If you were to take the collective temperature of the loyal viewers of The Young and the Restless, the number one daytime drama in the Nielsen ratings for 20 years in a row, you would learn that the fans are hot! They are steamed and fuming and ready to boil over with rage. What's got so many people so incensed? Well, it might be easy to say it's Y&R's recent baby-switch story line -- where Sharon's baby was taken from her and given to Ashley, with neither woman aware of the crime committed against them -- but it's actually more than that.Y&R fans are up in arms over happenings on screen and off. The very idea that Eric Braeden is leaving the show, that the character of Victor Newman is going to be killed off, has been a shock. After the near exit of Melody Thomas Scott and Jess Walton recently, it appears as though the foundation of the show -- the most integral characters and the actors who play them -- are being destroyed. Fans are wondering what the powers that be are doing to "their" show!
Still, fans are able to accept recasts, even when they don't like them. What I've been hearing from fans is that more than cast changes, it's the volatile changes in the stories that have them upset. In addition to the baby switch, Adam has emerged as the character everybody loves to hate. He was the culprit behind the baby switch, which was bad enough, but the circumstances are just incredulous.
Here's a man who is legally blind and a convicted felon, yet he managed to arrange for one woman to give birth at the exact same time another woman was having hysterical labor pains. Adam shouldn't have been able to finagle things the way he did. And he has seemingly gotten away with it. The story line is insulting to the viewers' intelligence.
There's also the senseless death of Colleen, which means she can donate her organs. Her heart is a perfect match for Victor, and even though he's undeserving of the transplant, he gets the heart. And there's also Sharon and Nick being lied to about their baby dying in childbirth, while Ashley is suddenly rational again and bonding with Sharon's baby. These plot lines have fans screaming at the TV set!
The groundswell of anger has been loud and nasty. Fans are threatening to stop watching. That could be all talk, but I wonder if Y&R has gone too far this time. What do you think? Take our poll and share your comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-07-2009 @ 9:35AM
D said...
A few years back the writing staff of the show was fired and there was a big shake up with production and from then on it's gone down hill.I'm surprised nobody has stepped in and stopped the madness.At a time when daytime is suffering to write what was once a great show so poorly is ridiculous and risky.It is an insult to the viewers intelligence and the staff needs to understand that it's no longer housewives who are only partly paying attention because they are home with the kids watching.Send the message that the viewers are stupid and don't know the difference and they'll stop watching.
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10-07-2009 @ 11:27AM
Colby Jack said...
@D ... The show was going downhill with the previous group of writers ... trying to establish Jill as Katherine's daughter and the making of Gloria and her sons as those worthy of redemption (although, I do like the Michael Baldwin character) ... initially, I was happy to see the old staff go, but disappointed that they moved to old storylines (Katherine losing her memory/disappearing again/marrying down on his luck, but wise old guy). The Adam character had potential, but they screwed it up ... and the current farce is more like the sensational bold and the beautiful, which had to be more over-the-top, I think, for it's half-hour format.
Soap Operas are dying off ... Y&R's time will come and while I'll miss the characters, ultimately, the characters I miss have long since moved on anyway. I haven't watched as often and don't make an effort to catch up like I used to ... and I suspect, I'm not the only one.
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10-09-2009 @ 10:19AM
R Darden said...
You are right, you are not the only one that do not take the time to catch up with Y&R. I tape it everyday, however, I might watch it once a week and I fast forward through it. I cannot take watching Y&R in real time anymore it is terrible. And this storyline with Sharon and Ashley baby is a joke, are the writers watching Days of Our lives they just did this story and it is still running. I did not take the time to even watch it I delete those episodes and if Victor leaves, well then, there is no need for me to continue watching which is fine because I can spend that time on more useful things. it is time for GH to be the number one show anyway!!
10-09-2009 @ 2:31PM
nonni said...
I am one of the most loyal trusted viewers of this show, from the first day it premiered !I have put up with so much crap/storylines, waited with patience for them to fix it, and they usually did... but this baby switch saga, and adam's turning into G-D, had me about ready to switch off the channel. but yet, my loyalty told me to wait ! Now with the firing of ERIC BRAEDEN, thats it, "I am through " the day victor leaves, so do I .....
10-07-2009 @ 1:46PM
Jgreenefields said...
Hooray, I am not alone!! This muck is just about to make me turn the channel, if ONE program is number one another
can be just as well.
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10-07-2009 @ 3:58PM
Canadianfoodiegirl said...
I watched the show on and off for years starting in the mid 80s. I finally gave up for good when Sheila took on the face of Phyllis and then somehow, from a cell, overpowered a police officer. I could have gotten out of that hold with years of self defense training. The fact that a police officer can't defend herself against a "bad guy" was pretty pathetic. I'd stopped watching regularly a few years prior.
They killed off Colleen? Didn't they do a baby switching years ago? Is Y&R turning into Passions, which I preferred to interpret as a parody of the genre so that I didn't have to admit how bad the writing, acting and directing was?
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10-07-2009 @ 4:44PM
N said...
I started watching Y&R with my mother in the 90's. She's passed away and I watch it, sort of, in memory of her. But the show has turned disgusting and I can no longer turn it on. I hope it goes of the air. It has insulted its audience's intelligence,
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10-07-2009 @ 5:00PM
Pam said...
