the arrogance, the disingenuousness (he glosses over what he ACTUALLY did with the Bianca storyline on AMC – or maybe’s he’s deluded), but where i really balked was when he compared Melissa Ordway to Robin Mattson! What! Seriously???

Well I do agree Dylan running a coffee house and paired with Avery was about as exciting as paint drying on a wall. I’m all for making Dylan more interesting.

I disagree about Lauren and Michael. It was refreshing and wonderful to have one happy couple on this show–there are ways of making stable couples interesting without breaking them apart and throwing them with new people. Cane and Lily I could see falling apart, but Michael and Lauren have been through sooo much and survived, with their love, passion and humor intact, so to see that destroy is sad.

As for the gay story line, I agree throwing in a gay character just to have a gay character is pointless. But if they want a gay story line, that would really shock people and really turn the show upside down– make Jack and Victor gay. We discover their hatred all these years was just a way to cover up their deep burning passion for each other— and with Pratt and Co I wouldn’t put it pass them to do just that

I like the way Charles Pratt thinks and will give him a full year to right this Y&R ship. Phelps? Well, she said in the interview when it was pointed out that fans wanted a gay story involving Kevin and Harding. Her answer was she doesnt go online. WHAT? One, that statement proves how out of touch the women is and two, she doesnt listen to the fans unless I guess if you write her a letter and put a 49 cent stamp on it? What a joke! Thats one thing about GH, Head honcho, Frank Valenti is a media hound and he loves twitter. He has his finger on what the fans are saying and I think his show is more successful because he knows how we feel. He may not use any of our ideas but he has feedback he can share with the writers.

Sharon actually makes Dylan tolerable and Sharon deserves better than Nick. Avery is boring so I’ll give Shylan a chance.

Greg Rickaart is amazing as Kevin and brings the chemistry to all the relationships he’s in. Love Kevin with Mariah, so I hope they don’t change Kevin’s character to being gay. I’m fine with gay characters, just not an established character such as Kevin. Maybe Fen or a new character male or female.

I could never stomach Cane & Lilly and never will.

Loving Jack, Phyllis, Ashley and even BJ’s Billy is growing on me. They must be doing something right. Y&R is currently my favorite of all the soaps. That is subject to change.

I prefer the gay s/l be with someone we care about ,like Kevin . bring on someone new for Mariah ,and have her help Kevin come out.this is better than a newbie ,that we haven’t cared about. I LOVE SHYLAN.Did not like him with Avery or Chelsea,,theres so much chemistry between them.i hope they do a better s/l about mental heath ,than what has been done so far for Sharon n Dylan,make them stronger.

Fire those two writers and get some new storylines !! Same old crap…never ending

WHEN is Joe “the hunk” going to be on……he has not been on at all this week!

This article is more bull*hit than a thousand cows leave behind…Are these of people for real?

NO to Kevin & Harding! Yes to Kevin & Kyle!
Keep Harding for Ashley or Victoria.
Dylan & Sharon is fine by me, Can’t stand either.
Love Sage, so hoping we have a Newman baby, and it’s not Adam’s but Nick’s. and she stays for a long time.
It’s breaking my heart to see Michael suffer like this. So what is their plans to make him happy again, after Lauren cheats?
Could care less about Lily.

Enjoy the ratings spike while you can, it wont last with this kind of storytelling.

I am embarrassed for the actors having to play these ridiculous versions of their legacy characters. Particularly Cady McLain and Peter Bergman. It’s excruciating to watch, therefore I FF thru all of the Kelly/Jack scenes. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for these talented, legendary actors to read their upcoming scripts and then try to come up with a way to justify playing such atrocious drivel in a believable way. Pratt & JFP have done exactly what I was afraid they would. I gave them a fair chance to convince me they wouldn’t ruin Y&R. They have and it is so disappointing to watch. I probably won’t for very much longer.

I do like the Dylan and Sharon pairing. They have great chemistry and feels like a great fit. Shylan has that spark that Davery never had. Not liking how the Michael cancer has been written especially with the hooker,I think that was a copy of Melrose Place. Overall I think Y&R is in bad shape,and will only get worse after reading that interview.

Go read all of both parts of the interview he manages to insult minorities, women, pregnant women and gays with a smile and a chuckle. He also insults Billy Miller you know the guy that helped the show get two daytime emmys in a row.

