Jump to content

Y&R: New Head Writer


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 583
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

IMO, Kay Alden should not EVER have to submit a story projection on a show that she built and knows the ins and outs of. She should just be given the damn job. The fact that Kay did submit a projection [despite what DC bloggers said] and was rejected just solidifies that they wanna kill this show.

But at this point, I'd prefer if they did kill this show.

Why?

Because it'll be the last chance JFP is allowed to work in this industry. She'll rarely get work on primetime unless it's some crap show on TeenNick or Disney. No real network will hire her for primetime unless she moves back to the music department.

Corday won't let her get 50 feet near DAYS b/c he prefers to murder his own show.

The Bells won't ever work with her.

And ABC is content with Frank.

That is the only plus from it all. I also hope that this results in the last time Pratt gets work in Hollywood too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

My thing is, what is going on that a decision like this can so hastily be made for the #1 soap on the #1 network without everybody being in agreement? It makes no sense and we KNOW this wasn't done above board. Notice the lack of enthusiasm from the cast, crew, , press, producers Angelica McDaniel, etc. It's obvious that JFP or somebody went over somebody's head and rushed Pratt in knowing that if enough research (a simple google search) had been done on his background, it would be a total PR nightmare to hire him. Still no telling who would've been chosen between Kay Alden or Sally Sussman (or perhaps both would've been hired), but it is incredibly obvious that Pratt was rushed in due to his connection to JFP and not due to any story he may has pitched. THAT is the most troubling. All the reports mention story projections given by Sussman-Morina & Alden and when it comes to Pratt all we hear are his connections to JFP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I doubt Pratt did a story projection like Sussman-Morina or Alden apparently did. JFP just pushed him through, fearing that if either Sussman-Morina or Alden got the position, her (JFP's) autocratic vision for a "new" Y&R would be challenged and challenged severely, especially when it came to story. If Alden was indeed passed over, it's one of the most criminal acts done to Bill Bell's "old guard" of writers and producers who lived, breathed, cherished and protected this show for so many years. I don't begin to understand the politics involved, but JFP continues to prove just how wrong she is for this show. That it's all about her and protecting her own power base. I hope someone at CBS and/or Sony wakes up soon, though as posters on this and other boards continue to comment, it seems as if they're all hellbent on destroying this once gem of a soap that's now a pale shadow of its former self. I just hope Alden hangs in there, despite this rejection. They'll need all of her talent to repair the damage JFP has done, and Pratt will do, when someone finally wises up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Please. Could you give it a rest with Jean? According to you, she was going to be the savior of Y&R when she was brought in as co-head with SA. She wasn't. She's a moderately successful breakdown writer who's gotten several lucky breaks at the top spot only to disappoint. Furthermore, why would Alden bring Jean onto her team when there are other writers out there who worked with Bell and Alden for years who know the Bell style, and could hit the ground running. Jean should consider herself fortunate if she gets her GH gig back. If not, maybe retirement's an option. I realize you have a high opinion of her, but it really isn't warranted based on her performance in daytime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I wouldn't be surprised if Pratt did the 'Higley pitch--' he had no long-term projection; he had just a few sensationalized ideas jotted down [on a pad] to appease to Nina Tassler [head of CBS, who supposedly hired him] to land him the job. Seeing as we live in an era where we want things shortened, I betcha Pratt had some flashy, key phrases in his pitch that sat well with dumb ass Nina. That along with Kent and JFP backing him.

Kay and Sally, on the other hand, probably had hundreds of pages of a story projection, which fell in line with Bill's idea of what Y&R should be and Jill hated it. Steve hated it. And Nina hated it. For years, CBS has been trying to make Y&R be a soap it never was. They are too busy trying to model the show after an ABC soap in hopes of snagging and appeasing lost ABC viewers.

Y&R has always been the classy but sexy soap. Not the cheap, slutty soap it is now. This show always preferred character-driven over plot-driven, sensationalized writing. And the stories were always concise and slow, hitting all the proper beats. Not face paced and missing every beat.

So sad that daytime soaps are suffering by trying to emulate primetime soaps from the 80s and 90s; meanwhile, primetime soaps are reverting back to simplistic stories & flourishing by simply using tactics that made daytime soaps extremely popular.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

What I don't understand is why nobody has looked to B&B, which was sagging in the ratings and falling to 3rd place some weeks, even going below 3 million for a while. Kay Alden and Ed Scott did WONDERS for B&B. It was in an absolute rut of being boring and mediocre. They couldn't introduce a new character to save their lives and it was clear the show was burnt out. When Kay joined and later Ed the show was finally able to update itself to the modern B&B we see today. You tune in and you still see a lush Bell soap, but with modern music smartly thrown in, production values on par with primetime and cable and the same storytelling you expect from B&B, but with a bigger variety of characters featured. Another key element to the success of B&B is that they haven't cast "names," they cast Bell-esque actors who fit the brand and even without big names the ratings STILL go up. Write a good character and the viewers will come!

Considering B&B is on CBS and is the same type of soap as Y&R it baffles me why they don't look to that model to reinvent Y&R. Why are they chasing viewers from another network when Y&R already has a much bigger audience? Hell, they are chasing viewers of CANCELED SOAPS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Exactly. And they are chasing viewers that are never coming back. Most canceled soap viewers have moved on. They have Netflix, Hulu, and old clips of their favorite soaps on YouTube to fulfill their needs. They could gain newer viewers if they try and told generational stories, which is a model that worked for 50 years. Newer viewers only watch because they have older people in there lives watching soaps. But now that older viewers feel neglected, no one watches.

And I agree that SONY should've looked to B&B for inspiration. And that right there is another reason why Kay should've been chosen over Chuck. But you get what you pay for and CBS/SONY will get just that with Chuck. He'll half-ass his time on Y&R while secretly plotting his return to primetime yet again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Exactly. The two top-rated soaps are on CBS—and have been for decades!! ABC has an abysmal track record with its soaps. NBC, too. Why would TBTB at CBS/Sony look to ABC/NBC's failed/failing models to lure viewers over to CBS. Y&R never needed the kind of "overhaul" JFP has inflicted on it. Some tweaking, yes. A head writer from the Bell days, definitely. But that's pretty much it.

Exactly. The two top-rated soaps are on CBS—and have been for decades!! ABC has an abysmal track record with its soaps. NBC, too. Why would TBTB at CBS/Sony look to ABC/NBC's failed/failing models to lure viewers over to CBS. Y&R never needed the kind of "overhaul" JFP has inflicted on it. Some tweaking, yes. A head writer from the Bell days, definitely. But that's pretty much it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy