Saturday, May 26, 2018

Y&R Report (May 26, 2017): 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.

Phyllis is really starting to annoy me.  The woman is such a busybody, interfering in everyone's lives.  She is just so overbearing.  It was Phyllis' brilliant idea to cover up the death of J.T. Hellstrom and bury his body.  She was relentless in browbeating Nikki, Victoria and Sharon to go along with her scheme.  Now she has manipulated Billy Boy into taking over the CEO position at Jabot.  He was reluctant, but she talked him into it and she is encouraging him to make it permanent. Billy Boy is starting to enjoy his powerful powerful  new job, which suits girlfriend Phyllis to a tee.  Through her influence over Billy, Phyllis has become for all intents and purposes the co-CEO of Jabot.  Her power in the corporate world has increased, as has her personal control over others.

Although Jack Abbott is far from perfect, do have some sympathy for his plight. He feels as if everyone has abandoned him.  Phyllis left him for brother Billy, but that wasn't enough.  Billy now  holds Jack's job as head of Jabot, despite the fact that Jack is more experienced and more competent.  Remember that Billy did not exactly have a stellar record at Brash & Sassy.  Do you recall the toxic face masks that poisoned Victoria?  Billy's sloppiness was the cause of that fiasco.  He tried to cut corners by rushing the product to market.

Jack also feels abandoned by his son Kyle.  He thought Kyle was going to join him in fleaving Jorming a new company.  He taken aback when Kyle declared that he more opportunities at Jabot.  Jack shouldn't have been so quick to assume that Kyle had agreed to leave Jabot and work with him.  Kyle should have been more clear and straight up with his intentions.

So, Nicholas Newman has suddenly decided to rejoin Newman Enterprises.  He's ready to enter into daddy's orbit again.  After trying so hard to become his own man, Nick is ready to give up his independence.  Sharon is so right in discouraging him, but he insists he needs to protect the family.  That, as Sharon pointed out, is Victor's language or "Victor Speak."

To gain some support for her point of view, Sharon went to Nick's sister, Princess Victoria. She was completely shocked and blindsided when the princess disagreed with her.  Victoria, the ultimate daddy's girl, thinks it's a great idea for her brother to work at The Firm again.

Who else's advice did Nick seek when trying to make a decision about returning to Newman?  Surprise of surprises, he went straight to his ex, Phyllis.  For once, though, Phyllis was in agreement with Sharon.  She warned Nick about working for his controlling father again.  Yet foolish Nick is not going to heed the warning of his two ex-wives.  He's going to "follow his heart" and fall into Victor's trap once again.  Say it ain't so, Nick!  Why can't you get it through your head that Victor is ruthless and manipulative.  He's never to be trusted.

I understand why Nikki disproves of Nick and Sharon getting back together.  Why, however, is Phyllis so upset that Sharon and Nick have reunited?  Is it jealousy?  As I've said before, she has her Billy Boy, so why should that bother her so much?  If she ever breaks up with Billy, I'm sure she'll go after Nick again.

Nikki and Phyllis are right in one respect.  Sharon is going to hurt Nick again.  When he finds out about the J.T. caper. I doubt he'll stay with her.  She shares responsibility with Nikki, Phyllis and Victoria for what happened. Sharon went along for the ride and didn't have the backbone to defy the other three women.  She, of all people, should have learned that keeping secrets won't work.  Is she delusional?  No, not at all.  The writers simply made Sharon go along with the other conspirators for storyline purposes and in order to create conflict.  If Sharon had gone to Clueless Paul Williams and confessed everything, the storyline would be finished.  So, instead she has joined the others in their cavalcade of cover-ups and lies

Have you noticed a big change in Faith?  She obviously looks a great deal more grown up.  Being an adolescent is difficult enough, but in Faith's case, it's even more difficult to act maturely when the adults around you are behaving so immaturely and foolishly.


CAST NEWS

Hunter King (Summer Newman) returning to Y&R



Summer Newman is finally coming home  Yes folks, our favourite "Snowfake" will soon be back in Genoa City after a long absence.  According to TVLine, Hunter King is returning on contract to The Young and the Restless.  Although Hunter currently co-stars as Clementine in the CBS primetime comedy Life in Pieces, she is set to do double duty.  Her first airing on Y&R will be on Monday, June 4 (CBS) and Friday, June 1 (Global-TV in Canada).

What will Summer find when she comes back to town?  She'll find that her former boyfriend, Kyle Abbott, has returned from New York.  Will she reignite a romance with her old flame?  There is certain to be better chemistry between the two characters now that Michael Mealor has taken over the role of Kyle.  He's a much better actor than the others who have played Kyle.