Lily and Cane,,, they are nothing but touchy touchy lets do the nasty lol .. that is their relationship..
I agree with Pratt-
Michael and Lauren are lackluster/boring and they ‘were’ an interesting couple at one point, but they have faded ..
Dylan is weird, he is not right , like he is displaced..
Dylan and Sharon perhaps he will go PTSD on her and take her out, then I would like Dylan..

The two Jack’s = fail …it is more than stupid (shame on Pratt..
but- I still like Pratt ..
Y&R has a lot wrong with it but in a strange way that makes it interesting..
(( still a fan ..

I care about Lily & I love Lily & Cane. I would love to see more of them & their family on screen. Cane should be running Chancellor Industries–not opening boxes, folding dresses, & providing a shoulder for Lauren to cry on. CPs regime is just another one who refuses to write for them & include them in rotations of storylines. This regime does not do business stories well either unless Victor is beating Jack AGAIN or hoodwinking the whole town. I have always had a healthy respect for Likey in the past but Lauren’s infidelity & the direction Michaels Cancer story has taken is ludicrous & not good for either couple. Tight Budgets & pregnancies are stupid reasons for absences of AA characters & their stories on screen especially when newbies appear anytime for other stories. Segregating the characters hasn’t helped characters, stories, or the show. Both Neil & Devons character needs stronger development & a more realistic directions.

I would rather they focus on Sharon make her BiPolar her 1st priority. Sharon does not need another man! I don’t want Cane and Lauren together. Lauren should be strong for her husband, having her cheat with Cane is not strong. Portraying another woman that can’t be strong in the 21st century is pathetic!

illuminating article. great questions, revealing and disappointing answers

I dont know why Y&R has never done a gay storyline, it has a bunch of gay fans who would love it!

Pratt completely misunderstands ‘boring’ for ‘hopeful’. A soap audience views couples like Lily & Cane and Michael & Lauren as symbols that love and marriage are sustainable. Think Tom & Alice, Bob & Kim. Would it have been so hard to have written a story where Michael leans on Lauren for strength and because of her love triumphs over his cancer? Can’t you have Lily & Cane work together like a modern day Nick & Nora, secure in their marriage, almost observing the other misfit couples as extensions of the audience? If you want to break new ground Mr. Pratt have them talk to the audience and bring them in on the crazy situations all the while thanking God that they have each other in their lives. Instead you give poor Cady McClain and Peter Bergman a storyline that wasn’t fresh in 1980 and isn’t bringing anything to the canvas except making Victor more of a caricature – though all his nefarious deeds will be quickly ignored as usual – making Phyllis look like a complete jackass – someone who is as sexual as Phyllis would clearly know nuJack is a fake – and making Neil, Nikki, and Victoria do character 180s. All wildly pathetic and sad considering these people have decades of experience. They’ve clearly learned nothing over the years.

Y&R did have a semi gay storyline several times, Rafe and Philip were both gay and neither went anywhere, except off the show.

Doing a gay story is definitely a good idea, Y&R needs it. However, it all depends on which characters they do it with. On one hand, turning Kevin gay would be good, since we already care about him and he has ties to the canvas. It would also reflect Greg Rikaart’s real life, and his desire to play a gay story. But, the character of Kevin has already been established as straight, and there’s been no indication otherwise. Also, who would they pair him with? Harding? He’s barely a recurring character.

I think if Y&R really wanted to do a gay story, they should explore turning Fen gay, since he doesn’t have much of an established past with relationships the way Kevin does. Plus, Fen is off canvas at school now anyway, which is a good opportunity for him to realize that he’s gay, and possibly find someone there and bring them back to GC with him.

As far as Shylan goes, I’m all for it. Sharon and Nick need to be out of each other’s orbit for a while, and Dylan’s relationship with Avery is crumbling between his support of Sharon, and her support of Joe. The only thing is, how many men is Sharon going to be paired with on the show? She’s already gone through Nick, Jack, Adam, Billy, Victor, Tucker, and that’s just in the last 5 or so years. Now Dylan is being added to that list. (Side note: If Pratt did watch GH, he’d know that Billy Miller is doing a great job as Jake/Jason so far, giving the character many more layers than SB played.)

