Did you know it’s been more than eight years since I began writing for Soaptown? Yup. Initially I covered the As The World Turns beat. And for a bit I handled both Y&R and GH. Then for the last probably six years or so, I have been devoted to Kitty’s Colonnade. During that time, I have shared with you my joy at watching the show, my frustrations with the changes, my personal woes, and many of your opinions and letters. I’ve tried to keep you entertained while still making valid points about the program we all love…or loved, as the case may be. I’ve drawn on the history of the show, celebrated the achievements of the cast, and done my best to make it clear how much I’ve appreciated the efforts of the talented individuals involved with what was for decades the best daytime drama.  I’ve also been very blunt about my growing dissatisfaction. This column has been my pleasure to do, and it has been a vital creative outlet in my life. May I also say I have only the highest affection and respect for the owner of this site.

But many of you have probably noticed this column has shown up less consistently in the last few months. I have sometimes been able to form any thoughts other than disgust, and sometimes that just isn’t worth sharing with you. Other weeks I discovered I hadn’t watched the show in so long, I no longer had a clue what was happening. Gone are the days when the stories were paced in such a way that they made sense, even if you missed a day or two. Now…nothing makes sense, and everything changes (including personalities) so quickly it’s like watching fragments of a disjointed video.

Sadly, with as much as the show has changed and deteriorated, I haven’t really missed seeing it. I thought it would be like losing old friends…however it seems those friends are long gone, and the new folks now populating Genoa City (or the old ones with the all-new personalities) didn’t connect enough with me to make me pine for them.

Oh, sure, I caught a few moments in the last few weeks.  Daniel got just enough spine to yell at Daisy in public so he can be a viable suspect in her inevitable death or disappearance.  Ricky apparently was brought to town just to waste as yet another sociopath, instead of letting him grow as a smart character…and maybe explore his relationship with his father and sister.  Phyllis asked her sister, Avery, who recently was sleeping with Nick, to be Phyllis’s maid of honor…thereby further diluting the concept of honor.  Nikki and Sharon are fighting over Old Man Chest…which is repulsive on more levels than I can possibly recount.  And none of it intrigued me.

Even with as lousy as things are, the writers could still turn it around…if they had any desire to do so.  For example, now that Sharon has succumbed to the debatable charms of The Mustache, it would be hilarious for her to discover that Victor did indeed spirit Skye Lockhart away from Hawaii, and Skye has been alive all this time…meaning Victor let Sharon go to jail, and was instrumental in setting Sharon up to fake her own death.  Let Sharon mull over how idiotic she has been to repeatedly trust a man who has screwed over everyone with whom he’s ever come in contact. 

Regardless, I no longer care what happens.  It is painful for me to say it, but I think I’m done.  I’m sorry I can’t bring myself to watch anymore.  It would be a disservice to all of you, though, for me to continue to try to write this column every week when my heart is no longer in it.

So…for the last time…here are your letters:

Candace…you’ve described why I have walked away from the show.  The lack of care shown by the writers.

You also suggest a story that would have been fascinating in the hands of talented scribes.  Imagine Phyllis, who for years has been defined by her sexuality, struggling to deal with the affects of menopause.  It could have been funny, poignant, and educational all at once.  Instead we got a temporary pregnancy…one which I said a long time ago would never result in a birth.  What a (non)shock.  She miscarried.

As for poor Lily, you’re right.  She has no purpose right now.  For an actress who last year turned in some of her best work, this must be especially frustrating.

“Dear Ms Kitty,

I wanted to first tell you congrats on your new job, I read your column a few weeks ago as I always do and saw where you mentioned it.   I have to agree with you about the current state of Y&R, It is a total mess in fact I'm no longer watching it until I find out if the writers will actually have some real fall out from everyone when Phyllis' past comes out. MAB and her current writers are known for having NOTHING happen when a storyline wraps up and I can see them having Nick and everyone in town supporting Phyllis while thinking Ricky is the devil for daring to bring up the fact that Phyllis tried to kill someone.   If that happens I will truly be done with this show! 

