Lynda Hirsch on Soaps

Q: When I began watching "Young and Restless," Jill just learned that Kay was her mother. Now it appears Kay is not her biological mother. So who is Jill's bio family? — Anthony, Foxborough, Mass.

A: Who knows? Jill does not seem to be looking for her "real" mother. Let's talk about the family she grew up with. Jill's mother, Liz, was Kay's housekeeper. Her father, Bill, was a blue-collar worker whom Jill adored. Bill died after a long struggle with lung cancer, which was linked to his smoking habit. Jill has two brothers. Greg, a lawyer, was not on the "Y&R" canvas for very long. Her brother William, however, had a long run. A gynecologist, his nickname was Snapper. I couldn't make that up. William Grey Espy, who played Snapper, was one of the first soap opera "hunks." When Espy left to move to Nashville and become a country western star, the producers did an extensive search for a replacement.

They found the then-unknown David Hasselhoff. Snapper became a major character. While Espy never became an international or even local country star, Hasselhoff began recording songs. Even then, Hasselhoff would brag he was a major signing star in Germany. It was the first thing he told me in our first, second and every interview.

The "Hoff," as he likes to be called — a better nickname than Snapper— went on to TV hits such as the original "Knight Rider," "Baywatch" and is presently a judge on "America's Got Talent." He is also in the tabloids every other week due to scandals about his marriage, his drinking and his non-parenting skills.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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