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Chuck Pratt Named New Head Writer At The Young and the Restless! Will Also Get Executive Producer Credit!

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

The news is out tonight that former All My Children, General Hospital, Santa Barbara scribe and Sunset Beach co-creator, Chuck Pratt has been named the new head writer at The Young and the Restless!

In addition, Pratt will also get an executive producer credit!  First came the rumors via Highlight Hollywood that this change was at play behind the scenes, and then the first confirmation via Daytime Confidential.

On-Air On-Soaps also heard through sources that Pratt’s executive producer credit is more about money that taking over the reins of the number one show. Jill Farren Phelps remains in the top EP spot at the CBS daytime drama series.

Pratt has also written for primetime series including:  Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty and more recently The Lying Game that starred General Hospital’s Tyler Christopher (Nikolas Cassadine) before that show was canceled.

Pratt’s last daytime head writing gig with All My Children was widely panned, and many felt his stories ran the show into the ground, before it was eventually canceled by ABC.   How does the Y&R writing team shake-out with Pratt as the new head writer?  Stay tuned!

What do you think of the news of Chuck Pratt as new Y&R head writer? Share your thoughts below!

 

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I’m actually kind of a fan of his off and on. I certainly followed him from show to show so i’m looking forward to things making a whole lot more sense now. He’ll help the show bounce back from the snoozer it became. So at least they’re trying over there. Somebody is better than what’s current. That’s for sure.

Y&R is not the soap it used to be….it used to be the best, most original soap out there with their character driven stories and beautiful music. Those days are gone. With Chuck Pratt, those days will be further away than ever! This soap needs to get back to their roots. I barely watch it anymore. It needs to go back to the days when it was the Foster Family and Brooks Family. Bring them back along side the Abbott Family. Bring Brenda Dickson back as Jill Foster Abbott to really stir things up! She would add much needed spice to this show! Bring back the original music which made the Young and the Restless so special and different.

So what does this mean for the other two..

Altman & Passanante are out as head writers. They may get jobs as underlings, but that’s a slap in the face. They screwed up royally or they’d still have their jobs. Obviously, the Kool-Aid drinkers will keep heaping praise on this show, but the folks that want to be honest know that this is one train wreck under the direction of Jill Farren Phelps. This is now three head writer regimes in less that 18 months at Y&R. Nobody can put a pretty picture on this situation and be credible. The audience has eyes.

Ameeeeen tooooo that!!!!

I hope none of those hacks go to DAYS!

What’s Bob Guza up to these days? (shudder)

Or to B&B.

Hopefully it means they show Passanante the door and dead-bolt it shut behind her, the woman destroyed ATWT and if she has been kept on at Y&R, the same thing would have happened.

I could not agree more! She COMPLETELY ruined ATWT for me and for most fans. Y&R was going downhill. Hopefully, Chuck can breathe some life into it!

Unfortunately they merely switched soap killers. JP may have destroyed ATWT but CP did the same thing to AMC!!

Chuck Pratt should never work in daytime again. What a slap in the face to soap fans everywhere that he could do what he did to AMC and then turn around and be given a HW job on one of the few remaining soaps. Good luck, Y&R fans. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.

Ya we will

I think we will need. He sure trashed AMC before ABC cancelled it.

Good God, that story line where he had Reese cheating on her lesbian fiancee Bianca with Zach was literally the worst and most offensive story line ever.

He will without question kill this show.

Everybody please read Lynda Hirschs Saturday column about this Pratt situation she is a friend and she always brings you down off the ledge! Relax do not jump off the bridge!

I have mixed opinions on this. Y&R is really boring right now, so I hope he brings more intrigue and suspense to the show. I like his work on Santa Barbara,but I did not think All My Children was his best work. I will not judge him until I see his work on Y&R. I bet a tornado will hit Genoa City next year because he likes to do natural disaster stories. I just hope they don’t kill any vets.

I agree with everything you said about adding more intrigue and suspense to the show, Y&R is a snooze-fest right now so adding more action (not as much as GH which seems to thrive on shoot-outs) would be improve the show. But the depth of stories have to match the action. The stories have to be well developed and character driven, not plot driven, otherwise it’s like we’re heading back to the horrid Lynn Marie Latham days.

And I wholeheartedly agree about not killing off vets, apparently Christian LeBlanc’s name has been thrown around about possibly getting the ax and that would be absolutely horrible for Y&R, the show needs to keep the remaining talent it has. If they need to kill characters off, kill of unimportant ones like Leslie, Barton, Hillary, Austin, Kelly, etc)

Leslie and Barton are not on the show what are you talking about, hilary is in a hot story line right now but it might not be hot to you but others like me, Austin just got on the show, Kelly I kind of agree with you on that one

imo
Chuck Pratt was brought on to turn Y&R , it is struggling sone it lost 3 of the best actors it gas, and many fans were/are very upset over losing the 3..
Y&R has not recovered from the loss..
Chuck Pratt will without a doubt turn characters into being near unrecognizable to give Y&R a whole new presence….
It is his MO for attempting to improve a soap, by his changing characters/turning them..
Also, Y&R hasn’t had a decent story in the past 2 years and with the ”3” it is empty of wjay once made it great..
Sonny knows this and therefore Chuck Pratt is brought in to recreate Y&R, yes recreate Y&R.. to suit the now cast..
What is once was is no longer..
so– all in all, this should be very interesting, indeed … lol

SU00, I don’t think you know this man’s history. Chuck Pratt is known as being the grim reaper of soaps. He’s even worse than JFP. What he did to AMC before it was cancelled was travesty.
If you think I am hard on Ron Carlivati, then wait until you hear what I think of Chuck Pratt. Next to Chuck, Ron is the Bard of soaps.
This is horrible news, just horrible.

I agree Harry! Y & R has been my favorite soap since I was young and it seems to be going nowhere and the next year will tell the future of this A+ show. They need to stop killing off the ones that made it a # 1 show. Fans don’t like major character changes! But I totally agree with Harry and this IS horrible news!

