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SONY TV President Steve Mosko's Speech at Y&R 40th Celebration & How The Soap Genre Has Turned Around!
Courtesy/SonyPicturesTelevis
On Tuesday, the cast and crew of The Young and the Restless, executives from Sony and CBS, and invited press, gathered to honor the accomplishment of the number one soap, it’s 40th anniversary! With the stars in attendance, Sony Pictures Television President, Steve Mosko addressed the room, and related what an accomplishment 40 years truly is, how much the reinvigorated support of CBS Daytime had meant to the show, and how in a very dark climate just a few years ago, soaps are having a resurgence, while Mosko clearly pointed out what happened to another network that did not support their soaps.
Here now below is the main portion of Mosko’s speech, that we thought fans of Y&R, and fans of the genre in general, would appreciate!
Steve Mosko: “I want to say, this is the hardest working group here at Y&R. I always laugh in a good way, by the way, when I go and talk about network shows and go, “Oh by the way, we have 22 episodes of it.” But its unconscionable, how hard all of you work. Both the writing, the crew, and the cast … it’s absolutely amazing that you did it five days a week, 52 weeks a year, for 40 years. My hats off to you, because it’s astounding. I can’t thank you enough from all of us at Sony for all your hard work. Lee (Phillip Bell) who would have thought after 40 years, we all would be standing here talking about how great the show is, but it’s not just surviving, but thriving. This show is still kicking ass!
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
What gives me chills today, in a great way, is the fact that a couple of years ago, there were a lot of people in the industry who didn’t believe in this genre. I know all of you did, and I know for sure, we did. We have fought, and fought, and fought, which is why today is a great day for all of us, because you know what? We hung in there. We did great work and this genre is thriving. This show is doing fantastic. And, what I want to say is; I want to thank these two people over here, Nina Tassler, President CBS Entertainment and Angelica McDaniel, Sr. VP Daytime CBS Entertainment. Through Nina and Angelica, the support we get from CBS is amazing. I know there was a day, and a time, when I was involved with these shows, and it was like there was the “network” and it was sort of spoken under your breath. I will tell you that they are amazing partners and great supporters of the genre. Just look across the street at another network that didn’t support the genre, and look at what happened. CBS has passion about this and is supporting us, and again, if it wasn’t for you, we would not be here as well. It’s just great, because we know how we are being taken care of. Another 40? What do we think? (Laughs) Anyways, congratulations to everybody!”
So soap fans, what do you think about Mosko’s comments on how soaps are doing now? How Y&R is being supported by CBS? Do you feel a difference in the climate on how soaps are perceived, after fighting hard for its survival? Weigh-in!
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.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Days of our Lives long-running cast member James Reynolds revealed on the November 10 edition of Entertainment Tonight that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and his character of Abe Carver will now be going through an on-screen Parkinson’s battle as well.
Speaking with ET’s Nischelle Turner, the 80-year-old actor and Daytime Emmy winner shared how he attempted to hide the warning signs dating back to 15-20 years ago when he would have, “What they call the hallucinations. My wife (Lissa) would say, ‘You were hitting me last night in bed,’ and I would say, ‘What?!’ I was having these really horrible dreams.” Reynolds also added that he realized falling out of bed was an early symptom of Parkinson’s too.
Discussing the on-going tremors that have become more noticeable over time especially in hands, James shared that when he finally told the Days of our Lives cast they were nothing but “extraordinarily helpful and supportive.”
Photo: ET
SCREEN LIFE TO MIRROR REAL LIFE
Now with DAYS about to launch into Abe’s Parkinson’s storyline, Reynolds hopes that he can turn his experience into something positive by encouraging others facing the disease to keep fighting. During the sit-down, Reynolds co-star Jackée Harry (Paulina Price) recalls her reaction to learning of Reynolds’ real-life diagnosis and how she has continued to search for new treatments to inform James about.
Although Parkinson’s disease currently has no cure, there are medications and treatments can help those manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The condition progresses at a different pace from individual to individual.
As discussed in his conversation with ET, Reynolds cited Michael J. Fox and Alan Alda as two high-profile celebrities who have brought awareness to the disease.
