Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 44
Page 4
about my character that much. They're devoted fans, so thank you to them."
As for why Khalil is the first actor out under the new regime of Jill Farren Phelps and Josh Griffith, it’s simply because her contract expired first. Rumours abound that Bryton will be next to be recast as a similar casting call was released last week.
• Is Genie Francis the next to get a pink slip? Probably. UNCENSORED has learned that the Emmy winner’s Y&R contract expires in November. Good luck, and good night, Genie!
• According to DAYTIME CONFIDENTIAL, Josh Griffith is apparently making a few changes to the writers' room at Y&R. According to setsiders, Sarah Smith and Marla Kanelos are no longer writing for the serial.
As Giddens wrote, Smith, who is also credited on IMDB as Sarah K. Smith, began her Y&R tenure as writer's assistant to showrunner Maria Arena Bell. Since 2010, she has also written breakdowns for the sudser.
Smith recently made the leap to webisodic television, having served as a director on the web series Miss Behave and as editor of the Funny or Die short Trophy Husband, starring Y&R actor Jeff Branson.
Kanelos had served as an associate head (breakdown) writer for Y&R since 2008. Prior to her stint writing for the characters of the fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, Kanelos wrote for PORT CHARLES, GH, DAYS and AMC.
A source explains, “Marla was Maria's bestie. Like, inseparable. And she and Maria saw everything the same. Sarah was Maria's assistant for years and was strongly in the Maria camp and way of thinking.”
As for current co-head writer Hogan Sheffer, his contract with Sony is set to expire in November. Ciao!
• More Backstage News: UNCENSORED can report that Sally McDonald, recently promoted to producer, will resume her directing duties. “This isn’t a demotion; Sally’s just amazing as a director,” says a backstage source.
• Is Eric Braeden the new Victoria Rowell? Yep! The Emmy winner has been acting out on set on several occasions, report my moles. “It’s unprofessional,” says one insider in horror. “He yelled at Jill and Josh recently. He’s out of control. He has never been this bad — ever.”
• One week after the show went dark for their annual vacation, UNCENSORED has learned that Y&R will cease production next week in order to further film Maria Arena Bell’s version of Y&R. “Josh Griffith isn’t rewriting her stuff; doesn’t want her to get credit for his talent,” says an insider.
• CBS’s new daytime chief, Angelica McDaniel is following me on Twitter. She’s smart!
• More deets on Y&R’s crappy shows leading up to the much-publicized 10K Episode: In the continuing saga (but not for long) that is Victor Newman’s slurp-fest, Emmy winner Jeanne Cooper narrates a voice-over montage that wraps up the final ten pages of episode 9999 leading into the special milestone. Ready? It's is a disgusting narration of how amazing Victor is, what a wonderful father he was, and how he is basically the fucking king of the world. Then, on the final page, as Victor walks in (as Nikki is missing victor), he is described as "standing there, as handsome as ever" and then Kay narrates, "May I remind you. Victor always has the last laugh." Not anymore!
• Sounds like a murder this way comes… stay tuned.
• ON AIR, ON SOAPS’s Michael Fairman interviewed the Sexiest Man on Soaps: Marco Dapper. Check out the interview with the gay icon here:
https://www.frontiersla.com/Features/Exclusive-Interviews/Story.aspx?ID=1758349
• Despite the crap-tastic writing for Sharon Case, the Emmy winner is killing it in the comedy department as Sharon tries to out Nikki, Nikki Newman! Congrats. Someone get Case a sitcom! She’s officially a gay icon now!
• The first airdate of Josh Griffith’s Y&R? The American episode airing on Friday, Oct. 12. Whoohoo! Party at my house.
• Cupcakes were served during a press gathering to celebrate the taping of Y&R’s 10, 000th episode. However, guests couldn’t take shots because the desserts will be feature on an upcoming food show.
• According to tweets from the actor, Michael Damian will continue to recur as the show’s best hair model for the foreseeable future. That’s just great.
• Yep, Yvonne Zima is back. But she won’t be around for long. As for why we had to endure the horrible Daisy for so long, well, you can blame Tracey Bregman. “She’d ask Maria Arena for more story and always suggest brining back Daisy,” says a source. “It’s too bad we’re not inspired to write for her because of all the plastic surgery Tracy has had. She can’t emote!” Bam!
