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Saturday, April 2, 2016

Y&R Report (April 2, 2016): 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 Victor Newman is behind bars - but not for long!  He may have been convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison, but he probably won't even spend ten days there.  Too bad!  I think he looks good in his orange jumpsuit.  The truth is that no matter how matter how much time Victor spends in jail, he will never admit he was wrong.  He will never accept responsibility for his misdeeds. The man is incorrigible.

He's back.  That's right, folks.  That snake-in-the-grass, Ian Ward, is in prison with Victor. I must say, he really knows how to get Victor's goat because Victor doesn't know how to deal with him.  "The Moustache" only knows brute force.  However, the sneaky cult leader uses words and psychological tricks to annoy The Big Man.  For example, he'll make some comment about his fondness for Nikki and Victor won't know how to deal with it.

Phyllis' has certainly gone off the rails.  The woman is unstable.  One minute she wants to completely destroy Victor and Newman Enterprises.  The next minute she tells Jack that she regrets her vindictiveness.  One minute she is kissing Billy and the next minute she doesn't want to lose Jack's love.  She and Victoria are really going to be enemies. Actually, I have more sympathy for Victoria, especially after the way Phyllis treated her friend, Michael Baldwin, and the position she put him in.  I just wish he had been stronger and resisted the arguments of Phyllis and Lauren.  However, there was a reason for Michael's disbarment.  It appears that he is going to be working for Victoria.



VIEWER FORUM

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name.  
My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca


I received a very thoughtful and insightful email from regular contributor CC in Etobicoke, Ontario. Here it is:


Hi Joanne,

Unfortunate that it may be, it is probably for the best that characters Jill and Esther are being phased out because their storylines were very much dependent on their relationship with Katharine Chancellor.  

Some time ago I read that the actress who plays Jill was wanting to retire to spend more time with family (grand kids) in Northern California.  She agreed to return for the major storyline after Katharine's death.  I suspect that her diminished role is in part her decision.

The whole storyline about Victor's evil doings etc. is so convoluted and 'way out there' that the writers will have to come up with some ridiculous explanation for his ever-worsening behaviour and evil character...something like a brain tumor, the onset of dementia, some kind of secret addiction, or deep rooted psychological problems (which we know he has) that have become heightened as he ages.  That is certainly how it would be explained in real life.  Soap opera life as we know is a real stretch from reality.

As far as Eric is concerned, his age and demons are very evident on screen. Close-ups reveal that make up cannot disguise skin pigmentations caused by things like excessive long term unhealthy habits; we rarely see full length shots of him doing anything physical like walking across a room; he is usually sitting behind a desk or table.  I am especially dismayed to see his shoddy, unkempt appearance.  It certainly leaves me wondering about how much he is willing to give to his craft after all these years.

As far as the Summer and Luca S. possible storyline looming on the horizon, it is already a dud for me.  The character of Summer has little substance and Hunter King is just wrong for the part.  Her acting skills are limited, she looks far older than her character should be, she is not attractive enough to be the daughter, granddaughter, and niece in the Newman family.

I don't know why the producers were willing to extend the perk of allowing her the leeway to take on other roles, but wouldn't do the same for the huge talented and popular Billy Miller.  They need to cut her loose and recast the role with someone who is more talented and better fits the part. Given the plot turn for Marisa/ Noah/Luca it stands to reason that she may be leaving.  The great love affair is already waning.

I expect you are wondering what keeps me watching.  I'm wondering that myself? Time will tell.

Thanks for your intriguing insights to the lives of the folks of Genoa City.


Thank you for your letter, CC.  I agree with you that the death of Katherine Chancellor has affected the storylines of Jill and Esther.  I can understand your point, especially in Jill's case.  However, where Esther is concerned, I am baffled by what the writers did.  They started a new storyline for her character.  The disenchanted maid left the Chancellor mansion and was about to start a new life.  She was hired to work at Crimson Lights, Dylan's coffee shop.  Why didn't the writers follow through? Did they suddenly decide that the storyline wouldn't work out.  If so, why did they begin it in the first place?  Don't they consider everything carefully before they begin a new plotline?  Kate Linder, who plays Esther, had her hopes up that she would be given an exciting new storyline.  She must be so disappointed.  It's also not fair to viewers to just leave a storyline hanging.  It's shoddy writing.  How long can they keep saying that Esther is in the backroom of the coffeehouse?

