Ugh. Now, I have posted on the death of daytime myself...right down to graphs predicting time of death.

But I find myself bristling at your declarative statement, or your suggestion that talented individuals should leave daytime. There is always hope. Keeping talented people IN the genre is an aspect of the hope.

Ah Mark, still trying to keep things positive but I kind of agree with Slyph on this one. If you had a really talented writer friend who said "I just got a job on a soap," would you say "Great! You'll have such an impact on the genre!" or "Great! Now you can pay your bills while you look for something better."

I hate seeing talent wasted and daytime has been wasting it in spades in front of and behind the camera.

I mean, she is like on of those rare, perfectly carved gems you only come upon once in a blue moon. She is extremely well educated (an Ivy League alumna) and well-read, has excellent manners from what I've seen, knows how to write, has had experience in production and writing, is passionate about the genre... And all that comes with humility and generosity.

What more could one want?

Wow! This is the most complimentary post I've ever seen from you! Just Wow!

MarkH, I will reply.

But, I wanted to say this: I would love it if Sara did a piece (or pieces) about primetime soap opera, what they do good, what they don't. Every soap, including Heroes. Because, among other reasons, HWs could learn a lot from Tim Kring's interview after the failed second season.

Every TV writer in every genre should have that article taped to their wall. The respect and accountability Kring showed in that interview is the absolute antithesis of the attitude displayed by soap management.

Every TV writer in every genre should have that article taped to their wall. The respect and accountability Kring showed in that interview is the absolute antithesis of the attitude displayed by soap management.

You two have convinced me I should read this. Where can I find this?

Is this it? http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20158840,00.html (Heroes' creator to fans; "I'm Sorry!") While I'm not a huge Heroes fan I did appreciate that he3 basically owned up to the mistkaes, didn't make excuses and promised change.

Dead as a dead horse. Instead of this young woman returning to dead genre, I think she should have far more freedom in primetime to express herself.

I agree and don't... It seems that there are mroe and more probs with network primetime shows too (look at all the showrunner turnaround over at ABC--even on a relative hit like Bros and Sis--and I know you personally weren't a fan--Baitz felt forced off the show by ABC). But yeah the sitaution prob would give her more chances than daytime. Maybe Weiner should take her on at Mad Men

Maybe Weiner should take her on at Mad Men

Yes! However, I think the staffing was finished a few months back.

You two have convinced me I should read this. Where can I find this?

Report back.

Every TV writer in every genre should have that article taped to their wall. The respect and accountability Kring showed in that interview is the absolute antithesis of the attitude displayed by soap management.

Precisely. It's an amazing interview, totally spot on.

Ah Mark, still trying to keep things positive but I kind of agree with Slyph on this one. If you had a really talented writer friend who said "I just got a job on a soap," would you say "Great! You'll have such an impact on the genre!" or "Great! Now you can pay your bills while you look for something better."

I hate seeing talent wasted and daytime has been wasting it in spades in front of and behind the camera.

That's why I said she should flee and never come back. If she returns to daytime, it may be the total end of her career. Given that once in soaps for a long time, you will always be seen as a niche writer or a some sort of centaur-esque combo of primetime/daytime writer (like many of those people who came on with Lynn Latham on Y&R).

Wow, that interview was just fantastic! I can't believe Kring did this! It's gonna make me tune back into HEROES again, even though I completely and absolutely gave up on it at the beginning of Season 2!

That's why I said [sara Bibel] should flee and never come back. If she returns to daytime, it may be the total end of her career. Given that once in soaps for a long time, you will always be seen as a niche writer or a some sort of centaur-esque combo of primetime/daytime writer (like many of those people who came on with Lynn Latham on Y&R).

In a job as hard as TV writing in which to become employed, I scarcely see how someone could reject the offer of a lucrative position in daytime...especially if other doors weren't answering one's knock.

That said, I actually think (predicting the end of daytime US soaps in 2016...with most dying between 2010-2012) having experience on a daytime soap will be quite useful in the post-soap universe.

It is kind of like expert plaster work. As new technology comes (drywall), the old skill is lost. Soon, you have fewer and fewer people who can do the plaster work. And then one day, you need extensive plaster work.

Though I think daytime is dying, I don't think the serial drama is anywhere near dead. I think that expert serial writing takes unique skills that are hard to cultivate and maintain (the Kring article you are all referencing; Lost Season 2, slumps in later seasons of ER or Six Feet Under, etc.). I could almost seek the daytime skills (for volume and for structure) as being highly prized at some future time when someone seeks to revive the serial in a form that is closer to the current format.

So that means in your little proposed future world, that maybe 3 or so soap opera writers might be called back to help work on a new show in 2018?

So that means in your little proposed future world, that maybe 3 or so soap opera writers might be called back to help work on a new show in 2018?

LOL. Yes, you may have the numbers right :-)

I guess some of them might want to pursue other gigs, eh?

Ask The (Currently Unemployed ) Soap Writer

Chris: Sara can you shed some light on why writers shove characters down our throats even when the masses are yelling stop? Even my 85 year old grandmother looked at me the other day and said, "why is that little girl [on Y&R] always singing"? "I don't know" I told her, "but that's why smart people invented FF buttons."

The answer.

It is amazing how this woman writes brilliant columns every time!