Fix General Hospital -> How Not to Wreck a Show

How Not to Wreck a Show, Some good advice for TPTB

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MmeHazel	Posted: Dec 22 2006, 05:22 PM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 61 Member No.: 1 Joined: 16-December 06	How Not to Wreck a Show by Douglas Marland * Watch the show. * Learn the history of the show. You would be surprised at the ideas that you can get from the back story of your characters. * Read the fan mail. The very characters that are not thrilling to you may be the audience's favorites. * Be objective. When I came in to ATWT, the first thing I said was, what is pleasing the audience? You have to put your own personal likes and dislikes aside and develop the characters that the audience wants to see. * Talk to everyone; writers and actors especially. There may be something in a character's history that will work beautifully for you, and who would know better than the actor who has been playing the role? * Don't change a core character. You can certainly give them edges they didn't have before, or give them a logical reason to change their behavior. But when the audience says, "He would never do that," then you have failed. * Build new characters slowly. Everyone knows that it takes six months to a year for an audience to care about a new character. Tie them in to existing characters. Don't shove them down the viewers' throats. * If you feel staff changes are in order, look within the organization first. P&G [Procter & Gamble] does a lot of promoting from within. Almost all of our producers worked their way up from staff positions, and that means they know the show. * Don't fire anyone for six months. I feel very deeply that you should look at the show's canvas before you do anything. * Good soap opera is good storytelling. It's very simple. Douglas Marland is considered by many as one of the greatest head writers ever. Marland was a former head writer of As The World Turns, Guiding Light, and General Hospital. He worked as a writer on Another World and co-created Loving. He won multiple Emmy awards and Soap Opera Digest awards. Marland, a former actor, loved daytime. He passed away on March 6, 1993. This article was published in the April 27, 1993 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Dom	Posted: Dec 22 2006, 07:10 PM
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 68 Member No.: 26 Joined: 20-December 06	About Douglas Marland this man was working during the 70's for GH with Gloria Monty. Thank you! Dom

MmeHazel	Posted: Dec 22 2006, 08:07 PM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 61 Member No.: 1 Joined: 16-December 06	Thank you Dom, for bringing this sage bit of wisdom here!

tina_scrubbie	Posted: Dec 27 2006, 02:49 AM
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 5 Member No.: 57 Joined: 21-December 06	Every one of my complaints, he covered!

daydreamzofluv	Posted: Jan 3 2007, 11:37 PM
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 1 Member No.: 133 Joined: 3-January 07	I think you hit the nail on the head.can we get this to TPTB?? lol

Dom

Posted: Jan 4 2007, 12:07 AM

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QUOTE (daydreamzofluv @ Jan 3 2007, 11:37 PM)

I think you hit the nail on the head.can we get this to TPTB?? lol

Those are not my words, I wish..they are from Douglas Marland a daytime writer....who loved daytime!

Can we get this ...to TPTB....from hell..you're kidding me dear..I did...in 200 copies....they got it already, now the next question is...to be or not to be....bright enough to follow Mr. Marland's pure gospel's words...and do a damn fine job with those, hell I sent those words to them in . :huh: :unsure: ............................................................August :unsure: :huh: ...now next question did they act on it....???????!!!!!

HELL NO!!

But since the Regime of the Stupid and Stubborn hacks think that only they are right.....well...I haven't seen the result...as of yet! But please let me be dubbious..and while waiting for this...Let me be your Teddy Bear...akay? ;) :D :lol:

Dom

steff	Posted: Jan 5 2007, 07:53 AM
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 4 Member No.: 138 Joined: 5-January 07	What a smart man.

1scorpiofan	Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM
Member Group: Members Posts: 23 Member No.: 49 Joined: 21-December 06	Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here. Kim

Dom

Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:34 PM

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QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM)

Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here.

Kim

(Posted Image)

As if we never do this huh Kim? :o ;) :lol: :lol:

Dom (Posted Image)

1scorpiofan

Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:35 PM

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QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:34 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM)

Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here.

Kim

(Posted Image)

As if we never do this huh Kim? :o ;) :lol: :lol:

Dom (Posted Image)

Yeah, are you following me around? :lol: :D ;)

Dom

Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:38 PM

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QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:35 PM)

QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:34 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM)

Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here.

