Y&R: Old Articles

[BoldRestless]

I seem to recall there was a scene where the bartender at Gina's gives Jack a gun and has to show him how to use it (just before the Who Shot Jill story in 1986). It's clear he was never in the army. 

[Paul Raven]

That story was a dud from start to finish, culminating decades later with another blandly written character (Ally) who also was quickly forgotten.

Could you imagine TL's Jack heading for Vietnam ?-he would have done everything he could to avoid the draft.

That was the beginning of Jack's transformation  into Cliff Abbott.

[BoldRestless]

I'd say that was the end of the transformation. It happened after he married Nikki and started wailing about wanting a son. The Terry Lester version of Jack visibly cringed when Nikki mentioned marriage and kids, and only married Patty to get a position at Jabot.

[Paul Raven]

Yea, you're right come to think of it.

I can see TL's Jack marrying Nikki but the story would have had a whole different flavor.

Of course, Jack had to evolve and grow but I think 'Smilin Jack' still had a lot of gas left in the tank. And if Terry had stayed... 

[BoldRestless]

Sure, the marriage for revenge would have worked, without all that sappiness. I saved this old usenet post that describes it well:

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.tv.soaps/c/R9K2kCKOKBc/m/HfdVBW0wlxMJ

You see, I have some recollection of Bergman's Cliff Warner during the
height of the Cliff & Nina romance days.

I hate to tell you this folks, but I think Bergman is playing Cliff again.

My fiance put it best when she said that this Jack is likable and sensitive
and loving in ways that are not at all like the Jack she remembers Terry as
being

examples:  Jack says "I wish, oh how I wish, you could love me as much
                      as I love you"

Terry Lester might have said [Southern Drawl on]

                     "Yeah, sweetheart, ya gotta know how much you mean to me.
                      We're hot together, you know hon!  Let's give this thing
                      a chance"

                             [Southern Drawl off]

another example.  Jack says "Do you know how jealous I am?  That you have
                             that wonderful little boy"

Terry Lester might have said [Southern Drawl on]

                      "Look, sugar, I want a kid.  I'm feelin' those paternal
                       urges, you know.  Listen, Doll, I wanna have a kid
                       just like you and the Black Knight"

                              [Southern Drawl off]

I think I've made the point:  the old Jack was appealing because of his slick
superficiality.  While he was known to show anger, the most appealing part
of the old Jack was the humour that always glistened behind those eyes.  Jack
was mocking the world and its conventions.

The new Jack is VERY rapidly being transformed into a noble man, with deep deep
feelings for family (remember how the old Jack threatened Ashley that he
would reveal that her natural father was Brent Davis if Ash didn't turn over
the vice-chairmanship to him!).  He is Cliff Warner.  Remember that Jack
and Nikki were ostensibly brought together because Jackie wanted revenge
on Victor.  The writers seem to have forgotten all about that--now they're
making like his love runs deep.

I don't mind the new Jack, but it's taken me a long while to realize that this
is a completely different man (not just actor, but character).

 

[YRfan23]

The more the evidence surfaces, It's safe to say Bill Bell stopped writing for Jack Abbott and just wrote for Peter Bergman, about 6 months to a year after Bergman joined. 

[kalbir]

ED 1988 departure and TL 1989 departure were huge blows to the show. The Abbott family balance was totally thrown off with Ashley and Jack recasts.

I've pointed out before that I thought Bill Bell lost interest in the Abbotts when Y&R was off track (Fall 1994 through first half of 1997) but with the way he wrote Ashley and Jack after the recasts, he might have lost interest in the Abbotts even earlier. 

I think Bill Bell writing started showing signs of losing interest in the Abbotts around 1987, overlapping with Cricket eating the show, Ed Scott becoming EP, and Traci role being reduced.

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by kalbir

[SoapDope]

I think it's funny that Terry Lester blasted Bell and his daughter in the press. I read years later Terry apologized to the Bells and they accepted. I wish they had brought Lester back as Jack around the same time Davidson returned. 

[Khan]

Frankly, if I had been in Felicia Minei Behr's shoes, I would have brought Cliff Warner back to AMC...played by Terry Lester. 

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[Broderick]

I think the "downturn" for the Abbotts started the day Brenda Dickson sauntered off the set for the last time (plume, feather boa, veil, and all).  Say what you will about Miss Dickson -- and we've all had our say, lol -- but there was some undeniable chemistry between Brenda's Jill and all the other members of the Abbott family -- especially Jack, Ashley, and Traci.  (Even if the chemistry was merely created by their well-written characters interacting with an insufferable hip-swiveling, bosom-heaving, eye-rolling villainess.)   When circumstances led to Miss Dickson's exit, she was obviously replaced with a more credible actress, but a certain degree of humorous and often frustrating chemistry was gone from the Abbott family & their chief antagonist.   Then Traci limped off to grad school in 1987 (though she did return), Miss Eileen left us in 1988 for years, and Terry Lester left us in 1989 for good.  

The recasts turned Jill, Ashley and Jack into more conventionally drawn soap characters, while Miss Dickson's utterly bizarre Jill, Eileen's assertive Ashley, and Terry's smiling playboy Jack had provided a more unique experience and were doubtless more fun to craft stories for.  

[janea4old]

In the past several months, I've noticed Michael Mealor's Kyle acting like a clone of Peter Bergman in mannerisms, speech style, expressions.  It's uncanny.  
But then when Kyle started having the affair with Audra, he started calling himself "Smilin' Kyle".  I coudn't believe they put that in the dialogue!  ROFL,  Mealor is not a young Terry Lester at all, despite the actions of his character.  He's responsible Cliff Warner.

Can you imagine if Terry Lester had been in the same age group as Zuleyka Silver airing at the same time?  That would have been amazing.  

[Soaplovers]

Bergman in his early days as Jack had the sarcastic edge of TL, but once the impulse marriage of Jack/Nikki became an actual marriage...Jack became Cliff Nelson's long lost twin.

At least Brenda's Ashley looked like Eileen's Ashley and even had some of her essence...just in a softer mode.  Her breakdown scenes in late 1995 were awesome...and were better acted than Eileen's.  

When Brenda Dickson played Jill...she was more dead pan and cold.  Once Jess took over, Jill always was raging and never cool under pressure.  I imagine Jill vs Nina would have gone differently had Brenda stayed in the role (They had scenes together and it was an interesting vibe).

[Joseph]

Some Eve to frighten your saturday

[SoapDope]

Eve was a great psycho and I wish she had been used more over the years before they killed the character off and the death of Margaret Mason. 

Meg Bennett (Julia) was a beautiful woman. If you put Michelle Lee and Marie Osmond in a blender, you would pretty much get her. I wish the show had kept Julia around. I guess Bell felt that Nikki/Victor would not grow if the first Mrs. Newman were still in the picture.

[kalbir]

I remember a 1983 scene where Nikki was all jealous and insecure about Victor and Julia becoming close again. Julia even said to Nikki "you're acting like a jealous wife". Eventually Nikki made peace with Julia. Remember Julia was at Victor and Nikki wedding and at Cora's Christmas in July at the ranch.