Y&R: Old Articles

[lucaslesann23]

I ask this in the least disrespectful way possible, did Bill repeat stories alot? I know on Bold and YR there were two characters who got disfigured and had to wear clothes around their mouths.

[kalbir]

@Dylan There's a thread that talks about Bill Bell elements

 

[Broderick]

In addition to the "social relevance" of his rape stories, Bill Bell seemed to find rape a convenient way to pop the cherry of a virginal heroine.  In Cricket's case, Daddy wanted the character to be sexually active (Danny and then Paul), but likely didn't want to write a scene where Princess willingly gave it up and enjoyed it.  

[kalbir]

@Broderick That's right, Chris Brooks, Peggy, Caroline, Cricket were all virgins when they were raped.

[soapfan770]

I’ll give a go to be honest:

Best Scene From Each Year

1980: New World Cult

1981: Vanessa’s death & Victor meets Nikki

1983: The arrival of Dina

1984: Victor & Nikki’s wedding

1985: Ashley learns Brent Davis is her father

1986: John & Jill’s divorce, Jill is Shot, Ashley’s abortion

1987: Victor forgives Ashley with Nikki spying or Jill sets up Rex/Katherine

1988: Brad is out in a cage by Lisa

1989: Phillip III’s death

1990: Either Katherine/Marge or Danny’s cocaine trial or Dru’s introduction 

1991: The masquerade ball or something showing David’s reign of terror or Nikki’s alcoholism 

1992: Lauren and Sheila at the farmhouse 

1993: Victor in Kansas and his return

1994: Traci/Lauren catfight or April on trial for Robert’s murder

1995: Nick beats up Matt Clark along with Matt’s shooting

1996: Dru & Olivia confront Nathan, Nathan’s death

1997: Sasha’s death, Sharon learns Cassie is her daughter

1998: Veronica shoots Josh & Nikki, Jill & Katherine catfight

1999: Brad & Jack’s Newman Takeover

2000: Victoria learns Gary Dawson is her stalker

2001: Matt & Tricia drive over a cliff, Ryan’s is shot at his wedding by Tricia

2002: Malcom’s death or the pool house fire

2003: Ashley’s car accident or Isabella coming after Christine 

2004: Kevin gets mauled in jail or Katherine’s intervention 

2005: Cassie’s death 

2006: Victoria and JT’s affair, Sharon exposes Nick & Phyllis

2007: This year was horrible, let’s go with Phyllis arrested at her own wedding 

2008: Katherine’s “funeral”

2009: Phyllis disguised as a maid trashes Nick and Sharon’s hotel room

2010: Death by Volcano LOL

2011:  Sharon in New Mexico?

2012: Jack and Patty’s “wedding”?

2013: Hilary’s revenge plot

2014: Adam and Sage in Constance’s House 

2015: Adam’s confession in Chancellor Park

2016: Adam is blown to smithereens

2017: Let’s go with Jill finding lost correspondence with Katherine 

2018: Ashley leaves town in an airplane 

2019: Adam is alive

2020: Chance & Abby’s wedding for the 12000th episode 

2021: Victoria marries Ashland

2022: Diane’s return

[Planet Soap]

Can't argue with this list

 

[Joseph]

 

Me Neither! It's Amazing! It's A Pity The Anniversary Week is Off, Well I'll probably just edit and upload them through the month!!! Now I might do a Video in Honor Of Phyllis on her "Passing" I was Thinking of "I've got no roots" a Theme song

[AlexGrimaldi]

I find fascinating that Bell had this kind of summer social issues storylines in the 80s. He covered issues addressed to younger audience, like teen pregnancies (1986), food disorders (1982 to 1984) and date rape (1989). In 1991-92 he used unprotected sex between Victoria and Ryan as a vehicle for the importance of condoms and HIV test. 

 

 

[Joseph]

@soapfan770

Here, Your Pic For 2010 And Mine Too!

 

[Y&R fan of oldies]

For the list I would recommend 

1987- rose deville 

1990- Marge/kay for sure 

1991-Nina shoots David 5x 

1997- Nina suicide attempt 

[BoldRestless]

@soapfan770 good job! Some additional possibilities (not to take away from yours at all!). I'm not even going to comment on 80s and 90s cause I feel like you can't go wrong in picking anything from then.

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2000 - Mac crowned prom queen

2003 - Victor confronting his father (I think this one or Victor's mother from 1984 definitely deserve to be there!) or Kevin burning down Gina's (the only remaining original set as it was once Pierre's)

2009 - Kay proving that she is Katherine Chancellor

2010 - Nina reuniting with her son just as Chance is presumed dead

2013 - Lauren's affair and almost getting divorced from Michael

2018 - JT abusing Victoria

[Darn]

I wonder why his social issue stories aren't remembered/praised as much as ones from other soaps like Robin's HIV on GH or Bianca coming out on AMC.

