character. That's one of the great things about soap writing? the little details you can add to a story as it unfolds. It either becomes a great legacy story? Or a story that dies! [Laughs]
I don't think you get enough credit for creating such an iconic new character. Every incoming writer wants to pee on the show's tree and put their own stamp on things with new characters, but you really did it - and you did it by tying Todd to the history of the show. You created a Luke Spencer for ONE LIFE. Because of Roger, ONE LIFE started getting magazine covers.
I know! I'm proud we created someone who has impacted the legacy of the show until its finale, for sure.
During your regime, ONE LIFE discovered so many talented newcomers. Were you involved in any of the casting?
Oh, yes! We were very, very involved in casting!
How did you feel when ONE LIFE wrote a rapemance between Todd and Marty?
[Struggles] Um, I'm not sure how to answer that. No comment.
What do you credit ONE LIFE's unparalleled creative renaissance during your time. Everything fell into place so perfectly. Does it all really start on the page?
Of course. Everything starts with good story. What's crucial is story - and it always has to be a love story. One way or another, it has to be a love story, whether it's romantic or not. It also has to be connected to the canvas; it can't be an isolated story; it has to be an umbrella story. After the story is laid out, you have to have great casting because without the right actors, a good story can fall on its face. Most important, you need conviction to see your story through until the endgame. Now, of course, no story ever unfolds the way you imagine because a story always takes on a life of its own and morphs as you tell it, but you have to stay true to the heart and soul of the story you imagined. Also, I would add you have to be fearless from every aspect of telling that story. During our time on ONE LIFE, everything fell into place at the right time, especially our casting. We never lost sight of the power of our story, we never second-guessed, and we never chickened out; we always stayed true to our conviction.
After you and Malone left, I had to go into therapy. Why did you guys leave?
I left first - and literally because Linda wanted us to put together a late-night soap for Fox. I was so intrigued by doing a late-night, steamy soap every night at 11 designed to counter-program all the talk shows, I couldn't turn that down. Unfortunately, it didn't make it to air. It was called 13 BOURBON STREET. It was too enticing to turn down.
That's a great title.
It was a great show. We went into pre-production but the head of Fox left and Peter Roth who came in didn't want to do a late-night soap.
I'm surprised no one has done a late-night soap.
I am, too!
Well, it's never too late! OK: What happened during your second stint?
I came back as head writer, and Michael came in as my consultant. He didn't want to move to New York and I moved there for six months. But rather quickly we realized it wasn't working and we needed to get back to the same dynamic we had the first time around. Which is how we became co-head writers again.
Why didn't lightning strike twice? What kind of mess did you guys walk in to?
I wouldn't say "a mess." It was just different. We had to move the show in a different direction. There was a surge when we first came back. We moved the show in a positive direction. We missed a bit when we brought Victor Lord back to life. We tried to figure out how to tie stories ONE LIFE was telling already to where we wanted them to go. Our transition didn't work as well the second time around.
Why did you bring Victor back from the dead only to kill him off right away? I hate when soaps do that! Ron did that, too, with Irene! There were so many psychological beats to play between Victor and Viki, especially with the sexual abuse retcon. You could've taken a few years to kill him off again.
In hindsight that was the smarter thing to do. All I can say is that we screwed up! [Laughs] It was a bad call. We were looking at Victor's return from a different perspective, more as a catalyst for other stories. And the truth is you're right: the story should have been between Victor and Viki. I remember Erika Slezak coming up to us saying: "What have you done? You could have had years of story having my father back!" All I could say was, "Sorry, we screwed up. We can't justify it."
I didn't like the actor who played Victor that time around so maybe it was all for the best. Favourite storyline?
Marty's rape. And, in a way, it was tied to the homophobia storyline. That whole period?. The second time around I would say my favourite was the Music Box Murders because we created John McBain. That's the second thing I'm most proud of, creating John, and I think Michael Easton has done an amazing job with the role. My proudest achievement, of course, is the creation of Todd Manning.
You guys created Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan Mu-chanan!
Yes, we did! Michael based it on a character in one of his novels.
From his book, TIME'S WITNESS. I read it! You guys are entrenched in today's current ONE LIFE.
It's nice to see that what we set in motion all those years ago is still alive today. One thing I'm most proud of is Angel Square, creating that whole side of town, that arena.
Angel Square itself is a character on the show.
You're right. It is. It's a wonderful addition to the canvas - and has proven to have such longevity.
Favourite couple or love story?
[Struggles] Wow. That's a tough one. Probably Bo and Nora. When we started that story, it was incredibly satisfying.
And they're back together. I thought it was a huge mistake in keeping them apart for 10 years but I think there were other issues there?
Yes, I think there were other factors at play there! [Laughs]
They seem to be getting along these days! It's amazing what low ratings will do! Which actor inspired you the most or mesmerized you?
