Y&R - Actress OUT?

[CassieFan]

Dang, it looks like Auntie Ri Ri and Uncle Paul really ain't playing over at The Young and the Restless! TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco is reporting talks have completely broken down between the soap and lead diva Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman). The soap has gone so far as to reportedly script an exit for Scott, meanwhile a former co-star tells Branco that Scott fancied herself queen to Ed Scott's king during her hubby's reign as executive producer of the soap!

A former co-star tells The Suds Report that, “Mel thought she ran that show for years because her hubby, Ed [scott], was the producer. Well, times have changed, and actors do not run that show anymore. She’s nuts if she thinks another soap can afford her. Mel is so tied to Nikki that she won’t get another soap gig, especially in these tough economic times.”

Okay, somebody get my 'pressure medicine. I can't take it! I know I make fun of her, but I simply cannot imagine my Young and Restless without Nikki Newman walking around all stuck up like she just sucked all the air out of a helium balloon. Seriously, can't y'all come to some kind of agreement? What is the point of paying Thad Luckinbill (Who I adore, but he's become pointless), Amelia Heinle, Judith Chapman and several others, when you can't afford La Nikki? In this day and age of soap operatic death, I would rather see a smaller group of old faves, than a bunch of people being paid to fill out a cast.

Who is Victor gonna yell at and remind how he found her on a stripper pole if Nikki isn't in town? Who's gonna remind Sharon what a gold digging tramp she is? Okay, well Phyllis, Mary Jane and now Chloe have that covered, so scratch that. Who's gonna say her children's full names at all times when she speaks to them in a high-pitched whisper/squeal? Who's gonna wear black furs in the spring? I tell you I can't take it! If not resolved to the fans liking, this could prove to be the Dream Team's first major eff up. Do whatever it takes to make it work and give us our Nikki! And Melody, you meet them half way! Do you want to be hosting radio shows with Deidre Hall? Huh, do ya'? I need to go lie down.

Source: http://daytimeconfidential.com/

[DRW50]

I'm not sure Eric Braeden would agree.

I'm so thrilled, and unsurprised, that she is being trashed by an anonymous name just as she is close to leaving. This type of thing makes me more likely to support her, not less.

[tylerbo20]

im sorry she doesnt sound like a team player at all..If Days can fire its stars and do better than i think YR can survive the dumping of MTS...its just a matter of time before it becomes official.

[SteveFrame]

Why would it surprise you. There have been rumors for years that many of her co-stars were not happy with her. So many were jealous of her because of her marriage to Scott and felt she got the choice storylines due to it.

It doesn't surprise me at all. I think the majority of her co-stars liked her but there were a lot that didn't. And I think that has led to her not getting Emmy noms too.

After all we know of all the shows on Y&R's folks vote for who they like - not who did the best job.

Say what you want about Y&R, they put out a good show, but they have to have one of the most disturbing backstage casts of all of them. All you ever hear about it seems are jealosies, fights, feuds, and so forth.

[DRW50]

I've heard the rumors, and they may very well be true, but I don't like how they are trotted out again as she's leaving. Every time an actor leaves now, or considers leaving, suddenly we hear something from some unknown source which claims these actors are difficult. I'd never heard about Jess Walton being difficult yet when she was in the contract dispute suddenly the phrasing of the items surrounding the talks were written in a way which I thought was an attempt to make her look bad.

Y&R has a number of difficult cast members, yet the ones who seem to be most difficult are the ones who never seem to be going anywhere.

[SteveFrame]

Well some of that is what SOME OF US were trying to say in the Chris Engen thing too.

We do hear these things. You are right. And it is always some unknown source esp. in regards to Nelson. He always has some unknown source.

To me I have to question them all the time, because how in the world do we not know the unknown source is Y&R itself trying to make the performer look bad and not them.

I agree the rumors are there. I never heard them with Walton until the contract thing.

That is the reason I could not buy into and immediately condemn Engen because of "unknown sources".

Of course with fans they will believe what they want to believe. Engen was generally hated by the point so the unknown sources were immediately bought at full face value. With Walton and Thomas Scott they are generally loved by fans so the unknown sources will be questioned.

It was the same with Kim Zimmer. GL got a good fall guy for them because alot of people hated Zimmer anyway so it was so easy to believe the worst about her. And so many no matter what will always blame Zimmer for something she didn't really do.

