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The Brad Bell Interview – The Bold and the Beautiful – Soapmaker Of The Year 2015

Photo Credit: Gilles Toucas

Inspiring bold choices, adding in long overdue diversity, garnering critical acclaim and mainstream coverage for being on the forefront of the national conversation of the plight of the transgender community, while continuing in the daytime tradition of classic soap opera storytelling, and sprinkling in a few shock and awe moments and major surprises, these were all major factors in deciding On-Air On-Soaps highest honor of Soapmaker of the Year 2015.  Without question this year that achievement and accolade goes to the executive producer and head writer of The Bold and the Beautiful, Brad Bell.

It’s been quite some time that a daytime drama has broken ground in such a comprehensive and compelling way with the story of Maya Avant (Karla Mosley), who viewers learned earlier in the year was born as “Myron”.   Maya’s story became one of the most compassionate tales told in soap opera history with new wrinkles and twists, while expanding the Avant family by bringing in Maya’s parents and sister to the canvas.  The soap was right on target with its story choices, as this was the year that also saw everyone in America and across the world watching the real-life story of Caitlyn Jenner unfold.  But Brad Bell and his fearless team continued to push the envelope in 2015, with the sudden death of Aly Forrester (Ashlyn Pearce) in virtually the same place her mother met her maker years before.  Then there was the inspirational story of actress Linsey Godfrey (Caroline) who returned to the show after a harrowing real-life accident, and Bell was able to utilize her and give her story through the classic, “Who’s the daddy?” tale with a twist.  Caroline’s pregnancy is fraught with drama for potentially years to come.

On-Air On-Soaps spoke with Brad about his honor, and took him through the year of storylines on the screen to get his comments, during a 2015 that was also somewhat transitional for him.  No longer did he spend all of his time in Los Angeles at the B&B offices at CBS.  Brad found himself writing in Hungary, while accompanying his wife, the ambassador to that nation, Colleen Bell.  And, why not?  B&B continues to be the number one show worldwide, while firmly remaining in the #2 position of the daytime dramas in the U.S.  It was a good year to be bold and beautiful in so many ways for our culture, and that goes for this soap, too.  Here’s our Soapmaker of the Year, Brad Bell!

MICHAEL:

2015 in the world of soaps will be remembered as a very impressive year for The Bold and the Beautiful.   As you have seen, I am not alone in my thought-process, as other critics/pundits have been extolling year-end accolades for your show.

BRAD:

Courtesy/CBS

It’s a year I will look back on and be very proud of, and one that was very unique in the history of B&B.

MICHAEL:

Let’s touch on the year on B&B, and discuss what you have done with the show that has you as our choice for Soapmaker of the Year.   Obviously, first and foremost, the transgender storyline involving the character of Maya has been front and center, and told so beautifully.  You touched upon several of the issues facing the transgender community.  What can you say about what you’ve told within that story as you reflect on 2015?

BRAD:

I think we really tried to analyze progressive thinking vs. traditional thinking.  Creating the character of Maya as this transgender character has opened our minds up as writers.  It hopefully had the same effect around the country and around the world, as we see what a beautiful person she is, and how she is being treated by the Forrester family.  But also, there were many obstacles and many ahead.  It’s not just a fairy tale for her, but something that hopefully mirrors reality in the good, the bad, and the ugly.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

The writing of the wedding of Maya and Rick (Jacob Young) was such a poignant episode, and the showdown scenes between Maya and her father Julius (Obba Babatundé) were riveting.  It was also a great decision to bring Maya’s parents on to the canvas: Julius and Vivienne (Anna Maria Horsford).  Take me through how you and your writing team made the decision to craft the scenes, and the confrontation during the nuptials?

BRAD:

I thought that things were going so well for Maya that we needed to bring someone in who didn’t agree with her choices, and who had issues with who she has become.  The father was that character.  We created a character that was traditional, stubborn, stuck in his ways, close-minded, and charming all at the same time.  As soon as I saw Obba Babatundé’s tape, I knew he was the man for this role.  He is just an incredible actor. What he has found together with Karla Mosley has just been gold for us.  Patrick Mulcahey wrote the dialog for that episode, and he just killed it as he always does.  Those scenes really came together, beautifully.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

Through this journey of telling Maya’s story, was there anything as the executive producer and head writer of the show that you were surprised to learn about the transgender community, or what they are facing?

BRAD:

Yes.  I definitely have a greater understanding of what they are facing.  Getting to know more transgender people and to be able to be part of the community now, you find out we are all much more similar than we are different.  We have the same basic needs, wants and desires.  Everyone should have the right to express themselves, and to reach their goals, and to be who they want to be.  The people in the trans community are brave, and they are original.  It is great to live in a country where this is possible.  I think there are many challenges, but yet there are many successes to be where we are far, and ahead of most countries in the world.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/Pop

You took the transgender story one step further with the surrogate arc, where Rick and Maya want to have a child, but enlist Maya’s sister Nicole (Reign Edwards) to assist them in the most major way.  Was the decision to tell that story, basically about a “where do we go from here” with their relationship, because now Rick and Maya were a happy couple, or was it about exploring what would happen to a couple in this situation?

