John Conboy (March 1934 – January 2018) was an American soap opera producer until his death in January 2018.
Life and career
Conboy was born in 1934 in Binghamton, New York. After high school, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts.
Conboy started his entertainment career as an actor. In 1970, he switched to a producing role, starting with the show Love is a Many Splendored Thing. He won an Emmy Award in 1973 as a producer on The ABC Afternoon Playbreak. Conboy then became a producer on The Young and the Restless, eventually rising to executive producer and earning two more Emmys.
In 1982, Conboy left The Young and the Restless and became executive producer of the newly created CBS soap opera Capitol. He served as the show's executive producer until the series was cancelled in 1987. During the last few years of Capitol, he created Casino which was set in Las Vegas. It was not picked up.
Conboy was hired as executive producer of the NBC Daytime soap opera Santa Barbara in 1990, and won his fourth Emmy Award as producer. However, the show's ratings did not improve, and he was let go in 1991. In December 2002, after nearly a decade of not working in daytime, Conboy was hired as executive producer of Guiding Light, succeeding longtime executive producer Paul Rauch, who stepped down the month prior and interim executive Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin. One-year later, Conboy reportedly walked out of his role as executive producer as Guiding Light following several disputes with the serial's producers Procter & Gamble, however, he later returned. In a statement, Conboy stated: "Procter & Gamble, CBS and I agree that my work on Guiding Light is not finished. I look forward to continuing our incredible partnership and all the terrific stories we have yet to tell." In February 2004, it was announced that Conboy would no longer serve as executive producer; Ellen Wheeler was named as his successor.
Conboy died in 2018.
Positions held
- Executive Producer (March 1982– March 1987)
- Executive Producer (December 2002 – March 2004)
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
- Producer (1970–1973)
- Executive Producer (July 1991 – December 1991)
- Executive Producer (March 1973 – February 1982)
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak: "The Other Woman"
After Hours: From Janice, John, Mary and Michael, with Love
After Hours: Singin', Swingin' and All That Jazz
The Solitary Man (directed by John Llewellyn Moxey & written by Jim Byrnes)
Awards and nominations
Wins
- (1990; Outstanding Drama Series; Santa Barbara)
- (1975 & 1983; Outstanding Drama Series; The Young and the Restless)
- (1974; Outstanding Drama Special)
Nominations
- (1990; Outstanding Drama Series; Santa Barbara)
- (1975–1976, 1978–1979, 1983; Outstanding Drama Series; The Young and the Restless)
Executive Producing Tenure
| Preceded bynone | Executive Producer of The Young and the Restless (with William J. Bell) March 1973 – February 1982 |
Succeeded byWilliam J. Bell H. Wesley Kenney |
| Preceded bynone | Executive Producer of Capitol March 1982 – March 1987 |
Succeeded byShow canceled |
| Preceded byJill Farren Phelps | Executive Producer of Santa Barbara (with Jill Farren Phelps: March – August 1990) March 1990 – June 1991 |
Succeeded byPaul Rauch Bridget and Jerome Dobson |
| Preceded byPaul Rauch | Executive Producer of Guiding Light December 26, 2002 – March 15, 2004 |
Succeeded byEllen Wheeler |
References
- ^ Chuba, Kirsten (23 January 2018). "John Conboy, Producer of 'The Young and the Restless,' 'Guiding Light,' Dies at 83". Variety. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- Kroll, Dan J. (December 18, 2003). "Conboy Walk Out, Returns to EP Job At Guiding Light". Soap Central.