GL: Classic Moments from Curlee/Demorest/Reilly/Broderick

[Dan]

I promised Slyph a few weeks ago that I would add to my list of Nancy Curlee's stories on GL. This will be an on-going project, so check back throughout the weekend. I'll also add links to Youtube videos if I happen to find them for a particular storyline.

Pam Long was fired as GL's Headwriter in late 1990. According to a post on the RATS database, Soap Opera Weekly reported the news in its December 10, 1990 issue. According to the article, Long was fired because of "creative differences," presumably with Executive Producer Bob Calhoun. Nancy Curlee, Stephen Demorest, and James Reilly were named her successors. Ironically, Long's departure had many believing that GL's golden age would end with the new team. Little did they know it would only get better.

With the December date of Long's exit, we can presume that Curlee officially took the reigns in late January/early February 1991.

1991

At any rate, Curlee's first story was the wrap up of Long's year-long Phillip and Beth storyline. Beth, Phillip, and Rick were all charged with faking Phillip's death during the Neil Everest storyline and sentenced to community service. After a beautiful wedding in the Spaulding living room, Phillip and Beth packed up Lizzie and moved to Arizona to fulfill their community service. Rick, meanwhile, left for Chicago. Sam, sister of Phillip, had a risky surgery by Dr. Daniel St. John to help her walk again after she was paralyzed by jumping out of a doomed Reva's car in Florida. Her relationship with Dylan was put in jeopardy by her feelings for Daniel. After he broke up with her, however, Daniel decided that Holly was the woman for her and they became lovers, much to Roger's chagrin. Roger was suspicious of Daniel and tracked down Jean Weatherill, Daniel's former sister-in-law. According to Jean, Daniel had killed her sister, whom he had been married to. Jean began to crank call Daniel, who thought they were from a bitter Sam. Daniel attempted to receive a promotion to head of neurology, even going so far as to assure a still-jealous Maureen that he would married Holly if he received the job. Daniel was then able to connect Jean's appearance in Springfield with Roger Thorpe. Roger set up Ross' assistant Suzanne to pitch a show for WSPR to Holly about crime solving. Blake made Daniel think that Holly was still in love with Roger, which threw him into a terrifying rage. Blake tried to tell Holly of Daniel's temper, but she didn't listen. On the show, Jean appeared and was about to finger Daniel as her sister's murderer, but he foiled her plans by pulling the fire alarm. Holly and Roger were then locked into the basement of WSPR, where they began to reach an understanding. When Daniel found them together, he went into a jealous rage. Jean planned to use Daniel's promotion celebration at the Country Club for her big pronouncment. However, when Jean began to consider killing Holly for revenge, Roger threatened her. Shortly thereafter, a lifeless Jean was found in the Country Club pool by Blake. After catching him in a lie, Sam and Harley began to investigate Daniel's past.

Roger, meanwhile, had his own share of troubles. Ross was tired of Roger's antics and launched a series of attacks on his character. A source named Peter Jessop came to Ross with some news. Roger and his cohort Davis were using a dummy corporation to cheat him out of his farm land. An increasingly suspicious Alexandra hired Mallet to tail Roger and see what he was up to. When Mindy and Roger's car crashed on the side of the road, Mallet found out about their affair. Roger blackmailed Mallet with his mysterious past; however, Alex found out about the affair on her own. Mindy miscarried Roger's baby. Roger had another son, however--Hart Jessop. Mindy ended the relationship with Roger. Meanwhile, Alexandra learned that someone was embezzling with Spaulding funds. Leo Flynn, Roger's personal lawyer, was stealing money from the Spaulding Foundation for Roger. Blake accidently revealed to Alex that it was Roger that was embezzeling. After Roger asked Alex for a divorce, Alex received her revenge. She gathered all of Roger's enemies at the Country Club and publicly filleted her husband. Afterwards, Alexandra allows Roger to have the Jessop property so that he could give it back to Hart. However, after Roger reveals that he and Holly almost had sex back in Acaulpoco, Alex allows him to keep WSPR, convinced that Roger and Holly deserved each other.

