(SoapOperaNetwork.com) -- Soap Opera Network has learned James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten have been fired as Headwriters from ABC's "All My Children." Effective immediately, Charles Pratt Jr. will be taking over as Head Writer.

Charles Pratt Jr.

As Co-Head Writers of "All My Children," Brown and Esenstens tenure only lasted one year. With declining ratings and disappointing storylines, speculation of their firing had been imminent.

Pratt began his daytime career writing scripts for "General Hospital" in the early 1980's. He joined "Santa Barbara" as a Script Writer and was later promoted to Co-Head Writer - he won two Daytime Emmy Awards (1989, 1991) and a Writers Guild Award (1990). He left "SB" in 1991. Pratt also co-created "Sunset Beach" with Robert Guza Jr. and Josh Griffith. Though he never wrote for "Beach," he served as an Executive Storyline Consultant for its first year. In 2002, Pratt and Guza returned to "GH" as Co-Head Writers where he won another Daytime Emmy (2003) for Outstanding Writing Team. He quietly left "GH" in 2006 and began writing for the FOX primetime series "Vanished."

Pratt is best known for his "Melrose Place" work, where he was a writer from the beginning to the end he also served as an Executive Producer and Director. Pratt created the short-lived soaps, "Models Inc." (with Frank South) and "Titans," and worked as a Consultant on "Pacific Palisades." His other primetime credits includes: "Desperate Housewives," and "Ugly Betty," where he was listed as a Consulting Producer.

There is still no word if Pratt's hiring will affect Daren Little, who was hired as a Creative Consultant earlier this week. Little comes from England and has has worked on British soaps such as "Coronation Street," "Hollyoaks," and its spinoff "Hollyoaks: In The City."