Sally Sussman Morina Interview

[Faulkner]

Which I feel is total unimaginative BS. And kinda suspect to be honest. There’s a wealth of ideas for a young character who comes into money, especially having to defend that wealth from bottom feeders (like Colin, Cane, Tucker, the list goes on). And does Victor not have goals or drive because he has all the money in the world? Even the BLM story, while timely and certainly relevant, sounds like SSM putting Devon in his “place.” She’s right that Devon needed a goal, but his wealth didn’t preclude that.

That said, it’s hard on this show because they have to think super small. You can’t dramatize wealth that easily because you can’t show it. You watch a show like Succession and it’s so fleshed out and populated with so many small characters to show what a big company looks like. Soaps will never ever compete at that primetime level, but you don’t even have a secretary or extras at the once rarely seen Jabot or at Newman anymore.

[Planet Soap]

Exactly. When I hear Victor or Devon called billionaires I have a hard time feeling it because the show can't really illustrate it based on budget. 

Modern soaps in a nutshell. Abuse the loyal audience with terrible story lines -- and when they finally change the channel -- blame the change in viewing habits for the cancellation.

I'm surprised network heads still interfere so heavily in soap storylines, because it's been proven that the audience will stick around for anything given how s**tty the shows are currently. 

The appeal of 20th century era soaps was that they did cutting edge material versus what you would get on prime time. Now, almost every show on television is tackling social issues. Would taking soaps deeper in that direction improve things? I'm not sure. 

Now, people probably watch daytime for it's campy yet intricate and creative long-form storytelling. Even though we've maxed out the camp factor where almost nothing feels shocking anymore, there's a horrid lack of imagination in Y&R's current storylines. It's too realistic and boring. At least B&B (as awful as it is) pushes the camp envelope with Vinny jumping infront of a cliff or Sheila's toe lol!

Maybe they need to look to true crime stories, Lifetime movies, or scandals or something to inspire their plots because nothing happens.

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by ironlion

[Liberty City]

It is B.S., and why I was so off-put by Sussman's 2016 interview. It read as "I was fired. I'm back and I am undoing everything that's been done that I hate," and honestly, Josh Griffith's efforts have felt the complete same. She was picking and choosing stories she wanted out and stories she was going to acknowledge. Devon did need a goal, but she had no vision on how to provide it.

Exactly. I mean, what happened to Gloria working as Jack's secretary? There is no one at that desk anymore. Hell, from what I can tell, no one is outside of Eric Forrester's office on The Bold and the Beautiful anymore, either. You can just walk into these offices at any given time. It's hilarious and unrealistic as f**k.

Networks still think middle-aged housewives are the majority of the ones at home watching soap operas. And most are likely DVRing or waiting for On Demand to upload the episodes. We don't necessarily need social issues, either. We just need smart writing. Nothing about American soaps are smart!

Ava vs. Esme is going to happen in regards to Esme's pregnancy. But it'll be child's play in comparison to what could be told if Disney-ABC weren't so shiny and clean. Imagine if we got something like this:

Please register in order to view this content

Saying you don't care about the baby? Esme mentioning Ava's parenting of Kiki again? That would never air on American daytime. Of course, British soaps air during primetime hours, but still.. that alone would be some awesome material. I'm not saying this exact scenario needs to happen, but something like this would be... refreshing for American daytime.

The problem, especially with The Young and the Restless, is that there is zero depth to the dialogue. It's all at face value with no real emotion or intent behind it. Ashley, Nikki & Phyllis vs. Diane could have been great had it been rooted... but it's just a high school-esque hallway drama-rama playing out, and it's so not worth it.

[Faulkner]

Exactly.

I remember Mal (I think it was) who tried to make Devon into this debauched wealthy party boy, and it was SUCH a flop because it was so sanitized. Just three or four goofy-looking young adults in Devon’s apartment with drinks in their hands dancing to generic music pulled from a royalty-free library.

[Liberty City]

Yeah. That was not one of Mal Young's finer moments. I feel like Devon's passion changes with every regime. One moment it's music producing, one moment it's being the party boy, next it's running a family company. It's so wishy-washy.

[Soaplovers]

I do recall Sally's initial story at Days was the Killing pool story...which was an interesting story.  However, after that concluded...she struggled at Days (except for the story where Sami was framed for killing Franco on their wedding day...where she was blamed for a crime she didn't commit.)