BRAD:

I just thought getting to know these characters, and what Karla and Jacob put into them also, and the natural outgrowth of who they are would be the desire to have a family.  So, how do we get that done?   It did line up beautifully for Nicole to come to talk to them, and for them to make this request.  You can see how on one side it makes complete sense – it’s a younger daughter’s gift to her sister – but you also see how other people might find it to be outrageous.  It’s a great arena for drama.  This story is not going to be a bed of roses for any of them; it’s going to be difficult.  Everybody’s going to weigh-in.  Now to have Rome Flynn with us playing Zende, and Felisha Cooper playing Sasha in the story mix, plus there is much more we will hear from the Avant parents that will make the next chapter, I think, as exciting as the first.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

You continued to integrate the transgender community into your stories.  You had transgender models in a fashion show, and you had Scott Turner Schofield (Nick), the first trans male actor in a role on a soap making daytime history.  It was commendable that you did not take a sensationalistic approach to Maya’s story, but carried this initiative and weaved it within the show.  What has been the response from the trans community?  Have people reached out to you with emails, letters, or in person?

BRAD:

Yes, it’s been great.  The letters of gratitude has been very special.  People are actually using some of our episodes in classrooms.  To hear stories like that where they are looking at scenes and discussing them is so exciting for me.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ESPN

Soap operas always used to tackle, and were ahead of the curve and on top of it, on telling social issues.  I don’t feel the genre has been on top of it for a while now.  I feel you and your team brought that back with the transgender storyline.  As it turned out, it was kind of the perfect storm with Caitlyn Jenner’s real-life story happening at the same time.

BRAD:

That is what I am most proud about for 2015 in story.  This is something we need to be doing.  It is something that historically when soaps are good, that is why they are good, because they are mirroring and analyzing the sociology of our time, and what we are confronting within communities.  It’s great to be on the forefront of this, and to be writing this story and to be well into it.  And then, to have Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) making her announcement of transitioning, the timing could not have been better on this one.

MICHAEL:

You recently received a WGA nomination from the Writers Guild, and are up against General Hospital for the Daytime Drama series writing award that will be announced and handed out in February.  What episodes did you submit for contention?  Additionally, can you share with the fans of the show the collaborative process of your writing team?

Courtesy/CBS

BRAD:

We submitted episodes involving Maya’s story.   As the head writer I come up with the plots, and work very closely with Michael Minnis.  Then Patrick Mulcahey joins us on story conversations frequently.  Then I have a great team of dialog writers including; Michele Val Jean and Tracey Kelly, but we are all in it together.  This team has been together a long time now.  We have had very little changes.  One year you are on to something, and the next year you take a turn.  People drop out of the show, which allows you to highlight other people.  Looking at Jacob Young and Karla Mosley, who were a bit back-burnered, to have them come up and embrace these roles the way they have has been outstanding.  Karla has been such a great spokesperson for the story.  I have the same writing team, but the transgender story has totally reinvigorated us.  We are looking for the next socially relevant story.  We are not done with this story by a long shot.  We are going to follow these people in the next stage of their lives, which will be very exciting.

MICHAEL:

There were other major storylines on B&B, and performances as well.  Chief among them is Linsey Godfrey (Caroline), who after being in a terrible accident early in 2015, returned to the series and delivered dramatic performances in the Caroline/Thomas/Ridge story.  What can you say about the decision to create this story, where a kind of ‘out of it Caroline’ would have sex with Thomas (Pierson Fode) and we would find out Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) can’t father a child?   And oh-oh, voila’ she is pregnant?

Courtesy/CBS

BRAD:

First, Linsey is a very raw, and authentic actress.  This story falls into the category of classic storytelling, not just for soap opera, but from the beginning of time.  It involves a powerful man in Ridge Forrester, and the secret he is keeping from his wife, and from his son!  The architecture of this one is strong, and the actors are committed to the material, and this will roll out beautifully in 2016.  I am so happy to be working with Thorsten Kaye (Ridge), Pierson (Thomas), and Linsey.  This will be a tight one, but the drama that will unfold should be pretty potent.

MICHAEL:

So, were you sitting there one day and you went, “Ah!  I’m going to have her pregnant by her husband’s young son!”  How does Brad Bell’s mind work to come with these classic soap stories?

BRAD:

Courtesy/CBS

The thing is before the “Ah-ha” moment, there are usually months of grinding your teeth and pulling your hair out with me going, “What do I do?”  (Laughs)   I always say it’s like being in a dark room feeling around and trying to find a way out.  It’s been a very different for me this year.  I have been in Budapest for most of it.  So that has been a new dynamic.  I have had a lot of alone time, and a lot of quiet time.  I go to my apartment there in the fifth district. Colleen says to me, “Don’t complain.  I have heard you for 25 years complaining that you wanted this solitude.”  So, now I have it and it’s a bit painful! (Laughs)  However on the flipside, it’s also really great for a writer to be alone with their characters for hours at a time.

MICHAEL:

Did any of your stories exceed your expectations in 2015?  Were you shocked to see a certain story come out so well?

BRAD:

Yes.  There is always disappointment, and great, great surprises.  This story with Caroline, Thomas and Ridge, far exceeded my expectations.  The performances, the writing, and the production all fell together so well here.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

Now you have “accidental serial killer” Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) running around on the loose causing “accidental” havoc.  (Laughs)  She knocked Aly (Ashlyn Pearce) to her death, and then pushed Ivy into electrical wires on her way to being electrocuted!  Aly’s death was a surprise twist that was kept under wraps so well, that nobody saw coming.  It made for one of the most surprising moments in soaps in 2015.

