http://tvguide.ca/Soaps/Suds/Articles/100507_suds_report_NB.htm

Hogan doesn't pay attention to anyone other than himself? That's nice.

And John F. Smith's janitor is back.

They're awful. Simply awful.

And Hogan says Whitesell is Days lead writer.

Just a big, fat LMAO at the stupid ideas comment!

It's in our DNA? She & Bill Bell share genetic material? Is she... Dear Lord.

20 people hate it online?

These Y&R folks are some of the most self impressed people I have ever seen. From the producers to the writers to the actors.

Who do they think they are fooling?

That interview made me ill.

Then again, I am not from Canada and not nearly intelligent enough to understand their highbrow, Shakespeare level writing. David Chase watch out! There are some television writers that will make The Sopranos look like Facts of Life. And that is Maria Bell and Hogan Sheffer.

Y&R. Daytime's finest hour of soap opera.

I wish all of these shows would just be cancelled. Its over. Done. Embarrassing.

Could these two love themselves and pat themselves on the back ANY MORE?

TVG: I’m most excited about Andrea Evans’s “comeback” as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Tawny next week. It appears that you guys are stunt-casting with a mixture of ex-P&G/All My Children and prime-time/film stars. Is that a fair assessment?

MAB: No. Honestly, we’re just going after the right actors for the right roles. Yes, the majority of them have experience in daytime because we know they can deliver in this hectic medium. But we’re also trying to bring on performers who have done different things, which allows us to introduce a new energy to Genoa City. The calibre of hiring Sean Young in a pivotal yet guest-star capacity is a lot of fun. It’s also compelling for the audience.

Bulls.hit lie #1.

Compelling for what audience? All this of this is just an abunance of recycled soap "talent" and some of them in very miscast roles, like Eden Riegel.

TVG: Hogan, what’s it like working on the No. 1 soap opera alongside Maria Arena Bell?

HS: [Joking] She’s a walking soap opera [laughs]! It’s a strange transition for me because I’ve been, as you know, the head writer on both As The World Turns and briefly, thank God briefly, on Days of our Lives. At first, I wasn’t sure how it would work out. I didn’t know anything about Maria because I just keep to myself. I don’t pay attention to anyone other than myself! And I say this without any sense of irony: this is the best job I’ve ever had, it’s the best show I’ve ever worked on, and I’m having a ball. You could probably tell if you were fortunate to be in on one of our writer conference calls. It’s a constant state of hilarity. We work very hard. We also love each other a lot. I’ve never seen a team of writers work like this ever before in my life. Maria is extraordinarily generous and very loyal. The best part? I don’t have to deal with the network or the producers. They don’t scream at me and I don’t have to scream at them! That’s just fine with me!

!@#$%^&*].

TVG: How do you guys work together in terms of laying out long-term story? You have three co-head writers — do you split the show into three halves or work in tandem?

HS: When you have three co-head writers like we do, the key is you cannot have an ego — especially in this environment. And that’s the best part of working on Y&R. Maria just wants the best idea out there. She doesn’t care if it comes from me, her, or the janitor who is sweeping nearby who suggests something brilliant. When you work in that kind of liberal environment, you’re free to disagree and free to come up with your own ideas — which is very important creatively. I’m given a very large berth to contribute my ideas. Also, Maria has given me the chance to commandeer certain stories if she has a sense it’s a story I know and can tell very well. She’ll take a back seat and let me run with it. And that’s because there are no egos on this writing team. You know, I’ve worked on several shows where head writers are so protective of their ideas that the rest of the team is walking on eggshells. And I don’t like to work that way. [it’s counterproductive]. Yes, we fight and argue once in a while, but at the end of the day, the best idea wins. That’s why the show is so good.

Oh, and Hogan, thanks for admitting most if not all of these inane story ideas are in the hands of the people writing for this show. Not CBS, and not Sony.

TVG: Your alma mater, Days of our Lives, is also doing well in the ratings. Are you happy for their creative resurgence?

