Y&R Report (November 22, 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.

Well, fans, are you enjoying the November sweeps?  Victoria has finally had her baby - in the janitor's room in the Jabot parking garage.  The Princess gave birth in dramatic fashion with the help of the two prospective fathers - Billy Boy and Stich 'em Up.  What strange births they have on Y&R! No one seems to be able to get to a hospital.  Summer was born in an elevator at Jabot with the help of Jack Abbott. Delia was born when Chloe was at the Abbott cabin and there was no time to take her to a hospital.  She was delivered at the cabin by Billy Boy Abbot, Lily Winers and Sugar Cane Ashby.  If you remember, Traci Abbott didn't have time to get to the hospital either when she gave birth to her daughter Colleen. It was her then-husband Brad Carlton who delivered Colleen.

I'm not surprised that Victoria had a baby girl.  There are already two baby boys on the show, Connor and Johnny.  The Princess is the mother of two sons, Reed and Johnny.  So it's time she had a daughter.  It'also time to find out who the father of the sweet little child is (I hope the little one is not contaminated by that precious Newman blood).  Grandpa Victor is certainly thrilled about the birth because he has another grandchild to control and lavish money upon.  He was already planning her life in the hospital room with Victoria and I'm sure she'll soon have her own horse at the ranch.

Jack Abbott, thy name is WIMP!  Is any character on The Young and the Restless as spineless as Smilin' Jack?  In his dilemma over Phyllis and Kelly, he has shown absolutely no backbone.  He has delayed and hemmed and hawed, while being dishonest with both women.  Is it any wonder he has egg all over his face?  If he can get out of this one, he's a better escape artist than Harry Houdini.

Right now, it appears that Kelly is out in the cold and that Phyllis is the winner of the Spineless Sweepstakes.  The redhead certainly has the upper hand.  However, Phyllis may be setting Jellyfish Jack up for a fall in order to get revenge.  Since coming out of her coma, she has been extremely vindictive. Perhaps this is all part of scheme on Phyllis' part to punish Jack.  Maybe she'll dump him in the end and he will be left alone and humiliated.

Don't underestimate Kelly either.  She may have a voice as sweet as honey, but that doesn't mean she'll sit back and allow Phyllis to walk all over her.  She may not be that easily intimidated by Phyllis's tactics.

In situations such as this, Jack would normally receive some sage advice from the ghost of his late father, John Abbott,, played by Jerry Douglas.  Jerry, however, has not made any appearances on the show lately. Does this mean that John Abbott given up the ghost?

Nicholas Newman is really turning me off.  He's so self-righteous!  Who is he to judge with his track record?  Hasn't Sharon suffered enough?  Hasn't she paid a steep price for her actions?  Why does self-centred Nick have to rub more salt in her wounds by seeking sole custody of Faith?  It seems to me that Nick is being extremely vindictive and that he is displaying behaviour worthy of his father, the ruthless Victor Newman.

At least Mariah and Noah have displayed some sympathy for Sharon.  Although Sharon is far from perfect, she does try to be a good mother to her children, and Faith is far too young to be cut off from her.  Good for Noah too for standing up for his mother when Supergirl Summer was criticizing her. As if Supergirl's mom has been a paragon of virtue!

Please say it ain't so!  It's beginning to look more and more like Michael Baldwin is going to die. Given executive producer Jill Farren Phelps' penchant for killing off veteran characters, it's likely that Michael will soon be leaving this mortal coil - unless there is going to be some twist in the plot.  That seems unlikely, though. The writers probably want to free up Lauren for future romantic entanglements. The rumours about Christian LeBlanc leaving the show have been flying for quite a while now.  There has been an online fan petition to keep him on the show since early October.  If you are interested, here is the link.

http://soaphub.com/2014/10/08/save-michael-baldwin-petition/

Christian LeBlanc is a fine actor and a Daytime Emmy winner. So is Billy Miller (ex-Billy Abbott), but Y&R didn't keep him on the show.  If LeBlanc departs, he may join Billy and Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis Newman) on General Hospital. GH may scoop him up fast to add to their growing pantheon of former Y&R greats.  Michael Muhney (ex-Adam Newman) is waiting in the wings too.

