Bridget Dobson: Parents Frank & Doris Hursley 'Never Accepted That I Was A Success On My Own'

Jerome & Bridget Dobson

There are some fascinating quotes from longtime soap opera writer Bridget Dobson in the latest installment of her interview with the Santa Barbara Blog. Dobson talks about the years she and her husband spent working on P&G soaps GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURN, as well as the negative reaction her parents, GENERAL HOSPITAL creators Frank and Doris Hursley, had to her success.

On P&G: "When our bosses, Bob Short and Ed Trach, and we didn't agree about a character or a storyline, we had long and healthy (informative and productive) arguments, There was a climate of mutual respect and affection. We were always told we could do it our way (not theirs), and risk being fired if the ratings didn’t hold up. So, in accordance with our philosophy that the writers’ will must prevail, we took that risk, and we were never fired. It was all very up front and forthright. Unlike Hollywood, there was never the feeling that if we turned around we would be stabbed in the back."

On leaving their final P&G soap, ATWT: "When our daughter Mary applied to colleges, she had, literally, to make appointments with me to get me to take the time to read her applications. This was not how life was meant to be. We told P&G it was not a matter of money. It was a matter of reclaiming our lives."

On her parents: "My parents never accepted that I was a success on my own. (My mother apparently was furious to learn that our bosses at P&G were talking to Jerry and me about shows, not to them. This is according to my sister, who was visiting them at the time of an hysterical outburst.) They never watched any of my shows. When they were asked why not, they said, 'Because we want to be proud of Bridget. That's why we don't watch.' Eventually it didn't matter to me. I went to a shrink (a psychiatrist) who helped me understand what I couldn't on my own. I am, generally, proud of our work and I feel sorry for my parents that they never knew what I could create (which was, in part, because of the gift of their tutelage). It's their loss."