No soap is what it once was. As for the three who left, they have all been recast and I for onelove GT and JH, BuJ is improving so I don’t miss them at all. And he ratings have been improving.

I am nervous because the show is just hitting its stride again. Love Camryn Grimes, the actress who plays Hilary is a find. As is Meredth Baxter. So I have a new three. 🙂

Well, there are plenty of viewers that DO MISS MS, BM, and MM. You may like their replacements, but how can you? GT has been lying in a bed, while JH won’t even show up until November. Ridiculous statement.

The show is in trouble. I don’t drink your Kool-Aid.

Child you TRULY need to us spell check…LMAO

See what you did..USE..not us..LOL

This sounds like terrible news by everything I’m reading .I hope this guy doesn’t kill my favorite soap like I’ve heard he’s done to other shows.

Get ready for more new characters, because that’s always what new writers always mean. I would rant again about wanting veteran characters back or how we — at the least — want fan favorite actors from other soaps instead of casting the Burgess (Billy) types. But, it won’t change the minds of TPTB.

This can not bode well after a little Googling. Allegedly he had no intention of writing for daytime again but the EP pay increase sealed the deal. This is most likely going to either make CBS turn back to the original thrust of the show..or try to sell it to another network before dropping it altogether. Why not just go back to the original 30 minute episodes and save the show instead of trying to alienate viewers??? This is gonna be bad..I like the man…but this is gonna be bad.

Hate it.

Just another stupid move by JFP!

The other two better stay.

At least Y&R won’t be boring now. But this was a bad choice. They should cast a co head writer to balance out the crazy. I suggest Kay Alden, John Smith, Sally Morina or Trent Jones.

I agree, I think co-head writing teams fare better because there isn’t just one person making the story decisions, there are two. One focuses more on character development and day-to-day stories, and the other focuses on over-reaching story arcs and the intrigue/action/suspense aspects that keep the story interesting. Recently Y&R has tended to have stories drag out for long periods of time, but if there’s enough interest and action to keep the stories relevant, they won’t bore us to death like some this past year have.

I guess Dylan’s going to become the new mob boss of Genoa City.

John…dude…P-L-E-A-S-E don’t say that!!!!! Dylan is ANNOYING ENOUGH ALREADY…LOL!!!!!

he ruined the show twisted once he took over, so i don’t think yr is going to fare any better.

Congratulations DAYS OF OUR LIVES — you’re about to give up your position as the lowest rated soap.

sounds about right

Days Of Our Lives is only in last place because of politics. Days is the better soap point blank period.

It’s not all politics. Some long-time viewers are not watching because Days has trashed so many vets and esp legacy couples: Jack and Jen (Jack’s dead and Jen’s paired with Dr. Hair Product!); Bo’s MIA on a crazy non-case (after all, Stefano who’s in Salem much of the time) and Hope’s found a new love with a guy so boring he makes Dr. Hair Product seem downright exciting!; Marlena is moping around Salem trying to get over losing her true love while her true love John Black is in a coma and near death after being slugged on the head by Teresa; Kristen is being white-washed after doing the unspeakable while Nicole is being tossed under the bus with Eric saying he hates her. Hates her?! Couldn’t he say I “strongly dislike” her? LOL I’m sure there’s more. If it were only funny, but the ratings are no laughing matter. Days needs to treat their vets and their legacy characters better. According to some viewers, it’s killing the show. Many fans don’t consider Days the better soap BECAUSE the vets/legacy couples have been sacrificed and trashed. IMO, as of right now, of the remaining soaps, Days is doing the absolute worst with its vets.

Talking about trashing vets, lets talk about victor newman and his foulishness and nikki back on the sauce. That doesnt speak original to me, but sounds more like someone push the replay button. I mean really how many times has that been done. Lets talk about Sharon and this hideous secret she has been keeping for about three month now or Phyllis being shocked back into livingi. Do you really want to talk about trashing vets? Really?

Okay, calm down. No need to go off. I wasn’t disagreeing with you, I was simply adding to the thread. Your OP was about politics. I added that it’s not ALL politics. Longtime Days fans are less than happy about how vets, esp legacy couples have been written off, destroyed, split, killed off, etc. Days has broken up legacy couples in a way no other soap has. End of point. Period. That’s my opinion. Victor is bad writing. Nikki is a retread story. Sharon deserves better. Maybe Pratt will do better by her. Maybe not. But I hope so. Days has PO a lot of long-time viewers who have tuned out, many because of legacy couples being split, killed off, etc. The ratings reflect much dissatisfaction.

If you’re one of those people who cannot allow others to voice their opinions, then I’ll avoid you from now on. Simple as that. Good luck.

Matthew its all good man. Im not upset at all actually, We were just having a healthy debate. My tone was not one of anger. Please feel free to speak your mind and voice. Perhaps the error was in my delivery. Im sorry Matthew.

I agree that Nikki’s latest relapse is redundant. The idea of it bores me. But I watched Melody today act drunk and she’s very very good at it.
It’s not easy pretending to be drunk without becoming a caricature, but she pulls it off seamlessly and realistically.
I know many fans just want fantasy in their soaps but the truth is recovering alcoholics do fall off the wagon time and time again. As WC Fields once said, “I am a reformed teetotaler.” I just miss Katherine giving her one of her pep talks.

Is he the person who decided to kill off Dixie with poisoned pancakes?

I think that was Megan MacTavish.

Yes, that was McTavish, I’m pretty sure.

That sounds right. I’d hate to see YR go through what AMC did. It was hard to watch. Hopefully the YR execs recognize that changes need to happen & are trying to prevent a decline in viewership.

I may love GH, but YR was my first real soap. Gotta gave the Newmans & Abbotts.

Have not gave

If true, Kelly better not eat a thing…lol

It looks like Kelly’s going to have her “last supper” in breakfast form pretty soon

Nope. It was McTavish. Pratt made Erica a cougar, killed Babe off when tornadoes struck Pine Valley, brought supercouple Angie and Jessie back together with a backstory some people hated, etc.