Victor Newman crosses the bounds of decency over and over.  Yet so many people tell him he's right. He had some nerve to waltz into a hospital room and upset a person who had just suffered an heart attack and had undergone bypass surgery. Yet that's exactly what he did to Maureen!  Maureen, of course, should never have locked the pregnant Princess Victoria in the janitor's room.  However, to scold and threaten an ill woman is unconscionable.  It's also classic Victor Newmann.

Victor could have caused Maureen to die.  In the real world, a nurse would have stepped in to stop The Big Man from harassing a sick patient.  Nikki, by the way, was almost as bad.  Why didn't she tell The Black Knight to ease up on the unfortunate woman?  Why didn't she tell Victor that his reprimands could wait until Maureen was in better health.  As for Stitch'em Up's mommy, she's in for a really rough time.  Victor's parting words were, "I'll be your worst nightmare."  I have no doubt that he will.


CAST NEWS

Good news for fans of Steve Burton (Dylan McAvoy).  The actor has signed a new contract with the Y&R and has extended his stay on the show for another year. Burton joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2013.

I'm pleased that he's sticking around Genoa City because I want to see how the conflict between Avery's ex, Joe Clark, and Dylan plays out.  It's a David and Goliath situation, with Dylan as the underdog.


HAIR AND FASHION

Summer is no longer a blonde.  Supergirl has changed her hair colour.  It's now a reddish brown shade now, closer to Gina Tognoni's (Phyllis) colour.  Is she trying to look more like her television mother?

PHOTOS OF DOUG DAVIDSON'S APPEARANCE IN TORONTO

In my last Y&R Report, I mentioned that I was planning to see Doug Davidson (Paul Williams) On November 9th at the National Women's Show here in Toronto.  I was there and it was a pleasure to be in Doug's company.  Regular readers know that I joke about his character, Paul Williams, quite frequently, often referring to him as "Clueless"  However, Doug is a great guy and very down to earth.  By the way, someone in the audience asked him if he prefers playing Paul as Genoa's City's police chief rather than as a private eye.  Doug answered that he prefers portraying Paul as police chief because he likes to wear a badge.

A native of California, Doug was born in Glendale on October 24, 1954.  He has been married to actress Cindy Fisher since 1984.  The two met in the early 1980s when Cindy played Dana in the "cult" storyline.

Doug and Cindy have two 20-something children, daughter Calyssa and son Caden. When asked about his personal life, Doug expressed disappointment that he was unable to spend much time with them.  Calyssa, he said, lives in England while Caden, whom he has not seen for two years, resides in Taipei, Taiwan.

Doug has portrayed Paul Williams since 1978 and is the longest-serving member of the current cast. Although he is happy with his job, he regrets that it does not provide him with much flexibility for taking time off.

Y&R REPORT READER'S POLL

Do you think Michael Baldwin will die?

Type your answers here

Yes. they are setting us up for his death.

Yes. due to executive producer Jill Farren Phelp's reputation for killing off veteran characters.

No, they just want us to think he's going to die.

Other

Don't know

poll generator

That's all for now.  Here's a reminder that the next edition of Y&R Report will be posted in this space on Saturday, December 6, 2014.


- Joanne

TV Trivia For You #4: How Whitney Houston was offered a role on the Cosby Show and more

Here is the fourth installment of  TV Triva For You from TV Banter .  The first installment appeared on this blog  on June 14, 2012.  The second installment appeared on February 6, 2013 and the third appeared on June 30, 2014.

WHITNEY HOUSTON ALMOST STARRED ON THE COSBY SHOW

Whitney Houston circa 1985

DID YOU KNOW that Whitney Houston turned down a lead role on The Cosby Show? The singer, who died on February 11, 2012, was offered the role of Sondra Huxtable, the eldest daughter on the hit comedy series. Soon after Houston's tragic death, Jay Sandrich, the man who directed the first three season of the show, revealed that she auditioned for the role back in the early 1980s.  In an interview with the Daily Mail, Sandrich described how, after getting the job, Houston turned it down to pursue a fledgling music career.

So we gather in this room and there are kids fro New York and Los Angelses and they are all signing their contract, and this girl who we brought from New York said "I can't sign this contract."

And I said "Why?"  She said, "Well, I want to be a singer . . . I can't be in every show . . . I have to be in every tour."

