Soap operas are notorious for stretching the boundaries of believability, and that tendency certainly has not abated during the slow death of the genre in recent seasons. In fact, as show after show has fallen by the wayside, those remaining have pulled out all the stops to gain viewers and a competitive advantage. The current and long-time champion, "The Young and the Restless," is perhaps also the winner when it comes to outrageous story lines, from faked deaths to love triangles to a classic, if not classy, whodunnit. Now, one of the most improbable devices employed by CBS's serial is being resurrected just in time for the Christmas season, as the ghost of John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) returned on Dec. 13. Wouldn't it be fun, though, if CBS took the theme one step further and perpetrated a full-blown Genoa City version of "A Christmas Carol" on their fans?
In this scenario, the grouchy and treacherous Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) would slide into the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and be taken on a terrifying nighttime trip to see the turmoil he has wrought over the past three decades. The part of Jacob Marley would be aptly played by John Abbott, with whom Victor waged many furious battles in the cosmetics arena. The Ghost of Christmas Past could be played by Terry Lester, who portrayed archenemy Jack Abbot in the early years. The Ghost of Christmas Present would be the recently-murdered Diane, with whom Victor was entangled. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future could be none other than Kay Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), who is maybe the grimmest reaper of all time. The story would play out in the usual way, with Victor being shown his erring ways and learning that he has the opportunity to make amends.
Victor is a family man at the core, and the scenes of destruction would surely pull at his heart strings. Of course, Victor is not quite as soft cored as old Ebenezer was, and the experience would likely harden him even more rather than making a lasting, positive impression on him. The good citizens of Genoa City would probably not be the beneficiaries of any new goodwill on the part of the Newman patriarch. Looking out at his enemies, family and other fellow citizens on Christmas morning, Victor would still be good for a yuletide greeting, though, and it would be pure Newman style: "To Hell with you all and get out of my sight!"
