This of course sent twitter into a frenzy. Our beloved Adam Newman gone? Does this mean he killed Delia Abbott? I was angry and confused when I first heard this news. I immediately lashed out to whom I call "soap killer" Jill Farren Phelps (JFP) as this type of thing followed her on "Guiding Light," "One Life to Live," "Another World," and "General Hospital." I stewed for hours and vented a little bit on my podcast Talk Soap, but didn't fully bash because that's not constructive. This morning I woke up to Michael's exit interview.
I originally went back and forth if I would watch. There's been SO MUCH DARKNESS from Jeanne Cooper's death (offscreen) to Delia Abbott's death (onscreen) to Michelle Stafford & Billy Miller leaving (BM wanting to more outs to pursue other things outside of daytime and being told fine we're replacing you) to Hartley Sawyer's firing to the new characters popping up and then Michael being fired on a Tuesday told to pack it up on a Thursday. Can you see how me and ANY soap fan would be pissed and wanna turn off the tube. After doing the show I thought long and hard. I was hating on JFP hardcore. How can she keep doing this to my soaps I love? I gave her support FOR A YEAR! I couldn't hold my tongue. I went back and forth as to if I would watch. During my show the AMAZINGLY talent actress Colleen Zenk, from the now defunct "As the World Turns" called in. She told us ALL to not judge a book by its cover. We do not KNOW the deets of his firing nor the environment at the show. Instead of blaming JFP and abandoning the show altogether why not celebrate the fact that the show is STILL ON THE AIR and mourn Michael's firing how we choose. But lashing out does not serve a purpose.
I thought about this long and hard, then my Doug Davidson tweeted out that JFP is a good person and to give the show a chance (not to me just in general). Coupled with Michael's interview how could I not? What I love about Michael's interview is that he didn't THROW JFP under the bus, he flatly stated "I came into the business as an arrogant shit thinking I'd do Daytime to pay the bills then go back to Primetime/Film. I may have taken my character off screen sometimes and I think that was ultimately my undoing. This has been coming for awhile, but I have learned my lesson. I would love to continue in Daytime."
My new stance is I will continue to watch Y and R. I do not agree with Michael leaving no matter what his backstage antics were (anyone recall Peter Bergman and Eric Braeden's fist fight?). I support Y and R and its actors; I tuned out of Y&R in 2011 (after watching on and off since 1992) due to poor writing and tuned back in October 2012 when JFP came onboard. I gave JFP a chance DESPITE her past track record and although I felt cheated with all that's going on I will continue to give her a chance. In all honesty I would LOVE to have her on my podcast "On Air with David."
Jill, if you are reading this please contact me. I want to have an honest discussion with you about GL, OLTL, GH, and Y&R. No bashing, no callers coming in, just me and you and my co-host Doug talking to you about your career, your plans for Y&R, and clearing up any misconceptions out there. One soap star let me know "you think JFP has so much power, but I think she has a lot less than you think." Well I want to hear it from you. And we fans call you JFP because Jill Farren Phelps is a mouthful. There is no disrespect meant, but in a world where Twitter allows 140 characters JFP is much easier.
So there is my take on Michael's firing: I will continue to watch Y&R, but I don't like Adam leaving. I am also campaigning for MM to land on "General Hospital" as "Ned Ashton." As Ned he can spar with his mother Tracy (Jane Elliott) over ELQ, date Ava (Maura West), and when his daughter Brook Lyn comes back to town she can mix it up with Brook Lyn/Morgan/Kiki/Michael. I haven't watched "GH" regularly since Claire Labine was writing the show, but I'd watch again if MM was there. And I am not even gonna ask for producer/writer credits :) I also predict Robert Guza Jr. will be headwriter of Y and R at some point. Charles Pratt Jr. may or may not join him, but RGJ and JFP have won too many Emmys together on GH for him not to show up. Rumor is they had heated exchanges, but I think she is working on repairing that relationship so they work together on Y and R. I think RGJ will save the show and make it great. No mob stories to write; it'll be a departure from what he's use to.
Update: since this post on 12/18 there's been a new rumor. Every actor on the show has taken to twitter to state "If you knew the REAL story of MM's firing, you'd fire him too." Then Michael Logan, former host of E! Soap Talk and legitimate soap reporter for TV Guide posted this on Twitter:
After I saw this tweet rumors swirled MM was fired because he was sexually harassing his 18 year old co-star. Married with 3 kids this rumor shocked me. THEN I realized something: all over twitter were pix of Billy Miller having a going away party. ALL OVER twitter were "Fair well Billy." And nothing about MM from his co-stars. Could this rumor be true? Honestly I don't know, and frankly if it is I don't wanna know. It's almost like Dylan MacAvoy finding out he's adopted. I don't want my image of MM ruined. I am not spreading this rumor, but just saying it's out there. I'm praying to God it's not true, but I am sooooooo over this debacle. Hunter Haley King posted a story about how Steve Burton rented an In-and-Out burger truck for the cast for lunch. I tweeted "THIS is the kind of backstage story I love hearing. Please post more." She and others retweeted and favorited it.
I looked at the cast of "Hollywood Heights." This was a Nick at Nite limited series (US Telenovela) that ran in 2012. Jill DOES/HAS hired ppl from that show in fact Josh Griffith was headwriter on the show during it's run while she was Executive Producer. I think Grayson McCouch will be Adam Newman, Cody Longo will be Kyle Abbott, Natalia Livingston as Victoria Newman, Chad Brannon as Billy Abbott, and Brittany Underwood as Eden Baldwin. My take on JFP she WAS tyrannical in the past, but isn't like that anymore. I have a feeling she is much more calm now.