Y&R Report (December 19, 2020): 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. 

Hi fans

It's Christmastime in the city - Genoa City, that is.  Nikki and Victor have made plans to spend the holidays in London.  Much to Victor's disappointment, however, Billy Boy Abbott has been released from prison.  Billy's innocence was never really in doubt.  In a soap, it's very rare for the first person arrested to be the guilty party.  That would be far too easy.  Also, a major character like Billy cannot be locked up in an orange jumpsuit for too long.  The journalist, Alyssa, was always the prime suspect.  She is a minor character and she is quite dispensable.  Nevertheless, I didn't think the case would be solved so quickly and abruptly.  I thought it would go to court, with Michael Baldwin relentlessly prosecuting Billy Boy.  It really wasn't much of a "whodunnit."  There weren't enough plausible suspects to create suspense.  It was no "Who Shot J.R?" 

Billy's freedom comes just in time to celebrate the season with his new squeeze, Lily.  But wait!  Princess Victoria Newman may have something to say about that.  Although Victoria denies it, she appears to be the victim of the green-eyed monster, also known as jealousy,  Her body language and her facial expressions reveal that she is bothered by her ex-husband's new relationship with his business partner.  

Although Victoria kicked Billy out of their home, she doesn't relish the idea that he is with another woman, especially since she's not romantically attached to anyone right now.  It may just be possessiveness.  On the other hand, maybe she still has lingering feelings for Billy.  Whatever the reason, it appears that Victoria  will not allow Billy and Lily to have a smooth path.  

Victoria has one huge weapon in her arsenal - the children.  She and Billy will always be bonded by their two kids, Johnny and Katie and she will not hesitate to use those kids to put a distance between him and Lily.  The Princess is quite aware of how vulnerable where Billy is with respect to Johnny and Katie.  He loves them and truly wants to be a good father.  There's nothing much Lily can do about the situation.  If she complains, she will come across as a witch of a woman who wants to keep Billy away from his children.  It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

In addition to the looming battle between Victoria and Lily, we also have the battle between Summer Newman and Sally Spectra.  It's the Snowflake versus the fiery redhead.  They are in a fierce competition for power and prestige and for the heart of a man who has broken many hearts himself, namely Kyle Abbott. The Snowflake has the upper hand right now.  She's has a big new career position and she has Kyle.  However, Sally is devious and she will play every trick in the book to climb the career ladder and get what she wants.  Summer will have to walk on eggshells.  If she makes one false step, the redheaded vulture will swoop right in.

Snowflake and Sally have already had a nasty clash.  Sally referred to herself as a "pro" and to Summer as a "lightweight," who achieved her position due to nepotism.  Summer warned Kyle to avoid Sally.  She told Kyle that Sally wants her job and will use Kyle to achieve her goal.

It looks like we've seen the last of Theo Vanderway (Tyler Johnson)  Actually, the Abbotts treated him better than he deserved.  Jack Abbott was really generous and forgiving to him.  Theo was lucky to walk away with his own business in Paris.  He is so greedy that he had to be persuaded to accept the offer.

Jordan continues to be a bad influence on her younger friend, Faith.  In her latest caper, she urged Faith to steal some vodka from behind the bar at Society restaurant.  What is wrong with Sharon and Rey?  Can't they figure out that Jordan is the one causing Faith to engage in underage drinking?  Isn't Rey a detective?

CAST NEWS

Y&R's Rosales family to reunite for Sharon and Rey's wedding

Jason Canela (Arturo Rosales)

Eva LaRue (Celeste Rosales)

Wedding bells will ring for Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Rey Rosales (Jordi Vilasuso) on New Year's Eve.  Rey's mother, Celeste, and younger brother, Arturo will be coming to Genoa City for the nuptials.  Y&R has not revealed how long they will stay around, but I expect them to eventually return to Miami.  It doesn't appear that Adam will do anything to disrupt the wedding.  You never know, though.  Just don't expect Sharon nd Rey to live happily ever after.  I still believe that Sharon and Adam will ultimately end up together.  There is more heartbreak in store for the unfortunate Rey.

Two new characters are coming to Y&R

Ptosha Storey

Leigh-Ann Rose

The Young and the Restless has added two new characters to its cast.  Soon to arrive in Genoa City will be Naya Benedict and Imani Benedict.  Ptosha Storey, a regular on the BET drama The Oval, will take on the recurring role of Naya Benedict.  Ptosha is also known for her role as Chyna in seven episodes of the TV series Empire.  Leigh-Ann Rose, formerly of :Love They Neighbor, will play Imani Benedict.  

Y&R has not yet revealed the nature of their roles, but I suspect that their characters relate to Amanda,  who may have located her birth mother, just in time for Christmas.

Y&R veteran actress dead at 89

 Marguerite Ray

Sad news for Y&R fans.  Marguerite Ray, who portrayed the original Mamie Johnson, has passed away at the age of 89.  Longtime viewers will recall that Mamie, the Abbott family's housekeeper, was the aunt of Drucilla and Olivia Barber.  With Dina's abandonment of the family, Mamie Johnson became much more than a housekeeper for the Abbotts, although she did make the best cinnamon buns in town.  Mamie was a surrogate mother to Ashley, Jack and Traci and a confidante to their father, John Abbott.  Her nemesis was Jill, who married John and became the mother of their son, Billy.

