RavenWhitney

CBS insisted on bringing in a co-head writer. Long didn't want to work with James Reilly.

You are free to think that a 20 something age difference between them is morally repugnant but that doesn't absolve Ricky. He's also an adult and is responsible for his actions. Pray Tell's problem is that he's not thinking clearly and seeing Ricky for what he is: a ho', a playa, an irresponsible young adult who's risking others' lives so he can seduce and get is rocks off. Poor Pray Tell. '

Marland did not improve TD. DePriest was the last head writer who made the show interesting. Marland's hiring started its down fall. DePriest was progressive and character driven. Some stories didn't work but it was far more watchable than Doug's year. Wow, Rona was so right about AW! My grandmother watched and I remember watching with her and thinking how shitty the scripts were and I was young! Repetitive dialog for sure. Dumb scenes. LeMay was sooo overrated, particularly once the show went to an hour. And yet viewers tuned in.

Ernie Pyshner aka Ernie Townsend who played Cliff Nelson on EON became a teacher/principal! https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernest-pysher-64485a20/

Ricky's the playa', ho'bag, cheat, liar, who exposed Damon to HIV and is praying on vulnerable Pray Tell!

Stick with it. Season 2 found it's footing with Episode 8, a nearly flawless show from the actors and especially Steve Canals, one of the EPs who wrote and directed. It was soap, poignant, unexpected and fiercely acted. Loveeed it. Other episodes have their issues this season but not this one.

Here's a link to a summary of the Xmas Eve 1982 SFT episode archived at Paley. Interesting list of cast and crew. https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=jay&p=87&item=T:45227 And Ralph Ellis left a bunch of scripts from his HW tenure in 1970s; here's the link. He and wife, Eugenie Hunt wrote for the show for at least three years up through 1974 and return for time in early 80s. https://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/e/ellis_search_for_tom.htm And here's a link to WGA list of writers by season: https://directories.wga.org/project/196412/search-for-tomorrow/

Wondering if Paul Rader was a pen name for someone behind the scenes who wanted to be anonymous?

There's one reason 1999 to 2010 sucked (basically) and his name is Chris Goutman, Executive Producer, who P&G loved and refused to hold accountable for the slide in ratings and quality. From Spring 2000 to Spring 2005, Hogan Sheffer controlled the writer's room until his nervous breakdown. Hogan had some bright spots but didn't know what he was doing either. Before and after Hogan, Goutman recycled the same P&G writers that had failed on other (Passanante/Laiman/Culliton). At least with Hogan, they went outside the box and tried to cultivate new talent. Goutman should have left Broderick in place in 1999 and worked on long term stories and good casting. Instead, he installed Laiman and Passanante whose final stories on AW were pretty horrid.

Here's several scenes with opening credits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIyN0ANUDsQ

Here's another summary at this link: http://www.anotherworldhomepage.com/spinoffs.html March 30, 1970 - December 31, 1976 Creators: Irna Phillips and Robert Cenedella Executive Producer: Lyle B Hill. Producer: Sid Sirulnik Headwriters: Robert Cenedella, March 1970 - December 1970. Henry Slesar, January 1971 - March 1972. Henry Slesar and Jane Lyon, April 1972 - May 1973. Roy Winsor and Robert J. Shaw, May 1973 - April 1974. Robert J. Shaw and Winifred Wolfe, April 1974 - March 1975. Don Appell, Doris Frankel, and Frank Salisbury, March 1975 - December 1975. A.J. Russell and Frank Salisbury, January 1976 - May 1976. Russell Kubeck, June 1976 - December 1976. Associate Writers: Elspeth Eric and Robert Newman (1970-1972).

Sorry, I meant Dale. I loved that plot. I was a kid and watched it live. Kubek was the one who ruined the show by focusing only on the mob plot. He was fired and the final head writer was AJ Russell again, I believe, who brought in Toni and Gene Bua.

Here's a great summary of Somerset's history although it doesn't accurately reflect all the head writer tenures. I believe Doris Frankel was briefly HW after Shaw and I think AJ Russell was brought back after Kubek. https://web.archive.org/web/20130814031622/http://awinsomerset.com/

That period was very progressive from my childhood memory. Ellen having an affair with David. Didn't they start the murder plot where Dale was accused but it turned out to be the son of the old man in the cottage? I think Doris Frankel was head writer and she introduced the senior plot with the veteran actors?

Robert Dwyer was also a script writer during Marland's time the TD and he left to go work with him on GH I think. Dwyer definitely was part of Marland's GL writing team.

I see Ethel and Mel Brez brought in two new script writers when Nancy Franklin leaves to go work with Marland on GH. Lin Cole Frederick Feirstein, a playwright and psychoanalyst in NY. https://www.frederickfeirstein.com/about

Kevin Conroy (Chase) on Twitter today, wishing everyone Happy Holidays. He's 63.

