Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Ken Corday On Head Writing Change: "The Shows From This New Regime Will Not Start Airing Until After The Olympics, In Late August."
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
Last month was key for the next leg of the 50-year-old iconic soap opera Days of our Lives. After finally getting its reneweal pick-up by NBC for the 2016-2017 season, there was also a major shift in the head writing department on the heels of then co-head writer Josh Griffith’s decision to depart his position with the show.
Upon Griffith’s exit, DAYS named longtime staff writer, Ryan Quan to be Griffith’s successor. Ryan will now co-head write the show along with Dena Higley, who remains in her position. Currently, Days of our Lives is on a five week hiatus from production that will assist in bringing the show closer to the difference in airtime and filming. The series has currently shot shows six months ahead of air. In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest on newsstands now, DAYS longtime executive producer, Ken Corday spoke out about the writing changes.
Ken related: “Josh chose to move on and write his next novel and we decided to promote from within and bring Ryan Quan up. He and Dena will write the show. I have seen the story they have and am very excited for it to air. The shows from this new regime will not start airing until after the Olympics, in late August. We need to do something big to jump-start the show in August after the Olympic break, which we will do.”
The executive also was asked if there were further changes ahead with the new writing regime where he noted, “Not major changes … some are developing, as we speak.”
In addition, Corday praised Josh Griffith for his work and taking the show into its 50th anniversary and giving it strong stories and ratings, while increasing the demo during this key point in the show’s history.
So, what do you think the new head writing regime needs to do jump-start the show following the Summer Olympics? Are you glad the show has taken a lengthy time off to enable new story ideas to be generated? What are your thoughts on Ken Corday’s comments on the writing change? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
The June 22 episode of Days of Our Lives reminded us all of why Deidre Hall is iconic in the role of Dr. Marlena Evans. Here we are 50 years later, and Marlena is still the heroine of the long-running soap opera, and Deidre remains one of the most most recognizable names in the history of soaps.
To pay tribute, and to look back at the life and times of Marlena, the story starts with Marlena flipping through a photo album of her with John (the late Drake Hogestyn) over the years. As she misses him dearly, she gets a knock on the door and its none other than John’s son, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean).
With Andrew (Colton Little) in Salem working on a case, he sits down with Marlena, who says she can’t believe its been fifty years since she first arrived in Salem! Cue: Deidre’s first scenes on DAYS when she finds Mickey Horton (the late John Clarke) playing chess against himself inside the mental institution she worked.
Courtesy/Peacock
THE FLASHBACKS OF MARLENA’S LIFE
From there, viewers definitely got the cliff notes version of the history of Marlena and entrenched within them, some of the biggest moments in Deidre’s enduring run.
Paul thinks he is looking at 70s, and early 80s Marlena while going through her scrapbook, but he is actually looking at her twin, Samantha (Andrea Hall). Cue: when Marlena confronted Samantha about impersonating her, and then later getting a call on her radio show from the Salem Strangler (Jack Coleman as Jake Kostichek) who killed Samantha thinking it was Marlena.
In the present, Belle (Martha Madison) has arrived at this time to meet up with Paul, unaware of this trip down memory lane. She wants to go over the findings in the chess board mystery Stefano willed to Marlena and John, in private with him, since Marlena previously said she wanted nothing to do with it.
Back to the history lesson, Marlena speaks highly of Don Craig and even though their marriage didn’t work out, she could find a path forward with the new love her life, Roman Brady. (Wayne Northrop however is never shown, possibly to keep the story focused on John as Roman for confusion sakes?)
Paul sees a photo of a young Carrie (Christie Clark) in the album and Marlena says she was such a godsend after losing her baby. In fact, Marlena says caring for Carrie prepared her for her having and raising her own twins, Eric and Sami. Cue: The twin visiting Marlena in the hospital.
JOHN AND MARLENA’S LOVE CONQUERED ALL
Then, in a way to get through and incorporate the wild storylines only Marlena could have been in, she tells Belle and Paul, she has been through so much in her life, how lucky she was to find John, and some of the most unbelievable experiences no one could imagine. Cue: Marlena possessed by the devil and levitating from the bed. Next, John confronting Marlena being the Salem Stalker, where she admits she killed Alice Horton, pretends she needs help, then pulls a gun on her beloved John!
