Tom Casiello

My interview with Tom Casiello (who we discussed in class a bit, especially with his recent MAJOR career change from the soap opera industry to writing for wrestling storylines) went very smoothly–if only I could think of more exciting questions, though!  Since I wasn’t able to present the interview with the class, I’m going to go ahead and include a few of the Q&A’s here…

“Q:  How do you feel about the idea that DOOL is known for A) its super couples and B) its outrageous 90s plots?

DOOL just took the Luke/Laura formula from GH, and kicked it up a few notches by having a whole show of couples like this. They also were incredibly smart from a branding/marketing perspective, by giving each couple their own pop song, as well as iconic images. (Steve/Kayla married on the boat, Bo/Hope in New Orleans, Roman/Marlena on the beach, etc.)  It was an incredibly smart business move. As for the plots of the 90′s, they definitely helped bring DOOL to #2 in the ratings, but in the long run, it did great harm to the show. Fans were constantly looking to the show to out-do what it previously did before… which is why you end up with plotlines like Virtual Eden. It’s an unfortunate line there’s no turning back from… if you don’t keep outdoing yourself, the fans you gained during the possession storyline will walk away… but if you DO keep trying to outdo yourself, then the stories get crazier and crazier until you’ve lost all respect and dignity as a television institution.

Q:  Have you had much of a chance to share any similarities between your time with soaps and your time with the wrestling industry?

I’ve only been at WWE for a week… but the layout and workday is very similar in terms of laying out that week’s episode. The big difference is that wrestling is live… so there’s no 12-week delay in getting audience reaction from the time we write it, to the time it airs. You get an IMMEDIATE fan response, so it’s much easier to change storylines if they’re not working. However, working in live television creates a LOT more issues during production. MUCH more pressure and stress, but also much more rewarding. No magic of editing to save you, so to speak.

Q:  On a sadder note, how do you feel about the news that ABC’s One Life to Live and All My Children are being cancelled?  Do you feel that this news is an indication of things to come?

Those of us behind the scenes have been hearing about ABC’s plans since last fall, so we had time to prepare ourselves mentally/emotionally. I definitely feel like the writing is on the wall at this point… but I also feel like television is cyclical. The remaining four shows are most definitely running on borrowed time based on ratings and budgets at the moment… but I do believe that after 5-10 years of talk/judge/game shows on in daytime, somebody will find a way to bring the serial drama back. I don’t think it will be as antiquated in terms of storyline choices, but something more current, under a different production model. But having said that, everybody seems to have a different idea of what the future will hold… and none of us really know how this will play out.”

Advertisement