2010: The Directors and Writers Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I don't bring him up Toups.

When it comes to discussion about a show I know well like Y&R, and a writer for the show is being discussed whose work I've followed on the show, I just join in. If it's about a show I have no emotional connection to, I don't join in. If this discussion was about his work on say OLTL, do you think I would have contributed?

I never begin the discussion about him. When discussion pops up about Janice Ferri Esser or any of the other "writers" from Y&R, I'm inclined to join in too. It's not a Casiello-exclusive situation. His work, like Beall's and Connor's doesn't deserve this much analysis, but it's hard to resist when the discussion is started.

And plus, I never just say I hate his work just because or whatever, I've made what I think are valid points when it comes to his output at Y&R.

[Sylph]

Well, hopefully, this'll be it for another three months. I can dream, I guess.

Perhaps he'll post something on his Twitter and we'll be in Boredomville again.

Increasingly, with every day that passes, people are becoming fed up with Y&R, utterly disillusioned, so what once might have been interesting, say... propping a storyline or something on Twitter or wherever, now is just obnoxious. Because no one gives a damn. People gave up.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

And that's one of the big reasons why he gets mentioned a lot. How many other soap writers out there engage with fans so actively on Twitter? Other writers have Twitter, but none of them have engaged so actively with a segment of fans on Twitter, and even subtly writing Tweets that can be taken in an offensive way by some fans of the show...

Exactly.

[Toups]

Some people do give a damn because they stalk him on Twitter and then they bring it over to there. If they didn't give a damn, they wouldn't read his twitter or care what he says.

[bellcurve]

Excuse me?! When was the last time I started a conversation that mentioned Hackiello?! I replied to it because RuxtonHills brought it up and IIRC, I said(like Sylph) that bringing him up was beating a dead horse. And even IF I didn't feel that way, how the hell is us bashing Hackiello any different from us talking [!@#$%^&*] about any other script/breakdown/headwriter/director/producer/actor.

I know that you and Casiello are boyz, but there's no need to lump me in as someone who gets off on talking sh*t about him. I'm just patiently waiting on the termination announcement, so you can close the thread or crash the board until you think we've all forgotten about it.

[R Sinclair]

I consider her work to be... mediocre. At best. Last time she was "here" at AMC, she was breakdown writing. Now, since that position has been obliterated, if you join the staff at AMC, you're pretty much scripting. Oh, and she's Lisa K. Connor, by the way. Thing is, she's not a writer. She's a producer who moved into writing, and she writes like that. I think she tends to write for the actors, more than she writes for the characters (I say this due to seeing her on Joan Lunden's "Behind Closed Doors" special 10 years ago where Lunden did a behind the scenes look at her guest stint on an AMC episode Connor was producing). The "disconnect," if I may use that overused word, is due to her being in the booth and giving notes to the directors and actors about performances. This is just my no-good, don't no nuffin' bout writin' no babies opinion... but, still. I think it shows.

He's "one of us!"

Which says a lot. If he's "one of us" then he ain't nobody special. Just another internet soap lover with ideas... Oh, but his get printed and put on air... unfortunately.

I agree with this statement. I understand where it is you're coming from. With AMC, I speak ill of the works of Rebecca Taylor and, in the past, Amanda L. Beall. Typically, because either their work that day made me gag, or someone else brings them up. I can safely say I have never BROUGHT UP Amanda Beall in an "HERE'S why I think Amanda L. Beall sucks!" thread. But if the topic comes up, best believe... I've got something to say!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

When he Tweets something about the show or fans of the show, then his Tweets are open to public scrutiny, IMO.

He's an employees of the show, and if he Tweets about it or Tweets about fans of the show in any way, I don't see why fans shouldn't bring it up.

The same goes for the tired and down right ridiculous publicity ploys Michael Muhney pulls on the fans and on the show on Twitter.

When it concerns the show, the same show the fans are responsible for keeping on the air and ultimately giving them a paycheck, people can dissect the Tweets of these people (which is PUBLIC) all they want as far as I'm concerned.

I don't see anyone ever bringing up anything Casiello or Muhney has ever Tweeted about their personal lives here..

[Sylph]

Now I see my post might have multiple meanings I haven't foreseen, and I like it. When I said No one gives a damn, I mean no one cares about Y&R, people just... surrendered because this team will continue to suck everything into the gaping black hole that Genoa City is today.

But it can be applied to Twitter-stalking. It's just insane.

He is also to blame because he just needs to lock up that account.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I can't even remember the last time anyone here even quoted from his Twitter, must have been months ago, and even then, it wasn't a regular occurrence.

People seem to quote Michael Muhney's Twitter more than his...

[Sylph]

Which is good.

Less Casiello talk is always welcome. We've exhausted that conversation ages ago. Now it's just repetition.

Casiello is actually a profoundly uninteresting 'entity', it's insane how he became so (in)famous.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, my allegiance is to Y&R the show, not to those who write for it.

I don't watch the show or particularly care about it anymore (in its current state), but if a writer whose work I know well is mentioned, I will partake in the discussion. I don't know how this just became some false illusion that Casiello is some martyr and people are sending out some hit on him. Other writers get trashed here every day and it's no big deal...

Exactly my point.

[Sylph]

No, no. No martyrdom here. I don't think anyone believes that he is one.

People aren't really complaining about once again trashing Casiello, they're rather complaining about the once again part. Who wants for all this to be repeated once again? Who cares?!

Furthermore, you will do as you please, of course, , but if someone brings up Casiello once again , and you know someone will , what could you possibly say about him that you haven't really said before? Is there really a need to fuel irrelevant discussions?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

This thread has been pretty dead this year, so we need to make up for lost posts!

[Toups]

If Y&R didn't list their breakdown writers, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference of who writes what. When the show sucks overall, you're not going to get many good episodes. I tend to believe that staff writers are capable of great writing if given the opportunity.

I'll use DAYS as an example here. For most of Sheffer's tenure, the show was really bad and there were a ton of bad episodes - just pick and choose anything from Mid-Jan 2007 to July 2007. Then around September 2007 the show slowly started improving and the staff writers were able to write better episodes. Were those breakdown writers and script writers "crap" for writing episodes from Mid-Jan to July? I don't think so. They were given crap storylines to write. I'll use Beth Milstein, Meg Kelly, Fred Johnson, Judith Donato, Jodie Scholz, Bettina F. Bradbury, and yes, Casiello, as examples. They were on that DAYS writing team from Jan-July, so when they had the opportunity (September and later) to write something good, they did. Milstein wrote the breakdown for John's death episode (Oct 17) which I thought was just excellent (script by Donato). Then Casiello followed up with John's funeral (Oct 18/19) which was top notch, one of the best funeral's I've ever seen (script by Scholz). And then Johnson followed up that episode (Oct 19/22) some awesome Marlena/Belle/Sami & Phillip/Belle scenes (script by Bradbury). And Meg Kelly's January 16, 2008 episode (a script by Judith Donato) with John/Marlena in the hospital was really good. It was the same group of writers who wrote crap and then later wrote some really awesome stuff.

I trust the staff writers to do a lot of great work. I only wish they were given better storylines to write for. They've proven that when giving the chance, they'll knock it out of the park.

[Sylph]

I think many, not all, of these writers are miiiiles below their UK counterparts.