2009: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Toups]

DAYS:

- Noel Maxam last listed as Producer on January 15

- Noel Maxam first listed as Supervising Producer on January 16

Glad to see Noel moving up the ladder. He deserves it.

[Khan]

True, but I wish he were moving up the ladder at a much classier show.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Did DAYS even have a Supervising Producer prior? I assume Maxam was always supervising production, and they just added the supervising title to his credit. It also offers a distinction between what he and Mary-Kelly Weir do.

[Toups]

DAYS' last Supervising Producer was Roy B. Steinberg in 2007.

He probably was. But they couldn't just give him the Supervising Producer title right away since he just began producing when he arrived at DAYS.

In a couple of years, I would love to see him EPing a show......maybe Y&R, once Paul Rauch is no longer EP.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I'm not the biggest Maxam fan, Mike Denney, Sally McDonald, and Kathryn Foster are much better directors, IMO. Foster was also a great producer for the time she had the producing credit at Y&R. Denney and McDonald deserve a producing credit too, but I doubt they'd get it.

I was always shocked Scott gave Maxam that producer credit at DAYS, since even at Y&R, he was very much a junior director, along with Dean LaMont.

I still don't understand why Tomlin hired Mary-Kelly Weir, but I guess people like working with their friends.

[Toups]

Yeah, Noel was the youngest and had the least experience among the fab four. I think Noel got the producing credit at DAYS because Kathryn didn't want to produce, she just want to direct (just my speculation).

But in a couple of years, Maxam will have more producing experience than the other three, so in that respect, he would be a better EP choice than Foster, McDonald (a couple of months producing experience), Denney (no producing experience).

I didn't understand why Noel was the only the producer, and how he directed also. I've always liked the hierarchy of EP......Supervising Producer.....Producer.....Coordinating Producer....etc.

[GladGirl]

Apparently, Tom Casiello has landed a trial gig.... don't know where, though...

[Kubla Khan]

Well, he's already been at Days, OLTL, ATWT, Y&R...

So...that leaves...GH, AMC, B&B, GL?

[ClassicAMCDays]

Interesting. Tom would be a valuable asset to any of the aforementioned shows, however, I am hoping the show in question is AMC. Fingers crossed.

[Khan]

AMC and GL have more-or-less eliminated the position of 'breakdown writer', so "I don't think so" on those.

The B&B writing staff is close-knit, apparently. If you write for B&B, you've either worked there for years, or you're a Y&R "transplant". (Or, a third possibility, Bradley Bell has courted you, the way he did Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Snyder. Perhaps, Brad reads and enjoys Tom's blog?)

GH might be a strong possibility, except, there tends to be stability among the roster of breakdown/associate writers.

ATWT, like AMC and GL, has done away with breakdown writers; and thanks to his blog, DAYS will never hire him again either. So, that leaves OLTL and Y&R. And if I had to narrow it down to just one? Then, Y&R, just b/c, the Stanleys are on their way out, and MAB seems more willing to hire (and fire) writers.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^Well, if it is Y&R, I hope he gets the show this time. But I guess this Y&R is much easier to get than that hot mess that was late 2006/2007.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

Doubt it's B&B. They don't do outlines in the traditional sense and their scriptwriting team is full.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

I doubt he'd be back for a second stab at the show if he didn't get Y&R the first time around. Y&R has a whole differenrt style and pacing. Writrs can either embrace it, or fight it. I'm not sure Tom fully "embraced it" though he'd probably argue that he did.

The Stanleys weren't fired from Y&R. They got a prime time gig and asked to be released from their contracts. It had nothing to do with dissatisfaction with their work, or that LML initially brought them to the show.

[MarkH]

Interesting news about the Stanleys. Which primetime gig--do you know?

You know, if you're trying to salvage a career as a breakdown writer, you'll "embrace" the style. Simply put. Tom has talked about "drinking the Kool-aid"...which means he understands when to pick his battles. If he wants to go to Y&R, and is given a trial at Y&R, I think he will do everything in his power to fit in.

The Tom of today is also quite different from the LML-era Tom. He has been STUDYING the genre and its fans. He knows a lot more about plot and character on Y&R now than he did back then. He also knows (if he can manage it, without being obvious) where to find credible sources of fan information. (He can't do it on myspace, but he can certainly monitor boards like this, and plant questions if he needs answers; his "focus group" study also put him in touch with lots of experts whom he can PRIVATELY contact with questions if he needs it).

Y&R also offers more resources now to help him. Ferri Esser is back, Natalie Minardi Slater is there, and MAB-and-team have, obviously, acquired more historical understanding themselves from their past year on the show. They know who the characters are, and where they are going, NOW. All of this can help the new writer.

Take Thom Racina (I realize he did scripts). His stint wasn't perfect, but it was darn good. So, there was enough there to get him through.

But I doubt Tom is going to Y&R. If there is any show I think he might fit at, for lots of reasons, I think it would be OLTL. That is what my money is on!

[dragonflies]

Oh please let it be AMC. This show NEEDS someone who understands it for a change. Tom would make an awesome head writer for ANY show in the future