2021: The Directors and Writers Thread

[DemetriKane]

HA!!!! From what i heard he's been Ron's ghostwriter for over a decade. 

[Vee]

Listen, he'd fit in well at DAYS. I'll let him live.

[LondonScribe]

The only ‘saving grace’ is that is that it was her decision.

Other than that, like you guys, I never got the sense she had that much of an impact on the stories.

Josh Griffith seems to be a protected commodity over at Sony and CBS and seemingly has Carte Blanche to do what he pleases. Maybe.

[GuidingLighter]

What about Sara Bibel as Hw? She could do a greta job with somebody like Jean Passanante or Shelly Altman as a mentor. Or Jack Smith

[ClassicsSoapFan]

No Jean please and I am speaking of someone who struggled to be a fan of ATWT during those last years. I did not like her Y&R either.

Natalie Minardi Slater has been with Y&R for years. Trent Jones is another writer with Y&R connections. They could be paired with Bibel.

As far as a guiding influence: Kay Alden? Jack Smith? Lorraine Broderick? The Cullitons?

[MichaelGL]

Jean already had her chance at Y&R and it wasn't all that amazing. 

[Liberty City]

These two would be my dream team at The Young and the Restless.

[Chris B]

I’m happy for Jamey, but when it came to soaps I wish he was taking over Y&R. 

[LondonScribe]

Genuinely, do you feel he’d do a good job? I didn’t watch Ambitions so I personally have no frame of reference.

Edited September 1, 2021 by LondonScribe

[Chris B]

Ambitions was shockingly good. Old school soap, but modernized at the same time. Based on that plus his knowledge of soaps he’d be a great HW. 

[LondonScribe]

On that basis, that might not be the worst idea. New blood is needed at the top of the writing tree. Though we know who the executives are running the show and the huge conservative streak that runs  through the soap world, and some fan pushback that would invariably result if (hypothetically) he was announced.

Plus, I think I recall Ambitions dividing opinion on here.

[Chris B]

In soap circles I felt like his reputation is what drove a lot of the dividing opinions. I didn’t notice the same on social media or other boards that didn’t know him. In fact, there was a big outcry when it was canceled from non-soap areas. The show also found another life on Starz which led to more calls for it not to be canceled. I definitely think Oprah acted too fast on that one. 

[vetsoapfan]

Kay Alden, Lorraine Broderick, Nancy Curlee, Patrick Mulcahey doing scripts. There is talent still out there, but the current soaps overlook it and recycle the hacks like Carlivati and Griffin. It was the wrong choice to make SSM the lead headwriter on Y&R a while back, too.

 

I'd rather see the soaps cancelled completely than have Jean Passanante hired anywhere on daytime TV again.

[Liberty City]

I still think back to Broderick's last stint as head writer at All My Children, and how much she was still driving story potential, from a character point-of-view, up until the final moments of the series, including the Gone with the Wind-esque exit of Jackson Montgomery. She could still be working magic, but I think the loss of that soap hurt her to the point where she couldn't take on the task of doing it again.

As for Sally Sussman, I stand firm that she and Alden should've swapped roles; Alden should have been head writer and Sussman should've been storyline consultant, or even a simple writer. Sussman came in with a revenge-like agenda, and it was completely off-putting.

In no way should he be head writing a soap opera at all.

[vetsoapfan]

I'd rather give her a chance and see what she could do today, than suffer through any more Griffin or Carlivati. Or Passanante. 

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I really didn't want SSM around at all, but if she had to be, I agree that she and Alden should have switched positions. 

I agree.