LATEST RATINGS: July 29 - August 2, 2019

[Soapsuds]

Who should be the new head writer?

[Khan]

 

A trained seal.  Because, at this point, he couldn't do any worse.  (Also, it's the only other option we have).

[dragonflies]

Our Luck it would be Guza UGH

[KMan101]

Laaawd. We really have a problem when B&B is #1. We're doomed.

 

I'd say that for sure if Phelps were still there at Y&R hacking away. LOL. I can't imagine who it'd be unless they promote from within. No one really comes to mind for Y&R. Am I missing anyone blatantly obvious? Y&R's driven away quite the talent over the years.

 

How sad we've fallen so far that Lisa DeCazotte could really be the Y&R producer in the future. Meh. But that's where we're at.

 

I'm sure on GH Gary Tomlin and Barbara Bloom are waiting in the wings. (I really do think Frank's time is coming. But then again, ABC seems checked out and Varni is just as bad)

 

 

Yep. She absolutely should be out the door.

 

Here's the thing though: do the networks care? Or are they just letting them continue to hang out to dry so they can ultimately justify cancelling them all? Or are they just really that inept? My guess? All of the above, lol. 

[John]

If YR were smart they would promote Sara Bibel & Janice Ferri Esser

[VanessaReardon]

I could not agree with you more! The genre is doomed! No one, in charge, cares. But I disagree with you about Phelps. I liked her work. 

[Khan]

 

Yup!

[Melroser]

If the networks truly don't care, (and I agree that they don't), then loosen the reins and let the writers and directors do their thing. I know there would still be producer interference (looking at you Corday) but I wonder how much of the network's b.s. hurts the shows. 

 

I've always wondered about contract "guarantees" with actors. How restraining is that with writing for a show? If you want to do a big story focusing on 6-8 people, it must be frustrating to have to randomly shove in "Joe" or "Jenny" somewhere just to get them a guarantee and throw off possible momentum/pace. If I were writing, I would want to write for who I want to write for...it's my story and if you don't like my stories then fire me. But can writers even do their own stories??? Seems like the answer is no. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

The networks still care about cost and cost can dictate in television today.  I suspect that if CBS were a subscriber network they'd be less inclined to 'count beans' and more inclined to take some risks, but these networks are so consumed with keeping advertisers happy (or what they think will make them happy). 

 

On Y&R, there are a bunch of relatively new-ish or underwritten characters who are almost a blank slate.  If you really set your mind to it, you'd be surprised how you can actually come up with a story for the character and a new character doesn't actually have to consume a whole lot of story until the character has spent enough time being integrated.  Y&R hasn't done this well in over a decade.  They insist on shoving new characters into heavy storyline when the audience hasn't even begun to care about the character yet.

To me, most of the problems (and I'm speaking of Y&R because it's the last soap I watched regularly) are creative, i.e. on the page.  Y&R writers seem to have an enormously difficult time writing storylines for non-white characters and they also appear to have a difficult time writing compelling storylines for characters that are women. 

It's a dream of most writers to be able to write their own original show from their own original pilot but a professional writer should also be able to write a commissioned script or a script from someone else's story. It's challenging but in most cases it's definitely doable and it can actually stretch you in terms of putting your talents to use in building your craft. 

It just seems as if most soap writers in daytime don't want to stretch themselves creatively or professionally.  And to be honest, it kind of sounds borderline lazy artistically.

 

[Fevuh]

Kelly Clarkson Daytime!  For 2 Hours!  Or The Talk and The Talk Again!  

From the things I’ve seen - Sara Bibel is like Jill Lorie Hurst from GL years ago - doing a lot of good work, no credit.  I’d put Sara in the seat because nothing is working.  Fire Mark Grossman, Michele Stafford.  Get Jill back on canvas and if Jess Walton isn’t available then recast.  Melissa Claire Egan/Chelsea - gone.  No one is watching these people - unload them. People hated on Cane and said he was the reason the show sucked.  He hasn’t been on.  

[BetterForgotten]

Sara Bibel is deserving of nothing. She only came back under Mal after being off the show since Latham canned her in 2006. 

 

Natalie Minardi Slater and Janice ferri Esser have been there much longer and have withstood some pretty terrible regimes. They're more deserving of any promotion than Bibel. 

[Khan]

 

IA.  It's way past their time to be made HW's of this show.

 

Usually, whenever I say, "Y&R needs a regime change!," the show either ends up with Griffith again, or with someone REALLY heinous, like JFP or Chuck Pratt.  But, IA (again) with @BetterForgotten: nothing is working right now on Y&R -- and when I say "nothing," I mean just that.  Nothing.

[RavenWhitney]

I think this fall, once NBC tells Corday that Sept 2020 is Days' end date, Sony will move Ron Carlivati over to replace Griffith.  After all, Ron has surely written the bible for first half of 2020; the show is already filming end of March 2020 (see below).  They'll be filming Sept 2020 episodes in March 2020. Ron will have finished the outlines by end of Dec, no doubt. Quan can oversee the final months.  Ron can take over YR just as Griffith's one year contract ends in Dec (as does Ron's). You know Ron's already been watching YR.  Brad Bell would never hire him. It's the only show left for him to turn into a drag show.
Days: Week of 8/12/19-8/16/19 # 13806-13813 (airing 3/12/20-3/23/20)

 

Young and the Restless

Written by

Ron Carlivati

 

LOL

 

[BetterForgotten]

I only hope CBS decides to cancel their entire daytime lineup before that ever happens. 

[Faulkner]

That Carlivati scenario... doesn’t sound out of the realm of possibility. I do wonder about the rumors ViacomCBS will pick up Sony’s entertainment divisions too in order to hoover up more content.