Dr, Kildare Quiz

Vincent Massey (left) and Richard Chamberlain

TV BANTER QUIZ #26


Forget Dr. Dereck Shepherd (Patrick Depsey) also known as "McDreamy" on Grey's Anatomy.  Back in the 1960s, Richard Chamberlain, star of Dr. Kildare, was the original Dr. McDreamy.  Teenage girls swooned over him.

Dr. Kildare was a medical drama that aired on NBC from 1961 until 1966.  It ran for five seasons and  a total of 190 episodes were produced (132 one-hour episodes and 58 half-hour episodes).  The series was based on a fictional character, Dr. James "Jim" Kildare, created by American author Frederick Schiller Faust, who used the pen name Max Brand.  

Dr. Kildare Quiz


1.  What was the name of the large metropolitan hospital where Dr. Kildare took place?

A.  Memorial Hospital

B.  Central Medical Center

C.  Lakeview General Hospital

D.  Blair General Hospital

E.  Eastmount General Hospital



2.  What was the name of the senior doctor played by Raymond Massey in the series?

A.  Dr. Leonard Gillespie

B.  Dr. David Zorba

C.  Dr. Joseph Gannon

D.  Dr. Stephen Marcus

E.  Dr. Richard Kiley



3.  Who played Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare films?  (This is your bonus question  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly).

A.  Robert Young

B.  Henry Fonda

C.  Lionel Barrymore

D.  Don Ameche

E.  Glenn Ford



4.  How did Dr. Gillespie's portrayal different in the Dr. Kildare TV series than in the films?

A.  Dr. Gillespie had a German accent in the films, not on he television show.

B.  Dr. Gillespie was a bachelor in the films.  He was a widower on the television show.

C.  Dr. Gillespie was blind in the films, not on the television series.

D.  Dr. Gillespie was a recovered alcoholic on the television series, not in the films.

E.  Dr. Gillespie was in a wheelchair in the films, not on the TV show.



5.  What is significant about an episode of Dr. Kildare entitled "Behold the Great Man"?

A.  It was filmed in New York City.

B.  It was the first episode of Dr. Kildare to be broadcast in colour.

C,  It is the only episode in which a patient of Dr. Kildare dies.

D,  It is the only episode in which Raymond Massey does not appear.

E.  Dr, Kildare marries a nurse, but she is killed in a car accident.



6.  Which of the following actors turned down the role of Dr. Kildare on the television series?


A.  Adam West

B.  Ryan O'Neal

C.  William Shatner

D.  Robert Redford

E.  Robert Vaughn



7.  What happened to Dr. Kildare by the third season of the show.

A.  He went on a vacation to Europe.

B.  He fell in love with a nurse.

C.  He discovered that he was adopted.

D.  He was promoted to the position of Chief Resident by his mentor and Chief of Staff, Dr. Gillespie.

E.  He is wrongly accused of medical misconduct and loses his medical licence.



8.  What is the name of the theme song from Dr. Kildare?

A.  Three Stars Will Shine Tonight

B.  The Light of Hope

C.  Bright Moon

D.  Special People

E.  For You



9.  Who sang the theme song from Dr. Kildare?

A.  Bobby Darin

B.  Matt Monro

C.  Bobby Rydell

D.  Andy Williams

E.  Richard Chamberlain



10.  In 1964, Gillespie and Kildare go to Rome, ostensibly for medical reasons.  Of course, it was really to create a setting for romantic sparks to fly.  In the three-part saga, Kildare falls for an Italian noblewoman, played by Daniela Bianchi.  Meanwhile, Gillespie rekindles an old wartime romance   What was the name of the song Richard Chamberlain sang a song during the episode?

A. Eternal City

B.  Arrivaderci Roma

C.  Rome Will Never Leave You

D.  Bella Roma

E.  Rome is for Romance

L to R: Chamberlain, Daniela Bianchi and Massey

ANSWERS

1.  D

The setting for Dr. Kildare was a large fictional metropolitan hospital called Blair General Hospital. The large white building shown at the beginning of each episode to represent the hospital was really the Irving Thalberg Building on the MGM Pictures set.


