Y&R: Old Articles

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Which is why that oft-used argument about budgets being the sole reason why daytime soaps are so lackluster always seemed to be a bit dubious. What determines the quality starts out on the page 1st. Bill Bell Sr. knew that.  Notice also, how subtle the music cues are. The dialogue is what is the centerpiece of those scenes, everything else is aesthetics. 

[SoapDope]

 The interesting thing about Jill's pairing with Michael Crawford was when Jess took over the role in 1987 she was reunited Colby Chester who played Michael. They had been contract players together at Universal Studios in the 70's. Another contract actress at that time was Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey). 

[NothinButAttitude]

@AT1980, Thank you for sharing this treasure with us all. 

 

Classic episodes like this strengthen my belief that soaps really need to get back to their core in order for them to recapture what they used to possess. 

[will81]

How interesting, never knew that. I had no idea Jess was on a contract with Universal in the 70's. Do you know if Jess and Sharon ever acted in anything together?

[Cruising Soaps]

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I miss Leanna Love!

[SoapDope]

Yes. Several projects. One thing comes to mind is an episode of the 1972 Gary Collins series " The Sixth Sense". Gary is on a flight during a storm and Jess plays a woman who is sick going in out of consciousness. She is having psychic premonitions. Colby Chester plays the pilot and Sharon Gless is the stewardess. 

 

Sharon and Colby did a couple of TV movies of the week together " All My Darling Daughter's (1972) and My Darling Daughter's Anniversary (1973). She played one of Robert Young's 4 daughter (ala like the Brooks girls on Y&R). In the first film all 4 daughters get married on the same day. Colby Chester was on of the grooms getting married to Fawne Harriman (later of Somerset). Eve Arden was the exasperated wedding planner.  

[lucaslesann23]

I have a question. Why was nick gone  in 2007 during that plane crash? Did JM quit or was it just  a storyline exit

[DRW50]

 

Contract negotiations.

[lucaslesann23]

Oh ok. Were they gonna bring adam back than but JM came back? I remember victor JR was causing trouble and went somwhere victor went to find him and nothing came out of that.

[Paul Raven]

I think Bill Bell deliberately isolated characters eg Kay and Jennifer as he realized that the half hour could not support it. If Kay and Jen were friends then as well as Kay being a part of the Brooks story, Jennifer in turn would have involvement in all that was going on with  Kay and Jill and there would be an obligation to write to that which could dilute the overall story.

Also he liked to keep things up his sleeve so that later, characters could connect and open up new avenues to explore.

 

Nowadays everyone on canvas has a history with just about everyone else and it gets incestuous and unwieldy ...

 

[will81]

Fair call. I do like that not everyone knows everyone else, that worked in the 80's and 90's as well. I forget how small the main cast was in the 70's.

Haha what a riot. I have to find these immediately, thanks for letting me know. I love 70's tv movies

[Broderick]

 

What I was noticing was how aesthetically pleasing this episode was, despite being staged (out of necessity)  in a fairly sterile, bland hospital environment.   Yes, during this particular episode we were "deprived" of the lush sets that we often saw on Y&R during the John Conboy era, but even with the fairly drab hospital set, you could see John Conboy's fingerprints all over it.   When Jennifer awoke, the hospital widow blinds were positioned in such a manner that sunlight was filtering into the room and making flickering daybreak-shadows fall across the table and lamp in front of the window.   And there in front of the window stood three breathtakingly beautiful young girls --- all impeccably dressed in their Southern California casual pantsuits, thoughtfully provided to Columbia Pictures by Giorgio's of Beverly Hills.   John Conboy made sure that the whoever directed the episode (Bill Dunlap, probably) zoomed in to get close-ups of the flawless complexions and carefully-styled hair of Lorie, Leslie, and Chris, without ever distracting from the very modern (even controversial, for the time) storyline Bill Bell was telling about a woman having a breast removed.  This was VERY unusual at the time --- telling a ground-breaking storyline about a masectomy, discussing breasts so frankly on daytime television, focusing the viewer's attention on three beautiful young women instead of on the patient herself, showcasing innovative Hollywood lighting techniques in a hospital room, of all places -- and presenting all of this in the context of very traditional, soap-based family drama.  This is the period when Y&R was really shaking-up the daytime world, and this particular episode goes a long way toward showing how Bill Bell and John Conboy were accomplishing this transformation.   It may seem bland to us now, but at the time I bet this seemed very riveting and modern, but at the same time soapy enough not to drive away the more traditional daytime audience.   

Edited September 10, 2019 by Broderick

[ltm1997]

The 1975 episode was a wonderful start to my day! That is the TRUE Young and The Restless we all know and love! From the believable acting (unlike today) to the background music cues (again, UNLIKE TODAY LMAO), everything was just great. The last scene was both sad and hopeful, as it showed that no matter what happens in life, family is always the most important thing. No one overdid it or tried to out-act the other. There was a certain fluidity that Y&R has lacked for a few years now. The writing was impeccable.

Edited September 10, 2019 by ltm1997

[Cat]

 

Right? And it was a blessed relief to watch. Nothing to detract you from watching the wonderful, nuanced acting (although I am kind of obsessed by all the Brooks sisters' gorgeous, wavy hair), the time taken so that ALL the beats of the SL get played out without being rushed, the complex relationship between the characters.

 

Also, the skill of production to use clever, moody lighting and meaningful close-ups to accentuate the intensity of the SL. And possibly to play down a relatively nondescript set. Although I did enjoy Stuart Brooks' walk from the front porch with his morning newspaper, through the dark, wooded, roomy entrance hall, into a living room so dark, it's like he hasn't yet gotten around to opening the curtains (the darkness a metaphor for how worried and down they all feel about Jennifer?). It was such a solid opening 10 seconds (helped by the signature dreamy music) to establish place and feel.

[Paul Raven]

That darkness was a hallmark of the Conboy years. It was carefully constructed so that the actors and/or certain props were specifically lit. Hours were spent on the lighting.

Wes Kenney changed that and said he got feedback along the lines of 'I didn't realize you had sets!'