Y&R Report (September 21, 2024): The Latest on The Young and the Restless

Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV, which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet.  Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance.

Hi fans, 

It's good to be back after my summer break.  I am itching to get back into the swing of things with my Y&R news and opinion.  I hope you had a good summer, much better than the residents of Genoa City.  As I've stated before, I'm not a great fan of head writer Josh Griffith's work.  He completely missed the fun aspect of summer on a soap.  There were no barbeques and no swimming parties.  The 4th of July was completely ignored.

I understand that a soap needs to have conflict and tension, but it also needs some celebration and comic relief.  What did we get this summer?  Kyle endlessly argued with Jack and Diane, and squabbled with Summer.  Is there a more spoiled rich kid on the soaps.  He is feels that he is entitled to wealth and power by virtue of bearing the Abbott name.  He thinks everyone has wronged him and refuses to acknowledge his own wrongdoings.  

Fortunately, Kyle and Summer have reached an understanding, and they won't be fighting a legal custody battle.  They seem to be getting along better.  I just hope it lasts.

Claire has fallen hard for Kyle, but she doesn't realize what she could be getting herself into.  He'll only break her heart, the way he broke Summer's heart and Lola's heart.  Claire is so inexperienced in the ways of love and romance.  Kyle Abbott, the Heartbreak Kid, will eventually take advantage of her.  It's inevitable.

The other focus this summer has been on mental illness - Connor's obsessive-compulsive disorder and Sharon's mental struggle and her visions of Cameron.  

One bright spot this summer has been the budding romance between Traci and Dr. Alan Laurent.  However, there will be complications when Ashley returns from Paris.

As the autumn leaves begin to fall in Genoa City, I hope that there will be more fun and excitement.  This autumn, Victor will continue to be the worst villain of all.  He's never been more manipulative or controlling.  He even told Cole to stay away from Victoria, his adult daughter.  It seems that no man is good enough for his princess.  

Victor is ready to throw Lily under the bus.  How could she have been so foolish as to make a deal with him and provide him with information without signing legal papers?  She doesn't realize that Victor is just using her and intends to put Nikki in charge of the Chancellor compny.  Is Lily that naive?  

As for Audra, she's another woman the Black Knight is about to throw under the bus.  She didn't seem to have any idea how ruthless and vindictive Victor Newman can be.  Nate has had to warn her.  Still, I'm surprised that she was so willing to make a deal with Victor, given his reputation.

I must say, I am pleased that Phyllis is working with Billy.  She is fearless and Billy could never handle everything by himself.  The fiery redhead enjoys the challenge of dealing with Victor Newman.  However, in the end, Victor will get away with it.  He always does.

It seems that Sally Spectra and Adam Newman are done, at least for now.  I like them together, but couples can't be happy on a soap.  There has to be conflict.  So, the writers had Adam cheat on Sally with Chelsea.  When Adam finally admitted the truth to Sally, she was livid.  He had looked her in the eye and lied to her.  I thought Courtney Hope, who plays Sally, did a fine acting job when Adam confessed his infidelity to her character.

Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra)

Mark Grossman (Adam)

The writers have decided to turn Adam into a jerk again.  Sally actually brought out the best in him, but I doubt she'll ever trust him again.  How could she after all his lying and cheating?  Chelsea would also be making a big mistake if she ever reunited with Adam.  As for Sally, I wonder if she's developing feelings for Billy Boy.

As we head into the fall season, here are some online spoilers:

Abby and Devon are planning a November wedding.  However, the couple will face an "unexpected obstacle."  Hmmm.  I have to think about what that could be.

Victor Newman hits Jack where it hurts the most as his plan of attack divides the Abbott family.

The Young and the Restless will celebrate some milestone moments as this autumn.  On November 13th, the soap will air its 13,000th episode.  Also this fall, Sharon Case (Sharon Newman) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) will both mark their 30th anniversaries on the soap with special episodes highlighting their characters.

Sharon Case

Sharon is about to embrace her dark side.  She is about to cause some harm to someone.  Whom do you think will be her victim?  Daniel is her target, but he seems too obvious to be the one.  She is more likely to hurt someone else accidentally, possibly Heather or Lucy.  However I doubt it will be anyone we expect.  There is more likely to be a real twist to the story.  Maybe Sharon will accidentally harm Abby or Devon, who are planning their wedding.  She might even hurt her own daughter, Mariah.  What do you think, fans?   

That's all for now.  Please remember that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

I wish all my Canadian readers a Happy Thanksgiving on October 14th, 2024.

A Happy Rosh Hashanah (October 2-4, 2024) to all those of the Jewish faith.

