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Friday, January 24, 2014

You Wanted to Know: How tall is Mark Harmon?




"I don't care who's No. 1 on the call sheet or how big my trailer is. I care about the work. I don't care who gets the laughs. I just care that the laugh comes."

- Mark Harmon


Today I am introducing a new feature on TV Banter that will appear from time to time.  It's called You Wanted to Know and it deals with just the fact, ma'am.  I have tracked some of the key words readers have used in their Internet searches and have discovered some questions they would like answered.  Several people have been curious about NCIS star Mark Harmon's height.  So without further ado, here's the answer.  (Drum role, please!)

Mark Harmon is about 1.82 or 1.83 metres according to various sources.  That makes him just under or just over 6 feet tall.

Mark's full name is Thomas Mark Harmon and he was born in Burbank, California on September 2, 1951. He is now 62 years old.

Mark Harmon's wife, Pam Dawber, is 1.69 metres or just under 5 feet, 7 inches.

Sean T. Harmon, Mark and Pam's 26-year old son, is slightly shorter than his father. On his website, Sean (born April 25, 1988) lists his height at 5 feet, 11 inches or 1.8034 metres.  Sean's younger brother, Ty Christian Harmon, was born on June 25, 1992.


Note: Some readers have been wondering if Mark Harmon is related to Dallas-born actress Angie Harmon. No, they are not related.


- Joanne

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Farewell to The Professor from Gilligan's Island and Reuben Kinkaid from The Partridge Family


Two supporting actors on popular television comedies died this week on the same day - Russell Johnson and Dave Madden  Although they were not leading men, both made an impact.


RUSSELL JOHNSON (1924 - 2014)



The Professor was a good-looking but nerdy academic, an exaggerated stereotype of the man of capacious intelligence with little or no social awareness. Occasionally approached romantically by Ginger (and guest stars, including Zsa Zsa Gabor), he remained chaste and unaffected.

But he was pretty much the only character on the show who possessed anything resembling actual knowledge, and he was forever inventing methods to increase the castaways’ chance of rescue  . . .

- Bruce Weber
From New York Times obituary of Russell Johnson


Russell Johnson, the actor who portrayed The Professor on Gilligan's Island, passed away on January 16, 2014 at the age of 89.  He died from kidney failure at his home on Brainbridge Island in Kitsap County, Washington.  Johnson was the only surviving male member of the cast of Gilligan's Island.  The CBS comedy only lasted for three seasons (1964-1967) and it was widely panned by television critics. Yet the show found a new audience in reruns and became something of a cult classic.  It was especially popular with children.

Gilligan's Island chronicled the adventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive and escape from a tropical island on which they were shipwrecked after a storm.  The uncharted island was located somewhere in the Pacific.

Alan Hale, Jr. portrayed the captain of their small touring boat, the S.S. Minnow. The captain's name was actually Jonas Grumby but he was known as The Skipper. Alan Hale, Jr. died in Los Angeles on January 2, 1990 at the age of  68. The cause of his death was cancer of the thymus (a specialized organ of the immune system).

Bob Denver, who played the title role of the bumbling first mate, Gilligan, passed away on September 2, 2005 at the age of 70.  He died due to complications from cancer at a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The part of millionaire Thurston Howell III was played by veteran actor Jim Backus, best known as the voice of Mr. Magoo.  Backus died in Los Angeles, California on July 3, 1989. He was 76 years old and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Natalie Schafer portrayed Howell's vapid wife, Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth Howell.  Schafer died of cancer at her home in Beverly Hills on April 10, 1991.  She was 90 years old.


Jim Backus as Thuston Howell III

The only surviving cast members are Tina Louise and Dawn Wells.  Tina played the role of Ginger Grant, the movie star, and she had disagreements with producer Sherwood Schwartz over the portrayal of her character.  The actress, singer and author is now 79 years old.  Dawn Wells, now 75,  played Mary Ann Summers, a farm girl from Kansas.  On the day of Russell Johnson's death, Wells posted a message on Facebook.  She wrote ,"My 2 favorite people are now gone.  The professor past (sic) away this morning.  My heart is broken."  (Dawn's other "favorite" person is Bob Denver).

Most people do not recall The Professor's real moniker.  He was a  high school science teacher named Roy Hinkley.  Hinkley constructed generators and other gadgets out of scraps of junk found on the remote Pacific island. Johnson later joked that although The Professor could make a radio from a coconut, he one thing  he never figured out how to do was to repair the leaky boat so that the castaways could return to civilization.  It didn't happen because a return to civilization would have meant the end of the show.

The Professor and Mary Ann were not named in the opening credits of Gilligan's Island during the first season.  In fact, their characters were ignored in the show's theme song.  They were simply dismissed as "the rest."  Complaints were made about the snubbing of the two cast members and  the error was rectified at the start of the second season.

Russell David Johnson was born on November 10, 1924 in Ashley, Pennsylvania, one of the seven children of farmers Russell J. and Minnie K. Johnson.  Following the death of his father, he and his brothers were sent to Girard College, a boarding school in Philadelphia. After high school, with World War II raging, Russell joined the United States Army Air Forces. He became a navigator and bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator.  His plane was shot down over the Philippines in 1945 and he fractured both of his ankles in the crash.

Johnson served with much distinction and earned a number of military awards, including a Purple Heart. Upon receiving an honourable discharge (with the rank of First Lieutenant) in November of 1945, he used his G.I. funding to study acting at the Actors Labratory in Hollywood, California.

Johnson's first film role was in For Men Only, the 1952 drama about fraternity hazing. Regarded as a character actor, he appeared in several Westerns such as Law and Order (1953), starring Ronald Reagan, and in some science fiction films such as This Island Earth (1955) and It Came from Outer Space (1953). In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he made frequent television appearances, often in Westerns, despite the fact that he was not a good horse rider.  From 1959 to 1960, Johnson had a recurring role as Marshal Gib Scott on the ABC Western series Black Saddle starring Peter Breck as the gunfighter-turned-lawyer Clay Culhane,

Russell Johnson appeared in two episodes of Rod Serling's classic Twilight Zone series during the early 1960s.  In a 1960 episode entitled ""Execution," he portrayed a scientist who, while experimenting with his time machine, accidentally retrieves a 19th century murder.  In a 1961 episode entitled "Back There" (Season 2, Episode 13, Air Date: January 13, 1961, he played a man who, after arguing about whether it's possible to change history by going back in time, finds himself in 1865 on on the eve of Lincoln's assassination.

In 1964, when the opportunity to play The Professor on Gilligan's Island came along, Johnson was reluctant to take on the role.  He turned down the part twice.and only agreed to it after his chances for starring roles on other series fell through.  In a 2004 interview with the Archive of American Television, Johnson stated that he "didn't want to be one of seven (cast members)."

