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Head Scribe Chuck Pratt Jr. On What To Expect On Y&R: "You'll See More Centralized Stories, With Bigger Umbrellas, Touching More Characters …"
Courtesy/CW
The new head writer of The Young and the Restless, Chuck Pratt Jr.’s episodes are going to begin airing shortly on the number one soap opera. Fans of the CBS Daytime drama are of course wondering what he has planned for the residents of Genoa City and how he plans to tell story.
In a intriguing feature in this week’s Soap Opera Digest (on newsstands now) called, “The Future Is Now” which has several daytime creatives weighing in on how they foresee the 2015 landscape in the world of daytime dramas, Y&R’s Pratt Jr., predicted that 2015 will be a year of surprises speaking solely about his show.
When SOD asked what is Chuck’s game plan to make Y&R shine, he related: “Emotional stakes will be at the forefront across all stories – and you’ll see more centralized stories, with bigger umbrellas, touching more characters with shared challenges and hopes and fears.”
The scribe went on to also say, “Overall, expect a faster pace, deeper, more relatable emotions and a sense of, “I can’t believe they’re doing that!”
So, what do you think about some of Chuck Pratt Jr.’s plans for Y&R? Excited to see what 2015 has in store as we turn the page to a new chapter with a new head writer? Comment below!
ohhh no!
Chuck is disappointing me!
I really believed he would be the man to bring some ”action” and ”suspense” and kill-off
Sharon and blow up Crimson Lights..
Crimson Lights is a junkyard of junk. A set from Sanford and Son..
I keep thinking Fred is going to walk in and sit down with a beer and turn on the TV on and tell Elizabeth he’s coming.. ..
I’m going to expect some ”keep me awake” adventures from Pratt, I want some exciting thrillers.
I will settle for anything exciting, to start with..
Pratt has no qualms about killing off stars or blowing stuff up, I’m counting on him!
su0000 alright you’re going WAY TOO FAR defaming Sanford and Son. It was a bonafide hit like it or not. It provided it’s entertainment for all television viewers so KNOCK IT OFF with comments like that…NO LOL…well maybe a tiny one since it is SLIGHTLY amusing as usual. I just don’t get how I truly want to tell you off but yet still laugh at your nonsense.
Did you know Sharon is already dead…thats why her expressions make her look like a zombie…her marriage to vampire Victor sucked the life out of her…lol
PLEASE let Sharon and Adam get back together! I really hope they stop making it lok like Chelsea ever was a love of Adams. Adam would die for Sharon.
Could he be any more vague? Could SOD conduct a less in-depth interview?
I’m sure it’s not the whole interview, Jeffery—there’d be no reason SOD would allow this site to have the whole thing.
The part when he says “a sense of ‘I can’t believe they’re doing that!'” is what scares me the most. I sincerely hope Chuck doesn’t completely rewrite characters to suit his stories, I know he’s notorious for doing that on All My Children but hopefully he’s learned from all the fan backlash from that. I’m all for faster paced, exciting stories, with twists and turns and intrigue (like GH), but Y&R still needs to stay true to itself. Bending legacy characters and rewriting histories to fit plot-driven stories is NOT what Y&R has ever been about, and I hope it does not turn into that under Chuck.
Jimmy, that part concerned me as well. It sure sounded like something Ron would say.
Pratt is 500x worse than Ron Carlivati.
He makes the “General Hospital” headwriters look like Ernest Hemingway.
They need to go back and look at the history better. Chelsea will never be right for Adam she never understood his pain or whats important to him . Adam ONLY married Chelsea because what happened instead of Victor trying to frame Adam for Skyes death Victor changed it to frame Sharo because Sharon went to Hawaii to clear Adams name & ask Skye to come back. But Skye fell into the volcano & Victor watched Sharon try to help save Skye but instead he let Skye die and Sharon take the blame. Then he told Nick and Nick said if Sharon sees Adam he w
If YnR ever turned into another GH I’d have to quit watching same as I did with that nonsensical debaucle.
The part that scares me is ” I can’t believe they’re doing that”
I know right. I’m afraid us viewers are going to be screaming: “I can’t believe they’re writing that!”
Chuck Pratt taking over head writing duties & shared e/p duties does not fill me with confidence that he’s going to do right by Y&R fans. Susan Lucci credits this man for killing All My Children. My fear with his sketchy past, he’ll likely damage Y&R rather than help it.
Joe.
I afraid he may sink the ship, too. Just like he did on AMC.
He may the show almost totally, unwatchable. It was no surprise that the ratings tanked, and the show was cancelled. It was so far gone, that even a writing team change for the last 3 or 4 months couldn’t save it. The damage was done. I don’t know how he got this job, But we shall see how he does with it.
I definitely agree about the pacing needing to be faster. Y&R has been slow and boring. I hope Chuck Pratt can bring the spark back that Y&R has been missing.
If he does what he says he’s going to do, he might be a keeper…But, we’ll see…That’s al I got, for now…
He wrote many a vile story lines on “All My Children” most notably the one where Reese, the lesbian cheated on her fiancee Bianca by having sex with Bianca’s brother-in-law.
What a slap in the face to humanity!
I didn’t even mention the stripper pole he brought in as a daily story line prop. My hopes for his regime are EXTREMELY low.
There is hope..!!! 🙂
”’Reese, the lesbian cheated on her fiance Bianca by having sex with Bianca’s brother-in-law.”’
OK- that ^^^^ is good soap writing, the kind that won’t put people to sleep..
Except that it wasn’t true to the characters. He was better than Megan McT, though. No poisoned pancakes.
No Miss Sue, Reese, who was a lesbian, sleeping with Zach Slater reflects a male fantasy and it does not pay fidelity to reality.
It may not put people to sleep, su—but it may well have them tuning out in droves, which is what happened when he wrote that particular storyline on All My Children (along with several others that were equally out of character). It’s true that viewer boredom is deadly, so I sort of see your point, but on soaps, it’s always been especially important to have characters people can relate to and believe in (emotionally speaking—the things that happen to them are often outside most people’s everyday reality, soap but viewers generally demand that the characters’ behavior and reaction to those extraordinary events be believable). He didn’t get that when he was writing AMC; we’ll soon see if he’s learned anything from that debacle. “Deeper, more relatable emotions” sounds very good and on the right track, but I too am disturbed by the “I can’t believe they’re doing that!” comment—which sounds ominous, and exactly like what got him into trouble with AMC viewers and tanked the show.
Im waiting to be impressed, his track record before isnt good.
Pratt has done much more than AMC..
for 1 — he rocked while with GH ..
Pratt gave AMC the boost it needed..
So, Su, you are a fan of Mr Pratt’s storytelling?
I don’t remember him “rocking” while he was at GH—I remember more of the same old stuff GH had been doing for years (Sonny, Carly, Jason, mob, lather, rinse, repeat), and in any case, he was the co-headwriter there; it was still primarily Guza’s show. AMC, where he held the headwriting job by himself, is probably a better indication of what his own stories would be like. But perhaps he’s learned something from that unhappy experience.
Lol…yeah a boost right into cancellation.
Mark, Sue will try and nominate Chuck Pratt for the Nobel Peace Prize if he kills off Sharon.
Not a fan of what he did to All My Children, so we shall see….
All it sounded like to me , was a whole lot of beating around the bush to come out with much of the same stuff.
Every show he’s written has elicited an “I can’t believe they’re doing that” from me — but I not in a good way.
I don’t know Chuck when I hear the phrase I can’t believe they are doing that– it remains me of every horrible story line I ever watched from the aliens on Days, to vampires on GH– the awful Lumina story on AW—to Sharon marrying Victor on Y&R ,every triangle on B&B and so many more I have forgotten— so I’m not reassured by these statements here
However if everyone turns into a zombie so be it, I’ll watch Y&R to the bitter end, because I’m realist I know the simple formula that soaps used to run on don’t work in this day and age. All the classic stories of cheating spouses, divorces and out of wedlock children just don’t shock or tickle the imagination of viewers who see so much more racy stuff on YouTube — so I’m in, it is what is it is, but I don’t think different is going to be better.
I agree to a point, but I’m not sure the conventional wisdom that the “classic stories” won’t work anymore really would hold up if anybody tried it. Soaps can’t compete with the titillation factor of YouTube, so maybe they shouldn’t be trying. What people used to get out of soaps—emotional involvement, an emotional connection—is something they’re not going to get from YouTube, so maybe that’s the angle the soaps should be aiming for. But I haven’t seen a soap genuinely invest in that kind of storytelling for about two decades now; it’s become quite a plot-driven medium. They keep telling themselves that “oh, that won’t work anymore,” but the last soap that tried it actually had a ratings increase (until the network came in and started pushing plot-plot-plot again). I don’t see much examination of their assumptions on the part of TPTB—and meanwhile the ratings continue to erode.
OH NO…a faster pace..I can’t believe they’re doing that…for whom doth the “bell” toll? It tolls for thee Y&R..and WE.
Faster paced is a blessing..
Y&R has the longest boring stories in soap history, it needs speed, a lot of it..
and-
faster paced means Sharon will killed off very soon, and that is a good thing ..
su0000 why do I immediately laugh at your post and then get annoyed by it. OMG…kill off over emoting breathy NIKKI…ok..shocking but let’s move on and forget that tippy toe leaning walk..LOL…you know good and well what he’s saying…Towering Inferno type stories across the board…Blizzards…tornadoes…floods and fire to rival the BIBLE…Daytime disaster TV is on the way folks!!!
davlestev1 , hi..
all that ^^^ is good if not all at once lol .
and perhaps Sharon will be in the burning tower 🙂
I hope Y&R has a really great special effects team, if, Prett has all you said planed I’m ready for it !!
SHARON KEPT ME WATCHING AFTER MM LEFT ,SO IF HE KILLED HER OFF ,THAT WOULD BE A REASON I’D STOP WATCHING !
Meg don’t listen to su0000..SEE WHAT YOU DID…LOL… Sharon is firmly in place I hope..but I can guarantee when that man says expect more deeper emotions invested in umbrella stories across the board…it means disease and pestilence on a grand scale in Genoa City…before it’s all over we’ll all have a staff in hand at SONY STUDIOS menacingly saying…PRATT….LET OUR PEOPLE GO!!!!!
OMG. Su, you are so blood-thirsty, I want to hug you and boo you at the same time. There is an internal tug-of-war going on inside of me with your every post…..My strong ‘LIKE’ of you, always wins out. At least, you never falter…always true to your convictions…namely, one Sharon Newman. I am truly in awe of you….LOL. do not change….I love it!
I would love if they killed Sharon off, her character is annoying as hell! She needs to go, as does Kelly and this new Billy!
DEAR MR PRATT!!!
if u read these sites, can i ask you as a fan for 30 plus years, im in my thirtys, and my entire family, we watch all the time and have y n r as a common viewing bond!
please return y n r to its former glory under the bill bell regime! the show has been on the right track as of late , so please do your best to continue this upswing!!!
we do not need useless new characters, we need the abbotts, the newmans, the chancellors, and the winters!!!
we do want boring, long drawn murder mysteries, we want romance and conflict!
we do not out of place plot driven arcs we want emotional true to character stories!!!
we do not need ruthless evil to the core victor newman , we want calculated victor newman who bleeds, hurts and makes bad choices! (one example)
please treat and handle y n r with respect and care to the viewers who watch 5 days a week , 12 months of the year and hope to continue to watch for a very long time!!
thank you, a long time viewer!
ahhh damien,
all the things you do not want I do want them, as do others ..
I, as others, like the evil to core Victor and murder mysteries..
Pratt has to write for your wants and mine..
so, I hope he has a lot of variety for us ..
you must be a new viewer who probably started watching when y n r was at its worst during the LML years when longtime viewers such as myself watched hoping things would get back to normal!
poor you, i recommend you check out youtube and catch clips of y n r during its glory years!
damien I am with you.
su0000,
You can get all your fantasy soap writing from watching GH. A lot of us would like to keep that kind of story telling away from Y&R.
I agree with Damien. Y&R is number one for a reason. If it becomes another GH or Days, it’s viewership will drop. I am really liking Y&R now. I don’t mind a tornado, but if mob wars start, I am out.
DIXIE…..aka KELLY….DON’T EAT THE PANCAKES! 😉
I know a lot of people on here probably don’t watch Tyler Perry’s soap, The Haves and the Have Nots, on Oprah’s network; but that soap has some of the best writing for a soap I’ve ever watched. It’s fast paced, and humorous and entertaining without dumbing down the plots and storylines. It’s very well written with contemporary dialogue and situations that are relateable.
Oprah missed an opportunity to bring AMC and One Life on to her network and she could have integrated Tyler’s show in, as well. She could have created an afternoon block of soaps that would have drawn fans to her network AND they would have stuck around to watch other shows, but she blew that big time!!!!
CHILD…what show are you watching on OWN…the best soap on primetime is the newest one on FOX…EMPIRE…The Have and the Have Nots..UGHH that title..is a soap opera mismash mess..scenes that drag on and on in a room like you’re listening to the radio days of old…cliched stories…cliched families..cliched dialogue..the list is as endless as one episode of that show..but with nothing left I watched..and then he went and did that silly show about the couples and a whole season hinging on the…oh just wait till that baby is born storyline.. that’s still unresolved…until it once again meanders onto OWN…
I have not see the Perry show you’re referring to; but, I absolutely agree with your statement about AMC and OLTL. OWN would have been the perfect new home for both shows. And yes, they would have created a very strong block for her network. Oprah definitely blew it big time.
I’ll have to check it out.
Chuck was the final nail that KILLED All My Children with the exact same approach – characters did things that didn’t make sense and stories just went off the rails.
He did NOT give AMC an added boost – well, he gave fans an added boost out the door.
Writers that wreck shows shouldn’t be hired to write for other shows.
This is not good news if you’re a Y&R fan. Sorry, all.
I’ve been joking around a little on here with a regular who really makes me laugh at times..but you know what they say..many a truth told in jest. But it can also be said… a lesson learned is a lesson earned…we may all be surprised in the end…we’ll see I guess. Sometimes old dogs just really don’t care about new tricks!!
Hold on there..
Pratt was out of AMC in Nov 2009 and AMC died on September 23 2011..
AMC was in the hands of Lorraine Broderick its’ last 2 years..
((Broderick won three daytime emmy awards for outstanding writing team from her work as head writer of AMC, giving her four emmy honors as a daytime head writer. and-
AMC was canceled under her 2 year care, she couldn’t save it..
or – it simply was nobody’s fault but ABC/Brian Frons and Anne Sweeney..
AMC was not in the hands of Lorraine Broderick for all of those last two years, su. I don’t remember who followed Pratt immediately, but Broderick was not brought in until the end—the last six months, maybe not even that long. As I recall, she got the job right before the cancellation announcement came.
(If your point is that Pratt’s damage was so pervasive that nobody could undo it, I agree with you.)
I looked it up. Broderick was interim headwriter for a few months after Pratt left, then the headwriters were Donna Swajeski and David Kreizman for about a year, and then Lorraine came back for the last few months of the show (May to September 2011).
The damage Pratt did was so severe that nobody could repair it. That happens sometimes when someone’s choices so badly undermine the inherent structure of a show that it can’t be fixed.
Michael (not Fairman) first of all Donna Swajeski..there’s a writer’s name I forgot about..who rose to prominence head writing Another World..and managed to keep my interest at that..as well as quite a bit of time on Guiding Light..but I remember her more for Another World. That being said what I mean by a lesson learned is a lesson earned..is that hopefully Mr.Pratt won’t go the way of saying his stories are more important than the people portraying them like he did on AMC..but he did give quite a negative vibe in one of his first post hire interviews. Like I said..some old dogs could care less about new tricks and he seems hell bent on writing and not understanding what makes the show so good. Along with La Phelps they’re going to turn the show on it’s ear and Sony seems quite content with their directional path. Tragic.
I noticed in the credits that he started co-EP and HW duties Friday. God help us all when the “honeymoon” period is over. It will be bye bye Y&R. Be prepared everybody.
Davoted Fan..
No matter how horrible Y&R is or could become the fans will always tune in, we are just that stupid to watch something we do not like simply because it’s an addicted habit..
I am one of them , as are millions of others..
Y&R will need to lose 3 million viewers to fail and and I said – ain’t gonna happen 🙂
Well, thanks for your confession but I am not one of those fans who is “just that stupid to watch something we do not like.”
It will be sad when that day comes (like it was in the last months of ATWT and GL) and when enough fans do tune out to warrant a cancellation, but there are too many other options in a day and on TV and the internet to suffer what TPTB have decided to serve us – a JFP/Pratt combo. I learned from the cancellations of ATWT and GL so I am prepared. If TPTB don’t care any more about the show than to hire Pratt, then I don’t either. It was very hard for me to get to this point, but bracing myself for it and then seeing his name on the credits Friday was like seeing a KMart tag on Anna Wintour. Not to diss KMart, but one of those things – Pratt and Y&R’s legacy – do not belong.
Pratt was credited as EP and “Written By” on Friday’s (1/16/15) show – only time will tell if plans on screwing up what Shelly Altman & Jean Passanante were giving us – been enjoying “Y & R” again for months!
Thanks for the heads up i’m still in NOVEMBER on the DVR episodes LOL…now I know when to expect the true week of change although he’s probably still cleaning up after the past regime and really won’t take off till sweeps month February.
His response was vague enough to reveal absolutely nothing. Has he spent any of his career in politics. He dodged the question like a pro. LOL
For me, I’m a diehard fan of the 70s-90s sagas on Y and R: Lorie Brookes vs. Vanessa, The Cassandra Rawlings murder twist plot that lasted for a couple of years, Jennifer Brookes’ breast cancer, sibling rivalry in the Brookes girls, and how I miss great singers like Gina Romalotti! And breakfast with the Abbotts. And, if the new guy has ANY loyalty to the show, he’d make Jill holed up in the Chancellor home and become Kay incarnate, meaning bringing in a new young girl who does to Jill what she did the Kay over the years (and vice versa.) So many great stories of the past…. even the great ghost stories of Kay and Sharon– they kept us watching and wondering. And Nikki’s first marriage to Victor 30 years ago– where is the Colonnade Room and that romance? God, I hope that kind of love story telling has not died! Come on, you others out there know all the great stories. Diabolical characters like Leanna Love, you hated her and loved her… that’s what I want more of in the future. And I always respected true-to-form social issues: where’s a story on child obesity? Gamblers Anonymous? Suicidal tendencies? And story characters like Brock Reynolds, who brought faith to characters– where’s a quality story of religion? Bring these to Y and R: they were what Bill Bell made famous and thus what made Y and R famous… and for Heaven’s sake, I want some of the old melodies playing in the background; Bill created music for each character– he told me that himself!
Y&R makes money for CBS so they won’t let Chucky baby kill it. I would just give him a chance. After all, Y&R was horrible in 2014. He can only improve the show. I would hope that he sat down and made a list of the pros and the cons and write from there. Here is mine.