As for Michael’s cancer, I just want him to survive. Losing Christian LeBlanc would be such a bad decision for the show. He’s a fantastic actor who is plays the hell out of anything he’s given. And I’m not digging this whole Cane/Lauren pairing either. She’s old enough to be his mother, and we already went down this road with Carmine. I do agree that Cane/Lily are dull and boring, but a side affair for Cane isn’t the answer.

How can these people be called “creative” when all they are doing is recycling?

We used Steve Burton this way on GH, we did this storyline on Melrose Place, so we’re just going to do all that on Y and R.

I am tired of Lily and Cane, mostly because Lily is insufferable.
And after EVERYTHING Lauren and Michael have been through, to break them up in this way, because it worked so well with Marcia Cross’s character in Melrose Place, illustrates an obvious misunderstanding in the complexity of the characters’ stories. And an unwillingness to explore other storylines. I would like to think that the Young and the Restless is more than just a Harlequin romance recipe. Give your writers some credit; give your viewers some credit.

Sharon and Dylan – meh. I don’t see the point of building up this relationship with Dylan and Avery, having him survive the war and come back for her, then to have her leave Nick at the altar for him…and then they never get it together. He is kind of an oafish, useless character playing Superman all the time. Yawn. And Sharon is the wide-eyed dingbat who gets in trouble, does bitchy things, but at her core is always innocent and victimized. Always in need of saving. YAWN.

How about a storyline where Neil doesn’t have to argue with either his BROTHER or his SON for sleeping with a woman he cares about. Let’s see: Neil-Drucilla-Malcolm; Neil-Anna’s aunt-Devon; Neil-Sofia-Malcolm; Neil-Devon-Hilary. How about we let these characters branch out a bit?

And Sage is pregnant with a Newman baby but we’re not sure which Newman. Another who’s my baby’s Daddy storyline. Haven’t seen that before AT ALL. Ever, really. Never.

Don’t care for a gay story line at all. Chadam is the only reason I watch, but, if Sage’s baby is Adam’s, then bringing back Adam just to have him hitched to Sage forever, well, Adam should have stayed died. LOVE Justing Harltey BTW, but, don’t want him with noone but Chelsea. Let Dylan have his time with Sharon, all the other men had to endure her and her crazies.

Love Steve Burton and Sharon Case and their characters. However I wish they would let Sharon deal/get healthy in regards to her Bipolar 80% are successful in their treatment. As for Dylan I really hope they don’t put him with Sharon. However I would like to see a new lady for him maybe also a vet.

I’d love to have Kevin and Harding. Please, show, do it!

The reason Dylan/Avery flopped is the same reason Avery/Nick flopped — because AVERY SUCKS! She’s completely dull and lack-luster. I’ve never seen her have chemistry with anyone on the show (maybe a tiny dab with Michael but who wanted that?). No one cares about her self-righteous speech of the week. Or her stupid cup cake baking. The show should cut their losses and send her packing already.

I got to admit. Pratt admits to talking and seeing if some actors are on board with some of his stories. Ron carlivati on the other hand is another story

I don’t want a gay storyline on Y&R, the current LGBT stories are so good, we don’t need one that’s as badly written as the rest of the stories on this show no doubt would be. Chuck Pratt and Jill FP are the worst things that ever happened to this show.

I’m fine with Dylan and Sharon. I do think both of them needed more passion in their lives and wasn’t feeling it with Avery. Dylan needs more than a coffee house.

I’m very disappointed in the doppelgänger story. It’s annoying and sounds like it’s going to go on for far too long. In addition, I find the way it’s being carried out beyond distasteful on a variety of levels. That is the story I ff through and I never thought I’d want to do that with Victor Newman.

My biggest upset is what they’re doing to Michael and Lauren. Michael’s cancer started as an important and moving story (much like Lily’s cancer arc several years ago). Instead they threw away a moment when quality story telling could have shone brightly.

I can’t stand Sharon anymore and would be fine if she disappeared.

But she and Dylan in my opinion have no chemistry and should have
remained just friends. Plus, she is starting her game-playing with him
with his cell phone, ect. But Pratt seems to want them as a couple. For
awhile, anyway. Ugh.

