According to Soap Opera Digest and various other sources, Ed Scott has been fired as co-executive producer at DAYS. He was relieved of his duties as of Friday, August 15, 2008. Gary Tomlin has been hired to replace him.
Last month, Mr. Scott was the topic of heated backstage controversy, when Nelson Branco from TV Guide Canada reported that Scott was allegedly rewriting most of Head Writer Dena Higley’s scripts, and even allowing certain actors to rewrite theirs as well. The Writers Guild of America is reportedly investigating the allegations and has even been given photographs as proof of the claims. The irony of the situation is that Higley was labeled a “scab” during the Writers’ Strike.
Just last year, The Young and the Restless Executive Producer Ed Scott was hired to replace Stephen Wyman as co-Executive Producer in a major DAYS shake-up. Edward's first day at his new job was reportedly August 6, 2007. There was much excitement and a renewed energy among the cast, including Stephen Nichols (Steve), who described Mr. Scott in his TV Guide Celebrity Blog as “The dude in the orange shoes.”
Gary Tomlin has extensive experience in daytime television as a producer, director, writer, and an actor. He was executive producer on One Life to Live, Sunset Beach, and All My Children. In fact, he won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2002 for Outstanding Drama Series for One Life to Live. He also directed episodes of Sunset Beach, Passions, Another World, and One Life to Live. Soap fans may also remember him as Morgan Simpson on Another World, a role he portrayed in 1979. He also portrayed Bruce Carson on Search for Tomorrow from 1973-1974. Additionally, he was also co-head writer of DAYS from 1980-1981.
"I have decided that it's in the best interest of the show's future to make this change in order to improve ‘Days’ both visually and emotionally,” said Executive Producer Ken Corday in a press release statement. “We at ‘Days’ are grateful to Ed Scott for all of his contributions and amazing energy over the past year. Gary Tomlin brings a long successful history of being an actor's producer and a writer's producer to our cast and crew and I know the viewers will see the immediate results of this change for the better."
Many say this backstage drama has been more exciting than the show itself lately. Sorry that it has come to this with letting Mr. Scott go, but hopefully with Mr. Tomlin’s extensive background and experience he can bring some exciting changes ahead. Best of luck to Mr. Scott in his future endeavors.
