2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Toups]

I know what you mean. Tomlin and Whitesell are very good with humour, yet, they haven't been able to inject DAYS with any camp or humour at all.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I was just browing the old "Inside Y&R" blog, and I found a pic of Mike Denney with Judith Chapman and Greg Rikaart from the Emmy's a few years back:

[brimike]

Not to be the annoying pessimist, but I think that's further proof that something is in the water over there in Burbank, and it doesn't matter who you have writing/producing that show, it's just not working anymore.

[MarkH]

Maybe they caught the Brad Bell virus. He too has systematically drained his show of any meaningful smiles.

Now, the show DOES generate a lot of UNINTENTIONAL laughter, but I didn't mean that.

Okay, but what does that mean? It seems to suggest to me that someone higher up (e.g., network) has a firm grip on what they are approving. Is that what you think?

[brimike]

Frankly, I think the place is just cursed. One could interpret my post to mean I'm talking about Corday, but from what I hear, he's not there more than he's there, so I'm back to my theory that it's something in the water. I remember Richard Culliton script-writing over there (arguably, one of the better SCRIPT writers out there working right now) a few years back, and it still seemed like stilted writing even then.

It's like someone else's theory (I forget which board I read it on) that when actors get cast on Days, they immediately start acting "Days-style" whether they've ever acted that way or not. I think the same thing happens with writers. I can't put my finger on it, but there's a Days style to the dialogue AND to the acting AND to the production (and higher-ups) that the show just can't seem to break free from, no matter how hard it tries.

I didn't expect Tomlin or Whitesell to work any kind of magic, because nobody else has been able to work any REAL magic on Days for about a decade now... they're not THAT special (although I do like both of them, generally speaking). Sure, there's been an occasional good couple of weeks here and there, but it's not like the show goes through excellent phases and horrible phases every few years like other soaps. It's just been one long eternal "meh" phase.

That's just my opinion though. I'm sure others disagree.

[Ponz]

I thought the dialogue was reasonably solid under Cwickly/Brash and Sheffer. Higley just gives her staff nothing to work with. Not even the greatest scriptwriters can generate strong dialogue from boring, lifeless, incoherent "stories".

[MichaelGL]

Yeah I thought we'd be getting camp galore (IMO it would have been the wrong time), but the show is a repetitive boring mess right now. Who would have guessed under Dena Higley of all people ?

Well there was that time DAYS seemed to turn into Y&R over night,,,,but that's JMO.

B&B has replaced Passions as the soap to make fun of on shows like "The Soup" on E!.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think a lot of it has to do with how poorly defined most of the characters on DAYS are. They're all either black or white, there's hardly any shades of gray. The GH script writing team, arguably the best bunch of scriptwriters on daytime, could inherit DAYS and they'd still face the same problems with character dialogue that most scriptwriters face at DAYS. Say what you want about GH and Guza, but those characters are clearly defined and properly developed. If characters on DAYS aren't purely black or white, they tend to bounce from one end of the spectrum to the next, without any real explanation. B&B faces the same problems with poor character development and stilted dialogue to an extent.

[MarkH]

Amen to that.

B&B clearly is one of the bottom 2-3 soaps on the air right now. It solely survives right now out of habit and favorable time slot and international sales.

I keep thinking that can't last forever, if the show remains such appalling dreck.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Are you referring to production-wise? You know, I never thought Ed Scott lit Y&R as dark as he lit DAYS. Y&R was always darkly lit, but sometimes I felt his DAYS was too darkly lit. Y&R's sets were especially built for dark lighting, but that type of lighting looked awful on some of the DAYS sets - I especially HATED it in the Brady pub set, which started to look like a dungeon to me, and I watch everything on HDTV.

Also, I think a lot of the DAYS sets, wardrobe, and crappy Corday produced music just SCREAMS 80's soap opera. The show sometimes has such a dated 80's look to it, ugh.

Though, with the recent budget cuts, DAYS will probably soon become the West Coast version of GL. We'll know that when everyone is staying in the Brady Pub. I do think the overall production of the show took a hit when Scott left, it just looks awful again, from the lighting, to the awfully executed stunts - like Melanie dangling off the balcony.

Speaking of Scott, as I was browsing the old "Inside Y&R Blog," there was a pic of Ed, Melody, and Jennifer Scott on the Y&R set. It seems Ed and Melody's daughter, Jennifer Scott-Christensen, is an Associate Director on Y&R.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Hmmm, Janice Ferri Esser is listed again as Co-Script Editor in Monday's US episode of Y&R.

[Toups]

Yeah, I feel bad for the likes of Richard Culliton who now doesn't get a chance to shine that often because of bad stories.

Speaking of production, it looks like Ed Scott's black/white flashbacks are gone. In Monday's episode, there's horrible looking flashback. It was almost Wyman-esque with all the colours and brightness.

I bed Ed taught Jennifer very well. I hope Jennifer gets a chance to direct some day.

[Toups]

Tom Casiello has some pretty interesting thoughts in his latest blog: The Quick-Cut Myth

He makes some pretty good points that I agree with.

Word.

I also think longer scenes provide better character driven scenes which gives the storyline depth and of course this makes the show really enjoyable to watch.

I remember some episodes from Beth Milstein's interim HW gig in the summer of 2006 when she would only have 6 characters on and the scenes were very long. I wish soaps would do this more often.

LOL at Tom's comments about the prison break story on OLTL: "it's a soap opera - why are we writing prison riots?"

[Toups]

Teaser for December:

CBS: Writer IN

DAYS: Writer IN, Writer OUT

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I love how you just said CBS as one of your teasers, Toups. LOL! It would be much easier if you just listed which soap on CBS. LOL!

As for DAYS, I'm surprised they're hiring more people, even if someone is out. I thought Tomlin/Higley would be happy with what they have. If I had to guess the writer that is out, I'm guessing it's Rick Draughon. He's been bounced around a lot on that writing team this year. But he does have the SuBe connection with Tomlin, so it might not be him at all.

When do you plan to reveal your teasers, Friday?