Douglas Marland
Encyclopedia
Douglas Marland http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D6133BF934A35750C0A965958260 was an American actor and writer of soap opera
s.
series The Brighter Day
and As the World Turns
. He also did odd jobs on the side as a director for small theatre groups. On one such job, staging the DeSylva, Brown, and Henderson musical "Good News!", he worked with Broadway
dancer Edie Cowan and pianist Ethan Mordden
, both of whom went on to professional careers as, respectively, choreographer and writer.
Marland began his writing career by authoring some Nick Carter
mysteries, under one of the publisher's standard pseudonyms. He first started writing scripts for soap operas in the 1970s, as a script writer for Harding Lemay
on Another World
. He was also the head writer of The Doctors, another soap opera that aired on NBC Daytime
.
in 1975 after then head writer
, Margaret DePriest
, left The Doctors. Despite receiving Daytime Emmys, ratings plummeted. But Marland's writing received critical acclaim and it proved positive for the show.
During his tenure on The Doctors, a variety of new acting talent were added to the canvas: Armand Assante
(Mike Powers
), Lois Smith
(Eleanor Conrad), Jada Rowland
(Carolee Simpson Aldrich), Robert Frank Telfer (Luke Dancy), Kathy Bates
(Phyllis), Glenn Corbett
(Jason Aldrich), Elizabeth Lawrence (Virginia Dancy), Carol Potter
(Betsy Match), Ted Danson
(Mitch Pierson), and Jonathan Frakes
(Tom Carroll), among other actors. Marland also expanded the Aldrich family and created a new family for the show: the Dancy family.
in 1978 to work with Gloria Monty
on their serial General Hospital
. At that time, the show was near cancellation. Marland's writing, along with Monty's extensive production changes, helped the show rise in the ratings. Marland was instrumental in pairing the iconic supercouple
of Luke Spencer
and Laura Spencer
, as well as creating vixen
Bobbie Spencer
and The Quartermaines. Although the changes at General Hospital
were a success, Marland was not interested in moving to Los Angeles, where the show was produced.
to temporarily assume the head writing reins at As the World Turns
, which he did for thirteen weeks.
In 1979, he assumed the head writing reins of New York-based Guiding Light
. Marland's run on GL produced popular storylines and characters. One character Marland introduced was Nola Reardon, played by Lisa Brown. The uncoventional Nola started as a villainess and became the heroine of the show.
Another story was an envelope-pushing story that featured the character of Carrie Todd Marler (played by Jane Elliot
). Carrie was diagnosed with multiple personalities
, and Marland had barely delved into her psychosis when Elliot's contract was abruptly terminated by Executive Producer
Allen M. Potter
in 1982; Marland resigned in protest.
to create Loving, which he wrote for the show's first few months in 1983. The show was not a critical or commercial success during the time that he wrote it.
(fresh from her run as Tracy on GH & Carrie on GL), and Lara Parker
(famous as the witch Angelique on the cult Dark Shadows
) and that it was produced and sometimes directed by daytime veteran actress Susan Flannery
, A New Day in Eden only lasted 13 episodes, and its cliffhanger left the question of who was the town's serial rapist up in the air.
. Marland refocused the show and made the Hughes family central to the plot again. He utilized over 30 years of history to create new storylines for core characters Bob Hughes
and Kim Hughes
. (The story, where a child previously thought to be dead was found to be alive and living in England, was a dual role played by future Oscar-nominated actress Julianne Moore
.) He was also credited with bringing original cast members Helen Wagner
and Don MacLaughlin
back to the center the show as Nancy and Chris Hughes
, after they'd been bumped to recurring status in 1982. When McLaughlin (and his character) died in 1986, Marland paired Nancy with Chief of Detectives Dan McClosky, and then chronicled McClosky's subsequent battle with Alzheimer's disease. He also reached back to Lisa McColl's
1965 stint on short-lived ATWT spinoff Our Private World
, giving her a son, Scott Eldridge, hitherto unknown to viewers, who tracked her down as an adult. (He was said to have been born during the several-month-long lapse between when Private World ended and when Lisa resurfaced on ATWT in mid-1966.)
