RavenWhitney

Going from Henry Slesar to James Lipton as head writer. Big mistake. Henry's version of Capitol was somewhat boring but he was finding his footing. Lipton was all gimmick. Conboy didn't know how to nurture and support a strong head writer. He went through the Corringtons, Peggy O'Shea and Henry in a few short years.

While the whole story of Nancy's departure have never been revealed, it was said at the time it may have partially had to do with a pregnancy. P&G did bring Stephen back to GL for several months. He then went on write for ATWT and AW in addition to OLTL and AMC. Nancy later revealed that she worked for a year or more in 1995-96 as a story consultant for ABC soaps but left when she got pregnant again. She and I exchanged correspondence after GL was cancelled and she said she was offered a writing position at GH but declined because she wanted to raise the kids.

This was probably Marland's best year. His 90s not so good. Amazing to think back and realize that both Marland and Calhoun were gay although not officially out. The beefcake was amazing during those years.

I remember as a kid watching public service announcements at the end of Edge episodes when Henry's script writer, Grace Garment, went missing. This is a sad recounting of her ending. Full of Edge darkness and mystery. And some quotes from Henry Slesar. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/27/archives/mrs-leonard-garment-a-suicide-identified-in-boston.html

Conboy's appointment of his friend of Dorothy, Ellen Weston, was a nail for sure. CBS forcing Wendy Fischman's stories, primarily Clone Reva, was a nail. Megan McTavish getting near Springfield was a nail. The final nail was ELLEN WHEELER!

Interesting clip of Kim Hunter discussing Nola. I didn't realize Henry had only planned the character to be around for three months but he extended it another five months with the Elliot/murder storyline.

Ellen Stewart/Pat Bruder in 2015. What a doll!

Maybe Millee Taggart who ended up after that period being named HW with Tom King (her partner at the time). Had Millee ever been listed in any writer credits before the 81 strike? I always looked at new writer hires on the soaps after the strikes ended as they were likely the scab writers. i.e. in 1988 P&G hired nearly the entire crew of strike writers: Swajeski, Iacubuzio, Leahy, Nerissa Radel, Michael Zazlow and his wife Susan Hufford. Also wondered if they after drafted Don Hastings to write during the strike since he had been a soap writer in 50s and 60s.

Interesting no head writer listed. Was this when the Dobsons walked out then I think they came back a year later for six months?

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/04/archives/search-for-tomorrow-sob-holds-25th-anniversary-party.html Great article about the show's 25 anniversary.

Agree. much closer to Flannery than Bauer. Never got the Bauer casting ...even tho I love the actress. Erika needs a new role similar to Nikki not Vickie.

She's not listed in this position at the government website. There's another person in the role. Fired perhaps?

Ron probably tried to get Erica to play Vivian. Glad she has more class and dignity and didn't take these BS roles. Poor Robin trashed herself to play Vivian for 30 episodes and wasn't invited back. Loved how Erica called out her fav head writers (Malone and O'Shea and Carlivati) and indirectly shaded Higley. But she defended Frons. I never realized that Gillian Spencer was fired as the first Vickie. I wonder why since she ended up playing Daisy and was a story consultant to AMC for a while. Erica also mentioned that she was originally up for a new role. I think the role was Mary Kennicott on AMC.

I didn't know Hastings wrote GL and ATWT under a pen name. Does anyone know the name he wrote under? He said he wrote GL when Robert & Edith Soderberg were head writers (sometime between 69-73).

Boy, Doug Marland deliberately didn't call out thanks to Potter and the camera caught Michael Tylo's eyes popping out because of the omission. I tend to think Marland probably had good reasons to think poorly of Potter. Probably more than just firing Jane Elliot. Patrick Mulcahey was cute!

Article about wacky Hogan Sheffer. Very interesting and sad man. https://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/columnists/mike-argento/2019/10/15/york-mark-hogan-sheffer-screenwriter-soap-opera-world-dies/3917041002/

I wish Alan Locher would get assemble interviews with some of the writers. Here's an old article about Nancy Curlee and Steve Demorest. http://www.newsoforange.com/news/article_471ac8fa-681a-11e3-abf7-0019bb2963f4.html

Wasn't Ann Howard Bailey the head writer/creator of How to Survive a Marriage? Did they replace her in the last few months with DePriest?

The first four months of the Emily/Kirk storyline was painful. I hated that milk toast actress. But Slesar turned it around in the second half, culminating in the August amusement park location shoot. Edge took off after that through Slesar's firing. Last great chapter of the show. Joe Lambie was a revelation. So sexy and dang good actor. I loved Poppy and Eddie! I thought they should have kept Poppy around and made her Mitzi's sister. It was so depressing to watch Lee Sheldon ruin the show in the last 18 months.

Shout out to Eric. Freiwald, writer of today's script. Eric was with YR for 30 years and died in 2010. He wrote YR first under the name Eric Roberts. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2010/feb/02/obituary-eric-w-freiwald/

Robert Soderberg and Edith Sommer wrote the show from 69-73. I have part of their story bible in my attic. I won it off of ebay at some point. It's really interesting. It's been a while since I've read it.

The actress who played Carmen was overrated; she couldn't cut it with the pros on the show. I hated the Santos family.

It makes no sense to me that CBS won't post the classic episodes on the day or day after they air. Anyone know of a reason?

OMG Jon Lindstrom called Liz Hubbard a battle-axe! Alan couldn't end the interview fast enough. A battle-axe is a term, generally considered pejorative, for an aggressive, domineering and forceful woman.

Anna, Elizabeth and Count look fierce. All could be great additions to current soaps.