After Gilligan's Island, Russell had guest roles in a number of TV series.  In 1970, he appeared in an episode of The Big Valley entitled "The Good Thieves" (Season 3, Episode 16, Air Date (January 1, 1968). In 1970, he portrayed a character named Jon in two episodes of That Girl, starring Marlo Thomas.  In the episodes, "Fly by NIght" (Season 4, Episode 18, Air Date: January 29, 1970) and "Ugly Wilderness" (Season 4, Episode 19, Air Date: February 5, 1970), aspiring New York actress Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) and her boyfriend Don Hollinger (Ted Bessell) fly to her father's cabin in Vermont.  They are forced to make an emergency landing when their plane runs out of gas.

Russell played Dr. Leonard Colman in a 1971 episode of the medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. entitled "I Can Hardly Tell You Apart" (Season 3, Episode 4, Air Date: October 5, 1971).  That next year, he appeared as Martin Lucas in an Ironside episode, "Programmed for Panic" (Season 6, Episode 3, Air Date: September 28, 1972).  He continued to make guest appearances throughout the 1970s  - on Cannon (1974) (1975), McMillan & Wife (1977), Police Story (1978), Wonder Woman (1978) and Lou Grant (1978).
From 1971 to 1973, Johnson had a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Brenton Grant in eight episodes of the legal drama Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law.

During the 1980s, Russell Johnson had guest roles in a two-part episode of The Jeffersons (1982) and in single episodes of MacGwyer (1986) and Newhart (1987), Knot's Landing (1987) and My Two Dads (1989).  He also appeared as character named Earl Thompson in two episodes of Dynasty - "The Arrangement" (Season 7, Episode 5, Air Date: November 5, 1986) and "Shadow Play" (Season 7, Episode 28, Air Date: May 6, 1987).  In 1986, Johnson portrayed Sheriff Wyatt Mansfield on an episode of Dallas entitled "Twemty-Four Hours (Season 9, Episode 16, Air Date: January 10, 1986).

During the 1990s, Russell was considerably less active.  He portrayed Dr. Jesse Butler in a 1992 television movie called With a Vengeance, a thriller starring Melissa Gilbert. In 1995, he appeared in an episode of Roseanne entitled "Sherwood Schwartz - A Loving Tribute" (Season 7, Episode 25, Air Date: May 24, 1995) along with Bob Denver and Tina Louise.  Part of the episode is a fantasy sequence in which Gilligan's Island is parodied by the cast of Roseanne.

There were also three Gilligan's Island TV movie sequels in which Russell appeared: Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978), The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979) and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981).

Russell Johnson was married three times.  His first marriage to Edith Cahoon (from 1943 to 1948) ended in divorce.  On July 23, 1949, he married his second wife, Kay Levey, whom he had met at acting school. Russell and Kay had two children, a son named David and a daughter named Kim.  David Johnson,  an AIDS activist, died of complications from the disease on October 27, 1994.  He was 39.  Kay Levey passed away in Century City, California on January 20, 1980. Russell then married Constance "Connie" Dane in 1982 and they remained together until his death.

Russell Johnson published his autobiography, Here on Gilligan's Island, in 1993.  He is survived by his wife, Connie, daughter Kim, a stepson named Court Dane and a grandson, Max.


DAVE MADDEN (1931 - 2014)




 I try not to look back on my career. I told somebody this one time and I'll tell you. I never did anything as an actor that I was extremely proud of. I wish I could look back and say, OK here was a TV show or a movie that I thought was so perfect for me, or I did such a good job that if I died tomorrow at least I could say I left that as my legacy. But there isn't anything that falls into that category. So, from that point of view I suppose the career was a disappointment.

- Dave Madden
Reflecting on his career in a interview on the C'mon Get Happy fan site


The Partridge Family has lost its manager.  Canadian-born Dave Madden, who played Reuben Kinkaid, the family's agent on the 1970s sitcom,  passed away on January 16, 2014.  Madden died at a hospice in the Jacksonville, Florida area,  He was 82 years old.

David Joseph Madden was born in Sarnia, Ontario on December 17, 1931, the son of Verna and Roger Madden.  He was the youngest of four siblings, one of whom became a nun (Sister Mary Roger, born in 1919).  Dave's early childhood was spent in Port Huron, Michigan.  In 1939, however, he was sent to live with his Aunt Bess and Uncle Frank in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Madden started his show business career as a nightclub comic before finding success on television.  He first recurring role on a TV series was as Counselor Pruett in Camp Runamuck, a short-lived NBC comedy about hijinks at a summer camp for boys.  It was located across the lake from a camp for girls and many pranks were exchanged in a battle of the sexes.  Camp Runamuck only lasted one season from 1965 to 1966 and only 26 episodes of the show were produced.  Dave Madden appeared in 17 of them.

Dave Madden as Pruett on Camp Runamuck

Dave began to make a name for himself in the late 1960s.  From 1968 to 1969, he was a regular performer on the popular variety/comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.  He is particularly remembered for his comic portrayal of a milk-drinking, milk spilling sad sack  The actor also appeared in two episodes of Bewitched, the first in 1967 and the second in 1969. The episodes are "Super Car" (Season 3, Episode 19, Air Date: January 19, 1967) and "Samantha's Shopping Spree" (Season 5, Episode 29, Air Date: April 17, 1969).



The Laugh-In cast: (bottom) Dave Madden, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson, Ruth Buzzi, Jo Ann Worley; (on ladder) Chelsea Brown, Goldie Hawn, Arte Johnson, and Alan Sues.


It was David Madden's role as Reuben Kinkaid, the stressed-out manager of a musical family on The Partridge Family that brought him television fame.  The Partridge Family, starring Shirley Jones and her real-life stepson David Cassidy, aired on the ABC network from 1970 until 1974.  The show made lead singer Cassidy a teen heartthrob and produced a huge hit with the song "I Think I Love You."

Reuben's relationship with red-haired, freckle-faced Danny Partridge, played by Danny Bonaduce, provided much of the humour on the show.  The two often clashed and Danny was the source of much frustration for Kinkaid.  The precocious pre-teen was a financial whiz, a younger and earlier version of Michael J. Fox's Alex P. Keaton character on Family Ties.

Upon learning of Dave's passing, Shirley Jones paid tribute to him.  She said, "Dave was a great actor and one of the reasons The Partridge Family worked so well."  She told Variety that he "made the show."  "His relationship with Danny Bonaduce is what made the show work:  this strange, mad little boy and the grown man who was even worse as a father figure.  It was hysterical!"  Although Reuben Kinkaid was constantly annoyed by Danny and the other Partridge Family children, Shirley claimed that off-camera  he "loved kids."

Danny Bonaduce reacted to Madden's death with some comments on Twitter.  He said, "Dave Madden was a great guy & like family to me.  He taught me to drive a car when I was 10.  One of many good memories. I'll truly miss him."

After The Partridge Family, Dave guest-starred on such shows as Happy Days (1974), Starsky and Hutch (1977), Barney Miller (1978), The Love Boat (1978) and Fantasy Island (1979).  From 1978 to 1985, he had a recurring role as Earl Hicks, a customer at Mel's Diner on the sitcom Alice.  During the 1980s, Dave made appearances in episodes of Still the Beaver (1986) and Life with Lucy (1986).  In 1992, he reprised his role as Reuben Kinkaid on a pilot for The Ben Stiller Show (Season 1, Episode 1, Air Date: September 27. 1992) and he made an appearance as a manager on Married . . .with Children in 1994.  In 1998, he appeared in an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch entitled "Good Will Haunting" (Season 3, Episode 6, Air Date: October 30, 1998).  In more recent years, he did voicework for video games.

Dave Madden was married twice.  In 1975, he married Nena Arnold.  The couple adopted a daughter, Selena, and had a son named Peter Michael.  They divorced in 1985 and Dave went on to wed his former college sweetheart Sandy Martin.  He and Sandy married on May 28, 1998 and remained together until his death.

By the way, I am absolutely not related to Dave Madden.  Other than the same last name, the only thing we have in common is that we were both born in Ontario.

END NOTE

Dave Madden wrote a 2007 autobiography titled Reuben on Wry: The Memoirs of Dave Madden.





- Joanne

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Y&R Report (Jan.18, 2014): The Latest on the Young and the Restless




Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama.  Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT:  Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet. Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance.

Wasn't little Connor cute at his christening . . . ooops  . . .  I mean "blessing" or was it "naming ceremony?" Anyway, it was just like the Big Man to show up at the ceremony and disrupt everything.  That's just the way Victor operates, isn't it?

It seems as if Phyllis will be coming out of her coma soon.  She has been responding to music and her doctor thinks that this is a positive development.  That must mean that the part of the fiery redhead is being recast. It's becoming more and more likely that Michelle Stafford is not going to return anytime soon and that a new actress will take over the role.  Having said that, I remind myself that there are always surprises ahead.


Supermodel Summer's life was on the line this week.  Jabot worked her much too hard. Those slave drivers! They drove her to drugs!  After consuming too many "energy" pills, she collapsed on the stairs, had a cardiac episode and lost consciousness.  Don't worry! Her two daddies, Jack and Nick, come to the rescue with some help from Sharon.  Phew!  She's going to be all right!  Her health crisis is over.  After the death of Delia, there was no chance of the loss of another young character.

For a 19-year-old, Summer sure been through a great many crises, although she hasn't been divorced yet. Remember that Victoria Newman eloped with Ryan McNeijl at the age of 16 and she was divorced by the time she was Summer's age.  Victor always called Ryan "a punk."  He calls Billy Boy Abbott  "a punk and a playboy."


THE STAGES OF SUMMER

Summer Ann Newman was born on an elevator on December 19, 2006, the daughter of Nick Newman and Phyllis Summer Newman.  Daddy Number Two, Jack Abbott delivered her.  If soaps went on real time, Summer would be seven years old, but it doesn't work that way on a daytime drama.  Soap characters are prone to RAS (Rapid Aging Syndrome).  Poor Summer has lost 12 years of her life.  The character is now 19.

Stage One:  Supergirl - This is the nickname given to her by Daddy Number One, Nicholas Newman when she was just a child.

Stage Two:  Superteen - Summer grew up extremely fast.  Suddenly she was a typical teen, hanging out at the coffee shop with Courtney and Fen.  Then she developed this huge crush on 20-something Kyle Abbott.

Stage Three:  Supermodel - Summer is now in the Supermodel stage of her life. Lights, cameras, action! She may become a star!


Why do the Y&R writers have a tendency to leave stories hanging?  The latest example is the Jill kidnapping. She was abducted by someone, handcuffed and robbed of her cell phone.  For days, this has just been left hanging.  Where is the continuity?  By the way, her kidnapper must be Colin Atkinson as Tristan Rogers is soon to returning to the show.

I like the idea of the Winters family running the Athletic Club.  It's time the writer's came up with something better for this clan.


The controversy over the firing of Michael Muhney from his role as Adam Newman continues.  Some extremely serious allegations have been made against him and if they are true, he deserved to be removed from his job.  Sexual harassment, of course, can not be tolerated.  Yet, even if he were not guilty of such misconduct, it is obvious that Michael has been a disruptive force on the set.  His demeanour and his attitude have upset and alienated several of his castmates.  His presence on the set, it seems, was toxic.  One of the regrettable aspects of this regrettable saga is that Michael is such an outstanding actor.  His portrayal of the
character of Adam Newman is so intense, it's almost eerie.  It's as if Muhney is so into the character that he is possessed.  It's as if Adam is under his skin.


Y&R CAST NEWS

Ignacio Serricchio, the Argentine-American actors who portrays Genoa City police detective Alejandro "Alex" Chavez on the Y&R, has landed a recurring role on Fox TV's Bones.  Serricchio will portray a very prominent forensic anthropologist from Cuba who comes to the U.S. seeking asylum.

All the best to Ignacio.  Yet, I wonder why he was permitted to accept an outside acting role and Billy Miller (Billy Abbott) was not.  Perhaps Billy Miller asked for long periods of time away from his role.

Former One Life to Live star Chris McKenna will be joining the cast of the Young and the Restless in a yet to be specified role.


VIEWER FORUM

Here's an observation from Helen of Scarborough, Ontario about Dr. Ben "Stitch" Rayburn.  Helen says that for a doctor in residency, Stitch spends a great deal of his time in coffee shops eating cookies. Helen also thinks that Clueless Paul Williams' office is rather dumpy for a police chief.

She made some other interesting observations about the old episodes that were shown at Christmas and New Year's.  The impact of cell phones on the show really becomes evident, she said, when viewing shows when they were not around.  She also noticed the large number of people in the episode with the Colonnade Room. They was a slew of extras back then.  Soaps can't afford to pay as many background actors now.


I also received some feedback from regular contributor CC from Etobicoke.  CC writes:

Is the actor who plays Chavez (Ignacio Serricchio) moving on because he is slated to play a part on 'Bones'?  Not that it matters because it appears they write his Detective Chavez role as they go along.
Noah's former girlfriend (Adriana) was his nutty sister.  That role balloon burst quickly.  Could have been a good storyline but they killed it. Who knows why?
Now Courtney and he are connected?


CC, it seems as if Courtney is going undercover to help Chavez bust the drug ring.

As far as I am concerned the casting of both blondes who play Summer and Courtney, one worse than the other, must have been the result of somebody owing someone a favour (it was rumoured that Executive Producer Jill Farren Phelps knew her from another contact) or a deliberate attempt to sabotage the shows popularity.
Actress who plays Courtney is a better actress but doesn't appear to have all the other required parts although they may be acquired in time.

Don't even want to speculate as to how Hunter King's'career is going to go from here on but she should keep other options open.

This week's Delia/Adam/Chelsea/Billy storyline is slowly letting the fizz out of Adam to allow for an easier separation for the fans.

I can feel the fans' separation anxiety waning.

Who will be the next character to end up at the bottom of the staircase?

Good thesis topic for for a Masters Degree in TV and Film: The Importance of the Staircase in Drama!

As for the Michael Muhney situation, CC writes:

It's time for the broadcasting executives to put standard practices in dealing with these kinds of situations as there seem to be more and more of them.
Being let go does not have to be a seemingly first line form of discipline.

CC has also pointed out to me that there is a website Y&R fans might like to take a look at.  It's called Soap Opera Network.  www.soapoperanetwork.com


BEST LINE

"These papers are to Victor-proof The Peanut."

- Adam explaining why it was necessary for Chelsea to sign the papers making Jack the legal guardian of baby Connor.


That's all for now.  There's lots of drama coming up on the Y&R.  We'll see how the Adam storyline plays out.  Victor already knows what is son has done but has agreed to keep quiet in exchange for access to baby Connor.  Question:  Does the Big Man sincerely want to be a grandpa to Connor or is he just looking for someone to succeed Noah as the current heir to the Newman dynasty?

Don't forget to check out the next edition of the Y&R Report on Saturday, February 1, 2014.


- Joanne

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Who's the Boss? Quiz




TV BANTER QUIZ #19

Who's the Boss? was a popular American comedy that aired on NBC for eight seasons, from 1984 to 1992.  Judith Light played Angela Bower, a divorced advertising executive who led an upscale lifestyle. Angela originally worked for Wallace and McQuade Advertising. She later started her own company called The Bower Agency.

Angela owned a large home in Fairfield, Connecticut where she resided with her mother, Mona Robinson, (Katherine Helmond.), and her son, Jonathan Bower (Danny Pintauro).  Their lives changed forever when Angela hired an ex-baseball player, Tony Micelli (Tony Danza), from Brooklyn, New York, to be her housekeeper.  Tony was the widowed father of a daughter named Samantha, portrayed by Alyssa Milano.

Here is how Common Sense Media describes Who's the Boss?.

This long-running sitcom was one of the first to turn traditional family and gender roles upside down. Even though its stereotypical characters border on corny, Who's the Boss? manages to be loveable and charming for today's audience, thanks largely to the chemistry of the talented ensemble cast. The show provides a glance back at how television has evolved along with social roles, hairstyles, and clothing. Its charm is in watching macho Italian male Tony manage emotional challenges and domestic chores with integrity and finesse.

The evolution of Tony and Angela's relationship and the growth of the children over the course of the series add depth to the storyline - we see tomboy Samantha grow up and start dating and eventually get married. And Tony's sensitive, self-deprecating wit balances Angela's intensity as they work together to raise a family. Watching the subtleties of their relationship evolve becomes a central theme of the show. Sure, some of the jokes fall flat, but this classic sitcom is enjoyable family television with a clear message: Families come in many varieties.

So how much do you know about this role reversal comedy of the 1980s and 1990s. Test your knowledge by doing the quiz below.  Good luck!


Who's the Boss? Quiz


1.  Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) was a former second baseman for which professional baseball team?

A,  The Minnesota Twins

B.  The Milwaukee Brewers

C.  The St. Louis Cardinals

D.  The Cincinnati Reds

E.  The Pittsburgh Pirates



2.  Which of these celebrities did not appear on Who's the Boss? ?

A. Tom Cruise

B.  Frank Sinatra

C.  Mike Tyson

D.  Betty White

E.  Delta Burke



3.  What was the name of Angela's ex-husband?

A,  Tim Bower

B.  George Bower

C.  Conrad Bower

D.  Michael Bower

E.  Peter Bower



4.  Did Tony and Angela get married on the show.

A.  Yes, they were married during the last season.  The wedding took place at Angela's home.

B.  Yes, they eloped and got married in Las Vegas.

C.  No, they never married on the show.

D.  They were about to get married but Tony changed his mind on the day of the wedding.

E.  They were about to get married but Angela changed her mind on the day of the wedding.



5.  What is the title of the theme song for Who's the Boss??

A.  "Around the Bend"

B.  "Who's the Boss?"

C.  "A Time for Living"

D.  "Our Time"

E.  "Brand New Life"



6.  During the fourth season of Who's the Boss?, which veteran actor played Max Muldoon, a client of Angela's who proposes marriage to Mona?

A.  Ray Milland

B.  Van Johnson

C.  Leslie Nielson

D.  George Kennedy

E.  John Astin



7.   What was the name of the little boy that Angela and Tony took into their home because his grandmother couldn't take care of him anymore?

A.  Billy

B.  Andrew

C.  Tim

D.  Rocco

E.  Tommy



8.  Which musical instrument did Angela Bower play poorly?

A.  piano

B.  harp

C.  guitar

D.  cello

E.  violin



9.  What was the name of Tony's nosy neighbour from his Brooklyn days?

A.  Mrs. Rossi

B.  Mrs.  Rossini

C.  Mrs.  Russo

D.  Mrs.  Roberto

E.  Mrs. Rotini



10.  What happened to Tony's daughter, Samantha "Sam" during the show's last season.

A.  She was involved in a car accident and injured herself.

B.  She got married.

C.  She accepted an exciting new job in Europe.

D.  She had a baby.

E.  She wrote a book.



11.  What kind of car did Angela drive?

A.  BMW

B.  Porsche

C.  Cadillac

D.  Lincoln Continental

E.  Jaguar



12.  Which famous rhythm and blues singer made an appearance on Who's the Boss??

A.  Ray Charles

B. Stevie Wonder

C.  James Brown

D.  Aretha Franklin

E.  Marvin Gaye




ANSWERS

1.  C

Tony Micelli was an ex-baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was forced to retire from baseball due to a shoulder injury.


2.  A

Tom Cruise never appeared on Who's the Boss?

Frank Sinatra made a guest appearance on a 1989 episode of the show entitled "Party Double" (Season 5, Episode 16, Air Date: February 28, 1989).  Ol' Blue Eyes played himself in "Party Double" and boxer Mike Tyson also appeared in an uncredited cameo role.  In the episode, Tony and Mona compete to be invited along with Angela to an exclusive New York party where Sinatra is scheduled to perform  (Trivia Note: Tony Danza performs a Sinatra song in "Party Double."  At the end of the episode, he is credited with singing "The Lady is a Tramp."

Sinatra with Tony Danza on Who's the Boss?


Mike Tyson also appeared  1990 episode of the show called "Sam Accelerates" (Season 6, Episode 13 (January 2, 1990).  Tyson portrayed himself in the episode.

Betty White was a guest star in a 1985 episode entitled "Eye on Angela" (Season 1, Episode 17, Air Date: February 19, 1985).  In the episode, Angela is chosen as the guest/subject of television host Roberta "Bobby" Barnes' show.  Betty portrays Bobby Barnes whose show revels in scandal

Delta Burke played a neighbour named Diane Wilmington in a 1985 episode called "Paint Your Wagpm" (Season 1, Episode 12, Air Date: January 15, 1985).  In the episode, upon learning of friction between Tony and Angela, Delta's character offers Tony a job working for her


3.  D

Michael Bower was the name of Angela's ex-husband.  Film and television actor James Naughton played the role in two two-part episodes of the series in 1985.  The first two-part episode is entitled "Angela's Ex: Part 1 and "Angela's Ex: Part 2 (Season 1, Episodes 15 and 16, Air Dates: February 5 and February 12, 1985). The second two-part episode is entitled "Custody: Part 1" and Custody Part 2) (Season 2, Episodes 6 and 7, Air Dates: November 5, 1985 and November 12, 1985).

In "Angela's Ex: Parts 1 and 2," Michael shows up after Angela sends him divorce papers.  In Custody: Parts 1 and 2, Michael returns to request that his son Jonathan be his best man at his second wedding, this time to his young and attractive personal assistant, Heather.  The wedding is set to take place in California and Angela is heartsick at the prospect of her ex getting half year custody of their son.


4. C

No, Tony and Angela never married on the show.  On the eighth and final season of Who's the Boss?, they finally became a couple and discussed plans to wed.  By that time, the popularity of the show had declined and the producers had persuaded the ABC network that a romance between Angela and Tony would revive interest in the show.  It didn't happen that way and there was no increase in the show's ratings once they got together.  As a result, the show was cancelled in 1992.

According to IMDb.com, the writers had originally planned to have Tony and Angela marry on the series finale.  ABC, however, was not thrilled with the idea and neither was Tony Danza.  Instead, the outcome of the final episode was left ambiguous as was the fate of its main protagonists

In Season 8, Tony gives up his housekeeping job for a position as a coach/teacher at a college in Iowa.  He then breaks his engagement to Angela.  The series ends with him returning to Connecticut and appearing at Angela's door to reapply for his old job as her housekeeper.  The rest can only be determined by the viewer's imagination.


5.  E

The name of the theme song from Who's the Boss? is "Brand New Life."  It was was written by Larry Carlton, Robert Kraft, Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter.  Here are the lyrics.

There’s a time for love and a time for living.
You take a chance and face the wind.
An open road and a road that’s hidden
A brand new life around the bend.

There were times when I lost a dream or two.
Found the trail, and at the end was you.
There’s a path you take and a path untaken
The choice is up to you my friend.

Nights are long but you’re on your way
To a brand new life,
Brand new life,
Brand new life around the bend.



6.  C

The late Leslie Nielsen appeared on Who's the Boss? during the show's fourth season. He portrayed Max Muldoon in two episodes of the series entitled "Just Mona and Me" (Season 4, Episode 11, Air Date: December 8, 1987) and "Marry Me, Mona" (Season 4, Episode 21, Air Date: March 29, 1988).  Nielsen passed away on November 28, 2010 at the age of 84.


7.  A

 Jonathan Halyalkar as Billy with Tony Danza

The little boy that Angela and Tony took under their roof was 5-year-old William "Billy" Napoli.  They cared for the youngster while his grandmother, Mrs. Napoli, from the old Brooklyn neighbourhood, was ailing in the hospital.  Jonathan Halyalkar, who portrayed Billy Napoli,, is now a 28-year-old actor/ producer.  Halyalkar is also known for his performances in the film Anytown (2009) and the television series Third Watch in which he played Little Jerry Mancowicz. in two 1999 episodes.


8.  D

Angela Bower played the cello poorly.  In an episode entitled "Gotta Dance" (Season 2, Episode 15, Air Date: January 21, 1986), Tony expresses his concern to her about pushing Samantha to be a ballerina.  She tells him how she enjoyed playing the cello as a child and is convinced that she could have become a professional musician if she had been pushed to practise.  While cleaning the attic, Tony discovers the cello that Mona had purposely kept hidden from her daughter.and Angela takes up the cello again, much to Mona's chagrin.   Angela, meanwhile, is upset that her mother hid the cello from her.


9.  B.

Rhoda Germignani as Mrs. Rossini

The name of Tony's former Brooklyn neighbour was Mrs. Rossini.  The motherly Mrs. Rossi was portrayed by actress  Rhoda Gemignani in 25 episodes of Who's the Boss? from 1984 until 1982.  Rhoda is the sister of the late Martin Cohan, who, together with producer and writer Blake Hunter, created Who's the Boss?.

Although best known for her recurring role on Who's the Boss?, Gemignani has appeared on many sitcoms through the years including The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973),  The Bob Newhart Show (1973) (1974), The Jeffersons (1975), Kojak (1974), Diff'rent Strokes (1981)1983), Full House (1987). Seinfeld (1992), Friends (1997) and Caroline in the City (1998).  She also had a recurring role as Rhoda DiMauro on Just Shoot Me! from 1999 to 2003 and was a guest on Tony Danza's one-hour talk show, The Tony Danza Show, in 2005 along with Judith Light and Katherine Helmond.


10.  B

During the last season of the show, Samantha married her boyfriend Hank Thomopoulous, played by Curnal Achilles Auliso.  Hank was Samantha's fellow college student.  He originally planned to study medicine but decided to become a puppeteer instead.


11.  E

Angela drove a Jaguar.


12.  A

Ray Charles with Alyssa Milano and Tony Danza


Singer and pianist Ray Charles made and appearance on a 1987 episode Who's the Boss? entitled "Hit the Road, Chad" (Season 3, Episode 16, Air Date: February 3, 1987).  In the episode, Ray Charles, a client of Angela's, once to use a song written by Samantha's then-boyfriend Chad.McCann (Scott Grimes).



THE CAST OF WHO'S THE BOSS?