2.  A

Raymond Massey played the role of the curmudgeonly Dr. Leonard Gillespie, Kildare's mentor. Here's some trivia of particular interest to Canadian readers, Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario,  In 1952, his older brother, Vincent Massey, became the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.  Vincent Massey died in 1967 at the age of 80.  Raymond Massey passed away in 1983 at the age of 86,


3.  C

Lionel Barrymore played Dr. Gillespie and Lew Ayres played Dr. James Kildare in a series of MGM films beginning with 1938's Young Dr. Kildare.  Below is a photo of Barrymore (left) and Ayres in the movie Young Dr. Kildare.

4.  E

Raymond Massey (left) as Gillespie without wheelchair

In the Dr. Kildare movie series, Lionel Barrymore portrayed Dr. Gillespie in a wheelchair.  In the television series, Raymond Massey's Dr. Kildare did not have a wheelchair.


5. B,

"Behold the Great Man" (Season 5, Episode 1, Air Date: September 13, 1965) was the first episode of Dr. Kildare to be broadcast in colour.  In addition to being broadcast in colour, the series underwent a change in format in its fifth and final season.  It began airing twice a week as a half-hour program instead of once a week for a an hour.


6.  C

According to his autobiography (Up Till Now: The Autobiography), William Shatner, who later shot to fame as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, was originally offered the role of Dr. Kildare.  Shatner turned it down.  James Franciscus, who also turned the role before it was offered to the largely unknown Richard Chamberlain.  Franciscus starred in NBC's Mr. Novak from 1963 to 1965.

Despite turning down the lead role, William Shatner appeared in six episodes of Dr. Kildare.  He portrayed Dr. Toby Cunningham in a 1961 episode entitled "Admitting Service" (Season 1, Episode 6, Air Date: November 2, 1961).  In 1966, during Season 5 of the series, he played the role of Dr.Carl Noyes in five episodes.

William Shatner on Dr. Kildare in 1966

7,  D

By the third season, Dr. Kildare was promoted from intern to resident by Dr. Gillespie.  In the first season, Kildare, had two intern colleages, Drs. Agurski (Eddie Ryder) and Gerson (Jud Taylor). However, they were written out after the first season as the focus of the show shifted to the patients.



8,  A

The theme song for Dr. Kildare was "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight," music by Jerry Goldsmith and lyrics by Hal Winn.


9.  E

Richard Chamberalain sang "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight,"  It was released as a single in 1962 and became a hit, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.


10.  C

The song "Rome Will Never Leave You" was commissioned specifically for the episode in Rome.  It was composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.



END NOTES

Here is the cast of Dr. Kildare

Richard Chamberlain as Dr. James Kildare

Raymond Massey as Dr. Leonard Gillespie (1961-1966)

Eddie Ryder as Dr. Simon Agurski (1961-1962)

Jud Taylor as Dr. Thomas Gerson (1961-1962)

Joan Patrick as Receptionist Susan Deigh (1961-1962)

Steve Bell as Dr. Quint Lowry (1965-1966)

Ken Berry as Dr. Kapish

Jo Helton as Nurse Conant

Jean Inness as Nurse Fain (1965-1966)

Lee Kurty as Nurse Zoe Lawton (1965-1966)

John Napier as Ken Cleveland (1966-1967)

Robert Paget as Dr. John Ross

Cynthia Stone as Mrs. Salt

* Richard Chamberlain was born on March 31, 1934.  He is now 82 years old.  Chamberlain also starred with Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown in the 1983 blockbuster mini-series The Thorn Birds.

* Eddie Ryder, who portrayed Dr. Simon Agurski during the first season of Dr. Kildare, died on March 29, 1997 at the age of 74.  He appeared on television until the 1980s in such shows as The Dukes of Hazard, Hill Street Blues and General Hospital.  Ryder also played the role of Jerry Page in the 1986 television movie A Masterpiece of Murder.

Eddie Ryder

* Jean Inness, who played Nurse Beatrice Fain, died of cancer on December 27, 1978 at the age of 78.

Jean Inness

- Joanne

Y&R Report (June 25, 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.

Victor Newman has become so utterly ruthless and evil that he appears psychotic.  He's better suited to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane than a prison.  It was his son Adam who summed up Victor's sickly state of mind most accurately. When the elder Newman declared, with a straight face, that his conscience was clear, Adam retorted, "That's because you don't have one." Even Ian Ward seems more sane than the "The Moustache."

