Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 41
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FALL OF THE MOUSE HOUSE
DUMB AND DUMMER
Michael Fairman scored quite the coup when he spoke to Vicki Dummer, ABC executive vice- president of Times Square Studios, Current Series & Specials, who is now the successor to Brian Frons overseeing all of ABC Daytime’s gutted lineup. Below are some of the most fascinating snippets:
Everyone is like, “Who is this woman?” People in the industry of course knew of you, but the daytime fans did not. And they are thinking, “What is she going to do our shows? Should we be afraid of another cancellation of the lone remaining ABC soap, GH?” I assume that was one of the reasons you had to make sure that everybody knew that you are 100% behind GH!
VICKI: Here is the thing: I have been a big fan of the soaps, and especially GH since I was a kid. I watched GH when I was in college. I scheduled my college classes around Luke and Laura, like everybody. I drifted away from it, but I got my parents into it. So my parents watch GH every single day. So I have a very personal focus group for GH. I am asked a tremendous amount of questions about GH and where the stories are going, and it matters to them. I know there is a tremendous fan base out there that loves these soaps and loves these characters and wants to see the stories continue. I am going to do whatever I can to help that continue. That is part of having the cast of GH at the ABC Summer TCA Press Tour and honouring the upcoming 50th anniversary, and having them here at the party. These folks work so hard day, day in and day out, and do such great work. It is about honouring their work and these tremendous actors!
The cast and crew were so thrilled you gave them the recent on-set party for their Daytime Emmy victories. It showed that the network noticed! You are from a very different background than soaps, creating lifestyle and makeover shows such as the hit EXTREME MAKEOVER brand. Do you think in hindsight, if it had been you in this position at the time, would you have made the call to keep ONE LIFE and AMC on the air?
VICKI: You know, I can’t really look back. I know there were a lot of factors that went into that decision … a lot of business factors, and a lot of looking where we were as a business. You have to look at that and weigh that. I know there are so many fans that are disappointed and loved those characters and stories. I know they are really heartbroken that they are not on anymore, and I feel that. I hear from soap opera fans that they want to see those characters, and see how their lives are progressing out their in the world. But I can’t look back on that. My predecessor made those decisions for a variety of factors.
But knowing the audience is outraged, rabid, and wants to see Pine Valley and Llanview again … are you exploring any options such as a special, a miniseries, or something to in part satisfy them in some way?
VICKI: There have been a lot of conversations about if there is something we could do and we are exploring that. When the Prospect Park deal was blowing up, I know the fans were so looking forward to those shows being online and the actors were too, of course. I know it was a huge disappointment, and it was a huge disappointment for us too. We were looking at that as that would be the continuation of the characters.
But don’t the rights soon revert back to ABC?
VICKI: They do. Basically it is a year after. So soon they will be back in our hands and then we have to figure out what we are going to do.
Neither of ONE LIFE's replacements; THE REVOLUTION and GOOD AFTERNOON clicked! If you had come in at that point and were putting something on instead of ONE LIFE, what would you have put in their time slot?
VICKI: I did not put on THE REVOLUTION or THE CHEW, that was my predecessor, but I do think that THE CHEW is a terrific show. It is firing on all cylinders. I don’t know if you saw this moment at the party where Carla Hall saw Maurice Benard, and she nearly lost her mind, which was fantastic. Carla is a big fan of the soaps as are a number of people on THE CHEW. As is Katie Couric, and a lot of people. GOOD AFTERNOON AMERICA seemed to be a stop-gap for us when we cancelled THE REVOLUTION, and when GH moves to its new time slot. It’s really going to be about THE CHEW, GH, and Katie for us. I am excited about that lineup.
People are still concerned that GOOD AFTERNOON AMERICA is going to be on the air forever, and replace GH!
VICKI: It was on for a nine-week trial and we have been really, really clear. We are with GH. GH is moving to 2 p.m. in most time zones and that is the show in that time period. I know fans are nervous, and they have seen one soap after another cancelled. There are no guarantees in this world, but we have the GH cast here, we are focused on the 50th Anniversary in April of 2013, and we just want to celebrate the show and look forward to what’s next.
