Hogan Sheffer dies at 61

[Contessa Donatella]

I just tweeted an RIP for him. While I was there I saw a great pic of him with Martha.

 

 

 

 

 

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[DramatistDreamer]

 

Mitzi was never written as a self-actualized, fully realized character.  As she was written, Mitzi was almost totally dependent on Rose for viability.  When Rose was killed off, as much as talented as I thought the actress was, there was nothing for her to do, her role essentially came to an end.  One should never write a character that way, a character should always be able to stand on his or her own merits. Too many HWs have no idea how to write an independently functioning or even interdependent character. Such a shame.

 

 

Stories that were utterly disposable. 

 

 

This was a time when SORAS-ing a character really led to an exhaustion of storyline possibilities and an utter downfall.  Todd Rotondi was too old to be playing Bryant.  The character was born in the late 1980s, while Rotondi was born over a decade earlier!  You had the utter ridiculous of father and son getting with the same woman (Jennifer, who was little more than a Lolita-esque pawn in that story).  Too much, Bryant was dealt a losing hand from the moment he was SORASed.  Also, I hated the writing for that character. Considering how much Lucinda doted on baby Bryant from the day he was born, an adult Bryant didn't seem to even have a particularly warm relationship (it seemed very formal), while Lucy who was born off-screen without either grandmother present, seemed to have a warmer relationship with Lucinda.

 

 

Girl, not me!  While he seemed like an affable person and was no doubt, a joy to work with (especially in contrast with some of the known ogres in the business), his ATWT seemed distant and alien to the qualities of show I used to love.  And it marked a transition that I believe changed the show's course from what it had been and what it could be.  At the risk, of sounding harsh, imo, the Emmys showed just how far the industry had fallen. 

Edited September 30, 2019 by DramatistDreamer

[teplin]

Sheffer's reign was the first and last time I watched ATWT with any regularity -- not every day, but enough to keep up. I loved Rose and I liked what he did with Barbara. At the same time, I understood the objections of long-time viewers and I've always felt that both he and Guza were embarrassed to write for this medium. He sounds like a great (if eccentric) guy IRL, though. RIP.

[Contessa Donatella]

I can't agree with that. I saw very full stories & very full characters -- for at least a few years. The spa, the explosion, Bryant's death, and more.

 

 

Okay, that's true. I agree with you there.

Now, I was not very keen on Lucinda & Lucy. Frankly, I didn't care for Lucy at all. She was so much more of the later years. And, wasn't she with Dusty? I didn't like that.

 

Yikes! That's just not the World Turns that I saw in the first 2-3 years. I thought they deserved those statues. Of course, YMMV.

I would have to fully separate Sheffer and Guza. Put them on different sides of different coins. I liked Sheffer. I didn't like Guza. Heck, when you get right down to it, I didn't trust Guza!

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I've got to say that it is very interesting having this convo. It's a total shame that someone who was 61 had to die to create the impetus for it. Back in the day did Reilly's death cause this kind of furor?

Edited September 30, 2019 by Donna B
Draw a line.

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, I just read Tommy's Eulogy & I must say I feel the better for it.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

I never said that they didn't.  It's not a question of deserve, it's a question of shifting goalposts and lowered standards, similar to the aspect of what constitutes a successful soap opera today has shifted from where it was a decade ago. The ratings that would have led to cancellation a decade ago are now an acceptable barometer today. The standards are lower and have consistently been lowered for a good fifteen to twenty years and counting. What is Emmy certified now would not have even been nominated during either of the two Golden Ages of the soap opera. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay, I have to agree again. This is true. I'm 68. I started watching soaps, especially AW & DOOL in the 70s. Along the way I suffered the loss of AW in June 1999. After that I watched 8 different soaps to try to fill the hole that "NoAW" left in me. I had previously watched ATWT with my mother. In the 2000s I added watching SB, The City, PC, GEN, GH during the Labine/Riche period, AMC during the Bianca period, hmm, wait, that's only 7, not 8. I even watched B&B for a time. There, that makes it 8. It was a mighty fine time to go grazing on soaps.

[Brolden]

 

Not to take anything away from what you've said, because you make a number of good points, but the hook-up between Craig and Jennifer happened years after Bryant's death, during the time when JP was headwriter (although it was, indeed, utterly ridiculous). But Craig/Jennifer/Bryant were never written in a triangle sort of way.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Brolden

[Fevuh]

I am sorry to read this.  I liked World Turns under most of Sheffer.  I don't know how people say this version of World Turns was unrecognizable or not true to the show.  Somewhere in the 90's it got terrible...when they went to the new goose-flying season changing opening credits that looked like a tampax commercial.  Hated that opening.  Who was the writer then?  Jessica someone or Blackmon or something?  It was the most awful writing in the history of the show.  Hogan revived World Turns and I had sat through, pulling through a couple/few years of awful.  I remember those couple of years - one of them, TV Guide named it the worst show on Television.  Was sad considering they had been so great for several years and won a Best Daytime Drama emmy and were robbed another year IMO.  

Edited September 30, 2019 by Fevuh

[victoria foxton]

For a brief time Mr. Sheffer managed to revive a floundering ATWT. But he often disregarded characterization and history. Still i enjoyed 2 yrs of his run. Until he was paired with Jean I really enjoyed ATWT starting with Katie being exposed at the Endicott awards. Ending with the Nick Scudder murder mystery. Under Sheffer ATWT lacked it's warm friendly family/community feel. He managed to make Emily likable again. After her disastrous affair with Tom. Barbara instead of Carly getting badly burned in the boat house explosion was a great twist. But then we got Dark Campy Barbara. Which wasn't so great. For me it's a mixed bag. There's stuff i love there's stuff i hate. RIP Hoag .

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Edited September 30, 2019 by victoria foxton

[ClassicsSoapFan]

I am sorry to hear about his death. He died too young.

His first year was good because he had Carolyn Culliton and some holdovers on the staff. Culliton was replaced  and the holdovers fired and the show went down fast.

i never thought I would stop watching my most favorite show of all time but by cancellation I had just about given up, Thank you Jean,P., Chris P. and Hogan.

He DID have great potential at DAYS. Sorry he wasn’t given a real chance there.

i don’t think he had any effect on Y and R.

[Contessa Donatella]

@victoria foxtonIt's a mixed bag to me, too, mostly according to who was writing with him at the time.

 

@oakdalelover Yes, he died too young, but we have had plenty who did - Ted Corday @ 58, Zas @ 56, Marland @ 57, Reilly @ 60, Anthony Addabo @ 56, Larkin Molloy @ 62, and Carrie Fisher @ 50, so we add Sheffer @ 61.

 

I join others here in wishing he had given a big ole' Q&A before his time came.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Donna B
Spacing.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Wow, Nick Scudder, I've forgotten so much of this show's later years!  Funny because I liked Carl T. Evans so much on Guiding Light (he and his NYC/Long Island accent really vied for my pre-pubscent affections) but he was like a non-entity for me on ATWT after I initially so looked forward to him being on the show. I guess it was because I figured out very early on in the storyline that his presence was not long for the show's canvas.  I was really disappointed by that. 

[slick jones]

I'm sorry to hear this.  I, like many others really liked the first year or so of his ATWT run.  Rest in peace, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.

[victoria foxton]