My point, fans, is that Victor's current behaviour is completely abnormal.  He's far worse than both Ian Ward and Patty Williams, and far more dangerous.  Now he's joined forces with yet another psychotic - namely Chloe Mitchell.  Since Elizabeth Hendrickson, who portrays Chloe, has returned to the show, it is obvious that she is the mysterious woman who is helping Victor Newman frame Adam for the murder of Costance Bingham.  The unbalanced Chloe absolutely hates Adam and she would gladly assist Victor in destroying Adam's life.

Victor certainly attracts a lot of visitors to his prison cell and he manages to intimidate them all.  He goes right on the offensive and forces his family and "friends" to go on the defensive.  There's one person, however, who handles Victor very effectively.  He stands up to old Vic and doesn't take any guff from him.  That's the prison warden himself, Mitch Pulman.  I enjoy the way Warden Pulman lays down the law with "Moneybags."  He doesn't allow Victor to manipulate him.  He's also very firm with the very foolish Dr. Meredith Gates.

Sharon is off her medication.  She threw her meds into a garbage bin, but didn't seem concerned that Dylan might discover them there.  Now she's being haunted by visions of Sage.  Kelly Sullivan, who plays Sage, appears to be having a great old time playing an apparition.  She seems tor relish giving Sharon the death stare and scaring her out of her wits.

Should Summer and her Aunt Victoria trust the men in their lives?  Snowflake seems so happy with Luca, frolicking around the swimming pool.  Victoria just loves to dance with Travis at his dingy bar. Are they both in for major disappointments.  Were either of those men them behind the disastrous Newman oil spills?

Luca may have feeling for Summer, but will he put her ahead of his overriding ambitions?
I don't think so.  He doesn't want to hurt Snowflake but he is determined to gain control of Newman Enterprises.  That is his priority.  Summer's heart is going to be broken.

I wonder about Travis.  Lately, he seems too good to be true.  Is he really as ethical about business as he claims to be?  Did he really leave Wall Street because he wanted to change his life?  Victoria is reluctant to trust him, having been lied to so often.  At the moment,she seems to be buying in to Travis' explanations for his actions, though. Admittedly, Travis' explanations sound more plausible than Luca's, but is he just a very good talker?   Are aunt and niece both destined to suffer a broken heart or is Travis the real deal?  Could either (or both)  Luca and Travis be working for Victor?  If Victor is behind the oil spills, along with his other schemes, he sure is a busy man behind those prison walls.  He's orchestrating more evil deeds than when he was free.

Why is Billy Abbott so jealous of Travis if he is so enamoured of Phyllis?  Why is he so hostile toward Victoria's "new man?"  Perhaps it's the storyline, but I find Billy, as portrayed by Jason Thompson, to be quite unlikable.  His character has become dark and vengeful, as reflected by the terrible decor at his new home, the former Chancellor mansion.  He's also seems to have lost the boyish sense of humour he had when Billy Miller played the role.

Y&R should lighten up a bit.  It's too tense.  So many of the residents of Genoa City are nervous and stressed.  Why not have a few more funny scenes or a summer barbecue party in Chancellor Park?

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

Here is a comment from regular contributor, CC in Etobicoke, Ontario.  CC writes about the online theory that Bethany, played by Chrishell Stause (the real life girlfriend of Justin Hartley, who plays Adam Newman), was cast on the show to appease the demands of her boyfriend.

I agree with this theory. Both the actress and the character are lame.

I tend to agree with you, CC.  I think thee's some nepotism involved.  Justin is a very good actor and The Young and the Restless certainly does not want to lose him.  The producers know that he will soon be starring on a prime time series called This is Us and they don't want him to leave Y&R because he doesn't want to do both shows.  Justin Hartley keeps the ratings up and he has a large fan following.  The last thing the producers need is a serious fan backlash.  There is little doubt that they want to keep him happy. There is also little doubt that they want to go through the arduous process of casting a new Adam Newman.  The character of Adam is central to the storyline.  He and Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) are a very popular couple, They have chemistry. Speaking of Melissa, she is a good friend of Chrishell and she was quite pleased to have her on the show.  I'm sure the producers want to keep her satisfied too.