[Ann_SS]

I hope something will be worked out so MTS can stay. Maybe the Bells will step in and save the day.

NB's unnamed sources remind me of Judith Miller's sources when she worked the NY Times. These sources are all agenda driven and mostly wrong.

[SteveFrame]

What I don't understand is the reference to Paul Rauch again.

When I posted what Lynda Hirsch had to say a few weeks ago in reference to Paul, she was raked over the coals. And it was stated that Paul had nothing to do with the contracts. Now here even Nelson is referring to him in this instance.

As I said before I think Lynda Hirsch got more right on this than we know. It was so ironic to me that the three actresses pulled out of the air to replace Walton were actresses he loved to work with.

Plus he has a reputation for not taking any guff off actors. And the whole Engen thing is so reminiscent of Rauch and Reinholt.

So I think Paul Rauch is having a whole lot more to do with this than some people want to think.

I love once again the professional values he brings to the show as far as looks and stuff, but I so hate what he does to actors backstage.

[AmandainNC28655]

I don't see the Bells or Sony losing MTS on Y&R. I often wondered if she got to hand pick her stories because of who she was married too. I've read on other message boards that Ed Scott is being considered or is already working as EP for an East Coast show, so perhaps this is true. I definitely could see MTS going to another daytime show, especially if the family relocated to the East Coast. Do I see her getting the salary she does now on Y&R........ummm no. She could be successful on AMC, OLTL, or ATWT since those will be the only remaining shows left taping on the East Coast.

[DRW50]

The Engen departure had some claims of causing problems (calling in sick) but became all about arguments over homophobia, which damned him even if he left for other reasons. Walton and MTS seem to be more about someone trying to imply they were divas or causing problems backstage. I just find this type of tactic to be cheap and when they use this every time someone leaves I start to automatically take the side of the person who is going. Instead of the reporting being on the current reasons MTS may leave, it becomes all about her supposed behavior when her husband was at the show, which was a number of years ago. Reasons are made for us to be angry at anyone who leaves the show.

The way Nikki has been treated since his arrival reminds me of the slow, depressing grind towards irrelevance Maeve Kinkead faced when he was at GL, so you may be right.

[Ann_SS]

The details of NB's scoops are not accurate which make me doubt that its the show itself. Also, this has only been happening recently. The Don Diamont firing was a bombshell that was not leaked to Branco. It has the feel of someone new to the show who knows a couple basic facts, but is embellishing with rumors that are swirling around the cast and crew.

I have no doubt that Paul Rauch is acting as Sony's hammered fist, but I find the Bells' silence notable. The Bells must be picking their battles, but they are not loyal to the people who have worked for that show for years. I hope they step in and coax MTS to stay.

[Sapounopera]

So this regime wouldn't mind losing Jess Walton, Don Diamont and Melody Thomas Scott within some months? Is it Another World in the 70's all over again, Paul Rauch?

[Sylph]

Rauch is not your address.

Anyway, you watched AW in the 70s?

[SteveFrame]

Not just Maeve but so many others. He hates divaish behavior on any part, but there always seems to be a favorite actress on the show who gets the brunt when he goes to work.

AT GL it was Maeve Kinkead which suprised me since they had worked together on AW, but maybe they had problems there. I just never knew.

AT OLTL it was Jackie Courtney who got the boot just because he was coming. And then of course Lillian Hayman and Ellen Holly.

AT AW he and Lemay targeted Reinholt for divaish behavior and Virginia Dwyer and Jackie Courtney because they were too soap operaish.

It seems as if each time he comes on he wants to establish he rules with an iron fist, and he makes an example of someone big to make his point.

[SteveFrame]

I don't think the Bells have been innocent in any of this at all. Latham and Bloom get the brunt of the blame on message boards for stuff, but I have faulted the Bells all along because they sat back and let it happen.

Also Latham got the brunt of Eileen Davidson's firing and Adrianne Leon's firing over the weight thing. But the Bells sat back and let it happen. Plus the Bells themselves have been linked to weight issues with actresses in the past so I have no doubt they were innocent in that regard.

I think the Bells will let happen whatever happens. They didn't step in when Latham was doing her damage or even stop the firing of Davidson. So I doubt they will here either. They didn't even step in when Latham was firing all the backstage folks who had been loyal to them for so many years.