Friday, December 13, 2024

Longest Running “Young and Restless” Actor Doug Davidson: “I think I am done, treated like a day player after 43 years”

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Doug Davidson, who’s played Paul Williams on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” is not happy. He’s rarely seen anymore on the long running soap. A couple of years ago there was an outcry from fans, and the show’s star, Eric Braeden, stepped in to support him.

But now on Twitter Davidson has responded to a fan: “I just want to thank you again for all your support. But I think I am done. After 43 years I am treated like a day player. No bueno.”

Asked whether he’d write a book, Davidson answered: “Naw. You already know it all.”

Davidson was last seen on the daily show on November 19, 2020.

Like so many things, Davidson’s situation doesn’t make sense. “The Young and the Restless” has lost over 1 million viewers over the last couple of years. The most recent full week ratings were 3.3 million average. Three years ago, the average was as high as 4.8 million.

Ironically, when the soap had to air re-runs last spring and summer because of the pandemic, many of the weeks were dedicated to Williams’ popular character and storylines from the past. It’s sort of like legacy rock stars who can’t get their new music played on radio stations that live on their hits.

PS Aretha Franklin loved “The Young and the Restless.” In the upcoming “Genius: Aretha” on Nat Geo, there’s a nod to the show, playing in the background during one scene from the 70s. It reminded me of when Michael Keaton’s character was caught watching the show in the movie, “Mr. Mom.”

 

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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