Exactly.

I spent 10 years being optimistic. Now I'm just enjoying whatever I can, for however long I can. The system's not changing. Doesn't matter how much people cry for it, it's just not. This is the hand we're all being dealt, so either we just stop watching now, or stop when it gets canceled and scratch our heads on these message boards and take up a hobby.

Yeah, A. I think you have acquired my optimism. Sad, but true.

Hobby? Good God...

Hobby? Good God...

Yeah, that was a little cold. I take it back, Mark. Sorry.

Just sayin' - whatever regime changes go into effect from here on out? Nobody's really making any effort to seek out new and different talent. If MAB were to get fired, it would be Megan McTavish who replaces her. Or Esensten and Brown. Someone who can just deliver a product without rocking the boat too much. That seems to be all that's important these days. "Don't piss off the advertisers, and just get by"

Just sayin' - whatever regime changes go into effect from here on out? Nobody's really making any effort to seek out new and different talent. If MAB were to get fired, it would be Megan McTavish who replaces her. Or Esensten and Brown. Someone who can just deliver a product without rocking the boat too much. That seems to be all that's important these days. "Don't piss off the advertisers, and just get by"

You mean that isn't being done now?

We can just have some hope that they do make an exception to the rule and hire great replacements!

Come on brimike, take your optimism back from me!

Edited July 24, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

You mean that isn't being done now?

We can just have some hope that they do make an exception to the rule and hire great replacements!

Come on brimike, take your optimism back from me!

You have no idea how happy I'll be to eat my words, Alvin. I will cry tears of joy to say I am wrong. Happily.

I am disappointed but not surprised by the low ratings. Honestly, 75% of the reason I keep watching is just so I can chat with you all on this highly addictive board. I think we're going to see 3.3 or even lower very soon. IMO, TPTB overestimated real fan support for Lane and continued fan interest in P3/Chancellors. Their one really good story with Adam was ruined when CE walked out. Honestly, I think MM's take on the role might even by causing fans to switch channels. TPTB ruined Mary Jane themselves by making her far too psycho. The fans want to see Billy with Chloe, not Mac. The Scoobies clearly don't have a serious fanbase. And their big story -- the Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis quad was written horribly these past months. IMO, Shick fans and Phick fans both feel jerked around and both fanbases have fallen out of love with Nick as a character, which means they've fallen out of love with Shick or Phick. Pairing Victor with Ashley over Nikki was also a huge mistake. On top of that, Ashley regressed into a fragile princess. That's cute when she's 30. Not at all cute when she's 50. I also suspect that TPTB are underestimating what Michael & Lauren could bring to the table, as well as the important role Brad Carlton played as rival to both Victor and Jack.

Edited July 24, 200916 yr by cara mia

Frankly, the warped speed at which some of these s/ls eh...I meant plot points are going that could mean CBS is asking for it to be sped up. I mean for heaven's sake, MJ was an intriguing character up until less than a month ago, WTH happened.

**says silent prayer**

Dear soap God,Oh Annointed one, please let July 2009 be a passing memory, just a fluke, an aberration. Give the writers back their "brains", even if it is just at least ONE brain cell. One brain cell is better than none at all.

I am disappointed but not surprised by the low ratings. Honestly, 75% of the reason I keep watching is just so I can chat with you all on this highly addictive board. I think we're going to see 3.3 or even lower very soon. IMO, TPTB overestimated real fan support for Lane and continued fan interest in P3/Chancellors. Their one really good story with Adam was ruined when CE walked out. Honestly, I think MM's take on the role might even by causing fans to switch channels. TPTB ruined Mary Jane themselves by making her far too psycho. The fans want to see Billy with Chloe, not Mac. The Scoobies clearly don't have a serious fanbase. And their big story -- the Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis quad was written horribly these past months. IMO, Shick fans and Phick fans both feel jerked around and both fanbases have fallen out of love with Nick as a character, which means they've fallen out of love with Shick or Phick. Pairing Victor with Ashley over Nikki was also a huge mistake. On top of that, Ashley regressed into a fragile princess. That's cute when she's 30. Not at all cute when she's 50. I also suspect that TPTB are underestimating what Michael & Lauren could bring to the table, as well as the important role Brad Carlton played as rival to both Victor and Jack.

Well said, for the most part...

I am disappointed but not surprised by the low ratings. Honestly, 75% of the reason I keep watching is just so I can chat with you all on this highly addictive board. I think we're going to see 3.3 or even lower very soon. IMO, TPTB overestimated real fan support for Lane and continued fan interest in P3/Chancellors. Their one really good story with Adam was ruined when CE walked out. Honestly, I think MM's take on the role might even by causing fans to switch channels. TPTB ruined Mary Jane themselves by making her far too psycho. The fans want to see Billy with Chloe, not Mac. The Scoobies clearly don't have a serious fanbase. And their big story -- the Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis quad was written horribly these past months. IMO, Shick fans and Phick fans both feel jerked around and both fanbases have fallen out of love with Nick as a character, which means they've fallen out of love with Shick or Phick. Pairing Victor with Ashley over Nikki was also a huge mistake. On top of that, Ashley regressed into a fragile princess. That's cute when she's 30. Not at all cute when she's 50. I also suspect that TPTB are underestimating what Michael & Lauren could bring to the table, as well as the important role Brad Carlton played as rival to both Victor and Jack.

