Dorothy Ann Purser is a screenwriter who was born in

Hammond, Louisiana Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, located east of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge and northwest of New Orleans. Its population was 20,019 in the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, and 21 ...

. Purser is best known for her work on the television series ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' as the head writer and co-writer, and on the television series ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'' as head writer. She has been nominated for seven awards, and has received two including a

Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

Works

Purser wrote episodes for the television series ''

''. She served as both the head writer and co-writer for the television series ''

'' during the 1990s, receiving several

nominations and two awards for episodes she wrote. She also wrote for the series ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

''.

Awards and recognition

As a television writer, Purser won two major awards and was nominated for seven others. The first of her two major awards came in the form of a 1993

for "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team" for a 1992 episode of ''The Guiding Light''. Purser also received a 2000

WGA Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

in the category of "Daytime Serials" for a 1999 episode of ''Days of our Lives'', which she helped to write. She was unsuccessfully nominated for six Daytime Emmys for "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team": a 1990 nomination of a 1968 episode of ''One Life to Live'', a 1992 nomination for an episode of ''The Guiding Light'', and nominations in the years 1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999 ''Days of our Lives'' episodes from the 1965 season. Purser was also nominated for the 2002 WGA Award for a 1965 episode of ''Days of our Lives''.

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

WINS *(1993; Best Writing; ''Guiding Light'') NOMINATIONS *(1990; Best Writing; ''One Life to Live'') *(1992; Best Writing; ''Guiding Light'') *(1994, 1997, 1998 & 1999; Best Writing; ''Days of Our Lives'')

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

WINS *(1987 season; ''Ryan's Hope'') *(2000 season; ''Days of Our Lives'') NOMINATIONS *(1994 & 2002 seasons; ''Days of Our Lives'')

Positions held

'' Another World'' *

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 A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio ...

: 1983 - June 1984 *Co-head writer: 1983 (with Robert Soderberg) *Story Consultant: 1982 *Writer: 1979 - 1980 ''

'' *Writer: 1960s, 1988–1991, 1994–2001 ''

'' *Writer: 1992 - 1994 ''

'' *Writer: 1968 '' The Doctors'' *Writer: 1980 - 1982 ''

Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...

'' *Writer: 1985 - 1987 ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

'' *Writer: 1970's

Head writing tenure

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purser, Dorothy Ann Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Screenwriters from Louisiana American women soap opera writers American soap opera writers People from Hammond, Louisiana 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American writers