Y&R Report (August 30, 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.

So Mariah is Sharon's daughter and Cassie's twin sister.  She is also the Bride of Frankenstein.  Boy, that Ian Ward is one sick man!  He's even driven Nikki back on the sauce again.  It's enough that Nikki is drinking again, but I fear we will also have to endure Neil's return to the bottle when he discovers the truth about Devon and Hilary.  Speaking of Neil's blindness, I doubt it will last long.  A regular viewer, Fifi from Collingwood, Ontario, has predicted that after regaining his sight, Neil will fake blindness long enough to discover the truth about Devon and Hilary.

Now, back to Ian Ward.  Ian is probably the most diabolical character ever on Y&R. Longtime viewers will remember a gruesome character named Mr. Anthony.  He was a mobster who kept a tank of sharp-toothed piranhas.  Well, I think Ian Ward has topped Mr. Anthony in the evil department.

Rumours abound that the Michael Baldwin character is going to die.  There has been much speculation online that he will be diagnosed with cancer (probably prostrate cancer).  As of this writing, nothing has been confirmed.  So far, it is all conjecture and hearsay based on a report in the current issue of Soap Opera Uncensored in which Nelson Branco writes, "Rumour has it a veteran character will learn he has cancer." Also, in a recent episode, Lauren urged a tired Michael to get himself check out by Dr. Barton Shelby.

I would be very disappointed if Christian LeBlanc left the show.  He is an excellent actor and Y&R certainly can't afford to lose any more actors of his ilk.  LeBlanc has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his role as Michael Baldwin a whopping eight times, and he has won the Outstanding Lead Actor award in 2005, 2007, and 2009.  Unfortunately, however, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of his departure because Y&R producer Jill Farren Phelps is unpredictable.  As fans well know, she is a loose canon, with a reputation for making controversial moves.

I must say I enjoyed the memorial to Mrs. Chancellor, even though it hasn't really been a year since her death.  Jeanne Cooper actually died last May 8.  However, as we all know, soaps distort time.  Anyway, Murphy showed up with a white beard and Nina had a strong warning for Clueless Paul Williams.  She told him that after having dumped her for Christine, he had better not mess things up with the Cricketmeister.

So Abby kissed Dr. Stitch, purportedly because she was trying to make Tyler jealous. Yet, I have to wonder if there was more to that kiss.  Although she appears to despise Stitch'em up for his interference in her sister Victoria's marriage to Billy Boy Abbott, I can't help thinking she may be somewhat attracted to the disgraced doctor herself.

Abby originally tried to match Stitch up with her mother, Ashley.  Now that Ashley is returning to Genoa City, will she have competition from her own daughter?  Actually, I hope not.  There is already a storyline about a father and son with the same love interest.  The Neil,/Hilary/Devon triangle is enough, thank you very much.

The mystery of Jill's music box has taken far too long to unravel.  Now the box has been stolen, so it's not over yet.  I just hope the writers come up with an interesting conclusion to this convoluted storyline.


VIEWER FORUM

Here are some comments by Jessica from Oshawa on the rumoured death of Christian LeBlanc's character, Michael Baldwin, and Mariah's "wedding" to Ian Ward.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if they killed off Michael Baldwin.  Show is getting crazy.  The most laughable one so far is Ian Ward putting Mariah in a wedding dress, the girl he raised as his own daughter!!!!

Here are some very astute observations from Patsy in Sarasota, Florida:

August 20, 2014

In Neil's new blind state he mentioned to the social worker that he knew it was a man that walked in the room. Knew it was not a woman as Neil has a heightened sense for perfume because of Jabot!! Please - hospitals and offices have been scent free for years. We can tell that Hilary and Devon will be caught in their tryst due to Hilary's lingering perfume on Devon. Just saying.

August 23, 2014

Honestly I think the writers are almost being too literate trying to explain away somethings. Nick could have said "Sharon received no prenatal care when she was pregnant at 16'. No, he said 'She never even received an ultrasound." And Neil and the pasta bowl fiasco was just too much. What sighted person digs into a pasta salad like that!!! Just saying...