Having said all that, I must remind you that, according to Internet reports,  Chrishell's "arc as Bethany" spans 12 episodes.  It doesn't appear that she is a permanent cast member. Since you are obviously not impressed by her acting ability, you will be pleased to know that she probably won't be on Y&R much longer.  Her character was needed to be a decoy to prevent Jack from discovering the truth about Phyllis and Billy.  We all know that Billphyll  (Phyllbill?)  won't be able to keep their dirty little secret hidden much longer.


CAST NEWS

Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) is a new father

Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) is a new father.  His wife, Paloma, gave birth to a baby boy recently. The child's name is Bowie.  Hmmm . . . Maybe he and Paloma were fans of the deceased singer David Bowie and they decided to pay tribute to him by naming their child after him.



Alyvia Alyn Lind (Faith Newman) to star in another Dolly Parton TV movie

Aly Lind with Dolly Parton

Talented child star Alyvia Alyn Lind will portray a young Dolly Parton again in the sequel to last year's television TV movie Coat of Many Colors.  The sequel is a special for the holiday season and is titled Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.  The cast of the original film will be featured in the new one as the story of the Parton family of rural Tennessee unfolds.


Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

In the last edition of Y&R Report, I mentioned that Michael E. Knight (Dr. Simon Neville) may be exiting The Young and the Restless.  A report claims that he will be leaving the show soon. According to TVInsider writer Michael Logan, the decision to let him go was made under former Executive Producer Jill Farren Phelp.

Michael was never on contract, but he was involved in a huge storyline.  In my opinion, it's a huge mistake to let him leave.  He hasn't even had his much-anticipated epic romance with Ashley Abbott yet.  Fans really want to see that happen.  How can it be left unfinished?  What will happen to the drug trial storyline involving several major characters, with Hilary and Ashley front and centre.  Now that Jill Farren Phelps has departed, why can't the decision regarding Michael E. Knight be reversed? I and many other fans will be disappointed and unsatisfied if Neville leaves Genoa City.  The storyline can't be the same without him.

Do you agree with me about Michael E. Knight or do you have a different opinion?

Are you disappointed that Michael E. Knight (Dr. Neville) may be leaving Y&R?

Yes, he's a good actor and I would like to see a romance between Dr. Neville and Ashley Abbott

No, I don't really like his character. I can do without him on the show.

It really doesn't matter very much to me.

Other

Please Specify:

Survey Maker

That's all for now.  The next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday July 9, 2016.  

- Joanne

Some notes for fans of The Carol Burnett Show

On Saturday, July 16th, 2016 at 4 p.m., Christopher Korman, son of comedian Harvey Korman, and Wesley Hyatt, author of The Carol Burnett Show Companion: So Glad We Had This Time, will be doing a meet and greet at Book Soup in West Hollywood, California.  The Carol Burnett Show Companion is the ultimate book about The Carol Burnett Show.  

For more detailed information about the event, click on the link below.

http://www.booksoup.com/event/wesley-hyatt-and-christopher-korman-discuss-and-sign-carol-burnett-show-companion

CHRISTOPHER PETER KORMAN (currently an executive at Hunt Talent Managent)

Chris is the son of beloved comedian Harvey Korman.  He is an actor, radio talent and TV historian and star of the Disney Video, Through the Mind's Eye, He attended Lesley College in Cambridge MA. and studied theatre history.  He worked as co-host/board member for the non-profit Marianne Frostig Golf Tournament from 1971-1986 and as a spokesperson for the charity organization  Keshet of Chicago.  He later became an assistant to George DiCenzo acting workshops in New York and Pennsylvania and trained in stage-managing at Colorado Mountain College under Thomas Chochran.  He has worked behind the scenes in networking on behalf of performers for 15 years.


WESLEY HYATT

Westley Hyatt is a writer and television historian.  He is the author of several non--fiction books such as Television's Top 100: The Most-Watched American Broadcasts, 1960-2010, A Critical History of Television;s The Red Skelton Show, 1951-1971, Kicking Off the Week: A History of Monday Night Football on ABC Television, Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004, Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops, The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Daytime TV but Didn't Know Where to Look!, The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits



Christopher Korman has advised me that his second segment of his tribute to the Burnett show will be airing from June 29th to July 4th on TV Confidential, Ed Robertson's radio talk show about television.  The first segment can be listened to in the archive section of TV Confidential's website. Here is the link:

http://www.tvconfidential.net

- Joanne

Petula Clark and Harry Belafonte: The Interracial Touch

Times sure have changed, and in some ways for the better.  Back in 1968 (48 years ago), Petuala Clark and Harry Belafonte created quite a stir while performing a song together on a prerecorded television special.  It wasn't planned.  It came about quite innocently and spontaneously.

