Yes, R64. Ann and her agent tried to make it Ann's show. Singing in the opening credits, playing the showy role of goodtime girl (behind her back I called her "Cassie Cornhole"), and getting her the "And" and her character name as well...copycats! But watch those credits closely.

In Season 1 Miss Jillian has her precious, much negotiated "And" plus her character's name, but she's lost in the middle. Lost. Sandwiched between Wendy Schaal and Paul Kreppel. Can you think of a worse place to be? I can't. So a lot of good all that negotiating did her. I have my "And", my character name, and FINAL POSITION. I'm the last named actor the audience sees and the first one they were talking about. That's called strategy.

In Season 2 (which my most devoted fans know is called MAKING A LIVING), there's no more Susan Sullivan. No more Wendy Schaal. Poor Ann kept the "And" and the "as Cassie", but now she's stuck between Gail Edwards--sweet girl, that Gail--and Paul again. Louise Lasser got top billing that year. She thought she was going to be the star of the show. But from the moment I snatched that salad away from her in the opening credits, I made it clear to her how it was going to be. Louise was here, then she was gone. I knew I had to proceed carefully after that to keep our set from feeling like AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.

In Season 3 it said "Starring Ann Jillian." I agreed to that just to keep the peace, in a weak moment--we'd just found out about Ann's diagnosis. But then, I edged her out. "You'll need time to recuperate," I said. A performance as memorable as any I gave on any actual episode of IT'S A LIVING. After that, no more Ann on my show. I kept my "and", my character name, my final position, and my DIGNITY.

From Season 4 things were as they should have been all along. Starring Barrie Youngfellow. Finally, I felt the producers had come to their senses. Sheryl Lee Ralph and I were different enough, typewise, that I wasn't worried about her; plus I knew I wasn't going to have any competition in the acting department from lovely Gail or Crystal Bernard or Richard Stahl. Marian would admit to being 15 years older than I, so no contest there. Paul did what Paul always does; he did what Paul has always been doing. I incorporated the "energy" I had about him (which had been building steadily across the seasons) into Jan's characterization with a series of underplayed looks. We all have people in our workplace with whom we wish we didn't have to work. So in our scenes together, I gave him the focus he seemed to want so desperately...for a while.

Then they cast Richard Kline as my husband.

Nonetheless, REAL talent always wins out. Anyway, enough with you Dataloungers. I have to go get on my knees with Sam. It's time for us to pray.

Barrie Youngfellow Freed,

President, To Be Announced, Inc.