http://soapnet.go.com/news/soapnet_amc_headwriters.html

BARBARA J. ESENSTEN AND JAMES HARMON BROWN NAMED HEADWRITERS FOR ALL MY CHILDREN

Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group announced today that long-time writing partners Barbara J. Esensten and James Harmon Brown will join ABC's Emmy® Award-winning soap All My Children as headwriters.

"We're thrilled to welcome this talented team back to ABC," said Frons. "They're known for telling compelling stories that take characters and viewers on a great emotional ride, and their creative vision promises to continue the show's tradition of cutting-edge storylines. Fans can expect an exciting summer in Pine Valley and can look forward to even more of the romance and intrigue they have come to love and look for on All My Children."

"Combined with their ability to take creative and emotional risks, Barbara and Jim write with commitment to character integrity and honesty. I look forward to working with them again and welcome them to All My Children," said executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers.

The Esensten-Brown Emmy® Award-winning writing team have written for the ABC dramas Dynasty, Port Charles and One Life to Live. In addition they wrote for Guiding Light, and most recently served as head writers for Days of our Lives.

Phelps downfall most times has been listening to focus groups which aren't a n accurate representation of soap viewers overall. JFP is obviously a capable producer. She seems to be a bit of a tyrant when it comes to behind the scenes stuff but I do think in her twisted way she isn't trying to ruin the soaps she is on. Never the less I don't think I'd want her as Prez of ABC Daytime. Its hard to believe but she has been EP at GH now for like 6 years. 2001 she came aboard correct?

Phelps downfall most times has been listening to focus groups which aren't a n accurate representation of soap viewers overall. JFP is obviously a capable producer. She seems to be a bit of a tyrant when it comes to behind the scenes stuff but I do think in her twisted way she isn't trying to ruin the soaps she is on. Never the less I don't think I'd want her as Prez of ABC Daytime. Its hard to believe but she has been EP at GH now for like 6 years. 2001 she came aboard correct?

I agree. Phelps' production skills have never been an issue with me. She's done wonders with the production values at GH. The editing is the absolute BEST of the three ABCD shows, and there is a real slick quality to it.

BUT!

She IS a tyrant. Again, since I don't have all these quotes memorized verbatim or right in front of me, I'll paraphrase -- something along the lines of how she and Megan told fans that we don't know what we want. THEY (TIIC) know what we want and it's their job to show us and realize it's what we wanted all along.

That's why she probably gets along so well with Frons -- because that fool believes viewers need to be trained.

As if WE work for THEM?!

And, yes. It's been six years. Guza and Meg Bennett bowed out in late fall 2000, and Wendy Riche followed soon after.

I agree. Phelps' production skills have never been an issue with me. She's done wonders with the production values at GH. The editing is the absolute BEST of the three ABCD shows, and there is a real slick quality to it.

BUT!

She IS a tyrant. Again, since I don't have all these quotes memorized verbatim or right in front of me, I'll paraphrase -- something along the lines of how she and Megan told fans that we don't know what we want. THEY (TIIC) know what we want and it's their job to show us and realize it's what we wanted all along.

That's why she probably gets along so well with Frons -- because that fool believes viewers need to be trained.

As if WE work for THEM?!

And, yes. It's been six years. Guza and Meg Bennett bowed out in late fall 2000, and Wendy Riche followed soon after.

Yes I remember that quote. Yes we as viewers are too stupid to think for ourselves. We are dogs that need to be trained.

If Guza does leave this summer I wonder if JFP would bring Megan back? She wasn't fired from GH was she? Or was she.

^Megan was fired from GH, but it wasn't Jill who fired her. Higher-ups at ABC made that decision, so Jill really had no say in the matter.

I don't see her that way. Look at her run on GL from 91-95ish. That was considered by many to be a glory period of the show and she contributed to that critical success.

Jill inherited an already exceptional creative team at GL (much like she did on SB). In fact, if you look at GL's writing team from 90-93, it's filled with many lauded and outstanding soap writers, who've all earned respect and recognition in some form. However, Jill's last two years or so on GL was just bad, the show just wasn't the same again. If anything, she started the downward spiral GL's in, of course hacks like Rauch and company weren't much better. Maureen Bauer's death was really the biggest of flaws in Jill's career, because by relying on those [!@#$%^&*] focus groups to kill of the character, she ended up killing the heart and soul of GL in the long-run.

Megan McTavish's disasterous run as GL headwriter certainly kept GL in its downward spiral.

I LOVED JFP's OLTL. Max's Brain Tumor? The search for Asa & Renee's long lost son? Lindsey/Bo/Nora? Yeah, some of the behind the scenes stuff was nuts then, but OLTL was a high quality, entertaining, well-written show through much of her run. You couldn't help but watch it.

I personally found her OLTL too dark and depressing. She also added a lot of crap that was unpopular and continues to be unpopular amongst the general fan-base of the show.

-She broke Bo & Nora up

-She added the dreadful Rappaport family

-She committed character assassination of Dorian (which is partly why Robin Strasser left, other than not getting on very well with Jill)

-The constant addition of FOJ's

-Hiring McTavish, who would also follow her to GH.

I think it's no coincidence that OLTL finally won the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy, after Jill left. Gary Tomlin was breath of fresh air for the show after JFP's dark interpretation. He was able to revive the show with more light, humor, and variability imo.

It was the live week that won OLTL the emmy was it not?

It was the live week that won OLTL the emmy was it not?

The trading places episode from live week was one of the episodes they submitted, the other was from Nora's trial for murdering Colin.

OLTL was so edgy and fresh under Tomlin and like you said he rejuvenated the show.

OLTL under Higley/Valentini is just as dark and depressing as it was under JFP.

Who can forget Jen's "fun" exit?

The trading places episode from live week was one of the episodes they submitted, the other was from Nora's trial for murdering Colin.

IIRC, Trading Places was July 4, 2001 while Live Week was in 2002. Also, they won the Emmy in 2002 which was for 2001 episodes.

Anyway, I thought Tomlin's OLTL was rather devoid of substance... JFP's OLTL was the beginning of the end of OLTL as OLTL's fans knew it (i.e. it was homogenized and never recovered after that) but from what I saw of it (I boycotted ATWT for a period in 1999 after Liz Hubbard quit) it was incredibly well-produced. More like primetime than a soap. Very fast-paced, with interesting characters and good dialogue. Tomlin's OLTL to me was a sitcom, from what I saw of it (occasionally on SoapNet.)

Who can forget Jen's "fun" exit?

YES! Nothing says "fun" like being suffocated in a trash heap!

I couldn't believe that crap was called a "fun" exit.