BRAD:

It’s interesting when the pieces fit.  It’s wonderful, and when they don’t fit you have to kind of shock yourself, and shock your characters into making them fit.  Ashleigh Brewer (Ivy) has taken all of these tumbles, and been “electrocuted”, and been through so much from day one since she joined the show.  From the beginning she was falling into the Seine River in France (Laughs).  But, it is evolving into a new chapter of the story which is very exciting for Scott Clifton (Liam) and Steffy, and for the Spencer brothers, and also Quinn.  Rena Sofer (Quinn) has been awesome on the show, and she has been patient.  Now the spotlight will turn to Rena in 2016.

MICHAEL:

What can you say about having Jacqueline MacInnes Wood back in 2015 as a major component of B&B?  Steffy is such a polarizing, and popular character around the world.

BRAD:

Courtesy/CBS

Jacqui is a beautiful spirit on camera and off, really high energy, but a super sharp actress.  I am so glad to be working with her.

MICHAEL:

It must have been hard for you as well to have Ashlyn Pearce leave the show, who was finally getting a chance to shine in the material you were giving her, and then to have to sacrifice her in terms of story.  We understand that these are decisions that head writers and executive producers have to make along the way.  What can you share about killing Aly?

BRAD:

Ashlyn is a great actress, and she has a great career ahead of her.  I think the actors understand this going in that this is something we have to do as writers.  We have to surprise people.  We have to kill people, and do the unexpected.  They are players on the show until they can’t be.  Ashlyn just killed the material, especially at the end of her run.  She is phenomenal!

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

At the beginning of 2015, lest we forget, “Drunk Brooke”!  Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) got to deliver some memorable performances, especially when she was getting sloshed at Bill (Don Diamont) and Katie’s (Heather Tom) wedding!

BRAD:

I think Katherine did such a great job, and it’s great to see her character unhinged.  I mean, Brooke without a man, she would have to turn to something! (Laughs)  Brooke is one of two remaining run-of-show characters, and at an interesting point in her life.  She is empty nesting, which comes with a whole array of issues and challenges.  We are starting a whole new chapter with Brooke, and Bill and Katie in 2016.

MICHAEL:

Earlier in the year, you had a soundstage at CBS dedicated to you in honor of B&B’s milestone of producing an incredible 7,000 episodes.  Your plaque is right across the hall from the soundstage dedicated to your father, the legendary Bill Bell Sr. (Co-Creator, Y&R and B&B).  This has truly been special for you.  What do you think now when you sit back and take in what that dedication ceremony meant?

BRAD:

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

It is an incredible honor, and we have had such a great working relationship with CBS. They are great network to be on.  They are very helpful, and they really care. They care about their fans, and their viewers, and their employees.  I am thankful to CBS for the honor. It’s an honor for everyone who works on that stage every day, and around the world dubbing us into different languages, and everyone in the office.  It was a great moment.

MICHAEL:

When you are at CBS, do you ever walk by the plague with your name on it, and smile?

BRAD:

Yes! (Laughs)  My son Oliver was here visiting with a friend from Budapest, and he showed him the plaque, and then his friend said, “Where’s the commissary?” (Laughs)  But yes, it’s very special that it is up there.  I am grateful to everyone who spoke at the dedication, especially my wife.  Now that I am the spouse of the Ambassador to Hungary, I am realizing, and fully appreciating, perhaps for the first time, what that role is about, and how challenging it could be. Colleen has been so wonderful as my partner all of these years.

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

The production, marketing, and publicity team at B&B, under your guidance also needs to be commended for their accomplishments this year: you had the first Pop-Up fan event in New York in the series history, and launched a B&B You Tube channel in the UK.  No other daytime drama has done this type of creative outreach in so many different aspects, as well as consistently planning taking the show on remotes worldwide, and integrating story within it.  Tell me about the BOLD team.

BRAD:

These producers including: Rhonda Friedman, who has been with us from the beginning but left us just before Christmas; and the consistency and the enthusiasm of Casey Kasprzyk and Mark Pinciotti who are the creative younger producers; and veterans such as Cynthia Popp and Ed Scott, we have the perfect blend of creativity, and continuity.  We love being with each other.  So, if we say let’s go to Australia, or let’s go to Israel to do a location shoot, we are thinking first and foremost: “That’s going to be fun time and a party!” (Laughs)  And then we think that we have to get the work done, which we know we will do. (Laughs)  But honestly, we all just like to hang out together.  I think our enthusiasm comes through, and it shows in our events with the fans in the U.S and around the world.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/CBS

Now that we walked down memory lane, let’s look to the future!  In a broad stroke, what can you tease fans of B&B to look forward to in 2016?

BRAD:

I think we are going to have a great balance of issues, of villains, and some new villains appearing, and some romance.  I mean balanced in the most unbalanced way possible. (Laughs)   It will be an incredibly dramatic year.  The characters are all in a great spot.  It’s not a year of building or transitioning, but it’s a year of payoffs.  The New Year is going to explode.  I fully expect 2016 to be the best, if not the best ever, certainly over recent years, and the one to watch.  

