Melody Thomas Scott Asked To Take Recurring?

Ya'll already know my reaction to that shit...... Side note: Why can't THE MEN take a paycut also? Always the women.

Thats the first thing I thought to why is it never the men? And didn't Y&R just hire Coop from GL to play the new Phillip? I'd rather keep Nikki than have new characters.

Thats what pisses me off with the industry. Its a woman's genre but yet the men in the game can dictate? Why do they have to aks Lucci to take a cut or Thomas Scott to do so when the men aren't doing so also? I know Peter Reckell did but hell when your told take one or get out what would you do?

NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

SAY IT AIN'T SO! MY MELODY THOMAS SCOTT!!! UGH!!!!!!!

Ok back to reality now. I hope she works something out. She is my all time favortie daytime actress and I love the character of Nikki Reed! I hope they work something out.

Wasn't there some contract problems one time before in like the early 2000s???? Didn't she leave the show for like six weeks or so Jamey or Jillian?

Elizabeth I am coming to join you! I can't take this!

Yep she sure did walk back then so don't think Ms. Melody won't go....

RECURRING? WTF....do they not know that she and Eric Braeden are the STARS of the show? I hope Y&R changes the behind the scenes leadership soon because they are ruining the show. The fans would rather see Nikki than Kevin, Jenna, Amber, Daniel and the damn chipmunk. Y&R may still be the top-rated soap, but it is losing its glory fast.
If MTS is placed on recurring status, I will stop watching the show. She's the LEAD FEMALE on that show. But lately, you can't tell. And if DAYS is ballsy enough to cut Deidre Hall, no one is safe.
And why can't we get rid of the young characters and STOP bringing on NEW people (Like the new Mac, Ana, Tyra, etc.) OMG...is Eva Marcille on contract? You're telling me they would rather have EM on contract and not MTS....never mind if MTS gets paid 4x what EM does....the point it is contract says something.

If MTS goes, I go!

Not surprised.

I don't necessarily think it's a man/woman thing either. Don Diamont was let go and I'm sure Jeanne Cooper wasn't asked to take a paycut. Maria and Hogan get praised for using the vets but in reality they only feature their favorite veteran characters. Clearly Nikki (along with Michael, Lauren, Paul, Brad, Vikki) are not favorites of the new regime.

Do we know for sure that the men weren't asked to take paycuts? Maybe they were and decided to take it. Maybe in this case it's the women that are play the diva and not wanting to take it. If they offered and she declined then I say get rid of her.

Maria and Hogan get praised for using the vets but in reality they only feature their favorite veteran characters. Clearly Nikki (along with Michael, Lauren, Paul, Brad, Vikki) are not favorites of the new regime.

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Nikki has been used quite a lot during MAB's reign. She has been pretty frontburner. I mean she was a key figure in the Katherine Storyline. I mean she was in front with the David Chow storyline stuff. Her looking for Victor in Mexico. They seem like they are about to show her and Paul's relationship more. They are showing signs that her and Victor still want each other.

I definitely think it would be a bad move to get rid of her and keep some other actors on the show.

SEASONS!? Oh now you and I just fell out of love! *LOL* Now here's my thing: If EVERYONE does take one and she's refusing yeah she needs to go. However, why not chop some of the people NOT needed on Y&R and then if you still need to save $$$, go to the mid-tier folks. Then if you still need $$ go after the big dogs. We really don't need Judith Chapman/Ted Shackleford/Emily O'Brien (even though I dig her)/Vail Bloom/Doug Davidson/Eva Marcille/Amelia Heinle/Thad Luckinbill.....

Again Tracey Bergman ASKED to be placed on recurring. Why shoud she get a frontburner if she's not even a contract player?

Maria and Hogan get praised for using the vets but in reality they only feature their favorite veteran characters. Clearly Nikki (along with Michael, Lauren, Paul, Brad, Vikki) are not favorites of the new regime.
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I seriously doubt this has to do with favoritism and everything to do with the budget. MTS got tons of air time last year and s/l should be on a rotating basis. I believe this has everything to do with the show's budget, how much the licensing fees were cut when they renegotiated. Y&R is the garden of eden for vets by comparison to ABC and NBC shows, but that doesn't mean that these actors can expect to maintain "glory days" paychecks either.