Pros: Michael, Lauren, Paul, Nikki, Joe, Avery, Nick, Sage, Adam, Chelsea, Mariah, Kevin, Fen, Jack, Red, Kelly, Ashley, Abby and Harding.
Cons: Victor, Victoria, Stitch, Dylan, Fake Billy, Jill, Colin, Summer and her husband, Cane and Lilly.
Rewritten: Cane, Lilly, Dylan, Jill, Colin and Sharon.
Recast: Billy, Stitch, Kyle and Summer.
Rehired: The original Tucker
Do away with? Crimson Lights, The Underground, and that annoying noise in the Jabot lab!
GOOD LUCK CHUCK!
No idea how nuNewerBilly is still employed at Y&R. No idea. Talk about a drag. Ruins every scene he’s in. Wait til you see him ruin Gabe & Chelsea’s conversation tomorrow. Baby Connor clearly called Gabe daddy, Billy walks in and says “oh Connor was talking to me. You know who your daddy is don’t little dude, don’t you?” Adam turned pale. I hope he beats the sh*t outta Billy.
Billy’s the worst, Summer is next.
I’m right with you. Billy and Summer are attached to so many characters and they ruin it. Why can we see this but the executives discount it? They have this problem over at GH with a character who sucks big time. He couldnt win a part in his high school play and he is on GH and attached to so many legends.
You make one crucial assumption that may not hold, Timmm—that CBS knows what it’s doing well enough to give Pratt the heave-ho in time to save Y&R. I can’t say the decisions over the last five to ten years support your faith in that. (Actually, it seems to be Sony that is making the crucial decisions, but replace “CBS” with “Sony” in this conversation, and the result is the same—I’m not sure they’ll see the signs soon enough to do anything, because they don’t seem very clued in.)
There are ways to damage a soap that go far beyond their immediate repercussions, and that’s the kind of damage Pratt did at All My Children. The best that can be hoped is that he learned something from that, but I haven’t seen him say anything that indicates he has, or that he even thinks he did anything wrong.
I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt but I see what your saying. Daytime is probably the last thing on their list of importance. However since Y&R has been #1 for 26 years I just think they they care a little more than we might expect. I guess Pratt could write the show into the gutter, turn away the fans, and CBS/Sony might say, look at these ratings, this show isnt making money anymore. Cancel it! Call Emeril, tell him to heat up his skillet!
I am in can’t wait. Looking forward to whatever chuck has planned. He is good at his story line. Go chuck .
I cant believe they would let any one character on y & R dictate the hiring and firing of another.the characters of the show are employees and have somebody fired because you don’t like themwhy would you worry about who doesn’t like who won the said if the people like them and keep them Sharon better stay on that show. And why isn’t Victor Newman getting what’s coming to him he’s being so mean and also handed over this show, karma needs to hit him in the butt.
My new years resolution is to stop watching The Young and The Restless, because I don’t like where the story is going. There are some things in that story that Black People just don’t do. A son sleeping with his father ‘s wife.
The only reason why I watch this soap to see Sharon get justice from all those so call perfect peoples l love shron
I think he is probably going to take a lot of stories from the late night soap Melrose Place. Think Kimberly Shaw coming out from a coma and her going after Michael & Jane. Now that is Phyllis, Jack & Kelly. Phyllis is out to get even with Jack. Crimson Lights will probably blow up as far as any long term veterans getting killed off who knows. the one thing I am bored with is Sage she is being shoved down my throat just like Dylan and I care nothing about either character.
It’s the waiting game coming from a professed writer that stated during his disastrous time at AMC he didn’t like “character driven stories”….
Anything is better than what they are giving us now. Bring it on!
I will certainly enjoy fast paced story lines. The ones that have been lasting for years is ridiculous. Please don’t mess with Sharon, I love her character. If you do not intend to get her back with Nick, give her a substantial long term relationship with a good man. She should never have lost Faith. Dylan is a good guy and he loves Faith.
Clearly he plans to make it shine the same way he made All My Children shine……. so long Y&R!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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