Hogan Sheffer
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Hogan Sheffer (born Mark Wayne Sheffer on June 12, 1958 in York, Pennsylvania) is an American Daytime Emmy winning screenwriter.
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[edit] Personal life
His brother, Craig Sheffer, is a noted actor.
Sheffer's full birth name is Mark Wayne Sheffer; he received his nickname of Hogan from younger brother Craig, who thought he looked like pianist/composer Hoagy Carmichael.
[edit] Film career
From 1986 to 1994, he worked as a freelancer and did script analysis for various production companies. He also worked for Mary Stuart Masterson at her production company. From 1997-2000, he was employed by Dreamworks as the Director of Screenplay Development under producers Mark Johnson and Elizabeth Cantillon. He was in charge of developing screenplays for films like My Dog Skip, Galaxy Quest, Home Fries and What Lies Beneath.
[edit] As The World Turns
Sheffer is perhaps best known for his stint as head writer of the CBS soap opera As The World Turns. Sheffer was head writer from 2000 until 2005.
When Procter & Gamble, the company that produces As The World Turns, hired Sheffer, it came as a surprise to both industry figures and fans. Some fans became concerned when, in an interview, he admitted he had never seen As The World Turns or sister soap Guiding Light before he was asked to watch them. Proctor & Gamble gave Sheffer a choice of which show he'd like to writer for, and although he commented that ATWT had been "boring as hell", he saw potential at the show.
[edit] Praise
Sheffer's take on As The World Turns, an aging show in one of the older genres in television, reinvigorated the program. During Sheffer's writing regime, the show won many Daytime Emmy Awards; Sheffer and his team received four Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. (ATWT's loss in 2003 was blamed on technical difficulties with their Emmy Reel, as the clips judges watched had had either bad or no sound and were tinted green.)
Sheffer became a favorite of reporters for his hilarious one-liners.
[edit] Criticism
Although his writing regime at As The World Turns was a stabilizing force and rejuvenated the momentum of the show, Sheffer's writing style alienated a number of longtime fans of ATWT, who complained that he rewrote characters to suit the purposes of a given storyline. In particular, he and his team were criticized for departing from history and/or established character motivation and behavior. While some storylines for veteran characters worked well (turning Barbara Ryan into a villainess), others seemed inappropriate for the character, like Margo's flirtation with misogynistic football player Doc.
As The World Turns has perhaps the largest group of veterans still active in the cast; there are over a dozen actors are currently on contract to the show (or are recurring in their roles) who have been with the show for twenty years or more. Some of the veterans actors on the show (most notably Eileen Fulton who plays longtime heroine Lisa Grimaldi) also complained that their characters' airtime diminished dramatically during Sheffer's tenure.
[edit] Departure from ATWT
In March 2005 Sheffer took what was referred to a "17 week sabatical" from ATWT at which time other writers like Josh Griffith and Jean Passanante took over. Procter & Gamble Productions initially indicated that he would return at the end of his sabbatical, but announced a few weeks later that Sheffer would not be returning to his position as head writer; the company promoted Jean Passanante to his position permanently.
Reasons for his leave, and subsequent firing, are unclear. There had been suggestions that Sheffer was ill; there were also suggestions that he had taken a leave to undergo gastric bypass surgery. However, no statements confirming the reason for his leave have been made. It is unclear whether Sheffer was fired from ATWT or left of his own volition, although it is known that Sheffer had been very unhappy after a planned two-year storyline was cut short by higher-ups, and were replaced by rather unpopular storylines.
When he won his 4th Daytime Emmy for As the World Turns in 2005 he did not attend the stage and Jean Passanate accepted the award. Passanante thanked Sheffer for "his big heart and brilliant imagination" and said the entire writing staff at the show would "miss him". [1]
In 2002 when Richard Culliton was fired from the ABC soap opera All My Children it was speculated that Sheffer would leave ATWT to take over that soap. When interviewed, Sheffer has often praised the quality of production and acting on the rival network. After Sheffer was fired in 2005, speculation again circulated that Sheffer would head to ABC, this time to take over One Life to Live and replace Dena Higley.
As the World Turns fans were shocked when in summer 2005, Sheffer was asked to return as Head Writer. He declined, but agreed to take a lesser position on the writing staff, much like Leah Laiman did in early 2005 when she returned to writing for the show. In late October 2005, Sheffer returned to the As the World Turns credits as a breakdown writer.
Since Sheffer's exit, ATWT has lost about 300,000 viewers (Daytime TV ratings)
[edit] Days of Our Lives
In late May 2006, rumors began surfacing that Sheffer would be joining the NBC soap Days of our Lives to replace the highly controversial James E. Reilly as head writer.
On June 12, 2006 (Sheffer's 48th birthday) Sheffer confirmed he was joining DAYS as the new head writer.[2] Sheffer's scripts began airing in October 2006. Sheffer is writing the show at a time of drastic change; a half-dozen cast members have left or are leaving, and Sheffer's writing is changing the tone of the show, from the fantasy and high camp of previous writer James E. Reilly to a more reality-based canvas.
| Preceded by Leah Laiman |
Head Writer of As the World Turns August 2000 - May 2005 |
Succeeded by Jean Passanante |
| Preceded by James E. Reilly (Beth Milstein interim head writer) |
Head Writer of Days Of Our Lives (Meg Kelly as co-head) October 5, 2006 - present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
[edit] Positions Held
- Associate Head Writer (October 25, 2005 - August 9, 2006)
- Head Writer (August 2000 - May 24, 2005)
- Head Writer (October 5, 2006 - Present)
[edit] Awards & Nominations
- 6 NOMINATIONS (2001-2006; Best Writing; As The World Turns)
- 4 WINS (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005; Best Writing; As the World Turns)
Writers Guild of America Award
- NOMINATION (For 2005 season; As The World Turns)
| Serial | Head Writer(s) | Associate/Breakdown/Script Writers | Producers | Directors |
| Days Of Our Lives | Hogan Sheffer (HW), Meg Kelly (Co-HW) | Beth Milstein, Jodie Scholz, Frederick Johnson, Michael Slade, Susan Kirshenbaum, Bruce Neckles, Jeanne Marie Ford | Ken Corday (Lifetime Executive Producer), Stephen Wyman (Co-Executive Producer), Janet Spellman-Rider, Sheryl Herman, Roy B. Steinberg, Tom Walker | Roy B. Steinberg, Roger W. Inman, Albert Alarr, Phil Sogard, Herb Stein, Jim Baffico |
See Also History of As the World Turns (2000-present)