In the case of Eric Braeden, keep in mind that the man is 74 years old.  He's been a good athlete all his life. playing tennis and boxing.  Not everyone on a soap has to be young and unblemished.  Why should he be expected to have cosmetic surgery?  There are so many actors who have distorted their faces with Botox and plastic surgery.  I applaud Eric for being his own man.  It's a refreshing change.

Oh yes, you were right about Victor having an illness, and you may also be right about the illness affecting his behaviour).

As for Summer, I'm not a big fan of the character, especially right now.  I can't stand the way she's been defending Grandpa Victor so strongly.  I'm not a huge fan of Hunter King's acting ability either.  However, I don't think she's as wrong for the part as you do.  She's a good foil for Mariah.  I really enjoy when Mariah calls her "Snowflake."  (By the way, aren't you thrilled that she's been nominated for another Daytime Emmy?).  Yes, the producers definitely erred in allowing her the freedom to take an extended role, but not Billy Miller. Although I'm getting used to Jason Thompson in the role of Billy Abbott, I still miss Billy Miller and I don't think anyone will ever play the part as well.

Here's why I think we keep watching The Young and the Restless, CC, even when we're not particularly captivated by the storylines:  Most of us need a diversion.  In most cases, it's a form of harmless escapism.  We can watch characters who have more problems than we do.  Our choices in life don't seem so bad in comparison to the poor judgement displayed by soap characters.


Another Y&R viewer, Helen in Scarborough, Ontario, is not impressed with Billy Abbott's makeover of the Chancellor home.  Helen says that Billy Boy has transformed the Chancellor estate into the Munster mansion.  Well, Helen, you will be pleased to know that Judith Chapman, who hasn't been seen in her role as Gloria Bardwell for ages, agrees with you.  She doesn't like Billy's taste in decor either.  Here's what she tweeted:

Dear God in Heaven! I always knew Jill would destroy my home. Turns out, I was worried about the wrong Jill… (Editor's Note: The other Jill is Y&R's executive producer Jill Farren Phelps).

Just need to say… To ALL OF YOU, Who liked, and commented on my post (shared with me) about the demise of KATHERINE CHANCELLOR’S MANSION… from a timeless version of elegance, taste, love, and knock down, drag out fun and drama to a gray, lifeless, colorless institution… Not unlike another colorful “SEE AND BE SEEN PALACE”… GLOWORM, designed by the brilliant Joe Bavaqua (no across the hall at BandB) burned to the ground, and replaced with a hotel, airport land bar…



CAST NEWS



New Character in Genoa City

Beginning on April 29th on Friday, April 29th on CBC (April 28th on Global TV in Canada), Michael Roark will appear in the role of Travis.  Travis is described as "a mysterious stranger who sets his eyes on someone in Genoa City.  There has been speculation that he is the father of Shawn's child, David, but you never know what characters he will interact with.


Robert Adamson (Noah Newman) taken off contract





Sorry, Robert Adamson fans!  Expect to see less of him on screen.  Daytime Confidential reported that Y&R has bumped the actor to recurring status.  Actually, I'm not surprised.  The writing was on the wall when Sofia Pernas was recently taken off contract too.  Apparently, the reason cited was "lack of storyline," which just doesn't ring true.  Noah has been front and centre.  My guess is that it's a cost cutting measure.  

Downgrading actors seems to be a frequent occurrence for Y&R lately.  It doesn't bode well for the future of the actors involved.  They seem to just fade away after being reduced to recurring status. Looked what happened to Judith Chapman (Gloria).  She hasn't appeared on screen for ages. Lachlan Buchanan (Kyle Abbott) was taken off contract and then left the show.  His character is now in exile in New York.



Y&R READER'S POLL

Do you approve of the way Billy Abbott has renovated the Chancellor estate?

Yes, he has good taste. It looks good.
Yes, it's about time the place had a makeover.
I'm not sure yet. Maybe it will grow on me.
No, it looks hideous. Mrs. C. must be turning in her grave.
Other
Please Specify:
create quizzes


That's all for now. Here are a  couple of reminders:

The Daytime Emmys are coming up.  The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 1st. The Young and the Restless leads the pack with a total of 27 nominations.  General Hospital is second with 24.  Unfortunately, the event will not be televised due to the cost and to low ratings.  Discussions are underway to have the ceremony aired as a live webcast.  What a sad reflection on the current state of daytime television!

 The next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, April 16, 2016,


- Joanne

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