Paul Rauch
Encyclopedia
Another World
Rauch is best known for his work on Another World, which he produced from 1971 to 1984. For much of that time, he worked in conjunction with Head WriterHead 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...
Harding Lemay
Harding Lemay
Harding Lemay is an American screenwriter and playwright. Born near the Mohawk Indian reservation, where his mother grew up, he ran away to New York City at age 17, where he has lived ever since.-Career:...
, and the team garnered the show critical acclaim and strong ratings.
Rauch led the show to an expanded hour format in 1975, which was a success. However, a subsequent time expansion to 90 minutes in 1979 was less successful though the expanded show lasted for one and a half years.
While still producing Another World, he also helped create an AW spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
, 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...
, which transferred popular character Iris Carrington (played by Beverlee McKinsey) to the new show amid much fanfare. Never able to achieve much in the ratings, Texas aired from August 4, 1980 to Dec. 31, 1982. Rauch served as executive producer of Texas for about 8 months, while also overseeing Another World.
Other credits
Following his stint on Another World, he produced One Life to LiveOne 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 1984 to 1991, 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...
from 1991 to 1993, Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
from 1996 to 2002, and The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
from 2008 to 2011. Most recently, he was consulting producer to a period-drama aired on Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n television, called Bednaya Nastya
Bednaya Nastya
Poor Nastya is a Russian telenovela originally aired from 31 October 2003 to 30 April 2004 on the STS. Based on the imperial setting of the 19th century, the series reached international success and was shown in Ukraine, China, Israel, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria and more than twenty...
.
Controversy
Rauch has become a controversial figure among some soap fans for what some describe as larger than life plots.- His production stints at One Life to Live and Guiding Light featured sci-fiScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
plots such as cloning and time-travel. - He has also had some conflicts with several of the actors on the shows he has produced. Ellen HollyEllen HollyEllen Holly is an American actress.-Career:Holly began her career on stage appearing in the Broadway productions of Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright and A Hand Is on the Gate before embarking on a television and film career...
, who played Carla on One Life to Live for nearly two decades, wrote in her autobiography "One Life" about how Rauch told Lillian HaymanLillian HaymanLillian Irene Hayman was a Tony Award-winning African American actress and singer.-Career:Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Hayman graduated from Wilberforce University with a BA before she began her career in the Broadway theatre...
, who played Holly's on-screen mother, Sadie, as she was walking to her car after a day's taping that she was fired and that she had just taped her last episode. - Rauch fired three actors from Another World in 1975: Virginia DwyerVirginia DwyerVirginia Dwyer is an American actress known for her roles on several daytime soap operas. From 1954 to 1962, she had roles on at least five daytime programs, including The Road of Life, The Secret Storm, Young Dr...
(Mary Matthews), George ReinholtGeorge ReinholtGeorge Kilpatrick Reinholt is an American actor.Reinholt is best known for his soap roles: Steve Frame on Another World from 1968 to 1975, and Tony Harris Lord on One Life to Live from 1975 to 1977.He was fired from Another World in 1975 when head writer Harding Lemay wrote him out of the program...
(Steve Frame), and Jacqueline CourtneyJacqueline CourtneyJacqueline Courtney was an American actress best known for her work on daytime soap operas.After short stints on The Edge of Night and Our Five Daughters, Courtney became famous for her role as Alice Matthews Frame on Another World; she played the role from the show's debut in May 1964 until July...
(Alice Matthews Frame). According to his memoirs, then-AW head writer Harding LemayHarding LemayHarding Lemay is an American screenwriter and playwright. Born near the Mohawk Indian reservation, where his mother grew up, he ran away to New York City at age 17, where he has lived ever since.-Career:...
said that Dwyer was fired because she relied too heavily on cue cards and didn't bother memorizing lines, Courtney was fired because her acting was deemed too "soap operatic," and Reinholt was fired due to the fact that he had openly clashed with both Rauch and Lemay over the direction of the series and had become difficult to deal with.
Positions held
Another WorldAnother 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...
- Executive ProducerExecutive producerAn 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...
(December 1971 - July 1984)
Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
- Executive Producer (November 1996 - December 24, 2002)
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...
- Executive Producer (August 1984 - December 1991)
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...
- Executive Producer (January 1992 - January 15, 1993)
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...
- Co-Creator
- Executive Producer (July 1980 - April 1981)
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
- ConsultantCreative consultantCreative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
(August 2008 - October 2, 2008) - Co-Executive Producer (October 3, 2008 - May 10, 2011)