TONY DANZA


Tony Danza 2012 photo
                                    Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 
                                   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_danza_2012.jpg


Tony Danza was born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza in Brooklyn, New York on April 21, 1941.  A professional boxer, Danza was discovered in a boxing gymnasium by a producer.  He was later cast in a starring role on the TV comedy Taxi.  He played Tony Banta on the series from 1978 until 1983 alongside co-stars Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner.




After five seasons on Taxi, Danza shot to stardom for eight seasons on Who's the Boss?  When Who's the Boss? went off the air in 1984, he struggled to find sitcom success again.  From 1995 to 1996, he starred as Tony Canetti in a comedy called Hudson Street.  The show was set in Hoboken, New Jersey and Tony portrayed a divorced detective who shared custody of his son, Mickey, with his ex-wife.  Lori Loughlin, (Rebecca Donaldson on Full House), played crime reporter Melanie Clifford, his love interest.  Although Hudson Street received good reviews, the series was cancelled after one season and 22 episodes because it failed to maintain its initial good ratings.

From 1997 to 1998, Tony starred as Tony DiMeo in another short-lived sitcom, The Tony Danza Show. Danza played a sportswriter with two daughters but the show was cancelled after 14 episodes.  He did, however, win an Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role as attorney Tommy Silva in four 1998 episodes of the legal drama The Practice.

From 2000 until 2002, Tony Danza had a recurring role as Joe Celano in 25 episodes of the crime drama Family Law.  In 2005, he played Erica Kane's (Susan Lucci) wedding planner on the daytime soap All My Children.  He also appeared as Matt Morelli in a 2008 episode of the comedy Rita Rocks (Season 1, Episode 8, Air Date: November 18, 2008).

Danza has been twice married and twice divorced.  He has four children - two from his first marriage to Rhonda Yeoman Iadanza (1970-1974) and two from his second wife, Tracy Robinson.  He wed Tracy in June of 1986.  They separated in 2006 and their divorce became final in 2013.

From his first marriage, Tony has a son, Marc Anthony Danza (born January 29, 1971).  After a reconciliation with first wife Rhonda, a child named Gina was born in 1983.  The reconciliation did not last but Tony apparently acted as the baby's father in every way.  There is an unconfirmed story, strictly hearsay, that Tony underwent a paternity test and learned that Gina is not his biological daughter.

From his second marriage, Danza has two daughters:  Katherine "Katie" (born. May 8, 1987) and Emily Lyn (born 1993).  Marc Anthony guest starred in two episodes of Taxi in the role of a disabled child named Brian Sims.  The first episode is entitled "The Reluctant Fighter" (Season 2, Episode 15, Air Date: October 9, 1979).  The second episode is entitled "Tony and Brian" (Season 2, Episode 16, Air Date: January 8, 1980).

Tony Danza is also a grandfather.  Marc Anthony and his wife, Julie, have a son named Nicholas David Danza (born August 27, 2005).



JUDITH LIGHT


Judith Light, The Town Hall, New York City, 2011
                                                  Attribution: Sarah Ackerman
                                                  http://www.flickr.com/people/86665756@N00     

Judith Ellen Light, who played Angela Bower, was born in Trenton, New Jersey on February 9, 1949.  She earned a degree in drama from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In 1977, she appeared in an episode of Kojak entitled "Monkey on a String" (Season 4, Episode 21, Air Date: February 15, 1977).  She played the role of Laetitia Palmerance.  Her first major TV role, however, was as Karen Wolek in the daytime drama One Life to Live.  In 1980, she won a Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama for her portrayal of Karen.

After the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Judith starred as Sara Campbell in the short-lived comedy The Simple Life (seven episodes, 1998) and as Barbara Stone in The Stones, another short-lived series (six episodes, 2004).  She then went on to portray Claire Meade in the ABC series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth Donnelly on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.  She has also appeared in over 15 television movies including The Ryan White Story (1989) in which she played Jeanne White, the mother of a 13-year-old haemophiliac who contracted AIDS from factor VIII, an essential blood-clotting protein used to control this disorder.

Judith is an accomplished stage actress and in 2013 she received her second of back-to-back Tony Award for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play”, for The Assembled Parties. She also earned her second of back-to-back Drama Desk Awards for “Best Featured Actress” for the same play.

In 2012, Judith played the role of Margie in two episodes of the TV Land comedy series The Exes.  The episodes are "A Very Wrong Engagement" (Season 1, Episode 6, Air Date: January 4, 2012) and "Sister Act" (Season 2, Episode 10, Air Date: August 22, 2012).  In 2013, she was cast as Judith Ryland in the second season of TNT's Dallas.

Judith has been married to television actor Robert Desiderio since 1985.  The couple met while co-starring on the soap One Life to Live.  They do not have any children.  


 ALYSSA MILANO

                                               
                                                                        Attribution: Tom Sorensen                                                    http://www.flickr.com/people/7906627@N04     
                                                  
Alyssa Jayne Milano was born on December 19, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York and grew up on Staten Island. She comes from an Italian-American family.  Her mother, Lin Milano, is a fashion designer and her father, Thomas Milano, is a film music editor. She has a younger brother, Cory John Milano, born October 24, 1982.  Cory is also an actor and is known for his work in Spider-Man 3 (2007), Disaster Movie (2008) and Drag Me to Hell (2009).

Alyssa launched her career at the age of eight after winning a role in an audition for a national tour of the musical Annie.  After months on the road with her mother, she left Annie to perform in off-broadway productions and television commercials.  In 1983, at the age of 10, she landed the part of Samantha Micelli on Who's the Boss?. It was her breakthrough role and her family moved to Los Angeles to accommodate her career.

Since the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Alyssa has appeared in several television series.  Most notably, she played the roles of Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place from 1997 to 1998, Phoebe Halliwell in Charmed from 1998 to 2006 and Billie Cunningham in My Name is Earl from 2007 to 2008.

In 1999, Alyssa was briefly married to musician Cinjun Tate, lead singer for the rock group Remy Zero. They divorced after ten months.  On December 18, 2009, she tied the knot again, this time to CIA agent David Bugliari.  The wedding took place at the New Jersey home of Bugliari's family.  In August of 2011, Alyssa gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Milo Thomas Bugliari.


DANNY PINTARUO





Danny Pintauro, who played Jonathan Bower, was born in Milltown, New Jersey on January 6, 1976.  His first appearance on television was in the daytime soap As the World Turns where he was cast in the role of Paul Ryan.  He played that role from 1982 until 1985.  When Who's the Boss? was first broadcast in 1984, Danny was just 8 years old.  The former child actor has had very few television credits since the series went off the air in 1992.

In 1987, Danny had a guest role in a two-part episode of the Michael Landon series, Highway to Heaven, entitled "Man's Best Friend" (Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2, Air Dates: September 16, 1987 and  September 23, 1987).  He played a character named Alex.

