Patty Petersen of The Donna Reed Show: What became of Paul's younger sister?

Patty Petersen with Donna Reed in 1963

Patty Petersen, now known as Patti Petersen Mirkovich, was born on December 2, 1954 in Glendale, California.  From 1963 until 1966, Patti played the role of Tricia Stone, the adopted daughter of Donna and Alex Stone, in 99 episodes of The Donna Reed Show.  She was only eight years old when she joined her big brother Paul as a member of the cast of the popular series.

Patti is the youngest of three children of Wilma and Lawrence Peterson.   Lawrence Petersen, of Danish descent, was a mechanic and the family struggled financially.  Due to economic necessity, Paul (born September 23, 1945) and Pamela, the eldest Petersen sibling, spent their early childhood with their parents on their aunt and uncle's farm in Iowa.

When the family's financial situation improved, they returned to California and Patti was born.  Not long after her birth, Paul Petersen's career began to take off.  Wilma had enrolled him in tap dancing, music and drama lessons at  an early age.  In 1955, when he was nine years old, he was selected as a Mouseketeer for Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club.  The following year, he appeared in an episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Disney called "Along the Oregon Trail" (Season 3, Episode 10, Air Date: November 14, 1956) His tenure with Disney, however, did not last long and he was dismissed for reasons of "conduct unbecoming."  He later wrote a book about the experience titled Walt, Mickey and Me.  

After leaving Disney, Paul portrayed Cary Grant's son, David Winters, in the 1958 film, Houseboat, a romantic comedy starring Grant and Sophia Loren.  He then landed a plum role on The Donna Reed Show, which premiered in the fall of  1958 and was a huge hit with audiences. Meanwhile, his kid sister was also working toward a show business career.

On November 13, 1955, when Patti was less than a year old, she appeared on The Colgate Comedy Hour, a live comedy/variety show on NBC featuring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  By the early 1960s, Patti wanted to be on The Donna Reed Show with her brother.  In late 1962, producer Tony Owen (Donna Reed's then-husband) agreed to cast her in a role.  It was perfect timing because Shelley Fabares, who played Mary Stone, the eldest of the Stone children, was planning to leave.  She had had a hit song with "Johnny Angel" and wanted to pursue a movie career (She went on to make three films alongside Elvis Presley).  By 1963, Shelley was 19 years old and Mary Stone was a college student. With Fabares' departure on the horizon, a new child was sorely needed to spur interest in the series.  Enter Paul Petersen's real-life kid sister.

Patti appeared for the first time as Trishia during The Donna Reed Show's fifth season, in an episode entitled "A Way of Her Own" (Air Date: January 31, 1963).  The little girl  followed the Stone family home from the park one day and remained at their home, insisting that she was now a member of their family. The Stones discovered that young Trishia was an orphan and that her only living relative was a an uncle named Fred Hawley.  Fred didn't have room for his niece in his busy life and he permitted her to stay with the Stones.

Below is a photo of the cast of the Donna Reed Show - Top (Left to right): Paul Petersen (Jeff Stone) and Carl Betz (Dr. Alex Stone); Bottom (Left to right): Patty Patersen (Trishia Stone), Donna Reed (Donna Stone) and Shelley Fabares (Mary Stone).

Paul Petersen, who portrayed Jeff Stone, was a teen heartthrob and a recording artist. So how did he feel about having his kid sister on the show?  In a story (circa 1964) entitled "A Big Brother Speaks Up In Defense of Kid Sisters," posted on Paul's website, the actor talked about working with his younger sibling. He was 19 years old at the time the article was written and Patti was only ten.  He insisted that he was lucky to be working with her "because it gives us so much more time together."  He also discussed how he served as his sister's disciplinarian and mentor at the studio. He would listen to her problems and supervise her lunches on the set.  "I suppose, because of this," Petersen declared, "I take a greater pride in her development, both as a human being and a performer."

When The Donna Reed Show ended its run in 1966, Patti was not yet 12 years old. After making commercials and industrial films, she retired from acting.  During the ensuing years, she married and pursued other interests, including country singing and songwriting.

Now 59 years old, Patti is a writer and the founder of InterNovel, the first Internet company to work together with both new authors and professionals in the writing of novels.  According to the most recent information available, she teaches English and computer science at a Catholic school and is a volunteer volleyball coach.

Patti has two children, Tim and Melissa.


END NOTES

* Carl Betz, who played pediatrician Alex Stone, Donna Reed's television husband, died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on January 18, 1978.  He was 56 years old at the time of his death.  After the cancellation of The Donna Reed Show, Betz went on to play lawyer Clinton Judd in the legal drama Judd for the Defense. The series aired for two season, from 1967 to 1969, on the ABC network.  After it was cancelled, he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of attorney Judd.

Carl Betz in Judd for the Defense, 1967

* Donna Reed died of pancreatic cancer on January 14, 1986.  She was 64 years old. In 1987, Donna's widower, retired United States Army Colonel Grover Asmus. her TV daughter Shelley Fabares and many others, created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts.  The non-profit foundation provides scholarships for performing arts students and organizes a yearly festival of performing arts workshops. It also operates the Donna Reed Center for the Performing Arts in Donna's hometown of Denison, Iowa.  Patti and Paul Petersen are active members of the organization.

* In 1962, Wilma and Lawrence Petersen divorced.  Wilma remarried and Lawrence became a new development engineer at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

* On December 6, 2011, a Donna Reed Show Reunion was held at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.  Patti and Paul Petersen attended along with Shelley Fabares.  They regard their television parents with the utmost respect.  At the reunion, according to a report for LA Weekly by Ali Trachta, they shred stories about Donna, whom they considered a second mother.