Photo: JPI
In story on DAYS, Abe in recent weeks had been experiencing tremors which led to seek help and a diagnosis Dr. Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans). Soon Abe and others will find out of his battle with Parkinson’s. Although on the promo for this week’s DAYS, Abe is seen telling Kayla, that he will do something, “when the time is right.”
James Reynolds is one of the most prolific performers, being the longest-running Black Actor in a role on a television series, not to mention his aforementioned Lead Actor Daytime Emmy win in 2018, and being inducted in 2025 into the Daytime Emmy Gold and Silver Society of honorees.
You can check out James’ in-depth conversation on his Parkinson’s diagnosis below.
Share your thoughts for James after learning of his health battle, and what do you think of Days of our Lives incorporating the disease into Abe Carver’s Salem storyline? Let us know in the comment section.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
Alice Halsey Returns to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Rachel Black – Find Out How Long!
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News3 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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Previews4 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
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General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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Days Of Our Lives4 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
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Days Of Our Lives7 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
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General Hospital6 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Tracy Leaves Port Charles to Help Dillon; Paving the Way for Jane Elliot’s Temporary Exit
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News6 days agoB&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor to Guest Star on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
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Interviews1 week agoRoger Howarth Reflects on Daytime Emmy Win, 32-Year Record Gap, and Embracing Matt Clark on ‘The Young and the Restless’ (Exclusive)
CBS has nothing to say about ABC… they also cancelled two classic soaps…Guiding Light and As The World Turns with the latter being the one i miss the most, and like OLTL on ABC was still good to the very end!
I was thinking the same thing before I even read any posts. If they really supported the genre they would have come up with a creative solution to keep GL and ATWT on the air. And the only reason they care about Y&R is because it has been the number one soap for 24 years- it would be pretty difficult explaining cancelling it to their many sponsors at this time slot. But trust me if the ratings dived and expenses kept soaring they would cancel it quicker than you can say hypocrites.
Guiding Light and ATWT were cancelled by Proctor and Gamble, NOT CBS. CBS does not own any show except B&B. Y&R (and DAYS) is owned by SONY.
AMC and OLTL were owned by the network ABC, which is why they had the say on whether to cancel them or not.
Jules, your post doesn’t make any sense at all.
ATWT/GL were owned by P&G but it is is CBS that cancelled these soaps, not P&G.
Secondly, B&B is not owned by CBS. It is owned by Bell Philip Television.
Even so, CBS could have took them over if they truly supported the genre`. They purchased The Secret Storm in the late 60s but unfortunately they mishandled that one and had to cancel it, however they still could have done something to save ASWTs.
What is the famous saying? Common sense isn’t so common?
1) P&G owned, produced, sponsored ATWT. They pulled out, so CBS pulled the plug.
2) I was always under the impression Bell Phillip Television Productions Inc. was a subsidiary of CBS.
In any event, right or wrong, being rude just makes you seem so small, and not just to me but to the other poster you addressed as well. Lighten up.
Hi Jules- I Googled the topic and everything I read said it was CBS and not P&G that pulled the plug on both shows. ATWT was their last scripted drama on the air and with its cancellation they no longer produced soaps, but they didn’t pull out of that show- the network cancelled it due to “low ratings”. The suits at P&G at the time came out saying there were going try to find a new home for the show, but in the end could not. Of course this is the official story- there might have been a back story that you are referring to, but on paper it was a CBS decision.
CBS did not support ATWT’S. That soap had been on TV for almost 54 years and we still miss it terribly. Bring back Jack and Carly and Holden and Lily. We miss our CarJack.
I miss them all!
I totally agree. However, I miss Lucinda and Lisa the most. Why Y&R or B&B have not hired the talented Elizabeth Hubbard for a role is beyond me. I would KILL to see her as a recast Dina Abbott Mergeron on Y&R.
With the constant talk about the “death” and revival of AMC and OLTL, I grit my teeth that everyone seems to have forgotten ATWT. GL was in very bad shape when it left the air but ATWT really could have (and should have been “saved”).
