LOL! I love how you've created this whole back story and ulterior motive. Very Bill Bell-corporate stories-soapy of you. :-)

Well, I'm not getting any of that from Y&R right now and haven't in ages, so my mind is thinking it all up!

But I do find it strange that a guy who heads both primetime and syndicated divisions for Sony comes to visit a daytime soap set. Sony usually sends Steve Kent to Y&R, as he's the one directly responsible for running daytime soap related things for Sony. I'm just shocked by this move.

I never thought Sony cared enough to talk business, budget cuts, and renewal talks on the set of any of their daytime soaps. I don't think they've done this before, at least not Steve Mosko. It's very interesting and shows that they do in fact care about the show.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Well, I'm not getting any of that from Y&R right now and haven't in ages, so my mind is thinking it all up!

But I do find it strange that a guy who heads both primetime and syndicated divisions for Sony comes to visit a daytime soap set. Sony usually sends Steve Kent to Y&R, as he's the one directly responsible for running daytime soap related things for Sony. I'm just shocked by this move.

I never thought Sony cared enough to talk business, budget cuts, and renewal talks on the set of any of their daytime soaps. I don't think they've done this before, at least not Steve Mosko. It's very interesting and shows that they do in fact care about the show.

I believe he's done the same thing over at Days a few times, but nobody's ever blogged about it.

I believe he's done the same thing over at Days a few times, but nobody's ever blogged about it.

Usually when Sony suits visit Y&R, Barbara Bloom is there talking the same bullsh!t and trying to make herself happen. Apparently, she was noticeably absent from this "meeting." I found that part interesting as well.

I do remember hearing that Mosko visited DAYS in 2007 or so just as Wyman was being fired...

So that lends more fuel to my change is possibly coming to Y&R and Sony isn't happy with Y&R thesis!

Usually when Sony suits visit Y&R, Barbara Bloom is there talking the same bullsh!t and trying to make herself happen. Apparently, she was noticeably absent from this "meeting." I found that part interesting as well.

I do remember hearing that Mosko visited DAYS in 2007 or so just as Wyman was being fired...

So that lends more fuel to my change is possibly coming to Y&R and Sony isn't happy with Y&R thesis!

Oh, I wasn't implying you were wrong. Just that it's not so unheard of for him to show up on the sets of these shows. We just don't hear about it from the press when it does happen.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by brimike

OK, why are these posts appearing in a bolded font when I don't think anyone has bolded their posts? Are we being gaslighted?

I wonder if CBS imposed any mandates on the show seperate from the budget cuts when they renewed the show for two years. I guess we wouldn't know the difference now, as the show is so horrible at the moment.

Anyway, I'm still hoping my thesis will be proven true, as with the last time we heard Mosko visited a soap set.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

OK, why are these posts appearing in a bolded font when I don't think anyone has bolded their posts? Are we being gaslighted?

I wonder if CBS imposed any mandates on the show seperate from the budget cuts when they renewed the show for two years. I guess we wouldn't know the difference now, as the show is so horrible at the moment.

Anyway, I'm still hoping there's truth to my thesis!

The scary part, A, is if the renewal happened a few months ago, what you're seeing on the air now might actually be the mandates.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by brimike

The scary part, A, is if the renewal happened a few months ago, what you're seeing on the air now might actually be the mandates.

It seems like the show was renewed rather recently though, and if they wrote these episodes as far back as March/April, it had to be the crap job of this current writing regime and we already know at least one revolting plot twist was recycled by one of this show's HW's.

But more mandates from CBS worry me. We've seen what's happened to GL and ATWT, and I do believe CBS is all over that sh!t.

But if my thesis is true, and Sony is slowly bringing some type of behind the scenes change at Y&R, who knows how that will turn out. I'm keeping an optimistic state of mind. I have to believe there's better out there than the crap this current writing regime is feeding me.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Poor Tracey Bregman. No Lauren since June 12. That's a huge kick in the butt.

I think Tracey will be on next week, then three or four eps a couple weeks later and not much for September. She is going on vacation with her family for a couple weeks (she does this every year) and Christian Le Blanc is traveling every weekend, sometimes for appearances and sometimes for vacation.

Tracey has all but disappeared, but Christian isn't being used much either. He is lucky to be on once or twice a week for a few minutes and it seems like every other week he is not seen. Based on an interview they gave last week, they were both hoping for some story this fall, hoping being the operative word.

Anyone interested, Tracey and Christian represented the show by attending a wedding of Sony Y&R wedding contest winners last weekend and they made this a big PR event for not only the show but also for Vegas Tourism. I guess there were reps from the show, CBS and SONY at the event which had very good media coverage. Go to the SONY home page to see pics, video and interviews.

Ironic that they use them to promote the show, but can't find a way to use them on screen.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by lmfan

So, back to the Steve Mosko visit to the Y&R set. Hmmm, out of all of his responsibilities for Sony, handling both syndicated and primetime shows, I do find it strange he went to the set of one of Sony's soaps to talk business and hold a "town meeting" with everyone invovled in the show and to speak about the budget cuts and Y&R's two year renewal.

It seems like Sony is finally taking a hands on approach in relation to their ownership of Y&R. As I said before, I wonder if this was the first step on Sony's side in trying to intervene in "saving" Y&R. I must wonder if they've heard the fan reaction, saw the focus group results, the falling ratings, and overall negative feedback and decided to slowly try to bring change to this show. Who knows, maybe in a few months, this current writing and producing regime might be fired and replaced. I'm keeping the hope alive.

