Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Last evening, the CBS Daytime team put on a one of a kind event, CBS Daytime After Dark that featured an evening of stand-up comedy from some of CBS Daytime’s biggest stars to benefit the charity Stand Up To Cancer, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which funds groundbreaking cancer research.

The event was hosted by actor/comedian Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) and featured CBS Daytime stars: Drew Carey (The Price is Right) Wayne Brady with Jonathan Mangum and keyboardist Cat Gray (Let’s Make A Deal) and Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood (The Talk).

On-Air On-Soaps was on the red carpet and inside the world famous Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip in Tinseltown to watch the incredible comedic performances and to talk with the movers and shakers, and the stars that comprise the family of talent of CBS Daytime. First up, we had the opportunity to talk to the woman who is really making a difference with her energy, fresh perspective, use of social media, and creating continual synergy for her entire daytime line-up which includes: The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.  Of course, we are talking about CBS Entertainment, Senior Vice President Daytime, Angelica McDaniel.

Just as Angelica was about to go in and take her seat to watch the stand-up routines that would provide plenty of laughs and enable these comedic talents to strut their stuff, she took a moment to chat about the creation of this event, The Talk’s exciting season four premiere week that had the ladies revealing some of their inner most never-before-known secrets, and what is to come on The Young and the Restless as it begins to embark on its new journey with new co-head writers, Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante!  Here’s what Angelica shared with us …

Angelica, did you come up with the concept for this event to bring all the incredible talent from the CBS Daytime line-up in great synergy to support Cancer Awareness?

Courtesy/CBS

ANGELICA:  Yes, this is a CBS Daytime exclusive!  A lot of women watch CBS Daytime and that is our key demo, and during all of our shows in the month of October we always support Breast Cancer Awareness.   So we thought, “Let’s do something that is related to cancer,” and then we partnered with Stand Up To Cancer.   The one thing I learned that was really eye-opening was that more than one person passes every minute from cancer.  So this is such an important event to draw attention to it.  We have got CBS Daytime talent, CBS Primetime talent here, and it’s a great night.  I am so excited that for the first time everyone gets to see these great daytime comics, but they don’t have the daytime television restrictions in this live show, so they can just let loose and have fun.

You have such an amazing talent pool in your arsenal with Wayne Brady, Drew Carey, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler!  Not only are they some of America’s favorite game show or talk show hosts, but they are amazing live comics! So it’s great to be able to see them tonight in their true realm.  Such a treat, right?

ANGELICA: Wayne Brady, Drew Carey, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler, these are touring comics and this is what they do.  We are so lucky having them hosting our shows and that is a big part of why we are the number one rated line-up in daytime television! So we thought, “You know what?  Let’s draw attention to that!  Let’s let the fans come” We are going to have a hundred fans crammed into The Comedy Store tonight and it’s great!  They got their tickets online, through social media and through the shows, and it’s a great way to see everyone come together and truly be a great big family.

Courtesy/CBS

The Talk is having its most successful season and ratings yet!  I must say, I have never seen anything like season four premiere week where Aisha, Sheryl, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, and Julie Chen shared some very deep, and often times harrowing secrets for the first time with the public and each other. Who came up with that idea for a season kick-off?

ANGELICA:  They are doing a great job in the ratings.  We kicked off season four with a great week of the hosts revealing secrets.  That was our executive producer, John Redmond’s idea.  But one of the things that people were thinking was that the women were going to say something like, “Oh, I dye my hair blonde,” or these kinds of secrets that weren’t really a big deal.  And then they were just blown away when they saw how revealing and vulnerable these women allowed themselves to be.  I am so proud of them for taking that leap of faith.  But it really just goes to show with the support of everything from the network, the studios, the executive producers, and the producers on staff, that the women really feel that they are safe to be that vulnerable.  That is really a testament to the behind the scenes people of that show.

Let’s talk about what is happening with The Young and the Restless! Are changes coming in front of the camera that fans will notice as far as storytelling, plot, and seeing the characters they want to see continuing at the forefront?  This week there is some major drama about to go down in Genoa City, too!

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

ANGELICA:  I can say I am really excited about the stuff that is happening on Y&R.  This is a big week story wise, and there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes.  I am just really excited for us in the coming months as we begin shifting story to really start having more well-rounded balance of family, relationship, humor, and shock and sadness. For awhile, I think we were just kind of telling the same level of a story. Now you’re going to see a lot more happening, and a lot of characters from other generations crossing with other characters, and really opening that show up.

Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante are the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless.  What can you tell me about having these two ladies penning the future of Genoa City?

ANGELICA:  Jean Passanante has not actually started yet.  She starts next week. So it’s really exciting for her to come in and be part of the family and the nest with us.  Despite what people want to say, Jean and Jill Farren Phelps have not worked together.   They worked together once years ago where they sort of overlapped with each other while one was coming in and one was going out on a soap, so it really wasn’t working together. But people are wanting to say, “Jean is a friend of Jill Farren Phelps!”   And I want to say, even if Jean was a FOJ, because Shelly Altman was and is, the reason people are “friends of  …” is because these people are really good at their jobs.  I love to hire people I know sometimes. I have a couple of them who are working with CBS Daytime that I worked with before because they deliver, their excellent, and their team players, and so they are part of the team.

So CBS Daytime fans, what do you think of Angelica’s comments on the future of Y&R and the new head writing team of Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante? What did you think about the concept of CBS Daytime After Dark to benefit and raise awareness for the organization Stand Up To Cancer?  Did you enjoy the shocking secrets from the ladies of The Talk during its season four premiere week?  Share your thoughts below!