Kevin being gay…no. Too many women in his past, and he totally
adored Chloe and never thought he would get over losing her.
Being gay now would not ring true. He and Mariah have chemistry!
Hope they go with that.

I’m all for making Dylan more interesting, but at this point, will it ever happen? He’s been a snooze pretty much the whole time he’s been on the show. Same for Avery. Frankly, I wish someone knew would come in, clean house & send Davery and some other characters packing.

This is the golden age of TV, with great drama everywhere. Lots of talented writers and producers. Why are we stuck with these hacks?

I very rarely watch Y&R but I’ve watched General Hospital for years. While he gets mixed reviews by GH fans , which I really don’t understand,I love Billy Miller. I haven’t been thrilled with Steve Burton for many, many years. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, assuming that at least some of my feelings had more to do with disliking his story line (hate the mob), but Billy Miller’s story, I’m sad to say, is simply awful and he’s still hitting it out of the ballpark. Also, interesting to see that Steve Burton’s robot-like acting can’t be chalked up to directing.

There are almost constant rumors about Miller wanting out. If that’s the case it would be a huge loss for GH and whoever signs him will be very, very lucky.

The Young and the Restless has done good with out a gay story line and no need to start one. If they do I am gone for sure.

I honestly don’t know which show y’all have been watching all these years. Many here seem to recall this character driven piece of perfection that Bill Bell presided over with love and care. Think back my friends. Many of his biggest stories were complete camp fests and totally outrageous! Katherine and her look alike Marge. Sheila’s never ending reign of terror. David Kimble having KILLER carved into his forehead. Victor keeping his wife’s lover hostage in a basement. Brad’s ex wife Lisa hiding him in a cage. The ist is endless. With all the usual complaints about the absurdity of doppelganger plots…I am going along for the ride on this one. The stories are tightly interwoven, and the show is rarely Boring. Vets are front and centre and stories are building to big climaxes. Why not pull out all the stops? With soaps breathing last gasps, ratings spikes are significant and really all the bean counters care about. The dialogue is razor sharp and some episodes the writing is downright sophisticated. I don’t like all the stories….that doesn’t happen unless your name is Su….but that rarely happens on shows with broad canvases. I think people should stop being so wrapped up in the backstage drama.

The show doesn’t need a gay story. However, having Adam’s identity finally coming out would be very interesting.

Bring in new characters for the Gay scenario. Kevin deserves to find happiness with a woman like Mariah finally….someone that gets him.

Michael should stay. It’s like everyone is going crazy on the y&r. Acting like they’re on something

If your close minded to a gay story you have been living in a cave! Gays are humans. They fall in and out of love. Why not show that? I’m only guessing but a majority of “Fans” against these stories are probably older, long time viewers. I understand you are used to the same old formula. I like history, as well. BUT, in 2015 we have to open our minds and listen to what other people are saying and feeling. There are SO many choices now for people now out there to be entertained and SO many ways to view it. If the networks are stubborn or closed minded, goodbye soaps forever! Embrace ALL people, you may learn something.

The Young & The Restless is sort of like a speed boat running out of control. I have to say I like the speed up in the pacing of the show but the storylines are so boring and never go anywhere but to a surface level. In what reality does an actress like Hunter King get so much air time? All that girl does is whine and pout. Lindsay Lohan should show up and do her role. Talk about a doppelgänger! Summer should not have leading role status at all. Her acting is limited and her stories are trite. I can’t believe she has won two daytime emmys. Who is is JFP paying off? Chuck Pratt is coming up with ideas for the show which are admirable but they lack pay off. This murder mystery has gone everywhere but in reality no one cares about the victim. I mean seriously, who gives a crap about Austin? All this focus on Dylan is sad too because he is like a paper airplane flying into the same walls over and over again. He falls for any one. I mean seriously, Chelsea, Avery, and now Sharon all in the year he has been on the show. He has the most chemistry with Sharon but I don’t see those two lasting. The double Jack story is just a slap in the face after the Cassie/Mariah storyline. I mean Victor must be running out of tricks if all he can come up with is hitting us with another set of twins. The character of Mariah is amazing. She is a great actress with great delivery. I want to see her character fleshed out more. She can definitely do it. I love Nikki as a lush and I think Melody Thomas Scott loves her that way too or she wouldn’t be as good at it. Chelsea and Adam belong together. I hope they find each other and start to cause trouble for others instead of each other. Nick needs to stop sleeping around and being so high and mighty. That penis needs a rest. He needs to discipline Faith. Any child who dictates where their parents lives go is in severe need of discipline! Lily and Cane are the most revolting couple on television. All they do is scowl and screw. It’s way over the top and it’s annoying. I can just see Christell Khalil reading her scripts and thinking, “dear lord I gotta get banged on yet ANOTHER desktop” I mean does Lily do anything else but get laid at work? If she isn’t being a bitch she is getting tossed into bed. Hardly a great role model for women. We need more of the corporate intrigue. We need a really good murder mystery and we need a little more humor in it all. The scenes with Chelsea’s Mom Anita are great. Catherine Bach is great at comedy. They should put her together with Gloria in some crazy scheme. Judith Chapman has been ignored WAY… Read more »

