Jump to content

DAYS: Head Writer Ron Carlivati Departing Peacock Soap After Seven Years


Recommended Posts

  • Members

I really enjoyed Jeanne Marie Ford's scripts when Tomlin was headwriter a decade ago. She wasn't a Culliton or a Melissa Salmons, but her scripts tended to be better than average as I recall. I'm glad she will be given a shot at the headwriters seat, but I'm not sure how much she and Cwikly will be able to accomplish with the writing team that is currently in place. I am not saying that to be shady, but rather to state that after watching Mulcahey's "General Hospital" I am not sure what can truly be done when the writing team isn't up to par. 

I found Cwikly and Brash's run fun at first, but it tended to be a bit early fanfiction in some ways. Lots of things being changed to fit the what I imagine the viewers wanted. I didn't like the idea of Craig being Chloe's father. After watching Patrika Darbo's emotional confession to Nancy's rape, I felt that it undermined some of that story to provide a happy ending to a situation that didn't really need one. I'll be curious to see what happens because as I recall Cwikly and Brash struggled with storytelling with a 2003 budget which must seem like a blockbuster compared to today. 

In regards to the ghost of JER, I think that the show was desperate to recapture that spirit for most of the early 2000s. I think there was a shift when Dena Higley 2.0 began and there was a general shift towards something resembling soap opera rather than soap opera parody. The attempt at high (or low) camp that had permeated every crevice of the canvas seemed more limited to singular stories while trying to embrace something a little more traditional. I think Poulter Clark and Ray Thomas were just wildly underprepared to handle the financial constraints that impacted who they could use, what stories they could tell, and how often they could tell said stories. I didn't find a lot of what they did effective, but I think they thought what they were doing was modernizing the show which I don't think was a terrible concept. 

For me, Carvilati's return was like the resurrection of JER with the wildness just busting out of the seems. I don't regret that he has been shown the door on the anniversary of the non-sense of two separate characters impersonating their doppleganger. Truthfully, I thought Carvilati would be writing the show's eulogy, so I am pleased he isn't. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 389
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

 

I remember that now LOL. I wonder who at Sony hired Burgstede for the job, I think Mal was in charge at the time. She may have used past connections to say she was an aspiring writer now…who knows. Pretty sure she was given the shaft when JG filled the ranks with his “groupies” he carried over from his ATWT, Days, and 2012-13 tenures. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It's actually gratifying to know Peacock execs care enough about DAYS to replace Carlivati. I thought they'd just let the show rot until cancellation.

So many of us complained about stalled storylines during the writers' strike. Little did we know that things would get even worse once Ron returned. The show is so bad right now, and I guess we're in for more bad until next April/May.

The writing looks like it comes from someone who just doesn't care. I feel like Carlivati starts work on a Monday, and by Wednesday is bored -- so he decides to start packing for a weekend on Fire Island. From Wednesday on, he really doesn't care about the show or viewers, so we get the crap we're seeing now. The focus on Leo alone shows he doesn't give a sh.it.

And can we please stop praising writers for knowing the history of the show? That should be Soap 101. That should be the expected minimum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

THANK YOU SOAP JESUS!

I honestly never thought this day would ever come. I am very pleased they promoted two writers (female at that!!!) who have history with the show. 30 plus years for Ford. I think that will be an asset for sure. I do wonder if they were responsible for the strike stuff. Which could be worrying, but on the other hand we know at least the first half of that was the influence of the fired guy, and I feel like whoever was writing the rest was being told to drag stuff out as long as they could, hence why nothing happened for months. Honestly, I don't care. I literally would take my cat head writing over what we have had to sit through the last 4 years. Just an empty parody of the show IMO.   

I know this was mentioned, but I really wonder if Sony asked Corday to release Carlivati for Y&R, with Jamey Giddens co-head writing? I really thought Carlivati would be writing the end of Days at some point....something definitely happened here.  

And, just for my own sanity, I am so glad he will not break the head writing record held by Bill Bell. That honestly would been a kick in the teeth for fans and Bell's memory. 

Edited by cody_1990
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Wow, I honestly never thought that this day would come. Thank God he's finally gone! Anyways, I'm cautiously optimistic about the new head-writers and I do hope things at Days improve, but then again, Patrick Mulcahey came out of retirement to return to GH again, and look what happened... 

So since Ron is gone I think we're probably going to see the end of BenAlex, Leo and maybe Ava and Bonnie. Also I hope this means that Emily O'Brien will never come back as either Gwen or Theresa in any capacity ever again! I hope both characters disappear into the ether and are never mentioned ever again. I definitely think Stephanie is safe because she's a legacy character and Jada might also stick around because she's one of Ron's few creations that has actually worked out pretty well. I also hope that the new headwriters don't actually get rid of all of the gay and Black characters because that diversity needs to be maintained along with some actual good storytelling. 

I also noticed that Cwickly was writing during the height of Brady/Chloe's prime so I'm expecting for that couple to possibly be revisited again, which is fine by me. I'm not really a big fan of those two but Brady desperately needs to settle down and fans have been begging for a permanent Broe reunion for many years now. Also if Alex is gone, I hope Stephanie ends up with Philip too. 

Edited by MissPhoenixGirl92
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Woooooooooww!!! Really?

 

That said...I loved that run by Paula and Brash. I also remember Cordey cutting it too short so it would be good to see what she can do with more wiggle room. Definitely excited for you DAYS fans.

 

That said...RC can stay away from GH. Thanks. 

Woooooooooww!!! Really?

 

That said...I loved that run by Paula and Brash. I also remember Cordey cutting it too short so it would be good to see what she can do with more wiggle room. Definitely excited for you DAYS fans.

 

That said...RC can stay away from GH. Thanks. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • The fact that Lois brought Gio to Brook Lynn's wedding, encouraged him to stay in town, then decided he should live at the Q's make her look dim and like she was asking to get caught lol. I still strongly dislike this story, but the performances have been good.  Like you said Gio finally has a story and Dante will get something to do besides playing house with Sam on the backburner.
    • @Maxim

      Please register in order to view this content

       
    • I'm up to 300. About 12 episodes left of the Barnes.  The development of the Prescott family has been the big event in the last few months of episodes I've watched. Jerry Timms as Gil is a nice addition as the show's new young stud. I like when the villains start out as deeply human and just generally flawed individuals like Gil, and early Nancy. Something the show does well is the sorta low level conflict that can generate with things like Gil's carefree playboy "life of the party" lifestyle interfering in the day to day happenings of him and his family. Gil is a shameless flirt and orders a beer or three when he is on lunch from the construction site. I think the conflict between himself and his father, Jason, is compelling even if I'm not sold on Read Morgan. If Morgan was a local talent, I think I might be more generous, but Morgan had a bit of primetime credits I believe. Jason, like Gil, isn't a one woman man so the internal conflict within the Prescott clan is ripe for drama. Yet, there are definitely flaws. Gil's relationships with Sheila Carter, a recast Vicki Lang, and Deena Greely seem to unattached to the larger story that I am not invested. Donna Denton isn't bad as Deena, but she lacks a bit of presence to carry the story in Mitch Dunbar's absence; she is now Mitch's law partner. Gil's flirtation with a married Lori was interesting and appeared to be done to build conflict between Gil and Russ, who seems to be heading in Renee Crawford's Marianne Prescott's direction now that Becky is out the door. Crawford slides right into the role of Lori's friend and Russ' love interest well even if Becky was (at least in the pre-Barnes) episodes more compelling as a woman who had deeper flaws than Marianne. Marianne's inner conflict has some legs if it goes anywhere. With her mother Corrine's passing, Marianne has assumed the mantle of the woman in her father's life and defacto mother to her restless, reckless brother Gil. At present, Marianne is putting her graphic design dreams on hold to work at Prescott Development, sacrificing her own desires for the "greater good" fo the Prescott men. I feel like Marianne is the kind of girl that Carrie Weaver will love and unintentionally terrorize with her overbearing, nearly incestual love for her son, Russ. If Chris Auer hadn't jumped ship to the writing team (his scripts are strong so I'm not mad), I would have liked to seen Francis pining for Marianne to complete the assumption of Becky's role in the lives of the men Becky knew (and who loved her).  The complete revision of the Vicki character with the recast and pairing her with Gil is odd. It is basically a new character. Laura Leigh Taylor's Vicki was more conservative and business focused while the new Vicki is more outgoing and lively. I don't hate the new actress but it's such a dramatic shift in characterization and I'm not clear why. I know a later character (Stacey Phillips) assumes the characterization of Taylor's Vicki Lang, but I don't think that occurs until a few months into Jason Vining's work. I also just cannot see Taylor's Vicki giving Gil the time of day when she constantly rejected Peter.  The quad between newly arrived developer Jason Prescott, recently widowed Terry, Terry's old friend Dr. Alex Greely, and Jason's corporate attorney Sharon Landers is equally weak. Alex comes off as desperate. Robert Burchette is more than serviceable in the role of friend and the lovelorn colleague, but Alex's jealousy of Jason doesn't work for me. I don't get the sense the friendship has run that deep, but maybe it does for Alex. The actress playing Sharon lacks the bravado to sell Sharon as this shark who kills it in the boardroom and could tear apart the moral Terry. I like that Jason's relationships with Terry and Sharon echo Gil's own bad boy behavior that Jason constantly chatisizes Gil for, but I do wish there was some angle here to root for other than praying that Terry decides to enter the convent.  As I was reflecting on the Prescotts, I can see why Vining makes some of the changes he does. Jason isn't a bad character, but Read Morgan doesn't work in the role. Recasting probably would have worked given the show's large canvas involved in the city planning of Kingsley from the political and business angles, but as the show delves deeper into the criminal underworld, I can see why Jason was just dropped. Also, it would have been more interesting if Jason's wife wasn't dead, but had divorced him ages ago and was living in abroad to pop up as a conflict down the line, which is ultimately what happened with Dave and Kate Phillips. On a side note, Dave has been offscreen for most of the tailend of the Barnes run reconciling with his either estranged or ex-wife, I cannot remember which.  The Prescott Development stories are bizarre. You have the antics of Gil slowly turning Peter to the dark side (a story that would have worked better with Nancy as the devil on Peter's shoulder) which is obviously built to give conflict between Jason and Terry. Simiarly, Gil's romance of Alex's niece Deena seems to set up animosity between Jason and Alex over their child and defacto child. I just cannot invest in Terry and Jason. Not that I want Alex and Terry, but Jason is just not working for me. I get we are going for the gruff widower who works in construction with a strong belief in the Lord, but I just don't think Jason projects the image of romantic lead. It's reminiscent of Bert Kramer as Alex Wheeler for me.  The story the Cavalares family is insane. Dom Cavalares is the drunk single father of teenage Donna. Donna is friends with Jill and they smoke some weed together before Donna ends up being taken into the Cummings home because when her father gets drunk he gets physically abusive. The scene of a drunk Dom breaking into the Cummings' home and attacking Donna is wild. It is a terrifying sequence where Dom comes in raging to get his daughter back with the Cummings' girls (Liz, Jenny, and Jill) and Donna present before Jeff comes in and gets knocked out by Dom. I think it ends with Donna being dragged away. I cannot imagine any show doing that in the past two decades.  In some ways, I suspect that the Barnes might have dusted off Roy Winsor's projection for the Jeff Cummings story and used them as the inspiration. When Jason learns Dom is a drunk, Dom ends up going to AA, which was the original story direction before Jeff was saved by the light. The bookstore angle quickly faded before being shifted to Jill to give her something to do. The set up for the Cummings' turning their home into a halfway house was probably the spinoff idea. I don't think its terrible, but it's not working in the larger scale of the show's canvas. I appreicate the attempts to rectify the Jeff story by having Dom turn to AA (offscreen), but I would have liked it more if we actually saw some more regret from Jeff over what he had done. Beth Slaymaker's role in this story is intriguing. As the judge handling Donna and Dom's situation, it is clear that she has a bit of sympathy for Dom that she might not have had if she hadn't given up Jill when she was younger.  The Jill-Peter romantic angle never developed the way I expected it to. Jill's "transformation" leading to more interest from both Gary and Peter feels dated by modern standards, but was probably a popular trope for the time. I think Jill has stopped appearing now that Beth has bought her the book store. I cannot say I am sorry to see her go because I don't think they knew what to do with her. Jill was such an abrasive character who I didn't like as a person, but who made sense. She was just exhausting in larger doses. Seidman was much more appealing as Jill's persona softened.  The Redlons reunion has been odd. I don't remember if it was earlier and included in my last post, but Carla nearly runs off with Jimmy in a sequence that is very well done and tense. I don't think Carla and Gene work completely. Both actors are wonderful, but I don't like how they play the duo. Carla's career should have her being pulled in directions (which it does, at times) but I think its such an odd choice to play this story in isolation of the Russ-Becky marriage. Gene's political career isn't my favorite story, either, but that's more because I don't care for Jason. I'll do a separate post later about the Carpenters with Nancy and the end of Becky and Russ' marriage. 
    • I don't know about that, I think BC has mostly improved by leaps and bounds. He's not perfect but he's come along a lot.
    • Agreed. Ted getting recasted before Martin is crazy work lol. 
    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • @Maxim

      Please register in order to view this content

       
    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • I'd dump Kai next week, lol. I would bring on Justus Ward's secret kid, as was rumored last year, as a suave, ambitious young schemer.
    • I guess the true colours are shining through from J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio. Germany defends AfD extremist classification after Rubio slams 'tyranny in disguise'  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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