VelekaCarruthers

Maybe Guza is becoming Y&R Head writer and Jilly will be named EP! Remember CBS installed Latham as consultant and later Mal Young, both of whom took over the show. Of course, they each got credit during the consulting days.

Where's the credible source that JFP is back?

Henry did write Draper as a series but sweet romantic lawyer and had an opportunity with the not too inspired Emily/Kirk plot to change Draper's personality (Ala Jason Quartermaine on GH) but Tony quit a while after that story was resolved which Henry may have know about and Terry Davis got pregnant so he gave them a happily ever after (off screen). But Tony often flubbed his lines too; he didn't come across as a multi talented actor in the vein of Joel Crothers who aced absolutely everything Henry gave him to do.

I have nothing agains JJ as he was somewhat compelling as a kid actor growing into a teen etc sort of like Kim/McCullough/Robin. But JJ is not leading man material, still has that small demeanor and squeaky voice. I watched his cringy proposal scenes with RH and there was absolutely no chemistry; it felt like brother and older sister. JJ couldn't have been happy about his dumb and/or non existent storyline either. I'm sure he can find work and doesn't need this flailing show. He reminds me of Emmy Rylan who played Lizzie/GL, Abby/YR then Lulu/GH - these are actors with a distinct voice, stature etc who can play one part well, vixen, spoiled rich girl etc in the case of Emmy or smart, sweet, conflicted, tender but tough Lucky/JJ, but that aura/presence was always going to be there which makes it difficult to expand outside that profile. GH needs to seriously pare down the cast anyway.

Schenkel was a disaster despite being a nice guy. The show was doing fine I thought (and watched live) under Culliton/Tomlin but Schenkel dismantled the writing team and proceeded to oversee a merry go round for several months until they brought in Sam Hall to collaborate with Spencer. Here's the writer changes from the AW homepage (fairly accurate too although Tomlin remained on the head writing team at least through mid February if not a little longer) Richard Culliton and Gary Tomlin, July 1984 - January 1985 (In 1984, with Linda Elstad, Joe LeSueur, Lloyd Gold, Gary Tomlin, David Cherrill, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Judith Donato, Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Judith Pinsker, Cynthia Saltzman, and Warren Hite) (In 1985, with David Cherill, Carolyn Demoney Culliton, Judith Donato, Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Judith Pinsker, and Stephen Wardwell) Gary Tomlin, January 1985 (With Samuel D. Ratcliffe and Gillian Spencer; Richard Culliton, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Judith Donato, David Cherill, Judith Pinsker, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Lloyd Gold, Cynthia Saltzman, and Elizabeth Levin) No headwriter, February 1985 - July 1985 (With Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Gillian Spencer, Caroline Franz, David Cherrill, Judith Donato, Richard Culliton, Fran Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, James W. Kearns, Elizabeth Tooker, Peter Brash, and Ted Kubiak) Sam Hall and Gillian Spencer, August 1985 - March 1986 (In 1985 with Jan Hartman, Elizabeth Tooker, Peter Brash, David Cherill, Richard Culliton, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Todd Kessler, and Eric Rubinton) (In 1986 with Peter Brash, David Cherrill, Barbara A. Morgenroth, Fran Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Todd Kessler, Elizabeth Wallace, Donna Pode, John Boni, Penelope Koechl, Elizabeth Tooker, and Richard Culliton)

Christian Streaty penned today's Day's script. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-streaty/

Jonathan Jackson's return has been a big fail. I wonder when his contract is up. Can't imagine him sticking around beyond that.

Pam Long wrote the show for a very short period at the end although it's been reported that she was submitting story ideas for a while, I believe she's only credited as head writer for the last 8 weeks or so. After the Corringtons (Aug 80- to Feb 81) Paul hired Dorthea Ann Purser and Sam Ratcliffe (March 2 81 to Nov 6 81). There was a writers' strike from May to July 81 during which time it's been speculated that Rauch hired Gerald Flesher and Paul Rader to write. They later replaced Purser/Ratcliffe as of Nov 9 1981 when Kobe took over as EP. Paul is credited as head writer at least through October 4, 1982. On YouTube I found an episode from Oct 22, 1982 and Pam is credited. Flesher was fired and out after June 11 1982 episode. I believe Gary Tomlin and Linda Hamner were co heads with Paul through Sept or so then Linda was moved back to scripts/breakdowns (or was fired) and Carolyn Culliton got the third co head writer slot all until Pam was named sole head.

I lost interest in BTG after six weeks. It was a mess. May tune in again but I agree with other posters that Guza's influence was not obvious at all. So many rookie head writer mistakes (not to mention very poor casting choices for those who cannot act but got important roles). I think MVJ lost a golden opportunity in those first weeks to craft a tight A,B,C story around the main family. I'm not enthused about Tracy either.

I wonder if we've seen the last of Sonia directing Days given these episodes taped around the time she moved to BTG

Kate Hall has written the last four consecutive scripts. I cannot recall a prior time when the same script writer wrote that many shows in a row.

Thanks for the Days writer update. Since Draughon started in August 2024 according to his Linkedin profile and this episode was taped the week of September 9 2024, it seems the outlines are being written about a month or less from tape date.

I enjoyed reading your perspective. I did shed a tear when Tracy showed Gio the broach and the photo of Edward and Lila.

I know fans are falling all over these last few weeks and/or last few episodes as "the best in years" and perhaps they are; but what I've seen is histrionics and hysteria except from Jane Elliot and a few other vets. Tuesday's episode may have been awesome based on today's soap standards but I wasn't buying most of it (other than the writing for Tracy and Jane's acting). And the performer who plays GIO is barely passable and can't hold up against Jane E. Practically every character who's part of the Gio reveal has stolen babies, given up babies, switched babies, had affairs and didn't tell the dude they were pregnant (and/or committed a host of other felonies); and these GH writers are portraying it like it's 1950s Oakdale USA. On a positive note, Frank finally replaced Chad with someone who seems to be able to act. I saw Rory on Y&R and can't fault him for Griffith's prozac drivel. On top of all of that, I was completely distracted/amused by Rena and Amanda's matching non linear, mind of their own, eyebrows. They do look like Mother/Daughter.

Thanks, DK is their best script writer and NM should have been EP long ago.

Did David Kreizman write today's script? Who directed? Thanks!

At the start of 1982 under Ellis/Hunt (on CBS) SFT was solidly in the middle of the 13 soaps pulling in between a 7.5 and 6.5 with high 20s share. The final week on CBS the show garnered a 6.3/23. The first week on NBC and mostly thereafter, the ratings were in the middle 3s with a 12 share! I I think under Tomlin 1 and under Glynn the show might have hit over a 4 and 14 but one week only or so. Capitol didn't get those numbers until middle of summer and in the first few months hit the 4s and low 5. By year end it was in the low 6s/23 share but struggled for the remainder of its run. NBC's Search was never going to get 6 / 23 shares but when they were solidly in the high 3s and 12/13 share they invariably fired the writers and producer. Dumb.

I've been looking at the ratings during and after each head writer switch. The ratings during Marcus' tenure (Oct 74 to April 75) were very good but at first not quite as high a Upton's (who was there six months prior. Marcus left when Mary Hartman was picked up as she was a creator and head writer). I've watched Marcus' interviews on Youtube; she discusses most of the soaps she worked on. She liked the money; she's not all warm and fuzzy about writing for them. She loved nighttime genres that gave her writing more flexibility than soapy dramas. But she was good at writing soaps. By April 75, SFT was no.2 in the ratings behind ATWT. O'Shea was next (lasted 18 months) and in May 75, SFT hit No. 1. When O'Shea left the show as still in the top five. O'Shea moved to OLTL in 77? but not as head writer so not sure why she left SFT. The Corringtons were the safest bet to keep long term. They needed to change direction by 1980 as the ratings were dropping but still very solid 6s/low 20s share). They should have expanded the show to an hour and given the Corringtons some direction and more budget. One has to wonder about two people who were with the show for a long time: Mary Ellis Bunim was promoted to EP when she was about 28, amazingly and a woman! She was talented but she went through at 11 head writer changes from when she started in 1974. Here's her list of writers: Theodore Apstein (January 1974 – May 1974) 5 mo Gabrielle Upton (May 1974 – November 1974) 6 mo Ann Marcus (October 1974 - April 1975) 6 mo Peggy O’Shea (April 1975 – November 1976) 18 mo Irving Elman (with James Lipton) (November 1976 – Summer 1977) 9 mo Robert J. Shaw with Charles/Patti Dizenzo (August 1977 - Spring 78) 6-9 mo? Henry Slesar (Spring 78 to August 78) 3-4 mo? Corringtons (August 1978 to May 1980) 1 yr/9mo Linda Grover/John Porterfield (May 1980 to mid July 1980) 3 mo. Gabrielle Upton (July 1980 to at least through March or April) Harding Lemay April to June 81 writers' strike Don Chastain (Summer 1981 writers' strike - replaced by Ellis/Hunt Dec 81 or Jan 82) Then Fred Bartholemew comes in when Bunim goes to ATWT (Oct 81?) and he brings in Ellis Hunt for the NBC switchover, they lasted 11 months. Mary Stuart is the other mystery to me: how was she to work with? Did she instigate many of the writer firings? Was she not involved at all. No other P&G show went through this kind of frenetic change. (The Doctors might be a close second but wasn't on as long and not P&G).

I think Whitesell had the shortest EP term on SFT of any prior EP; he was EP from Nov 22 1985 to maybe Feb 86 or early March; his first Another World EP credit is March 27 1986. He was paired with Maggie DePriest whose material started April 1 86 on AW.

Ryan Quan Jamey Giddens Katie Schock Tyler Topits Fran Myers (Script Editor)

I don't believe for one minute that Henry was Russell. I watched Somerset from the time Roy Winsor then Robert J. Shaw took over and the only period that was interesting or watchable was when I believe Winifred Wolfe was head or co head and introduced Dale (Ellen affair) and someone was harming/murdering older folks. Then it was terrible. The last six months was a slight improvement over the prior six months but nowhere near Henry quality. I also don't believe P&G would have put him on a competing time slot show. There is a Russ Kubeck born in 1952 from Connecticut but he would have likely been too young to get a head writing stint. Plus, Henry wouldn't have chosen that name as an alias. Look at his Wikipedia page for all the aliases he used. The real Russ may have been the 1952 Russ's father and used his middle name. Also I believe Kubeck may have been a name changed from Kupecky or Kubecky. Many changed their names during the Wars etc.

This episode was filmed the week of August 26, 2024 according to Jason47's production schedule list. Assume these scripts are written 4-8 weeks in advance of that date so June/July timeframe. Sonia Blangiardo is still listed as director this week so it'll be interesting to see if she's gone from Days by June/July air shows given she's a BTG producer since they assembled the crew.

Dan Curtis was a good producer and director but he didn't know how to structure a daytime show. After he fired Art Wallace (or Art left after the first 13 weeks and never returned) Dan was the head writer. There are interviews (video and print) with Sam Hall, Violet Wells and others on the writing team who say as much. Dan wanted cliffhangers and shock value daily. He was undisciplined. If you look at other soaps that aired during that time, they were better produced and acted. You didn't constantly see boom shadows and tips of cameras and have sets rattle and actors forget lines (daily). I loved a lot of DS but it was campy and poorly produced. When a scene or episode was flawless (which was very rare) it was a revelation. It could have been so good. They needed to slow down a bit but it was expensive to put on and I think the network was constantly nervous about the content.

Whitesell/Tomlin dropped replacement Steve in a matter of a few episodes; he was terrible. I'm looking these December 1985 episodes and I remember watching original air shows. I thought Tomlin was doing a very good job cleaning up the Braxton/Mayer/Nicholson mess. Tomlin had Louise Shaffer who was awful as Stephanie (never liked the actress onscreen in any role other than Serena / Josie) but Louise pulls it out the week of Dec 2. (Dec 2-5 are stellar episodes IMO). I wonder if Lisa P quit because she was paired with Godart who was 14 or so years older. She was islanded and she wouldn't have betrayed Stephanie. So that was a Tomlin fail. Domini is a revelation and Estelle and nuChase was improving. I liked him and Adair but I can see how they didn't need another Cagney/Suzi type on a 30 min show. The ratings were terrible under Tomlin/Whitesell and dropping into the high 2s with a 9 share. I can understand why they made a u turn with the flood storyline (plus I think in 86 their budget must have taken a huge hit because they were consolidating sets and reducing the cast). Tomlin had to contend with the departures of Lisa P and Jane K as well as deal with the bad Stephanie replacement. Of course, the show was still reeling from Sherry's departure and Erwin's horrible choice as her replacement. I don't understand why P&G didn't cut their losses with Louanne, particularly after Mayer's character assassination (having her sleep with Hogan). Joe Lambie was so fierce as Lloyd. What a talent. Loved him as Logan on Edge. Tomlin/Whitesell do get the ratings back to low 3s and 11 share by later March only to be dumped for Pam Long and David Lawrence for the final six months. P&G and NBC must have had a horrible relationship but the show constantly went through writer/producer changes going back to Mary Bunim in the 70s. From watching all these posted shows, I've built a list of producer / writer comings and goings and it's absolutely mind boggling. I'm still working on the list but will post soon.

Dan O'Connor was not listed with breakdown writers Tuesday, May 20th (I didn't see the credits on Monday). He was listed with the script writers. With Jamey also going, looks like Paula and Jean are cleaning out the Ron hires. We know Rick Draughon returned as breakdown writer last August, so his name should appear in the next several weeks.