Y&R: Old Articles

[will81]

I really liked that Bell kept you guessing with Brad. You could never be sure if he really loved Traci or not. I felt like he could be a gold digger and f*ck boy.

 

Then again there were moments between Brad and Traci that seemed genuine and sincere. 

 

@Antoyne Brad and Traci divorced the first time because of Lisa (can't remember her last name) She and Brad had been married before he become the Abbott gardener and she was obssessed with him. She came to town and kidnapped him and held him in a cage. Traci was pregnant at the time and lost the baby. Brad was freed (by Jack and Lauren) and tried to save his marriage, but Traci could not get over his lies about his past. Brad used Ashley to make Traci jealous, but Traci divorced him and left town with Tim Sullivan. This is when Ashley and Brad began. 

[Paul Raven]

Agree re Brad. Sometimes characters have to go after along stint  to make room for newbies. Y&R held on to way too many characters past their use by date  - I'm looking at you Phyllis! and Kevin and Michael ...

 

One story they held off on was exploring his past. When he was marrying Traci something came up about his family and he was all vague.

Didn't he destroy wedding invitations to them?

Then unfortunately when they did explore that the story was ridiculous.

Killing him off was a bit drastic (maybe he could have just got a job out of town) but it was dramatic and dealt with the character once and for all - rather than him being never mentioned or coming up with lame excuses as to why he never returned(because the actor was unavailable or they were too lazy to bring him back)

But then killing off his daughter was a step too far.

 

Traci should have taken in a troubled teen and all the drama that goes with it. Re-ignite Traci v Lauren by having Fen get involved with her.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Paul Raven

[Dion]

Not sure why they divorced the first time as I wasn't watching (something to do with Traci having a miscarriage and Lisa locking Brad up in a cage?)

**Edit** I didn't see the post by will81**

 

The second time round Brad pretty much lost interest in Traci and had only re-married her because she was pregnant with Colleen. So when Colleen was a few months old, Traci left Brad for her publisher Steve (from memory it wasn't even a big affair storyline or anything, Traci had realized her marriage was over and decided to pursue things with Steve who had been showing interest in her). Taci and Steve left with Colleen to live in New York City.

 

A year or so after that, Traci had married Steve. Brad - concerned that Colleen (now SORASed to 5 years old) didn't know him and viewed Steve as her father - pursued joint custody and/or visitation rights. That lead to a brief quadrangle as Traci still had lingering feelings for Brad but Brad was involved with Lauren. At one point, Brad had a heart attack while being intimate with Lauren; Traci and Lauren feuded over Brad at the hospital. I don't know how that exactly all got resolved because I stopped watching for a while and when I resumed; Brad was with Nikki, Lauren had moved to L.A (for B&B) and Traci and Steve were back in New York.

Edited June 13, 2020 by Dion

[Antoyne]

Maybe because I’m only seeing him in these various classics they’re showing, but I feel like he should definitely still be on the show. I’ve never really been a fan of killing vets, especially ones connected to the entire canvas. And it annoys me that his character has been completely erased. When I started watching, Abby was young and played by that awful actress but Brad was her dad. Since then, it’s like he never raised her and she’s just full on Newman.

[soapfan770]

I personally thought Brad and Lauren were the best together in the mid-90’s and could have been a force to be reckon with as the rogues of Genoa City but that didn’t happen unfortunately. I suppose at best it drove Traci and Paul insane to see their arch nemeses have  a torrid affair with the one they loved the most and then carry on in the open after Scotty died.

 

BTW how long exactly was the college professor Tim Sullivan on the show for? Seems he lasted for like 7 or 8 years as the go to guy for Traci to run back to, it’s too bad Traci never got to address Colleen’s relationship with Dr. Korbel. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by soapfan770

[yrfan1983]

‘83-89, with some breaks

[soapfan770]

 

 

Thanks, from what I’ve read and seen I don’t particularly care for Sullivan in the same way I never cared for Scotty Grainger either. Both ended up dead.

Edited June 14, 2020 by soapfan770

[Antoyne]

I’ve really appreciated everyone’s responses on Brad Carlton.

 

I’m currently watching the classic from CBS where Ashley is romanced by Victor and strangely, Victor’s brother is romancing Nikki.

 

How did audiences respond to the affair with Ashley and Victor? From everything I’ve seen, Braeden had excellent chemistry with both Eileen and Brenda. I still enjoy Ashley and Victor scenes to this day, Eric really lights up around her.

 

Why the hell was he okay with his brother going after his ex?

[will81]

 

Did Tim Sullivan get killed off? I never knew that

 

Victor did feel some guilt about cheating on Nikki, even though he had always believed (correctly) that Jack and Nikki were involved. By 1986 Victor was ready to end things with Nikki. At first he was unsure about what he wanted, then Ashley broke up with him due to Victoria calling her a witch and begging her not to take her father away,  Victor eventually realised Nikki had manipulated this response from Victoria and he was ready to end things.

 

He felt she would be less likely to fight a divorce if she was with another man. So he openly encouraged Matt and Nikki. Nikki was more involved with Jack, but that ended when it looked like he would be going to jail for shooting Jill, she seemed to move on to Matt until the mystery illness struck her and she and Victor reconciled.

Edited June 14, 2020 by will81

[Antoyne]

So Nikki got feelings for Jack before Victor fell for Ashley?

 

I’d love to see some Terry Lester Jack and Nikki. Always enjoyed Peter’s Jack with Nikki from the old episodes they’ve been showing and the time they got back together a few years ago, unfortunately Nikki was still obsessed with Victor.

[will81]

Not feelings, at least not those romantic feelings. Jack was fun and wild and she had a lot of fun with him and they thought it could be a thing, but Jack was on a low after John fired him and kicked him out of the house for his fling with Jill, he was looking for some hope and Nikki gave that to him. Then Jill gets shot and Jack confesses to save his father (who he intially thought did it) and things with Nikki cooled off. 

 

ETA: In terms of Bergman and Lester. Lester's Jack hadn't quite grown up yet. If anything the marriage to Nikki was what should have done it and to some degree it did, but Bergman shifted Jack too quickly because he didn't know how to play Lester's Jack. Peter was definitely more serious and more a romantic lead type, I am happy that the character grew up, but again it happened too fast.

 

Lester's Jack was still an arrogant but lovable scoundrel. The marriage to Nikki would have been great for Lester's Jack, because he could have moved Jack in a different direction, but maintained that smilin' Jack part of him too. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by will81

[Paul Raven]

Re Brad and Lauren. I like the idea of those 2 pairing up as a devious twosome who would never fully commit to each other. They could have got years out of them coming together and splitting up - kind of an anti-love story.

 

As for the Nikki/Jack/Victor/Ashley /Matt story Bill Bell was always able to write things in such a way that characters could do a complete 180 and it would still come across as (mostly) believable and certainly compelling.

 

Back to Vanessa.Can anyone establish when she had surgery.It seems to be sometime in 78. There is amention in SOD synopses of the possibility and that it would be along and painful procedure. Then The Lorie/Lance/Leslie/Lucas story continues with nary a mention of Van or surgery and then she is mentioned again and I assume she now was without a veil. What happened???

 

EDIT

I read on and it is revealed that Vanessa indeed did have surgery but continued to wear a veil. I get the feeling Vanessa was off the show for a while (maybe Summer 78) and the surgery was done then., contradicting the 5 years of surgeries needed mentioned previously.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Paul Raven

[amybrickwallace]

Here are Terry Lester and MTS presenting at the 1986 Daytime Emmys:

Please register in order to view this content

[kalbir]

A look back at Y&R's 1980s ratings and the rise to #1.

 

1979/1980: 8.8 (3rd). February 4, 1980 expand to 1 hour and time slot change from noon ET to 1 pm ET.

1980/1981: 7.8 (6th). June 8, 1981 time slot change from 1 pm ET to 12:30 pm ET.

1981/1982: 7.4 (tied w/ As the World Turns for 5th). March 1982 EP change from John Conboy to H. Wesley Kenney.

1982/1983: 8.0 (4th)

1983/1984: 8.8 (3rd)

1984/1985: 8.1 (3rd)

1985/1986: 8.3 (2nd)

1986/1987: 8.0 (2nd). November 1986 EP change from H. Wesley Kenney to Ed Scott.

1987/1988: 8.7 (tied w/ General Hospital for 1st)

1988/1989: 8.1 (1st)

[janea4old]

I understand Neil had a secretary in 1984.  Does anyone know the character name and/or the actor name?

 

EDIT because I was careless.

I meant to say 1997! 

Edited June 19, 2020 by janea4old