With all the talk about hack head-writers and some of their biggest blunders, I wondered to myself if there was at least two things that any of these hack writers did that viewers liked? I'm sure even HACK WRITERS, like Jean passante or LML, did at least two things correct while head-writing their shows.

So can you think of any?

For me, my thought of biggest hack writer was LML. The following is two positive things she did while headwriter....

1) Making Nikki more career-minded (i.e. she dabbled in politics and appeared to have finally broken free of Victor).

2) Killing Sheila off once and for all (granted, it was a stupid phyillis look-a-like but at least she killed off Sheila for life)

Garin Wolfe:

Brought back Leslie Charleson.

Brough back Robin Christopher.

Megan McTavish:

- Last writer to truly give Pine Valley a community feel

- Unabortion aside, she wrote the Kane women flawlessly.

That hack bitch from the depths of hell LML:

1) Got Jill into a relationship and back into the Jabot boardroom.

2) Had some minor role in getting a scene written that landed Jeanne Cooper her first and only competitive Emmy win.

Ron Carlivati

He did wonders with Tina at the end of OLTL, redeeming her and reuiniting her with her true love, Cord

He wrote an amazing Todd and Tea

Higley

Put Nicole on the forefront giving Ari Zucker a big successful FB story to shine in

Gave characters like Maggie, Victor, Kate, and Stefano more material than they had in years

Guza

I can't think of one thing

Jean Passanante, although for all I know this was Goutman, since he supposedly ran the last years of the show:

The wonderful Bob/Kim anniversary episodes, with the warm, funny, family moments and the history which was so often ignored.

Lucinda suddenly reverting back to the Marland-era control freak instead of doting mother and grandmother. What a blast!

Chuck Pratt at AMC:

• Tried to return to Nixonian style social issue stories withtby dealing with the Iraq war through the eyes of Frankie/Taylor/Brot. The execution was weak but the intention was good.
  
• Casting Jamie Luner as Liza.
  

MAB: (Y&R)

1.) (Even though that relationship is still dismantled) Making it turn out that Jill isn't Katherine's daughter

2.) Giving MTS a real storyline, after those terrible contract disputes (Again, still a hot mess though)

Bradley Bell: (B&

1.) Redeeming Deacon enough to share a tender scene with Hope (Hate how this is going nowhere now)

2.) Making Bill understanding about Karen's sexuality (Too bad we won't see Johanna Johnson that much now)

Edited July 7, 201213 yr by yr9190

Jean Passante:

What the Passante/Goutman era did to ATWT was unforgivable (especially the last year). However there were two storylines during her reign that were quite good.

1) The Jen/Gwen baby switch. True, baby switches have been done to death, but this story was probably the last great umbrella s/l, where everyone was involved in what was going on, and gave meaty material to all involved.

2) Jack kills Brad. How original to have Brad killed by his own brother. The effect on the Snyder marriage, Katie's grief, Jack's guilt and the blasts from the past (Mike, Ben, Molly) made this much-watch TV.

LML

-Made me like Nick for the first and ONLY time.

-Hired Nia Peeples as Karen - the only actress/character thus far that has even come close to filling the Dru void.

Chuck Pratt at AMC:

• Tried to return to Nixonian style social issue stories withtby dealing with the Iraq war through the eyes of Frankie/Taylor/Brot. The execution was weak but the intention was good.
  
• Casting Jamie Luner as Liza.
  

Didn't Agnes Nixon imply recently that Pratt got very bored and was never too interested in the Brott stuff, period? He did initially also return a sense of humour to AMC which had been missing.

LML

-Made me like Nick for the first and ONLY time.

-Hired Nia Peeples as Karen - the only actress/character thus far that has even come close to filling the Dru void.

MAB

-Brad's death.

-Cane's death (before Sony ruined it).

-Restoring the traditional background music.

-Cast additions like Michael Muhney, Marcy Rylan, Jessica Collins, John Driscoll, Stephen Nichols, Debbi Morgan, Blake Hood, Darnell Williams, Peter Porte and Jessica Heap.

1) Making Nikki more career-minded.

Except that had already been done long before LML.

Edited July 7, 201213 yr by DeeeDee

Didn't Agnes Nixon imply recently that Pratt got very bored and was never too interested in the Brott stuff, period?

I don't recall seeing that. Do you have a link or something? I'd be interested to see it.