In 1994, Pintauro took a break from professional acting and concentrated on his education, attending Middlesex County College in Edison New Jersey.  He then enrolled at Stanford University in California where he graduated in 2001 after studying English and drama.

In 2010, Danny appeared in an episode of the TV comedy/drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager entitled "Ben There, Done That" (Season 2, Episode 24, Air Date: March 22, 2010).  That same year, he was a guest star on short-lived the comedy Laugh Track Mash-ups in an episode called "Late for Class!" (Season 1, Episode 1, Air Date: September 19, 2010).  If you don't remember Laugh Track Mash-ups, it's not surprising.  Only four episodes of the show, which parodied 1990s sitcoms, were produced.

Danny "came out" as gay in a July 1997 interview with National Enquirer.   In April of 2013, he became engaged to his partner Wil Tabares.

Pintauro,has just turned 38 years old.  As of 2013, he was managing a Las Vegas restaurant.




KATHERINE HELMOND


Helmond at the 1989 Emmy Awards
                                                          Attribution: photo by Alan Light  


Katherine Helmond, who played Mona Robinson was born on July 5, 1929 in Galveston, Texas.  After the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Katherine had recurring rolls on two successful sitcoms, Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond.  From 1995 until 1997, she played Doris Sherman, the outlandish owner of a fictional football team on Coach.  From 1996 to 2004, she portrayed Lois Whelan (Ray Barone's mother-in-law) on Everybody Loves Raymond.  In 2002, she was nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her role as Lois.

In 2011, Helmond, made guest appearances on HBO's True Blood and the NBC comedy/drama Harry's Law.  On the drama/fantasy True Blood, she portrayed Caroline Bellefleur in a epidode called "I'm Alive and on Fire:" (Season 4, Episode 4, Air Date: July 17, 2011).  She played a character named Gloria Gold in an episode of Harry's Law entitled "The Rematch." (Season 2, Episode 6, Air Date: November 2, 2011).

Kaherine, now 84 years old, has been married twice.  In 1957, she married George N. Martin.  After their divorce in 1962, she wed David Christian.  She and Christian have been together ever since and have no children.

END NOTES

* 196 episodes of Who's the Boss? were produced.

* There was a British version of Who's the Boss? called The Upper Hand featuring Honor Blackman, an English actress best known for her roles as Cathy Gale in The Avengers (1962-1964) and a "Bond girl" in the 1964 film Goldfinger.  Upper Hand was directly scripted Who's the Boss? rather than an adaptation or reworking.  It premiered in 1990 and was cancelled in 1996.  It's interesting to note that Katherine Helmond made an appearance on this British series in 1993.

A German network, RTL, aired a German language version of Who's the Boss? called  Ein Job für's Leben (A Life-Time Job) in 1993.  Its scripts were a translation of the 1984-1985 season of the American version and it was cancelled after one season.

* In an episode of Who's the Boss?  entitled "Car and Driver" (Season 4, Episode 10, Air Date: December 1, 1987),  it is revealed that Tony's middle name is Morton.  Thus, his full name is Anthony Morton Micelli. Hmmm . . . Morton doesn't sound very Italian.

* In 2008, Tony Danza and his son, Marc Anthony, published a father-son Italian cookbook together.  The title of the book is Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto.  They can be seen on the cover with Tony's grandson, Nicholas.




- Joanne

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Y&R Report (Jan. 4, 2014): The Latest on The Young and the Restless






Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama.  Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT:  Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet. Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance.


Happy New Year Y&R fans!  I hope 2014 brings you happiness and health.  I also hope it's a better year for The Young and the Restless.  2013 was not exactly a banner year for our favourite soap, even though it celebrated its 40th anniversary on the air.  The death of Jeanne Cooper, whose Katherine Chancellor character was a mainstay on the program, and the departures of Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Billy Miller (Billy Abbott) and Michael Muhney (Adam Newman), all contributed to a difficult year for the show.  There is, however, hope for 2014.

1.  The return of Tristan Rogers as Colin Atkinson should spice things up and provide a much-needed boost to Jess Walton's (Jill) storyline.  A decision will have to be made about the status of Phyllis.  After all, the writers can't keep her in a coma forever.  I strongly doubt that Phyllis is going to die because there have been too many sad happenings on the show of late.  My guess is that they are leaving the role open as long as possible in the event that Michelle Stafford will change her mind and return.  They can only wait so long, though.  At some point, if Michelle doesn't show any inclination to come back, she will have to be replaced.

Regular readers of Y&R Report know that I want Eileen Davidson to return full-time as Ashley Abbott.  In October, soap writer Daniel J. Kroll stated that "Davidson has expressed her desire to take some time off from regular, contract work on a soap." After a rest, however, Eileen may decide to go back to a regular role as Ashley. This week, while home to celebrate the New Year, Ashley crossed paths with Dr. Stitch again.  The chemistry between those two is palpable.  It's definitely there.  A great storyline is just sitting there waiting for you, Eileen Davidson.  Don't let it pass you by.

Speaking of chemistry, I think that the couples who have the most chemistry on the show are Victoria and Billy and Chelsea and Adam.  It just won't be the same when Billy Miller and Michael Muhney leave their roles. Although Miller's being replaced by David Tom, who has played the role of Billy before, I doubt that his chemistry with Amelia Heinle (Victoria) will be as good.  The same goes for Chelsea and Adam.  We don't even know who will replace Michael in the part of Adam yet.  Frankly, I'd rather have the character written out of the show than have the role recast.

2.  Billy J. Miller recently spoke out about leaving Y&R.  He stated that the reason for his departure is that the show was not willing to allow him time to pursue projects outside of daytime television.. Miller told Soap Opera Digest that, he was given a generous offer to remain with the soap.  ""To pass was the hardest thing I’ve ever done," he declared.. "I was caught between a rock and a hard place. In the past, we were able to venture out of the Y&R world; now it seems there is no longer that flexibility for me."

There you have it.  According to Miller, it wasn't a matter of dollars and cents.  It was a matter of flexibility. If that's the case, then I have to ask why Y&R was so reluctant to let him pursue outside projects.  I can certainly understand why a skilled actor such as Billy J. Miller would want to expand his horizons. I can also appreciate why he would not want to be typecast and known only for his portrayal of Billy Abbott. Therefore, I have to question the show's decision to prohibit him from taking on other roles.  Isn't that a price worth paying in order to keep a popular and talented actor on board?

3.  So fans, we now know that Alex Chavez is "Zach."  It seems that Courtney might not be so bad after all. She could be working undercover to help the police infiltrate a drug ring.  Perhaps Womack, who could be Courtney's dad, is the leader of the operation.  Is she assisting the police in bringing down her own father?

