I thought I would have a little fun with this topic. Y&R for the last while was stunt casting old TV stars. If you could dig up some of your favorites stars from the past, who would they be and what character would you create for them on your shows ?

Stunt casting is the worst thing to ever happen with soaps.

It's okay if it's guests spots, but not if you are hiring former sitcom stars just to get attention.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by yr9190

Stunt casting is the worst thing to ever happen with soaps.

It's okay if it's guests spots, but not if you are hiring former sitcom stars just get attention.

GF has to be the worst case of stunt casting I've ever seen on a soap. She even tops James Franco and I hated JF on GH.

How is GF stunt casting?

James Franco is stunt casting, I think it's okay as an occassional thing that's about all

How is GF stunt casting?

James Franco is stunt casting, I think it's okay as an occassional thing that's about all

What do you mean how is GF stunt casting? Obviously MAB cast her on Y&R to try and get her fans to watch which failed miserably.

Wendy Williams was good on OLTL

What do you mean how is GF stunt casting? Obviously MAB cast her on Y&R to try and get her fans to watch which failed miserably.

Exactly.

When you haven't debuted on the show yet and they're running promos about the ACTOR/ACTRESS joining, it is clear stunt casting. That was the case for Genie, who flopped miserably on the show.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4qs1Lh3nCL0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Exactly.

When you haven't debuted on the show yet and they're running promos about the ACTOR/ACTRESS joining, it is clear stunt casting. That was the case for Genie, who flopped miserably on the show.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4qs1Lh3nCL0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

No one can tell me that Jame Bond wannabe promo was not promoting stunt casting. And the fact that she basically went to lead status by being paired with the leading men of the show as well as being surrounded by former costars only furthered it.

Adding insult to injury, that promo is a disaster. Absolutely painful.

I didn't mean that I really wanted stunt casting to continue. I thought we could all go crazy and make up some characters and cast them with old has beens for a few laughs. Didn't want to start a war.....LOL

I loved Joan Collins on Guiding Light...and just because I would worship at that woman's alter wherever I go...I thought she really went for it on GL and was terrific fun to watch. That was stunt casting done right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtdNwgfCdk4

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by DaytimeFan

Stunt casting is okay in small doses, when it's just done for fun. On ATWT, Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits was brought on as an English butler. He ended up having a sword fight with Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees on the show.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to agree on a definition of "stunt casting."

Yeah, I doubt we all have the same definition. For example, the casting of Bonnie Franklin on Y&R isn't stunt casting to me. I'm 45 years old, watched and enjoyed "One Day at a Time" 30 years ago and still wasn't moved to watch because of her. For all her faults, I can't imagine Maria Arena Bell casting her thinking it was a way to draw viewers, especially anyone under 40. I also wouldn't consider Genie Francis stunt casting. If that's the case, then no soap stars should move to another one. James Franco comes closest in my mind to stunt casting because he's a name that would appeal to the lower demographic and he wasn't a soap star previously.

I don't think it's necessarily stunt casting when soap actors go from soap to soap. But when you're running promos exclusively about an actor joining a soap (not the storyline) and hyping them as a casting addition in the press, it becomes stunt casting IMO.