James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly | |
---|---|
Born | Television writer | July 15, 1948
James E. Reilly (July 15, 1948
Reilly died in October 2008 while recovering from cardiac surgery.[1]
Career
Reilly created the NBC Daytime soap opera Passions in 1999, and served as the series' head writer until its cancellation in 2008.[1] He was previously the co-head writer of Guiding Light from 1990 to 1992 and Days of our Lives from 1992 to 1997.[1] Reilly also worked as a staff writer for other daytime dramas prior to that, including The Young and the Restless and General Hospital.[1]
Though Passions was historically top-rated in key
During his run on Passions, Reilly returned to Days of our Lives as head writer from August 18, 2003 until August 9, 2006, and was succeeded by former As the World Turns head writer Hogan Sheffer.
Reilly was one of 20 writers who chose
James E. Reilly had a triple major in psychology, social anthropology and biology.[10]
Departure from traditional stories
In 1993, Reilly gained attention immediately after taking over as head writer on Days of our Lives for a storyline in which heroine Carly Manning (
Reilly left Days of our Lives in 1997 and created Passions in 1999, freed of a pre-existing fan base to please.
In an attempt to boost ratings, Reilly was asked to return to Days of our Lives as head writer in the summer of 2003. Days executive producers gave Reilly carte blanche to "fix" the show (while simultaneously remaining as head writer for Passions).[citation needed] What followed was a controversial and attention-getting storyline in which multiple long-running characters on the series are brutally murdered by a serial killer dubbed the Salem Stalker.[3] The story grew increasingly graphic (and ironic) as recovering alcoholic Maggie Horton is bludgeoned by a liquor bottle and original cast member and town matriarch Alice Horton chokes to death on a donut, her culinary specialty, forced down her throat. The reveal that heroine Marlena Evans was somehow the killer made the February 3, 2004 cover of Soap Opera Digest. This was not all; shortly after Marlena died after being exposed as the killer, all the victims were discovered alive on the island of Melaswen (New Salem backwards), which revealed that Marlena had in fact been mind controlled to believe she was the killer. Reilly left the series again in 2006.
Death
After Reilly's October 2008 death,
Positions held
- Associate Head writer: 1982
- Associate Head writer: May 1984 - February 1985
- Outline Writer: 1985 - 1988
- Script Writer: 1990
- Consultant: April 24 – August 22, 1990
- Co-Head writer: 1990 - 1992
- Head writer: December 21, 1992 - January 5, 1998; August 11, 2003 - August 9, 2006
- Associate Head writer: 1989
- Executive Story Consultant: 1997 - 1998
- Creator
- Head writer: 1999 - 2008
- Consulting Producer: 1999 - 2008
Awards and nominations
WINS
- (1993; Best Writing; Guiding Light)
NOMINATIONS
- (1986; Best Writing; General Hospital)
- (1991; Best Writing; The Young and the Restless)
- (1992; Best Writing; Guiding Light)
- (1994, 1997 & 1998; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
- (2001, 2002 & 2003; Best Writing; Passions)
WINS
- (1992 season; Guiding Light)
NOMINATIONS
- (1994 season; Days of Our Lives)
- (2001 season; Passions)
Head writing tenure
References
- ^ Soapcentral. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
- ^ "Monitor: Deaths - James E. Reilly". Entertainment Weekly. Issue #1018, EW.com. October 24, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Mitovich, Matt. "Soaps Scribe James E. Reilly Dies at 60". TV Guide. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
- ^ "Passions matches its highest ranking ever". NBC Universal Media Village. January 11, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Passions recap (8/7/08) - SoapOperaDigest.com
- ^ "Passions: After 10 Years, the Supernatural Soap Ends, part one". Archived from the original on August 13, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ Horwitch, Lauren (May 1, 2008). "WGA Presidents Ignite Fracas Over Fi-core". Backstage.com. Retrieved September 30, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ Verrone, Patric M.; Michael Winship (April 18, 2008). "Letter from the Presidents". WGA.org. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ^ "Members who Elected Financial Core During the Strike". WGA.org. April 18, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ^ McGarry, Mark (March 1995). "The Storytellers". Soap Opera Weekly.
- ^ Reilly would later revive this device twice on Passions for storylines involving Sheridan Crane (McKenzie Westmore) and Jessica Bennett (Danica Stewart).
- ^ a b c "Passions". Rotten.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
- ^ a b "In Memoriam: James E. Reilly Remembered". SoapOperaDigest.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
External links
- James E. Reilly at IMDb