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ALL: Head Writers

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  • Member

I'm trying to make a list of head writers of current soaps. I need your help to correct and complete (especially GH and OLTL): Thanks!

ALL MY CHILDREN

Agnes Nixon (1970-1981)

Agnes Nixon / Wisner Washam (1981-1983)

Wisner Washam (1983-1988)

Agnes Nixon / Wisner Washam (1988-1992)

Megan McTavish (1992-1995)

Lorraine Broderick (1995-1997)

Megan McTavish (1997-1999)

Agnes Nixon (1999-2000)

Jean Passanante (2000-2001)

Richard Culliton (2001-2002)

Anna Cascio / Gordon Rayfield (2002-2003)

Megan McTavish (2003-present)

AS THE WORLD TURNS

Irna Phillips (1956-1968)

Kathryn Pabecki (1968-1970)

Irna Phillips (1970-1973)

Joel Kane / Ralph Ellis (1973-1974)

Winifred Wolfe (1974)

Katherine L. Phillips (1974-1975)

Robert Soderberg / Edith Sommer (1975-1978)

Ralph Ellis / Eugenie Hunt (1978-1979)

Douglas Marland (1979)

Bridget & Jerome Dobson (1979-1983)

Paul Roberts (1983)

K.C. Collier (1983)

Carolyn Frantz / John Saffron (1983-1984)

Tom King / Millie Taggart (1984-1985)

Richard Culliton (1985)

Susan Bedsow Morgan / Cynthia Benjamin (1985)

Douglas Marland (1985-1993)

Juliet Packer / Richard Backus (1993-1995)

Richard Culliton (1995-1996)

Stephen Black / Henry Stern (1996-1998)

Stephen Demorest / Mel Braz / Addie Walsh (1998)

Lorraine Broderick (1998-1999)

Leah Laiman (1999-2000)

Hogan Sheffer (2000-2005)

Jean Passanante (2005-present)

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Bradley Bell (1987-present)

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Peggy Phillips / Kenneth Rosen (1965-1966)

William J. Bell (1966-1973)

Pat Falken Smith (1973-1977)

Ann Marcus (1977-1979)

Ruth Brooks Flippen (1979)

Elizabeth Harrower (1979-1980)

Nina Laemmle (1980)

Gary Tomlin / Michelle Poteet Lisanti (1980-1981)

Pat Falken Smith (1981-1982)

Margaret DePriet / Sheri Anderson (1982-1984)

Sheri Anderson / Thom Racina (1984-1986)

Sheri Anderson / Thom Racina / Leah Laiman (1986-1988)

Leah Laiman (1988-1989)

Anne Howard Bailey (1989)

Richard J. Allen / Anne Schoettle (1989-1991)

Gene Palumbo (1991-1992)

Richard J. Allen / Beth Milstein (1992)

Sheri Anderson (1992)

Sheri Anderson / Gene Palumbo (1992)

Sheri Anderson (1992)

Sheri Anderson / James E. Reilly (1992-1993)

James E. Reilly (1993-1997)

Sally Sussman Morina (1997-1999)

Lorraine Broderick (1999)

Tom Langan (1999-2002)

Peter Brash / Paula Cwikly (2002-2003)

Dena Highley (2003)

James E. Reilly (2003-2006)

Beth Milstein (2006)

Hogan Sheffer (2006-present)

GENERAL HOSPITAL

Frank & Doris Hursley (1963-1972)

Bridget & Jerome Dobson (1972-?)

Richard & Suzanne Holland (??)

Robert Mason & Eileen Pollock (??)

(??)

Douglas Marland (1977-1979)

Pat Falken Smith (1979-1981)

Thom Racina (1981-1984)

Norma Monty (??)

(??)

Claire Labine (1993-1995)

Robert Guza Jr (1995-1996)

Richard Culliton / Karen Harris (1996-1997)

Robert Guza Jr (1997-2000)

Michelle Val Jean (2000-2001)

Megan McTavish (2001-2002)

Robert Guza Jr / Charles Pratt (2002-2006)

Robert Guza Jr (2006-present)

GUIDING LIGHT

Irna Phillips (1956-1958)

Agnes Nixon (1958-1966)

David Lesam / Julian Funt (1966)

James Lipton (1966-1968)

Irna Phillips (1968-1971)

Richard Soderberg / Edith Sommer (1971-1973)

James Gentile / Robert Cenedella / James Lipton (1973-1975)

Jerome & Bridget Dobson (1975-1979)

Douglas Marland (1979-1982)

Pat Falken Smith (1982)

Carolyn Culliton (1982-1983)

Pam Long (1983-1986)

Jeff Ryder (1986-1987)

Joseph D. Manetta / Sheri Anderson (1987)

Pam Long (1987-1990)

Nancy Curlee / Stephen Demorest / James E. Reilly (1990-1992)

Nancy Curlee / Stephen Demorest / Lorraine Broderick (1992-1994)

Douglas Anderson (1994-1995)

Megan McTavish (1995-1996)

Michael Conforti / Victor Miller (1996-1997)

James Mannen Brown / Barbara Esensten (1997-2000)

Claire Labine (2000-2001)

Tom King / Christopher Dunn / Llyod Gold (2001-2002)

Millee Taggart (2002-2003)

Ellen Weston (2003-2004)

David Kreizman (2004-present)

ONE LIFE TO LIVE

Agnes Nixon (1968-1975)

Gordon Russell (1975-??)

(??)

Craig Carlson (1990-1991)

(??)

Josh Griffith (1994-1995)

Claire Labine / Matt Labine (1995-1998)

Pam Long (1998)

Jill Farren Phelps (1998-1999)

Megan McTavish (1999-2001)

Lorraine Broderick / Christopher Whitersell (2001-2003)

Michael Malone / Josh Griffith (2003-2004)

Dena Highley (2004-present)

PASSIONS

James E. Reilly (1999-present)

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

William J. Bell (1973-1997)

William J. Bell / Kay Alden (1997-1998)

Kay Alden (1998-2003)

Kay Alden / John F. Smith (2003-2006)

Kay Alden / John F. Smith / Lynn Marie Latham (2006-present)

  • Replies 15
  • Views 448
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  • Member

A few notes:

Bradley Bell didn't become head writer of B&B until 1994

His father the GREAT William Bell was HW of B&B from it's debut till then (1987-1994)

Guiding Light:

Millie Taggart/Carolyn Culliton (2002) They shared co-head writers during that time.

Same with ATWT, Carolyn was at some point in time, Hogan's Co-Head Writer. I believe she was co-head writer 1999-2001; as she is listed on IMDB, again not the most reliable source.

I do not believe Jill Ferin Phelps wrote for OLTL, she was the executive producer from 98-01, however.

  • Member

As for B&B:

William J. Bell: 1987-1993

Bradley Bell: 1993-present

John F. Smith: 2002 (jointly as co-headwriter with Bradley Bell)

  • Member

Interesting that Irna came back to GL from 1968 to 1971. I always thought she gave up that show when she left to create ATWT. I notice part of it overlapped with her stint on ATWT as well, but that's very common in P&G soaps.

Also, funny how William J. Bell stepped down as headwriter on B&B in 1993, yet continued on Y&R until 1998.

  • Member

Jill Farren Phleps did write for OLTL before Megan McTavish came on board.

  • Member

If I'm not mistaken re:JFP & OLTL, there was a period of time when the abruptly fired a HW (or one abruptly quit). There was a period of about a year (or so) thereafter that the show functioned *without* a headwriter. JFP was EP of OLTL at the time and it was pretty much common knowledge that she was writing the show during that period until an official HW was hired. I'm thinking this was during the late '90s.

  • Member
Irna Phillips (1970-1973)
I was under the impression that Phillips "retired" in 1972 (aka, P&G fired her) and then died in 1973.

Stephen Black / Henry Stern (1996-1998)

Stephen Demorest / Mel Braz / Addie Walsh (1998)

I think Demorest, Braz, and Walsh came on before Black and Stern.

I thought that Black and Stern were canned later in 1996, which was probably best decision P&G made b/c those two were awful...just awful. Jessica Stein is somewhere after them and before Broderick.

If I'm not mistaken re:JFP & OLTL, there was a period of time when the abruptly fired a HW (or one abruptly quit). There was a period of about a year (or so) thereafter that the show functioned *without* a headwriter. JFP was EP of OLTL at the time and it was pretty much common knowledge that she was writing the show during that period until an official HW was hired. I'm thinking this was during the late '90s.

Knowing about Phelps and her antics on AW and GL, I'm not surprised. :rolleyes:

  • Administrator

Ms.Walsh, click on the ATWT link above. ;)

Thanks for the B&B list, Sheila. :)

  • Member
Nancy Curlee / Stephen Demorest / Lorraine Broderick (1992-1994)

I'm sure that this team didn't last from 92-94 but 92-93. Both Curlee and Broderick were replaced by Patrick Mulcahey, Peggy Sloane, Nancy Williams Watt, Sheri Anderson, and Millee Taggart. Demorest stayed on.

Was Carolyn Culliton, Hogan Sheffers only co-Head Writer on ATWT? Weren't Hal Corley and Stephen Demorest also listed along with Culliton?

  • Administrator
Was Carolyn Culliton, Hogan Sheffers only co-Head Writer on ATWT? Weren't Hal Corley and Stephen Demorest also listed along with Culliton?

Corley and Demorest were only associate writers.

Sheila, when did Bill Bell and Lee P. Bell stop being EPs of B&B? 1996?

Tell me if there are any mistakes or if I'm missing anything

B&B:

Executive Producers

March 23, 1987 - 1996

William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell

1996 - Present

Bradley Bell

Head Writers

March 23, 1987 - 1993

William J. Bell

1993 - 2002

Bradley Bell

2002

Bradley Bell and John F. Smith

2002 - Present

Bradley Bell

Y&R:

Executive Producers

March 26, 1973 - ??

William J. Bell and Wes Kenney

??? - 2001

William J. Bell and Edward J. Scott

2001 - 2003

William J. Bell and David Shaughnessy

2003 - April 2005

William J. Bell and John F. Smith

May 2005 - May 12, 2006

John F. Smith

May 15, 2006 - Present

No Executive Producer

Head Writers

March 26, 1973 - 1997

William J. Bell

1997 - 1998

William J. Bell and Kay Alden

1999 - 2000

Kay Alden

2000 - August 5, 2004

Kay Alden, John F. Smith, Trent Jones

August 6, 2004 - February 15, 2006

Kay Alden and John F. Smith

February 16, 2006 - Present

Kay Alden, Lynn Marie Latham, John F. Smith

Edited by Toups

  • Member

"I'm sure that this team didn't last from 92-94 but 92-93. Both Curlee and Broderick were replaced by Patrick Mulcahey, Peggy Sloane, Nancy Williams Watt, Sheri Anderson, and Millee Taggart. Demorest stayed on."

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Curlee left Spring of 1994. Not sure about Broderick, she may have left before that. I *believe* that Curlee went on maternity leave and then decided not to return. I could be wrong though, that part is rather fuzzy. And then Demorest stayed on for a few more months.

  • Administrator

Broderick left GL in 1993 and went to AW in 1994.

  • Member
Executive Producers

March 23, 1987 - 1996

William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell

1996 - Present

Bradley Bell

Head Writers

March 23, 1987 - 1993

William J. Bell

1993 - 2002

Bradley Bell

2002

Bradley Bell and John F. Smith

2002 - Present

Bradley Bell

Bradley Bell officially took over the writing reigns in May 1993. He became Exec Prod in December 1995.

BTW: You listed Jack Smith as headwriter on Y&R way too early. He din't became officially co-headwriter along with Kay Alden until early 2003 after he left B&B. Trent Jones was also never headwriter because Kay Alden had the reigns in the late 90s until 2000s. I think he was more associate headwriter if at all.

And I need to ckeck: but wasn't Tom Langan an exec prod at Y&R in the late 80s?

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