Y&R: How would you improve it?

[CSF]

So I hope this works.

I as well as many others are not too happy with the current state of Y&R so I was thinking the best way to address that would be to discuss it, solely in a thread on how we would like to see the show improved in a way that's constructive and polite. There's no use at bashing the current regime at this point, that's only gonna make everyone more frustrated.

Please discuss...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

-Either END this ridiculous quad (Nick/Sharon/Jack/Phyllis) that has been going on non-stop for FOUR years already, or give it some serious back-burning. This constant flip-flopping is really hurting the integrity of all these characters invovled.

-USE half of the cast adequately, damnit. There's no reason why Nikki, Paul, Heather, Victoria, JT, Michael, Lauren, the entire Winter's clan, and others should be so back-burned and they've been this way for over a yar now.

-Certain actresses that play "core" characters (cough, Colleen and Victoria, cough) need to be recast. This is only my opinion and I realize that some might enjoy these current actresses, but I do not.

-Also, some non-essential characters need to be cut. If these characters have been aimless for a few years now, it's time to let them go and stop keeping them on contract when you have nothing for them. Honestly, I wouldn't mind losing some "vets" if it meant the canvas was trimmed down, which would allow them to tell much tighter storyline with a good amount of characters on the show.

-Develop some new interesting characters please. All of MAB's creations have been horrible. Need I mention Sabrina and Tyra? Yikes. They don't have to be tied to any core family or anything, but integrate them well and make sure they serve some type of functional purpose.

- HIRE a story consultant if they cannot WRITE anything DECENT for the Winter's clan. This show's treatment of it's minority family has been a damn embarrassment.

-Where the HELL is the ROMANCE? This current regime doesn't seem interesting in writing some complex romance stories. Keep in mind that your core audience is females, Y&R. They had potential with Paul and Nikki, but they stupidly made that "romance" take place OFF-SCREEN.

-Get back to telling some business intrigue storylines, please. They were a huge part of Y&R in the 80's, 90's, and early 00's. What the hell happened to them? Playing musical chairs as to who the CEO of Jabot is, is not my idea of a business intrigue story.

-Write some characters, like Victoria, IN character, please. Screw the limitations of the actors, if the actors can't deliver what is written in character for their part, then recast.

-STRONGER WOMEN, please. The misogyny on this show is RIDICULOUSNESS. Women are your core audience soaps, I'm sure they would appreciate seeing a power-hungry woman going after exactly what she wants. There's an over-reliance on women losing their mind over a man, chasing after a man, and seeing themselves as being inferior without a man on this show. It's really off-putting.

-DIVERSIFY the TYPES of STORYLINES that are being told please. Y&R needs to try to offer something for everyone. The switch to the all-consuming darker tone is turning many off, myself included. Tell different types of storylines, but make sure they all make sense and they're well-plotted. No need to rely too much on psychos, mental illness, inane triangles, or most of the hyper-sensationalistic stuff going on right now too much.

There's more I'm forgetting and will add as it comes to me,

Maria Arena Bell, Hogan Sheffer, and Scott Hamner have showed me that for a year or so now, they cannot handle any of the things I've listed, which is why I believe they should all be fired. It's only my opinion, but I simply do not enjoy their scattered "vision" for this show. I think Y&R, as well as other soaps, need a visionary, a strong leader who comes in and does an overhaul and uses what is working, and gets rid of what is not working. I'd prefer for their to be a division of powers, with a strong Executive Producer and a strong Head Writer, but these positions should not overlap.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Oh, also, better PACING. Y&R in its current state is HORRENDOUSLY paced. Things either go way too fast, and some thing that aren't working (like the Winter's storyline) is played like once a month and dragged out.

This show needs a revamp, seriously...

[JackPeyton]

Y&R is far from to far gone.

To save it wouldnt be that hard.

Its in desperate need of a massive clean up. From top to bottom. Starting with a new writing team. I am far from skilled in this area - so im not gonna mention anyone. But someone new is needed. Perhaps look into the shows history? Just not a proven hack from another soap.

then clean up the cast. 1/3rd can easily be let go. If not almost half. Then bring in core family members that are long missing (Abbots, im looking at you. Oh and Scotty Baldwin? Nate? Yes please!)

Stop bringing people over from B&B. Amber, i love her, and she fits on Y&R NOW, but still... ugh. And if you keep her and you at least play up her history? When Phyliss didnt like Amber dating Daniel why didnt she voice that to her bff Lauren who could understand based on knowing the history of Amber & the forresters? Thats right, lack of character interaction and use of history. Two very essential things Y&R has awlays been good at.

Go back to the business aspect of the show.

and tell better character driven storylines.

[moila]

This is what i would do...........

1. Give balanced screentime to ALL the characters on Y&R i do not care anymore if they are crap, veteran, favourites, or under rated if they on the show as contract characters i want to see them and know they are not invisible, otherwise you might as well just think they are on recurring status or have been fired i mean whats the difference? its boring seeing the same old characters get predictable storylines, i like a mix, i have favourites too, and characters i don't like but variety and change is nice.

2. Give core storylines to characters that dont have nothing to do and that includes Colleen, Victoria, Devon, JT.

3. Stop hiring newbies because the cast is getting too full, i am glad that more new men are coming to GC but i think that is enough for now. It is hard familarising with a big cast.

4. Stop the madness with who is the daddy storyline??? and repeating SL's that are similar to the past. Do more realistic storylines that the viewers can relate too.

5. MORE romance and LESS lust please!

That is my top 5 agenda of course there could be a million of other things that i could add but you can ask for too much i just listed the reasons which is possible for Y&R to work on and easy to change.

[y&r_fan]

I think they should fire everyone over 30, give Zapato a storyline and retitle the show The Lily & Colleen OMG Variety Hour.

[Vanguardian]

It's already improved! Darkness and mystery serves it quite well IMO! I've always liked Y&R, but I'm more inclined to tune in regularly now.

[rhythmchyc]

I think if the people y&rworldturner wants fired do something as simple as doing their research on each character that's currently on canvas, loading up on their motivations, insecurities, weaknesses, strengths, and bonds with other characters, both past and present, along with working on the pacing, this show would improve dramatically.

Take Victor for instance. That scene when Jill walked in to the Athletic Club to begin their scheme against Jack sent chills up so many people's spines because their was a historical connction with those two, their was the hatred both shared with Jack, there was the proper analysis of both characters as cunning and cutthroat. The s/l could've gone on and on from there because these two drive plot; the plot doesn't have to drive them.

As it went on, unfortunately, they took Jill and made her a victim of the plot, actually succombing to Victor in the lamest way by blackmailing her into forcing Cane as CEO. Jill should've come up with a counterstrike easily, particularly with the knowledge that Victor put Billy in control over Ashley. This should be the main business intrigue story.

Of course this would have to be properly paced, over a span of months. And Victor and Jill alone integrate so many characters: Chancellors, Newmans, Abbotts. Even Colleen. As the new fresh face and chair on the Newman board, she would continue working with Jack behind the scenes and would discover Victor's betrayal. She, Jack, and Jill would have Victor in the palm of their hands, Colleen and Jack not even working with Jill necessarily. And of course this would affect Lily, who deep down wants to be a model like her mother, and is pissed at Colleen for taking her birthright for granted and not being a proper Fresh face of Jabot. And so on and so on.

I think the biggest problem is the perspective the people y&rworldturner wants fired. They need to be in the muck and have an overall outlook. You cannot think about plot in a successful soap because these people are in our faces everyday. It's not a lame action movie with bombs and random deaths that's two hours long. If you're not thinking about every single character thoroughly, then you're not writing a soap opera.

[MarkH]

Like you, I have zero problem with this darkness-and-mystery trend. I don't like the stupidification of some characters (Victor with Adam; Nick-and-Jack if they accept Sharon's about-face), but I don't mind the plots at all.

Still, rhythmchyc makes very, very valid points:

I think we're seeing budget effects and fear effects. Budget means that they like to shoot multiple episodes in a day. So, if they island a group of characters on a small number of sets, they can shoot 2-3 episodes with them in one bout...that's cheaper in many ways.

But that very islanding reduces reactions and conversations...which is the "emotional nourishment" many seem to be craving.

There is a secondary outcome, and it relates to the pacing issue. If you always have a small number of characters working together, you drive story. What slows story down are all the rippling reactions as they move through family and town. But I think TPTB, especially CBS, WANTS driving plot. I think they feel this is what hooks viewers, and this plays well in the marketing promos. I think everyone is afraid of early 2008 happening again.

But I truly believe that the Kay tale of 2008-2009 is evidence that...if they can swallow their fears...and slow down...the ratings won't plummet.

That said, in order to play all the reactions we're asking for, they need to play some expensive people much more often (e.g., Nikki, Paul). I think it is urgently time to bite the bullet and trim the cast (by as much as 50%) to free up the cash to do this.

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

[DRW50]

Stop focusing so much on shock value and try to just tell a story. Either the shocks are soon forgotten about (why was Brad killed when he could have just moved back to Italy or somewhere else for business reasons) or they lead to horrible storylines which drag on until more shocks are paddled into their chests.

Why be afraid of showing friendships and family? What are soaps about? Key stories have fallen apart because no one on the show cares about happens to their loved ones. If they don't care, why should viewers care? Ashley could be some woman Victor picked up in a bar, for all her history in this story.

[lovely_m]

The only good storylines that came out of Brad's death have been forgotten. I wouldn't be suprised if many forgot it was his death that drove Sharon to her psychotic break and Colleen's "big storyline" is in limbo. He seems like an afterthought to Abby.

They don't show friendship and family for plot purposes. If they did show these family relationships there is no way in hell Ashley should still be at the ranch.

[MarkH]

Absolutely the truth on Brad. Every one of those three plot derivatives was dropped. Though I am not complaining about seeing less of this Abby.

I loved LML's addition of friendship and family. These things really stand out for me: Nick/Phyllis playing charades with their friends; Nick building shelves with Victor (let's try to forget they were from IKEA, though). Those felt like real moments, and I loved them, even though they propelled NO plot. I really miss that. In early LML, they did family and friendship better than it had been done for years. Like the Winters having family dinner night!

[rhythmchyc]

The few that I tend to make.

I like Casiello's use of flashbacks, too. It's just a minor thing but it adds a lot of flavor to an episode. Well done today and, of the scripts I know he's co-written, when there were flashbacks of Adam refusing to eat anything. If they could more incorporate flashbacks and use theme well, that would be great.

[Sylph]

Ewww, flashbacks!