When soaps hire new HW's and EP's would it be better to promote from within?

[John]

Yes GH

• Co-Head Writer: with Elizabeth Korte from January 2001 - April 2001 then we got Megan McTavish

[cassadine1991]

At least she can say she was the first AA HW

[wingwalker]

I'd like to know, why do the people the fans (or at least the ones on the internet) want to head write the show never get hired. Y&R fans have been asking for Kay Alden, Sally Sussman Morina, many GH fans wanted Sri Rao, etc. Yet these people never get hired, intead we have to settle for Jean Passante and Ron Carlivati. Or in the case of AMC, many had been wanting Lorraine Broderick back and when did they get her? When AMC was being canceled. Is it that these people don't want to put up with the bullshit of being a soap Head Writer in today's environment, or do the hire ups refuse to hire these people in favor of someone that they can control, is cheaper, etc?

[cassadine1991]

It's mostly they want the same tired HW and so they control

[Winchester91]

No way. When a production change happens, it's time for a clean slate. I wouldn't want the stench of the old regime to affect the current show.

[cassadine1991]

GH has the stench of the later years of OLTL, and that's not saying it in a good way

[Winchester91]

That's why soaps should hire new blood, preferably from outside the US soap community. Imagine what a fresh EP from outside the bubble can do. I'd like to see what Paul Marquess (Hollyoaks producer 3 years ago) can do. He wasn't afraid of cutting out half the cast to rejuvenate a show.

[wingwalker]

Yeah, he's needed at both Y&R and GH. Both easily have 10+ people that need to go today.

I've been thinking for a while perhaps hiring some producers and writers from Euro soaps. They'd be outsider enough to shake things up and bring a new perspective, but still know enough about soaps to not have to learn how to write/run one from scatch. One of my favorite writers is Tom Chroust, I've liked his HW stints on both the German soaps Verbotene Liebe and Alles was Zahlt. I'd love to see what he'd do at an American soap.

[EricMontreal22]

In the case of Broderick, I think it was partly her decision (we'll probably never know.) Even sweet Aggie has said that the first time she was actually locked out of story meetings was under Pratt (the assumption being that up tot hat point she was welcome to give her input whenever, though of course post 2000 or so they didn't have to really listen to her.) So when Pratt left (was fired?) and Frons kinda threw them a bone to try to revamp the show for the anniversary and the move, LB, with input from Nixon agreed to come back, but it was said as a favour--she was happy with a teaching job at some university. So I assumed that's why she only returned for 3 or so months and then was followed by Swajeski/Kreizman, though who knows, she also probably cost more for the network (or not, she's an assistant at Days now, so...)

Then when she was finally hired on full time, the show was canceled mere WEEKS after the announcement--and I have little doubt that the fact she was finally hired had something to do with the network execs knowing the show was gone anyway... But obviously she then was happy to go to Days in a less time consuming position (didn't she even return to OLTL as an assistant HW or something for its final months, to finish her contract, or maybe not...)

So who knows. I think often the execs like to hire people they see as a known quantity (like Passanante) despite track records and who are willing to work under them.

Passanate of course was apparently a great breakdown writer at OLTL in the early-mid 90s and that's why she became co-HW there around 96-97 briefly and then went to AMC in 2000-01. And she's always been an awful HW, but I think it shows that promoting from within only works sometimes.

[Khan]

I'd rather it be you (or anyone else from this board) than Ron Carlivati.

Promoting from within makes sense if you have smart, talented people working under you. But if you're a hack, and you have nothing but hacks working with you, does it make any difference?

Both.

[EnglishTea]

Broderick is more than an assistant at Days... she is in third position after the headwriters, and responsible for the daily breakdown of episodes after the thrust.

As for AMC, Broderick supposedly did want to stay, but for whatever reason, at that time it went to Swajeski/Kreizman

[JONNYSBRO]

I would love if DAYS made broderick a co head writer. I will say tomlin and white sell deserve the credit but do does Broderick.

[John]

especially since the Breakdown writer (Broderick) is the one who decides the order of the scenes and pacing

[cassadine1991]

I remember hearing that about Broderick, I think it's more Frons who decided to have Swajeski/Kreizman

[EricMontreal22]

I always get the terms wrong, but I thought, depending on the soap, assistant HW was the same as Breakdown HW--and basically the person in charge right under the HW (or HWs)