With regard to a “gay” storyline I’d just like to say that Y&R has done it with very limited success. I would suggest that if they choose to add gay character(s) they do it very organically…meaning a character happens to be gay, but it isn’t the primary focus of their storyline or character, just like real life. It would just be one facet of their multi-layered story. I watch some CW primetime shows that I suppose skew younger than my 50 years, and I can think of 3 characters off the top of my head on these popular shows who happen to be gay, but that isn’t the focus of their character. It is revealed in a very natural way, acknowledged, and we move on. Just like real life. I mean no offense, but the “coming-out” stories have been done…some well-done, others not somuch, I really don’t trust these writers to take an established straight character and suddenly reveal them to be gay.

Well…Phelps and Pratt are nothing if not inconsistent. Lol. Either they think that no one reads their previous interviews….or they forget what they said. When Pratt took over AMC he was quoted as saying he wanted to tell a love and family story with the death of a young woman…and he ultimately chose the character of Babe. Now in this interview he claims the network ordered him to do it. Several years of backlash later, Phelps started claiming that she begged head writer Margaret DePriest to reverse Frankie’s death but that she refused. I don’t think many emmployees have the balls or the leverage to challenge Phelps in that manner. Executive Producers have more say and clout than headwriters. If that was true…DePriest would have been pink slipped faster than she could say JFP. And Phelps would have rewritten it hersellf if necessary. She was de facto head writer of OLTL for a time. These interviews are always entertaining lessons in delusions, imagined grandeur, arrogance, narcissism, and revisionist history. I love them!!!

This has to be their most disturbing interviews yet!! Granted some parts did make me chuckle but its pretty clear these two have their heads so far up their own asses they can’t see straight! What is this about budget for their AA characters from the man who does not care about budget? I guess there is only budget for Neil in that category not for the ones that actually popular! I’ve stuck around because I love Justin and Melissa but I’m going to have to rethink my support of this show entirely! I don’t think I can give my viewership to two hacks that do nothing but insult anyone from the viewers to their employers! Who the hell do these people think they are????

They. Need. A. Powerful. Story. Line. They. Need. To. Make. Her. More. Fire. And. Go. Back. To. Scheming. Sense. When. Do. You. Let. Kelly. Push. Her. Around. They. Messed. Up. Phillis. People. Are. Tired. Of. Jack. And. You. Should. Have. Gay. Story. I. Think. It. Should. Be. Fen. And. New. Person. Bring. Back. Patty. For. Kelly. And. Give. Noah. A. Good. Story. Too

These people are trying to make Y&R a duplicate of other shows, General Hospital, Melrose Place, All My Children, etc. Y&R is not those shows. I wish they would realize Y&R is the Y&R. In a class all by itself. The audience for this show expect more than the teen queen, hunk on the Beach, ditzy blondes and all the other stereotyped characters and shows. Bill Bell wrote quality stories. Yes he’d mix in some wild way-out stuff through the years but the base of this show was always good storytelling. Bill Bell had a history of that with quality actors, timing, and fabulous wardrobes. The new writers have made a mockery of this man’s legend. I’m saddened to watch the mess they are making of this once legendary and fantastic soap opera. If I wanted to watch General Hospital or All My Children, then I’d watch those shows. I don’t watch Y&R to see GH or AMC or Melrose Place. Please new writers go back to those shows that you seem to revere so much and leave Y & R the way Bill Bell left it.

