Samuel D. Ratcliffe
Encyclopedia
Samuel D. Ratcliffe was an Emmy-winning screenwriter
for daytime television.
He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama
and graduated from Birmingham Southern College, moving to New York in 1968 to pursue a career as an actor. From 1968 until the mid-seventies, he appeared in commercials, films and theatre. He was Matt in the long-running off-Broadway play, The Fantasticks
and starred in the Broadway
musical, Hurry Harry.
In 1976 he began to write for daytime television dramas
. He won numerous awards, including a Daytime Emmy in 1991 for his work as head writer for NBC Daytime
's Santa Barbara
. He also served as Head Writer
for NBC's Texas
and Another World
.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
for daytime television.
He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
and graduated from Birmingham Southern College, moving to New York in 1968 to pursue a career as an actor. From 1968 until the mid-seventies, he appeared in commercials, films and theatre. He was Matt in the long-running off-Broadway play, The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
and starred in the 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...
musical, Hurry Harry.
In 1976 he began to write for daytime television dramas
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,...
. He won numerous awards, including a Daytime Emmy in 1991 for his work as head writer for 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...
's Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
. He also served as 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...
for NBC's Texas
Texas (TV series)
Texas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...
and 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...
.