British pop singer Petuala Clark enjoyed a string recording successes in the 1960s, including a massive hit with "Downtown." Early in 1968, NBC invited Petula to host her own American TV special. Jamaican-American singer and musician, Harry Belafonte, was also invited to perform on the show and sing a couple of songs with Petula.  Harry, an ardent supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, had popularized Calypso and Caribbean music during the 1950s.

In March of 1968, an incident occurred during the taping of Petula's NBC special.  It happened when Clark and Belafonte sang a duet called "On the Path of Glory" an ant-war song that Clark had composed.  Near the end of the song, Petula instinctively touched Harry's arm.  So what?  Why was there such a big deal over that?  Well, it happened that an executive at the Chrysler Corporation, the show's sponsor, was in attendance at the taping.  The executive, a man named Doyle Lott, objected to the "interracial touching" and was concerned that it would offend the sensibilities of viewers in the South.  He wanted to substitute a different take, with Clark and Belafonte standing apart from each other.

Steve Binder, the producer/director of the  special, discussed the incident in an interview for the Archive of American Television.  Here is how he described it:

Now we did the show and we got to this "Paths of Glory" song.  And originally I had staged it where it was after Harry had done his solo act.  And then Petula enters and she moves downstage and stops. And she's over his shoulder.  And something wasn't working.  We did, like, three takes like that .  And I finally said, "Stop!"  I went down and I told Petula, "Next time you come out, go all the way up to Harry and stand along side of him."  Which she did.  And she immediately . . . emotionally, I cold tell the two of them were really getting into the lyrics and what the song was saying.  And she reached out and touched Harry's forearm 

According to Steve Binder.  "Doyle Lott had gone bananas . . . bonkers and he wanted this edited out immediately," Binder told the Archive of American Television, "You'd thought they'd fornicated on the air."

However, with the backing of NBC, the original takes were erased. and only the "touching" take remained.  Petula Clark, who owned the special, was clearly opposed to Lott's interference.  She and her husband, Claude Wolff, the show's executive producer, refused.to acquiesce to his demand.  They insisted that the special be shown intact or it would not be broadcast at all.

An Associated Press story (March 7, 1968) quoted Doyle Lott as saying, "I was tired.  I over-reacted to the staging, not to any feeling of discrimination."  AP also reported that Belafonte had received an apologetic phone call from Lott.  When Lott implied that it was someone else who had complained about the incident, Harry then responded, "It was you who did it.  Your apology comes 100 years too late."

The apology was also too late to save Doyle Lott's job.  He was relieved of his position as advertising manager of Chrysler's Plymouth division.  Still, the incident made international headlines. Newspaper stories and magazine articles sparked public interest in the NBC special, entitled Petuala,

Petula was broadcast on April 2, 1968, just two days before the assassination of Martin Luther King, with the controversial take intact.  It received positive reviews and high ratings.

To the mind of a 21st century millennial, all that fuss over the Clark-Belafonte incident may seem ridiculous.  However, it is important to put the incident in context with the times. There was a great deal of racial tension in the United States in 1968 and physical touching between blacks and whites was not seen on televisions screens then.  Still, Variety concluded its review of "Petula" with the reflection that "the touching   which caused such a stir . . . could only disturb the spiritually sick."

It may seem hard to believe now, but when Petula Clark inadvertently touched Harry Belafonte's arm, her gesture made television history.  It is regarded as the first instance on American prime time television of physical touching between a black man and a white woman.  The previous year, new ground was broken when African-American actor Sidney Poitier played a doctor who was engaged to a white woman in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (In 1967, interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 U.S. states, mostly Southern). Television had some catching up to do.

Here is a YouTube video of Petula Clark and Harry Belafonte singing "On the Path of Glory."  Take a look.

