Y&R: Old Articles

[Khan]

IKR?  Common sense would tell ANY one that phasing out a show's original families and replacing them with brand new ones is bound to be a little messy unless the first families were just awful, which the Brookses and Fosters clearly weren't, despite all the recasts and dud stories.

It's just incredible that CBS and Columbia/Screen Gems/Sony trusted Bill Bell enough to let him figure out how to retool the show.  Otherwise, they might have allowed John Conboy to go through with his plan to replace Bell, and who knows what would have happened to Y&R after that!

Edited January 9, 2022 by Khan

[Planet Soap]

Lauren & Sheila both!

[Paul Raven]

Would Conboy and CBS/Screen Gems have had the power to replace the creator and headwriter?

What say would Conboy have had, unless he was using his battles with Bell as evidence that Bill was no longer effective?

I really can't imagine such a scenario. Of course Bill was tucked away in Chicago and Conboy was in L.A and right in the action.

What disagreements could the two have, unless Bill was unhappy with way Conboy was presenting his material?

I know budget was always an issue in daytime, but that would be down to Conboy not Bell. Although Bill may have been writing certain actors above guarantee.

I'd love others take on the situation.

 

[Vee]

His what now?

[Khan]

That's what I've heard!  John Conboy tried to have Bill Bell replaced at Y&R, even though it was Bill and Lee Phillip Bell's creation, and they owned a portion of it.  (I've no idea how much.)  In fact, it might have been the source of tensions between the two.  But, of course, if Conboy actually tried to get rid of Bell, he didn't succeed.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Khan

[fivethej]

What was the episode where Sharon remembered everything that happened with Cameron Kirsten and there was loud rock music playing in the background?

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by fivethej

[Broderick]

I expect the Executive Producer (Conboy) could theoretically have fired the head writer (Bell).  Naturally if that had happened, Bell would've appealed the decision to the show's three owners -- Bell Dramatic Serial Company, Corday Productions, and Columbia Pictures Television.  You'd assume Bell Dramatic Serial Company and Corday Productions would have voted to override the Executive Producer and keep Bell as head writer, lol.  BUT if Conboy had kissed the right tails at Columbia Pictures, supposedly Columbia could have insisted on Bell's termination.  This flexing of Columbia's muscle seemed to be the case when Columbia made the decision to expand Y&R to an hour and told Bell, "We'll do it with or WITHOUT you", indicating that Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems held the unilateral ability to replace Bell as head writer if they chose to.   So the ability of Columbia to override Bell's authority was evidently always an issue that lurked in the background.  

I've got no idea if Conboy ever seriously attempted such a maneuver. 

Bell went on record as saying that their parting was fairly acrimonious.  Bell said that "I'd prefer not to talk about John Conboy", but when pressed, he indicated that Conboy -- during the writer's strike of 1981 -- ordered some fairly elaborate sets for Y&R that were subsequently repurposed for "Capitol", leaving Y&R way overbudget for 1981.  Bell Dramatic Serial Company had to cover its portion of the budget overage, and Bell was clearly angry about it, feeling that Conboy had betrayed him financially. 

I've never seen where John Conboy has said a negative word about Bill Bell (ever).  In fact, Conboy has commented on how "fortunate" he was to work with a "wonderful writer" like Bill Bell. 

You'll notice that after John Conboy left Y&R, Bill Bell always wisely reserved for himself a title of "co-executive producer" or "senior executive producer", so that he'd never be placed in a position where one of his co-workers had authority over him again from a creative (or financial) standpoint .    

[Paul Raven]

Thanks Broderick for that analysis. Makes more sense.

Can any eagle eyed viewers recall any new sets ay Y&R during that time that were similar to Capitol?

Was Capitol a even firm go at that point?

The 1981 writers strike. How long was that? What was happening on Y&R at that time ?

We know Bell didn't write long term documents so scab writers had to fly by the seat of their pants. Are there any stories from that time that looked like seemed a bit off?

[Broderick]

ALL of the stories from that period seemed a bit off, lol.

