Y&R: Latest Arrogant Garbage From Maria Arena Bell and Hogan Sheffer

[MarkH]

It's a shame that the board was down Fri-Sat, as I was fueled to post my part of the outrage chorus then. The flames have died down, though I still have no more respect for that interview. It is appalling to me that Mr. Branco--who has been publically against some of these storylines himself--would so soft-pedal this interview. I realize this is his bread and butter, but this interview was really quite beyond the range of tolerance--even for a sweetheart deal between a reporter and a subject.

At the same time, I think the collective outrage here signals a couple of things. First, we simply cannot trust what any of these headwriters/EP says from a self-evaluation perspective. They have clearly decided to close ranks and say only positive (nay, superlative) things. Knowing that, it's really time for us to ignore this shite. I personally don't think it is a lack of self-awareness by the way. I think it is an unwillingness to admit they are wrong. In that way, MAB does join ranks with Bill Bell's first professional identity -- a shameless ad-man trying to sell soap to the fraus.

Second, and I think this is more important, they have decided that the internet criticism of their show is NOT the "leading edge" of viewer dissatisfaction. They have chosen to disregard it as fringe opinion, not the mainstream. Maybe they're right? Maybe they have data suggesting that the internet fanbase is atypical and doesn't predict Neilsen viewer habits? I am shocked at how blithely they dismissed that 400K HH drop a few weeks ago. They missed they key elements of that drop: It was WAY bigger than any other show, the rest of CBS didn't follow that huge-drop trend anywhere near as much, and it was IMMEDIATELY after Sarah Smythe debuted.

But it's all for naught. These people have decided to make a public show of not listening, not caring. They want the show to be "fun" and "surprising", and by now it is clear to all of us that the formula involves short-arc shock-and-awe storylines, and the casting of outsiders while nudging well regarded characters and families off-canvas. They have decided to tell us that they are being true to history and character, and we know that's not true.

So, they lie. That is the lens we have to view every future word through. It makes zero sense for us to dissect what they say anymore, because they lie.

IMAGINE how different it could be if they said "We f*cked up", and then the storylines and storytelling changed accordingly. We all know that would garner respect and MIGHT win back some eyeballs (though I don't think so--as the Peyton axiom reminds us, when they leave they are gone for good).

Scott Hamner is a throughline in this mess, from LML to now. I'm not blaming Mr. Hamner exclusively...I'm just saying that this insane witches brew that bears the name Y&R is something that TPTB have been trying to foist on us for over half-a-decade now. Where Y&R is now is the culmination of years of deliberate (yes, "by design") show construction to bring us to this wretched state.

I cannot imagine WHY they think this is good. Mr. Sheffer seems to think it is somehow about rejecting traditionalisms...giving the form relevance and longevity by becoming more "cinematic". I'm hear to tell you that if I went to a movie with that cheap, shoddy, sh*tty hall of mirrors dreck, I'd walk out and maybe ask for my money back. So have at it, Mr. Sheffer.

The underlying social processes by which this show is being decimated fascinate me. WHY? What is the goal? Could someone REALLY believe they are doing a good thing? I can't fathom it....

[JimTolkien]

I so love your post so I won't even add to it. Personally I don't believe one bloody word of that interview, not a one and I frankly don't think they care what the viewers want at this point. We either take the stories or leave it -I don't watch the show for an entire week and just wait till Friday or Saturday when I have a sense from reading recaps if it's even worth watching. The show is off my DVR never ever to return until I see something worth returning to, now I use that DVR time for something else.

I remember hearing much of the same from ATWT a few years ago but it was never never as bad as this. All I sadly look forward to at this point, is to watch which actors start getting kicked off the show and wait for the cancellation notice and then the final cast photo. MAB thinks it can't happen to her show, she better think again...nothing is ever in the bag. But hey, a Bell created the show, it's only fitting that someone in that family takes it out. I saw that the ratings dropped last week, I imagined her and HS thought that's a good thing seeing as 4.9 million watched it never mind the fact that in the past 2 years this show has lost over almost 700,000 viewers.

I would miss the show dearly if it got cancelled eventually but you know there are other things to watch at 12:30pm, lots to choose from.

[Khan]

It's only appalling if you're unfamiliar with Louella's "work." By now, most everyone knows how he switches loyalties on a proverbial dime.

According to the official information, each Nielsen point represents, what, 300,000 viewers? IOW, for every person (with a Nielsen box) that watches a particular program, the network bean-counters assume there are hundreds of thousands of others watching the same program who don't have official tracking devices. If that's so, then why is it difficult for them to assume that every person who voices his opinion (good, bad, or otherwise) via message boards and other online forums might, in fact, represent the thoughts and feelings of hundreds of thousands of others who share similar opinions, but who, for whatever reason, choose not to participate online? I mean, yes, there are rabble-rousing trolls to look out for on most boards, but it isn't as if the same 20-30 people are infiltrating every board out there, giving the same critical opinions, but under different SN's. I mean, who has the time, lol?

No offense, but, DUH!

