You're right about B&B. I went on so long with my review of Young and Restless that I didn't want to prolong my post with details about B&B. I couldn't agree with you more. The Bold and Beautiful has had great moments and in the early days it was just as glamorous as Young and the Restless. To be honest, B&B still has its glamorous look. The sets are still lush and beautiful and I feel that their background music still has that Bill Bell kind of quality if you know what I mean. B&B's biggest problem is that it has had the same writer/executive producer for years. Since the Bells own the show, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Bradley Bell has lost his way and he has been criticized for years for not having a "B" storyline.

This show has been known to spend months on one story without a break. That works out great when you're enjoying the story but when you have the mess that is Liam/Steffi/Hope you are bored to tears. B&B write too many love triangles. If Brad gave viewers some variety I think things would be better. Why does he never write murder mysteries and or psycho stories? An evil twin story would be more welcome than the endless barrage of love triangles. Another problem this show has is the knack of focusing on a handful of characters. The show has spent decades writing for Ridge, Brook, and Taylor with a side of Stephanie and Eric. For a while the show became obsessed with Bridget and Nick and now it seems to be focused on Liam, Hope, and Steffi.

Most soap operas have loads of legacy characters. The Bold and the Beautiful doesn't. The show is good about snapping up legendary actors and doing nothing with it. For example, Rick Hearst, Sidney Penny, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Crystal Chappell, Hillary B. Smith, Matt Borlenghi, Sarah Brown, Sarah Buxton, Brian Gaskill, Dax Griffin, Lesli Kay, Lorenzo Lamas, Debbi Morgan, Antonio Sabato Jr., and I could go on and on but you get the point. While some the characters these actors played had stories, they were mostly used for throwaway characters for the core four. Many of the aforementioned actors had created memorable characters on previous soaps but B&B wrote forgettable characters for them to play. Had this show been balanced correctly, Susan Flannery and Ron Moss's exits would not have been so devastating. The show could have pulled in some legacy characters but unfortunately this show has none.

Who’s going to carry this show now? Ron Moss may not be a good actor but he is popular and he has played a popular character for over two decades. Like it or not, his departure will leave a great void and while I always detested Stephanie's medaling, she gave the show a certain class and that will definitely be missed. I do have fond memories of the B&B's past. I miss the days when the Katie and Donna were both in love with Rocco. I loved Lauren Koslows Margo and the story about her uncle molesting her brother Jake. I enjoyed Sheila's "the hand that rocks the cradle" type of story in the early nineties. I hate that they killed Caroline off and turned Brook into a slut. Remember when Brook was innocent. Remember when she was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks that long to be with the rich prince Ridge? Had they kept Brook's character in that form, she and Ridge would have had a more endearing love story. Why can't soaps be the way they use to be?

While I am pleased that B&B has remained in the hands of the Bell family, Bradley Bell has hidden behind the family name for a long time now. He continually disappoints me as a writer. I don't know whether it is because he's just not that interested in the show or just lazy, but he has wasted SO much potential over the years and it truly frustrates me. Lesli Kay/Felicia is a natural to take over Stephanie's "meddling Forrester" role. She *is* her mother's daughter in so many ways. I always thought Sarah Buxton, Dax Griffin and even Sean Kanan (among many, many others) were criminally wasted. Remember hunky Grant Chambers who married Brooke and later Macy? He could have been a charismatic romantic lead, an alternative to Ridge.... Like I said: frustrating to watch.

I highlighted your fond memories of B&B because those were my fondest, too. I loved Carrie Mitchum's Donna and the fact that Brooke and Storm, as the elder siblings, held the Logans together (BTW, William DeVry was a GREAT Storm recast. Sigh). I totally remember innocent, smart, normal Brooke who was Caroline's friend as much as her rival for Ridge's affections. That frenemyship was explored in all its riveting complexities. It was only when Bradley Bell took over that characters were written in one-dimensional "Ridge = womaniser, Brooke = slut, Taylor = saint" templates, when Bill Bell's vision of those three was so much more complex and ambiguous than that.

