As promised, this week and next week are all about you, the readers, and your thoughts on the current state of Y&R. I will tell you, I have received enough letters to cover several months’ worth of columns…and about 98% of you are all on the same page. But don’t take my word for it. Let me show you.                                              

First up, Sharon J.

For the past month(s) you have hit the nail on the head as far as Y & R is concerned. Instead of killing off Colleen, a main character with ties to a prominent family, they should have sent her back to NY with her mother or sent her to Europe, if they wanted to fire Tamin, go ahead. Jjust don't fire the character. I've noticed that whenever Paul Rauch takes over a show it goes downhill fast. This show is not the one I started watching in 1973. I realized they've changed families (from the Brooks and Fosters to the Abbotts and Newmans) and I've gone along with the stories, but they're bringing people we don't care about to take the place of people we do care about. Adam is one person who comes to mind, while he is connected to a main family, and his storyline has always played in the background (being w/Hope and she being in Kansas) the way they have written the character is awful. I wish his story would end soon.                  

My opinion is that for Victor to have paid the price for bringing back Patty was for Abby to have been killed. It would have hit home then for him to think that due to him, he and Ashley had lost their child. But by Colleen being killed, he won't feel any remorse at all and will go on with his ways. I know a lot of people like Victor but I haven't since the first day he appeared. I know it’s only a show and the actors are not like their characters (at least I hope not,) but if I met Eric Braden, I really don't think I could be civil to him because I would see the character not the real man. Yet we know that the Newmans will gather together, Nikki and Victor will go back together, Nick and Victoria will forgive their dad, and they will all blame the Abbotts for his gunshot wounds an, well, in their mind Colleen deserved to die. You are so correct on how amateur this show is, it’s worse than a high school play anymore. I could go on but won't bore you anymore. Again it’s not my Y & R anymore.    Sharon J. 

Sharon, I would ask that you not judge Eric Braeden so harshly. As you said, the characters are out of the actors’ control. Recently, Braeden gave an interview in which he laid out exactly how unhappy he is with how things at Y&R (and Sony) are currently being run. He was blunt about how unfair it is to renegotiate contracts in the middle of a cycle, and he was also forthright about his suspicions TPTB planned his recent character assassination with an eye toward being able to easily write him out should he resist their plan to force his salary cut.   I have great respect for his work ethic, and for his courage in speaking out on the things happening behind the scenes. And it’s heartening that the actors are feeling many of the same things we are.                                   

Let me paraphrase this by saying I am a Phick fan, I don't think I will be anything else, that been said I really enjoyed your new article, there are so many inconsistencies in this show that I think I going bald from pulling out the hair that I have been blessed with.

I definitely agree that Colleen was a legacy character and should not have been killed.  We watched her be born, we watched her grow up, she was the only child of Tracy and Brad, and I am very sad at her death. I know it is very sad that I am one of those Phick fans that see any good day with my couple as a hidden message, That is something I will not deny. Why do I keep hanging on? As a viewer of soaps for over 34 years, I feel that Phick is unfinished business and after 4 years I am still waiting for their story to begin independently of Sharon and Nick's so called history.

Keep writing the fabulous articles, I look forward to your opinion. It makes me think, and I love your honesty and utter fabulousness Thank you.  Dothlyn, Canada

You know, Dothlyn…you make an excellent point about Phyllis and Nick never having a story separate from his relationship with Sharon. The problem is, I don’t think the writers (either current or previous) have ever been invested enough in Phyllis and Nick as a couple to bother penning them something that establishes them as something other than an impediment to Sharon and Nick reuniting.               

I agree with you 100%. The whole show is getting worse by the day. I can not stand Victor, why don't they make him more realistic (instead of a super human) and be hit by the economy? It would be nice to see him poor and have to sell off his plane to live. And what about the heart transfer?? Like the odds are in for them to be exact matches. Get real. AND the baby switching thing. Come on- how stupid is that. I can just imagine what is coming next with the addition of Ryder's mother. The writers need a major reality check. I can not comment anymore, b/c the whole show is just down right stupid. Keep telling it like it is and maybe the writers will get the hint. (NOT)   Michael H.

