Mary Margaret "Peggy" O'Shea (October 3, 1922 – May 1, 2014) was an American screenwriter. She wrote primarily for daytime soap operas.

Biography

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Born in Niagara Falls, New York, O'Shea began writing for television with her former husband Lou Shaw for such series as Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, and Have Gun – Will Travel.

She later served as head writer for One Life to Live from 1979 to 1983, Capitol from 1983 to 1984, and again for One Life to Live from 1984 to 1987. She also wrote for Peyton Place. She and her husband Lou wrote the script of "The Pearl Necklace" (with Hazel Court and Edward Truex), for a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She won a Writers Guild of America Award and a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on One Life to Live. She was also nominated for a total of four Writers Guild of America Awards and five Daytime Emmy Awards.[1][2]

While writing for One Life to Live, O'Shea lived in New York City, and she later moved to Los Angeles. On May 1, 2014, she died of complications from a stroke. She was 91. She was survived by a son from her marriage to Shaw.[1][2]

Awards and nominations

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Head writing tenure

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Preceded by Head Writer of One Life to Live
(with Sam Hall)

March 1980 — May 1982
Succeeded by
Sam Hall
Henry Slesar
Preceded by Head Writer of Capitol
1983 — 1984
Succeeded by
Henry Slesar
Preceded by
John William Corrington
Joyce Hooper Corrington
Head Writer of One Life to Live
(with Sam Hall: December 1983 — June 1984)

December 1983 — June 1987
Succeeded by
S. Michael Schnessel

References

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  1. ^ a b Newcomb, Roger (May 12, 2014). "Peggy O'Shea Dead at 91". welovesoaps.net.
  2. ^ a b Peggy O’Shea, Head Writer for ‘One Life to Live,’ Dies at 91
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