What writers do you think were shortchanged in turning their shows around? Which eras of soaps do you feel were short-lived and should't have been?

For me, the major one was Millee Taggart on Guiding Light in 2002. I think she made GL the best it had been in years, the best on CBS daytime (though B&B also had a great year), and perhaps the best in daytime. I was really saddened when she was given the boot and Ellen Weston came in and everything went to [!@#$%^&*]. Maybe GL would still be around had she been given more time.

Another one is Brash & Cwickly on DAYS. Tom Langan brought the most successful soap of the 90s to hell and kept it there for 3 years. B&C made some questionable decisions but a lot of what they did was very intriguing. To me, DAYS thrives on innovation and they definitely innovated. They didn't blow me away but I think DAYS still suffers today for not giving them more time.

I wasn't that impressed with Taggart's GL (mostly because I thought she relied too much on stories which just felt like baked over Cliffnotes, like the Rick/Richard heart story and mercy killing - and I also grew to absolutely despise Michelle, and I hated the Phillip/Harley custody suit), but looking back, she was certainly better than Weston, or Kriezman.

I would say Richard Culliton, at ATWT, AW, or AMC. I thought he breathed new life into all three shows, especially ATWT, which went right into the toilet as soon as he was fired.

Harding Lemay at DRS and SFt.Both stints were cut short and we never got the chance to see what he could do outside of AW.

Same for his second stint on AW.For him to go back to the show he took to the top years later would have been fascinating.We saw the seeds planted-the return of Iris,Russ and Sharlene etc,Then Donna Swajeski came in and started messing with what he had set up.

Michael Malone at AW.

Pat Falken Smith at DOOL in 81.She set up stuff that played for years but her original projections were tampered with eg Stefano/Julie,Melissa/Marcus Brady,Mike Horton and Vanessa DiMera and return of Bill Horton,

Brash and Cwikly were the best things to happen to DOOL in years. But they were too smart for those stupid producers.

Millee Taggart would have stabalized GL; she had just embarked on the Reva mystery story.

Gary Tomlin's second stint on SFT was so much better than his first and better than Addie Walsh/Pam Long who had never even watched the show and contradicted storyline that had just taken place in the prior six months.

I wasn't that impressed with Taggart's GL (mostly because I thought she relied too much on stories which just felt like baked over Cliffnotes, like the Rick/Richard heart story and mercy killing - and I also grew to absolutely despise Michelle, and I hated the Phillip/Harley custody suit), but looking back, she was certainly better than Weston, or Kriezman.

Agree on BOTH counts, Carl. For me, Taggart's GUIDING LIGHT was...okay. Not the WORST I had seen from that show (which, up to that point, had been the disastrous Megan McTavish run) but not necessarily sizzling to watch. If you missed a day or two, IOW, you didn't feel the loss. Perhaps, things might've been better had she had a more supportive EP (than Paul Rauch)?

I would say Richard Culliton, at ATWT, AW, or AMC. I thought he breathed new life into all three shows, especially ATWT, which went right into the toilet as soon as he was fired.

When it comes to the Cullitons -- either Richard or Carolyn (or both) -- the seeds of good storytelling are there, but it always comes down to how supportive TPTB will be toward the work. I think they, along with Gary Tomlin (and later, Pam Long), did a good job with GUIDING LIGHT (which was faltering from the loss of Doug Marland, but probably not as much as it would in the late '90's, in retrospect), but I also think that was because CBS and P&G were more hands-off then.

Edited March 4, 201213 yr by Khan

Brash and Cwikly were the best things to happen to DOOL in years. But they were too smart for those stupid producers.

Agreed with what u said. They were good.

Pat Falken Smith at DOOL in 81.She set up stuff that played for years but her original projections were tampered with eg Stefano/Julie,Melissa/Marcus Brady,Mike Horton and Vanessa DiMera and return of Bill Horton,

can you enlighten me on this please.....i wasn't born til 87, yet heard that this writer was great but not much about what was written, only heard about Stefano/Julie.

Brash and Cwikly were the best things to happen to DOOL in years. But they were too smart for those stupid producers.

i remember them but can't remember what they wrote...it wasn't Bounty Hunter Bo & Hope, club echelon, and the green goo stuff was it?

Richard Culliton 1995 on ATWT. He was miles better than Black & Stern and Jessica Klein.

I never really understood why they dumped Jessica Klein so quickly either; although her writing was hackneyed and trite, she was only around about 4-5 months, if even that. She inherited a big pile of crap.

Edited March 4, 201213 yr by CarlD2

I never really understood why they dumped Jessica Klein so quickly either; although her writing was hackneyed and trite, she was only around about 4-5 months, if even that. She inherited a big pile of crap.

I laughed when I saw the news on SOW. She wasn't given much of a chance but I found her time as HW rather boring. I thought she would have been a better fit since she was a breakdown/script writer back in the 80s.

I wonder if it's down to the control issues FMB and MADD seemed to have while at ATWT.

Josh Griffith, Y&R.

i remember them but can't remember what they wrote...it wasn't Bounty Hunter Bo & Hope, club echelon, and the green goo stuff was it?

No, that was Dena Higley. IIRC, Brash & Cwikly introduced Rex and Cassie and made John Tony's half-brother (by way of Daphne DiMera).

I laughed when I saw the news on SOW. She wasn't given much of a chance but I found her time as HW rather boring. I thought she would have been a better fit since she was a breakdown/script writer back in the 80s.

IMO, Jessica Klein was not as good without her partner/ex-hubby, the late Steve Wasserman.

No, that was Dena Higley. IIRC, Brash & Cwikly introduced Rex and Cassie and made John Tony's half-brother (by way of Daphne DiMera)

Thanks, Khan. they also made Daphne the sister of Lawrence Alamain's mother, IIRC.