How much time do we give Sally Sussman before we ask for her firing?

[JONNYSBRO]

 

 

I dont see Sally McDonald being EP. When u have Wendy Riche a seasoned vet who loves YR it would be a good fit. Also maybe Lisa DaCazotte who used to be EP of Passions and DAYS. There are talented EPs out there. Mal has no vision is problem. The lighting was terrible and production values went down when JFP left. Any good dramatic moment under Mal was old JFP material.

 

Maybe if Sally had a strong co head writer and a new EP the show would be a whole thought better. 

[Khan]

Say what you will about SS, but I don't think she's there solely for the cash.  Unlike most hacks in this industry, SS appears genuine in her love for Y&R.  I just question whether she has matched that affection with talent.

 

Like I've said in the past, making Kay Alden Co-HW again might solve many of Y&R's problems right now, but what happens when she passes away or retires for good?  Even if she creates a contingency plan where someone whom she has trained assumes the reins, there's no guarantee that writer, once left to his or her own devices, will maintain the quality.  Heck, there are people here who STILL think Kay's Y&R wasn't as good as Bill Bell's, and she had been there, working alongside him, almost from the beginning!  Next to Bill, IMO, no one knew (or knows) Y&R better than Priscilla Kay Alden.

 

No, Mal Young is not the greatest EP for Y&R.  But I really hate to think of the alternatives.

[kalbir]

February sweeps is pretty much done, and I say the new regime didn't pass their first test.

 

From what I found online, looks like this year's March Madness break is March 16 and 17 (March 15 and 16 for Canadians).

[JONNYSBRO]

 

I dont think Kay Alden wants to be head writer this might be the position she wants. Maybe a vetetan EP who has ideas. Remember Claire Labine at GH versus OLTL. Her GH tenure was lauded mainly because of Wendy. She came to OLTL with kind of like a Mal Young EP and it was a very mixed bag. Ratings started slipping and then they hired JFP. I would fire Mal and hire a new EP who can get Sally/Kay to push for better stories. 

[John]

Maxine Levinson who was EP when Labine HW at OLTL has no EP experience. Mal has tons. So no fair comparison there

[cattykittens]

I am liking the show. For the first time in 10 years I'm starting the recognize the characters again. No big reveals or happenings yet but I think they will come, she's just setting the stage now. We need to know the characters to care about them. Wedding, births, divorces, etc. should matter, and they weren't before.  We were numb to them because they took place on a daily basis, and meant nothing, since it could all be reversed days later. I found things like Pratt's plane crash boring as hell because nothing came out of it.

[Chris B]

I wouldn't do anything drastic with the writing. I think Sally has a really strong handle on the characters, her biggest problem is pacing. I LOVE that she features almost the entire cast equally and I LOVE a slow pace, but I don't think her Y&R is particularly slow, she's just missing those big moments. This is the problem I had with her on Generations. Like Jill's heart attack, the Fenmore's story, etc. I feel they should MILK all the drama out of these big moments and they aren't. I like nearly all of her ideas, but the fallout is missing which is strange. The Gloria/Jack sex scandal should've exploded for example ad Jill's heart attack needed a bigger reaction from the canvas. 

 

All I'd recommend is a Co-HW. Natalie Minardi Slater has never been tested in the role and is who Kay Alden was grooming as her successor so she is obviously going to be interested. If not her, why not give Sara Bibel a chance? She's young and untested in a HW position and is one of the last new writers trained under a Bell team. I would be disappointed to see a new HW entirely, but they definitely have issues to work on. Still I'd say they are MINOR issues. I'm still enjoying Y&R day-to-day more than I have in ten years. All of the characters feel real they just need more help with breaking down the stories.

[Soapsuds]

If they were to get a co head writer for her it should be Janice Ferri Esser  instead of Slater.

[DaytimeFan]

 

They have Kay Alden, who went Fi-Core for B&B. Y&R wouldn't miss a beat. On an unrelated note a WGA strike might be good for DAYS - allow the show to burn off 6 months worth of episodes!

[Khan]

 

Why can't they be BOTH Co-HWs for Sally?

[Soaplovers]

Slater is one if the breakdown writers right now.. does the breakdown writer handle pacing and implenting the headwriters long term plan..or is it just to outline that days episode?

[Paul Raven]

I have read so many different accounts of how various writing teams work (past and present)

 

 

[KMan101]

 

Curious about this as well because I think this area could use some work ...

[Soapsuds]

I think the fat lady is warming up her voice.

[DaytimeFan]

 

Why do you say that?