MTS had the Victor scenes in Mexico, which were priceless, but since then she's been supporting. She deserves to be at the CENTER of a frontburner storyline. It's what viewers have come to expect. I hope today's a sign that MTS is retaking her rightful lead actress place...but with RAUCH you never know.

Again Tracey Bergman ASKED to be placed on recurring. Why shoud she get a frontburner if she's not even a contract player?

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Thank you for pointing this out again. I have yet to understand why this keeps coming up.

As a 30+ year veteran of The Young and the Restless, Melody Thomas Scott must/should understand the interworkings of the business and the meaning of the word teamwork.

As savvy executives of daytime’s #1 and creatively resurgent serial, Maria Arena Bell and Paul Rauch must/should understand Melody’s value to Y&R as Nikki Reed Newman.

I have loved Nikki (and Melody’s portrayal) from day one and cannot imagine Y&R without either the actress of the character.

A solution that keeps Melody on contract (on Y&R, not B&B) must/should be reached.

Smitty I think it keeps coming up because fans wanna know why their fav isn't onscreen much and it hasn't really been addressed. I dig Tracey but if SHE wants to go on recurring to do other things then it really isn't fair for anyone and I do mean ANYONE, from the big dogs to the lil newbies to have their screentime diminished for someone that's not on contract.

Jillian I am a huge fan of the character of Lauren but I have come to accept that since she is on recurring I can't expect her to be in a frontburner storyline. I am just glad that they still utilize her. (Even though I am not a fan of her being a prop for the Fisher/Baldwin clan, but she is one of the reasons I actually can tolerate that clan) The same goes for the character of Nina. I loved Nina on Y&R but I know she left on her own accord. I am just thankful that she does come back for guest spots.

I kind of like the idea of only seeing MTS' hair on a recurring basis.

Why is this suddenly about men vs. the women? If MTS ends up staying because they don't cut her pay, than they should make sure to reinstate Jess Walton's original pay before she took the cut.

Do we know for SURE that *only the women* are being asked to take a pay cut? Because I find that very hard to believe. There would be absolute anarchy on that set if that were the case.

IMHO, MTS needs to stop being a diva and take the damned paycut. Jess Walton did it. They can't hold their ground for one actress, but then CAVE for the other.

I am too but fair if fair. lets say hypothetically (plz don't be though!) that MTS goes on recurring, I'd say the same thing for her also. It isn't fair for the show or the actors invovled for a person on recurring to get frontburner when others aren't. Tracey had some SERIOUS front burner also.

They are suggesting recurring because she is GIVING THEM NO CHOICE. She reportedly WON'T take the same paycut that Jess Walton just took. What are they supposed to do? "Okay Mel, you're right: we just can't survive without Nikki. We'll keep your salary the same." How is that going to make Jess Walton feel? A true pro who ultimately chose to take a hit for the team (so to speak).

This genre is DYING. Surely MTS knows that. I'm hoping she does the right thing, and takes the freaking cut. Boo hoo it's not fair what about the MEN? Maybe they are dealing with the women first? They will deal with the kid gloves talent (translation: Eric Braeden) LAST, I suspect.

Coffee_Junkie that hair is just WACK! *LOL* Now what man has been taking a paycut? The only one I know that has is Peter Reckell. Jess Walton isn't the face of Y&R like MTS is. Now I agree if EVERYONE is being forced to take one and have done so already yeah MTS needs to either get with it or get going.

I love Jess Walton, but she's ain't the star of Y&R like Melody Thomas Scott. New viewers may not know this (cause everytime we see MTS she's doing some stupid Restless Style one day story or giving advice) but MTS and EB are the stars, have been the stars since the late 80s.