Marguerite, a native of New Orleans, portrayed Mamie Johnson for nearly a decade (from 1980 to 1990).  When she left the show, Veronica Redd Forrest took over the role of Mamie.  In addition to her Y&R role, Marguerite made numerous television and film appearances.  In 1989, she played Jane Matthews on the prime time soap Dynasty.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra)

Sally Spectra and Summer are feuding.  Do you think Sally will be able to attract Kyle away from the Snowflake?  What do you think, fans?  Will Sally succeed?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Will Sally Spectra attract Kyle away from Summer?

Yes. Sally is devious and Kyle is weak-willed.

No. Summer is as tough and determined as her mother, Phyllis.

I don't know.

Other

Please Specify:

Created with QuizMaker

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.  Please remember that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, January 2, 2021 (yes, next year).

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Take care and stay safe.

- Joanne

Whatever happened to Barbara Feldon of "Get Smart"?

"There's not a day when somebody doesn't smile and say, 'Oh, you're Agent 99.'  I like being in a world that regards me in  a friendly way."

- Barbara Feldon, 1983 interview with Toby Kahn

Barbara Feldon is best known for her leading lady role in the popular 1960s TV comedy Get Smart.  She portrayed Agent 99, opposite Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart (Agent 86), a clever but very klutzy spy.  Edward Platt played Thaddeus, better known as the "Chief."  Thaddeus was the head of CONTROL, a secret United States government counterintelligence agency based in Washington, D.C.  CONTROL's nemesis was KAOS, "an international organization of evil."  The villainous Lugvig von Siegrfried (Bernie Kopell) and his bumbling sidekick Shtarker (King Moody) were the archenemies.of Smart and 99.

Get Smart was a huge hit and it ran for five seasons, from 1965 to 1970.  The series was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry during a period of Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States.  It was a parody of films about special agents such as James Bond or the inept police detective Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panthers movies.  Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 used many gadgets in their attempts to foil KAOS.  For example, Smart had a shoe with a telephone.  In fact, phones were concealed in numerous objects such as combs, watches and clocks.  Barbara's character, Agent 99, even had hidden phones in her makeup compact and in her fingernail.

Smart with shoe phone

1966 photo of Feldon as Agent 99

Barbara Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh) on March 12, 1933.  She had one sibling, a sister named Patricia.  Barbara graduated from Bethel Park High School.  She then attended Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, where she earned a B.A. in drama in 1955.  She began her theatre training at Pittsburgh Playhouse.  

Barbara left her native Pittsburgh for the bright lights of  Broadway.  She began a new life in Now York City, where she studied acting at the HB Studio in Greenwich Village.  As a 1965 article in the Sunday News of Lancaster, Pennsylvania described her early New York experience: "Jobs were scarce when Barbara came to New York, but she picked up a job in the once-famous Copa Line, a nightclub famous for the pretty girls in its chorus."  The Copa Line job led  to a part in a Beatrice Lillie revival of the Ziegfeld Follies.  In 1957, Barbara, performed as a showgirl in the the Ziegfeld revival at New York's Winter Garden Theater.  

Barbara's acting career did not flourish in the Big Apple.  As she put it, "The best I ever had was small parts in off-Broadway flops, and I found going around and sitting in sleazy offices was just too awful."  So, she turned to making TV commercials and modelling.  A statuesque woman, (1.75 metres, 5 feet, 9 inches tall), Barbara eventually launched a career as a high-priced fashion model.  One night at a party, she spoke to New York fashion model Gillis MacGill, who helped her get a job modelling for Pauline Trigere, a Franco-American designer.

Barbara had another big break in the early 1960s when she appeared in print ads and television commercial. for a men's hair pomade by Revlon called Top Brass.  Lying on an animal print rug, she purred  to the "tigers" in the viewing audience as she pitched Top Brass.  Barbara's ad was very popular at the time and often spoofed.  Below is a photo of Barbara in the Top Brass commercial.

Prior to starring role in Get Smart, Barbara appeared in episodes of such TV shows as Flipper (1964), 12 O'Clock High (1964). She also had a role in a 1964 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a more serious spy series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum.  The episode is entitled "The Never-Never Affair" (Season 1, Episode 25, Air Date: March 22, 1965).  Barbara is featured as the bespectacled Mandy Stevenson, an U.N.C.L.E. translator whom Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) "recruits" as a courier.  She ends up in possession of some valuable information.  Below is a photo of Barbara an Robert Vaughn in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The Top Brass commercial gave Barbara some public recognition.  It also made an impression on Leonard Stern a prominent film and television producer and director.  Stern was getting ready to produce a spy spoof called Get Smart and he thought Barbara would be right for the part of the alluring Agent 99, the leading female character in the show.

