65 replies to this topic

[theherowithin]

My vote goes to Maralyn Thoma who wrote some of the best couple dialogue ever for numerous soap couples on DOOL, GH, Santa Barbara and Passions.  And created characters like GH's Brenda and others.  I think she is very underrated. I will give a shout out to Margaret Depriest as well. And Ann Marcus who got DOOL more Emmy nominations than it has ever gotten.

Edited by theherowithin, 20 January 2013 - 01:26 PM.

[Cat]

Donna Swajewski did some good writing on AW. And Beth Millstein & Ann Schloette who did great work on Sunset Beach and wrote what I thought was an awesome transition period on Days between Reilly and Hogan.

 

Karen Harris's work on GH as a dialogue/script writer really shone for me.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Melissa Salmona I FLove the episodes she right at Days

[EricMontreal22]

What is anything good Jean Passanante did after Chris Whitesell left ATWT and without David Kreizman being there?  Her "campy impulses" during this period like Ralph Manzo and the Z twins were virtually unwatchable. Also Audrey Coleman.  There were so many characters who came out of nowhere to do their evil deed and left. 

 

Passanante seems to have built her name and rep as assistant HW for OLTL during much of Malone/Griffith's era.  But when she became a co-HW at the show, it was a mess, and her run on AMC (particularly after Nixon left as co-HW) was pretty horrific.  I never watched her ATWT for more than a few episodes--but I really think her era at AMC may have been the worst I ever watched--which is saying something.

[EricMontreal22]

The Soderberg's? 

 

They seem to have been forgotten with time--but from reading soap press and books from the time, they seemed to do a lot of good at both ATWT and GL.

[allmc2008]

Who are The Soderberg's??

[EricMontreal22]

They don't seem to have a wiki entry--but here's a thread on them I started two or so years back http://boards.soapop...-sommer-glatwt/

[Gray Bunny]

Beth Milstein - DAYS in 2006 between Reilly leaving and Hogan entering.

 

Carolyn Culliton/Millee Taggert - GL in 2nd half of 2002 into early 2003.

 

Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly - DAYS in 2002 to early 2003.

[Nothin'ButAttitude]

Jill Lorie Hurst on Guiding Light. That woman made the last few months of the show a heck of a lot better than what Killa' Kreizman and Ellen Wheeler were doing. I'm surprised that SHE wasn't taken over to ATWT in its final year on the air to be head writer instead of Kreizman. I seriously think that PP should consider getting her to write for either AMC or OLTL (preferably AMC to help Marlene).

[EricMontreal22]

Beth Milstein - DAYS in 2006 between Reilly leaving and Hogan entering.

 

Carolyn Culliton/Millee Taggert - GL in 2nd half of 2002 into early 2003.

 

Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly - DAYS in 2002 to early 2003.

Millee Taggert absolutely--when she was involved in AMC off and on it was always that much better--and I started watching Loving under her and Guza--knowing Guza now, I'm convinced I loved it solely due to her

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Beth Milstein - DAYS in 2006 between Reilly leaving and Hogan entering.
 
Carolyn Culliton/Millee Taggert - GL in 2nd half of 2002 into early 2003.
 
Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly - DAYS in 2002 to early 2003.

fill me in on something Beth Milstein wrote, please.

I vaguely remember Brash & Cwikly. I think they made Isaac, Bo's son instead of John.

Edited by Dr Neil Curtis, 26 January 2013 - 08:02 AM.

[KMan101]

I think Milstein was only there between August and October. I do remember really enjoying it. I think she wrote Shawn finding out about Claire, Jack/Jennifer leaving town together. I also remember the goodbye between Alice and Jen. Still. I really miss that Jennifer. I truly believe Alice would slap this version. Hogan started off alright but he also went on to insist on creative interference. Wasn't it supposedly said (he said?) he wanted to use the vets more than he was allowed to at the time. It was the weird period where Bo/Hope and John/Marlena were relegated to reading letters. I wish NBC would stay out of DAYS. I feel like they ruin any potential this show ever has. Not that Hogan was stellar but I liked a few things he did. He's hardly underrated though. I think he was a bit overrated and he burned out fast on ATWT, though I liked his early run.

 

When did Broderick write ATWT? Was it 1999/2000? I think it was, I remember the baby switch and a lot from around that time. I liked that period, but at the time, really wasn't aware of the history, etc.

 

Brash and Cwikly are another example of not being given a chance. They really re-sparked my interest in the show after being so depressed watching Langan's reign of terror, though at least parts of it felt like DAYS.

 

Also loved Taggert's brief run on GL. Really wish she hadn't moved away from soaps.

Edited by KMan101, 26 January 2013 - 09:04 AM.

[CarlD2]

I tend to think of Taggart's GL run as overrated...

[Sindacco]

I agree about Brash and Cwikly on DAYS. It's been 10 years since they were fired as headwriters and the show never recovered IMO.

[RavenWhitney]

Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly on Days. 

[jfung79]

Broderick wrote for ATWT 1998-1999.  She was replaced by Leah Laiman when Chris Goutman came over after AW was cancelled.  Broderick and Felicia Minei Behr should never have been fired.  About others who have been mentioned -- I think Jill Lorie Hurst is overrated, she is only one of four headwriters GL had during the final months, but she gets all the credit and none of the blame.  I never saw Brash/Cwikly on Days but I can believe Brash is underrated because he wrote good scripts for ATWT and because he was part of the Emmy-winning writing team for GL in 1989 that seems to have been an All-Star collection of writers.  He learned from the best!

When did Broderick write ATWT? Was it 1999/2000? I think it was, I remember the baby switch and a lot from around that time. I liked that period, but at the time, really wasn't aware of the history, etc.

Edited by jfung79, 26 January 2013 - 06:57 PM.

[Vee]

I could never possibly "underrate" Jean Passanante enough. Her AMC was unwatchable - as was her ATWT. She was brought in to strip-mine that show and she did just that.

 

Jill Lorie Hurst I can't remember the resume of. In all those off-putting and uncomfortable GL interviews on TV, she seemed like a very nice lady who was completely out of her depth. Almost like they'd hired her off the street to work alongside this weeping lunatic (three guesses).

[CarlD2]

I don't think Behr ever knew what suited ATWT. I thought she had a tin ear. Broderick - not a huge fan of her ATWT run, although I think she could have been better in another environment.

 

Passanante, honestly, most of ATWT's foundation was already gone before she arrived. Sheffer only brought viewers based on perversion. She probably made it worse, but I'm willing to blame Goutman for most of it. I liked some of her last year at ATWT (and again I will be nice and blame Goutman for what I didn't like). But generally I'd say she's a hack. I will forgive a little because, well, I will be very generous if you give me 100% in character Lucinda Walsh.

 

Hurst had been at GL in one role or another since 1994. The last year of GL had more heart and family than I'd remembered seeing in a long time, so I think she deserves some credit (the stories still mostly sucked, unfortunately).

Edited by CarlD2, 27 January 2013 - 04:58 AM.

[jfung79]

Lucinda was unwatchable by the end because the writers gave up trying to rein in Elizabeth Hubbard and her hemming hawing not getting to the point of a scene adlibbing was just ridiculous.   The only thing I will praise Passanante for is Luke's coming out story.

[CarlD2]

Lucinda was unwatchable by the end because the writers gave up trying to rein in Elizabeth Hubbard and her hemming hawing not getting to the point of a scene adlibbing was just ridiculous.   The only thing I will praise Passanante for is Luke's coming out story.

 

Lucinda was the main reason I watched ATWT's last year. I would watch her ad-libbing over any "writer" who polluted ATWT's last 15 years. Out of control Lucinda, scheming in just about every story, not caring what anyone thought about her on the surface, deeply vulnerable and afraid underneath - that was my Lucinda. I was very happy to have her back. I never thought I would.