Thanks, Michael, for the support. Notes like yours remind me I’m not just speaking for myself…and I’m glad you feel I’m getting it right. Here’s another reader that’s on our side:

I thoroughly enjoyed your column this week and I agree with you 100%. If the writers don't listen to the fans, sadly there will be no fans to watch this show. I am sick of the workings of Adam getting away with this sick behavior, Ashley's again mental health crash, and other assorted boring acting.  I already dropped Days of our Lives because I could not stand that soap anymore. Now sadly, this one is not far off for me also. If the writers don't turn this around, a wonderful soap will bite the dust. Thanks for your interesting columns each week. 

Well let me tell you this soap never ceases to amaze me. It is so disgusting to me about this baby switch. Days of our Lives lives on this stuff, baby switching that is. That is one of the reasons I don't watch that show anymore. I can't believe this is being written into the script on this show. So now does this Adam (I don't even like the actor who is playing him) get away with everything?????  It would be nice to see him take his final fall soon, as it is getting old. I hope we don't have to wait before this child is 18 before she realizes who her real parents are. Who is writing this crap anyway?  Thanks for the column.  Diane T.

Diane, I would again ask that you not judge poor Michael Muhney too severely. I have said before (and still believe) that he was given an impossible task. He stepped into the shoes of an extremely popular actor playing a loathsome character. For Muhney, it was a no-win situation.

My column on diversity on Y&R generated quite a lot of commentary, including one insightful letter (which unfortunately got eaten by a temperamental e-mail program.) The writer, who is herself a black woman, told me she doesn’t worry about the color of the actors on the screen. She just wants quality story-telling, which at the moment is completely lacking for characters of all color. And she’s absolutely right.                            

I also received this note:

Dunno about you, but I've always thought with the exception of Drucilla & Malcolm [and not always at that] & maybe Devon when he first came to the show & the Davetta-portrayed lily, none of the black characters were ever written as black characters. They're all white characters being portrayed by black or mixed-race actors. Drucilla started out that way, but I'll bet Victoria Rowell must have changed Dru thru the years, ‘cause I imagine she badgered & battered the writers till they gave her what she wanted. Neil, with the exception of a few 'black' colloquialisms thrown in [for color? lol] is whiter than any white man on this show. I always laugh when I hear that this show wins awards for diversity. I'm trying to see any.  Just because they throw in some 'ethnic' actors does not mean diversity when they're not written as anything other than white. I am a white woman, living in a very white area, but the few Hispanic/black/Asian people I know or have as friends from varying economic backgrounds do NOT, in any way, act like these people. I enjoy them I do NOT enjoy the Winters family and, you know what?  Other than Christel Khalil, none of the actors seem to be really enjoying their characters either.  Maggie A.

I have to tell you, Maggie…I don’t really agree with you. The Winters family doesn’t act “white.” They act like a decently educted, hard-working family.  There’s nothing “white” about that.  However, you make a good point about nearly all the “black” characters being portrayed by mixed-race actors. I think that’s just another facet of the racism shown in the casting of this show. 

I don’t think race should be such a big issue. Cast good actors regardless of color, then give them good scripts and solid characters. Is that so much to ask?

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Loved reading your article on Minor(ity) in Soaps.  I use to look at OLTL, when John/Evangeline were dating. The writing was intelligent and worthy of an applause. Then they decided on Natalie/John, no plot or couple connection. The war seemed to be between who would win him, the black girl or the white girl? The intelligence of the diversity of the program went out the window. I then refused to watch the show anymore and went to Y&R, now they have mucked that up. What disappoints me so much is that they lose such a good opportunity to show diversity, not just with the Black race but with all races of people.  Culturally there are so many stories to tell, instead of who slept with who, who can destroy who and whose baby is it. Who cares?   

I plan to drop the soaps for the winter, I spend too much time on non issues and lackluster acting.  Since Colleen has been ill the acting of the Abbotts has been great but afterwards we will return to weak stories and actors who deserve much more. Enjoyed your write-up. Keep it coming.  Peg L.

