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/

Shoot me, but I think David Kreizman would be a better choice, especially with shorter episodes and shorter arcs.

BANG!

She doesn't have a history with either show. Shoot me, but I think David Kreizman would be a better choice, especially with shorter episodes and shorter arcs. That kind of thing lends itself to his strength as a writer (Inside the Light two- or three-hander, character-driven or concept episodes). My top choice is still Richard Culliton though.

The suspenseless, largely cliffhanger-less style of the Peapack era in GL should not be brought anywhere else. Rather than David Kreizman or Jill Lorie Hurst, I think Ellen Wheeler was probably the one behind that no suspense, no drama idea, though.

Kreizman proved himself a hack during his brief stint as headwriter on AMC, plus he wasn't all that great on either GL nor ATWT (in fact, his story idea involving Holly and Sebastian on GL ended up writing off Holly's character when the actress spoke out against that story.. and it didn't play out well on screen either).

I'm not sure how Jill Lorie Hurst would be as head writer. I'm not sure who exactly was head writer of GL in its final months... was it Krizman? Hurst? Lloyd gold?.. or Ellen Wheeler?

I am for hiring outside the genre to be a head writer.. and pairing them with someone within the genre. It would provide some new ideas, plus structure them within the soap opera structure.

Can a writer choose to go fi-core now to work on the new shows if there is no WGA deal in place? Also, just becuase they were fi-core in 2008 doesn't mean they are fi-core now, does it?

These are the fi-core writers per Toups' report back in 2008: http://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2008/02/breaking-news-list-of-financial-core-writers


Here is the list of “Fi-Core” writers:

• “All My Children”: James Harmon Brown & Barbara Esensten (returned to work in late December)
• “The Bold and The Beautiful”: Kay Alden
• “Days Of Our Lives”: Hogan Sheffer (went “Fi-Core” in early January), Meg Kelly(went “Fi-Core” in late November), Victor Gialanella, Mark Christopher Higley
• “General Hospital”: Garin Wolf (went “Fi-Core” immediately), Michael Conforti
• “One Life To Live”: Gary Tomlin, Fran Myers, Jeanne Marie Ford, Michelle Poteet Lisanti (all went “Fi-Core” immediately)
• “Passions”: James E. Reilly, Shawn Morrison, Pete T. Rich (went “Fi-Core” immediately)
• “The Young and The Restless”: Josh Griffith, Maria Arena Bell, Paula Cwikly (all went “Fi-Core” immediately)

UPDATE: April 18, 2008

The WGA released a letter today naming more writers that I didn’t originally have.

The list of writers are:

“The Bold and The Beautiful”: John F. Smith
“Days Of Our Lives”: Dena Higley (went “Fi-Core” just before the strike ended in February)
“Passions”: Marlene Clark Poulter, Clem Egan, Darrell Ray Thomas Jr.

Edited January 8, 201312 yr by jfung79

Kreizman proved himself a hack during his brief stint as headwriter on AMC, plus he wasn't all that great on either GL nor ATWT (in fact, his story idea involving Holly and Sebastian on GL ended up writing off Holly's character when the actress spoke out against that story.. and it didn't play out well on screen either).

I'm not sure how Jill Lorie Hurst would be as head writer. I'm not sure who exactly was head writer of GL in its final months... was it Krizman? Hurst? Lloyd gold?.. or Ellen Wheeler?

I am for hiring outside the genre to be a head writer.. and pairing them with someone within the genre. It would provide some new ideas, plus structure them within the soap opera structure.

Kreizman/Swajeski's AMC was boring, but it wasn't awful. On ATWT, the big hit of the final year was Reid Oliver, and that was Kreizman's creation. Most people thought ATWT picked up a bit after Kreizman got there and declined again after he left. Kreizman's GL had highs and lows but when he was on a high, people were talking about GL (Jonathan/Tammy, Irna Phillips episode) to an extent that they hadn't been for years.

The final co-headwriters of GL were Kreizman, Jill Lorie Hurst, Christopher Dunn, and Lloyd Gold. Yes, I do think Ellen Wheeler was the real person pulling the strings and making a lot of the rules after the move to Peapack though. Anyway there's very little chance of Kreizman being hired, due to his "show-killer" reputation, deserved or not.

I wouldn't mind hiring someone outside the genre for some fresh perspective, but I think there might be some negative reaction right away like with the Foz McDermott producer selection (a selection I don't have a problem with). They aren't going to land a big big name outsider writer for such an experimental, probably not that well paying project.

