Members Paul Raven Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 The recent departure of Patrick Mulcahey at GH got m thinking of other headwriters who were dismissed/departed after 6 months or less. What were the reasons for the departure(if known) and what characters/stories did they contribute? AW Harding Lemay, September 12, 1988 - November 10, 1988 Brought back Iris and Vivian, revisited the Janice/Mac/Rachel story with Evan as Janice's son. Introduced Caroline Stafford, had Cass/Nicole call off their engagement. Replaced by Donna Swajeski who had been a scab writer. Never clear why Lemay got the ax-possibly because DW worked well during the strike and was a cheaper option. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 Lorraine Broderick Days Of Our Lives Oct 15, 1999-November 10,1999 Introduced teen Belle, Phillip & Shawn. Did not mesh with the EP's. Was replaced by Tom Langan who was also Co-EP 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Liberty City Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 As the World Turns: May 1983 - June 1983 Caroline Franz and John Saffron May 1997 - Late October 1997 Jessica Klein Days of Our Lives: January 31, 1992 - June 11, 1992 Richard J. Allen & Beth Milstein General Hospital: February 5, 2001 - April 27, 2001 Michele Val Jean and Elizabeth Korte (Co-Head Writer) January 6, 2012 - February 20, 2012 Garin Wolf & Shelly Altman 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members robbwolff Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 Franz and Saffron were head writers longer than one month. They were still head writers when James fell from the plane in October 1983. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 Guiding Light Pat Falken Smith - 1982. I'm not entirely sure what stories she had the chance to create. Was she the one who came up with Company? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paul Raven Posted June 2, 2024 Author Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 The odd plot where a house crashed into the Reardon home creating Company Brought in older Phillip. Established that Rebecca Cartwight was the mystery guest at quint's house. Otherwise she pretty much continued/tweaked Marlands stories 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 Thanks. I couldn't remember if bringing back Philip was her or L Virginia Browne. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AbcNbc247 Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 (edited) Days Ruth Brooks Flippen: March 17, 1980 - April 18, 1980 Her biggest storyline seemed to be Bob’s death and the aftermath, but it seemed like the show had been laying the groundwork for that before she even got there. I haven’t heard much her run and why it was so short, only a rumor that she was meant to be a transitional writer until Nina Laemmle came on. Didn’t he quit because he and Swajeski clashed over the show’s direction? Edited June 2, 2024 by AbcNbc247 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Contessa Donatella Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 DW? You mean DS? Anyway, just noting that Swajeski was network & came to writing for the show by jumping that fence. There is some thinking that people who work for the network first & then a show, or shows, have some unknown advantage. Pete Lemay? If so, no, didn't quit. Let go. And, as far as we know, she wrote from his outlines for at least 8 months, perhaps longer. So that would effectively make a theory that they had different visions not really work at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Contessa Donatella Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 (edited) I was told by a soap journo who interviewed PFS at the time that the reason she was there so short a time was this: What she pitched that she wanted to write, they had no interest in. What they told her they wanted her to write, she said were impossible stories to craft. And, they said that's why we wanted you because we thought you could write the impossible stuff. At that point, things came to a screeching halt. Impasse. What each side wanted was a hard NO from the other side. I think I can actually imagine the consternation she may have had with Potter - and he with her! We have certainly heard of other times & places where every single thing the writer pitched was shot down. The only thing different here is this idea that they thought she could pull a rabbit out of a hat. So take it for whatever you wish. Edited June 2, 2024 by Contessa Donatella more 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mona Kane Croft Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 Lemay and Swjeski never worked together. He was fired when she was hired. It's likely they never even met. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Contessa Donatella Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 I did not realize that. But, I am not surprised now that you say it. Thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soapfan770 Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 This was the first one I immediately thought of as well. It’s weird because for whatever reason she got strangely blamed by some for stuff for already ongoing stories like Subsex, Bo the Mime, Princess Gina, botching a Kate/Nicholas/Billie triangle etc. I guess Corday and Langan just threw her under the bus at the time when Days was unraveling fast. Of course the Langan era of Days was…something else to put it politely lol… I know Jessica Klein’s disastrous ATWT stint was mentioned already but basically ATWT was a revolving door there 1996-1998: February 1996 – December 1996 Stephen Black and Henry Stern December 1996 – May 1997 Stephen Demorest, Mel Brez and Addie Walsh May 1997 – October 1997 Jessica Klein October-December 1997Stephen Demorest, Mel Brez and Addie Walsh December 1997– February 1998 Addie Walsh What a mess. Also Victor Miller and Michael Conforti only wrote for GL October 1996-February 1997 as they cleaned up McTavish’s mess but were soon replaced by B&E. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kalbir Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 GL's 1980s revolving door of HWs December 1979: Douglas Marland October 1982: Pat Falken Smith November 1982: L. Virginia Browne February 1983: Richard Culliton and Pamela Long September 1983: Pamela Long January 1986: Jeff Ryder February 1986: Jeff Ryder and Mary Ryan Munisteri September 1986: Mary Ryan Munisteri and Ellen Barrett October 1986: Joseph Manetta November 1986: Joseph Manetta and Sheri Anderson July 1987: Pamela Long January 1991: Nancy Curlee As the World Turns also had a revolving door of HWs in the first half of the 1980s December 1979: Jerome and Bridget Dobson April 1981: Paul Roberts August 1981: Tom King and K.C. Collier January 1982: Jerome and Bridget Dobson May 1983: Carolyn Franz and John Saffron December 1983: John Saffron and Tom King April 1984: Tom King and Millee Taggart November 1984: Cynthia Benjamin and Susan Bedsow Horgan February 1985: Susan Bedsow Horgan September 1985-March 1993: Douglas Marland 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Planet Soap Posted June 2, 2024 Members Share Posted June 2, 2024 (edited) Good God! Especially on GL's part. In general, why are head writer tenures generally short? Is it burnout from the 5 episode a week workload? Is it simply because soaps are a never-ending institution so people constantly cycle out? Edited June 2, 2024 by Planet Soap 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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