Maybe it's because Y&R's characters have always been a bit removed, I loved the show at one point but I can't deny that it hasn't always had the warmest of characters. Under Bell (and maybe a few years after he stepped down) they often felt like chess pieces in his long game and less like people so even their crises had a sheen of artifice. 

[AlexGrimaldi]

Interesting reflection. Maybe soaps like AMC and GL (before clones and people travelling on time) got more spotlight and praises when storylines were about social/health issues because of the community feel in Pine Valley and Springfield. Characters who were everyday people, so the viewers could easily related to them and their struggles. 

Robin's HIV on GH and Bianca coming out on AMC were 2 groundbreaking storylines, starring two young women who were also legacy characters. Viewers cared for them. HIV in 1995 was still a scary medical diagnosis, if not a death sentence. So many people died of AIDS in the 80s and in the 90s. Robin lost her beloved boyfriend Stone and she had to face herself a new painful challenge: to live with a potentially fatal virus. Then, thanks to medical advances and retroviral therapies, her journey's life continued. Before Bianca there was another lesbian character on AMC, in the 80s, played by Donna Pescow. She didn't have a love relationship on screen, but was pretty candid about her sexual orientation. Brooke befriended her and they talked about love and feelings and about loneliness and discrimination. She was not written as a stereotyped or eccentric character. Writers did a good job, in years where homosexuality was still a taboo subject. In 2000, when Bianca came out, Agnes Nixon chose wisely to give more visibility to a LGBTQ character. A young woman who struggled with her own identity, the daughter of the main female character of the show. Someone who was central. 

I do believe that Bill Bell wrote great and meaningful social/health issue storylines, often ahead of his time. Kay Chancellor's alcoholism and self-destruction and Leslie Brooks' mental health in the 70s, Jennifer Brooks's mastectomy in 1977, Joann and Traci's weight issues in the 70s and early 80s (struggling with body image was a common topic of discussions back then? I doubt that), Ashley Abbott's abortion in 1987, Jessica Blair's AIDS in 1988, Keesha's AIDS in 1995 (exploring risks of contagion for a third person, the wife of the man who was having an affair with a HIV+ woman), Drucilla's illiteracy in 1990, Hope's blindness in 1993, Lillie Belle Barber's depression in 1993, Paul's impotence in 1995. Nikki's alcoholism and her addition to painkillers (1990-1992) was written and acted so beautifully. Family drama that involved so many characters and her falling into the abyss, day after day, not able to react for a long time. 

Maybe is true on some level that Bell's characters 'often felt like chess pieces in his long game and less like people so even their crises had a sheen of artifice'. But he had a different and unique take on characters than other soap writers. He was more focused on deep emotions, strong feelings and psycological introspection. Lee Bell maybe loved the social/health issue stories to bring awareness (as she did before, when she hosted talk shows in Chicago). Bill Bell agreed with her, but as a writer he used them as narrative leverages to change the fate of some characters or explore more deeply their feelings in those circumstances, to tell their human experience in this life. I don't think his characters were cold. Maybe sometimes removed and aloof, mostly individualistic. But Bill always paid attention to the importance of family, to the closeness between friends and to the strenght of Love. 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by AlexGrimaldi

[fivethej]

Are there any episodes with Tracy Melchior as Veronica Landers in the vault?

[Paul Raven]

I was thinking about Y&R's original and early cast members who chose to leave and how that panned out.

In most cases they seemed to want to move on to primetime and make their careers there.

Janice Lynde got a pilot 'Roxy' that she, at least, was all hyped up about but it wasn't picked up and there were some guest shots before she went back to soaps on Another World and later One Life to Live. after that it was just small guest spots.

Trish Stewart landed a primetime series shortly after leaving Y&R 'Salvage 1' with Andy Griffith but it flopped and Trish vanished from the scene, which is odd as you would imagine having a co lead on a series might work in her favor in gaining more work.

Tom Hallick also had  pilot 'Time Travellers' and 'Captain Nemo' but again no pickups and he also hosted Entertainment Tonight before a revamp. Back to daytime with Days in 84 and then guest spots.

Jaime Lyn Bauer got 'Bare Essence' shorty after leaving but that was short lived and she did a few primetime things before going back to soaps on DOOL.

Brenda Dickson got a small part on Falcon Crest before returning in 83.

Bill Espy had a break before returning to daytime on AW. He never seemed interested in primetime.

Beau Kayzer got a pilot 'Hardcase' but nothing after that.

James Houghton had to wait a few years before Knots Landing and a season on The Colbys. 

David Hasselhoff is the exception -  landing a hit in Knight Rider and moving on to Baywatch.

So I guess, if the others hoped for a hit series things didn't pan out. Maybe having a soap past was held against them and there was just too much competition. Or timing/luck was against them.