Sabrina Le Beauf was cast as Sondra instead, and the character did not appear on the show until the middle of the first season. It is interesting to note that Le Beauf (born March 21, 1958) is only 10 years younger than Phylicia Rashad (born June 19, 1948), who portrayed her television mother, Clair Huxtable

Sabrina Le Beauf

When The Cosby Show finished its run in 1992, Le Beauf took a break from acting to pursue a career in interior decorating.  In 1993, she appeared as Ensign Giusti in a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled "Gambit." - Part 1:(Season 7. Episode 4, Air Date: October 9, 1993) and Part 2 (Season 7, Episode 5, Air Date: October 16, 1993).  From 2004 to 2005, she provided the voice for Norma Bindlebeep in 24 episodes of Fatherhood, an animated series co-created by Bill Cosby.



JOSEPHINE THE PLUMBER WAS MEAN TO SHIRLEY TEMPLE

DID YOU KNOW that Jane Withers, the actress who played Josephine the Plumber in commercials for Comet, portrayed Shirley Temple's nemesis in the 1934 movie Bright Eyes? It's true,!  Not only that, but her character was actually mean to sweet Shirley. I mean, really! Who could be mean to that cute, curly-haired child?

In Bright Eyes, Shirley Temple played Shirley Blake, the daughter of the wealthy Smythe family's maid. Jane played Joy Smythe, the nasty,outspoken daughter of the well-to-do Smythes.  Joy tormented Shirley, even telling her that there is no Santa Claus because "my psychoanalyst told me." Nevertheless, Jane and Shirley became good friends off screen.

Jane Withers and Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes (1934)

Recently, while watching a DVD of the second season of Hart to Hart, I heard a familiar voice. I recognized it immediately as that of Josephine the Plumber. After looking at the screen carefully, I realized that the woman was undeniably the actress who played Josephine.  In that Hart to Hart episode, entitled "Murder in the Saddle" (Season 2, Episode 12, Air Date: February 24, 1981), she portrayed Roxy McGuane, a cowgirl who looked after the Hart ranch.

At the time, I didn't know the name of the actress who played perky Josephine.  After doing a little research, I discovered that Jane was a child actor who began her career at the age of three.  She starred in her own radio show, "Aunt Sally's Kiddie Club," and was known by listeners as "Dixie's Dainty Dewdrop."  Her role in Bright Eyes was her first big break, although she was concerned that the public would turn against her for being mean to Shirley Temple in the film.

Her fear was unfounded as she continued to be cast as a child star in such movies as Patty O'Day (1935), Little Miss Nobody (1936) and The Holly Terror (1937).  As an adult, she appeared in Danger Street (1947), Giant (1956) and Captain Newman M.D. (1963).  In the classic film Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean, Jane played the role of Vashti, a friend of Taylor's character, Leslie,

Jane Withers in 1944

During the 1960s, Jane guest-starred on a number of television series such as Pete and Gladys (1962), Bachelor Father (1962), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963), Summer Playhouse (1964) and two episodes of The Munsters - "Pike's Pique" (Season 1, Episode 5, Air Date October 22, 1964) and "Grandpa's Lost Wife" (Season 2, Episode 20, Air Date: February 3, 1966).

Beginning in the 1960s until well into the 1970s, Jane Withers appeared in countless television commercials for Comet Cleanser.  Dressed in white overalls, she portrayed Josephine the Plumber and dished out friendly advice on removing stubborn stains from sinks and bathtubs, always extolling the virtues of Comet. Josephine was unusual for her time because she defied the stereotype of male plumbers.  TRIVIA NOTE: Withers was chosen for the part over many other actresses, including Ann B. Davis (Alice from The Brady Bunch).

Jane played the role of Helen Drummond in a 1975 television movie entitled All Together Now, about four orphaned children who have a month to demonstrate that they can remain together as a family without adult guidance.  She appeared on The Love Boat in 1980 and Hart to Hart in 1981.

During the the 1990s, Jane had a role in two episodes of the mystery series Murder She Wrote - "Who Killed J.B. Fletcher?" (1991) and "Ship of Thieves" (1993).  She also appeared in a 1995 episode of Amazing Grace, a short-lived series starring Patty Duke.

Jane was born April 12, 1926 in Atlanta, Georgia.  She is now 88 years old.  On September 20, 1947, she wed a wealthy Texas oilman named William P. Moss and retired from acting for several years. The couple raised three children - William, Wendy and Randy, but their marriage ended in divorce.