Get Smart debuted on NBC on September 18, 1965 with Barbara Feldon in the role of 99.  She was reluctant to commit to the series and only signed for four episodes. After filming the pilot, she agreed to a three-year contract instead of the traditional five-year contract.  When Don Adams first met Barbara, he was not thrilled about the fact that she was taller than he.  In order to accommodate her co-star, she wore flats and agreed to slouch or go barefoot.  Although her poor posture was noticeable to viewers, Barbara told the Archive of American Television that "Don would have liked a shorter leading lady, and I wanted to please my co-star."  

In a 2016 interview with Jim Clash for Forbes magazine, Barbara stated the following: "If I were doing a scene in a desert, Don would dig a hole for me.  When we walked into a room together, I was taller.  By the time we got to the close-up, I was two inches (5.08 centimetres) shorter due to my ability to slouch effectively."

Despite the difference in height, Don and Barbara really worked well together.  According to Ed Robertson, host of the TV Confidential podcast, "Barbara and Don Adams were one the great comedy pairings of the '60s.  She was basically the straight man to Don Adams.  There would be a little sarcasm toward the end of their run, but basically her job was to prop up Maxwell Smart and she did a marvelous job."

The beautiful and intelligent Agent 99 was the perfect foil for the bumbling Maxwell Smart.  Yet, Agent 99's name was never revealed during the run of the series.  Even though she and Max wed during he show's fourth season, he continued to call her "99."  Slightly more than a year after their marriage, Agent 99 gave birth to twins, a son named Zachery and a daughter whose name, like her mother's, was never revealed.

Below is the wedding photo of Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart.

In 1968, Barbara agreed to a two-year extension of her 1965 Get Smart contract.  In 1969, NBC cancelled the show after four seasons.  However, it was picked up by CBS for what would turn out to be its final season.  Barbara stayed with the series until it ended its run.  On May 15, 1970, Get Smart went off the air after five seasons and 138 episodes.  

After Get Smart, Barbara Feldon's acting career slowed down, due to typecasting.  However, that didn't seem to faze Barbara, who told Forbes magazine that she didn't find the typecasting confining.  "I was just happy to be working back then," she said.  "I was too busy to be thinking about that.."  She continued to do voice overs for TV commercials and she guest-starred on a number of  television shows such as Medical Center (1973), McMillan and Wife (1973), Cheers (1991) and Mad About You (1993).  She also appeared in a slew of TV movies such as Let's Switch (1975), in which she co-starred with Barbara Eden, A Guide for the Married Woman, Sooner of Later (1979), Before and After (1979), Children of Divorce (1980).  

Barbara reprised her role as Agent 99 in the 1989 ABC television film Get Smart Again!  In 1995, she reunited with Don Adams in a short-lived revival of Get Smart on the Fox network.  In the updated series, Maxwell Smart was now the  chief of CONTROL and Agent 99 served as a Congresswoman in charge of CONTROL's budget.  Max and 99 had to deal with their son, Zach Smart, who was also a newly bumbling new secret agent.  The series was a springtime replacement and was essentially cancelled before it even aired.  A Fox executive revealed that the network had no intention of picking it up after its initial run.  Don Adams appeared in all seven episodes and Barbara Feldon appeared in five.

Although retired from acting, Barbara still attends Get Smart fan and nostalgia conventions on occasion.  She has noted that the submissive nature of Agent 99 could not be portrayed on television today because woman are far more assertive.

In 1958, Barbara Hall wed photographer and artist's representative Lucien Verdoux-Feldon (A Closer Weekly article refers to him as an "ad man").  Barbara took "Feldon" as her last name but the marriage did not last.  The couple divorced in 1967 and did not have any children together.  In 1968, while in Los Angeles, Barbara began a relationship with Get Smart producer Burt Nodella.  The couple were together. from 1968 to 1979.  In 1980, after the dissolution of the relationship, Barbara returned to New York City, where she still resides.  She felt she felt the need to shake her life up, so she bought a townshouse in Manhattan and never looked back.

"When I left Hollywood, I threw my life in the air," Barbara told The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, California.  "I went to New York to see what would happen.  To me, a person's life is like a kaleidoscope.  You hold it still and look at the beads making a set pattern.  Then you turn it a little and everything changes.  Well I needed that sort of change.  I gave the kaleidoscope of my life a real big twist."

Jim Colucci, an author who sat down with Barbara Feldon for a 3-hour Television Academy Foundation interview at her her New York home, said the following about his impression of her: "She is so cultured and has kind of a waspy persona.  The way she describes it in our interview (for the Archives of American Television), she talks about her father's family as being very English and proper and puritanical, and that she preferred her mother's Scottish side of the family, who were warm and musical and fun.  What's funny is that she could be patrician if she wanted to be, but she's also very warm, and it's a great combination."  

END NOTES    

* In 1957, Barbara Feldon won the grand prize on the then-popular quiz show The $64,000 Question.  She won by correctly answering a series of questions in the category of William Shakespeare and then increased her earnings to $96,000. Barbara had an avid interest in books and ballet as a child and she studied Shakespeare while a drama student at Carnegie Institute of Technology. 

* Barbar admitted that she was "too young" and didn't quite know what to do with her winnings from The $64,000 Question.  She invested some of the money, "some wisely, some I didn't."  One of  her investments was an art gallery with  Lucien Verdoux-Feldon, whom she later married.  The art gallery didn't last long.