For more, head over here for the big exclusive interview:
https://michaelfairmansoaps.com/news/abc-exec-vicki-dummer-interview-the-plans-for-gh-and-addressing-the-fans-concerns/2012/07/29/#more-55824
COVER STORY
THE FALL AND RISE OF GENOA CITY
How Sony/CBS Solved A Problem Named Maria! Plus: Eric Braeden Breaks Down On Set! Also: The Actors on Sony’s Hit List Revealed! Extra: The Day Bill Bell Fired MAB!
That sound you hear?
The cast and crew of Y&R partying like it’s 1989 over at Television City Studios!
Yep, it’s a new day in Genoa City. And it’s a sunny one.
A day after DAYTIME CONFIDENTIAL’s Jamey Giddens reported that Sony and CBS were planning to replace controversial showrunner Maria Arena Bell with former GH producer Jill Farren Phelps and soap vet Josh Griffith, as previously reported, Sony confirmed the news that the HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS dynamic duo have joined daytime’s number-one soap opera, Y&R, as its executive producer and head writer, respectively.
It is important to note that Sony is not renewing Maria’s contract; she was not fired mid-contract.
“I’m excited to be returning to Genoa City,” Griffith wrote on his Facebook wall when the news broke.
UNCENSORED readers were aware a coup d’état was in the works this past May.
As I reported in late spring, Sony and CBS had to get their ducks in a row before making their move, primarily getting new CBS Daytime President Angelica McDaniel in position on June 1, the date her executive powers would kick in to full effect.
So what happened?
According to insiders, when McDaniel took over the reins of CBS Daytime, the executive asked Maria for five outlines by 5 p.m. on a Friday. A cocky Maria missed her deadline and refused to cooperate. (By the way: This is how former head writer Jack Smith was fired; he did the same thing to then-CBS Daytime Vice-President Barbara Bloom.) Even if a showrunner has creative autonomy, like Maria did, you still have to communicate with the network and distributor!
Then, Maria went on yet another vacation (six vacations in the last nine weeks, squeals a source). She returned for a couple of days to attend the Daytime Emmy Awards where she was nominated for Outstanding Writing/Drama Series. After leaving empty-handed, Maria took off for another vacation.
This time, however, Maria “lied to everyone including [her husband] Billy Bell that she was on vacation,” says my mole. “While CBS/Sony wanted her out for a while, Maria basically has herself to blame for snubbing her nose at Angelica and Steve Kent. She got herself fired.”
Moreover, Maria refused to write out Eric Braeden during his current contract negotiations. UNCENSORED exclusively broke the news that the Emmy winner was negotiating his new contract after the Emmys aired and that his character, Victor, was being written out. Initially, our report was accurate, but “Maria thumbed her nose at Sony and only wrote him out for, like, a day, despite Sony’s insistence that Victor be off the canvas in case Eric pulled his antics again. Instead, she wrote Victor back into the show to appease [Eric’s] ego,” clarifies the source.
It didn’t help Maria’s cause when she continued to write the universally despised Shictor romance despite objections from everyone.
Add in unhappy viewers and critics; declining ratings; an unhealthy focus on older characters not the new generation; opening the show with boring characters/s
torylines; hiring D-list actors in throwaway parts; her relentless obsession with turning Y&R into AMC by absorbing the cancelled show’s actors; and it’s truly mystifying that Maria Arena Bell has no clue why she was fired.
“She thought she was untouchable,” says a co-worker. “And she’s not.”
Adds another insider, “Angelica understands that as a head writer you can write from anywhere in the world. We all get that, but Maria is making a ridiculous amount of money — and I mean, ridiculous — and, as an executive producer, you can not be absent from the set. She was never at work. She could have held on to her head-writing position if she had given up the producing credit. For the first two years, she got away with her socialite lifestyle because she had Paul [Rauch, former co-executive producer] there to pick up the slack and be in the control booth, but she got rid of him because she wanted complete control. She was unmanageable and ungovernable. Her arrogance and sense of entitlement turned everyone off. No one has an iota of sympathy for her. She gave Sony hell. She felt the Bell named protected her, which is why she was blindsided.”
Clearly, Maria should have bought a subscription to UNCENSORED because she