END NOTE

On September 22, 2008, Petula Clark and Claude Wolff marked the 40th anniversary of the original airing of Petula by appearing at the Paley Center for Media in New York City. They participated in a discussion about the broadcast and its significance.



- Joanne

Y&R Report (June 11, 3016): 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 characters on Y&R make terrible decisions and ghastly errors.  Yet, if they did not have bad judgment, they would not make any mistakes.  If they did not make any mistakes, there would not be any conflicts or storyines.  Take Billy and Victoria, for instance (Or should I say, take Billy and Victoria . . . please!).  Those two keep looking for love in all the wrong places - Billy, with his sister-in-law, the fiery Phyllis, and Victoria with Travis, a former Wall Street mogul turned bar owner.

Speaking of Travis, it will be interesting to find out why he had to leave Wall Street to run a dingy bar in Genoa City.  Why is he in such dire financial straits?  Now that he knows that "Tori" is really the wealthy Victoria Newman, he's sure going to try to take advantage of the connection.  Now that Victoria knows that Travis has some secrets of his own, will she still want to dance with him in that dank bar?  One thing's for sure.  She's going to pay the price for thinking that a virtual stranger would never deceive her or conceal things from her the way Billy did.

Luca Santori is just waiting in the wings to make his power play for Newman Enterprises. He's getting ready to pounce and he has Supergirl Summer by his side.  What more could a man want?  Ah, but there's one huge fly in the ointment for Señor Santori.  Daddy Nick and Mommy Phyllis don't want the power-hungry Spaniard anywhere near their beloved daughter.  That's why Phyllis has devised a plan by which they kill him with kindness and let him think they've accepted him.  Will it work?  Will they catch him off guard?  Here's what I think will happen.  Santori will come very close to sitting at the Great Victor Newman's desk,  He may even wrest the company from Victoria for a while (I can imagine him sitting in Victor's chair, impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place).  Adam, despite having promised Chelsea that he will stay away from Newman Enterprises, won't be able to let Luca to run the show.  He'll step in and push Luca aside.  In the end, naturally, Victor will wind up sitting at his desk again and that infernal portrait of him will continue to hang on the wall.

Here is what I think about Victor Newman's relationship with the foolhardy and unprofessional Dr. Meredith Gates: Ugh!  Yuck!  That says it all folks.  Speaking of the nefarious Newman, it looks as if he's headed for solitary confinement - no visits and no infirmary privileges (or shall we say hank-panky).

What is going on with Hilary's character?  The writers have turned her into a kind of female Victor Newman.  She's begun such a villain.  She was originally quite aggressive and confident, but now she's become outright ruthless.  She's willing to endanger the lives of those using Dr. Neville's drug therapy by putting in on the market too early.  In a confusing plotline, the mystery surrounding the death of Constance has been tied to the sucide of the lab technician at Dr. Neville research project and to Hilary.

BREAKING NEWS . . . Y&R Executive Producer Jill Farren Phelps has been fired.

There's been a big shakeup at The Young and the Restless.  Daytime Confidential reported that executive producer Jill Farren Phelps has been fired.  On Tuesday, June 7, CBS confirmed that she has been let go.  That means, of course,that there will be changes to the show.  According to TV Line, Mal Young will be replacing the controversial Phelps.  Young joined Y&R earlier this year as supervising producer.  He is British and is the former executive producer of the very popular British soap EastEnders.

Jill Farren Phelps

Mal Young

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

Regular contributor CC in Etobicoke, Ontario has sent me an email expressing her opinions on the firing of Jill Farren Phelps and Chrishell Stause, the actress who plays Bethany.

Finally!!!!  I hope this (the firing of Phelps) helps improve things.  Too much parachuting in of new characters if only to detract from the true culprits or get the leading characters off the hook (eg. the lab tech who ends up dead, Brittany? er . . . Bethany? - Billy's pawn to force Phyllis' hand. This one is some kind of nepotism, maybe even a clause in Justin Hartley's contract (She's his girlfriend in real life).  Bethany (Chrishell) is not that spectacular looking, not all that talented, but she seems to have dumbness down to an art.

