So I was searching around on the web, about my favorite character Skye Chandler Quartermaine. And one of the sites I went to said Skye was created by Wisner Washam, and then I thought to myself "Who the hell is that". When I hear about head-writers past & present, I have never heard about Wisner Washam, and it says he was headwriter for AMC from 1982-1991 (or something like that).

So my question is, was he a great head-writer and how was he received by fans and critics...Im really interested.

Wisner Washam was a brilliant writer, as well as Agnes Nixon's #1 protege. He created many beloved AMC characters and storylines. He was very well received by both fans and critics, and depending on who you ask, many believe the last time AMC felt like traditional AMC was when Washam was at the helm.

Co-sign everything that Y&RWT said.

The only thing is I wonder if he woulda been as good without Nixon, plus in the mid 80s Broderick (who contrary to wikipedia was listed as Headwriter for many episodes), there to guide him. Either way though he definetly was very talented and is missed. But Nixonw as still very much involved back then (it's a bit like talking about McTavish's first, great, period at AMC and not crediting Nixon for overseeing it)

Edited October 5, 200817 yr by EricMontreal22

Didn't he pretty much take over fulltime around 1982/1983 when Agnes was focusing on LOVING? Those were fantastic years for AMC.

So, yes, I believe he was an excellent writer.

Edited October 5, 200817 yr by Pine Charles

Here's what LoyaltoAMC had to say:

Sylph, have to disagree there. Wisner could be wonderful while Agnes was largely involved (appr. 1977-1984; 1990-1992), but left on his own, he is a mixed bag. The years he wrote the show solo (1984-1986) while Agnes was nurturing and concentrating on Loving were not AMC's best years. Lots of short-term pointless silly plots that went nowhere, isolated characters, disregard for the vets, lack of multigenerational stories, teen overload. Sound familiar? Of course, looking back, this stuff was miles ahead of the dreck we have on screen today. I'm not sure how much of that was his doing, or how much EP Jackie Babbin was responsible for that (she tried to DAYS-ify the show a bit, with more action-adventure plots and quicker scenes, as DAYS was regaining popularity with that style of writing at the time). I have to say the show improved tons in the fall of 1986 when Babbin left and was replaced by former EP Jorn Winther, which is around the same time that Broderick joined Washam as headwriter. So I'd say, Washam is a good writer, even better paired with Broderick, and superior when overseen by Nixon. I think a Washam/Broderick team with Agnes as consultant would ideal. But alas!

See i have some episodes from 1985 that don't have Wisner's name in the creidts--only Broderick. AMC's headwriter condition in the 80s is kinda a mystery--because Agnes was still involve din some way, weird credits, etc (wikipedia doesn't even mention that Marg DePriest was HW for most of 89)