2007: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Dan]

Honestly, I always found E&B's GL tenure (practically the only lauded tenure of theirs) pretty overrated. The seeds for the AMAZING Annie/Reva storyline were planted by interim writers Michael Conforti and Victor Miller. In particular, the whole 'Annie falling down the stairs' twist. The rest of that storyline could probably be credited to the acting talents of Robert Newman, Kim Zimmer, and especially, Cynthia Watros. The rest of their greatness was cleaning up the rest of McTavish's [!@#$%^&*], including the reunion of Matt and Vanessa (even if they did it over the freakin internet, which was pretty stupid).

Remember, they also COMPLETELY destroyed Nola Reardon, rewrote Amanda's parentage, cloned Reva, destroyed Holly, gave Annie plastic surgery, turned Dinah mad, and made Reva the amnesiac princess of an island country. Need I go on?

[Toups]

No I don't.

Michele Val Jean, Karris Harris and Patrick Mulcahey as Co-Head Writers.

Karen Harris because she was Guza's Co-HW in 1996 when it was good and her short stint as PC's HW was really good too. She's 2 for 2.....I say give her another shot.

Michele Val Jean because she knows the show's history, wrote Elizabeth's rape storyline leading to Lucky find out about his parent's rape, and wasn't given a fair shot as Co-HW before being fired by JFP.

Patrick Mulcahey - he's brilliant pure and simple.

That would be GH's Dream Team.

[Kubla Khan]

If Ed Scott was able to get Kay Alden (although I don't think her style is neccessarily a good fit for Days, but I digress) don't waste her time by making her Hogan's co-HW! Just get rid of him. He's sucking the life out of the show and its budget. Cut the losses and get a real writer in.

---

Toups, what exactly is going on at ATWT? Is Goutman responsible for the writing team mess? Why are so many writers leaving, or being demoted (i.e. Levinson). The writing staff has never been stable under Goutman (I think if someone totaled the number of writer comings and goings over the last 5-8 years, ATWT would have the most), but what's happening right now is just insane.

[Toups]

I think Hogan has a 52 week cycle and I think it just passed (I believe he started sometime in July or early August last year).

Yes, Goutman is responsible for what's happening to the writing staff. Writers are being fired or leaving to go to another show. It's not a lot of fun behind the scenes right now. You can't make a show better when you're panicking. Like I said before, there's more writers leaving (one was fired and one jumped to another show.....I can't reveal the names now though).

[Kubla Khan]

TWO more going!?

Jesus, Goutman!

Get yourself together, man.

[Kubla Khan]

Toups, Can ya at least give us a hint what show this writer is going to? East or West? Produced by a man or woman?! (Although I'd guess it's someone following Hogan).

[Toups]

Sorry, no hints. LOL

[Soapsuds]

If only one was Jean P. She is the main problem. When will you be able to say who they are Toups?

Eh...I am glad he is firing some of them. It was time to make changes but he needs to get rid of Jean Passanante.

[IMissAremid]

But his crap didn't start polluting the show until October... It took him that many months to come up with THAT? Oh well. I had to give up that pipe dream he'd be fired after the IWTBASS finale sometime. Now is as good as ever. *fingers crossed* the new co-HW doesn't suck and Ed Scott whips him into shape.

[Chris B]

You make a good point about Hogan's salary. I hadn't thought of that, but they probably could free up a lot of crash without his overrated ass. I know I will upset DAYS fans, but I think Kay Alden would be wasted on DAYS. I want her on a soap she'll be appreciated at. But she would've been perfect for the return of old characters. That was her strong suit at Y&R. She did an insanely brilliant revival of the Abbott and Chancellor families and gave them an exciting story! Not some boring EJ/Sami propping like Hogan.

I personally can't believe AMC passed up on her. I get sick thinking of the return of Brooke and so many other characters/families. Now that we're seeing the newheadwriters it makes me even more sick. The show is almost exactly the same without the over the top stories.

If I had my choice Kay Alden would be heading ATWT or AMC. I'm happy with her at B&B which is really benefiting from the Y&R writers. I was reading a B&B board and everyone was wondering why Brad Bell is so good right now...it's not him! It's the Y&R rejects!!!

Toups,

Should we be happy or worried about these ATWT exits? If he's cleaning house, that should mean the headwriter too, IMO. But he seems to love Passanante, so she could be safe. I wonder if he's looking for a new HW right now?

I just don't understand why he doesn't blame the woman coming up with these awful stories and neglecting the majority of the cast. The scripts are fine.

[Dan]

I don't really want to sound insensitive, but I can't really muster up much sympathy for DAYS fans. Now I'm not saying that Hogan is the daytime equivalent of the Messiah, but it could be worse. Even Hogan's worst day is fifty times better than anything James Reilly would have done. Sure the Colleen/Santo storyline is pretty boring and the show in general is pretty inconsistent. But it's still better than the other eight shows put together. Now that Ed Scott is going to DAYS, things can only get better because Hogan is only as good as the people around him. With Ed Scott hopefully having some power, things could get much better.

Granted, I also have no sympathy because my favorite show is almost 100% unrecognizable and will never be even remotely good again.

Be careful what you wish for DAYS fans, you could have David Kreizman.....

[heatherwebber]

""If Ed Scott was able to get Kay Alden (although I don't think her style is neccessarily a good fit for Days, but I digress) ""

I think if Kay just arrived at B&B she'll probably stay put there.

But one of the articles (SOD or SOW, not sure which) about Ed Scott coming to Days references the glory years of Bill Bell's Days. I would expect the show to change.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

What Days needs to do is stay more in tune with it's modern history. Most fans of the show started watching either in the late 80's or in JER's era. Going back to the Bill Bell interpretation of Days, would alienate viewers even more. Days has been in transition WAY too long, it's time to find a vision and stick to it. Kay Alden wouldn't mix well with Days at all and especially as Hogan's co-head writer. They need someone like Sheri Anderson back, who will be able to write romance stories that the show lacks and someone who understands the core couples of the show.

Ed Scott's vision for Days could turn out really good or really bad. As I've said before, most of Days' audience started watching the show during JER's era, the last thing they would want is a classic Y&R knock-off. Scott and Corday need to hire people who know the history of this show, not their personal or professional friends. Days is already on thin ice, it can't risk further alienation of its core audience.

[Khan]

>> there's more writers leaving (one was fired and one jumped to another show.....

I'll wager some guesses, lol.

Fired: Courtney Simon. Personally, I think she's terrific, but Goutman might think a new Script Editor is in order.

Leaving: Hmm, tough one. Anna Theresa Cascio, Mimi Leahey, Elizabeth Page, Gary Sunshine and Christopher Whitesell have already left. (And Peter Brash and Jeanne Marie Ford just got there! Surely, neither of them would be leaving so soon?) That leaves Lisa Connor, Richard Culliton, Susan Dansby and Judy Tate. Culliton and Tate were part of the final ANOTHER WORLD writing team, though, so they're probably not going anywhere. (Same goes for Leah Laiman and Jean Passanante, unfortunately.)

Again, only guessing here, but I can totally see Lisa Connor leaving to write for GL. Now that James Harmon Brown & Barbara Esensten have joined AMC, they probably want their frequent collaborator, Tita Bell, to join them. That would create an opening for Connor.

[Soapsuds]

I actually would see Courtney Simon moving to another soap and not being fired. I can see Lisa Connor being fired. I dont see Culliton, Dansby or Tate going. Just a hunch!