Pratt made their backstory somewhat ridiculous, it seems, and he brought Dixie back from the dead after McTavish’s deadly pancake breakfast had taken her away several years before. He wasn’t all bad, he brought Dixie Coonie back from the dead after she’d been a ghost! Yikes!

Probably means Robert Guza will join as well. He and Pratt co-head wrote at GH for a time.

If Guza joins Y&R, I’m officially done, no turning back, nothing. That CAN’T happen. Then again, that’s what was said about JFP and Jean Passanante joining the show, so I guess it could happen. But that would definitely be the last nail in Y&R’s coffin.

Remember when Emmy award winning Nancy Lee Grahn who plays super smart no nonsense lawyer Alexis Davis on GH stepped completely out of character & taped down her chest every day, donned a goatee, wig, glasses & uniform & got a job as a male butler named Dobson in the Quartermaine mansion in order to see her daughter whom she had lost custody of? Nobody caught on even though they all knew Alexis. I think that was Pratt & Phelps.

The thing that stands out to me more than anything though is how the mob stories started to completely dominate the show-General Hospital under him.The violence & darkness of it permeated the once, quiet, mid-size town in upstate or western New York. This regime:JFP, CP, & Guza were the culprits I believe. Pratt wanted everyone to know they weren’t glamorizing violence! REALLY? REALLY? He said it was important for fans to understand that when Sonny and Jason kill people, they suffer repercussions. Sonny often breaks down, shuts himself off from the world, dumps whatever woman he has in his bed that week, visit w/Jason. They both discuss their pain. Jason discusses his pain w/little or no emotion, cause he’s robot boring. OH- THEY NEVER GET CAUGHT OR GO TO PRISON FOR THEIR CRIMES. Pratt likes the bad guys to be heroes! They brush themselves off, and get back to work killing people. Nothing learned-repeat cycle.The women in their lives, forgive them, take em back, beg to be let into their hearts, then spit out the mobsters babies all over town. Then get dumped again. REPEAT

Pratt in particular doesn’t care much for character driven storylines or romance, he said. He likes adventure, action driven ones. He likes dark, doom & gloom, & he loves turning lovable characters into knife- wielding psychos.

I think he has a sense of humor though. Thsee are just my opinions. Not the gospel.

Doubtful, although I suppose anything can happen. When Guza returned to GH the last time, it was only because of a guarantee from ABC that he, and not JFP, would have the final word on story/writing. I can’t imagine he’d get the same guarantee from Sony.

OMG, Pratt, Guza AND JFP?

The stuff that nightmares are made of……….*shudder*

Since you all are much more adept than I am for assigning writers to soap stories, I have to ask? Who was responsible for turning Laura Spencer into a comatose zombie? It wasn’t enough that they let her go, they had to let her go with a humiliating storyline. The woman with a smile which could light up a room was wheeled her off in a wheelchair with her mouth held open in a stupor.
I think that might have been Jill Farren Phelps’ work.

Finally someone listened and got JP and SA out of there. I was so sick of not being able to watch the show that I had watched for over 35 years. Their love for all things Sharon and having Shick on every freakin day was driving me crazy. They had a year to have it come out what Sharon did to Summer and they chose not to even though many fans were begging them too.

what show are you watching? Nick and Sharon on everyday? If you were watching for 35 years and not a ‘jonnie come lately’, you would know that the Sharon of the last 5 to 6 years is not the one that first came on the show. It is not in her character to change a paternity test, that’s your girl Phyllis’ style.

What post are you reading?? @debster..she’s clearly stating the style and changes to the show after so many years made her turn it off. Now she’s going to come back and see what it’s like. No need for the harsh retort. I understood what she was saying without the filter you used while reading this.

This will be a disaster waiting to destroy Y&R. Please stop this.

CBS & Sony have allowed this witch to systematically wreck Y&R. Our favorite actors were run off and he boy-toy was then shoved down our throats. She should be fired, but yet she stays to continue to ruin Bill Bell’s wonderful show. You know he’d be heartbroken over this mess.

Tess…h-o-n-e-y…you are a woman after my own heart!!!!! Thank You. Back in the day, some of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE Y&R characters were Carol, Casey, Cole, Derek, Julia, Liz, Lorie, Ryan, Skip and Tony#2. To me, those 10 Y&R characters from long ago were VERY WATCHABLE!!!!! Unlike Avery, Barton, Dylan, Lily, Summer and Tyler!!!!! And those 6 are just for starters!!!!! And, Tess…I didn’t know that that JFP even had a S-Y-S-T-E-M…LOL!!!!! Sorry…I couldn’t resist in making a joke here. Bottom Line Here: TOTAL HEARTBREAK PERIOD!!!!! Total dreck.

Take care, Tess. XOXOXOXOXO

Kathy…girlfriend…as far as I’m concerned, A-L-L of those Poseidon Adventure movies had WAY LESS DISASTER than the current Y&R mess…LOL!!!!! Shudder.

Well this doesn’t sound good, don’t know his work. why would Y&R hire another “soap killer” and a “has been writer” Where Are all the good daytime writers? Maybe JFP will be on her way out, let’s hope so.. don’t think I can take another round of the Phyllis show!! FF a lot now!!

That’s what’ coming….the Phyllis show part II.

Wow! Between Phelps & Pratt they must be trying hard to kill Y&R.

Why the soap world is so insular that they are constantly recycling producers, directors and writers is a mystery. Why don’t they seek out new blood, new talent instead of the same old tired hacks who have proven track records that are dismal?

JFP+CP = R.I.P. Y&R

What is Claire Labine up to these days? No, I am not inquiring about her height. I mean, what is she doing? That woman could write some damn good character driven stories.

Good one Jim!

Charles Pratt is the most hateful writer of soaps I’ve ever seen. He has no respect for history, for the fans of soaps or couples, or story. I would say Y&R is in trouble, but it’s worse than that. Y&R is screwed, just like AMC was.

Wow. Explain to me how someone with his track record of the last few years actually gets this job? It makes no sense. Despite what Y&R has been the last few years, it still has been able to barely hold on to the reputation of a quality classic soap – but Pratt’s quality is Melrose Place. His collaboration with Guza on GH turned all the women into brawling harpies (usually, with each other) and his writing on AMC was the death blow to that show. His prime time stuff is okay, but he brings daytime shows down! Why does Jill always wind up having a writer of very questionable rep on her shows, ones who usually do great damage before all is said and done?

Terrible decision for Y&R! I feel for their fans. Most shows that he has written for have been cancelled. I blame him (among a few others) for the destruction of AMC. I did a happy dance when he was finally fired from AMC!!! The man just doesn’t seem to give a darn about story telling, honoring history of the shows, nor what the actresses/actors think — just ask a few from AMC.

It’s possible that Chuck Pratt has learned some valuable lessons from his disastrous time as AMC HW, but I’ve read so much from so many actors from AMC who thought he was the wrong man for the job for alot of reasons that I can’t believe anyone could change and improve that much. I can tell Y&R is desperate from some of their recent hires and story decisions and I sincerely wish them well, but this guy is not the answer. He’s a primetime guy, and a schlock writer, in a daytime world where story development, payoffs and character-driven stories count, and he has shown he can’t do any of that. Not even close. From what I’ve read from various actors, every time his story flaws are pointed out to him, his ego refuses to make any adjustments. This move will result in either Chuck having a short reign at Y&R, or the show will tank even more than it has over the past year. But I wish Y&R well despite it all.

Bill Bell is turning over in his grave. The deconstruction of Y&R continues……..

Well, the “fans” got their damn wish. CBS and Sony listened to the continued negativity that those who constant spew hate out into the world, and now we’re stuck with a hack who does not believe in characters or their history to the series. Shelly, Jean and Tracey were doing so well in really bringing consistency back to The Young and the Restless, and now they’re going to bring it back to the dark years (Maria Arena’s reign) with Chuck in the position.

I give it six months to one year before we hear that another head-writing regime is coming in. Not a good move CBS and Sony, stop messing with a good thing. The current (or should I say) former writing regime deserved more time to make their stories work in full-term.

And here Y&R was finally getting interesting again. This is good news for Steve Burton. This is bad news for Tristan Rogers–an incredible talent and a fan favorite.

I would say the real “dark years” was Lynn Marie Latham’s reign, MAB was bad but not as bad as LML. But Y&R definitely didn’t have a “good thing” going right now. Jean Passanante was wrong in every sense of the word when they hired her. Shelly and Tracey do not have the experience to be head writers, or co-head writers. And while I do agree that writing teams need time to make their stories work, giving some the benefit of time only makes things worse (i.e. LML, MAB).

Y&R hasn’t been truly great since Kay Alden and John Smith left. THAT is who they should have brought in to replace the current team, not CP Jr.

Might as well start the funeral music and get our hankies out. Y&R will be canceled for sure with Chuck Pratt-DipShit now the head writer. The writing on Y&R is just fine these days. The show has gotten a lot better over the last couple of months. Why mess with a good thing?! Oh wait, I know, Jill wants to run this show into the ground and have another credit of killing off a show on to her resume.

I agree with Kristen. Good luck fans of Y&R. A writer with a creative track record this bad doesn’t get hired unless he’s being hired to kill a show. I think AMC was badly damaged before he got on board (the 2005 Babe/Bianca/Baby switch) but he definitely killed it most sincerely dead. And, along with Bob Guza, created a “General Hospital” that killed off how many Quartermaines?

He was hired to take the heat away from Jill Farren Phelps.

I agree with you Timmm! Can Guza be far behind?

Who is he replacing? Don’t know how I feel about this. I watched SB, but that show got cancelled, as did AMC and SB so don’t know if this is good news for Y&R.

Just noticed two soaps with SB initials.

I watched Santa Barbara, and second SB is for Sunset Beach.

YnR fans have been clamoring for a change so I hope we all get behind this. The man evidently has a ton of experience. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the AMC cancellation more about a network ploy than the quality of the show?

Um I watched AMC. He started the beginning of the end with his Crappy writing. The ratings took an even bigger nose dive with his era. He basically gutted a lot of vets, and got mad when people pointed this out. He just got Twisted cancelled when he took over. I think he’s actually great in primetime, but thats a diff kind of writing. He and Guza also killed off most of the Quartermaines and he made all the women passive. So Im not behind this based off his record. He has no respect for the history of shows, or the soap fans. His style of writing is more Melrose Place.

Travis, you said it all for me. Thank you

Not much we can do about it. Just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

Not trying to be a bitter betty. I just get so frustrated with the Idiots In Charge who keep making one bad decision after another. Now to find out it was between Sally Sussman Morina who has a track record and trained under Bill Bell & this hack,they went with the guy who has basically ruined every show he touches. The reasoning being because SSM is gonna bring back that Bill Bell style, and for some reason Steve Kent doesnt want that.

It was the accepting of Hack writers that led to the cancellation of SIX soaps because we as a audience just always assumed the soaps would be there good or bad. I really would be doing the happy dance if this was Lorraine Brodderick, SSM, Kay Alden, or Jack Smith. But nope the Execs went with the guy that ruined MP when he took over, ruined AMC, and just got Twisted Cancelled once he took over.

How do people that fail at their jobs consistently, continue to get hired over and over. It sure doesnt happen in the real world. Why in Daytime?

Expect a lot of changes for Y&R that cause nothing but deeper muck!

Y&R is in trouble!!!

Y&R has been in big trouble ever since it lost the 3 powerhouse loved actors MS, BM, MM .. they were a great part of Y&R ,they were the best of Y&R ,they were a good part of what made Y&R good, and they are now realizing they are not replaceable and the loss of the 3 has damaged Y&R..
Bringing Pratt in is their hail mary play..