If Summer doesn't rekindle her relationship with Kyle, she may fall for Arturo, who seems to be Genoa City's Hispanic heartthrob.  Could that set up a love triangle, a rivalry between Summer and her Aunt Abby over the affections of Arturo?  Summer has never liked Abby, especially since Abby had a fling with Summer's late husband, Austin Travers.

Kyle, meanwhile, has shown an interest in Tessa.  He invited her to go to a movie with him and she declined (because of Mariah?).  Tessa's rejection was certainly a blow to Kyle's ego.


Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL


Arturo (Jason Canela)

There are romantic sparks between building contractor Arturo Rosales (Jason Canela) and wealthy heiress Abby Newman. Abby hasn't shown the best judgement when it comes to men.  Just think of her last two relationships - Zack and Scott Grainger.  Fans, has she got it right this time?  What do you think of Abby and Arturo as a couple?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.


Do you like Abby and Arturo as a couple?

Yes, they seem to have good chemistry and I think they get along well.
No, they don't suit each other. I don't like them together.
I'm not sure. i need to seem more of them before i decide.
Other
Please Specify:
Created with PollMaker



NOTE TO READERS


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


That's all for now.  Don't forget that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, June 9, 2018.


- Joanne

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Y&R Report (May 12, 2018): 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, now we know that John Abbott Jr. (also known as Jack) is NOT John Abbott's biological son (unless someone has tampered with the DNA again).  Who then is Jack's father?  I suspect it's Victor Newman, even though Victor doesn't seem that much older than Jack.  If Jack is indeed the son of "The Black Knight," there would be tremendous repercussions and enormous conflict in Genoa City.  Since conflict is the essence of drama, that's exactly what the writers want to achieve.  Just think of all the implications if Jack is Victor's son.  First of all, it would be Jack Abbott's worst nightmare, similar to Luke Skywalker discovering that Darth Vader is his father.  Second of all, if  Victor is Jack's father, that makes him Kyle's grandfather.  It means that both Jack and Kyle are blood Newmans and Jack is half-brother to Nicholas, Victoria and Abby.  It also means that both Jack and Kyle may try to gain control of Newman Enterprises on that basis.

Kyle made a deal with the devil and he will regret it.  He will rue the day he joined forces with Victor Newman.  He had to learn the hard way "The Moustache" just can't be trusted.  Yet, if Kyle turns out to be Victor's grandson, then Kyle has a much stronger hand to play.  Don't forget, though, that Princess Victoria is very much in the picture and that she will not give up her claim to the Newman throne easily.  So, there is going to be a battle royale for the keys to he Victor's kingdom.

Will Sharon ever learn?  At first she was she was cracking up under the pressure of keeping the  secret about J.T.  She was having nightmares and her conscience was bothering her.  Now, she's frantically trying to hide the truth from Nick and lying through her teeth.  I really don't buy the sudden turn-around.  I think it was just done for storyline purposes and to create conflict.  It's a shame because Sharon had really improved herself and was reverting to the sweet Sharon of the past, only older and supposedly wiser.  Now her reunion with Nick will be forever tainted.  When he discovers what she is hiding, he will be furious and disillusioned.  Will he ever forgive her or the three other women involved in the cover-up of J.R death and burial?

It's interesting that the four women involved in the tragic J.T. caper are the most important and influential women in Nick Newman's life: his mother, his sister and two ex-wives, one of whom he is currently having a secret relationship with.  However, I doubt it will be secret much longer  Mariah is quickly catching on and it won't take her much longer to figure out what's going on between her mother and Nick.

I find it difficult to believe that Sharon would be such an ardent defender of Nikki's actions with regard to J.T., since the two women have been at odds for years.  Nick was astounded to see the two women hugging each other and behaving like mother and daughter.  Nikki has always regarded Sharon as a gold digger from the other side of the tracks.  She never thought Sharon was good enough for her son and was unhappy when they married.  However, Nikki could be accused of being a gold digger herself when she hooked up with Victor.  She transformed herself from a stripper to a lady of the manor.

Kyle reminded Nikki of her checkered past when he blasted her for causing the death of his mother, Diane Jenkins.  Her pretty well called her a murderer.  She has killed three times in self-defence - her own father, Diane and now J.T. 


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 Y&R viewer, Fifi in Collingwood, Ontario, has some predictions about Hilary.  She doesn't think that Hilary will be able to  conceive a child.  She foresees Cane and Lily giving baby Sam to Hilary and Devon.  I think Fifi could be right.that Hilary won't be able to become pregnant.  I'm not so sure, however, that Lily will allow Hilary to raise Sam.  It may happen, but Lily seems to be bonding with the child, as was obvious on the Mother's Day Episode.  Having said that, I wouldn't rule out that something may occur to make Lily and Cane decide to give up little Sam.


