Debbi is doing a good job with what they are giving her but not even she can pull Stephen Nichols out of the lull this show has Tucker in.

But it seems he comes alive in scenes with her so far.

Debbi Morgan and "the black storyline" is the only reason I'm watching. My biggest complaint though is that they won't use Tonya Lee Williams. 15 year vet in endless frontburner story, yet her return has been so pointless. Why won't they heavily use her? Mix her with these people. Put Olivia and Malcolm back together. Make Nate a real character. I understand it's difficult bringing Victoria Rowell back, but Olivia is available and connected to everybody (and then some if you include B&! It's silly. I'd also consider bringing Justin and Donna from B&B to add to the Barber family.

It's odd that the black characters are the only thing working, yet the writers fought so hard against using them.

I agree. And Jeanne Cooper looks like she enjoys it more, too. Did you see Kay ordering Brock and Murphy around to get her a damn phone the other day? LOL. She was waving and clicking her rings like it was 1989.

You know, I will give Michelle Stafford this: I love her hair right now. Wavy, to the shoulder, 1940s-style. She looks as good as she did back in the Glow by Jabot days when she had a shorter cut. But her acting mannerisms! And Phyllis is monstrous! Like LW's Carly-monstrous -- a big reason why I can't face watching GH anymore.

DaytimeFan, IA with you about Stafford's star role up to a point -- except I would argue that Melody Thomas Scott and Brenda Dickson were Y&R's major diva stars. MS was more like the Rebecca Budig of Y&R -- somebody who had fans and pepped up the show when she returned but who the PTB decided must be the show's #1 marketing draw. Wrongly, as it turned out.

Cat you said what I meant to say. It's not that Michelle Stafford herself has the charisma of a Melody Thomas Scott or Brenda Dickson (they are what I mean when I refer to the Luccis and Wyndhams and Danos) but that The Powers That Be decided that she would be "The Star" just like Rebecca Budig (great example by the way). The agenda was to make Michelle Stafford the Susan Lucci of the show and allow her to swallow it whole and have the narrative revolve around her. The problem is that in Lucci's case it was organic, in Stafford's case the agenda of marketing execs, Barbara Bloom, Sony, The Bells, whoever, took precedence and she was written and propped consistently.

And as I've said, I used to love Phyllis, but only when Phyllis was in a part of the narrative that made sense.

Finally, you've got it, I think Jeanne Cooper much prefers playing Kay as a conflicted hot mess of a bitch. It's much more enjoyable for us so it must be much more enjoyable for her. LOL to "clicking her rings like it was 1989"...OH THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

I couldn't agree more. WORD. I would add that THE Stafford © has started developing - ca. 2006, under LML where she became more star material - an egregious amount of acting ticks which are just too much.

She has horrific ticks and she's really gotten lazy over the years. Perhaps she's overworked, understimulated with the shite writing, just there to pay the bills...but she's phoning it in and it shows.

Debbi Morgan and "the black storyline" is the only reason I'm watching. My biggest complaint though is that they won't use Tonya Lee Williams. 15 year vet in endless frontburner story, yet her return has been so pointless. Why won't they heavily use her? Mix her with these people. Put Olivia and Malcolm back together. Make Nate a real character. I understand it's difficult bringing Victoria Rowell back, but Olivia is available and connected to everybody (and then some if you include B&! It's silly. I'd also consider bringing Justin and Donna from B&B to add to the Barber family.

It's odd that the black characters are the only thing working, yet the writers fought so hard against using them.

I just think it is only a matter of time before most of the family is put on the backburner.

And yeah, adding Olivia to the mix would be brilliant. Hence, she isn't there.

I just think it is only a matter of time before most of the family is put on the backburner.

Yep.

I don't know... no offense to Debbi Morgan who works well with everybody but I don't think Tucker clicks with anyone.

And seeing Ashley thanking that Ray Charles-glasses-wearing iceberg for finally selling back Jabot to Jack after he promised he would made my stomach turn. I'm glad they didn't have Tucker sell it to somebody else and Ash blindly back him up, though.

I don't know... no offense to Debbi Morgan who works well with everybody but I don't think Tucker clicks with anyone.

And seeing Ashley thanking that Ray Charles-glasses-wearing iceberg for finally selling back Jabot to Jack after he promised he would made my stomach turn. I'm glad they didn't have Tucker sell it to somebody else and Ash blindly back him up, though.

ITA. I am not seeing what some have in terms of how Debbi "clicked" with him. I think they had some good scenes but I also think Tucker and Devon have had some good scenes over the couple of episodes I have watched also. It doesn't change the fact that the character of Tucker as played by SN(who I adore) is a dud. He's still flat and uncharismatic. I actually think he and Eileen Davidson work fine together but there is just nothing remotely interesting about Tucker and them together and tying him to Devon and Katherine and now YoHarmony has not changed that.

