Shouldn't you be giving these rants from a secluded bunker in an undisclosed location?

Just write fanfic and let it be.

Mr Ru--I'm not a big fan of McT and JFP's OLTL but di dyou really think it was the worse period ever? worse than the Corringtons brief period in the early 80s? Worse than Michael Schnessel (or Marge DePriest's weird year at the show before Malone came in). Worse than Passanante et all writng after Malone left the first time? I actually thought McT's writing was a bit of an improvement over the first HW under JFP (not to mention the awful 6 months JFP filled the position too)

Where are the many who dislike C's writing term besides you? i don't see much complaining about it on here is all...

OLTL's are worse than I predicted. The has indeed improved over Higley's messy stories, but many, including I, feel Carlivati is dragging his feet. What is he waiting for? A cancellation notice like GH had back in 1977? Do not forget that the budgets are based on sweeps performances, and OLTL desperately needs to perform better than expected.

Wow. You make it sound like OLTL is in the same kind of trouble as DAYS and GL, hitting lows like 1.8 and 1.9. I'm sorry I just don't see it that way.

I started watching OLTL under McTavish (Sheffer had taken over ATWT and I didn't like his writing), and I was hooked on some (not all) of the show's stories.

I am unimpressed with Carlivati's writing. I was expecting an umbrella storyline with Tommy's and the only characters who remain affected are the people directly involved. John, Todd, Blair, Marcie and Michael are living in their own bubble while everyone else is isolated and that is NOT good story telling. Not even close.

I do agree with the Ru poster that Carlivati seems to be dragging his feet. There are no attempts to end Higley's mess instead he has Marcie on the run. Completely, completely uneccessary. A more compelling storyline would be Michael and Marcie trying to repair their marriage with the fallot from his lies and trying to come to terms with the fact that they lost Tommy. In addition to that, Todd and Blair's (in)capablities in raising Tommy together and the drama for the Mannings would finally be internal. Where is the fallout from Rex, Adriana, and John's part in all this? Oh yeah, John got suspended but he's still right there in the thick of things giving orders. Right...

I am definetly underwhelmed that the other characters seem to perpetually be in a state of filler. The Vegas deserve a whole lot better than these dayplayer scenes stuck at Capricorn with Sarah, Thalia, Vincent and Layla. It almost seems discriminatory as all the minorities are continually lumped together in meaningless scenes.

The secondary storylines are Langston's and BE but they both feel like over billed place holders. Absolutely no other storylines are being told and if you aren't a fan of the characters within the Tommy storyline there really isn't anything for the viewer.

RC is definetly better than Higley in terms of character motivation however his limited focus on one sole storyline is ridiculous and judging by the spoilers with Marcie on the run it will only get worse. If there was actually some attempt in laying the foundation for his own storylines then maybe it would not feel like more of the same. The Vets are certainly getting more airtime but even that rings hollow.

OLTL is far from the best soap on the air.

Rex and Adriana were just on today and have been on throughout the storyline. Same with Todd's family, and Blair's. The story's also not over yet so we have no idea what will become of Marcie and Michael and how they will cope with the final outcome.

I also don't see anything 'placeholder' about the Jared and Natalie story. They seem to really enjoy writing for Jared and I can see why. Also, part of sweeps apparently revolves around BE and the family business in Texas.

As for the Vegas, I like Cristian and Sarah but they need soft-pedaling, and I am not shedding any tears over less Antonio, Vincent, or Layla. Who cares?

It's not at all the best soap on the air but it's certainly the best soap on ABC and it's climbing IMHO.

I think Carlivati has improved OLTL...but that's not saying too much when you consider the pathetic state the show was in under that hack Higley (who also tanked as HW at DAYS so it was no fluke that she was awful at OLTL).

I think Carlivati's problem is Frons who has micromanaged ABC Daytime into negative numbers. A lot of the actors like Carlivati, Valentini likes him and apparently Frons likes him, so I doubt it's an unstable or unsupportive working environment. It's Frons and his inability to think long term and like a soap fan (because he isn't one) coupled with his passion for youth and searching for a demographic that doesn't exist which has hurt and will continue to hurt the show.

I feel for people like Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser who built the damn show and don't have the storylines they used to have. I can only hope that Carlivati will say 'To hell with Frons' and give these two talents a REAL storyline which befits their talents. I do not feel for people like Michael Easton who are dull as hell and are yet beloved by Frons. It's as if everyone I like and respect is hated and belittled by Frons.

Basically, until Frons goes, even a team of Agnes Nixon, Bill Bell and Irna Phillips couldn't restore this show (or any show on ABC) to it's former glory.

Edited October 15, 200718 yr by DaytimeFan

What? Telephone operators will forever be employed?

LMAO!

>> Am I worse than Rebecca Taylor? Courtney Bugler? Joanna Cohen? Tracey Ann Kelly? Lynn Martin? Mark Christopher? Lynsey DuFour? Craig Heller? Marina Alburger? Vincent Lechowick? Tita Bell? Marla Kanelos?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes (and that is saying plenty!), yes, yes, yes (see Martin), yes, yes (but, he has his dad to help him out), yes, and yes.

Instead of trying to be clever or profound, Ru, why not simply write dialogue the characters would actually say? Or, failing that, how about putting yourself in the characters' shoes and writing what you would say (or do) in that moment?

Also, starting a scene with one character telling another "I hate you"? That wouldn't even fly on Spyder Games. It's lazy, about as lazy as starting the scene with one character asking another, "What's wrong?".

>> Am I worse than Rebecca Taylor? Courtney Bugler? Joanna Cohen? Tracey Ann Kelly? Lynn Martin? Mark Christopher? Lynsey DuFour? Craig Heller? Marina Alburger? Vincent Lechowick? Tita Bell? Marla Kanelos?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes (and that is saying plenty!), yes, yes, yes (see Martin), yes, yes (but, he has his dad to help him out), yes, and yes.