I agree with all of the previous comments it is a farce to think you can insult me and think I will still watch this story. I know so many viewers who are friends of mine who have just turned off the young and the restless. For them to kill off the role of Colleen, not bring back Drucilla and have Lilly with no one to talk with no confidant. For them to write off the Victor Newman role and give Collen's heart to him and I don't want to begin on Sharon and Nick. I don't care what anyone of the other people think these two belong togethter. It was very cruel for them to take their baby and to give it to Ashley who is crazy. So are we to assume now that she had her baby she won't be crazy anymore. Phyllis has done bad things every since she came on the show and now for her to get her ultimate desire to have her family happy it's not fair. It seems on this show the bad and evil win and the good or trying to be good would never win and that is why me and my family won't watch this show again unless they clean up these ridiculous storylines.
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10-07-2009 @ 5:13PM
amy said...
I have been a Y&R fan for 25 years, I am completely appalled at how stupid the story lines are now. It is
compairable to the Bold & Beautiful which I think is the
worst daytime story ever. The Taylor, Ridge, Brooke
is the worst I have seen. Now you are doing the same thing to Y&R with Sharon, Nick, Phyliss. Give Jack a new woman, give Sharon her baby back, get rid of Ashley, Chloe, Amber & the Baldwins (except Michael). Put Sharon and Paul together, they seem like the only 2 sane ones on the show. Let Nikki be with miserable Victor. Get JT a new partner too, Victoria is a joke. And for God sakes get rid of Phyliss & Nick they are both only good for a laugh beause they are so flim-flam about everything. Let Summner be Jack's, so Nick will see what she was really like. You better start writing some appealing storylines or you are going to lose what viewers you have left.
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11-21-2009 @ 9:43PM
eilgin said...
I too have been a loyal fan for 25+ years. I can't tell you how many people I know have stopped watching Y & R. We are sick of the stupid story lines. Y & R need some new writers. I think the viewers can write better story lines that the current writers. I stopped watching B & B because of the stupid story lines. Ridge & Brook on again, off again, how many times will they remarry? That show is awful. There's a show that never moves. It stinks. Now the Y&R isn't too far behind. I too record it every day and it only takes me about 15 minutes to watch a 1 hour show since I fast forward through most of it. It's going downhill fast.
10-14-2009 @ 10:36AM
Carol said...
I WILL DEFINITELY STOP WATCHING THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS AFTER 30 YRS SINCE YOU ARE TAKING ERIC BRADEN OFF THE SHOW. GOOD LUCK YOU ARE GOING TO NEED IT TO STAY ALIVE
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10-07-2009 @ 10:16PM
Angee Pate said...
My mother and I both are so sad that the writer's of the show think they are going to keep viewers with the sudden disastrous story line they have took on. When the baby switch happened I stopped watching it then. To take the number one soap and do this to it what are you people thinking? Yes this is a question do you understand it? You definately underestimate your viewer's because all I hear is outrage for your so called end to your story. What will you have left now that's actually interesting? Signed a very shocked fan!
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10-08-2009 @ 2:57PM
matta2k said...
Wow. No more Victor Newman? Suddenly I am more likely to watch Y&R on a consistent basis.
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10-09-2009 @ 8:48AM
LaVonne said...
when will Adam be punish for his underhand acts?
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10-09-2009 @ 8:27PM
MELODY said...
How can they keep characters on there like Ryder and Deacon and let Eric Braeden go off without fighting for him for their very lives??!!! HE IS NOT REPLACEABLE! He is not one who can be recast, and if he leaves, so will I, as I've watched this show since I was a little girl and I'm 43 now, totally devoted and loyal watcher, I'll flat out leave. I don't usually mind recasts, but Braeden is not one that can ever be, there is no other like him....the show needs him. Sony or CBS or whoever decides this needs to do their thing and keep him somehow or they will live to regret it.
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10-09-2009 @ 5:14PM
Joyce L.Briggs-Scott said...
I agree Adam should be busted for all of his wrong doings. How long is it going to last before Sharon get her baby back? How long is Amber going to keep doing stupid things trying to get rid of Deek? When is he leaving the show and go back to the Bold and the Beautiful? they have enough dirty people as it is.No more Victor Newman, thats like cutting the heart out of a pie, the rest just falls apart pay the man.
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10-10-2009 @ 8:01AM
donna said...
Y&R you are definitely losing your viewers. How long can Adam get away with his dirty tricks. Let Nick and Sharon finally get back together, Phyllis and Jack belong together. You were a classy show and now you have these characters like Amber, Adam, Chloe, Chance, Ryder, Jana, and Kevin taking the screen. I fast forward whenever I see there scenes. Hire some good writers and take these characters off. Lets see Sharon and Nick get together finally. Give JT, Paul, Victoria, Nikki, Nick, Sharon, and Neil more stroyline.
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10-10-2009 @ 9:50AM
Debbie said...
Adam's stupid, blind ability to manipulate all these retarded events was making me sick to my stomach. Chloe/Billy - Jill/Katherine - Amber/Deacon rivalries are stupid enough, but a blind man's ability to switch babies and taking Sharon's baby, giving it to a nutty Ashley, and letting this story line play out is too much for me. I turned it off that day and refuse to do Y&R ever again. I'm totally insulted and disgusted.
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10-10-2009 @ 2:49PM
Jane Spencer said...
My husband and I have always enjoyed watching the Young & Restless together. Victor Newman was our favorite and the reason we never missed. If he is leaving we are also. Viewers for almost 30 years. Sorry...we had hope, but now this is too much. Cannot believe SONY & CBS. Why would they give us such a great Soap and now ruin it with SL that drives everyone away.
Makes NO SENSE>
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10-12-2009 @ 12:18PM
Vinklin said...
The story lines have been good and they have been BAD over the 30+ years that I have been watching faithfullyl.
However, when TPTB start to strong arm and bully the actors that have made it the #1 soap for so many years and especiallyl Eric Braeden then they have gone too far. How stupid and insane is that? Well they will see a fan backlash like they never knew existed. Jerks.
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