The comment is made by Paul and Marlena, that she literally has been to hell and back and she could not have survived were it not for her beloved John. Cue the big emotional highpoint clips; The Pier Scene! Marlena steps out of the fog when John sees her from a distance. After believing she was dead for four years, here she was before him in one of the greatest reunions in a soap opera love story in history. What followed were other times of the life of times of Jarlena.
Courtesy/Peacock
MARLENA’S ‘GIFT’ FROM STEFANO HAS A NEW CLUE
When Marlena makes a brief exit to the other room, Belle fills in Paul on the chess set Stefano left her mother and the photo of the Lire. Paul said he will investigate. Marlena comes back into the room and overhears, and says to promise her if things get dangerous he will back off, she does not want anyone hurt by Stefano’s games.
As the episode comes to a conclusion, it’s just Belle and Marlena going through the photo album giggling about 70s hairstyles and all the memories. Belle speaks on the impact Marlena has had in everyone’s lives, and that she is both the heart of their family and the heart of Salem.
An end card comes up acknowledging Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena, and we fade to black.
So, what did you think of Marlena’s walk down memory lane? Were you happy to see the flashback clips utilized throughout? Were you touched by the scenes and the performance of Deidre Hall? Let us know what you thought of Deidre’s 50th anniversary episode via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
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Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
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I am not holding my breath that they will write for the Days of Our Lives that I know and love. I feel that the cast is bloated with pretty, but untalented newbies, that have not been able to create the passion and adoration as in the past. The cast doesn’t have to semblance of emotion that it used to. Now “supercouples” are created over a few weeks and then ripped apart to join with the latest guest actor/actress with a big name behind it, only for that character to be written horribly and then leave. Bring back the history of the show and the characters we love ACTING like the characters we love and then I will be interested. You have added newbie after newbie and it has not worked. Go back to the beginnings, write the stories we the fans love and stop with the revolving door!
I agree…i hate that they brought this Summer in…all they had to do is bring back a daughter Maggie already had….Sarah could return suffering mental illness and causing problems…we havent heard from her in ages!
And then there’s Melissa, not sure what happened to her and Pete…so many characters could have been brought back. Why two kids whom Maggie gave up, supposedly?
YES!! Why not bring Sarah or even Melissa back???
well said… about Summer… it’s gotten to the point of ad nauseum
Daniel LORD Jonas… till death do us part
seriously! REALly…. argh!
can you imagine if Nicole and Theresa new business venture… DJ Wears.. or whatever… his picture and haloed persona will haunt us
Summer.. does bear a striking resemblance to Maggs… and it’s a delight to “know” that she’ll have a familial connection… but still hanging on to Daniel OUR Lord AND Savior
argh!
What stories are you talking about
Angela, AMEN!! I hope this isn’t another one of Corday’s, we realized what was wrong and we are going back to the true DAYS – REALLY!! How many times can he say that and expect the audience to buy into? He’s got an excellent cast; utilize them wisely and give us compelling stories.
Find a way to bring back Peter Reckell and Bo permanently. Maybe star with a Hope/Rafe/Bo triangle. Then make Hope and Bo the next Tom and Alice. Keep them having exciting drama and always on the front burner and the ratings will skyrocket like they did when Peter brought Bo back for the 50th. Bo and Hope are what brings ratings.
Get rid of the teen seen will be a positive start for the new writing team. Stop giving Maggie new family members. Bring Sara back to Salem to give Maggie something to do.
Yeah these teens are certainly not the group of talent back in the late 90s w/ Shawn, Belle, Chloe, & Phillip. They were actually good & interesting. The guy playing Theo is actually the only one that seems comfortable
Once they kill every character, or have them kidnapped by a maniac, what direction will Days take?
why are they turning all the people in salem bad and murderers i have watched this show since the begining to bad they are turning everyone into stephano
I agree with Angela. The newbies havent worked before so why load the show with them?
