Y&R Report (September 23, 2023): 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,  

I am back and raring to go with my comments and information on The Young and the Restless.  I hope you have had a great summer.  There is a lot to talk about.  So, let's begin by discussing the recent happenings on Y&R.  

Tucker McCall is a snake-in-the-grass.  I didn't expect that his ill-fated marriage to Ashely Abbott would last long, but they didn't even make it past their honeymoon.  What a disaster!  Tucker is such a scoundrel.  Soap marriages don't last long, but that might be a record.  I think the writers took liberties with Ashley's character for the sake of a storyline.  Ashley is too smart  and savvy to have been deceived by Tucker again.  She never would have married him.  Actually, I think Tucker and Audra make a good pair.  They are both devious and overly ambitious.  They are both cut from the same cloth.  They have a history of being partners in crime.

Speaking of Audra, she really took Kyle for a ride.  The Heartbreak Kid is getting a taste of his own medicine.  You will recall that he dumped Summer for Lola and then he turned around and dumped Lola for Summer.  Kyle has a  terrible record with women.  However, I doubt Summer would do much better with Chance.  He doesn't have a great track record with women either.  

This time the shoe will be on the other foot for Kyle Abbott.  He'll probably try to reunite with Summer, but she'll tell him it's too late, baby, I've moved on.  Hasta la vista!

Neither Diane nor Phyllis are angels.  They just can't stop meddling.  Yet whenever they come across each other, Diane provokes Phyllis.  It isn't necessary because Diane has everything she wants now.  She is married to Jack and she is the Lady of the Abbott Manor.  In their last encounter, Diane tried to persuade Phyllis to help get Kyle and Summer together again.  

THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN

THUMS DOWN: Y&R used to have summer barbecues and swimming parties, hosted by the Newmans and the Abbotts.  There did not appear to be any summer fun this year.  I also remember when Y&R had summer teen storylines.  The show can't seem to come up with any youth-oriented storylines to attract younger viewers.  Daniel's daughter, Lucy, has made appeared on and off, but she hasn't had a storyline.  There doesn't seem to be any character her age to interact with.  That leaves her with just trying to reunite her parents, Daniel and Heather.

THUMBS UP:  I love the way Eric Braeden is in the spotlight right now as he takes control of Newman Enterprises again.  I never thought I'd see that infernal picture of him in the office again.  It was quite a moment when Victoria's portrait was taken down and replaced by Victor's.  Victor is in his element and Eric Braeden seems to be really enjoying himself.  Melody Thomas Scott is also centre stage in her tole as Nikki.

THUMBS DOWN:  I enjoy corporate intrigue, but Y&R has become too much of it lately.  All the companies, who's in charge of what, and the name changes have been a bit difficult to keep track of.  Some comic relief is needed.

CAST NEWS

Billy Miller dead at 43

Some sad news indeed.  As most of you know, Billy Miller, ex-Billy Abbott on Y&R, died in Austin, Texas on September 15t, 2023, just two days before his 44th birthday.  His mother, Patricia Miller sent the following statement to Soap Opera Digest.

I would like to share the following thoughts. I want to personally thank the many fans and personal friends for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and condolences sent to me and my family on the devastating death of my beautiful son, BJ ­ Billy Miller. He fought a long, hard valiant battle with bipolar depression. For years, he did everything he could to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends, and his fans, but in the end, the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life. The other causes of death being told or not true. I wish they were, but they just aren't we all loved him so much. And are trying desperately to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say thanks for the love and support - --Patricia Miller.

Billy Miller was raised in Grand Prairie, Texas,  He got his start in 2007 on All My Children.  From 2008 to 2014, he portrayed Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless.  His portrayal of the spoiled rich boy was immensely popular with fans because he was impishly charming.  Billy received two Daytime Emmy Awards for his Y&R role, two for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and one for Outstanding Lead actor in a Drama Series.  Billy became a member of the cast of General Hospital,  He portrayed Jason Morgan from 2016 to 2017, as well as Morgan's twin, Drew Cain, until his departure from General Hospital in 2019.

On the Thursday, September 21st episode of Y&R, CBS aired a touching tribute to Billy.  In a segment at the end of the episode  There was a montage which began with a title card that read "In Loving Memory"  It featured scenes from Billy's time on the show

Michael Damien returning as Danny Romalotti for extended storyline

Michael Damien is retuning again.  The singer/actor is getting ready for yet another stint on Y&R this fall.  Michael originally joined the cast of Y&R in 1981.  His most recent appearance occurred just a few months ago when Dany appeared at a memorial service for Phyllis, who was very much alive.  Danny still seems to carry a torch for Christie the Cricketmeister.  Now that she has broken up with Paul, will she reunite with the rock star.  (I don't expect Doug Davidson to ever return as Paul Williams.  I don't think fans would like someone else in the role.  So it seems as though Chance is the new Genoa City Chief of Police.  Chance is no Paul Williams.  That's for sure).

