http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/new-head-writers-yr

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Damn.

This reminds me when JFP had no head writer for oltl in 1999 she penned a plot to drive robin strasser off the show. The plot Dorian kills Jessica's unborn baby. It was clear JFP had it our for strasser

I don't see how giving someone a story is designed to drive them off the show. These people are actors/actresses, their job is to act. Who says that an actor or actress on a soap must like or approve of the story that they are asked to perform. I will never understand this train of thought. Every story shall pass...it's not like anything (except Sharon's craziness) will be perpetual...stories come and go.

I'm pretty heartbroken with the choice. When they picked Josh Griffith people said I was too hard by dismissing him before his work even aired, but I remembered his previous work and he is NOT fit to be a headwriter. Period. A Co-HW maybe, but that's it. Beyond that, his previous stint at Y&R was terrible so I'm not sure why anybody had any hope there. With these two writers they also have pretty bad reputations and absolutely no Bell-soap experience so they'll have to work their asses off and prove themselves before I give them any kind of support. I actually enjoyed Jean Passanante's work on ATWT (I know it's rare), but what worked on ATWT won't work on Y&R. And let's not even mention her stints on AW or AMC....especially AMC......

Her time at AMC was, IMHO, the worst in the show's history. She actually left the show after rumours she was finally going to be fired anyway.

The irony is she seems to have made her name as a breakdown writer under Malone/Griffith when they first were at OLTL. Maybe she's great at that role--but I don't think she's ever had a good period as HW. (when she co-HW OLTL after Malone left the first time the show was just a directionless glob.)

As someone who hasn't seen much of what she has done, can anyone detail what her writing style is like? (ie long scenes vs short scenes, effective cliffhangers?) And the types of stories she tells? And the pace.

She's really kinda directionless, IMHO. Lots of campy stories (ie AMC's Libidizone, or Ghost Gillian running around for ages.)

She's really kinda directionless, IMHO. Lots of campy stories (ie AMC's Libidizone, or Ghost Gillian running around for ages.)

What about that whole Alex/Anna stuff???

What about that whole Alex/Anna stuff???

It was a huge mess, yeah--though I *believe* Agnes Nixon was still co-HW at the time, so I'm not sure who to blame. When Passanante got bumped up to co-HW though it seemed like Nixon was just staying on to finish the Bianca story.

She's really kinda directionless, IMHO. Lots of campy stories (ie AMC's Libidizone, or Ghost Gillian running around for ages.)

Oh great

The directionless part always astounds me. People paid to create stories and they seemingly only plan the beginning up to the 'end of the 1st Act'.

Ouch. Poor Y&R. I mean, I really do hope for the best and that they surprise us but yeah ... not likely IMO, at least where Passanante is concerned. She just has too much of an awful track record that I've personally witnessed (AMC was AWFUL) and I really could never get into her ATWT and the horrible misuse of vets on ATWT, though I guess some have said that was all Goutman? Who's not exactly a spring chicken himself ...

The Bell family own the Characters and they licence them to Sony who owns the Y&R brand/tv show. If their is ever a dispute between Bell Family/Company and Sony/CBS the bell family could pull the characters which in essence kill the show. The Bell's could always move them to Bell fully owned B&B.

Where on earth have you heard that the Bells own the characters and license them to Sony because it is absolute nonsense, that isn't how contracts and ownership works legally. Sony owns the majority of the show with Bell Dramatic Serial Company and Corday Productions owning a minority share. Sony owns the show, Sony own the characters.

I understand Kay Alden doesn't want a full HW position, but she would've been valuable in any position, even if just Executive Story Consultant. Other options, the aformentioned Natalie Minardi Slater, Janice Ferrer Esser, Trent Jones, Jack Smith, Sally Sussman Morina and Sally McDonald should be Executive Producer.

+1. Sally McDonald would have made an excellent choice as EP because she can execute things technically and not bother a HW, any of whom from your list would have been excellent choices. The Y&R writing team is so bloated, in the 90s the show had 5 writers who did the whole thing.