This year was better than the last few years because i got to see the couple i love but the show needs stories and not episodes. Once you start a story be sure to finish it. I’m for one still waiting for John and Marlena’s wedding…:(
As long as they keep Mary Beth Evans around & in a good story, I’ll be happy (for the most part.) The Brady family has been key since the 80s when the show was at its glory days. Poor Roman is a joke with no real storyline since when? Josh Taylor has showed acting chops back in the day, but now we can hardly understand a word the poor guy says! Kimberly could visit more w/ Teresa but Patsy now lives in Jacksonville with little to no interest in moving back to LA. Bo is gone & sweet Caroline only has so much time left. I say all of that to say I hope they get it right w/ Mary Beth & Stephen this go around & not axe them like they did so poorly in ’09. The canvas needs Kayla!
“if” DAYS… was, smart
it’d hire… Kimberly Brady Donovan… for a short story arc… just to give the audience something to feast on… after all the dire death knell
Patsy Pease is such a delight… and is so natural… in front of the camera… the few times DAYS was smart enough to welcome her back… she just lit up… the whole screen and the family as a whole… what a dream casting … and must return… she’d be
I read in a SOD issue… that .. when she does make cameo visit to salem… Jenn Lilly … what a dream co-worker… has always welcomed her screen mother to stay with; her, in LA.
it just boggles the mind… and i’m so glad that some posts… agree… that Ken Corday is lax in his responsibility to mind the show in a true leadership capacity.
an amazing formula… would be bringing back core family
It just doesn’t seem worth the effort, as a fan… knowing they shoot so far ahead.. that … THIS IS WHAT PISSES ME OFF
that the behind the scenes production… DO NOT… do not WATCH the dailies… and keep up with fan response… to care enough to change … whatever chances they get… what is going wrong(s)
we have this in common… for sure
I LOVE my Kayla.. she lights up my telee
This is another disadvantage of writing six months in advance. After reading Corday’s comments, it almost feels like another “reboot.” I have noticed the ratings have fallen from 2.1 to 1.8 in the past several weeks.
I love this show and have followed it for years, but did anyone think that it would be a fun ride for the audience to see Paige, Will, Bo, Serena, Daniel, Stefano all die within five months? The deaths have not had any long-term fallout (hoping this reignites the Dimera/Brady/Horton feud).
It is painful that so many of these characters have been written out to where they can’t be brought back. I am tired of the “come back from the dead” scenarios. It is time to have storylines that are uplifting. I hope I never have to see another morgue scene (four in one year is more than enough).
I hope during this hiatus that Corday and the writers take ANOTHER hard look at the feedback the fans are continuing to say about the show. On some days, it is unwatchable. The tten scene is NOT working. Andre needs to stop being written as a cartoon villain. Thaao has the acting chops to make it more believable if it is written. Make him more human.
Here is my list of suggestions:
1) Bring back Peter Blake to fill the hole that has been left with EJ (James Scott) leaving.
2) Mimi should come back to stir it up with Belle, Phillip and Shawn.
3) Make Belle the character we loved back in the day. Has she smiled since she came back to Salem?
4) Eduardo seems to be a waste of time and talent.
5) I would like to see Dario have a triangle romance with Nicole and Chloe.
6) Slow the pacing down of the show and let us fall in love with the characters and storylines. Are we supposed to feel sorry for Chase a week after he raped Ciera? He now has no redeeming qualities.
7) Stop with bringing in so many drug storylines. Jennifer hooked on prescription drugs, Eric is an alcoholic and the new young girl asking Joey to smoke pot in the park.
8) Stop rewriting history. Summer is potentially Maggie’s daughter? Really?
9) Bring a sibling in for Kate. It is obvious that DOOL is not going to use Lucas. Can they recast Billie, Austin, Rex?
10) Trim the cast. As much as I like some of the older characters, the show seems too cast heavy. If a character is not going to be used, cut them loose. Stop using air time with the likes of Adrienne, Lani, Abe making periodic appearances.
11) Add a prominent African-American family (badly needed. See B&B and Y&R).
12) Too many characters are being held captive.
I am not sure why #8 turned into an emoji. LOL
Everything has been going really good with relevant, plausible dialogue and storylines, It’s goften a little slow lately and director who did amazing work through time Bo came back must be gone. Devastated with Stefano death. ‘Hoping against Hope ‘ that he’ll rise again if/ when Mr. Mascolo recovers, Thaoo is essential to the show as Andre or Tony. Every time his been. written out, it’s a sign that bad writing is on the way. And ridiculous storylines, Don’t know why Mr Corday historically adapts such a passive role and allows things to go south, again and again, over the years. Have been watching since 1970. I do like most of the storylines and quality of acting now except for Brady/ Summer junk plot. The teen stuff is being played out so well especially with Ciara’s rape and Joey’s murder of Ava, God, I remember the worst… Mimi, Marlena’s Star Trek twins, Sami getting John hooted on heroin and the whole driving dead Rolf around in car. DOL should end the hideous Summer /Brady stuff asap and beg the best writers to come in. Think Josh was was one of them and that it’s a big loss for DOL.
PS.. Think the addiction story between Jennifer and Eric is very realistic and believable. There’s a great chemistry between them, Sorry he’s leaving, Love the actor’s portrayal of Eric. Hope he’ll be back.
BRAVO !!!! @Donna C
well said ; I gavel this
“…Don’t know why Mr Corday historically adapts such a passive role and allows things to go south, again and again, over the years.”
I will continue to cheerlead this show… but evenso… the blame game has to go ON… I truly blame “Ken Corday” productions…
I’ve just had it ; with what seems like a lackadaisical leadership… what a disrespect to his parents legacy and history
i’m going to start with; #5
5) I would like to see Dario have a triangle romance with Nicole and Chloe.
this could really work well… and to the advantage of DAYS familiarity
Nicole and Chloe as adversarial… no matter that they bonded with Daniel death
this is familiar territory… that days desperately NEEDS for the audience to even want to tune in
and… if the Hernandez family is going to be a prominent family.. may as well see what Dario can do
I’d love to see Nicole mature and be seen as an adult now… to graduate her acting abilities
but… DAYS needs places to go that the audience will recognize… so… I laud this choice.. and support any thing.. to help this show MOVE
I had forgotten that Chloe was returning, full time… I was really wanting her to be involved with Lucas as well
yikes… fans can go on and on… 6 degrees of separation… SOD has featured plenty on how it was a nice surprise to see Lucas and Adrienne… so who knows?
then we see a picture of Deimos and Adrienne “working” together again… here’s hoping this sparks
I had to laugh about Deimos… carrying Caroline in to his room… and she comes to all shell shocked… after she had a fainting spell…
LOL… all he wanted to do was put a cold compress on her .. and she went all nut up
really had me wishing… that Vincent Irizarry was back to being a doctor… HE IS SO GOOD AT Playing the hospital resident at the top of his game and owning up
off track… but hoping that KEN CORDAY productions CARES about his parents legacy
we certainly want and care
DAYS suffers from boring stories. This whole Summer thing. Lord what a snooze fest. Now she is most likely Maggie’s daughter. Ridiculous. Brady and Theresa, already falling apart after all that effort to bring them together? The teen stories are yawnfests because none of them can act. Patch and Kayla are done as front burner characters. The whole scenario is so based in the 80’s. Can the writers make up their minds as to exactly who Hope is? Is she a villain or a heroine? She is floating between both styles without any conviction. Nicole is already gonna “get friendly” with Dario not even two months after Daniel dies? I gave up on DAYS and only watch it occasionally now because the stories are all so bad. Maybe it will change, but most likely they won’t.
I agree with Mateo – Brady is already boring, he doesn’t need any help from this Anne wanna be Summer –
this week’s episode included the dreariest collection of old clips of Stefano. Die already and be done with it, geez – I honestly, sincerely could not continue watching it – I only have a short evening to watch these shows on an Ap (the NBC ap) and I thought, good grief I’ll never stay awake watching this. My dead turtle moves faster than this show.
If Ben escapes from the Sanitarium, that will at least be interesting because he, Abby and Chad are at least worth watching.
Kayla and Patch are a little mature in years to be having these teeny bopper problems – and it was fairly predictable when Patch walked into the room when their confused son happened to be smothering Ava with a Pillow that Patch was of course going to take the blame for it, as an Self-Sacrificing Soap parent would do.
Did gay characters get kicked out of Salem? Will was choked to death, Sonny went to France where the guys I guess are hotter since the pickings are slim evidently in Salem, and Paul is reduced to being a part time Model on the show which is insulting to the gay community and actually reinforces society’s overview of stereotypical behavior to a certain degree. Paul is a former professional baseball player who is also gay and we can’t do anything with that so let’s make him a male model.
They need to have the New doctor in town turn out to be a cross dresser at night. Brady needs to be teaching a class in Erectile Dysfunction or How to Treat Your New Heart Right. Nicole needs to just give up on men and join a Convent where she meets a Cloistered Monk who reminds her of Eric. Caroline needs to have a vision where she is falling off a cliff and then someone needs to drive her to one and then push her off, thus proving once and for all that Caroline’s visions are truly prophetic which would be a relief and a blessing.
Ok some of these storylines are far-fetched but none of them are as stupid as what is currently being depicted.
It’s unfortunate as Mary Beth Evans and Stephen Nichols are capable of great work. The show needs Kayla with the dwindling Brady canvas, but she needs the right material. I agree that they just don’t seem to know who they want Hope to be.
I could see… Rafe and Hope… carrying that secret… about Hope “murdering” Stefano… that these two… in the heat of the moment… just felt they had no choice… this could have been good stuff…. if Kristian Alfonso was able to carry out new layers for her character… but alas… she just doesn’t have the longevity and brevity to go forward.. past romance and familial bonding
so… I could see why they brought in Roman… THIS took me by surprise… dirty cops in Salem….
woah! the good denizens who withstood all the DiMera over the past 4 decades.. must now cover each others tracks and hold at bay…. perhaps Loni and Abe ??? to start ??? who was calling Hope… telling her she killed the wrong guy ????
It all sounds like good story… LOL.. as i’m typing this…
it pains me… after the first 6 months of reason to celebrate… the spiral… is
as MarySF states… after the Olympics.. it’s a 6 month retooling AGAIN ! to give this show hope
long live this stuff
ps: yeah, I diss KA.. but .. with all the changes in Salem… we need Kristian Alfonso more than ever
I am so in agreement, that DOOL needs to just make so much of the first 6 months a Dallas retread DREAM and bring back… Bo
with Daniel Cosgrove coming back… if it’s as Aiden or Peter Blake… so be it.. the magic with KA was their…. throw back in Peter Reckell… and this is a MUST HAVE… for fan recognize and want to tune in
dream stuff… Hope – Bo – ex Aiden or as Peter Blake… to STIR and AMP up Salem’ites
why not ??? they could certainly help out Steve and Kayla… who .. as vets need all the help they can get… to carry
gawd! I truly do hope they find a big recast in Abs… for Chad
PS: again… i’m so disgusted that DAYS killed off Ava… she really and truly had a something going on with Steve… and… hold on… this was simply an added bonus for temptation and adding to stront storyline potential for Steve and Kayla
so.. I was really looking forward; to Steve / Kayla / Ava / and ex-Aiden
I still can’t forget the steamy connection to Kayla.. when she first met Aiden !
WOW
Patrick – I too am frustrated that they killed Ava off. Even aside from the Steve/Kayla story there was potential. I think she and Joey had almost as much chemistry as the JJ/Eve deal. But even more so, Tamara is a great actress who could have taken evil Ava all over the canvas. Regarding the Aiden/Kayla connection, I liked the idea of that pairing much better than when it looked like they were going to try to put Kayla & Abe together. Here’s my question… would Mary Beth go for Kayla being paired with anyone but Steve? MB is amazing & I’m a big fan, but when it comes to the character of Kayla she seems pretty attached to the Kayla/Steve pairing and has even admitted that the reason Days let her go in ’92 was she keep delaying signing her contract due to her determination that Kayla wouldn’t be paired with Shane. Thoughts?
@Tay… we are watching the same show
LOL… ie: Tamara Braun is bringing IT.. and she’s rocking with full throttle just how much she brings to the canvas… and is perfect foible to intercede any and all happiness or chance Steve and Kayla may have… that’s all the writers need to keep this threesome going.. especially with Aiden coming back…. I wonder who he’ll be?
I hope they try to pair Kayla up with Daniel Cosgrove… if you were watching way back when…. their was instant palpable chemistry when Kayla and Aiden met… at the hosp….
MBE even talked about it in a video interview with Michael Fairman… it was the cutest interview EVER… these two were with Judi Evans… she’s the cats meow… LOVE LOVE LOVE Kayla and Adrienne
my thinking is that Mary Beth Evans … the team player she is… would … be paired… if the camera loves them and their interplay… interaction… connect
I am so hoping that when Daniel Cosgrove returns… this is where DAYS goes
what’s good for the goose is good for the gander… turnabout is fairplay… Steve can dance with Ava… (which … if she is still alive ) would be a lot of drama to play out… Kayla frustration… from her long history… with STeve… may just get her own pie and eat it too…. Daniel Cosgrove
any way .. longwinded here… but DAYS is in dire straights…
I so hope Ryan Quan and Dena Higley work together
When the show got renewed the fact was they had half a year worth of episodes already in the can, so basically all NBC did was give the show a six month extension before making a final decision to cancel it or not. It doesn’t bode well that they put Ryan in as the head writer, it sounds like they just needed a body to hold the steering wheel before the car goes off the road for good. So they are either taking this time to figure out how to save the show, to make one honest kick at the can or they are plotting how the show should wrap up. We will know which it is when they come back from the Olympics— I’m hoping for the best, but expecting the worse.
I gave up on DOOL…It’s not the same show and it’s so dark. The background music is the worst…I know things need to change and I do like change but only if it’s for the better and that’s not the case with DOOL…
August, 2016.. is a long way off… to … alas… wait this out.. for , the (ok call me long suffering Salemite)
retooling and return of all that is; Salem
the NBC Olympic games; August 5 – August 21, 2016
therein the debut of the retooling of DOOL.. w/Dena Higley and Ryan Quan
I read .. what I hope.. is an optimistic impression… the latest SOD issue has an article featuring Ryan Quan
it was enlightening to read that he’s spent his entire career.. as he puts it.. is an avid soap opera fan… and has spent his entire career at NBC
so… for fans to hope that he knows everything their is about Days of OUR Lives… is … a trajectory of light… trajectory of hope
from what I’ve read; about Dena Higley ( not all positive.. and it rankles and riles that she may be responsible for the killing off of Will)… I can only hope… that Ryan Quan has the gumption and foothold to put his OWN stamp ON and create from his knowledge; a new DAY
On Air On Soaps says above that “Corday praised Josh Griffith for his work and taking the show into its 50th anniversary and giving it strong stories and ratings, while increasing the demo during this key point in the show’s history.”
AND NOW FOR THE REALITY :
The ratings released today, for last week, show that the show is DOWN in every reported demographic, DOWN in total, DOWN in households, DOWN in share, FROM LAST YEAR. And this is right in the middle of Josh Griffith’s, thankfully cut-short, tenure! So much for that then! Any gains Days had gotten for their HEAVILY-PROMOTED fiftieth have already evaporated. After just six months, they are now doing worse than Tomsell and Whitesell’s last year on the show.
Also the key demographic (women 18-49) has actually been DOWN from last year for a large part of Griffith and Higley’s tenure. As it is DOWN right now.
Spin won’t do any good, when Days’ ball has lost its velocity!
A glance at fan boards and article comment threads like this are pretty telling – while of course there is always differences in opinion, and people seeing light in the darkness – the general tide of commentary on the show and its stories are remarkably negative.