Edited October 20, 201114 yr by JaneAusten

Cat you said what I meant to say. It's not that Michelle Stafford herself has the charisma of a Melody Thomas Scott or Brenda Dickson (they are what I mean when I refer to the Luccis and Wyndhams and Danos) but that The Powers That Be decided that she would be "The Star" just like Rebecca Budig (great example by the way). The agenda was to make Michelle Stafford the Susan Lucci of the show and allow her to swallow it whole and have the narrative revolve around her. The problem is that in Lucci's case it was organic, in Stafford's case the agenda of marketing execs, Barbara Bloom, Sony, The Bells, whoever, took precedence and she was written and propped consistently.

And as I've said, I used to love Phyllis, but only when Phyllis was in a part of the narrative that made sense.

Finally, you've got it, I think Jeanne Cooper much prefers playing Kay as a conflicted hot mess of a bitch. It's much more enjoyable for us so it must be much more enjoyable for her. LOL to "clicking her rings like it was 1989"...OH THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

She has horrific ticks and she's really gotten lazy over the years. Perhaps she's overworked, understimulated with the shite writing, just there to pay the bills...but she's phoning it in and it shows.

I think Stafford has been phoning it in for a long time, as have half the cast of this show. The directors and production staff, too. The show has lost its way, starting at the top with EP/HW Bell. The fix starts there.

I think Stafford has been phoning it in for a long time, as have half the cast of this show. The directors and production staff, too. The show has lost its way, starting at the top with EP/HW Bell. The fix starts there.

Exactly, the only saving grace for awhile was the acting. Now even that feels off. Everyone is phoning it in, and some actors have TOO much power in saying who they want to work with. Awful.

. It doesn't change the fact that the character of Tucker as played by SN(who I adore) is a dud. He's still flat and uncharismatic. I actually think he and Eileen Davidson work fine together but there is just nothing remotely interesting about Tucker and them together and tying him to Devon and Katherine and now YoHarmony has not changed that.

I haven't watched much for the last couple months but every time I do happen to turn the show on it seems to be all about Tucker. Am I just unlucky or is he all the sudden eating the show? I never watched Days or GH when he was on so I have no interest in the character, or the actor, so it's not what I want to see when I turn on Y&R so I just turn it OFF.. Ashley and Tucker need to go on a long honeymoon.

I would love to see a Jill and Kay story however. It's time. How about a battle about CI? Since Yolanda has just moved in she could be a part of the story and could be interesting between the feuding ladies. Chance is back, why not tie him into CI too since he is a Chancellor after all?

Didn't Nina, Jill, and Kay think of think of little Phillip as the future of CI back in the nineties? What happened?

A classic, back to the basics Young and Restless story is sorely needed with Jill & Kay, with classic core characters acting like themselves about the issues that defined them. Use new characters like Yolanda, but put them in something that means Y&R. Devon and Chance working for CI could prove interesting, with grandmothers Jill and Kay. I will tune in every day for one of those time-honored core family stories.

A classic, back to the basics Young and Restless story is sorely needed with Jill & Kay, with classic core characters acting like themselves about the issues that defined them.

Exactly.

But Y&R doesn't care.

Patty's back, they showed her tattoo at the end of today's episode for Canada

Ugh

Oh Lawd

Exactly, the only saving grace for awhile was the acting. Now even that feels off. Everyone is phoning it in, and some actors have TOO much power in saying who they want to work with. Awful.

I DETEST GENERALIZATIONS LIKE THIS!!!

Jess Walton is NOT phoning it in.

Eileen Davidson is NOT phoning it in.

Peter Bergman is NOT phoning it in.

Tricia Cast DOESN'T KNOW HOW to phone it in.

Jeanne Cooper (as much as I hate her) is NOT phoning it in.

(and while I'm at it, I MISS MAURA!)

The problem is stories aren't centered around them. Instead, we've got Julia Pace Mitchell continuing to be green as a frog, Christel Khalil & Daniel Goddard being boring, Michelle Stafford as The Thing that Ate Genoa City Alive, Genie Francis as The Thing that Ate Peter Bergman's face, Eric Braeden asleep, Amelia Heinle still woefully miscast, Billy Miller toothing it, etc....

HOWEVER, I like Stephen Nichols and Tucker so WTF do I know anyway?

Anyone else excited to see Chance?? I AM! Because it means Nina is right around the corner.

And, sorry, this black story isn't doing it for me, unless you're talking about Devon (he has a purpose now!!!!). Sophia's a retard, this isn't a retread of Neil/Dru/Malcolm because Sophia was wide awake and not in a drug-induced haze when she boinked Neil, and this story goes against Neil's character completely. And, oh yeah, this Malcolm has the sex appeal of bleu cheese. NOTHING about it works!

Give me Abby/Ashley/Tucker, Ashley/Nick scenes, and THAT BREATH OF FRESH AIR AVERY any day over that convuluted drivel that's playing out in the "Who Cares?? I Knew it was Neil's from Day One so What's The Point anyway?" crap storyline.

LONG LIVE JESSICA COLLINS for BREATHING SOME FREAKING LIFE INTO THIS SHOW and making Phyllis look like the ASSHAT THAT SHE IS!!! Didya read that MAB? AVERY is your next MTS, not Phyllis. PLEASE REVEAL THAT AVERY HAD BEEN GETTING ALL HER PHYLLIS INFO FroM DRu!!!