interview de Bellicon : en anglais

FEARLESS LEADER

Falling ratings? Dwindling fans? Budget cuts? Brad Bell is not the least bit worried about his show or the soap genre.

SOD - What are your feelings on B&B 22 years later?

Bell - I'm thrilled with where we are right now. I think Forrester Creations has a whole new, fresh feeling. The Logan women, through their intelligence and sexuality, have really gotten their hooks into mainstream Forrester. They're the new guard. The old guard - Stephanie, Thorne, Felicia and Taylor - are on the outside looking in.

SOD - But that doesn't mean they're out, does it?

Bell - Not at all. It appears that it's a victory for the Logans, but it's really the calm before the storm. The Logan women are controversial. I always look at them as following their hearts and their bodies, whereas Stephanie and Taylor were the intellectual force. It appears the passionate people have won, but the war isn't over.

SOD - Are you concerned like everybody else about the survival of soaps?

Bell - There are a lot of viewers matriculating to cable, but I think there's still a place for us. It's a difficult time, but the idea that soaps can be canceled is to absurd to me. Everybody keeps looking back to what the ratings were when there were only a few choices on the air. That's a mistake and a trap. We have to compare ourselves to the competition, which is cable. A lot of money is being spent on original programming on cable and we're dwarfing their ratings. The numbers we are bringing in are relatively strong.

SOD - Ever talk to your peers on other shows about the future of daytime?

Bell - Occasionally we speak and I know there's concern. It's all about streamlining and keeping our costs in check. I think it's going back to the very genesis of what soaps are all about. Low-cost, highly addictive drama. If we can go back to where we came from, we're going to be just fine. It's going to be painful because salaries and production costs will have to be cut back, but we're going to do what we have to do to survive and will we will survive.

SOD - B&B has always been known for its campiness. Are you okay with that? You seem to publicly embrace it.

Bell - I love that and I love that we're getting back to the campiness. Jackie M is going to be a forced to be reckoned with, but also a place where comedy will thrive. This show is about entertainment and having some fun.

SOD - Darlene Conley died two years ago. Will you ever write the death of her character, Sally Spectra?

Bell - No. Sally will never die. I think she's a bigger-than-life character who can do what we can't do. To me, it feels good to know that Sally is going to live forever - out there with those cabana boys and having a drink with an umbrella in it.

SOD - It's very intriging how you positioned Jackie M to be the new Spectra fashions.

Bell - I think we found something wonderful with Jackie M. We're back to a two-fashion house show, and Lesley-Anne Down is taking up, in her own way, where Darlene left off. Sally was more of a circus show, but Jackie brings more of a Bond girl-type sophistication. We followed Sally into her craziness, and now we have Jackie with her sexuality and humor. It's going to be a hell of a ride.

SOD - Ever think about adding Y&R's Christine Blair, who was played by your sister, Lauralee Bell, to your cast, like you did with Ashley Abbott when Eileen Davidson was fired?

Bell - I grabbed Eileen honestly not knowing exactly where Ashley would fit in, but I couldn't let that character disappear. I was hoping a regime would come in and recognize the value of this. Then I could hand Ashley back and that's exactly what happened. But Lauralee is not interested in returning to soaps right now. She's running the store and busy with her kids.

SOD - What have been your favorite storylines throughout the years?

Bell - Brooke taking over Forrester Creations was certainly a biggie. That shook up everything. The stories with Sheila were a ratings boon for us. One of those stories was the fashion show where Lauren exposes Sheila. We pulled that off and nobody knew at first that it was a dream. Amber's baby switch was one of my favorites. The return of Adam Alexander, as well as Deacon and Brooke's forbidden romance was great. That's when Bridget found out over the baby monitor that her husband was the father of her mother's baby, which Bridget had to deliver with Stephanie there going, "Oh, my God!" I also loved the Portofino remote were we found out Macy was alive. More recently, Stephanie confronting Ann about her childhood abuse and Storm giving his heart to Katie were great personal successes to me. Of course, as a kick, I loved when Pam covered Donna in honey and let in the bear. That you don't see every day.

SOD - What stories, looking back, would you change?

Bell - I have so many that I try to wipe out of my head. When I brought on Kyle Lowder on as Rick, I made the character too sqeaky-clean. He and Phoebe were happily singing together and they were too perfect. Now he's complex and it's wonderful. This is the Rick that would come out of a dysfunctional childhood. It doesn't have anything to do with the performer because Kyle has been great throughout, but I think now Rick is where he's supposed to be.

SOD - Are there actors and characters you miss?

Bell - Oh, sure. It's not a real regret because I'm happy that Amber has a new life over on Y&R, but I miss that character. I ran with her so heavily for so many years, but I'm glad she's in Genoa City. I wouldn't mind having Usher on the show now and then. I remember him saying, "Mr. Bell, you really helped me to get a start in show business and I'm going to be big one day." And I told him, "Good luck with that, kid." Now look at him.

SOD - What is your vision for B&B going forward?

Bell - I'm seeing a new generation, which excites me. Rick, Bridget, Steffy and Thomas will be coming to the forefront. Also the Logan women - Brooke, Donna and Katie - will be driving story. Even though there's a new Mrs. Forrester, one look at Donna and you know she's trouble. Jackie M is taking shape and there's going to be more Jackie and Stephanie coming up. I'm very excited about the future of this show.

Merci pour cette interview

Il est vraiment cinglé ce Bell appellez l'histoire entre Brooke et Deacon une "romance interdite" où elle est la romance il n'y avait que du sexe :myass2: c'était dégoutant

As t'il envie de coucher avec sa belle fille ou quoi