I am thinking about some writers that I truly admire such as Clair Labine and Doug Maraland. I always believed they are pretty under rated. If ABC never gave Clair those Raw Deals (The RH situation and her being let go from GH and what Happened at OLTL) I think she would have been the next Agnes. They always claim Gloria created Luke and Laura and the Q's but wasn't that really Doug Maraland? They never credit him for being one of GH's saviors. Even if GM did most of the work, to the best of my knowledge, DM introduced those characters.

Can anyone else think of writers that were under rated?

I think Milstein was only there between August and October. I do remember really enjoying it. I think she wrote Shawn finding out about Claire, Jack/Jennifer leaving town together. I also remember the goodbye between Alice and Jen. Still. I really miss that Jennifer. I truly believe Alice would slap this version. Hogan started off alright but he also went on to insist on creative interference. Wasn't it supposedly said (he said?) he wanted to use the vets more than he was allowed to at the time. It was the weird period where Bo/Hope and John/Marlena were relegated to reading letters. I wish NBC would stay out of DAYS. I feel like they ruin any potential this show ever has. Not that Hogan was stellar but I liked a few things he did. He's hardly underrated though. I think he was a bit overrated and he burned out fast on ATWT, though I liked his early run.

When did Broderick write ATWT? Was it 1999/2000? I think it was, I remember the baby switch and a lot from around that time. I liked that period, but at the time, really wasn't aware of the history, etc.

Brash and Cwikly are another example of not being given a chance. They really re-sparked my interest in the show after being so depressed watching Langan's reign of terror, though at least parts of it felt like DAYS.

Also loved Taggert's brief run on GL. Really wish she hadn't moved away from soaps.

Edited January 26, 201312 yr by KMan101

I tend to think of Taggart's GL run as overrated...

I agree about Brash and Cwikly on DAYS. It's been 10 years since they were fired as headwriters and the show never recovered IMO.

Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly on Days.

Broderick wrote for ATWT 1998-1999. She was replaced by Leah Laiman when Chris Goutman came over after AW was cancelled. Broderick and Felicia Minei Behr should never have been fired. About others who have been mentioned -- I think Jill Lorie Hurst is overrated, she is only one of four headwriters GL had during the final months, but she gets all the credit and none of the blame. I never saw Brash/Cwikly on Days but I can believe Brash is underrated because he wrote good scripts for ATWT and because he was part of the Emmy-winning writing team for GL in 1989 that seems to have been an All-Star collection of writers. He learned from the best!

When did Broderick write ATWT? Was it 1999/2000? I think it was, I remember the baby switch and a lot from around that time. I liked that period, but at the time, really wasn't aware of the history, etc.

Edited January 26, 201312 yr by jfung79

I could never possibly "underrate" Jean Passanante enough. Her AMC was unwatchable - as was her ATWT. She was brought in to strip-mine that show and she did just that.

Jill Lorie Hurst I can't remember the resume of. In all those off-putting and uncomfortable GL interviews on TV, she seemed like a very nice lady who was completely out of her depth. Almost like they'd hired her off the street to work alongside this weeping lunatic (three guesses).

I don't think Behr ever knew what suited ATWT. I thought she had a tin ear. Broderick - not a huge fan of her ATWT run, although I think she could have been better in another environment.

Passanante, honestly, most of ATWT's foundation was already gone before she arrived. Sheffer only brought viewers based on perversion. She probably made it worse, but I'm willing to blame Goutman for most of it. I liked some of her last year at ATWT (and again I will be nice and blame Goutman for what I didn't like). But generally I'd say she's a hack. I will forgive a little because, well, I will be very generous if you give me 100% in character Lucinda Walsh.

Hurst had been at GL in one role or another since 1994. The last year of GL had more heart and family than I'd remembered seeing in a long time, so I think she deserves some credit (the stories still mostly sucked, unfortunately).

Edited January 27, 201312 yr by CarlD2

Lucinda was unwatchable by the end because the writers gave up trying to rein in Elizabeth Hubbard and her hemming hawing not getting to the point of a scene adlibbing was just ridiculous. The only thing I will praise Passanante for is Luke's coming out story.

Lucinda was unwatchable by the end because the writers gave up trying to rein in Elizabeth Hubbard and her hemming hawing not getting to the point of a scene adlibbing was just ridiculous. The only thing I will praise Passanante for is Luke's coming out story.

Lucinda was the main reason I watched ATWT's last year. I would watch her ad-libbing over any "writer" who polluted ATWT's last 15 years. Out of control Lucinda, scheming in just about every story, not caring what anyone thought about her on the surface, deeply vulnerable and afraid underneath - that was my Lucinda. I was very happy to have her back. I never thought I would.

I loved Elizabeth Hubbard as Lucinda. Yes, she could be over the top, but in an interesting and fun way.

The only reason I started watching ATWT was because I heard Mary Beth Evans was going to that show as Sierra. Having watched her on Days and GH, I was interested to see what she'd do on ATWT, so I took it up. I was pleased with Mary Beth's work there, but she stayed only a little while, and Sierra ended up recurring. However, I stuck with the show even when she was gone, having developed an interest in Maura West's Carly, Ellen Dolan's Margo, and Elizabeth Hubbard.

I'd love to see any or all of them in another project. Maura's great. Ellen's very capable. I have a lot of respect for Hubbard, and I think Days really wastes Mary Beth, among others.

I could never possibly "underrate" Jean Passanante enough. Her AMC was unwatchable - as was her ATWT. She was brought in to strip-mine that show and she did just that.

Jill Lorie Hurst I can't remember the resume of. In all those off-putting and uncomfortable GL interviews on TV, she seemed like a very nice lady who was completely out of her depth. Almost like they'd hired her off the street to work alongside this weeping lunatic (three guesses).

Jill Lorie Hurst used to be a writer's assistant at GL during the 90s.

I am thinking about some writers that I truly admire such as Clair Labine and Doug Maraland. I always believed they are pretty under rated. If ABC never gave Clair those Raw Deals (The RH situation and her being let go from GH and what Happened at OLTL) I think she would have been the next Agnes. They always claim Gloria created Luke and Laura and the Q's but wasn't that really Doug Maraland? They never credit him for being one of GH's saviors. Even if GM did most of the work, to the best of my knowledge, DM introduced those characters.

Can anyone else think of writers that were under rated?

Labine wasn't let go from GH. When her contract was up in 1996, she and her kids went over to NBC as they were pursued by them for a new soap. However, NBC opted to go with Sunset Beach so Labine retooled her bible and offered it to ABC as The City was getting cancelled. ABC was interested in what would be called Union Place or Heart and Soul or something like that but then Wendy Riche and the Culliton's came up with Port Charles over night and cheap ABC went with that.

I should also add, Labine was given OLTL since they didn't pick up her soap. I always wonder why she never got AMC. I always felt there was an ego thing between her and Agnes Nixon. Although sweet little Agnes would never admit it.

Lucinda was the main reason I watched ATWT's last year. I would watch her ad-libbing over any "writer" who polluted ATWT's last 15 years. Out of control Lucinda, scheming in just about every story, not caring what anyone thought about her on the surface, deeply vulnerable and afraid underneath - that was my Lucinda. I was very happy to have her back. I never thought I would.

That pretty much sums up Lucinda and Hubbard...too bad no one but Marland understood her character.

Lucinda was unwatchable by the end because the writers gave up trying to rein in Elizabeth Hubbard and her hemming hawing not getting to the point of a scene adlibbing was just ridiculous. The only thing I will praise Passanante for is Luke's coming out story.

It had nothing to do with her ad libbing her lines. She did that with Marland and he still wrote great stoylines for her. He knew Lucinda/Liz were a big part of ATWT. Yes, he said LIz hemmed it up but still wrote for her.

Melissa Salmona I FLove the episodes she right at Days

Yes that was a great episode she wrote. I didnt think much of work on ATWT or GL. But her script for the big reveal was nicely done. I wonder what she would do as a HW?

Broderick wrote for ATWT 1998-1999. She was replaced by Leah Laiman when Chris Goutman came over after AW was cancelled. Broderick and Felicia Minei Behr should never have been fired. About others who have been mentioned -- I think Jill Lorie Hurst is overrated, she is only one of four headwriters GL had during the final months, but she gets all the credit and none of the blame. I never saw Brash/Cwikly on Days but I can believe Brash is underrated because he wrote good scripts for ATWT and because he was part of the Emmy-winning writing team for GL in 1989 that seems to have been an All-Star collection of writers. He learned from the best!

Behr was a nightmare for ATWT. I thought she would bring a new life to it instead she fired both Allyson Rice and Liz Hubbard.

I'd love to see any or all of them in another project. Maura's great. Ellen's very capable. I have a lot of respect for Hubbard, and I think Days really wastes Mary Beth, among others.

I agree they need to be back on Daytime. Elizabeth Hubbard as a Quartermaine would be awesome. Dolan as a recast Sandy Horton and Maura West would be a bad ass Kristen Forrester on B&B or Eve Donovan on Days.

Back on Topic, is Pat Falken Smith considered underrated?