Peg, you’ve restated some of what I’ve been saying…and you’ve said it very well. There are plenty of creative tales to be told…and we’re not seeing any of them.

Hi Kitty. Thanks for another great column.

I am a 3 year breast cancer survivor. I had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation after my diagnosis. I can state, from my experience, that the eyebrows and eyelashes are the last thing to go. My chemo regime started in early March and ended in mid August. My husband shaved my head early on, but I did not lose my eyebrows and eyelashes until early July.

Just wanted to let you know that when I look at Lily, I see a realistic scenario....as long as they address the issue at some point (although I doubt they will).  Have a great day.  Joan S.

Joan…I am so pleased you are still with us, and survived your bout with such an insidious disease. Having seen firsthand the affects of cancer treatment has given me great admiration for people strong enough to survive it. And while I appreciate your perspective, I still don’t see much realism in the Lily story. For example, it was implied Lily’s eyelashes were falling out…but there was no follow-through. And for all the talk about her feeling sick, her appearance is as rosy as ever, except for the occasional mist of water sprayed-on her to indicate she has a hot flash or a fever. It is unfortunate a more seasoned actress wasn’t assigned what could have been a very important and educational story.            

What has happened to this great soap opera? As one who was there from the first broadcast, this show is certainly nowhere near its glory days. Bill Bell was always about “story”.  The plots and/or storylines may have taken long to run their course, but in the end, it was always about the great storytelling. The core families have been replaced by a bunch of day players needing serious acting lessons. Let’s start with the Abbotts. Currently, we have Ashley Abbott, once a smart, beautiful, and intelligent woman – now reduced to a crying lunatic. What pregnant woman walks around holding and rubbing her stomach?  Plus, after a miscarriage, a woman needs a D and C.  By now, Ashley would have a serious infection from carrying around a dead fetus. Now, she is going into hysterical labor.  Kudos to Eileen Davidson.  She deserves an Emmy for acting considering the drivel they give her and how they have massacred a once strong character.  Jack Abbott stands around with his mouth open in most of his scenes.  The writers evidently believe that the viewers do not have a clue or do not care.  When Jack rescued Colleen, how did he emerge from the water completely dry?  Then, he stands around looking instead of performing CPR.  Also, in a drowning, you lay the victim on their side so the water can drain out of them.  He laid her flat on her back without even bothering to tilt her head.  Colleen represented the next generation of Abbotts, and there was much story that could have been written for her.  Why have her die in the same lake as her father?  If they were going to kill off the character, they could have given her Lily’s cancer storyline and have the cancer be terminal with no hope of recovery.  Billy Abbott is the only Abbott worth watching; however, he and Mac have no chemistry. 

The Chancellors:  it is good to see Katherine driving so many stories on the show.  Given her age, it is a miracle to even see her on camera.  Jill is a formidable character who now has very little screen time.  The feud and dynamic between her and Katherine is what drives this show.  Get rid of some of the amateurs and let these two pros chew the scenery.  I guess poor Murphy is fishing since his only screen time is when he shows up somewhere with Katherine.  Resurrected Phillip:  where is he?  Did the Australian cattle rustlers catch up with him?  He and Rafe (who has apparently vanished) are gay, so why not write a story for them?  Chance – in one day, he is a police commander?  Only in soap opera land.  However, I like the character.  If he and Chloe got together with the disapproval of Jill and Nina lurking in the background, tons of stories could be written for them.

The Williams:  Heather is Paul’s daughter and Patty’s niece, yet she is completely off the canvas.  This makes no sense.  It is good to see Doug Davidson in a strong storyline.  Too often, he is pushed to the background. 

The Winters:  As a black female, I can definitely tell you that Y&R is the #1 soap among African Americans.  Yet, all the black characters have vanished with the exception of Lily, who is of mixed race.  It is inconceivable that Neil would not stop by to check on his daughter during her cancer struggle.  The awful scenes of Tyra and Devon – who came up with that nonsense?  If they have no plans to bring back Dru, they should have kept Nia Peeples’ character for Neil.  Where is Olivia?  Characters seem to come and go without any explanation. 

