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Les Moonves on Future of CBS Soaps: "We Believe They Will Be On For a Long, Long Time!"

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Today at the TCA’s (Television Critics Association) press tour session for CBS, the network boss, Les Moonves spoke on the future, and his thoughts, on the two current daytime drama properties that air on the network … The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless!

Moonves related: “They’re doing well. They’re profitable. They were able, a few years back, to do the shows a bit more economically. Our daytime (soaps) have gone way up this year, and their profitability has gone way up.  We believe those two soaps will be on for a long, long time.  We don’t think the form is dead.  Obviously, there are a lot less than there used to be, but we’re very pleased with what they’re doing.”

Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R) jumped on his Twitter account to acknowledge  Moonves statements to the press, stating, “Les Moonves is Da Man. He’s supported #yr #bb for all of his years @CBS. I know! I was there! #Straight shooter #great leader. @CBSDaytime”

So are you enthusiastic over Les Moonves support of Y&R and B&B? Do you think they will continue to thrive for a years to come on the network?  Share your thoughts!

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As long as the shows are making them money and there isn’t something else available that might make them more money than those shows– then yes they will be on. But if either of those two things changes, it will be bye bye. Because in the end all the matters to the networks is the bottom line. The key words in his statement is profitability.

Was he at the helm when Guiding Light and As the World Turns were taken off the air?

Yes. He axed ATWT so his wife could have The Talk. I do’nt watch
anything with Julie Chen!!! YawneR is worse than the soaps he and
his wife destroyed. If it was on the up and up, why have her host TT?

Yes, he was in charge. Funny that you would mention that. I vividly remember his comment when ATWT was cancelled: “Only the ‘special’ soaps will survive.” It came back to me as I read this quote from him. (BTW: I still don’t know what he meant by “special soaps” but clearly the group didn’t include the Oakdale folks).

I’ve always liked Doug Davidson and appreciate what he has done for Y&R over the years. However, I’m having a hard time becoming as supportive of Moonves as he did in his quote. Two years ago, it looked CBS would toss all of its soaps off the air. Now, Moonves and Angelica McDaniel gush on and on about how fantastic they are doing.

The ratings for the shows have improved but they are far below what they used to be. Moreover, from a creative angle, Y&R and B&B are barely watchable.

I’m not trying to be the voice of doom about this. I WANT these shows to survive but I just don’t see the improvements that Moonves and his crew keep fawning about. Moreover, I don’t really trust that Moonves is that supportive of these shows. They clearly have cut costs further (evident in the quality of what we see on the screen these days) and the shows must work somehow from a profit angle. However, I wouldn’t say they have made some HUGE comeback like his comment suggests.

Sorry, I just don’t put a lot of weight into these glowing remarks. I remember the hatch job done on ATWT and GL to well to do that.

I thought ATWT & GL were through Proctor & Gamble!!

Yes, P&G produced the soaps and CBS aired them on their network. P&G owns all copyrighted material connected to those two soaps. So when CBS decided to no longer air them on their network, P&G could have sold them to another network. But P&G wanted to get out the soap opera production end of things so they didn’t bother.

Thank you! I’m looking forward to another 40 years of the Young and the Restless!

…and at least 25 more years of B&B!!

I don’t care if it’s profitability! As long as they stay on!!! Of course, they have to make a profit….it is a business after all…everyone says that like its a bad thing!

Yes, nothing wrong with making money- and entertainment is a business. But supporting them as long as they make a profit, isn’t the same thing as supporting them through investment.
If this network was truly supporting the genre, they would invest the money in hiring the best writers, producers, directors, actors, and trades people they could. They would invest in high production values and promotions. They would be interested in developing new soaps— that is supporting the genre.
But just be willingly to air a Sony and Bell produced product as long as it makes money for you, and something else better doesn’t come along– is not IMO supporting the genre.
And trust me, there is a way to do invest in the genre and make money, but no network is willing to go there anymore. They will air what they have until they find a good reason not to.
So I don’t object to them wanting to make a profit– I object to them saying they are supporting the product when in fact they are not. They are profiting from it, not supporting it. Big difference.

Well said.

No, I don’t agree with Les at all. Onbothera shows they are breaking up marriages and turning teens into scrumbags. Nobody really work..The scripts look like what William Bell wrote and baby Brad picked up off the floor to use over and over. And getting rid of Hunter Tylo and her family, the only characters that can act.

Any business must remain profitable to ensure it’s future and it is no different in soaps. In addition to this, you must have good story lines or the actor/actresses are enticed to walk. Let’s hope the soaps do survive for years to come- long live the soaps!

HE CANCELLED ATWT’S. BRING IT BACK!!!!!! I don’t watch the talk and never will.

I wish he’d kept ATWT on the air…i miss Lilly, Holden, Lucinda, Luke,…i miss them all!!!

Don’t forget Barbara and Emily! I still miss my show!

