Sticking to basics, 'Y&R' retains its popularity By Connie Passalacqua
For most of the last decade ABC won the daytime TV ratings largely on the strength of its "big three" soaps — "All My Children." "General Hospital" and "One Life to Live." Earl y this summer, however, CBS started winning individual ratings weeks and this fall, started winning many consecutive weeks. This surge was partly due to the increasing quality of two CBS mainstays, "As the World Turns " and "Guiding Light." but mostly to its highest rated show, "The Young and the Restless"
"Y&R " has recently been placing a consistent third in the ratings behind "GH " and CBS' game show "The Price Is Right " "Y & R" shot to the top of the ratings within a year of its 1973 debut. Viewers cottoned quickly to its youthful story lines and beautiful faces, which were the ideas of producer John Conboy (now producer of "Capitol") By the time Conboy left,"Y & R" had dropped several notches in the ratings. H,Wesley Kenney. a veteran Hollywood sitcom director and past producer of "Days of Our Lives" took over the show (along with co-executive producer Bill Bell) and has since guided it back to the top.
Why do many viewers prefer "Y&R " to ABC's offerings' ' Probably because "Y&R " remains close to the essence of traditional soap opera storytelling The story lines evolve solely from the characters and their feelings, it has never featured surrealistic stories ' Y & R" concentrates only on the human involvements of the Abbott and Williams families and its Genoa City locale, in which everyday happening s resemble a real town. "Y & R" also has good actors in believable story lines such as Beth Maitland. who portrays college student Traci Abbott , whose problem with excess weight led to bulimia and diet pill addiction. Terry Lester has turned the role of Jack Abbott from a cad to a sympathetic equivalent of "Dallas' " J.R.Ewing. Unlike many competing soaps. Y&R " prominently features older characters such as those played by Jeanne Cooper (Kay Chancellor) and Julianna McCarthy (Liz Brooks)
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Paul Raven ·
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