He also introduced a new working class family, the Snyders, into the storyline and added new dimensions to the wealthy Lucinda Walsh
(Elizabeth Hubbard
) by tying the Walshes and Snyders together. This resulted in the pairing of Lily Walsh (Martha Byrne
) and Holden Snyder
(Jon Hensley
). It was also revealed that Iva Snyder
was the biological mother of Lucinda's adopted daughter Lily. The new Snyder family was based largely on Douglas Marland's own experiences; he grew up on a farm in West Sand Lake, NY. In several interviews, Marland remarked that the character of Seth Snyder
was based largely on his own life. Seth was the oldest child, who had been taken on great responsibility in helping to raise his siblings following patriarch Harvey Snyder's death. This event was key to the formation of the Snyder family dynamic, in that Marland was allowed to write a strong and independent yet maternal figure in matriarch Emma Snyder
(Kathleen Widdoes
).
Marland was also responsible for adding the first gay male character on an American soap opera to his story during his tenure, Hank Elliot (Brian Starcher). The story was short-lived (Hank was featured for about 18 months), but groundbreaking; the soap opera became a pioneer for others who wished to put gay male characters, heretofore unseen, on their respective shows. Although the story centered on Hank, it allowed viewers to see another side to long running characters, when those characters reacted to the news that Hank was gay. Hank was written off of the show to take care of his lover Charles, who was dying of AIDS
. Starcher was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1990.
Marland diversified the previously white-bread canvas of As the World Turns, introducing an Amerasian character as the child of a Vietnam
vet, and also featuring a story of a mixed-race couple marrying and having a baby (and showing negative reactions to the marriage and birth). Another story featured town matriarch Nancy Hughes
helping a young, illiterate African-American girl (played by singer/actress Lauryn Hill
), learn to read.
Marland also penned a story featuring the character of Ellie Snyder
having an abortion
; abortion is a rarity in daytime and this again allowed Marland to write about both sides of a controversial issue.
from 1989–2003, asked August Wilson
to become the Head Writer
of As The World Turns
. If he had accepted the offer, he would have become the first black person to head write an American daytime serial. That distinction belongs to Michele Val Jean
. Alice Munro
was also on the same shortlist of Marland replacement. His successors were Juliet Law Packer
and Richard Backus
.
The internet community has embraced this: Douglas Marland's "How Not To Wreck a Show"
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s.
Career
He began his soap opera career as an actor, appearing on the Irna PhillipsIrna Phillips
Irna Phillips was an American actress and most notably writer who created and scripted many of the first American soap operas.Phillips created radio and TV soap operas including:...
series The Brighter Day
The Brighter Day
The Brighter Day is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from January 4, 1954 to September 28, 1962. Originally created for NBC radio by Irna Phillips in 1948, the radio and television versions ran simultaneously from 1954-1956...
and As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. He also did odd jobs on the side as a director for small theatre groups. On one such job, staging the DeSylva, Brown, and Henderson musical "Good News!", he worked with Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
dancer Edie Cowan and pianist Ethan Mordden
Ethan Mordden
Ethan Mordden is an American author.-Biography:Mordden was raised in Pennsylvania, in Venice, Italy, and on Long Island, and is a graduate of Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, and the University of Pennsylvania...
, both of whom went on to professional careers as, respectively, choreographer and writer.
Marland began his writing career by authoring some Nick Carter
Nick Carter (literary character)
Nick Carter is a fictional character who began as a pulp fiction private detective and has appeared in a variety of formats over more than a century.-Literary history:...
mysteries, under one of the publisher's standard pseudonyms. He first started writing scripts for soap operas in the 1970s, as a script writer for Harding Lemay
Harding Lemay
Harding Lemay is an American screenwriter and playwright. Born near the Mohawk Indian reservation, where his mother grew up, he ran away to New York City at age 17, where he has lived ever since.-Career:...
on Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. He was also the head writer of The Doctors, another soap opera that aired on NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime is the schedule for the NBC television network's daytime television programming which consists of morning news program Today and soap opera Days of our Lives...
.
The Doctors
He was hired by NBC DaytimeNBC Daytime
NBC Daytime is the schedule for the NBC television network's daytime television programming which consists of morning news program Today and soap opera Days of our Lives...
in 1975 after then head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
, Margaret DePriest
Margaret DePriest
Margaret DePriest is an American daytime serial writer.She began her career as an actress both onstage and on television. Her acting credits include a contract role as the first Abby Cameron on The Edge of Night from 1965-1966....
, left The Doctors. Despite receiving Daytime Emmys, ratings plummeted. But Marland's writing received critical acclaim and it proved positive for the show.
During his tenure on The Doctors, a variety of new acting talent were added to the canvas: Armand Assante
Armand Assante
-Personal life:Assante was born in New York City and raised in Cornwall, New York, the son of Katherine , a music teacher and poet, and Armand Anthony Assante, Sr., a painter and artist. His father was Italian and his mother was Irish, and was raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic family...