Oh, God. That's so tough, too!
If you could take one actor and one actress with you to a new project, who would it be?
I think Erika because she always amazes me. Even when they don't give her anything to do, because there have been periods when she's been underused, she's always been the spine of the show. I think Roger Howarth would be the other one.
How about Trevor St. John?
We brought him in as Walker Laurence. Later, we thought: maybe he is Todd Manning!
Wow. I didn't know you decided afterwards to make Trevor Todd! Agnes Nixon, who?! Yikes - you and Michael really set this show up for life? and death! [Laughs]
[Laughs] Those are your words! Trevor was a mad man in the audition. He's crazy and fearless. He would try anything. It was such a different interpretation than Roger. He really made Todd his own character.
I always thought had Roger returned earlier from his shameful WORLD TURNS defection, I would have kept St. John and revealed that he was Powell Lord because Trevor's Todd remembered the rape so vividly - because I don't do mind control shit!
I remember having dinner with Frank Valentini and he told me he was bringing back Roger and the first thing I asked was, "How are you going to explain Trevor flashing back to the rape?" Of course, he didn't tell me but he said, "Don't worry. We have it all worked out."
One of your most original and unique creations was Luna Moody, who was clearly ahead of her time. That Southern, New Age-y character is so popular in today's pop culture. Where did she come from?
That's exactly it. Michael wanted to bring in a real Southern character, but I said, "You can't make her a typical Southern character." So he said, "What if we made her a hippie?" She just evolved out of a conversation. And that's how we created a character who literally burst onto our canvas - and that's why we wrote Luna parachuting into a tea party! Little by little that's how you create a character? and when you find an actor like Susan Batten, everything falls in place.
Do you have any ONE LIFE memorabilia stashed away somewhere?
Yes, I do.
If your house is
broken into tomorrow, I have an alibi! [Laughs]
[Laughs]
Do you think there was a network conspiracy to kill the soaps?
No. I don't think there was a conspiracy. It got to a point that the structure of the shows as they are now, coupled with the changing audience - and people are still watching these soaps; they're just not the people the advertisers care about - couldn't sustain itself. Instead of looking for ways to reinvent the production structure, they decided it was easier to let them go. Yes, the networks weren't creative in reacting to this problem because I believe there were ways to keep these shows on the air. It would have meant a lot of changes but they could have survived. Why would you want to get rid of something that worked so well for 50 years? I don't think anyone thinks that way at a network level.
Then why did Frons hire hack writer after hack writer, but once he cancels a soap he hires a stellar scribe?
People are brought in with the best intentions. They might not be the right choice. I really think Brian brought in Chuck Pratt to AMC with the best intentions. Chuck tried to do the best he could. It's hard to guess what kind of journey they want to go on.
Everyone loves a tornado! We'll have to agree to disagree. Reversing TV's first legal abortion, for example, should have been a red flag. Or a rapemance. You certainly knew what audiences want. Yours and Michael's writing reminds me of Alan Ball's writing. Daytime didn't evolve with the times, yet prime time took what daytime did right but made it more realistic due to the reality fascination.
Soaps didn't evolve and take the narrative further, I will agree with you on that.
Why is ONE LIFE always the underdog? What is it about this show that makes it the soap the scrappy ugly stepchild?
That's a very good question. It's also a really hard question to answer. Cosmically, I think that's the way ONE LIFE is supposed to be so it can be always under the radar and write/produce the most daring things on TV. Does that make sense?
I hear ya!
God's plan was: "I can't make ONE LIFE get too big or it will never be the original it was meant to be." I like to believe that's the reason, that there is a purpose to this fate.
Yeah, ONE LIFE has to be disenfranchised in order for it to be?
?. so great.
Exactly.
I want to believe that is the cosmic plan. And that the cosmic plan didn't involve getting cancelled.
What was it like being an executive producer on Y&R? Especially since you've made a living as a writer!
I've always loved production even as a head writer I'd always spend as much time on the floor with the actors and the crew. It was a learning experience to traverse to the production side of things and not be in control of the story. There was a period over there at Y&R where we did some really good stuff.
I loved when you came in because I despised Lynn Marie Latham's tenure. I've never been happier to see plastic water bottles again!
[Laughs]
Are you done with soaps?
No, not at all. They may be done with me. I love the genre - and I believe there is a lot of life left in soaps. I would say yes to something, for sure.
If show runners would stop being socialites and work.
No comment!
You head-wrote Y&R during the strike, right? And you gave up your WGA membership, right?
Yes. I went fi-core because I didn't agree with the strike. Also, if the soaps went dark during the strike, I really believed they would never come back. And I don't regret it.
To me, the strike was successful because it helped get rid of LML at Y&R! What do you think of Cartini heading over to ONE LIFE? I mean, they gave away GH's timeslot but perhaps Cartini can pull a Gloria Monty.
If