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American television writer
Michele Val Jean
Born U.S
Occupation(s) Writer, producer Years active 1989–present
Michele Val Jean (b. 1950s) is an American television writer and producer, best-known for her work on daytime soap operas. Val Jean has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime soap operas and won seven
Daytime Emmy Awards and five
Writers Guild of America Awards .
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[2]
Life and career
Val Jean began her career as a writer in the first African-American daytime soap opera,
Generations in 1989. The series was canceled in 1991. In 1990 she worked on the prime time series,
Jake and the Fatman .
[2] She returned to daytime as a writer on
Santa Barbara from 1991 to 1993 receiving her first
Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Daytime Serials . In 1993 she joined
General Hospital . Val Jean wrote the critically acclaimed 1998 re-visitation of
Luke Spencer's rape of
Laura Spencer , the rape of
Elizabeth Webber , Luke and Laura Spencer's 2006 wedding. In 2000 she was promoted, alongside
Elizabeth Korte , to the post of
head writer , making her the first African American in the history of daytime television serials to hold the post.
[3] She won four
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for her work on General Hospital .
[2] She left the soap in 2012.
In 2012, Val Jean joined the CBS soap opera,
The Bold and the Beautiful as a script writer. The left the soap in early 2024.
[4]
[5] In 2019 she also worked as a episodic writer and producer on the
Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera,
Ambitions .
[6] In 2024, Val Jean created a new daytime soap opera,
The Gates for CBS that centers a wealthy Black family. She will serve as a writer, showrunner and executive producer.
[7] The soap will debut in January 2025.
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Positions held
The Gates
Ambitions
Consulting Producer 2019
Writer
The Bold and the Beautiful
Script writer: January 16, 2012 – April 3, 2024
General Hospital
Occasional breakdown writer: February 2007 – December 26, 2007
Co-head writer : January 2001 – April 2001
Breakdown writer: 1996–2000
Occasional script writer: 1996–2000
Script writer: 1993–1996, June 2002 – December 21, 2007, April 7, 2008 – January 10, 2012
Script editor: 1993–1995 (hired by
Claire Labine )
Generations (hired by
Sally Sussman Morina )
Port Charles
Occasional Script Writer: 1997–1998
Santa Barbara (hired by
Bridget and Jerome Dobson )
Breakdown writer: 1992–1993
Script Writer: 1991
Script Editor: 1992–1993
Jake and the Fatman
Awards and nominations
Val Jean has been nominated for several
Daytime Emmy Awards .
Writers Guild Of America Award
1993–1998 seasons, 6 nominations for General Hospital
1991 and 1992 seasons, 2 nominations for Santa Barbara
TV Guide
Best Daytime Soap Writer (2004, 2006 & 2007)
References
^ Rice, Lynette (April 15, 2024).
"CBS Orders 'The Gates' To Series; Daytime Sudser That Centers On A Black Family To Debut In January" .
^
a
b
c
"Veteran soap scribe Michele Val Jean exits The Bold and the Beautiful's writing team" . soapcentral.com .
^
"DC #713: EXCLUSIVE — Michele Val Jean Reflects on #GH50 and Career in Soaps | Daytime Confidential" . web.archive.org . March 24, 2013.
^ Bowe, Jillian (February 23, 2024).
"Famed Soap Writer Michele Val Jean Exits The Bold and The Beautiful" . Daytime Confidential .
^ Lewis, Errol (February 23, 2024).
"Daytime Emmy Award-Winning Writer Michele Val Jean Exits 'The Bold and the Beautiful' " . Soap Opera Network .
^ Newcomb, Roger.
" 'Ambitions' Production Underway with Stars Robin Givens, Essence Atkins, Brian White, Kendrick Cross, Brely Evans & Erica Page" .
^ Rice, Lynette (March 6, 2024).
"CBS Studios NAACP Venture To Develop New Daytime Drama For CBS Called 'The Gates' " .
^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 15, 2024).
"CBS Greenlights the First Black Daytime Soap Opera in 35 Years" .
^ Otterson, Joe (April 15, 2024).
"CBS Orders Daytime Soap Opera 'The Gates' Under NAACP Content Partnership" .
External links