Several writers who broke into the soaps didn't use their real names at first. Some have speculated that Millee Taggart used "KC Collier" when she first joined ATWT. Another fake writer name that showed up was on OLTL just before the writers' strike in 2007: Veronica Stanbridge. There's no such person. Some speculated at the time that it was a scab writer who ended up working on the show during the strike.

During Jill Phelp period in 95/96 how long were Katherine Sutcliffe and Harding LeMay listed as Consultants? I just read Sutcliffe's Wikipedia page and it says the following: n 1995 and 1996, Sutcliffe worked as the Consultant Head Writer for the soap operas As the World Turns and Another World. Sutcliffe was offered the job after Bill Graham, who searched for writers for Procter & Gamble, mentioned to his wife that they wanted to refocus the soap opera stories on romance. His wife, who loved Sutcliffe's book, insisted that he contact her. During her time as a soap opera writer, she concentrated on developing the six-month story lines, which the breakdown writers would then develop into dialogue and individual scenes for the show. During this time frame, Sutcliffe also made a guest appearance on Another World, playing herself. She resigned from her position after the networks began to insist that she move to New York City to be more accessible.

This Sept episode is so memorable. I remember taping it on a cassette recorder when I realized Raven was leaving. I still have the tape. This episode marks a difficult transition period for Slesar and the show. The next year was tough with the focus on the Madisons and eventual departures of Deborah, Steve, the entire Madison family, Margo etc. But set the stage for Sky, Jody, Gavin, Gunther etc....Slesar's last great period on the show. My understanding from talking to Ernie Townsend in 1981 in NYC was that ABC was pressuring PG and Slesar when the other ABC soaps rebounded in 1980 to become more youthful, and romance focused. Henry's difficulty (but was probably the source of so much creativity) is that he wrote all the long story, all the breakdowns and three scripts per week. He associate writer only wrote 2 scripts per week. By the early 80s he was seen as too old fashioned and unable to write by committee. Loved Henry and Edge! Lee Sheldon sucked.

During Marland's early tenure he has one script writer, Elizabeth David. I'm wondering if this is Elizabeth Levin (married to David Cherrill). Both Elizabeth and David wrote for the Doctors; she had two stints as head writer.

It's ashame they couldn't stick with DePriest. I wonder if Ann Howard Bailey was consulting with Jeff Young while writing scripts since they both worked together on How to Survive A Marriage; he was only 30 years old and had been put in charge of that soap before it was cancelled. Wonder why they didn't give Ann the head writing job. Margaret wrote 150 episodes; contracts were usually 13 week so she outlasted 26 weeks but it seems like the last month of scripts might have been edited by Marland (bringing in Lew, ending the clunker Scott Conrad plot so quickly). We know Marland worked with Nancy Franklin on many soaps and she showed up as a scriptwriter a month before Marland episodes starting airing. Why they couldn't hold on to a good head writer is weird after the Pollacks lasted over four. The execs killed a good show with the endless HW changes.

Totally blown away by Aug 10, 11 and 12 1976 episodes. Wow. The writing was amazing at times. Maggie DePriest wrote the Aug 11 and there's a doozy of a progressive scene where Paul describes women's roles through history and present, to cray cray Stacy. Then the final 8 minute scene in Aug 12 episode with Mamma Dancy addressing each of her three children. A scene so b-movie campy, genuine and soapy, with stellar acting by the great Elizabeth Lawrence. Before Karen's witness stand, Reva's fountain there was this scene. Lanie Bertram's script is up there with Pat Mulcahey's Maureen death episodes. Not to mention the scene between Paul and Ann. Geraldine Court, what a revelation. And Paul the actor and the character.... And I haven't even watched Friday, Aug 13th with Luke's introduction.

I've just started watching the July 1976 episodes. Wow - Maggie DePriest was ahead of her time. The show was so well written. The script writers were outstanding: Lanie Bertram, Anne Howard Bailey and Lee Zlottoff (who went on to nighttime fame). - The acting is so fierce with the exception of Billy, Greta, Wendy and Iverson. Paul, Anne, Mona, Maggie, Steve wow. Love those actors. - Gene Lasko was a great director. Norman Hall was senior director but his episodes are sometimes sloppy. - When does Marland take over? I can't believe Depreist didn't last; probably network execs fiddling. - Score productions music is awful. Some of the sets were nicely done; but the nurses station is so cheap. - Is Toni Carorlee's daughter? Weren't the actresses near the same age? How did they write Carolee off? When does Jada start airing? - Did Cenedella or Depreist create the Dancy family?

Wow, Ralph Ellis gave a bunch of his SFT stories and scripts to SU. https://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/e/ellis_search_for_tom.htm