At the reunion Shelley mentioned how she, Donna Reed, Carl Betz and Paul Petersen would continue to get together, even after their show went off the air.  They would meet regularly at a Beverly Hills restaurant called The Bistro just to chat and catch up on each other's lives.  Paul stated that sometimes he and Carl would sometimes remain until closing time, after the two women had left.

The above photo was taken in 2011 at the Paley Center. (Credit Kevin Parry for the Paley Center)  From left to right: Shelley Fabares, Paul Petersen and Patti Petersen Mirkovich.

* The MPI DVD 5-disc set of Season 5 of The Donna Reed Show includes, as a special feature, a video interview of Patti and Paul Petersen reminiscing about the series.


EDITOR'S UPDATE

MARCH 10, 2014

I contacted Patti Petersen Mirkovich and she very kindly provided me with this update of her activities for readers of TV Banter.

After 12 years of teaching computer studies, a brief move to Texas and a move back to welcome 2 beautiful grandchildren (both girls ages 7 and 5), I have moved on to a technology department that services an entire county!   Sadly I am no longer involved with internet writing - a tremendous idea that was well before it's time.  I am still very involved with the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts and will return to Denison, IA (Donna's hometown and Foundation offices) later this year for our board meeting and scholarship award presentations.

 

A fun note for your readers:  For several years before joining the cast of The Donna Reed Show, I pestered and hounded Tony Owen for a chance to be on the show.  His return comment was always "When you're older."  Well, just before my 8th birthday, I asked again - joyously telling him I was going to be 8 and I was old enough!  This time Mr. Owen's response was, "It will be your birthday present."  Certainly a wonderful present !!!  Who knew that present would last a lifetime 

- Joanne

Y&R Report (March 1, 2014): 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.


The Y&R writers had better step up and get some of those storylines moving faster.I don't know about you but I'm frustrated by the slow pace of the show.  It seems to me that the writers focus on one particular storyline, such as Delia's death or the hostage incident at the Genoa City Athletic Club and leave everything else on the back burner. Some stories move at such a snail's pace that viewers forget about them or simply lose interest by the time they return to the spotlight.  The focus is now on the Ian Ward storyline.  It's moving quickly but many of the others are not. Ward has been arrested for extortion but we haven't seen the last of him by any means.

The Abby and Tyler storyline with stalker Mariah seems to be going nowhere slowly. It's been on for months and we still haven't seen Mariah's face.  All we know is that she has a tattoo on her wrist.  Move it along please!

Is Phyllis ever going to come out of that coma?  I realize that they are probably trying to persuade Michelle Stafford to return to the show, but sooner or later they have to make a decision and get the storyline going before we forget about Phyllis altogether.  It already seems as if she has died.

I'm also tired of the continual bickering between Neil and Leslie over Leslie's reluctance to get married. That's been going on too long.  They've broken up now so move it along!

As for Dr. Stitch, also known as Ben Rayburn, the bits and pieces of his past are finally being revealed. It seems he had an affair with Kelly that destroyed his marriage.  He also did something that "Kel" finds unforgivable.  For a social worker, that Kelly certainly is a home wrecker - not that it doesn't take two to tango.  Stitch and Billy are by no means innocent either.  Still, the troublemaking blonde has perfected her "poor me, I'm all alone in town and you're my only friend" routine and Billy Boy has much too weak a character to resist.  Sure, Kelly's son died but that doesn't give her a licence to do what she has been doing. She's so persistent that not even the wrath of the Princess Victoria has deterred her.

Sorry to be so negative but right now I am a disgruntled about the direction the show is taking.  I really miss Billy Miller as Billy Abbptt and Michael Muhney as Adam Newman.  I am, however, enjoying Ray Wise's performance as Ian Ward.  Ward is such a slippery weasel.. I can't wait for him to come face to face with the Big Man, Victor Newman.  How will the Black Knight handle such a sneaky, conniving villain? Using violence against Ward hasn't worked for Nick and Dylan.  He always seems to find a way to escape their grasp.  As for Clueless Paul, he doesn't have a chance against the shifty cult leader.

It's evident that Fen the Mouse will soon be drawn into Ian's terrible trap.  He's a perfect target for the master manipulator Ward.  Fenmore's devoted father, Michael Baldwin, will no doubt become involved in the imbroglio.


Here's a request to the writers from me:  At least for awhile, could we have a moratorium on the following:

1.  Storylines about stalking.

2.  Storylines involving look-alikes.

3.  Child deaths.  Many viewers were upset and turned off by Delia's death.  After all, Nick and Sharon are still grieving Cassie.

4.  Characters returning from the dead.



VIEWER FORUM

Here are some remarks from regular commentator CC from Etobicoke, Ontario.

CC wrote:

Between the Cassie look-alike storyline and the new twists about Courtney it confirms for me that the writers make plot lines up as they go along.
I think they determine plot importance based a good deal on character popularity.
Courtney seems to be surging ahead of Summer at the moment, hence a u-turn in her character profile.

Yes, CC, I couldn't agree with you more.  For a while, they were undecided as to whether Courtney was gong to be a bad character or not.  They finally decided to make her an upright undercover cop.  Perhaps it was because, as you put it, she seems to be surging ahead of Summer at the moment.  The other factor, I think, was to promote a romance between her and Noah Newman.  Remember too, that the writers suddenly reformed Hillary because they want her to be involved romantically with Devon.

Chloe has gone over the edge by kidnapping cute baby Connor but
no one ever gets punished for their crimes or misdeeds in Genoa City.

Yes, Chloe went over the edge by kidnapping cute baby Connor and it seems as if she had a brief spell of insanity.  As for getting punished for crimes and misdeeds, most of the residents of Genoa City have been behind bars at some time for various reasons.  Make a list of the GC characters who have been behind bars and you will see what I mean.  It's difficult for the writers to have them remain in prison long for storyline purposes.  It gets tiresome for an actor to be restricted to jail scenes and prison visits from other characters. It's tiresome for viewers too.

Paul Williams is inept as a police chief.

You get no argument from me on that one, CC.


Millie from Mississauga, Ontario predicts that Dylan and Chelsea will get back together.  Perhaps, Millie, but not anytime soon.  He's too smitten with Avery right now.  Since we're talking about a soap, however, Avery and The Handyman can't remain happy for too long.  Chelsea doesn't have Adam right now, although he is bound to reappear.  Therefore, she may be quite open to the affections of Dylan since he is so attached to little Connor.

Helen from Scarborough, Ontario is amazed at how quickly Kevin Fisher arrived in Paris.  Wow!  Maybe he can fly faster than a speeding bullet like Superman.  Maybe this is a soap and you can't expect reality or you'll be sorely disappointed.  There are just some questions the writers don't want you to ask.  I ask them anyway, just for amusement.  For example, Sugar Cane Ashby sure recovered quickly from his gunshot wound, didn't he?



CAST NEWS

Cady McClain - the new Kelly

Cynthia Watros' stay on The Young and the Restless was very brief.  She only joined the cast last November.  However, as I mentioned in my last Y&R Report, Watros, who plays the role of Kelly Andrews has recently landed a part on a primetime MTV series, Finding Carter.  According to soap writer Dan J. Kroll, she will be replaced by two-time Emmy winmer Cady McClain.  The new Kelly is known for her portrayals of Dixie on All My Children and Rosanna on As the World Turns.


HAIR AND FASHION

Helen from Scarborough thinks that Nikki dressed quite strangely when she went to see Ian Ward.  She says Nikki's outfit resembled a housecoat and couldn't help but notice that it matched the money bag she brought to Ian.  Melody Thomas Scott has taken colour coordination to new lengths, hasn't she.  By the way, Nikki was sure able to put together a million dollars fast.  Ooops . . . that's another one of those questions the writers don't want us to ask.


BEST LINE

Avery:  You doubt my effectiveness?  Why?  Because I am a woman?

Dylan:  Because you smell like a cupcake and that is not very threatening.

Nick:  It's not.

Avery:  I  haven't made cupcakes in weeks.



Y&R REPORT READER'S POLL

How would you rate David Tom's performance as Billy Miller's replacement as Billy Abbott?
	Excellent! He's even better than Billy Miller.
	Very good but not as good as Billy Miller.
	About the same as Billy Miller.
	Good but not as good as Billy Miller.
	Satisfactory but not anywhere close to Billy Miller
	Fair
	Poor and unsatisfactory.
	Don't know.
pollcode.com free polls

Don't forget that the next edition of the Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, March 15, 2014.

- Joanne

You Wanted to Know: . . . about Jane Fonda on TV. Was she ever on Perry Mason?

You Wanted to Know appears on TV Banter from time to time and it deals with just the fact, ma'am.  I have tracked some of the key word readers have used in their Internet searches and have discovered some questions they would like answered.  Someone wanted to know if Jane Fonda had ever appeared on the Perry Mason television series starring Raymond Burr.  Here's the answer.


Many celebrities appeared in guest roles on Perry Mason (1957-1966) but Academy Award winner Jane Fonda wasn't one of them. The answer is no.  Jane never had a role on the show.  In fact, the actress has taken very few television roles.  She played Gloria Winters in a little known 60 minute television movie entitled A String of Beads. A String of Beads aired on February 7, 1961.  Twenty years later, she appeared in another TV film, Lily: Sold Out, a 1981 comedy featuring Lily Tomlin. Tomlin had co-starred with Jane and Dolly Parton in the popular film comedy 9 to 5.

In 1982, Jane Fonda made a guest appearance on the television version of 9 to 5. She played a character named O'Neil in an episode of the series entitled "The Security Guard" (Season 2, Episode 2, Air Date: October 12, 1982).  Fonda received an Emmy for her stellar performance as Gertie Nevels. a sharecropper's wife, in The Dollmaker, a television movie that aired on the ABC network on May 13, 1984.  In the film, Gertie, a mother of five from the Kentucky Hills, uproots her children so that she can join her husband, Clovis.(Levon Helm) in Detroit, where he has found employment in a factory during World War I.  The family is reunited and settles in a shack in an industrial area of the city.

Jane in The Dollmaker

It was not until 2012, however, that Jane had a recurring guest star role on a television series.  To date, she has portrayed the character of Leona Lansing on seven episodes of The Newsroom on HBO.  Her most recent appearance as Leona occurred in a September 15. 2013 episode entitled "Election Night: Part II" (Season 2, Episode 9).

Jane Fonda in The Newsroom

The Newsroom was created by Aaron Sorkin, who also created the hit American political drama The West Wing.  The series revolves around the happenings at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN).  Jeff Daniels stars as anchorman Will McAvoy. Jane Fonda's character is the owner of ACN.  In a 2012 interview with The Huffington Post, Jane described Leona Lansing as "somewhere in between" media mogul Rupert Murdoch and her ex-husband, CNN founder Ted Turner.  When asked to comment on whether she had some inside knowledge of newsrooms, she replied, "Well, I do. Being with Ted for ten years, it helps me feel comfortable in that environment.  I know what it looks like.  I know what it feels like - it doesn't intimidate me."

Jane told The Huffington Post that The Newsroom is "a fantastic series" and that she was "proud to be in it." She stated that being a "recurring guest star" on a television show was something new to her.  She said she didn't know how to describe what she does because "I've never done a series like this before."


END NOTES

* Some notable guest stars on the Perry Mason television series include Burt Reynolds #150, 4/8/1962,, Dick Clark #271, 5/2/1966, Barbara Eden #7, 11/2/1957, Barry Sullivan #227, 1/14/1965, Yvonne Craig #35, 5/31/58, Robert Redford #96, 9/17/1960, Walter Pidgeon #172, 2/28/1963, Bette Davis #169, 1/31/1963, Angie Dickinson #23, 2/22/1958, Fay Wray #36, 6/7/1958, Ruth Warrick #224, 12/17/1964, George Kennedy #178, 4/18/1963, Diane Ladd #183,10/3/1963, Frankie Laine #57, 2/21/1959, Jerry Van Dyke #204, 3/26/1964, Adam West #115, 3/18/1961, Paul Winfield #251, 11/14/1965, Richard Deacon #106, 12/10/1960, Cloris Leachman #270, 5/15/1966, June Lockhart #214, 10/8/1964, David McCallum #214, 10/8/1964, Lee Meriwether #226, 1/7/1965, Leonard Nimoy #166, 1/3/1963, Billy Mumy #183, 10/3/1963, Barbara Parkins #160, 11/8//1962, Gavin MacLeod #122, 5/27/1961, Hugh O'Brian #171, 2/14/1963, Nancy Kulp #36, 6/7/1958, Harvey Korman #160, 11/8/1962, Mike Connors #218, 11/5/1964, Jeanne Cooper #40, 9/20/1958, Michael Constantine #224, 12/17/1964, Louise Fletcher #86, 2/27/1960, Ryan O'Neal  #198, 2/6/1964, James Coburn #108, 1/7/1960, Carl Betz #17, 1/11/1958, Whitney Blake #1, 9/21/1957, Joseph Kearns #50, 12/20/1958, Frances Bavier #8, 11/9/1957, Alejandro Rey #133, 11/18/1961, Jackie Coogan #128, 10/14/1961 and Alan Hale, Jr. #137, 12/16/1961.


* HBO has officially renewed The Newsroom for a third and final season, scheduled to air in the fall of 2014.

* Last year, Fonda was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a drama for The Newsroom.  She lost out to Carrie Preston of The Good Wife.  Jeff Daniels, however, won an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama for his role in The Newsroom.

* In his ShowBiz 411 column of August 28, 2013, Roger Friedman praised Jane Fonda's performance on The Newsroom effusively.  Friedman wrote:

Last night’s HBO drama The Newsroom got a jolt of electricity–at last. It came from two time Oscar winner Jane Fonda, who gave an Oscar worthy performance and stole the entire season in one fell swoop. Fonda plays ACN owner Leona Lansing, and is used sparingly by show creator Aaron Sorkin. She’s nominated for an Emmy from last season (and deserves to win, hands down).

If you want to see lightning strike through a scene, then this is it. Why Fonda doesn’t get a “special guest star” credit up front when she’s on perplexes me. “The Newsroom” needs her. The show can be very whiny otherwise….



- Joanne

Y&R Report (Feb. 15, 2014): 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.

1.  So, fans, how do you like David Tom as Billy Abbott?  I have nothing against him but I much prefer Billy Miller.  I suppose if Miller had to be replaced, David Tom would have been a good choice since he's played the part of Billy Abbott before.  The point is that Y&R did not have to replace Billy Miller.  All they had to do was allow him some time to pursue other acting assignments.  Why didn't they?  It's a decision that really irks me.

2.  Why did Clueless (police chief Paul Williams) question Billy Boy Abbott so relentlessly when Billy was injured and traumatized from the car explosion?  Clueless told Princess Victoria Newman that the questioning was urgent but failed to explain why the interrogation couldn't wait until Billy was feeling better. Clueless was even trying to force Billy Boy to answer questions without a lawyer present.

Speaking of the Princess, I strongly doubt that she'll keep her vow about being truly finished with Daddy Victor in her life.  I hate to say it but I think The Big Man was right when he said, "She'll come back.  She always does."  Now that Victoria knows about Billy and Kelly, she'll need some support.  Victor will say, "Sweetheart, I've told you all along that Billy Boy isn't good enough for your.  He's a punk and a playboy!"

3.  Poor Fenmore Baldwin!  He's the Rodney Dangerfield of Genoa City.  He just can't get any respect.  That slimy Richard Womack calls him "Mouse" and a Genoa City cop called him "Junior."

4.  Why did Sharon react so calmly to the news of Adam's supposed death?  She didn't even shed a tear. She was quite composed and didn't seem as if she were grieving at all.  She chatted with Summer as if she had only experienced a minor disappointment.  The writers were really asleep at the switch because Sharon really cared about Adam.

5.  It's amazing how easily one can find a dead ringer for someone in Genoa City! Victor Newman just happened to stumble on Cassie's exact look-alike.  What a coincidence!  How convenient for Victor!  He was able to use Cassie's doppelganger to scare Sharon and to find out the secret she is keeping from his son, Nick.  I know soaps are not expected to accurately reflect reality but why are viewers expected to overlook all those frequent look-alikes?

6.  That sneaky Aussie con man, Colin Atkinson, is back!  I just wish the writers hadn't taken so long to explain the Jill kidnapping caper and her quick, unexpected marriage to that sly criminal.  Jill just can't seem to help herself because he's so suave and she's so attracted to him.

7.  There was plenty of high drama at the Valentine gala event for the Delia Fund. Michael Baldwin was conveniently out of town, of course, because he would have recognized Womack.  Speaking of Womack, didn't he look different all dressed up in a suit and tie?

8.  It looks like Chloe has gone off the deep end where baby Connor is concerned. She obviously thinks of The Cute One as a replacement for Delia.  Now she's kidnapping him and leaving town.  I really don't understand how she plans to get past airport security using a passport with Chelsea's picture on it.  How convenient that she was able to get possession of it in the first place!


VIEWER FORUM

From CC from Etobicoke:

I don't think Carmine and Lauren are done yet.

It is ludicrous for a chief to never have been in the ranks, not be able to ever be in uniform, and leave the crime solving to a semi-criminal like Kevin.
Time for Paul and Christine to ride off into the sunset...maybe they should get away from the Wisconsin winter by flying off to Florida.

Well, CC,  I really hope you are wrong about Carmine and Lauren.  That ship has sailed.  Lauren's storyline should move on to other things.  I hope that the writers only brought Carmine back to prevent Fen from serving a prison sentence for murder.

I couldn't agree with you more about Paul Williams.  That's why I call him Clueless. He would never have become police chief without wearing a uniform himself.  How many private detectives become police chiefs? Not only that, but he's terrible at solving crimes.  No wonder Victor's investigator discovered the truth about Adam before Clueless Williams.  Paul has been far more concerned about helping Nikki find her long-lost son and dealing with Ian Ward.  I think he still has a thing for The Big Man's wife.  Christine (also known as The Cricketmeister or The Bug) had better keep her eyes open.

Having said all that, I like Doug Davidson.  He's been a fixture on the show for many years and I don't want him to leave.


CAST NEWS

It appears that Adam Newman has somehow survived that car explosion and now there is speculation that Chris McKenna will eventually replace Michael Muhney in the role.  McKenna, formerly Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live, announced via Twitter that he will be coming to the Y&R.  "It appears I'll be making a bit of a return to soaps," he tweeted.  "At least for a few episodes. #theyoungandtherestless" Although McKenna will be taking on the recurring role of Mark Harding, many believe that he will turn out to be Adam.  Plastic surgery? No, couldn't be!  Nothing personal against Chris McKenna, but I think Y&R should have allowed the character of Adam Newman to die.  If the speculation turns out to be true, McKenna will have the unenviable task of replacing Michael Muhney and it will be more difficult to bring closure to the bitter firing of his predecessor.  Why does everyone have to come back from the dead on soaps anyway? Carmine Basco has just returned to life.   Isn't that enough for now?  Not only that, but we still have the ghosts of John Abbott and Cassie Newman hanging around!  Hey, Drucilla's body was never found.  Maybe someday, they'll resurrect her to come between Neil and Leslie.

Chris McKenna

Cynthia Watros, who plays Kelly Andrews on The Young and the Restless, will most likely be leaving the show.  She has a co-starring role in a new MTV drama called Finding Carter.  Finding Carter is a series about a teenage girl named Carter (Kathryn Prescott) who returns to live with her biological parents after discovering her adopted mother abducted her as a young child.  Watros will portray Carter's birth mother.

Since Kelly is an integral part of the storyline, I don't think the character will be written out.  A new actress will likely take over the part.

BEST LINE

Esther: "Never trust a man with thin lips - present company excepted." (meaning Kevin).


That's all for now.  The February sweeps continue and don't forget that the next edition of the Y&R Report will appear on Saturday, March 1, 2014.

- Joanne

Twilight Zone episode with Wally Cox has similarities to the movie Her

              Wally Cox in the Twilight Zone episode "From Agnes - With Love"


Last week I viewed the film Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Olivia Wilde. In this 2013 science fiction romance, Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a lonely writer going through a divorce. He falls madly in love with Samantha, his computer operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.  Yes, you read that right! Not only that, but Theodore's friends don't find anything strange about it.  They don't even bat an eyelash when he reveals that he is dating his computer operating system.  Believe it or not, he and Samantha even go on a double date with another couple.  It's a rather sad commentary, I think, about our growing attachment to computer devices and our disconnection from other human beings.

After watching the movie Her, I could not help but be reminded of a classic Twilight Zone episode that was aired on television almost 50 years ago - "From Agnes - With Love" (Season 5, Episode 20), featuring Wally Cox.  The movie Her can be regarded a 21st century version of "From Agnes With Love" and I am more convinced than ever that Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling was a genius.  He was extremely creative, imaginative and prescient.  He had a great sense of the future.

"From Agnes - With Love" was originally broadcast on CBS on February 14, 1964 - yes Valentine's Day! Somehow, I don't think that was a coincidence.  In the episode, Wally Cox plays the central role of James Elwood, a computer programmer who takes advice on his love life from a computer named Agnes.  The cast also includes Ralph Taeger, Sue Randall, Raymond Bailey, Don Keefer, Byron Kane and Nan Peterson.

Narrator Rod Serling introduces the episode as his rich voice intones these words:

James Elwod, master programmer, in charge of Mark 502-741, commonly known as ‘Agnes,’ the world’s most advanced electronic computer.  Machines are made by man for man’s benefit and progress, but when man ceases to control the products of his ingenuity and imagination, he not only loses the benefit, but he takes a long and unpredictable step into - The Twilight Zone.

Here is a synopsis of the plot of "From Agnes - With Love":

A company supervisor (Raymond Bailey) calls upon computer programmer James Elwood when the office computer, known affectionately as Agnes, breaks down. The current programmer, Fred Danzinger (Don Keefer), is unable to resolve the functional error and Jim is asked to see if he can figure out what has gone wrong (Agnes, by the way, is a UNIVAC, the first commercial computer produced in the United States).

Jim Elwood solves the problem so quickly and efficiently that he soon finds himself in charge of the machine. Agnes and Jim soon establishes a rapport and the machine begins giving him romantic advice about Millie (Sue Randall), a co-worker with whom he has arranged to go on a date.  Their date ends in disaster after Jim awkwardly spills champagne on her.  The next date doesn't go well either due to poor advice from Agnes who deliberately misleads the lovelorn computer expert. Jim is distraught when Millie winds up meeting and spending the evening with his romantic rival, a fellow computer programmer named Walter Holmes (Ralph Taeger).

It turns out that Agnes has her own agenda.  She (or it?) is in love with Jim herself and is jealous of Millie. Jim soon realizes that the computer has feelings for him and is losing logical control over its own functions. Unable to solve Agnes' dysfunction, the frustrated computer technician breaks down in frustration.  His boss urges him to take a long leave of absence and he is replaced by Walter, his romantic rival and former subordinate.

END NOTES

* The late Wally Cox delivered a superb performance in the role of nerdy Jim Elwood. Although not a Hollywood leading man, Cox was a fine actor/comedian and is strongly associated with the golden era of American television's earliest days.  He was born Wallace Maynard Cox on December 6, 1924 in Royal Oaks, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.  His father, George W. Cox, was an advertising executive and his mother, Eleanor Atkinson, was a mystery author.  She wrote under the pseudonym Eleanor Blake.and is best known for the detective novel Death Down East, published in 1942.

Wally's parents divorced when he was a young child.  At the age of 10, he moved with his mother and younger sister to Evanston, Illinois.  It was there that he became friends with a neighbourhood boy named Marlon Brando.  In the 1950s, Wally and Brando became roommates in an apartment in New York City. Brando was already involved in acting and he encouraged Wally to become involved in the industry too.. Their friendship lasted for the rest of Cox's life and Brando travelled from his home in Tahiti to attend Cox's wake.

Cox did well academically and developed and interested in botany.  His plans to become a botanist were put on hold when his  mother was stricken with polio.  He worked at a variety of odd jobs to support the family until he was drafted into military service in 1942.  After being honourably discharged from the army, the young man gave up on the idea of being a botanist and studied handicrafts at the school of industrial arts at New York University.  He became a skilled silversmith.  Wally then opened his own shop in New York where he sold men's accessories such as tie clips that he made himself.

Yet Cox had a talent for comic monologue and he enjoyed entertaining his friends with his impersonations. Spurred on by Brando and others, he joined a local improvisational troupe, the American Creative Theater Group.  He built a name for himself in theatre productions and nightclubs around New York City and became a frequent quest on radio and television programs.

A bespectacled man with a high-pitched voice, Wally's onscreen persona was meek and polite, the quintessential milquetoast.   Although only about 5 ft 5 in. (1.65 metres) or 5 ft. 6 in. (1.68 metres), he was actually quite athletic.  The veteran of World War II was also a motorcycle enthusiast, and a skilled chess player, wood carver and jewellery maker.  Nevertheless, he found himself typecast as a prim and proper bookkeeper or a birdwatcher.

From 1952 to 1955, the actor starred in Mr. Peepers, as Robinson J. Peepers, a shy science teacher at Jefferson Junior High.  Other members of the cast were Tony Randall as history teacher named Harvey Weskit, Patricia Benoit as county nurse Nancy Remington (who later wed Peepers) and Marion Lorne as Mrs, Gurney, an often befuddled English teacher. It's interesting to note that Marion went on to play Samantha's  confused Aunt Clara on Bewitched.

Peepers and school nurse Nancy Remington were married  in a live episode at the end of the 1953-1954 season.  Their wedding was one of the highest rated television shoes of 1954.  After that, the show's popularity waned and it went off the air in 1955 due to declining ratings.

Mr. Peepers was a live sitcom.  It was broadcast before an audience at the New Century Theatre in New York City and recorded in kinescope.

Wally Cox as Mr. Peeper with Patricia Benoit 

From 1956 to 1957, Wally starred in another sitcom called The Adventures of Hiram Holliday  He played Hiram Holiday, a mild-mannered proofreader for a New York newspaper who turns out to have exceptional skills in several activities including scuba diving, fencing, airline piloting and even art forgery.  His newspaper's publisher decides to utilize Hiram's talents by sending him on an adventurous trip around the world with a reporter to accompany him. (There seems to be a pattern here. Wally Cox must have had some sort of Clark Kent complex.)

Beginning in 1964, Wally Cox provided the voice of Underdog in the animated series of the same name  . Underdog was the alter ego of  Shoeshine Boy.  He appeared whenever his love interest, Purebred Polly, appeared to be in danger from Simon Bar Sinister and other villainous characters.  The unlikely canine hero spoke in rhymes such as "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

Underdog aired on the NBC network and continued in syndication until 1973. Production of new episodes, however, ceased in 1967.  124 episodes of the cartoon series were made.

Underdog

Although Wally Cox never had a starring role on a TV sitcom during the 1960s, he guess-starred on numerous shows, particularly in 1966 and 1967.  In 1966 he appeared on Mister Roberts, Lost in Space, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mission Impossible and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E..  He also appeared on two 1966 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies as Professor P. Caspar Biddle:  "The Bird-Watchers" (Season 4, Episode 29, Air Date: April 13, 1966) and "Granny Tonics a Bird-Watcher" (Season 4, Episode 31, 1966).  In 1967, he had guest roles on Ironside, I Spy, The Monkees and Get Smart.

From 1969 until 1972,  Cox appeared with Lucille Ball in four episodes of the comedy series Here's Lucy.
One of the episodes is "Lucy and Wally Cox."  (Season 2, Episode 21, Air Date: February 9, 1970). In the episode, Wally played Wally Manley, the son of Moose Manley.  The elder Manley was portrayed by Alan Hale, Jr. of Gilligan's Island.

In the years before his death, Wally was a guest star on the Bill Cosby Show (1970), Night Gallery 1971, McMillan & Wife (1971) and Alia Smith and Jones (1972), The Odd Couple (1972) and Search (1973). His appearance on Night Gallery gave him another opportunity to work with Rod Serling.  On The Odd Couple episode, he was reunited with his Mr. Peepers co-star, Tony Randall

Cox was married three times and divorced twice.  He wed his first wife, Marilyn Gennaro, on June 7, 1954. His second marriage, to Milagros Tirado, took place in 1963.  He was survived by his third wife, actress Patricia Tiernan, whom he married in 1967.  Information about his offspring is vague, contradictory and very sparse online. According to IMbd and other sources, however, he had one child with Marilyn Genaro.  The American National Biography Online asserts that he and Genaro adopted a daughter but no name is provided. Wikipedia states that he had two children with Milagros Tirado.

Wally Cox passed away on February 15, 1973, almost 41 years ago.  He died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Bel Air, California.  He was only 48 and there were some reports that the cause of his death was an overdose of sedatives, although it has been officially ruled as a heart attack.   An autopsy concluded that Cox died of a coronary occlusion (the obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery).

According to an October 17, 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times ("When the wild one met the mild one" by Robert Welkos), few people were aware of Marlon Brando's arrival at Wally Cox's wake in the actor's Bel Air home.  Brando had "crept in through a back window at Cox's residence and hidden out in the room where Cox had died." Wally's widow, Patricia, declared that Brando "was heartbroken, of course," at Wally's death.

Celebrities from the game show The Hollywood Squares, on which Cox was a regular guest star, were at the wake.  Others in attendance were Tom and Dick Smothers, Vincent Price, Ernest Bognine and Twiggy. Patricia told Welkos, however, that "Marlon didn't come out." of the room where he was hidden.

* In The Twilight Zone episode "From Agnes - With Love," Wally Cox's character, James Elwood, uses the term "debug" when referring to the need to "debug" Agnes. This is a very early use of the expression on an American television drama, possibly the first use.

* Wally appeared in the unaired pilot of The Hollywood Squares in 1965 and remained with the NBC series until his death in 1973.  With a few exceptions, he sat in the upper left square. On the show, he was quite witty and sarcastic.

Wally Cox in his Hollywood Square

 * Wally authored some children's books:  The Tenth Life of Osiris Oakes, My Life As A Small Boy (1961) and Ralph Makes Good (1965).     

- Joanne

Y&R Report (Feb. 1, 2014): 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.

1.  The walls have finally closed in on Adam and his storyline has drawn to a fiery conclusion.  The car exploded and Billy survived.  That's not unexpected since we know that David Tom has replaced Billy Miller in the role.  We caught our first glimpse of David as he fell down in front of Victoria at their doorstep. Boy, that explosion really altered Billy's appearance!

What of Adam?  We are being led to believe that no one could have survived that explosion and that Adam must be dead.  Don't be surprised if he shows up again in a few weeks or months.  According to Michael Muhney, Y&R executive produce Jill Farren Phelps told him that Adam's character would not appear on screen for awhile and then return with a new actor in the role.

I must say, I do have some sympathy for the wretched son of Hope.  Although he is no angel, I think he has been treated far too harshly by Billy Abbott and some of the other residents of Genoa City.  Here are a couple of points to keep in mind: Firstly, Adam did not set out to run over Delia.  That was the furthest thought from his mind.  It was purely an accident.  Secondly, contrary to what Billy and others have stated, Adam did not leave little Delia on the roadside to die.  He wasn't even aware that his car had struck the child.  He thought he might have hit Delia's dog, checked to see if that had happened and was relieved that the dog was still standing.  So, believing that nothing was amiss, he jumped back into his infamous black SUV and drove away.

Adam is guilty of not turning himself in after discovering what he had unintentionally done. He acted out of cowardice and fear of losing Chelsea and cute baby Connor. Yes, he was very wrong not to go to the police but his intent was not malicious.  His actions were all too human, especially since he feared Clueless and the Cops would not believe him with his his history of malfeasance.

Adam rightly pointed out to Billy that he too bore some responsibility for his daughter's death.  After all, Billy was the one who left Delia unattended in the car while he went to buy some ice cream.  Adam's words really hit a nerve with Billy Boy and he had no rebuttal.  Let's play amateur psychologist now.  Perhaps the reason Billy has been so angry and vengeful toward Adam is that he is really angry at himself for leaving Delia alone. He has been projecting his anger onto Adam in order to ease his own guilt.

Delia's parents, Billy and Chloe, come across as extremely vengeful and bloodthirsty. Yes, I can understand that they are in pain and that they lost their daughter.  They claim they want justice but what they really want is revenge.  They want someone to pay for what happened to Delia and they want to blame someone for her death.

The confrontation between Billy and Adam has highlighted the excellent acting ability of both Billy Miller and Michael Muhney.   It's really disappointing to see their departures.  Why couldn't some lesser actor leave the show instead?  Why do the fans have to lose the best?  Sigh!


2.  So if the police come to your door searching for someone and you assure them that the person in question is not on the premises, the police will just take your word for it, won't they?  They will if you are the Great Victor Newman.  Two of Genoa City's finest came to Adam's apartment with a warrant for his arrest. The Black Knight reminded them of his importance and stated categorically that his son was not there.  The police just took his word for it and left.  Why?  He is the Big Man.  He is the Great Victor Newman.  That's why.

The Big Man is also guilty of obstruction of justice.  He knew Adam was the driver of the SUV and he didn't inform the police (It's no surprise Victor's investigator discovered the truth before Clueless Paul Williams). Victor used that information to blackmail his own son, Adam.  When confronted about it by Nikki, he used his one-size-fits-all excuse for everything.  He declared that he had to protect his family.  He uses that excuse to justify almost anything.


3.  Ian Ward showed up at Nikki's doorstep and he's quite a piece of work.  He's so sly and slippery, isn't he?  It seems as if Supermodel Summer will be his next victim. He gave her his card and you can bet she's going to look him up.  Summer is young and naive, the perfect candidate for Ian Ward to lead down his disastrous Path. She's also not the sharpest knife in the drawer - just as Nikki was at her age.  What a coincidence that she's Nikki's granddaughter! Like grandmother, like granddaughter. Wait until Ian discovers that they are related!

4.  There are now pictures of outdoor scenes before the indoor scenes take place. For example, we have been shown outdoor images of the Abbott home in winter and the Genoa City prison.

5.  So Carmine Basco is still alive.  Are you happy about that, fans?  I just hope they don't have him stalking Lauren again.  I understand that he had to turn up alive in order to establish Fen's innocence but those stalking storylines are getting tiresome. I could do without the one about Tyler's ex, Mariah, stalking him and girlfriend Abby.

6.  Wherefore art thou, Jill.Foster Abbott Fenmore?  I am astounded that Y&R's producers and writers have left Jill's kidnapping storyline just hanging for such a lengthy period of time.  I realize that the Adam storyline has been front and centre but could't they have devoted a few scenes to Jill.  Why is no one concerned about her absence?  The show has a terrible tendency to leave stories hanging far too long. It's very annoying and disconcerting to fans.  Continuity is important.

CAST NEWS

Steve Burton (Dylan McAvoy) and his wife, Sheree, are expecting their third child. Their daughter, Makena Grace, was born in 2003 and son Jack Marshall was born in 2006.  Baby Number Three is due in mid-July.

Soap writer Dan J. Kroll has reported that Eileen Davidson is returning to her role as Kristen Blake on Days of Our Lives rather than to her Ashley Abbott character on Y&R.  Eileen will be seen on screen this summer. That's great news for Days fans but another disappointment for Y&R fans.  I have been hoping for a storyline involving Ashley and Dr. Stitch.  That isn't likely to happen any time soon.


Young and Restless TRIVIA

You will have to be a long-time Y&R fan to remember this:

What was the name of the hair salon that Jill Foster once worked at with her boss, Derek.Thurston. Jill and Mrs. Chancellor fought over him.  Derek married Katherine Chancellor after she got him drunk, although he eventually fell in love with Jill.

Derek first appeared on the show in 1976.  His last appearance was in 1984 when he attended the wedding of Victor and Nikki.

The answer is further down the page.



BEST LINES

Abby after finding herself locked in her new apartment and her cell phone taken - the work of a stalker:

"Trapped in a cold apartment all night and then break a nail."


"A skunk with perfume is a skunk."

- Dylan referring to his biological father, Ian Ward



ANSWER TO Y&R TRIVIA QUESTION:

The hair salon managed by Derek Thurston was called The Golden Comb.


That's all for now, Y&R fans.  Get ready for the February sweeps and Valentine's Day on the show.  There is going to be a big Valentine's gala n Genoa City and it's going to be filled with intrigue.  Remember to check out the next edition of Y&R Report on Saturday, February 15, 2005.

I leave you with a Reader's Poll.


Y&R REPORT READER'S POLL

Are you pleased that Carmine Basco is still alive?
	Yes, I'm pleased. Marco Dapper plays the part really well.
	I don't really care. I'm not too interested in the character.
	No, I am not pleased. I don't like the Carmine character.
	Don't know
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

- Joanne

You Wanted to Know: How tall is Mark Harmon?

"I don't care who's No. 1 on the call sheet or how big my trailer is. I care about the work. I don't care who gets the laughs. I just care that the laugh comes."

- Mark Harmon


Today I am introducing a new feature on TV Banter that will appear from time to time.  It's called You Wanted to Know and it deals with just the fact, ma'am.  I have tracked some of the key words readers have used in their Internet searches and have discovered some questions they would like answered.  Several people have been curious about NCIS star Mark Harmon's height.  So without further ado, here's the answer.  (Drum role, please!)

Mark Harmon is about 1.82 or 1.83 metres according to various sources.  That makes him just under or just over 6 feet tall.

Mark's full name is Thomas Mark Harmon and he was born in Burbank, California on September 2, 1951. He is now 62 years old.

Mark Harmon's wife, Pam Dawber, is 1.69 metres or just under 5 feet, 7 inches.

Sean T. Harmon, Mark and Pam's 26-year old son, is slightly shorter than his father. On his website, Sean (born April 25, 1988) lists his height at 5 feet, 11 inches or 1.8034 metres.  Sean's younger brother, Ty Christian Harmon, was born on June 25, 1992.


Note: Some readers have been wondering if Mark Harmon is related to Dallas-born actress Angie Harmon. No, they are not related.


- Joanne