2007: The Directors and Writers Thread

[TC]

Don't hope for anything from that disaster.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

LOL! I know, I don't actually expect that great of an improvement for OLTL. Ron Carlivati's tenure so far has been under a series of hacks at that show, it's not like he trained for a long time under some brilliant writer. He hasn't been able to spin Dena's [!@#$%^&*] into gold, so he has a long way to go before I can take him seriously. I understand anything is an improvement after Highley, but lets not get our hopes up too much there.

[dm.]

Oh geez! What is next? Sally McDonald out? Noel Maxam out? Natalie Minardi Slater out?

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

If I recall, respectfully, the only Hack he has worked under is Dena Higley. In no way, is Michael Malone a hack. He messed up with the Santi storyline, and making Jessica Mitch's daughter, but other than that, I think he is great. All writers have their C- game stories. He had only been Co-HW for a Month when Dena was fired, and her stories were already written and going so he really couldnt make any changes. That is why we have to wait until September for his work. I have very high hopes. Look at ATWT. They are stuck with Jean Passasante. They would do anything for a new HW. We get one, and you have no hope? Did you know that he was Claire Labine's writers assistant. I would assume that he learned everything he needed to by her.

[sheilaforever]

Just out of curiosity: Thanks to Toups data resource archive; I tabulated the 2007 tally for B&B for the first 6 months...

Directors

Michael Stich: 51 (including 1 location shoot)

Deveney Kelly: 42

Cynthia J. Popp: 24 (including Sydney location shoot)

David Shaughnessy: 9

Writers

Tracey Ann Kelly: 43

Patrick Mulcahey: 23

Rex M. Best: 23

John Chambers: 16, last script: May 18

Joshua S. McCaffrey: 15, first script: February 22

Janice Ferri Esser: 6, first script: June 5 (also: storyline consultant)

[Sylph]

What happened to James Houghton? Why isn't he writing for B&B anymore?

[Faulkner]

Interesting that GH is the most stable show...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I actually found Malone's second stint lacking in so many ways, it was definitely proof imo that lightning does not in fact strike twice in the soap world. OLTL's last great writing stint, imo, was the Lorraine Broderick and Christopher Whitesell era, they should've never been demoted in order to bring Malone and Griffith back. I akin Ron as being a similar condition to David Kreizman on GL, who worked with Labine and a bunch of other writers as well, and worked his way after years on the writing staff, to the head-writer position. Look how universally hated that guy is around here. I'll give Ron a chance, but I'm not going in with my hopes up for anything great. Recent history with all these shows have shown that once we get out hopes up with incoming head-writers, we're almost always certain for a let down. This entire industry has been a let-down for the past decade, so excuse me if I appear to be too cynical over everything related to it.

I fully expect B&E to screw up AMC even worse than the show is now. This is based primarily on their history on the many shows they've worked on. They'll likely start off good for the first 6 months to a year, then everything will drastically head south and we'll be wondering if McTavish ever left.

[R Sinclair]

EDIT

Double Post

[R Sinclair]

I agree. Especially with the B&E thing. After hearing rumors about what their first story fresh out the box is going to be, I'm already dreading what's coming.

[Ann_SS]

ITA. I've given up on expecting new headwriters being the answer. I'm settling for hoping that the current headwriters will wake up and fix the problems in front of their eyes.

[Sylph]

Which will never happen. So both ways - a dead end.

I spoke about this before - I don't want a good six month. I want five years, at least. I know, I know, I'm not getting it.

[sheilaforever]

No idea what happened. He wrote last year's Xmas show and very shortly thereafter disappeared.

I guess it was his won will because I highly doubt Bradley did can him since he did such pivotal and stunning work in his 5 (?) months with the show...

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Didnt Brad have to make room for Kay Alden? She said that in her interview. She said he had to work some things out. Maybe that meant firing Houghton.

[whyamcwhy]

I used to think that if McTavish was fired that AMC would improve drastically. Now, I think it is Frons and Carruthers that need to go. It doesn't make a difference who is writing the show the problem is that Frons is dictating the storylines so things will never get better.

I am less than thrilled about the upcoming storylines that these new writers are going to do. I just can't believe that they are even entertaining the notion of reuniting Ryan and Greenlee, one of the worst pairings in AMC's history, IMHO. The stupidity is mind boggling.