2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Toups]

I believe you're right.

That's Ken Corday for you. Like you said, he'll have his "lightbulb" moment, and then he'll panic and change his mind.

Just a few examples:

- Fires SSM and hires Lorraine Broderick (YAY!!!)

- Fires Broderick and gives Langan the HW job (WTF!!)

- Fires Langan and promotes Brash/Cwickly (YAY!!!)

- Fires B&C and promotes Dena Higley (WTF!!)

- Let's Jim Reilly write the SSK storylines (YAY!!!)

- Panics and rushes Jim's story (WTF!!!)

- Fires JER (WTF!! for me......but YAY!! for everyone else)

- Hires Hogan (YAY!!!)

- Re-Hires Higley (WTF!!)

[ClassicAMCDays]

Toups, given your great knowledge about the realms of the soap world, I would like to get your opinion on Brown & Esensten at AMC. It would seem, IMO due to their underwhelming performance thus far, that they would not be not be back after the strike. Personally, I think Jeff Beldner/Michelle Patrick as Co-Headwriters would do the show wonders.

[Toups]

Great knowledge? Well, I don't know about that. But thanks, I guess. LOL

I don't watch AMC, so I can't really give a true/honest opinion on their storylines or anything like that. But from what a lot of people are saying, they haven't been good at all which was something a lot of us predicted based on their history as HWs on other soaps. Loving, The City, Port-Charles were all cancelled when they were HWs and if that isn't a sign to not hire them, I don't know what is. They're a curse! LOL

Damn, I just love these long discussion about writers. Almost 4 full pages in just a couple of hours. It was fun.

[ClassicAMCDays]

Truth be told, I hadn't paid that much attention to the writers until I happened upon this thread. So for that, thanks for keeping us updated Toups. Let's hope this new year brings about positive changes for the shows we love. As I've stated before, I cannot wait to see the following; AMC: Julie Hanan Carruthers, Barbara Esensten, James Harmon Brown, Courtney Bugler, Chip Hayes, Rebecca Taylor, Ron Renauld and Amanda L. Beall OUT. Hot messes of AMC be gone.

[dm.]

If by any chance other people manage to return to AMC (C. McClain, R. Christopher), we REALLY need new writers. The returns won't do much for the show unless it's quality writing.

[Ponz]

The LA Times mentioned a married pair who are "split" on the strike (and it's not the Cullitons or Latham/Lechowick). I could see Higley technically *striking* while her husband *writes* the show in her absence. He'd get the rap for scabbing and she could effectively write the show by proxy since there'd no way to enforce them not collaborating on stories.

[R Sinclair]

Interesting thread... a little too much DAYS talk for me to actually be invested, but interesting... The soaps haven't even aired any new episodes yet this year and this thread is already FOUR PAGES LONG!

[daysfan]

Dena is more of a Corday type-writer than Hogan is, so I also think Hogan will not be back, and I don't think I could take Dena Higley writing the whole show.

I thought Dena was Co-HW UNDER Hogan, since it seemed Meg was like that. But now that she has equal power, I'm more worried than I was before.

[Sylph]

This is an irregularly accelerated motion. You know, we post 10 pages in two days, then we stop posting for another three or four.

[Adam]

I think Frons truly wants to get rid of AMC if he lets these two continue beyond the strike. The show doesn't show any signs of improving over the next month or so, fan faves returning or not. The show's pace has picked up since their initial months, but the stories and plot lines still make you go WTF at every turn. I, unlike many, was willing to give this pair a chance and I got taken for a long bumpy ride that is for sure. I mean even McT had a good year at least when she came back in 03. B&E had like 2 weeks LOL, that's it. They will add AMC to their hit list if they aren't removed soon.

Frons or whoever needs to take note from what has happened at OLTL (poor ratings or not) and promote a long time staffer or more than one who knows the rich history of this show. Michelle Patrick's name comes to my mind and everyone else's. I watched OLTL today and it is amazing what is going on over their. Balance and stories that actually are interesting and somewhat believable. I want that so bad for AMC before it inevitably goes off the air.

If Latham is actually fired from Y&R my luck she will be B&E's replacement... improvement? No just different writing style and it will stll suck the life out of the how. I am rambling but hey just adding to this lively discussion.

[Kubla Khan]

A big problem and hard truth of daytime is that any improvement is never long-lasting. It's great what Ron Carlivati has done for One Life but is it going to last? No way (in fact, it may end sooner than we think, depending on what Tomlin the dirty scab has planned). Ms. McTavish had a good, what? 18 months at AMC? And then she drove it to the ground. Hogan had one good year at World Turns before he fizzled. These days, it's about quick fixes, and then everyone either burns out or 'loses' it. It's disappointing, to say the least.

[Toups]

You are right about the short fixes. For me, the last consistently good tenure was JER's first run at DAYS. It was 5 years of good storylines. He didn't have one down year at all. We don't see those type of long runs anymore.

[Toups]

Well, you can always instigate the AMC discussion. LOL

[Sylph]

What's your solution?

[Chris B]

I have to wonder if Hogan's success depends on how Co-Headwriter. Didn't things start to go downhill at ATWT when woman hating Jean Passanante arrived? I don't think every writer will burn out, it depends on how good the writer is to begin with> This is why I'm not jumping on the Carlivati love train. He is still new, there is stuff that doesn't work and we don't know enough about him to know if it will last.

McTavish, B&E, Higley, etc. are recycled hacks who can pull together a good story now and again, but they are still hacks. If daytime hired successful writers I doubt they'd be burning out so fast.