2016: The Directors and Writers Thread

[BetterForgotten]

Unless he's a Consulting Producer, there had to have been some big reason for hiring him. Given his years of experience and working on projects in both the UK and US, I assume he does not come cheap. I also don't see his outlook on storytelling meshing with JFP and Pratt, this had to have been forced by Sony or CBS. 

 

It's bizarre that someone who once ran Drama for the BBC and the person who rebooted Dr. Who is now a producer on an American daytime soap, and may very well be its next EP. I don't see Pratt wanting to take orders from someone, so I wonder if they're trying to force him out - Mal Young is not the submissive type. With JFP, I wonder if she plans on retiring soon or moving into an executive role at Sony or CBS, but they could want her forced out as well. 

 

This is just interesting and a totally out of the blue hiring. But I guess it helps merge two soap worlds that people like myself and Carl both follow, so that's exciting at least...

 

Not UKLAW, but I don't think Young has a definitive storytelling tendency - some accused him of making Brookside more sensationalized, but a lot of what he did eventually ended up becoming the norm on British soaps in the 90s.

 

With the help of Matthew Robinson, he also helped breathe new life into EastEnders in the late 90's when the show was starting to decline and was in need of a revamp. Under his time as Controller of Continuing Drama Series at the BBC, EastEnders arguably had its last definitive golden era, particularly during John Yorke's (who himself would end up replacing Young as Controller of Continuing Drama Series until he left the BBC for good in 2012) time as Series Producer from 2000-2002. Things did fall apart at the end of Young's time there, but there were wider issues at play. As a whole though, the 1998-2002 era of EE will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

[JAS0N47]

Director and Writer fans, here's my 2015 update of all the "Days" director and writer stats from 2002-2015. Enjoy!

"Days of Our Lives" Directors & Script Writers: Yearly Episode Rankings Chart: 2002-2015:

Please register in order to view this content

Directors: 2015 Rankings:
Steven Williford...81
Albert Alarr...53
Grant A. Johnson...52
Herb Stein...29
Noel Maxam...14
Scott McKinsey...7
Sonia Blangiardo...5
Phil Sogard...5
Alison Sweeney...5
Angela Tessinari...3

Script Writers: 2015 Rankings:
Jeanne Marie Ford...49
David Cherrill...45
Carolyn Culliton...45
Richard Culliton...45
Melissa Salmons...45
Janet Iacobuzio...15
Danielle Paige...8
Mark Higley...2

"Days of Our Lives" Directors: Episode Rankings: 2002-2015 (total of 3,539 episodes):
1. Albert Alarr...910
2. Herb Stein...708
3. Phil Sogard...482
4. Grant A. Johnson...380
5. Roger W. Inman...275
6. Steven Williford...262
7. Noel Maxam...157
8. Randy J. Robbins...104
9. Jim Baffico...82
10. Kathryn Foster...42
11. Roy B. Steinberg...34
12. Stephen Wyman...18
13. Mike Denney...16
*. Mary Madeiras...16
*. Alison Sweeney...16
16. Deveney Kelly...10
17. Scott McKinsey...7
18. Sonia Blangiardo...5
19. Christopher Goutman...3
*. Angela Tessinari...3
*. Karen Wilkens...3
22. Jill Ackles...2
*. Andrew Lee...2
24. Peter Brinckerhoff...1
*. Phideaux Xavier...1

"Days of Our Lives" Script Writers: Episode Rankings: 2002-2015 (total of 3,539 episodes):
1. Richard Culliton...374
2. Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford...269
3. David Cherrill...266
4. Carolyn Culliton...265
5. John S. Newman...234
6. Jodie Scholz...231
7. Sofia Landon Geier...228
8. Bruce Neckels...179
9. Melissa Salmons...149
10. Cydney Kelley...130
11. Janet Iacobuzio...121
12. Michael Slade...116
13. Susan Kirshenbaum...94
14. Gillian Spencer...85
15. David A. Levinson...66
16. Jane Atkins...64
17. Dena Higley...61
18. Renee Godelia...56
19. Ryan Quan...50
20. Mark Christopher Higley...48
21. Bettina F. Bradbury...47
22. Mike Cohen...45
23. Judith Donato...39
24. Randy Holland...36
25. Lacey Dyer...33
26. Roger Schroeder...31
27. Peter T. Rich...28
28. Linda Poindexter-Brown...19
29. Meg Kelly...17
30. Zak Berkman...15
31. Nancy Williams Watt...14
32. Edwin Klein...12
33. Anne M. Schoettle...10
34. Lisa Seidman...9
35. Rick Draughon...8
*. Danielle Paige...8
37. Victor Gialanella...7
38. Clem Egan...6
*. Maura Penders...6
40. Jim Baffico...5
41. Michelle Poteet Lisanti...4
42. Richard J. Allen...3
*. Jacqueline Frazier...3
*. Courtney Kirkpatrick...3
*. Meredith Post...3
*. Anne Toole...3
47. [S.W.S.N.B.N.]...2
*. M.D. Clark...2
*. Carole A. Mendelsohn...2
50. Alexandra Bleckner...1
*. Erika Moore...1
*. Stefanie Novik...1
*. Kate Simon...1
*. Allison Wait...1
**. Writers' Strike...71

For more stats, please visit: http://www.jason47.com/days/directorwriterdatabase.html

[JONNYSBRO]

Why does everyone think Phelps is out? Ratings are still strong unless she decides to retire. I just don't see Jill retiring yet.

[LondonScribe]

'Everyone' is quite a broad statement. Lol

Plus, using your current show of choice, if Mal Young (or anyone with that experience, production or writing-wise) suddenly rocked up, largely unexplained, people would speculate that Jean Passanante and Shelley Altman wouldn't be long for General Hospital. Your cold sweats would possibly be significant.

[cassadine1991]

Knowing how Varni is, he might want to do the same thing, getting someone who worked on the UK soaps

[JONNYSBRO]

 

Honestly I think Lynn Marie Latham would be a good choice for GH writing team. She wrote for PC and would mesh with Jelly vision

[Toups]

Awseome work as usual, @JAS0N47. Thanks!

[RavenWhitney]

-Ann Schoettle now breakdown writer for YR; first episode today with Susan Dansby on script.  Kate Hall takes her place on the script writing team.

[Toups]

Y&R:

- Kate Hall first listed as Script Writer on January 25

[BetterForgotten]

I still wonder what the hell his role is at Y&R, but Mal Young posted a pic of himself on Twitter inside the control booth holding the original Y&R soundtrack (which he got as a birthday gift).

 

https://twitter.com/malyoung/status/692507209222193156           

 

I assume he's not just a consultant if he's working on the production end of things as well. 

[YRBB]

This is interesting (far more interesting than anything on the show). I hope the soundtrack helps him get a clue about the class act the show used to be.

[Toups]

Y&R:

- Mal Young first listed as Supervising Producer on February 1

[LondonScribe]

Ah, there you go. The one production job I didn't consider.

[BetterForgotten]

The show already has what, two other Supervising Producers? There has to be a reason why they hired someone which much more experience than his title suggests. So strange. 

[John]

Maybe he will become EP??? When does Jill's contract expire???