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Great interview, Michael!

I’ve been glued to my screen watching Ridge and Caroline’s romance this year. I’m really hoping it continues for a long, long time and the baby turns out to be his.

B&B was so good a few months ago but it’s now awful. The storyline of Liam/Steffy/Wyatt/Ivy is vapid and the ping ponging of emotions makes no sense. B&B needs to ship Thomas back to Europe. No matter how they gloss it over he violated Caroline. He’s creepy as hell. He doesn’t respect women at all. He’s pushy with Ivy, making a bet to bed her, screwing underlings,etc…
Ridge/Caroline have disappeared. An 18 yr old being pushed to be a surrogate.

Time for the Return of Phoebe Forrester!!

The Maya story, and family are the utmost in poor storytelling, poor acting, and read the boards, UNLOPULAR. Maya is a bully, a liar and a greedy deceitful skank. The tranny story was offensive I every way possible. The show basically wrote it , that it’s all ok that Maya is a creep…a bigot…cause it’s a tranny. So it’s ok. And Nick?? That blow hard ass. He actually came across as another intolerant, judgemental bigot. Showed how hypocritical and pathetic the ten my community is. Who can forget that ass thinking that Brooke should be more concerned for the lying Maya then her own son? Couple this crap with the Bruce Jenner bomb of a show…and it’s ridiculus Bell wouldn’t back off fast. The trannies on Bruce’s show were awful, bigoted, entitled jerks. Treated Her like crap cause she dared speak her own mind and have her own thoughts. Completely bullying her.

Typical close minded bigotry of liberals. Bell sounds like a fruitloop. Hypocritical. He writes Maya as a hatefull, greedy, bigot, who is unliked by the fans enmasse. One needs only to read the boards to see the disdain..BEFORE he made her a transgender. Bringing her family on ticked off the audience who is literally FF This story. The actors playing Avants are all awful. Nicole and Sasha are two if the worse actors possible. The parents are unlikeable. Greedy.

Where he thinks this was a positive story for transgenders is confusing. He wrote them as selfish intolerant bigots.

I couldn’t agree more.

Yep…….

Could not agree more. The worst story yet on B&B. Nobody was thrilled or liked it. The boards are overrun with disgruntled fans. Maya and Rick have never paid for the horrible things they did to others. Can’t stand Nicole and the parents. They are not good actors, boring and add zilch to the show. And now the Steffy show. Sorry, she does zilch for me as well. The mop of overkill extendions is pathetic.

I certainly do not see this show as an award show.

What planet is Fairman on that he thinks Bradley Bell is such a terrific writer.

I’d recommend you take out a mirror and look at it. Starting back at you will be the definition of a ‘bigot’.

The transgender story is outstanding! Very well written, acted, and produced. Kudos to Brad and his entire ensemble.

Bring Taylor back ,do not break up Liam and Steffy I read Ivy and Steffy will be at the top of the stairs and some one will fall just as Liam open the door and walked in the house it better be Steffy falling down those stairs and not Ivy so Liam can realize how much he Love Steffy and don’t ever want to lose her you better not let Ivy fall that is a bit too much we don’t want to see any thing happen to Ivy any more for Liam to feel sorry for her we are sick of her leave Liam and Steffy alone.

This crap of making Steffy the bad guy really stinks!! And now Ivy crawling back to Liam and begging him to come back is also stinkareo!!!!!! Brad Bell! COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER!! KEEP LIAM AND STEFFY TOGATHER!!!!!!

Keep Katie and Bill together. I really love them

Thanks for the interview. Giving credit where it’s due, the transgender story was not only groundbreaking, but the best kept secret in Daytime, second only to Aly’s death, which was the second best kept secret in Daytime. The ability to stun the audience, mostly in a good way, is as rare today as the telling of a groundbreaking storyline like Maya’s. For those reasons, kudos to Brad Bell for a job well done in 2015. However, so many of the other stories on B&B this year were repetitive, dull and often infuriating, and I’d include the Thomas/Caroline/Ridge storyline in those categories, good acting or not. Having Ivy recently, or Brooke recently, or Katie from earlier this year, suddenly realize she never stopped loving Liam/Bill/Bill, is not good storytelling. It’s plot-driven and we’ve seen it 200x before on B&B.

However, I’m a fan of Daytime and I want it to succeed, so I’ll have some hope that when Mr. Bell says that the fallout from the Thomas/Caroline/Ridge story will be “pretty potent”, he means it, and I hope it involves Ridge getting a solid dose of his past Romeo behavior slapping him hard in the face. I hope that there’s some twist to the new Brooke/Bill storyline that doesn’t end in Bill tanking his marriage to Katie, since we’ve all seen that before. I would like something different to happen in the Ivy/Liam/Steffy storyline, something we haven’t seen before, and I hope that the creative minds at B&B will surprise us all as they did with other characters in other stories in 2015. I would like to ask for B&B to find a way to juggle more than one storyline at a time, which has been very frustrating. Lastly, if Rena Sofer is going to be on more in 2016, I’ll be a very happy viewer. She’s been sadly overlooked for members of the younger crowd this past year, and she’s too talented and has too big a fanbase to sit on the sidelines.

