SO I recently started watching OLTL and I LOVE IT. My question is, in OLTL's history, who has been some of the worse and best writers the show has had and why?

Can I say RC? He brought me to the show.

As a viewer since 1999, I didn't have the fortunate chance of catching Peggy O'Shea's critically acclaimed tenure or Malone's landmark reign on the show so what I consider the "Best" might seem like when the show might have jumped off the shark.

Best

Lorraine Broderick/Chris Whitesell

-It was under these two I became a OLTL fan for life. As a new viewer I didn't really see what was wrong with making Jessica, Mitch's daughter, but somehow I have come to see what a mistake that was.

Ron Carlivati

-After Higley, Malone, and Griffith, the show finally feels like the show I fell in love with. Out of all the soaps on air, I feel as if the OLTL is the only soap with a heart and a soul. In an age where soaps are simply cutting vets and basing storylines on what will make them the most money and save them money as well, OLTL doesn't particularly feel that way with it's rotating front burner and willingness to keep the classic tool of cliffhangers alive.

Worst

Higley and Malone tie for worst. Under Malone, OLTL was the equivalent of a schizophrenic patient, one day trying to embody a political drama, the next trying to rip off the Sopranos, the next trying to rip off a crime drama. It all made my head spin, and killing off both Al and Gabrielle? How does one writer do that and get away with it? With Higley, when the show wasn't trying to pull off a major stunt, it was meandering ship with lackluster stories.

Dena Higley was my absolute worst. She gutted the show. Close second: JFP/Megan McTavish tied with Chris Whitesell. Malone II got pretty [!@#$%^&*] bad, too, and I was one of his biggest supporters.

Edited November 5, 200916 yr by Vee

Best:

Gordon Russell. He kept OLTL thriving during a time when the ABC soaps were reaching their peaks in the ratings. Yet, unlike several other ABC soaps, OLTL did not trade away its core identity under his watch. This era of OLTL flawlessly brought in so many entwined the old characters with the new, and created some of their best known stories, like the baby switch, and Karen Wolek on the witness stand.

Worst:

JFP's era was just vile. Well-produced, which I give her credit for, but the show itself was very alien and I think some permanent damage was done to a slew of characters.

I thought a lot of 2002 was a disaster area, completely out of tune and sick and most of all dumb. Unfortunately this did not significantly improve when Malone returned. Some would say it got even worse.