2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Sylph]

Like I said – very unlikely...

She certainly didn't write anything that ended up on air, but there were some stuff she...

As for her as a fit, I don't know, I just want her away from Y&R and it seems to me she would be an OK fit. Seems. (I also feel the urge to emphasise I never said she would be amazingly brilliant; for the most part I used the words "do well" and "OK".) But if all those AMC fans she is a superb writer that would be hailed for eternity for her work, they are in serious trouble. She's better than McTavish and Jim & Babs, but that is all there is to it.

Also, this wasn't her first time trying to sell herself to ABC.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

LOL! I heard about her trying to strike a deal with ABC in early 1998, when Bill Bell was ready to step down. It didn't seem like they wanted her then, so she stayed as Bell's HW replacement at Y&R.

Its got to sting being rejected by the same network twice.

[Sylph]

There was some trouble between the two back then... There were also times when Bill never mentioned her as his closest advisor - he mentioned Birn, Jones... Those were the times.

[boldfan01]

Any thoughts on why Bill Bell named her as his successor when he ultimately stepped down, if there was tension between them? And then she was solo head writer for a few years until they brought Jack Smith on. Was Bill Bell still active in the show then? Or was his "senior executive producer" title at that point (with Shaughnessy as EP) just a nominal one?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Bell knew she had been there the lognest with him, so when he was ready to leave the day to day duties of the show, there was no one technically better than her to replace him in the posiiton of head writer. Let's not forget, he was a story consultant on the show until he died as well. Anyway, when he heard that she was shopping for a (unsuccessful) deal at ABC, he asked her to be Y&R's new HW.

Bell always had a Senior EP credit on the show, even when Conboy and Kenney were credited as EP's. I think he was credited as just EP though, during most of Smith's EP tenure. As I said before, he was a story consultant on the show until he died as well. However, by his last year or so alive, these titles may have been in name only.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

Trent Jones was never mentioned by Bill Bell as one of his closest advisors. I challenge you to find that in print anywhere. Alden, Smith and Birn were the three who worked directly with Bell over the years. They were closest to him. Jones became more prominent when Alden took charge and bumped TJ to co-head. Bell never promoted Jones, who worked as an outliner during his tenure with BB. Bill had various story consultants through the years, including the late incredible Elizabeth Harrower, along with Jim Reilly, Sally Sussman and others, but Jones wasn't one of them. The core of the creative team were Alden, Smith and later Birn. THOSE were the days.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^Wasn't it Jack F. Smith who promoted Jones, not Alden?

And I agree, Jones was a bit of an outsider in the Bell universe, since he had written for a few other soaps before coming to Y&R. Though he's spend the longest amount of time at Y&R in his writing career. It was pretty bizarre when he was made Smith and Alden's Co-HW in 2002. However, I did notice something of a change at Y&R in 2004, when both Jones and Shaughnessy were gone. I'd kill to have both back at the show. Jones has HW, well Co-HW experience at Y&R. If Smith and Alden don't want to return, I'd rather have him there.

[DaytimeFan]

Kay and Bill most definitely had their clashes...as you'd expect when you work with someone for more than 25 years.

[Sylph]

I have the interview. Just... It's not yet time to publish it.

[Sylph]

Something similar happened when he (T. J.) abandoned ATWT.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

Alden promoted Jones. They worked closely together. She put him in the co-head position not Smith. As for Jones returning as headwriter, it won't happen. He burned a lot of bridges during his tenure at the show, and made some powerful enemies. Whether he's talented or not (the results are mixed, his brief stint as a breakdown writer on ATWT was disastrous), there's little if any chance of him ascending to the headwriter position at Y&R because of backstage politics.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

I'm holding my breath, Sylph!

[Sylph]

What do you mean – quality-wise or...?

[Sylph]

I have to correct myself: he mentions Alden, Jones and Birn. In that particular order. No Smith.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Are you insinuating that he's a very difficult man to work with? Also, I was always under the impression that Alden had very little power when Smith replaced her as the main HW, that's why I thought Jones' promotion came from Smith, not Alden. Though, Smith did become Y&R's EP in 2004, when Jones left the show (he would return to write breakdowns briefly in 2006). I take it Smith wasn't too fond of Jones either.

Any special reason why Jones was given a promotion by Alden? There were others on the writing team who had been there longer than he had been there at that point.