It's nice to know Sony does in fact care about this show though...

Could also be that he wanted to soften them up for the cuts and firings that may happen in the future since so many of the cast/crew are long time vets. Maybe he felt they deserved that, and I have little doubt it will be the vets (as far as the actors) that will be heading out the door and not all the newbies they have been hiring lately. I guess it is good he came down and spoke to them personally. I doubt anyone was happy though with what he had to say. Interesting that EB did not attend which likely means he will be playing hard ball during negotiations.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by lmfan

I guess one upside, unlike other longtime and core characters, Lauren isn't being destroyed or made utterly stupid by this writing regime. They just don't use her, even if she's just recurring.

This writing regime just doesn't understand balance and how to pare down their cast. If they haven't learned that by now, they never will.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Could also be that he wanted to soften then up for the cuts and firings that may happen in the future since so many of the cast are long time vets. Maybe he felt they deserved that, and I have little doubt it will be the vets that will be heading out the door and not all the newbies that have been hiring lately. I guess it is good he came down and spoke to them personally. I doubt anyone was happy though with what he had to say. Interesting that EB did not attend which likeyly means he will be playing hard ball during negotiations.

Hmm, I wonder if the recent success DAYS had with getting rid of vets and brining in new characters gave them any nutty ideas. What worked there won't necessarily work here.

But we desperately need a better writing and producing regime. It all starts at the top I guess...

Hmm, I wonder if the recent success DAYS had with getting rid of vets and brining in new characters gave them any nutty ideas. What worked there won't necessarily work here.

THIS wouldn't surprise me at all. And it scares the CRAP out of me.

Hmm, I wonder if the recent success DAYS had with getting rid of vets and brining in new characters gave them any nutty ideas. What worked there won't necessarily work here.

But we desperately need a better writing and producing regime. It all starts at the top I guess...

Oh, I think there has been an obvious effort this year to change the focus to the younger actors. They will keep enough vets around so that they can act like they care about the vets, but if you look carefully it is the younger characters who are getting story.

Billy, Mac, Cane, Chloe and probably Chance will carry the Chancellor family stories. Kay will still be used substantially as she is the cornerstone of the family, but the bulk of the story will be the younger Chancellors.

The Winters revolve around Lily. Neil and Olivia are merely props for her.

Then you have Kevin and Jana getting good airtime and most of the story for the Baldwin-Fisher family. Michael and Lauren are seldom seen props and Gloria and Jeffrey are mere comic book villians.

Victor and Ashley are made to look like idiots with the current gaslighting story which is from Adam's perspective and Ashley and Victor sre supporting his story. And Adam is playing his two love interests: Heather and Rafe.

Nikki has no real story and has been backburned for long periods this year. Sure some of this is because of contract negotiations but when has a Nikki pairing been so ignored? Even last year when she was with David she received heavy play.

The bulk of the story for the Newmans are Adam and the QUAD which is more about Sharon, Nick and Phyllis and less about Jack who is more like a prop.

I think part of this is Scheffer doesn't like writing for vets, but it seems to me that someone upstairs has made the decision to focus more on the younger cast which is risky when one of the appeals of Y&R has always been their long running veteran cast.

Edited July 27, 200916 yr by lmfan

According to Sara Bibel, Sony Pictures Television President Steve Mosko visited the Y&R set last week. He talked to the employees about the budget cuts and Y&R's TWO YEAR renewal from CBS.

He apparently thanked Billy and Maria for their leadership, but we know that means nothing. Sony was always going to the Y&R set during Latham's run. Here's hoping Sony gets more invovled and fires the hacks that are running this show into the ground. Force some change on this show, Mosko!

This tells me that Sony does in fact care about what goes on at Y&R..

I find the two year renewal bit more interesting than anything else. It isn't even a five year deal with a half-way out. Bloom and Maria must REALLY hate each other. Hell I'd hate Maria too if she talked [!@#$%^&*] about me to Nelson Branco of all people. I don't think the two year renewal was a "daytime climate" decision. That was a "If you're still here and I'm still here, I want you the [!@#$%^&*] out of Television City and fast" kind of thing. Bloom arranged a two year pickup with CBS to force Maria out of Y&R or to force them off the network altogether to develop her own brand of CBS/Sony friendly daytime fare.

This means... Steve was there to talk business. He certainly didn't go to congratulate Bill and Marie Arène! A clear ultimatum has been given. Sony will use full artillery, naval and air force, if necessary.

Mmmhmmm. Look at any family owned soap company that sold their show or a stake of it to a production company. Eventually, the family was forced out.

LOL! I love how you've created this whole back story and ulterior motive. Very Bill Bell-corporate stories-soapy of you. :-)

Nope. It's more like "Same Script, Different Cast."

The show has been phasing out the veteran characters for most of the past year, year and a half. Nikki, Jill, they are both meaningless now compared to what they used to be. Katherine has been positioned as the patron saint of Genoa City, used in order to help phase out other vets. Brad is gone. Jack has an increasingly diminished role.

Since Sheffer doesn't like vets anyway, I would almost be willing to just write most of these characters out if it would mean the stories themselves and the characterizations would improve. Right now it is the worst of both worlds. Mistreatment of vets and disgusting, poorly paced excuses for plotlines.