B&B: ANOTHER star dropped to recurring

[Cheap21]

Jack Wagner is still on contract and working over at B&B. Kimberly is slated to leave soon. He aint coming over anytime soon, especially not given such a short time frame.

[DaytimeFan]

I am a fan of Lesley Anne Down, I will also be first to admit that she never quite worked as Jackie...in fact, the character itself never quite worked. I think Brad Bell was going for a younger Sally, but it never panned out because the character was one of a kind. That being said, the character was decorative, never really driving story, never really a problem.

The REAL problem, in my eyes, is Jack Wagner. HE is the albatross that has nearly killed this show. The sooner he's fired, the better.

[DaytimeFan]

Well it's looking like there are two things happening:

1) LAD has another gig lined up according to her site

2) LAD is desperate enough to implore her fans to write/email/tweet Brad Bell and ask that she return on contract

This is not a wise move on the part of LAD, she's certainly not going to GH, DAYS is full, Y&R won't be taking her...all the soaps have dried up. She's 58, British and glamorous. She made an appearance at the BAFTA's a year or two ago to celebrate the anniversary of Upstairs, Downstairs and got significant press coverage. Thus, if her agent has any sense, he will tell her, if she needs to work, go to England, land a gig on EastEnders or Casualty because the UK is her absolute best shot at a career.

Stephanie Beacham did it, Joan Collins, though still on the LA scene, did it too.

[DRW50]

I'm just sorry they never knew what to do with Jackie. LAD was good on Sunset Beach.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I always get a chuckle regarding Michael Logan's quote on LAD:

[DRW50]

He has a point but I thought it worked for her character and stories.

[DaytimeFan]

I thought LAD's acting on Sunset Beach suited the character as I believe LAD herself is sort spacey, melodramatic and she has got big hair (wigs for TV)...she was my neighbour when I lived in Malibu (same street, not next door). She's a very nice lady, I just think the character was ill suited to the show. Had she been written as a straight up bitch, cut-throat, nasty, it could have worked because LAD can play it a lot straighter than she did at B&B, Jackie was just too campy and it didn't ring true.

Really, if they wanted Jackie Marone to work, they should have poached Lauren Koslow from DAYS who plays bitches with conflict and heart like nobody else in the business...though why cast her as Jackie when she could return as Margo Lynley Spencer?! Maybe she will if DAYS predeceased B&B, I have hope.

I do wish LAD well, but her career will be in the UK, not America.

[DRW50]

The time that LAD came on B&B they'd moved away from camp and towards just a lot of sleaze. Even when they did bring back some camp, it was the "wacky" kind with Pam, and Donna Duck. It just never seemed to work out.

[DaytimeFan]

True. She came to B&B when it was, for all intents and purposes, it's very worst. The show has been on an upward climb since 2008/2009. She was never going to last after the Spencer's became an established, well cast and well written family. I really do dream of Lauren Koslow returning as Margo, could you imagine it? Dollar Bill's former stepmother on the scene?

[DRW50]

I'd love to see Margo again, especially since Mark and Clarke are still basically unresolved (even with his pointless 2002 run). I think Bill is mostly just rootless and Liam could go at any time, so they should expand that. If the show has so many useless Logans...

[sheilaforever]

I agree that those Spectras should been kept, at least alive and viable. BUT Bill also has a dynamic with the Forrester which is pretty good. I was no fan of the character but Diamont and tehw riting so far have worked perfectly hand in hand. And I'm not surprised that LIam is suddenly a dud; this show never had good younger male characters to begin with.

[sheilaforever]

ICAM and I thought was good when campwise when she opened Jackie M in 2007. The oneliners with Clarke, the hut tub press conferences... Too bad LAD fell ill then and went off the canvas for 12 months or so more or less.

[Cheap21]

I think Bill is the best new addition to the soap in the last 3 years

[DRW50]

That's not saying much though.

I think Diamont's good in the role but it's the story with Steffi and Katie which gets attention. Him being a Spencer matters little and are any of the go-nowhere battles with Forrester interesting? It's always the same thing with the same result.

[Cat]

Sure, it may not be saying much when we look at the failures that were Sarah Brown, Rick Hearst (Whip! ) and others. But judged on his own merit, Bill stands up as an interesting, strong, motivated male character who, thankfully, is never held up as a Paragon of Masculinity that We Must Hero-Worship (which used to happen with Ridge back in the 90s and definitely occurs on Y&R and GH today). Bill stood up to Donna and Brooke trying to blindside him back when he first showed up, and it was hilarious and satisfying to watch, for this fan at least. And then, more recently, he gets completely one-upped by his wife and that, too, was so satisfying. We never really know who is going to win when he goes toe-to-toe with Forrester.

Will he always have an adversarial role vis a vis the Forresters? Probably. Brad Bell loves repeating SLs. But right now I like the Bill Spencer dynamic because, for once, the Forresters have an adversary that matches them in terms of wealth and influence. Unlike the poor, struggling Spectras/Jackie Ms who would steal FC designs, then they'd have a head-to-head fashion contest to see who was better and Ridge would always win with his 1980s tackfest. Snore.

As for LAD, I loved her as Olivia on SuBe. She was "spacey and melodramatic" because she was a drunk, emotional headcase who couldn't live without her cold, controlling husband (truly SuBe was a lot better and more enjoyable than people give it credit for at the time). I feel bad that LAD lost her job at B&B but the Spectras have been decimated and Jackie M wasn't quite fitting the bill. When Stephanie and Whip joined the company, I had hope, but that soon fizzled. IA with DF that Jack Wagner needs to be let go, like, yesterday. Nick hasn't had a pairing that works since his first year on the show. This one with Donna is certainly not doing anything for me (and while we are at it, do we really need Donna around, too?).

And at the risk of being attacked because I know there are a lot of Macy fans on the show, I don't want Macy or Bobbie Eakes to come back. Liked her at the time but honestly do not think about her anymore. I would much rather Bell write for his existing cast (including Justin, Thorne and Felicia).