Y&R: August 2014 Discussion Thread

[Chris B]

If you look at the first few months when Kay Alden and Jack Smith were still around the show was very good with Lynn Latham. It was updated, but not drastically changed. It was only when she was alone and in complete control that the entire show went off the rails.

[YRBB]

I never said differently!

But it doesn't really matter what LML did when she still had Alden & Smith fixing working with her, does it?

[RavenWhitney]

These current writers just don't express any passion in their writing; it has no emotional thrust. Everything feels arranged or forced or a continuation of someone else's vision. Much of what Altman continued was Griffith's half baked work. It all should have been thrown out. A huge problem is casting. After losing Billy, Michael and Michelle, the show needed to cast top notch, exciting performers who captivated the audience. But please, Nuabby positively sucks. She's Pam Anderson 21st century style. And that Courtney character, awful. And I never understood the hype of Hunter as Summer. They've flopped out on the younger set big time. Where's Noah? They ruined Fen's story. He should have had a bisexual affair with the blond kid and the blond kid should have been Paul's grandson, Ricky's son. They ruined Carmine's character; his affair with Lauren was the only thing worth watching under Griffith.

[Chris B]

I do think it matters because the show had gotten incredibly stale in 2005 and they did need some sort of boost. I think she provided the right kind of boost and had good ideas, but she didn't understand how Y&R worked or even how to script a week of a daily soap. I think it was a waste of a proven talented writer by mis-management from Sony and CBS. I also think Maria Arena Bell could've possibly worked if she was just EP and not a writer. I liked that she wanted to dig into the history of the show and bring certain characters back, but she didn't know how to write anything.

[Ponds]

It was just a couple of months ago that Victor had charges filed against him and might do time. This has been totally dropped. I didn't care about it anyway, but for gawd sake writers, finish the damned thing.

[DeeeDee]

Y&R hasn't even properly dealt with Victor taking Newman public.

The fallout from that should have lasted decades.

[ajsp35801]

Is that company even still public? But I agree. MABwrote from the perspective of a wealthy woman who knew nothing about the inner workings and day to day opwrations of a business. All she knows about is owning, buying and selling. The Newman kids suing Victor over mismanagement of their trust funds was her idea of a business story. Which wasn't a bad idea, in theory. But there was no real fallout or lasting effects. You had me until that kid bring Rickey's son. When did he have him? When Rickey was 5? No. He could have been a child Heather had as a young teen and gave up. That makes far more sense.

[NothinButAttitude]

Ummm.... how is Victoria entering her last trimester when the b*tch just got knocked up yesterday? I'll be glad when she drops this egg and hopefully, her uterus falls out in the process, so she'll move on from this obsession to procreate.

[Cyberologist]

[Vee]

Jesus Christ.

I did wonder yesterday why the hell Cady is dressed and made up like she's a dead woman in Norman Bates's house. I don't remember Cynthia Watros's Kelly being even remotely a glamourpuss, let alone a dripping with diamonds, desperate sort of one like this. Cady is a beautiful woman - I understood why they had to style her a bit more maturely on AMC last summer opposite J.R. and A.J., but she looked good; she didn't look embalmed or almost in drag like she does here.

[cassadine1991]

That is so creepy

[Chris B]

Maura wore it best!

[Antoyne]

Today was my first day seeing Grandpa Billy with Kevin who is supposed to be his peer, and my god. It just seemed so off. He's not a terrible actor but he truly is Billy in name alone.

[Vee]

His appearance is the bigger issue by far, but I've been watching Uncle Billy for weeks and he is definitely not very good. Maybe it's the awkwardness of trying to deal with the pace of daytime, but there are days it's like he's reading off cards. I barely believe a word he says - it's like they got a guy off the street. Somebody's big brother using a singsong inflection. "Hey - Vic! I still - want you - back!"

[DramatistDreamer]

You're breaking my heart with that one. AMC's hair, makeup and wardrobe people were viciously underrated. When I compare their work to Y&R's hair, makeup and wardrobe staff, the PP staff did a far superior job.

There are days when I watch Y&R, when I try hard to ignore the dark circles and bags and shadows hanging around the eyes of a few cast members and it's shocking but it's actually not even the older cast members but some of the cast members in their 30s and 40s that look so bad!

I've definitely seen Cady look much better, so I'm going to cry foul on the makeup and wardrobe people.

And that triplets picture just illustrate in appallingly living color one of the problems with this show. I guess the production people think these lackluster storylines have put enough viewers to sleep so no one would notice the Fuschia Sisters.