VelekaCarruthers

I could barely get through Wednesday's terrible episode. Again, for me, (besides the poor performances by the actors playing Tomas, Martin, Jacob and Naomi and even Smitty couldn't make it work) the main issue is MVJ story points. Martin/Smitty story is just a mess, partially because of casting plus the teen children angle. In addition, running for prez is not a compelling plot point especially with this young actor and given the real US political climate. This isn't escapism that works on a soap. The lawsuit story is like one of Bill Bell's worst summer social topic storylines. If they had made Mike a main player and maybe Bill's brother, it would have more heft or connected him to Joey, something.... The plot makes Bill's character look so dumb. He's supposed to be this highly successful lawyer who keeps this cretin, Mike, on the staff because he brings in big cases. Doesn't work. My bigger issue with the writing continues to be Dani. Chelsea's new dream was just dropped on viewers; Chelsea frets with Grand then in the next episode or two Dani's on board. Where's the drama? Nowhere to be found. I'm still hoping Guza's head writing experience will become apparent in upcoming episodes, but so far, not so much. The show also hasn't found its dialogue groove. Jazmen Brown has talent and may settle in as a great script writer. Some of the vets scripts are bad i.e Davis's Wednesday script. I hope Thursday/Friday episodes are an improvement.

Ron or Ryan mentioned years ago that, because of the taping schedule, they rotated outline writing duties among five outline writers plus Ryan. So, I believe, under Ron, he was writing breakdowns. I would assume since the show reduced the number of outline writers after the strike, he was writing them as well. Not sure if he was doing outlines under Cwickly/Ford. If he was on staff until Jan, his contributions to the scripts would remain into Dec 2025 likely given that in Jan the show was already filming November episodes.

I went through the credits on Youtube episodes and he was listed once in April 1996 then not again until July through November 1996. He may have done occasional scripts while in the writer development program before April 1996? But I just went through the credits through Jan 1997 and his name never appears again. I thin he has his dates wrong.

He was a script writer during the terrible Black/Stern period when they were trying out newbie writers many of whom went through the P&G writer development program. He was with the show from July to December 1996.

I think her claim to fame as EP is the fake exterior AI generated shots. Noel should have been named EP after Alarr anyway. But the pressure was on to name a woman. I calculated that Maxam's first episode is likely to be March 23, 2026 unless Days takes more than the usual dark weeks up through May 2. Here's how I got to this date (all based on Jason47's posted production schedule). As of 3/7/25, Days shot Dec 30, 2025 episode (Jason's last schedule update). In the last two calendar years, Days has been dark five weeks total by end of April. So far this year Days has been dark three weeks up through 3.7.2025, if they go dark two weeks between now and May 2 they will shoot 60 more episodes under Drucker i.e. through March 20, 2026. Wow. So Maxam will be EP for six months until Days reaches the end of its current contract with Paramount. I guess it's possible that they made the switch because Paramount indicated they will extend Days passed Sept 2026 and they want changes, or Maxam is cheaper than Drucker and for the final six months the show airs he will be EP... badumbummmmm....

Yes, Stuart was EP until June 88 and I believe JC appeared as Diane in 87.

Lemay was a script writer for a few months in 81. Probably wrote 1 or 2 scripts per week until he moved over to head write the doctors. His dialog was always terrible on AW. I doubt he had much influence over GL since Marland didn't share head writing duties.

Not sure if this episode has been previously posted but it's. new to me on YT. I was never a fan of Marland's stint at GL.

Tuesday's episode was painfully bad, mostly with the head writers' material.

I think this hottie played Rafe. Sign me up for therapy! https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-meeker-lcsw-aphsw-c-b7219670/

Ryan Quan first listed as outline writer at GH 3/25

Listing again Sam Ratcliffe's soap work history with Loving stint added! If anyone can confirm his exact start date on Santa Barbara, that would be great. Another World script writer October 1979 - ? Days December 79-March 80 (13 weeks/13 episodes) Another World script writer: July 1980 to December 1980 Days script writer 3 episodes in Jan / Feb 1981 Texas co-head writer March 2- Nov 6 1981 (included 12 week writers' strike) Guiding Light script writer January to June 1984 Another World script writer July 1984-March 1985 Capitol Breakdown Writer October? 1985 to March 1987 ATWT Breakdown Writer: May 1987 to Jan 1988 Loving Breakdowns: Feb 1988 to Jan 1990 Santa Barbara Co-Head Writer/Breakdowns: Feb? 1990 to December 1992 Another World Breakdown Writer: December 1992 - December 1995

@Toups Perhaps, you can add the following to your writer archives! I love daytime writers and have been curious for years about Sam Ratcliffe. He must have been well respected to be hired and rehired at the soaps (most times at AW which is why I'm posting here). He died in Dec 1995 at age 50. Here's what I've pieced together of his soap writing history. Tidbit: on SFT last episode Liza meets a Travis look a like named Sam Ratcliffe! Another World script writer October 1979 - ? Days December 79-March 80 (13 weeks/13 episodes) Another World script writer: July 1980 to December 1980 Days script writer 3 episodes in Jan / Feb 1981 Texas co-head writer March 2- Nov 6 1981 (other than the 12 week writers' strike) Guiding Light script writer January to June 1984 Another World script writer July 1984-March 1985 Capitol Breakdown Writer October? 1985 to March 1987 ATWT Breakdown Writer: May 1987 to Jan 1988 Santa Barbara Co-Head Writer/Breakdowns: January 1990 to December 1992 Another World Breakdown Writer: December 1992 - December 1995

Her character was not listed in alpha order in the Dec 30, 1993 holiday long credits; so she was off contract in Nov/Dec. I wasn't able to find any Nov or early Dec cast credit crawls on YouTube.

Before I posted I searched YOUTUBE and found a Nov 89 episode that include Ryder but he probably was ineligible for the 89 awards because he was on staff less than 8 weeks by year end (89).

Thanks

Here's Ryder's Linkedin profile. Some interesting tidbits Although he lists his first GL stint as being three years long, he was out in June 86. Perhaps, P&G had to pay him for the remaining six months but in those days most writers worked on 13 week cycles. I doubt he had to power in his first HW gig to demand six months i.e. like McTavish claims she had in her second/third AMC tenures. He combines in 1990 return to soaps (which was actually Nov 89 to GL) in one entry. I believe he returned to GL when Jones left as Long's other co head (along with Curlee) to do Tribes. Long got sole billing but he was listed above Curlee as co head for three months then was listed above the script writers (in what would be a script editor position in title cards) for several weeks before his name disappeared in April 90 I think. On Loving he was listed as Walsh's co head from the first week of Jan 92 to October 92 then Walsh was sole head until Jan 93. My sense was that Ryder came up with big plot ideas to overlay Pam's romance storytelling. I thought he and Walsh were doing well on Loving but I recall Grainger didn't like them. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-ryder-34b80733/

He wasn't listed in the pilot episode credits that aired on 3/26 but is listed under the Karpfs on 3/29 and 3/30 first two daytime episodes! Just realized when I looked at his IMDB page that he spent several months as a consultant to the Bell soaps before P&G installed him at GL. I wonder if CBS was grooming him for GL all along to replace Pam and had him tutor with the Bells?

Wonderful to see the pilot and first few episodes of this show. @Toups I never knew that James E. Reilly co-wrote the first two (and possibly more) daytime episodes! Another note: Katharine Clarke (another listed writer) is KC Ligon, wife of Tom Ligon (Lucas Prentiss on Y&R)

This replaced actor wasn't the worst but I can see why they chose to do it; he had no chemistry with Daphnee/Nicole, and he came across kind of fey. Still a mistake not making him Bill's brother, IMO,

Remaining 12/2/80 breakdown.....

Here's a 13 page breakdown of 12/2/1980 show (Rachel's trial) written by Tom King for a script by Barbara Seiger. Barbara taught soap writing in NY back in the day and I took the course. She was not kind about King when she handed this to the class with a copy (which I have) of the first several scenes of her script for this particular episode. She had to tell King in the notes that there's no "unpremeditated murder" and King even notes in the outline for her to do the research. I wonder if Tom knew at this point that he and Soderberg would be replaced as of the 12/23 episode. In fact, the entire writing team was fired and replaced by L. Virginia Brown etc. First six pages....and I'll post the remaining pages as well.

Remainder of 1991 Story Doc.

I believe there are reports that Marland wanted to keep Rex as a viable character.

Marland Story Bible Summer/Fall 1991 Pages 26-31