Irish Wish, Michael Damien's second film with Lindsay Lohan premieres on Netflix in early 2024.  Michael has also produced and directed the upcoming film Paris Christmas Waltz, which recently finished production in Paris.

Veronica Redd to reprise her role as Mamie Johnson for multiple episodes

Veronica Redd will reprise her role as Mamie Johnson later this month.  Mamie is the former Abbott housekeeper, and great aunt to Lily, Devon and Nate.  Apparently she has some unfinished business in Genoa City.  She had an ongoing feud with Jill.  I wonder how she'll get along with Diane.

Veronica played the role of Mamie Johnson from 1919 to 1995 and from 1990 to 2004.  She reappeared briefly as Mamie during Genoa City's bicentennial celebration.

Haley Erin cast in new Y&R role

From 2008 to 2010, Hayley Erin played a young Abby Newman.  She will be returning to the show, but never fear Melissa Ordway fans, she will not be playing Abby this time.  Erin's new character, Claire Grace will be involved in the action at Newman Media.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Allison Lanier

Conner Floyd

Sharon Case

It seems as if we have a triangle with Sharon (Sharon Case), Chance (Conner Floyd) and Summer (Allison Lanier). What do you think, fans?  Should Summer have a romance with Chance or get back together with Kyle?  Do you prefer Chance with Sharon or would you prefer that she reunites with Nick Newman?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Do you like Sharon and Chance together?

Yes. They make a good couple. Sharon brings out the lighter side of Chance.

No. Sharon belongs with Nick.. She's the real love of his life, not Sally.

No. Chance should have a romance with Summer.

I don't know..

Other

 

pollcode.

 NOTE TO READERS

I really 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, October 7, 2023.

Take care,

Joanne

Update on Jimmy McNichol

 You wanted to know . . . if there is any update on the status of Jimmy McNichol's marriage

A reader asked for an update "on the status of Jimmy McNichol's marriage."  Jimmy hasn't been in the spotlight for a while and he has kept his life fairly private.  He is not separated or divorced, and to the best of my knowledge, he is living a quiet life with his family.

James Vincent McNichol, known professionally as Jimmy McNichol, was born on July 2, 1961 in Los Angeles, California,, the son of James McNichol, a carpenter, and his wife, Carolyn.  The eldest of three siblings, Jimmy has a sister, Kristy (born 1962) and a brother, Tommy (Born 1965).  Kristy won an Emmy for her portrayal teenaged daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the television drama Family.  

Jimmy's parents divorced and Carolyn raised her children as a single parent.  She supported the family and became the business manager for Jimmy and Kristy.  Jimmy and Kristy began their modelling and acting careers together,  Tommy was raised separately by a grandparent in Burbank, California.  He studied computer science.

In 1978, Jimmy and Kristy recorded a disco album together titled Kristy and Jimmy McNichol, which included the single "He's So Fine," a cover of the Chiffons' 1963 hit.  Jimmy and Kristy's version of the song reached number 70 on the Billboard chart.  The siblings also hosted several ABC specials and Saturday morning previews.  Kristy achieved success in her acting career, but she suffered from bipolar disorder.  She quit acting at only 24 years of age. 

Jimmy is now 62 years old.  In 1997, he married Renee Nash.  They have two children, a son named Nash (born late 1997), and a daughter, Ellis (born late 1998).  Jimmy and Renee's son, Nash, attended Fort Lewis College and launched his own business called Tech-Nichol.  He repairs cellphones and electronics.  Ellis graduated Animas High School in Colorado in June of 2017.  She then enrolled in Lewis and Clark University to pursue a degree in sociology and human services.

Jimmy also has another daughter, Kellee Maize, from a past relationship.  He wasn't aware of his other daughter.  He had no idea about her until they met in 2010.  Kellee was born in Pennsylvania.  She was adopted and raised by Terry and Christine Maize.  She is a singer, rapper and songwriter.

Kellee Maize

According to her website, Kellee was born in the 1980s.  Other sources list her birthdate as January 18, 1980.  According to a 2022 Closer Weekly article, Kellee has two children, a daughter named Soraya and a son, Mateo, with her husband, Joey Rahimi, making Jimmy McNichol a grandfather.  Kellee's adoptive father, Terry, has passed away, and Kellee refers to Jimmy as "Pops."

"Adoption is truly a gift, and I would never change  my journey in any way as I love my mom and dad with  ALL of my heart and to the the end of the earth . . . but to then also receive a gift of my unimaginably supportive and loving Pop and his family, (especially since my dad passed away 10 years ago and I miss him every day), has meant the world to me," Kellee wrote on Instagram after the McNichol clan got together in Colorado for the holidays in 2019.

