They then talk a bit about Sam Hall's role as associate HW (he shares an office with Gordon Russell but only comes in a couple of times a week, working mostly from home) They do spit take conversations about overall story, but Sam's main job is to then do the detailed outline which Gordon heavily edits before sending to script writers.
About Doris Quinlan there's this:
Headwriter-Producer Relationship
Gordon was not hired by Doris Quinlan nor does he consider
himself accountable to her. When Gordon accepted the
offer from the ABC Vice President of Programming to headwrite
"One Life to Live", it was unofficially stipulated
that he would not be working for Doris Quinlan but rather
with her. Since she has more direct access to information
concerning occurrences which transpire relative to directing,
costume designing, scenic designing, tape scheduling
and ratings, Gordon is inclined to take his producer's
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input quite seriously. However Gordon's interest in Doris's
perceptions and observations should not suggest a subordinate
relationship. To Gordon, Doris is an important liason,
a feedback mechanism supplying him with information pertinent
to the production, financial and aesthetic aspect of
the show. Doris will criticize but will not chastise. She
will recommend but will not insist.
Gordon's insistance that he and Doris are on an equal
footing appears, within a hierarchial context, theoretically
true. However, Quinlan holds an important advantage of
vantage point. The producer's position allows her an overview
crucial to the functioning of the show as a whole.
She is the hub of a synchronization process dealing with,
amongst other elements of the production machine — writing.
Producer-headwriter conversations ensue at no
scheduled intervals. On occasion Gordon will personally
deliver edited scripts to Doris (the producer's office is
located at the ABC studios about five blocks from Gordon's
office) in order to keep a finger on what's going on by
talking to Doris, the directors and actors. Gordon explained
"when I take them myself, I know they’ll get there". More
often than conversing in person, Gordon and Doris speak via
telephone. A portion of one such conversation which according
to Gordon was fairly typical may be seen below:
Doris: She can't go because she hasn't got a man
to take her is rather un-Cathy
Gordon: Oh
Doris: Isn't it? Well, I think...what to comment
on it or not. You know.
Gordon: Oh, all right.
Doris: I don't know...it's trivial
Gordon: Yeah, Okay. I mean, I think she'd like
to go with someone you know
Doris: Yes, of course. Now she's well, Paul
has invited her and if she's the lady
she says she is, it should not concern
her that she does not have an escort.
Gordon: Yeah, all right, fine.
Doris: I don't understnad page 4— why Cathy has
a bottle of champagne to celebrate the
occasion. Nor do I understand what tl;t
means when Pat proposes a toast to Tony's
place on Cathy's reaction we go to black.
What reaction?
Gordon: Ah
Doris: If Pat has brought a bottle of booze and
all that...I don't quite understand why
Cathy would be celebrating the opening
of Tony's...we use it and she says: "I
planned a celebration this way”.
Gordon: That might be a good idea. Yeah.
Doris: That would be more likely
Gordon: Yeah, okay. We could make that note.
Although Doris' approach to this communication is
more interrogatory and clarification oriented than declarative
and edification oriented, she accomplishes change.
Gordon's yeahs, o.k.'s and all rights sprinkled throughout
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this portion of the conversation seem to be representative
of the head writer's attitude toward his producer's observations
in relation to his script. That which she brings up
is often not worth arguing or acclaiming. On occasion
Doris has an idea which Gordon deems valuable — innovative.
Such an idea was forthcoming in this particular phone conversation
:
Doris: All right, I'm also gonna see if there's any
way I can get us a guest star for the
opening [of Tony's Club].
Gordon: Fine, I'd love it.
Also considered in headwriter-producer discussions
are actors' schedules and availability. Because some performers
are obligated to work only three or four shows a
week script content and taping schedules must be accomodating
ly arranged. Content and tape schedules may be
altered due to actor illness or producer brainstorm.
Whether rescheduling is necessitated by a performer's week
long migraine or a guest star's need to work on a certain
day, the maneuver is never accomplished without prior consultation
between Doris and Gordon.
The moment Doris receives scripts from Gordon they
become joint property. No longer is Gordon's say final.
All is subject to discussion, reevaluation and alteration.
Gordon as headwriter is ultimately responsible for
scripts submitted to Doris. Though Doris is uninvolved in
social and/or work activity associated with the actual
writing of "One Life to Live’s" scripts and outlines, she
participates in final judgment of them. The process by
which scripts are created, the focus of Chapter IV, would
be of little interest to Doris. Her primary concern is
the final product.
By
EricMontreal22 ·