HS: I’m thrilled for them. Their head writer is Chris Whitesell, who is just brilliant. He was one of my co-head writers on World Turns. He’s like a machine gun. He’ll give you a thousand ideas in a minute. Most of them are stupid, but a few of them are brilliant. I can tell the show has a lot of Chris in it. I’m very happy for Chris.

WOW double-handed compliment much? This prick needs to stay quitet...

TVG: The Y&R fans who post online are extremely livid with the show. Would you like to address their discontent with your writing team, especially your controversial decision to include not one but two doppelganger storylines?

MAB: Let me tell you what’s funny about that. Someone in the soap press [soap Opera Digest’s Carolyn Hinsey] recently wrote, “Did you guys realize that you have two doppelgangers airing at once?” Yeah, we did [laughs]! It was intentional. The two stories are intertwined. The Sarah and Patty storylines will be a rapid-fire denouement. It gave us an opportunity to tell a fun, clever and interesting culmination of Patty’s story and the pseudo reemergence of Sheila. It gave Tracey Bregman an opportunity to stretch herself as an actress and show a different side, a darker side, in this dual role. It’s a very short arc. But what it gives the audience is a tour-de-force performance from Tracey. You’ll see a very fun explosion this week. Tracey shouldn’t just win an Emmy Award for this portrayal, she should win an Oscar! You’ll see!

FORCEFULLY connected Maria, not seamlessly connected. Fans don't care if they're connected or not, two doppelgangers on the same show was simply overload. Not to mention how horribly paced and executed everything was, and yes, the acting SUCKED. the were bad and outlandish story ideas from the get-go.

As for viewer dissatisfaction, I want to say I do visit the message boards. I do listen to our fans and critics. Sometimes when you’re watching a storyline unfold, you don’t know where it’s going and you get understandably frustrated. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means people are watching and talking about our show. I’d be more concerned if fans weren’t talking about our show! A perfect example of that is the Adam Newman storyline. Everyone complained about Adam getting away with all his evildoings, yet [we surged almost 300,000 viewers in the ratings the week he was murdered — which proved at the end of the day that the audience really loved the story]. We always ensure there is a great payoff in all of our stories. Just trust us.

Wow, what an arrogant bitch. Did she forget they lost over 400,000 viewers the next week? and I know for a fact a lot of people tuned in due to Spring Break or they just wanted to see Adam finally off this show. She seems to be another one who thinks ratings are reflective of creativity.

And what great payoffs? I've been waiting for them since the beginning of her regime. She and her hrroid writing team SUCK at payoofs.

HS: Also, these stories are connected.

MAB: That’s the point.

Horribly so, and then dropped and forgotten...

TVG: TV Guide Magazine’s Michael Logan and I recently compared certain aspects of Y&R to Passions. Do you agree that Genoa City is a wacky place to visit these days?

MAB: I was a good friend of James E. Reilly. While I don’t think our show is like Passions at all, I respected James’s work immensely. And let’s not forget [Y&R creator/producer/head writer] Bill Bell did this, too. He built incredible, larger-than-life storytelling from time to time. Everything from David Kimble to Victor Newman in the 1980s. [it’s in our DNA.] When it comes down to it, the Sarah/Patty storyline will come down to a very interesting psychological storyline involving Lauren. Her greatest nemesis will always be Sheila. Yes, Sheila is back in a different form, but how Lauren will conquer Sheila this time around will be fascinating and entertaining to watch. And I think people want to see this. There will be a lot more traditional, romantic, corporate boardroom, fun, and character-driven storylines in the summer. It will all be worth it.

Wow, here this bitch goes again using Bill Bell as an excuse. Bill Bell never did return from the dead stories, he never had two doppelgangers on the show at the same time, he never had to rely solely on one-note psychos to drive story.

I'm fuckin' tired of her using Bill Bell as an excuse. When he had outlandish ideas, it came from the characters themselves, it wasn't done simply for shock value, what Maria and Sheffer clearly go for without proper story or character development.

TVG: All Patty has to do is sew his tail back on! Well, at least we have Patty's new friend, Cat. One of the criticisms with your writing is that you rely too much on mining Bill Bell’s past storylines and fixing ex-head writer Lynn Marie Latham’s errors in judgment. Do you agree?

