While some fans had hoped the head writer Dena Higley would be ousted from One Life to Live, the show has kept the scribe in place. Instead, it has promoted an in-house scribe to work as co-head writer.
There are changes afoot behind-the-scenes at One Life to Live. Just as fans' outspoken criticism of head writer Dena Higley seems to have subsided comes word that there are more changes in store for the ABC soap's writing staff.
Ron Carlivati has been promoted to the position of co-head writer. Carlivati has been with One Life to Live for more than 10 years in various capacities, most recently serving as associate head writer. During Carlivati's tenure with the show he has helped One Life to Live earn Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing Team in 2002 and 2006. Carlivati has also been nominated Writers Guild Awards in 2003 and 2005.
This is not the first time that Higley has been given a helping hand in her duties as head writer. In 2005 the veteran team of James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten were hired as consultants for One Life to Live. Higley was named head writer of One Life to Live in September 2004.
Brown and Esensten have since moved on to other projects, but ABC replaced the pair with fellow daytime veterans Kay Alden and Jack Smith. Aldeb and Smith will serve as consultants for all three ABC soaps - OLTL, All My Children and General Hospital. Alden and Smith both served as head writers for The Young and the Restless prior to joining ABC.