With the Ridge/Thomas storyline, we need Taylor!! If HT cannot come back, I am open to recasting. Taylor doesn’t have to be on permanently but I definitely think she is needed for this particular storyline.

The best of B&B? I Think not. Maya and Rick bullying everyone and getting a slap on the wrist for it because Maya is a transgender don´t fly with fans. So transgendrs can´t do anything wrong due to fact that they switched their gender? I agree on the crap pulled on Ridge, Steffy and Thomas. Why all the hate on the real Forresters of the show? Yes, real Forresters. Eric is Ridges father in the Eyes of the law. He should be with a woman his own age, not running around with a Little girl . Steffy Forrester is the best and most intresting females on the show, followed by Katie and Quinn. Why? Because unlike the others, they don´t need a man to function. They take the reains and do it themselves. I see that the B/B/K tripe fest is to make a return: Why? No one liked it the fist time. Bill and Brooke are one of the worst Couples in show history. Keep Bill and Katie as Power houses on Spencer and send Brooke to Paris. She is an over the hill sex addict, nothing more, nothing less! And can she please take Ivy with her? Speking of Ridge. Hire a Power house actess for Thorsten Kaye. Lisa Peluso, Alicia Minshew or Cady Mcclain are names that would work. And I whole hearted agree on Taylor. Where is she? We need more Taylor!

What? The transgender story was popular and well-received? If you read the soap boards and polls, it was one of the worse story. And now it’s supposedly being shown at schools? That’s pathetic. So you’re telling students you can be a bully, feel entitled to everything, lie about having a child and signing those rights away when the child isn’t even your’s and once you become transgender, all is forgiven and no one can say anything because they’ll be called prejudice. Brad has never written a good social issue. They were all a joke, and I certainly would question the schools that are forcing their students to watch something that’s not even believable.

I wrote and asked Brad Bell to hire Jaime Lyn Bauer and have her play opposite of John McCook, wouldn’t that be wonderful to have John and Jaime together again. Do you all remember them as Lance and Laurie on Y&R? I never did get a reply back…Brad, please offer Jaime Lyn Bauer a job and bring her to the B&B.

Here is hoping that Liam and Ivy will be left in 2015 !!! They couldn’t find a more BORING pair. Send them both back to Australia !!!! This whole accident routine with Steffy is beyond ridiculous !!!!!!! Bring a man with some back bone onto the canvas for Steffy — no more boys — please !!!!

I’m loving the new storylines…love the way finally Steffy is feeling the hurt and pain from all her plots, scheme’s, and undermined, bully ways, its time for Steffy be hold responsible for her out of control bully ways…Y&R, GH,DOOL, has defective and police stations, hospital, rescues squares, along with love compassion storyline’s, which has brought them as #1, I think B&B Bradley Bell and writers need to reviews the storyline’s that draw attention and boost the rates up…..reviewing a lot soap websites and polls is requesting the re-cast of Hope Logan or bring back Kim Katual for Liam …his characters hasnt been right sense Hope left…its time these two finally come together with family and careers, Hope, need to come back with the power and control of shown Steffy how these turn for worst with double pay for wrong doing in other romantic relationships… So, happy thstvfinally the old Liam has return of the compassion, honestly and less drama with the ethics as an young business man should have as Hope Logan have also…they are also the soulmate Princes&Princess of B&B..young ppl this age need some positive respectful on how to deal with these obstacle’s in an relationships and be able to conquers it all.so many views from ALL AGE wants Liam and Hope together here in the USA…they are very upset, wants to stop watching, wants to see Steffy Monroe to stuffer behinded bars and Lt.Baker is awesome, its also time for the detective from mexico come back and take Quinn down for the death of the owner of that blue diamond necklaces!!! B&B could be #1 Soap Opera and take Y&at place for along time, if changing be made in these areas!!!

I agree on recasting Hope, we the fans has been asking for over a year for them to bring Hope back, I think it will bring a nice twist bringing her back, I’d like to see Hope and Liam back together, married and have a family with no interference from anyone else, Bil or Steffy. I don’t like Maya, I don’ t like what Maya and Rick did to Caroline and others and then everyone looks the other way. Now Maya is the wonderful model? Really. And all the crap Rick pulled is all forgiven. I think bring Mr. Avant’s secret daughter into the picture is a good twist, like to see where that goes. As far as the love triangles, get rid of them!!!! Leave Katie and Bill alone, they make good couple, let Brooke be with Eric I think that would be a good match, And Ivy, I’m sorry I like her I didn’t like Wyatt when he was after Hope but he is good with Ivy and I don’t like what Ivy has done to him. I honestly think he would be good with Steffy, but there you go with the triangles, let some beautiful women come on the show and sweep Wyatt up. Let Steffy be alone. And Liam pine after Hope. And why cant Carter have better lines? Let him find a love. I hate that Nicole his carring Maya’s baby, I like Nicole, she needs to be a model not having the line of carring Maya’s baby. Ridge and Caroline has grown on me, but they can’t keep the secret to long, Thomas will figure it out. Thomas is trouble, right along with his sister. One more thing PLEASE PLEASE RECAST HOPE LOGAN.

