Gary Tomlin
Encyclopedia
Career
Tomlin's career on daytime serials began in 1973 when he was cast on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
as Bruce Carson. He also made a guest appearance on "The Nightwalker" episode of the Waltons (1976). He later appeared as Morgan Simpson on the NBC soap opera Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
in 1979. Both series were produced in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Procter and Gamble Productions.
Tomlin served as the Co-Head Writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
of NBC's Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, which tapes in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, from 1980 to 1981. He then returned to New York as the Head Writer for Another World from 1984 to 1985 (at times sharing the position with others). Tomlin next wrote scripts for the Los Angeles serial Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
(NBC) from 1987 to 1990.
At the same time, Tomlin directed episodes of Another World from 1987 to 1991, later directing on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
from 1992 to 1995.
Tomlin became a producer in New York for All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
from 1995 to 1996, next rising to Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for the Los Angeles-based NBC serial Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach (TV series)
Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
from its debut in 1997 until its cancellation in 1999. He also directed episodes of the series during its run. Following Sunset Beach, Tomlin directed episodes of NBC's new series Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
in Los Angeles from 2000 until he was hired by ABC as the new Executive Producer of One Life To Live in January 2001. He also directed episodes of One Life to Live during his stint there.
Tomlin's time at One Life to Live saw the return of 1980s villains Allison Perkins
Allison Perkins
Allison Perkins is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.Barbara Garrick originated the role from 1986 to 1987, returning from August 15, 2001 to August 27, 2002 and then making brief appearances from October 24 to October 28, 2002 and January 10 to January 31, 2003....
and Mitch Laurence
Mitch Laurence
Mitchell "Mitch" Laurence is a fictional character, portrayed by Roscoe Born, on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live, from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2002 to 2003...
in a storyline creating a secret history
Secret history
A secret history is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars.-Secret histories of the real world:...
for events from 1986 and 1987, as well as a renewal of the on-again, off-again multiple personality
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
storyline of character Victoria Lord
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
, as played by multiple Emmy
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
-winning actress Erika Slezak
Erika Slezak
Erika Alma Hermina Slezak is an American actress, best known for her role as Victoria Lord on the American daytime soap opera One Life to Live...
. The series won its first-ever Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series is an award which has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys ceremony since 1974. As there are separate awards for acting, writing and directing, the award is generally given to the soap opera that excelled in all three of those categories...
for the 2002 season. In late 2002, ABC announced that it was replacing Tomlin with Frank Valentini
Frank Valentini
Frank Valentini is an American television producer, director and composer for the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. From 1985-1994 he worked as stage manager. In 1994 he was promoted to Associate Producer assuming full producer duties in 1996 and in 2003 he became executive producer, replacing Gary...
.
Tomlin returned to directing Passions in 2003, leaving in December 2007 and replacing Ron Carlivati
Ron Carlivati
Ron Carlivati is an American soap opera writer born on November 25, 1968 .-Career:It was announced in the February 27 edition of Soap Opera Digest that Carlivati was promoted to Co-Head Writer of the ABC Daytime serial One Life to Live alongside Dena Higley. On June 4, 2007, Frank Valentini...
as Head Writer of One Life to Live during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
. http://www.backstagewest.com/bso/news_reviews/la/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003792251
Positions held
All My ChildrenAll My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
- Producer (1995–1996)
Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
- Actor: Morgon Simpson (1979)
- Associate Head Writer (1984)
- Co-Head Writer (July 1984-January 1985)
- Head Writer (January 1985)
- Director (1987–1991)
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
- Head Writer (with Michelle Poteet LisantiMichelle Poteet Lisanti-Positions held:Another World*Screenwriter: 1995 - 1996Days of our Lives*Co-Head Writer: 1980 - 1981*Breakdown Writer: 1987 - 1994, June 11, 2009–presentGuiding Light*Screenwriter: 1984 - 1985One Life to Live...
; 1980–1981) - Co-Executive Producer (hired by Ken CordayKen CordayKen Corday is an American television soap opera producer and music composer. He is the son of the late Ted and Betty Corday...
; September 17, 2008 – June 2011)
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
- Director (1992–1995; 2001–2003)
- Executive Producer (January 2001 to February 2003)
- Script Writer (December 2007 - February 2008; May 2008 - 2008)
- Head Writer (February 15, 2008 - May 1, 2008)
Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
- Director (2000–2001; April 2003 - December 2007)
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
- Script Writer (1987–1990)
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
- Actor: Bruce Carson (#3) (1973–1974)
- Head Writer (1983–1984; 1985–1986)
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach (TV series)
Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
- Executive Producer (entire run, 1997–1999)
- Director (entire run, 1997–1999)
Texas
Texas (TV series)
Texas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...
- Writer
W.I.T.C.H.
W.I.T.C.H. (TV series)
W.I.T.C.H. is an animated television series based on the Italian comic book series of the same name produced by SIP Animation in association and participation by France 3, Jetix Europe, CNC, , - AGICOA, the Poitou-Charentes region and the Charente department. Despite their acronym, the five main...
- Creator
Awards and nominations
- Daytime EmmyDaytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
: Win (2002; Best Drama; One Life To Live) - Daytime Emmy: Nomination (2001; Best Directing; Passions)
- Daytime Emmy: Nomination (1995; Best Directing; One Life To Live)
- Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
: Nomination (2001; One Life To Live)