As The World Turns
UPDATE: ATWT's WGA win was for Reid's death & finale episodes!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Many asked over the weekend what episodes did ATWT submit and win for, when we first reported As the World Turns won it’s stunning WGA Award on Saturday night, making it extra special since it is the last time the series will be in the category. Today, On-Air On-Soaps can confirm after speaking with a representative at the Writers Guild of America that in fact, the Daytime Drama nominees have to submit three scripts for judging.
Then, CBS Soaps In Depth today confirmed that ATWT’s submission for their win consisted of two of the scripts focused on Reid’s death and Chris realizing he had the late doctor’s heart, and the third, the finale.
Former ATWT writer David A. Levinson, who accepted the show’s award in Hollywood stated about the finale selection, “It had an ‘Our Town‘ feel to it. We felt that Bob’s retirement was the perfect way to go out. And the soap’s ending was a well-planned and thoughtfully-considered phrase. To have the last words on the show be him saying, ‘Good night’ [was] because [the late] Helen Wagner (Nancy) opened the show with ‘Good morning.'”
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Extremely poor judgement by WGA! JP and her team does not deserve any accolade, especially for the horrendous LURE story ending. May be this confirms the extent of homophobia and stupidity existing even among people who are considered to deal with making the right choices and fair judgements.
Thanks so much for the info, Michael. Good to know!
How horrendous that those horrible writers who destroyed the show have been rewarded for that appalling storyline. I watched the show for over forty years and Reid’s death was badly written, pointless and homophobic IMO. The sacrifice of the gay characters in favour of the worthless Chris Hughes proved that the writers had no concept of who the worthwhile and interesting characters were on the show.
The final show was the worst soap finale I’ve ever seen and I’ve probably watched about ten of the soaps’ endings by now.
Ugh. That really depresses me. Writing that sloppy, inconsistent, and offensive should never have been rewarded.
Dear Michael, Thank you SO much for posting this! You’ve answered a question many of us have been wondering about (even if we were too stunned to email you about it!). Many people have hypothesized along the way that the ending was plotted to give TPTB a shot at Emmys, and, so it seems at first glance, that they may be right. I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual scripts for these episodes – the “writing” (not the plotting) got more than the usual attention with award submissions in mind. I think part of the problem with these awards is… Read more »
P.S. Just reread your post. And I see that the phrases “well-planned” and “thoughtfully-considered” came from David Levinson, and not a representative of WGA, and that “thoughtfully-considered” referred specifically to the “final phrase.” Not to be too cynical, but my response to that is: “DUH!” I started following ATWT again in March after watching off-and-on for 20 to 30-some years. I don’t know when the speculation began, but I have to believe that almost starting from the day the cancellation was announced, fan forums have been dotted with people suggesting “Wouldn’t it be great if Helen Wagner could say the… Read more »
As annoyed as I am that they’d win for something as poorly written and disgustingly offensive as Reid’s death, I’m even more flabbergasted by the inclusion of the finale. It was truly one of the worst episodes I’ve ever seen and a horrible way to send out such beloved characters. This is clearly a pity/farewell award than anything based on actual merit. I have no problem with any of the actors getting respect or awards for the number of times they turned the writing into something worth watching, but the majority of the writing team should be ashamed of themselves.
The WGA voters obviously don’t watch the show. They don’t know that the so called family feel of the final episode was only achieved by dragging out people who hadn’t had any screen time for years, or that nothing was done to build up to Reid’s death, so it looked like he died to prop up the vapid relationship of the heterosexual couple. They also didn’t know that Chris and Katie had been slapped together at the last minute, and that their relationship was not developed at all. It’s sad that Jean Passanante will look at this award, and not… Read more »
It’s sad that Jean Passanante will look at this award, see validation, and ignore or put aside the fans’ outrage. Her interview given here, full of excuses and complete lack of true understanding of what she’d done with the story she told, was appalling. And now I suspect she’ll feel very proud of herself for telling a homophobic gay tragedy story that was senseless, poorly executed, and that I still become angry when I think about nearly six months later. Taking the heart out of a good, unabashedly gay man to give it to straight man, one with a history… Read more »
Your assessment is dead on. Instead of going for something new and bold and inspiring, she fell back on the old let’s-make-sure-the-pretty-blonde-girl-and-her-boyfriend-get-a-happy-ending storyline.
The tragic gay ending strikes again.
i too am stunned that they won an award for best writing. as lovelure stated they didn’t watch or know the show to award them this for how they ended it. if they did they would of been laughed out of the race with the Chuckles the clown story alone.
The writers never should have won an award for having the gall for letting Reid die and leaving Luke alone to grieve while all the others had their happily ever after.They gave us the LuRe storyline and then destroyed it after we fell in love with these wonderful men and were so happy to see Luke with a man he loved and who loved and appreciated him.I will never forgive them for the horrendus ending.As a long time ATWT viewer I loved Luke and Reid and their story.It was my favorite of all time , but not the tragic ending.No,… Read more »
I agree that the only person deserving of an award in all of this mess is Van Hansis for his performance of grief. Something I never wanted to be the last visions I had of Luke, but he definitely knocked it out of the park.
Like everyone before me I am stunned they won for these episodes. The Luke and Reid love story was what they should have won for. Not Reid’s death, which was contrived and plot driven. Luke and Reid were sacrificed for Katie and Chris, who barely even had a story. So the writers will now be justified in writing a crappy ending to a wonderful show, and for sacrificing the gay couple for the straight one.
My GF and me are so glad that we have completely stopped watching American Soaps. This award decided by AWG is a thorough mockery of faithful viewership and travisty of justice. I wish we had never started watching ATWT in the January of 2010. We still do not understand the senseless LURE ending. JP and CG may have friends in high places and win all the awards they want. We have only one question for them. How would they feel if the person they loved the most on this earth was squashed by a train and they had to authorize… Read more »
You are so right when you say the LuRe ending was sensless.I will never understand it if i live to be 100.(and I’ll probably still be devastated by the death of Reid and Luke shocked and destroyed)I would have loved to remember this show that I watched for so many years with a smile, but now i can’t and never will.The Luke and Reid story was wonderful, but the writers destroyed what they created.The only award they deserve is one for stupidity And once again I’ll say, Van deserves an award for his acting.He could have been given a script… Read more »
Wow. I’m terribly offended that they would be rewarded for that homophobic, offensive, and wretched ending. It actually enrages me to the extent that I have a hard time expressing it. I’ve been waiting for karma to take these people down a peg for doing this horrible thing to their audience, and instead they get a reward? Ugh.
Don’t worry, Karma will definitely bite CG, JP, TPTB, and whoever scripted the out and out homphobic ending of LURE; where they sacrificed a golden super-gay couple (LURE) to give the pathetic and thoroughly mismatched straight couple (Katie and Chris) a happy ending. The day Karma rages its fury especially on the frighteningly ugly and stupid, JP, that day will be a day of celebration with champagne.
Just goes to show what nonsense these awards are much of the time, when the voters are judging only a few episodes completely out of context. The end of ATWT was offensive and unsatisfying on so many levels. Hell, the last year of the show was! They wasted our time with the unending captivity of Babs and Chuckles, Janet’s mob ex, etc., etc. — and Helen Wagner/Nancy Hughes’s death got ONE episode. Appalling. And don’t get me started on Luke being the only character not to get a happy ending. The staggering homophobia in ending with Reid dead, Luke grieving… Read more »
I have to say that I completely agree. These people make their living by making us feel things that are “melodramatic and over the top”, and therefore, they should very much wish to satisfy us. We’re their bread and butter. And yet they’ve so offended me that if I ever hear the names Lucky Gold, Jean Passanante, or Chris Goutman in association with any media of any type, I absolutely will not trust my “melodramatic and over the top” emotions to them, and I suspect many betrayed fans feel the same way. Sadly, we’re apparently far too much in the… Read more »
They really turned me off daytime soaps, and you know what? Soaps need us. Aside from changing lifestyles and a different TV landscape, this is why soaps are dying: unsatisfying storytelling. Supercouples nowdays are toxic messes (Jack and Carly are a prime example). Whatever happened to the old-fashioned romance and adventure I grew up on? Maybe it’s just rose-coloured glasses, and soaps have always had their crazy storylines, but I rooted for the characters. Who was rooting for self-involved jerk Chris Hughes? Gosh, so glad he got his sunset ending. (And of course, in the finale he was busy complaining… Read more »
Don’t ever be sad of being in the minority. The human spirit is amazing. One person can make a world of a difference. So can the tiniest of minorities. Luke and Reid are proof of that. There were so many characters on ATWT in its 54 year history. Yet, just two characters, Luke and Reid, touched the viewers and fans worldwide as never before seen in soap history. These gay characters transcended all viewers irrespective of sexual orientation. My GF and me are straight, but never has a love story touched us like the way LURE did.
