The Young and the Restless and all those rats

The Young and the Restless and all those rats

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Learning Curve

YouTube. I've been a fan of the site for probably as long as most people. I can't say I've been totally inactive… I've interacted in as much as I have enjoyed watching what others have posted. However, I've been really reticent to upload anything. It isn't that I don't have stuff, I do. In fact, I have plenty of stuff that I'd like to share. I've been burned so many times with trading, etc. etc. There is another reason I've not uploaded; I just didn't know how to. I didn't know how to take what I have on disc (most of which originated on VHS) and chunk it into bite sized pieces and then upload. So… today I kind of taught myself how to do that. I have to say… it is a SLOW process (which is largely due to the fact that I have a terribly ghetto service provider) but I hope it will ultimately be a rewarding one.

http://www.youtube.com/user/genoacityguy

To the Victor Go the Spoils | CBS Watch

To the Victor Go the Spoils | CBS Watch

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Mr. Brooks Genoa City News

A few months back I came across a Y&R blog called "Mr. Brooks Genoa City News". The blog can be found here: http://www.mrbrooksgenoacitynews.net/

The blog is written by a fan who is obviously really passionate about the show. Most days I really enjoy checking out Mr. Brooks' insights and thoughts about my favorite soap. However, there a few (admittedly nitpicky!) things about this blog that sort of make my brain sizzle in pain.

• Why does Mr. Brooks INSIST on using (well, mis-using) apostrophes? Where he should use them (like in the title of the blog!) he doesn't. Yet, it would seem that when he refers to himself (in third person!) he almost ALWAYS puts an unnecessary (and totally incorrect) apostrophe. Mr. Brooks, this is third grade grammar.
  
• Why does Mr. Brooks center his posts? Maybe I really am just a curmudgeon, but this seems strange and distracting to my eyes.
  
• Why are comments not allowed? In my opinion, one of the quintessential features of a blog is the comments left by readers. They are often great to read and add an interactive component that you don't get in many other places. In his defense, the blog does contain a message board, but I really still miss the comment section other blogs include with each post.
  
• Why doesn't Mr. Brooks post contact information? If it is there, I sure haven't seen it.

A Couple of Funny Quotes

In a recent issue of Soap Opera Digest Jeanne Cooper was asked which actor on the Y&R set adlibs the most. She responded by saying that the honor goes to both Billy Miller (who plays Billy Abbott) and Christian J. LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin). The answer wasn't really surprising in the least.

Lately there have been a few good, funny lines. Wonder how many were actually scripted?

Here are two that really made me laugh out loud:

Michael Baldwin upon seeing that Adam had been injured, "That aerobic class not working out for you?"

Kevin Fisher to Ryder, "Trust me, I've been in a lot of awkward positions."

Now, the second example was probably not intended as comedy, but it sure did make me laugh.

M.I.G.C. – Part Two

~Olivia Winters – Liv has come and gone a lot over the years. However, it wasn't all that long ago that her presence really fleshed out several stories. Victor looked to her when he wasn't sure how to help a despondent Ashley. Olivia, Ashley's dearest friend for many years, wasn't sure whether she should act as Ashley's loyal supporter or psychiatrist. Olivia's presence added another layer to the fascinating story of Ashley's descent. At the same time Olivia was treating her niece Lily, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Again, the presence of a peripheral character really added depth to the storytelling. Many of the characters have history with Olivia (and her son Nate, who has been missing for a long time) and she could truly be a great supporting character. Bring her back!

~Mamie Johnson – Mamie was a mainstay in Genoa City for many years. Of course, during those years Genoa City was replete was supporting characters who did just that, support the stories and the other characters. Mamie was part of both the Abbott and Winters families. The show definitely gets credit for mentioning Mamie a few times in the recent past. However, her presence would make a lot of sense. She was pretty much banished from Genoa City by Jill years ago after she (Mamie) declared her love for her employer, John Abbott (who, at the time, was Jill's husband). John's been dead for a few years, which seemingly opens the door for Mamie to come back to town. She's now rich (Jill paid her off to leave), has an axe to grind with Jill, and has maternal feelings for a bevy of characters including Jack, Ashley, Neil, and Lily.

~Lynne Bassett – Paul's secretary, Lynne was once heavily ensconced in the goings-on at the Baldwin and Blair law firm (if you remember, for some reason Paul wound up sharing office space with Christine and Michael – back when Genoa City's professionals actually all had offices). She had a huge crush on Paul, was a friend to his mother Mary, and was skeptical of Michael and Isabella. She often provided comic relief (anyone remember when she and Mary broke into Michael's files and were caught?) as well as shoulder for the townspeople.

~Larry Wharton – Wharton was first seen as Nick's cellmate. Eventually he settled into a nice life in Genoa City. He was a good guy who appeared pretty rough around the edges. Helping the Newmans came second nature to Wharton, who was featured heavily in the story about the death of Cameron Kirsten. An affair with Jill helped bring her softer side. Providing comic relief, Jill and Wharton worked hard to keep their sexual affair a secret. To wit, he was often shown climbing in and out of her bedroom window. In the beginning Jill insisted their relationship could only be based on sex. Over time though, they both developed deep feelings for one another. In fact, Jill's feelings for Wharton seemed deeper and much more authentic than her 'abiding love' for Ji Min Kim. Isn't it about time that Mr. Larry Wharton appeared on the trellis of the Chancellor Estate?

~Liz Foster – This one is more of a stretch, but what the hell. Liz is the mother who raised Jill from birth. For the first twenty year of the show, in fact, Jill and Liz were known as mother and daughter who had worked hard both to survive tough circumstances and to mend a tenuous relationship. In 2003 Liz revealed that she had not given birth to Jill but rather adopted her. During that storyline it was determined that Katherine Chancellor was indeed Jill's birth mother. Recently it was discovered that Katherine and Jill are not blood relatives. Jill should summon her mother Liz back to Genoa City. They need to bond, Liz needs to meet Chance, catch up with newly un-dead Phillip, and help 'daughter' solve the mystery of her birth.

M.I.G.C. (Missing in Genoa City) – Part One

Peripheral characters don't seem all that important. However, used correctly they add a lot of depth to the fictional setting (in this case, Genoa City). Yes, budget cuts are rampant. However, it can't be all that expensive to have some of these actors recur. In fact, the show might be wise to trim down some of the extraneous contract players and use some of their recurring actors more often. Here is a list of some of the Genoa City denizens that I miss seeing:

~Mary Williams – I plan to write more about this character in the future. I have to give the show credit for bringing Traci and Steve in for the 'death of Colleen' story. That story would've seemed hollow without them. Their presence added SO much. If only Mary had been around to see what has become of Patty. For longtime viewers (like myself) Mary's presence makes Genoa City seem so much more like a real place.

~Miguel – Yes, I realize that we were thrown a bone a few months in the form of a line explaining his absence from the Newman Ranch. However, he should be there. Just the other day Ashley went running after Abby and followed her to the Athletic Club… was Miguel in the kitchen giving baby Faith her bottle? I think not.

~Gina – Even her lasagna hasn't been mentioned since Marge left us (R.I.P.)… Gina should be around handing out menus and snarky comments, guiding Daniel, remembering how Patty broke Danny's heart. Heck, she could serenade Victor and Nikki with their signature tune while Ashley ponders getting rid of pregnancy stretch marks.

~John Silva – I know we have Rafe (barely) and Michael, but another lawyer sure couldn't hurt things in this town. Jill could cozy up to Mr. Silva and seduce him into one of her schemes. Michael could sic Gloria and Jeff on John and he could try to figure their legal problems out while flirting with Glo.