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Y&R's Maria Arena Bell discusses Genie Francis, Daniel Goddard, Soaps future & more!
Photo Credit: Steven Bergman
On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Maria Arena Bell, the executive producer and head writer of the top daytime drama, The Young and the Restless at different times during Emmy week. We had the opportunity to pose some burning questions that fans and soap pundits have pondered.
Since soap icon, Genie Francis had appeared on Y&R as her new character of Genevieve, many have loved her every moment, and others give a mixed reviews saying she may be channeling her inner Helena Cassadine. Daniel Goddard, got a fantastic opportunity to come back from the dead playing two roles, or so we thought as Caleb and Cane, and meanwhile Tristan Rogers and Jess Walton are taking off as the soaps veteran “it” couple. So how does the mastermind behind Genoa City see it all? And, after her great Emmy victory for head writing along with her team, during the most difficult times the soap world has ever faced, what does she have to say about the relevancy of the genre? Find out as we talk to the busiest executive and creative force in daytime, Maria Arena Bell!
Let’s talk first about your brainchild to bring Genie Francis (Genevieve) on to the canvas and to Y&R. Now that you have and seen her on the airshows, is what you had envisioned or imagined with her becoming a reality?
MARIA: Genie is amazing and a real pro. I put pen to paper and she ran with it. She is really a brave, courageous actress. She will go there, and I think it speaks to her frustration in playing one role for so long that she felt limited in it. It was a beloved soap character, and I loved Laura of GH, too. I mean, who doesn’t love Laura! But I think Genie was itching to play a smart, aggressive person who makes things happen. I think she is stupendous and really sold the story, as has everyone in that storyline. It really has been fantastic to watch, and I think she is terrific.
People always said, “How are they going to get out of the Daniel Goddard situation?” And then, “How was Maria going to do it?” Was there ever hesitancy in you to do another evil twin twist?
MARIA: It was a situation where we needed to make a turn in the storyline, and obviously it’s a storyline as old as the hills. But in this case, I thought we could mine it, and I wanted to give Daniel the opportunity to play a darker character. I like seeing him go to that darker place and it’s also a challenge for him. And in a way, when we talk about acting challenges, most of the time Daniel played Cane as a super nice guy, but every once in awhile Daniel brought an edge to Cane. I was super impressed with him. So I was like, this is great to give him this tour de force opportunity. I think it worked out for him as an actor.
I think Tristan Rogers (Colin) and Jess Walton (Jill) really work well. Did you know instinctively going in, that they would have such on-screen chemistry?
MARIA: When we brought Tristan on to the show, Jess Walton was the person I wanted to pair him with. Jess is the most amazing actress, and so I knew if you put her with someone that can work at her level, then she can be phenomenal in a love story, especially one with a twist. I think she is fantastic, and the two of them are fun to watch. I think Genie enjoys working with them, too. It’s a great group of people.
We hear you just got back from your first trip in forever, something that is terribly hard to plan when you are both the executive producer and head writer of a soap! Where did you go?
MARIA: I went to Africa! I am the oldest of five girls and my dad thought it would be great to take a bunch of teenage girls on safari. I loved that trip so much and it stuck with all of us all these years. So I always had said to my husband, and after we had been together for 25 years that I have this idea of going to Africa with him sometime, but he never really wanted to go. So I convinced him to go. We even got all the shots to prepare to go and then I said, “I am so busy at Y&R, I don’t know if I can go!” And he said, “Are you kidding me? I just got all those shots! We’re going!” And in the end, we went and it was incredible. And since I started back writing for the show several years ago, I never took anytime off, and this was my first week off. I was worried how the communications would be…. so much that it could be troubling. But, you could be in the Serengeti and get cell reception!
How do you feel about the state of the daytime soap landscape in the U.S. and internationally, especially with the cancellations of AMC and OLTL?