I watched this soap for most of it’s 54 years and I’ve said many times that i had many favorites through the years, but none touched me like the story of Luke and Reid .I really feel betrayed by the writers.They gave us a couple like no other and when we loved them, they desroyed them and the fans.So sad.My heart is still broken and always will be . And the story of Katie and Chris made no sense…that was no love story and yet they got a happily ever after while Luke was devastated once again.but this time he… Read more »
The testament of this show’s writing is here… we’re still talking about it so it must have had an impact. That’s what writing — good or bad — is all about. When As The World Turns writers began congratulating each other Saturday evening via Twitter after winning the best writing award at the Writers Guild of America awards ceremony, I have to admit that I felt waves of both happiness and bitterness. Happy because the writers of my favorite show were recognized for their talent and bitter because such a great show – one that means so much to millions… Read more »
WorldTurnsTV: Your statement This is a show that didn’t just focus on the rich and famous, but showcased characters that each one of us could relate to in some way. This is a show that didn’t rely on gimmicks, teen exploitation or the supernatural; instead it focused on family, relationships and everyday people who could have been our best friends or relatives. Is completely absurd. Thia show is an epitome of out and out discrimation and 100% homophobia. The LURE gay supercouple was destroyed to give the shitty pair of Katie and Chris a haapy ending. Many among the viewers… Read more »
It is extremely extremely heartening to know that ATWT is off the air. If ATWT was half as good as what you say it was, it would never have been rejected by the audience and ultimately being cancelled. The rejection of ATWT by viewers worl-wide is testament that it was the worst soap towards the end of its tenue on screen. The testimonies presented here are in support of a few characters (overwhelmingly about Luke and Reid), and definitely no one else associated with the show, especially the writers.
Didn’t rely on gimmicks? Mick Dante. Chuckles. Ghost Brad and Henry. Hmmm.
Yes, writing isn’t it easy. But that’s their job. They chose it.
The people who really deserve the kudos are the actors who somehow made something out of nothing.
Let me get this straight. You’re sitting here typing ad nauseum about two characters from a show that was cancelled SIX MONTHS ago and you’re saying they, and the show, had no relevance to you or others posting here? If you ask me, your comment is absurd, not mine. I am neither gay nor lesbian, but I was able to relate to this couple’s love story in a way I did not relate to others. Their love story transcended homosexuality as well as the typical way gay relationships are shown in the media. We owe that to the writers. The… Read more »
True, the writers gave us the story of Luke and Reid but it wasn’t so much the writing that made us fall in love with them it was the chemistry between Eric and Van, the looks, the smiles , the speaking without words.To kill off half of such a beloved couple and to leave Luke grieving and destroyed is why the writers don’t deserve an award.They made us fall in love with their creation of LuRe(and we did love them and still do) then they destroyed what they created and gave everybody else a happily ever after but Luke and… Read more »
If Barbara talking to a clown for three weeks, the uunending nuances of Janet, the constant cheating and break-ups going on among almost every couple, not to mention the embezellings of the likes of Craig is good story telling and plots; then it remains to be seen what mediocre and bad writing is. Just to clarify, my GF and me are straight, but we were mesmerized by the LURE story until the horrible ending. If the writers knew that they had created two characters that enthralled the masses. then it is even more difficult to comprehend why they destroyed their… Read more »
But the issue here is that they won an award not for the Luke/Reid love story, but for the homophobic tragic death, and that? That was crap. I don’t care how hard writing its, or how they did a great job bringing us this love story; they junked it all in the end in a way that was so offensive that it will forever taint what they brought to us and taint them as writers. So, yeah, they brought us something good, and if they’d given them award for that then I’d understand. But they got an award for what… Read more »
The fact is these writers did not create Reid. David Kreizman did. Then he left, and it appeared that JP and her gang really didn’t know what to do with him and Luke. The writing for everyone was lackluster. Don’t even get me started on the writing for Carly and Jack. I have said it before elsewhere: The only thing that saved the show and kept me watching was its phenomenal cast.
