Where have the great headwriters gone?

[ljacks13]

It seems to me that every soap fan has a problem with their show, and usually it's the head writer to blame. I always wonder where have the great headwriters like Sheri Anderson (DAYS) or Pamela Long (GL) gone? It seems if one headwriter gets fired on one soap sooner or later will end up writing for another soap and the majority of today's writers are mediocre. Maybe if these writers came back, some of these shows could be saved. I read somewhere that soap fans aren't defecting to cable, they are just not watching daytime dramas anymore. Are soaps just dying a slow death and can they be saved before it's too late?

[RionPassions]

"Where have the great headwriters gone?"

He's over at Passions.

[Addison Montgomery]

Pam Long did come back to daytime. Twice. Once to Santa Barbara and then to One Life to Live. Both stints were disasters, and she hasn't been back.

I don't think the problem is getting "old" writers back -- how about pumping some fresh blood into the industry? Was it really neccessary for ABC to hire Megan McTavish for the third time, instead of grooming someone else? Bob Guza's been with GH (on and off) for 11-12 years now. Let's get a new perspective. Instead of hiring Dena Higley for One Life, how about promoting someone with years of experience with OLTL, and not years of experience with Days?

And I guess I'm the only one who thinks Sheri Anderson is completely overrated.

[sungrey]

Two of them died, Doug Marland and Henry Slesar. RIP.

[Mason]

Network execs and EPs don't care about quality anymore. Or at least, not enough to shell out the money it would take for ones with the good reputations. So instead, they keep hiring cheaper hacks like Dena Higley, Jean Passanante, etc.

[Dan]

All of the good headwriters have either died(Marland, Bell), retired(Nixon), or been forced out by idiotic executives (Curlee, Taggart).

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Let's see . . .

Bill Bell = dead

Douglass Marland = dead

Anges Nixon = retired

Claire Labine = retired/missing in action

Lorraine Broderick = missing in action

Winsor Washman = retired/missing in action

[R Sinclair]

That's pretty much what it is.

[MoTheGreat]

I'm not going to say head writers but where have writers gone. OH that's right they writting for nighttime shows. These soaps are getting used & recycle writers. The same use & recycle writers that wrote for another soap which they couldn't save.

they need fresh blood. People who aren't living in the olden age.

I still think they need a show Who Wants To Be A Writer. It's ashame I rather read viewers fanfic then watch soaps.

[Ponz]

I partly agree with that. Alot of DAYS fans give her sole credit for the show's 80's glory period while overlooking the contributions of others on her team (Maggie Depriest, Leah Laiman, Thom Racina, Richard Allen etc.). Al Rabin also took a very active role in the creative process back then. DAYS' success in the 80's was very much a collaborative effort.

That being said, I find it mystifying why Corday has never approached her about returning.

[Shawn]

I was so going to post that.

[psychofan]

Eh, I don't think the current writers are that bad.

JER and McTavish are both wonderful IMO, but sadly they're both out of work (or at least are about to be). Guza, Bell, and Passante have their moments. I can't stand Sheffer, Higley, or Latham.

[Mason]

I love Hogan, and he is one of my favorite writers, but he is SO not the greatest HW ever. That title belongs to any and all of the following:

Douglas Marland

Agnes Nixon

Irna Phillips

William J. Bell

Henry Slesar

Harding Lemay

Claire Labine

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Oh dear! LOL!

There's one name that made Hogan's first two years on ATWT greatness, and her name is Carolyn Culliton. Without her, Hogan and team wrote more misses than hits, during his awful two last years on ATWT.

How this guy has as many Emmy's as Bill Bell is beyond me. He's good, but def not the best.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

You call having sex on the couch and office table good love scenes?

Good love scenes are supposed to have a great deal of romance attached to them, not raunchy sex.