How long did she last on AW? Who was the next headwriter?

Jacker only lasted a season. She was later quoted as saying she "hated" working on AW, but the reasons why were not explained. Her material was quite poor and ineffective; whether this was because she just did not have the gift for writing soaps, or because of network interference, who knows? I believe she was replaced by Robert Soderberg.

Quite a contradiction to one of first interviews as EP of Y&R where she did openly take credit for Maureen and Frankie's deaths. Winning fans over perhaps?

She didn't take credit for Frankie's death by then either

http://www.tvguide.com/news/jill-farren-phelps-1052399/

Some people are blaming Maggie DePriest for Frankie's death. It's been rumored that JFP didn't want Frankie's body to be found so it would be open or her to be return. Somebody was going be killed off anyway because Donna and Paulina were the other choices to be killed instead of Frankie.

Jacker had some interesting ideas -- including the introduction of a major African-American presence on the canvas -- but the execution was terrible. And she badly mishandled favorite favorites (including Pat) in her rush to introduce new characters.

I liked both Tucci and Moss but Sandi Ferguson was always Amanda to me. Glad she was back for the show's final months, even though her story was terrible. Funny that someone said Ferguson looked nothing like Vicky Wyndham -- I remember a soap mag at the time of Ferguson's initial casting praising the choice because the new Amanda looked so much like Rachel. (I didn't see the resemblance either.)

I liked Tuci as well, she, like the little girl girl who played young Amanda, looked like Rachel and she had great chemistry with Eplin and Woods (Evan) at the time

Here are many scenes from Corinne Jacker's headwriting stint in April, 1982, when Rachel gets involved with Russian artist Nikoli Pirenko. Nikoli's wife is played by Elizabeth Franz, who would play wacky Alma Rudder later in 1982. Based on these scenes, the writing is terrible.

Edited May 8, 201510 yr by watson71

She didn't take credit for Frankie's death by then either

http://www.tvguide.com/news/jill-farren-phelps-1052399/

Some people are blaming Maggie DePriest for Frankie's death. It's been rumored that JFP didn't want Frankie's body to be found so it would be open or her to be return. Somebody was going be killed off anyway because Donna and Paulina were the other choices to be killed instead of Frankie.

Ah thanks I thought she did but I see where she said she doesn't. Who knows, it may have come from a directive from above Phelps such as either Fitts or Susan Lee and Ohlmeyer at NBC at the time.

The stories going around always amounted to:

- To pay for RKK's salary, a mid-level person had to go.

- Donna was going to die, but fans saw the writing on the wall and freaked out

- JFP decided the choice was between Frankie and Paulina, and went to a focus group, who preferred Paulina to Frankie

- After the backlash over Frankie's death when it was leaked, JFP supposedly tried to get DePriest to tone down or change things, but DePriest did not, as she wanted to make sure Cass was single and he could be more like he was in her mid-80's stint with the show.

Of course, I 100% agree with DePriest (if the story is true) that that Cass was preferable to the dour Cass/Frankie era, where IMO there was always a strong, depressing undertone that Cass was not and would not be good enough for Frankie, but that was a terrible way to go about it and the only thing it accomplished was nearly getting Stephen Schnetzer fired from the show.

I liked some of the early Cass&Frankie stuff and the Christy Carson caper, but their years of more or less marital bliss sucked the life out of both of them. Remember that insidious medical malpractice lawsuit story?

Having back to back serial killers in 1996 really didn't work at all for AW. Does anyone remember why Fax did all those killings anyways? I recall he also killed Morgan's girlfriend and Gary's ex-wife but I can't think of her name at all.

A little tidbit about AW I found...Alice Drummond (WTHI, ATWT, RH, etc... as well as theatre) played Myrtle Benson, Sylvie Kosloff's sister, which would make her Iris' aunt. I sent it to ED at the AW Homepage...

I liked some of the early Cass&Frankie stuff and the Christy Carson caper, but their years of more or less marital bliss sucked the life out of both of them. Remember that insidious medical malpractice lawsuit story?

Having back to back serial killers in 1996 really didn't work at all for AW. Does anyone remember why Fax did all those killings anyways? I recall he also killed Morgan's girlfriend and Gary's ex-wife but I can't think of her name at all.

Blair Baker. I always remember her for Drueding writing "bugger this!" rather than write about her relationship with Matt.

I think he was abused as a child or something.

Ah the Ben Reade treatment!

I just remember the Blair character as taking over the show for five minutes(stalking Gary&Josie, her fling with Matt, being an agent for Carl) then being gunned down mysteriously after she gunned down Josie. But I couldn't think of her name, so thanks Carl!

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by soapfan770

I didn't even know Gary HAD a wife before Josie. You really do learn something new every day!!

Ah the Ben Reade treatment!

I just remember the Blair character as taking over the show for five minutes(stalking Gary&Josie, her fling with Matt, being an agent for Carl) then being gunned down mysteriously after she gunned down Josie. But I couldn't think of her name, so thanks Carl!

The only reason I really remember her is because the second Blair went on to an equally boring, pointless role on OLTL (as Cameron/Olivia), shortly after being written out of AW. She was boring the hell out of viewers for a solid year.