Y & R's Eric Braden: They're Replacing The Soaps With Crap!

[ChitHappens]

Well The Talk is still plugged because Les Moonves' mail order bride is the main host. But I won't say more than that because I really enjoy The Talk.

And don't get me wrong. BB is not good at all, but there is an honest effort. Not sure how to explain the other shows, but they are repetitive junk. YR is simply lost. Days made an effort, but it was the wrong effort. The audience today does not care about all of the people brought back to a repeat of yesteryear. GH is really not GH but OLTL with GH as a supporting player. Instead of fitting the UNNECESSARY OL characters onto the GH canvas, the GH characters are being re-tooled to fit OLTL's format. I don't recognize them at all. I intentionally skipped OL, and I will not be forced to watch it.

ANDREA

[frequentsoapfan]

ABC did primetime promotion for Gh with that Brenda crap. Those awful commercials were everywhere inclduing some of the manliest hours of television

[Ann_SS]

It always cracks me up when people complain about the soap being replaced with BS/crap. LOL! Talk about the lack of awareness. The soaps are crap! It is just a question of what kind of crap you prefer.

[VirginiaHamilton]

Well, I guess it's as good as time as any to express my unpopular opinion:

I'm over folks (whether it'd be disgruntled soap actors, out of touch soap viewers, or pussified soap 'journalists') whining about reality TV killing the soaps.

Reality television didn't kill jack, as the soaps have been committing a slow suicide with their crappy and outdated writing for years.

There were plenty of chances to turn that ship around, but the HWs/EPs refused to join the 21st century like the rest of the world has, 'journalists' opted to kiss network ass instead of calling them the hell out when they should've, and viewers kept on cosigning that the crap that passed as the new millennial soaps in spite of their constant complaints. Therefore, you reap what you sow.

Furthermore, as downright trifling as reality TV can get, it is willing to go where soaps are not and refuse to. Case in point - fighting. Back in the day, I tuned in to soaps to see some great catfights because I knew that they had no problem serving it up to viewers who tuned to see character A get their comeuppance or character B finally fight back. Nowadays, soap fights have become whittled down to anemic slaps once in a blue moon while reality TV has gone above and beyond to showcase great fights. A crass assessment? Perhaps, but soaps' unwillingness to go there (especially when they had no problem going there back in the day) is one reason why some have turned to reality TV for that catharsis.

[dragonflies]

That's an insult to monkey's LOL. Monkey's can do so much better

[soapfave06]

But at the same time, you hear stories of the stories and casting of every soap being messed up by the network themselves. How many characters left that benefited the shows and how many stories were told that were insulting and laughable and drove viewers out?

[JONNYSBRO]

I think Eric Braden is one of the biggest jerks IMO in this business. SOAPS ARE OVER DONE FOR. Its called the almighty dollar u moron. If he thinks SONY will pay him anything what he wants hes in pure delusion. Soap actors have zero zero clout anymore. A dead genre with no pull at all. He really is a delusional idiot.

[Khan]

"You got that?"

[JackPeyton]

Does Sony handle the Y&R contracts? Ive always found it odd that they are usually huge, blown out, drama filled issues while Days is usually pretty easy.

[Ann_SS]

The thing that annoys me about Braden is that his ego and unwillingness to play Victor as the writing dictates has played a role in undermining Y&R's storytelling for many years.

[JackPeyton]

But Y&R allows, and even encourages it to an extent. Actors only have power because the show gives it to them.

[JaneAusten]

So so truE but other than Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott too who else. The funny part is while Victor is the main antagonist on this show when Braeden was MIA for weeks I am not sure the show suffered but when MTS was gone you could definitely feel it. I think Y&R is a tad different because they seem willing to shell out money for out of work soap stars but grudgingly resign their one cast. Jess Walton is a perfect example.

[JackPeyton]

Id be willing to bed that a lot of those out of work soap stars come at a much, much cheaper price than people thing. likely its much cheaper than someone who has been there 20+ years, despite various budget cuts.

Y&R is so awfuly managed tho, its quite sad.

[DeeeDee]

Jeanne, Joshua, Lauralee, St. Giggly & Aunt Jack.

[frequentsoapfan]

I agree with some of the stuff Braden says