Below is a 1956 photo of Barbara with actor and singer/dancer Gene Kelly, who was the The $64,000 Question's master of ceremonies.  Both Barbara and Gene grew up in the Pittsburgh area and they were both dancers.

* Barbara's favourite episode of Get Smart is "The Impossible Mission," (Season 4, Episode 1, Air Date: September 21, 1968), due to the costumes and romance.  In the episode, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 are trapped in a television station's control room.  Escape seems impossible and Max confesses that he wants to spend the rest of his life with 99,  A lovestruck 99 takes that as a marriage proposal.

* Don Adams, Barbara's co-star on Get Smart, died on September 25, 2005 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  Don was 82 years old at the time of his passing and had suffered from lymphoma and lung infection.

* Edward Platt, the "Chief" on Get Smart, was found dead in his Santa Monica, California apartment on March 19, 1974 after committing suicide.  According to his family, he suffered from depression.  Ed Platt  was 58 years old at the time of his passing.

* Barbara's ex-partner, television producer Burt Nodella (also known as Cary Nodella), died on February 23, 2016.  

* For her role as Agent 99, Barbara was nominated twice for Primetime Emmy Awards, in  1968 and 1969.

* Barbara Feldon is the author of a self-help book entitled Living Alone and Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life.  The book was published in 2003.  It is a memoir that chronicles how she dealt with being alone after her divorce from Lucien Feldon and the end of her long relationship with Burt Nodella.  Barbara's memoir is a declaration of the benefits of being on one's own, without dependence on a romantic partner.

SOURCES

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Barbara Feldon and 'The $64,000 Question," by Marylynne Pitz, July 5, 2013; The Pennsylvania Center For The Book website; Closer Weekly, "Here's What Happened to Barbara Feldon Before, During and After Playing Agent 99 on 'Get Smart',"  by Ed Gross, July 2, 2020; Forbes, "Barbara Feldon (Agent 99)):Why I Did 'Get Smart' in Bare Feet," by Jim Clash, March 25, 2016;  Wikipedia; IMDb (Internet Move Database)

- Joanne

Y&R Report (December 4, 2020) 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. 

Hi fans,

How did you enjoy Abby and Chance's wedding?  It was so good to watch a happy occasion on TV in the midst of this terrible pandemic.  The only sour note was when Billy showed up and Victor Newman told Jill that her son tried to shoot his son, Adam.  At least the bride didn't run away.  There was no bomb threat, nobody got shot and the wedding wasn't stopped.  The three families, Newman, Abbot and Chancellor, were united by the marriage of Abby and Chance.

I couldn't help noticing that the actors did not follow social distancing protocol before and during the wedding.  For example, Abby (Melissa Ordway) hugged Victor (Eric Braeden), Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Ashley Abby (Eileen Davidson).  What gives with that?  Did they all get tested right before those scenes were shot?  Was it done to make the wedding look more authentic?  I also observed that social distancing was resumed in episodes after the wedding.

Why did Devon (Bryton James) suddenly get ordained just so he could perform the ceremony?  What was all that about?  Bryton James actually did a good job of officiating at the wedding but I wonder if it was done to save money, so that they didn't have to hire another actor to portray a priest or minister.

Victor may be retired and he may have mellowed somewhat.  However, he is still as controlling as ever.  He can't stop interfering.  He continues to encourage Sharon to offer her "professional" to Adam (professional my eye).  At any rate, I doubt very much that Chelea and Adam will leave town together and live happily ever after.  

It was good to see Nina back.  I really enjoyed her chat with Christine "Cricket" Williams and Lauren Fenmore.  

I haven't forgotten that the writers haven't followed up on Gloria's (Judith Chapman) visit to Genoa City.  She was in some kind of trouble in L.A. and she was hiding something from her sons, Kevin and Michael.  She became upset with her sons for asking questions and left town abruptly.  As far as I know, there has been no mention of Gloria since.  Have the writers decided to drop the storyline, hoping that viewers have forgotten about it or are they just delaying it?

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 an email that I received from longtime Y&R viewer, CC in Etobicoke. 

Hi Joanne,

I totally agree with your idea that passing Sharon off as if she is a licenced therapist is professionally disrespectful of those who have qualified through years of study to be awarded the required degrees.

I don't know what the requirements are in Wisconsin but in Ontario one has to have a minimum MA or MSc to practice psychological counseling.  I expect there are oaths of code of conduct as well for things like offering an opinion that would result in placement in a facility.

I believe such a judgement could only be made by a psychiatrist or at the least psychologist with a PhD.  Yes, being a danger to oneself or others could get you into a treatment centre for observation and diagnosis but only if that is a recommendation of a qualified professional.  That would not be someone with an undergraduate degree.

Did Sharon get a Master's degree along the way? For someone who has her own issues that was a lot to accomplish in such little time.

Scary thought....I won't be surprised if Faith and her friend or one of the gang they party with get into a situation similar to the Cassie storyline.

That's so true about Sharon, CC.  Thanks for pointing out the qualifications needed to be a psychologist or psychiatrist in the province of Ontario.  I'm sure it's similar in the state of Wisconsin, where Y&R takes place.  Sharon was definitely not qualified o recommend that Adam Newman be placed in a psychiatric treatment centre.  Y&R really missed the mark when they tried to portray Sharon as a professional therapist.  Sharon may be a lot of things, but a licenced psychologist is not one them..  I think Y&R owes an apology to real psychologists and psychiatrists everywhere.

As for Faith, I think she is headed for disaster.  As you say, she may get into a situation similar to Cassie's.  However, I doubt she will die as Cassie did.  With Cassie and Delia gone, there have already too many young deaths on the show.  Faith will get into trouble, but she will survive.

I also received an email from another longtime Y&R viewer, Carly in Barrhaven, Ontario.

I never thought the shooter could be Alyssa.  I thought maybe Faith and her friend Jordan were somehow involved.  Abby's wedding was nice.  I was not fussy about her dress but I don love Melissa Ordway playing Abby.  I figured Chase's replacement was her husband.  He is not the greatest actor.  But he will have to do for now.  Looking forward to Donny Boaz's return.  I hope he had mild symptoms.

Your theory about Faith and Jordan is very interesting.  If you are correct, I will give you credit, but it seems unlikely to me.  Although Faith despises Adam I can't see her being involved in an attempted murder.  It's definitely not Billy or Nick Newman.  The prime suspect is journalist Alyssa Montalvo, who has not been shown on screen for a long time.  Chelsea also has to be considered a suspect.  She was angry with Adam for having her drugged and kidnapped her and she seems terribly anxious to leave town.  However, there may be a surprise suspect, one most of us haven't considered.  We'll find out.

Although I don't think Billy tried to shoot Adam, I do think he is his own worst enemy.  He didn't help himself at all by trying to be tough with Rey.  He just never learns.  Lily may regret the day she became involved with him.

I prefer Donny Boaz in the role of Chance as well.  However, he was quarantined at home after testing positive for COVID-19.  Keep in mind, though, that Melissa's husband. Justin Gastin, is an emergency replacement.  He didn't have any time to grow into the role.  Y&R was lucky to find an actor to fill in for Donny at such an important moment in the storyline.  Also, since he's Melissa's spouse, they don't have to social distance.  

You'll be pleased to know, Carly, that Donny did not have any symptoms of the virus and should be back on the screen soon.

CAST NEWS

Is Jason Canela returning as Arturo Rosales?

There is speculation that Arturo Rosales is returning to Genoa City, at least for a visit.  Jason Canela, who portrayed Arturo, the brother of Rey and Lola Rosales, left Y&R in the spring of 2019 because his character was written out of the show.  However, Jason recently visited CBS Studios.  On November 20th, the actor took to Instagram posted a photo of himself standing outside of the studio where Y&R is filmed.  The photo has since been deleted.

Could Arturo be returning to attend a wedding?  Keep in mind that Arturo's detective brother, Rey (Jordi Vilasuso), is scheduled to marry Sharon on New Year's Eve.  As fans know, Arturo returned to Miami with Rey's ex (his former sister-in-law).  Mia has since given birth to a baby whose father is Arturo.  If that's the case, it will be interesting to see how Arturo reacts to seeing Abby again, especially now that she's married to Chance.  Abby dumped Arturo when she learned that he cheated on her with Mia, but not before she smashed his truck into pieces with a hammer.  Arturo was a cad, but it was not Abby's finest moment either.

CAST NOTE

* Lauren Woodland will reprise her role as attorney Brittany Hodges on Tuesday, December 8 and Monday, December 14th on CBS (Monday, December 7 and Friday December 11 on Global TV).  She will probably be involved in Theo's lawsuit against the Abbot family.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Sharon Case

Jordi Vilasuo (Rey)

Rey and Sharon are preparing to get married on New Year's Eve, but will the wedding really happen?  Do you think they will actually tie the knot or wll their wedding be cancelled or disrupted?  Will Adam try to stop it?  Fans, respond to the poll below and let me know.

Do you think the wedding of Rey and Sharon will actually happen?

Yes, they will get married but the marriage will be a disaster.

No, Adam or someone else will prevent the wedding from happening.

No, Sharon will change her mind and run off with Adam.

I don't know.

Other

Please Specify:

Created with PollMaker

That's all for now.  Don't forget that he next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, December 19, 2020.

- Joanne        

Y&R Report (November 21, 2020): 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. 

Hi fans,

The November sweeps are upon us, so I'm expecting some excitement and drama on Y&R.  I can't wait to watch the wedding of Abby and Chase.  It should be so much fun.  I had hoped  there would be a Christmas wedding to brighten up this COVID Yuletide.  However, the nuptials will take place before the end of this month, probably due to the November sweeps.  It will pull in some huge ratings.  

I'm looking forward to Tricia Cast's appearance as Chance's mother, Nina, on the Monday, November 30th show on CBS (Friday, November 27 on Global TV).  That means the wedding will take place then.  We've already seen her on a cell phone congratulating the happy couple.  I don't know if Lauralee Bell will make an appearance as Christine "Cricket" Williams along with with her friend Nina.  I have not seen any indication that she will.  Maybe she'll show up at the wedding with hubbly Paul.