MAB: I think we have created new, fresh storylines like the Adam Newman storyline. But since I’ve been here, it’s been my motto to always respect the history of the show and be true to its identity. I think it’s intriguing that there are parallels in our current and past storylines. I think that enriches the story experience for the fans on many levels. As much as there is a very vocal minority of fans on the web, I do know that the majority of our fans are enjoying our show. We have an incredible cast of characters who share a rich history. We’re just putting a contemporary spin on everything.

What respect for history, Maria? Rewriting it at whim? Going against the show's core by ignoring half of the canvas all the time? Telling a constant succession of outlandish storylines for shock value all the time? Who the hell is this heffa?

If he wasn't before, Bill Bell is spinning in his grave.

TVG: Why do you think Y&R is consistently in the Top 15 shows in prime time and daytime in Canada? Why does Genoa City seemingly resonate more in my country than yours? I know it airs at 4:30 p.m. and we’re a day ahead here, but what are your theories as to why Y&R is a mainstream phenomenon in Canada?

MAB: I think Canada is an incredibly smart country [laughs]! We don’t write the show from a geographical point of view because once you do that you dilute your vision, creativity and direction. You can never pander to an audience. In the end, I have no idea why Canada loves our show so much, but I’m so happy you guys do! It’s fantastic. You guys are brilliant.

HS: Canadians have an enormously dry sense of humour and a fantastic sense of irony. When Y&R gets crazy, you guys get it. When it’s loopy, you guys get it, when it’s heartbreaking, you guys get it. Canadians are a very sophisticated audience.

MAB: You have to find the right balance in soap.

HS: Even in the great tradition of Canadian literature, from authors like Robertson William Davies, Bernard Muddiman, and Margaret Atwood, these novelists wrote about an overwhelming, extraordinary cast of characters in ordinary small towns. Canadians gravitate towards that even in their high end of literature. So it makes sense to me that you guys would love the soap opera medium.

This arrogant sh!t is what pisses me off. We all know Y&R benefits from an opportune timeslot in Canada and has for years.

Edited May 8, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

It's in our DNA? She & Bill Bell share genetic material? Is she... Dear Lord.

20 people hate it online?

She's so in denial about the state of this show, it's not funny. Hell, most of her writing team is, especially those like her who scope out the message board discussions on this show, which she freely admitted to AGAIN.

I want to know what boards she's talking about. From what I've seen, about everyone has been negative, or discussion has dropped off significantly.

Oh, and gotta love how she subtly BLAMES THE FANS for not accepting this bullsh!t writing. :rolleyes:

Typical MAB. Full of sh*t and arrogant from the first point to the last. Bill Bell is dead, she needs to stop riding his corpse for every excuse in the book.

Hogan, yeah, thank God you were at DAYS for a short time. His tenure at DAYS was atrocious.

The whole thing is just vile and I wish Branco had pressed them on his questions because it reads like a PR statement. Really crappy reasoning for a really crappy show.

This show will never get us rid of these people. Never... ... ...

Edited May 8, 201015 yr by Sylph

I love this thread title.

oops.

Edited May 8, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Typical MAB. Full of sh*t and arrogant from the first point to the last. Bill Bell is dead, she needs to stop riding his corpse for every excuse in the book.

How convenient for her that Bill's dead.

He would not put up with this trash if he were alive, and she would have never gotten so much power at his show either.

This show will never get us rid of these people. Never... ... ...

Sad, but true.

How funny is is that Mark's now calling for a new regime, well after most of us have given up hope?

Edited May 8, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

LMAO - well, Hogan Sheffer and MAB think I'm brilliant and understand their irony.

Um - lol - Not sure what to think of that. I think based on their logic, brilliant = easily impressed. Though I did think it was funny they took a page from Nelson's book and kissed ass hardcore. hahahahaha. They know SFA (Sweet f*ck all, as it were), about Canada.

Arrogant? WHAT?!

Nobody there is thinking that.