MARIA: I started out as an All My Children fan in college. This is a very funny year, where we all felt a lot of heartbreak, in all honesty. I am thrilled that Y&R won the Emmy for Writing and Directing, but it was great to just be at the Emmys and show the world that there are fans for this genre. There are millions of people in the world that watch Y&R. When I landed in Tanzania, I go through passport control and this woman says, “Are you Maria Bell from The Young and the Restless?” And I said, “Yes”, and she said, “I watch the show on the Internet. I am from a small village and we manage to get the show.” And she goes, “Is Tucker going to die?” This was the most profound thing. These things are valuable assets about the soaps and people need to appreciate it. I am schmaltzy, but we cannot let the soap operas go away! Certainly on Y&R, there are people watching here in the U.S. and all over the world. There is a reason for it to still exist, but this was a rough year.
Tell me how it was to win your first Daytime Emmy for Writing? And also, if you were to tell fans what is it like on a daily basis to be a head writer of a number one soap with 30 plus characters to navigate what would you tell them?
MARIA: First, it is a huge honor to win an Emmy and my first for writing. I am first a writer, and this was just so special. And being a head writer is a lot, because you feel like you are carrying the weight of the show on your shoulders and driving the storytelling. I make those ultimate big decisions for the larger picture. So it is challenging, tiring, sometimes difficult… and the most fun to be able to tell the stories you want to tell. It really is the biggest honor, and I love it!
This summer beginning on July 21, Netflix streams the return of WWE: Unreal for its third season. The behind the scenes docudrama series gives fans a glimpse of life in WWE and inside the writers room, as injuries, last-minute pivots, and career-defining decisions reshape WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 42.
WWE Unreal is taking fans deeper than ever inside World Wrestling Entertainment’s creative process, The hit docuseries will once again pull back the curtain on some of the biggest moments, boldest decisions, and unforgettable storytelling with some of the WWE’s greatest legends who’ve shaped the industry and new stars who are emerging as prominent parts of the future.
In the new season of ‘Unreal’ which consists of 5 episodes at 50 minutes each: John Cena says goodbye, a fan favorite returns, and the next generation of Superstars rise to the occasion.
Photo: WWE
The cast and WWE superstars featured include: the aforementioned Cena, plus Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, Stephanie Vaquer, Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
As previously reported AJ Lee revealed on General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, that she was part of the cast of WWE: Unreal.
WWE: Unreal production credits include: Directors/Showrunners: Chris Weaver and Erik Powers Executive Producers: Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser, Marc Pomarico Sr. Producers: Harley Glantz, Brian Decker, Michael Flynn Producers: John Galiani, Dan Gati, Jeremy Lundblad Production Companies: Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, WWE.
So, what do you think of the loglines for the new season of WWE: Unreal? Who are you most excited to see featured in the behind the scenes drama from the list of WWE superstars and the twists and turns leading into this past April’s WrestleMania 42? Let us know via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Reflects on Dante’s Guilt for the ‘Atrocity’ That Happened to Michael Which Kept Everyone From Telling Him the Truth About Rocco (Exclusive)
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General Hospital2 days agoMaurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
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Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
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What a load….GF/Gen is an epic fail….and she’s fired a two-time emmy winner in Maura West because they can’t figure out how to utillize her besides throwing her in bed with a man and having them treat Diane like dirt.
Nice softball questions. Goddard has “edge”? *eyeroll*
What love story? People are thrown together instantly without no proper build up, as Jill and Colin were. As a result , as a viewer, you have no feeling for this coupling. Why wasn’t Maura West/Diane used as a rival for Phyllis and she would have been a worthy and a better rival/enemy? Diane Slept with Nick and time and again, and Phyllis should have found out and a cat fight should have ensued between these two witches. Why does Phyllis run all over people, ruined lives, break up other couples, and she gets a free pass time and time again. She gets away with everything, and yet she is allowed to blog about other people, specifically Sharon. She calls Sharon names but she is the one who or cause of Nick and Sharon’s marriage to end in the first place. Y&R is more about villains now and favored to win all the time (mainly Adam, Phylllis).
I love Jill and Colin together. They had instant chemistry from the start. We just don’t get to see them enough.