Bradley Bells could you put in the show is because they need my help and also bring Hope Logan back so she can go back to liam and give something that know body can and also can you fine a man for Brooke and Sasha because theyonly go after other people man like Katie own and also Nicole make sure sash and Brooke fine they own man and leave them married men alone please Bradley Bells .

Love Katie and bill. Please brad have them stay together . Brooke should be with ridge

Brooke made me laugh today saying Bill the love for her life!!!! WTH!! Yes her and Bill sizzle but Brooke sole mate and destiny as she said 5 million times is Ridge. Obviously not Tk version of Ridge but Come on those words rang hollow! Get Carter a SL stat and please don’t let Nicole keep this up I find it bizarre! Maya and Caroline personlalties been rewritten some many times I can’t keep up!!! Wyatt and Stepahie are fabulous. lIam turned into a border my dufus!! he way better as computer geek! Wake up Liam can’t possibly be so admired when you have Wyatt! Please don’t ruin Quinn too much with this nonsense with Liam in a cabin! Quinn is the best helicopter mom on TV! That’s all for now I give BB a B+ but minor adjustments need to be made! Carolyn and Ridge perfection! Thomas give him something to do like go after single women that aren’t drugged or dating Spencer’s girlfriends and non blood cousins with me last name! Eww!

Really why Katie and Bill again… can’t we have ONE Stable couple on the show??? Quinn is a big waste of time … Steffy belongs with Liam and Wyatt belongs with ???? The new Avant daughter has Biotch written all over her face ugh!

Watch the show today been watching for 20 +years 2016 has got to be more not so predictable Wiatt & steffy come on Wiatt has to quit getting sloppy seconds or 3rds hope the writer has better story lines this year for Katie , Bill, & Logan -brook were is Caroline& ridge?

I think it would be extremely interesting to see Hope return to Liam while Steffy is with Wyatt and see all four of them all in love with each other and start acting like interchangeable couples. I also think the Quinn and Liam “Adam and Eve” thing is hilarious. However, Quinn having sex with Liam is shocking; almost seems like incest and I can’t see this ending any other way than Quinn getting fired by Steffy and disowned by Wyatt.

Interviews

The Young and the Restless’ Michael Damian On Christine/Danny/Phyllis: “It’s a Fun Triangle Story That They’re Having Us Do, Because It’s Very Retro”

This week on The Young and the Restless, while Danny (Michael Damian) and Christine (Lauralee Bell) hit the sheets, and Phyllis (Michele Stafford) sets off an alarm as payback (literally!), the top-rated CBS soap opera continues to weave the tale of these three characters decades later, finding themselves in very familiar territory with each other.

We know that Christine and Phyllis are basically, mortal enemies, while Danny, who has been the man in the middle, has had a past with both women. However, it is Christine who has been, for all intent and purposes the love of his life.  But, will Phyllis’ machinations make it near to impossible for Danny and Christine to be together? Stay tuned.

Last week, Michael and his real-life wife, Janeen Damian visited the Michael Fairman Channel promoting their #1 streaming film on Netflix, Irish Wish starring Lindsay Lohan. The film was produced by the Damians, while Janeen directed it and co-wrote the romantic story. Michael is featured on the Irish Wish soundtrack performing his track, Wild Irish Heart.

Photo: Netflix

During the conversation, Michael shared what it has been like revisiting the Christine/Danny/Phyllis triangle years later. Damian addressed the fans on the livestream, who inquired. “It’s a fun triangle story that they’re having us do, because it’s very retro. And I think it’s fun to bring that nostalgia, retro thing back.”

Photo: JPI

Recalling a tender moment between Danny on the piano alone with Christine (during the standalone episode which honored Lauralee Bell’s 40th anniversary with Y&R), Michael expressed, “I think what they’re doing is so smart, and they’re reconnecting a lot of the fans to a lot of the story. I mean, we’re talking years and years of story.”

Photo: JPI

The longtime Y&R fan favorite, added, “I’m really glad they did the thing on the piano because people have been asking, ‘Why are you not doing any music? Why are you not singing? Where’s your band?’ You know what I mean? Janeen is asking the same thing, ‘Why aren’t you singing something on the show?’ The last time I sang on the show was when we thought Phyllis was dead. So, you know, that didn’t count. (Laughs)

One of the funniest moment in the revisiting of the triangle occurred when Phyllis and Christine were arguing over Danny, and he was right there in the room with them. The two women got so engrossed in their fight, they forgot he was there, and thus he walked out of the room.

Photo: JPI

Michael revealed, he liked that scene too! “They’re fighting. They’re arguing and Danny’s like, ‘Listen, I’m over here. Please stop it.” And then they don’t stop,” Damian recalled. “And so Danny just grabs his coat, picks up his sheet music, because he was working on a song. He goes to the door. In the scene, I even look back to see if they are even noticing me leave, and then I just left. That one was pretty funny. I’ll be honest. I was laughing out in the hallway when I left. I was thinking, ‘Should I slam the door? But then if I slam the door, they still have dialogue.’ They’re still talking and they would’ve turned, and then it would’ve ruined it. So, I just gently closed the door and left.

Photo: JPI

During the livestream, Damian teased he has some upcoming scenes with longtime Y&R co-star Beth Maitland (Traci), “I just worked with Beth Maitland actually the other day, and that was really fun. I can’t wait for people to see that show.”

