Feb 10 2010

Maria Arena Bell / Paul Rauch Interview

Posted in Stephen Nichols, Tucker McCall 10 comments

photo: JPI Studios

Micheal Fairman is on a hot streak right now with the interviews!

This week we have a very insightful interview with Maria Arena Bell and Paul Rauch, co-executive producers of the Young & the Restless. It’s a great interview about the show and the daytime genre in general.

Most importantly ( to us at least ) they discuss the recast of Tucker McCall with Stephen.

MARIA:

Honestly, in watching Stephen in the role, he is Tucker McCall. He is the character we had created. It was one of those things that was not fitting with what that character needed to be. There is no accepting what is not quite right, and the way it was going to impact the storytelling was what is important to me.

Read the full interview HERE. It is a very good read.

10 comments

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Giddy - February 10, 2010 - 11:48 am

It’s nice to know the folks at Y&R care what fans think.

Cathie - February 11, 2010 - 4:36 pm

What a great interview! I never did watch Y&R till Stephen came on board and I have seen hit and miss comments about this team. But, I like what they had to say. I am just now getting into Y&R for Stephen, so we will see. I am so glad they did hire him, he is Tucker.

BTW — Great site! Found you on google!

Cathie

Molly - February 11, 2010 - 5:05 pm

For someone who was never a Y&R fan before Stephen joined the show, I thought this article was very insightful. I have read different things on various message boards…some folks are happy and others are not. But I think you can’t please all fans all the time. It sounds to me like Bell and Rauch at least care about what the fans think which is a nice switch from TIIC at Days;) Of course if I could make one wish it would be that they would bring Mary Beth to Y&R as well. Can you imagine the joy of SN&MB fans everywhere??? So many possibilities for the two best actors in daytime!

wawame - February 11, 2010 - 5:45 pm

Interesting interview, and as previously stated, insightful. As said by Maria Bell, “Honestly, in watching Stephen in the role, he is Tucker McCall.” I couldn’t agree more. Another statement made by Paul Rauch saying that there are some daytime executives who rely too much on focus groups is also something I fully agree with. All in all, Y&R must be doing something right, or they wouldn’t continue to be number one. Glad Stephen brought me to a soap I can honestly say I’m enjoying.

CC - February 11, 2010 - 6:00 pm

You can see why Y&R is number one and has been for so long. The writers take the time to listen to the actors and the fans. They aren’t so set in what they write that they won’t change an actor or a story that isn’t working. How refreshing.

Liz - February 11, 2010 - 9:06 pm

I can see why this show is #1 among daytime serials. The people in charge care about telling a good story, having the right chemistry with their cast, and creating complex characters. What a breath of fresh air in daytime.

Sherry S. - February 11, 2010 - 9:09 pm

Very interesting reading! I like the fact that focus groups are used, but both Bell and Rauch realize that they’re not 100% accurate. This fan certainly agrees with their realization about Stephen Nichols as Tucker McCall. There could be no actor better suited for this roll. Even though suggestions from fans are not always carried through, they do seem to respect the opinions of their supporters.

Lisa - February 11, 2010 - 9:12 pm

What an interesting interview. They both seem so positive and appreciative of their actors. As a writer, Maria knew the character of Tucker so well that she knew there needed to be a recast. She said, “and as much as I think William Russ is a fantastic actor, when I watched the scenes it was not exactly how I wanted Tucker to be. It was not exactly how he was conceived to be,” After a few episodes, I can already see that Stephen has added nuances to the character that were not there before. I am looking forward to watching the character develop and just maybe Tucker can be the one to truly give Victor a run for his money.

Kris - February 11, 2010 - 10:16 pm

I read the interview and found it interesting. Young and the Restless is a show that’s new to me, so I was interested to read what they had to say and get their take on what goes on behind the scenes, both with the writing and in their interactions with the actors. I think Y&R is a top-notch show, and I look forward to getting to know the citizens of Genoa City…Particularly Tucker McCall!!!

Julie - February 12, 2010 - 1:40 am

Great interview, an interesting read.
I have followed SN over to Y&R & think it was a smart move to replace WR with SN, I look forward to seeing how this story with Tucker pans out & have no doubt that SN will deliver the goods. I just love the Tucker/Katherine scenes & I much prefer a good character driven story to the plot driven slop some of the other soaps are serving up now.

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Maria Arena Bell / Paul Rauch Interview