. Things are quite different on y&r but MTS shouldn't expect to win this battle so easily just because she's who she is.