Thanks for the interview Michael I agree on Genie I just think she needs to tone it down a bit she is trying too hard. She is a great actress and will always be identified with Laura just take a deep breath and don’t try so hard. As for Goddard next time think before you kill someone off it always comes back to bite you!
Loved that person in Tanzanina asked about Tucker. I wish she’d give Stephen Nichols and Tucker a more substantial role on the show. He’s a fantastic actor and this storyline he’s in now has such potential. I think Tucker and Ashley are the soap veteran “IT “couple of the show!
I am sorry Diane and Maura are leaving the show. She’s become an interesting character lately.
I love Ashley, but hate her with Tucker, he’s such a drag. I can never figure out why his life is always such a bummer. He was the worst idea for a new character. GF is annoying but at least she’s not boring.
Y&R has a gold mine in Daniel Goddard who has been so underused to date. His new s/l is great!! Has really given him a chance to shine. The only problem is they had the big build up to the reveal, that Caleb was killed and Cane was still alive and Colin and Genevieve were his parents then they just dropped the s/l. You can’t keep interest up when you go weeks between scenes in a a s/l. This is a great disservice to Tristan, Genie and Daniel. They need to get back to that s/l and tell all the back story and get on with their lives in Genoa City. The fans are going to get restless again and start another revolt . Yes, we got Daniel back on the show but now we want to see him!!!!!! The writers did a masterful job of meshing the old & new s/ls as far as they have gone but now they need to pick up the pace and tell us more before the ratings begin to drop again.
ITA
Disservice is right! The Aussie s/l was great from the beginning, and then MAB just leaves us hanging, not as in a nice cliffhanger that leads to something else, but hanging… wondering… getting frustrated. Poor Colin is left there for days and days, standing on Katherine’s porch waiting to ring the doorbell.
PLEASE, mab, PLEASE quit writing such “feast of famine” s/l, only shoving the Newmans at us. Give us the Atkinsons/Ashbys more consistantly!
I have to agree, I liked the idea of Genie Frnacis but she spent too much time devouring the scenery.
The fact that they wasted one of my favorite actresses, Maura West, is just mindblowing. They just made Diane an unredeemable whore that noone could root for.
They are trying to save face with the whole Godard situation, they fired him. Period. The fans expressed their outrage and they hired him back.
PLEASE I been a viewer of Y&R since it debuted in ’73 and this story with Genie is HORRIBLE and way over the top in the acting department. The Ashbys are swallowing up screen time when we could be watching the other stories that are going strong. We the fans had to go through last year and the bad, bad story telling on canvas and Y&R didn’t deserve the Emmy for best writing it was the worst year I seen on Y&R, including LML time with the soap. MAB is trying to make Y&R into GH and that isn’t what Y&R is all about and what Bill and Lee created. It isn’t like Y&R is burning up the ratings, they are healthier then the other soaps yes, but that doesn’t mean a thing in this atmosphere today.
Y&R is not the compelling drama it once was. I accept evolution but I am not sure what we have today is ideal. Too many twins, over-the-top stories that strain credulity even in the soap world, convoluted family ties, and worst of all… too many instances of launching stories and stars then shifting course or dropping the people (Scott? West?). The joy of continuing drama is building the relationships and attention to detail with history. Not sure Y&R is doing that but it is doing something right as it retains is top ratings.
Why the writers let Daniel Goddard go in the first place is beyond me . I am just glad he is BACK and he is a magnificent actor . Its about time the writers learned their mistake and see what a talented individual he is now can Marua plz put Cane and Lilly back 2 gatherwhere they belong in each other’s arms and with their babies
Thanks for the interview Michael! I enjoyed reading every minute of it. Daniel Goddard’s performace as Caleb was FANTASTIC. I smell an EMMY next year for himself and Chistel.
Thank you to Maria Arena Bell for bringing Daniel Goddard back to Y&R and listening to the fans who watch Y&R. The Young and the Restless is the BEST SOAP on TV. I am enjoying all the storylines at the moment. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the summer.
I agree with Ruby 100 % !!! Yes, Y&R has a gold mine in Daniel Goddard!! When will TPTB finally realize what a fabulous, amazing and talented actor Daniel Goddard is??
