An Open Letter from Ken Corday to Marlena De Lacroix

[Paul Raven]

I read with interest your article on "JFP", as you referred to Jill Farren Phelps, in your column about a revival on Another World (Critical Condition, Vol 6 Issue 50) While I congratulate Jill.who happens to be a friend and an excellent executive producer, I noted that throughout the article no one else is given credit, or even mentioned. This may be a subtle point, but subtlety is often the focus of those involved in dramatic serials, and i have always felt the success of any show in our genre is, and must be, a team effort made up of quality producers, directors and, of course, writers.

You even refer to how "Phelps has started to tool and retool most of her stories". No writer was given any credit, not even the head writer. I found it equally interesting that you ended the article by saying AW "should garner better ratings since head writer Jim Reilly's high rated days of Our Lives is providing great lead - in numbers." I must take issue with your giving all of the credit for Days' high ratings to the head writer, while completely ignoring the enormous team effort. You chose not to mention either my involvement,(co-executive producer) Tom langan's superb leadership and vision,nor our other wonderful producers, directors and writers who have taken Days from its position way down in the pack to No 2 in the demographics and overall household ratings.

It was certainly as much Tom Langan's vision and execution that brought our show to where it is today as it will be Jill Phelp's, should her show make the climb we all hope it will,

To sum up, i was simply surprised to see the credit for what is such an enormous team effort all go to one person wearing an executive producer hat on AW, and then see all of the credit go only to the head writer, and in possessive terms as though Days was his show, Jim reilly is a wonderful head writer, and we are very lucky to work with him, but without all of the other equally talented people the fans would have to stop by Jim's house each day to read the show.

Ken Corday,executive producer, Days of Our Lives.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

This guy needs to sit the f.uck down, it's obvious that even then he was jealous that it was Reilly who saved his damn show from cancellation and he just resented it. I think he just used Marlena's article on JFP and AW as a means to backhandedly present this.

Where was DAYS before Reilly's reinvention, whether everyone agreed with its direction or not, that's right, near cancellation.

Soaps are a team effort, we all know that, but sometimes team-leaders like JFP and JER have such visions that you can recognize it from show to show and know it's their influence being portrayed as opposed to the influence of a "team." No one is ever going to name a team or say that it's a team effort in their reports, credit will always be assigned to the "team-leaders."

And Marlena praised what JFP did with AW? I though Jill's AW, though she got the demos up a bit, was widely hated by soap critics and especially diehard fans? Did Jill draw some praise earlier on in her tenure at AW or something?

[bellcurve]

This absolutely brings a smile to my face.

Anyone past, present or future, telling Connie to get her facts straight warms my cockles.

[JackPeyton]

LOL.

I actually agree with him, his ego aside. The press tend to always praise or blame ONE person, wirter or producer, when in reality it is a team project.

[JackPeyton]

error, double post.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I guess Connie wasn't a "thinking fan" when she wrote her pieces.

And judging by what she writes on her blog, though I haven't read her crap in months, she still isn't.

No doubt she comes off as a very arrogant and know-it-all type of woman, but Ken Corday is no better apaprently.

Corday can talk about this team effort crap all he wants, but when his show is failing, he's always the first one to deflect attention and blame elsewhere (even on his "team") and not in a constructive or subtle manner, mind you.

[Llantano Incorporated]

My guess is this was from an article early in JFP's reign at AW because Marlena (Connie) absolutely hates violence against women. I think she would have been disgusted with what JFP did at AW (and frankly, at most of her shows where it comes to the misogyny and treatment of females) in front of and behind the scenes.

[Sylph]

OMG! OMG!

I don't know which one is worse: Marlena or Ken!

:lol:

Those columns are just tragic... Baaaad.

And yes, I always thought so too.

[DRW50]

I can't remember Marlena's opinion of AW later in JFP's run. I think she might have just stopped talking about the show altogether.

It's interesting how much power Corday seemed to wield over SPW in the 90s. Remember that fictional, mocking profile they wrote for Marlena Evans (I think it was Marlena) which supposedly got them in hot water, and they didn't do anymore after that? Then there was this letter, and then later on there was the whole flap about SPW being too critical, which led to the departures of most of the people who actually made the magazine readable.

[Sylph]

LOL, I just visited the website and Jill's and Paul's names popped up:

http://marlenadelacroix.com/?p=319#more-319

[Toups]

I think it was about GH and it involved Corday too - didn't he get upset that the mag was being too harsh on GH? I think I'm remembering that wrong but it's something similar to that. SPW just wasn't the same after Marlena De Lacroix and Mimi Torchin left - the magazine was pretty awesome when they were there.

[DRW50]

You're right, I'd forgotten GH was involved. The show was a huge mess at that time and deserved any criticism it got, but oh well.

Marlena and Mimi certainly weren't perfect but SPW was much better at that time, and they also had much more intelligent pieces, not just critical, but also insightful. They seemed to genuinely care about the soap artform, even when it moved towards more silly stuff like "Soaps Most Beautiful People." After they left it really did become a rag. I'm surprised it has even lasted this long because I can't remember any interesting feature SPW has now.

I also loved that "100+ Best Soap Moments Ever" feature they did in 1997. It helped introduce me to so many soaps and so many moments I knew little of.

[NorrthCafe]

I agree with you both. I disagreed with a bit of MT's and MDLC's views on some of my fave soaps and fave characters but they were a darned sight better than just about anyone in the soap rag game now, IMO. I've been so grateful to those of you posting old soap articles and interviews. They've all brought back so many fond memories and acknowledgment that soaps weren't always so silly and mindless.

[Khan]

Regardless of how I felt about Mimi Torchin's capabilities as a writer and critic, I always applauded the fact that she encouraged any intelligent viewpoints in SOW, no matter how controversial.

Also, IIRC, the big flare-up between DAYS and her magazine was over their naming the "Princess Gina" storyline the worst of that year, something most DAYS fans were in agreement with, lol. Corday, however, took it personally, and for awhile afterward, DAYS boycotted the magazine, refusing to allow them interviews with any of their stars, or advance notice on upcoming story developments.

[Sylph]

So how did you feel about Mimi Torchin's capabilities as a writer and critic?