Y&R: Old Articles

[will81]

I also wonder if some of those things happened via phone or something. I know at some point he had a live feed from LA to Chicago of the show as it taped. So maybe he had discussions via a early form of video phone or something. 

But yeah he probably meshed a few stories and incidents together. 

[SoapDope]

I remember reading that if Bell saw something he did not like and would call Conboy in the control booth and blast him. I think I also read that when Hasselhoff auditioned, Bell could see the audition and asked him turn around, walk etc....he must have had a live feed at some point.

I think Hasselhoff was miscast......LOL

[Khan]

Granted, I've watched very, very little of Y&R's earliest years, but even I think William Grey Espy embodied Bill Bell's vision for Snapper Foster better than David Hasselhoff.  (Same goes for Jim Houghton and Greg.  Those recasts?  Oof.)

Edited December 7, 2021 by Khan

[Broderick]

I always thought that was a missed opportunity during the transition period.

In about 1979, before the expansion to an hour -- but when the "mandate" for expansion had already been handed down by CBS -- there was a "Foster & Reynolds Law Office" set built, so that Greg & Brock could be law partners.  Several scenes were taped there.  At the same time, Lynne Topping Richter (Chris) was evidently wanting to work regularly, and David Hasselhoff was beginning his now-you-see-him; now-you-don't phase.  Bill Bell probably SHOULD have had Chris go to work as a secretary for Greg and Brock, as she'd worked for Greg previously in about 1974, which led to a falling-out because Stuart Brooks was actually paying her salary, and she found out about it.  To make it up to Chris, Greg should've re-hired her in 1979.   This would've given Lynne Topping the opportunity to appear in more scenes (without Hasselhoff), wouldn't have endangered the Sacred Marriage of Snapper & Chris, and would've provided a sensible "meeting ground" where different storylines and characters could collide effortlessly.  

For instance, April could've wandered into the office with a complaint about her living conditions, and Chris could've taken the "big sister role" with her that was ultimately forced heavy-handed by having Snapper and Chris live in that little hovel of an apartment next to her.  Victor Newman and Julia were also introduced in 1980 through Brock's law office, and Chris could've taken the role that Casey Reed was awkwardly given as "Julia's only friend".   This situation could've also brought Lorie and Peggy into the office occasionally, and made the introduction of Michael Scott, Steve Williams, and Robert Laurence seem less isolated and remote.    

When Beau Kayzer left as Brock, they could've transitioned Chris to Jabot in a similar role, renewed a little hostility with Jill, created a friendship with Patty, and made the introduction of Jack Abbott and John Abbott less ponderous. 

It always seemed to me this would've been a win-win, both for Lynne Topping and for the overall cohesiveness of the show during the difficult transition period.  

   

[SoapDope]

Sounds like good ideas. I wonder if Bell just lost interest in Chris with Trish Stewart's departure ?  Stewart has no acting credits after 1981 except the 1984 Y&R appearance. Bell and Co. should have lured her back. 

What if Bell did divorce Snapper & Chris or kill Snapper off and have Chris marry Jack Abbott ? Stu & John would have had good some scenes over that. I bet Robert Colbert was livid that a show he was the main part of for 10 years, pretty much replaced him.

I also wonder why Bell never tried Peggy with Brock or even Lucas. Peggy Prentiss is a soap name if I ever heard one......LOL

 

 

[will81]

Same, though I have seen very little of either, I think Espy was moody and dark and volatile and the Hoff was stern and not much else. 

Yeah Bell and Conboy certainly had a show that was in many ways conservative and at the same time full of T&A. I get the feeling they both appreciated what men and women had to offer and often made that part of their decision making (sometimes). I mean Espy was a nice looking guy, but I can see why many moved on when David was cast. No offense to him, David seems like he got Snapper on a surface level and his acting seems good. 

[will81]

The show seems completely about Chris and Snapper in 1973 and they have story through 1974. In 1975 they went through a lull and mostly played supporting, then in 1976 came the Beckers which gave Chris story until Trish left in 1978. Apparently The Beckers were intended to be around for many years until Trish quit.

After that Bell gave Chris little stories that went for a few months but hardly amounted to anything, though it makes sense, he always puts a recast on the backburner. Then Lynn got pregnant with twins in 1979 and I believe had gestational diabetes and was unable to work as heavily. Chris and Snapper had story, but it was pretty light and I guess Bell didn't want to get too much into anything until Lynn had her babies. Once Lynn got back from maternity leave David was pretty much gone and she quit when they wouldn't renew her contract and wanted her to basically be a guest star. The return in 1981 wasn't all that exciting, Bell repeated the whole furniture story from 1974 and then he gave them their last big story with Sally coming back to town. So effectively another revisit of a story from 73-74.

So maybe Bell lost interest, but I think Lynn being a recast in late 1978 meant Bell was going to rest Chris for a solid six or twelve months as he often does, but then Lynn became pregnant in late 1979 and David took off in 1980. So it is hard to say if he lost interest or just never had much chance with Lynn. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by will81

[Broderick]

I always got the impression that he LIKED Lynne Topping and would've written for her, had the opportunity been there to write for her and Snapper as a couple.  In the summer of 1979 (I think it was, anyway), Lynne got the "big story", which was that business with Rose DeVille, Vince Holliday, Sharon the Runaway, Second Hand Rose's Antiques and Pretty Things, and the "South American slavery ring".  That (silly) storyline was an everyday deal for most of that summer.  

[will81]

From what little I have seen of her, I liked her. Trish had the southern charm going on and a very light energy. Lynn had a bit of a darker edge (not in a bad way) though I felt Bell could have had Lynn's Chris be more willing to tell Snapper to shove it, lol. 

[SoapDope]

Bell first did the Chris & Snapper furniture story in 1974 ?  Why did he think that was worth repeating ?  It reminds me how Bewitched recycled stories they had done with Darrin # 1 in the 60's and repeated with Darrin # 2 in the early 70's......LOL

 

[Soaplovers]

It seemed with the Brooks daughters, Bell had them in holding patterns moreso with Chris than with the other 3.

Wes Kenney coming in 1982 was a godsend because he could be objective and tell Bell what was working and not working.  In 1982, the William's family appeared to have more staying power then the Stevens family so it made sense why Wes said to deep six that family.

Even when the William's family faded out by the latte 80s, Mary William's was more effective in a recurring element than any of the Stevens family.

[Paul Raven]

Those Summer teen stories were a pain. Maybe if they introduced a new long term character then they would hold some interest, but those troubled teens were always gone for good Summer's end.

It wasn't until Nina came along that Bill decided to follow through.

If Chris had become attached to one of those girls in the Rose DeVille story and wanted to mentor her,that could have supplied ongoing story for Chris and set up a teen story with connections to the core.

[Broderick]

Sometimes they panned-out, I guess.  But only rarely.  

Weren't Nikki Reed & Patty Minter our Troubled Teens of 1978?  Patty Minter took the predicted Labor Day nosedive into obscurity, but Nikki Reed hung around for a few more years, lol. 

I guess April Stevens was sort of our Troubled Teen for 1980 (though I believe she was introduced in a small capacity in late 1979 or early 1980), and she stuck around for a pretty good while, until she took Wes Kenney's fateful spur-of-the-moment plane trip into obscurity.  (But she did have to share the summer of 1980 with our cultist friends Nikki, Paul, Rebekkah, and Matthew.) 

Seems like Danny Romalotti was our 1981 Summer Project, pining away for Patty Williams, waiting tables at Jonas's, crooning Eric Carmen songs, and pretending that he was from a happy family instead of sired by a jailbird daddy.  He lasted a few more years.

And then I guess Traci Abbott and Angela Laurence were our Tortured Teens of 1982, one wolfing down brownies and the other whining about her comatose mommy.  

Seems like 1983 was Traci Abbott Part Two, and by 1984 we had the wicked vixen Lauren who loved to throw a pool party and parade around in a bikini to remind the fat girls what truly matters in life -- a perky booty and jostling hooters. 

1985 gave us the 22-year-old virgin Alana Anthony who didn't notice her beau was whitewashed with talcum powder, and I guess for 1986 we got Pregnant Nina and Wise Cricket.      

[will81]

No idea. When Chris and Snapper first married Chris bought new furniture paid for by Stuart. Snapper found out and made her take it back. The return story in 81 was similar (though slightly different) but amounted to the same thing. Seemed an odd choice to basically re-introduce them. Pretty much saying the couple hadn't really moved forward in the last 7 years. 

Then Stu and Liz have a falling out due to Stu feeling Greg was better suited to Chris than Snapper and of course Sally coming back. Really Bell went on a loop with them. Involving Chris in Jabot and having Jack take an interest in her was the only new thing he gave them, but that came too late in the game. 

Chris and Snapper did have a sort of separation and it might have been good to have them apart for a bit and exploring new things.

Yeah April came on just before Christmas of 1979 played by Patricia Albrecht. She lasted about a month before the role was recast with Janet Wood. However most likely due to David and Lynn being absent a lot, the story was a stop starter. Just as April was being moved into the Williams sphere around spring 1980, April was recast again with Cindy Eilbacher and it seems Bell kinda started all over again, Lynn returned from maternity leave in time to help introduce the Stevens before Chris was MIA and April was kinda on her own with Paul.

The big summer 1980 story was the New World Order cult. I think April got a bit lost in the shuffle of that as Paul was in the cult. I guess the NWO cult had plenty of youngish characters. I'd sort of call it a teen summer story. Might have been interesting to have had April get sucked into the cult too. She seemed the type of character to have been brought in quite easily. 

[Soaplovers]

Nina and Mollie were the 2 teen unwed pregnant teens in the summer of 1986.  Mollie left with baby to reunite with her parents..and Nina ran away.  Apparently Nina was meant to be a summer only character..but fan response made Bell bring her back.

Summer 1991 had Julie...a pregnant drug addicted teen.