VelekaCarruthers

Well, Chris Durham who was on Ryan's Hope did a playgirl spread in 1984

Mulcahey entered soap writing in 1980-81 and worked with the Corringtons, Marland (Nixon indirectly at Loving), Dobsons and Nancy Curlee. All great head writers. Yet Mulcahey never had what it took to be a successful head writer, if he had, he would have excelled at it before now and not when he's in his 70s, coming out of retirement and after years on a show like B&B that has never been about quality writing.

Korte is a staff writer who also doesn't have what it takes to be a charismatic head writer either. Again, if she had the skill she would have been elevated (and succeeded at least for a time) before now.  

EK/PM version of GH was absolutely terrible from a creative storytelling perspective despite a few good Tracy scenes here and there.

PM was a great script writer in his day.  

The real problem with GH has been Valentini who hires hair models and is more concerned about everyone's facial filler and botox being up to date, and bigger blame goes to the execs in charge of him and the show over the years.  The daytime version of the Sopranos played itself out two decades ago yet here we are with Sonny/Jason/Carly.  It's stale, tired and uninspired.  On top of that you have so many one dimensional performers who bring nothing but pretty head shots to the screen.  When has the show discovered new talent who sizzles on the screen (don't get me started on the overrated reaction to the dude who played Spenser recently, capable but nothing like the young stars back in the day). For those of us around who remember: Brian Bloom, Jon Hensley, Grant Alexander, Tichiha Arnold, Crystal Chappel, Judy Evans, Sharon Gabet, Larkin Malloy, Genie Francis, Tyler Christopher etc. It's just not there on GH and hasn't been since Frank took over.  Yes, there are amazing vets who chew scenery i.e. Maura, Cynthia, Jane. But their presence on the screen highlights the problem I've articulated above. It's a split personality of amazing talent and minimal or no talent.  

GH can't be saved unless and until FV is gone and there's a Disney exec who wants to see multi-dimensional actors portraying compelling non MOB story. IMHO

Can we grow up already, Camila. If it's about Albert others who protected him, either come out with it or stay quiet. This message looks like immature click bait and it's not a good look girl.

A former head writer taking on a new role is not all that uncommon. Hogan Sheffer came back to ATWT as an outline writer.  Richard Culliton twice left as AW head writer and became break down and/or script writer.  There are many other examples.  Chris has been with ABC for years and GH for years, makes sense to keep him.  No one ever complained about his outlines.  But the show still sucks under EK/PM worse than before, sadly.  

Has SCOOBYDOO Ron C posted recently about when his god awful scripts start airing?

I'm rewatching end of Paul Rauch era and first few Conboy episodes where the writers finally break up Beth and Bill Jr. Wow, I had forgotten that monumentally icky and stupid coupling. Was that a Millee Taggart/Lloyd Gold pairing or a Gold/Dunn?

Recently been reviewing April 93 through Dec 95 and I'm impressed how Caso tried to keep Marland's writing team together for so long after his deal (18months approx).  At first, he brought back (in June 93) John Kuntz who had been with the show for six years (departed six months prior) and added Mary Ryan (who would last 2 years as outline writer) then return for 2 years in 2001. Garin Wolf returned December 1993.  Then 1994 started a big influx and exodus of writers, just as happened on GL.  In Jan 94, Richard Culliton came in as an outline writer followed by Millie Taggart who wrote a handful of scripts in early spring of that year before she was pulled over to GL to write by committee when Curlee quit.  Then, this surprised me.  Lemay returned as story consultant from May to July of 94. This is when they also added Scott Hammer as dialog writer and Christina Covino (outlines and scripts) who had been a writer and production assistant on ABC nighttime show, The Commish.  By August 94, vet writer Nancy Ford was gone (but returned in April 1995 as outline writer, lasting 9 months) as was editor, Koechl.  End of August Sally Sussman was added as an outline writer (she lasted less than 4 months) and Susan Kirshenbaum as a script writer. By late November, Backus was out, Wolf/Culliton/Packer were head writers.  Lorin Wertheimer (assistant to writers) was added as script writer in spring 95 (fired by Valente in May 1996). Caso was replaced by hack John Valente by end of June 95 (he lasted 18 god awful months). (Tom Wiggin wrote a few scripts that summer as well). By end of August, Valente had started to disassemble the writing team. First to go was co-head Wolfe (after an 18month return post Marland death), leaving Packer and Culliton as co heads. Addie Walsh was added as outline writer and longtime writer, Meri Post was fired (having worked on the show since 1985 with a small break or two during that ten year period. By mid December, Packer had been fired, leaving Culliton as sole head writer (through Jan 96). Hammer, Ford and Mary Ryan were also out. Demorest was added (after a 1 year sabbatical after ten on GL) as was Iacubuzio, both as outline writers. Franz was also out after ten years as script writer, replaced by Louise Shaffer.  Then, we enter 1996........I have to say P&G/CBS were big into throwing the kitchen sink at the writers' rooms of both ATWT which lost Marland in spring 93 and GL which lost Curlee spring 1994. Neither show easily recovered, if ever. 