Right on the money, Patsy!  You should be hired to run a reality check on the soaps. You can certainly spot the mistakes.

CAST NEWS

A new Adam has been cast.  He is 37-year-old Justin Hartley.  Hartley has previously appeared as Fox Crane on the daytime drama Passions (from 2002 until 2006) and has had roles on the prime time soaps Revenge and Mistresses. The actor has also portrayed Green Arrow on Smallville.

Don't expect to see Justin on screen until November.  He will start filming in September and will make his first appearance during the November sweeps.

Justin Hartley

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . .  JAIME LYN BAUER?

Jaime Lyn Bauer portrayed the beautiful and sophisticated Lauralee "Lorie" Brooks on The Young and the Restless from 1973 until 1982. After her nine-year run on Y&R, she went on to play the role of  Barbara Fisher on the short-lived prime time series Bare Essence.  She then won positive reviews for her performance in the theatrical production of Extremities.

In 1993, Jaime Lyn joined the cast of Days of Our Lives and played the role of psychiatrist Dr. Laura Horton until 1999.  In 1984 and again in 2002, she briefly reprised her role as Lorie Brooks on the Y&R. During her original stint on the show, her Lorie Brooks character was romantically involved with Jed Andrews, played by Tom Selleck, who, of course, found fame as Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I.

Jaime Lyn Bauer was born in Phoenix, Arizona on March 9, 1949 and her real name is Norma Marvhne bauer.  After graduating from Phoenix Junior College, she pursued a modelling career in Chicago and Los Angeles. She then landed many guest spots on television series.  The aspiring actress eventually had to choose between a seven year contract with Universal Studios and a three year contract with The Young and the Restless.

According to a 2012 biography on her website, Jamie Lyn Bauer is married to Emmy Award-winning make-up artist Jeremy Swan.  She and her husband reside in Studio City, California, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, and are the parents of three children.

After the birth of her third child, Jaime appeared in episodes of Knots Landing and Young Riders.  She also also played a leading role in the mini-series Judith Krantz's Secrets, which was filmed in Italy.  For almost a decade, Jaime was the celebrity spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation and travelled extensively to raise money to increase awareness and educate the public about the disease.  She also launched her own production company, Envision Entertainment.


That's all for now.  Y&R should be very interesting next week!  Eileen Davidson will return as Ashley Ashley and  it looks as if Sleeping Beauty Phyllis will finally awaken from her coma.  Don't forget that the next edition of the Y&R Report will appear on Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Joanne

For Robin Williams, it started with Mork and Mindy

The best tribute to (Robin) Williams's skill, though it's not his best project by a long shot, is Mork and Mindy.  That show  never should have worked, or even existed; it happened because Happy Days did a completely ridiculous episode about Richie and the Fonz meeting a space alien.  But the alien was Williams, and he was so funny that he'd practically earned his own spinoff by the time the cast was taking bows.

- Jaime J. Weinman
From "The Mad, Sad Genius of Robin Williams," Maclean's Magazine, September 1, 2014


The recent death of Robin Williams stunned and saddened many people around the world.  As a tribute to the actor/comedian, I decided to write about the television comedy that made him a star - Mork and Mindy. Mork and Mindy was a spinoff of Happy Days, as was Laverne and Shirley, Blansky's Beauties, Out of the Blue and Joanie Loves Chachi.  The Happy Days episode that spawned Mork and Mindy is entitled "My Favorite Orkan" (Season 5, Episode 22, Air Date: February 28, 1978).

The premise of that Happy Days episode sounds patently absurd.  After all, who would expect a comical alien to appear to the Cunningham family of Milwaukee,Wisconsin during the late 1950s?   "My Favorite Orkan"  is a take-off on the early 1960s sitcom My Favoritre Martian, starring Bill Bixby and Ray Walston.  The episode, in which the alien lands on Earth and attempts to kidnap Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), would have been a disaster if a lesser talent than Williams had played the role of the extraterrestrial.  It might have been as infamous as the episode in which Fonzie jumps a shark.