Whenever a new head writer/producer is brought in it is because the soap is in trouble..
Fact is– Y&R needs change , it needs great change, and Sony believes Pratt can deliver change ..
And– Y&R needs change, no doubt of that..

So I guess Y&R was non existent until these 3 actors showed up.lol

Good to know the 25 plus years before MS showed up were nothing. 🙂

Actors come and go it is the writing that ultimately keeps the show alive or kills it. MM and BM were blips in Y&R long history and as we have seen can be replaced.

BTW Y&R’s ratings went UP again this week.

Pratt = splat!

Y&R had a future in the form of MS, BM, and MM. Their characters may have been recast, but these actors haven’t been REPLACED. How much Kool-Aid do you drink lady?

BTW, the ratings have been steadily in decline. One week isn’t a trend darling.

Shemar Moore’s stunt drive-by casting was the cause of last week’s rating increase. Anyone who has a clue knows that. Try to get one.

Hey Nicole, the new ratings just came out and Y&R’s numbers just crashed and burned, just as expected. No Shemar, no viewers. GH is gaining on Y&R and Billy Miller shows up on GH in October. Watch out, who has the momentum?

There are so few head writers in daytime that even the worse come back around simply by the fact that they can get the show done, however unpopular they are with fans and critics. Surprised that Megan McTavish hasn’t popped back up somewhere.

I wish she would. McTavish was good!

Sorry. I am not very well versed on the who’s who of writing the way you all seem to be. I didn’t mean McTavish. I meant Claire Labine who was responsible for the very thoughtful, gut wrenching, heart breaking story involving the heart transplant on GH. “BJ’s Heart” was a story which was not only character driven, it involved almost all of the characters from GH.

Harry, I’m so glad you wrote back to clarify! I was scratching my head over that. Megan McTavish is another one whose name I’d just as soon never, ever see in any show’s writing credits ever again.

And I agree about Claire Labine–but unfortunately she’s one of the ones I refer to who have said they will never work in soaps again. Too bad. She’s terrific, and she knows and remembers what soaps are supposed to be.

Harry,

Back in the day, didn’t Claire Labine write stories for Ryan’s Hope (a soap that I miss VERY DEARLY)??? I wanna say that she did, but then again, I could be wrong.

Take care, Harry. Peace.

Hi Harry,

Over the years, whenever I think of ALL-TIME GREAT soap writers, I immediately and automatically think of 3: (1) Kay Alden. (2) John F. Smith. (3) Most of all…Claire Labine. As for other soap writers over the years…not so much. Sorry.

Take care, Harry. Peace.

Claire Labine created Ryan’s Hope with Paul Avila Mayer and wrote show for its first 8 years or so.

Not being ageist, but part of the issue with looking to hire the truly talented writers of the genre is that they are all in their late 60’s to 70’s. Kay Alden is 67, Labine even older. I don’t doubt that they still have the capabilities but, I wonder if TPTB factor age as part of the hiring process. (Pratt is 59)

The world of daytime is almost incestuous..constantly rehiring “from within” as it were. I cannot believe there are not capable people out there who could either be promoted from a lesser writing staff position or that could be sought out who would be able to bring decent story and use a show’s history. Soaps are too eager to use the buddy system,whether it is for behind or in front of the camera positions. JFP is infamous for it, hence the FOJ moniker (Friend of Jill).

Michael, please feel free to slap me and say “Snap out it!” anytime I make such an insane statement again. I am not very good with names.
Yes, Jaybird, I do believe you’re right–Labine did write from Ryan’s Hope. That series was almost too good for day time–it was so well written and the actors were all believable.
PS> Have you been catching Kate Mulgrew, formerly Mary Ryan, in Orange is the New Black? She should have received an Emmy for her performance as Red. Also, the actress who played Madame Levine on OLTL is in OITNB. She plays a bit of a bully named Butch.

Chaz, you’re probably right and it’s sad. Agnes Nixon is up there and she can still deliver a good story.

This is not good news

I think it will be good!!
Y&R needs some dead bodies by violence and Pratt is good at killing off a star or two for big drama..
Perhaps he will Kill off Sharon!! that would be good..
Pratt does not write lovey dovey, and that is a good thing and he has no fear of killing off a core character..
I can see guns!! Y&R has no guns! pratt will give us guns!! 🙂

Fantastic, so now this will further JFP’s quest to turn Y&R into GH 2.0, we’ll have shoot-outs and multiple deaths and hey, maybe Dylan will even become a mob boss as another user said. Great.

NO! GH is good, but Y&R is not GH. We don’t need a bunch of characters dying or a hype on violence to make Y&R great again.

I get your sarcasm su0000. Can you imagine if CP & JFP killed of the Newman’s like she did the Quartermaines?

Nicole,
I understand that stories make the shows great, but not by themselves. If the actor can”t execute the scenes or tell the story well, it turns people off. There’s nothing wrong w/change sometimes, but losing such strong & fan favorite actors all at once is damaging, epecially when they’ve been in fans living rooms for years, 15 years in case of 1 of them. Not to mention the 5 Emmys they have between the 3. Even so, it seems like Y&R is rising in ratings again finally. That’s why I have NO IDEA why they made this move by hiring CP. But maybe it will work out for all involved. Hope so.

Better to bring back Maria Bell, this guy does not care about a shows history . He will be even worse than she was.

I hear you, but please no more Maria Bell.

I hated Maria Bell’s tenure, too, but she, or ANYONE, is better than JFP and Chuck Pratt.

To be honest, I would take MAB back over Pratt or Passanante any day.

Another soap going to get ruin now.

The only reason Sony would bring in a new head writer would be;
Y&R is in trouble, not doing well with the current writers..
Sony wants a change…
Sony wants new ideas and new direction for Y&R to go in..

Bringing Chuck Pratt on was not a quick decision, there is a plan for bringing him on.. CHANGE so be ready for a different Y&R..
Sony knows what direction they want Y&R to go and brought in Chuck Pratt to make it happen..

Thing is; Y&R for the past two years has stunk, it has been empty and stagnate and Sony knows that and brought Pratt to change it, and Pratt with his own special way of writing will change Y&R, no doubt of that.. lol 🙂

But you have been bashing Pratt and Guza while singing the praises of Carvilati.

Y &R is still the number one soap, because it has stayed with its roots. It is a character driven soap. That is why I switched from GH to Y&R.

If you like plot driven stories then GH is for you. I hope that Y&R stays true to character driven drama.

The worst thing that could happen to the show is for it to be something it isn’t. Like New Coke or the Zune. 🙂

Harry..
I have never bashed Pratt and Guza.. I like them both..
I’m looking forward to seeing what Pratt will with do with Y&R, gawd knows it can’t get any worse lol..
Pratt is fearless!! I like that..

I hope he learned his lesson from when he turned AMC into the “Prat Crap-Tacular”! Hope this time he has learned the characters, their history, the background of the present stories, the history of the past storylines ECT. And actually writes for the characters that are on screen and not the ones that exist only in his head. Good Luck!

The positive: Jean and Shelley are not head writers anymore, thank god! Jean has no right to helm any writing team after her slaughter job on ATWT. As for Shelley, she is not experienced enough to be a head writer. So I’m glad they’re both downgraded.

Also, at least Y&R will be a bit more exciting now, because the last several months have been dull and boring.

The negatives… and there’s quite a few:

I didn’t watch AMC or GH when Pratt was there, I started in the Garin Wolf days. But from what I hear, even Susan Lucci said Pratt was responsible for AMC’s downfall. And if that’s true, this is the last thing Y&R needs right now.

What shocks me most is WHY Jill Farren Phelps is still there! Has NO ONE thought the biggest problem with Y&R right now is her leadership? Yes, the writing isn’t the greatest, but it has slightly improved throughout the summer. But for almost 2 years now, JFP has systematically turned Y&R into her newest hack job.

What CBS and Sony needed to do was remove JFP, Jean and Shelley and bring in competent, seasoned, ACTUAL soap writers, not Charles Pratt Jr. or anyone of the sort. Kay Alden, John Smith, Hogan Sheffer, Lorraine Broderick (the list goes on). These are the people who should help a soap, not the Soap Killing Tyrant and her pets.

I really hope CBS and Sony wise-up to their mistakes and remove these people before they carve Y&R’s cancellation in stone. Because as of right now, that’s where it looks like it’s heading.

I completely agree, Jimmy.

OY! Another change at “Y & R” – just when the show was getting some of its strength back in regards to storytelling, they throw in Pratt – WHY????

this is proof that the talent pool for writers is very low in daytime. We keep seeing the same names popping up all over the place. You would think his resume would be impressive with all the shows he’s work under, but then you see all crap he wrote and ask yourself, how the heck did this guy get hired again. I’m begining to think we will soon see Robert Guza jr pop up soon most likely on Y&R, god bless them…

La Lucci almost quit AMC because of him

guess she wont join the show any time soon!

The only consistency at Y&R is inconsistency!

New writer = cast and character exits and new characters. Storylines will be lost in the shuffle!

Days of our Lives is as consistent as the sands through the hourglass!

Don’t be a YawneR…Stay awake for DAYS…A constant pleasure!!!

You’re never too old to play in the sand!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Why, why, oh why would they hire the grim reaper of daytime to be head writer? I remember watching AMC about five years before it’s cancellation, and it occurred to me that they were trying to ruin the show. When I heard that AMC had been cancelled, a soap I had been watching since I was 12, I was almost relieved. It was akin to watching a loved one become someone else with sickness and almost feeling happy for them when they passed away. That is how bad AMC became under Pratt.
Excuse the exaggeration but I used it to illustrate a point. Under Pratt we had the lovable Tadd bury a man alive allowing him to die a slow and torturous death. We also had Erica’s aborted fetus come back to haunt her as an embittered young man and finally, we had Dixie die after eating poisoned banana, peanut butter pancakes (who would eat those anyway?–sound dreadful!).
Unless he has learned from his mistakes, the hiring of Pratt is the death knell for The Young and the Restless.

Opps- ‘its’ not, ‘it’s’. And since I returned to correct my mistake, I have to add that Pratt is the one who famously said after he was hired as head writer for AMC, “I don’t think the history of the characters is relevant.”
He doesn’t believe in character driven storylines.

heh
I think I’m going to like Pratt ..
anything is better than seeing Sharon giving a long speech at Cassie grave 20 times a year for over a decade..
And maybe he will demand that Lauren get a 20th century hairdo and get out of the 70’s.. trying to look young by having a 70’s hair style doesn’t work..
Pratt may well be just what Y&R needs 🙂

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION !! (action)

Hello Harry,

A little while ago, I was reflecting and thinking back to some of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE AMC moments featuring Gloria. I have 3 particular favorites which (to this day) STILL brings tears and all to my eyes…

1. Remember when Gloria eventually saw the error and all of her evil ways (or whatever) and (from there) worked DAMNED HARD to turn her life around????? W-o-w……….
2. Remember when Gloria took Myrtle’s advice and moved into Myrtle’s boarding house for a while????? Myrtle was so WONDERFULLY PROTECTIVE like that!!!!! Then…from there, remember when Myrtle asked Grace (Noah’s troubled aunt who ALSO started to turn her own life around) to help Gloria get settled and situated into Myrtle’s place????? Not only did Grace help Myrtle out by helping Gloria, Grace (in general) put her own grief, pain and issues aside in order to show someone else (aka Gloria) some compassion, kindness and understanding. Harry, to me, that is an example of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!!!!! Yes.
3. Finally, remember when Myrtle and some other Pine Valley characters got together at Myrtle’s and threw Gloria that FAREWELL PARTY because Gloria wanted to leave Pine Valley and make a new life and all for herself in California????? Again…w-o-w……….
Ah, Memories. Sigh.

Take care, Harry. A-C-E-S!!!!!!

Pratt was indeed dreadful in every sense of the word, but I’m pretty sure that all three of the storylines you refer to were penned by Megan McTavish. I even remember Michael Knight’s love letter to Megan thanking her for giving him such great material to play. (Yes, I know: character destroying would be more like it, but actors don’t always see things the same way we do.)

You’re probably right, Michael. I am getting my hack soap writers mixed up.
But I have decided to have high hopes for Pratt.
The man needs a job for Hades’ sake! He might have learned from his mistakes and will happily surprise us all.

If he was the “Poison Pancakes” guy fear for the future of Casy McClain’s character if “Nu Phyllis” chairs a charity breakfast event.

Pratt killed off Dixie!! BRAVO!
ok– I love Pratt !!! 🙂

forgot to add..
I bet Cady McClain /Dixie now Kelly is thrilled to have Pratt back!! lol
Perhaps he will kill off Kelly, too 🙂

Megan MacTavish was the head-writer that killed of Dixie with the poisoned pancakes not Pratt.

ohh geez i had hoped for Pratt being the killer of Dixie..
Then my congrats goes to MacTavish, she did a good deed .. bravo!!

The death of Dixie started AMC’s decline which Pratt only accelerated once he came on board.

Killing off a beloved heroine is never a smart idea and MacTavish added insult to injury by killing off Dixie before she and Tad could be reunited with their long lost daughter. Dixie’s death came across as nothing more than a ratings stunt to create interest in a story no one cared about (The Satin Slayer mess) and damaged the overall fabric of the show by cutting out a fan favorite who was beloved by viewers.

su0000,

1. Cady McClain is a WONDERFUL actress who has had a long and successful career in soaps and is STILL going strong.
2. Back in the day, Cady’s AMC character of Dixie Cooney Martin was (and always will be) TRULY BELOVED. And…later on…Cady truly ROCKED AND ROLLED as Rosanna Cabot on ATWT (the role of Rosanna Cabot which, btw, was originally played by Yvonne Perry).
3. More and more, I think that Cady is WONDERFULLY knocking it out of the park as Y&R’s Kelly (sorry, Cynthia Watros). I really do.

Take care. Peace.

Thank you, Jaybird. Yes, Cady is a naturally gifted actress, always has been. I remember the day she first showed up in Pine Valley. At nineteen, she literally fell off the turnip truck along with her brother Will. Liza Colby met her at Myrtle’s boutique and called her insipid.
And she was was poetry with Tadd. God, I miss Tadd!! And I will never forget the day she stood up during little AJ’s Christmas pageant to sing,”You are my sunshine” back when Adam had her institutionalized. Oh those were the days.

Hi Harry,

1. IMO, Cady McClain doesn’t get enough recognition as an actress. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.
2. Oh, yes…those MOST DEFINITELY were the days!!!!! Sigh.
3. Harry, remember way back when (1989…I think.) when Dixie HAD HAD ENOUGH and hauled off and S-L-A-P-P-E-D Adam????? To me, that was such an E-P-I-C soap moment and (most of all) the ULTIMATE Soap Slap seen ’round the world. And…Adam was such AN ARROGANT ASS who had it coming!!!!! Yep.
4. To me, Adam should have been the one to be INSTITUTIONALIZED and N-O-T Dixie!!!!! Remember…Adam was all kinds of N-U-T-S upstairs/in the mind…LOL!!!!!
5. BTW, my ALL-TIME FAVORITE AMC characters were Brooke, Cecily, Dimitri, Dixie, Gloria, Marian, Nico, Stuart, Tad and Zach. And yes…I miss Tad, also!!!!!

Have a good one, Harry. A-C-E-S!!!!!

Thank you for the lovely unraveling of memories, Jaybird.
Yes, I do remember that slap heard from around the world. Young Dixie standing up to that capitalistic bully was a thing of beauty for sure.
I agree–she’s a really good actress who is so good, she makes it look easy which could account for why she is underrated.
And you may be the only other person I know who liked Gloria. I loved Gloria.

not sure why there only seems to be twenty producers/ writers who keep getting recycled throughout soaps , obviously soaps are an afterthought behind shit like meredith veira and talk crap!: all i can ask for in Pratt is the following: pls bring back the classic old music score that s distinguished y n r as a classy soap! pls continue the high quality look of the show, the lighting, sets and wardrobe have been aces lately!
as far as characters go pls pls pls no more new characters, its the m.o of all new head writers! do your job and research the characters we love! pls bring back nina for the chancellor set, jill and colin are limited!
pls write for leslie and tyler they were such a breathe of fresh air when they were first introduced! pls bring back that stud muffin carmine for abby!
lastly pls respect bill bells vision for the show, young and the restless is not 90210 or melrose! write for the core families, the abbotts, newmans , winters , and chancellors!!

Please bring back Maria Arena Bell, she was way better than these clowns. I Know that the young and the restless got renewed last year, until 2017. But I am enjoying Meredith Baxter as Maureen. Sign her to a contract, hopefully nikki and Maureen continue to be drinking buddies. lol.

Ricardo…y-e-s!!!!! More and more, Maureen is such a WONDERFULLY BAD INFLUENCE on Nikki…LOL!!!!! Yep.

The Titanic of Daytime just hit the iceberg.

Pratt’s a HACK!!!!

They might as well just announce Y&R’s cancellation now.

This legitimately breaks my heart. I stopped watching Y&R soon after JFP came on as EP because her and her several hack writers were making the show unwatchable, but Y&R was almost like an heirloom in my family, a show my great-grandmothers, grandfather, mother, and I all watched and to see CBS making such horrendous, damaging choices is like watching someone you love wasting away.

I can’t imagine JFP and Chuck Pratt together. Their separate reigns of terror, not just at ABC, but at several soaps were so terrible, putting them together is just setting up for Y&R’s worst days in history.