CAST NEWS

Mac, Brittany and Raul coming back again


Kelly Kruger (Mackenzie)

Mackenzie, Brittany and Raul returned to Genoa City as part of Y&R's 45th anniversary celebration, but we are going to see more of the trio.  They will be around much longer this time.  Lauren Woodland, who plays Brittany, will be on the show for an extended run.  During their recent appearance, we learned that Raul and Brittany are married and that Brittany is now a lawyer.  According to Soap Central, at least one of the two female characters will be involved in a high-profile legal.case.  It seems likely that the case will be related to the death of J.T., since both women have connections to him.  Mac was married to him and Brittany, now an attorney,  had a fling with him.



Daytime Emmys

Days of our Lives had five major wins at the Daytime Emmys, including Best Drama.  The Young and the Restless never seems to win that distinction.  However, Eileen Davidson received an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as Ashley Abbott on Y&R.  Camryn Grimes (Maria Copeland on Y&R) won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.  That came as a surprise because Marla Adams (Dina Mergergon on Y&R) was widely expected to take home the award in that category.  Maybe she'll win it next years.


Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe Mitchell) is headed to General Hospital

Elizabeth Hendrickon
Add Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe Mithcell on Y&R) to General Hospital's growing list of Young and Restless alumni.  Hendrickson will play a new role on GH, whose cast includes former Y&R cast members Billy Miller (ex-Billy Abbott) and Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis Summers.  I wonder who GH will snap up next.


Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL



Victor Newman has acquired many nicknames over the years, most of them created by his archrival, Jack Abbott.  Jack's brother, Billy Boy Abbott, has also made a contribution.  He reefers to Victor as "Lurch."  So, fans, what is your favourite nickname for Victor?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

What is your favourite nickname for Victor Newman?

Moneybags
The Moustache
Lurch
The Great Victor Newman
The Black Knight
The Big Man
I don't know.
Other
Please Specify:
Created with Survey Maker



That's all for now.  Don't forget that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, May 26, 2018.


- Joanne

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Internet TV Digest #7


    
,
This is the seventh of an occasional feature on TV Banter called Internet TV Digest.  Internet TV Digest contains recent news, information and discussion about online television.

Internet TV Digest


"The days of having to tune in live or buy expensive discs in order to watch your favorite shows and movies are gone. Our favorite service overall is Netflix, offering an excellent selection of TV shows, movies and original programming. If you need something a little cheaper, however, Hulu is a worthwhile alternative, and a few dollars less expensive — if you're willing to sit through some commercials, that is."

- Marshall Honorof
From Tom's Guide https://www.tomsguide.com
April 5, 2018


Note. Tom's Guide reviews video and streaming services and tech products independently.

What's new on Netflix for May 2018

The Rain is a post-Apocalyptic drama.  It takes place six years after a deadly virus wipes out most of the population of Scandinavia and focuses on a small group of young survivors of the disaster.  The Rain was created by Danish filmmakers Jannik Tai Mosholt, Christian Potalivo and Esben Toft Jacobsen.  It is Netflix's first original Danish series.  It was set for release on May 4th.

On May 25th, comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short, debut their Netflix special.  It is entitled Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life.  Also on May 25, Trollhunters premieres its third season. This computer-animated fantasy TV series was created for Netflix by Academy Award-winning film director Guillermo del Toro.  It is the story of an ordinary teenager, Jim Lake Jr., who discovers a mystical amulet on his way to school one day.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman will have two guests this month.  .  Letterman's first guest will be actress/comedian Tina Fey (May 4th).  His second guest will be the irreverent Howard Stern (May 31st).

The second season of Justin Simien's satirical comedy Dear White People premiers on May 4th.  Two comedy specials also debut this month, Ali Wong's Hard Knock Wife on May 13th and The Break With Michele Wolf on May 27th.

There is disappointing news for fans of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  The Netflix original comedy series has been cancelled and will end following its fourth season, which begins streaming on May 30th. The sitcom was created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock and has been streamed on Netflix  since March 6, 2015.  It stars Elle Kemper as a woman who adjusts to life in New York City after being rescued from a doomsday cult in a fictional town in Indiana.  The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has been nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and     culture and entertainment critic, Scott Meslow, has described the series as "the first great sitcom of the streaming era."

There is also some positive news for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fans.  According to Deadline and Hollywood Reporter, the show's producer, Universal Television, is discussing the possibility of a big screen movie to wrap up the series.


What's new on Amazon and Hulu for May 2018

The new Showtime series, Patrick Melrose, will be streamed on Hulu.  It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrays an English gentleman with a nasty heroin habit.  Amazon Prime is debuting an original animated series, Rocky  & Bullwinkle.  It's a remake of the classic cartoon.  There will also be an Amazon-produced drama, Last Flag Flying, a movie about a Vietnam vet coming to terms with his son's death in the war in Iraq.  It stars Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Carell.


-  Joanne