Tomlin's career on daytime serials began in 1973 when he was cast on CBS's Search for Tomorrow as Bruce Carson.
Tomlin served as the co-head writer of NBC's Days of Our Lives, which tapes in Los Angeles, from 1980 to 1981.
Following Sunset Beach, Tomlin directed episodes of NBC's new series Passions in Los Angeles from 2000 until he was hired by ABC as the new Executive Producer of One Life To Live in January 2001, replacing Jill Farren Phelps.
Tomlin's time at One Life to Live saw the return of 1980s villains Allison Perkins and Mitch Laurence in a storyline creating a secret history for events from 1986 and 1987, as well as a renewal of the on-again, off-again multiple personality storyline of character Victoria Lord, as played by multiple Emmy-winning actress Erika Slezak.
[7] Tomlin, formerly a member of Writers Guild of America West himself, left and maintained financial core status during the strike.