Well, CC, you are obviously not a fan of Jill Farren Phelps, nor do you have high regard for Chrishell Stause (to put it mildly).  We all know that Phelps would not win any popularity contests.  Many soap fans detest her.  She been reviled as a "slayer of soaps" due to her reputation for firing fan favourites and her penchant for messing with storylines.  Many Y&R viewers have still not gotten over the loss of Billy Miller (ex-Billy Abbott) and Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis), despite the fact that neither one was fired.  They both chose to leave.  Stafford felt that it was time for her to become involved in new projects.  As for Billy Miller, I don't think enough effort was made to accommodate him.  He probably could have been persuaded to stay.  For that grievous error, I believe Phelps bears some responsibility.  I also believe she bears some responsibility for some of the convoluted plotlines, such as the "Two Jacks" disaster.

To be clear, I definitely agree that it was time for Jill Farren Phelps to go.  I am certainly not a fan of JFP.  Her departure was long overdue and I am pleased that changes are coming.  However, to be fair. Phelps is an Emmy winner and she isn't to blame for all that ails the show.  Looking ahead, there will be a period of uncertainty for Y&R.  There are still several unanswered questions.  For example, what about head writer and co-executive producer Charles Pratt? Will he remain with the show or is he destined for the same fate as Jill Farren Phelps?  Will Mal Young be successful as Phelps' replacement?  How will the cast respond to the changes?

I doubt that Chrishell Strause will win any Daytime Emmys for her role as Bethany.  She does appear to be playing the role of a bimbo.  Billy actually described her as one to Phyllis.  He said that his "supposed girlfriend's mouth doesn't bypass her brain.  She doesn't have a filter."  Jack, on the other hand, told Phyllis that Bethany may be a smart operator by allowing Billy to chase her and playing hard to get.  However, Jack doesn't realize yet that her relationship with Billy Boy is just a charade. Nevertheless, Bethany could turn out to be smarter than we think.  Only time and the writers will tell the story.

I have to admit that I fell for the teaser that Phyllis was going to tell Jack herself about her involvement with Billy. I should have known better.  I should have known that she wouldn't be able to go through with it.  It appears that Brittany may be the one to spill the beans to Jack.  After all, she thinks that he has already been told the truth.



                                                                                                                                     

CAST NEWS

Elizabeth Hendrickson to return as Chloe

Daytime Confidential has reported that Elizabeth Hendrickson will return to her role as Chloe Mitchell.  Her fans will be delighted to know that, according to the report, she is set to make a full-time return with "a big storyline."

Elizabeth began her career on daytime television in 2001 as twins Maggie and Frankie on All My Children. She joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2008.  She left Y&R in 2014, returning for some brief appearances.in October of 2015.

I am not a big fan of the Chloe character.  However, her return to Genoa City is bound to ruffle a lot of feathers.  It will also create intriguing storyline possibilities.  Will she still be unbalanced?  What about the paternity of her child (Billy or Kevin)?  Her re-appearance in Genoa City is guaranteed to create shockwaves.  It will be a source of tension for many GC residents, including Phyllis, Adam, Billy and Mariah.

Hunter King (Summer Newman) scaled back to recurring role on Y&R due to prime time series promotion

   

Hunter King (Summer) has received some good news, but it's bad news for her Y&R fans.   For the coming fall season, Hunter has been promoted to a regular on the 30-minute CBS sitcom Life in Pieces.  As a result, she will not be able to put in as much airtime on The Young and the Restless. Her role as Summer Newman has been downgraded to recurring status.  That means we will be seeing less of our favourite "Snowflake" on Y&R.   Her fans, however, can see more of her on Life in Pieces.

There has been speculation online that Hunter King will leave Y&R because she will not be able to put in the time that her role requires.

Michael E. Knight (Dr. Simon Neville) may be leaving Y&R

TV Guide has reported that Michael E. Knight (Dr. Simon Neville) has been let go from The Young and the Restless.  This hasn't been confirmed yet and I really hope it's not true.  His character should be given more of a chance to catch on.  A romance between him and Ashley Abbott has not even begun to blossom yet. Letting Knight go so soon would be a mistake.  It's far too premature to make such a move.  

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Are you pleased that Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe) is returning to Y&R?

Yes, she's a good actor and I like her.

Not really, but her return will be good for storyline purposes.

Absolutely not. I'm not a fan of hers.

It doesn't really make much difference to me.

Don't know

Other

Please Specify:

survey creator

That's all for now.  The next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, June 25, 2016.

- Joanne