37 minutes ago, kalbir said:

Seven consecutive nominations (1986-1992) and a final nomination in 1999. These were the races

1986: Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci, Peggy McCay, Erika Slezak (winner), Kim Zimmer

1987: Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci, Frances Reid, Marcy Walker, Kim Zimmer (winner)

1988: Helen Gallagher (winner), Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci, Erika Slezak, Marcy Walker

1989: Jeanne Cooper (her first nomination), Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci, Marcy Walker (winner)

1990: Jeanne Cooper, Elizabeth Hubbard, Finola Hughes, Susan Lucci, Kim Zimmer (winner)

1991: Julia Barr, Jeanne Cooper, Elizabeth Hubbard, Finola Hughes (winner), Susan Lucci

1992: Jeanne Cooper, Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci, Erika Slezak (winner), Jessica Tuck

1999: Jeanne Cooper, Elizabeth Hubbard, Susan Lucci (winner), Melody Thomas Scott, Kim Zimmer

Maybe someone at CBS/P&G didn't put together very good submissions, who knows.

Marcy Walker?  Over-rated, should never have been nominated.  Solid actress but could never touch some of the others in this category.

Many things impacted Slesar's story around the Paige plot.  Sharon Gabet agreed to return to the show after five months and as we all know who watched it spun over a year of story.  The Paige story wasn't working for whatever reason but probably because Henry saddled the plot with an incest love story between Paige and her non bio brother. It was out of place, didn't work. Plus, the actor who played Brian had no chemistry with anyone on the show.  When Henry aborted the Paige plot after six or so months, he asked Kim Hunter to stay beyond Mansion of the Damned and put her with a leading man on the which led to a huge plot development and months more of story through summer of 1981.  But even Henry's clunker stories were gold compared to today's soaps.  He had at least one other big clunker before he was fired (EDEN plot, nuff said). Again, casting was an issue with Chad.  The casting was 95% spot on but when they missed, they really missed.  Not only Brian, Chad (later), Kelly no. 1 (later) and a few others.  But overall, the show under Henry is classic and unique. No other daytime writer could match his brilliance with story, character, dialog and climaxes.

Let's give Pam Long and Kim some love. This is one of my favorite episodes (for the Reva scenes) from Pam's problematic second term (don't get me started on Johnny's cure or Rose/Rusty).  Kim won the emmy off of these scenes and Don Chastain (ATWT script writer and former Tom on GH) is excellent. This is one of those times Kim drove it home without chewing the scenery and of course, the script was written by the amazing Melissa Salmons.  Pam's issues were in the casting of other characters i.e. Morgan as Dylan. Terrible from the start and throughout. Couldn't hold up next to all the powerhouses.  And same for the girl playing his gf.  Unwatchable.  But Carl Evans and Beth E were fire....Quality 

Wheeler was in over her head for the times; even the most seasoned producers would have had huge challenges coming in on budget after the severe cuts.  Look how bad Days has been for years on a shoe string budget. What I will say about Ellen is that she maintained a solid writing staff and they were people who knew and loved the show (Kreizman, Hurst, Gold, Dunn and Swajeski). I never had a problem with their writing (generally). Goutman, on the other hand, first got rid of Broderick and Walsh on ATWT, for Laiman who was never successful on anything but Days and the show was doing fine under Broderick finally. Wheeler got rid of one of the worst head writers in history, WESTON.  And once Sheffer had his nervous breakdown, Goutman stuck with Passanante who never had a stellar moment in ten years as head writer.  I say the true and inexcusable damage to GL was under Phelps and what she did during her last year + with disassembling the writing room with her utter need for control.  We'll never know the full story of Curlee's departure, but here's how Phelps handled it. Over several months she brought in Leah Laiman, Millie Taggart, Peggy Sloane, Joyce Corrington, (rehired Demorest after five week departure) only to fire him 8 months later, Tom King, Craig Carlson before bringing in Doug Anderson as head writer (he lasted seven months) after the show had started to settle down with Demorest/Taggart as head writers (after Phelps forced committee writing with five HW then four when she drove Mulcahey out when his two year contract ended) - they should have been given a chance to stabilize things. Doug Anderson was a college professor who knew nothing about writing a show.  Then, P&G made matters worse by hiring Liabson who had petered out on Another World a year earlier and paired him with the Dena Higley's twin, Megan McTavish (I give her credit for one of the coffin nails too with the Brent plot, killing Nadine etc).  94/95 set the show back a great deal.  I'm sampling the Rauch/Estensen/Brown era after having watching the original run, and they were FIYA for a while.  To me, Rauch did his best overall producing on this soap during his era there.  The sets, music, credits, clothes, casting, were mostly superb.  They get blamed for the clone story but that idea came from Wendy Fischman and Brown discusses this in his Locher interview, but he doesn't name names.  It was reported to be Wendy's idea at the time.  Even the Labine tenure had quality too it.  The severe budget cuts were insurmountable and ridiculous and sad.  it is painful to watch that last year although I did rewatch the final week and I cried. I didn't cry at the end of ATWT; there was nothing left to feel about that show.  And whatever criticism one can level at Pam Long, her era lived until the final episode.

Griffith's Assistant, Madeleine Phillips, wrote the script for Tue, May 7 show (posted today on Youtube). And it's a terrible script.  I can't believe it made it on air. But with Griffith, new lows all the time...

Here's her extensive bio LOL Literally, the secretary is writing the show.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-phillips/

8 hours ago, kalbir said:

Even the Bill Bell years?

We all know Bradley didn't inherit his father's talent.

The Bill Bell years IMO are mostly forgettable although it was solid, just found it uninteresting.  And I couldn't get passed some of the terrible acting which early Y&R never had.  Ridge and Thorne (just the names alone were laughable) and the "actors' oh my...agains SF and JMc...bad.

21 hours ago, Mitch64 said:

Gotta be right after the anniversary a Bob and Kim's wedding. Wagner wasn't on contract yet and Frannie was still pining over Kevin and not back from school. April 85?  

I LOVE meddlesome stern Nancy! This is before Marland wussed her out and had to be when Lemay is consulting as he loves him some meddling matriarchs. I can see her softing as the years go by and they wanted Kim to be the one dispensing love in one hand and "kiddo" with the other, but I wish she hadn't become quite so bland a grandma.  Wagner seems to enjoy this and is a better fit for it as she was never as warm as Charita Bauer. 

Added fun, this is when Lisa still had a thing for Bob, so she subtly tries to drive a wedge between Kim and Nancy and tells Kim to make kindney pie to get in with Nancy when she knows full well she hates it. Love bitchy Lisa but that didn't last long either when Marland comes and does tend to bland everyone out.

This episode had to air after end of April 1985 but before mid July because Harding's name started appearing after the 2 week April writers' strike along with producers Laibson and Bogard (who were strike writers) but before Jack Sowards and Janet Stampfl's names started appearing in June/July 85, replacing Laibson and Bogart.  I'm assuming Stampfl had also been one of the strike writers.  Not sure about Sowards who was an vet tv writer.

The entire run of Sunset Beach and Bold and Beautiful....

Back to GH

it still largely sucks...

Let's leave NLG and her wine bottle behind...

1 hour ago, Taoboi said:

Oh?

I don't mind his writing at all. 

I don't he was listed in the later episodes this week. could have been an error?

The Cullitons, Tomlin, Walsh and Kuntz were immediately brought over to GL after Texas was cancelled with their names appearing in the credits in March.  As someone posted above, the Cullitons and Tomlin were there to tie up stories as Pam worked on her long term bible.  Pam was sole HW from May to December 1983.  Richard didn't stay long, but his wife stayed well over a year as an outline writer. Ryder came on in early Jan 84.  Hammer left in Jan 86 (air shows) and Ryder left in June 86 (air shows), having sole head written from Jan to May, after Mary Ryan Munisteri was brought in for a mini run of three months. Then it was Joe Manetta an old soap producer who happened to be married to Sheri Anderson who wrapped up her Days run and joined her husband in Nov 86. They were replaced by Pam who returned Sept 87 and left again in Jan 91 (3.5 years with strike lasting five months but her stories aired during that time). Pam wasn't always great at creating memorable long term arcs (especially in early years she ripped off nighttime and movies); but she raised the dramatic stakes and milked very plot turn and scene. In addition, most of the acting was beyond fantastic as was the directing, sets, silent fade outs, music cues, casting/acting.  It wasn't always predictable and it was refreshing if one had been on a steady Monty/GH diet for the Luke/Laura/Robert/Holly years.  I always found Pam's second run lacking, especially in the beginning.  Things also got rocky after Bernau had to leave. The stories seemed to finally gel with Alan very much in the center of things but his first replacement was a jolt (even though I now think he captured Bernau better than Raines despite Raines being fantastic when he remembered his lines; but of course he remembered more lines that Marj!).  Plus the Jonny Bauer (a clunker of a character by Anderson) cancer miracle story was barely passable (at the time).  It felt shoe horned in and inauthentic to me.  Then there was Rose and Rusty and some other lame, forgettable characters. But today it holds up as classic compared to the crap we have now with the four remaining shows.

Embarrassing.  

Has Janice Ferri Esser's last Y&R episode aired? She updated her linked in to show her tenure at the show ended March 2024.

James Harmon Brown no longer listed as script editor on Y&R.  

Wonder if Brent Boyd fought back through the union for being replaced after the strike with a fi core writer (who wink wink may have been brought on to write during the strike....)

Ron is so petty.  He worked with, and for, many fi-core writers. 

No doubt that two Days staff fi core writers, Fran and Jean, were in integral part of the strike writing team to keep the show going and it wasn't as horrible as his tenure has been.  And he has no say in Jeanne or Fran's employment because as long as Ken's in charge he's going to keep them and/or others he can rely on during strikes. Ron destroyed the show by the end of his second year with his pre pubescent Scooby Doo Saturday cartoon mentality coupled with Fire Island drag queen hour (think bonnie / hattie).  Not to mention the nonsensical flash forward to retool his own terrible stories. He makes Dena's two tenures look like Agnes Nixon quality.

On 3/15/2024 at 7:16 PM, Toups said:

 

So Mulcahey wrote today's breakdown and got separate credit for it?  I didn't see who wrote the script. Was it Kate Hall?

Sometimes writers are let go because they don't gel with the new head writers and/or their writing talent is deemed inferior (despite what a few hundred X posters say after a particular outline appears on TV).  We just don't know the full story in each case.

Most writers in daytime are fired multiple times with the exception of Doug Marland who left The Doctors to write GH and quit GH because Monty wanted him to move to CA and GL because of Allen Potter. Loving because his contract was up and he got the ATWT turns gig.  Even Aggie has been fired from AMC.

Shannon is a newbie who got a break and that's wonderful.

Some of these writer changes may be about budget as well. We know they fired veteran writer Seidman (script writer) before the strike followed by veteran Dave Rupel (script writer) shortly after the strike and added Stacy and Cathy, newbies who probably come cheap (money wise), before the strike episodes started to appear.