Robin McLaurin  Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1951.  After studying theatre at the Juilliard School in New York City, he worked as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s.  His television career began in 1977 when he appeared in a Laugh-In revival and became a member of the cast of a short-lived variety series, The Richard Pryor Show.  That same year, he played a small role in an episode of Eight is Enough entitled "The Return of Auntie V (Season 2, Episode 12, Air Date: November 30 1977)

In 1978, Robin Williams was 26 years old and largely unknown when Happy Days creator Garry Marshall cast him in the role of Mork from Ork.  His performance in "My Favorite Orkan" made such an impact that he literally became a star overnight.  He was a whirling dervish, spewing one-liners with rapid-fire delivery Filmmaker Brian Levant, who became a Happy Days writer/producer in the show's fifth season, made the following remarks about the episode to E! News.

It was Robin Williams’ literal birth as an entertainer.  He was an unqualified genius in that rehearsal and the cast of Happy Days was tremendously generous ceding the stage to him and everybody walked out of that show saying ‘spin-off, spin-off, spin-off.’ And we walked upstairs and wrote a bunch of great stuff.

The spin-off, of course, was Mork and Mindy.  It was created as a vehicle for Robin Williams' comedic talent, and it ran for four seasons on the ABC network, from 1978 until 1982.  The series chronicled the adventures of Mork from the planet Ork who came to Earth in a tiny egg-shaped spaceship. The series was not set in 1950s Milwaukee but in present-day Boulder, Colorado.  It co-starred Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, his human friend and eventual love interest.  Mindy was a clerk at a music store run by her father, Frederick (Conrad Janis).  She befriended Mork and allowed him to stay in the attic of her home.

Mork (Robin Williams) and Mindy (Pam Dawber)

Mork, a misfit on his own planet, was sent to Earth to observe human customs and behaviour.  At the end of every episode, he reported back to his Orkan leader, Orson.  Orson was never seen on screen, but the character was voiced by Ralph James.  James, who passed away in 1992, did voice work for Looney Tunes cartoons and Pink Panther animated shorts.  He also provided the voice for Mr. Turtle in the Tootsie Pop commercials of the 1970s.

Mork's attire consisted of a red and silver space jumpsuit or a striped sweater with rainbow-coloured suspenders.  After reporting to his boss, Orson, he would tug his his ears and sign off with the words "na nu, na nu," meaning both hello and goodbye in the Orkan language.  Due to the popularity of the show, "na nu, na nu" became a catchphrase along with "shazbot," another alien word used by Mork.  The term "shazbot" has also been used by aliens in The Simpsons and is generally defined as a euphemism to express disappointment or substitute for a curse-word.

In the autumn of 1981, Mork and Mindy were married.  They honeymooned on the planet Ork, which was inhabited by outlandish creatures.  Not long after, Mork gave birth by ejecting an egg from his naval.  When the egg cracked open, a fully grown Jonathan Winters emerged!  Winters, by the way, was Robin Williams' inspiration and model as a comedian.

Mork and Mindy named their bizarre offspring Mearth.  Although Mearth appeared middle-aged, he babbled like a baby, uttering gibberish.  By this time, the series was losing popularity and experiencing low ratings.  At the end of four seasons, it was cancelled.

Robin Williams, of course, went on to delight audiences in such films as Dead Poets Society, Mrs Doubtfire, Good Morning, Vietnam and Patch Adams.  He proved himself to be not only a great comedian but a fine dramatic actor, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Sean Mguire, a psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting (1997).  Sadly, on August 11, 2014, Robin was found dead at his California home, the victim of a suicide.  Upon his death, Henry Winkler the Fonz himself, shared this memory of his initial reaction to the frenetic comedian :

Here I am playing this man of very few words and I’m watching brilliance explode like fireworks every 10 or 15 seconds… This young man (Robin Williams) comes in and we started rehearsing and I quickly realized I had one job: to keep a straight face. What ever you said, he inhaled out of the air and then threw it back at you. There was not one time it came out the same. There was not one time it was not truly, endlessly and fervently funny. You saw it and your mouth dropped. You couldn’t believe it. I’ve worked with a lot of people and there is and was no one quite like him.