Daniel Goddard is just the BEST!!!
I’ve been watching Y&R for a long time and I get a feel for these things. This Gen chick will not last. I think she’ll be back on GH in a year, at best. Bye. They should have kept Maura because she had potential to be a really good thing for this show.
I’m with those that think Genevieve is an epic fail and GF is chewing up the scenery. Contrast that to the nuanced performance that Maura West is giving and I know which why I would much rather be watching and yet we will soon be without Maura. Crazy decision. Perhaps had Genevieve been a smart and aggressive woman it might have worked but instead she is a cartoon like nutcase.
Quite honestly I think this whole Cane/Caleb story just further damaged the character of Cane. Don’t see it as a huge success.
Maria A. Bell has totally destroyed LANE, I dont have any idea how she can ever fix this. Daniel Goddard is so amazing to his fans, on facebook and Twitter. She needs to fix this storyline. I love Genie Francis but she really needs to tone it down, its over acting. There is potential here just dont believe MAB is up to the task.
I would really like to see Jill and Colin together in something involving business , the other side of Jill’s family, or Katherine. Every time they are on it’s all about Cane. I don’t hate Cane but I’m anxious to see the couple without all this over the top drama. and craziness around them.
GF hasn’t done much for me so far but I’m still really open to see where it goes once she settles into the role.
Much like the woman in Tanzania I’d love to see more Tucker time.
I’m a GH fan so when i heard GENIE was joining Y&R i was dissappointed, but tune in out of loyalty to genie, especially because frons and guza did her wrong. I thought i would be jelous seeing all those gh actors like tristan, and stephen nichols and even kin shriner, but instead i felt sorry for them,SORRY guys buy Y&R is a bored, genie’s character is over the top melodramatic bore, tristan is boring and well stephen is sleeping on the show, or in a coma, my bad, and kin no matter what character he plays he acts sound and has all the manerism of scotty, so he’s basically playing scotty on the Y&R. I don’t even follow the show and yet their opening credits needs to be updated, isn’t judith chapman like on recurring status, oh wait so is ephiphany and monica on GH, who am i to talk,yet still love you Genie but this new character has no soul, you over act , playing a villian is not your strong suit, and so far this character comes across as to cartonish for my taste, so i’m tuning out, and i’ll wait for you to get tired of playing this character and hopefully u will return to GH. don’t know if you heard but they got rid of that waste of writing talent robert guza, and looks like the new guy will hopefully give GH back its rich history. so for now, i’ll deal with you and tristan working at y and r but pray you return to gh, you two playing psycho villians isn’t cuttin it, sorry…
Colin and Jill are the only reason I am watching Y&R.
I am still waiting for the buildup of the Ashby/Atkinson story, one minute I see Cane being shot, the next minute he is resurrected as an identical twin Caleb. I still need to see Cane explain to his young wife Lily why he did the things he did to hear *face palm*. Secondly I would like to ask MAB “what happened to Blake, why was he suddenly taken out of the story line”, he seemed to be the only one that irked Cane, if I ever saw Cane on edge so to speak was when Blake was around Lily. Off topic, when will I start seeing a story line on Neil Winters, since I started watching Y&R years ago, I knew of four families the Newmans, Jabots, Chancellors and Winters???? Why do you start storylines without completing them??? Last but not least give me Jill anytime over Genie, I could not get myself to gel with Genie’s storyline.
I’m so sick of all the Y&R hate. I love the show. It’s the BEST soap on the air, and has been for quite some time. MAB is a good writer, and the show is back to its character-driven roots. I’m actually surprised MAB did an interview with the way this guy completely dogs out Y&R on other websites and podcasts…while praising GH, which is totally unwatchable. I grew up watching GH and tuned out a couple of years ago. Y&R I picked up a couple of years ago, and it’s incredible. Even with bad stories, the show as a whole still manages to entertain me. And right now, Y&R is on a creative upswing, and anyone who can’t see that needs a new prescription.
