Y&R: May 2013 Discussion Thread

[YRBB]

I almost didn't realize there wasn't one!

[dm.]

Griffith needs a co-HW pronto.

There is just something lacking in each storyline, IMO.

[YRBB]

Yes, it seems interest has plateaued. I can't even bring myself to watch.

[dm.]

Oh and yeah, Dylan is a boring and useless character. They're trying hard with him, but the development falls flat. They did a good job establishing Tyler, though (at least nowadays).

[Cat]

The groundwork is there, and JG's love and understanding of the characters and their history cannot be denied. But the show needs impetus, oomph. Not to ape GH's writing which tends to be a little too fast and furious for Y&R's taste, but I feel that the writing team should have an eye on Y&R's Thursday, Friday and Monday shows and what a Cliffhanger Friday might look like for Y&R (cliffhangers for both Canadian and US Friday showings).

Like I said, I don't need my show to steer back into MAB/Hogan Sheffer territory, but the stories need fire and purpose and some twists, turns and a few little surprises. They feel a little aimless, like they are treading water at the moment.

And I can't take much more Chelsea on my screen all the time. I like MCE but I just don't give a sh!t about this character.

[dm.]

IA Cat. It's not that it's bad, it's just that it lacks something and it shows in every storyline.

And it could always get worse, should a new headwriter be named.

The one thing I hate about soaps in general is when it is obvious how much either the producer or the writer loves a character. It shows with Adam, Chelsea, Dylan and Avery. Other people could get the same amount of airtime, but they're not as important/propped as the four I've mentioned. (Or at least this is the feeling I get.)

[Peyton]

+1

+1

They are trying hard with Avery too but she is just so bland and dull.

[cattykittens]

Most of the show is now about newer characters that I'm not invested in so all the oomph in the world wouldn't matter to me.

I thought the tif between Jill & Cane was interesting but I know they aren't going to make a story of it. Betcha they will spend their time focusing on Chelsea agonizing over her pregnacy issues, Avery agnonizing over who she loves,and Dylan leaving town for the umpteenth time. I wish someone would help that guy get where he wants to go, how many times is going to pick up his duffle bag and begin to leave town? Shessh!

There are so many new characters I get confused on who's who when I watch. I thought it was nuAbby giving Summer the fake ID's until someone informed me otherwise. BTW who the heck is Courtney? How many viewers, not online, are making the same sort of mistakes? How confusing.

NuKyle, Summer, Tyler, Chelsea, Avery, Dylan, Leslie & Gus take up most of the time on the show. NuAbby, Coutney, Alex, Mason, Anita, Cong, Wheeler and other dayplayers/guest stars are in and out consuming another chunk. And I hear 2 more on on the way? SMH! Meanwhile many of the vets are on & off the screen rather quickly. The drama isn't happening to the ones I care about, so no matter how interesting the story, if it's not about those I'm interested in I'm bored.

[DramatistDreamer]

Yeah, it seems like Griffith might be running out of ideas.

I don't need crazy so I definitely don't want Hogan Sheffer of MAB anywhere near a Y&R writing room or studio but some of the scenes themselves seem either to be repeating themselves or there's not much going on in a scene. The 'action' of a scene doesn't have to involve physical hi-jinks or mayhem but it could be moving along ideas .

Even though, I know they're trying to do a 'business' storyline with the new clothing line, Jabot is first and foremost a cosmetics company and there needs to be more action on that front. This is where Ashley's absence is especially felt. Jabot needs someone in the lab to be concocting new fragrances. Instead of one of the 50,000 lawyers they brought onto the canvas, why couldn't one of the new characters have been a junior chemist?

Hopefully, this fallout with Jill over Cane's ascension at Chancellor Industries means she can return to Jabot, perhaps revive the Men's line. Then it would make sense to have Mason be a spokes model at Jabot.

If the truth be told, if I had to write some of these characters, I would have made Noah's ex girlfriend Adriana or Mason a Junior Chemist at Jabot or maybe even both, part of a post graduate fellowship program for Scientists. Adriana could've still been a 'bad girl' but she would be a bad girl with brains, and one that wouldn't need to scam anyone for money.

Phyllis was always a psycho groupie hustler but she was also a psycho groupie hustler who had a high level of computer skill.

I agree that there are somethings missing from Y&R (although it is better than the horrible stories being spewed a year or so ago). I think two missing ingredients are:

More dimension to the characters (what I described above about Adriana and Mason). I do agree with the poster who said the Tyler character is coming along nicely. And Leslie is also getting added dimension but I think most of the characters on this show have become a little one note, even some character who've been on for years now.

Scenes and stories that move with a purpose. What's actually going on with Newman Enterprises? Adam and Victor need an actual business storyline other than fighting over who gets to sit in the big chair. And while Phyllis and Jack flirting at work is fine with me, I didn't expect it to comprise the entire scene. They really need a focal point in these office scenes.

This is all just my opinion.

[Vee]

As I said in the other thread, Dylan and Chelsea are the most boring retread of Jason's ancient Michael storyline on GH imaginable. I have no idea why anyone at the show thought this would appeal to anyone but the most hardcore Jason devotees or vapid casual fans of both soaps. MCE is capable but the character is basically Annie on AMC before she went crazy and became interesting - and back then Annie was very boring indeed. Steve Burton is not capable of much at all.

Also, this is a show about business. I don't understand why every corporate player in town suddenly most own a bar or restaurant, except that that's what JFP did on all her other shows, particularly at ABC whether locations and hangouts, etc. are so key versus more reserved stuff like businesses which is more germane to Y&R. It's all so superficially ABC Daytime, but clearly that is what Sony wants: peppy, cheap and ABCD house style to make over their show. A little flash, a lot of contrived locations and sudden sea changes in people's lives to motivate plot. Victoria is all about a baby, these guys all want to run restaurants. It's interesting for me to examine this profound change in the show as a dispassionate, non-engaged viewer, but it doesn't make the show itself interesting.

The Jack/Phyllis, etc. story could be dynamite if it is revealed Summer truly is his and she is chasing after her brother - that would be classic. But I don't see them doing that.

[full hearts]

He has two.

Tracey Thomson became co-HW in Dec. 2012

Shelly Altman started on March 18, 2013.

[dm.]

Better co-HWs then.

[YRBB]

Kay Alden!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Preferably all 3 of them would go. What a strange mix.

[dm.]

Yes.