B&B: January Discussion Thread

[Cheap21]

thats another thing that confused. They are making a big deal about this scandal and how the press would have a field day if they foubnd out Deacon was her father. Who do they think is Hope's father? Do they still think its Whip?

[bellcurve]

Sylph speaks so much truth here...

When Brad tries to tell slow-building stories, it usually borders on repetition of the same scenes and dialogue.

Brad can tell good, contemporary stories without dragging things on forever and hitting the appropriate story beats. He just gets lazy and bored.

We see these flashes of brilliance in Brad(Storm's death, Ashley/Ridge, the Erica Lovejoy Story), but I agree that he is lazy. I think he opts for safe because he doesn't want to sit down and think, "Longterm story projection." I think he's okay with making it up as he goes along because he thinks people won't know the difference. It's painfully obvious which stories he devotes attention to over the ones he just makes up out of thin air with no clear plan.

Exactly.

What was so interesting about people like Bill Bell and Agnes and the like were that they plucked people who had never worked in television before, but wanted to write for soaps. And if thought to have talent, they trained them, told them what they liked/didn't like, and worked with them. People think that's such a dangerous concept, but it's really not.

But in this day and age, it's simply not enough to want to write because you believe in the art of it. It's all about cheap work for a hefty check and residuals so you can retire early. That depresses the hell out of me, because daytime used to be such an intimate genre.

And you think Mulcahey was a safe choice. I think he was the right choice and still believe he is. He's their strongest scriptwriter and he has great instincts. Anyone can read his interviews and see that. I don't see Patrick as being "safe" simply because he has experience. I don't think Patrick is afraid to push boundaries or buttons or is afraid the audience will take his brilliance for granted. The problem is Brad and almost everyone else surrounded by him on his writing team. People like Jack Smith and Kay Alden, with all due respect, may have experience but they are played out. If Kay is good at editing dialogue, the show shouldn't SOUND this generic and bad. Tracey can write a good show every now and again(amid the four shows she writes every week), but she is basically the filler girl, not the "money shot" writer. That's simply unacceptable and it's no wonder why her work(along with almost everyone else's) is so...to be polite...consistent. EVERY scriptwriter on a writing staff should be the "money shot" writer. It shouldn't be "Patrick writes the Emmy show." Everyone should work towards writing Emmy material every day. And if you're burned out, then go into early retirement or over to Y&R where lazy, unimaginative dialogue writers are appreciated.

I absolutely agree. This moment should have been built up for months before this moment. It comes off as incredibly false and unearned. We don't know anything about adult Hope, so why should we care?

Brad misses these important beats when he is developing the story. He thinks that if viewers are presented a situation, that they will laugh, cry, and wait at anything he throws their way. They teach you in any basic writing class that you have to earn it. And not just the payoff and conclusion, but why characters feel the way they do, think the way they do, right down to the job titles they hold.

That is the biggest problem with B&B. Brad writes moments and events, but none of them have weight because he didn't do the work to earn them.

[Toups]

And we're back to Taylor/Ridge/Brooke! Poor Whip. And I hate how they're wasting Rick Hearst.

Agreed. For a newbie, I think she's decent. I think she'll be really good in a year. I like her so far.

[London]

I liked the way Kim played out the reveal of her conception. She's a fine actress with the potential to grow and completely get the hang of acting in soaps. I saw her on a web series, Pink, and she was just grand. So I know she can bring it.