I’ve Heard This One Before: Stories Head Writers Did Over and Over (And Over)

[Faulkner]

Ron Carlivati’s nickname “ReRon” is well earned, as he has repeated the same types of very specific stories on his shows (DID/multiple personalities on OLTL/GH/DAYS; villains parading in face masks that completely transform their bodies, voices, mannerisms; etc).

 

But even the untouchable masters often pulled from a limited bag o’ tricks, as we’ve often noted here. And that’s not necessarily a criticism. (Some are better at switching things up than others, writing the same basic story over and over but making them feel fresh. Some writers just have their obsessions they need to work through.)

 

What are some examples of HWs doing the same trademark story over and over, on the same show or even as they moved to different shows? 

[Franko]

Does this count?

Agnes Nixon sure loved ambitious young women and salt of the earth mothers:

Rachel and Ada (AW)

Carla and Sadie (OLTL) 

Erica and Mona (AMC)

Ava and Kate (LOV)

[Faulkner]

I’d say so. It’s a definite pattern. I had that in mind when thinking about Agnes (an “untouchable master”), but only considered Rachel/Ada and Erica/Mona. 

 

Re RC: I know some writers are hired to repeat past successes on new shows. 

[titan1978]

Didn’t Bill Bell tell the cut up photograph revealing an affair twice on Y&R in less than a decade?  I clearly remember the version with Jill and Jack.  Katherine was behind it sending the pieces to John.  The second one involved Lauren but I can’t remember the details right now.

 

Sheri Anderson retold the supercouple formula from Luke and Laura (she was on the writing team when they were paired) to about a million couples on DAYS.

[Paul Raven]

Bill Bell repeated the heroine in asylum story with Leslie in the 70's and Ashley in the 80's.

 

Also Victor (Y&R) and Mickey (Days) went missing and turned up on a farm owned by a sweet disabled woman (Hope - blind) and (Maggie- paralyzed) whom they eventually married.

 

 

[Franko]

Y&R and B&B both had the virgin daughter of a publisher, in love with a guy her dad disapproved of, getting raped early in the show's run.

[BetterForgotten]

Marland and the blue-collar families that would consume his shows - Spencer's (GH), Reardon's (GL), and Snyder's (ATWT). 

[Paul Raven]

Bill Bell Y&R/B&B

The working class family headed up by the single mom (Fosters/Liz, Logans/Beth) with the father who deserted and then returned (Bill/Steven) and the moody son who with the moody name (Snapper/Storm) and the daughter who wanted the good life (Jill/Brooke)

[YRfan23]

And of course the daughter going toe to toe with the older rich bitchy woman (Katherine/Stephanie) 

[Paul Raven]

And the two brothers in love with heroine who is raped (Snapper/Greg/Chris) (Ridge/Thorne/Caroline)

[Franko]

Katherine Bell's marriage into the Quartermaines (GH), written during Claire Labine's run, had some resemblance to Delia's involvement with the Ryans (RH). It wasn't an especially secure union, the in-laws struggled to tolerate her and Katherine wasn't above playing the victim card. I especially love Monica, who ain't havin' it.

 

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[juppiter]

Scheming vixen is in love with hunky but terminally stupid man (JER)

[SoapDope]

Bill Bell also redid stories from when he wrote Days on Y&R. 

 

What stories did Irna redo ? 

[Fevuh]

Y&R and B&B lived off of the same premise for years.  Older woman vs. Younger woman from the wrong side of the tracks.  Katherine/Jill (Jill did her nails), and Stephanie/Brooke (slut from the Valley).  

[applcin]

WIth Claire Labine, as well-written and topical as her stories were on GH, she basically dished out a triple series of heavy-hitting, tragic medical storylines: BJ's death, Stone's AIDS and Monica's breast cancer. She definitely wanted to go for the realistic, heavy-hitting topics, that would get people thinking and talking.