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/

Kristen Alderson ‏@krisalderson

Just waiting to hear from Prospect Park..RT“@NancyRubaine: @krisalderson are you staying in Port Charles or are you going back to Llanview?”

As I said, I was too lazy to report that the other day. Will churn out something later today.

As I said, I was too lazy to report that the other day. Will churn out something later today.

thanks, do you have any word on ME, is he waiting to hear from PP and what does that mean exactly, that they have a deal like RH, they are just waiting on filming dates and such

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.

A breakdown writer being assigned a week of outlines is definitely a exception and not the norm. There may have been some special reason the head writer wanted one breakdown writer to outline all five episodes for one week (Emmy or WGA submissions possibly), but this just doesn't happen in the day-to-day. Breakdowns are closely scrutinized by the head writer(s), EP(s), the networks and sponsors. They are reviewed weekly before being assigned to the scriptwriter. If the pacing and structure the head writer wants isn't there, extensive rewrites of the outlines happen (by the breakdown writer from notes from the head, EP and network). The breakdown writer has a lot of people to please, and works within a very tight framework. Head writers have a lot of people to please, too, but the really good ones are very involved in overseeing outlines, because the air script is generated from the outline. Most head writers are involved in all facets of the writing process, not just coming up with long term story (that's more a story consultant's position).

As much as I hate Guza/McTavish they knew how to tell a compelling story in the sense they were not boring plus they were pretty coherent for the most part.

So if they knew how to tell a compelling story, why weren't they more successful pulling in audiences? Guza literally drove GH into the ratings basement, and McTavish was fired any number of times for sinking ratings. Just because a story isn't boring doesn't mean it resonates with the audience. Soap viewers want an emotional connection to their characters. If they're going to invest, the head writer has to give them a reason to care. I never found Guza was very successful at that. I think McTavish was more interested in shocking the audience than staying true to the characters (Eric's un-abortion pops to mind). I'm not saying these head writers aren't talented, or that they didn't spin some interesting stories. But much of the time the heart and emotional connection was missing. That's the kiss of a death for any soap writer.

So if they knew how to tell a compelling story, why weren't they more successful pulling in audiences? Guza literally drove GH into the ratings basement, and McTavish was fired any number of times for sinking ratings. Just because a story isn't boring doesn't mean it resonates with the audience. Soap viewers want an emotional connection to their characters. If they're going to invest, the head writer has to give them a reason to care. I never found Guza was very successful at that. I think McTavish was more interested in shocking the audience than staying true to the characters (Eric's un-abortion pops to mind). I'm not saying these head writers aren't talented, or that they didn't spin some interesting stories. But much of the time the heart and emotional connection was missing. That's the kiss of a death for any soap writer.

I am not talking about ratings and audience acceptance I am talking about keeping the audience tuned in. Sure the stories were awful and disrespectful BUT they were still pretty coherent. If they were not coherent like you say there wouldn't be ANY viewers. Also, keep in mind there are plenty of younger fans that became fans of GH during Guza's reign. For the record I am not defending McTavish/Guza BUT I understand how they won emmys.

Has there been any mention of Trevor St. John?

So if they knew how to tell a compelling story, why weren't they more successful pulling in audiences? Guza literally drove GH into the ratings basement, and McTavish was fired any number of times for sinking ratings.

Writers like Lorraine Broderick were fired for driving the ratings much further into the toilet. Point?

McTavish and Guza gave AMC and GH some of its better ratings of the past 20 years. If not the best.

McTavish and Guza could get too gimmicky but neither was really the King or Queen of it, James Reilly was both the King and Queen of gimmick writing.

Stephanie Gatschet ‏@TBDStephanie

Ha! Same here! Wah wah “@ChristinaBLind: To all concerned, I have not yet been contacted by Prospect Park.. #lastonetoknow”

Stephanie Gatschet ‏@TBDStephanie

Ha! Same here! Wah wah “@ChristinaBLind: To all concerned, I have not yet been contacted by Prospect Park.. #lastonetoknow”

Given that Miranda is now 16, Im sure AMC is recasting Binks. Alao I dont think Madison is needed

This is why I hate the idea of SORASing Miranda and AJ.

Id Rather have Madison's ex hubby back that actor is HOT

Edited February 19, 201312 yr by John

Miranda is living with Opal while the entire Kane Klan is in a coma.

Writers like Lorraine Broderick were fired for driving the ratings much further into he toilet. Point?

McTavish and Guza gave AMC and GH some of its better ratings of the past 20 years. If not the best.

McTavish and Guza could get too gimmicky but neither was really the King or Queen of it, James Reilly was both the King and Queen of gimmick writing.

Can you point to specifics about LB "driving the ratings much further into he (sic) toilet"? Both she and McTavish had multiple tenures on AMC. Which are you referring to?

Also, when we talk successful ratings, we generally think of a head writer's ability to sustain high ratings over time, not just a few weeks in sweeps. McTavish and Guza did have stretches where they strengthened the ratings, but it never really sustained. Certainly not like a Bill Bell. Or Irna Phillips, who kept ATWTs rating consistently high for a number of years. (If you can show me the ratings data backing up your claim that Guza and McTavish brought their shows the best ratings for the past twenty years for a sustained period, I'll gladly concede the point (weekly fluctuations aside).

Jim Reilly was Jim Reilly. He had a certain style that worked, and didn't. He was extremely bright and creative, whatever you thought of his style. I also think he loved the soap genre, something I'm not sure Bob Guza ever did. It was an outlet for his writing, but the passion for soaps of a Claire Labine, Bill Bell, Agnes Nixon or Douglas Marland never shown in his writing.

Miranda is living with Opal while the entire Kane Klan is in a coma.

Wouldn't that be a Koma?

Hopefully they keep the character in the dark about the mom-killed-dad, dad-rapist stuff until the period where they can get Lucci, Minshew and maybe a new Bianca (or ER; CBL is probably too young) on for a while.

Can you point to specifics about LB "driving the ratings much further into the toilet"? Both she and McTavish had multiple tenures on AMC. Which are you referring to?

Any go around after her initial one had horrible ratings. I usually have a ratings chart but I haven't been paying attention to the soaps in well over a year.

Just because you're a critically acclaimed writer doesn't mean you get great ratings. Just because you aren't a critically acclaimed writer does not mean you always get horrible ratings.

I think McPherson had some good ideas for days her hands were tied which made things an impossibility.

I think this is probably true too. DAYS was a mess when she and Darrell were hired. I'm sure that meant more "involvement" from the EP, network and Sony, which may have been counter-productive ("too many hands on the creative wheel") to their (Marlene and Darrell's) vision.