THE JOURNAL-NEWS, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1982
‘Guiding Light’ gets a new head writer by Lynda Hirsch
L. Virginia Browne has been named head writer of “Guiding Light’’, replacing Pat Falken Smith. “I was stunned, since I had assumed that my option was going to be picked up by the show,” Falken Smith said. “Word came to me two days before the option should have been picked up. I did not get word from the show’s producer, Alan Potter, but instead was called by Procter & Gamble official Ed Trach.”
Falken Smith, who has also been head writer for “Days of Our Lives” and ‘ General Hospital’’, believes she was let go for two reasons. “It was very difficult for me to be writing aNew York soap and living on the West Coast. I have a 15-year-old daughter who needs my time and attention. When I first signed on to write for ‘Guiding Light’, the show was dreadfully behind. In fact, it was not unusual for an actor to be getting his script one day before taping. “I literally locked myself into my New York hotel room for two weeks, trying to get the show caught up. In fact, in that time in New York, I only went out to dinner twice, having meals sent up and working to get the scripts in ahead of time. It was a herculean task.
“Also, when I came on ‘Guiding Light*, there was to be no head writer per se. Evidently there had been many problems with strong head writers on Guiding Light’, and it was felt that they wanted the role of head writer decentralized. I had to deal with long-term storyline projections turned in by other writers. None of these were acceptable, and so I took on what amounted to head-writing duties. I felt that I needed to get paid for these duties. I am a good writer, therefore my work does not come cheap. Perhaps it was felt I wanted too much money for my services.
“When I joined Guiding Light I was told that in the past six years, none of the head writers had ever dealt with actors’ time off, vacations, etc. In other words, actors could request and get advance tape dates with their scenes shot ahead. When I came on to write, I had to deal with five major characters being unavailable. I made it clear on my first week with the soap during a meeting with the actors that I did not work that way, and that time off would not be granted at the whim of the performers. I must say that all the actors were very understanding.
Falken Smith is talking to NBC about converting Judith Krantz’s best-selling novel "Scruples" into an afternoon soap opera to hit the airwaves this coming spring. Although she was unhappy about her release from Guiding Light, she said she is pleased that several “Guiding Light’’ actors took the time to write, stating their regret about her leaving and their pleasure with the scripts that she had turned As for her hopes for the upcoming project: "I m delighted. In fact, with my option coming up from Guiding Light’, I had been called by someone about the Scruples’ project, a project that we’d been working on for quite some time. I said I had to turn it down because I assumed I would be with Guiding Light’ for a very long time. When that did not pan out I called my contact and said I was available again. “I guess in a sense you could say ‘Guiding Light did me a favor by letting me go at this time But when I made a commitment to the show, I felt that that commitment would be coming from both parties.”
By
Paul Raven ·
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