The Newmans – please, not another wedding of the century for Victor and Nikki.  Enough already!  They are both a bit long in the tooth for another romantic fairy tale.  Victor getting Colleen’s heart – Colleen is young and very petite.  I cannot imagine her heart being a match for someone the size and age of Victor.  Now, with the baby theft (it’s not a swap since Ashley has no baby), I guess we will be subjected to Sharon crying every day for the next year.  Again, we have another pregnant woman holding and rubbing her stomach.  Nick Newman and his two women – make a choice and stick with it.  Amelia Heinle is pretty to look at, but as an actress, she leaves a lot to be desired.  Heather Tom brought some fire to the character of Victoria.  Memo to Amelia:  look at back with episodes with Heather Tom.  JT is just a prop for Victoria with no significant storyline.  Adam skulks around in the background eavesdropping.  His character has become unredeemable, and I fear they have written him into a corner.

The Fab Four (Daniel, Amber, Kevin, and Janna) – what a waste of valuable screen time.  Put those characters on recurring, and let the vets have that screen time.  Daniel, Ryder, and the Terroni storyline – put it out of its misery.  Gloria and Jeffrey have been reduced to being gold diggers.  The old Gloria, who truly loved John Abbott, would be devastated by Colleen’s death, knowing she had a part in it.

Michael & Lauren – used for filler purposes only.  Both characters have lost their edges.  Give them a juicy storyline or put the characters out of their misery.

Even the opening credits need updating. In one montage, Paul is kissing Lauralee Bell.  She has been off the show for what – 10 years?  Again, the proof is in the details.  Y&R was once the cream of the crop.  I know all the soaps have been affected by the economy and have made adjustments, but this show is not what it once was.  Where are the grand parties where the women and men all dressed up?  Did the Colonnade Room disappear or go bankrupt?  There are too many convoluted plots (think Silver Chipmunk) that insult the viewer that would probably have never happened under Bill Bell’s and Ed Scott’s watch.  Deborah T.

Can I get an Amen! I especially agree with your points about storylines with so much initial fanfare that have since been handled poorly or dropped completely…the best example being the one you gave: the return of Phillip 3.

Second, I can't abide the disrespect for the audience that the writers are exhibiting with these preposterous stories. Case in point: the gas lighting of Ashley. This revenge story was too oblique, too convoluted, and insulting to everyone's intelligence and common sense. The writers had to dumb-down everyone in the story (with the exception of Adam). And the writers have stretched this endless and disgusting story out way too long. Adam should have been caught in the middle of the summer, but instead we have an even more upsetting storyline --the baby switch (how long is it going to take to discover Adam's substitution?  And will Adam ever get caught and punished?  I don't have the patience to find out). I also think this storyline is insulting to pregnant women everywhere. What woman would be so out of touch with her body that she would passively believe that she only dreamed falling down the stairs. 

Third: The characters have become one dimensional on this show. Victor used to have some redeeming qualities, now he has been reduced to a stereotype of what he was. Gloria has become so grasping for money that she has lost all her humanity. It has been downright disgusting to watch her scheming to get rich while a young woman is dying in the hospital, due in part to her actions.

And lastly, I really appreciated what you had to say about racial diversity on the show. I too am of European decent, but I live in one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in this nation and I like my soaps equally diverse. I don't like how the lone African American family has been treated and destroyed, nor do I like how blue collar professions are portrayed. If someone is bumbling, stupid, or incompetent (besides Heather) on this soap, I can guarantee that this person is not only in a traditional blue collar profession, but that he/she is probably of a different race as well. I could go on but suffice it to say, I got tired of my intelligence and reason being insulted.  And feeling depressed and frustrated after watching Y&R. I like soaps partly because they used to be good fantasy with multi-layered stories with complex individuals. But Y&R has lost that and become a hot mess of bad planning and worse writing. When I consider the ramifications of Ashley's miscarriage...well let's not go there. Thanks for your column, and your analysis.  Cherilyn R.

Cherilyn, the other people who consistently get mistreated by the writers are anyone “rural.” Apparently if you don’t live in “the big city,” you are an uneducated rube with a Southern accent…even if you live in Wisconsin. And yes, the whole show has become so depressing that if things don’t change, we’re likely to all have to start taking PRISTIQ™ by Christmas.                               