(Mike Powers
Mike Powers
Ellis Foree Powers was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians in 1932 and 1933. Born in Toddspoint, Kentucky, he died at age 77 in Louisville, Kentucky.-External links:...
), Lois Smith
Lois Smith
Lois Smith is an American actress whose career in theater, film, and television has spanned five decades.Smith was born Lois Arlene Humbert in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Carrie Davis and William Oren Humbert, who was a telephone company employee...
(Eleanor Conrad), Jada Rowland
Jada Rowland
Jada Rowland is an American actress and illustrator.-Actress:Ms. Rowland was born into a family of actors and artists. She has appeared on Broadway and television, most notably in daytime soap operas. She has appeared as Dr. Susan Stewart on As the World Turns and Carolee Simpson Aldrich on The...
(Carolee Simpson Aldrich), Robert Frank Telfer (Luke Dancy), Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
(Phyllis), Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
(Jason Aldrich), Elizabeth Lawrence (Virginia Dancy), Carol Potter
Carol Potter
Carol Potter is an American poet and professor. Her most recent collection of poems is Otherwise Obedient , which was a 2008 Lambda Literary Award finalist...
(Betsy Match), Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
(Mitch Pierson), and Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
(Tom Carroll), among other actors. Marland also expanded the Aldrich family and created a new family for the show: the Dancy family.
General Hospital
After his stint on The Doctors, he was hired by ABC DaytimeABC Daytime
ABC Daytime is a programming block on the ABC Network which has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows and talk shows.-Schedule:...
in 1978 to work with Gloria Monty
Gloria Monty
Gloria Monty was an American TV producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama.She died of cancer at the age of 84.-Education:...
on their serial General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. At that time, the show was near cancellation. Marland's writing, along with Monty's extensive production changes, helped the show rise in the ratings. Marland was instrumental in pairing the iconic supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
of Luke Spencer
Luke Spencer
Lucas "Luke" Lorenzo Spencer, Sr. is a fictional character in the American television soap opera General Hospital, and has been played by Anthony Geary since 1978.-Early years :...
and Laura Spencer
Laura Spencer
Laura Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Laura was portrayed by Stacy Baldwin from 1974 to 1976, and since then has been played by Genie Francis, first from 1976–1982, and then from 1992–2002...
, as well as creating vixen
Vixen
A vixen is a female fox.Vixen may also refer to:-In the military:*HMS Vixen, various British Royal Navy ships*USS Vixen, various ships in the US Navy*Vickers Vixen, a biplane produced in small numbers in the 1920s...
Bobbie Spencer
Bobbie Spencer
Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer is a fictional character and popular long running character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She made her first appearance in 1978 and is the mother of popular character Carly Corinthos Jacks...
and The Quartermaines. Although the changes at General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
were a success, Marland was not interested in moving to Los Angeles, where the show was produced.
As The World Turns and Guiding Light
Back in New York City, he was asked by CBS DaytimeCBS Daytime
CBS Daytime is a television programming block on CBS. It's the branding for the CBS Television Network's late morning and early afternoon programming. The block has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows...
to temporarily assume the head writing reins at As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, which he did for thirteen weeks.
In 1979, he assumed the head writing reins of New York-based Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
. Marland's run on GL produced popular storylines and characters. One character Marland introduced was Nola Reardon, played by Lisa Brown. The uncoventional Nola started as a villainess and became the heroine of the show.
Another story was an envelope-pushing story that featured the character of Carrie Todd Marler (played by Jane Elliot
Jane Elliot
Jane Elliot is an American actress, known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine, a role she has played on General Hospital and The City ....
). Carrie was diagnosed with multiple personalities
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
, and Marland had barely delved into her psychosis when Elliot's contract was abruptly terminated by Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Allen M. Potter
Allen M. Potter
Allen M. Potter was an American television soap opera producer. He was GL's Head Writer during the 1981 WGA strike.-Positions held:Another World*Executive Producer As the World Turns...
in 1982; Marland resigned in protest.
Loving
Marland next teamed up with fellow writer Agnes NixonAgnes Nixon
Agnes Nixon is an American writer and producer. She attended Northwestern University where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and is best known as the creator of soap operas such as One Life to Live and All My Children...
to create Loving, which he wrote for the show's first few months in 1983. The show was not a critical or commercial success during the time that he wrote it.