Check out the the Michael Fairman Channel chat with Michael and Janeen Damian below.

Now, let us know, are you rooting for Danny and Christine? Do you think Phyllis will continue to be a disruptor in this relationship and somehow worm her way back into Dannys good graces? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first check out this sneak peek for this week’s Y&R featuring the trio.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star Blake Berris Chats On the Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein Mystery, Working with His New Co-Stars, and the Last Christmas Episode with Bill Hayes

On Days of our Lives, the return of Blake Berris is making for some very intriguing drama, with the audience guessing just which way the story will go.

When Berris arrived back on Days of our Lives, after previously playing Nick Fallon, he was taking on the new role of Everett Lynch, who has a past with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). Only, as it has been revealed, the past he had with Jada was under the name “Bobby Stein,” who from what we can tell was far from a nice guy.

Blake visited the Michael Fairman Channel for a livestream interview this week, where fans in the live chat were weighing-on what could be the truth about the guy – is he a split personality suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder? Did the accident that cost him a year of his life in a coma, never happen? Recently, someone set fire to the beloved Horton house. Fans are suspecting it would have been “Bobby” who is working for Clyde Weston (James Read). Others believe that Everett/Bobby could actually be Clyde’s son. With upcoming therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) about to start, things are about to get more juicy in Salem.

Photo: JPI

Here are just a few excerpts from our conversation with Blake on a myriad of Everett/Bobby subjects. Make sure to check out the full interview for more.

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character on the canvas. Didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So, we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

What has it been like working with Abigail Klein?

BLAKE: I think she is extraordinary. We start off sort of frosty, or she’s frosty with me, like she doesn’t want to let me in. And then, for a while things are going really well. I just could not adore Abigail more. She’s such a good actor. I could always rely on her to bring me back into a scene and be there in this emotionally, supportive way.

Photo: JPI

Everett and Chad seemed to be becoming friend-ish, when all went awry when at the PCPD interrogation room, Everett let him know about Elia and Bobby Stein, and Chad let him have it for worming his way back in to Stephanie’s life.

BLAKE: Billy would call us the ‘disgusting brothers’ and that’s a reference from Succession, because all of a sudden they’re just so chummy with each other. It’s like all of a sudden we just had this like ‘Bernstein and Woodward’, sort of dynamic duo. I think that Everett really started to think of Chad as a friend and feels sort of disappointed, and he feels, “Oh, it’s that easy? I just needed to have some other identity and now you’re a fair-weather friend?”‘

Photo: JPI

In recent scenes, Jada sees Bobby Stein for the first time, and we see you and Elia Cantu share scenes with each other for the first time. What is it like working with Elia?

BLAKE: She’s fire, man. She comes in hot and she tells you the way it’s going to be. I think early on, we were trying to suss each other out and the more we worked together, the more comfortable you get with somebody. I think actors do this sometimes with each other; if there’s spice on screen, you like to keep some of what you have on-screen in your (real-life) interactions because it helps … it helps the work.  Eventually, we just sort of wore each other down and we’re like, ‘I actually totally get you, and you’re great.'”

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character and didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

You were on set and in the annual Horton Christmas episode which sadly marked the last for Days of our Lives legendary Bill Hayes, who passed away in January of this year.  What do you recall of that tape day?

BLAKE: It was the Christmas episode when we were watching Susan (Julie) and Bill, say ‘Merry Christmas.’  And there was something about it that just felt like it could be the last time. I mean, it wrecked us all on set. Bill gets so choked up and there was something really profound about the moment. They kiss each other as they have so many times before on the show. It was just beautiful. It felt beautiful to be there for that last Christmas. He’s just such an icon. Every time I’d see him, he was so with it … he knew my name, he knew his lines. What an incredible, incredible man.

Photo: JPI

Fans will get to see Everett in therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)? Would you say she is helping the guy?

BLAKE: Deidre’s always making jokes about Marlena, ‘She’s the worst therapist in the world’ (Laughs) I remember in the first therapy session, we almost couldn’t get through the scenes because it’s just so clear that Everett has a litany of very profound psychological issues that he is going to have to work through. He’ll keep coming back. This guy’s gonna pay the bills!

Photo: JPI

Viewers are waiting to see how they mystery of Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein plays out. What can you say as a tease for what’s to come?

BLAKE: As far as a tease, I would say, you have all these characters sort of, trying to wake up the ‘sleeping giant’ in a way. I think it’s safe to say that like if you poke a bear, the bear might wake up.

Watch the livestream chat with Blake in full below.

Now let us know, what do you think is going with Everett/Bobby? What has happened to him in his past? Share your theories in the comment section below, and make sure to catch Days of our Lives next week on Peacock for more to his story.

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Interviews

Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott Talks on 45 Years as Nikki Newman, the Keys to Playing Drunk, And Those Genoa City Relationships

February is ‘Nikki Newman Month’ in soapland as the The Young and the Restless iconic Melody Thomas Scott celebrates her 45th anniversary in her leading role.

My how time flies! Nikki has had numerous marriages, and some to the same man, battled her addiction to alcohol too many times to count (and we loved it all), and faced so much heartache in the process.

