Y&R: Old Articles

[kalbir]

This surprises me, as I always thought Bill Bell was zero tolerance as far as substance abuse goes. We all know that JC went to rehab in the 1980s.

[Planet Soap]

"harder" is exactly what comes to mind when I think of OG Diane and her intensity. Making her a villain was a great turn for her story. 

At first I was against Victor in that he wooed Diane away from Jack only to go back to Nikki. Then I read up their history and realized it was karma for what Jack & Di did to Patti. Still though, Victor was bastard for leaving her like that.

Edited March 25, 2022 by ironlion

[will81]

Next set of Lorie edits are up

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I think the last clip is from summer 1982 when Lorie was about to marry Victor. I don't believe they ever entertained the idea of marriage during her trial

[Cat]

I don't think Bill Bell was laying out tubs of coke like Gloria Monty was alleged to have done and encouraging drug-taking on-set. Especially with his daughter and other young actors on the show. There likely was a zero tolerance policy in place on the Y&R set. However, when Eric Braeden, Eileen Davidson, Michelle Stafford and Josh Morrow went to Paris to do press and a location shoot (during the early MAB era), ED, MS and JM did an online segment with TF1, which broadcasts Y&R (or Les Feux de l'Amour, as it's called there). They were answering French fans' questions. One question asked if they were drugs on the set (!!! So random, I couldn't believe such a question passed the vetting process). All 3 actors gasped and JM started cracking up. ED said "Not anymore!" but implied that she and others on the Y&R cast partied in the 80s, but that it was a different time, etc. She didn't say what drugs were done, but I assumed that because it was 80s LA, it was coke.

I wish I could find it on YouTube because I can't believe this question was even asked, and that Eileen answered it, lol.

[kalbir]

@Cat Any alleged drug use on the set was not happening when LLB made her school break appearances and it was probably over for good once LLB became a full-time cast member.

Edited March 25, 2022 by kalbir

[Cat]

That was my first thought too --LLB was a kid when she joined. No way would Bill Bell have wanted her getting involved in that scene.

I also think that if Eric Braeden had been there to answer the fan questions, he would have shut down that line of questioning with a quickness. As it was, EB speaks fluent French and was busy doing all the major French talk shows during the  press tour.

[will81]

I'd also say Bell not really being in LA until 1986 was part of it too. He may have had a zero tolerance policy, but he wasn't there to enforce it. As has been said, once Lauralee was there full time and the Bell family had moved to LA the drug use would have stopped. At least anywhere near the work place.

It was probably still being passed around at other celeb events though, not much Bell could do about that. From what I have heard coke was everywhere back then. You couldn't avoid it, even if you didn't use it. 

[Planet Soap]

This storyline with Keemo actually would have been a good opportunity to bring Mary Jo back, perhaps in addition to Diane.

[Soapsuds]

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https://youtu.be/KXP0J1uahcY

[Soaplovers]

Diane being back is wonderful, but Mari Jo would have made more sense especially with the Keemo element.

AD as Diane was confident and strong willed.  Even when doing desperate things like sperm gate, she played it as her ensuring her nest egg and also having a baby that she wanted.  And she played the scenes of her being a mom quite well.

SW as Diane was confident, but she had a neurotic undertone to how she played the character.  She could be confident/professional..but could also play out the desperation better than AD.

MW as Diane...yikes.  bad casting choice.

 

[titan1978]

Saw this cast photo online and immediately thought except for missing Dru, this was the last time I was truly invested and felt the show itself was still good and missteps could be corrected but the show still felt like Y&R to me.

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[yrfan1983]

Agreed - things took a turn for the worse after Ryan’s Thanksgiving ‘01 shooting

[Planet Soap]

2005 is often cited as the last classic year, but there was a marked decline after 2001. The camera angles became less ornate, the clothes and sets became even less glamourus, and the storylines started going off track. 97-01 was the Silver age, with 02-05/ early 06, being the bronze age of the show for me.

2001 was solid with Matt Clark & Tricia, Diane, Isabella, the Walnut Grove teens, and others. 

[FrenchBug82]

Yeah mid-2000s is when it went from weak-spots-but-still-Y&R to what-is-this-show-Iam-watching.

Also: what are the chances the current story was initially pitched with Mary Jo but when they realized Diana Barton wasn't acting anymore, they figured recasting would lessen the impact and they switched it to Diane?

[titan1978]

I think if more people were working on the show from those more classic eras, maybe. But these are not those days, and I highly doubt anyone even thought of Mary Jo, or at least thought about it as a serious nod.  It’s pretty clear to me with the Kyle connection it was always Diane.