A New Day in Eden
During the 1982–1983 season, he co-wrote, with James Rosin http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0743002/, a show that he had created, A New Day in Eden http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0498969/ for the cable channel Showtime. The show was hailed as TV's first "nude" serial, in which many cast members would perform their love scenes without clothes. The show thrived on the taboo, showcasing bodies and a perverse combination of sex and violence, including a deflowering in a barn, a sexual assault in a shower, and one story in which a woman seduced the rival for another man's affections in a lesbian storyline. Despite its controversy and the fact that the cast included Steve Carlson, Jane ElliotJane Elliot
Jane Elliot is an American actress, known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine, a role she has played on General Hospital and The City ....
(fresh from her run as Tracy on GH & Carrie on GL), and Lara Parker
Lara Parker
Lara Parker is an American television, stage, and film actress best known for her role as Angelique on the cult ABC-TV serial Dark Shadows which aired from to...
(famous as the witch Angelique on the cult Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
) and that it was produced and sometimes directed by daytime veteran actress Susan Flannery
Susan Flannery
Susan Flannery is an American soap opera actress. She is known for her role Stephanie Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful and for her role as Dr. Laura Spencer Horton on Days of our Lives ....
, A New Day in Eden only lasted 13 episodes, and its cliffhanger left the question of who was the town's serial rapist up in the air.
Return to ATWT
Marland was hired in 1985 to return to As the World TurnsAs the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. Marland refocused the show and made the Hughes family central to the plot again. He utilized over 30 years of history to create new storylines for core characters Bob Hughes
Bob Hughes
Dr. Robert "Bob" Hughes. M.D. is a fictional character on the American soap opera, As the World Turns. Bob was played by actor Don Hastings from October 1960 until the series' final episode on September 17, 2010...
and Kim Hughes
Kim Sullivan Hughes
Kimberly "Kim" Hughes was a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The character was portrayed by Kathryn Hays continuously from 1972...
. (The story, where a child previously thought to be dead was found to be alive and living in England, was a dual role played by future Oscar-nominated actress Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
.) He was also credited with bringing original cast members Helen Wagner
Helen Wagner
Helen Wagner was an American actress. Born in Lubbock, Texas, she is best known for her long running role as Nancy Hughes McClosky on the soap opera As the World Turns. Wagner also played the role of Trudy Bauer during the initial TV years of Guiding Light in the early 1950s...
and Don MacLaughlin
Don MacLaughlin
Don MacLaughlin was an American soap opera actor.He was born on November 24, 1906, in Webster, Iowa, under the name William Donald McLaughlin....
back to the center the show as Nancy and Chris Hughes
Christopher Hughes II
Christopher Robert "Chris" Hughes II is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Dylan Bruce recently played Chris from October 25, 2007 to October 15, 2008. Two-time Emmy nominee Daniel Cosgrove took over the role in 2010....
, after they'd been bumped to recurring status in 1982. When McLaughlin (and his character) died in 1986, Marland paired Nancy with Chief of Detectives Dan McClosky, and then chronicled McClosky's subsequent battle with Alzheimer's disease. He also reached back to Lisa McColl's
Lisa Grimaldi
Lisa Grimaldi is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The daughter of Henry and Alma Miller, Lisa grew up in Rockford, Illinois, USA before moving to Oakdale...
1965 stint on short-lived ATWT spinoff Our Private World
Our Private World
Our Private World is an American serial. It was the first prime-time spin-off from a daytime soap . Created by Irna Phillips and William J. Bell, it premiered on May 5, 1965 and aired Wednesdays and Fridays over the summer; the multiple-episode-per-week format was inspired by ABC's hit show Peyton...
, giving her a son, Scott Eldridge, hitherto unknown to viewers, who tracked her down as an adult. (He was said to have been born during the several-month-long lapse between when Private World ended and when Lisa resurfaced on ATWT in mid-1966.)
He also introduced a new working class family, the Snyders, into the storyline and added new dimensions to the wealthy Lucinda Walsh
Lucinda Walsh
Lucinda Walsh is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. Played by Elizabeth Hubbard since 1984, no-nonsense businesswoman and megamogul Lucinda transformed into one of Daytime's most memorable and prolific characters...
(Elizabeth Hubbard
Elizabeth Hubbard
Elizabeth Hubbard is an American film, soap opera, stage and television actress. Hubbard was born in New York City]. She attended Radcliffe College, and graduated summa cum laude. She pursued her theatrical education at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where she was the first American...
