Y&R: Old Articles

[Soapsuds]

Was watching Eva on the Kelly Clarkson Show and Eva mentioned she's moving back to Texas from LA.

[Soaplovers]

I recall Eva's small bubble of cast-mates that she interacted with on a consistent basis was usually Paul, Michael, Chris, Mary, and eventually Diane.  She did have some interaction with Lauren and Nikki (in fact, Nikki did caution Paul not to move to fast with Isabella).  So it made sense she and Eric didn't know of one another on the set.

And sometimes Eric needs to be brought down a peg or two..

[AlexGrimaldi]

Isabella had many scenes with Christine, Diane and Mary Williams. Eva plumb forgot. 

[Broderick]

It seems they were mostly lost due to not-so-great casting.  And a couple of lousy storylines. 

While I appreciate the "concept" of Steve Williams -- the yuppie guy saving himself for marriage and is kind of do-gooder like Brock (who was soon to depart) -- the storyline with Steve refusing to boink Peggy Brooks during their engagement was a bit silly.  Wasn't she the same girl who couldn't be a "real wife" to Jack Curtis because she'd been raped and because Jack was divorcing his plump wife to be with her?  But a few years later, she magically transformed into a horn dawg who was begging Steve for sex, and then prancing around butt-nekkid under her fur coat so Jack Abbott would pork her.  After that embarrassing mess, it was probably wise to cut Steve from the cast.  

And Bill Bell clearly wasn't terribly interested in Patty once Lilibet Stern left.  (In hindsight, Andrea Evans really wasn't TOO bad, but at the time, I thought she was horrid and was ready to see her go as well.)  

[I expect the purpose of Todd Williams was to tell some version of the 1977 bestseller The Thorn Birds, about a young priest wrestling with his chastity vows.  But with Steve making a hasty exit in 1981 and Lilibet Stern bolting a couple of years later, that probably put the nail in Father Todd's coffin.]

Bell was probably wise to notice that the real chemistry and most accessible storyline potential lay with Paul, Andy Richards, and Amy Lewis, switching from the Traditional Williams Family to the Detective Office Family.  

[kalbir]

I always had the feeling that Andrea Evans was considered a big get by CBS because of her popularity on One Life to Life.

Maybe in 1983 to cash in on the miniseries?

I wonder if Bill Bell used Andy to replace Steve in the brother-type role for Paul. Also in the Paul/Andy/Amy friend group were the Jackson brothers and later Nathan. Too bad that friend group got diminished when Ed Scott took over as EP (the Jackson brothers, Andy, Amy all left but Nathan remained and pretty much replaced Andy, and Lynne was brought on and pretty much replaced Amy.)

[Broderick]

It's hard for me to remember the timing of the switchover, exactly.  Steve Williams left town for good -- was it SPRINGTIME of 1981 ? --  after Peggy Brooks jilted him at the altar.  

The Bayou storyline was beginning to take shape simultaneously.  Andy Richards -- if I remember right -- started out as a bartender at the Bayou before ultimately transitioning to Jonas's club, where he worked with Paul Williams and Danny Romalotti.  

I'm not sure if Paul and Andy had actually crossed paths yet, when Steve Williams bit the dust.  But I'm sure Bill Bell could see immediately that with Steven Ford's Andy Richards character, he had himself a handsome, fresh-faced, young leading man type character who wasn't burdened with all that (ridiculous) "virginity" nonsense that had plagued the Steve Williams character from day one.  (And Andy Richard came with a *bonus* -- "President Ford's son is on Y&R!")  

[Paul Raven]

Agree with all of the above. But several  years later Steve returning played by Rod Arrants (who would be believable as a Williams family member) and getting involved with Ashley would work for me.

It immediately gives established characters more to do, plays into history and keeps the Abbott/Williams connection going.

The Steve Lassiter character was pretty much a plot device anyway and Leanna could still have arrived as Steve's obsessed ex-she was a writer so that would tie in -maybe they had worked on a project together. 

Having Patty return again would have provided interesting plot possibilities. She may be out for revenge on Jack, or have moved on completely.

Would Barbara Crampton have made a good Patty ?

I just don't like to see viable characters forgotten.

Re Todd, Bill Bell wanted to do a forbidden love story with Marie Horton on Days when she was a nun, so maybe he was hoping for the chance to do that with Todd Williams.

[Broderick]

I feel sure that's what he had up his sleeve when he kept making such a point of mentioning "Todd's in seminary, preparing for the priesthood."  The Thorn Birds novel was MUCH discussed in 1977 and 1978.  Bell started crafting his Williams family in 1979, and by that time the novel was being drafted as a two-hour movie starring Christopher Reeve, then Robert Redford, then Ryan O'Neal, and then it was announced it would be reworked entirely as a miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain.   It was constantly in the entertainment news in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and with Bell's previous interest in Marie Horton's celibacy requirements, it was a pretty good bet he planned to tell the tale with young Father Todd.  

[And I'd have preferred that story over "Clare Lawrence is in a coma" or "April has a twin sister" or whichever story ultimately took its place.]  

[kalbir]

We could have added The Thorn Birds in the list of influences Bill Bell used.

[Soaplovers]

I wonder who Todd Williams would have been tempted by... that would cause Mary Williams severe anxiety that made the anxiety she felt about Paul's escapades pale in comparison?

I think the Williams family had an interesting set up that sadly got lost in the expansion to an hour in 1980.  We had the working class cop Carl, his stay at home traditional wife Mary, their oldest son Steven that followed the more traditional teachings of his family, their son Todd that was studying to be a priest, the rebellious son Paul, and then the youngest Patty that was young and naive.

I often wonder if Bell had watched Saturday Night Fever since a lot of the early Williams structured seem to be modeled after the Manero family in the movie.   Blue collar rough around the edges dad, the eldest son studying to be a priest (who briefly steps back from being a priest to experience the real world), the younger son that loved dancing/women, and then the youngest daughter.. who was the observant young girl observing this family structure.

[Khan]

Maybe "Darling Nikki," lol?

[kalbir]

 

I'd say one of the vixens, Jill or Lorie, or troublemaking promiscuous girl Nikki.

Jill being all about the come up might not have been as drawn to a priest as he might have been to her. Lorie the daughter of the main upper class family adds the element of class differences.

Nikki had already been involved with Paul but if she was drawn to his priest brother, Mary would not be having that.

[SoapDope]

These have probably been posted before, but if not...Enjoy !

 

[Paul Raven]

Variety March 1980

Y&R put out a casting call for the role of Snapper Foster 26-28 yo, 6'2"-6'-3", all American type, Clint Eastwood prototype, personable, charismatic, continuing role.

So at this point they were considering a recast in case Hasselhoff wouldn't commit.

[fivethej]

Does anyone know the air dates for these scenes?

Victor offers Ryan $10,000 to leave town
Victor recruits Nina to seduce Ryan to keep him away from Victoria