Really, when I hear someone say this soap has the best cast it's usually Y&R. Though they can be thinking of a select few.

OFF TOPIC BUT... if you didn't watch the show you'd think the only four actors worth a damn are Peter Bergman, Christian LeBlanc, Michelle Stafford, and Greg Rikaart.

What about Thomas Scott, Davidson (both), Cast, Walton, Rowell, Williams, Braeden, Case, etc.? Not even a mention.

Edited April 20, 201015 yr by Ry1

OFF TOPIC BUT... if you didn't watch the show you'd think the only four actors worth a damn are Peter Bergman, Christian LeBlanc, Michelle Stafford, and Greg Rikaart.

What about Thomas Scott, Davidson (both), Cast, Walton, Rowell, Williams, Braeden, Case, etc.? Not even a mention.

I do watch the show. Doesn't Eric Braden get mentions as well?

For the most mentioned list you can also add Elizabeth Hendrickson, Billy Miller, Micheal Graz, and Adrienne Frantz for the younger set.

I am incoherent right now, so bare with me.

But characters still disappear for months: Nina, Nikki, Olivia, Amber & Daniel haven't really been on this year, Malcolm, Jill (still to some extent), etc etc etc

But most of them are recurring.

Under Latham a HUGE amount of CONTRACT characters were marginalized or disappear for MONTHS (Ashley, Jill, Neil, Nikki, Paul, Lauren, Michael, Devon, Victoria, Mackenzie, JT, Katherine) while others were on CONSTANTLY (Brad, Drucilla, Lily, Cane, Amber, Daniel Adrian, Colleen, Nick, Sharon, Jack, Giggly Heffa, GLORIA, Jeff, Kevin, Jana)

And there is a basis in reality now with MAB?!!!!!! Alistair, Emily/Patty, Jana and Lauren in a cage, Sheila's kids with Tom, Ashley's "pregnancy", Jana's headaches, klepto one day then not the next Sharon, everything Kevin. Just scratching the surface here, you get the point! Come on!

At least Maria attempts some basis in Y&R's history even if it's horribly, horribly wrong.

Cane the bartending, CEO?

Amber & her fried green tomatoes act?

WHO KILLED PLUM?

HOUSE OF KIM?

A STRIPPER & A MANWHORE RUN FOR SENATE?

SAINT GIGGLY HEFFA?

SAINT GLORIA & THE FACE CREAM SAGA THAT WOULD NOT END?

ADRIAN THE MOST AWESOMEST SEXY TIMES TEACHER EVER?

DANIEL THE WISE SAGE?

LOGAN THE MYSTERIOUS WOODSWOMAN?

KAREN TAYLOR KICKBOXING COSMETICS EXECUTIVE?

RELIQUARY?

THE JACK/SHARON/NICK & GIGGLY HEFFA SQUARE?

JOHN & CASSIE'S GHOSTS?

SYLVIA BROWNE?

OUIJA BOARDS?

WHO KILLED CARMEN?

WHO KILLED JI MIN?

DAVID CHOW THE MOST NON ASIAN ASIAN EVER!

EPILEPSY & GUN FIGHTS AT THE NEWMAN CORRAL!

REBECCA THE AMAZING!

METHANE GAS?

CLEAR SPRINGS?

but what about the state of the characters now?

It's inexcusable.

Maria STARTED pretty solid but now she's a complete mess & should be fired immediately.

this seems worse.

Because the actors can't work miracles anymore.

Under Latham most of them were still able to do good work even with substandard material but now they've either given up, are too marginalized or can't get enough airtime to do anything worthwhile.

The Y&R we knew and loved is gone, it ain't never coming back. We need to deal and take solace in the fact that knowing when all these shows are canceled, everyone that writes for them and produced them will be out of jobs and won't get a chance to ruin another entertainment institution.

Edited April 20, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

What about Thomas Scott, Davidson (both), Cast, Walton, Rowell, Williams, Braeden, Case, etc.? Not even a mention.

AMEN.

It's criminal how overlooked they are ESPECIALLY the women.

Cooper & Walton alone should have mantles full of trophies.