Jane Withers remarried in 1955, this time to Kenneth Errair, a member of a singing quartet called The Four Freshmen. They had two offspring - Ken and Kendall.   She was widowed on June 14, 1968 when Errair,died in a plane crash.



GOMEZ ADDAMS PLAYED THE RIDDLER

DID YOU KNOW that John Astin (Gomez on The Addams Family) took over the role of The Riddler on the 1960s Batman series?

Most of us remember the late Frank Gorshin as The Riddler on the series.  In 1967, however, Gorshin became embroiled in a contract dispute with the show.  It was Astin who replaced him in the The Riddler for two episodes during the dispute.  The episodes are "Batman's Anniversary" (Season 2, Episode 45, Air Date: February 8, 1967) and "A Riddling Controversy" (Season 2, Episode 46. Air Date February 9, 1967).

From 1964 to 1966, Astin starred as the moustachioed, cigar-chomping Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the ghoulish Addams family.  It was this role, opposite Carolyn Jones, as his TV wife, Morticia, that brought him fame and recognition.  By the way, Jones, who passed away from colon cancer in 1983, also played a villain on the Batman series.  She played Marsha, Queen of Diamonds in 1966 and 1967 (Perhaps you remember how the wicked Marsha almost succeeded in blackmailing the Caped Crusader into marrying her).

Carolyn Jones and John Astin as Morticia and Gomez Addams

Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Quenn of Diamonds

John Astin is the former husband of Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke.  He and Duke wed on August 5, 1972 and divorced in 1985.  Astin, now 84 years old, has been married to his third wife, Valerie Ann Sandobal,since 1989.


- Joanne

Y&R Report (November 8, 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.


Well, folks, are you really surprised that Nick and Sharon's Halloween wedding never happened?  I didn't think so.  It's been quite obvious that those two would not get married.  Their dream of uniting their family has turned into a nightmare.  As Victor would say, "It ain't gonna happen."

Poor Sharon!  Her life is collapsing all around her.  Everyone has turned away from her, even her beloved Nick. So much for his promise that no secret could change how he felt about her.  So much for his vows that that their relationship could withstand any deep, dark revelation.  He didn't even try to understand her side of the story. It didn't matter to him that she was mentally ill with bipolar disorder.  He just abandoned her and put up a wall, just as he did when Cassie died.

Nick's reaction was par for the course where he's concerned.  I wasn't one bit surprised.  The problem with that guy is that he is all dimples and no backbone. He's spineless.  He could see that Phyllis was bullying and tormenting Sharon and he didn't even tell her to stop.  She was ready to push Sharon down the stairs.

As for Nick's decision to have Faith live with him, that was really a cruel blow to the woman he so recently professed to love.  Sharon has made plenty of mistakes, but so have Mr. Dimples and the vicious Red Head.  Not only that, but they don't have bipolar disorder.

Phyllis was determined to get her revenge, and she got it!  Yet, who is she to be so judgmental of Sharon?  Remember when she tried to run over Paul and Christine a.k.a Cricket?  Remember how she broke up the marriage of the Cricketmeister and Danny Romalotti?  Remember how her affair with Nick broke his 10-year marriage to Sharon?  I don't remember Sharon intending to kill anyone, and she's never interfered with anyone's marriage.  As for Nick, I don't recall him becoming an outcast when he dumped Sharon and left his family for Phyllis.

Fiery Phyllis is on the warpath.  Kelly and Jack will be the next to feel her wrath. They had better watch out!  After discovering Kelly's photo in Jack's desk drawer, she is on the verge of discovering the truth about them.  Foolish Jack waited too long to be honest with Phyllis.  Now, because of his dithering and procrastination, he and Kelly will have to face her anger and vengeance.  We all know what they say about a woman scorned.  Well, that goes double for Phyllis.

As usual, Victor comes out smelling like a rose.  For the Black Knight, it's mission accomplished. He has achieved everything he set out to do.  He has succeeded in breaking up Nicholas and Sharon. In addition, he has the satisfaction of knowing that  Supergirl Summer has Newman blood flowing in her veins and that she is not tainted by Abbott blood.  As an added bonus, his arch-enemy, Jack Abbott, has really messed up with Phyllis and is heartbroken that he is not Supergirl's biological father.

I don't feel too bad for Summer.  She's happy that Nick the Jerk is her daddy.  In Nick's eyes, Sharon's worst offence was to upset Summer's life - even though she has been nothing but kind and supportive to Supergirl.  Remember that touching scene when Nick hugged his daughter and proclaimed, "No one is going to take my Supergirl away from me again."