I’ll admit that Chuck Pratt did fine in primetime; I liked his shows on ABC Family, especially The Lying Game, but he has NO business being back in daytime, whatsoever. He is an awful daytime writer. He does not care about history, he does not care about romance or humor, he does not care about legacy characters, and he does not care about the actors he writes for. EVERYONE and their mother knows that he is the sole reason All My Children was cancelled. Now he is paired up with JFP who only cares about one or two good episodes a year so she can win her precious Emmys. General Hospital, during her tenure, would have also been cancelled by ABC, with All My Children, if it hadn’t been more “famous” than One Life to Live.

I don’t understand what CBS is doing. I don’t know if they WANT to ostracize soap fans, get Y&R cancelled, make William Bell turn in his grave, I just don’t understand. What I do know is that Y&R keeps slapping fans in the face and I can’t be the only one who wants to slap them right back now.

All My Children

Carol Burnett Talks About Being a Superfan of ‘All My Children’ on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’

In a heartfelt reunion, of sorts, the one and only Carol Burnett appeared on Monday March 25th episode of Live with Kelly and Mark.

Burnett had first met Kelly Ripa (Hayley) and Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo) back when they all appeared on All My Children together. Carol played Verla Grubbs first in 1983 and then again in the 90’s.

Host Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC) noted to Burnett that “we go back a long time”. She also described Burnett’s character of Verla Grubbs, “extraordinary in every way.”

Carol’s love for All My Children is well-documented, hence legendary soap creator, Agnes Nixon, created the role of Verla for Burnett.

Photo: ABC

Speaking on how her passion for All My Children began, Carol told Kelly and Mark, “It started with my kids. They would watch at noon. I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ I sat down and I started to watch and I got hooked!”

When Carol’s family decided to travel through Europe during one summer, the comedic legend recalled thinking, “How am I going to last if I don’t know what’s going on in Pine Valley?” She revealed she had a friend, “who sent me a telegram to the (different hotels) on Fridays to bring me up to date.”

Photo: ABC

In a hilarious moment from the segment, Carol recalled receiving a late night telegram while in Lake Cuomo when there was a knock at her hotel room door from the hotel manager who was shaking.

Carol related what it said, “Erica is still in a coma. Mark slipped again and ran away from rehab.” As Kelly and Mark broke into laughter, Burnett continued, “Chuck has learned that Donna is carrying his baby, who was once a hooker.”

Check out Carol explaining how she became an AMC Superfan below.

Now, let us know, did you enjoy Carol as Verla Grubbs? What show do you consider yourself a Superfan of? Tell us in the comment section.

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All My Children

Malachy McCourt, ‘Ryan’s Hope’ and ‘All My Children’ Actor, Dead at 92

If you watched Ryan’s Hope through its 14-year-run, you know that Kevin the bartender became a beloved “member’ of the Ryan clan on the defunct ABC daytime drama series. The character of Kevin MacGuiness became so loved by the fans because of the actor who portrayed him, Malachy McCourt.

Sadly, according to his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times, Malachy passed away on Monday from a heart condition and battling cancer. The actor was 92-years-old.

Playing Kevin on Ryan’s Hope was not much of a stretch for McCourt, because in his lifetime, he was the owner of 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan. Known as one of the city’s great story-tellers, patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris would stop in and talk all things Irish with . On Ryan’s Hope, Kevin was best friends to “Ryan’s Bar” owner, Johnny Ryan (Bernie Barrow) and he tried to keep Delia (Ilene Kristen) on the straight and narrow.

Photo: ABC

In his soap opera career, McCourt also was widely-known for his role of Father Clarence McCourt on All My Children especially come Christmastime. Was Clarence, actually St. Nick? That was always the proverbial question. McCourt also appeared on the New York soaps: One Life To Live, Search For Tomorrow and Another World. Other roles included: Devil’s Own, Brewster’s Millions, The Molly Maguires, and Starman, to name 

Later in 2006, Malachy ran for governor of the state of New York as a Green Party candidate. He tackled social issues of the time including being an advocate for gay and lesbian groups to march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Photo: ABC

McCourt’s childhood was recounted within his brother Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, which detailed their mother’s attempt to raise the four of their surviving seven children in poverty in Limerick, Ireland. Later, Malachy wrote his own memoirs: 1998’s Monk Swimming, and 2000’s Singing My Him Song.

Malachy is survived by his aforementioned wife, Diana, daughter Siobhan McCourt; sons Malachy Jr., Conor and Cormac; stepdaughter Nina Galin; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Share you remembrances and condolences for Malachy McCourt via the comment section, but first check out this scene from a 1983 episode of “Ryan’s Hope” featuring the late actor with Ilene Kristen.

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All My Children

‘Live with Kelly and Mark’s’ Annual ‘After the Oscars’ Show Brings Backstage Interviews, Fashion Review and Red Carpet Arrivals from Movie’s Biggest Night

Monday morning, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the talk show’s annual Oscar post show.

However, this time it would be Consuelos’ first time as the co-host of ‘Live’ for an Oscars episode. Mark took over the gig from Ryan Seacrest to team with his wife back in April of 2023 and since then the show has seen a ratings spike hitting several all-time highs.

The After the Oscars show opened with a tribute to the movies were the former All My Children stars took on iconic roles from: Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct to Barbie and Ken in Barbie, to the Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller role’s in the romantic comedy Something About Mary and more.

Courtesy/DisneyABC

During After the Oscars, Kelly and Mark were shown in clips backstage as the first stop for the newly-anointed Academy Award winners including: Finneas and Billie Eilish and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The Bachelor host, Jesse Palmer was the talk show’s guest correspondent who spoke to the nominees, and celebrities as they were entering the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.

Singer Andy Grammar took to the stage and performed on Live’s  After the Oscars show as well, and Project Runaway’s Elaine Welteroth shared her thoughts on the night’s Oscar fashion.

You can watch the full ‘Live with Kelly and Mark After the Oscars’ show below, plus the full movie parody below that. Now let us know, what do you think of Kelly and Mark’s first post-Oscar show together on ‘Live’? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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