Former Y&R EP/Head Writer Maria Bell: Michael Muhney 'Should Have Been Let Go Months Before'

Photo Credit: We Love Soaps

In a new interview with Highlight Hollywood, former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS executive producer and head writer Maria Arena Bell has clarified a statement she made in Soap Opera Digest about Michael Muhney being fired from her former soap.

Check out her recent statement in Digest below as well as the clarification in Highlight Hollywood.

Soap Opera Digest:

Michael brought amazing dimension and complexity to the role of Adam Newman, and his and Sharon's was a great dark love story. Sadly, that story was seriously derailed in the last year, so I am not surprised that the show would look for a solution to their problematic storytelling decisions. It will be a tough role to recast.

A TMZ report was posted earlier today alleging sexual harassment of a co-star was the real reason for Muhney being fired. Bell had more to say with this new information being made public.

Highlight Hollywood:

Let me be clear. I am a fan of Michael Muhney the actor-not the person. Frankly he should have been let go months before because of his behind the scenes actions.

It's still a loss for the fans. Instead of acting quickly they tried to turn the fans against the character of Adam. Bad move. And they should not recast right away now. It's too damaged.

The only thing that matters in this story-now on TMZ is that a young girl is protected. She should have been all along. People should have been more decisive not less in this matter.

I think they should have taken immediate action. They didn't. Whatever happened, they need to protect the safety of the cast.

RELATED:
- Michael Muhney Leaving THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
- TMZ Reports Michael Muhney Fired From THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS For 'Allegedly Groping Co-Stars Breasts'
- Mystified Maria Bell: I Never Dumbed Down The Storytelling

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Lady Gaga and British soap opera star June Brown have struck up a friendship after hitting it off while filming their guest appearances on THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW.

Brown was on the show promoting her new autobiography, "Before The Year Dot," but after consuming a few too many glasses of wine the audience struggled to understand her rambles.

Gaga, who was advertising her new album "ARTPOP," could see the difficulties the viewers were having and jumped to June's defence, saying: "We talk the same language. I understand you."

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Maria Bell Going To Harvard as Guest Lecturer

Maria Arena Bell, former head writer and executive producer of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, will be the guest lecturer next week at a Harvard University class taught by former GENERAL HOSPITAL guest star (and performance artist) Kalup Linzy.

Linzy appeared on GH in 2010 as part of James Franco's "Franco" storyline, in which he appears as an eccentric artist. We Love Soaps was on location at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) when Linzy performed during a special June 2010 taping of GH - one that also served as the backdrop for much of Franco's movie Francophrenia, in which he appears as an eccentric artist playing an eccentric artist. (Full disclosure: I also had a small role in the film.)

Bell is the Co-Chair of the museum's Board of Trustees, and she was also at the GH/Francophrenia shoot at MoCA that night. It's a small, soapy world, after all.

Linzy is teaching "A Soap Opera within Itself" as a Visiting Lecturer on Visual and Environmental Studies (that's Harvardian for "the art department") for Fall 2013. Bell presents on Wednesday, October 23rd from 1-3 p.m. at Harvard's Carpenter Center (Room 401). Her presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, and the event is free and open to the public.  RSVP to sjstern@post.harvard.edu to reserve a seat.

Maria Arena Bell: 'I’m Out On The Pitch Brigade'; Talking With OWN

A feature story about former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS executive producer and head writer Maria Area Bell will appear in Sunday's New York Times print edition. The article talks about her career in and out of soaps, but the most interesting tidbits come out when she's talking about daytime drama and her future plans.

She formed a production company named Vitameatavegamin, after the I LOVE LUCY health tonic. She's also wrote a screenplay, a time-travel comedy with a Disneyland element, and a marquee comedian is “circling” it. She is talking to the cable network OWN about a show. And Bell has all kinds of ideas about online and mobile programming, like a Web soap about a woman trying to keep an old-line soap afloat (see TAINTED DREAMS, STEAMBOAT and others).

Maria Arena Bell Given WIN's Humanitarian Award

Humanitarian Award winner Maria Arena Bell with Eric Braeden

Former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS executive producer and head writer Maria Arena Bell was honored on Wednesday at the WIN (Women’s Image Network) Awards with their Humanitarian Award for her dedicated and long standing contribution to the arts and arts education.

The WIN Awards were co-hosted by Melissa Petermen and Bruce Vilanch. The Humanitarian Award was presented by actress Lisa Kudrow.

ON THE SCENE: THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS 10,000 Episodes Celebrated at The Paley Center

On August 23, 2012, the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills celebrated the filming of the 10,000th episode of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS with a panel discussion featuring members of the cast following by a Q&A session. The evening was hosted by Brooks Barnes of The New York Times and the panel consisted of longtime cast members Peter Bergman, Eric Braeden, Jeanne Cooper, Doug Davidson, Christian Leblanc, Joshua Morrow, Melody Thomas Scott, Kristoff St. John, Michelle Stafford, and recently departed head writer and executive producer Maria Arena Bell.

The evening opened with a montage of clips from the show’s long history, starting with scenes from episode #1 and other 1970s episodes featuring actors such as Diedre Hall, Robert Clary, William Gray Espy, David Hasselhoff and Brenda Dickson (although, oddly, no scenes featuring any of the “Brooks” sisters, the pivotal heroines of the show’s early years) up through scenes from recent years. When told by an audience member that the clips brought tears to her eyes, Christian Leblanc remarked “we were sniffling too.”

Moderator Barnes confessed that he was a longtime fan of the show, and posed a series of questions to the panel about the show and their experiences working on it.

Maria Bell Chairing The National Arts Awards, Dealing With MoCA Shake-up

Ousted THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS executive producer and head writer will be chairing the National Arts Awards, taking place October 15 in New York. The list of honorees includes Microsoft's Paul Allen, stage actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, artist James Rosenquist, singer Josh Groban and arts patron Lin Arison.

Bell is a board co-chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. which, like Y&R, is going through a shake-up this month. Three of four artists on the museum's board of trustees have now resigned. The Los Angeles Times says the action is a warning as much as a protest. It shows how trustees critically important to MOCA's future are being marginalized.

Mystified Maria Bell: I Never Dumbed Down The Storytelling

Maria Bell / Photo by Kevin Mulcahy Jr.

In a statement posted last night her Facebook page, exiting THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and executive producer and head writer Maria Arena Bell shared that she was "mystified" over being let go from her post by Sony.

So it was announced today I am leaving Y and R... the show I have loved so much for so long. It is the legacy of my father in law... my mother in law... and all the Bells. The show has been my heart and soul. I loved working with the most talented writers in TV who were also the most wonderful human beings I know. They became a second family and my best friends. I loved the cast and crew. I am extremely sad to go because there are more stories I could have told. So much more I wanted to do. My ratings are strong... each week stronger than last year. The show is in a great place creatively. We are number one by the greatest margin in the show's history and have been consistently while I've been there. Under no one else's tenure as head writer exec producer have we won every demographic for so long. I am just shy of five years at the helm. It has been an amazing ride. So why am I leaving? I am mystified as are my cast and crew.

SHAKE-UP: Sony Names Jill Farren Phelps Executive Producer & Josh Griffith Head Writer Of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; Wishes Maria Bell Well

Jill Farren Phelps has been named Executive Producer of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and Josh Griffith joins the series as Head Writer, it was announced today by Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, U.S. Programming at Sony Pictures Television.

“We are excited to have such a talented daytime veteran leading our team at Y&R, Jill has a stellar record of success in the daytime genre,” said Kent. “We are also happy to welcome Josh back to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and are looking forward to his creative input and ideas.”

“On behalf of everyone at Y&R we extend our sincere thanks to Emmy® Award-winning Maria Bell for her contributions to the show over the last five years. We wish her the best of luck and continued success,” he added.

RED CARPET INTERVIEW: Maria Arena Bell at the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards

WE LOVE SOAPS TV caught up with THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS executive producer/head writer Maria Arena Bell on the red carpet of last night's 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards. We talked about the pressures of running a daytime soap opera, what might happen to Daisy on Y&R, and appearing in Francophrenia.

Watch our interview below in WE LOVE SOAPS TV Episode 3.53.

REVIEW: "Francophrenia (Or Don't Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is)" Fun for GENERAL HOSPITAL Fans

A scene captured in the film. Photo by Jim Warren

Damon L. Jacobs and I had a ball on June 22, 2010 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), the night GENERAL HOSPITAL went on location for "Francophrenia," equal parts soap opera taping, performance art, and a movie shoot. We danced, we spent time with James Franco and we chatted with fans.

Nearly two years later we finally saw the film, Francophrenia (Or Don't Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is), on Wednesday as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. My biggest fear going to the theater was that the film would set up soap fans to be mocked in some way. I'm happy to report that the movie does not do that. But what is it about?

James Franco turned-over countless hours of film to director Ian Olds, whose job was to turn the footage into a documentary.

Ultimately, it didn't end up as a documentary.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Turns 39; Watch Scenes From The First Episode

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, debuted 39 years ago today on CBS. Here's a summary of stories for that first year (1973):

Fantasies of starting over with a completely new life are rarely fulfilled, but Dr. Brad Eliot was swept into his without forethought. Distraught because the son of his fiancee, Barbara Anderson, died while he was operating on him, Brad Eliot walked away from his medical practice as a psychiatrist and neurosurgeon. Brad was actually the boy's father. As he left Chicago, circumstances went from bad to worse when his car and wallet were stolen. In a haze, he wandered into Genoa City with nothing more than the dirty clothes on his back. Then, after enjoying a meal at Pierre's restaurant, he had to admit he couldn't pay the tab. That's when Brad's luck actually changed for the better.
Stuart Brooks, the owner/publisher of The Genoa City Chronicle, overheard Brad's conversation with waitress Sally McGuire. Trusting his instincts that this was no ordinary panhandler, Stuart gave him a job. Fate continued to nudge Brad into a new life when he saw a news wire story declaring that Dr. Brad Eliot had been killed in a car accident. Clearly, the thief who stole his car and wallet had been killed and mistakenly identified, giving the real Dr. Eliot an opportunity to start his life over.

Stuart Brooks and his wife Jennifer had four daughters: Leslie, a rather shy pianist; Lauralee, called Lorie, an adventurous author; Chris, a journalist; and Peggy, a college student. Although Brad clearly chose to keep his past a mystery, he proved himself likable, helpful and basically honest. It was easy for Stuart to encourage a budding relationship between Leslie and Brad.

Watch the minisode version of the very first episode below along with some other historical clips:

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' Maria Bell: Our Audience Means A Lot To CBS

WE LOVE SOAPS TV recently caught up with Y&R exec producer/head writer Maria Arena Bell on the red carpet of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's 25th Anniversary party. She feels good about the future viability of both show.

"I think we are really encouraged," she told Damon L. Jacobs. "If anything, we're up in many ways, and many demographics over where we were a year ago."

Bell feels Y&R has been helped by the recent soap cancellations.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV 3.35 BOLD & BEAUTIFUL 25th Anniversary Party: Hunter Tylo, Adrienne Frantz, Heather Tom, Jacob Young, Winsor Harmon, Hillary B. Smith, Maria Bell

WE LOVE SOAPS TV recently traveled to THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL 25th Anniversary party in Los Angeles as the show celebrated 25 years on the air.

In this new interview with Damon L. Jacobs, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL stars Hunter Tylo (Taylor), Adrienne Frantz (Amber), Heather Tom (Katie), Jacob Young (Rick), Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (Allison), Hillary B. Smith (Dr. Stacy) and Winsor Harmon (Thorne) reflect on the show's anniversary along with supervising producer Rhonda Friedman and former writer Maria Bell, who is currently the executive producer and head writer of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

Watch our latest episode below.

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Y&R exec producer/head writer Maria Arena Bell: More people watching than Nielsen indicates
"There are more people watching than Nielsen would indicate," said Bell in an interview with performance artist and GENERAL HOSPITAL guest star, Kalup Linzy, "because THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS is one of the most popular shows on CBS.com so many are choosing to watch on line and we were the most popular show on SOAPnet. So yes, people are still watching but on many different platforms and of course DVR has a huge impact in this genre. All of the age groups are devised to see who the consumers are in an ad generated genre, but I agree that we don't value some viewers enough, especially older viewers. I think they should look at those age groups.