They've got a huge task ahead of them. Years of poor stories and character destruction.

So it will be fascinating to see their first moves and then the flow on in the first months.

Will they cut some characters immediately or keep the stories going while they get into the groove?

Eg Will Matt be punished/ killed off or will he stay on as the new and improved Josh character?

Will the company stuff continue in some way?

Who will be their first new character and first returning charcter?

Of course there will be robust conversations as we all offer our takes...

Just for reference, here's who's available for returns in terms of connections to current characters

Abbotts

Allie, Jacks grandaughter

Theo, Abbott relative

Tara, Dominics birth mother

Jennifer, Billy's cousin

Newmans

Matt, Victor's brother

Casey, Nikki's sister

Summer,Nicks daughter

Reed, Victoria's son

Dylan, Nikki's son

Christian, Johnny, Katie, Connor Newman grandchildren who could be aged up

Winters group

Charlie, Cane/Lily son

Mattie,Cane/Lily daughter

Olivia, Nate's mother

Ana, Devon's sister

Yolanda, Devon's mother

Tucker, Devon's father

Baldwin/Fenmores

Eden,Michael's sister

Scott, Lauren's son

Fen, Lauren's son

Gloria, Michael's mother

Kevin, Michaels brother

Chloe, Michael's sister in law

and

Avery, Phyllis' sister

Doris, Sharon's mother

I'm probably forgetting others but it gives Jamie/Dan plenty of options.

I'm excited for this pairing, but Natalie Minardi Slater was right there! They could've easily paired her with one of them.

4 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

Oh he has an account. Well...

14 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Just for reference, here's who's available for returns in terms of connections to current characters

Abbotts

Allie, Jacks grandaughter

Theo, Abbott relative

Newmans

Dylan, Nikki's son

Baldwin/Fenmores

Scott, Lauren's son

Fen, Lauren's son

Gloria, Michael's mother

and

Avery, Phyllis' sister

Along with Leanna Love, Summer, and aging Christian as I have previously said, I'd be open to any of the above.

I wish Y&R would pull a Days move of bringing back actors to play a different role on the show and have Gina Tognoni come onboard as Avery. She could be paired up with JT's Billy again and take Sally's place. Then mix it up with Nick, Phyllis, Sharon.

Otherwise, the show desperately needs new faces/talent. Having the same actors/characters for decades has made the show stale.

44 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Just for reference, here's who's available for returns in terms of connections to current characters

Abbotts

Allie, Jacks grandaughter

Theo, Abbott relative

Tara, Dominic's birth mother

Jennifer, Billy's cousin

Dominic's mother is Abby.
I think you meant Tara, Harrison's birth mother. Good point, she could get out of jail.

Interesting that you mentioned Jennifer, I had to look that character up, didn't know about her (I don't know much Brooks family history). Fascinating that Jennifer is Billy's cousin on the Foster side and Theo's cousin on the Brooks side.

51 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Winters group

Charlie, Cane/Lily son

Mattie,Cane/Lily daughter

Olivia, Nate's mother

Ana, Devon's sister

Yolanda, Devon's mother

Tucker, Devon's father

Also Moses, Neil's son.
and Sam, Cane's son by Juliet.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by janea4old

36 minutes ago, Melroser said:

I wish Y&R would pull a Days move of bringing back actors to play a different role on the show and have Gina Tognoni come onboard as Avery. She could be paired up with JT's Billy again and take Sally's place. Then mix it up with Nick, Phyllis, Sharon.

I strongly dislike it when Days and GH bring back actors to play a different role on the same show. I find that it takes me out of the moment when watching and it doesn't go away with time.
That being said, Gina's Phyllis is one of my all-time favorites. I do want Gina back on air. That clip of her testifying at Victor's trial (posted upthread) is so vivid in my mind, she's just Phyllis to me.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by janea4old

Yeah, I can see a lot of characters I'd be happy to have return.

-- More than anything else, we need YOUNG on this show, whether it's teens or early twenty-somethings. Get the Newman, Abbott, and/or Winters kids in there. Give them problems (no, not some OCD thing) or make them problematic.

-- I want a M/M relationship on this show, and I'd love to see Zach Tinker return as Fen.

-- Beef up the Black storylines. I want A story, not B or C.

-- Gina Tognoni and Mishael Morgan can come back ANYTIME.

-- I know the show can't afford a lot of adds unless characters are cut. Do we need Claire? Dud. Sienna? Dud. Matt? Dud.

-- Audra is a good character played by a strong actor who's been given nothing. Same with Sally. Either write for them or dump them.

-- It's time for that Nick/Sharon endgame, and I don't care about Josh's or Sharon's feelings or opinions. It's time they take the lead as the legacy couple. Victor and Nikki can be the glorious grandparents.

-- Give Adam something -- anything -- to do. Mark Grossman has been woefully underused for years. Chelsea? Sorry, but I don't care about her unless they return her to her con persona.

2 hours ago, Toups said:

I'm excited for this pairing, but Natalie Minardi Slater was right there! They could've easily paired her with one of them.

I pointed that out, too 🤷‍♂️

And concluded that TPTB probably want something or a style that they think Giddens and O’Connor are more likely to bring.

I’ve seen hope from some that Giddens can perform a literary ‘code switch’ but perhaps the combination of his back catalogue is the point.

Perhaps the camp and high drama (bordering on melodrama) is what the suits want, and add a dash of GH-style high stakes and stunts, and Bob’s your uncle!

I can lightly theorise, but having stopped watching a few years ago, part of me feels I don’t have the right to make wishes or demands of the show’s identity from Sweeps onwards (that’s my prediction as to when their names will appear on screen, so they can start within something big, a stunt or revelation)

Edited July 31Jul 31 by LondonScribe

3 hours ago, Toups said:

I'm excited for this pairing, but Natalie Minardi Slater was right there! They could've easily paired her with one of them.

With Dan O'Connor.

@janea4old Thanks for the corrections and updates.

There is a wealth of potential in those characters, along with some brand spanking new characters.

Obviously they can't all return, nor should they, but I wouldn't be averse to some short term visits and mini stories for some of them.

The only hope for the vet characters is to interact with new people and be involved in their dramas.

Also, something like an announcement of Brock's passing and a memorial service with some returns and flashbacks would be nice.

Or use Julia's death to bring on her daughter Jamie, who could work at Jabot. Possible match for Nick, Adam or Billy.

You suggested perhaps a memorial for Brock. Reed has siblings Dylan and Becca, children of Mac and JT. Kelly Kruger just started on GH today. They could recast Mac for Brock's memorial, oe just bring her kids to town with Reed.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by janea4old

11 hours ago, janea4old said:

I strongly dislike it when Days and GH bring back actors to play a different role on the same show. I find that it takes me out of the moment when watching and it doesn't go away with time.
That being said, Gina's Phyllis is one of my all-time favorites. I do want Gina back on air. That clip of her testifying at Victor's trial (posted upthread) is so vivid in my mind, she's just Phyllis to me.

Strongly co-sign on this. I love Tamara Braun since her Carly days, but having her appear on three different soaps as multiple characters within 5 years of the prior iteration was really weird and off-putting. Not to mention, the writing often didn't round out the character. It's like the writer came up with a soapy name (Ava Vitali, Reese, Kim Nero) and stopped there.

I wish Gina Tognoni could play Victoria, but that would probably take the entire viewership out.

Since it was pointed out, I can't help but think that given the long history of soaps in general, there has never been a black male HW.

And I do love that soon current soaps will have two black HWs.