2016: The Directors and Writers Thread

[BetterForgotten]

Even though Young has soap writing and producing experience in the UK, he also has experience as a network and production company executive. If anything, he's more qualified at this point for Angelica McDaniel or Steve Kent's job - so it's strange he would join Y&R to play second fiddle to Jill and Chuck. Maybe just a high profile Consultant? 

 

This is interesting, let's see what his role ends up being. 

[JONNYSBRO]

Let's all give appreciation to Ms Shelly Altman. She's been writing in daytime a long time but only recently since 2013 she was given an opportunity to head write when she did YR and now GH. Her modern instinct and flair for daytime is amazing. She's a mega SUPERGEM.

[BetterForgotten]

[cassadine1991]

Paul Marquess would be better than Shelly and Jean

[LondonScribe]

As someone who saw what happened to The Bill, and Hollyoaks under him (and to a lesser extent, Brookside as I wasn't an avid watcher, but I can't really fault his and Alison Davis' work on Family Affairs) that says a LOT 😂

[cassadine1991]

Wonder what he would do at GH.

[BetterForgotten]

SID is saying Mal Young is a producer at Y&R, but wouldn't say what kind of producer he is:

 

[DRW50]

I'd imagine his big ego, shocking lack of talent, and the ratings drops had something to do with it as well.

Kill off 10 characters, blow the budget on an explosion, and have someone randomly become gay and get the sh!t kicked out of them a lot.

[Toups]

Calling it right now: they're grooming him to become the new EP.  JFP will be out when her contract is up....I think late summer. 

[DRW50]

I'd be surprised. Sony seems to want to call all the shots, and Mal Young was not a dogsbody at EE.

[allmc2008]

How do you think he'll do?

[LeClerc]

With his resume it's hard to imagine that he took a job as a staff producer with no promise of something bigger down the road. On the other hand, it's even harder to believe anyone overseeing soaps today is thinking even remotely outside the box.

Maybe he is a "Consulting Producer" there to give his thoughts on story/character...in which case JFP will likely do as little with his input as she did with Harding Lemay's at AW and OLTL...

 

[boldfan01]

Maybe that's why Casey Kasprzyk was promoted from producer to supervising producer in 2014? It seemed odd that B&B, which originally had only one supervising producer until Ed Scott came on board, suddenly went to three in 2014. If Rhonda let Brad know her intentions back then, promoting Casey could have been a succession plan.

 

In a recent interview with Brad Bell at the end of 2015, Michael Fairman asked Brad to tell him about the B&B Production team.
 

http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/the-bold-and-the-beautiful/the-brad-bell-interview-the-bold-and-the-beautiful-soapmaker-of-the-year-2015/2015/12/29/

[LondonScribe]

That's a pretty big call. And one that could be significant for the show and what could be the short future of US soaps. It would be (I think) the first time a Brit has run an American soap on an Executive basis since David Shaughnessy was Executive Producer of (funnily enough) Y&R from 2002-2004. Or was it 2003? 

And as for Mal Young, from my reading, and viewing of You-know-what-Tube, his first episode as Producer of Brookside (as slightly distinct from Associate producer and effectively Phil Redmond's man on the ground) was 6th March 1991. Many of the show's and  British soap's most famous and controversial moments from the 1990's were a result of him and his stewardship. 

Time and experience change people but Y&R certainly have a fascinating and out-of-the-box hire. 

I focus specifically on that time as he ran the show, and most of what he did after that was as a Channel and company executive.  

[cassadine1991]

@UK LAW What do you think he'll do at Y&R, like the kinds of stories?