Jay Pickett
PMP Network Presents
Jay Pickett, known for his role as Frank Scanlan on the ABC television series Port Charles, shares insights into the show's innovative narrative structure. He explains how Port Charles employs a 'three-month book' format to tell its stories, ensuring a definite beginning, middle, and end for each arc.
Jay Pickett
About Jay Pickett
Jay Pickett was an American actor recognized for his work in daytime television. He portrayed Frank Scanlon on Port Charles from 1997 to 2003, Dr. Chip Lakin on Days of Our Lives, and Detective David Harper on General Hospital. His television credits included China Beach, Mr. Belvedere, Dragnet, Jake and the Fatman, Matlock, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Queen Sugar. He also appeared in Western films including Catch the Bullet and Last Shoot Out.
In this interview
- Describes Port Charles' innovative three-month book format with definite story arcs.
- Explains the show's experiment to prevent soap opera stories from meandering.
- Discusses his role as Frank Scanlon, Joe's complicated older brother.
- Notes Port Charles was relatively new, having been on air four years.
“We started telling these stories in three month books. So they have a very definite beginning, middle, and an end.”— Jay Pickett, in this interview
Since this interview
Pickett continued acting in television and film through 2021. On July 30, 2021, he died from a heart attack at age 60 while filming near Oreana, Idaho.