• For nearly four decades, Emmy winner Jeanne Cooper’s life has paralleled the tumultuous life of her most famous incarnation, Katherine Chancellor, on daytime TV’s number-one soap opera, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Both Jeanne and Kay underwent a real-life facelift on national TV, battled alcoholism, survived breast cancer and triumphed after divorce.
Now, Jeanne takes another page out of Katherine’s book by releasing her memoirs, NOT YOUNG, STILL RESTLESS (Harper Collins) just like her glamorous character did a couple of years ago.
And she has a lot to get off her ample bosom: Long before she stared down the likes of Brenda Dickson and Jess Walton in Genoa City, the Taft, Calif., native shot to fame when she began acting in the 1950s. Cooper made a name for herself in films opposite the boldface likes of Shelley Winters, James Caan, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy and Kirk Douglas; and TV shows like DAVID BOONE, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, PERRY MASON, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and THE UNTOUCHABLES.
But it was the daytime arena that would ironically give Cooper her most enduring success, artistic expression, and mainstream fame. Not bad for a star who originally laughed at the idea of joining a soap opera when Y&R creator Bill Bell called Cooper to offer her the now iconic Katherine Chancellor.
Having been nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards, La Cooper took home the 2008 trophy as Outstanding Lead Actress and received a Daytime Emmy Award Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 in one cray-cray fiasco (which she recounts in the tome).
FYI: This interview took place a week before Maria Arena Bell was let go from Y&R and replaced with new head writer Josh Griffith and executive producer Jill Farren Phelps.
Do you think your book, along with the Bill Bell bio, will inspire the current showrunner to return to traditional tenants of storytelling with a modern twist? Or are we all fucked? Sometimes I wonder, “Did Maria even read the Bill Bell book?” I mean, it’s all there for you to study! Stop worrying about MOCA and do the job you’re paid to do. She should actually quit her day job!”
She’s a dear woman. Maria knows the common denominator of art is money in regards to MOCA. Bill Bell Jr. is also very much involved in art — and always has been. He’s the financial manager of the family — and trained and worked under [former Y&R producer] Tom Langan for two-and-a-half years. Bill was one of the better producers we had on Y&R. Art is in the eye of the beholder. Art could be a pair of shoes lying in the middle of a highway, for Christ’s Sake! It’s not necessarily art to me. The art world is changing. The art world isn’t just Rembrandts, Picassos anymore. I have to say, I’m not impressed by a white canvas with nothing on it and it’s called “White Canvas,” and sells for $35, 000. In that case, I’m in the wrong business. I’d be painting white, green and pink canvases. [Laughs] So, that the kind of world Maria’s involved in. And I’ve got news: Maria’s bringing MOCA back to life. And with Whitney’s money, they’re bringing it back to life. Maria knows that art lives on through centuries. We base civilization on the art we leave behind so I can’t fault Maria for that. I think she wanted to infuse almost an art-like life to Y&R. What she sees onscreen is how she sees a new wave of art. However, the problem with that is not everyone in the country is attune to the ‘museum’ of creative art. Y&R viewers want the family dynamic back and she took the feeling of family away. Today, in our society, we live at such a fast pace; we’re in a bedlam of happenings…. Bill Bell knew you needed a family to attach to or a character to take you away from the stresse
s of life. Maria was trying to mirror the crazy world we live in but what viewers really want is an alternative world from our own. She incorporated her love for the art world into Y&R, but you have to decide whether to have a soap opera in the day or an art show in the day. You can’t have both, damn it! You can also express so much of art throughout a story or a show. Bill Bell wouldn’t have done it… he would have pulled the show instead of selling it out for ratings. I know that for a fact.
Bill would be oh-so proud of his son, Brad.
I’m so proud of Brad, I can’t even tell you how much. I’ve known that kid, well, since he was a kid. I’ve got to tell you… to see this kid grow up but with his father’s responsibility is so wonderful to see. Brad’s selling this show all over Europe and not resting on B&B’s laurels. He never has a moment’s rest. Brad is trying to save the family’s heritage, that’s what he’s trying to do.
I think Brad should executive produce both shows, Y&R and B&B.
Why don’t you suggest that? I’d be on board with that. [Laughs] They listen to you, Nelson!
No, they