Oh yes Barbara, Liz Hubbard would be great as Dina or on any soap. Would love to see Colleen Z. ex Barbara Ryan on any of these soaps too. I have that Upstairs/Downstairs holiday special they did and i play it every Christmas. They were all so good in that, especially Liz as the cook and Barbara as the propriertress of the Barbara Ryan Home for Unwed Mothers…a hoot!
!
This is exactly why Y&R has been #1 for 24 years, they have the support from CBS, they are interactive with the fan on Twitter.. ABC gave no support to their soaps at all.
Where was CBS support of As The World Turns? So i wouldnt blame ABC 4 everything!
I don’t think Jewell knows what he/she is talking about. GH actors interacts all the time with the fans on Twitter.
Of course CBS will support Y&R; it is the highest rated soap opera for crying out loud. The moment Y&R and/or B&B start doing real bad in the ratings, CBS will drop them like a bad habit.
AGREED!!!
Congradulations to CBS.This is why I only watch GH on ABC.They didn’t support there soap fans and said they could train us to watch whatever they put on.I wish all soap fans would do the same.Don’t support a network that brung down two soaps on purpose.Frons tore down the writing and ABC wanted them to drop and blame it on the soap fans.Anne Sweeney said she did not want any daytime scripted shows on ABC.I will boycott ABC for the rest of my life and only watch GH..day and night.
CBS let P&G drop ATWT&GL with no attempts to find a way to save them…Support the genre m.a.!!!
You are partly right. CBS did not want to carry those two shows anymore because the ratings were low. P&G as the producer of those shows could have market them to another network, but either could not find a new home or didn’t try. Yet, P&G still owns those two shows as well as Another World, perhaps if PP experiment of reviving cancelled soaps on the web is successful, P&G will follow suit and either sell their rights to those shows or produce their own web version.
But for the original network cancellation, everything I read on the topic yesterdays said it was a CBS decision to no longer carry those shows on their network. If they had renew them P&G would have produced them; it was only after their last soap on air was not renewed they decided to get out of the daytime scripted drama in the States- I think I read they still help produce some Spanish novella’s in the Latin America market
Lets Go for 40 more Y & R Congratulations! GH ets go for 50 more!
Love it!!!
Y&R lives on!
Glad they are supporting Y&R. He has alot of nerve to be oquoted as saying they support the soaps and to be saying anything about the other network not supporting theirs! They cancelled the oldest of them all just a few years ago which was Guiding Light it predated television as it was on Radio for decades before!! Guiding Light had 70 combined years of Radio and TV, CBS gave it no respect and swept it under the rug along with As The World Turns with 50 or so years. Viewers also tried to stop that from happening by mail, email etc… but they did not listen. Prospect Park has at least worked to restore the beloved Daytime drama, aka, scripted drama, aka Soaps in a new form. Fans have the chance to again see what they want to see. Good Luck Y&R and B&B for many, many more years. Welcome back to AMC & OLTL on April 29. Long live the Soaps.
They cancelled those two old soaps because they were OLD. Nobody was watching them anymore except my grandmother and her friends. At least AMC and OLTL have a young audience and were still relevant today.
Their were many young people watching ATWT and GL, and i use to have local fan club meetings to discuss them. More than 1/2 who attended out of the 47 to show up were 19 to 32 years old and they loved these shows. AMC and OLTL too were also part of the discusion with some admitting they taped one while watching the other. Just because those two soaps were ‘old’ didnt mean they didnt have young viewers. Maybe if you got out of grandmas house you would know this. ATWT and GL ratings werent much higher than the two younger soaps, so if they had such a youthful audience and are so revelent how come they werent doing so much better?
one more thing GH is only a few younger than the OLD ATWT, and a few years older than OLTL and AMC so watch out OLD age is catching up to them so sooner or later theyll need to be cancelled too!
Nice that the suits are seeing the value of Soap Operas finally, but there is no “turn around” going on here…
Daytime Dramas or Soap Operas have never lost their appeal….no not ever!
They still stand as the most consistently watched programs as they continue to serve as the arch-type that set the standard on which all prime time dramas or night time soaps such as Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Body Of Proof and all the others draw from.
Anyway….Congratulations on your 40th Y&R.
