During the last few weeks, I have read many differing opinions about JFE on here and it got me thinking. I decided to create this thread not for "I hate her!" or "I love her!" exclamations, but to have an open discussion on the woman for anyone who is interested to put their two cents in.

Personally, I watched some of her 2002 Y&R episodes and I have to admit that I find her to be a generally good writer, in the sense that she is better than 90% of the writers on daytime right now.... (not that that says much). HOWEVER, I always felt like her scripts were, for a lack of a better word, weird. For example, the opening credits would start playing on the weirdest moments, something that always bugged me. But, most importantly, I hated her emotional scenes. She tried. I really felt that she did her best to have good, emotional dialogue and she did manage it on a purely grammatical level. But, she was never, ever able to touch me--the dialogue was there, but the emotion wasn't. One example is when Raul confronts Brittany after the accident... damn, those actors tried, but something was amiss in the writing.

What do you guys think?

I don't know. Lauren Woodland was one of the most limited performers ever to hit Y&R in its' 35 year history. (That may be hyperbole...but gosh, she made my teeth hurt as Brittany).

I think Bill Bell could personally have crafted her scenes, and they would not have shone.

If you have examples of how Victor and Nikki didn't rise above Esser's material, or Katherine and Jill...I'd buy that as a possible indictment of her. But Raul and Brittany...not so much . Plus, she has the virtue of being the show historian .

But, really, on Lost different writers are responsible for different storylines?

No, they all pitch and suggest story ideas, but ultimately Lindelof & Cuse choose what goes in and assign scripts. So what happens in an episode is a work of multiple writers, not just those who are credited. 

There was also a system with index cards on Lost, I'd have to look it up somewhere... 

When the show began, I think every writer had to draw a piece of paper from a hat with a character's name on it and write that character's back story. Something like that, I can't remember...

Here's a quote from Nicola Schindler:

NS:

If you look at American ‘writers’ rooms’ where they do 20/24 episodes a year. They literally have a huge room, and the wall is completely covered in whiteboard, and they will start at episode one and they will write in a different colour for every single character. They’ll go round and they’ll probably do 8 episodes and then they’ll see if they’re going to get re-commissioned. While they are filming episode 2 they’ll get 6 more episodes and they fill in those and then they go the whole way round the room. So in the end, you can look and see that colour hasn’t had an episode for ages.

Edited August 25, 200817 yr by Sylph

I don't know. Lauren Woodland was one of the most limited performers ever to hit Y&R in its' 35 year history. (That may be hyperbole...but gosh, she made my teeth hurt as Brittany).

Really? I thought she was by far the ebst younger actress to hit Y&R in the past 10 years, esp her last few years on the show, esp given all the bullshit they gave her.

Really? I thought she was by far the ebst younger actress to hit Y&R in the past 10 years, esp her last few years on the show, esp given all the bullshit they gave her.

Oh my. Really? I have some kind of odd personal bias against her. Literally, my lip would curl when Brittany would show up.

I definitely hated the writing. Initially, it was the unmotivated stealing of Billy from Mac. Why? She was already rich.

Then, it was the (IMO) chemistry-free pairing with Raul. David Lagos is an edgy guy, and it would have been better to see a dark, nasty girl take him to the dark side. They didn't go that way, so I bought his puppy love with...Mac. (Funny how Mac and all of her beaux worked for me). There are whole years devoted to diabetes and accidents that scarred Brittany that...just blur in my mind. I couldn't stand them.

I didn't like that scratchy voice she got in quiet scenes. I wasn't very appreciative of her singing.

The coup de grace, for me, had to do with how the Brittany character destroyed the Bobby character. Here we had this tough guy...the first one with a non-upper class bearing and a bona fide set of gonads in a long time...he was older, with a lived in face. He needed a WOMAN. If not a Nikki, then a Lauren or... Instead, they put him with spoiled rich girl Brittany. Now she's a stripper for him. Except she wears evening gowns and sings torch songs. Huh? And he likes this... Not a drop of it made sense. And I always assumed a stronger actress might have sold me. But Lauren didn't.

There were other problems. Brittany's daddy had a chemistry-free dalliance with Jill. Brittany's mommy had a better cougar-thing going with JT, but it was pre-empted...the fallout was not very long or deep...it was just a short obstacle for JT and Colleen. So the whole family was kind of dull to me.

I was very happy when the Hodges went to New York. I often want Bobby back, but I fear that would bring back Brittany.

Oh my. Really? I have some kind of odd personal bias against her. Literally, my lip would curl when Brittany would show up.

I definitely hated the writing. Initially, it was the unmotivated stealing of Billy from Mac. Why? She was already rich.

Then, it was the (IMO) chemistry-free pairing with Raul. David Lagos is an edgy guy, and it would have been better to see a dark, nasty girl take him to the dark side. They didn't go that way, so I bought his puppy love with...Mac. (Funny how Mac and all of her beaux worked for me). There are whole years devoted to diabetes and accidents that scarred Brittany that...just blur in my mind. I couldn't stand them.

I didn't like that scratchy voice she got in quiet scenes. I wasn't very appreciative of her singing.