Generations didn't really start to gel until the last 6 or so months of the show...and I have a feeling she might have had help behind the scenes.

[BetterForgotten]

Any betterment at Generations was likely because of former AMC producer Jorn H. Winther, who came aboard later and by most accounts, sharpened the casting and story execution. 

[Taoboi]

I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

 

This was so juicy. And holds up to what she said years ago....with more specific details. 

 

Wow. I would have liked to see some of that. And for what made it on air, I liked hearing how you described her thought processes.  

 

But yeah...if networks are really interfering with great story ideas in such an extreme, it's no wonder no one wants to be a HW. 

 

So a GENERATION reboot? I would be down for see Doreen again. lol. But I might have to find time and try to see if I can listen, it sounds like a writer's interview. 

 

I liked Mike/Carrie

Please register in order to view this content

 But I'm a sucker for unrequited (at first) love that turns into something else. And yes...it definitely was a case of a writer noticing things on scene and turning toward it. 

Her best story there if I remember correctly. 

[Planet Soap]

Agreed that Y&R's dialouge is flat and doesn't reference the past enough to make charachter conflicts rooted in something.

I second that the housewives notion is outdated. Soaps need to look at who is home in the daytime. Yes moms, but also the elderly, unemplyed, night workers, etc. They need to in some way appeal their stores to whatever sexes, racial groups, ages etc, make up those demographics.

There is a youth obsession from the networks. However, Gen Z/ Younger Millenials are busy streaming whatever and largely dont give AF about soaps, unless they grew up with a family member who watched it. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by ironlion

[AbcNbc247]

Was she the one who actually came up with the idea for Princess Gina on Days? Or was she just following JER’s projections?

[YRfan23]

My personal feelings about Brad aside, the bashing was so cringeworthy and unnecessary. You just don’t say that to not only a respected writer in the industry but one with a personal working relationship with the Bell family. I respect Sally for not saying anything, except suggesting that Brad needs a continuity consultant, which he does for sure! 

[Sapounopera]

SSM's stint was the last time I enjoyed the show. I am sure Kay Alden also had something to do with it. Cane and Juliet was not a bad story, they brought Dina back, they tried to humanize the Newmans, they cared for Hilary. Gossip queen Hilary was not the best use of the actress. I can't blame them for finding the Devon Chancellor story stupid and his sudden wealth made him even more boring. The BLM story with a black billionaire as victim could be something. We know his love life has never been. 

[Darn]

Did her first episode start with a classic Abbott family breakfast? Even the directing was different that day I recall, it harkened back to when Y&R was the golden standard for atmosphere (not nearly as good obviously but someone was trying).

[Vee]

Yes. I was very impressed at the time.

I'm not going to claim her return was totally a lost diamond in the rough, but there was a lot of potential and care there even with things the audience didn't care for IMO. I still remember her very candid interview at the time saying very few men could compete with Eileen Davidson onscreen without being blown away, that it was a longstanding issue going back decades and that they were working on it, and that the Ravi infatuation was intended to be a transitional thing. I was into that (as well as the Hilary/Mariah media feud, which was pretty poorly executed) but fans hated it immediately. Which is a valid POV. But in addition, I think another significant portion of the audience at that point had been trained to be more like an ABCD/shipper audience - the one CBS and Sony had actively courted for years - and were put off by more deliberate pacing and choices that had nothing to do with simply showcasing their favorite couples. See: Her attempt to move away from Billy/Phyllis which I believe Young interceded on, the handling of Cane and splitting him from Lily (in his only good story, ever), etc. And while I understand the optics issue, I think the Devon story would've been good. The fact is he was an even more anemic version of a 'power player' at that time than he is now.

Making Mariah LGBT - I think it served the network's interests even if they were terrified of it, because they were not comfortable with Camryn Grimes in a young leading role and still aren't. If they can park her with a chick then she isn't in the running for hot young male leads.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Vee

[Darn]

Yeah they understand that the audience loves her but they don't want to see her as a lead because she's not whatever they've deemed attractive enough. Instead we have Melissa Ordway, who no one would notice was missing if they replaced her with an eggshell colored piece of plywood in a blonde wig in the middle of a scene