Y&R's Eric Braeden on Soaps: "Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen"
TV Guide Magazine: What are your thoughts on ABC dropping All My Children and One Life to Live? Do you fear the same thing might happen someday at CBS?Braeden: I guess as long as Y&R remains at the top of the ratings we'll be all right, but one never knows. For many years now I have watched the depersonalization of the people who run this business. It has become more and more corporate and that does not bode well. I long for those days when Bill Bell Sr. ran our show and decided everything. Everything. He had a strong point of view and did not tolerate any kind of interference from anyone and it paid off in a major way. Bill Bell didn't give a damn about anyone else's opinion and nobody tried to f--k with that. Now we have too many cooks in the kitchen and that's become a huge problem. These corporate types had better be very careful because they are destroying something millions of people still want. The audience still loves the idea of novelized stories and watching their characters evolve over the years and the decades. It's a tremendously enjoyable experience for the audience that cannot be replaced by reality TV. In what other medium can you see the trials and tribulations of a Victor Newman or a Nikki Newman or a Katherine Chancellor play out over 30 or 40 years? There is a rhythm of life to a soap opera — a rhythm that makes Y&R very real to people.
(Shakes tambourine) Testify brother Braeden! Too may cooks in a kitchen can spoil the broth. When will daytime learn this? To find out what Braeden thinks of Victor tossing Diane (Maura West) out the ambulance click here!
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Comments
4 May 2008
41 weeks 5 days
I just like that he admits Victor's a villain. It's true. Victor is scum and evil.
I don't like Eric's chauvinistic attitude about men being dumbed go. Oh gimme a break! Boo hoo! A few dumb men on daytime won't come close to all of the sexist, misogynistic stories daytime (and Y&R in particular) has told.
4 May 2009
43 min 48 sec
You got it Eric.
I will never forget when Michael Malone said writing for daytime is like a tightrope with people on both sides trying to shake you off. That about sums it up.
16 October 2008
3 hours 14 min
I'm not much of a Victor Newman fan, but I certainly can admit here that Eric speaks the truth!
6 May 2009
5 weeks 10 hours
He said what we have been saying. They are slowly putting these shows to death, and no one gives a damn.
6 May 2009
5 weeks 10 hours
sorry for the double post, what cause that.
12 February 2010
1 hour 45 min
I have a love/hate relationship with Eric Braeden. Sometimes I want to buy the man a bourbon and many times I want to kick him in the balls for how arrogant, self-entitled, mean and surly he comes across. But this time, I DEFINITELY want to buy him a drink for his honesty and hitting the nail right on the head.
Soaps need STRONG and COMPETENT people handling the reigns, but Maria Bell simply doesn't fit those characteristics. I am sure that Eric and Maria are thick as thieves because she's probably scared of him and lets him do whatever he damn well pleases, but he's right, there are too many writers and producers TRYING to write soaps, and most of them suck at it.
As Agnes Nixon said when Guiding Light was canceled, "Too many people THINK they are writers when they're not!"
14 June 2011
1 hour 25 min
Dittos, Alstonboy.
15 January 2009
2 min 22 sec
@AlistairCrane: Nothing can compare to the sexist, misogynistic stories told on Passions. They were at the top of the heap on that one. Only on Passions was rape seen as comedic and repeated often. Only on Passions was violence against women seen as comedic and repeated often. Only on Passions did they never see a bottom to the lengths one could go to torture women. Only on Passions was stabbing someone every year seen as comedic. Only on Passions were the women devalued so much that they were reduced to all of the above to try and get a man or keep a man. So when it comes to all the years of daytime TV. Passions as got them all beat.
Most other soaps tried to put some sort of social context to the events that took place. Especially under Agnes and Bill Bell's Reign. But in general Y&R or any other soap for that matter (accept for GH) even at its worst cannot compare to the way Passions in a genre geared toward women decided to expose 12-15 years olds too.
15 January 2009
2 min 22 sec
@alstonboy4315: Well when Maria tries to cook Soul Food she fails. The fried chicken is under cooked. The sweet potato is soggy. The chitterlings ain't been cleaned. And she got Zima instead of Olde English! Hence what we see on screen.
12 February 2008
4 days 20 hours
Eric needs to become a pastor after that interview...CHURCH!!!
29 August 2010
6 days 16 hours
CHURCH!
4 May 2009
43 min 48 sec
Yes, Harmony was the rape soap capital...
12 February 2010
1 hour 45 min
David--
I completely co-sign with your post #9. I now have the urge for some "chicherlings and college greens".......as Madea would put it!!
12 February 2010
1 hour 45 min
Ryan Scott--
Your avatar changes are making my head spin! And also increasing the frequency of cold showers that I must take.
So many fine ass men!! So little time........
4 May 2009
43 min 48 sec
Thank you so much AlstonBoy.
I have been alternating a lot between Billy Miller, myself, & now Josh Kelly.
I am finally figuring out how to use this damn phone I have. Lol.
3 March 2009
1 week 4 days
and that includes him.
12 February 2010
1 hour 45 min
Ryan Scott
You should put up another picture of yourself! I'd love to see what YOU look like....
4 May 2009
43 min 48 sec
Thank you. I will snap something else but here is my de facto 'no on hate' pic again until then. Lol
12 February 2010
1 hour 45 min
Ryan Scott--
You look kinda like Peter Reckell!! Not too shabby!!!
4 May 2009
43 min 48 sec
Peter Reckell? Thank you.
I just don't have the hairy chest like him. Lol
22 January 2011
4 hours 8 min
He was also dead on about what a tragic joke the Daytime Emmys have become in recent years.
29 October 2009
1 hour 8 min
David---Zima instead of OE, CLASSIC!!
20 December 2009
1 day 1 hour
Puhleeze. I'm sure the REAL reason he longs for the Bill Bell days is because the show revolved around Victor Newman almost 100% in those days.
14 December 2008
1 week 1 hour
I actually agree with Victor Braden?