By Sara A. Bibel
Fancast.com
Enough complaining. I want to celebrate a show that‚s getting it right ˆ One Life To Live. I'm not the first person to sing the praises of OLTL‚s headwriter Ron Carlivati. (Hey, daytime, great things happen when you promote from within!) But I want to add my voice to the chorus. Carlivati has turned the show into what a soap opera ought to be ˆ with humor, likable characters, rootable couples and umbrella stories that utilize the show‚s history. It‚s both escapist and relatable. It‚s also the only soap which feels like it takes place in the 21st century. Last Friday‚s episode, cleverly titled „Uncle-cest Is Best‰ featured a sequence in which David Vickers broke the 4th wall as he delivered a monologue that explained how he ended up as a bus boy in a Texas diner. Using nothing but limbo sets, the show managed to portray how David‚s nascent television career was hilariously derailed by the writers strike. (I can relate.) The same episode also contained a well-shot location sequence and, oh yeah, a guest appearance by Snoop Dogg. It was the most entertaining, original hour of television ˆ daytime or primetime ˆ I watched last week. This week features a soap wedding ˆ the kind where the whole cast shows up in fabulous dresses and big secrets are revealed. Remember those? The ratings have yet to reflect the show's brilliance, so I'm beseeching all of you to check it out.
I'm excited that some of you took the time to comment and ask questions. This blog is for you. So make your voices heard!
Carrie writes: When's the next column, Sara? How do we find out about these? I'll start with an easy one. This column will appear Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Chris asks: My question is, how did you end up leaving Y&R? How was it for all-but-four of the pre-LML writers being let go? LML decided not to renew my contract. Contrary to internet rumor it had nothing to do with me protesting an actor being let go. It was, obviously, devastating for all of us old-school Y&R writers. The show was more than just a job. It was our whole life. We were like a family. To me, the great tragedy of the situation is that LML‚s arrival could have been the start of a brilliant new era. IMHO, Lynn‚s early tenure, when she was working with Kay Alden and Jack Smith, was wonderful. She looked at Y&R's characters with a fresh eye and pushed the show in some interesting directions. Kay and Jack‚s input transformed her ideas into stories that honored Y&R‚s style and history. The increased ratings showed that the audience approved. Unfortunately, Lynn chose to use the power she gained to make personnel changes which resulted in a decline in the show‚s quality ˆ and its ratings.
AMCHistory writes: I cannot wait to hear more about what was going on behind the scenes at AMC. I do not know how a show with such a rich history, and at that time a pretty stellar cast, sunk to such lows. I love your user name. It reminds me of the good old days of the Glamorama and Aunt Phoebe. Honestly, I wasn't with AMC long enough to give you a full explanation of the situation. But I will say that, in general, head writers who aren't familiar with a show tend to favor plot driven storytelling. In my experience, this rarely makes for satisfying viewing.
wyla: Why is it today's soaps have such a hard time writing for characters of color? Is it a directive from the top that no families of color outside of Y&R are considered core? Great question! It‚s a huge problem not only for soaps, but for television and film in general. It‚s a complicated issue. There are very few writers of color in daytime. None are headwriters. This needs to change, especially given daytime‚s large African American audience. People are often uncomfortable writing for characters whose backgrounds they find unfamiliar. (I think this is crazy, for the record.) Until recently, there was an unspoken taboo against interracial romance which seriously hindered storytelling for non-white characters. There were a lot of „token black male falls in love with the token black female and they live happily ever after on the backburner‰ stories. I will give credit to All My Children for bringing back Jesse and Angie. Hopefully, the Hubbards will become a core family. I'd like RJ to get a story on OLTL. He‚s awesome.
sydney: I have a few questions. Do the writers actually visit message boards and read viewers comments? If they do visit, do they pay attention or is someone else pulling the strings? What is the best way to be heard? A lot of the younger writers check out the boards. Headwriters are too busy. (Headwriting a soap is close to a 24/7 job. It‚s not just the insane volume of writing. It‚s dealing with the network, the actors, etc.) I always enjoyed reading the fans‚ comments. I found it incredibly gratifying when people liked my episodes, and took it as constructive criticism when they didn't. I have a background in television research (Nielsen ratings, focus groups, etc.) so reading feedback appeals to me. Back in college I was an internet soap fan, so I know that all the criticism comes from a loving place. I also find some of the character nicknames and commentary on wardrobe hilarious. However, TPTB don't pay much attention. The majority of soap viewers don't post on-line. Different message boards often have opposing viewpoints. If you want to make your opinions known, write a polite snail mail to the head writer or executive producer. In all likelihood, it will be read by an intern who will compile a report on all the mail received. That report will be passed on to TPTB. If enough fans feel the same way, there‚s a chance that somebody will listen.
Comments (9)
Sara, how would you go about getting another soap job? Do you apply, Does a head writer approach you? An Executive Producer? I would love to see you working on OLTL. Would you Coast switch or would you stay in CA?
