{{Short description|American television writer and producer}} {{Other people|Pamela Long|Pamela Long (disambiguation){{!}}Pamela Long}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}} '''Pamela K. Long''' is an American writer and executive producer. Long won several Emmys for her work on CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' from 1983 to 1990. She was also writer and executive producer on the NBC film ''Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/pamela-k-long/|title=NBCUniversal Media Village|website=www.nbcumv.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-26}}</ref>
== Career == Before writing and acting, Long won the title of Miss Alabama in 1974 and competed for the title of Miss America 1975. At the time, she was attending the University of North Alabama, and was involved in the Phi Mu sorority.
After graduation, she moved to New York City and landed the role of Ashley Linden on ''Texas'' from 1981 to 1982. She began writing scripts for the show while she was still part of the cast, and in 1982, Long was named head writer of ''Texas''. Ratings in the U.S. were low,<ref name="Grunwald, D pages 23-27">Grunwald, D: "Who Shot Texas", pages 23–27. ''TV Guide'' (Canadian edition), March 5, 1983.</ref> but in Canada, ''Texas'' topped the daytime ratings charts for many weeks.<ref name="Grunwald, D pages 23-27" /> The last episode of ''Texas'' aired on December 31, 1982.
In March 1983, Long became head writer of CBS Daytime's ''Guiding Light'', and Gail Kobe, Long's former executive producer at ''Texas'', joined the show in the same role.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/01/flashback-pamela-long-hammer-1983.html|title = FLASHBACK: Pamela Long Hammer 1983}}</ref>
Long created several key characters on ''Guiding Light'', including vixen Reva Shayne, complicated Alexandra Spaulding, and rough-around-the-edges ingenue Harley Davidson Cooper. Long left her role as head writer in 1985, but returned for a second stint from 1987 to 1990. She had stints as head writer for several other daytime soap operas during her career.
Long was creator and executive producer of the prime-time drama ''Second Noah'' for ABC, for which she won the Child Advocate Award. She also wrote and produced the critically acclaimed ''Christy'' for CBS, winning the Templeton Prize. Numerous pilot developments, TV movies and a feature film followed, as well as writing and producing the first scripted drama series for MTV, ''Undressed'', with Roland Joffe.
Long was named lead consultant for the launch of all of MTV's scripted dramas, and was executive producer and head writer for PAX's ''Twice in a Lifetime'', winning multiple Gemini nominations, including best drama.
In 2015, Long was writer and executive producer of the film ''Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors'' which garnered over 15 million viewers its first showing, NBC's highest ratings for a film in seven years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/12/dolly-partons-coat-of-many-colors-getting-repeat-airing-december-25-1201668514/|title='Coat Of Many Colors' Gets Christmas Repeat After 15.6M Viewers On First Showing|last=Lincoln|first=Ross A.|date=2015-12-17|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-07-26|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Personal life== Long was once married to actor Jay Hammer and was credited for a time as '''Pamela Long Hammer'''. They had two sons together. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-10-re-63570-story.html]
==Positions held== ''Guiding Light'' *Head Writer: March 1983 to November 1985, July 1987 to December 1990 *Co-Head Writer: December 1985 to January 1986
''One Life to Live'' *Head Writer: March 1998 to December 1998 [https://www.nytimes.com/.../new-yorkers-co-soaps-on-the-ropes.html?...]
''Santa Barbara'' *Head Writer: February 1992 to January 1993<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-08-20 |title='Santa Barbara' keeps keeping on, and in style, too - Soap notes by Lynda Hirsch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-santa-barbara/146858601/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=48}}</ref>
''Search for Tomorrow'' *Executive Story Consultant: May 1986 to December 1986 [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-26-ca-21528-story.html]; [http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/09/classic-clips-daytime-soap-opera.html]
''Texas'' *Actress: February 1981 to December 1982 *Head and Script Writer: October 1982 to December 1982
''Her Hidden Truth'' *Script Writer: November 1995 *Producer: November 1995
''Second Noah'' *Producer
==Awards and nominations== '''Daytime Emmy Awards'''
* Wins: 1986 & 1990, Best Writing, ''Guiding Light'' * Nominations: 1985 & 1989, Best Writing, ''Guiding Light''
'''Writers Guild of America Award''' * Nominations: 1985 & 1989 seasons, ''Guiding Light''; 1993 season, ''Santa Barbara''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.missalabama.com/ Miss Alabama official website] *{{IMDb name|0519133|Pamela K. Long}} *[https://www.youtube.com/user/hfxmusicman Clips from ''Texas'' episodes]
{{Miss America 1975 Delegates}} {{Alabama pageant winners}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Pam}} Category:1950s births Category:Living people Category:American soap opera writers Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Miss Alabama winners Category:Miss America 1975 delegates Category:University of North Alabama alumni Category:Women soap opera writers Category:Screenwriters from Alabama Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Year of birth missing (living people)