Y&R Report (October 22, 2022): 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,

Will Sally continues to reject Adam's attempts at a reconciliation now that Nicholas Newman has stepped back?  Nick realizes that Sally still has unresolved feelings for Adam and he doesn't want to make life more difficult for her.  Meanwhile, Sally says that she needs time to decide what she really wants.  Does that mean she will go back to Adam?  Maybe - but not necessarily.  Adam is intent on helping a troubled Chelsea.  His relationship with her could get in the way of a reconciliation with Sally.

Sally will also face a career-related problem.  Victoria wants to replace Sally with Nate as CEO of Newman Media.  In the previews, we saw Nick inform Sally that Newman Enterprises intends to remove her and Chloe from their positions.

It is obvious Sally has much better chemistry with Adam than with Nick.  They are much more at ease with each other.  That's why Sally just can't get over Adam, no matter how much Chloe trashes him.  As for Nick, he is much more comfortable with Sharon.  However, there has to be conflict and a storyline.  The combination of Nick and Sally upsets a lot of people, including Summer, who has never liked Sally and doesn't want her involved with her father.  Victor, Victoria and Nikki are also disdainful of Sally.

What in the world is going on with Dr. Elena Dawson (Brytni Sarpy)?  As viewers know, Elena has left Nate because she doesn't approve of how the business world has changed him.  She is about to accept a job in Baltimore.  Does that mean that she's leaving Y&R?  Maybe not, but the clues certainly point in that direction.  

Brytni Sarpy

About a moth ago. Brytni posted a photo of herself on social media appearing thoughtful and calm. However, she seems to have suffered some kind of disappointment because she wrote, "I'm not the victim.  I'm the hero who narrowly escaped a life lesser than what she deserved."  What did those cryptic remarks mean?

Nothing is official, but there is online speculation that Brytni and her boyfriend, Byrton James, who plays Devon Hamilton, have split.  Both have removed their shared photos from their shared timeline.

That's not a good sign that the couple are together anymore.

Poor Allie.  She has such a formidable opponent in Audra Charles.  Audra is relentless and she won't stay away from Noah.  Yes, Allie is tougher than she seems and she won't let Noah's former girlfriend walk all over her.  However, Audra is extremely cunning and devious.  She may drive Allie to the breaking point.  As for Noah, he just can't be firm enough with Audra.  He's no match for her.  She'll continue to manipulate him and wear him down. When he lets down his guard for one moment, she'll pounce.  She's a real barracuda and she makes Phyllis and Diane seem like angels.

My oh my, but that Tucker McCall is such a smoothie!  Nothing seems to faze him. Ashley is going to have a tough time dealing with him.  Tucker is very clever and she's going to have a difficult time convincing him that she's falling for him again.

A desperate Diane told Jack her version of what happened to her in Los Angeles, and it was quite  a sob story.  I doubt she told him everything, though.  I'm sure she conveniently left out some important details.  Tucker probably knows the whole story, all the information that Diane doesn't want Jack or Kyle to know.  That's why Diane is so threatened by him.

CAST NEWS

James Hyde joins Y&R as new character

James Hyde, who starred in Passions, has a recurring role on The Young and the Restless.  He plays Jeremy Stark, a man who had connections with Diane Jenkins in Los Angeles.  For a woman who is supported to have changed, Diane is certainly hiding a lot.  She definitely didn't live a quiet and uneventful life in L.A.

Rory Gibson (Noah Newman is engaged

Congratulation to Rory Gibson and his fiancee.  The actor, who portrays Noah Newman on Y&R, has announced his engagement to Alicia Ruelas, his girlfriend of over ten years.  The proposal took place on a beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui.  Rory shared photos on Instagram, along with three emojis - a red heart, fire, and a diamond.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Bryton James (Devon)

Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings)

The feud between Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) and Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) continues. I can't excuse Nate for betraying his family, but I don't think Devon's behaviour has been any better.  He set the whole feud in motion by punching Nate and inuring his hand.  When Nate couldn't perform surgery any longer, he was lost.  He was much happier and better suited to being a surgeon than a businessman.  Devon took that away from him.  Yes, I know Elena cheated on Devon with Nate.  I can understand why Devon was angry.  However, that did not give him the right to assault his cousin.  As they say, it takes two to tango and Elena was just as responsible.

What do you think, fans?  Do you support Devon or Nate?  Respond to the poll below and let me know

.

Do you support Devon or Nate?

I support Nate. Devon is arrogant and he assaulted Nate.

I support Devon. Nate betrayed his family and he refused to accept Devon's opinions,

I support neither. They are both wrong.

I don't know.

Other

 

pollcode.com free polls

NOTE TO READERS

I need your feedback.  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.  I really need your input.  I really need to hear your opinion.  I want to know if you agree or disagree with me. 

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, November 5, 2022.

Take care,

Joanne

Whatever happened to Burt Ward (Robin on Batman)?

          

Holy Time Sure Does Fly, Batman!  Don't look now, but the actor who played TV's Robin, the Boy Wonder is 77 years old.  Burt Ward was born Bert John Gervis, Jr. on July 6, 1945 in Los Angeles, California.  His father, Bert Sr., was a prominent Beverley Hills real estate agent.  His mother, Marjorie (née Ward), was a homemaker.. 

Bert Sr. owned a travelling ice show called "Rhapsody on Ice."  As a two-year-old, Bert Jr, was classified as a professional ice skater in the magazine Strange as it Seems, based on a popular comic strip.  As a teenager, Burt was an accomplished athlete, skilled in martial arts, wrestling, track, tennis and golf.

Burt also displayed a sharp intellect.  He was a member of his Beverly Hills High School chess club.  and was a noted speed reader.  In a 2017 phone interview with the digital broadcast television network Heroes & Icons, Burt discussed his speedreading ability.  "I was considered the fastest reader in the world," he said.  "The average reader reads 240 words a minute with 40% comprehension.  "I had one of the most prominent speed reading teachers in the country.  He had me test in front of the American Medical Society in Beverly Hills, and I was tested at 30,000 words a minute with 90% comprehension."

Burt was 19 years old when he auditioned for the part of Robin, the Boy Wonder/Dick Grayson, the "youthful ward" of wealthy philanthropist Bruce Wayne/Batman, played by Adam West.  Bruce and Dick lived in "stately" Wayne Manor," along with Dick's Aunt Harriet, and Bruce's loyal English butler, Alfred.  At the time of his audition for the role of Robin, Burt was studying acting at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he achieved the top 3% in math and science tests.  He was also selling real estate for his father's company on weekends.

Batman aired on the ABC network for three seasons, from January 12, 1966 to March 14, 1968, twice weekly during the first two seasons, and weekly for the third.  120 episodes of the series were produced.  Batman is known for its campy style, its upbeat music and vivid colours.  As the show's executive producer William Dozier put, it. Batman was the only situation comedy on TV without a laugh track.

For the role of Robin, Burt had to compete against more than a thousand other hopefuls.  He and Brooklyn-born actor Peter Deyell were the finalists, and Ward credits his high energy level with winning him the role. "That was 100% me in the character - pounding my fist in my hand and leaping over the door in and out of the Batmobile," he said in a 2016 interview for the Spectrum.  

 After being chosen to play Robin, Bert Gervis, Jr. changed his name to Burt Ward, taking on his mother's maiden name, which he considered easier to pronounce than Gervais,  He also altered the spelling of his first name from "Bert" to "Burt" "to add punch."  

Adam West and Lyle Wagonner were the finalists for the role of Batman, with Adam winning the role.  Lyle went on to star on The Carol Burnett Show.  West and Ward became TV's Dynamic Duo on a very popular series.  Although Adam usually used a stunt double when filming action scenes, Burt performed his personal stunts most of the time.  During the first six days of filming, he was in and out of emergency hospitals with broken bones and burns.

Burt and Adam West

When Batman went off the air in 1968, Burt and Adam West found it difficult to find other acting jobs.  The two were unable to avoid being typecast.  However, Burt did appear in several made-for-TV movies.  After Batman, he and Adam made numerous personal appearances at giant comics conventions.

In 1977, Burt provided the voice of Dick Grayson/Robin in The New Adventures of Batman, a 30 minute animated television series.

Burt also appeared as Dick Grayson in a 2019 episode of Supergirl entitled "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" (Season 5, Episode 9, Air Date: December 8, 2019).

Burt has been married four times.  His first wife was Bonney Lindsey, daughter of the late Mort Lindsey, a renowned American conductor and composer.  Burt and Bonney wed in July 19, 1965.  They had a daughter, Lisa Ann Ward (born August 4, 1966), and they divorced in 1967.  

From 1967 to 1969, Burt was married to actress Kathy Kersh, who appeared aa a villain on the Batman television series.  His third wife was model Mariana Torchia from 1985 to 1989,  

Since July 15,1990, Burt has been married to actress, animal activist and businesswoman Tracy Posner, whom he met in 1989.  Tracy is the daughter of the late billionaire financier Victor Posner, who passed away in 2002.  According to Burt in his Heroes and Icons interview, Tracy's father did not want his daughter to get married.  "He called me up and offered me $10 million to send his daughter back.  I said, 'Sir, it's a very kind offer, but I live your daughter and I'd rather have your daughter than the money."

Burt and Tracy have their own daughter, Melody Lane Ward, who was born on February 16, 1991.

More recent photo of Burt Ward

In his interview with Heroes & Icons, Burt was asked to pick one favorite "Holy" exclamation.  He replied, "You mean like . . . 'Holy strawberries, Batman, are we in a jam?'   You can use that one,  That's a pretty good one!  I had 387 or 370 holies or something like that."  

END NOTES      

* Burt says, "I was the Caped Crusader, now I'm the Canine Crusader"  In 1994, he and his  wife, Tracy, opened a non-profit foundation to save dogs in Noroco, California, the community where they live.  The foundation is called Gentle Gants Rescue.  Through the years, Burt and Tracy have saved the lives of several thousand dogs.  Their foundation provides for the food, shelter and medical needs of the animals.  A program has also been developed, which has succeeded in extending their lifespan.

Burt and Tracy have also helped to create a top of the line dog food that is affordable and healthy.  They launched a company, Gentle Giants dog food, to produce it.  There is also a Gentle Giants cat food.  Both are available online and in stores such as Target and Walmart.

* Adam West died of leukemia on June 9, 2017.  He was 88 years old at the time of his passing.  Upon Adam's death, Burt made the following statement to People magazine: "Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years.  We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together, our families have deep love and respect for each other.  This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend.  I will forever miss him."

* Prior to her marriage to Burt (1967 to 1969), Kathy Kersh was married briefly to Vince Edwards of Ben Casey fame.  Kathy and Vince divorced in 1965.    

* In 1995, Burt published an autobiography, Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights, about his time portraying Robin.  

* Burt has a black belt in karate and he was a friend and neighbour of the famed martial arts film star Bruce Lee.

SOURCES: Heroes and Icons, "18 Things You Didn't Know About Burt Ward, As Told By Burt Ward Himself," by Heroes and Incons Staff, July 7, 2017; The Spectrum, "Burt Ward's life with dogs," by Nick Thomas, September 1, 2016; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Y&R Report (October 8, 2022): 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,

Two troublemakers have arrived in Genoa City, namely Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John) and Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver).  Audra has been revealed as Noah's ex-girlfriend in London, the one who broke his heart. He denies that he wants to rekindle a romance with her, but she is obviously ready to make a play for him.  This is not good news for Allie, Noah's current girlfriend.  Allie says she's not concerned about Audra, but she had a worried look on her face when Noah was speaking to his ex.

Noah is not the only male who may fall victim to Audra's charms.  There is an array of men for Audra to put her hooks into.  She's already tried to attract Nate, who is vulnerable right now because of his separation from Elena.  Then there's Billy and Devon.  She'll see both of them often at Chancellor-Winters.  She may even pursue Adam.

As for Tucker, the business tycoon certainly made a grand entrance when he landed by helicopter to crash Kyle and Summers's party.  He later told his son, Devon, that he did not come to town to cause trouble.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  As Victoria Newman put it, Tucker "always has an angle."  He will try to get control of Chancellor-Winters.  He probably feels that he has a claim on the company because Katherine Chancellor was his mother.  However, he is gong to have a battle royal with the Newman family and the Winters family for control of Chancellor-Winters.  I expect that Victor Newman will come out on top since he always seems to win.

It's not really surprising that Tucker McCall is back.  After all, Tucker has many ties to Geno City.  Not only is he Devon's father, he's Ashley Abbott's ex-husband.  That makes him Abby's former stepfather, and she despises him.   He's also Dominic's biological grandfather through his connection to Devon.  Remember that Devon is Dominic's biological dad.  However, Trevor St. John, the actor who has taken over the role of Tucker, looks a bit too young to be Devon's father and too young to be a grandfather.  So, I checked their birth date.  Trevor St. John was born on September 3, 1971, while Bryton James, who portrays Devon Hamilton,  was born on August 17, 1986.  That makes Bryton only 15 years younger than the actor who plays his father.

Ashley met up with Tucker a day after Summer and Kyle's weeding renewal.  She refused to fall for his shenanigans. She came right to the point and demanded to know the real reason why he had come to Genoa City.  Tucker seems to want to impress Ashley.  He claimed that his helicopter escapade was for her benefit.  However, I don't think that Ashley was very pleased to set eyes on Tucker again.  Other than Diane, I don't know who is more unwelcome in Genoa City than Tucker McCall.

Tucker has a mysterious connection to Diane Jenkins.  It can't be good because Diane appears extremely uncomfortable in his presence.  I wouldn't be surprised if he is also responsible for Audra's appearance in Genoa City.

Nick Newman and Sally Spectra are playing with fire, and they know it.  They will eventually crash and burn, but they have decided to continue their relationship anyway.  Oh yes, they don't want to define their situation either.  Sharon doesn't know about Nick and  Sally yet, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts when she finds out.

Chelsea is about to have a breakdown.  She's almost over the edge and she seems to be showing signs of paranoia.  She accused Sharon and others of being against her.  She's obsessed with Johnny and wants to use him as a crutch, which isn't fair to the boy.  She can't seem to get the message that she should stay away from him for now.  By the way, I'm impressed with Paxton Mishkind, the young actor who has taken over the role of Johnny.  There's only one thing that doesn't ring true for me.  I don't think that both Johnny and Connor Newman would be so hostile toward Chelsea - especially Connor.

It was good to see Esther (Kate Linder)r back on screen again.  She hasn't been shown for a while, but she may appear more often now that she's been hired as the receptionist at Chancellor-Winters.  I think she was given that position by the writers for storyline purposes.  She will probably overhear something about Nate's agreement with Victoria to help the Newman's take over the company.

CAST NEWS

Mishael Morgan off contract    

Daytime Emmy-winning actress Mishael Morgan is taking "a bit of a step back" from The Young and the Restless.  Mishael's decision to step back comes six months after she made history by becoming the first Afro-Canadian woman to win the Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress (She was born in Trinadad and Tobago.  When she was five, her family emigrated to North America.  They first settled in New York City and finally relocated to the Toronto area).

"I just feel that at this point in my career, I wanted to mix things up a little bit, but Y&R will always be my home," Mishael wrote on Instagram. Her fans will be pleased to know that she will continue to make appearances on the show, but only on a recurring basis.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Trevor St. John (Tucker)

Trevor St. John is a soap veteran.  He had a regular role on One Life to Live from 2000 to 2013.  He has also appeared in films and primetime televisions series such as Diagnosis Murder, Hope and Faith and The Mentalist.  Now he brings his talents to The Young and the Restless.  Fans, are you impressed with him so far and are you pleased that Tucker has returned?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Are you pleased that Tucker McCall is back in Genoa City?

Yes, there were loose ends in his storyline to be resolved. He's a good actor and shakes things up.

No. He's not needed. Trevor St. John's performance is okay, but not spectacular.

I don't know.

Ohter

 

pollcode.com free polls

NOTE TO READERS

I need your feedback.  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.  I really need your input.  I really need to hear your opinion.  I want to know if you agree or disagree with me. 

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, October 22, 2022.  I would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving (Monday, October 10th) to all my Canadian readers.

Take care,

Joanne