The coup de grace, for me, had to do with how the Brittany character destroyed the Bobby character. Here we had this tough guy...the first one with a non-upper class bearing and a bona fide set of gonads in a long time...he was older, with a lived in face. He needed a WOMAN. If not a Nikki, then a Lauren or... Instead, they put him with spoiled rich girl Brittany. Now she's a stripper for him. Except she wears evening gowns and sings torch songs. Huh? And he likes this... Not a drop of it made sense. And I always assumed a stronger actress might have sold me. But Lauren didn't.

There were other problems. Brittany's daddy had a chemistry-free dalliance with Jill. Brittany's mommy had a better cougar-thing going with JT, but it was pre-empted...the fallout was not very long or deep...it was just a short obstacle for JT and Colleen. So the whole family was kind of dull to me.

I was very happy when the Hodges went to New York. I often want Bobby back, but I fear that would bring back Brittany.

See - i agree with you up until after raul / pre-bobby. thats where i started to like the char of brittany and Woodland started to step it up. And the Bobby/brittany thing was amazing and coulda been a great triangle with Nikki but the writing was just horrid.

I alove loved her friendship with JT and her relationship with other people around town. I def thought they shoulda used her parents more and play up the poor little rich girl gets everything she wantes except attention and love from her parents angle, esp during the bobby storyline.

the char needed much work, and the actress got better as time went on. i def would love to see a return - but not right now. shes just not needed. we have amber and chloe (who hoenstly, fits the role of town bitch/vixen/misundertood heroine much better).

as for mac - ugh. i hated her. every single pairing fell flat for me - except for Kimseys Mac with JT.

This is how Lost works, too. Do you have the link, Cat?

I literally caught the interview, live, on BBC America. The US networks are selling their shows abroad at some conference. The man interviewed, a Mr. Kling, is the creator (a show I don't watch, unfortunately. I think Buffy and Santa Barbara wore me out as far "love affairs" with certain TV shows are concerned). Anyhoo, he was very interesting and informative. Instinctively I figured it wouldn't work for Daytime, but wanted to ask the question of those of you who script for a living.

I've tried to find it on YouTube — the Tim Kring interview — but no luck. I'm not surprised you and Mark don't watch it, I would actually find it quite amazing if you did watch it. It's like a male 18–34 kind of show. But fun.

There was an interview with Kring after the second season ended in which he talked about all the mistakes that were made and every HW should read it just to see how a HW truly honours his fans and sincerely apologizes.

And as for Janice Ferri Esser - if she hasn't been promoted in all these long years (18 to be precise), there is a reason.

I've tried to find it on YouTube — the Tim Kring interview — but no luck. I'm not surprised you and Mark don't watch it, I would actually find it quite amazing if you did watch it. It's like a male 18–34 kind of show. But fun.

There was an interview with Kring after the second season ended in which he talked about all the mistakes that were made and every HW should read it just to see how a HW truly honours his fans and sincerely apologizes.

Just to be clear...while I am a male greater than 34 (but less than 49), I HAVE tried to watch Heroes. To the point that we have the first season box set in the house, and I have watched the marathon on Universal HD for as long as I could tolerate it . But I have never been a comic book guy either. I need realism or realistic melodrama...with the odd exception of new Doctor Who (which is not a serial)...but with which I have been obsessed for about a year now.

Despite her faults, JFE is still the best writer in the Y&R writing team right now--with the possible exception of Eric Freiwald, who paired with his daughter (?) does not write the brilliant scripts he once did. Or maybe she just knows how to write for Y&R!

Despite her faults, JFE is still the best writer in the Y&R writing team right now--with the possible exception of Eric Freiwald, who paired with his daughter (?) does not write the brilliant scripts he once did. Or maybe she just knows how to write for Y&R!

Well, then good luck to Y&R if that's true!

Well, then good luck to Y&R if that's true!

LMAO she is, though. And I'm not saying that's neccesarily a good thing It's more a testament to how bad the rest of the team is

LMAO she is, though. And I'm not saying that's neccesarily a good thing It's more a testament to how bad the rest of the team is

Yeah, that team just sucks. It's totally mish-mash of un-mixable people. The only thing is... When Bill was writing this show, it was pretty much irrelevant who wrote the day's show because his vision was everywhere. Bill was that show, the show was Bill. And no amount of cr*ppy dialogue could ruin that.

LMAO she is, though. And I'm not saying that's neccesarily a good thing It's more a testament to how bad the rest of the team is

But again, most of the old Y&R dialogue writers are on B&B.....and well.....the dialogue on B&B makes me vomit profusely these days.

Not to mention, it appears that B&B's made Patrick Mulcahey a horribly craptastic writer.

If I want decent dialogue alone, I'll watch GH.

But again, most of the old Y&R dialogue writers are on B&B.....and well.....the dialogue on B&B makes me vomit profusely these days.

Not to mention, it appears that B&B's made Patrick Mulcahey a horribly craptastic writer.

If I want decent dialogue alone, I'll watch GH.

Well, that's because she was writing that dialogue. Y&R refugees haven't contributed this year, except for John F. Smith.