I cannot believe that JP and her minions actually won for that “can you write better than a fifth grader?” tripe. Yes, a fifth grader could write better than that. I’m not saying that writing is easy; I have been a writer and an editor. However, the last couple of months of the show were beyond ridiculous. The Reid/Luke storyline completely morphed into the Katie/Chris zippo-chemistry storyline with Reid and Luke being the props for that slapped together couple. Katie and Chris, if they had to exist at all, should have been props for Reid and Luke. The stupidity of… Read more »
I was mad about the ending. And I didn’t even like LuRe (who. btw. are being called a supercouple a lot here. Um. This is the first soap I’ve watched where a ‘supercouple’ was toted as one and hadn’t even lasted a year. amazing!) I thought it was insulting. The Nuke vs LuRe battles grew nastier than a custody battle. Nuke fans had relationship history and actual soap conflict on their side whereas LuRe had character interaction and a soapy hate into love relationship. Ultimately, the writers had to make a choice. And it was clear to us atwt fans… Read more »
Some good points, but overall, I disagree with your assessment, especially Luke being surrounded by family and friends in the last days. On the the very last day, the only person that showed him any consideration was his little sister, Natalie. Lily and Holden weren’t there (and we did get the hint that they would likely reunite, so that’s another point in which I disagree with you). Reid and Luke weren’t the main reason that Nancy’s death was overshadowed – it was Chris and Katie. Even on the day of the memorial, Chris’s and Katie’s rushed relationship was pimped. Chris… Read more »
My GF and me are straight. But, to us the ATWT ending appeared 100% homopphobic. Every straight couple (including cheaters, liars, porn stars, criminals, swindlers, money embezzlers, clowns, clown talkers, cougars, multiple partner swappers) were given a happy ending including the worst ever pair in soap history (Katie and Chris). And! the three gay characters were ruthlessly destroyed (one literally murdered, the most lovable character on the show left to a life of perpetual pain, suffering, and misery; and the third one who was almost reduced to non-existent on the show sent packaging). The message that ATWT sent in the… Read more »
The entire last 9 months of ATWT was a mess. A total mess. Instead of refocusing the show, we got newbies. NuLiberty, NuFaith, Reid, Tom Pelphry. Who chewed up airtime.
The Reke, that’s Luke and Noah’s Dr. Storyline was a massive fail. Why? Because they didn’t do anything. Reid stared, Luke followed him around. Boring mess. Reid was manipulative and condescending, and in the end…a rebound.
The one good thing was setting Luke and his FIRST CHOICE Noah, back on the road towards each other.
Nuke wins.
As The World Turns
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As The World Turns
Michael Park Joins the Cast of HBO’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’
Two-time Daytime Emmy winner and former star of As the World Turns Michael Park (Ex-Jack Snyder), has been added to the cast of HBO’s upcoming time travel drama, The Time Traveler’s Wife.
According to Deadline, the series is adapted by former Dr. Who head writer and Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat, The Time Traveler’s Wife tells the intricate love story of Clare (Leslie) and Henry (James), and a marriage with a problem… time travel.
In it, Park will play the role of “Philip Abshire” – Clare’s father, who is said to be a high-powered Chicago lawyer, he is brisk and orderly, and expects all his children to fall into line.
The series also will star former General Hospital and Oscar winner, Jaimie Ray Newman (Ex-Kristina). She won an Academy Award for her Live-Action Short, Skin.
Photo: IMDb
So, looking forward to seeing Michael and Jaimie in their new TV roles? Comment below.
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