@code.
Firstly, it makes no difference that you are two people. One of you is very offensive…and not just to me, but to a few other posters. We are polite to each other on these sites, which Mr. Fairman kindly provides for us to discuss storylines, characters and each other’s opinions. If I ever met him, I would kiss him in gratitude and thank him profusely for opening this door and letting me in.
Both ‘codes’ attack, whoever you are. There are other ways of putting your point across. No need to be impolite and sarcastic.
I will reciprocate any respect/disrespect bestowed upon me. I have tried, as you well know. To whom am I speaking now? Which code?
We discuss characters. I am not the only one who makes remarks about the CHARACTERS…positively and negatively. It is my prerogative, but I do not attack my fellow-posters, as you do. Remember how you insulted jimh? He was mortified….do not cast stones unless you are prepared to get hit with one.
When you are rude to me, I will put you in your place…if that makes me sassy, sobeit.

OK. The Y and R has gone through some bumpy times. Was it MAB who put the character of Sharon face first in the gutter when she put her in a relationship with Victor? And yes, the Y and R, like any other soap, has had its over- the- top storylines, many consistent with the genre of soaps.

But we are in 2015. Not 1985. How many recycled storylines from the past can we take? If you look at Y and R’s Facebook page, it’s full of people writing about how they have stopped watching, or how they fast forward through the show. If you look at Chuck Pratt’s twitter page, it’s full of retweets of people (supposedly living people whom he hasn’t rescued and paid from a Peruvian prison) writing about how they can’t wait to watch the show, how amazing it is, etc.

Everyone can tell that the characters do not seem like themselves. The Y and R has gone through many writing regimes but none that has deviated this sharply from the authentic voices of the characters. We’ve had crappy storylines in the past, but the entire STYLE of the show is different now. The scene changes are abrupt, the music is non-existent.

And this cabin-murder story could have been written better by high school students. I’m sorry.

So my question to those who are wiser about the ways of the soap opera world is: what is the protocol to complain? What is the hierarchy? To whom do we voice our disappointment? I’m sorry, I can’t give this show a year. I just can’t. Summer is coming and with it, undoubtedly, more horrendous writing. I actually now DO NOT CARE who killed Courtney and Austin.

I’ve been watching off and on since Nina pumped five bullets into David Kimble and he CAME BACK…and it wasn’t till he got chopped in a garbage chute that we could say goodbye to him for good. Yeah, I’ve lived through a lot of ridiculous stuff but I’m done. If NOT watching will contribute some form of dissent, fine.
But if you know who we write to to voice our absolute demand for creativity and change, then please let me know. It may not do anything in the grand scheme of things, but it might help me feel better. There is talent on that show, a lot of talent. And we are viewers with BRAINS. They owe us so much more.

Thanks.

You know, when Pratt initially took over the helm at Y&R I was hopeful and expectant that he would interject some excitement into the storylines and bring a little life back to the show. At first it started out that way, especially with the plane crash. It kinda woke the residents of Genoa city up. But now it’s just too much. The characters are not themselves. I am finding that I am ff’ing through the majority of the show now. Where as before even though things moved more slowly I was still engaged. It’s sensory overload. I’ve already stopped dvr’ing DOOL and I really dont even care about that show anymore. Slowly I am starting to do the same with Y&R which is sad cause it was my favorite out of all of the soaps.

Do not like any of the current storylines. Boring and too long. Hate the way some of the legacy characters are being ruined. Can Victor be redeemed? And the Jack story is way too unbelievable. No one can be that exact a double that the people who have known him for many years would not notice, especially Phyllis. Can’t watch anymore.

I have been watching Y&R for 30 years, and I don’t like the fake Jack storyline one bit….Can you tell me when the “real” Jack will be back in town so I can get back to watching.

Regardless of how one may feel or not feel about Phelps and Pratt everything he says in This interview was spot on, not one off base remark about these characters and why the show hasn’t been working for a good long time. STAGNANT. CHARLES Pratt may have f…… up things on past shows but I’m willing to give him a chance to see if he can revive the characters which in turn will enhance the storytelling. Give peace a chance

Today’s show made me sick. This is no longer Y&R they have destroyed all the characters I loved to watch.