Y&R was so good for so long, and up until 05-06ish, it was generally considered the best soap on the air, to the point where it would sometimes the praise would just be annoying. Once it sank to the level of the other soaps, those passionate fans were furious, and they still are.

I don't know... I joined the SONY board in 2000, and people were complaiing right and left all the time. I did virutally nothing but defend the show, people were screaming for new writers at that time... and now see what we get? If people would have shut their mouth and left Kay Alden alone, then we might not have been in this situation. But i'm of the opinion that even if Bill Bell were still alive, people would still be complaining. Because some people just make a sport out of bitching.

While I am pleased that B&B has remained in the hands of the Bell family, Bradley Bell has hidden behind the family name for a long time now. He continually disappoints me as a writer. I don't know whether it is because he's just not that interested in the show or just lazy, but he has wasted SO much potential over the years and it truly frustrates me.

Yes, Bradley Bell has wasted a lot of B&B's potential over the years. However, I don't chalk it up to laziness or disinterest. If anything, I think Bradley cares too much about his own show. It's just that he simply doesn't have the same gift for storytelling as his father did, and no one, least of all Bradley himself, has been willing to call him on it.

I always thought Bill created B&B as a simply a cash cow for his family and one where he wouldn't have to split the profits with 3rd parties.

I never felt Bill was very passionate about the show, as he was with Y&R. I guess its no surprised he "left" B&B much earlier, but was still more actively involved with Y&R until his health went downhill.

Edited August 24, 201213 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

More people watch Y&R hence theres more people to complain about the show. Its not that hard a concept to get

^^THIS!

While I am pleased that B&B has remained in the hands of the Bell family, Bradley Bell has hidden behind the family name for a long time now. He continually disappoints me as a writer. I don't know whether it is because he's just not that interested in the show or just lazy, but he has wasted SO much potential over the years and it truly frustrates me. Lesli Kay/Felicia is a natural to take over Stephanie's "meddling Forrester" role. She *is* her mother's daughter in so many ways. I always thought Sarah Buxton, Dax Griffin and even Sean Kanan (among many, many others) were criminally wasted. Remember hunky Grant Chambers who married Brooke and later Macy? He could have been a charismatic romantic lead, an alternative to Ridge.... Like I said: frustrating to watch.

I highlighted your fond memories of B&B because those were my fondest, too. I loved Carrie Mitchum's Donna and the fact that Brooke and Storm, as the elder siblings, held the Logans together (BTW, William DeVry was a GREAT Storm recast. Sigh). I totally remember innocent, smart, normal Brooke who was Caroline's friend as much as her rival for Ridge's affections. That frenemyship was explored in all its riveting complexities. It was only when Bradley Bell took over that characters were written in one-dimensional "Ridge = womaniser, Brooke = slut, Taylor = saint" templates, when Bill Bell's vision of those three was so much more complex and ambiguous than that.

God! I'd forgotten about William Devry! Such a waist of a good actor and character! I share your frustration because this show has at its disposal all of the ingredients to make a powerhouse soap opera but as you said, they waist it. I tried to watch the show a few years back after Guiding Light was canceled. Due to my busy schedule, I don't have a lot of time to devote to an hour long soap so I thought I'd take on B&B because its only thirty minutes. Sadly, the show was so ridicolous I couldn't get into it. I too wonder about Bradley Bell. I wonder if he's just a bad writer or if he just doesn't give a damn. You would think he would want to honor his father's leagacy by making the show the best it could possibly be. Yes, I do remember Grant Chambers and how they wasted him. I love the way you described the nuances of Caroline and Brook's relationship. I remember how Brook was there for Caroline when Caroline was raped by Ron Deacon but how she later plotted with Thorne to keep a letter Ridge had written to Caroline. Too bad as you said the characters are now one dimensional and flat.

Edited August 24, 201213 yr by hot20