) by tying the Walshes and Snyders together. This resulted in the pairing of Lily Walsh (Martha Byrne
Martha Byrne
Mary Martha Byrne is an American actress, singer and screenwriter.In 2008, she left CBS's As the World Turns as the passionate role of Lily Snyder. In 2009, she was featured on ABC's General Hospital as Andrea Floyd...
) and Holden Snyder
Holden Snyder
Holden Snyder was a fictional character on the American daytime soap opera As the World Turns. He was portrayed by Jon Hensley, who originated the role.-See also:*Holden Snyder and Lily Walsh*Supercouple...
(Jon Hensley
Jon Hensley
Jon Hensley is a former American actor and current singer and songwriter.- Career :Hensley's first television role was in 1985 on the daytime drama One Life to Live as Brody Price...
). It was also revealed that Iva Snyder
Iva Snyder
Iva Benedict is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She was played by Lisa Brown from...
was the biological mother of Lucinda's adopted daughter Lily. The new Snyder family was based largely on Douglas Marland's own experiences; he grew up on a farm in West Sand Lake, NY. In several interviews, Marland remarked that the character of Seth Snyder
Seth Snyder
Seth Snyder is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. He was portrayed by Steve Bassett from -Brief Character History:...
was based largely on his own life. Seth was the oldest child, who had been taken on great responsibility in helping to raise his siblings following patriarch Harvey Snyder's death. This event was key to the formation of the Snyder family dynamic, in that Marland was allowed to write a strong and independent yet maternal figure in matriarch Emma Snyder
Emma Snyder
Emma Snyder is a fictional character on the American soap opera As the World Turns. The character was originated in 1985 by actress Kathleen Widdoes, who continued to appear on the program until June 29, 2010.-Character history:...
(Kathleen Widdoes
Kathleen Widdoes
-Life and career:Widdoes was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the daughter of Bernice and Eugene Widdoes. Widdoes moved to New York City to pursue stage work and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris under a Fulbright scholarship. From 1964 to 1972 she was married to well known actor Richard Jordan, with...
).
Marland was also responsible for adding the first gay male character on an American soap opera to his story during his tenure, Hank Elliot (Brian Starcher). The story was short-lived (Hank was featured for about 18 months), but groundbreaking; the soap opera became a pioneer for others who wished to put gay male characters, heretofore unseen, on their respective shows. Although the story centered on Hank, it allowed viewers to see another side to long running characters, when those characters reacted to the news that Hank was gay. Hank was written off of the show to take care of his lover Charles, who was dying of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Starcher was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1990.
Marland diversified the previously white-bread canvas of As the World Turns, introducing an Amerasian character as the child of a Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
vet, and also featuring a story of a mixed-race couple marrying and having a baby (and showing negative reactions to the marriage and birth). Another story featured town matriarch Nancy Hughes
Nancy Hughes
Nancy Hughes McClosky is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. From the show's inception in 1956 until 2010, Nancy Hughes has served as the core family's matriarch...
helping a young, illiterate African-American girl (played by singer/actress Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
), learn to read.
Marland also penned a story featuring the character of Ellie Snyder
Ellie Snyder
Elinor "Ellie" Snyder Anderson is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She was portrayed by Renee Props from June 1988 to December 1992.-Character history:...
having an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
; abortion is a rarity in daytime and this again allowed Marland to write about both sides of a controversial issue.
Post Death
Marland wrote the show until his death from complications after abdominal surgery in 1993. Lucy Johnson, president of CBS DaytimeCBS Daytime
CBS Daytime is a television programming block on CBS. It's the branding for the CBS Television Network's late morning and early afternoon programming. The block has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows...
from 1989–2003, asked August Wilson
August Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
to become the Head Writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
of As The World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. If he had accepted the offer, he would have become the first black person to head write an American daytime serial. That distinction belongs to Michele Val Jean
Michele Val Jean
Michele Val Jean is an American television writer on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. Val Jean made television history when in 2000 she was promoted, alongside Elizabeth Korte, to the post of Head Writer; making her the first African American in the history of daytime television...
. Alice Munro
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize...
was also on the same shortlist of Marland replacement. His successors were Juliet Law Packer
Juliet Law Packer
Juliet Law Packer is an American television writer. She graduated from Princeton University - 1974 and received a master's degree in film and television from Northwestern University - 1977...
and Richard Backus
Richard Backus
Richard Backus is an American actor and television writer. He has been nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards for writing and one for acting.- Biography :...
.
The internet community has embraced this: Douglas Marland's "How Not To Wreck a Show"
- 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.