You are completely on point!!! And I wonder if B&B is going out of business because I can already see the telltale bloody awful signs permeating throughout the show I have watched for over 3 decades!!

I am disappointed but not surprised by the low ratings. Honestly, 75% of the reason I keep watching is just so I can chat with you all on this highly addictive board. I think we're going to see 3.3 or even lower very soon. IMO, TPTB overestimated real fan support for Lane and continued fan interest in P3/Chancellors. Their one really good story with Adam was ruined when CE walked out. Honestly, I think MM's take on the role might even by causing fans to switch channels. TPTB ruined Mary Jane themselves by making her far too psycho. The fans want to see Billy with Chloe, not Mac. The Scoobies clearly don't have a serious fanbase. And their big story -- the Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis quad was written horribly these past months. IMO, Shick fans and Phick fans both feel jerked around and both fanbases have fallen out of love with Nick as a character, which means they've fallen out of love with Shick or Phick. Pairing Victor with Ashley over Nikki was also a huge mistake. On top of that, Ashley regressed into a fragile princess. That's cute when she's 30. Not at all cute when she's 50. I also suspect that TPTB are underestimating what Michael & Lauren could bring to the table, as well as the important role Brad Carlton played as rival to both Victor and Jack.

I think fans would be fine with a Chancellor story if the story was better written or actually focused on their history. Instead, we have had rewrites with little to no followup, and key characters like Jill have been muted.

I agree with what you're saying though. They don't seem to know how to write in a way which will keep viewers going. It takes more than just cliffhangers and shocks.

I think this gaslighting story probably drove a lot of people away.

I think fans would be fine with a Chancellor story if the story was better written or actually focused on their history. Instead, we have had rewrites with little to no followup, and key characters like Jill have been muted.

I agree with what you're saying though. They don't seem to know how to write in a way which will keep viewers going. It takes more than just cliffhangers and shocks.

I think this gaslighting story probably drove a lot of people away.

JC is deservedly respected but I do not believe the Chancellors are nearly as popular with the viewers as the Phick/Shick story, for example. Unrelating Jill & Kay, followed by lame Billy/Mac, followed by amazingly bad Phillip 3, has really hurt the Chancellors. Cane is now the "heart" of the Chancellors, which is another blow to the family.

The gaslighting story has gone way too long. Ashley is already suffering tremendously and due for another round of serious horror. It's hard to watch because that stuff is always hard to watch, but what makes it so much worse is that Eileen Davidson has been hit or miss in eliciting sympathy for Ashley's plight. There is literally no one to root for and everyone involved directly or tangentially is despicable or too stupid for words. What's enjoyable about a pathetic 50 year old woman who thinks she's pregnant but isn't really because her step-son terrorized her, killed her baby and ended up burning the fetus in the fireplace? Ratings were steady in May but I think the tune out now is partly a delayed reaction to people finally getting just how depraved & misogynistic this whole story is.

I agree, I think the story decisions over the past six months have weakened the Chancellors. What I meant was I think fans would have been interested if the stories had been better. They have all been half-hearted. You bring a character back from the dead after 20 years for THIS? Every beat in the Chancellor family since Katherine and Jill were unrelated has been phoned in. I still can't believe this was their great idea for a Billy/Mac reunion.

I don't know if there are any stories on right now which are engaging viewers. For all the deserved criticism of the Cane/Lily story I think this is the only one which has some pace and where the performances and chemistry between the actors is enough to help elevate the material.

I wonder how many people are ever going to care about Shick or Phick after these past few months. They have stopped trying to pretend this is all anything but a ping-pong ball. There's no heart anywhere in this story.

If you don't want people to be emotionally involved in your show than you will have viewers who will eventually lose interest.

Despite the current problems with the show, I'm not hoping for a new EP/HW. It's just too much to ask for. Y&R is stuck with MAB, just as B&B is stuck with Brad. What I am hoping for is for MAB to wake up to these issues and fix them, and possibly hire more a more competent co-HW *cough*JackSmith*cough*.

Yeah, that was a little cold. I take it back, Mark. Sorry.

I actually thought it was funny . It conjured up the image for me of replacing soaps with stamp collecting.

I am disappointed but not surprised by the low ratings. Honestly, 75% of the reason I keep watching is just so I can chat with you all on this highly addictive board. I think we're going to see 3.3 or even lower very soon. IMO, TPTB overestimated real fan support for Lane and continued fan interest in P3/Chancellors. Their one really good story with Adam was ruined when CE walked out. Honestly, I think MM's take on the role might even by causing fans to switch channels. TPTB ruined Mary Jane themselves by making her far too psycho. The fans want to see Billy with Chloe, not Mac. The Scoobies clearly don't have a serious fanbase. And their big story -- the Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis quad was written horribly these past months. IMO, Shick fans and Phick fans both feel jerked around and both fanbases have fallen out of love with Nick as a character, which means they've fallen out of love with Shick or Phick. Pairing Victor with Ashley over Nikki was also a huge mistake. On top of that, Ashley regressed into a fragile princess. That's cute when she's 30. Not at all cute when she's 50. I also suspect that TPTB are underestimating what Michael & Lauren could bring to the table, as well as the important role Brad Carlton played as rival to both Victor and Jack.

Eh. Not really.

I do not believe the Chancellors are nearly as popular with the viewers as the Phick/Shick story, for example.

Not a chance.