Billy Lewis still fought his battle with the bottle. Vanessa told him that he could not see little Bill until he got some help. Nadine saw them together and moved out of the house. However, Billy was able to convince her that he would stop drinking for 90 days. Because Josh left town earlier, H.B. passed over Billy for Lewis Oil CEO and chose Vanessa temporarily, which infuriated Billy. So much that he ran away with Nadine to Las Vegas and got a quickie marraige. Meanwhile, Vanessa, who was about to fight for her man, was devestated that Billy chose Nadine. Frank and Harley were dumbfounded about the wedding and Frank punched out Billy. Although Billy put up a front and said he wanted to marry Nadine all along, he confided to Ed that he still loved Vanessa.

More to come later...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Oooh, this topic has made me tingly.

Thanks Dan! You know how much I love Curlee and her GL era...

[Josh]

I love reading your posts, can't wait to see the rest of a beautiful GL era unfold!

[MichaelGL]

Wonderful post/recap of the Curlee era. I cannot wait.

[Toups]

Just Nancy's classic moments??? She was part of a team. Also, we know who came out the most successful out of that team.

[Dan]

Yes, but Nancy was clearly the big cheese in that team. Plus, remember darling Toupsy. The *bad* HWs get passed from show to show, not the good ones.

[Khan]

Yeah, and his name is Patrick. Mulcahey.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yeah, I'm sure Lorraine Broderick is quite content with her 6 Emmy's at home.

Him too with his 5 Emmy's.

Yes, the mastermind behind that team.

[Toups]

She was the big cheese? Says who? LOL I don't think any of them had more power than the other. And Reilly wasn't passed from show to show.

None of them:

- are currently HWs

- were ever the highest paid writer in daytime

- created/owned their own soap

- were HWs for two soaps at the same time

I just don't think Nancy deserves to solely be praised when she was part of a team. Why aren't Reilly, Demorest, included in the topic, Dan? LOL

[Y&RWorldTurner]

RH to GH to Y&R to GL to Days to SuBe (as a main consultant) to Passions back to Days and now soley on Passions. Looks like he was passed around to me.

I always wondered how JER of all people got to write for Y&R. William J. Bell was VERY selective when hiring writers and I'm shocked he'd be that impressed by anything JER submitted to him.

I think Nancy had the most authority in that team, she had been there for the longest and worked her way up. Also, she was always the one who gave interviews to the magazines, while JER, Demorest, and Broderick never did.

[Toups]

He wasn't passed around as Head Writer. He's not like a B&E or McTavish who goes from soap to soap as HWs.

Bill Bell knew Jim would go on to bigger things and taught him the slow style of storytelling. Bell, along with Gloria Monty, were big influences on Jim.

Ohh.....Nancy....such an air hog! Didn't want to let anybody else give interviews, eh. LOL

Seriously, though, does anyone know if JER had a good relationship with the rest of the team? Because they never worked together after GL. I've always wondered why JER didn't bring any of them to his writing teams. I want the scoop on this!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Nancy's never worked for a soap before or after GL, to my surprise. From what I hear, she hated the interference from PGP and CBS during her final years on GL, that's the main reason, other than being a full time mother, why she hasn't come back to soaps. I hear she's been asked many times by both PGP and ABC to write for one of their shows, but she's always refused.

Demorest next went to ATWT, which was probably a PGP sponsored move. He went to GH briefly after that, and was apart of GH's Emmy's winning team in 99 (headed by Guza), which fellow GL writing alum, Patrick Mulcahey, was also apart of.

As you know Toupsy, many of the breakdown/script writers from GL eventually ended up working with JER on Passions.

I can't imagine JER not being too fond of Nancy, I've never heard anything bad being said about her. I'm sure many of you have read Patrick Mulcahey's recent interview to Soapstown USA, where he speaks highly of Curlee and the fact that she's not writing for daytime is one of the things that's wrong with daytime.

[Toups]

Hey Dan, look at the topic now!!!

It's good to have power!!

Sucka!!!

*runs away*

[Y&RWorldTurner]

What I want to know, how in the world did Nancy, Stephen, James, and Lorraine keep their cool with JFP in charge? For some reason, I can't imagine someone like JER getting along too well with someone like Jill. LOL!

[Kubla Khan]

I always heard that Curlee and Reilly didn't get along. No mention of Demorest, though. But you know, when working in HW teams, disagreements are always common. No big scandal there.