Martha Byrne joins B&B

[Rakesh]

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/The+Suds+R...n_NB.htm?isfa=1

[dm.]

It was posted in the Directors & Writers thread already a few days ago.

[NorrthCafe]

To MB's credit, she recognized the sucking sound her ATWT scripts made every time she opened them. She knew the writers were destroying her character and kicking the show when it was already down. I love Noelle Beck but even she couldn't make me like Lily (haven't been much of a Lily fan since the Dusty-Holden-Virginity fiasco). I'll bet she doesn't a great job on the BnB. Maybe Bell will be excited enough by her presence to listen to her ideas and we'll get something new.

[Helena]

How often do actors become writers for shows? It does seem to happen often, but I wonder how the other writers feel about it. It sounds like she's a trainee on a trial basis.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's perfectly normal for staff writers to be hired on a trial basis.

Martha and Bradley are friends, and he liked some of her sample scrips and she got offered this trial gig.

[DRW50]

Ever since Brad Bell took over I had started to assume the writers just went on long lunches and went home to take long naps, and then changed a few names and sent in the same scripts over and over again.

[JONNYSBRO]

Hey another soap actress going the behind the scenes route. Martha is perfect for this as she knew all the crew, actors and staff. Hey everyone look at ELLEN WHEELER LMAO. Elles after AW ended was a director at ATWT just freelancing and then Goutman hired her full time and then she became a producer. Then went to being a producer at GL under Rauch and the back at ATWT and then now ELLES IS ALMOST CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS AS GL EP LMAO.

[Dan]

And let us all remember this cautionary tale about actor moonlighting. I've nothing on Byrne's writing ability yet, but I can only remember the scads of hacks that have worked their way from acting on the P&G shows...

McTavish

Weston

Lipton

WHEELER

::Shudder::

[miajere]

It frightens me to think about MB because I have to wonder how much is talent, how much is ego....I won't judge until I see it.

But how many times have we sat at work spouting "I could do his job"?

[NorrthCafe]

LOL, Wheeler is celebrating five years... unless constant crying and shaking your fists at the soapgods in anger counts as celebrating, I'm not. Just kidding.

I think that MB's comments about her character and daytime in general will probably make her a very sensitive writer. I don't know if that'll do her any good at the BnB, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[DavidEvanSmith]

I always got the sense that Martha Byrne was very observant of the genre and in all her years picked up quite a bit about the structure of daytime and storytelling. She grew up in it. I think she'd probably be quite good.

I believe Marie Masters (Susan) wrote for ATWT for a few years, didn't she?

[Soapsuds]

Yes, she did DES.

[Kubla Khan]

I hate to say it, but Megan McTavish was a really good actress. She should've stuck with it. I loved Lola Fontaine.

[Vee]

Ellen Holly (Carla) ghost-wrote for OLTL in the 70s.

[bandbfan]

Do we know when this starts?

I guess if not we'll find out in the Friday report that Branco mentions?