WTF!!!!!

EXCLUSIVE: Here is a great holiday gift for soap fans: I’ve learned that Prospect Park has revived its plan to continue cancelled ABC daytime dramas All My Children and One Life To Live online. I hear the company behind USA hit Royal Pains has inked deals with SAG-AFTRA and DGA for the soaps’ production, eyed to begin in the first quarter of 2013.

http://www.deadline....ine-web-series/

Anyone know what stories she wrote for PC, Cheap do you know lol

1998-2000 is such a broad period but it involved General Homicide, Kevin/Lucy and Scott/Eve couple swap, Psychic espionage crap. Im assuming she was gone by the time Karen Harris came in 2000 and worked to revamp the show. Besides she was just the associate HW and not the actual HW so she wasnt responsible for that stuff

Edited February 18, 201312 yr by Cheap21

I am giving these AMC writers a chance because at first Marlene was to blame when it came to the pacing of DOOL under her command and now everyone is blaming her co-head for the poor pacing. Also, we have a long running EP at AMC who served for AMC for 20 years or so while two people who nobody truly knows anything about story-wise VS an EP at OLTL that doesn't have a tenure near as long as Ginger Smith's tenure in the field of Daytime let alone OLTL but they have 2 head writers that have a very dynamic and iconic history in daytime. Basically, either show has a good chance of winning and loosing. I think AMC will be great because Ginger Smith not only has 20 years of experience at AMC but Agnes is helping. Also, PP is hiring people that know there stuff so if these new head writers for AMC do not do well I can see PP hiring someone who can do a good job.

I am more nervous for the success of OLTL because Jennifer Pepperman doesn't have a lot of experience at OLTL, compared to Ginger Smith at AMC and they are EP's so they can hire/fire writers.

On a more upbeat note (assuming Cady has good taste.....)

Cady McClain ‏@realcadymcclain

Yep, I read some scripts. All I can say is: "WOW!" I'm excited! They are killin' it.

I am giving these AMC writers a chance because at first Marlene was to blame when it came to the pacing of DOOL under her command and now everyone is blaming her co-head for the poor pacing.

Marlene (and her Co-HW) were in charge at DAYS. They replaced a lot of the writing staff with their own people and the quality sank. That is her fault (and Darrel Thomas) as the headwriters of the show. They felt the people they hired could do a better job and that wasn't the case. The pacing and structure of the stories was terrible. That also would fall on Elizabeth Snyder as one of the breakdown writers. She would have had a big part in what didn't work.

On a more upbeat note (assuming Cady has good taste.....)

Cady McClain ‏@realcadymcclain

Yep, I read some scripts. All I can say is: "WOW!" I'm excited! They are killin' it.

Which clears up word that the actors didn't have their scripts.

Does Cady have kids?

No.

I didn't think so. I just wondered when I saw that little play stove in the pic she posted.

Yes and no re: breakdown writers equal pace. The HW has ultimate say on the scene placement, which creates the pace - Betsy was more limited when she worked under Brad - if Marlene trusts Betsy to re-work scene placement if it is not working, then yes, she could help with pace.

‘AMC’ and ‘OLTL’ Add to Behind the Scenes Personnel

Anubody know anything about Jared Kaplan?

Marlene (and her Co-HW) were in charge at DAYS. They replaced a lot of the writing staff with their own people and the quality sank. That is her fault (and Darrel Thomas) as the headwriters of the show. They felt the people they hired could do a better job and that wasn't the case. The pacing and structure of the stories was terrible. That also would fall on Elizabeth Snyder as one of the breakdown writers. She would have had a big part in what didn't work.

Associate writers (breakdown writers) do the head writer's bidding. They take the story thrusts and notes for their assigned episode and turn them into outlines for the scriptwriters. To say that Elizabeth Snyder, or any other breakdown writer hired by Marlene and Darrell had a "big part in what didn't work" would be a severe overstatement. Head writers determine the pace and structure of each episode as well as content. When a breakdown writer turns his or her outline into the head writer for review, the head writer can (and often does) make significant changes. The breakdown writer has input, but it's often limited, depending on the parameters they work within. To damn Elizabeth or any of the other breakdown writers for problems she and/or they had no control over, or very limited control at best, seems to be placing blame where it probably doesn't need to be.

Associate writers (breakdown writers) do the head writer's bidding. They take the story thrusts and notes for their assigned episode and turn them into outlines for the scriptwriters. To say that Elizabeth Snyder, or any other breakdown writer hired by Marlene and Darrell had a "big part in what didn't work" would be a severe overstatement. Head writers determine the pace and structure of each episode as well as content. When a breakdown writer turns his or her outline into the head writer for review, the head writer can (and often does) make significant changes. The breakdown writer has input, but it's often limited, depending on the parameters they work within. To damn Elizabeth or any of the other breakdown writers for problems she and/or they had no control over, or very limited control at best, seems to be placing blame where it probably doesn't need to be.

Well said. Betsy had almost no control when AHW or story consultant on B&B. Quite frankly, I think Lorraine Broderick is one of the few AHW, who has any significant role in pacing, and she is the exception.

Anubody know anything about Jared Kaplan?

Not much outside of what I learned the other day, which Errol included in his report.

It depends how breakdowns are assigned but I do think AHW's can play a role in pacing. I have seen references to breakdown writers getting assigned a week at a time to turn into outlines, not just one episode. For example, Joanna Cohen's article here describes the process: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/losing-all-my-children/

"On a typical soap opera there are three tiers of writers — the head writer, the outline or “breakdown” writers and the scriptwriters. Head writers are responsible for coming up with long-term story. Breakdown writers take a week’s worth of story and turn it into five outlines, one for each day. Scriptwriters take these outlines and turn them into scripts. That was my job."

I don't see how the head writer in that setup could have planned every detail of that week to the last scene -- if they had, there would be no need for the intermediate step of the outline before it becomes script form. If a breakdown writer is responsible for five outlines at a time, I don't see how they would be completely not influencing the pacing.

Edited February 19, 201312 yr by jfung79