Jump to content

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


Recommended Posts

  • Members

 

Yeah, I figured as much once I read about the previous storyline.  It was very on the nose and I don't mean that in a disparaging way, just that it was very obvious that the writing was somehow trying to present Roger in a valiant light in the 1993 scenes.  The only thing is that, in both incidents, Roger was ultimately the one who brought about both situations by setting up the circumstances for each confrontation.  Even though he saved Ed's life, it was still his fault that it all happened in the first place, LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 43
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Bill Bell reused storylines as mentioned earlier in the thread, but he also reused character elements. This was really evident during the first two years of B&B:

Stuart/Phillip/Eric

Jennifer/Katherine/Vanessa/Stephanie

Snapper/Lance/Ridge

Greg/Lucas/Thorne

Peggy/Kristen

Stuart/Bill Spencer

Chris/Caroline

Bill Foster/Stephen

Liz/Beth

Snapper/Greg/Storm

Jill/Brooke

 

On Y&R, Bill Bell took elements of the Jackson brothers and reused them a decade later with the Winters brothers. It also recently occurred to me that Bill Bell may have taken elements from the Reed sisters and reused them with the Barber sisters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Ron also has done rapemance's on every show he writes too. 

 

I don't mind stories repeating, but with a lot of writer's, they're exactly the same as they did on another show. STOP REPEATING it, mix it up, make it different for each show

 

 

 

 

 

I think that's why Kevin and Lucy worked so well together, he balanced out her "eccentricities" 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

And a gay villain who tries to blackmail a straight guy into bed, but then is redeemed. And if he can, a baby switch. Something tells me we’ll be getting one on Days soon. 

 

In terms of reusing plots and characters, Ron puts Bill Bell to shame. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Bill Bell's Days story of Julie giving David up for adoption and the getting involved with the adoptive parents,(the Bannings) having the wife (Janet)die and marrying the husband (Scott) definitely has shades of ATWT's Ellen and the Stewarts told a few years earlier...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

 

Irna loved to do the good family with a scandalous aunt who was having an affair with a married man (Edith Hughes ATWT, Janet Matthews AW), the young woman having a child out of wedlock (rare story back then, common now) and having the child die (Rose Kransky GL, Meta Bauer GL, Pat Matthews AW) or be given up for adoption and then reclaimed (Chuckie White GL, Dan Stewart ATWT) and then the mother shooting and killing the father of her baby (Ted White GL, Tom Baxter AW). The Susan/David/Dickie story on Days fits several of these categories which makes me think Irna had a hand in that storyline even though she’s listed as “Story Editor” during that time and not Headwriter. There’s also the same story of adoptive mothers dying and adoptive fathers marrying biological mothers (Ellen/David/Betty Stewart ATWT, Julie/Scott/Janet Banning DOOL). Again, makes me think Irna had a bigger hand in the early days of Days than she is credited for. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think it was more a case of Bill Bell using elements of stories he had been heavily involved with while working alongside Irna.

 

Another Bell repeat story

 Days -  Phyllis,planning to shoot Julie, shot her daughter Mary instead

Y&R - Vanessa, planning to shoot Lorie, shoots her son Lance instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • Cady had a fairly posh accent or manner as Rosanna - the character was a 180 from Dixie when she went to ATWT, and it was a huge success initially. As someone mostly only familiar with the nagging, miserable or clueless Dixie of the mid-late '90s and early 2000s it was what convinced me Cady could act. I thought she was incredible in her first run. Later, in future stints, her hair and story and performances were all over the place but a lot of that was down to the show for me. She brought some of Rosanna back with her to Dixie in her ill-fated return and a lot of people didn't like it, which I understood but I did think the character needed some change. I think she's had a little bit of the same persona and arch performance in every role she's played since, including Jennifer Horton at DAYS or Kelly at Y&R, who later became a maniac and was easily the worst work I've ever seen Cady do. It has kind of infected her overall mannerisms, I'll allow that, but I do think she brought Dixie back together as herself while still evolving the character when she returned to AMC again in 2012-13. Nonetheless, for me the upshot is that this is a character where Cady's kookier recent performance style suits the role. But I can understand it grating for people.
    • Yeah, Loretta Swit's passing stings. My late dad LOVED the show (he died last November) and watched it religiously. In first run and repeats.  And I was literally born the day after the show's premiere, so I grew up with it! I know many loved later, softer Margaret, but I loved Early Hot Lips. In real life, I'm all for less misogyny, but to me, the early years of M*A*S*H were just funnier. May Loretta Swit rest in peace. Thanks for all the memories connected to my dad!
    • FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 10/29/73-11/2/73 & 11/5/73-11/9/73:  

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I agree that she isn't Dixie or Rosanna and shouldn't be acting like either. I just found it strange that she had a naive Southern character and a wealthy urbane character in the past and didn't experiment with accents before (unless I missed it, correct me if I'm wrong). She used to do improv characters on YouTube. She's probably doing something similar here.

      Please register in order to view this content

       
    • And here I thought I'd never think about Lauren Tewes again after her brief appearance in Twin Peaks Season 3.
    • I may be the single person who does not mind Transatlantic Campy Pamela. I think it perfectly suits this sort of Absolutely Fabulous-esque supporting character she's playing much more than it did when Cady tried weird and often broad stuff at AMC* or Y&R, or later stints at ATWT. She's not Dixie and she's not trying to be. I will freely admit some of the other chances she took at other shows often came off stiff, hammy or downright mortifying (Kelly Andrews, come on down). (* - and I say that as one of the few who was somewhat into Cady trying to make Dixie more cosmopolitan in the Rosanna Cabot mold in mid-2000s AMC, just to liven the character up again)
    • There’s absolutely nothing exciting happening storyline wise but I’m always happy to see the vets on my screen so I’ll take what I can get. It’s also just nice to see them all dressed up in the same room, it always gives classic Y&R vibes. The best part? No Phyllis. 
    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • Well now we had Ashley's reaction-and weren't we all gasping when she appeared to hate it-but she was just joking!! She loved it. Now we have to see Abby's reaction, and maybe Mamie could come back to say she loves it. How about Jill via Zoom giving her opinion (she'll love it) and bring in a day player to play Mrs Martinez to say she loves it also... I feel bad to keep dumping on this show (not really) but when the choices they make are so inane, it's the only entertainment value the show has. Let's unpack the Nikki birthday story. So Claire wants to throw her Nana a birthday bash as away of endearing Kyle to Victor. Don't quite get the logic there,but OK. She hires a party planner who makes ridiculous suggestions. Slightly annoyed that Y&R are hiring someone for this role for 5 episodes when we never see doctors, co- workers etc. But OK to that to. With all the talk we are expecting something special. What we get is the Jazz Lounge hideously decorated with some ugly tablecloths and a few tacky decorations. They needed a planner for this? Then the guest list consists of family members (no grandchildren)and a few others. Hardly a party. As usual the costuming is pretty awful. A red and black theme ? And our guest of honor is sporting a do that looks like a cross between Cameron Diaz in Something about Mary and Marie from Roxette. They should have had an intimate dinner and ditched all the fanfare. Would have been way more believable.
    • Please register in order to view this content

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy