Days Of Our Lives
DAYS James Scott Chats on EJAMI, Eileen Davidson, and Chandler Massey!
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
Days of our Lives James Scott (EJ DiMera) is the main feature interview in this week’s Soap Opera Digest on newsstands now, so make sure to pick up a copy! In his chat, the talented fan favorite discussed a myriad of subjects including: the status of the long-awaited EJami reunion, working with the just returned Eileen Davidson (Kristen), and the Will and EJ relationship, where the actor admits he enjoyed working with Daytime Emmy winner, Chandler Massey (Will)! Below are a few excerpts from the interview!
James on DAYS seemingly working toward an EJami pairing: “They’re not really re-visiting it. They have never done it. I think it’s about time, frankly. There is a good opportunity for story there. Alison Sweeney (Sami) and I work very well together. It’s sort of a fairy tale. They don’t play it so much now, but the Bradys and the DiMeras have a history. You have these two waring families, and then this sort of love between these two people who should not really love each other. They do love each other. Not in a romantic way, necessarily. They care for each other very much. I think there is always the potential to have a very powerful relationship.”
James on Eileen Davidson returning to DAYS as Kristen “She is fantastic. She’s a great actress. I feel she’s a breath of fresh air on the show. She’s one of those actors – love them or hate them, they’re just compelling to watch. They give performances that are very hard to turn away from. That is a great value to any show.”
James on if there might be a family reunion between EJ and his mother, Susan Banks, played in the past by Davidson: “I feel like that was from an era of storytelling – there was a sensibility there and a kookiness that the show is actively trying to avoid.”
James on missing working with Chandler Massey and that the storyline between Will and EJ just stopped: “I was extremely disappointed. Aside from my own selfish reasons of just enjoying working with Chandler Massey very much, I thought it was a very interesting, unique dynamic on the show. When you communicate directly with the audience, as I do on occasion, and you have a storyline that overwhelmingly and without exception is praised and embraced by the audience that I have spoken to, it’s always disappointing when something like that is killed. From my perspective, it’s a great shame.”
So, soapers are you ready for the EJami romance to move forward 100%? Do you miss the dynamic between Will and EJ? Would you like to see Susan Banks and EJ deal with their mother/son relationship, now that Davidson is back in the fold at DAYS? Weigh-in!
Am I ready for an Ejami reunion? Jesus H. Christ, YES! It’s about bloody time! As for EJ and Will, it doesn’t surprise me that Gary Tomlin peed on the parade. That’s what he does best – take amazing characters and character dynamics, strip them of all personality, then stick them in his own ridiculous storylines to prop his own favourite characters and character dynamics, viewers, actors and likeability factor be damned. He kills Jack to get Jen back with Daniel. He has Rafe drop in from the ceiling of the safehouse like Batman and turns the Ejami story on its head just to give Rafe another turn to ride on Sami’s coattails. Gary Tomlin is a menace to soaps so long as he continues to write as though all these people are characters in his own personal Days fan fiction.
I agree!!! Daniel is no Jack and never will be and frankly Jen is acting like a nut trying to protect him. Would have loved for them to keep Christie Clark on the show for Rafe and see where that could have went. Apparently Gary Tomlin loves writing for Ali and Arianne since those are the only two characters we see five days a week! yawn.
OH LORD…..DO I EVER AGREE WITH THIS COMMENT…
Way to go, Kate! I wholeheartedly endorse everything you’ve said.
Bravo!
Way to go KATE..I Totally Agree 100%..
I love your comment Kate. You Rock! Gary and Chris are the worst writers in history. Jack was and will always be an awesome character. Daniel cant compare and I hate Dannifer. Jennifer has become unbearable. Ejami rock and I want to see them together pleas. they have so much chemistry and they sparkle. If Gary I love Safe Tomlin wants to reunite God awful Safe maybe he should have them move to Stepford so I dont have to see Sami flip flopping between three men. That is not good for ratings but Ejami are.
I cannot wait for an ejami reunion! It is about time. James said it best when he said, they are not revisiting….the two never had a chance to explore their feelings for one another. This is going to be great! I hope the writers do it justice!
Yasou Avelina!
Yasou Eleni. Love my country Greece. Sagapo Eleni.
I am also from Greek descent! Both my parents are from Athens! They immigrated to Canada in the late 60s!
Its so nice to meet you Eleni. I live in Sydney, Australia. There is a very large Greek community here. My parents were born overseas but also moved here. The grandparents however moved back. We go for holidays regularly. I love it there.
They really need to DROP EJAMI they suck together. As far as Will and EJ goes I’m really glad they are done, they gave me the willies. This soap just has pretty much Sucked for 6 years
Ejami ROCK ! And they can’t ‘drop’ them since they never give them a chance anyway..eyeroll !
Oh yes they can drop Ejami Lucy, they can make Johnny Lucas’ son, make Sydeny EJ and Nicole’s daughter and have Ejami not even be any any SL’s together except to say high. They don’t have to be a couple to be drop so u know what u can do with your eye roll right. 😉
They likely would have dropped EJami a long time ago if the majority of the audience shared your opinion because they don’t seem to be interested in doing a EJ/Sami pairing but the pairing is too popular to drop. I believe EJ and Sami being an extremely popular pairing is the only reason why the writers have not have them moved on from each for good.
They could someday make Johnny Lucas’ son (or Alli EJ’s daughter) but there’s no way that Nicole can be Sydney’s biological mother. History would have to be completely erased (along with Mia and the baby she was carrying) and rewritten in order to make Sydney, EJ and Nicole’s daughter.
First off, I love that photo of James Scott. So hot!!
I totally agree with him on all three points he made. Susan Banks should be left in the past; it was from a different time of kookiness and I don’t think Days should revisit that
again – not when the soap genre is struggling.
Secondly, they are missing the boat with Sami & EJ again by having her rush to Rafe. I like Galen & Ali and they have a nice chemistry but Sami & EJ are much hotter and she can be herself.
Third — LOVED those Will/EJ scenes. I would have enjoyed Will having a crush on EJ if he didn’t already? Or maybe that’s why Will quit? I think that would be great dynamic to play.
I miss EJ & Will!
I am ready for EJami. I have been ready for awhile now and I really hope they will be together soon.
I loved EJill scenes too. Their dynamic was fun to watch.
Been ready for EJami for six long years.
OMG !!! For the love of GOD! YES!! EJami is the show. Love James Scott very talented actor. This time We want EJami love story to be told can’t wait! LOVE EJAMI!! Thanks M
Greatest interview in a while. It took days fucking 6 years to get ejami right and hope they write a compelling story for them. These soaps these days are superficial and just go for adrenalin rush moments and drop the stories. Ejole, dancole cafe, racole,ejill etc could have been as success if they were given the time. Well I guess with safe they were just stagnant and blandered
Why Will and Ej were separated I dont know!!! Why get rid of all the good dynamics romantic and non-romantic pairings on the show. There was a lot to explore on that ejill front in a non-romantic way, ej needs some kind of buddy who he could mentor and who also pulls him to do right! Lexie is gone and now he is left with steffy and kate…. One thing I am looking forward to is seeing Kristin DiMera seems like 2012 my wishlist is comming true. Ejami, Eric Brady, Kristin Dimera just to make it perfect I will ask for Tony Dimera to come back from the dead . He could be made into the new Phoenix Steffy is getting old and will soon need a replacement and Ej in my opinion does not fit the bill.
I miss the days when characters were not isolated and mingled with each other in character driven stories and not plot-points which makes me as a viewer less invested in putting my time in this. It makes me feel apathetic because we know 3 months down the line a character will be different and things don’t make sense anymore.
He’s always honest and candid, but never to the point of being rude. I really value his opinion and thoughts.
I have said this about a bajillion times but I am SO excited to see JS opposite ED! I think having a sister again on screen for him is very important (RIP Lexie 🙁 ) and as kooky as it may be, I’d just love to see him in some scenes with his mother. All these years, that’s a piece I always thought was missing- he worships his father so much, but that anchor you can only get from a mother is definitely needed for a character like EJ.
As for EJami, stupid stupid stupid writers for going the SAFE route. I have a 3-way-tie-of-love between EJami, EJole and Lumi so I’m not entirely biased. Love EJami or hate them, THEY are what will bring in more internet and media chatter and overall more interest for the audience. They will bring in more eyeballs, and I’m not one to justify using a couple as a ratings draw, but they will. Their fans are rabid. Not going for them is exactly the opposite of what this show should be doing, for THEIR sake. So foolish. Such a dumb decision and I just can’t understand it.
EJAMI is ALL i want!!! Totally agree about the trashing of the EJill relationship, EJ & Will had a great dynamic. This entire week has proven — repeatedly — what a joke the Sami/Rafe relationship is. Time for Sami Brady to grow up and have a real man. I don’t like the way his comments come off, for the most part, James has played EJ as IN LOVE with Sami his entire run. They absolutely love each other, and he and Alison play so well off each other! That’s what i want to see! EJ and Sami, and i LOVED EJ and Will, it’s amazing how Tomlin and Whitesell ruined all the layering and development in a matter of weeks! SMH.
You bet I’m ready for an Ejami story. You might even say I’m over-ready. I’ve been waiting for an Ejami story ever since Sami ran across the hall to get the wrench back from a towel-clad EJ. It’s about frigging time! My only concern is whether Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell can write the kind of love story these two deserve. The material they have to work with is rich. Let’s hope they can avoid the plot-point writing that has characterized their work to date.
And, yes, I miss EJ and Will. They were perfect together. Why did TomSell have to end it so prematurely? There ought to be a law against new head writers shutting down the successes of the former head writers. When something works, keep it!
I can skip any scenes between EJ and his mum even though Kristen is back. James is right. This is a different show now. That past needs to stay in the past.
If I got any more ready for EJAMI, I’d most likely go off like the grand finalle on the fourth of July…. seriously… NO OTHER couple brings me to a dead stop having me drop EVERYTHING else I have to do, in order to watch…. I’ve patiently been waiting for a TRUE EJAMI love story for 6 LONG years… CAN NOT WAIT to actually WANT to watch Days again!!!!
EJami do love each other in a romantic way. I’ve watched the show for many years and I know what I see. This is just a spin Tomlin wanted him to put on it so we would believe Sami really loved Rat in a romantic way. Please don’t insult us. Safe is a joke!
well, he said “not necessarily” in a romantic way. To me, it doesn’t mean their feelings aren’t romantic, but he’s saying whether it is romantic or not, they do and always WILL love each other. They are important to each other, and no one can deny that.
I have been waiting for Ejami for 6 years. I’m beginning to believe that Days is just never going to go there. I just want Ejami to have one chance! James feels the same way I feel.
I was devastated when they ended Ejill. It was a HUGE mistake to end that dynamic considering everyone was talking about how much they loved the interesting duo! As long as Tomlin is writing, the show is just going to get worse and worse. Tomlin doesn’t understand how to appeal to the audience. Days made a horrible deadly choice by rehiring Tomlin.
All in all, great interview and I agree with everything James said. James Scott is the main reason many people watch this show. However, I don’t know how much longer people will tune in to watch Tomlin’s show that is all about his personal preference and not the viewers!
I am ready for an Ejami reunion…they have the most natural chemistry I have ever seen in a soap couple. They should have been a couple a long time ago…not safe who bores us to death. As far as Ej & Wills relationship, I think it was a mistake to tear them apart as friends. They worked well with each other and I miss them. I think it’s time that TPTB start to listen to what the fans want and not pander to their pets. And the fans choice is Ejami<3
I also think Susan should stay in the past. It’s just not her time.
YES I want EJami. Seems like forever but it’s only been 6 years. I also love the dynamic of Will and EJ.
I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to totally flip a story upside down for “closure” but someone needs to sic Stefano on their rear.
Hoping and praying we see an Ejami pairing, they are the reason I am still hanging on by a thread. James is by far the classiest man on Daytime! Anywhere for that matter.
Woo Hoo! So excited for the EJami SL. Go EJami!
FINALLY!!!!
I definately want EJami. It’s long overdue. I miss the dynamic of EJ and Will. I look forward to Stefano’s return and Kristen working to mend fences in the DiMera. Nice that James Scott has popped up to give this interview.
Am I ready for EJami?????? YES YES YES!!! Cannot wait to see what’s gonna happen with these two!!!
Ej and Sami are vile and disgusting, sides she’ll just dump him for Rafe or Lucas or whomever wants her disgusting, over used snatch next. I am really surprised true Ej fans do not want better for their man.
Ej and Sami make me wanna hurl, wait, Sami and anyone make me wanna hurl!
Your the only one because we ALL love them and want to see a lovely storyline for them.
Avelina, how far behind are the episodes in Greece?
Hello Eleni. I dontacgully live in Greece but my grandparents do and lots of other relatives. I love Greece. Its a gorgeous country. Sorry to answer your question Im not 100% sure how far behind maybe a year or a little longer. Are you Greek? Nice to meet you.
Oh, I thought you were living there! Lol!
@me, couldn’t agree more. JS even said they don’t love each other romantically, and Ali said something similar. I love Safe and EJole, and even Lumi. Those are couples, not this trash!
This is not trash. Safe are soooooo boring. Anyways Hopeffully Ejami get thrir chance. Im sooooooo happy.
Ej and Nicole and Sami and Rafe are TRASH not the other way around, please.
EJami is crap. They’ve done awful things to each other, such as shooting and rape, and Sami has never loved him. I hope EJ is with someone who treats him right, not a woman who constantly chooses other men over him.
I and many have waited 6 long years for EJami. I’ve been ready for quite sometime for their lovestory to be told. EJami deserves a chance to be together and recognized by NBC, Sony and DAYS as a true couple in order for this to be done. No more half stepping with this. It’s like we get brought to the edge only to be pulled back again, it’s not a good feeling. I tell you this I will not let Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whiteshell give me some retcon of another couples lovestory though. I do not accept Safe or any other of these creations that has been made under the new regime as acceptable. The couples are boring, unrootable, and stale. I want EJami and my love for this couple will never waiver. EJill was another relationship and friendship which I very much enjoyed watching that was DOA upon the new tptb/writers arrival. It was such ashame because Chandler Massey and James Scott worked so well together! James is an incredible person and highly respected actor, I throughly enjoy his frankness with us. I just hope the next interview we read is about EJami’s new beginnings. Thank you very much Micheal for doing this interview with James!
Yes I totally agree with your comments..
EJAMI deserved their Chance as a Real Couple..even after 2 children..still bongles my mind..Why NOT..
God, he is hot!! Love James Scott and the character of EJ Dimera. He is a talented actor; his scenes never disappoint. I totally miss the EJill relationship. These new writers are idiots. That was one of the most entertaining, interesting relationships on the show. Also have been waiting for EJami to be together in a real, loving relationship for 6 years. If they don’t do it now, I am done with this show.
Sami is not the kind of girl that Rafe wants. He likes the clingy insecure type like Carrie or Nicole. Sami is too “real” for Rafe. Sami needs to be with EJ. But it looks like we are heading to another SAFE reunion and yeah, it’s sweet, but EJAMI is hot!
I’m with you, Cindy. Sami isn’t good enough for “perfect” Rafe, who *never* does anything wrong.
E.J. and Sami should be together for so many reasons, as many have already said. 🙂 I may be tuning out soon, if SAFE continues,
because that, added to Nicole’s continued tricks and whining just doesn’t interest me. 🙁
I’ve been ready for an EJami romance from the moment I set eyes on them years ago. I’ve never seen the kind of on screen chemistry James Scott & Alison Sweeney have together. The Brady/DiMera legacy is full of storyline potential & the stamp of destiny from the Santo & Colleen love story is in play as well. There hasn’t been a couple on the show who has such potential for greatness in a very long time. It isn’t just the chemistry it is the effortless emotional intimacy they share & the way they complete each other & balance each other out. Things are so easy & natural with James & Alison it seems the effortless effort for them to connect so deeply with one another, it makes it so easy for me to connect on an emotional level with EJami. Love them or hate them they are one of the most dynamic, complex & interesting couples the show has ever had.
I could never understand why this couple was never given a chance or why the show would squander their potential the way they have. It is long past time that they get the epic romance they deserve.
I agree. Lets hope the writers don’t screw it up!
Same here!!!!! I want to see ejami sparkle and shine.
I am so excite for EJAMI story to be told..doing the happy dance Thank You JS/Micheal
YES!!! Love James for his support of EJAMI and that they should be a couple! EJAMI have amazing chemistry and SHOULD be together. Days is so stupid for not writing them. We saw all those amazing EJAMI scenes this year and now we’re being tortured with SAFE.
I also LOVED the EJ & Will story and really miss their scenes. I loved all the blackmail and the mentor/mentee relationship! Will especially was so fun to watch as a deceptive character!
Right now Days is so unwatchable and I’m not enjoying much at all. I enjoyed the show so much this past year and now I fast forward through most episodes. What a letdown.
I really wish we could finally get a romance for EJAMI and another storyline for EJ & Will – come on Days- listen to James!
Bravo James…. You always say it like it is…. Days blows (or in James’ terms “kills”) every opportunity to shine and excel…. EJ and Sami’s story is a classic love story; and yet Days insists on the pushing the mundane and the blah…
The “era of storytelling” to which James referred is no more… In its place is a bunch of plot points into which characters are thrown whether they are relevant or not…. I agree James… What Days has turned into is indeed a shame….. an absolutely unnecessary shame…. Days ineptness and bad choices verges on the criminal.
Thank you, James, for your honesty, insight and integrity. It is never lost on your fans….
I’ve got to go with EJ/Nicole. Mostly because Nicole doesn’t have the family dynamics to contend with by being with EJ as Sami does; and whether Sami realizes it or not she needs her family. EJ has always had a more than an outstanding physical relationship with both Nicole and Sami. Although each time EJ did hook up with Sami he had to use manipulation, threats or blackmail. With the exception on their night of grief sex which was pure unadulterated sex on both their parts.
I agree
MaeMae – I disagree with your statement that each time EJ used manipulation, threats or blackmail the night that Sydney was conceived. That night was pure lovemaking.
When stepping back to the beginning of the story line that lead to EJ and Sami having sex the night Sydney was conceived is where the manipulation, threats and blackmail began. To stop Stefano from continuing with the vendetta against the Brady family, Sami had to divorce Lucas and marry EJ. EJ also paid Nicole to help him get to Sami by making her jealous. And we all know Sami can’t control her jealousy over Nikki! Without the vendetta Sami wouldn’t have been in the DiMansion, she wouldn’t of seen EJ with Nicole, Sami wouldn’t have gotten jealous she would of still been with Lucas and there would have been no sex.
My Ej and Nicole are boring and where is the potential for GOOD storylines in this ? Seriously ?
Ej and Sami have the chemistry, the potential for umbrella storylines, the complexity..you can’t even compare and finally they never had a real chance unlike Ej and Nicole (and it was boring by the way zzzzzzzzzzz)
OMG! Thank you for posting this Michael! I can’t believe what I am FINALLY reading. It’s been such a long hard road….I am beyond thrilled Days is finally embracing the EJ Dimera/Samantha Brady forbidden love story!!!!!!!!!! This interview made me feel so much better. I was starting to feel used and abused again seeing pod Sami begging Rafe again. Ugh. It’s almost painful. It’s a double edged sword though because as much as I have YEARNED for their story to be told I am nervous as heck how GT & CW will write this story. I am hoping they embrace this couple and their true characters, this story could be AMAZING!!
Love that photo, they should have EJ wear those glasses sometimes. Anyway, Ejami deserve their day. HEAR THAT WRITERS, GET US WHAT WE WANT. And I really like the idea of Will wanting to be a Dimera in training. A Brady/Horton wanting to hang out with the sworn enemy of both was really good. Shame they dropped the ball on that one. If Susan comes back lets hope they have matured her, so she more normal and less kooky this time. There can be a powerful storyline there with EJ and his mother, if they write it properly.
I agree with James..they have wasted their opportunities of giving the viewers a Great EJ and SAMI LOVE STORY. James and Alison have a natural chemistry that other Soaps, or Shows would pay BIG MONIES…. I have not seen any great love between Rafe and Sami..Sami needs to change who she is to be with Rafe..and becomes a Stepford wife..
6 years is far too long time to follow through with the unforbidden Romance they started they would have had a Winning Combination..
1)So, soapers are you ready for the EJami romance to move forward 100%? 2) Do you miss the dynamic between Will and EJ? 3)Would you like to see Susan Banks and EJ deal with their mother/son relationship, now that Davidson is back in the fold at DAYS?
1) HELL YES!!! Like James said, it’s about time! I hope it’s not just a tease to go back to Safe AGAIN. I just can’t with that sanctimonious pairing.
2) Yes, yes I do. I hadn’t been liking Will and then EJ made me like him. I was surprised and intrigued at their building friendship/partnership. It was good.
3) Sure, why not? As long as I can still get Ejami. I do enjoy seeing my favorites interact with several different characters and build relationships outside of his or her pairing as well. I’d love to see EJ with both of his parents and his brother….I miss his relationship with Lexi. 🙁
I am so ready for Ejami! Alison Sweeney and James Scott will be amazing in bringing this long overdue story to us. I hope there is a way they can incorporate more EJ and Will scenes, I miss them sharing the screen!
I do not miss EJ and Will at all! In fact, I was thrilled to see that relationship finally end! No disrespect to James Scott and Chandler Massey, who are very talented and do work well together, but Will’s worship of EJ quickly became boring and repetitive. I am so happy to see Will paired with Sonny now, although it is obvious that the writing for them leaves a lot to be desired. It’s about damn time the show stopped stalling Will’s love life and started moving the long-awaited WilSon romance forward! Hope they keep it up and do it justice!
i was on for a Will and Sonny romance but they are boring..these writers are hopeless..kiss/kiss scenes at cafe will not make people watch this soap !
Ejamis have waited 6 LONG years for their story to be told.Despite so many attempts to destroy it.James is right,it has NOT ever been done,which is absurd considering all the other lame pairings on DOOL have gotten YEARS.Ejami moves demos.It time to buckle down and do this story.You may lose a few people not in the key demo,but I bet you will gain so much more.Ejami are what soaps are made of.Passion,chemistry,fiery and hot.Lets get on with it.
yep lots of ‘Ejami haters’ are not from the demos..but seems these writers don’t care, it is almost like they want to tank their own show..pathetic..
Ready? READY? I’ve been ready for six freaking YEARS!
The extremes the writers have gone to to keep EJ and Sami apart borders on insanity!
Am I ready for EJami to be done properly? Hell yeah I am! I’ve been waiting 6 long years & the detours Days has taken have been downright horrible. Other soaps would KILL to feature a pairing with the kind of buzz & chemistry that James & Alison have together. The fact that Days has done everything in their power NOT to capitalize on that chemistry for ratings makes me think that it’s like they’re actively looking to get the show cancelled.
In a way, I miss Will & EJ’s dynamic because while they’ve parted on good terms, they haven’t even shared strictly friendship scenes since Will resigned & I consider that poor continuity. In another way though, I accept the show’s argument that Will needed to have more screentime with characters of his own age because under MarDar, they showed plenty of EJill, but sometimes to the detriment of WilSon development or Will’s other friendships with the teen scene.
Finally, I’m looking forward to see Eileen Davidson’s Kristen going toe to toe with EJ. Would I have liked to see ED in the role of Susan Banks? Yes, at least once. But I also understand the show’s desire to keep away as much as possible from the camp element.
They could have wrote a Will/Sonny romance with a Ej/Will business partnership, sort of friendship as some angst for the Will and Sonny pairing which would have make a far more compelling, interesting and multi-layered story for Will ! But no these writers just destroy everything and now what we have ? Some boring ‘cute’ filler Will/Sonny touching hands scenes, awkward smiles at Carolie’s pub..so so captivating, really..
PS: JS is absolutely correct in his assessment of EJ and Will’s relationship. Most fans loved watching them, loved EJ mentoring Will, supporting each other, EJ being the big brother he never had and each others truth tellers.
After a rocky start they were becoming great friends.
Oh please, EJami is NOT the show! EJ sucks the life out of DOOL. Can’t stand him. I think he would have better chemistry with Will as his gay lover. JS could play a gay man as well as Chandler does. The term ‘forbidden love’ would finally come true with those two.
NO EJAMI
I’m with U NO EJAMI, it is the most worst SL Day’s has ever done and they keep coming back to it and it SUCKS!
Ejami is the BEST story they have or more accurately could have since they are determined to waste them so YES to EJAMI, a thousand YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
That’s too bad your thousand times yes, will end up a thousand times NO.
Over the last 17 months, there have been 3 writing regime changes, and the resulting lack of continuity has caused Days to suffer. Each succeeding team has work diligently to wipe away what their predecessors had envisioned. To redirect storylines, the concept of “closure” has been foisted upon the viewers. Since Gary Tomlin has returned as head writer, there’s fear for some and joyous anticipation for others. Who will end up being happy and who will destined to be sad is still an unknown. Unfortunately, both EJ/Will and EJ/Sami were caught in the middle of yet another reset.
The EJ/Will friendship was refreshing and unique, and I still don’t understand the decision to completely remove the characters from each others’ orbits. Straights and gays interact all the time, and so do people of different age groups. It almost appears like the new writers have segregated characters into their own special groupings, and that’s not very satisfying for the audience. Heck. Will’s scenes with Sami are few and far between. It was unnecessary and unrealistic for Will to abruptly leave EJ”s employ, and the reasons he gave for quitting were pretty silly. However the biggest about face has to be Sami turning on EJ. For gosh sakes, the cliffhanger had her standing in front of EJ to protect him. Yet a week or so into the new writers stories, she suddenly wants to return to the man who lustfully followed the path of a melting ice cube as dripped down between Sami’s sister’s boobs. A man who Sami’s own mother encouraged Carrie to pursue. Pretty nutty.
Anyway, I hope the writers do the character of Sami a huge favor and pair her with EJ. The girl needs to get her mojo back, and it sure can’t be found under Rafe’s thumb. I’m also making ritual sacrifices to the soap gods so that Will finds himself in need of a good paying job with great benefits and decides to give his resume to EJ. I pray there is a soap heaven.
Thank you for providing us this forum to express our opinions.
Great great post and i agree about everything you said..
Sonny should wake up and fire Tomlin asap !
Ready for EJami? Oh yeah. This intense, compelling, multi-layered couple is way, way, way overdue. No guts, no glory, Days. You were perfectly positioned to tell an epic story post-Daysaster, and ya wimped out. Screw your courage to the sticking point. Tell the EJami story. Tell it boldly. Tell it right. People will come. Look at the ratings before and after the Olympics. People did come. Then you ran to a failed, boring, unengaging pairing. Ratings tanked. Embrace EJami. Save the franchise.
Love love love James! It’s not very often we get to hear from him, Thank You Michael! I truly hope tptb have finally decided to move forward with EJami! We have been through one crappy story after another…it’s our time. 😉
I’m probably the only one here (and elsewhere), but I could no stand the EJ and Will scenes! Fast-forwarded it all! Too awkward and bizarre! Never ever would a real-life EJ let himself be blackmailed by a young boy like Will! That power-play/struggle was just too unreal/unbelievable. And the fact that both actors could not stop smiling all the while they were talking about murder, cheating, blackmail (ok ok I did see bits of their scenes, but only to make sure I didn’t miss any of the Will storyline!), made no sense to me and irked me to no end! I like EJ’s character a lot an a mentor-mentee storyline, without all that illegal and power weirdness going on but with Will crushing on EJ would have been interesting, especially if they had brought Sonny into that storyline making him jealous – THAT would have worked for me! *sigh* [And Michael, when oh when is there going to be a joint Freddie/Chandler interview?? Pretty pleeeeze! (o;]
No u aren’t the only one that couldn’t stand Will and EJ. I can’t stand Ejami either so much that if they do it this viewer is gone.
I think there is a lot of potential for Will and Ej interaction, they were entertaining to watch but some of the writing for them was ridiculous as you mentioned Ej being blackmailed by Will among other things. The writing just seemed all over the place.
So goodbye Linda, because if you are gone many many many will cancel you out, don’t worry.
Sam if you only knew what u were talking about people might listen to u but since u have no ides I’m not too worried.
Oh for God’s sake! If they don’t understand that a huge number of people have been pulling for EJami for years, they are never gonna get it. Honestly, no one I know personally who watches this show likes Safe, yet we have been subjected to it repeatedly. I am beginning to think idiots run this show! Do they watch what is popular in the entertainment world? Do they not understand that people LOVE dark, forbidden, sexy pairings? People have had enough of the goody goodies of Salem always winning. Once in a while it’s a sinful pleasure to watch the bad boy win.
Love, love, EJami! James Scott and Alison Sweeney have such natural chemistry my tv screen is on fire from the sparks that fly between EJ and Sami! Safe is boring and so sickening I want to throw up! If I didn’t like my tv so much, I would throw something at it because of all of the negativity that I’ve seen toward EJ this past week! TomSell are horrible writers! They write for their fav, Rafe and that is it! James Scott is a magnificent actor with sex appeal that oozes from my tv screen so I would love to see him have a relationship with the woman he has loved for the past six years! TomSell should be the next head writing team that is shown the door before they do so much damage to DOOL that the viewers leave in droves! Give EJill back to us, too! James and Chandler are awesome together – I loved Will working for EJ! I hope that we are given EJami and EJill again!
Sweet Elvis yes I am ready. My brain will leave my body soon if it does not happen. Lets see shall we continue to watch paint dry on cardboard aka Rafe or can we actually see fire on our screens in the afternoon? aka EJAMI?? Oh let the subs of soap operas flow over with EJAMI and cleanse us from SAFE boring sleeping SAFE!!!
Ready for Ejami? YES oh YES! James explained exactly the reasons why there is so much storyline potential in this pairing so much angst in the deep rooted connection without triangles. EJami against Salemites there’s enough angst drama that could be so compelling. It makes for great soapy drama story telling just waiting to be tapped into. I get so excited just thinking about how amazing Days could be if they tell Ejami love story. James is right there is no reunion they have never really been a couple. I’m so ready to finally see EJami union be together passionate powerful in shades of grey! YEAH
I totally agree regarding the unique dynamics between James and Chandler too. I feel bad for Chandler knowing he won an Emmy for his performance in the gay coming out storyline. Gary just tossed all that progress away. Away from the show,away from talented Chandler and sadly away from viewers who were invested in this grey shaded complex Will. Now he is boring sleeping with a female was not wise I can’t imagine all the viewers the show had gained because of Will’s identity story would want to watch hi
go from awesomely dynamic to white washed weak Horton boy with gay issues. It’s just a sad thing to see the waste of such potential. I think a real love triangle between Brian, Sonny and Will would be way better and keep Will being the scheming deceitful opportunist give Chandler challenge not this contrived propping of sub characters.
I really looking forward to Kristen coming back. I hope it brings more great dynamics and new stories with DiMeras
I agree with James Scott about EJami.EJ and Sami never had the chance to be a real,committed couple and it is about time EJAMI had their chance.To me EJAMI is a romantic story and has been for years.EJ has always loved Sami and she loves him too.Its good to see that James wants EJ
…Ejami.Ejami2012!!!love ya James Scott keep up the good work.
100% Yes….the show went from Must watch TV in July to Can’t watch TV starting in August. It is time for KC, GT and CW to give Ejami a chance!
This a bit off topic but does anyone know if they are recasting the character Bo? If not I was thinking Hope would make a better match for Rafe than Sami. If that happened, what would their couple name be Hafe or Rope? Also, has anyone else notice the chemistry brewing between Brady and Jenn? I know in reality Jenn is supposed to be twice his age, but they SORAS’s Brady and the actors playing them don’t look that far apart. So I can see them getting together as they deal with their grief. And lasting am I the only one who thinks it time Roman gets some action? This poor man hasn’t had a date in how many years? Why? Perhaps now that they have introduced a gay storyline we will find out Roman is a deeply closeted gay man, who because of his generation pretended to be straight. It could explain why his marriages and relationships have all failed. Plus I can see the scene in mind right now, Will and his buddies are at the gay bar, he looks over and sees his grandfather with some dude. I would literally pay money to see the look on Will’s face if that happened.
Roman as a old closeted gay man ?! LMAOOOOOOOO but why not, at least it would be wacky funny to see that instead of the boring Days we have right now..lol
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
It’s Daytime Emmy nomination week, and as previously reported things kick-off on Monday, July 13 when Entertainment Tonight (7pm ET) will announce the nominees for Lead Actress category and Daytime Talk Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition on Monday, Extra (7pm ET) will reveal the nominees for Lead Actor and Daytime Talk Host.
On Tuesday, The View (11am ET) starts things off with their announcement of Daytime Drama, Entertainment News program and Outstanding Daytime Personality-Daily. That is followed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) full reveal of all the categories beginning at 12noon ET/9am PT on their website and their official social handles on X and Instagram.
Then, Tuesday night at 8pm ET/5pm PT join Michael Fairman as he hosts his 12th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he will chat with some of the just announced nominees as we celebrate the hard work of the men and women in front of the camera who will be going for gold.
WHEN ARE THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
This year, the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out on October 30 in ceremonies in Hollywood, California (Venue yet to be revealed). At that time, as like last year, both the major categories and creative arts will be presented. There is no word yet on a broadcast partner for the annual celebration of daytime programming, or if it will soley be streamed on NATAS’ watch.theemmys.tv and various apps and platforms.
WHO WILL BE APPEARING ON THE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINATIONS SPECIAL 2026?
Throughout Tuesday, keep an eye on Michael Fairman TV’s social media handles on X, Facebook and Instagram, for updates of who will be expected to appear on our live show.
If you have a question or comment for one of the nominees, or on the nominations, we can encourage you to join us in the live chat on Tuesday night.
So, who are you hoping lands a nomination from Beyond the Gates, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless? Let us know via the comment section. More Tuesday!
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
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‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
Randolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Daphne’s Devastated, Steffy Finds Herself at a Crossroads with Finn
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As The World Turns2 days agoScott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
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Beyond the Gates6 days ago‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
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