        

Jimmy began his career as a child actor, and he appeared in numerous TV commercials.  He later became a teen idol.in the late 1970s. and early 1980s.  He starred in TV shows such as The  Fitzpatricks (1977-1978) and the mini-series California Fever (1979).  In 1980, he appeared in the TV movie Blinded by the Light.  From 1984 to 1985, Jimmy portrayed Josh Clayton in 26 episodes of the soap opera General Hospital.

Jimmy McNichol retired from acting in the 1990s, at the age of 30, although he did appear as Dracula's son in five 2017 episodes of the TV series Decker.  Since leaving acting, he has been active in environmental causes.  He is also a real estate investor and home renovator.  In 2018, Jimmy co-founded an entertainment production company called Playground TV.  Playground TV is a multilingual streaming platform.  It is powered my 18 children's channels and 140 animated shows.  Its mission is to educate and entertain kids worldwide.

In 2006, Jimmy and his family relocated from Santa Barbara, California to Durango, Colorado, where he still resides.

SOURCES: Closer Weekly, "Teen Idol Jimmy McNichol Became a Dad of 3 After Finding Fame! Meet His Kid Kellee, Nash and Ellis," by Samantha Agate, March 23, 2022; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Whatever happened to Denise Nicholas of Room 222?

Denise Nicholas is best known for her portrayal of guidance counsellor Liz McIntyre on ABC's groundbreaking series Room 222 from 1969 to 1974.  She also played City Councilwoman Harriet DeLong, alongside Carroll O'Conner, in 69 episodes of In the Heat of the Night, from 1989 to 1995.  In addition, she has enjoyed a second career as a successful author.

Denise Donna Nicholas (some sources say Donna Denise Nicholas) was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 12, 1944, the middle child of the three children of Louise and Otto Nicholas.  She had an older brother, Otto Jr, and a younger sister, Michele.  Denise grew up in Milan, Michigan, just south of Ann Arbor.  After graduating from Milan High Scholl, she attended the University of Michigan.

In 1964, at the age of 19, Denise dropped out of the University of Michigan and joined the Free Southern Theater in New Orleans.  She interrupted her pre-law studies to travel to the Deep South to become involved in the American Civil Rights Movement.  It was "Freedom Summer" and Denise had connected with the fledgling Free Southern Theater in order to read and critique plays.  

Denise Nicholas began her television career with an appearance in a 1968 episode of the adventure crime series It Takes a Thief., starring Robert Wagner.  The episode is entitled "To Catch a Roaring Lion" (Season 2, Episode 12, Air Date: December 31, 1968.  She then guest-starred on episodes of The F.B.I. (1969), and six episodes of the police drama N.Y.P.D. from 1967 to 1969.

After her stint with the Free Southern Theater, Denise moved to New York and worked off-Broadway.  She earned a spot in the groundbreaking Negro Ensemble Company.  During a performance with them at St. Mark's Playhouse, Denise was noticed by TV executives and was called to a edition for a new television show called Room 222.  She eventually landed the starring role of guidance counsellor Liz McIntyre and moved to California in 1969.  

On Room 222, Denise's Liz McIntyre character was the love interest of American history teacher Pete Dixon, who was portrayed by the late :Lloyd Haynes.  The show was set in Los Angeles at the fictional Walt Whitman High, an integrated school with an integrated faculty.  Denise appeared in all 113 episodes of Room 222 from 1969 until 1974.  In 1970, 1971 and 1972, she received Golden Globe nominations for Best TV Actress in a Drama for her role as Liz McIntyre in the series.

Below is a photo of the main cast members on Room 222.  In the front row are Michael Constantine, who portrayed principal Seymour. Kaufman.  To his right is Lloyd Haynes.  In the back row are Denise and Karen Valentine, who played English teacher Alice Johnson.

After Room 22 finished its run, Denise guest-starred in episodes of such TV series as Police Stary (1975), Rhoda (1975) and Marcus Welby, M.D, (1975).  From 1977 to 1978, Denise played the role of Olivia Ellis in 13 episodes of the short-lived CBS comedy Baby. . .I'm Back!   Her co-star in was  Demond Wilson of Sanford and Son fame.  He portrayed Olivia's wayward husband, Raymond Ellis, who returns home to Olivia and their two children after years of abandonment.  Complications arise because Raymond has been declared legally dead and Olivia has become engaged to someone else.

Denise and Demond Wilson

In February of 1980, Denise suffered a tragedy when her younger sister, Michele Burgen, a 26-year-old editor for Ebony magazine was shot to death.  Michele's body was discovered in a locked rental car at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.  Although Denise and her older brother, Otto, searched thoroughly, no suspect was ever brought to trial.

