William Russ

There's good news and bad news from the soap world, and considering lately that the bad news has been horrific -- As the World Turns getting cancelled -- this might be a bit over-dramatic. However, William Russ was fired and Stephen Nichols hired at The Young & the Restless. Bad news for Russ, a very good actor who was doing just fine as Tucker McCall, new billionaire in Genoa City. Good news for fans of Nichols, who was bounced from Days of Our Lives last February.

According to the powers that be at Y&R, the McCall character is going in a different direction. That prompted Russ's dismissal. According to Stephen, Russ handled the firing with grace and class. He left a note in the dressing room for Nichols and wished him well in the role.

When Eric Braeden walked out of The Young and the Restless, it was my belief that the powers that be would find some way to reach a compromise with him and Victor Newman would remain an integral part of Genoa City. However, the negotiations between Braeden and the folks at Sony turned cold.

Cold as in heartless. Considering the character Braeden has played for nearly 30 years, Victor Newman, he should have understood the daytime TV business had changed. Instead, he was insulted and -- apparently -- grew stubborn. So instead of a compromise, it looks like Braeden is really leaving.

However, today's news suggests that while he walked from a job that was asking him to take a pay cut from $1.5 million a year to $1 million a year, other actors are interested in filling Braeden's shoes. The question is this, though: can another actor play Victor Newman?