[LoyaltoAMC]

I'm a little confused. Who exactly is steering story at Y&R? I know they claim it's all very collaborative with sunshine and roses wrapped in rainbows, but that's hard to believe. HS seems to be taking credit for the double doppelganger story. I know SH is their mystery pro, so did he take HS's idea and plot out the story to be as suspenseful as possible, in that way that only he could And what's MAB's role? Tweaking the stories/scripts so that they conform with the Bill Bell template? The show reeks of HS, so I have a hunch he is the real "brains" behind this operation. Whatever their contributions, the show just seems so out of focus and just slapped together, with that "whatever we throw to the wall that sticks" mentality. Say what you want about LML, but even in the sad latter days of her reign, the show seemed tightly focused.

[Khan]

Honestly, I think Hoagie and Hamner do the real heavy-lifting, story-wise, and Maria just signs off on everything.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Have any of the actors spoken publicly against any of this? I know that Peter Bergman gave some passive-aggressive comments a few weeks back, but I don't recall seeing anything else. Has anyone else said anything? Surely some of them can't be too happy with all the changes. I suppose it's difficult to make any negative comments with a Bell as part of the HW team and with a strong personality like Rauch in charge.

[Sylph]

First of all, I don't like the tone of conform to Bill Bell template. Nothing here "conforms" to the way Bill Bell used to write. Yes, he had templates, and many of those were much, much better than the [!@#$%^&*] Agnes Overrated Nixon spits out.

Second, to answer your question: Maria Arena chews gum in her office, occasionally chats with Rauch over coffee or something, while Hogan Sheffer spews out immense quantities of utter bullshit and Scott Hamner is there to persecute, pester and stalk the writers. Yes, I'm not kidding, Scott actually does that. Occasionally even yells at them.

Rauch also does absolutely nothing, just hangs out at the studios, occasionally yells at the actors and receives a hefty paycheck for doing so.

If you're asking whether I was ironic, no, I wasn't.

Maria hired Hogan knowing he is a workhorse so that she can do nothing, take credit and and be just plain, old lazy all day long.

[BadZoe]

I think they dismiss the Internet audience as having a group think mentality, so are not representative of the "true" fans out there who blissfully eat up all the crap they dish out. Although why they chose an Internet site to spout this message on is beyond me.

Hoggie and Maria are total morons. They could have actually given their crappy regime a lifeline by saying "we screwed up with the double doppelgangers, and in a matter of weeks both will be gone." I have a hard time believing that the Sara Smythe thing was expected to only go on for 3 weeks before she was killed, it reeks to me of a ratings dive re-shoot.

[DeeeDee]

Eric, Jeanne, Kristoff, Bryton & Nia (Jess, Eileen, MTS, Muhney, Thom & Tracey to lesser extents too)

[LoyaltoAMC]

Haha. It sounds like MAB believes she's conforming to some Bill Bell template. Honestly, maybe she is to an extent. If she were out of the picture, who knows how much farther the show would get from its roots. Maybe she's the one fighting for the integrity of the show. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors?

[Sylph]

The show is — reportedly — a nightmare behind the scenes. It's awful to work there.

The scriptwriters are on constant and very stressful alert because Scott is after them.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I've heard that, too.

I've also heard that many people are afraid to second guess Maria, she's not very open to dissent when it comes to what she likes. Very arrogant woman who thinks she can do no wrong.

[bellcurve]

Wow, Scott Hamner actually does SOMETHING other than draft up these lame ass murder mysteries!? Say it ain't so! And why am I not surprised that he yells at his writers? He learned well, not only from his BFF Lethal, but from Maria as well. They are both arrogant bullies and Scott just doing his best to emulate them. Kinda like the way Dylan Cash used to emulate Laura Wright when she got settled into GH. It's laughable to me how he tries to be so hard. He should be using that time to join someone's workshop.

Soeaking of Maria, you've got her pegged to a science. Except you forget the part where she struts around like she owns all of CBS and spends the rest of her free studio time browsing through Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom catalogues. I doubt she even watches the Y&R feed from her office.

[YRBB]

OMG! I don't know why, but this made me all happy inside.

[bellcurve]

You cannot be serious!

The whole reason why she went on this powertrip with Josh Griffith and gave those ridiculous interviews in the beginning is because she has the final say on everything. She fought for that from Josh Griffith. From casting to the stories to probably what is ordered for the craft services table.

I don't believe for a second that she's fighting for the integrity of the show. If she were, she wouldn't allow Bell's tentpole female characters to be backburned or pushed aside and then justify that in interviews later. She wouldn't allow Hogan Sheffer, Hackiello, and Rauch to talk down to their audience not only in their work, but documented in print and on Twitter.

I think she's fine with what's going on because it's the #1 show and as long as some of her control issues are unleashed(Restless Style, other crap), she could care less.

Maria has worked in the arts scene for YEARS. You mean to tell me the best she could come up with for writers is Jay Gibson and Hogan Sheffer?

Maria should, not only as someone who basically has full control of Y&R but as a WOMAN and a self-proclaimed writer and artist, be completely and utterly ashamed at what this show has become.