Jump to content

ALL: GREAT Moves by Bad/Tragic Soap Writers/EPs


Maxim

Recommended Posts

  • Members

I'm inspired by @Planet Soap's wonderful topic... and I got to thinking.

Please register in order to view this content

What are some of the amazing things... storylines... changes in production, anything REALLY positive you can think of... that some of the not so well received or infamous for their bad writing/producing... head writers or EPs have done?

Like... it may even be an accidentally popular storyline that made people tune in and turned ratings around... or just... something that worked, while everything else was horrible. I think this topic can be a lot of fun.

I can start with 1 example. And of course this is very subjective. 

Bradley Bell / Bold

The Breacon Scandal of 2001-2002 was probably the most entertaining Bold... since 1993. There are months and months of episodes (yes, somewhat trashy....) that are unskippable. And some of the most iconic scenes in the show's history were created in this period.  

What are your examples? 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 42
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

One thing I am fascinated with is a magical time at OLTL. The players were Linda Gottlieb, Michael Malone & Josh Griffith. I've wondered if Linda Gottlieb didn't get enough credit. The thing is at no other time or place, including being back at OLTL, did Malone or JG repeat that soap opera magic.

Malone was at AW for 6 months & he was awful, truly awful. 

JG, right now, is largely complained about.

I'm sure there will be other comments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

When Gail Kobe & Pam Long were at GL, Pam created Alexandra for Beverlee McKinsey. She happened to become available & she didn't want to go back to AW. That they could create this wonderful character just at that time was some kind of a boon both to the actress but also to the show. Alexandra, simply for years, was a very nice addition to the canvas & to the Spaulding family. Even later, when Marj played her & definitely when Joan Collins did, she continued to be a valuable addition to the family & the show. Personally, I am in thrall with Bev as Alex in the dinner parties she would throw. 

Excerpts from one of them:

"I'm in the middle of a dinner party with my slightly cannibalistic family." - Phillip, GL 3-5-90

"I have to write a note to myself: Never have another family dinner party for the rest of my life. And, will you please pass Beth the damn butter." - Alex, GL 3-5-90

"If I get anything, it will be an aspirin for my headache." - Alex, GL, 3-5-90

"There's a hose outside the front door if you need it." - Alex, GL, 3-5-90

"Handle it then but don't get any blood on my carpet." - Alex, GL 3-5-90

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm known to see the positive even in the most vile people/things. A character flaw after being raised by narcissists.  

Please register in order to view this content

 

Joke aside - I do think that's the only of his storylines that I've truly enjoyed from start to finish... That I would give him a solid A+.  

 

No wonder he's spend decades trying to re-create it. Never succeeding. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Invented the block vote to win Emmys.

Way back at GH as Music Producer she did some really excellent musical montages. As a matter of fact, she may have invented those couple-centric romantic montages that would close out some shows.

At DAYS, no, wait, she wasn't at DAYS

At AW, no, everything she did there was bad.

At GL, no sorry. Okay, grudgingly, people talk about the blackout to this day.

I guess that's it. 

I'm back.

At Y&R apparently she went out of her way to talk to Jess Walton & create the right circumstances for her to return to the show.

While she was EP at OLTL they allowed Michael Zaslow to act the rest of his life with some dignity. Now, it's not at all clear that she was the person behind doing this. But, at the very least, she didn't oppose it. 

 

 

 

Edited by Contessa Donatella
info
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Brooke/Decon was great stuff! One of my favorite storylines in the show's history, and 2002 Mark the last decent quality year for B&B.

I always wondered why Y&R seemed particularly good from about '88 to '01 Now I realize that lines up with Ed Scott's tenure on the show.

Good move by bad writer/EP: GH, The Metro Court Hostage Crisis. I'm not sure if goza wrote this, but it happened under the 10 year of Jill Farren Phelps, One of the greatest action storylines in soap history. Inspired by 24, it was riveting, and scary. 

Of course the bad writer (or EP) showed their head again by killing off Alan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Bradley Bell on B&B:

Brooke/Thorne/Macy triangle

Little Eric’s paternity/custody drama between 1999-2003 (a great umbrella story that the lives of the 1998-2004 cast of young characters directly or indirectly revolved around - dropping it MASSIVELY damaged the show in 2003)

Relatively speaking, the Ridge/Caroline/Rick/Maya quadrangle of 2014-2015 caused a very brief Indian summer for the show as well, but it would all come crashing down. Not an outright great plotline, but unexpectedly strong for this era of the show.

Edited by Anooj
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

    • Days of our Lives S60E204 – Thursday, June 5, 2025 Okay, today’s episode was kind of boring. It was nice seeing Jack and Jen back, but they wasted an entire episode on Jen chatting with Julie - one scene would’ve been enough. Also, why didn’t Jack and Jen go comfort Marlena? And wouldn’t a flashback with Jack, Jen, and John have been great? Maybe something from the Cruise of Deception era? Bottom line - it feels like once John’s memorial is over and the returning fan favorites leave Salem… the show’s going to be dull again.
    • Everything with Elon and Trump is a stunt. If people, and the sycophantic press, are talking about their "feud," they are not talking about Republican plans to gut Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA. 
    • I can't fully remember, but I don't think they tried to get Beth Chamberlin back. I think Laibson/McTavish likely saw Beth as old news and wanted to move Philip on; either that or have her return only when Philip was closely tied to a new woman. Thanks as always for these recaps. I think I had stopped watching around this time and mostly kept up by reading in the soap magazines. Bridget's degradation was horrible to watch, as the character had grown so much over the years and was clearly regressed just to be a foil for a "hot" couple viewers had zero investment in. 
    • Having the majority of the cast on those low numbers is no way to tell story. And just 2 dayplayers for the month. So sad for the #1 soap.  
    • I believe it was. And this is actually one of the cases where I wouldn’t mind some dumb soap opera bringing back from the dead. They gave Mishael, Amanda, with all of Hilary’s connections but none of the personality except for fleeting moments. Hilary absolutely should’ve just left town. They decided to kill her and the baby. Just baffling,
    • That was Mal Young right? He thought a tragic death was a better option than crafting a story where Hilary leaves town. Was it a case of punishing someone who wants to leave? And then they have to jump through hoops to bring the actress back.
    • Ooo @TaoboiI will say I just watched Amanda give it to Abby and I loved it. Honestly just made me miss Hilary more. I will never understand or get over that decision to kill her off. Also call me crazy but I could definitely see the Damian actor playing NuTed on BTG. Very much still enjoying the Lily attraction.
    • I rewatched these episodes---they broke my heart. Somehow, Nola had seen Vanessa leave the hospital, and follows her home, and Maeve just lets out this primal scream---chills went down my spine. And knowing the history between them---never quite liking the other and always getting on each other's nerves (to put it mildly)---makes it a much richer to have them put it all aside in the moment and be family to each other. I've never seen/heard what Maeve thought of the story itself, but she did want a break, so it's not like she was fired and then brought back. Yes, Vanessa could be this stubborn and unwilling to ask for help. She'd pretty much always been an "I can do this on my own" type of woman, although when she first came to town, she would still run to Henry. But after she met Billy, she stopped relying on her father. It's part of the reason she (briefly) got addicted to pills after Bill's birth---she was determined to take care of him all by herself and became obsessed with the idea she was the only one who could. Of course, nothing before to this extreme. I should say, there's no way (IMO) they could've told this story---Vanessa letting her loved ones thinking she'd died---if her father Henry had still been alive. She never would've been able to do that to him. And it does chafe that she's letting Bill believe it, when her mantra had been all about protecting him since the day he was born. I honestly don't recall what I thought about it at the time. But now I'm thrilled she's free of Matt at least. LOL.
    • I had no idea Peter Reckell was 70. He doesn’t look or feel it and I guess I thought Bo and Hope were closer in age than 9 years. Wow even the new writers had to have Jack praise Leo. Melissa Reeves continues to slip back in effortlessly as Jennifer. I like Ari and Holly being old friends. Holly learning about John’s death reminded me of how John used to call her Nikki if my memory is serving me right. Doug who happily sleeps in high school Holly’s room shirtless and in his underwear is now asking about birth years. How old is he anyway?    The Cat and Chad romance is insulting. 
    • Her husband is Marty Levy. Chocolate Fortunes (her company) was started in 1987.  So that explains the mystery of 'Whatever happened to Pam Peters?' She had been running a successful business for decades.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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