Williams with Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Fonzie (Henry Winkler)

- Joanne

Y&R Report:(August 16, 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.


The summer storylines are heating up on Y&R and September promises to be quite intriguing.  We've had our first glimpse of the new Phyllis, as portrayed by Gina Tognoni.  The Sleeping Beauty is just beginning to awaken, so we don't really know what she'll be like in the role.  I'm trying to keep in mind that it's not Gina's fault that Michelle Stafford decided to leave the show.

What is Jack going to do when he has to choose between Phyllis and Kelly?  I think he's going to choose the redhead and there will be heartache for Kelly.  Victor will probably be praised for helping Phyllis come out of her coma.  The Big Man always seems to win.

So Neil Winters has lost his sight after being electrocuted.  Of course, that`s just a plot device to prevent Devon and Hilary from being together (at least Hilary isn`t having a baby).  Neil`s blindness will be temporary and he will eventually learn that his new wife was about to dump him before his accident.  Will he then be tempted to go back to the bottle?

Speaking of Hilary, the writers have left a loose end hanging in the wind.  Who was her father?  We know that her mother was Rose Turner, the woman Neil met at a bar and who subsequently died after he thought she had fallen asleep in a hotel room. Was Hilary's father Gus, the father of Leslie and Tyler.  He had a connection with Rose and they wrote letters to each other.  If Gus was indeed Hilary's father , that means that HIlary is their half-sister.  However, that has never been made clear. Why haven't Leslie and Tyler discuss the matter.  To my knowledge, they have never referred to Hilary as their sister, nor has HIlary referred to them as her siblings.

Billy Boy Abbott has been acting far too smug and overconfident.  I also think that the departure of Billy Miller has ruined the coupling of Victoria and Billy.  Amelia Heinle (Victoria) had great chemistry with Billy Miller.  As for Dr. Stitch, I think he has great chemistry with Ashley Abbott.  I am looking forward to Eileen Davidson's return as Ashley in September.  That should cause even more conflict between the Newmans and the Abbotts.  Billy certainly won't be happy if his sister becomes involved with Stitch 'em up.  It would certainly upset Jack and Victoria and Kelly too.  Abby wouldn't be thrilled either.

VIEWER FORUM

I received the following letter from regular contributor CC in Etobicoke, Ontario

Here are some of my thoughts.

Shouldn't supposed wannabe super-dad Billy have taken Johnny to Connor's birthday bash in the park since they are half brothers and Chelsea is his biological mother?

Might that have been him in the stroller with the nanny/sitter?

If they continue with the Billy/Chelsea story line it could become very explosive if Billy tries to get custody of Johnny and create his dream family.

Right up Victor's alley.

Now that Chelsea has a hankering for Billy will her maternal instinct of love for her firstborn Johnny suddenly surface?

I smell a potential Newman/Abbot sibling rivalry brewing!  

Was the party clown Adam himself or his smarmy gofer?

Just an aside.....do Michael and Lauren pay rent to the GCPD for the regular use of their department to conduct their professional and personal business?  

That's all for now!

CC from Etobicoke

Yes, CC, young Johnny should have been at Connor's birthday party.  As you mention, he is Connor's half-brother.  At the very least, the writers could have given us a plausible explanation for Johnny's absence.  For example, perhaps Chelsea doesn't want to get too involved in Johnny's life, or too attached to him, after giving him up to Billy and Victoria.

I also wondered whether the party clown was Adam Newman in disguise.  I came to the the conclusion that the clown was actually Adam.  II don't think he sent his "smarmy gofer." because he wanted to see Connor for himself.  It was an ideal way for him to be near his child without being recognized.

Yes, Michael and Lauren do spend a lot of time at the police station for "professional and personal business."  It seems they are always rescuing Kevin and helping him deal with his problems and misdeeds.  Now that Fen has gone off to college, they are empty nesters.  It's challenging for the writers to come up with storylines for happy couples.