Hiring some CREATIVE and INTELLIGENT and MORALLY-CENTERED people would have been a bright idea. Griffith and Higley’s era has been destructive (kill, kill, kill, destroy characters, kill, rape, kill), and stupid (psychic visions, memories from dead people, and the murder of a key character left un-investigated and a blatantly obvious murder suspect ignored so the writer’s sick parade of events could continue), and heartless (beloved legacy character not just killed, but done so in a blizzard of hate-messaging: back-burned in life and death, Days and Greg Meng tweeting celebratory tweets on the day of the murder, his mum having to be persuaded to attend his funeral, his in-laws not attending, his best friend not attending, his in loco parentis Uncle and Aunt not attending, his husband put in the second row at his funeral, his husband showing no interest in who killed him or why, his mother not interested in finding out what had happened to him, his husband and mother abandoning his bereft two-year old daughter and leaving the country, his father not being shown with his child for months since the funeral, him being ignored at thanksgiving a month after his murder, his daughter not present at his family’s Xmas or mentioned, his Xmas tree ornament being separated from his daughter’s at Xmas, and her ornament not even shown, his friend and cousin Abby not caring that Ben had nearly killed Chad in the same place she had last seen him alive, the police not following this up, and his whole family not showing any interest in Ben being an obvious suspect in his murder, or in finding out how Will died, and his police commissioner grandpa not being interested in this, or investigating his murder at all, and his cousin Abby and long-term friend calling him one of “those people” who were murdered, his female relatives holding a stripper party a week after he was murdered, and the whole town having a big celebration just after this, and of course, the show itself having a real-life celebration that began the moment that show’s gay “son” was put in the ground. And that’s just *some* of the hate-messaging that Griffith and Higley, and Corday’s production team, instilled in the Kill Will Quickly event.
Every day that Day and NBC and Sony don’t apologize is another day that they implicitly endorse hate-messaging against gay people and their allies.
I am thrilled Griffith is gone. So Corday sent him a two-page thank you letter!! Hah, very hah!!! Fans have already written THOUSANDS of pages in defiance of the anti-gay hate messaging that his period of headwritership put out there. Let there be no mistake: for fans who care about the real-world impact of this hate-messaging, their feelings are “good riddance” (to put it politely).
If the show wants to have a good reputation, and a bright future, the smart thing to do would be to apologize. Instead the show’s owner and executive producer Ken Corday has now publicly stepped out to thank and praise the man who had his hands on the reigns when this horrible inhumane messaging was produced and broadcast, (whilst trying to put a good spin on their desperately poor ratings); and also the NBC execs have publicly declared that they are “happy” with the show, and, when they *renewed* the show (yes!), they even put out a press release that brazenly and shamelessly trumpeted the show’s past GLAAD awards. Quite unbelievably, the GLAAD award-winning head of NBC Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, even said he was “happy” with where Days was at.
I look forward to the day when they are all challenged in public.
When I watched Will die, I knew I was watching the show die. The contempt and obvious presumption the audience would enjoy his death and suffering was shocking and disgusting. It said everything about the character of the writers and who they think the audience is. The grim, hateful amorality of the show since comes as no surprise. I still can’t believe NBC renewed them, and I don’t think any resurrection of Will (as rumored) can undo the inherent homophobia that they infused the end of the Will and Sonny story with on purpose.
Wow! Just wow. You nailed it big time. I know people who refuse to watch DOOL for all the reasons you just stated. If they don’t address what they did and right the wrongs, many fans/viewers will NEVER return. Great post.
The ratings continue to plummet…kill, kill, kill, rape, kill, rape, kill. Even the good guys are vicious killers but the people they kill “deserve” it. Will’s death was a homophobic pander, and it showed the moral bankruptcy of the writers and the show. Then someone decided the cute kid that Ciara bullied and then befriended should grow up to rape her. Truly disgusting thought process there. The writers presume the viewers a bad people – bigots, slut shamers, body shamers and haters who excuse any behavior from their favorites and spit on anyone they don’t like. There is no morality, no goodness and no hope. The show that once was ahead of its time in the way love and forgiveness and truth was privileged has been set ablaze in a fury of malice and contempt. Nothing about the show works, no character is rootable. Considering the ratings, I’m sure NBC regrets not putting this failure pile out of its misery.