Instead of trying to be clever or profound, Ru, why not simply write dialogue the characters would actually say? Or, failing that, how about putting yourself in the characters' shoes and writing what you would say (or do) in that moment?

Also, starting a scene with one character telling another "I hate you"? That wouldn't even fly on Spyder Games. It's lazy, about as lazy as starting the scene with one character asking another, "What's wrong?".

Well, I like the partial script I wrote. How is Carlivati as a SW? Is he better at that than a storyteller? Glad that Christopher is leaving the show. He's one of daytime's worst SW.

My name is RuAsRuAnAu, not Ru. Only JackPeyton & EricMontreal22 can refer to me as Ru.

>> Only JackPeyton & EricMontreal22 can refer to me as Ru.

How about I not refer to you at all?

Well, I like the partial script I wrote. How is Carlivati as a SW? Is he better at that than a storyteller? Glad that Christopher is leaving the show. He's one of daytime's worst SW.

Well, Ru, I'm sure if Bob Guza were to drop some acid and hire you, you'd quickly usurp Christopher from that title.

>> Only JackPeyton & EricMontreal22 can refer to me as Ru.

How about I not refer to you at all?

"Don't refer to me, because when you refer to me, you really refer to yourself, so go ahead and refer to yourself. Kill yourself by refering to me since it's actually just you refering to yourself... because telephone operators will forever be employed."

Anyways... this thread has lost its interest.

Seriously, if someone doesn't ban this troll soon, the absurdity will become unbearable. Just stop hijacking the message board and act normally, Ru!

P. S. Sinclair, that bug drove me nuts last night! I thought something was crawling over my screen!!

Edited October 16, 200718 yr by Sylph

I am unimpressed with Carlivati's writing. I was expecting an umbrella storyline with Tommy's and the only characters who remain affected are the people directly involved. John, Todd, Blair, Marcie and Michael are living in their own bubble while everyone else is isolated and that is NOT good story telling. Not even close.

I do agree with the Ru poster that Carlivati seems to be dragging his feet. There are no attempts to end Higley's mess instead he has Marcie on the run. Completely, completely uneccessary. A more compelling storyline would be Michael and Marcie trying to repair their marriage with the fallot from his lies and trying to come to terms with the fact that they lost Tommy. In addition to that, Todd and Blair's (in)capablities in raising Tommy together and the drama for the Mannings would finally be internal. Where is the fallout from Rex, Adriana, and John's part in all this? Oh yeah, John got suspended but he's still right there in the thick of things giving orders. Right...

I am definetly underwhelmed that the other characters seem to perpetually be in a state of filler. The Vegas deserve a whole lot better than these dayplayer scenes stuck at Capricorn with Sarah, Thalia, Vincent and Layla. It almost seems discriminatory as all the minorities are continually lumped together in meaningless scenes.

The secondary storylines are Langston's and BE but they both feel like over billed place holders. Absolutely no other storylines are being told and if you aren't a fan of the characters within the Tommy storyline there really isn't anything for the viewer.

RC is definetly better than Higley in terms of character motivation however his limited focus on one sole storyline is ridiculous and judging by the spoilers with Marcie on the run it will only get worse. If there was actually some attempt in laying the foundation for his own storylines then maybe it would not feel like more of the same. The Vets are certainly getting more airtime but even that rings hollow.

OLTL is far from the best soap on the air.

You addressed this topic's main points very well, Money. You definately got it right. The record low ratings for OLTL are a reflection of the poor writing that has been seen since 9/11/07. If the show was as great as people say it is, no way would they have reached RECORD LOWS. There is just no way.

This show is need of a major overhaul, but people are too lazy or too afraid to rock the boat. At this point, Kamar De Los Reyes should quit the show. He deserves far better than what he's been given. If I never paid attention to the credits, I'd assume that Higley was still the HW. It has been more than a month since Carlivati became HW, and the stories are the same old, same old.

What Carlivati needs to do is promote Cascio as HW and work on getting rid of Valentini & Easton. He did it with Higley, why not with Valentini?

I have a feeling that either GL or OLTL will win next year's Outstanding Writing Team at the Daytime Emmys. Because they are well written? Right.

I commend you once again on a great post, Money. And yes, Money, you may refer to me as Ru.

For the record, if people call you "Ru" for short RuAsRuAnAu, then they can. You can't stop them from doing so. Maybe some people don't feel like typing out your name. If you don't want them doing that, then everyone could just add you to their ignore list, and your posts won't even show up.

Your Cascio agenda is kinda annoying, but whatever. The ratings don't indicate quality. If that was the case, Y&R would be the lowest rated soap. In a time where the entire ABCD lineup is tying and hitting record lows, OLTL is the only bright spot on that network.

I agree that the Tommy storyline could be much better. Your idea sounds great Money, but I'm sure no one on the writing team thought about that. Maybe they did, and that's coming later. The kidnapping story will eventually involve a lot more people and show some alliances that people never really expected.

I'm still holding on to my like for Ron. I'm not saying he's perfect, but overall, the show has improved dramatically since Higley's departure. Erika Slezak is returning next week, there is some good story coming up in November/December and I think some agenda based doubters will be singing a different tune.

You addressed this topic's main points very well, Money. You definately got it right. The record low ratings for OLTL are a reflection of the poor writing that has been seen since 9/11/07. If the show was as great as people say it is, no way would they have reached RECORD LOWS. There is just no way.

All that from the person who claimed a few days ago that ratings don't equal quality and vise versa.

Edited October 16, 200718 yr by YRBB