Amen, Nia! VERY well said! I’m loving our favorite show, and always have. Haters can suck it! 🙂
Stephen Nichols Tucker is a great character. But Ms Bell has abused him and his audience by using him MERELY to BOLSTER the excessively over pampered and over rated. He is the first man on Y&R who made me believe Ashley could be hot. He is hot. What is NOT hot at all is that fact that Ms Bell is under using Mr Nichols and over promoting Victor ad nauseum as well as Jack. Tucker deserved a chance and he has not been given a fair one on the Newman hour. That the Newmans have taken over Y&R has been the decline of this program. The nausiating theme that Victor must win and be inserted everywhere has worn thin. His bellowing and his judgements are excessive and done several times weekly now making this character and this program a farce. Ms Bell can Not pretend she writes character driven stories when characters are not allowed development and only the plot driven drivel of Victor prevails 5 days a week.
Stephen Nichols deserves better and so do I
I think Genie is GREAT as Gen and I am enjoying every scene she is in. You can clearly see there is more to her character than what she lets the outside world see. Her pain over the loss of her daughter is palpable. I think she is a refreshing character and I hope to see her more and more…especially with Jack!
I love, love Colin and Jill together. They are the reason I watch Y&R. I just wish they would get more air-time. Tristan and Jess have wonderful chemistry. I love how they can do comedy one minute, then turn around and do a drama the next. They are both amazing actors. I would love for them to interact with more of the other characters as well. It would be great to see Jill and Colin take on Victor in some kind of business situation. Tristan also does the ‘buddy’ thing very well (ie. Robert and Luke GH). Colin needs a ‘buddy’! Tucker? Jack? Jeffery?
ditto!
While I loved hearing about Maria’s excellent African adventure, there are some questions that needed to be asked and answered. Why did she feel the need to kill Cane in the first place? Daniel Goddard and Christel Khalil are so popular and have many fans. Was she shocked at the ratings dive? Is she willing to admit that she was wrong? These are all questions that many want answered.
I’d also like to know why there is no balance on the show. Why we have days of Newman centered story and not see some other characters for weeks? Why can’t more stories be told during each episode? If I tune in and see it’s gonna be a Newmancentric show AGAIN, I tune out and feel resentment because a week ago Sophia drops a bomb and instead of any follow up, I get day 100 of drunk Billy or more Victor.
Wish you had asked about the mishandling of Maura West.
Well all I have to say is thank you for Billy & Victoria, Maria they are a great pairing. What she needs to do is balance out her Characters & Stories more, keep the momentum going. No more Dopple Ganger stories though no more please Maria and cut down on the Law & Order stuff and who had done it Stories. She needs to make her stories more realistic and give us a little more humor and romance, it’s always so dark & gloomy. The Cane story still didn’t make some sense to me especially since they say that it’s his Twin who had died on those steps that Day so why did he tell Lily that he loves her huh?
I think that M. Bell is just like her Brother in-law,Brad Bell. Neither of them have a clue on how to write anything. They both mostly just pick the old scripts off the floor and reuse them over and over.
My expectations of the interview were not met as I was waiting for the probing questions around why MAB dropped a popular actor like Daniel Goddard, only to retract after the fans outrage reached mammoth proportions? She was handled with kid gloves and allowed to blather on about her pilgrimage to Africa (all very interesting no doubt) which has nothing whatsoever to do with her appalling record on this show! How this so-called ‘author’ received an Emmy for writing skills is beyond me. She needs to get her head around the fact that viewers have an emotional investment in characters to varying degrees and want to see development through their life experiences. Starting a s/line and then leaving it to flounder is not the way to go. Perhaps she should set more store by the stuff she reads on fan blogs/forums to give her some clue of where to take characters next as she doesn’t seem to be able to do it by drawing on her own experiences. Oh wait, perhaps in the near future we’ll see the Newman family all go on safari to talk out their collective problems?!!
I love the story line of Cane and Lily. Y & R needs to be careful – the writers are treading thin waters right about now with soaps being cancelled. The storylines are cookie cutter and starting to have limited substance. Some story lines are being dragged on and on….and for what?