BetterForgotten

Apparently, Janice Ferri Esser has announced her retirement at Y&R - and just like that, the last writing vestige from the Bell era is officially gone.

Mulcahey had said numerous times that his two runs at GL first under Marland and then under Curlee were the best runs he had from a consistent storytelling perspective in daytime. If he’s allowed to bring that type of theatrical quality back to daytime, it would be amazing. This may be the last hope I ever get of seeing that type of storytelling again in this medium as it currently exists. At SB, he admitted he wasn’t the fondest of most of the story material (especially after the Dobson’s were expelled and he was very dismissive of the much derided Anne Howard Bailey), but he was pretty much given carte blanche to do whatever he wanted and openly went against Bailey’s direction and got away with it. He mentioned Guza’s strong suit was being a good “manager” of writers at GH, so it will be interesting to see how he and Korte build out that writing staff.

ABC should have used this as an excuse to clean house entirely when they were at it. They should have tried luring Ed Scott from B&B or a talented technical EP while they were making changes. I simply do not trust Frank’s vision as an EP beyond apparently managing budgets.

I only hope Mulcahey gets the support from ABC and Valentini he deserves. He’s not afraid to quit when he doesn’t agree with the political atmosphere at these shows (like GL and his last stint at GH). I wonder what it took for him to agree to do this job. I hope he got some guarantees from ABC to properly execute his vision. Or did he take the job for the money/health insurance? I guess we’ll see with time.

Then by the late 90’s/early 00’s there became an HBO obsession with trying to ape The Sopranos and Sex & The City.

I wish he didn’t have to contend with a producer like Valentini - but, who knows, maybe they’ll gel?

No one writes questionable characters and their dialogue like him. What Patrick understands (more than most other writers) is that the villain always believes s/he’s the hero and that everything isn’t always so black and white. There’s a reason the great Michael Zaslow refused to go on set at GL when he was told one of Patrick’s scripts was being edited.

Patrick’s previous HW (or Co-HW) stint at GL wasn’t a good one for him. But GL had so much behind the scenes turmoil at that point, so a lot of that wasn’t his fault.

I am very surprised Mulcahey agreed to be a HW again - his experience in this role on GL was a negative one and he said at one point he would never do that job again. Also, he left GH initially because he wasn’t happy with the environment there in the late 90’s (assuming he meant the Riche and Guza wars). This is stunning news though! I’ve loved Mulcahey’s scripts ever since I was exposed to his writing on GL in the early 90’s during the Curlee/Demorest era. I then followed his work at GH. His dialogue was always on another level and so many great character moments in my mind are attributed to him. I hope this is a better HW experience for him and ABC and Valentini don’t interfere too much.

I assume they’re getting replaced with another pair of lackluster writers? if only Frank Valentini can go with them…

Cameron Mathison is such a horrific, uncharismatic, and unlikeable actor. He and this horrible character needs to go.

Good for him - time to parlay this momentum into other successes before it’s too late.

Yes, GH should count its lucky stars every day that Jane Elliott agreed to come out of retirement. One of the very few people who instantly lights up and elevates each scene she’s in.

I hate Cameron Mathison’s acting and I hate Drew.

There was a time I thought LW played Carly like the most popular head cheerleader/mean girl in high school, which I thought totally went against the grain of the poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks and antiestablishment vibe SJB embedded into the character. But then, Carly did become the establishment on this show. The more I dwell on it, I think SBJ was just a very rare and atypical soap actress, much like Judith Light was on OLTL in the late 70’s. In turn, that’s part of the charm that made their characters stand out and resonate in a way they couldn’t with others actresses in their respective roles.

I think LW has found her groove over the years and settled into what works for her. She’s always committed, which shows on a show where so many aren’t. There was an era in her career though (at GL and her first few years on GH) where it felt like she had picked up a little too much from working with Kim Zimmer for so long and could be very shrill as a result, but I think she’s found her balance since then. Her Carly still doesn’t feel like the true essence of the character to me, but I accept her and half of that is the writing.

Watching that finale always makes my blood boil at what the show had dissolved into - largely a dumping ground for once popular stars from other soaps who couldn’t make it in primetime/film. The whole thing just felt so soulless with the only slight highlight being Julia and Mason. Pam Long and her sensibilities were not the correct fit for this type of show. I am also shocked at the budget the show still had for being such a low rated soap. Has it ever been said why the Dobson’s stepped down as HW’s before New World/NBC locked them out and after they were allowed to return? I know attempting to fire Anne Howard Bailey was what triggered the initial mess in the first place - but why did they step down as HWs and then again when they finally returned?

I don’t think people would be bitching about flashbacks so much if the dialogue wasn’t so exposition heavy. Television is a visual medium, this isn’t radio. Show, don’t tell, especially when you have the archive to do so.

Honestly, I find that side plot jarring and unnecessary. More focus needed to be on Bobbie and her relationships - JZ is dead in real life and Bobbie isn’t coming back, who cares about the pet project she was up to in Amsterdam at this stage? What purpose is that serving long-term? Will reserve judgement for tomorrow, but I find the whole concept of some random journalist (even if it’s played by the BJ actress) interviewing random people about Bobbie hokey as hell. They rushed though the funeral and eulogies with little to flashbacks for that?

The only flashback so far is a random ass one with Alexis? WTF Not even one with Laura and Bobbie yet? This is a miss.

LW’s Carly just doesn’t have the same depth of flashbacks or history with Bobbie to showcase. Nothing against her, but I keep thinking how much more impactful Carly’s grief would be with SJB in this role. Here we go with the f.ucking exposition again with no flashbacks. F.uck Frank…..

Going back and watching Alexandra’s introduction - it’s amazing how carefully plotted and what a statement Bev made from her very first episode in this role. TPTB knew they had a formidable actress and were going to give her an equally formidable role on the show. This wouldn’t be done on any show for a middle aged woman today.

The exposition and lack of flashbacks just feels cheap and jarring when so many of those same actors worked with Jackie for years. Do flashbacks cost that much? Part of Frank’s penny pinching to rehire Burton?

Jerry Dobson quote from an article dated last April. “They [viewers] thought the characters on the screen made it all up. My own sister didn’t think we had anything to do with the story. For two years on ‘Guiding Light,’ we dished up my own family. It got us great ratings. My sister never knew. Bridget’s scripts were masterpieces,” Dobson said. Hollywood writer taps into soap-opera experience in Prague drama premiere

Stumbled upon this article from April of last year. I had no idea Jerry Dobson was still so creatively active. The play was also directed by and starred Lane Davies. The subject matter is close to home for Jerry, lol. Hollywood writer taps into soap-opera experience in Prague drama premiere