Letter Of The Week

I'm reading your weekly column and just gotta say again, it's great stuff. You nail so many points, and you have a knack for getting to the core points, and tying individual problems in with them. It's very clear that you are just what you say:  A longtime fan who doesn't enjoy complaining at all, but hate to see good characters wrecked and great actors wasted.

One of your best points, I think, came a week ago, when you said these writers are writing for themselves (and maybe their friends/colleagues), not for the public. Their effort to be "edgy" at the expense of long-established characters shows how self-absorbed and egocentric they are.

And the sloppiness! One thing that first got me interested in the show (way back in college) is that their plotlines--especially their corporate ones--had a measure of plausibility, even realism (by soap standards). Someone on that staff actually knew about things like business, law, etc.--either knew or took time to find out. The boardroom battles were one thing I especially appreciated.

No more, as you've amply documented. Ditto the inconsistencies of the characters. How do they make (say) Gloria remotely human again, or even funny, after she's so callous about her role in Colleen's death? Then there's the way they rewrite history a day or so after events happen. I just about gagged last week when Jack said Victor "stepped in front" of the bullets and took the shots meant for Jack. Which is worse: The fact that it's so plainly untrue? (Victor shouted at Patti, she wheeled and fired in shock: He had no intention of getting shot, much less taking the shots for Jack.) Or the fact that it's Jack, of all people, who's rewriting history to make Victor look good?

I could go on and on, but boy, I hear you: Ya gotta feel bad for the veteran actors who are doing their best with this material. I keep the show on in the background while I work, but more and more often I lower the volume. I don't even want to see a moment of this baby-switch idiocy, not only because it's so ludicrous (maybe a town where everyone's this stupid deserves to have Adam rule it), but because it's so pointlessly dark.

Oh, that does remind me of one last point. Adam. As you say, what a waste. All those years ago they create a Victor Newman Jr,. and when he first shows up, he's an interesting, nuanced character. It simply makes no sense that he’s gone so comic-book evil. Victor you can understand on some level: Ultimately he's always the orphan whose anger and need for power and control has sensible roots. But Adam? He was raised by a saintly mother and (at least through his formative years) a salt-of-the-earth stepfather. Instead it's supposedly all overridden by--what? The Evil Gene (which Nick and Victoria didn't get even though raised in part by Victor)? His brief exposure to Victor? That's enough to generate seething anger, not twisted sadism. It would make more sense for Adam to think he was /better/ than Victor and try to prove it, maybe by holding out his mother and stepfather's example by contrast.

Enough for now! Thanks for being the voice of Middle America.  Matt All valid points, Matt…especially about Adam’s stepfather, Cliff.  I guess we’re supposed to forget he ever existed, and should have has an influence on the kind of man Adam grew into.  And I also find it painful that Gloria has lost any hint of humanity or of the great love and respect she had for John Abbott.                                     

As for history suffering continued neglect, we were given another example of that as the ever-delusional Victoria tried to sell the idea that, “Victor wasn’t trying to destroy Colleen.  He was trying to save her.”  Sure he was…by making sure a video showing her topless went viral on the net…by firing her from her spot on the Newman Board…by making sure no college would hire her…by saying nothing to law enforcement when the woman he brought to town kidnapped Colleen, ultimately leading to the girl’s death.  If that’s his idea of saving someone, I’d prefer fending for myself.  Yikes.  

That, my friends, is just a sampling of what you’ve sent me. I have many more from which to choose for next week’s column…and because you all have so much to say, I may be forced to extend this to a third week.  It’s time TIIC get a feel for exactly what the loyal fans are feeling…and the notes you’ve sent to me give a much more thorough picture for them than a few hastily typed lines on a message board or on a CBS viewer e-mail form (which limits how much you can write.)  Keep ‘em coming. I love to read your thoughts.

Stray Comments

Just a couple of last things I pondered this week…

By the way, Abby looks like she has scoliosis.  Either tell Haley Erin to stand up
straight, or have her checked by a physician to make sure there isn’t a medical
reason for her awful posture.