And General Hospital: You are looking so nifty at 50 ! Congratulations!
well it is nice..but he seems to forget how CBS cancelled Guiding Light and As the World Turns not so long ago..so Steve..maybe Sony support its daytime soaps (well for now) but CBS…not so much…
CBS didn’t cancel those shows. CBS never owned them. Proctor and Gamble did. And they wanted out of the soap business…..not hand washing or dishwashing soap, they’re still deep in that business, but the soap opera business.
CBS couldve saved them if the really wanted to…
ABC is totally supporting GH, now..
All the sets and on site/location, shots payroll for the vets returns etc is a huge financial investment, ..
I feel GH will go on now that there is actually team work between ABC and the peoples of GH..
One can see that ABC realizes its’ daytime mistake and showing the value in soaps by producing their prime-time soaps that have become hits.. They do know soaps are addictive and loved.
GH is safe ..
We will see if their support and investment continues after they milk the 50th Anniversary cash cow to death. If they are doing the same in 2 years I might believe it, but for now- call me skeptical.
we will see…
ABC has not learned anything. I think you are going to be disappointed.
I agree with Mary SF except I say they cancel it before the end of the year.
I hope what he says about the support from the CBS president and senior VP is true. Too bad the same cannot be said out the jug headed executives at another outfit.
Congratulation to everyone at Y&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL.. the ”he other jug headed executives” are 100% supporting GH..
GH would not be where it is and on screens if it were not being supported by ABC who has invested a great amount of money into GH this past year.. 🙂
Fronz is gone, it is a new day at ABC for GH ..
su0000 Erica S said in an interview that Brian Frons did not cancel the shows he did not have that power. She said it was ABC & Disney.
CBS is no different then any other network…these jugheads at CBS cancelled two of its soaps GL and ATWT so they do not 100% support the genre or they wouldve have at least found a way to save them or replaced them with a new soap.
It’s nice to hear something positive about my old employer, Sony, for once.
Sony gets a bad wrap, but they really do not back losing horses. They want to make money and they have quality programming. They could have easily decided to stop producing Y&R like other production companies and struck a deal with CBS for a cheap talk show or game show. However, they seem to have an investment in Y&R and DOOL.
Y&R has been under the Sony umbrella since 1973. They are proud of that show and it is evident on the lot and in the plaza with their marketing.
It’s easy for them to say the believe in the genre when the ratings are up and the shows are getting publicity. But if those ratings drop …
Couldn’t agree more what he said about ABC. Although CBS cancelled soaps in the past it seems they care a lot more about them now.
Soaps fans are the most loyal of any TV genre. It would be nice if Sony & CBS could acknowledge that there are thousands & thousands of fans that live all over the world that have watched & loved Y&R, B&B etc & who go to extreme lengths to track down up to date episodes online. We would like to be able to gain access via CBS from our countries & not feel like we are being penalised for living outside of Nth America. We are just as loyal a fan base as viewers in The US & Canada & have been watching theses shows for decades too.
CBS should hire back Victoria Rowell. Please.
Several of you people sound less supportive of soaps than ABC!!! All i hear from some of you is that you believe ABC will cancel GH by the end of the year as if you hope it happens just to prove a damn point!!! First of all they may announce its cancelled but the show would still air to 2014! But it almost seems like you think itll end before then! NBC and CBS both cancelled soaps over the years such as
AW, PASSIONS, ATWT, &GL ect but almost everyone acts as if only ABC cancelled low rated soaps! Sure they could have found ways to save them but not just ABC! OLTL ratings were up but that mostly happen after its cancellation notice…same thing happen to DS in 1971! I love watching soaps and hope all of them survive. Dont stop watching just because theres a few things you dislike about them unless you feel the whole show is bad. Lets prove to all the networks there is viewer support for the genre and that they still entertain us by watching them…its the least you could do. Otherwise without your viewership they will be cancelled and YOU’LL be more to blame than the networks that show them.!!!
i loved drucilla winters. but victoria rowell is a diva. she was a trouble maker on the set of the young and the restless. she never got along with some of her co workers. i say recast the role soon. victoria rowell is a brat. grow up and get some coucelling victoria.