4.  In my previous Y&R Report, I predicted that Kelly Andrews was Dr. Stitch's wife. It seems I was wrong about that.  I was, however, correct that they are connected in some way and that they know each other. Could Stitch be Kelly's brother-in-law, the uncle of her dead son, Sam?  They finally appeared in a scene together for the first time and they are obviously uncomfortable with each other. Kelly was antagonistic towards Stitch and very sarcastic.  She obviously blames him for something major. Most likely, he had some involvement in the death of her son.  It could be that he performed surgery on Sam and failed to save his life or accidentally contributed to his death in some way.  Medical error?

Dr. Stitch also admitted that he and his wife are separated.  Will she eventually show up in Genoa City? Could Stitch's estranged wife be Kelly's sister?

5.  Please!  Not another stalker storyline!  Tyler's former finace, the mysterious Mariah with the wrist tattoo, has been stalking Tyler and Abby.  I also hope that Carmine is not alive.  I'm relieved that the "Remember Me" cake that was delivered to the Baldwin residence was probably from Womack and was intended for Fen.  Please! Not another cancer stoyline.  Make Lily cancer free.

6.  The writers need to speed up the pace on some of those storylines.  For example, please hurry up with the mystery of Jill's music box!  They should also speed up the storyline about Lily and Cane's search for a meaningful project to work on.

7.  It's been obvious for some time now that Sharon and Nick are going to get together again.  It's too bad that their renewed relationship has been doomed from the start.  We viewers know it will be over once Nick finds out what Sharon did. Also, the writers have ruined Sharon's character and made her so manipulative that it's difficult to care about her and Nick reconnecting.

8.  Did you watch the classic New Year's episode?  Nick and Sharon looked so fresh and young.  Whatever happened to the Colonnade Room.?  I guess it was closed it down because they don't show it anymore.  Talk about posh!  That place was so upscale and elegant that very few people in Gnoa City, aside from the Newmans, Abbotts and Mrs. Chancellor, could afford to dine there often.

9.  Jack Abbott has come up with some great nicknames for Victor - "The Moustache" (although he doesn't have much of a moustache anymore), "Mr. Mumbles," "The Black Knight,"and "Moneybags."  Yet, for some reason, I don't like his nickname for Phyllis, which is "Red."


FEEDBACK FROM THE FANS

CC from Etobicoke, Ontariio has written her thoughts on Michael Muhney's firing. Here is CC's take on the matter.

Michael M.'s firing is putting a bad taste in everyone's mouth which they may not be able to get rid of even if millions write in.
It won't feel good again no matter who the actor is.

I think some reasons for this dismissal may be the result of Eric B. (Braeden) picking up on the fact that fans are liking a younger, more talented, more likeable version of an evil Victor type character.
Victor has been becoming more and more despicable lately, very curmudgeonly just as men often can become in real life.
The acting quality is just not there, not that it ever was.

Last week's posts also quoted Michael M. as saying he and Eric have had their differences.
It wouldn't be a surprise to learn that Eric exacted his revenge on Michael M. by manipulating the powers that be to get rid of him.
Unfortunately it sounds like Michael's inexperience in dealing with fellow actors and execs when he has achieved such success in a role as he has as Adam on Y & R may have have helped do him in.

When all that is coupled with everything that has $$$ attached it is no surprise things have gone this way.

A lesson learned.

I agree with Joanne that the fans will suffer for a long while as Sony and CBS learn their lesson the hard way.
Can The Y & R survive this ridiculous move?
Is sabotage by (executive producer ) Jill Farren Phelps in play as fans and press have alluded to by comparing her Y & R decisions with those made when she was at the helm of other soaps which are no longer around?

Time will tell.



Another fan, Tina from New Jersey, predicts a relationship between Gloria and Alex Chavez, the much-younger Hispanic cop.  I wouldn't bet on that, Tina.  Gloria only appears from time to time.  She is on contract and Alex is heavily involved in other storylines.  Yes, they were in a light scene together with Kevin and it was a bit of a comic relief.  If, however, your prediction comes true, I promise to give you credit right here in this space.


Here are some further comments courtesy of CC from Etobicoke.  Thanks for your input, CC.

Although I had never seen or heard of her before, the actress who plays Kelly (Cynthia Watros) has played an evil character on other soaps.
I didn't know this when I first started to get the sense that she was not stable. Should be an interesting storyline.  
(NOTE TO READERS: Cynthia Watros played J.J. Abrams on the hit TV show Lost.  She is no stranger to daytime television either, having played the role of Annie Dutton on The Guiding Light. She won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress at the 1998 Daytime Emmys for her portrayal of Dutton. It's interesting that some Y&R fans have written on message boards that Kelly may be mentally unstable and that she may have been the one who ran over Delia.)

Both Neil's character and actor have overstayed their stay in Genoa City as far as I am concerned.
Actually the whole family branch should move away ....perhaps Cane should take them all to Australia!

I guess these storylines will all be coming to a head in time for the February sweeps.
The writers will really need to pick it up to make things interesting seeing as Billy and Adam actors are going.

Worst 3 events of 2013...Delia's death (totally unnecessary; they could have done the whole organ donor thing in a better way); Adam's possible involvement (I'm still not convinced he did it); and anything to do with Billy causing the change of actor.

They really need to make a decision about the whole Phyllis thing because Jack is out there twisting in the wind with nothing to do except watch his son bring him down in his ongoing feud with Victor.
I've lost track of who is owning and running Newman, Chancellor, Jabot?
That whole storyline is mess.

One thing for sure, the show needs some streamlining to keep it going.
Writers should focus on the 3 or 4 key storylines and get rid of the fluff that they keep trying to use to introduce new characters and plotlines.
Invariably the new actors/characters don't work out due to poor executive choices and the viewers and fans become
bored with it all.


HAIR AND FASHION

How do you like Eileen Davidson's shorter hairstyle?  I'm getting used to it.  It's starting to grow on me (ha ha).


Y&R CAST NEWS

Robert Adamson (Noah Newman) is going to be a father.  He and actress Linsey Godfrey, who portrays Caroline Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful, are expecting a child.  Adamson announced the news on Facebook.  It's a good thing his character Noah isn't the one who's going to be a father.  His television parents, Joshua Morrow (Nick Newman) and Sharon Case (Sharon Newman) look much too young to be grandparents.

There has been so much discussion on Y&R about cult leader Ian Ward, the man who manipulated a young Nikki and fathered Dylan McAvoy.  It was only a matter of time that his character showed up.  It has been confirmed that Ray Wise, who starred as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, will appear in the recurring role.


That's all for now. Why not participate in my Reader's Poll below.  Please note that the next Y&R Report will appear on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

- Joanne

Y&R Report Reader's Poll


What was Y&R's worst mistake of 2013?
  
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