About
"Academic debate more than anything else in my life enables me to do this work, because the effort of academic debate is to see things from all different perspectives, to be able to argue on any side of an issue, and to see all points of view. That's exactly what we do in daytime."
In her one-hour-and-forty-five-minute interview, Kay Alden speaks of her early years as a high school English teacher. She talks about writing her doctoral thesis on "daytime serials as a medium for social change" at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She describes how she ended up as a writer on The Young and the Restless when she contacted creator William Bell to talk to him about her doctorate. Alden then details her long tenure on the show (starting in 1973), which culminated in being named head writer in 1998. She outlines The Young and the Restless setting of Genoa City, discusses her writing process, and recalls several of the key characters and storylines from the show. She recounts working from Chicago (the series is shot in Los Angeles) and writing storylines with serious social themes, a hallmark of The Young and the Restless. She also comments on the major role that academic debate plays in her writing process, and predicts the then-future of daytime dramas. Karen Herman conducted the interview on April 6, 2006 in Chicago, IL.
Highlights
Kay Alden on working with Jeanne Cooper who plays "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on writing her dissertation on daytime television
Kay Alden on parlaying her interest in daytime television into a career
Kay Alden on social change and public awareness on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on the early writing process for The Young and the Restless
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on television she watched as a child; on her education and teaching high school
On writing her dissertation on daytime television; on interviewing William Bell and deciding she wanted to be a writer for daytime dramas
Chapter 2
On interviewing William Bell; on the process of getting hired to write for The Young and the Restless
On working with William Bell on The Young and the Restless; on William Bell's vision for The Young and the Restless; on the original premise of the show
Chapter 3
On Jeanne Cooper as "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless; on commuting between Chicago and Los Angeles; on the various characters on The Young and the Restless
On viewer reaction dictating storylines and characters on The Young and the Restless; on the writing process for the show and how it has evolved
Chapter 4
On social change and public awareness issues on The Young and the Restless; on the storylines of The Young and the Restless; on the then-future of the daytime drama and her own career
Shows
As the World Turns
Kay Alden on television she watched as a child
Kay Alden on interviewing William Bell
Search For Tomorrow
Kay Alden on parlaying her interest in daytime television into a career
Young and the Restless, The
Kay Alden on parlaying her interest in daytime television into a career
Kay Alden on interviewing William Bell
Kay Alden on the process of getting hired by William Bell to write for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on working with William Bell on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on William Bell's vision for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on The Young and the Restless character "Katherine Chancellor" played by Jeanne Cooper and the show's storylines
Kay Alden on working with Jeanne Cooper who plays "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on commuting between Chicago and Los Angeles and casting for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on the various characters on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on viewer reaction influencing storylines on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on the early writing process for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on how the writing process for The Young and the Restless has evolved
Kay Alden on social change and public awareness on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on where storylines originate from on The Young and the Restless and the influence of academic debate on her writing
Topics
Characters & Catchphrases
Kay Alden on The Young and the Restless character "Katherine Chancellor" played by Jeanne Cooper and the show's early story lines
Kay Alden on working with Jeanne Cooper who plays "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Kay Alden on working with William Bell on The Young and the Restless
Pop Culture
Kay Alden on The Young and the Restless character "Katherine Chancellor" played by Jeanne Cooper and the show's early story lines
Kay Alden on working with Jeanne Cooper who plays "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless
Women
Kay Alden on where storylines originate from on The Young and the Restless and the influence of academic debate on her writing
Kay Alden on social change and public awareness on The Young and the Restless
Professions
Writers
Kay Alden on the early writing process for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on how the writing process for The Young and the Restless has evolved
Kay Alden on where storylines originate from on The Young and the Restless and the influence of academic debate on her writing
Genres
Daytime/Primetime Serials
Kay Alden on parlaying her interest in daytime television into a career
Kay Alden on writing and producing The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on writing and producing The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on writing and producing The Young and the Restless
People
William Bell
Kay Alden on parlaying her interest in daytime television into a career
Kay Alden on interviewing William Bell
Kay Alden on the process of getting hired by William Bell to write for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on working with William Bell on The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on William Bell's vision for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on the early writing process for The Young and the Restless
Kay Alden on how the writing process for The Young and the Restless has evolved
Jeanne Cooper
Kay Alden on The Young and the Restless character "Katherine Chancellor" played by Jeanne Cooper and the show's early storylines
Kay Alden on working with Jeanne Cooper who plays "Katherine Chancellor" on The Young and the Restless