Posted by Jay | May 16, 2008 9:52 PM
Posted on May 16, 2008 21:52
Dear Sara,
Could you tell us something about the Y&R writing process during Bill Bell/Kay Alden/John Smith era? After Bill wrote the story bible, how did it transform into what we see onscreen? And did Y&R have a script editor? Was it Natalie Minardi Slater? Who assigned scripts to certain writers and how were these assignments distributed? Was it dictated by your contract? Were you assigned scripts where a certain character was especially prominent? I ask because certain ABC script editors have a tendency to assign (certain character)-heavy scripts to certain writers, I know that normally everyone writes for everyone?
One other thing: do you know who was Kay Alden's protégé? I don't know if you heard her MIT podcast where she says she had a very specific heir(ess) in mind.
Thank you!!
Posted by Samantha, NC | May 17, 2008 4:24 AM
Posted on May 17, 2008 04:24
I must be living on a different planet because I don't see what's so great about OLTL. As a 20 something black female I find nothing relatable about it. The world I live in is filled with people of all races, creeds and backgrounds. If OLTL is a true reflection of this century this country has gone back at least 40 years. If Mr Carlivati is so wonderful how is it he cannot find a way to incorporate characters of color in his stories? Where's RJ? How come Layla is little more than the stereotypical best friend with a boyfriend that was recently downgraded to recurring. Don't tell me about the Vegas when the matriarch Carlotta is little more than an extra and Antonio and Cris are more about the women they sleep with than major stories. The only time OLTL seems to care about minorities is when they hire one to sing at Capricorn. Say what you will about Passions but they managed to write for a diverse cast from day one with no problem. If Mr Carlivati is so great why is it he can't do the same?
Posted by Neesha | May 17, 2008 9:38 AM
Posted on May 17, 2008 09:38
This is in response to your answer when writing for people of color.
If you writers are "true" writers, then it doesn't matter what color the characters are. Bell at Y&R has proved tha as well as Ms Nixon. You write for them as you would any other race.
James Patterson (brilliant) has written a series of novels where his leading character is a AA male. What exactly is there to fear?
Obama has allowed us all to talk openly about race/racism in American, and I think it's way past time for daytime to face their "so-call" fears.
Posted by Nicole | May 17, 2008 11:18 AM
Posted on May 17, 2008 11:18
I wish I understood all the praise about One Life to Live. I remember back to the days of Ed Hall, Karen Wolek and Marco Dane. Today's version isn't good enough to be mentioned in the same breathe. I find Mr Carlivati boring and uninspiring. Repeating stories from the past using the current cast does not good soap make. That's the problem with the entire genre, no one even attempts to move forward.
Posted by Nina | May 17, 2008 11:24 AM
Posted on May 17, 2008 11:24
Sara, thanks for answering my question! :) I agree with you that Lynn made a great addition to the staff in those early months. It wasn't perfect, but it was a fresh perspective and perked the show up a bit. When the old staffers left out went any sort of character development, long term plotting or a soap opera structure. She'd have a week where months of story happened, then you never saw those characters for another month or nothing happened at all. She didn't seem to understand how to structure a daytime soap. Certainly didn't seem to care about the history of the show.
Anyway, enough about LML. My question is, for any soap opera, are there characters you would like to bring back if you were HW? I know at Y&R Bill Bell created so many popular characters that you guys had plenty to choose from. I'm still shocked Tricia Cast hasn't returned yet.
Posted by Chris | May 19, 2008 3:42 AM
Posted on May 19, 2008 03:42
Hi Sara,
You said "People are often uncomfortable writing for characters whose backgrounds they find unfamiliar. (I think this is crazy, for the record.)". Are people of color a different species? We live, we love, we hurt, we cry just like the rest of humanity. There should be no different way of writing for characters no matter what their ethnicity. They do it in primetime. Shonda Rhimes, a black woman, has no problem writing for a mulitcultural cast on Grey's Anatomy same as the writers for CSI, Law and Order, ER, etc. 40 years ago Agnes Nixon had no problem writing for people of color yet somehow today I'm to believe there is some great issue at hand on how to incorporate African Americans, Latinos, Gays, Lesbians, et al in the fabric of daytime. Excuse my language but that's Bull. The reason you don't see a real reflection of our world on daytime tv is racism plain and simple. The excuses ring false to this viewer and as someone who grew up watching soaps with my mother I will not do the same with my daughter. I will not encourage a new generation to watch this genre that sees non whites as secondary or non existant.
Posted by Ginny | May 19, 2008 8:42 AM
Posted on May 19, 2008 08:42
Sara,
Thanks for starting this blog and enlightening us about the behind-the-scenes working of the soaps. You've already given me great insights. Already looking forward to your next post.
I'm curious about the writing process itself. How long did you have to turn in a script? Were you a part of the story planning meetings? Were you assigned to write particular storylines or characters to assure a consistency? Or was it just random assignments? Which were you favorite characters to write?
Posted by Monique Jonvil | May 20, 2008 1:53 AM
Posted on May 20, 2008 01:53
Hi Sara, great to learn so much about writing and what happened with Y&R.
My question is, now that LML has been fired, and the show is supposedly making an effort to get back on track with character-driven storylines that coincide with its rich history: Why haven't the long time writers who know this show better than anyone else returned?!
I just don't understand how hiring more new writers who are unfamiliar with the show like, Hogan Sheffer for example; are going to help get it back to how it once was!?
Thanks
Posted by Jordan | May 31, 2008 4:50 PM
Posted on May 31, 2008 16:50