She's a scriptwriter (and JFP's former assistant).

Her contract is up in October. rumors are floating around that her contract will not be renewed and 84 year old former Associate HW harding Lemay will take over. Although he is old, he is still writing strong. I dont know if it is a good idea because of his age, but i will take anyone over Higley. I believe that she has not been writing the stuff we've been seeing... We will have to wait and see.

Lemay's book about writing Another World is a must read but... I thought he had said he would never return to headwriting. Either way when he was BRIEFLY associate headwriter to OLTL he wasn't known exactly for doing much good (ditto on his 90s stint helping out at Another World). This seems odd all around--plus he would be quite an expensive choice (though prob not as expensive as Malone was...)

BTW here's an interesting 1997 int with the man http://iriswheeler.tripod.com/sodonline1997.html (lotsa great quotes tho I completely disagree with him on the City)

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I think James Harmon Brown should write the show. Frons is a huge part of the problem. He is a groupie who pimps bad couples and bad stories. He has not been shy about talking about how involved he is in the day-to-day content of the shows. He talked about how Antonio the strilpper was his idea, hiring Matt Metzger as Duke was his idea, the AMC reality show was his idea. He hired Higley because she was his buddy. Malone was a great writer and he failed. Griffin quit and publically said he quit because of interference from the brass. Now Griffin is at the Young and the Restless.

Now I will give him credit for at least trying to do things different. I hold him responsible for the ageism that is so prevalent in ABC soaps. I don't think it should be the senior citizen hour. I do think there needs to be more balance, much more balance.

I will agree with you Eric. I think he MAY be taking action because ratings are in the tank. I hope Frons does figure out that he can't take longtime fans for granted. I think he is a great marketer. He brings more energy to daytime then any other person in that position. I think he believes in the industry. I also think he needs to recongize that change comes from building on your base. Not blowing it to pieces.

After reading that interview, I think I'm in love with Lemay. I wonder who he'd write for if he took over. Of course, now it seems people are saying Culliton is the replacement in some form.

That was a very interesting interview. I love that he said he came in as a playright.

If Culliton is in who would she write for, assuming she has any say in the matter? Would she be a good HW or more of the same?

Wouldn't they need a clean sweep of production along with Higley in order for anything to change? If Culliton wrote today, I am not sure it would be any better. At this point Valentini needs to go as well because he is a huge part of the problem. Higley for sure needs to get booted but I am thinking new EP is needed.

I haven't noticed enough about Culliton to know if she would be better. Who has she written for in the couples segment, what is her cast integration? We got Claudia with Nora, that is bad integration, especially Nora confessing her feelings about RJ to a complete stranger? Why didn't they have Viki and Nora share scenes instead? At least they know each other and could relate.

I think James Harmon Brown should write the show. Frons is a huge part of the problem. He is a groupie who pimps bad couples and bad stories. He has not been shy about talking about how involved he is in the day-to-day content of the shows. He talked about how Antonio the strilpper was his idea, hiring Matt Metzger as Duke was his idea, the AMC reality show was his idea. He hired Higley because she was his buddy. Malone was a great writer and he failed. Griffin quit and publically said he quit because of interference from the brass. Now Griffin is at the Young and the Restless.

Now I will give him credit for at least trying to do things different. I hold him responsible for the ageism that is so prevalent in ABC soaps. I don't think it should be the senior citizen hour. I do think there needs to be more balance, much more balance.

I will agree with you Eric. I think he MAY be taking action because ratings are in the tank. I hope Frons does figure out that he can't take longtime fans for granted. I think he is a great marketer. He brings more energy to daytime then any other person in that position. I think he believes in the industry. I also think he needs to recongize that change comes from building on your base. Not blowing it to pieces.

Isn't Griffin over at ATWT? he was last year...

I liked Easenton (sp?) and Brown's writing at Loving AND at City (after the rocky start) *very very* much and think the vibe they showed at City would work gangbusters at OLTL. I didn't like much of their work at Port Chalres but theyw ere trying tof a different style show by the time they got on there.

ANd you're spot on about the pros and cons of Frons. Shouldn't he just focus on the marketing and that angle and hiring and TRUSTING the right people to handle the shows (story and things like casting) but I guess that's too obvious

OK I know this isn't the topic of the thread but today on OLTL another huge eye rolling moment--why would a bank let two strangers access Spencer's safety security box? Their backstory was they were opening a box for ASA or something similar--so wouldn't they notice at the bank Asa's name isn't even on the box?