They were great too…especially Barbara and when they did that Upstairs Downstairs Christmas special…i taped that and watch it every Christmas season.

Good news to hear!

GL and ATWT were much better soaps than Y&R. I have never watched TT and don’t intend to.

I do’nt care how people spin this: The fact is that he killed ATWT and gave his
wife a show that took the place of it. All of the doubters may change thei minds
when there is talk of a spinoff of The Talk. The best way to save the soaps is to
not support the other crap.

As The World Turns

Jon Lindstrom and Cady McClain Announce They Have Ended Their Marriage

After much speculation, General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) and Cady McClain (ex-Jennifer, DAYS, ex-Rosanna, ATWT, ex-Dixie, AMC et al) have officially confirmed and announced they have gone their separate ways and have ended their marriage.

For months on social media, it was clear that the two were seemingly apart, not appearing pictured in any of each others posts.

Now, on a mutually shared Instagram post, Jon and Cady made an official statement on the status of their relationship, beginning with “Cady and Jon here. We are taking this opportunity to make a short statement about our relationship status. It may be obvious to some based on our posts that we’ve taken some time apart. After serious consideration we have decided that our goals have been taking us in different directions and to end our marriage.”

Photo: JPI

As to the future, Jon and Cady explained, “We remain friends and wish each other every happiness. As people who work in the public eye, it can be difficult to have a private life. Regardless, we ask for your kind consideration in this matter.”

Jon and Cady met when they both appeared on As the World Turns, he as Craig Montgomery, and she as Rosanna Cabot. After four years together, the couple decided to get married in 2014.

Share your well-wishes for Jon and Cady’s separate futures as they ask for privacy on this matter in the months ahead via the comment section below.

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News

Y&R Stars Pay Tribute and Remember Marla Adams

The Young and the Restless is in mourning following the news of the passing of longtime star, Marla Adams (Dina Mergeron) who passed away at the age of 85. Adams died on Thursday April 25th in Los Angeles.

Since her passing, several tributes and heartfelt remembrances have been shared on social media. The official Y&R Instagram expressed. “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to Marla’s family after her passing. We’re so grateful and in awe of Marla’s incredible performance as Dina Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on Y&R.”

Several of Marla’s former co-stars took to the IG post and more to share their remembrances. Adams took home a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for her performance in 2020, as Dina finally succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease in several memorable scenes.

Photo: JPI

Here’s what some of Marla’s co-stars expressed:

Eileen Davidson (Ashley): “Marla will be missed. What a great honor to work with her in the storyline where Dina had Alzheimer’s. Love you Marla ❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Melissa Ordway (Abby): “Marla will be greatly missed”

Beth Maitland (Traci): “The earth stopped turning for a moment when my Marla passed to eternity. Rest now, my Muti and soar with the angels.”

Photo: JPI

Greg Rikaart (Kevin) :“Marla was just the loveliest. Rest well. ❤️”

Bryton James (Devon): “Marla will be missed and loved forever 🧡 My deepest condolences to the family”

Jason Thompson (Billy): “❤️ Marla Adams”

Photo: JPI

Michael Damian (Danny): May god be with you aways Marla! 🙏❤️

Lauralee Bell (Christine): “So sorry to hear. Marla was such a bright light and so talented! My condolences to her family.”

Kate Linder: (Esther shared on X): My heart and love go out to the friends and family of #MarlaAdams. It has been an honor to have known and worked with her for many years! She will be sorely missed.”

Michael Fairman TV will update this post as more tributes are posted.

What do you think about the sentiments shared by Marla Adams’ co-stars as they mourn the loss of, for some, their TV mom? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Interviews

(INTERVIEW) B&B’s Annika Noelle Reveals Her Lead Actress Emmy-Nominated Scenes, and the Ups and Downs of a Tough Year

When the nominees were announced last week for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards, six women wound up in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category and that included The Bold and the Beautiful’s Annika Noelle (Hope Logan) who had quite the heavy on-screen story.

For months, Hope initially tried to hold her marriage to Liam (Scott Clifton) together, gave into her passion for Thomas (Matthew Atkinson), and became a stronger more independent woman in the process. Noelle was previously nominated in 2020 in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category, but this marks her first-time presence in the highly-coveted Lead Actress race.

On Friday, April 26th, The Bold and the Beautiful celebrated their leading 12 nominations, as well as being the show with the most acting nominations going into the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards set to air live on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Photo: JPI

During the on set celebration, when B&B’s Emmy-nominated executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, introduced each of the acting nominees, they took a moment to address their colleagues, and for Annika, her speech was touching and emotional. She expressed, “I’m so grateful to Brad Bell for believing in this dark brunette, and allowing me to be a part of this family. And when we say that we’re a family, it’s not just because we get along. It is really because we are here for the majority of the year with each other. I know for a lot of people, 2023, was a difficult year.  The thing about this beautiful show is that it was my constant, and it’s what I could depend on during a tough year. And there are beautiful days like this when you come in and everything in your life is going amazingly. And then, there are days where your world is falling apart. And the crew, honestly, you guys kept me afloat this year and that’s why this is so meaningful to me.”

Photo: MFTV Inc

Annika added, “I don’t think I could have gotten through this year without the love and support from this family. So, thank you for being there for me on days that I needed the strength and you gave that to me. I’m so grateful to my co-stars and who I get to share these beautiful scenes with. I just wanted to say, I appreciate all of you and thank you so much. You all mean more to me than you will ever know.”

Michael Fairman TV caught up with Annika immediately following the Emmy nominee celebration, to her thoughts on this momentous occasion in her professional life and what it means to her personally, plus what did she choose for her scenes when Hope had such, shall we say, a torrid year of story to choose from. Here’s what she shared below.

Photo: JPI

Dare I say, I called this nomination for you? Back on New Year’s Eve, I revealed My “Best Of” Picks for 2023 and I had you as the Best Overall Performance by an Actress for the year, and alongside your fellow nominee, Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH), to boot!

ANNIKA: Thank you for believing in me that I could do it.

How did you to tackle your Emmy-nominated reel and what you were hoping to showcase?

ANNIKA: I was just so grateful to have the story to be able to pick from, and to really try to show the character growth and the arc of everything that happened to Hope Logan in the past year. For me, I really wanted to take the voters on a journey from her really being heavily influence by everyone’s opinions and everyone else’s voices, to her really coming into her own and going, “I don’t care if it’s the right or wrong choice, it’s my choice.”

Photo: JPI

What scenes did you end up submitting the landed you this Lead Actress Emmy nomination?

ANNIKA: I started with this great scene that our producers, Casey Kaspryzk and Rachel Herman actually remembered, where Hope walks in on her mother in her lingerie flirting with Ridge. And they remembered that scene. So, that really launched us off to Hope being kind of in this deep denial of, “I’m nothing like you. I’m not going to follow in your footsteps. I don’t have feelings for Thomas.” Cut to Liam confronting her about watching her give into her desires in Rome. And him saying, “Where were you Hope? At the Colosseum?” and then kind of in a roundabout full circle way, Brooke finding Thomas and Hope in bed together and then Hope really kind of going toe to toe with her mother. Then, ending with her kind of fully coming into her own as a woman and saying, “You wanted a divorce, Liam, here’s your divorce.” I really wanted to show the journey of her finding her own voice and advocating for her own choices and finding that inner strength, basically.

Photo: JPI

Was choosing the reel difficult given you had so much material within the 2023 calendar year of eligibility to consider?

ANNIKA: It was hard to pick and choose. There were a few I ended up leaving out. There was a really beautiful scene with Thomas where she realizes he overheard her kind of talking ill of him. That one was really hard to let go of.  I was also considering another scene with Liam where they actually signed the divorce papers. I’m just so grateful to even be able to have the material to choose from.

Photo: JPI

How did you find out you were nominated?

ANNIKA: Eva Basler, our VP of Communications & Talent Relations, called me and it meant so much to me to get that call from her. I tend to get nervous and have anxiety, so that day I just had to not think about it. So, I was out on a walk with my love, and my dog. We’re just in the middle of a cul-de-sac and my phone starts ringing. And it was the best surprise ever! Then, when I found out that Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) got nominated alongside me, I immediately FaceTimed her. It was the funniest thing because she literally picks up and she is wearing a sun visor and sunglasses wrapped up on top of a horse as she’s in the middle of a mountain and in a valley on this beautiful white horse. It was the most picturesque thing.

Photos: ABC, JPI, NBC

I believe you know some of the women you are nominated with, obviously Katherine, but also Tamara Braun (Ava, Days), Finola Hughes, (Anna, GH), Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R). What are your thoughts on these nominees?

ANNIKA: Well first, I’m just so excited to be in this category with the other women. Tamara Braun, who I was nominated with previously in the Supporting Actress category I’m excited that she’s in this category with me. Michelle Stafford, who I see in the hallway all the time, is great, and Finola Hughes, I’m just like obsessed with from afar. I even watched her on Watch What Happens Live!  Cynthia, I hear her work is tremendous, and with Katherine, I’m just really grateful to get to share this with her. To be honored amongst these legends of daytime is amazing. Just to be seen in that way, that means more to me than anything.

Photo: JPI

You mentioned during B&B’s on-set Emmy celebration that this past year was a difficult one for you, and that everyone at the show really helped you through it. What meaning would winning the Emmy hold for you?

ANNIKA: That would be overwhelming. I wouldn’t even know how to describe it – an honor, a privilege, a blessing? It would mean the world to me, especially after this past year. That’s why it’s so significant, because even on the darkest days, the storms passes. You just have to hold on for that brighter day.

So, what did you think about the scenes Annika submitted for Lead Actress? Were they some of your favorite moments from the Emmy season? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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