Kim

(Posted Image)

As if we never do this huh Kim? :o ;) :lol: :lol:

Dom (Posted Image)

Yeah, are you following me around? :lol: :D ;)

Yep!!!

(Posted Image)

You are a spy...and a darn good one..be careful I might have to kill you!

Dom (Posted Image) You know how Evil I am huh! Evil Dom that is me! (Posted Image)

1scorpiofan

Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:41 PM

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QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:38 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:35 PM)

QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:34 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM)

Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here.

Kim

(Posted Image)

As if we never do this huh Kim? :o ;) :lol: :lol:

Dom (Posted Image)

Yeah, are you following me around? :lol: :D ;)

Yep!!!

(Posted Image)

You are a spy...and a darn good one..be careful I might have to kill you!

Dom (Posted Image) You know how Evil I am huh! Evil Dom that is me! (Posted Image)

You will never catch me. I will stay one step ahead of you EVIL one. I just got back from lunch with my mom, and I'm ready to begin my next chapter of the fanfic.

Kim

Dom

Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:43 PM

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Group: Members
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Joined: 20-December 06

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:41 PM)

QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:38 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:35 PM)

QUOTE (Dom @ Jan 5 2007, 06:34 PM)

QUOTE (1scorpiofan @ Jan 5 2007, 06:31 PM)

Hey Dom...fancy meeting you here.

Kim

(Posted Image)

As if we never do this huh Kim? :o ;) :lol: :lol:

Dom (Posted Image)

Yeah, are you following me around? :lol: :D ;)

Yep!!!

(Posted Image)

You are a spy...and a darn good one..be careful I might have to kill you!

Dom (Posted Image) You know how Evil I am huh! Evil Dom that is me! (Posted Image)

You will never catch me. I will stay one step ahead of you EVIL one. I just got back from lunch with my mom, and I'm ready to begin my next chapter of the fanfic.

Kim

Right on Kim and you won't catch me I'll catch you first...talk to you later...nap time before work!

Dom (Posted Image)

1scorpiofan	Posted: Jan 5 2007, 06:44 PM
Member Group: Members Posts: 23 Member No.: 49 Joined: 21-December 06	Talk to you later tonight. Kim

MsTexas73

Posted: Apr 9 2007, 05:50 AM

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QUOTE (MmeHazel @ Dec 22 2006, 05:22 PM)

How Not to Wreck a Show

by Douglas Marland

* Watch the show.

* Learn the history of the show. You would be surprised at the ideas that you can get from the back story of your characters.

* Read the fan mail. The very characters that are not thrilling to you may be the audience's favorites.

* Be objective. When I came in to ATWT, the first thing I said was, what is pleasing the audience? You have to put your own personal likes and dislikes aside and develop the characters that the audience wants to see.

* Talk to everyone; writers and actors especially. There may be something in a character's history that will work beautifully for you, and who would know better than the actor who has been playing the role?

* Don't change a core character. You can certainly give them edges they didn't have before, or give them a logical reason to change their behavior. But when the audience says, "He would never do that," then you have failed.

* Build new characters slowly. Everyone knows that it takes six months to a year for an audience to care about a new character. Tie them in to existing characters. Don't shove them down the viewers' throats.

* If you feel staff changes are in order, look within the organization first. P&G [Procter & Gamble] does a lot of promoting from within. Almost all of our producers worked their way up from staff positions, and that means they know the show.

* Don't fire anyone for six months. I feel very deeply that you should look at the show's canvas before you do anything.

* Good soap opera is good storytelling. It's very simple.

Douglas Marland is considered by many as one of the greatest head writers ever. Marland was a former head writer of As The World Turns, Guiding Light, and General Hospital. He worked as a writer on Another World and co-created Loving. He won multiple Emmy awards and Soap Opera Digest awards. Marland, a former actor, loved daytime. He passed away on March 6, 1993.

This article was published in the April 27, 1993 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Hello!!!...Doug MArland hit the nail on the head!!!

I SOO miss him wiritng for ANY soap but ESP GH!!!

He's the reason Alan and Monica became a couple.

He's RIGHT ON in everything he said about soaps.

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