An Open letter to Angelica McDaniel, Steve Kent the Bell family

[Darlotto99]

Hello my name is Dave Arlotto and I have been a long time fan of CBS soaps more importantly Y&R. Ever since I came home, where my grandfather would watch the show during my school lunch. The storyline of Jack and Brad takeover of Newman and Victor smashing their picture from that day on I was hooked. I am writing this letter out of concern and fear for the show. Understand I did not only become a fan of the show, but also a fan of the industry and what goes on behind the scenes at the show. You can say that I’m a student of William J Bell. The one thing I disliked more is soaps of ABC.This is not a knock at those shows but I like many Y&R fans liked the stability behind and in front camera. Everything from the music to the core characters, that is what made Y&R iconic unlike no other show. In saying that under the current direction of the show, Y&R has and will continue to be unrecognizable and that needs to change for the health of the show. It didn’t just start with Jill Farren Phelps it began with Lynn Marie Latham who was allowed to come in and get rid of the entire creative team and others behind the scenes. Until Marie Arena Bell was hired during the writing staff strike, but her biggest mistake was not surrounding her self with Bell people and that was her ultimate mistake. Notice a pattern? Jill Farren Phelps now ex producer has overseen four soaps Santa Barbara, Another World, Guiding Light, One Life to Live and all four have been cancelled and that’s no coincident. General Hospital has survived and it’s only because the network was smart enough to get rid of the women before it was too late. If this woman was an executive in any other industry other then the soap industry and she was responsible for the failing of four major products. No company would ever hire her for a high profile product like Y&R. It is because of her management style of firing veteran actors and actresses and replacing them with younger and cheaper actors as well as hires her friends; among other terrible decisions shows suffer a slow and painful death.I believe that I have a solution that will bring stability and sensibility back to the show that the late great William J Bell would approve of. That is to name Brad Bell as the next executive producer of both Y&R as well B&B. I assume he would have to step down as writer of B&B. But that would be up to him. Kay Alden and Jack Smith should return as co head writers, as they served under Bill Bell and know the show like no other. The show needs to return to its roots both behind and in front camera with Bill Bell's vision. With the people he mentored as they are best suited to guide this show. Too many bad decisions have been made over the last couple of years and need to be fixed.Yes Brad Bell has his faults but much as any other writer, but what has continued B&B’s success over the years, is his late father’s vision and would do the same with Y&R. Starting with the firing of Jill Farren Phelps and the return of Bill Bell’s team it will set the show down the right path. The future of the show is with the past, set by the late great William J Bell and those that surrounded him over the years. With the recent passing of the late grate Jeanne Cooper and William J Bell before her, we learned that time is precious and nothing is forever. Put egos aside do what is best for Y&R viewers. The best executives in the world admit they make mistakes and fix it. Jill Farren Phelps was a bad hire and needs to be fired. Get back to what has made Y&R the #1 soap in daytime not try and become an ABC Soap knockoff. Soap killer Jill Farren Phelps needs to go. To quote Victor Newman YOU GOT THAT!!!

Sincerely

Dave Arlotto

[EastMA2]

Seriously???

It's Jill's fault that GL was cancelled 14 years AFTER she left that show? OLTL was cancelled after Jill had been gone for over a decade. Her AW numbers were great when she left. Look them up. Charlotte Savitz could only have hoped to get Jill's numbers. At SB, John Conboy and Paul Rauch sealed their fate. Jill Farren Phelps has never been the executive producer at a soap when it went off the air.

[JONNYSBRO]

This was the same type of petition and boycott Jill had in 99 for oltl and she stayed employed for 15 years lol. Jills numbers are not bad.

[DramatistDreamer]

I believe everyone has the right to express themselves, if they do so with respect and adherence to the rules of etiquette and decorum.

Having said that, I do hope that before you send this, that you took the time to ensure that your letter has been formatted properly.

Not to be rude, but just to be perfectly candid. I have no desire to read this as it is currently formatted and I doubt anyone else will at CBS/SONY, et al.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that it will see the bottom of a trash bin before it gets to the top of anyone's desk there.

Please do yourself a favor and make sure that the copy that you send does not resemble what you've just posted. It is too easily dismissed. Make sure the argument you present is structured in a coherent, readable format.

I know you want the best for this show but that letter will have to be presented in a better format if you want your concerns to be taken seriously and actually heard.

Good luck though.

[EricMontreal22]

If you want this letter to be taken seriously, it needs major rewrites. Not just obvious things ("that's no coincident") but the whole tone will cause it to be ignored. The execs could care less if you consider yourself by some weird stroke a student of "William J. Bell." They won't care that you apparently hate ABC soaps but mean them no ill will.

What a bizarre letter.

[Gray Bunny]

Just some advice:

Keep your letter quick. Space it out (almost like bullet points) to get your main points across. Your email letter will be reviewed by an unpaid college intern who may or may not take the time to tally mark your remarks on a monthly list. They may only bother to put one tally mark next to any given category ("does not like Y&R currently" "dislikes the storylines" "Likes Sharon/Nick" "Likes Nick/Phyllis"). Snail mail will more than likely be read by the same interns, if at all.... (sometimes there isn't enough time or effort to read them all).

[allmc2008]

I have always wondered if you chances will actually increase if you send 50 snail mail and 50 email messages that are the same.

[SFK]

Save your stamps and take your chances with one. You don't want to annoy the person you're trying to reach and influence with your opinion.

P.S. Never send your unsolicited storyline suggestions. They won't read them, they can't use them.