In the early 1980s, Denise worked on stage, and was featured in Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry, which aired on PBS.  In the 1980s, she made guest appearances on episodes of such TV shows as Benson (1980), Diff'rent Strokes (1980), One Day at a Time (1983), Magnum, P.I. (1984), Hotel (1987),  Amen (1988) and The Cosby Show (1989).  She also played the role of Leddy Hutch in the 1987 television movie The Rockford Files: Shoot-Out at the Golden Pagoda, starring James Garner.

In 1985, Denise enrolled in USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.  In 1987, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama from the University of Southern California.  In 1989, she began appearing as In the Heat of the Night, a crime drama about the adventures of the police forces in and around Sparta, Mississippi.  It is loosely based based on the 1967 movie and the 1965 novel of the same name.  

It wasn't until the show's third season that Denise began appearing as a recurring character - Sparta city Councilwoman Harriet DeLong.  Harriet eventually became a central character and the love interest of police chief Bill Gillespie (Carroll O'Connor). With the encouragement of O'Connor, Denise wrote six episodes of In the Heat of the Night,  She had approached Carroll, expressing her concern about he lack of black writers and directors on the show.  She told  him, "Carroll, you can't have all these black people on the show ad no black writers or directors ever."

Nicholas and O'Connor in In the Heat of the Night

When In The Heat of the Night was cancelled in 1995, Denise Nicholas decided to pursue a second career as a professional writer.  Denise enrolled in the Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.  She eventually joined the Journeyman's Writing Workshop where she studied for five years under the guidance of author Janet Finch.  

"Moving to writing from Acting was a natural progression for me," Denise told USC News in 2016.  "I always loved reading and books and really absorbed the fantasy of being a writer.  It's very romantic to want to be a writer, especially when you've never written anything.  But I had always wanted to write."

Denise's first novel,, Freshwater Road, was published in 2005/  It was critically acclaimed.  New York Newsday called it "perhaps the best work of fiction about the Civil Rights Movement."  It is a coming pf age story set in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964.

According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Denise's last TV acting role was in a 2002 episode of the sitcom My Wife and Kids.

Denise has been married three times.  In May1964, she married stage actor and civil rights activist Gilbert Moses, who founded the Free Southern Theater.  The couple wed at the American Theater in New York and moved to Jackson, Mississippi.  Denise joined Moses' Free Southern Theater.  With a small troupe of actors, the group performed plays for rural African-American audiences, many of whom had never witnessed live theatre before.  They performed Ossie Davis' Purlie Victorious and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.  Their production of In White America toured in New York City, as well as in Mississippi and Louisiana.  In 1965, the Free Southern Theater moved its base of operation to New Orleans, Louisiana.  Denise separated from Gilbert Moses and moved to New York City.

Gilbert Moses

On January 17, 1973, Denise married her second husband, soul singer Bill Withers, of  "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine" fame.  It was reportedly a tumultuous marriage.  Denise filed for divorce in April of 1974 and the divorce became final in December of 1974.

Bill Withers in 1976

In June 0f 1980, while grieving the loss of her sister, Denise met sports anchor Jim Hill at a party in Sacramento, California.  Jim, a former NFL player, married Denise on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1981.  In October 1981, the couple separated, but soon reconciled.  However, Denise filed for divorce again in 1984.  The divorce became final in 1987.  In 1990, Denise told People magazine that she was at a low point in her life after her break-up with Hill in 1984.  She said, "'Dark Shadow' was my middle name.  I was really at ground zero.  The marriage was over, my career was in the toilet, and I was adrift."

Jim Hill

END NOTES

* Denise's first husband, Gilbert Moses, award-winning stage and TV director and producer, died of multiple myeloma on April 15, 1995.  He died in New York at the age of 52 .  He was known for his work on the ABC After School Specials and Roots.

 Denise's second husband, Bill Withers, passed away on March 30. 2020 at the age of 81.  The singer-songwriter died of heart complications in a Los Angeles hospital.

Jim Hill, Denise's third husband, is currently a sports anchor and sports director for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

* Denise's co-star on Room 222, Lloyd Haynes, died of lung cancer on January 1. 1987.  He was 52 years old at the time of his passing.  Her other Room 222 co-star, Michael Constantine, died on August 31, 2021 at 94 years of age. 

* Denise appeared on the cover of Jet magazine ten times.

* Denise's film credits include Biacula (1972), Let's Do It Again( 1975), A Piece of the Action (1977) and Ghost Dad (1990).

SOURCES: USC Dornsife ,"Actress and novelist Denise Nicholas draws from her experience in the civil rights movement," by Laura Paisley, March 25, 2016;  Los Angeles Times, "'In the Heat of the Night's Denise Nicholas finds the positive in past and present," by N.F. Mendoza, January 16, 1994; The HistoryMakers: The Digital Repository for the Black Experience,  Denise Nicholas Biographym Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne