VelekaCarruthers

Erwin Nicholson's last episode as SFT ep was 11/21. Whitesell started 11/22/85. Erwin was on board from March 8, 1985 so less than 9 months. Whitesell lasts six months (approximately) before P&G moved him to AW for two years where he primarily worked with DePriest. Whitesell was replaced on Search by no daytime experience David Lawrence who closed out the show's last six months.

I don't know if this counts for you but Bill Bell did a terrible short plot with an overweight character (Joann) who tried to French kiss Kay Chancellor.....if you google you'll find a link called Lezwatch.tv that has an article about it.

@GymnastGuyThanks for posting the three new Capitol 1985 episodes today. The two labeled March 12, and 13 are misidentified. The March 12 labeled one actually aired November 12 1985 which I figured out because Kenny Rogers' movie Wild Horses aired November 12th and it was announced over the "March 12" Cap credits. In addition, Craig Carlson is listed in the April credits but not the March. Craig left Capitol sometime after July 1985 before he rejoined OLTL in the credits by October 15, 1985; he was replaced on Cap by Radcliffe and Hamner. In these posted episodes Radcliffe/Hamner names appear in the March 85 episodes but not in the April.

The shirtless scenes increased under Nicholson as EP with Quinn, Hogan etc. They had focused on Steve Kendall under Joanna Lee in 1983 but not much bare skin on SFT overall. Louanne was a terrible recast. And don't get me started on Pam Long's horrible final six months as head writer with the Ireland plot and the convoluted Judge Henderson plot. I watched it daily until the end and cannot summarize either plot.

I don't think they were prepared for Sherry Mathis to exit. I think the scripts were written well in advance and they didn't expect her to go. Louanne was on the very next episode and a terrible recast. Erwin Nicholson made the same mistake in casting with Nicole on Edge but they gave the character some weeks or months rest before they brought in Jayne Bentzen, I believe. As I stated above, in rewatching these posted episodes, I am making a guess that Mayer/Braxton wrote many weeks in advance because of the Spring 85 writers' strike. While the strike lasted only two weeks, SFT is the only P&G soap that had writer credits through the two weeks of air shows that included the strike weeks. I also am guessing that Mayer was signed to a six month minimum (soaps typically have actors and writers on 13 week contracts) and Mayer was fired exactly at 26 weeks from the day his material first started airing. He was a disaster for the show and Erwin was tired and not what the show needed although scoring Lambie as Lloyd was his top achievement (he lasted a little less than 1 year).

Tomlin's first stint was from May 1983 to March 1984 (11 months) when he left to become co head of AW. He lasts about six months the second time. But he' paired with John Whitesell this time and the show was a wreck after Mayer/Braxton's 6 months.

Paul Avila Mayer lasted exactly 26 weeks at SFT and I'd love to know who and how he was hired. I suspect Ellen Barrett was behind it but she was fired or left three weeks before Mayer started. Interestingly, there was a 2 week writers' strike in spring 1985. Both ATWT and AW didn't have writers listed from about 4/1 to 4/15. Mayer/Braxton started on March 25 and continued to be listed through this brief strike which leads me to believe he was hired and wrote months of material before the strike. Given that he also lasted exactly 26 weeks, I'm assuming that he had he couldn't be fired before 26 weeks (whereas most junior writers were (and maybe still) are on 13 week cycles. As far as his storylines, the circus was the pretty awful as were all of his stories. He clearly had a terribly old fashioned view of women and teen girls. The whole plot was designed for TR to be in danger as he build the triangle with her, Ryder and Danny. Mayer's take on women was also apparent in his character assassination of Sonny as well as the relationships Sonny had built with Hogan and Liza. Sherry Mathis and David Forsyth were riveting in their scenes when they discovered their passion but when integrated into the canvas, it was a terrible decision. Mayer retired from soaps and became a psychoanalyst after his SFT stint.

Wonderful episode, Oct 28, 1985, just posted on Youtube notable for a few things: I believe this is Scott McKinsey's first daytime soap director debut; IMDB shows he started directing GL in Dec 85. The prior episode 10/25 was directed by John Zak who had been in LA directing Santa Barbara Introduction of Domini Blythe as Estelle - the best thing about the show in it's final 15 months. Lloyd Battista (Ray from Love of Life) plays Rivera. Viggo Mortensen acting debut as a thug/informant. I watched SFT during the final few years and Gary Tomlin started off strong, turning around Paul Avila Mayer's disastrous six months as head writer.

Head trip for EON fans and thanks to @GymnastGuy who's been posting tons of Search episodes on YouTube. SFT August 22 1985 episode Executive Producer: Erwin Nicholson who produced Edge for nearly two decades; this was his last job (9 months starting March 85 through Nov). Co -Head Writer (with Paul Avila Mayer) Stephanie Braxton who played Winter on Edge Actors: Joe Lambie (Logan) as Lloyd; Lois Kibbee as Grandmere (she stepped in for the Maureen O'Sullivan who had played the part for a few episodes, Lee Godart (Elliot) as Bella; Louise Shaeffer (Serena/Josie) as Stephanie. Other non Edge tidbits: Audrey Peters (Van Love of Life); John Loprieno (Cord OLTL) Of course SFT was filmed at EUE studios where Edge had taped. Most of the technical crew were Edge crew for decades. Background music same as Edge (Elliot Lawrence productions).

@Toups Tyler Topits listed in alpha order with the breakdown writers 5/12 Monday episode. O'Connor still listed as both breakdown and script writer. Kreizman wrote today's script.

Agree on Bruce Gray as Owen; they needed to cast star power. He was too lightweight against Kim and he had no chemistry with Frances Fischer except more gay buddy or daddy figure. I loved Nola and Eliot together though. Lee Godart should have been longer term.

I believe Henry Slesar intended that the Paige/Nola plot would play out over three to six months and Paige would be the new younger ingenue; but a few things happened. Sharon Gabet didn't renew her contract and the audience didn't like the Paige/Brian romance as it flirted with incest. Kim Hunter revealed in an interview that she as slated for 3 months but Henry asked her to stay on for an additional period. I watched Edge during this period when it originally aired and Margaret Colin was not great in the role. She seemed very green among the vets as was the dude playing Brian. He was poorly cast which was unusual for Edge. I think Henry started to get pressure from ABC and P&G to jazz up the show given what was exploding under Monty on GH at the time. I loved Kim as Nola and all the stories it generated for others. Miles and Deborah in particular. But the next who dunnit plot in this period was not one of Henry's best (at least for me the culprit and explanation were lame for Henry).

No. She never wrote for SFT

I thought she started to deal with medical issues that ultimately caused her death in 1994? Not sure but I thought I had read that she battled illness for quite a few years. Perhaps it started when she decided to leave the show? She was so fantastic. I will say that she and David Forsyth worked so well together; it was the only reason I watched Mayer's five months of storylines. Thanks for posting all these SFT episodes. Boy, the Nicholson/Mayer time was a mess of some positives but mostly negative. I wonder if Mayer was hired by Ellen Barrett (or if P&G tried to get Labine and Mayer although I doubt the budget would have allowed for both) then she was let go for some reason; and/or if Erwin had months left on his contract with P&G after EON was cancelled and they placed him there before he retired. Losing Sheri then Lisa Peluso was the death knell for this struggling show. Mayer's circus story was inane. Casting Michelle Joyner big miss; she was awful as was (and always after) John Loprieno. I don't know how that guy stayed employed on soaps for so many years. The positives were Joe Lambie, Lee Godart. Louann Gideon was lovely but completely miscast as Liza. Mayer fired four scriptwriters, only keeping Nancy Williams who went on to great work at GL for a decade then Passions.

O'Connor was listed as both breakdown and scriptwriter this week in the few episodes I saw and he wrote one script this week.

This show is pathetically bad.

I'm of a certain age where I caught some of Upton's final year and it was not great but Jean Holloway was worse. All I remember is Bambi, Bambi, Bambi!

Posted in another thread on this board: LOVE OF LIFE Head writers : Esther & Richard Shapiro (September 1970 - February 1972) Loring Mandel (Feburary 1972 - April 1973) Claire Labine & Paul Avila Mayer (April 1973 – April 1975) Margaret DePriest (April 1975 – December 1975) Paul & Margaret Schneider (December 1975 – September 1976) Gabrielle Upton (September 1976 – November 1978)

As long as Kent and Griffith are in charge, the show is doomed.

She was never right for the part but hopefully they don't bring back that friend of JFP who became so "fillered" and "botoxed" it was hard to watch. They wasted that actress who played the boy's mother, can't recall her name or name of the character. Didn't she go to jail. She was really good and reminded me of the early casting on Y&R, particularly the first Chris Brooks.

I believe so and Phelps' was at her worst at OLTL with her interference and control. She arrived at OLTL in Jan 98 (and stayed three full calendar years) with the Labines having been HWs for 9 months. They were gone 3 months later at the end of 1 year. Then, ABC brought in Pam Long and she lasted under JFP for nine months after which Phelps was head writer and brought in McTavish, Tom King, Michael Conforti and Harding Lemay without naming anyone head writer. I recall reading a Lemay interview where he bragged about Phelps coming into the writers' room each week and tearing apart the breakdowns. Finally, McTavish was named HW and that lasted 18 months before ABC switched both to GH.

JFP liked Doug Anderson because she could be the unnamed (in the credits) head writer and he was HER co-head writer. She had to relent pretty quickly to that set up and brought in Peggy Sloane and elevated Nancy Watts to co head positions while bringing in (for less than three months) Joyce Corrington as story consultant as well as Tom King and Craig Carlson as associate head writers. Harding Lemay was also her consultant for a brief period during Anderson's time. Of course, she took Lemay/King/Carlson to AW when she was moved over there. I think Doug lasted six months but it was writing by committee for the most part with Jill in the lead.

Thanks! I've been thinking about the P&G soaps from 1983 with all these uploads. My no. 1 soap was Edge but I was a fan of SFT, GL and ATWT over the ABC and non P&G soaps. They made huge writer/producer changes in March and May 1983 GL: Pam Long took over GL May 23, 1983 (Kobe replaced Potter as EP in March) ATWT: Caroline Franz and John Saffron took over from the Dobsons on May 23, 1983 (Franz was demoted to script writer after six months and Saffron lasted another six months as sole head before disappearing from daytime) SFT: Gary Tomlin took over from David Cherrill on May 27, 1983 (good move but he lasted 11 months and 2 EPs) (Lee replaced Bartholemew as EP March 30th) EDGE: Lee Sheldon took over from Henry Slesar on May 23, 1983 (got the show cancelled after 18 months) Another World: Soderberg had joined Purser as co head in Jan 1983 but Paul Rauch resigned in March 1983 and was replaced by Allen Potter who was switched from GL)

Were there any other changes to the writing credits? Is Dan O'Connor still listed as both break down and script writer?

There are two words to rain on the parade of excitement about the new writers: KEN CORDAY. As long as the production team is answering to him there's really no hope for this sad show. This is the man who kept Carlivati for 7 years, who fired the best head writing duo they had after Jim Reilly's mess (Cwicky/Brash who were replaced by Higley, the McTavish of Days, who Ken hired not once not twice but three times) who got rid of EPs who made the show look great (Noel Maxam and Ed Scott) who keeps his friends on staff even when they are completely incompetent or aged out of their jobs (costume "designer" Richard Bloore, actor Josh Taylor for instance). I'm sure Paula and Jean love the show and will have some glimmers of humanity and old school soap in their storytelling but the show lives on fumes for a budget and so many of the characters have been damaged by horrid stories (they're either back from the dead, actors playing a different part when they spent years playing another part, characters who break laws even when they're not the villain and get away with it (Hope killing Stefano for which Josh Griffith should have been banned from soaps on this one story alone). I could go on. It truly doesn't matter who's head writing this show. If Paula and Jean show promise they will be fired (unless Ken truly retires like Bill Bell did) or the show will be cancelled.