The only specific new set I can remember is that ENORMOUS SET that was created for the "London gala" in the late summer of 1981.  (At the time, I assumed that the Colonnade Room had been modified to create that particular set.)  But if Bill Bell is remembering correctly, perhaps that was a specially-built set for the "London gala" storyline, and perhaps it later became the Clegg mansion foyer for "Capitol"?    Y'all will easily recall the set in question.  Lorie comes slinking down the stairs in a gown cut all the way up to crotch, while Kay Chancellor gasps in amazement at her audacity, while Leslie -- the guest of honor -- cringes in horror.  

Here's a "Capitol" promo that appears to feature Y&R's "London Gala" set, just as it had appeared earlier on Y&R:

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(It looks as though the Writers Guild Strike ran from April 1981 through July 1981.   The "London Gala" storyline was in July of 1981.)  

Edited January 10, 2022 by Broderick

[kalbir]

The London concert and ball was timed to cash in on the Charles and Diana wedding hype.

[Broderick]

Yeah, the "London Gala" aired in July of 1981, so presumably those scenes were written (and taped) during the Writers Guild strike period.  The sets (which allegedly were repurposed for "Capitol") were likely designed then too, lol.

Another "prominent story" that month (which was a COMPLETE misfire) was that business with Chris Brooks & the furniture, Jane Lewis, and Snapper.   We saw a LOT of the hospital during that storyline, as most of Jane Lewis's relentless and transparent pursuit of Snapper occurred in the hospital.  Additional hospital sets were built, and those sets also seemed to find their way to "Capitol".   

Here's what the Washington DC newspaper said about the premier of "Capitol" in early 1982:  "Capitol involves some elaborate sets built in Hollywood to simulate a Virginia mansion, a Georgetown town house, and a hospital.  John Conboy approached CBS with plans for a daytime serial set in the nation's capital eighteen months ago, and they loved the idea."  

I've no idea whether or not John Conboy actually designed extravagant sets (at William J. Bell's expense) that could be transferred easily to "Capitol", but from a historical standpoint, the answer appears to be that he likely did.  

The writing was all over the map during that timeframe.  We had that weird scene between Lorie and Brooks just before Lorie boarded the plane for London.  ("Oh, Brooks, I suddenly had the strangest feeling that I won't see you again for a long, long time!"  Then she was back in a week, with no mention of that foreboding ever again.)   Greg Foster suddenly developed those awful, migraine headaches that couldn't be explained.  Snapper and Liz worried themselves to death about Greg for about 5 minutes, and then Liz jetted off to London to a ball, and Snapper became 100% involved with furniture, leaving Greg to die.  (This was presumably to make us think Greg, while blacked out with migraines, might be Nikki's Mysterious Stalker.)  This was when Kay Chancellor jetted off to Zurich to consult with plastic surgeons, and then popped back into GC a few weeks later to take Liz to strip shows with no further mention of the plastic surgery trip.  None of it made ANY sense, lol.   It was hard to watch.    

[Soaplovers]

Actually if I recall...Sheila was originally meant to be short term.  Perhaps as a temp road block for Scott/Lauren.  

During that time, it seemed like Bell was also hinting at a Paul/Lauren/Scott triangle with Scott jealous of her friendship with Paul.  While Cassandra was put off by Paul and Lauren's connection as well in 1990.  

Obviously Bell opted to do the baby switch.  I'm wondering if he noticed the sparks between the two actresses and decided to switch gears on his plans.

[kalbir]

Nina Arvesen arrived as Cassandra in March 1988. Eileen Davidson departed as Ashley in December 1988. I can't remember if Cassandra and ED's Ashley ever interacted. From watching 1989 episodes, Cassandra felt more like an Ashley replacement than recast Ashley Brenda Epperson did. This was really apparent when Cassandra was in Victor's orbit. Funny thing is, EB actually had more chemistry w/ NA than BE, even though I felt Victor/Cassandra as a couple was initially cat & mouse then later rebound more so than actual feelings for each other.

[Darn]

I'm watching a bit of 1991 and did Danny get shot at the masquerade ball with no follow up? He gets shot on October 2/3 and then in the October 9 episode he's perfectly fine. Did I miss something?

Also an almost daily occurrence in the dialogue is the phrase "_____ where _____ is concerned". Every episode!

[YRfan23]

Unfortunately if the playlist is the ones I uploaded the those October 4-8 1991 episodes might be blocked.