I understand the institutional concern up to a point, but I think the first soap that takes the risk on Victoria Rowell will see a ratings bump. AFAIC Rowell, Shemar (who is admirably loyal to the show but ain't coming back beyond guest shots) and Vanessa Marcil are maybe the only ones left who can generate that kind of heat and attention from the daytime audience. I am pretty sure @Darn will back me up on this.

I don't think it's a matter of debate that 2000s Y&R post-Bill Bell was profoundly uncomfortable with the major cross-section of its identity as a show with major Black stars. Even as a little white kid, I knew Y&R primarily from Nadia's Theme (my babysitter watched it obsessively in the '80s and '90s along with most of the CBS line-up), and from Victoria Rowell, Shemar and Eric Braeden. I knew VR did double duty on the network with Diagnosis Murder and that seemed like a big deal to me. I always liked her. My first reference points for the show were purely and simply the theme, those two Black stars and Victor's mustache. That was it lol. And I think someone at the network or the show understood that brand identity and didn't love it. It also got in the way of their attempts (starting in the mid-2000s) to re-style the show like a contemporary ABC Daytime soap from the Disney or Brian Frons era. Which they're still largely clinging to today, what little hasn't been hollowed out.

They also routinely dump or kill off new Black talent to this day. So I think even if they could bring back Rowell (and I think having her on after Kristoff's death is something that would not have happened 10-15 years ago, so I think some things have changed at least) they'd have no idea what to do. They aren't built to accommodate her presence anymore, and they're still uncomfortable with major Black story today. But they ought to try. What are the senior veterans who have issues with her going to do in 2025, two decades later? Quit?

Edited October 17Oct 17 by Vee

3 minutes ago, Vee said:

I think the first soap that takes the risk on Victoria Rowell will see a ratings bump. AFAIC Rowell, Shemar (who is admirably loyal to the show but ain't coming back beyond guest shots) and Vanessa Marcil are maybe the only ones left who can generate that kind of heat and attention from the daytime audience. I am pretty sure @Darn will back me up on this.

I'll also agree on all three of those. And we both know Shemar and Vanessa have proven that. I have no doubts that Victoria will as well.

I don't know that I buy that CBS would be fearful of re-hiring Victoria Rowell only because of how much she's worked with them in recent years. She was directing tv movies for them and also did that recurring role on Good Sam which they heavily promoted. I feel like they wouldn't have given her a role on one of their primetime series if they didn't want to work with her.

As for when she'll return to soaps, I feel like it'll happen when the time is right. I think it's a blessing that she hasn't returned to Y&R considering how bad it is now. I do think Beyond the Gates is the place for her and I hope they come up with a major role for her one day. If they want to get Y&R viewers and to move the needle, she's the only person I can see doing that.

Just now, Chris B said:

I don't know that I buy that CBS would be fearful of re-hiring Victoria Rowell only because of how much she's worked with them in recent years. She was directing tv movies for them and also did that recurring role on Good Sam which they heavily promoted. I feel like they wouldn't have given her a role on one of their primetime series if they didn't want to work with her.

I don't think it's CBS anymore so much as Sony or the show itself at this point. Les Moonves is gone.

They better not dare put Jill back in that tablet.

 

 

23 hours ago, Chris B said:

I don't know that I buy that CBS would be fearful of re-hiring Victoria Rowell only because of how much she's worked with them in recent years. She was directing tv movies for them and also did that recurring role on Good Sam which they heavily promoted. I feel like they wouldn't have given her a role on one of their primetime series if they didn't want to work with her.

As for when she'll return to soaps, I feel like it'll happen when the time is right. I think it's a blessing that she hasn't returned to Y&R considering how bad it is now. I do think Beyond the Gates is the place for her and I hope they come up with a major role for her one day. If they want to get Y&R viewers and to move the needle, she's the only person I can see doing that.

I'd love to see her on BTG also.  But she's pushing 60, so where would she fit into the cast?  Maybe a a friend (or enemy) of either Anita or Vernon.  Tamara Tunie is 66 and Clifton Davis is 80.  I doubt she'd be cast in the orbit of Nicole or Dani, although I suppose that would be possible (despite the age difference).  Or maybe an older sister to Bill or Ted?  Perhaps one of those ideas could work for her.  But to be realistic, how many soaps are creating new characters for 60-ish actors?  By the way, I'm 68 myself. And I've always enjoyed older characters on soaps. Back in the day, I loved me some Grandpa Hughes, Papa Bauer, and Kate Martin.  

Edited October 18Oct 18 by Tisy-Lish

Victoria Rowell is 66.

1 hour ago, ranger1rg said:

Victoria Rowell is 66.

Thank you for the information.  That makes my point even stronger (sadly).  Which soap opera is going to create a new (hopefully contract) role for a 66 year old actor?   It's certainly not impossible, but i think it is unlikely in 2025. 

2 hours ago, Tisy-Lish said:

I'd love to see her on BTG also.  But she's pushing 60, so where would she fit into the cast? 

I feel like if they ever establish a second family she could head that family. The easiest way would be to introduce Leslie's father and she could be his wife. I find it so wild how close we came to getting her as Anita though. By "close" all I mean is that they reached out to her to audition. It's wild they'd ask such a big soap star to audition and not find something for her to do. 

I think VR as Anita would unavoidably be a very, very different character. I can't necessarily see it in her current form. I do think she should join the show.

On 10/17/2025 at 7:57 PM, Vee said:

I understand the institutional concern up to a point, but I think the first soap that takes the risk on Victoria Rowell will see a ratings bump. AFAIC Rowell, Shemar (who is admirably loyal to the show but ain't coming back beyond guest shots) and Vanessa Marcil are maybe the only ones left who can generate that kind of heat and attention from the daytime audience. I am pretty sure @Darn will back me up on this.

They also routinely dump or kill off new Black talent to this day.

I WILL back you up because you are correct. Vanessa and Victoria are the only two daytime stars that could possible move the needle, in ratings or buzz, left. Shemar can get Y&R ink but because he will never return in any substantial way which leaves them as the only two who would and have viewers perk up.

And the show not only dumps black talent but it has very intentionally handed the black portion of the show to the most milquetoast, palatable and boring actors possible in Bryton and Christel.

We have Devon, first with his invisible long-term black girlfriend followed by his dynamic black wife,  who they killed off when her popularity became too much to bear and the actor dared to want to be paid well. He's now married to a white woman the show does not and never will care about despite being the child of one of their most popular pairings.

Then of course there's Lily with a parade of white partners, her romances with black men squashed before the audience is reminded that this middle-eastern looking woman is meant to be black or Christel throws a fit.

The fact is black actors come in two shades on this show: light and no longer employed.

8 hours ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Thank you for the information.  That makes my point even stronger (sadly).  Which soap opera is going to create a new (hopefully contract) role for a 66 year old actor?   It's certainly not impossible, but i think it is unlikely in 2025. 

All of them? Soaps have done a complete 180 compared to 20-30 years ago, they give their older actors, vets and newcomers, plenty to play. I don't think it's happenstance that BTG started with the Vernon and Anita as great-grandparents, Nicole as a grandmother or Dani as a mother to adults. The shows are catering to the audience they have left by showcasing actors of a certain age (sometimes to the detriment), that's why they're drowning in vets with a combined couple hundred years of story under their belts.

Edited October 19Oct 19 by Darn

18 minutes ago, Darn said:

All of them? Soaps have done a complete 180 compared to 20-30 years ago, they give their older actors, vets and newcomers, plenty to play. I don't think it's happenstance that BTG started with the Vernon and Anita as great-grandparents, Nicole as a grandmother or Dani as a mother to adults. The shows are catering to the audience they have left by showcasing actors of a certain age (sometimes to the detriment), that's why they're drowning in vets with a combined couple hundred years of story under their belts.

You said it better than I could. Thank you!

P.S. And of course 66 today is a lot different then what it meant decades ago. Some actors in their mid 60s are more viable and look better than younger actors. Just saying. 

VR would be a gift from God if she ever stepped into BTG. And honestly... The amount of time they give to people like Tomas... when that screentime could be going to actual talents.

9 minutes ago, Maxim said:

P.S. And of course 66 today is a lot different then what it meant decades ago. Some actors in their mid 60s are more viable and look better than younger actors. Just saying. 

Absolutely. The same holds true for people in general, we're living longer than we ever have in human history. Actors in particular are not only living longer but are healthier and have access to cosmetic procedures that will keep them camera ready for decades to come. Nicole Kidman might never be forced to play mother to an adult in her life!

But back to soaps, they've come to realize that chasing younger viewers while ignoring older ones is futile and just plain stupid. 

2 hours ago, Darn said:

Absolutely. The same holds true for people in general, we're living longer than we ever have in human history. Actors in particular are not only living longer but are healthier and have access to cosmetic procedures that will keep them camera ready for decades to come. Nicole Kidman might never be forced to play mother to an adult in her life!

But back to soaps, they've come to realize that chasing younger viewers while ignoring older ones is futile and just plain stupid. 

Some of the hottest males and females on soaps are in their 50s and 60s... When I see these silver foxes... I say keep em coming. 😍

3 hours ago, Maxim said:

Some of the hottest males and females on soaps are in their 50s and 60s... When I see these silver foxes... I say keep em coming. 😍

I’m not exaggerating when I say this but almost every episode of GH in which she appears I think to myself “Jane Elliot is *so* beautiful”.

And don’t even get me STARTED on Clifton Davis’ 80 year old fine ahh.