But not the "I WANT A DNA TEST!" and "LATHAM SAVED THIS SHOW!" Granny Cooper of recent years.

Because the actors can't work miracles anymore.

Under Latham most of them were still able to do good work even with substandard material but now they've either given up, are too marginalized or can't get enough airtime to do anything worthwhile.

Yep. And it's just hard watching something you love die. That's all.

Yep. And it's just hard watching something you love die. That's all.

And the saddest thing is Y&R will be the last soap standing.

And the saddest thing is Y&R will be the last soap standing.

And TPTB are determined to make sure its only for a very short time.

I think LML was better, her vision for the show wasn't perfect and too plot driven, but it still is better than what Y&R is doing now. The current writers seem to just throw together what sounds most over the top and add twists to make it even sillier. Y&R was over the top in the past, but they still didn't go off into orbit like they have now.

And TPTB are determined to make sure its only for a very short time.

+1.

Not a chance.

Latham is SO horrible she makes Maria look like Chaucer.

Maria is so much worse than Latham, there are no words.

So, did MAB or LML have a better vision for Y&R? Personally, I say Latham and was never one of the hatersl; however, I realize a lot of you disliked her version of Y&R. MAB has made the show 'hipper' in terms of Billy/Cloe speak but, in general, the show is a mess. Latham was far from perfect but it seemed like she had some sort of grip when it came to character driven story as opposed to the current regime.

As an aside, Latham would have been great for a multi-generational show like ATWT. She made Knots Landing and GC feel like communities and that is exactly what Oakdale needed. I don't think she is a bad soap writer but Y&R probably was not the right place for her. Granted, she did keep the ratings stable.

I'm just curious what you all think.

Latham was horrible. She had no grip on character or history. She ruined Y&R (along with hack Babs Bloom and Scott Hamner). The show still hasn't recovered and never will. Also, as anyone associated with the show during her reign of terror will tell you, she was a very spiteful, vindictive show runner and head writer. She went through writers and production crew left and right, mainly because no one could stand to work for her. She would have been equally horrible for World Turns. Her stories had no heart or soul. She was all about plot (rehashing most of them from KNOTS and other prime time shows she headed). MAB has her faults, but at least Y&R is an okay place to work again.

The Y&R we knew and loved is gone, it ain't never coming back. We need to deal and take solace in the fact that knowing when all these shows are canceled, everyone that writes for them and produced them will be out of jobs and won't get a chance to ruin another entertainment institution.

Call me naive, but I still believe there are writers out there who could find the Y&R of old, marry it with a more contemporary vision and be successful, while staying true to Bill Bell's intent for the show. The problem is that the network brass keep recycling the same hack head writers and associate heads. I think Maria could be more successful if she had better co-heads.

Latham was horrible. She had no grip on character or history. She ruined Y&R (along with hack Babs Bloom and Scott Hamner). The show still hasn't recovered and never will. Also, as anyone associated with the show during her reign of terror will tell you, she was a very spiteful, vindictive show runner and head writer. She went through writers and production crew left and right, mainly because no one could stand to work for her. She would have been equally horrible for World Turns. Her stories had no heart or soul. She was all about plot (rehashing most of them from KNOTS and other prime time shows she headed). MAB has her faults, but at least Y&R is an okay place to work again.

This is true. LML was a tyrant. MAB isn't even at CBS Television City most of the time. She's usually in Beverly Hills, shopping.

Now it's Paul Rauch who does the heavy work. Not that he's a total bastard, but he has his moments. Often.

Call me naive, but I still believe there are writers out there who could find the Y&R of old, marry it with a more contemporary vision and be successful, while staying true to Bill Bell's intent for the show. The problem is that the network brass keep recycling the same hack head writers and associate heads. I think Maria could be more successful if she had better co-heads.

MAB just isn't a writer. It's clear that whatever her first burst of 'writing' was based on is gone.

The issue with soap operas as they are now is that there is no point in innovating them. The audiences are dwindling and it will take the entire genre to die in its current state before new shows can emerge. So Y&R needs to get canned like the rest of them and then soaps can be reborn. So what everyone at Y&R should be focusing on is getting the show to where it was circa 1999-2001, basically the last time that it was honest to God good.