I am just happy the show is still on!!! If we start complaining about the show being bad….we could get another stupid talk show or Jerry Springer show!! Then I want be watching anything on Daytime!! I wish they would bring more soaps back on!!!
Not complaining will not save any TV show, certainly not DOOL. Only better ratings will save the soap. Complaining is the only way to get a change (hopefully for the better), not complaining and being complacent is just waiting for the inevitable cancellation. Fans of cancelled soaps, particularly GL, refused to complain on some boards, there were no real changes near the end of its run — and look what happened.
Exactly…unfortunately TPTB do not listen to the fans…I really they need to personally meet with die hard fans and respond. Oh how I miss Douglas Marland and William Bell…they knew what to do…They would be sadden of what has transpired.
Sorry for the typo…I really THINK they need to personally meet with fans and listen to what we have to say but we know that won’t ever happen.
I’m reading a lot of comments on here about the rape story line. Yes, rape is horrible and hard to see happen to anyone. The reality is, however, that it happens to thousands of women (& men) every day. If done right, stories about rape can draw attention to the need to support women who have been attacked as well as providing knowledge to people who just don’t get it. Rape on soaps is not a new thing. Luke and Laura. Todd and Marty. Jack and Kayla. Bill & Laura Horton. I could go on and on, and some of those story lines provided huge ratings and powerful acting moments for the actors. Granted, the current story with Chase & Ciara is hard to watch as the actress playing Ciara just doesn’t seem ready with her acting skills to play this role. It was a bad choice to make her the victim of this, so quickly taking away from the opportunity to tell the story of moving on without her father or even dealing w/ being kidnapped. I guess my point is that rape stories are nothing new and have long been a staple in daytime story telling. It’s a horrible thing, but it’s a story that sometimes needs to be told. (But don’t turn the rapist into a hero a year later.)
Yes, rape is often and terrible… But they could have given the story line to a better actress. Not to some zombie-speaking lifeless girl who has no facial expressions or intonation in her voice! Every time Ciara speaks I cringe at the awkwardness of it all! The rest of the new teens actually aren’t bad and they are able to be dynamic. Unfortunately it is hard to feel sorry or empathy for someone who is acting hardly human.
Agree. That’s kind of what I said in my post about Ciara.
I think most people here know that rape is a soap stable, and it can be done well. It’s just that it’s an important topic that should be written with sensitivity and respect. Days has done it in a nasty and exploitative way that is being done as a cheap ratings stunt with no comprehension of what victims go through and no respect for the characters. Chase had tremendous potential and an interesting backstory turning him into a rapist was short-sighted and just mean-spirited. Sadly, the actor who plays CIara isn’t up to the story either. There’s a core of ugliness all around that makes it unwatchable.
That’s what I said in my post about Ciara. And I agree that most people know rape is a soap stable, but posts on twitter, message boards, and almost all the articles on Michael’s site have a handful that don’t express hate for the story line because of how it’s done/who’s in it but just simply because think it’s too dark. So I guess I was trying to say don’t be shocked that they explored another rape story or fight it being a story line in daytime… just address how they could do it more effectively.
Get rid of the teens! Ew! They were great kids but not teens! Then bring back Sonny but not with Paul. Smeone new. Most of my famliar characters are gone. This is not the show I started watching and I have a very hard time paying attention to this boredm. And Kate Mansi ?) is leaving, too? This show just stinks IMHO, I’m sorry to say.
This show needs a lot of help. All the crime and darkness is not what I want to see. Finally Ciara told someone about the rape, but why didn’t Claire tell Hope!!!! If all the teens left, Salem would be crime free and then we could get rid of that ridiculous police force.
August is a long time to have to suffer through these bad stories and bad acting (teens, I’m referring to you) and I’ve heard Ken say he’s excited before, so I’m not holding my breath for anything too new. I do think it is a good idea to get closer to filming and airing so they can make changes. I just wish they’d make the changes that the fans want to see.