As for Fen, I think he will return at some point, but perhaps another actor will play the role.  He may eventually become romantically involved with Summer because there's just no way she and Austin are going to last.

Patsy from Sarasota, Florida checked in with this observation:

I noticed that Police Chief Paul Williams with his new liver was drinking wine at the cabin. He sure bounced back from that transplant. Just saying  . . .  I  do remember your previous comment that he and Dylan sure bounced back from surgery pretty fast BUT alcohol intake is just toooo much.

And much toooo soon. I might add.  That's a very astute observation, Patsy.  Thanks for pointing it out. Perhaps the writers just forgot about Paul's transplant, or maybe they figured that viewers wouldn't notice.  If so, they underestimated the show's fans, especially keen observers like you. Someone must have been asleep at the switch.  In he past, the writers have made a point of having recovering alcoholics drink club soda or sparkling water.  What next?  Will a pregnant Victoria be shown drinking wine?

By the way, I don't blame Cricket for being upset with Nikki for barging in on her honeymoon getaway with the Clueless Paul.  Nikki has some nerve disturbing the Cricketmeister and Clueless on some flimsy excuse about Ian Ward sicking the tabloid journalists on her.  Christine was right on the mark when she told Nikki that she should be turning to her own husband, Victor, for support.

CAST NEWS

There is some disappointing news for fans of Michael Muhney.  Michael officially announced that he won't be returning to his role as Adam Newman on Y&R.  He made the announcement on Twitter to his thousands of followers. "Just got an official call, although things got very close, I will not be returning to ‘Y&R,’"  he tweeted.  "That part of my life is over. Moving on…”

Nikki Newman is going to start drinking again.  She will have a new drinking buddy named Maureen, played by Meredith Baxter of Family Ties fame.  Meredith will be a great addition to the cast.  By the way, Y&R viewer, Fifi from Collingwood, Ontario thinks that Meredith's character will turn out to be Dr. Stitch's mother, whom he is probably protecting.  She may have killed Stitch and Kelly's abusive father and Stitch 'em up may have served time in prison for her sake.

A representative for The Young and the Restless described Meredith Baxter's new character, Maureen, as "a charming, intelligent, middle-class woman who has always aspired to a more privileged life than she's had.  She appears kind and sympathetic, but can be quite manipulative.  She is skilled at getting people to do the things she wants them to do by making them think it's their idea!"

Meredith Baxter will make her first appearance as Maureen on Friday, September 8 on CBS (Thursday, September 7 on Global TV in Canada).

Meredith Baxter

In October, Scott Elrod will be seen in the role of Avery's ex-husband, Joe Clark ( a familiar name to Canadians, that of our former prime minister).  I doubt that Dylan is going to be thrilled about Avery's ex showing up in town.


READER'S POLL

In the last edition of Y&R Report, I wrote a "whatever happened to . . . on Julianna McCarthy, who played Liz Foster for many years.  Now I would like to hear from readers.  Which former Y&R actor would you like me to do an update on?  This poll will give you a list of five former stars of the show to choose from.  On my next Y&R Report, I will do a "whatever happened to . . . on whomever you, the readers, decide on.  If there are other Y&R actors on whom you would like an update, please let me know.

Which of these five former Y&R actors would you like me to write a"Whatever happened to . . . ?" about?
	David Hasselhoff (fomer Dr.William "Snapper" Foster)
	Jaime Lyn Bauer (former Lorie Brooks)
	Brenda Dickson (former Jill Foster)
	Beau Kazer (former Brock Reynolds)
	Michael Damian (Danny Romalotti)
pollcode.com free polls

The nest edition of the Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, August 30, 2014.  

- Joanne

You Wanted to Know: On NCIS, was Pam Dawber the mysterious red-head in the silver car?

Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the mysterious red-head

The Mercedes-Benz St. 500

On NCIS, who portrayed the mysterious red-headed woman who sometimes picked up Special Agent Leroy Jethro Giibbs (Mark Harmon) in a silver car?  (The car was identified as a Mercedes-Benz St. 500 on the Internet Movie Cars Database)  Was it Mark's real-life wife, Pam Dawber?  The answer is NO.  The mystery woman was played by Australian Vivienne Bellisario (nee Lee), the fourth wife of NCIS creator Donald P. Bellisario.  They were married on November 27, 1998.

Vivienne was raised in Woolgoolga, a tiny beach town in Australia.  At the age of 16, she was Australia's National Fencing Champiion.  A talented woman, Vivien is also a painter who worked under the guidance of portrait artist Jeremy Lipking.

Donald and Vivienne Bellisario

Vivienne Bellisario is also the mother of Sean Murray (born November 14, 1977). Sean has played Timothy McGee.on NCIS since 2003. Sean's father is Craig Harland Murray, Vivienne's first husband, and  Donald P. Bellisario is his stepfather.

Prior to NCIS, Sean had a recurring role as Danny Walden in the military drama JAG (NCIS is a spin-off from JAG).   In 2000, he appeared in an episode of Boston Public called "Chapter 3" (Season 1, Episode 3, Air Date" November 6, 2000). He also had a role in a 1995 episode of the medical drama ER entitled "A Miracle Happens Here" (Season 2, Episode 10, Air Date: December 14, 1995).  His other television credits include appearances on Touched by an Angel (1999) and a recurring role as Zane Grey Hart in the Western/Comedy/Drama  Harts of the West from 1993 to 1994.

Sean Murray 

On November 26, 2005, Sean Murray wed Carrie James. They have two children, a daughter named Caitlyn Melissa Murray (born May 3, 2007), and a son, River James Murray (born April 22, 2010).

Sean Murray and Carrie James with family

END NOTES

* According to the NCIS website, the mysterious red-headed woman was often seen in the company of Special Agent Gibbs during Season One and Season Two.  Her last appearance to date was in the Season Three episode "Silver War."  Gibbs' colleagues (Anthony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee, Caitlin Todd and Ziva David were curious about the woman.  However, they never directly questioned Gibba about her.  Therefore, the mysterious red-head remains mysterious.  She may have been a girlfriend of Gibbs, but that was never clearly established.

* Sean Murray has a younger brother, Chad W. Murray, who is an NCIS producer.

* Donald Bellisario suffers from a neurological condition known as hydrocephalus or "water on the brain."  This condition causes disorientation and memory loss.

- Joanne

Y&R Report (August 2, 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.

The walls are closing in on Genoa City's own Dr. Delicious, as Chelsea's mother, Anita, referred to the not-so-good Dr. Stitch.  The truth has finally come out and Stitch 'em Up is sweating bullets.  "Dr. Ben Rayburn" is a fake and a fraud.  His real name is actually Ben Russell and he stole Rayburn's identity.  Not only that, but he killed his own father.

What's poor Princess Victoria to do?  She's in a real quandary She doesn't trust either Stitch or Billy Boy Abbott.  Daddy Victor refers to Billy as a punk and a playboy.  He's not good enough for the royal princess. However, Victor is impressed with the phony Dr. Rayburn because he is a war hero and a fine upstanding doctor.who saves lives.  The only problem is he killed his own father.  But wait . . . maybe  there's more to the story.  Maybe Stitch confessed to the crime in order to protect someone else . . .  his mother perhaps?

I don't know about you, but I find Mariah's crush on Nicholas Newman very creepy. After all. she is the spitting image of Cassie, who was Nick's adopted daughter.  I still think Mariah is Cassie's twin sister and that Sharon is actually her mother.  My guess is that Ian Ward took Mariah away from Sharon and that Sharon never knew that she had given birth to twins.  The woman that Mariah thinks is her biological mother is not.


VIEWER FORUM


From Patsy in Sarasota, Florida:

It is so unbelievable that Billionaire Devon who is driving his very expensive automobile does not have Auto Club to help out stranded drivers. Even General Motors has OnStar assist. 

