I love Jason Thompson but the character of Billy really is played out.

I sort of think that Billy should be sent out of town to a mental health recovery program, and NOT with Chelsea.   He's done recovery for his gambling addiction but he's never really dealt with his mental health issues. He has done things like having a breakdown and getting a friend's help, or whining on a podcast, but he's never really healed. 

*However* I don't think Billy wants to change. Until he *wants* to change, any mental health program would be useless.

He needs to leave the canvas. His character just isn't workable anymore.

I mean the son of Jill and John should be a vital character, but he's useless.  Jason Thompson tries, but Griffith's writing has ruined the character.

Josh Griffith got obsessed with the darkness he wrote into Billy Miller's Billy Abbott. and JG still wants that character.  JG left after writing (or during writing, or just before writing?) Delia's death.  JG keeps wanting to tell the story that he wanted to tell before he left back then.

 I think Billy needs to leave town.  And then return after a new writer has settled in who can fix the character.

Y&R has been beyond saving since 2006, moreso since 2013. Every EP and head writer since Jill Farren Phelps has failed to bring the show back to some semblace of bring interesting. LML and MAB's tenures are beginning to look better compared to more recent marterial. That's a strong statement considering how damaging those periods were to the show. 

Edited December 20, 20222 yr by ironlion

The Newman kids are the first who could really use a break. Their stories are beyond tired. 

This is the first sign of hope for Y&R in years. I don't think they'll keep Josh Griffith running the show alone so at the very least we will get a new EP, but I also think we may get a new HW finally. Fingers crossed!

Maybe Josh is just interim EP till they find someone?

2 hours ago, Chris B said:

This is the first sign of hope for Y&R in years. I don't think they'll keep Josh Griffith running the show alone so at the very least we will get a new EP, but I also think we may get a new HW finally. Fingers crossed!

THIS.

At this point, I doubt it matters much who's writing or who's producing.  As someone pointed out way above, it's tough to write for a show that's got no sets.  You can't "show" anything.  Characters are stuck sitting around in restaurants talking about stuff that happened off-camera.  Until they find a way to get a few sets, they've got a bleak future in my opinion.  

4 hours ago, Broderick said:

Characters are stuck sitting around in restaurants talking about stuff that happened off-camera.  Until they find a way to get a few sets, they've got a bleak future in my opinion.  

Agree. It is monotonous to watch.

Y&R dug a hole for themselves by relying for years on the same characters as front burner and not properly nurturing the next generation.

Premature SORASING (Abby, Noah,Charlie/Mattie/Fen etc) poor recasts (Billy, Mac) questionable story choices(basically making everyone a criminal) have brought us to today where the show is forced to use the same characters over and over and is scared/unable to rid themselves of dead wood and introduce interesting new characters.

 

3 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Agree. It is monotonous to watch.

Y&R dug a hole for themselves by relying for years on the same characters as front burner and not properly nurturing the next generation.

Premature SORASING (Abby, Noah,Charlie/Mattie/Fen etc) poor recasts (Billy, Mac) questionable story choices(basically making everyone a criminal) have brought us to today where the show is forced to use the same characters over and over and is scared/unable to rid themselves of dead wood and introduce interesting new characters.

 

Yep, there's never a "fresh" new character who catches our attention, in the manner a new character, properly integrated onto the canvas, did when writers were willing to shake up the status quo.  At one point, Nikki, Jack, Ashley, Traci, Lauren were all new young characters who made a strong enough impression to promote allegiance to them.  About the only one I can think of in recent years is Hillary Curtis, but they couldn't afford her because of their overreliance on the old high-priced "sacred cows", so their solution was to kill her.  

Y&R needs a Robert Calhoun type of producer who can use a set for multiple groups of characters within an episode. They can sit in different tables and have their own discussions. Is it that hard?

It would also help make Genoa City feel like a community, not that Bill Bell was ever interested in something like that.

If there's never going to be anyone at Crimson Lights, they could at least turn that into a story for Sharon. CL is losing money and going into bankruptcy. What is Sharon going to do if she loses her sole purpose these days? Lean on Nick. Wax nostalgic about the past (use flashbacks). Have Genoa City residents hear of her plight and then start hanging out in CL to support Sharon (and use the set). 

Audra hanging around in the background with Sharon and Chance was just creepy. 

10 minutes ago, Melroser said:

If there's never going to be anyone at Crimson Lights, they could at least turn that into a story for Sharon.  CL is losing money and going into bankruptcy. What is Sharon going to do if she loses her sole purpose these days?

Crimson Lights shouldn't be Sharon's sole purpose. Sharon has a degree in psychology and is a licensed therapist.  She should have her own psychology practice! If they don't have money for a special set, they could use a generic office/cubicle set or a hospital area set for various characters and storylines.  Sharon could work at a clinic.

Edited December 21, 20222 yr by janea4old

19 minutes ago, Sapounopera said:

Y&R needs a Robert Calhoun type of producer who can use a set for multiple groups of characters within an episode. They can sit in different tables and have their own discussions. Is it that hard?

It would also help make Genoa City feel like a community, not that Bill Bell was ever interested in something like that.

One of the aspects about As The World Turns that I absolutely loved was the continuous camera technique,  where the cameras would roam from table to table at a place like The Mona Lisa, making the viewer privy to everyone’s conversations, as if we were eavesdropping. And it was done in almost one continuous complete take. Genius. I am not sure that anyone filming today’s daytime soaps still possesses that level of skill to film multiple characters in different parts of a room without cuts or edits.

12 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

One of the aspects about As The World Turns that I absolutely loved was the continuous camera technique,  where the cameras would roam from table to table at a place like The Mona Lisa, making the viewer privy to everyone’s conversations, as if we were eavesdropping. And it was done in almost one continuous complete take. Genius. I am not sure that anyone filming today’s daytime soaps still possesses that level of skill to film multiple characters in different parts of a room without cuts or edits.

I loved it! He did the same thing on GL with places like the Country Club. This would do wonders for  Crimson Lights and Society or offices with people coming and going. 

2 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

One of the aspects about As The World Turns that I absolutely loved was the continuous camera technique,  where the cameras would roam from table to table at a place like The Mona Lisa, making the viewer privy to everyone’s conversations, as if we were eavesdropping. And it was done in almost one continuous complete take. Genius. I am not sure that anyone filming today’s daytime soaps still possesses that level of skill to film multiple characters in different parts of a room without cuts or edits.

That probably took rehearsal of both camera operators and cast and there is  not the time or budget these days.

It's pretty much limited movement all round so they can get it done quickly in one take. There are barely even any interesting camera angles eg shooting from a different vantage point or with objects in foreground etc.