It's good to see Doug Davidson back on the scene again as "Clueless" Paul Williams.  Once again, Clueless and his sidekick, Rey Rosales, have it wrong.  Billy Boy Abbott did not try to shoot Adam.  That's much too obvious.  Billy, of course, will go on trial for attempted murder and he will be defended by Amanda.  Michael Baldwin, as District Attorney, will pull all the stops to prosecute Billy and make him look bad.  Still, I am quite confident that he is not the guilty party.

I've heard a theory about who really tried to kill Adam Newman and it makes perfect sense to me.  The theory is that the journalist, Alyssa Montalvo (Maria DiDomenico), is the real perpetrator of the crime.  She was Adam's childhood friend.  He lied to her in order to lure her to Genoa City.  She then discovered that he killed her father, A.J. Montalvo, at his mother's farm in Kansas when he was 11 years old.  She despises him and has a motive for seeking revenge against him.  Have you noticed that she is in the background right now?  She hasn't been seen on screen for a while.  My guess is that the writers don't want you to be reminded of her as a suspect.  They want the spotlight to be on Billy Boy.

There is going to be an all-out war between Summer Newman and Sally Spectra.  Both Sally and Snowflake are troublemakers.  However, Sally is ruthlessly ambitious.  She will do her best to remove any obstacles to stand in the way of her goals.  At the moment, Summer is standing in the way of her career ambitions.  She will probably also interfere with Sally's romantic desires.  It will not be surprising if Sally decides to pursue Kyle Abbott.  After all Kyle can satisfy both Sally's financial and romantic ambitions.  

Summer can be a tough cookie and she is manipulative.  After all, she is Phyllis's daughter.  However, I think Summer has more of a heart than Sally.  As a snowflake, will probably melt in the end.  Sally's heart seems to be stone cold.  The more I see Sally and Theo Vanderway together, the more I believe they would make a perfect match.  They have a certain chemistry and they have so much in common. They really deserve each other.  It is unlikely to happen, though, because Tyler Johnson, the actor who portrays Theo, has announced that he is leaving the show.  I suppose he'll just leave town when he loses his lawsuits against the Abbotts.   

I still don't understand why Sharon is considered a therapist and how she was considered capable of providing professional opinion  on whether Adam should be forced by law to receive psychiatric care.  

She even used the phrase, "In my professional opinion . . ."  By the way, who are Dr. Sharon's other patients.  I know soaps aren't realistic, but the writers should have some respect for the intelligence of viewers.

Speaking of Sharon, now that she has overcome her cancer, she has more troubles facing her.  Faith's underage drinking is not going to stop anytime soon, especially as long as her friend Jordan is in the picture.  There is also another huge potential source of conflict for Sharon and her daughter.  Sooner or later, Adam (Mark Grossman) and Sharon (Sharon Case) will get together.  They can't stay away from each other.  In addition, Sharon and Mark are a real life couple, so they won't have to social distance.

Faith detests Adam and will never accept her mother with him.  Alyvia Alyn Lind is doing a superb job of portraying a confused and troubled Faith.  I expect her to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy for best young performer.

CAST NEWS

Donny Boaz (Chance) tests positive for COVID

A few weeks ago, Donny Boaz, who plays Philip "Chance" Chancellor IV, tested positive for COVID-19.  H revealed his diagnosis on Instagram.  He wrote that hehe did not have any symptoms, but is following guidelines.  He quarantined at home, so he won't be seen on Y&R for a short time.  However, he has returned to work and will be back on screen soon.  

Donny's positive COVID test came just as his character, Chance, was involved in a big storyline, but Y&R really lucked out.  Melissa Ordway's (Abby Newman) real life husband was able to fill in as an emergency replacement for Donny.  Melissa's spouse, Justin Gaston, will temporarily take over the role of Chance (He appeared on the Friday, November 20th episode on Global TV).  It just so happens that Justin once played the role of Ben Weston on Days of our Lives.  It's also quite convenient that the couple will not have to social distance during filming, so they can do love scenes, especially since there will be a wedding and honeymoon coming up for Abby and Chance.

Melissa Ordwy and Justin Gaston

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

As we all know, Chance was shot, but he wasn't the intended victim.  Someone tried to kill Adam.  Chance took the bullet instead.  So fans, who tried to shoot Adam.  Let me know what you think.  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Who tried to shoot Adam?

Billy Abbott

Alyssa Montalvo

Chelsea Lawson

Rey Rosales

I don't know

Other

Please Specify:

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.  Please remember hat the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, December 5, 2020.

To my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving.  

Take care and be safe,

- Joanne

Bob Barker: His Life Before and After "The Price is Right"

 Bob Barker will turn 97 years old on December 12th of this year.  The retired game show host and outspoken animal rights advocate has enjoyed a long and successful television career.  In later years, however, he was faced with lawsuits relating to allegations of sexual harassment and wrongful dismissal.  

Robert William "Bob" Barker was born in the small town of Darrington, Washington, (southeast of Seattle), on December 12, 1923.  He spent much of his early years on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota, where his mother, Matilda "Tillie" Valandra (née Matilda Kent Tarleton), was a school teacher.  Bob's father, Byron John "Barney" Barker, was an electrical power foreman for the state of Washington.  On July 6, 1930, when Bob was just six years old, Barney Barker was killed in a work-related accident at the age of 42.  He fell from a utility pole and died from his injuries.

In 1937, Bob's mother, Tillie, wed Louis Valandra and the family moved to Springfield, Missouri.  Tillie gave birth to her second child, Bob's half-brother, Kent Valandra.  Meanwhile, Bob attended Central High School.  He graduated in 1941 on a basketball scholarship to Drury College (now Drury University), also located in Springfield.  

When World War II came along, Bob put his plans on hold.  He enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve and trained as a fighter pilot.  He never saw active duty because the war ended before he could be assigned to a seagoing squadron.  After his discharge from the military, Bob returned to Drury College to complete his education.  He graduated summa cum laude in 1947 with a degree in economics.

After graduation, Bob relocated to Lake Worth Beach, Florida.  He worked as a radio news editor and broadcaster at a radio station in Palm Beach.  In 1950, he moved west to California and hosted a  Los Angeles radio show for six years.  It was called The Bob Barker Show.  During this time, Bob came to the attention of game show producer Ralph Edwards.  Edwards, founder and longtime host of the popular Truth or Consequences, had listened to Bob's audience participation show on his car radio and was impressed with how Bob interacted with the guests.  He liked Bob's voice and manner.

Truth or Consequence was returning to NBC for daytime viewing, but Edwards had not yet chosen a host for the new version of the show.  He auditioned others for the job, but chose Bob Barker, who went on to host Truth or Consequences from 1956 until 1974.  Bob and Ralph Edwards became longtime friends.  According to IMDb, the two men would meet for lunch every December 21st until Edwards' death in 2005.

Below is a photo of Bob Barker in Truth or Consequences circa 1958.

In early 1972, game show producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman were seeking to revive and modernize The Price is Right, with Dennis James as host.  The original version of The Price is Right debuted on November 26, 1956 on NBC, with Bill Cullen as host.  It was so popular that it soon spawned a once-a-week primetime version  The Price is Right was one of the few shows that survived the game show scandals of the 1950s 

In 1963, both the daytime and nighttime versions of the show changed networks to ABC.  On September 3, 1965, the final episode of the original The Price is Right aired.  However, in 1972, CBS was interested in a revamped version of the show, provided Bob Barker, not Dennis James, became host.  After some initial reluctance, due to James, Bob accepted the offer. 

Bill Cullen in 1963

Bob Barker hosted the new version of The Price is Right for 35 years, from his first show on September 4, 1972 until his retirement in June of 2007.  Bob's final show aired on June 15, 2007.  He was succeeded by Drew Carey.  As host of The Price is Right, Barker was extremely popular.  Daytime television audiences loved him.  They loved the way he shouted out "Come on down!" to his contestants.

Bob Barker in 1975

On January 12, 1945, while on leave from military service, Bob Barker married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Josephine Gideon, known affectionately as Dorothy Jo..  He and Dorothy Jo attended an Ella Fitzgerald in Missouri when he was 15 years old.  Their marriage lasted 36 years until her death of lung cancer on October 19, 1981.  Dorothy Jo (born February 25, 1924), was 57 years old at the time of her passing.  The couple never had any children together.

In 2007, Bob told Good Morning America that he never had any inclination to remarry after Dorothy Jo's passing.  "She was my wife," he said.  She was ahead of her time.  She really was.  She stopped wearing fur coats before anyone was stopping.  She became a vegetarian before people were becoming vegetarian.  And I gradually did the same thing with her (in 1979)."

Bob and Dorothy Jo

Unfortunately, Bob Barker and The Price is Right have been embroiled in scandal.  In 1994, longtime Price is Right model Dian Parkinson filed a lawsuit against Bob, alleging sexual harassment following a 3-year affair.  Barker denied the allegations, but admitted that he had been involved in an intimate relationship with Parkinson from 1989 to 1991.  He stated, however, that the relationship had been consensual.  He said he only made public their involvement because she threatened to sue him unless she gave her $8 million.

Dian, a former Playboy model who appeared on the Price is Right from 1975 to 1993, claimed she was extorted to continue the relationship by threats of firing.  A judge dismissed the wrongful termination part of the lawsuit but allowed the sexual harassment charge to remain. Parkinson ultimately withdrew the lawsuit in April of 1995, declaring that the ordeal was harmful to her health and that she did not have sufficient funds to pay for legal fees.

Price is Right model Holly Hallstrom left the show in 1995.  She subsequently filed a suit of wrongful termination and malicious persecution against Barker.  Hallstrom claimed that she was fired from the show due to a weight gain and for her refusal to tell the press false stories that Barker had related to her her about Dian Parkinson.  She contended that Bob had started a media attack on her by allegedly accusing her of disrupting the atmosphere of the show.  Barker dropped the case, but Hallstrom never did.  A settlement was agreed upon in 2005.

Bob Barker told the press that Parkinson's claims, as well as Halltroms, were "frivolous."  However, there were further claims against him and The Price is Right.  In October of 2007, four months after Bob's final show, Deborah Curling, a CBS employee assigned to The Price is Right, filed a suit against Barker and the producers of The Price is Right.  Curling, who is African American, was a contestant screener for 24 years.  She alleged racial discrimination, sexual and mental harassment and abuse.

The rash of lawsuits against The Price is Right did not end with Bob Barker's retirement.  In March of 2010, model Brandi Cochran sued the show, claiming that she miscarried her baby as a result of harsh treatment by producers who frowned upon models getting pregnant.

More than four years after Bob's departure, the show was faced with yet another harassment claim.  On September 7, 2011, former Price is Right model Lanisha Cole, filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and sexual harassment by the show's producers,   In a 2011 Time magazine article about the Cole lawsuit, Frances Romero wrote the following: ". . . a past full of complaints - including sexual sexual harassment, racial discrimination, wrongful termination and emotional abuse and intimidation - against Price is Right producers and its longtime former host Bob Barker, depicts am institutionalized attitude that allowed executives to treat models on the show (and female staffers) as second-class citizens."

During the last two decades, Bob Barker has had a series of health issues and he has suffered injuries from falls.  In 1999, he felt a "clumsiness" in his hand.  He was admitted to George Washington University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a partially blocked carotid artery.  He underwent a procedure to remove the blockage.

On May 30, 2002, after taping the finale of The Price is Right's 30th season, Bob suffered a stroke while lying in the sun.  He was hospitalized and underwent surgery at George Washington University Hospital .  Six weeks later, he underwent prostate surgery at the same hospital.  Bob has also experienced mild bouts of skin cancer due to his tanning.  He regularly consults a dermatologist and has urged people who have spent time sunbathing to see a dermatologist.

On October 20, 2015, Bob tripped and fell on a sidewalk near his home in Los Angeles   Two police officers saw him fall and immediately called an ambulance.  He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and received treatment for his injured forehead and left knee.

On June 19, 2017, Bob had another fall.  He slipped and hit his head at his home. and was driven to the emergency room by his maid.  He was checked and released.

In October and November of 2018, Bob  was rushed to the hospital with acute back pain.

END NOTES

* Bob Barker has received 17 Emmy Awards, 13 as TV host, three as producer of The Price is Right.  In 2004, he won the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for Daytime Television.

* According to IMDb, Bob is 186 centimetres (6 feet, one inch).in height.

* In October of 1987, Bob caused a stir by no longer using hair dye.  He allowed his locks to turn white, his natural colour  by then.

* Bob has been romantically linked to Nancy Burnet, a fellow animal rights activist.    

* Bob concluded each episode of The Price is Right with the tagline "Help control the pet population.  Have your pets spayed or neutered." 

* On April 16, 2009, Bob Barker made an appearance on The Price is Right to promote his autobiography, Priceless Memories.  The memoir chronicles his life from childhood until his retirement in 2007.  In 2013, Bob  made another appearance on the show to celebrate his 90th birthday, but his health would not allow him to appear for his 95th birthday in 2018.  In 2015, however, Bob made a surprise April Fools' Day visit to the show  The then-91-year-old hosted the first price-guessing game of the show, "Lucky Seven."

* Drew Carey, the current host of The Price is Right, has avoided lawsuits.  Bob has never been critical of Drew.  In fact, he stated the following to Entertainment Weekly: "I would not criticize Drew Carey.  I would not criticize this show.  I would not criticize CBS.  I would not criticize Freemantle Media (which produces the show for CBS) because I have a sizable royalty that I am paid every year the show is on, and its going on for years.  I would be an absolute fool.  I hope this show stays on for years  As for Drew, he's been charming and complimentary, and he had me on on the show to plug my book Priceless Memories.  He's a charming man, kind and gracious.  To think I would say anything derogatory about him is idiocy."

In 2010, however, Bob reportedly did say something derogatory about his replacement, Drew Carey.  He apparently told a a TMZ cameraman.  "He does the show differently from m tried to make the show exciting and uh, he doesn't do that.  He plays the games.."

Drew Carey

* In 2019, 36 years after his wife Dorothy Jo's death, 95-year-old Bob Barker visited her grave at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.  He collapsed at her gravesite and a caregiver came to help him back up.

SOURCES: Cinemablend (cinemasblend.com), "Bob Barker: From Fighter Pilot, To The Price is Right, To Animal Rights Advocate," by Hugh Scott, July 2, 2019; South Dakota Hall of Fame: Program Directory Site, "Champion of Excellence: Robert 'Bob' Barker," Shared, "'The Price Is Right'  Host Bob Barker Honored Late Wife 36 Years After Her Death Despite Poor Health;" by Shurti Menon, September 27, 2019,  Time magazine, 'Price is Right'' Model Lawsuit: Latest in History of Harassment Claims," by Frances Romero, September 12, 201l; The Things, "Here's What Bob Barker Is Up To Now," by Rachael Cholak, May 21, 2020;  NBC News, Bob Barker: Drew Carey Not "Exciting" on "Price is Right," by Daniel Macht, July 27, 2010; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne