2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[DaytimeFan]

That's a good point. I didn't really think about his contract cycle.

Well bye James Stanley.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

So, the Y&R staff looks like this now, and with either Hamner or Stanley, or both gone soon, we can take them off the list.

I wonder if Beall is writing scripts or breakdowns, I'll keep her under scriptwriters for now.

Head Writer

Maria Arena Bell

Co-Head Writer

Hogan Sheffer

Associate Head Writers

Scott Hamner

Beth Milstein (script editor)

Natalie Minardi Slater

Breakdown Writers

Paula Cwikly

Jay Gibson

Marla Kanelos

Lisa Seidman

James Stanley

Scriptwriters

Amanda L. Beall

Eric Freiwald & Linda Schreiber

Marc Parent

Thom Racina

Sandra Weintraub

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I wonder if Marla Kanelos will be sticking around at Y&R after her contract cycle ends. After all, she was one of Latham's last hires, and I don't think she's become a close friend of Maria, Josh, or Hogan.

Beth Milstein, on the other hand, seems well liked by Maria, hence her being made the script editor.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Also, I wonder if Hogan will be writing breakdowns at Y&R, he did write a few at DAYS.

[Kubla Khan]

Marla Kanelos (and Amanda Beall) have Barbara Bloom in their corner, for what it's worth.

[Soapsuds]

This is good news Toups. Maybe Y&R will become watchable to me again soon.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yeah, but so did Lynn Marie Latham. I doubt Bloom worries about the breakdown and scriptwriters though, and I don't think she's the one hiring or firing anyone. She must not be too happy that Latham's writers are mostly gone, and she was very supportive of Latham's decision to add all of those writers.

[juppiter]

This restores my faith in Y&R a little bit.... there must've just been some contractual reason for the LML writers being kept on. I'd like to see a few of the Bell era writers come back—but only the cream of the crop. A lot of them deserved their pink slips, even if LML's reasoning was off. I still expect writers associated with Sheffer to flood the writing team, which isn't a bad thing... while I'm not the biggest Sheffer fan, the FOH writers are pretty good.

[DaytimeFan]

I don't think it's going to be a flood of FOH...I'm willing to bet we'll see 2 or 3 of his best writers surface on the show which as you say isn't a bad thing because they're all quite good.

Just exterminate all of the LML writers, get in some old Bell writers (there must be ONE who wants to come back!) and throw in a couple FOH's and then it's done.

I think Y&R is going for a bloated writing team, regardless of who is writing, what a shame. Smaller teams, singular vision, always the best option.

[juppiter]

What did the writing team look like under Jack Smith? I watched at the time but didn't really pay attention to the credits. When did Y&R's writing staff start looking so ridiculous?

[Toups]

He stayed true to the Bell system, and promoted from within.

When LML became EP and sole HW almost all the Bell writers/producers/directors left - Barbara Bloom also had a huge hand in dismantling the #1 soap.

[juppiter]

Toups, I just went over your old Directors and Writers Threads... it's funny, Y&R went from having almost no list every year, then 2006 and 2007 they have a huuuge list. Revolving door :-(

I would like to see Barbara Bloom leave CBS daytime. Bringing in people from ABC Daytime is never good for CBS... they're two different styles and I have to wonder why CBS seems to insist on hiring people from the #2 network while ABC almost never hires people from #1 network.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Hopefully, Y&R can have a much smaller and tighter writing staff soon, though I kind of doubt it.

I'd also like for Josh Griffith to be fired as Executive Producer, he does nothing for the show and is an amateur. I hope the speculation about his job being on the line isn't false, Y&R could use a stronger EP.

[JackPeyton]

*cough*JFP*cough*

[juppiter]

Nooo I want JFP on ATWT!

I say have Brad Bell take over Y&R and give someone else B&B.

...

*ducks*