You are absolutely right, Patsy.  Not only that, but why weren't either Devon's or Hillary's cell phones working?  I know that soaps can't be expected to be completely realistic, but REALLY!!!!!  How many coincidences can we be expected to endure?

Fifi in Collingwood, Ontario thinks it's ridiculous how fast both Paul Williams and Dylan McAvoy recovered so quickly form life-threatening conditions.  I strongly concur, Fifi. Paul was near death's door after being shot, and Dylan had a severe infection after donating part of his liver to save his father. Now the two of them are in the pink, running around as if they'd just recovered from nothing more serious than the flu. Once again, fans, if you want realism, you're not going to find it on daytime drama. However, I don't think people watch soaps because they want realism.

CAST NEWS

There's some good news for Shemar Moore fans.  Moore, who played Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless, before landing a role on the hit series Criminal Minds, is returning to the soap for two episodes on September 10 and September 11 (CBS) and September 9 and September 10 on Global TV in Canada. The actor has not been seen on Y&R for nine years.  Darius McCrary played the role of Malcolm from December 2009 until October 2011.

Shemar Moore is a Daytime Emmy winner and his brief return to Genoa City means that his Malcolm character will be able to tie up some loose ends.  We'll find out what he's been doing for almost two years and if he will be able to mend his relationship with his brother Neil (Kristoff St. John) and the rest of the Winters clan.

Although Shemar's return is only temporary, fans can still watch him on Criminal Minds, which will begin its tenth season this fall.


According to TV Guide, there will be a special two-day remembrance of Mrs.Chancellor on August 26 and 27 (CBS) and August 25 and 26 (Global TV). Tricia Cast (Nina Webster) and Michael Fairman (Murphy) will return for the episodes.


Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson Newman) is a newlywed.  She married Matt Katrosor on July 26, 2014.

Argentine actor Ignacio Serricchio, Detective Alejandro "Alex" Chavez, has not appeared Y&R since he landed a role on Bones.  At the moment, Detecteve Harding is doing Chavez's job.  However, Chavez was mentioned on the Friday, August 1, 2014 episode on Global.  It was stated that he had left town, but nothing was said about whether he would return.  Gloria will certainly be happy if and when he comes back. By the way, I have not heard or read any news about Serricchio's status on the show.


WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . . JULIANNA McCARTHY?

Julianna McCarthy, who played matriarch Liz Foster on the Y&R, is an original cast member from 1973. Julianna was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on August 17, 1929 and she will soon celebrate her 85th birthday. From 1953 until 1969, she was married to actor Michael Constantine (Constantine, 87, is best known for his roles as Seymour Kaufman, the high school  principal on Room 222 and the Greek father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  Julianna and Michael had two children, a son named Brendan Constantine and a daughter named Thea Constantine.

From 1973 to 1982, Julianna starred as Liz Foster, mother of William "Snapper" Foster, Greg Foster and Jill Foster.  She reprised her role as Liz in 1984, 1985-86, 1993, 2003-4 and 2008.  She made her final appearance in the role in June of 2010. During those years, her character was living in London, England with son "Snapper" and daughter-in-law Chris.  In 2010, Liz returned to Genoa City one last time and died in hospital.  Before her death, she revealed the identity of Jill's biological parents (Jill grew up not knowing that she had been adopted by the Fosters.  Longtime fans will remember that Liz was Mrs. Chancellor's housekeeper before Esther arrived on the scene.

Julianna has made appearances in many television series over the years such as NCIS Los Angeles (2010), Cold Case (2007), ER (1994) (2002), Six Feet Under (2002), Touched by an Angel (2001), Once and Again (2001), NYPD Blue (2000).  During the 1990s, she played the role of Mila on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and also portrayed Abigail Collins on Dark Shadows.

To watch a 2011 video of Julianna reading poetry, click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsT3o4VkSqU   

BEST LINE

The always humble Nicholas Newman made the following remark to Mariah:

NICK:  I'm super fun.  I'm fairly easy on the eyes and my personality is legendary.


That's all for now.  Don't forget that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear on Saturday, August 16. 2014.

- Joanne