It's hard to take Passanate seriously as a writer after watching her run on ATWT with all those Villain of the Month capers and ripping off Hogan Sheffer's work(even if it was of his better works, who does that??). Her first year as solo run was decent and yeah she did her offbeat campy capers well but beyond that it was mediocre fare for the most part. Passanate always seemed to screw up everything she had going good for her, namely the total destruction of Maddie and Gwen.

Adam and Chelsea will became the new Paul and Emily.

Billy and Chloe become the new Brad and Katie.

Fen and Kyle become the new Noah and Luke.

November we'll have Sheila Carter terrorizing Genoa City's denizens. Come December we'll get Nick's new secretary who's a psycho stalker. January will be when Victoria's ex Cole played by Matt Crane returns to town to ruin and or sexually assault her. In February we'll see all the women suddenly have their biological clock ticking!!

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by soapfan770

Where on earth have you heard that the Bells own the characters and license them to Sony because it is absolute nonsense, that isn't how contracts and ownership works legally. Sony owns the majority of the show with Bell Dramatic Serial Company and Corday Productions owning a minority share. Sony owns the show, Sony own the characters.

+1. Sally McDonald would have made an excellent choice as EP because she can execute things technically and not bother a HW, any of whom from your list would have been excellent choices. The Y&R writing team is so bloated, in the 90s the show had 5 writers who did the whole thing.

Um the fact that they have used charcacters like Lauren, Ashley on their fully owned soap B&B. if they diden't own the character no way could they use them without creating new characters for the actors. Sony does not own the characters they own the Y&R brand. Lots of YR characters have crossed over bc the Bells own the characters. When Bill Bell sold majority ownership he diden't sell the characters only thr YR brand. Bell Dramatic Serial Company owns the characters they license them to SONY

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by Darlotto99

Um the fact that they have used charcacters like Lauren, Ashley on their fully owned soap B&B. if they diden't own the character no way could they use them without creating new characters for the actors. Sony does not own the characters they own the Y&R brand. Lots of YR characters have crossed over bc the Bells own the characters. When Bill Bell sold majority ownership he diden't sell the characters only thr YR brand. Bell Dramatic Serial Company owns the characters

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Bill Bell never sold majority ownership of Y&R to Sony because he and his production company never had majority ownership of the show. Ever. Bill Bell launched Y&R with the same production partner that was behind DAYS (though at DAYS the Corday's owned the majority of the show), which was was once Screen Gems, then became Columbia TriStar, and is now Sony.

And characters crossing over between shows is relatively commonplace when a common production company is involved (in this case the Bell production company under the same broadcasting company, CBS) because corporations tend to cooperate with each other when it is mutually beneficial.

Holy Jesus...

As someone who hasn't seen much of what she has done, can anyone detail what her writing style is like? (ie long scenes vs short scenes, effective cliffhangers?) And the types of stories she tells? And the pace.

Likewise with Shelly Altman. I ask because as the EP has ultimately proven, a leapard never changes its spots.

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. I think whatever style they had previously will be the same style they bring to Y&R.

It's hard to take Passanate seriously as a writer after watching her run on ATWT with all those Villain of the Month capers and ripping off Hogan Sheffer's work(even if it was of his better works, who does that??). Her first year as solo run was decent and yeah she did her offbeat campy capers well but beyond that it was mediocre fare for the most part. Passanate always seemed to screw up everything she had going good for her, namely the total destruction of Maddie and Gwen.

Adam and Chelsea will became the new Paul and Emily.

Billy and Chloe become the new Brad and Katie.

Fen and Kyle become the new Noah and Luke.

November we'll have Sheila Carter terrorizing Genoa City's denizens. Come December we'll get Nick's new secretary who's a psycho stalker. January will be when Victoria's ex Cole played by Matt Crane returns to town to ruin and or sexually assault her. In February we'll see all the women suddenly have their biological clock ticking!!

You know what the sad thing is, I would still love if they decided to do a gay story with Fen......