2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[dragonflies]

AMC should be running out of pre-strike material soon is my guess....

[PhoenixRising05]

Thanks for the answer. I feel uneasy too and hope your right. I just wish I knew where Hogan left them. That may make me feel better

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I have a question to anyone who might be able to answer this.

OK, we know Latham isn't working on Y&R now and she's not listed in the credits as Executive Producer. However, why is Josh Griffith still listed as a "Co-Executive Producer?" Shouldn't he be listed as Executive Producer alone since there's no one there to share the EP duties with him?

Maybe this is a signal Y&R will be getting a new EP soon?

[Toups]

Do you remember if John F. Smith was listed as Executive Producer after Bill Bell died or was he still listed as Co-EP until he left?

I don't think that's going to happen. Morina and McDonald were probably promoted to help out Josh while he's doing duty.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Smith was only listed as co-EP when he worked under David Shaughnessy. When Shaughnessy left, Smith was listed as Executive Producer alone, with Bill Bell listed as Senior Executive Producer. When Bell died, Smith was listed as Executive Producer alone until midway through 2006.

[Toups]

I don't think that's accurate about Smith being "EP" after Shaughnessy left.

I have for August 6, 2004:

Executive Producer

William J. Bell

Co-Executive Producer

John F. Smith

I don't have credits for 2005. For 2006, I stupidly didn't include the EP credits, I just listed the opening credits. Ugh...stupid me. And why don't have "Senior" for Bill Bell??

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Hmm, maybe he was only listed as co-EP until Bell died? It's weird, Shaughnessy was listed as sole EP for his tenure, not co. When he left, there was no one there to share the EP duties with and Bell was only Senior EP in title, since he was experiencing bad health at the time. I think for sure in the beginning of 2006 Smith was listed as EP alone and not co.

[Toups]

I think I have old episodes on tape that I'm going to have to recheck. This is bugging me and I need to be accurate on this. LOL

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Not that Wikipedia is the best source, but this is what they have concerning Y&R's EP's.

November 2001-early 2004 W. J. Bell (Senior Executive Producer) & David Shaughnessy (Executive Producer)

Early 2004 - April 2005 W. J. Bell & John F. Smith (Co-Executive Producer)

April 2005-May 12, 2006 John F. Smith

May 15, 2006-September 2006 No EP Credited

October 2006-December 24, 2007 Lynn Marie Latham (EP) & Josh Griffith (co-EP)

December 26, 2007-Present Josh Griffith

[Y&RWorldTurner]

That would mean if Latham isn't returning, Josh would have to employ a new HW after the strike, right? Since he's FiCore and Maria and Paula are as well, that would exclude the show from participating in the WGA awards, which I'm sure Sony/CBS don't want to risk.

I'm still puzzled why Griffith went FiCore, since he had no producing experience prior to Y&R.

[Toups]

I'm not sure, but I don't see why he can't. Going core is within Guild rules.

Really? Where did you read about this? So Fi-Core writers can't be up for the WGA award because they give up their WGA membership?

I'll ask around about the WGA awards and what happens to the FiCore writers once the strike ends, just to make sure.

[DaytimeFan]

I am of the opinion that Sony/The Bells/CBS don't give a sh*t about the WGA awards because they're an 'industry' award that nobody except those of us interested or involved in the industry care about. The Emmys are a whole other story because they are televised, get mainstream press coverage etc. The Bells love their Emmys, Lauralee Bell once remarked that instead of playing with toys, the Bell grandchildren play with the family Emmys.

I could be wrong, but I think the Bells/Sony/CBS are focused on making the show as commercially successful as possible. If critical acclaim comes with it - fabulous - but I think the days of chasing an award are over. Audience retention and international marketing are the keys. Look at B&B: totally shafted in terms of awards for the show and yet it is the most profitable soap in the world.

Bill Bell was listed as 'Senior Executive Producer' for many years. Youtube has many sets of credits from the late 80s and early 90s which credit him as such. Sadly, I would estimate he was 'Senior Executive Producer' in name only sometime after 2000, he was rather young to be stricken with Alzheimer's, a horrible situation all around.

Jack Smith was listed as sole EP for a period after Bill Bell's passing. I just remember what the exact duration was.

My bet with Griffith is that he got a sweet deal to stay at Y&R with perhaps a future role with Sony on the corporate side. Going Fi-Core cost him a lot $o whatever his deal was mu$t have been worth hi$ while. Either that or Sony approached him and told him that they were firing LML and everyone associated with her and that either he could stay with the show and go Fi-Core or he could join her and her band of hacks on the picket line.

[juppiter]

Didn't the guild say that financial core members would no longer be guild members after the strike is over? Pencils down means pencils down.

[brimike]

I believe this is correct. Fi-core members give up their rights to vote in WGA elections and WGA awards, as well as be nominated.

I could be wrong about this, but I'm 99% sure Y&R can't be nominated next year for a WGA award if their head writer is a Fi-Core member.

[juppiter]

"Any WGA member caught working during the strike is considered to be a "scab." Discipline for strike-breaking can include expulsion from the guild, fines and censure. Any non-union members who replace union workers during the strike will be barred from joining the WGA in the future.

The financial core option -- called "fi-core" -- is a totally different situation. Union members who take this action, which was spelled out by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on its website, cannot be disciplined for working during the strike. They can, however, be subjected to public humiliation by the WGA.

Being humiliated by the WGA. How about being humiliated when you cannot pay your bills."

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publi...272618069.shtml

I don't see why Y&R would be exempt from a WGA award. But Griffith, Bell, and Cwickly would not receive the award, only the WGA writers (assuming the strike ends in 2008.)