Edited January 8, 201312 yr by jfung79

There is a minimum scale that these actors must be paid. It wont be peanuts

The thing is John, there IS no minimum scale for SAG-AFTRA New Media contracts. Pay is completely negotiable between the producer(s) and talent. I'm sure PP will try to be as respectful as possible, particularly to the vets, but they can certainly low-ball a rack of newbies if that's what they feel they need to do. One thing about New Media though, if overall production costs are high enough and if this will indeed be a "pay-per-view" online setup, actors will be entitled to residuals (which I think has eluded soap actors in the past).

Is this Foz McDermott!? Why is Wonder Woman naked?

http://themightyfoz.tumblr.com/

Is it too much to assume that since he went to Penn, he has read all of Agnes Nixon's scripts which are housed in their school of communications?

http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2011-05-19/features/penn-%E2%80%98all-my-children%E2%80%99-will-live-forever

Two of the union deals are in place, and costs are cut significantly by the 4 days a week, 30 minutes per episode, as well as filming in Stamford, CT.

Speaking of Stamford, there are rules about providing travel to shooting locations outside of the boroughs. PP has the added expense of providing transportation to and from a pickup spot in the city. Maybe in some cases they'll reimburse train fair, I don't know. Shoot, since production is "originating" in Stamford, maybe they will treat all cast as "local hires" and make them provide their own transportation? I'm curious to know how they'll handle all that. Stamford is like a 45 min. express ride from the city so it's no huge deal, but I can imagine the cast having to get used to the idea of not being able to bolt the moment they're done for the day as rides get arranged. I'm guessing that's sort of like what Peapack was like... Peapack being worse, of course.

Why is Wonder Woman naked?

Holy [!@#$%^&*].

I hope those scripts aren't just being vacuum-sealed but are being turned into pdfs so we can all enjoy them someday.

Yikes, I think that's him. OK, now I'm worried, LOL.

Is this Foz McDermott!? Why is Wonder Woman naked?

http://themightyfoz.tumblr.com/

There is a minimum scale that these actors must be paid. It wont be peanuts

It is a minimum scale that will be less than they were making because of three factors - it is new media (lower scale than broadcast) and 1/2 hour format (again less than they were making for one hour broadcast contract) and it is unlikely that PP has the dollars to go higher than the minimum. Yes, it isn't peanuts, but it is less than they were making before, and if they have other projects in the works, it doesn't necessarily make financial sense.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GGlY3ubGzUY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If they have writers working right now on story projections and such, I hope the least PP will do is compensate them financially for their efforts, regardless of how successful they are this time in re-launching these shows. Otherwise, giving them the fruits of their creative labors on little more than hopes and promises is foolish.

Technically, a WGA writer can not put pen to paper unless there is an established union contract. That doesn't mean someone isn't bending the rules, but it would be bending the rules.

The thing is John, there IS no minimum scale for SAG-AFTRA New Media contracts. Pay is completely negotiable between the producer(s) and talent. I'm sure PP will try to be as respectful as possible, particularly to the vets, but they can certainly low-ball a rack of newbies if that's what they feel they need to do. One thing about New Media though, if overall production costs are high enough and if this will indeed be a "pay-per-view" online setup, actors will be entitled to residuals (which I think has eluded soap actors in the past).

There isn't a minimum scale based on the projected budget such as the case with ultra-low independent films?

Head of Production, Stephen Foz McDermott:

http://heroeswiki.com/Foz_McDermott

He's filling the role Frank Valentini would have had this venture gone through the first go round. My initial reaction: Is this guy qualified for the position? He may very well be, I don't know him or his sensibilities. But his background is definitely outside of the realm of soaps which could provide a fresh vision for these programs and perhaps some unique challenges.

Ha he's worked in wrestling as a writer too--this seems to be becoming a trend. I dunno, I'm willing to give him the benefit, but a quick glance of his blog (linked from there) scared me. Still, he was pretty anti Romney, so...

Like I said. I think I could care less about this now. Since I probably won't get to watch anyways.

I could see paying $5 a month or something. But, $20, $30? Hell no.

Simmer down. The only person who said he thought we'd have to pay for it was Dragonflies--who has been saying that from the start. I think (or at least hope) PP realize that to get people to give this a chance, especially after all that's gone down, they're gonna have to, at least initially, use a free (with ads) model. If they are doing recap shows maybe that means that after a day or two new eps will go into an archive you have to pay for and you can only watch the recap ep for free. Or not.

At any rate--some people apparently pay $5 a month for two issues of Nelson Branco's Soaps Uncensored--I am sure this would be a bargain in comparison...

Edited January 8, 201312 yr by EricMontreal22