Y&R: New Head Writer

[Dr Neil Curtis]

"And Special Guest Star Heather Locklear as Jennifer Elizabeth Brooks"

"featuring Joan Collins as Dina Abbott"

[JONNYSBRO]

Poor Jean P. JFP is a backstabbing bitch as she was looking to replace her for months. It shows Jean definitely was not her choice

[cassadine1991]

That's business especially the entertainment business

[Chris B]

Honestly, Sally Sussman Morina would've been better, but I'm not too confident she would've been the right choice. I love her Bell experience, but her headwriting stints elsewhere have been unremarkable. I thought Generations despite the great diversity was pretty boring overall. Obviously Jack Smith and Kay Alden would be my top choices, but if we can't have them I'd try a Ron Carlivati-type move and promote someone who has been on the staff for a long time, but hasn't been headwriter yet aka someone with experience who isn't burnt out. Natalie Minardi Slater is who Kay Alden was grooming to be her successor so I wouldn't mind her in that position. If not her why not promote someone like Janice Ferri Esser who has been in the trenches and is like a Y&R encyclopedia? Or promote both of them. It just makes no sense to bring in Charles Pratt for this show with his background.

[JONNYSBRO]

I didn't love Sally Sussman Morina at DAYS. The show lost its momentum after Reilly left and found the show kind of boring. She is a good writer and worked under Bell. Surprised Jill would take a meeting with her and then go right for Chuck Pratt.

[ChitHappens]

Chris, being on staff doesn't always mean, a great HW will be born. Carlivati is self explanatory, but Garin Wolfe was an exceptional script writer yet he was not ready for HW. You don't necessarily have to work on a show to learn and understand it's history. I think HW comes from within. You are either going to be good at something or you won't.

[JONNYSBRO]

If you had to grade Jean and Shelley's Y and R what would u have given it and why?

[DaytimeFan]

That would be tragicomic in how amazingly strange it would be.

[SouthOfSoap]

I doubt the talent pool for daytime could possibly be so shallow that the same hacks get recycled over and over - it's probably more a case of whoever is left in control of these shows gives jobs to friends.This industry is like an incestuous protectionist mafia for mediocrity.

[Soaplovers]

I loved how Carolyn Hinsey said Passante was a wonderful head-writer LOL

[titan1978]

Mulcahey at Guiding Light is another example. His scripts are amazing, he had worked with lots of talented writers, but he wasn't a good HW.

[marceline]

It's the difference between micro and macro. Dialogue is about the moment while a good HW has to take the long view. Both skills are necessary.

[DaytimeFan]

You have to hand it to Hinsey: she is always consistent with her bullsh*t.

[allmc2008]

YOU HAVE TO ASK!

[Chris B]

That is true, but if one of those ladies is interested I think they would be the best shot, especially Natalie Minardi Slater. Obviously Kay Alden wouldn't have been training her for that position if it wasn't something she was passionate about. I feel like taking a risk with a well trained script/breakdown writer makes more sense than recycling these failed HWs the way they do. I would even want somebody without daytime experience if I had faith they could choose somebody well.

I really wish K.O.L.A. Boof didn't have that Osama connection because I feel she would've been a really interesting HW. I LOVED what she did at Y&R with the Winters storyline and the ideas she revealed from her DAYS stint I feel were exciting and would've been interested. I wonder how it would've been if GL or AMC had accepted her story bibles. She was a good example of a fresh vision, but somebody who had watched soaps since the 70s so she knew and respected them as well.