As for Culliton he had a lot of probs at his last HW sting--AMC. he seemed to have great ideas and did a lot of things that helped the show after a disastrous stint by Jean Passanate (still perhaps m,y least fave period of AMC ever--who woulda thought she'd do decent work over at ATWT--another piece of damning ABC evidence). However he VERY VERY rarely seemed to be able to follow thru properly with ANY of his ideas--TONS of dropped characters, dropped stories, all just fading away, an endless umbrella story (Proteus) that had no clarity and made no sense and went on over a year, etc... That was pre Frons and even then it was obvious there was something going rong from above with ABC

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EDIT and I realize you guys mean CAROLYN Culliton not her husband...

This is kinda offtopic, but hey EricMontreal22! I haven't seen you in a long time. Lol, I recognized you from your Aiden avatar.

After reading that interview, I think I'm in love with Lemay. I wonder who he'd write for if he took over. Of course, now it seems people are saying Culliton is the replacement in some form.

Track down his book--it's brilliant. However I'm not sure if he has the interest, strength or even (don't hit me) talent anymore to manage a soap full time. Like I said his last consulting jobs (he consulted OLTL I believe during Pam Long's last period) weren't looked upon well by OLTL or AW fans. Remember too that Dena Higley, while not nearly as intelligent, talked the talk too when they interviewed her about writing for OLTL--on paper her ideas to bring the show back to its glory sounded like gold. (not that I'd EVER put her in the same boat as Lemay--but even when he wrote his brilliance at AW, before the show moved to 90 mins and sorta got away from him and he had to leave, it was a different era. I've seen some of the episodes from his era and even for novie to the show liek me their enthralling--great theatre based actors, many who he chose, and he wrote it like theatre--long scenes with a proper arch between commercials, etc--he said he --he also scripted the majority himself which alsoled to his burn out - saw each day as its own minor "drawing room drama" play=)

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This is kinda offtopic, but hey EricMontreal22! I haven't seen you in a long time. Lol, I recognized you from your Aiden avatar.

Ya I kinda hid away after the whole mess at this board with the pay, etc. I'm glad things seem back to how I remember

It's GRIFFITH, not Griffin.

And yes, he's at Y&R writing breakdowns and consulting.

OLTL hiring Brown and Esensten would not be a step up. OLTL would continue to suck under them and there's no need to hire recycled hacks. They've already poisoned too many soaps.

As for Ginger Redmon, she's a script writer and script writers don't usually get promoted to HW. I don't think she even has any experience writing breakdowns!

If OLTL isn't going to hire a newbie, like AMC, they should promote Caroyln Culliton who's really good in crafting stories. Don't know why OLTL/ABC has her writing scripts, it's totally the wrong position for her.

That was a very interesting interview. I love that he said he came in as a playright.

I'm a theatre freak so this is my biase but I'm surprised more soap writers don't come from the world of theatre... Good soap should be about character, as well as traditionally being based more on dialogue, using only a handful of sets, etc. these are all limitations (or strengths depending on your POV) of the theatre world shared by soaps which can't tell their stories with uber fancy camera choreography (despite what AMC currently wants you to think), fancy location setting and many sets, many takes, etc... Yet I can only think of some theatre writers who moved into soaps (or some who did primetime soaps--Alan Ball who created and ran Six Feet Under is a theatre background despite his hit of American Beauty)

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It's GRIFFITH, not Griffin.

And yes, he's at Y&R writing breakdowns and consulting.

OLTL hiring Brown and Esensten would not be a step up. OLTL would continue to suck under them and there's no need to hire recycled hacks. They've already poisoned too many soaps.

As for Ginger Redmon, she's a script writer and script writers don't usually get promoted to HW. I don't think she even has any experience writing breakdowns!

If OLTL isn't going to hire a newbie, like AMC, they should promote Caroyln Culliton who's really good in crafting stories. Don't know why OLTL/ABC has her writing scripts, it's totally the wrong position for her.

I was thinking it was Griffith but thanks for the clearing up

ABC always has a few over qualified people in their team in more minor writing positions (Addie Wash at AMC really should be at least promoted up--she did great, unhearladed work at Loving and was a fave of Agnes Nixon). ANyway I'd happily see Carolyn (not her husband as happily) HW

I dunno Brown and Esensten did such strong work at City and Loving and such a good mix of the urban and new, and traditional that I'd like to see them try it again--Without Rauch interfering... It would undeniably IMHO be a step up from Higley anyway

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I would not trust James Brown and Barbara Esenstein at One Life to Live at all. Their first loyalty seems to be to Easton, who they wrote for heavily at Port Charles and for a few years at OL, specifically for his character. They also were famous for numerous "murder mystery" stories on The City and Port Charles and Loving - they did the Loving Murders, and the Masquerade, both of which had their fans but after a while I think they are one trick ponies and the tricks got more and more cheap and nasty to me. Certainly that "Nursery Rhyme Stalker" story on Guiding Light was the worst, where Holly, of all people, turned out to be the stalker. And didn't they have something to do with the clone of Reva? No thank you. They used to have some talent at The City and Loving but they went downhill for me many years ago. The last thing One Life needs is to get more pigeonholed as the cop and murder mystery show. That's the problem with it right now, in my opinion. It's one thing to have some crime and cop stories on the show, that is understandable, but it's been so dominated by that and by Michael Easton these last few years that it's unbearable.

Harding Lemay's book is wonderful. I loved his insight into the differences between Steve Frame's two women, the passionate and fiery Rachel and the sweet Alice. I loved how he talks about creating Steve, the star of the show's blue collar Appalchia family from scratch, how he was a self-made man. I love the stuff about him getting all those people from the New York theater on the show too. I used to have an acquaintance who catalogued and remembered everything from soaps from the 60s and 70s and was a big fan of the Irna Phillips and Agnes Nixon approach. He never forgave Lemay for what he saw as him forcing out all the old actors and "replacing them with obnoxious snooty New York stage people." And One Life To Live capitalized on his changes by taking George Reinholt and Jacqueline Courtney immediately to play Tony Lord and Pat Kendall. Lemay wasn't always right, though, certainly the decision to kill off Alice's mother Mary Matthews, one of the hearts of the show, on Good Friday because Virginia Dwyer never stuck to the script outraged a lot of people. But he was probably right, and he did immediately supplement her with the character he had always found more interesting and who had been on the show for years before he came on - Mary's sister the eccentric Aunt Liz. There are a few clips of his work on Another World at you tube.

Carolyn Culliton was a good enough co-writer for Hogan Sheffer at ATWT and was always well regarded by fans, more than her husband, but she has only done so much for the dialogue at One Life these past few years. The show doesn't make sense to the ear. I hope if she is the new HW that she is an interim one or a co-writer. I think someone with a bigger show of force is needed to fix the show fast frankly.

Was Harding Lemay the one that wrote the famous scene where Rachel has a knife fight to the death with Janice Frame in a full swimming pool in the middle of the day?

Lotsa good points--and you're pretty spot on about Lemay I think.

I agree about Culliton too--she doesn't seem to have the strength of conviction to really turn the show around fast--her style is prob too soft for that.

Nearly everyone enjoyed Easton on P Charles though didn't they? He did take over the show (I didn't watch much so can't fairly say)I know but I never heard the venom about him as opposed to him on OLTL.

I think saying they were known for murders and crime on City and Loving--the Loving Murders are beloved by nearly everyone. ANd they did a LOT of great character stuff the same time (I have a good amount of the last 8 months on tape). City made the mistake of starting off with a near identical, but inferior murder in the Masquerade but the final year paid basically no attention to crime that I can think of and (IMHO despite Lemay';s thoughts) managed to make a great intertwined, cohesive soap that felt traditional while also feeling fresh.

A lot of the credit for that (and the end of Loving) is prob due to their EP but when she went on AMC she showed NONE of her innovation or strength IMHO. Anyway Frons and all seem certain that OLTL should be about murder mysteries and crime drama (to be fair it's always been more urban, even in its mysteries and crime, than the mysteries of sister show AMC but I agree it's gone too far). However, if Malone an extremely talented murder mystery novelist couldn't make it work under the current regime I dunno who could

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B&E were part of Dena's writing team from October 2004 through Aug of 2005. I don't want them near this show again. If anything the July 4 cheerleader BBQ should forever bar them from being with a mile of OLTL ever again.