Very true, Jillian. There are many a cast member that could be shown the door before asking your bigger named stars to take pay cuts. I just think diva behavior, whether it's a man or a woman, needs to be nipped in the bud, especially, in this economy.

Maybe this has been going on for a while and that's why MTS has been supporting lately? They're trying to punish her. Plus, we don't know all the details of the contract negotiation. Maybe it's not about the money...maybe they want to reduce her airtime in addition to the pay cut.

I don't consider MTS and EB the "stars" of Y&R. Probably because I've been watching the show since before Nikki and Victor were even ON the show. The only remaining original character left on the show (who has been there from the very beginning) is, oh yeah--JILL!!

I don't consider JW the *star* either. It's an ENSEMBLE show. But if there are people who consider some talent on the show as "stars" than that makes everyone else "supporting players." That's not how I see Y&R at all, and that's certainly now how I view Melody Thomas Scott.

Send Nikki on a long vacation and give MTS a few months off to mull over her options. Again, I could use a break from her hair.

I couldn't agree more with Jillian. It does seem as though in most cases the women are the first to take a pay cut. Have you heard of any women banding together a la GH to ensure their contracts? There are many characters that could be cut to save MTS too. Make Eva Marcille the first to go!!

Yeah...that's why the opening credits are the way they are in order of appearance...and why Y&R focuses on the Newmans when they have a primetime special...because it's an ENSEMBLE cast. Yeah, right. You have a well-rounded lead cast...and then you have the superleads.
Y&R never had a big Victor/Nikki wedding...they treat Nikki and Victor just like they treat everyone else.
ENSEMBLE my ass. You have stars and then you have THE stars. Okay, let MTS go....you'll see.

^^^^Damn! Bitter much? Is that you, Ed Scott?

Here's another way to see who the stars are. Take a look at any Y&R OFFICIAL cast photo....where's MTS, EB and Jeanne Cooper?

Hmm...they're front and center. Always together. Where's Eileen, Jess, Peter? Oh, I see. They're off on the SIDE!!!

If everyone was the star, then why do the producers always put MTS and EB (JC is in the center cause she's almost an original and out of respect) in the center?

Why would they put Nikki and Victor in the center?

Oh, I dunno....they could but PB in the center, or JW, or MS, or SC...but they don't.

Look at the OFFICIAL cast photos of all the OTHER shows. The stars in the middle (barring original vets, who are placed there out of respect) are the stars of the show. Susan Lucci is front and center in AMC cast photos, Erika Slezak at OLTL, Susan Flannery at B&B, Kim and Josh on GL....think about it.

The EPs know. That's why SL is never on the side on AMC cast photos...and the same is true here.

I agree with Coffee Junkie. I don't consider MTS and EB the stars of the show. Of all the shows on the air, I would think Y&R and ATWT are more ensemble-based shows. The other shows seem to have an actor/actress that is closely identified with the show (i.e. AMC-Susan Lucci, GH-Tony Geary, DAYS-Deidre Hall, OTLT-Erika Slezak, GL-Kim Zimmer, etc) whereas Y&R divides the show pretty evenly amongst all the cast members.

I only watch this show sporadically and have never understood the appeal of MTS and EB. With that said and how the industry is currently going, I could see the show without her, but being the casual viewer, I know and acknowledge that she also has great impact on the show, with many ties to many characters. I just don't think it's wise in the current economic climate to try to buck something that everyone else has had to endure. Susan Lucci is THE face of daytime TV and she took a pay cut. I don't consider MTS to be as well known as SL so I don't think she's above the pay cut.

And being a sad DAYS viewer (who misses my Doc), I have to say to MTS that at least she was offered a pay cut. Deidre Hall was just cut from the show...period. I haven't watched since. And you know what, from what I read, DAYS has gained viewers, but I'm still not happy with the show and refuse to watch until Dena Higley is GONE! But in my place are apparently other viewers who think otherwise. So I think that MTS should consider the fact that she may drive some viewers away if she quits, but the way Y&R is going in terms of quality, others could take the place of those viewers like it did with DAYS.