Take care,

Joanne

Remembering Diahann Carroll

Dihann in a 1976 publicity photo

“Deep down, I never saw "Julia" as a documentary, and I didn’t see why, to be worthwhile, it had to be about a Black woman wearing an Afro and dashiki and living in the ghetto. It was a sitcom. And it was a successful one. I knew why it was pulling in ratings, too. It made the White majority feel comfortable with a Black lead character who was not offensive to them in any way. And frankly, it was a role I was glad to portray.”   

- From Diahann Carroll’s 2008 autobiography, The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way

"Julia divided critical consensus, It was praised in some quarters as groundbreaking and criticized in others as recductive, Pollyannish and accommodationist - condemned in short for glossing over the stark realties of life that black Americans faced daily."

- From Diahann Carroll's obituary in The New York Times, October 8, 2019

Talented Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer and television trailblazer with her starring role on the sitcom Julia.  Diahann was born Carol Diann Johnson on July 17, 1935 in the Bronx, New York City.  At an early age, she moved to Harlem with parents.  Her father, John Johnson, was a subway conductor, while her mother, Mabel (Faulk), was a nurse.  From childhood, music was an integral part of Diahann's life.  By the time she was six, she was singing with the children's choir of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.  She also took piano and voice lessons.

Diahann was awarded a Metropolitan Opera scholarship for studies at New York's High School of Music and Art.  As a teenager, she looked for modelling work, and was hired by Ebony magazine.  However, it was her voice that made an impression.

The teenage Diahann began entering television talent contests.  At 16, she auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts show.  She won the competition and performed on the daily radio program for three weeks.   In 1954, Diahann appeared on the DuMont network's  Chance of a Lifetime, a television talent competition.  She won $1,000 top prize for her rendition of Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein song "Why Was I Born."  Engagements at Manhattan nightclubs such as Cafe Society and the prestigious Latin Quarter soon followed.

Diahann's parents wanted to have a college education, so she enrolled in New York University, where she majored in sociology.   However, she left before graduating in order to pursue a career in show business.  Diahann promised her family that if she didn't succeed after two years, she would complete her college studies.  As it turned out, she never returned to college.

At 19, Diahann won a Broadway role, which was rare for Black singers in those days.  She was cast in the musical House of Flowers, starring Pearl Bailey.  Diahann and Pearl Bailey worked together again when they had supporting roles in Carmen Jones, a 1954  all-Black film version of the Bizet opera Carmen, starring Dorothy Dandridge.  The film also featured Harry Belafonte.

Diahann played Clara in the 1959 film version of the 1935 Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sidney Poitier.  Diahann and Poitier soon began a nine-year love affair which led to the collapse of both of their marriages.  In a 1980 article in People magazine, Poitier described his attraction to Diahann.  He said, "We had not been on the set of Porgy and Bess in 1959 more than a few days when I realized that she was unique.  She had fantastic cheekbones, perfect teeth and dark, mysterious eyes.  She was confident, inviting, sensuous - and she moved with a rhythm that absolutely tantalized me."

Diahann Carroll and Sydney Pointer starred in the 1961 film Paris Blues, along with Paul Newman and his real-life wife Joanne Woodward.  It's a story about a pair of expat jazz musicians (Newman and Poitier) living in Paris.  They meet two American women (Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll)  on vacation, and they all fall in love.

Carroll and Poitier in Paris Blues 

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Diahann gained a reputation as a singing personality on television, with her performances on the shows of such late night hosts as Jack Paar and Steve Allen.  In the early-to-mid 1960s, Diahann continued with nightclub entertaining, along with guest appearances on the musical variety shows of Carol Burnett, Judy Garland, Andy Williams, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye.

In the early 1960s, Diahann Carroll appeared in two crime dramas - Naked City (1962) and The Eleventh Hour (1963).  Yet, jobs were few and in-between.  In late 1962, Diahann testified at a congressional hearing on racial discrimination in the entertainment industry.  "In eight years I've just had two Broadway plays and two dramatic television shows," she stated.  That all changed when she was given top billing in a new TV comedy.

From 1968 to 1971, Diahann played the lead role in the sitcom Julia.  She portrayed Julia Baker, a widow raising a young son.  Julia's husband, Army Captain Baker, an artillery pilot, had been shot down in Vietnam.  Julia worked as a nurse in the doctor's office of a large aerospace company.  Veteran movie actor played the doctor, Morton Chegley, a curmudgeonly man with a soft heart.  Marc Copage played Julia's son, Corey Baker.