I think there is a good chance that Jack Abbott's son, Kyle, will soon return to Genoa City.  Here's why.  Kyle was devastated when he learned that Summer is his half-sister.  He was quite smitten with Supergirl, Now that Jack phoned  him that Summer is actually Nick's biological daughter, and not his blood relative, he may leave New York and return to Genoa City.  That would definitely create problems for Supergirl's marriage to Austin.

VIEWER FORUM

Carly from Barrhaven, Ontario saw Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) at the Ottawa National Women's show on October 26, 2014.  She sent me an email about the event.  Here is what she wrote:

I went to see Melody Thomas Scott at the Women's Show yesterday.  She looked great & one of the questions posed to her is how she continues to look so good & using Renee Zellweger (who has had her face changed drastically & not for the better) as an example.  She just said that if she did not feel happy about something she would make changes but so far she feels good about herself & also said how much she loves to eat.  I was hoping someone would ask about all the cast members who have left especially Michael Muhney (ex-Adam) but no one did.  She was asked questions about acting with Eric Braeden (Victor) & basically she said that he is who he is & if he wants to get off the set he pretends to get a phone call on his cell which he does constantly in the storylines & they let him do it..so funny.  Lilana Novakovich (the woman who makes arrangements for soap stars to appear in Canada) was with her & they are good friends.   They auctioned off a bunch of vintage photos with the proceeds going to Ovarian Cancer.  

Carly also mentioned that Melody & Lilana arrived at 630 a.m. on a Sunday morning and the first thing they did was visit the War Memorial in Ottawa.  It was just days after the tragic shooting of a Canadian soldier there on the morning of October 22nd.  Thanks for sharing your information with us, Carly.

CAST NEWS

Another new character is coming to Genoa City.  Nadine Nicole, who portrayed Shari on The Bold and the Beautiful, will take on the recurring role of Gwen.  It seems as if her character has a split personality.  In a report in Soap Opera Digest, Gwen is described as conservative accountant at Jabot Cosmetics who who becomes an entirely different person at night.

Nicole, who is from Detroit, Michigan, has made appearances on several prime time shows including CSI and The Protector, will show up on The Young and the Restless on December 3 on CBS and December 2 on Global TV in Canada.

Nadine Nicole

SPECIAL NOTE FOR Y&R FANS IN TORONTO

Actor Doug Davidson, who portrays Clueless himself (Genoa City police chief Paul Williams), will be appearing on the main stage at the National Women's Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 1:30 P.M. tomorrow, Sunday November 9th.  I am planning to be there.  Doug has a great sense of humour.  I've seen him in person a few times.

National Women's Show

Toronto, Ontario

November 7-9, 2014
Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Show Hours
Friday, November 7, 2014, 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 8, 2014, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, November 9, 2014, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Bring a friend & have some fun!

SUNDAY

1:30 p.m.

Doug Davidson,

who stars as Paul

Williams,

discusses life on

“THE YOUNG

AND THE

RESTLESS”.

Doug Davidson, who stars as Paul Williams from The Young & the Restless, LIVE on Main Stage!

Meet Doug Davidson:

Celebrating 35 years in the role, Doug Davidson, who stars as Paul Williams, joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in May 1978. Nominated for his first Daytime Emmy in 2003, Doug picked up additional nods in 2011 Best Supporting Actor and in 2010 & won the EMMY in 2013 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama.

By the way, Amelia Heinle (Victoria Newman) has just finished visiting our fair city. She was here to attended some charity events.  Amelia had been scheduled to appear at the National Women's Show too, but cancelled out.



BEST LINE

NIKKI TO VICTORIA:

You know, you and Paul should start a club - the "I'm Worried About Nikki Society." I'm sure there'd be standing room only.


Y&R REPORT READER'S POLL

Is Nick treating Sharon too harshly?

Yes, definitely. Nick is behaving like a jerk. After all, he promised that no secret would destroy their relationship.

Yes, Sharon's bipolar condition caused her to behave that way,

No, Sharon deserves what's coming to her. She's hurt a lot of people. It's payback time.

Don't know.

Poll Maker

Please remember that the next edition of Y&R Report will be published on Saturday, November 22, 2014.



- Joanne