Currently, on all-new episodes of the top-rated CBS daytime drama series, Nikki can’t quite get a grip as Jordan (Colleen Zenk) is out there and in the middle of her next master plot to make Nikki suffer, all the while Nikki is drinking again. Thanks to the heinous plot concocted by Jordan and Claire (Hayley Erin) that revealed itself last November.

Photo: JPI

In a special conversation for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Melody shared her thoughts on a myriad of subjects including: her current story, those long tape days at Victor and Nikki’s weddings, why she plays drunk better than anyone on television, plus we take a mini-deep dive into Nikki’s past.

Y&R fans were stunned when the powers-that-be had Nikki kidnapped and then hooked her up to an IV of booze. Just how much did Melody know of the story going in? She elaborated, “I knew Nikki would be terrorized. That’s all that I knew. I thought that sounded like great fun. I didn’t know for a little bit that she was going to fall off the wagon in the process of it. And then when I heard how it would happen, I was thrilled to bits. I did kind of want to have a little leader (or crawl) down at the bottom of the screen saying, ‘Hey, people don’t put an IV with vodka in your arm because that will kill you.’ But, poetic license, I suppose.”

Photo: JPI

Melody also weighed-in on if she thinks Nikki will stop drinking anytime soon, expressing, “She just can’t get out of this. Then of course, Jordan’s not letting her out very easily. Just when Nikki thinks she is mentally strong enough to never take another drink, well, of course she does, because something else happens. I think it’s also a learning point for people who are watching the show who may have an addiction problem. Now, I could be wrong, but I think it’d be highly unusual for somebody to be just mentally strong to be able to stop.”

If you wondered if Melody enjoys playing a drunk Nikki, look no more, “I do. That’s simply for selfish reasons,” she shared. “That’s for my enjoyment. I take great pleasure in it. It’s fun for me, and just the process of pretending to be drunk. I love the end result. I try not to do too much because there’s nothing worse when an actor is overplaying drunk. So you have to kind of keep it a little bit underneath (the surface). However, sometimes because of Jordan, Nikki does get much sloppier than I normally would play it.”

Photo: JPI

In recent episodes, it seems that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki are gravitating more to each other, as both are drawn together through their shared experiences with addiction. Victor (Eric Braeden) is not happy that his arch-nemesis is helping Nikki try to stay sober. Could Melody see Jack and Nikki becoming romantic again? “I love Peter. I mean, Peter was my second favorite husband on Y&R. It would be wonderful, but I don’t know if the fans would go for that,” she explained. “They’re so invested in Niktor that I think they would really be upset about that unless Victor did something really crummy, then I could buy that.”

Photo: JPI

One of the more ‘out there’ stories during Melody’s 45-year run, was when Nikki was paired with Crazy Edward, and he took her home to meet his mother … who was in an urn! You would think maybe Melody didn’t like the story .. but think again! “Bill Bell (co-creator, Y&R) was writing the show in those days, and Bill kept that information pretty tight. I don’t remember us knowing even a week in advance. Maybe, we would get our scripts, three or four days in advance and that was it. You knew nothing about future story, but I loved the story,” she raved. “It was almost Hitchcockian, shall we say. The actor who played Crazy Edward, Paul Tulley was so magnificent and such a sweetheart. We loved working with each other so much, but man, when that red light came on the camera, he scared the you-know-what out of me. He was absolutely terrifying. But then, the minute the scene was over, we’re fooling around and laughing and everything. He was so good. So good!”

Photo: JPI

According to Melody, the pairing of Victor and Nikki was not something she, nor Eric Braeden, initially thought would made sense: “I was a little terrified when I heard that he and I would be doing scenes. I thought, ‘What, what?’ He also wondered, ‘What am I going to be doing working with that young kid, that snotty kid?’ We had no idea what Bill Bell saw. He had a vision with us and somehow knew that we would have chemistry. It didn’t take Bill long to show us in the scripts why he put us together. Then, we started to see it. Although, it was hard to imagine at first, certainly we knew it worked by the time Nikki had baby number one during the ‘Who’s the father?’ storyline. Nikki and Victor weren’t even married yet. So, we did figure it out pretty early on.”

Photo: JPI

From her early years as Nikki Reed, Melody reflected back on some major story points in her character’s history, relating, “I actually did like her in the very beginning when she was just a little brat living with her sister and her father, who of course ended up trying to rape her…  and she had hit him over the head with a lamp … and he died. I did not care for the stripping storyline at all. Only because I knew that I didn’t have the natural dancing ability. I wasn’t fluid enough to really look good up there stripping. I know they hired wonderful choreographers and everything for me, but I just didn’t feel worthy of being up there … I guess is what it was. Of course, now I look back on it and I think, ‘Oh, I guess it wasn’t too bad.’ Later, there was a strip she did in the Colonnade Room. At the time, she was married to Jack. Victor’s sitting there with some other woman and she’s drunk. I saw that scene recently, and I thought it was great. I didn’t at the time, but looking back, I thought, ‘Wow, that was good.'”

Photo: CBS

Watch the full 45th anniversary conversation with Melody below.

Now let us know, are you enjoying Nikki being back on the bottle? Would you want to see Jack and Nikki try their relationship one more time? What has been your favorite storyline of Melody’s over the last 45 years on Y&R.  Let us know in the comment section.

 

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