Julia was a trailblazer for its time.  Diahann Carroll was not the first Black woman to star in her own television series.  For example, three different actresses - Ethel Waters, Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers starred in Beulah (1950-1953), a show about the misadventures of a maid dubbed " the queen of the kitchen."  However, Diahann was the first African American female to star in her own series who did not play a domestic worker.  Julia Baker was not a stereotypical maid or mammy.  She was a nurse,  She had a professional career.  

Nevertheless, Julia did not escape criticism.  It received disapproval for portraying such a rosy version of the Black experience in America. Julia's apartment was elegant, her wardrobe was fashionable and expensive, and she was even-tempered.  None of this, the show's detractors argued, was an authentic representation of the life of a single working mother with a young child.

 In a 1968 interview with TV Guide, Diahann responded to the criticisms.  She said, "At the moment, we're presenting the White Negro.  And he has very little Negro-ness."  The shows defenders argued that Julia laid the foundation for other TV shows to portray Black characters in a variety of non-stereotypical situations

In a 1970 Ladies' Home Journal article, Mylie Evers, the widow of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, wrote: "Of course Julia bears little resemblance to me or any other flesh-and-blood woman.  She is a television fantasy like so many others.  The significant difference is that Julia Baker is black."

Julia rose in the ratings and Diahann Carroll received a Gold Globe award for "Best Newcomer."  She also earned an Emmy nomination.  The series only lasted three seasons, at Diahann's request. She asked to be let out of her contract because she had grown weary of the the controversy surrounding the show.

Below is a  photo of Diahann Carroll with Lloyd Nolan and Marc Copage.  

From 1984 to 1987, Diahann portrayed Dominique Deveraux in the prime time soap Dynasty.  Dominique, a cat-like diva, was the half-sister of wealthy oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe).. Diahann's character was written out of the series at the end of the seventh season, and did not appear in the 1991 miniseries Dynasty.

Diahann on Dynasty

From 1989 to 1993, Diahann had the recurring role of Marion Gilbert in nine episodes of the sitcom A Different World.  The series, created by Bill Cosby, focused on a group of students at a historically Black university.

From 2006 to 2007, Diahann appeared as Jane Burke in five episodes of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy.  Diahann's final television acting role was as June in 26 episodes of the police drama White Collar from 2009 to 2014.

Diahann Carroll was married four times.  Her first husband was Monte Kay, an American musicians' agent and record producer.  While performing in House of Flowers, Diahann fell for Monte, who was the casting director.  She wed him in 1956 and they divorced in 1963. 

In her autobiography, Diahann claimed that Sidney Poitier persuaded her divorce Monte, and he agreed to divorce his wife to be with her.  She wrote that Poitier did not keep his part of the agreement.  He eventually divorced his wife, Juanita Hardy, but not until 1965.  In 1980, Poitier told People magazine why he and Diahann finally broke up.  He said, "She asked me to move out of my home, and I did.  She asked me to get a divorce.  I went to Mexico and got one.  I made one request to live together for six months while Diahann's parents looked after her daughter so I wouldn't be jumping from one marriage straight into another.  But she wouldn't do it.  It was than that our relationship started to unravel."

Diahann was young when she married Monte and she "had a lot of growing up to do."  Nevertheless, she was thankful for the union because it produced a daughter, Suzanne Kay, born on September 9, 1960.  Suzanne became a journalist and a screenwriter.

In the early 1970s, Diahann had a relationship with British TV journalist David Frost.  The couple were engaged for a short time, but never married.

Diahann and David in 1971

In February of 1973, Diahann married a Las Vegas boutique owner named Fred Glusman.  Four months later, Glusman filed for divorce.  Diahann did not contest the divorce.  She dismissed the brief union as "a silly marriage and a silly divorce."

On May 25, 1975, Diahann, 39, wed Robert DeLeon, 24, the managing editor of Jet, a news magazine for the African American community.  In March of 1977,  DeLeon was killed in a car crash.  He was found in the wreckage of a Ferrari at the bottom of a canyon in Malibu, California.

Singer Vic Damone was Diahann's fourth and final husband.  They married in 1987 and performed together for nightclub and concert tours.  Their relationship, however, was turbulent, and they legally separated in 1981.  The couple attempted a reconciliation, but the reconciliation didn't last, and  the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. 

Diahann and Vic Damone

In 1997, Diahann was diagnosed with breast cancer.  After surviving cancer in the 1990s, she became a public advocate for screening and treatment.  She died of complications from the disease at her home in West Hollywood, California on October 14, 2017.  She was 84 years old at the time of her passing.

END NOTES:  

* In 1962, Diahann Carroll became the first African American woman to win a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in No Strings.

*  Diahann received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 1974 film Claudine, a romantic comedy-drama.  She portrayed Claudine Price, a single Black Harlem mother with six children, who falls for a garbage collector played by James Earl Jones.

* In 1976, Sidney Poitier wed Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian film actress.  They remained married until Poitier's death in 2022.

* In 1996, Diahann played Norma Demond in the Canadian production of Andrew Llyod Webber's musical version of  the film Sunset Boulevard, which starred Gloria Swanson as Norma, an egotistical silent movie star.  I attended that show at a theatre in the Toronto area.  Unfortunately, however, I was unable to see Diahann perform on stage.  Much to my disappointment, an understudy played Diahann's role on the night I attended.

* Diahann was the author of two memoirs - Diahann (1968), with Ross Firestone and The Legs Are the Last to Go (2008), with Bob Morris.

SOURCES: Legacy.com (obituary), "Diahann Carroll (1935-2019), pioneering actress starring in 'Julia'," by Linnea Crowther, October 4, 2019; New York Times, "Diahann Carroll, Actress Who Broke Barriers With 'Julia.' Dies at 84," by Margalit Fox, October 8, 2019; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com)

- Joanne

Is Ken Jennings' job in jeopardy?

There has been speculation that Ken Jennings is "desperate" to keep his job as host of Jeopardy!  I must stress that this is only hearsay and there is really is no concrete evidence to back it up.  However, the speculation has been fueled by some recent happenings.  This summer, Colin Jost, an American comedian and actor, was named host of Pop Culture Jeopardy! for Amazon Prime Video.  Jost, 42, has been a staff writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live since 2005,  

Suzanne Prete, the president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, lavished praise on Jost, stating that he is "smart and quick, like our contestants, and we know he'll be able to keep up with them while making this new series his own."  Could Sony be eyeing Colin Jost as a replacement for Ken?

Colin Jost

In a recent report in Closer Weekly, an anonymous source is quoted as telling the tabloid magazine that Ken, 50,  is "desperate to make it work and has no intention of leaving of his own accord."  According to a second source, "Ken's well aware of the noise and tittle-tattle, and privately he would acknowledge these are tough times - especially with Colin Jost coming on to host Pop Culture Jeopardy! and fans calling him awkward, which is hard to take."  According to the source, Ken has hired a comedic coach to brush up on his comedic skills.  

"People on the show know, Ken knows it deep down. He an awkward character and can't make people laugh like his contemporaries, Steve Harvey (Family Feud) and Drew Carey (The Price is Right), and it bothers him.  His delivery and timing have got to be improved if he's to win over audiences."

Ken is actually a fan of comedy.  He has even written a an engaging book about the history of humour.  It is entitled Planet Funny: How Comedy Took Over our Culture.

Jeopardy! fans are notoriously fussy and critical.  They are determined to maintain high standards and fairness.  Since the departure of Mayim Bialik in late 2023, the spotlight has fallen on Ken Jennings as the sole host of the syndicated serries.  Ken has been criticized far more severely than his predecessor, Alex Trebek, who was a hard act to follow.  

Ken Jennings has been recently lambasted by fans for failing to clarify the contestants' wagers and for mistakenly declaring responses correct.  In July, fans were upset because Ken accepted an answer that was not pronounced properly.  He has even been criticized for being "annoying."  

A great deal is demanded of the host of Jeopardy! and Ken is under an enormous amount of pressure.  It's impossible to please everyone.  Some Jeopardy! viewers are concerned that the long-running game show has become to difficult for contestants.  Others contend that the powers-that-be have dumbed down questions.  

The Closer Weekly source said that Ken Jennings won't be made a scapegoat.  Ken is insisting that there's a share of blame here because he doesn't write the lines or pick the questions and contestants.  

SOURCES: Closer Weekly, "Ken Jennings Hires Comedy Coach to Help 'Focus' on HIs Comedic Skills on 'Jeopardy!'" by Samantha Agate, August 30, 2024; Daily Mail, "Jeopardy! Host Ken Jennings, 50, 'has no intention to leave show amid rumors he could be replaced by Colin Jost, 42, by Jacqueline Lindenberg, August 28, 2024; Wikipedia

- Joanne

Season 3 of Industry has been shown in the US, but not yet in the UK

"Industry is set in London with a mostly British cast and British creators, it’s genuinely astounding that *we* get it like a year after they do in the US,’ 

- Posted by user txadel posted on X (formerly Twitter)

British fans of the BBC Two and HBO series Industry are irritated that show's new season is already being shown in the United States, while they don't even know when it will be available in the United Kingdom.  The series is a co-production between the BBC and HBO.  It debuted on November 9, 2020 on HBO in the United States, and on November 10, 2020 on BBC Two in the UK.  It chronicles the fortunes of a group of young graduates as they vie for permanent positions at Pierpoint & Co, a distinguished London investment bank.  

T\he co-creators of the series, Konrad Kay and Mickey Down, both have backgrounds in the cutthroat world of finance.  Therefore, it is not surprising that Industry is cynical and controversial.  It also very popular with many viewers.

The second season of Industry was released in August 2022  The series was renewed for an eight-episode third season, which premiered in the United States on August 11, 2024.  Fans in the UK are disappointed and annoyed that they won't be able to watch the new season for a while.  An air date has not even been confirmed yet.  British viewers were only informed that "Industry season three will be available to stream in the US from 11 August and on the BBC in the UK later in the year."

On HBO, Industry now gets a coveted Sunday night slot, replacing House of the Dragon, which just completed its second season.  Francesca Orsi, head of drama for HBO stated, "We have high hopes tor the show.  She said that if "the world embraces Season 3 in the way that we have, both in its critical praise but also its viewership, there's no question that we want to continue moving forward with it."

For its third season, Industry is presenting a wider vision, which it hopes will attract larger audiences  The show is not restricting itself to events directly involving Pinepoint & Co.  It is moving beyond the financial happenings on the trading floor.  The new season begins with a flashback to hedonistic party on a luxury yacht.  It features a drug-induced hallucination sequences, plus several mysteries and deaths.  The storylines are more complex and there is wider range of tones and filming maneuvers.

For the third season, there is also an important addition to the cast of Industry - English actor Kit Harrington, known for his starring role as Jon Snow on the HBO series Game of Thrones.  Harrington has taken on the role of the aristocratic Henty Muck,  Muck operates Lumi a green-tech company. Pierpoint & Co is handling Lumi's initial public offering (IPO).

Kit Harrington

Entitled "Il Mattino ha L'Oro Bocca" ("Early to Bed, Early to Rise"'), Season 3's premiere episode on HBO received rave revies from fans and critics.  Here is the official synopsis of Industry's new season.

"In season three, as Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Kara-Hanani), Robert (Spearing), and Eric (Tao) find themselves front and centre in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company, led by Sir Henry Muck, in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media and government."

Yasmin, played by English actress Marisa Albea, a graduate from a wealthy background, is fluent in several languages.  She is assigned to Foreign Exchange Sales (FX) desk at Pierpoint.

Marisa Albea

British actor Harry Lawtey portrays Robert Spearing, a graduate of  Oxford University.  Robert comes from a working class Welsh family and is assigned to the Currency Processing Solutions (CPS) desk at Pierpoint.

Harry Lawtey

American actor Ken Leung plays Eric Tao, the CPS managing director.

Ken Leung

SOURCES: New York Times, "Industry' Is Back With Boats, Cocaine and Bigger Ambitions," by Esther Zuckerman. August 9, 2024;; Express, "BBC viewers furious as they're unable to stream much loved series: It's a British Show!" by Kelly Smith,, August 19, 2024; Wikipedia,

- Joanne

Son of a Critch will be back for a 4th season

Son of a Critch is one of my favourite shows on Canadian TV.  Based on comedian Mark Critch's 2018 bestselling memoir about his childhood in 1980s Newfoundland, the series explores such themes as friendship, family, bullying and coming-of-age.  According to Deadline, it has been renewed for a fourth season.  Season 4 will focus on the beginning of Mark's high school years on the cusp of the 1990s.  There will be 13 episodes, filmed in St. John's.  It will air in the winter of 2024 on CBC.

Son of a Critch's stellar cast will also be returning. 15-year-old British actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth stars as the young Mark Critch.  Benjamin plays his role excellently and I am an admirer of his acting ability.  He is known for his performances in The Haunting of Bly Manor and Flora & Unlysess  He also provided the voice of Pinnochio in Disney's live-action remake.  In Son of a Critch, he convincingly portrays young Mark, an adolescent who uses comedy to fit in, make friends, and find his niche in the world.

Ainsworth, a native of Nottingham, East Midlands, England, will turn 16 on September 25, 2024.  He portrays Mark with a General North American accent that could be from Toronto or Los Angeles.  In a 2022, the actor responded to a comment from a Big Issue interviewer that watching him in Son of a Critch and Pinnochio, "I'd never have know you were English. . ."    Ainsworth replied, "It takes a lot of work.  And with Son of a Critch, the Newfoundland accents are so particular.  I go back to normal between scenes.  On set it's so relaxed and everyone's really chilled.  It's nice to just be my normal self.  And then when it's time to roll, step into that character."

In the penultimate episode of the third season of  Son of a Critch, entitled "Cabaret,"Ainworth, as young Mark starts to get his feet wet as a stand-up comedian.  Lacking a voice of  his own, he imitates the distinct Newfoundland accents of those with whom he's most familiar, his family and friends.  

Ainsworth

The real Mark Critch is the star of CBC's long-running sketch comedy show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.  In Son of a Critch, he portrays his own father, Mike, a broadcaster for local radio station VOCM.  Crich co-created this original CBC comedy in which he relives his own awkward adolescence. He serves as actor/producer and writer for the series.

Mark Critch

Rankin

Claire Rankin, who was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, plays Mary Critch, Mark's mother. Rankin is a trained singer and dancer, and she has performed with the Shakespearean Stratford Festival.

McDowell

Veteran English actor Malcolm McDowell, 81, plays Mark's mischievous grandfather, Patrick "Pope" Critch, with whom Mark shares a room.  Director Stanley Kubrick cast McDowell as Alex in his 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.  On television, McDowell appeared as Domford Yates' gentleman hero Richard Chandos in the BBC;s 1978 adaptation of She Fell Among Thieves.

Gobbo

Colton Gobbo, 23, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, plays Mark's long-haired older brother, Mike Critch, Jr.  In 2021, Gobbo was cast in his first major role.  He played Noah, the son of Naomi Watt's character in the thriller film The Desperate Hour.  

Powers

Sophia Powers plays Jennifer Fox, Mark's red-haired bully turned love interest.  Born and raised in North Vancouver, Powers has also appeared in the TV movies Fourth Down and Love (2023) and Unexpected Grace (2023).  The character of "Fox" was written as a female for the TV series.

Rivera

Mark's best friend, Richie Perez, is portrayed by Mark Ezekiel Rivera.  Ritchie is of  Filipino background and seems to be the only student of colour at his school. He is bullied because of his Asian heritage.

Son of a Critch premiered on CBC on January 4, 2022.  In an article in The Canadian Press, just before the show's debut, Mark Critch is quoted as saying, “It’s not a biopic, it’s not a documentary, but the spine of every episode is a true story.” The series, however, can best be described as semi-autobiographical.  There are both difference and similarities between Critch's book and the TV series.

Every chapter of Critch's book focuses on one day of each year of his early life in Newfoundland.  His mother is featured most prominently in the memoir. while the roles of his father and brother are expanded in the television series.  Mark's grandfather, who wasn't mentioned as living with the family in the book, is also given an expanded role in the series.

In Son of a Crich's third season finale, entitled "Forever Young," Mark is given the task of delivering the valedictorian speech at his school's graduation.  It causes him to reflect on how his family and friends have affected his life.  

I'm looking forward to the show's fourth season as Mark begins his high school years.  How will things go with his romance with Fox?  What's in store for the Critch family?  

END NOTE

* Mark Critch's real-life father, Mike, passed away in 2015 at the age of 93.  According hi obituaries Mike Critch was a journalist for VOCM for over 20 years, beginning in the 1960s.  Mark's real-life brother, Mike Jr., also became a radio personality.  On the TV series, Mike Jr. works at VOCM and changes his name to Mike Campbell, in order to avoid confusion with his father.  The real Mike Critch, Jr. actually did change his name to Mike Campbell.  Michael E. Critch was married to his wife, Mary, for 49 years when he passed away.

Mike Critch, Sr.

- Joanne

A Tribute to Bob Newhart

“I had the great pleasure of working with Bob and being his friend. He was as kind and nice as he was funny. He will be missed.” 

- Actor and comedian Carol Burnett on X

“Bob Newhart was as funny as they come. The best stand up, the best situation comedy star, the kindest soul.” 

– Director Judd Apatow on Instagram.

“From his groundbreaking stand-up to his two classic sitcoms he gave us a lifetime of laughter. Truly one-of-a-kind. Thank you Bob Newhart!” 

– Actor Mark Hamill on X

"The only difference between Bob Newhart on stage and Bob Newhart offstage is that there is no stage."

- Actor David Hyde Pierce in an episode of the PBS series American Masters dedicated to Bob Newhart

Actor and comedian Bob Newhart has passed away at the age of 94.  His combination of gentle humour and deadpan delivery is rare today.  He wasn't rude or crude.  He was simply funny, a straight man surrounded by madness.  The soft spoken comedy icon died in Los Angeles on July 18th, 2024.  According to a statement from his publicist Jerry Digby, Bob died after a series of short illnesses.  Digby described Bob's passing as "an end of an era in comedy."

Bob was born George Robert Newhart in Oak Park, Illinois on September 5, 1929.  Bob's mother, Julia Pauline (née Burns ) was a homemaker.  His father, George David Newhart, was part-owner of a plumbing supply business.  Bob went by his second name, "Robert," to avoid confusion with his dad.

After attending Roman Catholic schools in the Chicago area, Bob enrolled at Loyola University in Chicago, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management in 1952.  He was then drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a U.S-based clerk during the Korean War..  He was discharged in 1954.

Upon completing his military service, Bob worked as an accountant and as an advertising copywriter for Fred A. Niles, a prominent independent film and television producer in Chicago.  Of his time as an accountant, he joked that "in my case, I don't think it's amazing that a bad accountant should become a comedian.  He said that there was a connection between numbers and music and comedy, although he wasn't sure what it was.  He then mentioned some contemporary comedians who had an interest in music.

While working at Fred A. Niles, Bob and a co-worker regaled each other with long telephone calls about absurd circumstances, which they sent to radio stations as audition tapes.  Even after his colleague accepted a a job in New York, Bob continued recording and developing a routine.  Based on those recordings, Warner Brothers Records signed him to a contract in 1959.  

He first came to prominence with s hit recording titled The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960).  The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was an album of comedic monologues.  It became a bestseller and climbed to number one on the Billboard pop album chart.  Bob's follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Again!, was also very well-received.  In fact his two albums were so popular that they held the first and second spots on Billboard simultaneously.

 

Bob Newhart continued to expand his comedic material and he began to perform in nightclubs.  His success as a stand-up comedian opened the doors to starring in  his own television show.  In 1961, he hosted a short-lived NBC variety program called The Bob Newhart Show.  However, it wasn't until over a decade later that he really made his mark on television.  He starred in two highly successful CBS sitcoms - The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978 and Newhart from 1982 to 1990.  

I especially enjoyed The Bob Newhart Show in which Bob played Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley, who counselled a slew of eccentric patients.  The show had a marvelous cast.  Suzanne Pleshette portrayed Bob's wife, Emily, a school teacher and later assistant principal.  Bill Daley played Howard Borden.  Borden, a commercial airline navigator who later became a co-pilot. lived across the hall from the Hartleys.  He often popped into their apartment to borrow things, partake of a free meal, or have Bob and Emily babysit his son.  Marcia Wallace played Carol Kester, the receptionist in the medical building where Bob worked, while Peter Bonerz played Dr. Jerry Robinson, an eccentric orthodontist.  With the death of Bob Newhart, Bonerz, now 85, became he only surviving member of show's main cast.

Below is a photo of the cast of The Bob Newhart Show, standing (from left): Bill Daley, Marcia Wallace, Peter Bonerz: seated Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette.

In Newhart, Bob portrayed Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon.  Louden was an author of do-it-yourself and travel books.  He and his wife, Joanna, played by Mary Frann, moved from New York City to a small town in Vermont, where they owned and operated the Stratford Inn.  Tom Poston played the inn's handyman George Utley (It's interesting to note that Poston married Suzanne Pleshette in 2001.  Poston died of respiratory failure on April 30, 2007 at the age of 85.  Pleshette passed away on January 19, 2008 after a battle with lung cancer.  She was 70 years old at the time of her passing).

The cast of Newhart

Bob returned to television in 1992.  He starred in series about a cartoonist called Bob.  The series had an ensemble cast, including Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame.  Despite good critical reviews, the show failed to attract a strong audience.  It was cancelled soon after the start of its second season.

In 1997, Bob appeared alongside Jason Bateman and Judd Hirsh in a sitcom called George & Leo.  The show was cancelled after its first season.

Judd Hirsh and Bob

In 2003, Bob guest-stared in three episodes of the medical drama ER.  The role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award Nomination.  

In 2005, Bob appeared in three episodes of Desperate Housewives as Morty Flickman, the on-again/off again boyfriend of Sophie, Leslie Ann Warren's character.

In 2013, Bob guest-starred in a sixth season episode of The Big Bang Theory.  He played the elderly Professor Proton (Arthur Jeffries), an ex-TV show host who had become a children's party entertainer.  Bob received a Primetime Emmy Award for that role.

In June of 2015, Bob appeared in the series finale of Hot in Cleveland, portraying the father-in-law of Joy Scoggs, played by Jane Leeves, who also played Daphne on Frasier.

On January 12, 1963, Bob married Virginia Lillian "Ginnie" Quinn, the daughter of character actor Bill Quinn.  The couple met in 1962 on a blind date set up by their mutual friend, actor and comedian Buddy Hackett.  Bob and Ginnie had four children together - sons Robert, born in November 1963, and Timothy, born in 1967, and their daughters Jennifer, born in 1971, and Courtney, born in 1977.  They nicknamed one of their daughter "Buddy." in order to fulfill a promise to Hackett.

Bob and Ginnie Newhart

Bob and Ginnie celebrated their 60th anniversary in January of 2013.  To mark the event, Bob posted a series of their favourite photos together on social media.  Sadly, Ginnie passed away just three months later, on April 23, 2023.  She died in Los Angeles after a long illness.  She was 82 years old at the time of her death.

In a 2022 interview with Parade, Bob was asked about the longevity of his marriage,  "The marriage of comedians," he said. "no matter how stormy, seem to last a long time, and I attribute it to laughter.  No matter how intense the argument you're  having, you can find a line, and then you both look at each other and start laughing.  It's over, you know?  I think that sense of humor is very important to the longevity of a marriage."

Rest in peace, Bob Newhart.  Thanks for the laughter.

END NOTES

* In 1962, Bob filmed An Evening with Bob Newhart, which is considered to be the first pay-per-view television special, for Canadian-based Telemeter.

* Bob and Ginnie Newhart were close friends with comedian Don Rickles and his wife, Barbara.  The Newhart and Rickles family vacationed together.  On January 24, 2005, Bob and Don appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  It was the Monday following Johnny Carson's death, and they reminisced about their many appearances on Carson's show.

* It was Ginnie Newhart who inspired the memorable 1990 finale of Newhart.  It was a clever callback to Bob's previous sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show.  Newhart ended with Bob waking up in Chicago next to his TV wife Suzanne Pleshette from The Bob Newhart Show, revealing that the second series, set in Vermont, was really just a dream.  Ginnie apparently suggested the idea to Bob at a Christmas party that was also attended by Suzanne Pleshette.

* In 2006, Hyperion Books published Bob's first book I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: and Other Things That Strike Me as Funny.  The book is principally a memoir, but also contains comic bits.  Many of Bob's classic routines are entwined in the text.

SOURCES:  Chicago Sun Times, "Ginnie Newhart, comedian's wife for six decades, dies at 82," by AP,, April 24, 2023; People, "Inside Bob Newhart and Wife Ginnie's 60-year Love Story," by Liza Esquibias, July 18, 2024, Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Presidential debates and TV

President Joe Biden will debate former President Donald Trump tonight.  TV certainly has changed drastically since the autumn of 1960, when Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Vice President Richard Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debates in American history.  There was an excitement, a novelty to those initial televised debates that can never be replicated.  For the first time, millions of Americans could watch from their living rooms as the two candidates went toe to toe.  They noticed how Nixed perspired and how he seemed to have five o'clock shadow.  Meanwhile, Kennedy seemed cool and collected.  His father, Joseph Kennedy, had made sure that JFK was well-prepared for television.

1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate

The 1960 debate were in black and white.  Secondly, they were broadcast on traditional network television. They were fresh and exciting, a novelty.  There were no 24-hour cables stations back then.  In 1960, radio was still a factor, although its influence was waning.  Tens of millions watched the debates on TV, while only 17 million heard them over the radio. 

The four 1960 debates took place in television studios, but there were no live audiences. The first debate took place on September 26, 1960, after both the Republican and Democratic conventions were over. Tonight's debate will be broadcast on CNN, a 24-hour cable news network.  It will take place prior to the conventions of both parties.  As in 1960, there will be no live audience.  

JFK was a youthful 42 years old when he debated Nixon.  Although Nixon was only 47, JFK appeared  more energetic.  The 2024 candidates are much older than Kennedy and Nixon were.  Biden is 81 years of age,  while Trump is 78.  Both grew up watching black and white TV.. Joe Biden is a lawyer turned politician.  He served as a Senator from Delaware from 1973 until 2009.  He was Vice President of the United States, under Barack Obama, from  2009 to 20017.  On January 20, 2021, he became the 46th President of the United States 

Donald Trump had never held public office before he became president.  A real estate mogul, Trump made his mark on TV, as the host a reality show called The Apprentice.  His catchphrase on the show was "Your fired!"  Before entering the political arena, Trump hosted The Apprentice for 14 seasons, from  2004 to 2017,   Trump is creature of television, a manipulator of the media.  It can be argued that without his starring role on The Apprentice, he never would have become president.

Former president Trump's antics and his controversial behaviour have brought him much media attention.  The cable news networks are absolutely saturated with news and opinions about Trump.  Let's be frank.  Trump's rantings and ravings, his impeachments and his criminal trial have been massively covered by the media.  Sure, it's news because he his the presumptive Republican candidate for president.  Let's not forget, however, that the Trump circus has been godsend for the likes of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.  He has boosted ratings and has helped them fill up space.

We will see what happens when Biden and Trump step on the stage tonight.  It could change the direction of the 2024 presidential race.

- Joanne