What I dont understand is how come they cant hire new writers? Why take writers from other soaps that have now cancelled? Surely there are smart writers out there who have some fresh ideas. I know writing for daytime isnt easy but still!

I don't believe new writers want these gigs. Not when they can earn just as much or more respect writing for a short-lived cable show with for equal money, less pressure and less hassle. When you have writers like Nancy Curlee, Michael Malone, the Labines and Lorraine Broderick saying "Thanks, but no thanks" that tells you that the problem isn't a lack of available talent, it's that the talent is no longer available for a reason.

I don't believe new writers want these gigs. Not when they can earn just as much or more respect writing for a short-lived cable show with for equal money, less pressure and less hassle. When you have writers like Nancy Curlee, Michael Malone, the Labines and Lorraine Broderick saying "Thanks, but no thanks" that tells you that the problem isn't a lack of available talent, it's that the talent is no longer available for a reason.

Exactly. There are so many writers who don't want to be HW because they know they will be micromanged and they just don't want the headaches. Why would you want to deal with Brian Frons? LOL It's just worth it.

True, when you suck at THREE different times (in the mid 90's as part a HW team at OLTL, then at AMC, then at ATWT), how can you say it can't get any worse? Of course it can! There's NO HOPE with Jean Passanante.

Seriously, I can't imagine anyone thinking Passanante would be a good solo headwriter. The woman has been a disaster on every soap that she touched. You didn't even mention her final damage to AW which was in its death throes. I can understand considering Richard Culliton, but Jean Passanante? Whats next? Desperate pleas for Megan McTavish to return?

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Ann_SS

Well I liked Passante on AMC and found her run to be underrated and not the "disaster" that some claim. Ive seen worse and dont mind that she will be on OLTL.

I mean I dont want JP at OLTL either, but what else are we going to get? A completely new, young, creative HW is simply out of the question.

Ron Carlivati has ran out of steam and this show is a trainwreck. Kreizman did a hack job at GL, yet he got a gig at AMC, it seems Frons wants the P&G rejects.

What we're seeing now, is no different than what JP did during her tenure at ATWT/OLTL/AMC. Minus a boy who thinks he's a dog, libidizone(sp?), and Victorian Christmas's you might as well slap JP's name on what we're seeing now, because it'd be no different. The only reason JP would be made as OLTL's HW is because she's a network executive's dream gal, she will write whatever Barbara Bloom or even Brian Frons will tell her to write, unlike early-Ron Carlivati. She doesn't try to ruffle any feathers or go beyond her pay grade.

Do people think that with RC gone, and JP in the driver seat the Starr propping will stop? The Todd-John-Rex clusterf**k will suddenly end? IMHO it would continue. The problem lies deeper obviously, and its name is Brian Frons.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by MichaelGL

Here we go again. Everytime a headwriter sucks, people say anyone will be better. Really? Really? Talk about always wanting to learn the hard way. There is ALWAYS a worse headwriter, ALWAYS. Especially if the said headwriter has been worse on another soap in the past.

Don't forget she also got ATWT cancelled. I've got to say both Jean P. and Ron C. are both shitty writers on dayitme.

Maybe JP and RC working together can rein in each other's worse impulses, but they are both disasters on their own. Trust it can always get worse, ALWAYS.

Word!

I swear, there was a huge thread exactly like this one during LML's tenure at Y&R. Oh well, I guess it means that some people still care.

And then came Maria!!

No. LOL You're just going to get another kind of suckage.

But as a Ron Carlivati supporter (because of his first 9 months which I will always appreciate), I can say his time as HW is done. The creative juices are gone, and there's just no confidence anymore.

I still don't know how RC is still the head writer because people were speculating he was going to be fired for over a year now. Is it maybe Frons knows OLTL won't be on the air for long, so he's not even attempting to hire a new HW? I look at the Chuck Pratt situation and that came about pretty quickly....but Frons is taking his time with Carlivati? It doesn't add up.

And things aren't going to be better, with any HW, when you have Frons canceling your long term story, even if it's in the middle of the story.

Such great points Toups! Maybe OLTL is toast!

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Ruxton Hills

If Ronald isn't done, then he needs to be done. I used to write off the shitrocious state of OLTL as being "*sigh* another one of those Frons things that is out of RC's control," but after listening to him defend the crap storylines and talk sh!t about the people who don't like the crap storylines, I'm ready for this one to pack up the shirtless Ken dolls, bags of blood, paternity tests, flavor of the month ripoffs, and all the other nonsense and get to going. OLTL is a total caricature of...I'm not even sure what.

So my answer is "yes." Because, IMO, World Turns is more watchable than One Life at this point.

OLTL is a difficult soap to write because it has no identity. It seems to change every few years. That's a big problem with Carlivati, often trying to combine the over the top 80s with the more urban style they have now. Sad how bad the show has gotten and nobody seems to care. GH is now in good shape, they went through a lot of trouble to improve AMC, but nothing for OLTL. I do think Passanante is being brought on more as a Co-HW. My guess is that they'll see how it goes, but I think they do see the need for him to go. Just don't know if they care enough to actually replace him.

OLTL is a difficult soap to write because it has no identity. It seems to change every few years. That's a big problem with Carlivati, often trying to combine the over the top 80s with the more urban style they have now. Sad how bad the show has gotten and nobody seems to care. GH is now in good shape, they went through a lot of trouble to improve AMC, but nothing for OLTL. I do think Passanante is being brought on more as a Co-HW. My guess is that they'll see how it goes, but I think they do see the need for him to go. Just don't know if they care enough to actually replace him.

GH is in good shape? Its all mob and violence. Not what the audience wants.

The funny thing is I think Franco probably would have been better off at OLTL than he was at GH.

Again, I'm not buying that Frons is responsible for the state of OLTL or GH. All this talk about stories rejected and actors pushed by the network are excuses that ignore the fact that If these headwriters had any talent, they could write good stories within these limitations. The poor plotting, bad stories, inconsistency, and stupid dialogue are on the headwriters, not Frons.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Ann_SS

Again, I'm not buying that Frons is responsible for the state of OLTL or GH. All this talk about stories rejected and actors pushed by the network are excuses that ignore the fact that If these headwriters had any talent, they could write good stories within these limitations. The poor plotting, bad stories, inconsistency, and stupid dialogue is on the headwriters, not Frons.

If Frons sees this, he wouldnt be keeping these headwriters on payroll. Hes a part of the blame.

I was also one of those that praised Ron C's writing in the beginning, and quite frankly back at that time it was great writing. Now, however, he has totally run out of steam.

The show needs a writer. This is daytime tv with powerhouse actresses like Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser, Kassie DePaiva, Susan Haskell, Gina Tognoni, Hillary B. Smith, and more. You put them in great stories and the audience will tune in for these women. But instead we get them barely used or abused in their stories to look like weak, pathetic women. No female daytime audience is going to root for that or the show its on.

OLTL has enough talent onscreen to run with IF used in good story.