Favorite Head Writer

[NothinButAttitude]

^

I've always wondered that too. Is it because after Ryan's Hope cancellation, Avila Mayer decided to quit the industry altogether and never write for another soap, and then Labine's success at GH with their knowledge of RH made them assume that she was soul vision, the one that produced it's stellar writing?

[EricMontreal22]

Just like I think Griffith deserves more credit for 1990s OLTL, Avila certainly seems to deserve more for R as el. It's true Labine had a beloved run on GH without him, but otherwise she hasn't had much success with her children

[EnglishTea]

I also agree with much of what Jfung posted. I would add Claire Labine in her prime told some of the best relationship (not just romantic) material.

I had the pleasure of a brief conversation with RC, and Proteus really was his attempt to pull together the crap from the previous regime, and make is somewhat compelling - and before anyone asks - it was the only storyline I was able to get any info on from him.

[EricMontreal22]

A long while back I listened to that run of 40+ episodes of Guiding Light from the early 50s that's out there (the radio version) and certainly out of all the radio soaps I've heard, it was the most compelling (along with its spin off Right to Happiness--but Irna stopped writing that early on--GL seemed to be the only one she stuck with throughout its run until Nixon took over in the late 50s when Irna was more nto ATTI always wonder why Right never moved to TV, it was always one of the top radio soap.)

[NothinButAttitude]

I agree that Griffith, Avila Mayer, and numerous other co-head writers deserve credit but normally aren't. But that goes with the territory of the entertainment business, some shine and others are ignored.

Furthermore, I don't think she had much success with her children, the debacles that occurred at One Life and Guiding Light, because she was working under numerous assholes--the people and ABC and then Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbins and the late Paul Rauch at P&G. IMO, I think Claire's vision for Guiding Light, had they left her alone, would've resonated well with the audience. I think this was a testament of time where network heads were starting to interfere more and more and dictate the visions the of the shows rather than allowing the writers they hired to do so.

[EricMontreal22]

Interesting. It certainly had some great moments (mainly with Vanessa) but it was a huge, over-long mess. I do remember that it came from story grains planted by Passanante during her horrific era (which, amidst rumours of an impending firing she fled quickly to ATWT and for a few months AMC was left head writer-less).

[DRW50]

I don't think Labine's writing style suited GL (I know she had written mob on all her shows but I disliked every mob story she ever wrote, aside from the very early days of Joe on RH - she had no real idea how to write for GL's mob characters, especially characters like Danny, who was popular with viewers in spite of his being a mobster, not because of it, and who wasn't a manwhore), and I think that some of her ideas for characters were just Xeroxed from past glories (Blake Marler suddenly became Lucy Coe and Delia).

I would have rather seen her at ATWT, rather than the soap-hating, misogynist showboat Sheffer.

[NothinButAttitude]

Was Claire the one that penned the Manny saga at the height of it? I know it was started by Brown and Esensten, but IMO, that's the ONLY mob saga on soaps I loved b/c it was the good girl trying to reform the bad boy, who is really good. Yes people, I was a Manny stan (Tony & Marah too) until NSA came into the role (still loved the couple but not as much as I did with JBL in the role).

I too agree that I would've preferred Claire at World Turns too. I would've love to see what she would've done with the vets, especially my Lisa!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I hate that she had gunshots firing in Bert's (and Maureen's) kitchen. That was just unacceptable.

[EricMontreal22]

You're right--it's easier for people to just see a better known name like Malone's even though he himself has often been careful to give Grffith credit.

You're right that HWs started to lose power it seems (Wasn't Labine's One Life stint over a change in EP to JFP--which is hardly a good fit for her.)

You're right--it's easier for people to just see a better known name like Malone's even though he himself has often been careful to give Grffith credit.

You're right that HWs started to lose power it seems (Wasn't Labine's One Life stint over a change in EP to JFP--which is hardly a good fit for her.)

[juniorz1]

These would be mine:

The Dobsons on Santa Barbara. (both runs)

Anne Howard Bailey on Santa Barbara

Bill Bell- The Young and the Restless

Kay Alden- The Young and the Restless

Margaret DePriest (Days of our Lives)

Gary Tomlin/Chris Whitesell (Days of our Lives)

Hogan Sheffer/Carolyn Culliton (As The World Turns- I wasn't watching during the Marland years)

Lorraine Broderick (All My Children/As The World Turns)

Megan McTavish (All My Children- first run in 90s- nothing after)

Donna Swajeski (Another World)

Carolyn Culliton (Another World)

Michael Malone (Another World- unpopular opinion I know, but I enjoyed his work)

Richard Culliton (Another World- LOVED his run in the late 90s- he rejuvenated the show pre-Goutman)

Michael Malone/Josh Griffith (One Life to Live)

[DRW50]

That was B&E. Labine wrote the very end of Lenz (when Michelle left after having a miscarriage), then the cigarette girl stuff, Danny sleeping with her, Danny as more of the mafioso (which didn't work and was dropped), the Michelle/Frank stuff, Michelle's second pregnancy and giving birth, Gus coming in to investigate the family.

[NothinButAttitude]

Now that I agree with. The Bauer kitchen is sacrilegious. As Nancy Curlee stated in one of her interviews, here with SON I believe, "For me, the Guiding Light was always a porch light, just outside the Bauer’s kitchen. Outside, a bad moon may be rising, forces gathering to do you harm, foes behind bushes...Outside, friends may be treacherous, lovers untrue... But if you ran like hell, and made it to the porch, and banged through that screen door, inside there would be warmth and light and the smell of good things cooking. The Guiding Light was about love and home truths and compassion prevailing. For me, anyway, that’s what it was all about."

OK, CarlD2, you might punch me but I like majority of that stuff.

[DRW50]

I wouldn't punch you - I wouldn't want to mess with a Manny fan.

[~bl~]

Conforti was the person who was originally credited for Manny when he was part of the team under B&E.