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Interview with Nancy Curlee

FrenchFan

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Y&RWorldTurner Newbie

Y&RWorldTurner

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I have so much respect for this woman. She walked away from daytime at the top of her game, she could have gone on to be placed in the same category of more well-known soap writing legends, but she refused to let her work be comprised by networks and production studios who don't care about the art of writing. Bravo Nancy, as much as I want you back writing for television, I understand your reasons why for completely shunning the industry.

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Y&RWorldTurner Newbie

Y&RWorldTurner

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So, I guess she was indeed Pam Long's Co-HW during the end of Long's tun at GL. I remember seeing her and sometimes Trent Jones listed after Long in credits from 89 and 90, but I always assumed they were just Associate Head Writer credits. I do have an interview with Nancy where she talks about how it was her or part of her idea to bring back Roger Thorpe to the show and how she wrote his return episode. Roger's return was in 1989, btw.

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MichaelGL Mentor

MichaelGL

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The best quote. Ever.

I love that she listed her favorite characters. You can tell in much of her tenure that she so adored those three, yet managed to make a very balanced show. JC, BM, and MZ were indeed the leads of GL back then. I hated how JC and his character has been reduced to such a minor and at times comical role.

Nobody but her could describe perfectly the kind of stories she told on GL in the early 90s.

God, this makes a bit sad, bc I would give anyting to relive the experience of watching the Guiding Light of the early 90s even more. :(

Great interview Frenchfan. You have a real knack of giving us SONers gifts such as these. I'm very proud of you. Your interview was outstanding.

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MichaelGL Mentor

MichaelGL

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You know, while there might be some bad blood between JFP and Curlee, you've got to give it to the two of them for creating such wonderful soap opera from 199-1994. JFP's production quality (and casting) and Curlee's stories meshed so well. Other than Robert Calhoun, I couldn't see any other EP paired up with such a incredible Head Writer.

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CSF Newbie

CSF

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It always made me wonder what GL would have been like today if Robert Calhoun (who gave us that beautiful Hold onto Love sequence) wasn't replaced with JFP. I always believed that with Calhoun remaining as EP well into the 90s and Nancy as Head Writer, the show could have really thrived and we would have never had the mess that began in late 1994 early 1995.

BTW, does anyone know was RC was replaced with JFP?

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MichaelGL Mentor

MichaelGL

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I honestly think there would have been only minor differences. When Calhoun was the EP of ATWT, he didn't really indulge as much as JFP did as EP. I don't think GL would have had those special episodes like Ross's Election Day dream or the special episode featuring Eleni and Frank's wedding, and who knows, we probably wouldn't have gotten Justin Deas at all, nor Ellen Parker's departure. I think that maybe, GL would have had a better 50th Anniversary episode under him than JFP too (I've heard from many people who say that the one under JFP sucked). Other than those few nitpicks, when you get right down to it, I think the production quality would have probably remained the same.

I don't know where I heard this from, but didn't he step down as EP?

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Y&RWorldTurner Newbie

Y&RWorldTurner

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He stepped down in mid 1991 and was replaced by JFP.

Calhoun is the reason why we had Nancy as HW, he faught for her and had her promoted. What a legend he was and is, RIP Robert Calhoun, he really understood both ATWT and GL.

BTW, he and Pam Long clashed like hell at GL, they couldn't stand one another.

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Sylph Newbie

Sylph

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I am sad I didn't tell FrenchFan to ask her about Trent Jones and Lorraine Broderick and about who was really in charge. Also, I bet Toups would've been interested to know what she had to say about James E. Reilly.

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CSF Newbie

CSF

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But does anyone know why exactly he stepped down?

I remember reading before that he and Pam didn't get along. It's a good thing they didn't because we would have never had Nancy as HW then.

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Soapsuds Grand Master

Soapsuds

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I remember GL hitting a high of #4 in the ratings ahead of ATWT. I was shocked because Douglas Marland was still writing ATWT at the time.

This woman needs to be back in daytime in some form. I would love to see her HW ATWT possible last year. I would love to see what she would do to ATWT.

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brimike Newbie

brimike

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Sadly, I think she'd have about 6 hours (if that much) of tolerance for the Bloom/Goutman bullsh!t. And then we'd be saying farewell to Ms. Curlee all over again. Which is unfortunate. These are the people who need to be wooed back, not pushed away.

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