Your latest column talks about past episodes that were truly good shows and I have to agree with you there were some wonderful shows that Y&R aired that even after 20 years or so and with many other things going on in my adult life I still remember because they were just that good. One was when Dru found out Nathan was cheating on Olivia and she suggested that she and Olivia go over to the other woman's house and beat her up but Olivia said "No" and went over on her own, Her hair was all messed up along with her clothes which I believe were pj's and she had it out with the other woman. That was so real to me!  The other episode I love is when Tricia Dennison is being led away in her wedding dress at the police station after shooting Ryan at the church, The look on her face was amazing in the close up of her and lastly the episode of Jack throwing the chair out the window after he lost Jabot to Victor.

I recently saw an interview that Lauralee Bell gave where she said they were going to be getting the show back to it's classic forum and I really hope that's true because I would hate for the show to be canceled in a couple of years.

I do hope if they are going to be fixing the show back to it's old forum that they will end  Victor & Sharon they are a nasty couple, End Nick & Phyllis and move Phyllis back to being her original self with making trouble for people instead of this Susie Homemaker stuff they've written for her the last 5+ years with Nick, Give Nick a real story instead of making him run around and kiss up to Phyllis or meddle in Sharon's life, and also show some of the other vets. Showing too much of one character isn't a good thing. Shannon K.”

Thank you, Shannon, for your kind words.  My new job is going well.  It isn’t exactly what I’m suited for, but the atmosphere is good, and the owners are especially considerate.

I received a great response to my 1987 review.  It would seem I struck a chord in bringing up some of the finer moments of the past, and that 99% of us are in agreement the previous decades were the pinnacle of entertainment…and that the current show is just not satisfactory anymore.  I miss being surprised in a good and logical way, and I miss the long-term storytelling.  I miss characters like Jill having a meaningful story.  I despise the thirteen week arcs, and in spite of what Miss Bell said, it doesn’t appear TPTB have any intention of returning to the old style of presenting stories.

“A little while back you mentioned that Brian Gaskill should be a perfect recast for Billy Abbot on Y&R if Billy Miller's contract with the show isn't renewed (any updates on that front btw?). I think BG (42 yrs. old) would be too old for the part since he's ten years older than BM (32 yrs. old). My dream recast for Billy would be Josh Kelly from OLTL (he played con-artist Cutter Wentworth on that show during its final year on the air from 2010-2011), because he is 30 yrs. old and is the right age to play Billy on the show. What do you think of my dream recast idea? And what did you also think about Michael Damian's brief return to Y&R as Danny Romalotti (I loved your Y&R 1987 flashback column last week!)?   Chris B.”

With the SORASing of so many other characters, it would be easy to ignore a slightly older Billy, and I don’t see Mr. Gaskill as being notably older looking.  That said, Chris, Josh Kelly would also be an excellent choice for a NuBilly should the marvelous Billy Miller choose not to continue in his current role.  Kelly brought a humor to his character on OLTL that would work well for Billy Abbott…if the writers were smart enough to utilize it.

As for Michael Damian’s brief appearance, I missed most of it, and am confused as to what exactly TPTB were trying to accomplish by it, other than trying to appease the longtime fans by throwing them a tiny bone.

“Hi Kitty.

Just a thought.  On Guiding Light, Reva jumped in the fountain and declared herself the slut of Springfield and she had only slept with two other men.  So since Sharon has slept with just about everything with a pulse in Genoa City, she should jump in the lake and declare herself the whore of the whole North American hemisphere.  Does that sound about right?  Ronda W.”

Well, Rhonda…what an interesting letter to go out on.  I still can’t believe how utterly they have debased a character who was originally introduced as such a saccharine and “innocent” young woman.  She has been passed around more than a cheap bottle of wine in a back alley full of bums.  It’s just so sad…for the character and for the actress.  Should Sharon Collins Newman Abbott Newman Newman jump in the lake?  Probably.  But at this point, the fish might throw her back.

Lastly, I want to express my utmost fondness so the actors who made Y&R the jewel of daytime for so many years.  I want to praise the owner of this website for allowing me to freely express my opinion for so many years, and for the unswerving support she has given me in my personal life.  And I want to thank all of you readers for having been with me for so many years.  I will miss you.

 

 

Always remember: it’s shaken, not
stirred and there should always be a twist!!

 

 

 

 

 

Young & The Restless
The ratings for Y&R are continuing to drop. How long will you stay with the show?	Until the bitter end. I am a diehard fan. I’m giving it another six months. I don’t know…I’m reaching my limit. I already quit watching. Now I just read recaps and columns.
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